Abstract Social comparison has emerged as a critical psychological mechanism in understanding consumer behavior, particularly in shaping impulse buying decisions. Drawing on social comparison theory, this study investigates the relationship between social comparison and impulse buying behavior, with a specific focus on the mediating roles of utilitarian and hedonic shopping values. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured online questionnaire from apparel consumers in Pakistan. A convenience sampling technique was employed, yielding 294 valid responses. The proposed research model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM 4.0). The findings reveal that social comparison exerts a significant and positive influence on impulse buying behavior. Moreover, both utilitarian and hedonic shopping values significantly mediate this relationship, indicating that consumers’ shopping motivations play a pivotal role in translating social comparison into impulsive purchase decisions. By integrating social influence and shopping value perspectives, this study contributes to the consumer behavior literature in the context of an emerging market. The findings offer practical insights for marketers and retail managers by highlighting the importance of designing promotional strategies and communication messages that appeal to both utilitarian and hedonic motivations to stimulate impulse buying. Additionally, the results provide useful implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to better understand consumption patterns in developing economies.

Emerging digital technologies are increasingly embedded in consumer-facing financial services, reshaping how users experience, evaluate, and engage with AI-mediated interactions. This paper investigates how the perceived sociality of AI Digital Human Advisors influences user experience in digital financial services. Sociality—defined as the extent to which users perceive an AI Digital Human Advisor as a socially capable actor (e.g., responsive, relational, and role-embedded) rather than a purely functional tool—was experimentally manipulated across four controlled behavioral experiments simulating interactions on financial platforms. The results from four controlled experimental simulations consistently demonstrate that, under controlled interaction conditions, high-sociality AI advisors significantly enhance both utilitarian and hedonic value. Social presence was found to partially mediate these effects, revealing the psychological mechanism through which social cues embedded in emerging AI technologies are transformed into experiential value. Furthermore, two boundary conditions were identified: communication style and usage context. Communication framed around task completion amplified the influence of sociality on utilitarian value, whereas interaction styles emphasizing social connection strengthened its effect on hedonic value. Likewise, purchase-related scenarios heightened functional perceptions, while browsing situations elicited stronger emotional responses. By situating AI Digital Human Advisors within the broader context of emerging digital technologies, these findings extend Social Response Theory into AI-mediated financial environments and provide insights into how technologically enabled social cues shape consumer experience and behavior in digital finance.

Purpose This study investigates the influence of media-driven expectations on customer experiences (CE) within Korean restaurants in Assam, India. It aims to understand how popular Korean media, especially dramas and food content, shape dining expectations and thereby impact customer satisfaction, perceived value (PV) and future behavioural intentions (BI). By focusing on both hedonic (emotional) and utilitarian (functional) values, the research seeks to unravel the mechanisms through which CE translate into loyalty. The study specifically addresses the growing popularity of Korean cuisine in Assam and explores how elevated expectations, fuelled by media and social influence, can affect the PV and intention to revisit these dining establishments. Design/methodology/approach The research employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design using structured surveys administered to 338 patrons across two Korean restaurants in Guwahati, Assam. Drawing on expectancy-disconfirmation theory and cognitive dissonance theory, the study constructs and tests a model linking CE, PV (both hedonic value, HV and utilitarian value, UV) and BI. Statistical analyses include mediation and moderation tests using bootstrapped regression and moderated regression analysis (MRA) to examine direct, indirect and interaction effects. Measures for customer expectations influenced by Korean media are mean-centred and included as moderators to explore how media-driven expectations alter the dynamics between experience and PV. The data analysis was performed in the open-source statistical software R. Findings Both HV and UV dimensions significantly mediate the effect of CE on BI, with UV showing a stronger mediating effect. Elevated customer expectations, shaped by exposure to Korean dramas and online food media, negatively moderate the link between CE and PV – reducing the positive impact of actual dining experiences. The study reveals that while emotional satisfaction (HV) is vital, practical aspects (UV) are more influential in fostering loyalty. The results underscore the risk of cognitive dissonance when media-inflated expectations are unmet, highlighting the necessity for balanced, realistic customer engagement strategies in cultural dining contexts. Research limitations/implications This research is constrained by its exclusive focus on Korean restaurants in Guwahati, Assam, which could limit the applicability of findings to other geographical locations or culinary contexts. The reliance on self-reported responses and a non-probability sampling approach may introduce bias and reduce the generalizability of results. Future studies are encouraged to examine broader or comparative contexts, employ probability sampling or utilize longitudinal designs to capture changes over time. Despite these limitations, the study advances understanding of the interplay between media-induced expectations, PV and loyalty in emerging international cuisine markets. Practical implications The results highlight how Korean media content, such as dramas and food-related reels, shape customer expectations and experiences in Korean restaurants. Practitioners should capitalize on these trends by integrating popular media references into marketing strategies, menu planning and ambience design to resonate with both hedonic and utilitarian customer preferences. Emphasizing staff training to meet heightened service expectations and balancing authenticity with local tastes can further enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. These insights enable restaurant managers to improve service quality, foster repeat patronage and stimulate positive word-of-mouth in increasingly competitive dining environments. Originality/value This research fills the gap by exploring Korean restaurants owned and managed by non-Koreans in Northeast India, a context rarely addressed in scholarly literature. It provides novel insights into how the Hallyu Wave shapes culinary expectations and behaviour far beyond Korea. By empirically testing both mediation and moderation effects, the study contributes methodologically and theoretically – demonstrating the necessity to balance emotional and functional aspects of service. Its findings are valuable for restaurant managers seeking to leverage cultural trends without falling into the pitfall of overpromising. The paper offers actionable recommendations on aligning marketing communications, managing expectations and sustaining customer loyalty in an emerging market.

