Marketing Literature Research Articles

The fifth mode of entry: the metaverse and the case of Blackpink’s ‘Born Pink’

ABSTRACT The metaverse proffers untapped potential for companies’ marketing endeavours. However, limited research demonstrates how firms utilise the metaverse as a mode of entry strategy. Through a historic analysis of the global marketing activities in Blackpink’s ‘Born Pink’ album launch, this study identifies a metaverse mode of entry strategy comprising metaverse gaming, phygital products and experiences. Moreover, the article demonstrates how companies can scaffold these components to produce a borderless platform for digital engagement, direct-to-consumer distribution and immersive connections with global consumers. Journal of Marketing Management studies have yet to comprehensively recognise the metaverse as a viable means by which businesses can penetrate new global markets. The results indicate that the metaverse mode of entry is a ‘fifth mode of entry’ that complements exporting, licencing, and strategic alliances and foreign direct investment. Overall, the article bridges theoretical discourses between mode of entry and metaverse marketing literatures, facilitating a more cohesive understanding of their interplay.

The mutual influence between entrepreneurial marketing and causal and effectual entrepreneurship: an empirical study in an emerging and developing economy

PurposeEntrepreneurial marketing (EM) literature has evolved recently, but more understanding is needed on how the seven dimensions of EM impact causal and effectual entrepreneurial behavior and, similarly, how entrepreneurial behavior influences the results of all dimensions of the EM construct. This study investigates the association and mutual influence between EM and entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a qualitative strategy, addressing gaps due to its low incidence and employs theoretical replication, which is practically unexplored. It investigates two cases in Brazil: small companies (eight cases selected by literal replication) and a structured network of companies (one case selected by theoretical replication), predicting a positive influence of EM in the first case and a negative or neutral influence in the second.FindingsThe influence of EM on entrepreneurship is context-dependent and varies according to the empirical object. In turn, the impact of entrepreneurship on the results of the EM dimensions is more stable, primarily causal and varies slightly between structures.Originality/valueFirst, by studying how the dimensions of EM impact causal/effectual behavior, this study broadens the understanding of the area, which was previously focused on only a few dimensions. Second, by investigating the impact of entrepreneurship on EM outcomes, this study sheds light on the influence of and differences in causal/effectual behavior in each of the seven dimensions. Finally, it extends the understanding of EM and entrepreneurship in small businesses and a structured network by identifying similarities and distinctions hitherto unexplored.

Tourism digital marketing in Indonesia: Current issues, challenges and opportunities

Purpose of the study: Marketing strategies must evolve with shifts in customer trends, behavior, and technological advancements. Academically, marketing has long been a key area of interest for scholars. This study systematically analyzes research references on tourism marketing in Indonesia. Methodology: This analysis draws on national publication data featuring tourism marketing keywords from 2014 to 2024, obtained via web scraping from the Google Scholar database. Additionally, it seeks to identify key concerns, challenges, and opportunities for digital marketing within Indonesia's tourism sector. Main Findings: This review highlights that academic journals cover diverse aspects of tourism marketing, including tourism, social sciences, communication management, and technology. Despite its limited scale, digital marketing is widely explored by scholars across fields. Bali, Bantul, Sleman, and Yogyakarta are frequently studied locations. Indonesian tourism marketing research tends to adopt qualitative approaches, yet a broad spectrum of contexts such as economics, business, communication, entrepreneurship, sociology, anthropology, and creative industries is also examined. Applications of the study: This study's scope is limited by the narrow range of Google Scholar articles. Future research can expand the literature, with key findings serving as hypotheses for further studies. Policymakers and the digital industry can use these insights for tourism product development. It also represents one of the latest ten-year reviews of digital marketing literature in Indonesia. Novelty/Originality of the study: Tourism must use effective marketing and adapt to changing market behaviors. Collaboration among stakeholders, including academics, is key to seizing opportunities and tackling future challenges.

