Purpose Within today’s highly competitive and complex industrial marketing environment, value-based selling (VBS) has become an increasingly core strategy for companies to maintain a competitive edge. Nevertheless, existing research primarily adopts the supplier’s perspective and lacks a systematic exploration of the causal relationships in the VBS mechanism when viewed from the customer’s perspective. This study aims to examine how customer perceived value influences repurchase intention and word-of-mouth recommendation intention through the mediating roles of trust and relationship satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in perceived value theory and social exchange theory, this study designs and validates a customer decision-making model. A survey was conducted among procurement managers in the machinery manufacturing industry was conducted, and structural equation modeling was employed for empirical analysis. Findings Customer perceived value has a significant positive impact on trust and relationship satisfaction, which, as mediators, significantly influence repurchase intention and word-of-mouth recommendation intention. Furthermore, serial mediation effects from perceived value through trust and relationship satisfaction to behavioral intentions are evident, underscoring sequential relational processes. Trust and relationship satisfaction play a partial mediating role between perceived value and customer behavioral intentions. Originality/value This study enriches the theoretical foundation of VBS and reveals the key driving factors and the underlying mechanisms in customer decision-making, providing practical guidance for industrial firms to develop value-based marketing strategies.

This study examines the effects of organizational commitment and psychological well-being on lecturer performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable, at private universities in Malang. Using a quantitative survey method, data from 82 lecturers selected via purposive sampling were analyzed with PLS-SEM. Results show that both organizational commitment and psychological well-being significantly influence performance, directly and indirectly through job satisfaction. These findings highlight the role of internal factors in supporting the tridharma of higher education. The study underscores the need for HR policies that enhance commitment, well-being, and satisfaction to drive sustained academic performance.

Sustainability has become a significant concern in the tourism and hospitality industries. There is an increasing emphasis on how a company’s operations and employees influence customer experiences and value. This study employed the Social Exchange Theory to investigate the impact of sustainability-oriented practices on customer-perceived values, with pro-environmental work behavior serving as a mediator. Data obtained from employees in the tourism and hospitality sector in Ghana were analyzed using Harman’s single factor test in SPSS version 24 and partial least squares structural equation model in SMARTPLS version 4. The study revealed that sustainability-oriented practices significantly enhance both perceived customer values and pro-environmental work behavior. Further, pro-environmental work behavior was found to have a significant influence on customer-perceived values. Finally, the study revealed that pro-environmental work behavior partially mediated the positive relationship between sustainability-oriented practices and customer-perceived values. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating employee-driven environmental behaviors into sustainability initiatives, offering both theoretical insights through the Social Exchange Theory and practical guidance for enhancing customer value in the hospitality industry.

Nurses play a critical role in care processes that involve patient monitoring and coordination and any failure in these processes or deviation from safety standards may result in serious consequences for patients and ultimately for the entire system. Nevertheless, research examining nurses' deviant behaviors in terms of their antecedents is inadequate. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine abusive supervision as an antecedent of deviant behavior in nurses and the role of nurses' self-efficacy in this effect. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 across 252 nurses who work in education and research hospitals affiliated with Health Sciences University (Türkiye). In the study, data were collected including perceptions of the nurses regarding the abusive behaviors of their superiors, their own deviant behaviors, and their thoughts regarding their self-efficacy levels. The PROCESS macro (model 1) was used to analyze the moderation model of the study. Abusive supervision was found to increase interpersonal deviant behavior among nurses, as predicted. From the perspective of social exchange theory (SET), this result can be interpreted as the nurses responding to the abusive managers by disrupting their interpersonal relationships. Another finding of the current study is that self-efficacy can serve as a mitigating factor in the destructive effects that an abusive supervisor can have on her subordinates. In other words, nurses with high self-efficacy are less affected by their abusive supervisors and demonstrate lower levels of interpersonal deviance. Nurses who experience abusive behaviors from their managers are likely to respond with interpersonal deviant behaviors, such as being disruptive or uncooperative with colleagues. Moreover, nurses with high self-efficacy are less affected by abusive leadership and are less likely to engage in deviant behaviors. Future research could explore why nurses refrain from responding to abusive managers with organizational deviance. Investigating whether this is due to professional ethics, fear of consequences, or social learning could yield valuable insights.

