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Öğe Adoption and impacts of generative artificial intelligence: Theoretical underpinnings and research agenda(Elsevier, 2024) Gupta, Ruchi; Nair, Kiran; Mishra, Mahima; Ibrahim, Blend; Bhardwaj, SeemaLarge language models (LLMs) have received considerable interest in the field of natural language processing (NLP) owing to their remarkable ability to generate clear, consistent, and contextually relevant materials. Among the numerous LLMs, ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer for Chatbots) is emerging as a prominent prospective tool for developing conversational agents such as chatbots. However, there is a need for a clear conceptual understanding of ChatGPT's potential implications for the industry and its role in marketing. This study explores the adoption of ChatGPT in marketing and examines theories that may influence its adoption by marketers and consumers, as well as its implications for marketers. This study discusses how ChatGPT may allow for more personalized and engaging content, better customer experience, and improved ROI. However, adoption also brings challenges, including ethical considerations and the need for new skill development. This study also discusses future research opportunities for the adoption of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence technologies in marketing. The goal is to provide insights for organizations that consider implementing these technologies, and to contribute to the literature on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the use of Generative AI in marketing.Öğe Building a tribe on Instagram: User-generated and Firm-created Content can drive brand evangelism and fidelity(Routledge, 2024) Ibrahim, Blend; Hazzam, Joe; Ali Qalati, Sikandar; Aljarah, Ahmad; Dobson, PaulThe 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. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Öğe Can logistics enterprises improve their competitiveness through ESG in the context of digitalization? Evidence from China(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2024) Fan, Mingyue; Tang, Yue; Qalati, Sikandar Ali; Ibrahim, BlendPurposeThis investigation endeavors to examine the routes by which environmental-social-governance (ESG) performance influences the competitive landscape for logistics enterprises, with a particular emphasis on the function of digitalization in this complex process. The research underscores the significance of the ESG context in the realm of digitalization, providing valuable insights into its impact on the overall competitiveness of logistics enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThis research gathers information from a total of 90 logistics enterprises that are publicly traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share stock markets for analysis and model testing. Due to the multiple pathways of influence and the constrained size of the sample, it has been decided that the Piecewise structural-equation-modeling (SEM) approach will be employed.FindingsThe research reveals that ESG factors positively impact enterprises' competitiveness (EC). The augmentation of competitiveness is attributed to the moderating role of green technology innovation (GTI) and agency costs between ESG and EC. In the context of digitalization, the level of digitalization of logistics enterprises may create a capital squeeze effect on environmental performance, weakening competitiveness. Conversely, the level of digitalization positively regulates the promoting effect of governance performance on competitiveness.Originality/valueThis research provides a sound theoretical foundation for understanding how ESG contributes to boosting the competitiveness of Chinese logistics enterprises and extends the application of Piecewise SEM in the research field of logistics enterprise competitiveness. Furthermore, it offers a practical pathway for companies to implement ESG practices and foster competitiveness in digital environments.Öğe 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(MDPI, 2024) Bildirici, Melike; Ersin, Özgür Ömer; Ibrahim, BlendMetaverse (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 Autore gressive 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.Öğe The differential impact of user- and firm-generated content on online brand advocacy: customer engagement and brand familiarity matter(Emerald Publishing, 2022) Aljarah, Ahmad; Sawaftah, Dima; Ibrahim, Blend; Lahuerta-Otero, EvaPurpose – The aim of this study is first, to investigate the relative effect of user-generated content (UGC) and firm-generated content (FGC) on online brand advocacy, and second, to examine the mediation effect of customer engagement and the moderation effect of brand familiarity in the relationship between UGC and FGC and online brand advocacy. The differential impact of UGC and FGC on consumer behavior has yet to receive sufficient academic attention among hospitality scholars. Design/methodology/approach – Based on social learning theory, cognitive consistency theory and