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Purpose Building on the theoretical paradigms of consumer free-riding and cognitive dissonance, this study aims to evaluate whether consumers’ cognitive effort when making a purchase decision impacts upon the relationship between free-riding habits and postpurchase cognitive dissonance. Design/methodology/approach To explore the relationship between cross-channel free-riding, cognitive efforts and cognitive dissonance, a framework was conceptualized and empirically tested on a sample of 518 Italian consumers. Covariance-based structural equation modeling and bootstrapped mediation analysis was performed with the PROCESS macro. Findings Results show that the more cognitively involved a free-riding consumer is, the more he/she will experience postpurchase cognitive dissonance. Originality/value Modern consumers habitually finalize their purchase activities through multiple different channels. The abundance of e-commerce/online platforms does indeed offer consumers a plethora of alternatives to physical/offline stores. Hence, consumers have been seen to act as “free-riders.” It is becoming more and more common for consumers to seek information in physical stores and then purchase a product online more conveniently. This notwithstanding, it has emerged that free-riding consumers tend to experience cognitive dissonance – which is a sensation of emotional discomfort – after making their purchases. The causes of this phenomenon are yet to be fully unpacked.

Purpose The aim of this research was to explore the mechanisms underpinning open innovation (OI) success and its sustainability in agrifood businesses. First, the authors explored the importance of 4.0 technologies in data collection from crowds, subsequently examining how new technologies might drive forward the development of collaborative strategies with suppliers. Reductions in resource wasting were observed. The role of 4.0 technologies in increasing supply chain sustainability overall was the main focus of the study.Design/methodology/approach This research builds on a single inductive case study method. The authors performed an in-depth analysis of data from an Italian agritech distributor. Data – aside from multiple semi-structured interviews – were collected via several different sources. The results have been summarized in an integrated holistic conceptual framework.Findings The findings show that 4.0 technologies allow for swift information exchanges between consumers, the agritech business and suppliers. As a result, consumers might demand new products and, consequently, the agritech business can arrange new offerings with suppliers, completing the OI and shared value creation circle. Likewise, the possibility of adopting a just-in-time approach of sorts may reduce the wasting of resources. The absorptive capacities and knowledge management capabilities of the agritech business play a fundamental role in OI performance, sustainability and success.Originality/value This research seminally explores how 4.0 technologies and knowledge management techniques can enable OI in agrifood businesses. Additionally, the ways in which OI may foster the development of sustainability-orientated supply chain strategies have been conceptualized.

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to develop a configurational approach based on the TOE framework (technology, organization and environment) to understand the degree of implementation of I4.0 technologies in manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the study considers technological infrastructure and competence, I4.0 integration capabilities, organizational agility and strategic flexibility, environmental dynamism and industry-specific forces as simultaneous pre-conditions for achieving an effective implementation of I4.0 technologies.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methodology as it allows for asymmetric and configurational-focused testing of proposition and sound theoretical development. In total, 305 responses were collected through a survey administered to SME managers in Europe and the United Kingdom (UK).FindingsThe study examines the influence of technology, organizational and environmental aspects on I4.0 technologies implementation in SMEs. High I4.0 degree of implementation is structured around 5 configurations, while other 4 configurations are related to low levels of I4.0 implementation.Originality/valueThis study proposes a configurational approach for SMEs to become I4.0 ready and how they may successfully implement I4.0 technologies. Such findings represent an original and novel contribution to existing research, offering a broad view on the I4.0 implementation by manufacturing SMEs.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) adoption of social media platforms and how they integrated them within their marketing strategies during the COVID-19 outbreaks. Dynamic capabilities – observed as the interplay between sensing, seizing and reconfiguration capabilities – represent the principal theoretical framework used in this research to explain challenges in social media adoption and their effects on these businesses. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the grounded theory approach to analyze semistructured interviews with 19 key informants from Italian SMEs belonging to diversified industries. Findings The findings of this research are summarized in a holistic framework that explores three types of capabilities (i.e. sensing, seizing and reconfiguration capabilities) and the marketing outcomes of social media adoption among SMEs. Originality/value This study attempts to unpack the specific dynamic capabilities that allowed SMEs to be successful in social media adoption during COVID-19 outbreaks.

