Food label provide consumers with information which may influence their purchasing decisions. For example, consumers may want to know nutritional properties, what ingredients are in a food product, how to cook it, how it should be stored, use-by date etc . In a rapidly evolving consumer market, where health, safety, quality, economic value, durability etc. are core concerns, food labels are a crucial tool for informed decision-making. This study explores why consumers examine food labels, focusing on five independent variables— economic value perception, health and safety, product identity and traceability, shelf life and durability, quality and assurance, and their impact on label examination and, consequently, purchasing decisions. A conceptual model based on consumer value theory was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and survey data collected from 370 consumers in Bangladesh. The results showed that all factors significantly and positively influenced label checking behavior, with product characteristics and quality having the most significant impact. The result also show that health and safety has not significant and positive impact on attitude towards label examination Furthermore, label checking was found to significantly predict purchase decisions, confirming its mediating role between the independent variables and consumer purchase decision. These insights have important implications for policymakers, food manufacturers, and health educators aiming to promote responsible and informed food consumption.

This study analyzes the influence of Training and Development on Promotional Pricing with Marketing Capability as a mediating variable in Internet Service Provider (ISP) companies in the Suciayumajakuning area (Subang, Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, and Kuningan). The research is motivated by competitive challenges among ISPs in designing effective promotional pricing strategies through strengthened human resource competencies. This study extends previous models by integrating human capital and dynamic capability perspectives within the ISP industry context. Unlike prior studies that predominantly focus on manufacturing or export-oriented sectors, this research addresses the less-explored ISP industry, which has high service intangibility and strong price sensitivity. with theoretical approaches from Human Capital Theory, Dynamic Capability Theory, and Resource-Based View.The study employed a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with 150 ISP marketing respondents. The measurement model met validity and reliability criteria (loadings 0.70–0.88; AVE > 0.50; CR > 0.90). The findings show that Training and Development significantly affects Marketing Capability (β = 0.613; p < 0.001), Marketing Capability significantly affects Promotional Pricing (β = 0.582; p < 0.001), and Training and Development directly influences Promotional Pricing (β = 0.176; p < 0.05). The indirect effect (β = 0.357) confirms Marketing Capability as a significant mediator. Training and development enhance promotional pricing effectiveness both directly and through improved marketing capability. Practically, ISPs should strengthen data-driven and digital marketing training programs to sustain competitiveness.

Hybrid work models, combining remote and on-site work, have emerged as a dominant post-pandemic arrangement, yet their implications for employee engagement are still evolving. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework and organizational support theory, this study examines the key drivers of employee engagement in hybrid work settings. A structured questionnaire was administered to employees working in hybrid models across IT, banking, consulting and education sectors in India. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4, data from 320 valid responses were analysed. The study focuses on three job resources specific to hybrid work: perceived organizational support, perceived work–life balance and communication & collaboration quality. Results show that all three drivers significantly and positively influence employee engagement, jointly explaining 62% of its variance. Bootstrapping results confirm robust path coefficients, satisfactory reliability and validity, and good model fit. The findings highlight that an engaged hybrid workforce depends not only on flexibility, but also on sustained support, clear communication and collaborative digital practices. The study offers practical guidelines for HR managers designing hybrid policies and contributes to the emerging literature on engagement in digitally mediated work environments.

The growth of outsourced corporate training (OCT) services continues because organizations need to adapt to digital transformation and rising requirements for (re)skilling. The research investigates OCT digital serious game adoption and value through quantitative data analysis. The research used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze survey data from n=200 US employees who received corporate-sponsored SG training through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk©. The results showed that five factors affect employee adoption behavior intention through their interest in learning and social influence and their ability to work flexibly and their expectations for success and their desire for enjoyment, revealing which organizational elements generate value in organizational digital Serious Games (SG), but these elements do not effectively support knowledge exchange, information sharing and innovation management. The research is supported by the UTAUT2 framework to confirm previous studies about organizations and SGs, while allowing practitioners to create people-oriented training approaches that use SGs as continuous learning resources.