Background/Objectives: The stability of caregiver manpower plays a crucial role in the operation of long-term care institutions. This study adopts Social Exchange Theory as the theoretical foundation to construct the psychological mechanism through which organizational commitment and work value influence retention intention via job involvement. Against the backdrop of Taiwan's intensifying aging society and the increasing service demands of the veterans' support system, Veterans Homes have gradually become indispensable within the long-term care system. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to explore the formation mechanism of retention intention among caregivers in Veterans Homes. Methods: Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling, with 447 valid samples collected from caregivers across 16 Veterans Homes in Taiwan. Results: The results indicate that, in the process of forming retention intention, job involvement serves as a mediator between organizational commitment and work value on retention intention and demonstrates significant mediating effects. Conclusions: These findings suggest that when caregivers perceive value realization and organizational identification in their work, they are more likely to exhibit active engagement, thereby strengthening their tendency to remain employed. Furthermore, the study reveals that the effect of organizational commitment on job involvement is stronger than that of work value, indicating that exchange motives triggered by emotional bonds carry greater implications for retention. In conclusion, organizational support and personal value perceptions stimulate emotional engagement, which further influences caregivers' decisions to remain in long-term service and ultimately shape their retention behavior.

Seniority-based hierarchical structures in higher education may hinder innovation in hospitality and tourism (H&T) sustainability education; therefore, this study applies Social Exchange Theory (SET) to examine how these hierarchies affect curriculum development and modernization in H&T programs. We used semi-structured interviews with 22 faculty members and administrators from hospitality and tourism programs across multiple universities—including four university presidents, three deans, three department heads, one professor, four associate professors, four assistant professors, and three lecturers with work experience ranging from 3 to 30 years—and we explored social exchange dynamics including reciprocity, trust, power imbalances, and perceived obligations that influence the integration of contemporary sustainable practices. Findings indicate that rigid seniority systems impede sustainability curriculum modernization and limit the incorporation of innovative industry expertise; however, institutions implementing SET principles—characterized by equitable recognition and balanced exchange between academic tenure and industry experience—demonstrate superior adaptability and better prepare students for evolving sustainability demands. This research illuminates organizational dynamics governing educational innovation and provides SET-based recommendations for developing institutional cultures that effectively bridge academic tradition with industry relevance and sustainability imperatives in H&T education.

ABSTRACT This study explores the mechanisms enhancing users' intention to recommend their mobile travel app use. By drawing on innovation diffusion theory and social exchange theory, it offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how user perceptions and the trade‐offs between positive and negative aspects of mobile travel app usage shape engagement and subsequent recommendation intentions. The study also sheds light on omnichannel strategies and highlights their relevance to tourism service research. A total of 387 valid responses from travel app users were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). The results indicate that innovation characteristics substantially affect perceived benefits, which in turn foster high‐quality relationships and lead to recommendations. Moreover, practical insights are provided on how best to manage both positive and negative factors, thereby strengthening relationships with mobile travel app users and enhancing their willingness to recommend the app to others.

In this paper, social exchange theory and Stackelberg game method are used to analyse the influence of different green product certification contexts on the pricing strategy of cement enterprises. The conclusions are as follows. (1) When the cement enterprise adopts the green product certification, its product sales price is always higher than the product sales price when the green product certification is not adopted. (2) When the effort of cement enterprises in green product certification is at a low or medium level, the profits of cement enterprises and the social welfare of the government show a decreasing trend. But when the cement enterprises for the green product certification investment degree is at a high level, the cement enterprises to adopt green product certification is beneficial to the enterprise itself and the government. (3) When the government increases the subsidy for green product certification, it can make up for the negative profit loss of cement enterprises in the initial stage of adopting green product certification. The pricing strategies of cement enterprises under different green product certification contexts studied in this paper make up the research gap of green cement product certification, and lay a foundation for cement products’ pricing research.

Social media marketing has emerged as the most popular and highly effective marketing communication strategy for brands worldwide. Engagement and Reach are the new go-to solutions for start-ups and established brands. The study tactically analyses how social media engagement nurtures consumers’ love for brands and how much of a role brand love plays in the consumer-brand social media relationship. The study employs a close-ended, undisguised and structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 810 young individuals in Delhi NCR. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 version, which used Spearman’s correlation coefficient statistic. Findings indicate that active participation behaviours such as brand content creation have strong ties with emotional brand attachment, suggesting deeper affective involvement. The study offers a nuanced understanding of the importance of emotional brands in social media spaces and contributes a multi-theoretical perspective of brand love, self-determination, social cognitive and social exchange theory. Brands using these insights to seek and nurture loyalty and advocacy within digital ecosystems could inform emotionally calibrated engagement strategies.