PurposeThis study seeks to explore the importance of digital platforms in restoring global supply chains interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the research focuses on internally developed digital platforms and their potential to ensure supply chain continuity between developed and emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachMultiple comparative case studies have been selected for the research methodology. Eight cases concerning digital platform implementation for global SC management – four from developed countries and four from emerging markets – have been selected. The four pairs of cases represent four global supply chain mechanisms.FindingsThe results revealed that the use of internally developed digital platforms serves as a quick solution for immediate problems caused by ripple effects in global supply chain and negative environmental conditions. Digital platforms could therefore facilitate reciprocal monitoring and information exchanges between SC partners in different countries.Originality/valueThe digital platform research stream is in its early stages. Research thus far has mostly focused on externally developed digital platforms managed by an orchestrator. The platforms' usefulness in the dialogue between developed and emerging markets requires further exploration.

The recent debate about the digitalization of museums and new technologies has become increasingly important among tourism scholars. Digital innovation and virtual environments, such as social medi...

Digital channels are becoming increasingly important in consumer purchase decisions. Yet, the availability of several different channels present consumers the opportunity to switch between one and another, such a phenomenon is called cross-channel free riding. This research aims therefore at exploring whether cognitive dissonance and opportunistic behavior are relevant antecedents of cross-channel free riding.

Consumers increasingly use social media brand communities to gather information about brands and to inform their purchase decisions. Building on uses and gratifications theory and brand experience we hypothesize that consumer benefits deriving from participation in such communities and brand experience mediate the relationship between social media marketing (SMM) activities and consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) among Millennials. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS) was used to test the research model with a sample of 326 followers of luxury fashion brands on social media. The findings reveal that cognitive, personal integrative, and social integrative benefits mediate the SMM–CBBE relationship, but hedonic benefits do not. Moreover, both emotional and rational brand experience significantly predict brand loyalty, brand awareness, and perceived quality. Luxury brand managers may use these findings to develop SMM strategies that enhance Millennials’ overall brand experience and assessments of brand equity in social media environments.

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PurposeThis research unpacks the micro-mechanisms that exist between an organisation's ability to conduct big data analytics (BDA) and its achievement of strategic flexibility. Knowledge management capabilities and organisational ambidexterity have long been considered factors influencing the aforementioned relationship. In order to assess this, the authors build on dynamic capabilities as the main theoretical lens through which to examine.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modelling (SEM) is the main methodological approach used in this research. A structural model was developed and tested based on 215 survey responses collected from managers of organisations in continental Europe.FindingsThe results indicate that BDA capabilities are a significant antecedent of an organisation's strategic flexibility. This relationship, however, is influenced by knowledge management capabilities and ambidexterity.Practical implicationsManagers wishing to properly exploit the potential of big data should invest in the elaboration of knowledge management processes across their organisation. This strategy can foster strategic flexibility.Originality/valuePrevious research has explored the theoretical links between big data, knowledge management and strategic flexibility. However, little attention has been paid to the quantitative investigation of the phenomenon.

PurposeUsing an enhanced version of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study investigates the antecedents of organic quinoa-based food buying intention. In addition to attitude toward this behavioral intention, the proposed model examines the influence that ecological welfare, political values, and consumer-perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the point of sale exert on consumer willingness to purchase organic quinoa-based food.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected through an intercept survey conducted at specialized organic stores on a convenience sample of 158 individuals in Italy.FindingsAlthough ecological welfare and a retailer's CSR image positively influence consumer attitude toward buying organic quinoa-based food, political values negatively affect this attitude. Furthermore, consumer attitude is found to be a crucial predictor of behavioral intention.Research implicationsAt the theoretical level, the results are useful for demonstrating that other variables, in addition to those used in the traditional TRA, can further explain consumers' organic food buying intention. Additionally, the findings might be useful for both quinoa producers and retailers in creating and executing their marketing and communication strategies.Originality/valueIn addition to contributing to the stream of literature that investigates possible variables that might increase the predictive power of the TRA, this study sheds some light on organic food purchasing consumer behavior.

