Exploring Brand Presence in the Metaverse

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of digital fashion shows on consumer engagement with fashion brands in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Digital fashion shows have significantly enhanced consumer engagement with fashion brands in Nigeria by offering a dynamic, accessible online experience. These virtual events have allowed brands to reach a broader audience, increasing their visibility and facilitating direct interaction with consumers. Real-time feedback during these shows has enabled brands to fine-tune their marketing strategies and product offerings to align with consumer preferences. The use of augmented reality technologies has further personalized the shopping experience, leading to increased consumer interest and brand loyalty. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Technology acceptance model (TAM), uses and gratifications theory (UGT) & engagement theory may be used to anchor future studies on impact of digital fashion shows on consumer engagement with fashion brands in Nigeria. Fashion brands should leverage a combination of VR, AR, and live-streaming to create more engaging and immersive experiences. By investing in these technologies and incorporating high-quality digital content, brands can enhance consumer interaction and foster deeper emotional connections. Policymakers and industry bodies can work together to establish standards for digital content, technology integration, and consumer privacy protection, which will enhance the overall consumer experience and build trust in digital fashion shows.

11 - Sustainable technologies and processes adapted by fashion brands

The main thesis guiding the conceptual development of our corporate performance measurement model is that business success – defined as long-term survival and growth – is determined by relationship quality (1) among the various organizational departments (internal stakeholders), (2) between internal and external stakeholders, and (3) between internal and distal stakeholders. Relationship quality among internal stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of internal service quality. Relationship quality between internal and external stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of external service quality. Relationship quality between internal and distal stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of company goodwill. Thus, corporate performance of manufacturing firms can be measured by a survey of representatives of internal, external, and distal stakeholders. Corporate strategies can be developed as a direct function of strengths and weaknesses uncovered by corporate performance measurement.

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to identify and categorize disclosures from the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Standards (GRI Standards) that have direct or indirect influence on health of external or internal stakeholders. Methodology: GRI core and comprehensive disclosures (as part of universal standards and topic-specific standards related to economic, environmental and social topics) that can be used by businesses for CSR reporting were grouped as to have direct or indirect influence on external and internal stakeholders’ health. Findings: The study proposes a systematic way of conceiving GRI standards in terms of direct or indirect influence on the health and well-being of internal and external stakeholders. Originality/Value: This is the first study that provides a classification of core and comprehensive GRI disclosures that have direct or indirect influence on the health of external or internal stakeholders. This classification will allow businesses to easily report those CSR activities that might be of importance to stakeholders’ health promotion.

PurposeCo-creation as a collaborative process between organizations and customers generates unique value for both internal and external stakeholders for the company. Research generally examines and portrays customer-company co-creation as a balanced and harmonious relationship. However, a successful co-creation strategy involves understanding the shared interests of the parties and resolving tensions between internal and external stakeholders to avoid co-destruction. This study aims to draw on the intersection of organizational behavior and marketing literature and to examine shared interests and conflicting tensions involved in the co-creation in the context of sports entertainment. This context allows the researchers to unpack and present a more complex process of co-creation that fosters co-creativity and innovation.Design/methodology/approachBased on a qualitative case-based approach of a major university in the USA, the authors draw on interviews and observations from their athletic administration and fans engaged in a men’s Division I team through an entire season.FindingsThis qualitative study illustrates an alternative, more complex dilemma of co-creating emotional and symbolic value based on shared interests while reconciling conflicting internal and external stakeholder interests. The findings suggest a tug of war based on tensions, where management adopted contrasting managerial strategies ranging from attempting to reconcile tension through organic co-creation to controlled manufactured creation.Research limitations/implicationsEmotional and symbolic game experience value is an interdependent process which cannot be created without consumer engagement. Both emotional and symbolic values are enhanced during games to the extent consumers perceive participation in the creative pre-game stages.Originality/valueThis study draws on sports entertainment to identify sources of tension in co-creation and discuss type of solutions among internal and external stakeholders.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;">Fashion brands are increasingly using social media to communicate brand values to consumers. However, the impact of brands’ representation of sustainability via social media on consumer engagement has not yet been established. This study examined how brand sustainability, both as a core value and through social media representation, impacts consumer engagement through two types of social media, a visually-based platform (Instagram) and a text-based platform (Twitter). <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A mixed methods approach was utilized in this study including analysis of twenty-five fashion brands with strong social media presence. Brands were segmented into three groups including: sustainable fashion brands (SFB), sustainability-aware fashion brands (SAB), and traditional fashion brands (TFB) across Instagram and Twitter. This study explored qualitative content analysis and quantitative exploration of consumer engagement via Likes and Comments. The results provide insights for brands to manage their sustainable social media strategy to present brand values and maximize consumer engagement.</span><br> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0in; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-indent: 0.5in;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span>