Veto players and gun violence in drug markets: Analysis based on field observations of eighty drug-selling spots on the Westside of Chicago

PurposeThe study analyzed whether the number of drug-selling spots has an impact on shooting incidents in drug markets on the Westside of Chicago. MethodsA theory of gun violence in drug markets was developed by building on veto players theory, and tested using a series of two-way fixed-effects Poisson regressions. The main variable of interest—drug-selling spots—comes from an original dataset comprised of eighty drug-selling spots identified through covert field observations. Controls included: the average age and average number of drug spot workers at the drug-selling spots, concentrated disadvantage, population, police anti-drug operations, and drug demand. FindingsIn support of the theory, the main statistical models and robustness tests consistently found that the larger the number of drug-selling spots in a given drug market, the higher the number of shooting incidents over time. Only the control for population remained consistently statistically significant across model specifications. ConclusionThe study contributes to the drug market literature by offering a novel theory of drug market violence, as well as a replicable way for researchers to observe drug market activity without disturbing the natural behaviors of market participants. The operationalization of drug-selling spots as sub-factions of organized criminal groups also provides a novel approach to the study of drug market violence.

Antecedents & After-Effects of Content Creator-Based Product Placement: Empirical Insights from Bangladesh

Purpose: The emergence of content creators in social media is a comparatively new phenomenon of interest which has rightfully attracted the digital marketers. As they have discovered a new way to connect with the audience it has inevitably led to the advent of content creator-based product placement. The study is designed to propose and test a creator product placement model uncovering the factors determining audiences’ attitude and subsequent behavioral responses. Design/Methodology: The study employed a single-cross sectional design administering a structured questionnaire-based survey on a sample of 385 respondents. A conceptual model was developed showing the hypothesized relationships among specified variables which was validated using Structural Equation Modeling. Findings: Content preference, relatability, quality, attitude toward creator, parasocial relationship, fit between content and brand and fit between creator and brand are the significant determinants of the attitude toward creator product placement. It in turn influences attitude toward brand and subsequent purchasing intention. Practical Implication: The proposed framework will aid social media marketers to formulate effective creator marketing strategies to elicit desired behavioral response from the audience. It also enriches the existing body of literature of creator marketing. Originality/Value: The study endeavors to come up with a comprehensive model to understand the behavior of the target audience toward creator product placement which is relatively unexplored and unidentified.

Effect of Market-Wide Investor Sentiment on South African Government Bond Indices of Varying Maturities under Changing Market Conditions

The excess levels of investor participation coupled with irrational behaviour in the South African bond market causes excess volatility, which in turn exposes investors to losses. Consequently, the study aims to examine the effect of market-wide investor sentiment on government bond index returns of varying maturities under changing market conditions. This study constructs a new market-wide investor sentiment index for South Africa and uses the two-state Markov regime-switching model for the sample period 2007/03 to 2024/01. The findings illustrate that the effect investor sentiment has on government bond indices returns of varying maturities is regime-specific and time-varying. For instance, the 1–3-year government index return and the over-12-year government bond index were negatively affected by investor sentiment in a bull market condition and not in a bear market condition. Moreover, the bullish market condition prevailed among the returns of selected government bond indices of varying maturities. The findings suggest that the government bond market is adaptive, as proposed by AMH, and contains alternating efficiencies. The study contributes to the emerging market literature, which is limited. That being said, it uses market-wide investor sentiment as a tool to make pronunciations on asset selection, portfolio formulation, and portfolio diversification, which assists in limiting investor losses. Moreover, the findings of the study contribute to settling the debate surrounding the efficiency of bond markets and the effect between market-wide sentiment and bond index returns in South Africa. That being said, it is nonlinear, which is a better modelled using nonlinear models and alternates with market conditions, making the government bond market adaptive.

Situational control and strategic choices during supply chain disruptions: case studies of SME exporters

