The role of brand community identification and reward on consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty in virtual brand communities

The quality of crowdsourcing virtual community and users' voice behavior: An analysis of stimulus-organism-response framework among Chinese users

The quality of a crowdsourcing virtual community is an essential factor that stimulates users' perceptions of belonging and attachment to the community, thereby influencing their behavior. As a prerequisite for the development of "creative crowdsourcing," it is particularly important to study how users' voice behavior can be promoted in virtual communities. Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework and the Social Identification Theory, this study developed a conceptual model that investigates the impact of crowdsourcing virtual communities in system, information, interaction, and service quality on users' voice behavior. Furthermore, we introduce community identification and self-disclosure to further analyze the influencing mechanism between these two variables. Data were collected through 672 survey questionnaires from participants in well-known crowdsourcing virtual communities such as Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, Haier Hope, Test Baidu, and Test China. Using hierarchical regression and bootstrap analysis, we found a positive correlation between the quality of the crowdsourcing virtual community and users' voice behavior, with community identification acting as a mediator. Furthermore, self-disclosure showed a significant moderating effect on the relationship between community identification and voice behavior. These findings significantly contribute to the theoretical landscape by advancing the SOR framework within a virtual community. This not only deepens the understanding of the quality of the crowdsourcing virtual community, but also provides theoretical and practical implications for managers and users on how to promote voice behavior.

The impact of CSR and green consumption on consumer satisfaction and loyalty: moderating role of ethical beliefs

The present study introduces an innovative conceptual framework for analyzing the influence of corporate social responsibility and green consumption on customer satisfaction and loyalty. The study employed a quantitative methodology, wherein data was gathered through face-to-face surveys from a sample of 329 participants in Pakistan during the period from November 2022 to February 2023. The collected data was subsequently subjected to analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a significant and positive impact on consumer satisfaction, which subsequently serves as a significant predictor of loyalty. The research findings indicate a significant correlation between consumers' ethical beliefs, specifically idealism and relativism, and their engagement in green consumption. Furthermore, it is observed that green consumption positively influences consumer satisfaction. Additionally, the research revealed that the variables of idealism and relativism do not exert a moderating influence on the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and consumer satisfaction. The results underscore the significance of managers directing their attention towards cultivating more robust customer relationships through the prioritization of satisfaction within their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This study aimed to assess a theoretical framework that delineates the fundamental connections between corporate social responsibility (CSR), green consumption, consumer satisfaction, and loyalty. While prior research has predominantly concentrated on corporate viewpoints and employee attitudes towards CSR, this research sought to fill the gap by examining the aforementioned relationships from a consumer perspective.

Modeling and Quantifying the Impact of Personified Communication on Purchase Behavior in Social Commerce

The advancement of mobile internet technology has enabled companies to leverage social media for e-commerce, where some use personified images and language to communicate with consumers. This paper investigates how personified communication affects consumer behavior in social commerce and whether consumers are willing to accept this new form of communication. Specifically, the study explores consumers' willingness to accept personified communication in social commerce, considering the role of cognitive needs in regulating the internal mechanism. The paper proposes suggestions for enterprises to improve their social media communication and presents an improved model based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The model introduces perceived interaction as a new independent variable and adds cognitive needs as a regulatory variable, which is more suitable for social commerce. The study conducts a questionnaire survey online and analyzes the data using AMOS and SPSS. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness and perceived interaction positively impact consumers' attitudes, which subsequently influences their willingness to purchase. Furthermore, cognitive needs as a regulatory variable significantly affect the path from perceived usefulness to attitude and purchase intention.

What Really Drives Loyalty in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Market?

This article seeks to determine the real drivers of customer loyalty in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. The study uses beer consumers in Lithuania as an empirical base for the research. A combination of qualitative (experiment) and quantitative (cross-sectional study and partial least squares structural equation modelling) research techniques are applied. The results reveal that loyalty in the FMCG market is driven by purchase frequency, promotion, price and perceived quality via moderating variables such as brand trust and brand satisfaction. Moreover, they demonstrate that consumers mostly do not recognize their favourite product among similar products; therefore, taste properties or other physical attributes of some FMCG products do not significantly contribute to the formation of brand loyalty.