Vietnamese national parks are ecologically sensitive areas facing increasing environmental pressures due to rising tourism activities. These parks, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, are vulnerable to habitat degradation, waste accumulation, and overuse of resources. Promoting pro-environmental behavioral intentions (PEBI) among visitors is crucial for ensuring sustainable tourism and conservation. While the theory of planned behavior (TPB) has been widely used to explain environmental actions, it often overlooks internal motivational factors such as personal responsibility and control beliefs. This study addresses this gap by integrating TPB with internal environmental locus of control (IELOC) factors to understand better the psychological drivers of PEBI in the Vietnamese national park context. An online survey was conducted with 360 Vietnamese participants, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that while a green consumer identity did not significantly influence environmental attitudes, other IELOC dimensions, including activism, advocacy, and recycling, had a positive impact on attitudes toward the environment. TPB constructs, including subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, significantly influenced attitudes and behavioral intentions. Attitude toward the environment also mediated several relationships between IELOC and TPB constructs and PEBI. These findings contribute to the literature by highlighting the importance of internal control beliefs and social influences in shaping sustainable behaviors in national park settings. Practical implications include targeted interventions to foster environmental stewardship among park visitors.

The circumcision service industry in Malang City has grown rapidly, with a 46.84% increase in clinics over five years, intensifying competition among providers. Consumer decision-making in elective healthcare services such as circumcision involves factors beyond medical considerations. This study examines the factors influencing consumer choices of circumcision clinics using the 7Ps marketing mix framework. A quantitative approach was employed, distributing questionnaires to 195 parents who used circumcision services for children under 12 during 2023–2024 in Malang. Using purposive sampling, the data were analyzed through Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess construct validity and variable relationships. Results show that only four marketing mix elements significantly influenced decisions: price, process, product, and people. Meanwhile, place, promotion, and physical evidence were not significant. This suggests consumers prioritize fair pricing, service quality, efficient procedures, and professional staff over clinic location, advertising, or interior design. The study’s novelty lies in focusing specifically on specialized circumcision clinics within Malang City, a category previously understudied despite its economic relevance. Limitations include a narrow geographic focus and a quantitative design, which may overlook emotional or subjective factors. Future research should expand geographically and incorporate qualitative or mixed methods for deeper insight into consumer motivations.

Drawing on Diffusion of Innovation Theory, this empirical study examines how digital instructional leadership impacts the integration of AI and AI pedagogy in K-12 schools. In addition, the study examines how trust in AI moderates the relationship between AI integration and AI pedagogy. To achieve this goal, a large-scale cross-sectional survey was administered to 842K-12 teachers in Taiwan who had prior experience integrating AI tools into their classroom instruction. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that digital instructional leadership significantly predicts AI integration but has no direct effect on AI pedagogy. In addition, AI integration strongly predicts AI pedagogy and mediates the relationship between digital instructional leadership and AI pedagogy, whereas trust in AI does not moderate the relationship between AI integration and AI pedagogy. Both theoretical and practical contributions are discussed, offering insights for future research, policymakers, and teachers.

This research explores how the internal organizational processes such as transformational leadership, organizational learning culture and internal communication impact the social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) to jointly drive the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Indonesia towards sustainable hybrid models. To overcome the perennial problem of donor dependence, this underscores communicative and motivational underpinnings of hybrid resilience in fledgling democracies. Adopting a quantitative, explanatory design, data were collected from 115 registered CSOs in Semarang, Indonesia. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the study test a sequential double-mediation model linking leadership, learning, communication, and SEI as internal pathways toward organizational transformations. Results demonstrate that internal communication and SEI sequentially mediate the effects of leadership and learning on transformation. Transformational leadership exhibits competitive mediations; its direct influence becomes negative when communicative participation is weak; whereas organizational learning culture shows partial complementary mediation. Sustainable hybridization is thus achieved through dialogic communications, participatory dialogue, and shared entrepreneurial intention rather than structural reform alone. The study focuses on CSOs in single Indonesian city, which may limit generalizability. Future research could extend the model across sectors or region to assess institutional and cultural variations in hybrid transformation processes.Findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, donors, and capacity-building institutions to design leadership and communications development initiatives that strengthen CSO autonomy and hybrid sustainability aligned with SDG 8, SDG 10 and SDG 16. This research advances social enterprise and hybridity theory by conceptualizing communication and SEI as processual micro-foundations of transformations. It provides rare empirical evidence from the Global South, offering a nuanced understanding of how leadership-driven learning and communicative capacity enable sustainable hybridization in civil society contexts.