PurposeMotivated by the severe impact of global supply chain disruptions and the lack of understanding of supply chain resilience from an SME exporter perspective in the international marketing literature, this paper sets out to explore how SME exporters achieve resilience through strategic choices related to sourcing and manufacturing during global disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative, multiple-case-studies approach to identify the key strategic drivers and contextual factors influencing SME exporters’ supply chain resilience. Our study adopted an SME exporter perspective and featured an unprecedented global supply chain disruption context. New Zealand (NZ) was chosen as the key home country context for the participants of this study. Five NZ SME exporters were selected for our case studies.FindingsThis study redefines buffering, bridging and a mixed strategy for an SME exporter facing global supply chain disruptions. SME exporters with high situational control are likely to pursue a buffering strategy that reduces their resource dependence on foreign suppliers and their reliance on information support from these suppliers. In contrast, when the firm perceives little control over the supply chain, it will decide upon a bridging strategy that aims to build solid relationships with supply chain partners. Exporters opt for a mixed strategy when they do not see themselves clearly in high or low situational control.Research limitations/implicationsAs global disruptions arise and evolve, supply chain uncertainty and exporters’ sense of situational control manifest differently across industries, product lines, markets and sourcing countries. It is essential to understand that firms can choose a mixed strategy based on these supply chain conditions. While our study was fortuitously timed, conducting multi-country studies could provide more comparative insights that transcend national borders. Additionally, our study did not examine organizational and capability-based factors. Future research may benefit from exploring how an SME exporter develops strategic capabilities to achieve resilience over its lifetime.Practical implicationsBusinesses see survival as the most pivotal concern during a global supply chain disruption. Many companies have had to make on-the-spot decisions about whether they should shift or redesign their supply chains in the middle of a global disruption. There is no “best strategy” for an SME exporter to take. Rather, managers should make strategic decisions based on how much control or influence they have over a particular part of their supply chain. The level of control is determined by the SME exporter’s overall resource dependencies and information needs in particular parts of their supply chain.Originality/valueWe adopt resource dependence theory and information processing theory to guide our study and place exporters' situational control in the centre of drivers to firms' strategic choices during global disruptions. We make a novel attempt to incorporate the contextual conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic into the theorization of supply chain resilience. We make managerial recommendations to help SME exporters navigate global supply chain disruption challenges.

Exploring tourist preferences for local food: a Best-Worst Scaling analysis and market segmentation approach

PurposeLocal food impacts tourist satisfaction and drives the choice of a tourist destination. However, it is not clear which attributes of local food products drive tourists’ preferences. More specifically, little is known about potential segments in the tourist market. Acknowledging consumers’ divergent inclinations, we explore tourist preferences toward local food attributes through a market segmentation approach.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the Best-Worst Scaling method to examine the preferences of 311 tourists for attributes of local food products that are known to affect their choices. We employ a Latent Class Analysis to identify market segments with distinct preferences.FindingsResults indicate that tourists prioritize taste, quality, authenticity, healthiness, connection to local culture and tradition and environmental friendliness over price, appearance, enhancement of local economy, availability and packaging. We further identify three segments: Sensory Seekers, Cultural Experiencers, and Price Conscious. The largest segment, Sensory Seekers, is driven by taste and quality attributes, while Cultural Experiencers prioritize connection to local culture and authenticity. The Price Conscious segment places a greater emphasis on price than the other segments. Cultural Experiencers demonstrate the highest willingness to pay for local food products.Practical implicationsThe positioning of local products should target Cultural Experiencers. Agri-firms and state agencies promoting a tourist destination internationally can also use the connection to local culture and authenticity in their marketing campaigns.Originality/valueOur research contributes to food marketing literature by showing which local food attributes drive tourist preferences. Moreover, we uncover unobservable heterogeneous preferences among tourists.

MV‐QUAL: A tool for understanding decisions to purchase virtual products in the metaverse

AbstractThis paper develops the metaverse quality (MV‐Qual) scale and explores the various factors that may impact consumers' perceptions of quality and value when purchasing virtual products in a metaverse world. Utilizing Flow Theory and SERVQUAL as theoretical lenses to conduct our research, a framework was developed and tested, demonstrating how various factors are interconnected and impact consumers' shopping experiences in the metaverse. Data were collected from a national sample of 322 metaverse users in the United States and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS, complemented by a neural network causal analysis in Neusrel. The results demonstrated that several factors impact metaverse store quality and perceived virtual product value, including control, vividness, avatar design, rarity, and resale value. Subsequently, metaverse store quality and perceived virtual product value positively impact the intention to purchase virtual products in metaverse. This research contributes to the advancement of understanding consumer behavior in the metaverse and adds to the emerging marketing literature on the metaverse. Furthermore, the MV‐QUAL scale developed serves as a practical tool that both marketing researchers and practitioners can use to enhance understanding and discover new ways to improve the metaverse consumer experience.

Enhancing operational efficiency of insurance companies: a fuzzy time series approach to loss ratio forecasting in the Egyptian market

ABSTRACT This article analyses the crucial significance of loss ratio (LR) evaluation in assessing the operational efficiency of insurance companies. Fuzzy time series (FTS) models are effective in modelling non-linear with uncertainties and providing adequate performance with limited data availability, which overcomes the shortage of conventional models used in Egyptian insurance market literature. This paper aims to introduce a comprehensive analysis of LR of the property and casualty sectors. Moreover, review and compare various forecasting FTS techniques to discuss the effectiveness of using FTS methods in forecasting LR. The suggested method is based on results from tests done with four models that had Huarng 465 partitions and interval length parts of 5, 10, 50, and 100. The results show LR prediction improved significantly. Yu and Cheng’s models using a Huarng 465 partition for training data and the Yu model with 100 partitions for testing data had high accuracy and low error.