JEL classification: M31, M39

Does brand community participation lead to early new product adoption? The roles of networking behavior and prior purchase experience

Introduction

Consumers’ adoption behavior is critical to the success of new products, but the effects of brand communities on new product adoption have rarely been investigated. In this study, we draw on network theory to examine how consumer participation in brand communities (in terms of participation intensity and social networking behaviors) affects the adoption of new products.

Methods

We collected longitudinal data from 8,296 members of an online community of a well-known smartphone brand to assess the factors influencing new product adoption.

Results

The results from applying a hazard model indicated that brand community participation increases the speed of adoption of new products. The positive effect of members’ out-degree centrality on new product adoption was found to be significant, but in-degree centrality only had an effect when users had previous purchasing experience.

Discussion

These findings extend the literature by revealing how new products are disseminated across brand communities. The study also makes theoretical and practical contributions to the literature on brand community management and product marketing.

Understanding the consumers' multi-competing brand community engagement: A mix method approach

Introduction

Participating in multiple competing brand communities simultaneously is common for consumers, which brings challenges for companies to manage brand communities and build strong brand-consumer relationships. Although previous studies have widely examined the drivers and outcomes of consumers' engagement in an individual community, little is known about the multi-competing brand community engagement.

Methods

This paper explores the manifestation, categories, motivational drivers, and consequences of consumers' MBCE through two studies using two different methodologies to fill this gap.

Results

By using netnography, study 1 shows that MBCE behaviors manifest in various ways, and can be classified into three categories: information-oriented MBCE, social-oriented MBCE, and oppositional MBCE. Study 2 indicates through a consumer survey that one reason that motivates consumers to participate in other competing brand communities is because of the attractiveness of other competing brands. Also, the results indicate that consumers' product knowledge is positively associated with MBCE. Finally, the number of competing brand community engagements is positively related to brand switching intention.

Discussion

This article enriches the brand community literature and provides important implications on managing brand communities in a competing environment.

CSR-brand relationship, brand positioning, and investment risks driven towards climate change mitigation and next perspectives emerging from: "Litigation, projections, pathway, and models"

This study delineates the relationship between CSR and brands, unveiling pragmatic steps towards achieving the sustainable business environment, while unveiling its potential towards climate changes mitigation cognizant of investment risks, leading to an action plan-framework for proffering practical solutions coupled with establishing future paths and projection towards addressing climatic changes consequences, risen incidences in litigation trends and environmental issues. Trends manifesting in risen litigation incidences linked to industrial and economic activities that adversely impact the climate, environment and society makes it imperative to look extensively beyond prediction models while establishing and building on brand relationship with CSR, while strategically establishing a practically realistic business model for translating this relationship to value-creation and applied in abating climate change, addressing all environmental concerns, redressing litigation incidences, among other issues resulting from impacts of business and socio-economic pursuits of humans. The twenty-first century realities towards a green planet demands doing business strategically, optimize resources by imbibing investment risks as a trend and organizational culture-strategic fit, adopting brand as a potential tool for addressing climate change and environmentally related activities and adversaries from business activities and negligent practices from such, while achieving climate change mitigation as outlined and extensively inundated.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43546-022-00374-4.

From digital museuming to on-site visiting: The mediation of cultural identity and perceived value

Introduction

Museums use digital resources to provide online services to the public, and a "digital museuming" boom has started. The mechanism of online museum visiting and its impact on willingness to visit on site has become an important issue of widespread concern. Therefore, based on the theory of presence and cognitive-emotional-behavioral theory, this paper introduces perceived value and cultural identity as mediating variables to explore the influence of the digital museuming experience on the willingness to visit on site from the audience's perspective.

Method

Questionnaires were distributed, using the snowball sampling method, and 429 valid questionnaires were returned.

Results

The empirical test presents the following results: (1) virtual reality technology multi-dimensionally expands the digital museuming experience; (2) immersion, interaction and available experience promote willingness to visit on-site; (3) hedonic experience in the process of digital museuming cannot be ignored; and (4) perceived value and cultural identity play a mediating role.

Discussion

User experience of visiting virtual museums, perceived value and cultural identity influence user willingness to visit museums in the field, but perceived value does not enhance the user's cultural identity, maybe due to the inability of the online experience to increase the depth of the experience.