schema theory, this study established an integrated research framework to explain the relationship between the constructs of the study. This study adopts a scenario-based experimental design in two separate studies within contexts to examine the proposed hypotheses. Findings – The results revealed that UGC is a stronger predictor of online brand advocacy than FGC. A mediation analysis supported that the effect of digital content marketing types on online brand advocacy occurs because of customer engagement. Further, when the brand was familiar, participants showed a higher level of online brand advocacy than when they were exposed to FGC (vs. unfamiliar brand), whereas the effect of familiar and unfamiliar brands on online brand advocacy remains slightly close to each other when the participants were exposed to UGC. Brand familiarity positively enhanced participants’ engagement when they were exposed to UGC. Further, customer engagement is only a significant mediator when the brand is unfamiliar. Practical implications – This paper presents significant managerial implications for hospitality companies about how they can effectively enhance brand advocacy in the online medium. Originality/value – This research provides a novel contribution by examining the differential impact of UGC and FGC on online brand advocacy as well as uncovering the underlying mechanism of how and under what conditions user- and firm-generated content promotes online brand advocacy in the hospitality context.Öğe Doing good does not always lead to doing well: The corrective, compensating and cultivating goodwill CSR effects on brand defense(Routledge, 2022) Aljarah, Ahmad; Ibrahim, Blend; Lahuerta-Otero, Eva; García de los Salmones, Maria del MarThis study investigated the relative impacts of three corporate social responsibility (CSR) types – namely corrective, compensating and cultivating CSR – on brand defense by considering customer–company’s (C–C’s) identification mediation role and CSR authenticity’s moderation role in these relationships. A between-subject experiment was conducted on 573 coffee shop customers in the United States. The findings revealed corrective CSR is the strongest brand defense predictor, followed by compensating and cultivating CSR. The CSR types’ relative effects are mediated by C–C identification, and as such, compensating CSR’s indirect effects on brand defense through C–C identification are stronger than cultivating CSR’s indirect effects on brand defense. When the CSR authenticity level is high, cultivating CSR has a significant indirect effect – through C–C identification – on brand defense that is stronger than when the CSR authenticity level is low. When the level is high, compensating CSR has an insignificant indirect effect – through C–C identification – on brand defense, similar to when the level is low. Finally, findings on moderated mediation revealed the indirect relationship between the three CSR types on brand defense – through C–C identification – is moderated by CSR authenticity.Öğe The drivers and outcomes of postgraduate students' adoption and use of LinkedIn learning(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis, 2024) Hazzam, Joe; Wilkins, Stephen; Singh, Bharati; Ibrahim, BlendSocial media educational tools represent an opportunity for higher education (HE) institutions to enhance postgraduate students’ skills development. LinkedIn Learning can be used to complement class-room 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.Öğe Examining the Relationship between Brand Symbolism and Brand Evangelism through Consumer Brand Identification: Evidence from Starbucks Coffee Brand(MDPI, 2023) Osmanova, Irada; Ozerden, Seden; Dalal, Bassam; Ibrahim, BlendIn 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.Öğe Exploring the temporal effect of ad clutter on digital ad avoidance: a two-wave longitudinal study(Emerald, 2024) Çelik, Fatih; Yıldız, Selçuk Yasin; Ozkara, Behcet Yalin; Çam, Mehmet Safa; Ibrahim, BlendPurpose: The study investigates the antecedents and consequences of digital ad avoidance in the e-commerce industry. This study aims to investigate how digital ad avoidance relates to internet usage over time, using a two-wave longitudinal research design. This study also explores how real-world advertising clutter (clutter and non-clutter) affects these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from 192 online consumers in Türkiye, and a two-wave longitudinal research design and structural equation modeling were conducted to test the hypotheses of the conceptual model. Findings: The results indicated that perceived goal impediment and prior negative experience had positive effects on affective avoidance in both ad-clutter and non-clutter periods. Further, affective avoidance had a significant positive effect on both cognitive and behavioral avoidance in either period. In addition, ad clutter moderated the effects of cognitive and behavioral avoidance on online purchase intention. Originality/value: This research provides new evidence of the crucial role perceived goal impediment, prior negative experience and perceived control each play in driving digital ad avoidance. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in the field by exploring how advertising clutter (both cluttered and non-cluttered settings) moderates these relationships through a two-wave longitudinal study.Öğe Factors infuencing employees’ eco-friendly innovation capabilities and behavior: the role of green culture and employees’ motivations(Springer, 2023) Qalati, Sikandar Ali; Barbosa, Belem; Ibrahim, BlendBeing a part of society, employees’ behavior can’t be ignored, and it must be encouraged to sustain nature for the upcoming generation. Following the resource-based view theory, this study aims to identify the factors infuencing employees toward sustainable behavior. To meet the objectives, cross-sectional data were collected from employees of manufacturing companies, and structural equation modeling was used for the analysis. The study results show a positive efect of participative decision-making and employee motivation on employees’ eco-friendly innovation capabilities and behavior. Additionally, this research reveals that employee motivation partially mediates the link between participative decision-making, eco-friendly innovation capabilities, and behavior. Furthermore, this research evidenced a positive moderation of green culture on the relationship between participative decision-making and eco-friendly innovation capabilities, evidencing that the relationship is stronger when the culture is high. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing a deeper understanding of the factors infuencing employees’ eco-friendly innovation capabilities and behavior. It highlights the signifcant roles of green culture as a moderator and employee motivation as a mediator, ofering novel perspectives to both theory and practice.Öğe Facts or belief: Examining the effect of the cognitive dissonance on brand switching, purchase regret and satisfaction level(Emerald Publishing, 2023) Ibrahim Awwad, Razan; Ibrahim, Blend; George, Cinoj; Hamdan, Sameer; Nair, KiranPurpose: This study aims to investigate the relative impacts of the cognitive dissonance on brand switching (BS) and satisfaction level (SAT) by considering the mediation role of purchase regret (PRG) in these relationships in an online shopping context. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from 354 participants, and structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were conducted to test the conceptual model hypotheses. Findings: The findings revealed that the cognitive dissonance positively affects PRG. Also, the study indicated a negative and nonsignificant relationship between cognitive dissonance and SAT and a negative significant relationship between cognitive dissonance and BS. In addition, a positive and significant correlation was found between PRG and BS. Furthermore, the results revealed that PRG mediates the relationship between cognitive dissonance and SAT. Originality/value: This research provides a novel contribution by examining the impact of the cognitive dissonance on BS and SAT and uncovering the underlying mechanism of how and under what conditions cognitive dissonance promotes BS and SAT in an online shopping context.Öğe In AI, we do not trust! The nexus between awareness of falsity in AI-generated CSR ads and online brand engagement(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2024) Aljarah, Ahmad; Ibrahim, Blend; Lopez, ManuelaPurposeSynthetic advertising, which involves creating or modifying ads through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, has recently transformed the field of media and advertising. Despite its emerging importance, our understanding of consumer perceptions in this context is limited. This study is one of the first to explore the impact of synthetic advertising on consumer behavior.Design/methodology/approachAcross two between-subject experimental studies, using coffee shop customers in the USA, we tested how, why and when awareness of falsity in AI-generated corporate social responsibility (CSR) ads affects online brand engagement.FindingsIn Study 1, awareness of falsity in AI-generated CSR ads negatively impacts online brand engagement, with perceived sincerity mediating this relationship. Additionally, a higher level of CSR authenticity mitigates the negative effect of awareness of falsity on online brand engagement. CSR authenticity does not moderate the mediation effect of perceived sincerity in the relationship between awareness of falsity and online brand engagement. In Study 2, the relationship between awareness of falsity and online brand engagement is moderated by brand familiarity. Importantly, perceived sincerity only mediates this effect for unfamiliar brands, not familiar ones.Practical implicationsThis study provides key insights for managers using AI to promote CSR initiatives. While AI can save time and budget, it may lead to negative consumer reactions due to perceptions of insincerity. To mitigate this, companies should focus on enhancing the authenticity of their CSR efforts and humanizing AI-generated ads. Additionally, established brands should be cautious of reduced consumer engagement with AI-generated content, while unfamiliar brands can benefit by emphasizing sincerity in their messaging.