Imran Akhtar

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) communications have proliferated across Fortune 500 companies, yet no validated frameworks exist for systematically distinguishing authentic from superficial positioning. This study develops and validates the Dynamic Authenticity Evaluation Model (DAEM), measuring three interactive dimensions of ESG communication authenticity: operational alignment, temporal consistency, and communication specificity. Through dual-evaluator protocols applied to eight mega-cap companies , DAEM achieves excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.85; Krippendorff's α = 0.83). An event study analysis across sixteen major ESG announcements reveals no significant correlation between communication authenticity and abnormal stock returns (r = 0.289; p = 0.491), with effects being bounded below ±0.30% cumulative abnormal returns through equivalence testing. Preliminary stakeholder analysis suggests differential authenticity sensitivity , with employee engagement showing a stronger association with DAEM scores (r = 0.423) than market reactions (r = 0.289). Results indicate that authentic ESG communications influence non-market stakeholders more than short-term stock prices, suggesting that market value creation requires operational rather than symbolic approaches, while authentic communication remains important for stakeholder relationship management.

This study will explore sustainable leadership in the hotel industry of Nigeria through a multi-level competency model approach. Financial restrictions, knowledge gaps, and different managerial competencies make it difficult for Nigerian hotels to incorporate sustainable practices as sustainability becomes a major concern of leadership. This study intends to pinpoint important sustainable leadership competencies at the top, middle, and lower management levels, thereby addressing adoption challenges and offering a structure for successful application. This qualitative study will examine 35 hospitality industry participants. Purposive sampling will ensure sector role diversity. Semi-structured interviews will allow for thorough discussions while maintaining flexibility. The interviews will be recorded and transcribed for research. Thematic analysis will identify, assess, and summarise data themes to provide a complete understanding. This study will provide insightful analysis for legislators, hotel managers, and stakeholders in improving sustainable leadership practices utilizing a multi-level competency model. The results will help to close the knowledge-application gap in competencies challenges faced by the tier of management in hospitality industries.

This study on crisis leadership is motivated by the increasing awareness that companies are dealing with more complicated problems because of unstable economies, poor leadership, and rapid technology development. These factors have intensified concerns about crises leadership and the necessity for proficient approach. Harrison, Paul, and Burnard (2016) underscore the significance of examining leadership and followership across many contexts, particularly in developing countries, since the majority of crisis leadership research is Western-centric and overlooks other locations.
This study examines the perceptions of leaders and followers in the Nigerian insurance sector regarding crisis leadership, addressing a gap in the existing literature. Financial volatility, regulatory changes, and weak institutional frameworks are characteristic of the industry and differ from those in Western regions. This study aims to (1) define crisis leadership and (2) analyse its evolution in emerging economies, with an emphasis on follower perceptions.

Globalization and the expansion of cross-border businesses have greatly impacted consumer behavior. Businesses and marketers now have the opportunity to target wider audiences and gain deeper insights into customer behavior, particularly in relation to cultural variables, thanks to this expansion. However, the rise of social media platforms has altered the ways in which consumers are impacted, necessitating a reevaluation of the factors influencing consumer behavior. In particular, social media use has facilitated direct communication between influencers, bloggers, celebrities, and their followers, which has encouraged the growth of parasocial interactions. These connections demonstrate that there are bonds between regular citizens and public officials that go beyond just physical proximity. Studies have shown that the widespread use of social media and the resulting parasocial connections can influence how customers’ interactions with influencers impact their buying intentions. Positive brand-product or service connections on social media have grown to be a trusted source of information, influencing consumers’ thoughts, decisions, and purchase intentions. However, the concept of xenocentrism (XEN)—which characterizes individuals who like products created in other countries—may act as a mediator in the relationship between parasocial impact and purchase intention. This study aimed to explore the ways in which xenocentrism affects consumers’ purchase intentions and their parasocial relationships with social media influencers. By carefully analyzing the literature, this study aimed to develop a model that makes these connections more understandable. The findings of this study broaden our understanding of the complex interactions between consumer behavior, influencer credibility, and xenocentrism. Internet marketing specialists and marketers alike find these linkages significant.

Social Media (SM) has recently become a platform and a tool for both individuals and companies to communicate in a virtual platform. E-retails is another virtual platform where creates cybernetic communication between brands and customers. Companies create effective marketing strategy through both platforms to influence their customer behavior. On the other hand, digital savvy customers who prefer to take the advantage of saving time and have a convenience shopping experience, buying their desired products through e-shopping is another fact that makes digital marketers to implement new strategies to communicate with their customers. Thus, social media has become an effective tool to create an interaction to influence digital savvy shoppers. The purpose of this paper is to examine different aspects of social media as a tool that can develop marketing strategies and how they influence individuals who prefer to buy products through e-retails. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the impact of social media marketing on digital savvy brand shoppers. The scope of this review encompasses various literature reviews that has been done to illustrate a framework design to represent the impacts that social media has on a specific target audience. The research methodology used for this review involves a systematic literature review of relevant academic and industry publications. The contribution of this paper lies in providing insights into the effectiveness of social media marketing strategies for engaging digital savvy brand shoppers and improving brand loyalty. The findings of this paper represent how social media can influence e-shoppers and have impact on their decision-making process. On the other hand, the findings suggest that social media marketing can enhance brand awareness and influence consumer purchase decision through advertising, user-generated content, and social media influencers. The review also identifies key challenges and limitations of social media marketing for digital savvy brand shoppers.

At present, researchers and practitioners are increasingly interested in blockchain technology. This is due to its unique characteristics, including safety, regionalisation, dependability, and data security. Even with the increased attention and engagement, few individuals are aware of the present state of knowledge and usage of Blockchain (BC) technology, more so in the context of higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabis. This paper offers a comprehensive evaluation of prior research pertaining to blockchain-based educational applications. It focuses on three primary themes: (1) educational applications and its use created by using blockchain technology, (2) the advantages of blockchain technology in higher education and (3) the adoption area in higher education challenges and problems of blockchain technology. Detailed analysis of the results for each topic and an in-depth discussion was carried out based on the survey results. This study also sheds light on other crucial areas of education where blockchain technology might help.