The influence of LinkedIn group community on postgraduate student experience, satisfaction and grades

Social media platforms represent an opportunity for higher education institutions to complement and enhance classroom teaching and learning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of a LinkedIn group community on student experience, satisfaction and grades. A total of 118 students from three postgraduate programmes at a university in the United Kingdom were randomly assigned during the second week of the semester to either an experimental group representing the LinkedIn group community or to the control group, where students attended the classroom sessions but were not included in a LinkedIn group. In week twelve of the semester, 40 students in the experimental group and 42 in the control group voluntarily completed the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey questionnaire. The results of independent t-tests indicate that students in the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group on engagement, satisfaction and grades, and the behavioural engagement within the LinkedIn group community contributes to satisfaction. Analysis of the learning activities reveals that the interactive content produces a higher engagement rate than the informative content. International students who had previous experience with LinkedIn show higher levels of engagement within the experimental LinkedIn group. The research contributes to the educational use of LinkedIn and explains that the effective planning of learning activities in an online group community, which includes the consideration of individual characteristics and content types, may influence positively students’ levels of engagement, satisfaction and grades

The effect of market-sensing capability on knowledge creation process and innovation Evidence from SMEs in Jordan

This article aims to investigate the effect of market-sensing capability among knowledge creation and process and product innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. We propose that market-sensing capability will influence knowledge creation and process as well as product innovation. The study develops a model that contributes to the flourishing marketing management literature, i.e. the higher the knowledge creation, the higher the performance of SMEs. Data are collated from valid (n=183) respondents of Jordanian SMEs. The study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the analysis and the results indicate a positive effect of market-sensing capability on knowledge creation, and process and product innovation. Knowledge creation process has also maintained a positive effect on process and product innovation. Knowledge creation process mediated the link between market-sensing capability and process and product innovation. The study suggests that market sensing abilities of an enterprise are important for SME’s improvement which requires learning-positioning for firm effectiveness. In addition, managers need to harmonize their procedures concerning market sensing and learning. Future study can streamline the findings with a longitudinal design and insights can be acquired by exploring the impact of environmental factors surrounding strategic entrepreneurial orientation

Make it real, Make it useful! The impact of AR social experience on brand positivity and information sharing

This study investigated the impact of the perceived Augmented Reality (AR) social experience of restaurant menus on two types of prosocial behaviors: brand positivity and brand information sharing. This study adopts the expectancy-value model as a framework, drawing on the cognitive load, self-determination, and media richness theories. Using a sample of 879 participants from the United States, the research model was tested using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that the social experience derived from using AR menus significantly predicts brand positivity and brand information sharing. The perceived usefulness of AR mediates this relationship. Moreover, AR reality congruence acts as a significant mediator between perceived AR social experience and brand positivity but not brand information sharing. The positive relationship between AR social experience, brand positivity, and brand information sharing is sequentially mediated by AR reality congruence and AR usefulness. This groundbreaking research pioneers a fresh perspective, delving into the impact of AR social experiences on consumers' prosocial behaviors, specifically brand positivity and information sharing. Unravels intricate mechanisms, shedding light on how and under what circumstances AR social experiences foster positive behaviors within the dynamic realm of food services and restaurant settings. This study provides valuable insights for restaurant managers and marketers to leverage AR technology to create engaging and immersive customer-dining experiences, a concept that has not been thoroughly explored in previous studies

The Nexus between Social Media Marketing Activities and Brand Loyalty in Hotel Facebook Pages: A Multi-Group Analysis of Hotel Ratings

This study advances research on social media marketing activities (SMMA) and brand trust by empirically exploring their relationships with brand loyalty, and purchase intention, among a representative cross-section of five-star (5) hotels and four-star (4) hotels Facebook profiles in Kyrenia City (Northern Cyprus). The data gathered for this research adds to our understanding of today\u27s social media marketing as a new-generation marketing tool. This study also tests for the mediating effect of brand trust and the moderating effect of hotel ratings (five-star/four-star) on the proposed relationships. Based on 407 customers that were surveyed, the results indicate that SMMA did have a positive effect on brand loyalty, purchase intention, and brand trust. Hotel ratings (five-star/four-star) moderate the link between SMMA and brand loyalty; however, the link between SMMA and purchase intention was moderated by hotel ratings (five-star/four-star). The results showed that hotel ratings (five-star/four-star) made no difference at the model level. Therefore, the multi-group moderating effect of hotel ratings on the measurement model was tested at the path level. Lastly, the mediation outcome of brand trust was partially supported. Thus, consequential recommendations have been put forward

Linking Social Media Marketing Activities to Revisit Intention through Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty on the Coffee Shop Facebook Pages: Exploring Sequential Mediation Mechanism

Social media marketing (SMM) is a new field that involves the marketing of goods, services, information, and ideas via online networks and social media. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response framework, this study aims to examine how social-media-marketing activities (SMMA) affect brand loyalty, brand trust, and revisit intention (returning to the same place in the future) for coffee shops in Northern Cyprus. Empirical evidence was collected from 415 undergraduate students who follow specific coffee shops on Facebook, and a structural equation modeling approach was applied. The results showed a significant positive influence of SMMA on brand loyalty, brand trust, and revisit intention. The findings show that SMMA are a stronger predictor of revisit intention than brand loyalty and brand trust. Furthermore, brand loyalty and brand trust are significant mediators in the relationship between SMMA and revisit intention. Additionally, the sequential mediation effects of brand loyalty and brand trust in the relationship between SMMA and revisit intention are supported. Overall, with effective SMMA from coffee shops on Facebook, the customer grows confidence in the brand, which increases the level of brand loyalty. This, in turn, encourages revisit intention of the customer. As a result, brand executives on social media platforms (in this case, Facebook) should promote specific SMMA for their brands and engage in such activities to creates brand trust and brand loyalty. These findings contribute to the literature by examining the relationship between SMMA and revisit intention and exploring how SMMA affect revisit intention by adding brand loyalty and brand trust as mediators

