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This study aims to investigate the exciting world of metaverse gig work, exploring how gig work self-efficacy influences their adoption of gig work itself, along with two key factors: work flexibility and career adaptability. We also examine how these factors act as mediators, mediating the relationship between gig work self-efficacy and gig work adoption. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating impact of professional isolation, a feeling of disconnect from virtual colleagues, on this relationship. This study collected data from gig workers from Pakistan, both from freelance settings and established gig work firms. The data were collected from 316 participants by using a convenience sampling approach, our study findings supported our proposed relationships by indicating gig workers with high gig work self-efficacy are more likely to enjoy both the freedom of schedule (gig work flexibility) and the ability to explore different career paths (career adoptability). These benefits act as significant mediators, helping gig workers embrace gig work in the metaverse more readily. However, professional isolation threw a wrench in the works, and gig workers with high self-confidence may encounter challenges in capitalizing on the full potential of flexibility and adoptability within the gig economy. Results show that professional isolation in the online world surprisingly made it harder for gig workers to connect their belief in themselves, and self-efficacy, with important skills like flexibility and adoptability. This study provides insights into gig workers who have significant effects on organizations and the gig economy in the complex world of the metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing body of research on social media and its effects on employees, few studies have sought to explain the aims of social media users in firms and the mechanisms that link these to employee creativity. From the perspective of social networks, this study argues that using social media for work and social purposes in an enterprise fosters instrumental and expressive links among employees, which in turn fosters employee creativity. The role of instrumental and expressive social ties as mediators was investigated in this study. Furthermore, this research proposes that tie strength moderates the relationship between instrumental and expressive ties and employee creativity. We reveal that specific types of social media usage, such as work- and social-related usage, lead to employees' instrumental and expressive ties, which promote employee creativity, using a sample of 325 Chinese employees. Furthermore, in our model, an employee's tie strength serves as a second-stage moderator. The findings of this study substantiated most of our hypotheses which also had important theoretical and practical implications and guided scholars in the proper direction for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been stated that learners who take an active role in their learning are more likely to advance their analytical skills and expand their social connections. However, the process through which learners can expand their social capital is still unexplored. This study employs social cognitive theory to conduct a threefold investigation: (1) determining the impact of learner proactivity on online learner interaction, (2) determining the mediating influence of online learner interaction in the association between learner proactivity and learner social capital; and (3) determining the extent to which perceived peer support (PPS) influences the relationship between learner proactivity and learner social capital. The final sample of 322 respondents from China's Anhui province was employed in this study. The findings of this study, which were driven by a social cognitive theory, reveal that learner proactivity reaps social networks through online interaction, strengthening learner social capital in virtual learning. This study also found that PPS boosted the indirect influence of online learner interaction in the relationship between learner proactivity and learner social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study has two aims: first, it aimed to investigate the impact of contextual factors (such as information quality, service quality, system quality, trust in applications (app) and COVID-19 health anxiety) on the intention to use the Mobile Payment (MP) app, and subsequently, the actual use of the app. Second, the aim of this study is whether the COVID-19 threat has a moderating influence on the relationship between customers' intent to use MP app and the actual use of MP app. Design/methodology/approach: The data are collected through an online survey from 341 Mobile Banking (MB) app users from Pakistan to empirically analyze the relationship between service quality, system quality, information quality, trust in the app, COVID-19 health anxiety and COVID-19 threat, intentions to use MB-app and actual use of MB-app. Findings: The empirical analysis of the data collected from MB-app users from Pakistan shows that service quality, system quality, information quality, trust in the app and COVID-19 health anxiety positively related to intentions to use MB-app, consequently affect the actual use of MB-app. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the COVID-19 threat positively moderates the relationship between intentions to use MB-app and actual use of MB-app. Originality/value: Although, prior research established a positive impact of mobile apps on customer service and consumer satisfaction. Yet, it is not clear which factors influence customers to adopt MB-app. This study contributes to the research on MB-apps based on adaptive structuration theory and examines the technological factors and contextual factors that collectively explain when and how individuals decide to adopt MB-app. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research endeavors to investigate and contrast consumer usability preferences in the context of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and mobile commerce (m-commerce) using the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). In order to distinguish the variations in usability preferences between e-commerce and m-commerce, a survey consisting of 37 items was administered to a sample of 213 young Chinese respondents. The survey is aimed at gathering information pertaining to the usability aspects of these two online shopping platforms. The findings of this research indicate that consumer preferences for m-commerce and e-commerce are contingent on the specific context of online shopping. The results suggest that individuals tend to prefer one medium over the other based on the specific situation or task at hand. This information is valuable for professionals in the fields of marketing, branding, and distribution as it can inform the development of effective strategies for optimizing online presence and revenue. Specifically, knowledge of consumer preferences can assist in the creation of appropriate communication, branding, and distribution strategies tailored to the specific contexts in which consumers are likely to engage in e-commerce and m-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]