This article will explain the mutual assistance and cooperation of herders and farmers in Inner Mongolia from the perspective of social exchange theory, and describe the historical experience of herders and farmers helping each other, sharing their materials and resources during natural disasters and based on their circumstances, and learning from each other's cultural traditions. Currently, the mutual support among herders and farmers is more organized, with formal agreements, wider scope, and official cooperation. Such cooperation and mutual support are formed based on the geographical proximity of neighboring areas and the needs for the survival and development of animal husbandry and crop farming. This cooperation has evolved on the principle of voluntary mutual benefit. The establishment of agreements and payments for services has further expanded their cooperation, promoting the joint development of animal husbandry and crop farming in Inner Mongolia, and playing an essential role in the development of rural villages.

This study aims to examine Perceived Organizational Support (POS) in improving employee performance, which is strengthened by work engagement and customer service orientation. The sample used was 92 respondents from microfinance institutions in Salatiga, using a purposive sampling technique, and then distributing questionnaires directly. Data processing with SmartPLS 4.0 software. This research concludes several findings, first, POS is proven to encourage increased employee performance, strengthen work engagement, and increase customer service orientation. Second, work engagement and customer service orientation have a strong influence on improving employee performance. Third, work engagement and customer service orientation that are well managed are proven to be able to mediate the success of POS in improving employee performance. This research further clarifies the Social Exchange Theory (SET) perspective and provides further evidence regarding the role of POS in encouraging increased employee performance.

ABSTRACTPrior research typically models consumer engagement as a multidimensional (cognitive, affective and behavioural) construct, limiting insight into the effects of affective engagement (AE) on consumer behavior. Addressing this gap, we take a social exchange theory perspective to explore the effect of AE on consumers' willingness to disclose their personal data on social media (i.e., reciprocal exchange). Our PLS‐SEM results of three studies suggest that AE boosts consumers' willingness to disclose their basic factual personal data (e.g., their full name/email address) on social media directly and as mediated by their willingness to disclose their data in online purchasing (i.e., negotiated exchange; Study 1). The findings also indicate that AE raises consumers' willingness to disclose additional personal information on social media (i.e., about their donation to a charity) both directly and as mediated by their willingness to disclose their personal data in online purchasing (Study 2). Finally, the results reveal that AE directly and indirectly impacts consumers' actual personal data disclosure behavior on social media (Study 3). Overall, AE emerges as a critical determinant of consumers' online intentions and behavior, suggesting its strategic importance for relationship marketing and customer relationship management.

This study explores the factors that affect sustainable tourism practices in rural communities in Hainan Province, China. The theoretical perspective of social exchange theory is typically structured with a well-defined dimension. Previous research has not underlined the importance of investigating new factors influencing sustainable tourism. This study takes a qualitative approach, employing in-depth interview techniques, with 14 Shi Cha Village villagers interviewed in-depth, and the data is analyzed using Nvivo12 software. The model of sustainable development of agricultural community tourism is established based on the qualitative findings. The findings show that Shicha Village, as a rural tourism destination, has abundant natural and profound cultural resources, which are the primary conditions for tourism development. Brand development is an unavoidable option for increasing the community's popularity and ensuring the long-term development of tourism. This study adds three new variables to the Social Exchange Theory: brand, policy, and leadership. The research findings have practical implications for rural tourism decision-makers and managers.

This study focuses on the experiences of married women through the ta'aruf process to understand how they interpret religious, social, and emotional roles in building marital satisfaction and how they manage the challenges that arise in domestic life. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews through Zoom Meeting. Data were analyzed thematically through transcription, grouping based on reward and cost dimensions, and interpretation of the meaning of respondents' experiences to identify general patterns in the dynamics of social exchange during marriage. The findings show that religion plays a key role in marriage-related decision-making among respondents, namely internal factors (attraction and relationship with the partner), external factors (family, socio-economic, or cultural), and belief factors (religious values). This study also emphasizes the concept that conflict can be perceived simultaneously as an interpersonal cost to the partner, as well as a reward in the spiritual dimension. These findings provide new insights into how couples manage marital challenges in a religious context.

This study aims to investigate the perceived benefits, costs, and relationships that influence doctors' inclination to participate in urban-rural medical consortia (URMC). Furthermore, the study analyzes how perceived relationships moderate the impact of perceived benefits and costs on the inclination to take part in URMC. The study was conducted between September 2022 and June 2023 utilizing an online survey in Henan Province, Central China, which included 749 respondents from provincial hospitals. Chi-square and hierarchical logistic regressions were used to determine the perceived factors of the participants' inclination. The study indicated that 85.4% doctors demonstrated a strong inclination to participate. Doctors who perceived significant financial benefits, non-financial benefits, and relationships had a high level of inclination to participate. Doctors who perceived high executive costs and technical costs were less likely to express a high level of inclination to participate. When doctors perceived a strong relationship, the influence of perceived non-financial benefits on their inclination to participate tended to be weaker. This study enhances the understanding of physicians' motivations for participating in URMC and may inform program leadership and policymakers concerned with developing or enhancing rural medical services. It is essential for managers to enhance incentive mechanisms, strive to minimize both actual and perceived costs, and facilitate the establishment of high-quality professional relationships between provincial physicians and their counterparts in county-level healthcare institutions.