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first studies that discuss how, why and when awareness of falsity in AI-generated corporate social responsibility ads affects online brand engagement.Öğe Influence of Instagram fan pages on intention to revisit and recommend in beach tourism settings: The mediating effect of positive attitude(SAGE Publications Inc., 2023) Ibrahim, BlendThe literature on social media marketing (SMM) elucidates how SMM can improve consumer behavior within the tourism industry. However, the lack of empirical examination of the mediating role of behavior attitude is still evident in leisure literature. This study investigated the relative impact of fan page following of beaches on the intention to recommend and revisit by considering the mediation role of positive attitude in these relationships. A convenience sample method was employed to collect data from young customers (18–24 years old). The data was collected from 363 respondents, and structural equation modeling was conducted to test the conceptual model hypotheses. The results reveal that fan page following positively predict positive attitudes and intention to recommend and revisit. Moreover, the results also confirm that a positive attitude mediates the relationships between Instagram fan page following and the intention to recommend and revisit. This research developed a theoretical model to understand how Instagram fan page following might enhance intention to recommend and revisit in the beach context by invoking positive attitudes as a mediator variable in the relationship fan page following and behavior intention.Öğe The influence of LinkedIn group community on postgraduate student experience, satisfaction and grades(Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2024) Hazzam, Joe; Wilkins, Stephen; Southall, Carol; Ibrahim, BlendSocial 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.Öğe Investigating The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Intention to Follow Advice: The Mediating Role of Active Participation and Benevolence Trust(Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 2023) Ibrahim, Blend; Aljarah, Ahmad; Hazzam, Joe; Elrehail, Hamzah; Qalati, Sikandar AliThe concept of social media marketing (SMM) extends beyond general marketing. SMM has significantly impacted the creation and development of marketing concepts. Drawing on the stimulus (S)–organism (O)–response (R) model, this research aimed to explore benevolence trust, active participation and intention to follow advice (IFA) as three consequences of SMM activities (SMMAs). It also aimed to investigate benevolence trust and active participation as a mediator between SMMAs and IFA with regard to a restaurant brand advertised on Facebook. This study used structural equation modelling and obtained data from 364 followers of a restaurant’s Facebook page. The study results showed that SMMAs significantly influenced benevolence trust, active participation and IFA. Furthermore, benevolence trust and active participation significantly influenced IFA. The findings also indicated that benevolence trust mediates the relationship between SMMAs and customer IFA. In addition, active participation with restaurant brands on Facebook acts as a mediator between SMMAs and IFA.Öğe Linking hotel environmental management initiatives and sustainable hotel performance through employees’ eco-friendly behaviour and environmental strategies: a moderated-mediated model(Emerald Publishing, 2023) Rehman, Shafique Ur; Elrehail, Hamzah; Alshwayat, Dana; Ibrahim, Blend; Alami, RachidPurpose The purpose and current research objective is to determine sustainable hotel performance through hotel environmental management initiatives (HEMI) with the mediating influence of employee’s’ eco-friendly behaviour (EEB), and to determine the moderating role of environmental strategies (ES) in the relationship between HEMI and EEB. Design/methodology/approach A total of 95 five-star hotels were contacted, with data collected from only 30 of them. The study used only 433 questionnaires for the final analysis with SPSS 25.0 and SmartPLS 3.2.8. Findings The results revealed that HEMI is positively associated with sustainable hotel performance and with EEB. EEB is positively associated with sustainable hotel performance. ES significantly influence EEB, and significantly strengthen the relationship between HMEI and EEB. EEB significantly mediates the relationship between HEMI and sustainable hotel performance. Practical implications The current research highlights a significant issue: how the management of the hotel industry uses HEMI, ES and EEB to improve sustainable performance. The study fills the gap in the literature and enables hotel management to concentrate on studying exogenous variables to increase sustainable performance. Originality/value The current research contributes to the body of knowledge by concentrating on factors that influence sustainable hotel performance. It examines HEMI influence on sustainable performance with moderating (ES) and mediating (EEB) effects, from the leans of natural resource-based view (RBV) theory.