In the face of increasing competition, an organization’s capacity to acquire knowledge from the outside has become fundamental for new product development. Pertinent extant literature has stressed how an organization should practice social product development, allowing for the inclusion of all types of stakeholders in idea generation, selection, validation, and commercialization. This study investigates how organizations can acquire, maintain, and use different sources of knowledge via ambidextrous habits of exploitation and exploration to sustain social product development. A case study based on 27 semi-structured interviews and field observations at a leading, large-size, Dutch food-service company has been carried out. The findings illustrate the organizational processes and mechanisms that the company has adopted to address and combine practice- and research-based knowledge, as well as the main barriers limiting the accumulation and usage of this knowledge inside organizational boundaries.

Sport entrepreneurship is progressively emerging as an extremely significant stream of research. Accordingly, scholars are increasingly assessing how sportspeople tend to have higher entrepreneurial orientation and intentions than the average. In a similar fashion, scholars have also observed how sport-related entrepreneurial ventures can have a positive effect on community development. Nonetheless, this literature stream is still fragmented, lacks a proper systematization, and needs an identification of its intellectual structure and research themes. Hereby, we performed a bibliometric analysis of 86 papers and a systematic literature review on the most influential papers belonging to the pertinent literature. Results show that a 4-cluster structure exists for sport entrepreneurship: its theoretical definitions and internal factors fostering it (cluster 1), environmental factors which may foster it (cluster 2), pedagogical approaches and education (cluster 3), and finally its impacts, especially in terms of community development and social benefits (cluster 4). From these findings, a framework to help both scholars and practitioners approaching the topic was developed.

This research investigates the importance for niche tourism destinations of investing in big data analytics (BDA) to improve their online reputation management (ORM) and increase their competitiven...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the micro-linkages fostering consumers’ e-loyalty in grocery retailers B2C e-commerce context. Specifically, the authors focused on the neglected role of security, privacy and website design. Grocery retailing has been selected as the context of research because grocery retailers too have been required to develop B2C e-commerce platforms to meet their consumers’ evolving preferences.Design/methodology/approachA survey was distributed to several students from University of Florence (Italy). Structural equation modeling was used to compile the research, and its results reflect the impact on e-loyalty development on specific features of the e-commerce environment.FindingsThe main findings of this research are related with the importance of website characteristics as antecedents of e-loyalty in online grocery retailing.Originality/valueAlbeit the explored phenomenon has been subject to extensive study, some of its facets are yet to be fully explored. In particular, though the influence of e-trust, e-satisfaction and e-commitment on e-loyalty has been shown, little attention has been paid to the factors affecting these three antecedents of e-loyalty. In this regard, this research focuses on the importance of B2C e-commerce platform characteristics such as security, perceived relationship investment and website design. In addition, the phenomenon was scarcely explored in grocery retailers B2C e-commerce context.

The objective of this research is to investigate how cultural differences affect consumers’ online purchase behavior. We reviewed the recent literature on cross-cultural studies on online behavior and building on Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we developed a conceptual model exploring how the dimensions of national culture influence perceptions of website usability, trust, and perceived risk, which in turn impact on intention to use and online purchase behavior. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 350 European and Asian consumers actively using Alibaba e-commerce platforms. The conceptual model was validated through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to empirically test the hypothesized relationships among variables. Results showed how culture significantly influenced website usability and perceived risk in European consumers and, in turn, their intention and behavior. Differently, culture significantly influenced trust of Asian consumers, as well as their intention and online behavior. With this study, we contribute to the literature on consumer online purchase behavior from a cross-cultural perspective. As culture emerged among the significant antecedents of mechanisms explaining online purchase behavior, e-tailers should tailor digital marketing strategies according to consumer cultural differences.