The impact of marketing assets of foreign subsidiaries on marketing dynamic capabilities of multinational enterprises (MNEs): the mediating effect of customer orientation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore mechanisms of the overseas marketing assets needed for marketing dynamic capability in Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) settings. Marketing assets of foreign subsidiaries contribute to the dynamic capability of MNEs, which are crucial for their sustained competitiveness. This kind of mechanism attracts much attention in academia and industry. However, there are few studies on how dynamic capabilities are developed in MNEs considering the organizational structure of geographically dispersed assets in multiple locations. This paper aims to examine the effect of knowledge-based and relational-based marketing assets on dynamic marketing capabilities and the mediating effect of customer orientation on Chinese MNEs.Design/methodology/approachIntegrating the dynamic capability approach and the international marketing literature, this study examines the impact of two types of marketing assets of foreign subsidiaries, focusing on knowledge-based and relationship-based marketing assets, on the dynamic marketing capabilities of Chinese MNEs. A large-scale empirical study of Chinese MNEs operating in overseas markets was performed, and the questionnaires were distributed and collected.FindingsThe results suggest a positive impact of knowledge-based and relationship-based marketing assets on marketing dynamic capability. We find that customer orientation has a positive mediating effect on the relationship between marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability. We also find that the competitive strength of the overseas market negatively moderates this relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThis study aims to contribute to the existing literature with a more fine-grained understanding of marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability, then provides theoretical guidance and management suggestions for the formulation and implementation of internationalization strategies of Chinese MNEs.Practical implicationsThe findings outline several important implications for MNEs seeking into expand to overseas markets.Originality/valueThis paper contributes a novel, combined perspective on marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability.

Predicting wearable IoT Adoption: Identifying core consumers through Machine learning algorithms

Internet of Things (IoT) technology has been integrated into a diverse array of products, including watches, glasses, lighting systems, and home services, and has garnered widespread consumer acceptance. While the overall IoT market has reached a stage of maturity, the adoption of wearable devices, a key subset of IoT technologies, lags behind. Recognizing the need to identify potential demand for these wearable devices, this study leverages data from the 2019 MCR survey (N=3,922) and employs five machine learning algorithms for analysis. Among these, the random forest model demonstrates the highest accuracy in predicting consumer adoption of wearable devices. Based on this model, 17 major predictors influencing adoption have been identified. The study’s findings suggest that women in their 10 s and 20 s are the most likely potential core consumers for wearable devices. These individuals are characterized by a high expenditure-to-income ratio and stringent consumption standards that take into account product quality, price, design, shopping efficiency, and brand reputation. This research contributes to the expansion of the advertising marketing literature by being among the first to employ machine learning techniques for consumer targeting strategies in the wearable device sector.

Strategi Pemasaran Digital untuk Meningkatkan Konversi Penjualan pada Bakso Malang Jezzy

This final project is created to fulfill the graduation requirements for a Bachelor's degree in Digital Marketing at FEB UNPAD. This final project is designed to help Bakso Malang Jezzy increase its sales, which have declined over the past 3 years. The researcher hopes that this project can provide a reference for food and beverage business owners to improve conversion rates using digital marketing strategies. Bakso Malang Jezzy has 18 branches spread across Bekasi City and Bogor Regency. Bakso Malang Jezzy operates differently from other Bakso Malang vendors by using a buffet technique. Additionally, the production house for all Bakso Malang Jezzy branches is centralized at Jl. Payangan Mess. Al, Jatisari, Jatiasih, Bekasi, West Java, which serves as the meat processing and quality control center. The proposed digital marketing strategy includes the use of social media such as TikTok and Instagram, as well as search engine optimization and content marketing to increase visibility and customer engagement. With this strategy, Bakso Malang Jezzy is expected to increase sales conversions and strengthen its market position. The theoretical benefits of this project include contributions to the digital marketing literature, while the practical benefits include increased sales and brand positioning for Bakso Malang Jezzy.