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence are considered among the most vital trending topics in the process of hospitality sector evolution. Many scholars found that digital transformation and artificial intelligence cause a massive shift in all aspects of the hospitality sector and digital technology application that impact the whole facet of internal and external stakeholders' lives. However, the adoption of digitalization and artificial intelligence is considered a strength. Corporate digital responsibility (CDR) is a strategy that enhances trust between the companies adopting digitalization and their primary stakeholders. Internal and external stakeholders' satisfaction develop contemporary social responsibility (CSR) challenges in the decision-making process in acquiring, analysing, implementing, and assessing for adopting digitalization in the hospitality sector. This chapter aims to give a literature review focusing on CDR and its relation analyses to hotel industry's internal stakeholders' satisfaction trough a Hungarian case study.

This article explored the effect of instrumental interaction and relational interaction on consumer engagement (community engagement and brand engagement) among community members. The mediating effect of E-social capital was investigated as well. The research results showed that: both instrumental interaction and interpersonal interaction promote the formation of E-social capital (online trust and online reciprocity); online trust plays a partial mediating role between community interaction (instrumental interaction, relational interaction) and community engagement, but the influence of online reciprocity on community engagement is not significant; community engagement leads to brand engagement. The findings enrich the theories of brand community and consumer engagement and contribute to the virtual community management.

BackgroundQuality practice of consumer engagement is still in its infancy in many sectors of medical research. The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) identified, early in its development, the opportunity to integrate evidence-driven consumer and community engagement into its operations.ProcessSAHMRI partnered with Health Consumers Alliance and consumers in evidence generation. A Partnership Steering Committee of researchers and consumers was formed for the project. An iterative mixed-method qualitative process was used to generate a framework for consumer engagement. This process included a literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with experts in consumer engagement and lead medical researchers, group discussions and a consensus workshop with the Partnership Steering Committee, facilitated by Health Consumer Alliance.OutcomesThe literature revealed a dearth of evidence about effective consumer engagement methodologies. Four organisational dimensions are reported to contribute to success, namely governance, infrastructure, capacity and advocacy. Key themes identified through the stakeholder interviews included sustained leadership, tangible benefits, engagement strategies should be varied, resourcing, a moral dimension, and challenges. The consensus workshop produced a framework and tangible strategies.ConclusionComprehensive examples of consumer participation in health and medical research are limited. There are few documented studies of what techniques are effective. This evidence-driven framework, developed in collaboration with consumers, is being integrated in a health and medical research institute with diverse programs of research. This framework is offered as a contribution to the evidence base around meaningful consumer engagement and as a template for other research institutions to utilise.

The study aims to investigate the impacts of internal and external stakeholder pressures on the adoption of circular economy (CE) principles. The study explores the primary barriers to and causes (external or internal stakeholder pressures) of CE’s transition across Mexico and explores the effects of stakeholder pressures (internal and external) on the adoption of CE principles on economic and environmental performance. For this, data were collected from 433 respondents using a structured questionnaire. For analysis, the study used the PLS-SEM technique to examine internal and external stakeholders as barriers and motivators of economic and environmental performance through CE principles. Both the structural model and the measurement model were assessed. As well as mediation analysis, the direct and indirect effects were determined. The study found that economic (β = 0.178, p = 0.000) and environmental performance (β = 0.233, p = 0.000) is affected by most external stakeholders through the adoption of circular economy principles. Although the internal stakeholders don’t affect the environmental performance (β = 0.040, p = 0.492), with the adoption of circular economy principles mediating the relationship, internal stakeholders encourage environmental performance (β = 0.201, p = 0.000). The study motivates the public, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the government to adopt CE principles for the achievement of economic and environmental performance and participation in the sustainable development agenda.