Research on the Impact of Intercustomer Social Support on Customer Engagement Behaviors in Virtual Brand Communities

Customer engagement behavior is a key factor in promoting the sustainable growth of virtual brand communities. Despite the extensive research on the antecedents of customer engagement behaviors, the influence of intercustomer social support remains a neglected area in the context of virtual brand communities. Based on a total of 293 valid questionnaires collected via an online survey, a structural equation model and hierarchical regression analysis are used to examine the effects of intercustomer social support (informational/emotional support) on customer engagement behaviors (customer-oriented/community-oriented engagement behaviors) in virtual brand communities, as well as consider the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the above relationships. The empirical finding shows that informational/emotional support significantly affects customer-oriented and community-oriented engagement behaviors. Self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between informational/emotional support and customer-oriented/community-oriented engagement behaviors. Interdependent self-construal positively moderates the relationship between informational/emotional support and customer-oriented engagement behaviors and positively moderates the relationship between informational support and community-oriented engagement behaviors. This article provides a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between intercustomer social support and customer engagement behaviors in the context of virtual brand communities, and improves the existing customer engagement behaviors management practices that are beneficial for the companies.

Silence is golden? Relationship between silent behavior among online community members and operation performance from the perspective of personality trait

As companies are transforming their branding, marketing, operations, and research and development (R&D) by running online communities to build their core competitive advantages in the digital era, the silent majority is still the norm in the online community and has become the focus of online community operations. Thus, it has become the core issue that why silent behavior of online community members occurs and its impact on operation performance of the online community. According to the traditional theory of organizational behavior, this study focuses on the theoretical model of the relationship between proactive personality, silent behavior of online community members (acquiescent, defensive, and prosocial silence), and operation performance of the online community, and further analyzes the impact of community identification on these relationships. Eight hundred online community members in China participated in this study. The results indicate that: (1) proactive personality has a significant negative impact on acquiescent silent and defensive silent behavior of the online community members, and a significant positive impact on prosocial silent behavior of the online community members; (2) The acquiescent silence and defensive silence have a significant negative impact on online community operation performance, whereas prosocial silence has a significant positive impact on community operation performance; (3) The acquiescent silence and defensive silence have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between proactive personality and community operation performance; (4) Online community identification has a moderating effect on the relationship between silent behavior and online community operation performance. The study proposes the mechanisms and double-edged sword effects of the silent behavior of online community members from the perspective of personality traits. On the one hand, it generalizes the research of traditional organizational silent behavior theory to the context of the online community. On the other hand, it provides reference and inspiration for the theoretical research and practical management of silent behavior of online community members.

Revealing Differences in Brand Loyalty and Brand Engagement of Single or no Parented Young Adults

The present study reveals differences in brand engagement, brand loyalty and brand evangelism among single or no parented young adults. It was found that persons who were raised without one or both parents for at least three years show higher emotional connectivity to brands compared to their counterparts from a control group. A widely recognized structural equation modelling technique—partial least squares method—has been applied in order to test the research hypotheses. Two Baltic States, namely, Lithuania and Latvia, served as an empirical basis of the study. The results of the research are relevant not only to business related disciplines, such as marketing and management, but also to other social sciences fields presuming the existence of more psychology-related differences among single or no parented persons.

“Wow! It’s Cool”: How Brand Coolness Affects the Customer Psychological Well-Being Through Brand Love and Brand Engagement

In this era of razor-edge competition, marketers strive to outperform their rivals by improving their brands. Increasing brand coolness may be the best way to do it. This study used a stimulus organism response (SOR) model by integration with brand attribution theory to conduct a cross sectional study using purposive sampling technique and surveying young consumers of smart gadgets in Pakistan. A total of 1,178 responses were received and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results found a positive impact of brand coolness (stimulus) on brand love and brand engagement (both modeled as organism). Brand experience moderated these links. Brand love and brand engagement also mediated the relationship between brand coolness and consumer well-being and delight (both modeled as response). The findings suggest a very important contribution to theory and practice by testing unexploited outcomes of brand coolness. Especially, this study contributes to the consumer well-being literature, again an unexploited aspect of marketing literature. Despite the uniqueness of the findings, the cross sectional design of this study remains a major limitation. Future research may supplement the findings with the help of longitudinal studies. Marketers and practitioners may benefit from this study by improving the coolness of their brands so they may not only increase consumer engagement with the brand but they will also make consumers happy with their brands.