EXPRESS: Untangling the Duality of Emerging Market Firms’ Response to OFDI Policies on Their Innovation Performance: A Resource Dependence Perspective

Firms’ international expansion, affected by outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) policies of home countries, can greatly shape their innovation performance. Yet, existing literature lacks sufficient investigation toward the nexus between corporate response to policies in OFDI activities and subsequent innovation performance. Thus, the authors designed this study to examine how a firm’s response to OFDI policies affects its innovation performance. Drawing upon the resource dependence theory, the authors theorize corporate response to OFDI policies as firm dependence on home government. By arguing that such dependence differentially affects firm innovation through support and control mechanisms, they elucidate the inverted U-shaped relationship between corporate response to OFDI policies (measured by the percentage of a firm’s OFDI projects in policy-favored markets) and innovation performance (measured as patent counts). Furthermore, this curvilinear relationship, they posit, is moderated and strengthened by home-government subsidies the firm receives (calculated as the ratio of annual subsidies received to yearly sales). With archival data of 2,050 Chinese listed manufacturing firms responding to specific OFDI policies during 2013–2021, their predictions are corroborated. Overall, by illuminating the innovation implications of OFDI as corporate response to policies, this study contributes to the international marketing literature in the context of emerging markets.

THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ORIENTATION IN THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL MARKETING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMEs) IN INDONESIA

This research contributes to formulating policies and programs related to MSMEs, especially digital marketing in Indonesia. This research examines the role of entrepreneurial orientation on the influence of digital marketing via social media on MSMEs in Indonesia. Although several studies have examined the relationship between the use of social media (Technology Acceptance Model, TAM) and company business performance, the existence of inconsistencies in previous research results opens up obstacles for this research to develop theory and strengthen weaknesses. Previous research, as well as complementing the growing digital marketing literature. This research involved 500 MSME owners in Indonesia, where an online survey of MSME owners was the data collection instrument. The data has been analysed using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) via AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure) software. Results showed that perceived ease of use positively affected attitudes towards using social media. The benefits of using social media and attitudes towards using social media have a positive effect on attitudes towards using social media. The use of social media has a positive impact on the performance of MSMEs. Then, entrepreneurial orientation has a positive effect on the performance of MSMEs. Furthermore, entrepreneurial orientation moderates the influence of social media use on MSME's performance, meaning that entrepreneurial orientation strengthens the influence of social media use on MSME's performance. The research implication is that it contributes to the TAM literature, where all tests support the TAM theory. Future research is encouraged to replicate the moderation model developed in this study as applicable to other countries and regions for better generalisation. Future research can add control variables such as age, education, and experience to the relationship between social media use and MSME performance. From a practical point of view, the government needs to intervene to improve the business performance of MSMEs. One of them is providing reliable and affordable internet connectivity, equal distribution of internet infrastructure, especially in rural and remote areas, providing digital literacy and training among business owners and employees. Then, MSME players must be oriented towards entrepreneurship by producing innovative new products and more modern marketing innovations digitally through social media.

Encouraging prosocial consumer behaviour: A review of influencer and digital marketing literature

AbstractProsocial consumer behaviours, or actions taken by consumers intended to benefit others, are essential for society's stability. Thus, marketers need to systematically develop strategies that promote such intentions among consumers. Influencer marketing is a particularly effective strategy. We systematically review and propose how to encourage prosocial consumer behaviour, depending on consumers' capability, opportunity, and motivation. In Study 1, a scoping review of 15 articles on influencer marketing encouraging prosocial consumer behaviour yields a research map that confirms the relevance of influencer marketing in encouraging such behaviour. In Study 2, a bibliometric review of 867 articles on prosocial consumer behaviour results in a keyword map that identifies critical factors influencing prosocial consumer behaviour. The findings offer future research directions on influencer marketing to encourage prosocial consumer behaviour. More importantly, we propose practical digital interventions for encouraging prosocial consumer behaviour. This research provides a state‐of‐the‐art overview of prosocial consumer behaviour and illustrates how influencer marketing can promote prosocial consumer behaviour.