The importance of e-commerce platforms for commercialization of goods and services has been widely explored in marketing literature. E-commerce is emerging as a relevant distribution channel in the wine industry also. The wine e-commerce platforms show a slower growth rate when compared to other goods and services categories – such as electronic and digital products. This is particularly true in the Italian context where the total volume of e-commerce sales in the food and drink sector represents less than 1% of the total online sales. Therefore, it is important to investigate the underlying mechanisms explaining consumers’ positive and negative intentions to purchase wine online. This will provide theoretical and practical insights to marketing strategists of the wine industry. Hence, this study proposes and empirically tests a conceptual model concerning the antecedents of consumers’ intention to purchase wine online. Specifically, the objective is to identify the differences that are specific in the context of the wine buying process. Data were collected from a sample of Italian online consumers who habitually purchase wine online. Confirmatory factor analysis (Cfa) and structural equation modeling (Sem) were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Results show that product information availability and convenience propensity significantly influence the digital channel selection and, consequently, loyalty and patronage intention.

Addressing the effect of big data analytics-capable information systems on organizational ambidexterity, this book investigates how these systems can be used to enhance organizational agility and flexibility, generally considered to be two key determinants of organizational ambidexterity. With a focus on the opportunities for businesses rather than the burden that big data can represent, the authors highlight the impact of big data on ambidextrous organizations and how current organizational structures can be modified in order to improve big data analytics and implement big data-capable information systems.

This paper aims to demonstrate how consumers’ identification and engagement in social media brand communities are antecedents of brand loyalty intention and electronicword of mouth (E-WOM). Because E-WOM may be considered as a proxy to measure consumers’ propensity to participate in brand value co-creation, the present study assessed which factors influence value co-creation in social media brand communities. A survey was administered online to members of Italian Nike+ runners’ communities. A multiple mediation analysis based on the use of SPSS PROCESS Macro has been selected as that consumers’ identification in social media brand community influences main methodology of this research. The results showed that consumers’ identification in the community influences consumers’ engagement which, in turn, influences brand loyalty intention. Moreover, this relation is moderated by consumers’ trust.

espanolProposito La presente investigacion se propone analizar en profundidad como las marcas pueden estar de acuerdo con la co-creacion de las experiencias de los consumidores. En particular, el objetivo de la investigacion es aclarar cuales son los principales tipos de experiencias co-creadas que los consumidores pueden experimentar debido a su participacion en las comunidades de marcas de redes sociales. Diseno/metodologia/enfoque Para hacerlo, en primer lugar, se han identificado los factores que influyen en la co-creacion de las experiencias de los miembros de las comunidades de marcas. En particular, el punto de partida de esta investigacion esta representado por el papel de otros consumidores y de la marca en la co-creacion de experiencias. Con el fin de identificar los principales tipos de experiencias co-creadas, se ha utilizado una investigacion digital como el principal metodo de analisis. Dibujamos nuestra investigacion digital en el paradigma de Metodos Digitales. Hallazgos Se identificaron y conceptualizaron cuatro tipos principales de experiencias co-creadas. Originalidad/valor Los resultados enfatizan la importancia de que los estrategas de marca involucren a los miembros de las comunidades de marcas de medios sociales para estimular la co-creacion de experiencias. Especificamente, surgio como la interaccion simultanea de otros miembros de la comunidad y la marca puede afectar la co-creacion. EnglishPurpose – This paper presents an in-depth investigation on how brands may concur to the co-creation of consumers’ experiences. In particular, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the main types of co-created experiences that consumers may encounter as a result of social media brand communities. Design/methodology/approach – To identify the main types of co-created experiences, a digital investigation has been used as the main method of analysis. The authors draw their digital investigation on the digital methods paradigm. Findings – Four principal types of co-created experiences have been identified and conceptualized, namely, brand’s products’ individual usage experiences, auto-celebrative experiences, brand’s products’ communal usage experiences and collective celebration experiences. Originality/value – Results stress the importance for brand strategists to involve members of social media brand communities to stimulate co-creation experiences. Specifically, it emerges that the simultaneous interaction among members of the community and the brand may directly affect co-creation experiences.