Understanding the Relative Impact of Dual Identification on Brand Loyalty on Social Media: The Regulatory Fit Perspective in Different Cultures

This study explorers whether the relative impacts of brand identification and identification with other users of brand pages on brand loyalty vary according to consumers' regulatory focus. By integrating social identification theory with regulatory focus theory, this study adopts a dual identification framework to compare the differential impacts of promotion regulatory fit and prevention regulatory fit on brand loyalty. Besides, the moderating effects of product type on the relationship between promotion/prevention regulatory fit and brand loyalty are further investigated. Finally, this study uses different combinations of information technology (IT) affordances in order to examine their influences on each identification target. The current study adopts a qualitative methodology and involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 27 brand page users in regard to IT affordances and their subdimensions. The research model was empirically tested using a cross-country comparison of data collected from surveys conducted in China and the United States. The results support our hypotheses and confirm the differential effects of promotion and prevention regulatory fit on brand loyalty. Theoretically, our study enhances our understanding of the relative effect of dual identification on brand loyalty on social media. Practically, our study delivers insights for companies into how social media brand pages can be used as a strategic tool to achieve brand values.

Evaluating the Impact of Community Experience on Purchase Intention in Online Knowledge Community

Community experience has an important influence on the brand building of an online knowledge community. By enhancing the community experience of members, it can promote the building of an online knowledge community and increase users' purchase intention. Although existing research has explored the influence model of community experience, there is a dearth of research regarding the influence of community experience on purchase intention. To this end, this study uses the online knowledge community experience as a theoretical basis to construct a mediating model to examine the behavioral patterns of consumers using the online knowledge communities and to explore in detail the mechanisms of the different dimensions of the community experience on purchase intention. It was found that not only the three dimensions of community experience (i.e., information experience, entertainment experience, and interactive experience) had a significant effect on brand identity, but also brand identity had a significant effect on purchase intention. The study also confirmed that brand identity mediates the relationship between community experience and purchase intention. This study reveals the mediating mechanism of community experience on purchase intention and helps to effectively guide the innovative management practices of the online knowledge community.

Brand Knowledge and Organizational Loyalty as Antecedents of Employee-Based Brand Equity: Mediating Role of Organizational Culture

This study tends to explore the impact of brand knowledge and organizational loyalty under the mediating role of organizational culture on employee-based brand equity (EBBE). For this purpose, employees of the hospitality sector were contacted to collect data through personally administrated questionnaires. Already established scales were used to devise instruments. Data were collected in two waves to minimize the common method bias. In the first wave, a total of 600 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 400 were received back, while in the second wave, remaining respondents were approached who have filled the survey in the first wave, and only 320 were received back, from which the partial and incomplete questionnaires were discarded, and at the end, 306 questionnaires were left. These final and completed responses were used for the data analysis and inferential purpose in this study. Collected data have been analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling by using Smart PLS 3 software. The assessment of measurement and structural model indicated a good model fit, and results indicate that EBBE is influenced by organizational loyalty and brand knowledge positively. Moreover, the mediating role of organizational culture has also been proved.

COVID-19-induced residents’ discrimination of tourists, emotional responses, and identity management strategies among travellers

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the fitness landscape leading to phenomenal growth in virtual workouts. This study investigates factors influencing virtual workout team commitment and post-pandemic workout intentions. A conceptual framework is developed that is grounded in the social identity theory. Online data collection is employed to gather responses from 406 team virtual workout participants. Results reveal that virtual workout team participation positively influences team identification, satisfaction, and compliance with team norms. Additionally, virtual workout team identification, satisfaction, and compliance to team norms were found to be antecedents of commitment to the virtual workout team. Commitment to virtual workout teams is revealed to be positively associated with post-pandemic virtual team workout intention and post-pandemic traditional team workout intention. However, the relationship with post-pandemic traditional team workout intentions was found to be stronger. Valuable theoretical and practical insights emerge, providing a better understanding of virtual workout team commitment and how marketers and practitioners can ensure post-pandemic success by better understanding customer behaviour.