Sustaining salespersons’ work engagement has become a critical concern amid intensifying professional demands and increasing turnover within the German pharmaceutical B2B sector. Guided by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examines how four distinct abilities of emotional intelligence—self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, emotion utilization, and emotion regulation—affect salespersons’ work engagement. Employing a quantitative design, data were collected from 340 pharmaceutical sales representatives in North Rhine-Westphalia and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that all four emotional intelligence abilities exert significant positive effects on work engagement, confirming the hypothesized relationships. Among these, the utilization and regulation of emotion emerged as the most influential predictors, underscoring their pivotal role in sustaining engagement within emotionally demanding sales environments. Overall, the four abilities of EI explained 68% of the variance in work engagement, affirming its value as a psychological resource that enhances motivational energy and mitigates emotional strain. This study enriches the sales management literature by demonstrating the strategic importance of developing emotional competencies to foster work engagement of salespersons in competitive B2B markets.

This study investigates the influence of Environmental Regulations (ER) and Financial Incentives (FI) on Supply Chain Efficiency (SCE) and Green Logistics Implementation (GLI) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. Drawing on the theoretical foundations of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM), this study proposes and empirically tests a conceptual model linking ER and FI to SCE and GLI. A quantitative research design was employed using data collected from 243 professionals across Jordanian SMEs involved in logistics and supply chain operations. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4. The results reveal that both ER and FI significantly and positively influence SCE and GLI, though with varying magnitudes. ER exerted a stronger effect on SCE (β = 0.372, p < 0.001) compared to GLI (β = 0.172, p < 0.01), suggesting that regulatory compliance enhances operational efficiency but may not fully drive proactive green logistics practices. Conversely, FI demonstrated the strongest impact on SCE (β = 0.412, p < 0.001) and a weaker yet significant effect on GLI (β = 0.148, p < 0.05), indicating that financial support serves as a critical enabler of efficiency but requires complementary institutional and cultural mechanisms to promote sustainability adoption. These findings underscore the complementary roles of regulatory and financial instruments in advancing both efficiency and sustainability within SME supply chains. The results also provide practical insights for policymakers and SME managers aiming to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Jordan’s supply chain ecosystem.

BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of medical education with unprecedented depth and breadth. As technologies like large language models and natural language processing advance, AI agents with multimodal interaction capabilities—such as intelligent teaching assistants and virtual simulation labs—are demonstrating immense potential. Concurrently, medical students face challenges including a disconnect between theoretical knowledge and clinical practice, excessive cognitive load, and a lack of personalized practical opportunities. Medical education AI agents are poised to address these issues, but their successful integration hinges on student acceptance and adoption. This study aims to fill a gap in the current empirical research by investigating the key psychological mechanisms and behavioral factors that influence medical students’ adoption of AI educational agents.MethodsThis study constructed an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by integrating four key variables tailored to the medical education context: AI Trust, Perceived Risk, Hedonic Motivation, and Trialability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with an initial sample of 200 clinical medicine students following their interaction with a custom-developed interactive medical education AI agent. After excluding invalid responses, a final valid sample of 155 participants was retained. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to validate the theoretical model and test the research hypotheses.ResultsThe constructed model demonstrated strong explanatory power, successfully accounting for 85.3% of the variance in students’ behavioral intention (R² = 0.853). Effort Expectancy (β = 0.362, p < 0.001) and Performance Expectancy (β = 0.297, p < 0.001) were the strongest direct positive predictors of behavioral intention, with Facilitating Conditions (β = 0.258, p = 0.002) also showing a significant impact. A noteworthy finding was that Social Influence had no significant effect on behavioral intention (β = 0.038, p = 0.633). Furthermore, Hedonic Motivation had a significant positive influence on both Effort Expectancy (β = 0.818, p < 0.001) and Performance Expectancy (β = 0.237, p < 0.001). AI Trust, Trialability, and lower Perceived Risk also significantly enhanced students’ Performance Expectancy.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that for medical students, who are highly autonomous professional learners, the intrinsic value of an AI educational tool (i.e., its utility and ease of use) is the dominant factor in their adoption decisions, far outweighing the social influence of peers or authorities. Therefore, the key to successfully promoting such technologies lies in building users’ intrinsic trust, reducing their perceived risks, and providing an engaging, immersive learning experience. These findings provide a solid empirical basis for the optimal design of medical AI educational agents and for strategies to effectively integrate them into the curriculum.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08234-z.