Purpose Mobile applications (apps) have become integral to daily life, yet fostering continued user engagement remains a challenge. This study aims to investigate factors influencing continuance intention by comparing goal-directed (e.g. educational) and experiential (e.g. gaming) apps. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to data extracted from 452 valid survey responses collected from users of popular Chinese mobile apps to determine the mediating effects of inner and social self-relevance and positive and negative emotions and the moderating role of app types (goal-directed vs experiential). Findings Our findings indicate that utilitarian value and social value positively influence both inner and social self-relevance, which in turn positively influence positive emotions, while hedonic value primarily impacts inner self-relevance. Inner self-relevance slightly affects brand love, while negative emotions negatively influence brand love. Furthermore, inherent (hedonic) value has a stronger influence on positive emotions than utilitarian value. A mediation analysis confirmed the mediating roles of inner and social self-relevance in the relationship between perceived value and brand love as well as the indirect effects of perceived value on negative emotions mediated via social self-relevance. Furthermore, a multiple-group analysis revealed significant variations in the influence of perceived value on self-relevance, emotions and brand love for goal-directed vis-à-vis experiential apps. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by comprehensively examining brand love formation in mobile apps, considering both goal-directed and experiential categories. The findings provide valuable guidance for marketers and designers seeking to enhance user engagement and cultivate user-app relationships in a competitive mobile app market.

Online customization has become a prominent strategic approach for delivering personalized value. However, prior research has largely examined isolated relationships such as trust and purchase intention, customization and value, or value and loyalty. This study situates the issue within the broader context of digital co-creation and aims to provide an integrated explanation of how trust in an e-vendor and participation in e-customization shape multiple dimensions of customized product value and subsequent repeat purchase intention. Using survey data from 312 customers with prior online customization experience, the proposed relationships were tested through structural equation modeling. The results suggest that trust in an e-vendor increases participation in customization, which in turn enhances utilitarian value, uniqueness value, and self-expressiveness value. These value components positively influence repeat purchase intention, and several mediation effects have emerged. Specifically, participation partly mediates the effect of trust on all three value dimensions, while uniqueness value and self-expressiveness value partly mediate the effect of participation on repeat purchase intention. Overall, the findings provide empirical evidence for a trust–participation–value pathway and highlight the importance of both functional and symbolic value outcomes in sustaining customer engagement in online customization environments.