Accessing the Influence of Community Experience on Brand Loyalty Toward Virtual Brand Community: Developing Country Perspective

With the development of information technology, more and more companies have taken the initiative to build virtual brand communities to strengthen the connection between brands and customers and create brand loyalty, but existing research lacks a clear explanation of how the customer community experience of virtual brand communities affects brand loyalty. In response to this question, this paper investigates the role and mechanism of different types of community experiences, namely information experience, entertainment experience and interactive experience, generated by customers' participation in community activities on brand loyalty based on the customer experience perspective. The findings show that different types of community experiences have a significant impact on brand loyalty, and which community identity is partially mediated in all of them. Further analysis for segmented populations in virtual communities revealed significant differences in the above mechanisms for members of different genders. The findings of this paper are important guidance for companies to manage virtual brand communities and create brand loyalty.

Exploring How Tourist Engagement Affects Destination Loyalty: The Intermediary Role of Value and Satisfaction

A conceptual network between and among tourist engagement, perceived value, tourist satisfaction, and destination loyalty was constructed and validated based on 401 valid samples collected in Phoenix Ancient Town, a famous destination in western Hunan, China. The research results confirm the logic chain in marketing psychology of “engagement-value-evaluation/behavior” in the context of a tourism destination. Specifically, tourist engagement has direct positive effects on destination loyalty, but not on tourist satisfaction. In addition, tourist engagement exerts indirect positive effects on destination loyalty by producing functional value and emotional value for tourists which, in turn, promotes tourist satisfaction towards a destination. However, the indirect influences of tourist engagement on tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty by way of creating tourists’ social value are not significant. This research validates the role of tourist engagement in the formation of destination loyalty from a tourist value perspective and thereby offers a new theoretical clue for tourism marketing.

Supply Chain Decision Analysis of Community E-Commerce Platform under Different Power Structures: Considering the Influence of Value Cocreation

In order to explore the impact of different decision-making methods on the profits of various entities in the supply chain of the community e-commerce platform, this paper adopts the method of the Stackelberg game. For the community e-commerce platform supply chain composed of suppliers, community e-commerce platforms, and grid station service providers, considering the degree of supplier value cocreation efforts, this paper studies the optimal decisions under centralized decision-making, supplier-led decentralized decision-making, and community e-commerce platform-led decentralized decision-making, respectively. The results show that the supply chain obtains the highest profit in centralized decision-making; under decentralized decision-making, the dominant party will get higher profits; and the supplier value cocreation sensitivity coefficient is positively correlated with sales price, value cocreation effort level, and total supply chain value. The results are helpful to improve the competitiveness of the community e-commerce platform supply chain in the market and are of great significance to the long-term development of the community e-commerce industry.

A Receiver Perspective on Knowledge Sharing Impact on Consumer-Brand Relationship in Virtual Communities

The virtual community offers groups of consumers a knowledge-shared platform, wherein shared brand information influences the brand cognition of others. Using stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this study constructs a research framework for the influence of knowledge sharing on consumer–brand relationship in virtual communities. The empirical analysis shows that knowledge-sharing quality has significant positive effects on the sense of virtual community, as does the sense of virtual community on the consumer–brand relationships. This study supports the strengthening of consumer–brand relationships and the enrichment of following research on knowledge sharing of the consumer in virtual communities. Thus, companies should encourage consumers to actively participate in brand activities and focus on the development of consumer–brand relationships during participation in brand promotion.

A Receiver Perspective on Knowledge Sharing Impact on Consumer–Brand Relationship in Virtual Communities

The virtual community offers groups of consumers a knowledge-shared platform, wherein shared brand information influences the brand cognition of others. Using stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this study constructs a research framework for the influence of knowledge sharing on consumer–brand relationship in virtual communities. The empirical analysis shows that knowledge-sharing quality has significant positive effects on the sense of virtual community, as does the sense of virtual community on the consumer–brand relationships. This study supports the strengthening of consumer–brand relationships and the enrichment of following research on knowledge sharing of the consumer in virtual communities. Thus, companies should encourage consumers to actively participate in brand activities and focus on the development of consumer–brand relationships during participation in brand promotion.

Brand loyalty through brand tribalism: an anthropological perspective

Purpose

This study aims to empirically demonstrate the direct impact of brand tribalism on brand loyalty, revealing how the intrinsic elements of brand tribalism operate within an arena of high self-expressive brands.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey was carried out. A structured questionnaire was applied to active members of motorcycle clubs. It was obtained 336 responses and structural modeling was applied to test a hypothetical model.