Quality education is an everyday quest in Ethiopia, for both the educated and the lay.It has also become an issue of big scrutiny among both government and private institutions.But, the type and extent of roles to be played by different stakeholders are not yet clearly ascertained.One of the centers of attention in Ethiopia is health institution under the private holding.In this research, hence, attention was given to the role of stakeholders in improving education quality in private health institutions.For the materialization of the research, four private colleges were purposively selected as target research sites according to their ease for access of data.Such were Rift-Valley College, Central College of Health, Deborah and Keamed.Target informants were selected from among internal and external stakeholders.Accordingly, the informants among internal stakeholders were 40 students, 20 teachers and four officers.Likewise, four health professionals in the private health center were purposively chosen as data providers from among external stakeholders.The research data were collected in the form of responses to questionnaire from students and teachers; and, in the form of interview data from officers.After thorough analysis of the data, the researcher has come up with the findings that, internal stakeholders had stronger curricular and evaluative roles than external ones.Even among internal stakeholders, officers had the strongest role of making instructional and programmatic decisions while the chief ones, students, had the least.Overall, shortages were observed in terms of inter-collegial experiential exchange, research ties and human-resource exchange among the internal and the external stakeholders.So, the researcher has come to recommend the presence of workable ties with both internal and external stakeholders in order for the concerned health institutions to develop both instructional and field quality.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of consumer and community engagement in health service planning, quality improvement and programme evaluation in Australia, and key components and importance of a strong suite of tools for achieving effective outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a non-systematic review of Australian national, state and territory websites in relation to policy commitment to consumer engagement, best practice framework for consumer engagement and recent project example. Findings Consumer engagement is a recognised component of the Australian health system. It is reflected in the national and state health policy and is a mandatory requirement of hospital accreditation. The application of co-design principles is gaining increasing popularity in health service planning and programme evaluation. Co-design is an important enabler of patient/community-centred service planning and evaluation; however, on its own it may lead to poorer outcomes. Co-design must occur within a broader systemic framework. Practical implications The research identifies a conceptual framework, approaches and tools of value to health service management and planners. Originality/value Consumer and community engagements are critical to the development of consumer-centric services. However, this should complement and add value to, not divert attention away from established principles of service planning, continuous quality improvement and programme evaluation. To do so may result in poorer quality health and well-being outcomes, reduced efficiency and ultimately reduced consumer and community satisfaction with services. This paper examines consumer and community engagement within the broader planning and quality improvement framework and practical implications for keeping planning, research and evaluation on track.

Purpose This study aims to compare Generation Z consumers' consumption behaviour of local versus global sutainable fashion brands. Drawing from the practice theory and social cognitive theory, this study compared, using competing models, factors that influence South African Generation Z consumers’ consumption intention of local and global sustainable fashion brands. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 504 Generation Z consumers who buy local and global sustainable fashion brands in South Africa. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings Environmental concern, cultural mindfulness and social influence were found to positively influence Generation Z consumers’ attitude towards local sustainable fashion brands. Conversely, attitude towards global sustainable fashion brands was found to be favourably influenced by environmental concern and perceived value. Materialism and trust emerged as the constraining factors for the consumption of both local and global sustainable fashion brands. Research limitations/implications This study relied on cross-sectional self-reported data and the possibility of over reporting or under reporting may not be ruled out. Future studies may consider using more robust methods of data collection such as field experiments. Moreover, future studies may also examine the potential influence of control variables such age, gender and fashion expenditure. Practical implications The results of this study underscore the importance of addressing the trust deficit associated with both local and global sustainable fashion brands. The use of independent eco-labels that assure consumer confidence on the authenticity of sustainability claims is recommended. Marketers of global sustainable fashion brands should consider investing more in the think-global-but-act-local strategy to integrate the intricacies of local culture during product design and marketing. Originality/value This study contributes to sustainable fashion literature by proposing an integrated model that combine variables that influence sustainable fashion as a social practice. Moreover, this study enriches literature by examining the role of cultural mindfulness in the consumption of local and global sustainable fashion brands.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a multistakeholder scale for assessing an excellent human resource (HR) function to demonstrate the extent to which it is focused on creating value from the perspective of its key internal and external stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach At the first stage, an in-depth literature review was conducted to extract the best practices for an excellent HR function. Then, to test the validation of the developed framework, it was sent to HR academics and practitioners in different countries. The survey responses were analyzed using the methods of the structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factorial analysis. Findings This study proposes an excellent HR multistakeholder assessment scale consisting of ten criteria based on the perceptions of internal and external HR stakeholders. Research limitations/implications This study suggests a framework for assessing overall HR excellence based on the perceptions of key internal and external HR stakeholders. In addition, it is recommended that future researchers empirically test the developed scale across various industries and firm sizes. Practical implications HR managers, by using this framework, could continuously assess their HR excellence and compare their HR excellence with other companies’ HR excellence in the industry and then plan for continuous improvement in different HR areas to improve their stakeholders’ experiences. Originality/value This paper identifies the enablers and results of an excellent HR department and designs a multistakeholder feedback scale to better understand key internal and external HR stakeholders’ perceptions.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness. This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.