. In Indonesia’s collectivistic yet mobile first marketplace, virtual influencers have evolved from eye catching avatars into algorithmic peers whose persuasive power rests on a blend of social conformity and personal enjoyment. Leveraging the Artificial Intelligence Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) model, this study isolates primary (cognitive) and secondary (affective) appraisals to explain why users embrace—or recoil from—synthetic personae. A cross sectional online survey of 286 Indonesian social media users (aged 18 35) tested a structural model linking social influence and hedonic motivation to performance expectancy, anthropomorphism to effort expectancy, and both cognitions to discrete positive and negative emotions. Variance based SEM (SmartPLS 4) produced robust psychometrics and significant pathways: social influence (β = .34) and hedonic motivation (β = .46) jointly explained 45 % of performance expectancy, while anthropomorphism sharply reduced perceived effort (β = .61; R² = .38). Performance expectancy amplified positive emotion (β = .48) and effort expectancy mitigated negative emotion (β = −.41), with the model accounting for 42 % of positive and 29 % of negative affect. These results uncover “utilitarian collectivism”—a dual cognitive–affective engine wherein peer validation and hedonic thrill sustain utilitarian value—and position anthropomorphism as a usability heuristic rather than a mere novelty cue.

ABSTRACT Drawing on the Stimulus – Organism – Response (S-O-R) framework, this study investigates how perceived service excellence, aesthetic environment, and personalization shape customer satisfaction through emotional experience, hedonic value, and utilitarian value. Using data from 430 guests of five-star hotels in Indonesia, the research applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships. Results show that all three service stimuli significantly enhance emotional, hedonic, and utilitarian responses, which subsequently increase satisfaction. Emotional experience exerts the strongest mediating effect, underscoring its pivotal role in the luxury guest journey. By integrating emotional, hedonic, and utilitarian pathways into a unified process model, the study advances theoretical understanding of satisfaction formation in emerging luxury markets. Practically, the findings highlight the need for emotionally engaging service design, culturally attuned personalization, and aesthetically immersive environments to strengthen guest satisfaction and loyalty in luxury hospitality.

This study aims to examine key factors influencing customer loyalty toward branded food delivery applications. The proposed conceptual framework examines the effects of post-adoption performance and effort expectancies on perceived utilitarian and hedonic values, which, in turn, influence user loyalty. The moderating roles of customers’ gender and age are also analyzed. This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the main drivers of customer loyalty from a technology post-adoption and brand-focused perspective. It also offers practical recommendations for managers and policymakers to cultivate lasting customer relationships and segment the market by customer gender and age.

A control chart is a crucially important tool in statistical process control that is essentially used to determine when a process remains in-control vis-a-vis when a process does not remain in-control. A process is said to be in-control if it is under the influence of chance or common causes of variation alone. Otherwise, when some assignable or special causes of variation remain present, the process is said to be out-of-control. The sample size, sampling interval, and control limits’ multiplier are the important parameters required to design a control chart. In this paper, we have proposed an economic statistical design of the p-chart to optimize the expected cost per cycle ([Formula: see text]). Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been used to solve the proposed economic statistical design of the [Formula: see text]-chart. The proposed approach is demonstrated with the help of two numerical examples and the corresponding results are found to be quite encouraging for minimizing [Formula: see text] when compared to another pertinent model given in the literature. The utilitarian value of this article can be found while implementing the “control phase” in Six Sigma under the broader gamut of industrial engineering. The sensitivity analysis has also been carried out to investigate the influence of changes in input parameters on the output parameters for the proposed model.

This study aims to determine the effect of Utilitarian, Hedonic, and Social Value on Continuous Purchase Intention through Trust in Streamer and Trust in Product as mediating variables in Tokopedia Live Streaming in Jakarta. Data analysis in this study was conducted quantitatively and used a descriptive and causal research design. Variables were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. This study used primary data collected through questionnaires. The sampling method used was non-probability sampling with purposive sampling techniques using 267 respondents. The research data was processed using SmartPLS 4.0 software. The data analysis technique used in this study was structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicate that Utilitarian Value, Hedonic Value, and Social Value have an influence on Trust in Streamer and Trust in Product, and Trust in Streamer and Trust in Product have an influence on Continuous Purchase Intention. This study is expected to provide input and suggestions to E-Commerce companies, especially Tokopedia, regarding the Live Streaming feature that is the object of this study, so that they can increase their market share in the Live Streaming feature in Indonesia.