Findings

This research shows that community and lineage were significantly related to brand loyalty, with a sense of community demonstrating the most decisive influence. Therefore, the study reveals that loyalty can be built through brand tribalism across strategies that foment collective social identity and friendship sentiments among brand consumers.

Practical implications

To increase brand loyalty, managers should associate their brands with the sense of community of tribe members and create associations within the brand and its consumers through brand communication and experiences, reinforcing brand owners’ lineage’s singularity.

Originality/value

This is the unique study demonstrating how to forge brand loyalty through brand tribalism’s multidimensional perspective, presenting findings on how its intrinsic factors can boost loyalty within self-expressive product brands.

Stimulating Customer Inspiration Through Online Brand Community Climates: The Mediating Role of Customer Interaction

This study examines the impacts of the online brand community (OBC) climate on customer interaction and customer inspiration, which are yet under-explored in the extant literature. The data were collected online from the Chinese respondents (N = 504) to analyze the proposed constructs of the study. Findings show that supportive OBC climate and controlled OBC climate are positively related to customer interaction (including information interaction and social interaction) and exert a significant and positive impact on customer inspiration. A mediating impact of customer interaction is found on the relationship between OBC climate and customer inspiration. This study unravels the importance and mechanism of customer-brand relationships in the online environment and illuminates pathways for marketers and policymakers to positively influence customer inspiration for business promotion. This study updates existing literature boxes of consumer behavior and marketing in the context of online customer-brand relationships. Limitations and future research directions are noted.

The impact of service quality, trust and satisfaction on young citizen loyalty towards government e-services

Purpose

This study examines the effect of multidimensional constructs on citizen loyalty to e-government services. More specifically, it examines the effects of service quality, trust and satisfaction on loyalty to these services.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected via a questionnaire that was completed by 780 foundation-year students in government universities in Saudi Arabia. The students who participated in the study had used a unified system provided by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia for university admission. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The key findings revealed that the factors service quality, trust in government, trust in e-government services and citizen satisfaction play a significant role in developing citizen loyalty to e-government services. Trust in government has the strongest direct effect on citizen loyalty to e-government services, and service quality has the strongest total effect on citizen loyalty. In contrast, citizen satisfaction has the least significant influence on citizen loyalty to e-government services.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new model for citizen loyalty to e-government services that combines the service quality model and trust theory. In addition, this study is among the first to categorise trust into three factors – trust in government, trust in e-government and disposition to trust – and integrate them into a model. Furthermore, the study reveals the roles of satisfaction and service quality in developing citizen loyalty. The findings of this study fill a gap in knowledge on citizen trust in, satisfaction with and loyalty to e-government services.

Role of Ethical Marketing in Driving Consumer Brand Relationships and Brand Loyalty: A Sustainable Marketing Approach

This research is focused on studying the impact of ethical marketing practices on value-adding product sustainability and customer brand relationship sustainability. It further investigates the consequent effects of value-adding product sustainability and customer brand relationship sustainability on brand loyalty. Data for this study were collected from a sample of 1500 customers having multiple interactions with goods and brands of retail organizations in Pakistan. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS 24.0 to analyze our data. The findings of this paper provide empirical support to the proposed relationships. More specifically, ethical marketing practices were found to have a significant impact on value-adding product sustainability and customer-value brand relationship sustainability. The findings also support a positive impacts of value-adding product sustainability and customer-value brand relationship sustainability on brand loyalty. This study provides some valuable implications for the theory and practice in that it identifies and empirically validates key ethical marketing factors affecting loyalty in business-to-consumer interactions. Besides, this study advocates implications for firms regarding some key aspects of ethical marketing practices that should be strengthened to achieve sustained brand loyalty.

Predictive Sustainability Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior Incorporating Ecological Conscience and Moral Obligation

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of research on consumers’ green behavior in emerging markets. This study aims to determine the variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that influence green purchasing intentions in Mexico. Into the model, we incorporated ecological conscience, moral obligation, and willingness to pay as additional variables. A sample of 300 consumers was obtained through an online survey and data were analyzed statistically using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that perceived purchase control, ecological conscience, and moral obligation directly influence purchase intention. The study contributes to the current literature by strengthening the existing knowledge about the factors that influence the purchasing behavior of green products in emerging countries.