Balancing people, planet and profit: export strategies for sustainable value creation

PurposeBusinesses are increasingly called upon to support the improvement of society and the environment, and one way to do so is by expanding into international markets, particularly through exports. Despite the importance and recognised challenges of a global approach to sustainable value creation, sustainability research tends to focus on domestic contexts. This paper aims to identify the boundary conditions linking sustainable value creation practices with firm performance in the international context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors merge the sustainable value creation and the international marketing literature to develop two propositions that capture the emerging nature of the field and the lack of concluding evidence regarding the link between international sustainable value creation practices and firm performance. The authors test these propositions empirically by analysing 519 responses to a survey of exporting firms in Portugal, using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.FindingsThe authors identify seven configurations that support sustainable value creation in an international context. These consist of varying levels of standardised and tailored offers, management experience and competitive intensity.Practical implicationsThe identification of seven different configurations helps managers decide whether and how to innovate when pursuing sustainable value creation opportunities in international markets.Social implicationsThe authors propose that an effective way for governments to achieve national and transnational social and environmental agendas is to help businesses that pursue sustainable value creation to succeed in international markets. Given that four of the seven pathways to improve export performance that the authors identified require international management experience, the authors posit that an effective way to support the internationalisation of those businesses is through targeted training programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives.Originality/valueThe authors respond to calls for research to integrate the sustainable value creation and the international marketing literatures, to identify how and when firms can create sustainable value creation in an international context and thus support the resolution of global, social and environmental problems. The finding that there are multiple configurations that support this goal explains why empirical evidence collected thus far is inconclusive and helps identify the boundary conditions of existing theory.

The impact of open branding on consumer brand attitudes: the moderating role of power distance belief

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of open branding on consumer brand attitudes, as mediated by brand warmth and brand competence, and moderated by power distance belief.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs two one-factor (brand strategy: open branding vs closed branding) between-subject experimental designs and a 2 × 2, namely (open branding vs closed branding) × (power distance belief: high vs low) between-subject experimental design to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe study indicates that open branding can enhance consumer brand attitudes, and that brand warmth and brand competence mediate the impact of open branding on consumer brand attitudes. Furthermore, power distance beliefs (PDB) moderated these relationships. Specifically, the impact of open branding on consumers brand attitudes is stronger for consumers with low PDB than for those with high PDB.Practical implicationsBrand managers should consider adopting an open branding strategy to enhance consumers brand attitudes when encountering consumers’ unauthorized use of brand-related intellectual property. Additionally, when implementing an open-branding strategy, brand managers should use appropriate language to enhance consumers’ perceptions of brand warmth and brand competence.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the interactive marketing literature by empirically examining the impact of open branding on consumer brand attitudes. Furthermore, it investigates the underlying mechanism of how and the boundary conditions when open branding increases consumer brand attitudes, enriching the current knowledge.

Mapping drug smuggling networks in Japan: a social network analysis of trial documents

ABSTRACT This paper addresses a significant gap in drug market literature by examining high-level drug trafficking networks in Japan. We focus on three aspects: the structure of drug importation networks, the impact of transport methods on these structures, and the role of Japan’s mafia, the yakuza. Using novel statistical techniques that extend exponential random graph models (ERGMs) to multi-network samples, we analyse 573 Japanese trial documents on wholesale drug importation. We test the theory that trafficking operations with higher information-processing demands exhibit more efficiency-oriented network structures, while governance-type groups avoid expanding into trade activities. Our findings support these theories, showing that networks with higher information-processing demands are more efficiency-oriented but maintain security. Conversely, smaller networks with simpler transport methods prioritise security and concealment. Additionally, the yakuza do not organisationally engage in drug trafficking; when involved, yakuza members act as independent entrepreneurs.

The relationship between feminist collective action and social media engagement

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of online collective feminist actions on social media participation and the perceived value of social media as part of the social identity model of collective action (SIMCA).Design/methodology/approachA mixed methodology is used. Within the SIMCA model in the context of feminist collective actions, social identity, group-efficacy and fear predicted the intention of online collective action participation in the first part (quantitative) of the study. Contrary to predictions, the influence of anger on the intention to participate in collective action was negative. In-depth interviews are conducted in the study’s second (qualitative) part to investigate why individuals do not participate in collective actions despite their anger at violence against women.FindingsThe concept of online feminist collective action, from the perspective of the SIMCA model, deals with violence against women in the context of social marketing, revealing the importance of online collective actions as an antecedent of social media participation and the perceived value of social media. The possible causes of the negative impact of anger, which is an important emotion within the framework of the SIMCA model, on online feminist collective action were determined, and a contribution was made to the social marketing literature in the context of women’s rights.Originality/valueThe study makes three major contributions to the literature. First, women’s rights are addressed in the context of online collective action, an issue that has received little attention in social marketing. Second, in the context of the social identity theory of collective action, online collective feminist action and its predecessors are addressed. Finally, the Turkish case is used to highlight the probable causes of anger’s negative impact on collective action.