This chapter explores how an ambidextrous organizations’ agility is affected by the BDA capable BPMS, a specific kind of BDA capable IS (Big Data Analytics capable Business Process Management Systems). Specifically, the BDA capable BPMS functionalities and its positive effects on organizational dynamism and reactiveness towards challenges are studied. A theoretical assessment of the possibility of BDA capable BPMS in improving organizational agility, with a specific focus on the ambidextrous organizations, has been explained. A theoretical framework explaining some traits of the phenomenon has also been explained. The results highlight how BDA capable BPMS may increase the agility of an ambidextrous organization and by the implementation of such BPMS, ambidextrous organizations may be able to better achieve market capitalization and operational adjustment agility.

There are several manuscripts available which use dynamic capabilities as their primary theoretical approach to study the effects of big data on organizations. However, systematization is still missing with all these manuscripts. For this purpose, 217 manuscripts were extracted from the database. Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection and a bibliometric analysis was implemented. This analysis was combined with a review of the literature. After analysis, manuscripts on big data and dynamic capabilities were divided into five clusters. These clusters were identified as manuscripts on strategy making, big data and supply chain management, manufacturing, performance, and knowledge exploitation through Big Data Analytics (BDA). The literature review helped the authors to understand the contents of these clusters.

This chapter describes the micro-linkages that exist between Big Data Analytics (BDA) capabilities and an organization’s pursuit of strategic agility. One of the factors that influence this relationship is organizational ambidexterity. In order to assess this, dynamic capabilities are considered as the main theoretical framework. Multiple regressions are the main methodological approach used for this. The developed structural model is used to test on 250 survey responses collected from managers of large European organizations. The results show that the capabilities of BDA are an important precursor of an organization’s strategic agility. In this sense, managers, who want to exploit the potential of big data completely, must invest in the improvement of procedures of knowledge management across their organizations.

Modern organizations could nowadays benefit from the existence of more information than ever. Such new information has arisen in the form of big data, which are large and unstructured datasets formed by digital data. Thanks to these datasets, an organization could potentially obtain competitive advantages and improve its performance. However, such positive effects do not come without a burden, which is represented by the need for a radical transformation. Moving from these premises, the objective of this book is to empirically explore the role of contemporary Information Systems (IS) in this transformation and its effects on performance.

Big data and big data analytics’ (BDA) importance for business management is growing at an unmatched pace. Such datasets, and the techniques to analyse them, are indeed able to inundate organizations with huge quantities of precious information. Building on this premise, the purpose of this research is to develop a unitary holistic framework on the strategic impact of big data on large organizations. In order to do so, a cognitive map was developed from a coding analysis of 523 job offers on the European labour market coming from 124 large organizations. The results show the effects of big data and BDA on marketing strategies, strategic business intelligence and, finally, operation and supply chain management.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the understudied antecedents of moral reasoning and cognitive processes that ultimately shape the ethical consumption. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the socio-intuitionist model are integrated. Holistic, inferential, and affective dimensions of intuition are identified as critical antecedents of environmental concerns that then influence the ethical consumption. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling is used to analyze intuitive judgments and ethical concerns in 256 US undergraduates. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) is used to measure ethical concerns and the ecologically conscious consumer behavior (ECCB) instrument is used to measure ethical consumption. Findings The results indicate that inferential intuition, but not affective intuition, significantly predicts the ethical concerns (NEP), which in turn significantly influence all five dimensions of ethical consumption behavior (ECCB). Practical implications Managers and marketing strategists should focus on non-rational influences such as moral intuition to effectively promote ethical and responsible consumption. Originality/value The TPB and the intuitionist theory are integrated to reveal empirically how intuitive judgments may affect consumer attitudes and to provide new insights regarding the ethical consumption.