The Role of Online Brand Community Engagement on the Consumer–Brand Relationship

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of online brand community (OBC) engagement on strategic aspects for the brand supporting the community. A total of 628 valid responses were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The authors tested the proposed model using structural equation modeling. The results show that OBC engagement directly favors participation in the community, willingness to co-create with the brand, and positive sord-of-mouth (WOM); it also has an indirect positive influence on brand loyalty. At the same time, OBC engagement is directly influenced by OBC identification and, through this, indirectly influenced by brand identification. Likewise, brand trust directly influences brand co-creation, loyalty, and positive WOM. However, OBC participation has been shown to have no significant effect on brand co-creation and positive WOM.

Understanding the effects of personality traits on solver engagement in crowdsourcing communities: a moderated mediation investigation

Purpose

Crowdsourcing communities enable companies to post challenges that are completed by solvers (workers); their success depends on engagement, requiring both creativity and effort. This study explores solver engagement in online crowdsourcing communities, advancing the theory of trait engagement by investigating the mediating roles of: (a) task-related self-efficacy in linking conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion, with solver engagement, and (b) task complexity in influencing the mediation.

Design/methodology/approach

215 valid responses were obtained from solvers engaged in the popular Chinese crowdsourcing community, Epwk.com, using an online questionnaire. PLS was then used to analyze the data.

Findings

Results show that self-efficacy mediates the relationships for conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion, with solver engagement. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that self-efficacy mediates the relationships for: (a) conscientiousness and extraversion, for only solvers with high task complexity; and (b) neuroticism, for only solvers with low task complexity.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings underscore the importance of accounting for solvers' situational contexts when examining the relationships between personality, self-efficacy and solver engagement in online crowdsourcing communities.

From Interactivity to Brand Preference: The Role of Social Comparison and Perceived Value in a Virtual Brand Community

The main purpose of the paper is to examine whether and how perceived interactivity in a virtual brand community affects brand preference to realize the sustainable development of the brand. In this study, we propose and empirically test a theoretical model by analyzing data collected from online brand community members in China. The study confirms that (1) perceived interactivity has a positive effect on social value, emotional value, and informational value; (2) social value, emotional value, and informational value positively influence brand preference; (3) upward social comparison positively moderates the impact of perceived interactivity on social value, while downward social comparison negatively moderates the impact of perceived interactivity on social value. This study has highlighted the role of perceived interactivity in a brand community in promoting brand preference. We believe that the findings offer reliable and important insights for research and practice of brand management.

A PLS-Neural Network Analysis of Motivational Orientations Leading to Facebook Engagement and the Moderating Roles of Flow and Age

Despite engagement being a criterion for the success of initiatives on Facebook, there is a lack of conclusive evidence about its connections with the psychological and motivational orientations that lead one to use Facebook. Built upon the uses and gratifications theory, we develop an integrative and context-specific model that links engagement with enjoyment, self-presentation, and community belonging-identified as motivational orientations underlying Facebookers' behaviors. We also draw on current flow accounts and socioemotional selectivity theory to examine the potential moderating roles of both flow experiences and age differences. We validate the survey instrument and test the model on a sample of active Facebook users. Model testing and sensitive analysis is performed with a two-stage method that combines partial least squares (PLS) and artificial neural network analysis. The results provide strong support for the validity of the hypothesized causal, mediating and moderating relationships embodied in the model. The research also provides insights into practitioners seeking to enhance Facebookers' engagements and promote continued use of Facebook.

Linking FOMO and Smartphone Use to Social Media Brand Communities

Social media brand communities provide firms with the necessary apparatus to develop and maintain relationships. This study explores the effect of fear of missing out (FOMO) and smartphone use on consumer engagement in social media brand communities, which the study hypothesizes to affect consumer loyalty. Data from 279 social media brand community (SMBC) participants were analyzed. Findings reveal that both fear of missing out and smartphone use influence consumer engagement, which in turn influences consumer loyalty in social media brand communities. Furthermore, smartphone use was found to mediate the impact of fear of missing out on consumer engagement.