The Impact of Competitive Strategies on Hotel Performance Case Study of Five Stars Hotels in Northern Cyprus (Kyrenia)

The main purpose of this article is to examine the impact of competitive advantage strategies on the performance of hotels. Five hotels in Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (kyrenia city) have been taken as a case study. Three kinds of competitive strategies have been studied; cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategy. A questionnaire has been designed for the study and data of 112 responses from executive managers, vice-managers and the head of all departments have been analyzed by using the SPSS program. Our findings show that: (a) the competitive strategies impact positively on the financial performance, (b) the competitive strategies impact positively on the non-financial performance

Chaos, Fractionality, Nonlinear Contagion, and Causality Dynamics of the Metaverse, Energy Consumption, and Environmental Pollution: Markov-Switching Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity Copula and Causality Methods

Metaverse (MV) technology introduces new tools for users each day. MV companies have a significant share in the total stock markets today, and their size is increasing. However, MV technologies are questioned as to whether they contribute to environmental pollution with their increasing energy consumption (EC). This study explores complex nonlinear contagion with tail dependence and causality between MV stocks, EC, and environmental pollution proxied with carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) with a decade-long daily dataset covering 18 May 2012–16 March 2023. The Mandelbrot–Wallis and Lo’s rescaled range (R/S) tests confirm long-term dependence and fractionality, and the largest Lyapunov exponents, Shannon and Havrda, Charvât, and Tsallis (HCT) entropy tests followed by the Kolmogorov–Sinai (KS) complexity measure confirm chaos, entropy, and complexity. The Brock, Dechert, and Scheinkman (BDS) test of independence test confirms nonlinearity, and White‘s test of heteroskedasticity of nonlinear forms and Engle’s autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity test confirm heteroskedasticity, in addition to fractionality and chaos. In modeling, the marginal distributions are modeled with Markov-Switching Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity Copula (MS-GARCH–Copula) processes with two regimes for low and high volatility and asymmetric tail dependence between MV, EC, and CO2 in all regimes. The findings indicate relatively higher contagion with larger copula parameters in high-volatility regimes. Nonlinear causality is modeled under regime-switching heteroskedasticity, and the results indicate unidirectional causality from MV to EC, from MV to CO2, and from EC to CO2, in addition to bidirectional causality among MV and EC, which amplifies the effects on air pollution. The findings of this paper offer vital insights into the MV, EC, and CO2 nexus under chaos, fractionality, and nonlinearity. Important policy recommendations are generated

Examining the Relationship between Brand Symbolism and Brand Evangelism through Consumer Brand Identification: Evidence from Starbucks Coffee Brand

In today’s competitive environment, it is important to understand that consumers’ evangelical behavior depends on symbolic brand attachment. This study, drawing on social identity theory (SIT), investigates the direct relationship between brand symbolism and three characteristics of brand evangelism, namely purchase intention, positive brand referrals, and oppositional brand referrals, while also considering the mediating role of consumer brand identification (CBI) and the moderating role of generational cohorts. A total of 323 Starbucks coffee shop consumers were analyzed, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed using Smart PLS 3.2. The findings revealed that brand symbolism is the strongest predictor of positive brand referrals, followed by purchase intention and oppositional brand referrals. CBI was a significant mediator between brand symbolism and the three aspects of brand evangelism. The results of the moderation effect of the generational cohort showed a significant relationship between brand symbolism and purchase intention. Interestingly, the generational cohort was not a significant moderator between brand symbolism and positive brand referrals and oppositional brand referrals. The study concludes with theoretical and managerial implications, as well as some suggestions for future studies

The drivers and outcomes of postgraduate students' adoption and use of LinkedIn Learning

Social media educational tools represent an opportunity for higher education (HE) institutions to enhance postgraduate students’ skills development. LinkedIn Learning can be used to complement classroom teaching and learning. However, the drivers and outcomes of this tool remain a gap in the literature. This study uses a cross-sectional research design and data from 232 postgraduate students at a university in the United Kingdom (UK). The results of structural equation modelling indicate that facilitating conditions and habit are the main drivers of students’ behavioural intention to use LinkedIn Learning, and the actual use of this tool contributes to students’ skills development and satisfaction. The results indicate that age moderates the relationships between effort expectancy, social influence, habit and behavioural intention of using LinkedIn Learning. The findings contribute to the effective integration of LinkedIn Learning as an additional tool that may complement teaching and learning, improving postgraduate students’ skills development and satisfaction

Building a tribe on Instagram: How User-generated and Firm-created Content can drive brand evangelism and fidelity

The social media revolution has significantly transformed marketing plans and practices in the business world. Firm-Created Content (FCC) and User-Generated Content (UGC) serve as critical social media communication tools for brands to connect and build relationships with customers. This study investigates the influence of FCC and UGC on affective commitment, brand evangelism, and fidelity. Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this study aims to explore the impact of FCC and UGC on affective commitment, which, in turn, mediates the relationships between these social media communication tools (FCC and UGC), brand evangelism and fidelity. The research, focusing on a coffee-shop chain’s FCC and UGC on Instagram, utilizing structural equation modeling to analyze data from a sample of 341 Instagram users in the USA who are Starbucks customers. The findings reveal that FCC and UGC are positively and significantly related to brand evangelism and fidelity. Furthermore, the results suggest that affective commitment mediates the relationship between FCC, UGC, brand evangelism and fidelity, supporting the hypotheses concerning the indirect relationships between social media communication tools, brand evangelism and fidelity