Emergency-related transformative situations require businesses to react with courage and rapidness to address the incipient challenges. The recent COVID-19 crisis deeply affected world’s economies,...

Recently, marketing researchers have started to explore the impact of Social Media Brand Communities in digital marketing strategies. However, in spite of this interest, scant attention has been paid to the micro-mechanisms stimulating electronic word of mouth (E-WOM) within social media brand community. In this sense, this exploratory research aims to explore how consumers‟ engagement is related with positive E-WOM.

Recently, social media have emerged as key marketing communication channels. In this context, consumers are increasingly gathering in online communities which have been identified as social-media-b...

In the face of increasing competition, the capacity of an organization to acquire knowledge from the outside has become fundamental in the development of new products that can satisfy customer’s demands. Pertinent literature on the topic has stressed the ways in which an organization should practice social product development, allowing for the inclusion of all types of stakeholders in idea generation, selection, validation, and commercialization. Notwithstanding the opportunities offered by social product development, the ways in which an organization could manage this approach, along with the types of knowledge needed, still remain largely unexplored research fields. Moving on from these premises, this study examines how organizations can use different sources of knowledge via ambidextrous habits of exploitation and exploration, according to practice-based innovation, to sustain social product development.

Social media are increasingly becoming a fundamental channel for every marketing strategy, particularly in advertising. The pertinent literature stresses how Millennials - the digital born generation very inclined to web interaction - represent one of the most relevant segments of social media users. Hence, firms are more and more using social media channels to engage Millennials, especially thanks to the use of mobile apps. Although Millennials do not represent the traditional target of luxury firms, social media might represent a useful strategic tool to reach them and also transfer the luxury brands’ image and value. While scholars widely investigated the relationship between social media usage and purchase intention toward the luxury brand, scant attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, this study proposes and empirically tests a conceptual model investigating the role of both materialism and morality, which are hypothesized as mediating variables of the aforementioned relationship. On the one hand, Millennials represent one of the most materialist and narcissistic generations; on the other hand, they also pay a lot of attention to the ethical and moral side of purchase decision making. Moreover, the proposed model hypothesizes motivation to use social media and advertising skepticism as moderating variables of these linkages. In this way, this study contributes to the social media advertising literature by better exploring Millennials’ cognitive mechanisms toward luxury purchase intention. The model is tested using bootstrapping moderated-mediation analysis on a sample of 290 Millennials using social media to get information on and purchase luxury brands. Consistently with the literature, materialism significantly mediates the social media – purchase intention relationship. Counterintuitively, also morality plays a significant role as a mediating variable of such a relationship. Finally, motivation to use significantly moderated both the linkages between social media usage and materialism and morality; similarly, advertising skepticism is also a significant moderating variable in the model.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between knowledge management capabilities and successful open innovation within agri-food businesses. This particular piece of research focuses on agri-food businesses which utilize crowdfunding platforms. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a survey-based methodology, which is useful in enhancing the generalization of results. The final sample includes 80 cases for the analysis. The model and the hypotheses were tested through a hierarchical regression model. Findings This research assesses the importance of knowledge management capabilities for successful open innovation in crowdfunding for agri-food businesses. In particular, it emerged that IT-based knowledge exploitation capabilities are enablers of open innovation strategies. Additionally, it emerged that knowledge exploration capabilities can positively mediate the relationship between IT-based knowledge exploitation capabilities and open innovation in the context of agri-food businesses. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, few researchers have explored this topic and, as such, there is a need to better conceptualize this intriguing phenomenon and to provide empirical evidence to support it.