This article aims to uncover novel insights into personality factors and consumer video game engagement modeling. This research empirically validates the role of specific HEXACO personality factors that foster consumer engagement (CE) in electronic sports (eSports) users. Using a survey-based approach, we incorporated the HEXACO 60 items and consumer video game engagement scales for data collection. Data were collected from eSports users, with 250 valid responses. WarpPLS 6.0 was used for partial least squares-structural equation modeling analyses comprising measurement and structural model assessment. The results showed that the reflective measurement model is reliable and sound, whereas the second-order formative measurement model also meets the criteria of indicator weights and collinearity values variance inflation factor (VIF). The results based on the structural model indicate that openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness positively predict CE in eSports. This article is first among others that conceptualizes and validates the HEXACO personality traits as a reflective formative model using the hierarchical component model approach. The research model carries the explanatory capacity for CE in eSports concerning personality dimensions as indicated by the HEXACO model. It highlights the potential benefits of such research especially to marketers who could potentially employ personality modeling to develop tailored strategies to increase CE in video games.
This study is aimed to identify the relative (direct) effect of online review ratings and perceived crowding on purchase intentions of a consumer. Our study also investigated the contingent effect of gender and perceived crowding between the relationship of exogenous and endogenous variables. This study was conducted in the Malaysian restaurant industry. We applied the purposive sampling technique to identify respondents, the mall intercept survey method was used for data collection. Smart PLS software was applied for data analysis (200 respondents). This study demonstrates through its results that online review ratings and perceived crowding have a positive effect on purchase intentions of a consumer. Moreover, if a consumer perceives crowding at a restaurant, this has a positive contingent effect on the relationship between review ratings and purchase intentions. This demonstrates that the consumer is more inclined to choose a restaurant with a high online review rating and has high perceived crowding at some unfamiliar place. Lastly, no evidence is found for the gender difference between review rating and purchase intentions; however, gender shows contingent effect and results confirmed that males preferred more crowded restaurants as compared to females. There are theoretical and practical implications for managers in the findings of this study.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of service failure in rendering service process during COVID-19. It further explores the outcomes of service recovery offered to customers in case of service failure. Like other businesses, webstores have also faced the challenges in their efforts to satisfy their customers during COVID-19. Service failure has increased due to unexpected circumstances produced by this pandemic. It has become necessary for the webstores to retain their dissatisfied customers by reconsidering their service strategies. Relevant data for the purpose of this study were collected through questionnaires from 383 respondents by using online channels. The online channels were exclusively employed for maintaining the safety of respondents during COVID-19. Respondents for this study were online shoppers who encountered service failure during COVID-19. The results indicated that the incidence of service failure has increased due to an increase in online shopping during COVID-19. Some customers tend to repurchase from the same webstore. On the other hand, some customers do not want to purchase again from the same seller and decided to switch to the alternative webstore. Based on the findings, new strategy for online shopping service providers was introduced. This strategy will be helpful for the online service providers to increase their profitability by retaining their dissatisfied customers. Service providers can minimize the number of customers switching to other webstores by reducing the events of service failure. Customer's assistive intent can also be helpful for service providers to increase the efficiency of service recovery. Conducting a proper follow-up after providing service recovery can also reduce the switching of customer. It will be helpful for service providers to understand the customers' expectations before recovery process and their feeling after getting service recovery.