Öğe Make it real, make it useful! The impact of AR social experience on brand positivity and information sharing(Emerald Publishing, 2024) Shaheen, Riziq; Aljarah, Ahmad; Ibrahim, Blend; Hazzam, Joe; Ghasemi, MatinaPurpose: 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. Design/methodology/approach: 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). Findings: 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. Originality/value: 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.Öğe Past, present, and future scene of influencer marketing in hospitality and tourism management(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis, 2024) Polat, Eray; Çelik, Fatih; Ibrahim, Blend; Gürsoy, DoğanThis paper reviews influencer marketing (IM)-research in the tourism and hospitality (H&T) field to provide a state-of-the-art of the past, present, and future of IM-research. It identifies research themes, theoretical underpinnings, and methodologies utilized in IM-research. Seventy-five studies are examined through co-citation, bibliographic coupling and content analysis based on the TCCM (theory/context/characteristics/methodology) framework. Co-citation analysis reveals that IM-research focused on travel blogs, vlogs, celebrity endorsement, influencer authenticity. An assessment of recent studies through bibliographic coupling indicates a partial shift toward the study of more contemporary issues. This field-discipline-focused hybrid-review contributes to literature and practice by presenting the past, present, and future of IM-research.Öğe The role of social media marketing activities in driving self–brand connection and user engagement behavior on Instagram: a moderation–mediation approach(Emerald, 2023) Ibrahim, Blend; Aljarah, AhmadPurpose – This study explores central questions related to the connection between social media marketing activities (SMMAs), user engagement and the self-brand connection of restaurant Instagram pages. The study examines the mediating role of user engagement between SMMAs and self–brand connections. Also, this study explores the connection between SMMAs and user engagement through the moderating role of gender and trust. Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample method was employed to collect data from customers (18–24 years old). A structural equation modeling approach and PROCESS macro were applied based on 298 online questionnaires completed by customers who follow restaurant Instagram pages. The mediating effect for user engagement and the moderating effect for gender and trust were performed. Findings – The findings revealed that SMMAs have a significant positive influence on self–brand connection and user engagement. Further, user engagement acts as a mediator between SMMAs and self–brand connection. The results illustrate the importance of SMMAs in enhancing user engagement in light of gender and trust. Practical implications – This paper presents significant managerial implications for restaurant businesses about how SMMAs can effectively enhance user engagement behavior and self–brand connection on Instagram pages. Originality/value – This research developed a theoretical model to understand how SMMAs might enhance user engagement in the restaurant industry by invoking gender and trust as moderating variables in the relationship between SMMAs and user engagement. This paper offers new theoretical and practical contributions that add value to social media marketing (SMM) literature by testing the moderated–mediation model of these constructs in the hospitality sector.Öğe Social media marketing and restaurant purchase intention: Do online brand community identification and gender matter?(Inderscience Publishers, 2023) Ibrahim, BlendSocial media marketing (SMM) creates diverse content via social network sites to promote different products, services, information and ideas. This study is built on the stimulus-organism-response framework and uses gratifications theory. It aims to investigate online brand community identification (OBCI) and purchase intention as major consequences of SMM activities (SMMAs). A structural equation modelling approach and a PROCESS macro were applied to analyse 338 online questionnaires completed by Facebook users who follow restaurant Facebook pages. The findings revealed that SMMAs have a significant positive influence on OBCI and purchase intention. Furthermore, OBCI acts as a mediator between SMMAs and purchase intention. These results indicate that gender role positively moderates the direct and indirect effect of SMMAs on purchase intention. Finally, the moderated mediation analysis findings suggest that female customers receive a high level of OBCI when interacting with SMMAs, which, in turn, increases purchase intention relative to males.