https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/225 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:48:00 GMT 2026-04-04T06:48:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/10956 Missing link in ‘new-normal’ for higher education: nexus between online experiential marketing, perceived-harm, social distancing concern and university brand evangelism in China Aktan, Murat; Anjam, Mahwish; Zaman, Umer; Khwaja, Muddasar Ghani; Akram, Umair Chinese universities were the first to experience the massive shock waves of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted higher education globally. Despite extensive research on higher education in the ‘new normal’, empirical evidence on the potential role of online experiential marketing and university brand evangelism is still little to none. To address this critical research gap, the present study is the first to explore university brand evangelism in China and how it is influenced by online experiential marketing. In addition, the moderating effects of perceived harm and social distancing concern on the relationship between online experiential marketing and university brand evangelism were also tested. Based on a sample of university students in China (N = 242) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), the findings revealed that online experiential marketing (including sense, feel, think, act, and relate dimensions) significantly magnifies university brand evangelism in China. Interestingly, this relationship becomes more strengthened when the Chinese students have a high intensity of perceived harm of COVID-19 and social distancing concerns. These novel findings provide new insights to both policymakers and marketers globally about the powerful medium of online experiential marketing to successfully promote university brands (during and after the global pandemic) using university brand evangelism more strategically. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/10956 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/10643 The role of environmental literacy, psychological distance of climate change, and collectivism on generation Z's collaborative consumption tendency Aktan, Murat; Kethüda, Önder Parallel with increasing concerns about climate change and the emergence of sharing platforms, collaboration in consumption has become prominent, especially among Generation Z consumers. Drawing upon the self-determination and construal-level theories, the present study proposes a pioneering moderated-mediation model that delineates Generation Z consumers' collaborative consumption tendency. Data were collected among 455 respondents in an emerging economy (i.e., Turkey) via a non-probabilistic purposive sampling technique. Furthermore, a covariance-based structural equation modeling was utilized to test the proposed causal relationships between environmental literacy, collaborative consumption tendency, the psychological distance of climate change, and collectivism. The study findings highlighted that environmental literacy affects collaborative consumption tendency, while the strength of the relationship is augmented for respondents who were self-reportedly collectivists. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the psychological distance of climate change mediates the relationship between environmental literacy and collaborative consumption tendency, while the magnitude of the mediation effect is amplified in collectivist participants. Based on the empirical findings, the present study extends self-determination and construal-level theory while offering strategic directions and insights for sharing platform industry. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/10643 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/9891 The Bridge at the End of the World: Linking Expat's Pandemic Fatigue, Travel FOMO, Destination Crisis Marketing, and Vaxication for "Greatest of All Trips" Zaman, Umer; Barnes, Stuart J.; Abbasi, Saba; Anjam, Mahwish; Aktan, Murat; Khwaja, Muddasar Ghani The rebirth of global tourism with a massive rebound is anticipated due to an emerging touristic behavior coined as vaxication (i.e., post-vaccination travel). Despite the ongoing fatigue triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers' fear of missing out (FOMO), and destination crisis marketing (DCM) can further accelerate travelers' momentum towards vaxication. To address this critical knowledge gap in COVID-19 tourism, the present study aimed to examine the effect of pandemic fatigue on vaxication intention for the greatest of all trips (GOAT) under the moderating influence of travel FOMO and destination crisis marketing. Drawing on data of international expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (N = 356) and using covariance-based structural equation modeling with Mplus, the findings provide new evidence supporting a positive impact of international expat's pandemic fatigue on vaxication intention for GOAT. Interestingly, this relationship is significantly reinforced by the international expat's travel FOMO as well as tourism destinations switching gears from 'managing crisis' to 'marketing crisis'. Based on prominent theories (i.e., theory of planned behavior, cognitive load theory, and protection motivation theory) and newly developed scales (i.e., travel FOMO and destination crisis marketing), the study implications are directed towards an outpacing trajectory of global tourism return prompted by pandemic fatigue, travel FOMO, destination crisis marketing, and vaxication intention for the greatest of all trips. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/9891 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/9788 Real Bounce Forward: Experimental Evidence on Destination Crisis Marketing, Destination Trust, e-WOM and Global Expat’s Willingness to Travel during and after COVID-19 Aktan, Murat; Zaman, Umer; Farias, Pablo; Raza, Syed Hassan; Ogadimma, Emenyeonu C. The nexus of global tourism, disasters and sustainability have always been triggered by numerous crises, e.g., political unrest, wars, and pandemics. However, there is still fragmented research on destination crisis marketing, and its impact on willingness to travel remains largely unknown. To address this critical research gap, the present study used an experimental research design by framing destination crisis marketing campaigns (2 × 2 frames including DCM implemented versus DCM not implemented) and electronic word of mouth (2 × 2 frames including positive e-Wom versus negative e-Wom) to examine their impact on destination trust and global expat’s willingness to travel. Based on the experimental settings of global expats (N = 232; representing over 10 nationalities) with four framing groups (Group 1 to Group 4, configured in frames as ± DCM and ± e-Wom), the new evidence suggests that global expats who are provoked by positive crisis marketing campaigns and positive e-Wom (Group 4) have higher levels of destination trust than those who are exposed to either negative crisis marketing scenario and/or negative e-Wom (i.e., Group 1 to Group 3). The findings also revealed that global expat’s willingness to travel is significantly influenced by destination crisis marketing campaigns and e-Wom. Interestingly, for all framing groups (Group 1 to Group 4), the effects of destination crisis marketing and e-WOM on expat’s willingness to travel, was significantly mediated by destination trust. Utilizing prominent theories (i.e., signal theory, image repair theory and trust transfer theory), the study implications highlighted that crisis marketing and positive e-Wom could serve as the cornerstones for destinations to stay relevant, regenerate sustainable practices, as well as create new opportunities out of a crisis Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12809/9788 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z