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThe rapid transformation of live streaming commerce in Indonesia highlights the need to understand the psychological factors that drive Consumer Engagement (CE) and Loyalty. Therefore, this study aims to examine the dual mediating role of seller trust and platform trust in bridging the influence of customer-perceived value (utilitarian, hedonic, and symbolic) on customer engagement. The method used was a quantitative survey with a purposive sampling technique in Indonesia. The survey was conducted in early 2025, targeting 300 active TikTok Shop users who had made at least one purchase in the past three months. This sample is relevant because Gen Z (59%) and women (75.3%), which are the dominant market segments in the social commerce ecosystem, dominate it. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) as an extension of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework. The analysis results confirmed all significant hypotheses (p<0.01). This structural model explained 42.4% of the variance in Customer Engagement (CE). It was found that all three value dimensions had a positive direct effect, with utilitarian value (β = 0.250), hedonic value (β = 0.179), and symbolic value (β = 0.202). Crucially, seller trust (β = 0.239) and platform trust (β = 0.186) served as significant, complementary partial mediators, strengthening the value-engagement relationship. Furthermore, the strongest path relationship in the overall model was between utilitarian value and Seller Trust (β = 0.388), indicating that the foundation of interpersonal trust in sellers relies heavily on functional signals and transparent information.AcknowledgmentConflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Land is a complex issue. Ascribed economic, utilitarian, social and cultural values often conflict, challenging people’s livelihoods and their connection with land. In this paper, we explore contemporary land dynamics at the Tsintsabis resettlement farm, Oshikoto Region, Namibia, and how these dynamics shape the engagement of Hai//om people with their environment. Many Hai//om suffered a history of land dispossession, including their eviction from the Etosha National Park. Since Namibian Independence (1990), most struggle to sustain themselves, mainly relying on social grants and food aid. In the subsequent national resettlement scheme, group resettlement farms were established with the aim for self-sufficiency through small-scale agriculture. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork and sensorial mapping, we use Ingold’s ‘dwelling perspective’ to analyse Hai//om changed relationships with their interwoven natural and social environment. This perspective emphasises that humans and their environment are interconnected and interdependent. However, we argue that droughts, a lack of land rights, and illegal land deals challenge the ability of Hai//om to sustain themselves in this resettlement scheme that is largely based on agriculture.

This study aims to examine and analyze the influence of external stimuli and social presence on online impulsive buying behavior among Generation Z in Banjarmasin City, with browsing activity as a mediating variable. The development of the digital ecosystem has shifted Generation Z's consumption patterns, making them more reactive to visual and social stimuli, often leading to unplanned shopping decisions. This research method uses a quantitative approach. Primary data was obtained through the distribution of online questionnaires via Google Forms to 150 Generation Z respondents in Banjarmasin City aged between 16 and 29 years. The data analysis technique applied was Structural Equation Modeling – Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with the help of SmartPLS or AMOS software. The analysis stages include evaluation of the measurement model ( outer model ) to test validity and reliability, as well as evaluation of the structural model ( inner model ) to test the hypothesis. The results of the study indicate that external stimuli, presented through the utilitarian and hedonic values of online reviews, have a positive and significant influence on browsing activity . Similarly, the social presence variable formed by the elements of interactivity, vividness , and media richness, is proven to significantly trigger an increase in browsing intensity on e-commerce platforms . A crucial finding in this study is that browsing activity is proven to mediate the relationship between external stimuli and social presence on online impulsive buying behavior. Theoretically, intensive browsing activity triggers self-control fatigue ( ego depletion ), which ultimately weakens consumers' cognitive inhibitions and encourages the satisfaction of hedonic motives through impulsive buying. Practically, this research offers implications for e-commerce players to strengthen the quality of review content and deliver immersive visual experiences to increase consumer engagement. Furthermore, these findings serve as a reminder for consumers to be more conscious about regulating the duration of product exploration to avoid excessive consumer behavior.

Abstract The world continues to debate the benefits, possibilities, failures, and risks of general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. With new tools and features being released at a high frequency, early adopters are eager to utilize them in various ways. Yet the priorities of these early adopters vary widely depending on their specific needs, capabilities, motivations, and usage patterns. In this study, we therefore explore how and why early adopters choose to use general-purpose AI tools. To do so, we draw on data from an online survey conducted among early ChatGPT users ( n = 344) in April 2023, shortly after its public release. Based on this data, we identify six main dimensions determining the adoption of general-purpose AI tools: Utilitarian Value, Trust in AI, Convenience Value, Specific Job Utility, Perceived Social Presence, and Privacy Concerns. We then extend theories of innovation diffusion and technology adoption by empirically characterizing four early adopter archetypes: AI Enthusiasts, Naïve Pragmatists, Cautious Adopters, and Reserved Explorers. Distinguishing these archetypes helps devise interventions for effective AI adoption from a dual-use (i.e., functional-emotional vs. social-relational) and risk-reward trade-off (e.g., utility vs. privacy) perspective. In light of these insights, we offer practical implications for the market design and commercialization of general-purpose AI tools tailored to the priorities of each adopter archetype.