Purpose Mobbing is a serious problem with major consequences for workers’ health and company productivity. This study aims to examine the impact of workplace mobbing on the mental well-being of employees, with a specific focus on knowledge hiding and quiet quitting as sequential mediators. Using social exchange theory (SET), this study aims to clarify the consequences of toxic workplace environments, both in terms of knowledge-related actions and employee psychological states, in a hospitality setting. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct two studies, taking a quantitative approach to generalize the findings. Study 1 is conducted in a hospitality setting, focusing on employees (n = 298), and Study 2 is a survey of general working staff (n = 183). In both cases, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyse the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. Findings The findings indicate that workplace mobbing significantly affects knowledge hiding and quiet quitting behaviours. In addition, knowledge hiding significantly mediates the relationship between workplace mobbing and quiet quitting, further mediating the relationship between knowledge hiding and employee mental well-being. These findings highlight the cascading effect of mobbing on knowledge management dynamics as well as the mental health of employees. Research limitations/implications The evidence extracted from the findings underscores the necessity for targeted interventions that prevent workplace mobbing and discourage knowledge hiding and quiet quitting behaviours. Organizations, especially service-oriented firms, should promote knowledge exchange behaviour based on a culture established on trust. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the field of knowledge management by revealing the sequential pathway that connects workplace mobbing with mental well-being through knowledge hiding and quiet quitting. It highlights the detrimental impact of toxic social interactions on employee mental health and organizational knowledge flows.

At the intersection of the circular economy and artificial intelligence (AI), high-value secondhand trading faces a “triple decision dilemma” of cognitive overload, trust risk, and emotional attachment. To address the limits of traditional human-centered theories, this study develops and empirically tests a novel framework of Algorithmic Empowerment. Drawing on data from 1396 users of Chinese secondhand luxury platforms and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings reveal that users’ empowerment perception arises from three dimensions—Algorithmic Connectivity (AC), Human–Agent Symbiotic Trust (HAST), and Algorithmic Value Alignment (AVA). This perceived empowerment affects participation willingness through two parallel pathways: the social pathway, where algorithmic curation shapes social norms and recognition, and the cognitive pathway, where AI enhances decision fluency and reduces cognitive friction. The results confirm the dual mediating effects of these mechanisms. This study advances understanding of human–AI collaboration in sustainable consumption by conceptualizing empowerment as the bridge linking algorithmic functions to user engagement, and provides actionable implications for designing AI systems that both enhance efficiency and foster user trust and identification.

This study investigated the influence of architectural design of worship facilities, the value of emotional perception, and the value of social perception on the satisfaction of shopping mall visitors, with religiosity as a moderator variable. The study used a quantitative approach with Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) involving 215 respondents. The study's results show that the Architectural Design of Worship Facilities has no significant influence on Satisfaction. The emotional perception value had the most decisive influence on satisfaction (coefficient 0.5448), while the social perception value was insignificant. Religiosity had a direct influence on satisfaction (coefficient of 0.3036), but did not moderate the relationships among the other variables. In contrast, the value of emotional perception has been shown to mediate the relationship between architectural design and visitor satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of attending to the emotional aspect in designing mall worship facilities to create a positive experience for visitors. Mall managers are advised to improve design elements such as lighting and comfortable layouts, and to pay attention to spiritual aspects in the design of worship facilities to strengthen visitors' emotional and spiritual experience and increase their satisfaction levels.

ABSTRACT Though prior studies have explored the effects of firms' social media marketing activities on customer engagement, the dynamics characterizing this association in bottom‐of‐the‐pyramid (BoP) markets remain tenuous, exposing a critical gap. Addressing this gap, we develop and test a model assessing (a) the effects of firms' sustainable social media marketing activities (SSMMAs) on BoP customers' engagement, satisfaction, and subjective well‐being, and (b) the moderating role of environmental consciousness and customer empowerment. A self‐administered survey with 414 BoP customers was conducted, with the data being analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). The results reveal that SSMMAs drive BoP customers' engagement and satisfaction, impacting their subjective well‐being. The findings also confirm the mediating role of customer satisfaction and engagement in the association of SSMMAs and subjective well‐being. Finally, the results indicate that while perceived environmental consciousness moderates the association of SSMMAs and BoP customer satisfaction, empowerment moderates the relationship between satisfaction and subjective well‐being. By exploring the effects of firm‐based SSMMAs on customers' engagement, satisfaction, and well‐being, this research adds to the literature on social media marketing activities by focusing on sustainable social media communications at the BoP, raising pertinent implications.

