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Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of a learner’s regulatory focus orientation and message frame of a motivational virtual agent in an e-learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: On the basis of quasi-experimental design, university sophomores (n= 210) categorized as chronic promotion-focus, chronic prevention-focus or neutral regulatory focus interacted with either an agent that conveyed gain-frame message or an agent that conveyed loss-frame message to persuade learners to engage with the e-learning content. Statistical analyses assessed the effects of regulatory focus and message frame on agent perception, motivation and cognitive load. Findings: The results of this paper did not support the hypotheses that chronic promotion-focus learners will benefit more with gain-frame agent than a loss-frame agent, and that chronic prevention-focus learners will benefit more with loss-frame agent than a gain-frame agent. There were main effects of message frame (albeit small effects) – the loss-frame agent was perceived to be more engaging, induced higher motivation and prompted higher germane load than the gain-frame agent. With gain-frame agent, chronic promotion-focus learners had higher motivation toward the e-learning task than other learners. Originality/value: Prior studies have examined regulatory focus and message frame with agents simulating virtual health advocates. This paper extended on this by examining these roles with a persuasive agent simulating virtual tutor in an e-learning environment.

This study investigates and determines the most crucial factors that impact electronic commerce (EC) adoption among home-based business (HBB) owners in an emerging economy i.e. Malaysia and developed economy i.e. Singapore. An empirical survey research was conducted and 150 home-based business owners participated from Malaysia and Singapore respectively. The research is descriptive and causal in nature, interviews and data collection from both countries were conducted between June 2017 to April 2018. Data analysis was done using statistical software SPSS version 24 and SmartPLS 3.0. Findings reveal HBB owners’ IT knowledge, risk perception and online trust are significant predictors of their EC adoption and online trust is found to be the most important factor that contributes to EC adoption collectively for both countries. HBB owners from both countries are found to have different sets of ranking for EC adoption drivers as indicated by the importance-performance map analysis chart. The governments’ role in encouraging HBB ownership in the wake of Industry 4.0 can be enhanced in both countries. HBB Owners could be empowered with the right training, awareness and policy that is HBB friendly. Especially in Malaysia, risk perception is still a significant hindrance for HBB owners to engage in EC. This study pioneers in comparative EC adoption research between a developed and an emerging economy who are neighboring each other and share rich history together. The results assist in understanding the dynamics of EC in this region as well as pave paths for further research inquiries, especially with the advent of Big Data and increasing numbers of HBB owners in both countries powered by Social Media.

While researchers' interest in online impulsive buying is increasing, there is currently a paucity of research that examines at consumers impulse purchase urges while communicating with sellers utilizing instantaneous messaging services. Categorizing cognition into normative evaluation, this study examines normative evaluation influences on consumers’ affective (positive affect) and behavior (urge to buy impulsively while purchasing interaction with sellers utilizing instantaneous messaging services), thereby affirming the applicability of Cognition Emotion Theory in impulse purchase context. This study analyses the 245 collected data in SmartPLS 4 using structural equation modelling. This study found that normative evaluation positively influences positive affect. Normative evaluation and positive affect contribute in explaining the variance explained in the urge to buy impulsively. The current study found that consumers' internal emotional states (positive affect) had a significant mediation effect on the relationship between normative evaluation and urge to buy impulsively. The findings may help businesses in discovering the causes of impulsive purchases by consumers, with an emphasis on psychological factors such as positive purchasing interactions with sellers via instant messaging.

This study addresses the adoption intention of ANA Chatbot, developed as part of the "Chup! Jom Sembang Seks" (translated as "Wait a minute! Let's Talk about Sex") campaign in Malaysia. ANA Chatbot provides youths with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, empowering them in this vital aspect of their lives. Despite the emerging interest in chatbots conveying SRH information, research on the factors affecting the technology's adoption remains scarce. This paper proposes an adoption model straddling AI attributes (perceived intelligence and anthropomorphism), relational elements (perceived risk and trust), and the UTAUT's factors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions). We empirically analyzed the model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling based on 243 valid responses from participants engaging with ANA Chatbot. The results indicate that perceived intelligence positively relates to anthropomorphism, functional elements (performance expectancy and effort expectancy), trust, and SRH chatbot adoption intention. Anthropomorphism enhances performance expectancy but does not affect effort expectancy, trust, and SRH chatbot adoption intention. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence are antecedents to ANA Chatbot adoption intention, thus affirming the UTAUT model. Contrary to predictions, perceived risk and trust do not influence the intention to adopt ANA Chatbot. Overall, this study contributes theoretical knowledge concerning AI-centric technology adoption models with a unique and novel focus on an SRH chatbot while providing pragmatic recommendations for promoting SRH chatbot adoption intention.