This study investigates the influence of food influencers and sustainable value on consumers’ intention to purchase Pukis Kota Baru, a traditional Indonesian food, examining the mediating roles of hedonic value and utilitarian value. Amid the rapid digitalisation of consumption and the heightened importance of sustainability in consumer decisions, there remains limited empirical research integrating influencer marketing and sustainability within the context of traditional foods. Addressing this gap, the present research adopts a quantitative survey method, targeting active social media users in DKI Jakarta who have prior experience with Pukis Kota Baru, and analyses responses from 259 participants using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that both food influencers and sustainable value exert a direct positive effect on consumption intention, while only utilitarian value serves as a significant mediator in these relationships; hedonic value does not play a mediating role. These results underscore the predominance of functional considerations in shaping purchase intentions for traditional foods in the digital era, and highlight the strategic importance for marketers and MSMEs to emphasise sustainability messages and practical benefits in digital marketing campaigns for local food products.

Purpose In the plant-based meat consumption literature, it remains unclear why consumers are willing to continue purchasing and actively engage in word-of-mouth communication after their initial purchase. Therefore, based on product evaluation theory, protection motivation theory, and brand equity theory, this study aims to examine which factors serve as important drivers of consumers' repurchase intentions and word-of-mouth intentions for plant-based meat. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were collected through an online survey in the UK (n = 399). The structural model was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The moderation effect was tested using SPSS PROCESS macro. Findings Utilitarian value, hedonic value, protection motivation, and brand preference are significant drivers of repurchase intention (R2 = 0.676) and word-of-mouth intention (R2 = 0.708). Notably, in the post-purchase decision-making process, consumers primarily emphasize utilitarian value. The results also indicate that specific antecedents shape utilitarian value, hedonic value, protection motivation, and brand preference. For instance, consumers who find plant-based meat more appealing in taste, nutrition, and price, and easier to access through convenient channels, tend to report stronger perceptions of utilitarian value. Moreover, the findings indicate that psychological discomfort weakens the positive associations of hedonic value, protection motivation, and brand preference with the outcome variables. Practical implications Companies should consider the promotional strategies of plant-based meat by not only sustainable appeals but also its perceived values (e.g. improving flavor and healthfulness), protection motivation (e.g. self-efficacy enhancement), and brand preference (e.g. brand loyalty creation). Originality/value This study constructs a theoretical framework for explaining post-purchase decisions about plant-based meat by integrating three theoretical perspectives. In addition, it verifies that hedonic value, protection motivation, and brand preference are less effective in consumer groups with higher psychological discomfort.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming customer experience management (CXM) by enabling real-time, data-driven, and personalized interactions across digital touchpoints, including chatbots, voice assistants, generative AI, and immersive platforms. This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic literature review of 59 peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2026, examining how AI-enabled personalization, privacy concerns, and customer value interact within AI-mediated customer experiences. Drawing on the Personalization–Privacy–Value (PPV) framework, the review synthesizes evidence on how AI-driven personalization enhances utilitarian, hedonic, experiential, relational, and emotional value, thereby strengthening satisfaction, engagement, loyalty, and behavioral intentions. At the same time, the findings reveal persistent tensions, as privacy concerns, perceived surveillance, algorithmic bias, and contextual moderators—including generational differences, cultural expectations, and technological literacy—frequently constrain value creation and erode trust. The review highlights that personalization benefits are highly contingent on transparency, perceived control, and ethical alignment, rather than personalization intensity alone. The study contributes by integrating ethical AI considerations into CXM research and clarifying conditions under which AI-enabled personalization leads to value creation versus value destruction. Managerially, the findings underscore the importance of ethical governance, transparent data practices, and customer-centered AI design to sustain trust and long-term customer relationships. Future research should prioritize longitudinal analyses of trust development, demographic heterogeneity, and cross-sector comparisons of AI governance as AI technologies become increasingly embedded in service ecosystems.