The Present study explores students' mental health and empowerment, focusing on the mediating role of mental health awareness. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the research investigates how parental education, parental behavior, self-esteem, self-management, and social media impact mental health through mental health awareness. Data from 350 university students were collected through an online survey. Our findings reveal that mental health awareness significantly influences mental health (β = 0.595, p < 0.001). Empowerment, particularly self-esteem (β = 0.212, p = 0.003) and self-management (β = 0.620, p < 0.001), plays a vital role in improving mental health through increased awareness. Parental behavior also emerged as a significant factor (β = 0.193, p < 0.001). However, the influence of parents' education and financial issues showed less significant effects. The study concludes that mental health awareness is central to improving mental health outcomes, while empowerment and parental behaviors are vital mediating factors. These findings contribute to the understanding of how youth mental health can be enhanced through both internal (empowerment) and external (parental influence) factors.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) interfaces are becoming more common in higher education, but adoption by faculty is inconsistent in private universities with limited resources. Drawing on a study of a private university in Shanghai, we investigate institutional and individual determinants of how instructors adopt NLP tools (such as ChatGPT, Doubao and Kimi) for feedback, assessment, summarization, question generation, and instructional drafting. We employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design involving six interviews, as well as a survey (n = 195; ≈28% of faculty). Building on a TAM model enriched by Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), University Facilitating Conditions (UFC), and Social Attitudes (SA), we tested a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Findings indicate that UFC is by far the most powerful predictor of adoption intentions and perceived control, while SA exerts a weaker but statistically significant influence which partially operates through PBC. PBC not only directly influences intention but also moderates the effects of UFC, indicating a central role of self-efficacy in instructor-focused interventions. These pathways are fleshed out by qualitative evidence that points to enabling policies, training, and aligned use cases as levers, and challenges around digital literacy, policy misalignment, and uneven infrastructure. We suggest professional development, incentives linked to pedagogical outputs, and ongoing resourcing for the integration of text-focused AI. The results extend TAM to the context of a private university setting by introducing institutional support and perceived control, which may be applied to similar institutions that are experiencing digital transformation.

The transformation of organizational communication from conventional forms to digital platforms has reshaped the way individuals interact within the workplace. While the acceleration of information flow through digital media enhances efficiency, it also introduces new psychological pressures, particularly for Generation Z employees who are highly connected online. This study aims to examine the effect of digital communication overload on the mental health of Generation Z employees in educational institutions, with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) serving as a mediating variable. Employing a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the research draws upon data from 253 respondents—consisting of lecturers and academic support staff aged 22 to 28 years—at Telkom University in Bandung. The findings reveal that digital communication overload has a significant effect on mental health (β = 1.033; t = 111.882; p = 0.000) and significantly increases FoMO (β = 0.973; t = 272.540; p = 0.000). FoMO exerts a negative effect on mental health (β = −0.034; t = 3.581; p = 0.000) and acts as a significant mediator in the relationship between digital communication overload and mental health (β_ind = −0.033; t = 3.586; p = 0.000). This study underscores the urgency of implementing adaptive digital communication policies that are grounded in psychological well-being, particularly for young professionals in academic settings.

Employee performance in the palm oil industry remains a crucial determinant of industrial productivity and sustainability in Indonesia’s resource-based economy. However, performance stagnation often reflects deeper cultural and managerial dynamics related to how employees are motivated and valued. This study examines the influence of reward and recognition on employee performance, mediated by work motivation and engagement, within PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV (PTPN IV) Regional III in Riau Province, Indonesia. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional explanatory design, data were collected from 313 operational and staff employees across 12 palm oil mills. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test both direct and indirect effects. The results indicate that reward and recognition significantly enhance work motivation and engagement, which in turn positively influence employee performance. Moreover, both motivation and engagement partially mediate the relationship between reward–recognition and performance. These findings contribute to behavioral management theory by contextualizing the role of cultural values such as fairness, collectivism, and respect in shaping reward systems that sustain employee commitment. Practically, the study highlights the need for organizations in emerging economies to balance monetary and non-monetary incentives with meaningful recognition practices that resonate with local work culture. The research underscores that fostering intrinsic motivation through culturally aligned recognition is as critical as providing external rewards in improving sustainable employee performance.

The hospitality sector in West Java, particularly boutique hotels, faces ongoing challenges in sustaining employee satisfaction and service quality in an increasingly competitive environment. This study explores the relationship between training effectiveness, perceived organizational support (POS), and service job satisfaction, with employee tenure as a moderating variable. Data were collected from 120 front-line hotel staff and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that training effectiveness positively influences both POS and job satisfaction, with POS mediating the relationship. Employee tenure moderates these effects, suggesting that satisfaction outcomes vary across different career stages. The study contributes to the Social Exchange Theory by integrating tenure as a conditional factor that shapes the dynamics of training and support in service-oriented organizations.