Faculty retention is a critical concern for private universities in Bangladesh, as turnover disrupts academic performance and increases institutional costs. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study investigates the relationship between equity sensitivity and employees’ intention to stay, with organizational commitment as a mediating mechanism. A mixed-methods approach was employed: quantitative data were collected from 97 faculty members using validated scales for equity sensitivity, organizational commitment, and intention to stay, while qualitative insights were obtained through focus group discussions with 27 participants. Structural equation modeling results reveal that equity sensitivity significantly influences intention to stay, both directly and indirectly through organizational commitment, with the mediating effect being particularly strong. Qualitative findings corroborate that perceptions of fairness in promotion, compensation, training, job security, and work–life balance foster reciprocity, enhancing commitment and retention, whereas perceived inequities diminish employees’ intention to remain. These findings highlight the importance of fair workplace practices and affective organizational commitment in retaining equity-sensitive faculty. The study provides practical guidance for HR managers in designing equitable policies and contributes theoretically to understanding retention dynamics in higher education.

Investigating customer involvement, customer engagement dimensions, and customer loyalty in the smartphone industry: a social exchange theory perspective

Investigating Customer Involvement, Customer Engagement Dimensions, and Customer Loyalty in the Smartphone Industry: a Social Exchange Theory Perspective

Purpose - The healthcare sector in Pakistan faces challenges like resource constraints, operational inefficiencies, and knowledge gaps. This study examines the impact of KMPs on employee performance in public hospitals, focusing on the role of employee motivation as a mediator. Based on Social Exchange Theory (SET), it explores how KMPs enhance performance when employees are motivated. Study Design/methodology/approach- A survey was distributed to 500 employees across various public hospitals in Pakistan, with 384 responses received. The sample included doctors, nurses, administrative staff, and technicians, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of knowledge management processes (KMPs). Respondents were drawn from public hospitals to capture variations in organizational structures and resources. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the impact of KMPs on employee performance and the mediating role of motivation. Findings- The findings showed a positive relationship between KMPs and employee performance, with motivation acting as a significant mediator. However, knowledge sharing alone did not improve performance due to cultural barriers, inadequate infrastructure, lack of incentives, and ineffective knowledge transfer. These results highlight that while knowledge-sharing initiatives are important, employee motivation is crucial for effective KMP implementation. Research Practical Implications- This study provides theoretical and practical insights for healthcare organizations. To maximize KMP benefits, hospitals should implement motivation-enhancing strategies like rewards, recognition, and professional development. Additionally, establishing knowledge-sharing platforms and strong leadership support is crucial to overcoming implementation challenges and fostering employee engagement in knowledge management initiatives. Originality/value- This research contributes to the existing literature and extends the social exchange theory by demonstrating that knowledge management processes alone do not automatically enhance performance. Instead, employees must perceive tangible benefits for their contributions, reinforcing the reciprocal nature of motivation.

PurposeThis study aims to attempt to put forward a nuanced conceptual framework to develop a better understanding of the relationship between job crafting and employees’ turnover intention, by bringing in “social exchange theory” perspective and proposing the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS).Design/methodology/approachAn extant review of literature was undertaken to identify and summarize the relevant findings on the topics of job crafting, POS and turnover intention, which further led to the development of hypotheses and the conceptual framework.FindingsResults indicate that job crafting has a significant relationship with turnover intention with POS as an underpinning variable.Practical implicationsThis study generates actionable insights and suggestions for the business leaders and practitioners, which can help them in handling the problem of rising employee turnover in today’s era marked by evolving attitudes and mindsets of the employees, along with the catalytic effects of pandemic and “Great Resignation”. Insights generated in this study for reducing dysfunctional employee turnover would have a stabilizing effect and lead society and business towards sustainable growth.Social implicationsInsights generated in this study for reducing dysfunctional employee turnover would have a stabilizing effect and lead society and business towards sustainable growth.Originality/valueThis study is original in three ways. Firstly, the study introduces a unique perspective by putting forward a conceptual framework nestled in the social exchange theory. Secondly, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study to examine the role of POS as a mediator in the association between job crafting and turnover intention. Thirdly, by proposing POS as an outcome of job crafting, this study suggests a reciprocal relationship between job crafting and POS.