ABSTRACT Interactive livestreaming e-commerce (ILEC) has revolutionized online shopping through unprecedented real-time engagement mechanisms. However, consumer retention in this novel interactive marketing context remains underexplored. Drawing on psychological contract theory and regulatory focus theory, this study examines how consumption values influence repurchase intention through psychological contracts in the ILEC environment, moderated by consumers’ regulatory focus traits. Using survey data from 511 TikTok consumers purchasing agriculture-related products, the findings show that utilitarian, hedonic, and symbolic values significantly affect repurchase intention through transactional and relational psychological contracts. Regulatory focus moderates these relationships, revealing nuanced behavioral patterns unique to interactive settings. Our findings extend interactive marketing theory by elucidating the consumer retention mechanism in dynamic digital environments and offer actionable insights for optimizing ILEC engagement strategies. Our research addresses critical challenges in digital consumer retention, offering practical implications for marketers and platform designers.

Despite its long history, utilitarian value, and cultural significance to several Indigenous Tribes in the Southwest USA, the extent to which the Four Corners potato (Solanum jamesii Torr.) has been domesticated requires circumscription. Establishing the temporal and spatial dimensions of intentional cultivation would provide an essential component of the domestication argument. This project tests the hypothesis that S. jamesii tubers were processed with ground stone tools from archaeological sites located beyond the natural range of the species, especially where genetic evidence has previously indicated human transport and establishment in gardens. Microbotanical evidence, in the form of starch granules from 401 ground stone tools at 14 archaeological sites, is examined. More than 6,600 starch granules were recovered from the tools; 163 of which were assigned to S. jamesii. Four sites (North Creek Shelter, Long House/Mesa Verde, Pueblo Bonito/Chaco Canyon, and Point of Pines) show consistent use of S. jamesii (ubiquity >18%), as early as 10,900 cal BP, and well into Puebloan times. Three of these sites are located far north of the species’ center of distribution in the Mogollon region, across hundreds of kilometers of the Colorado Plateau, and still support an extant population nearby. This suggests an anthropogenic distribution of S. jamesii across the Four Corners region and a unique cultural identity around the use of this native potato. These findings, combined with ethnographic interviews and nutritional data, provide clear evidence of use in relation to natural and anthropogenic distributions, thereby allowing an assessment of the degree to which these energy-rich, nutritious, and compact tubers were purposely used and transported.

The alienation of ecological truth amidst ethical considerations has been a crucial conservation albatross for biological productivity in Nigeria. Open grazing impacts on the ecosystem, impinging on the utilitarian, aesthetic, intrinsic, and ethical values of biodiversity as a catalyst for vegetation and environmental resource losses. Yet, the projection of social justice and equity for human economic livelihood above environmental stewardship encourages open grazing at the expense of ecosystem sustainability. Heavy grazing pressure decimates, exposes the soil to baking and erosion, delays succession-regeneration potential at a severe threshold in beneficial interactions among ecosystem engineers, leading to alteration of the environment, with grave consequences on its ecosystem services from the over 5,000 and 22,090 species of flora and fauna, respectively. Even though Nigeria is signatory to a plethora of global treaties and conventions, in addition to locally legislated regulations to help maintain and ensure sustainable use of biodiversity, the lack of political will confers on open grazing the most ecologically destructive land-use practice as overgrazing (35%) > deforestation (30%) > agricultural activities (27%) > overexploitation of vegetation (7%) > industrial activities (1%) to defy the obvious and at-no-cost Precautionary Principle of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The resultant impact of a prolonged, unregulated approach over time is the rapid desert encroachment and dunes migrating southwards at 5-48km/year, with an estimated annual land loss of 3,150 km² to the advancing Sahara, and frequent farmer-herder clashes due to competition for available biological resources. This paper examines the current impact of open grazing on biological diversity amidst the absence a Federal Law regulating it, but with palpable evidences of environmental degradation, as probable ecological alibi in the face of the recently enacted Anti-Open Grazing Laws by States in Nigeria as optimization of value chain grazing transformation to help mitigate its consequences viz-a-viz rational exploitation for biodiversity conservation amongst other challenges in Nigeria.