Lawrence M. Ngoe

Experiential industries face a growing disconnect: while service-dominant logic (SDL) establishes value as co-created through resource integration (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, 2016), an increasing share of consumers, particularly younger cohorts, seek durable, transformational outcomes as the return on investment in premium experiences (Anderson & Ostrom, 2015; Zimbatu & Russell-Bennett, 2025). We introduce the CORE model (Content, Outlet, Relation, Effect) as a mid-range theory of value actualization. While SDL, TSR, and CCT each address components of transformation, none specifies the institutionalized, relational micro-foundations through which narrative-based co-creation becomes durable value actualization. CORE introduces a previously unarticulated causal sequence linking narrative scaffolding, access orchestration, and participatory institutionalization to measurable transformation. We define value actualization as the institutionalized realization of experiential potential into durable identity, behavioral, or community change. We propose that Relation mediates the Content–Effect link, while Outlet configuration—the platform-mediated orchestration of access—moderates this mediation. This mechanism is under-specified in, but complementary to, TSR and consumer culture theory (CCT; Arnould & Thompson, 2005). We differentiate CORE from competing frameworks and outline a multi-method research agenda.

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.

We provide the first multi-dimensional causal evaluation of Brazil's Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV) housing program using interrupted time series analysis, synthetic control methods, and state-level difference-indifferences. Using Central Bank administrative data (2006-2023) and Ministry of Cities program records, we test four pre-registered hypotheses regarding credit expansion, social targeting, institutional sustainability, and counter-cyclical stabilization. Our event-study analysis shows MCMV increased housing credit by 969.3 billion reais (95% CI: 793.2-1,145.4) with no pre-intervention trends, representing system-wide expansion rather than substitution effects. However, targeting analysis reveals regressive outcomes: Track 1 (poorest families) received 39.4% of units versus 60% target (Kakwani progressivity index = 0.12, below 0.25 benchmark). During the 2014-2016 recession, MCMV lending elasticity to unemployment was-0.34 versus-0.89 for private markets (difference = 0.55, p<0.01), demonstrating counter-cyclical buffering. Institutional sustainability metrics show manageable fiscal exposure (0.78% GDP) with default rates (3.8% Track 1, 2.1% Track 2/3) below international benchmarks. State-level heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger program effects in low pre-program mortgage penetration states (β=0.23, p<0.05), consistent with credit constraint mechanisms. Our findings demonstrate that preferential interest rates generate volume expansion but require complementary institutional design to achieve equity objectives.

Adopting new technology as a strategic resource can result in a competitive edge in any market. However, a competitive advantage cannot be acquired in the production of horticultural goods without first embracing the practices that are inextricably linked to those goods. This paper investigates the adoption of farm practices in conjunction with technology transferred to farmers.
Some research debates on competitive advantages have identified both resources and processes of production as sources of competitive advantage. The emphasis on the resource-based view and dynamic capability view stipulates that firms acquire competitiveness via internal resources and capabilities. However, there has not been much empirical exploration of horticultural production sustainability in this regard despite its sufficiently outstanding contribution to the gross domestic product in developing and developed economies. It specifically discusses how Technology Adoption Practices (TAP) could lead to a competitive advantage in horticulture with particular reference to the production of pineapple fruit in Ejigbo, Nigeria. From the angle of professional practice; the study provides an insight into how farmers strive to suggest solutions to practical challenges faced within the production process. Therefore, it is essential to have practices in place for the adoption of sustainable technology. The outcomes of the study generate two different storylines and demonstrate that attributing factors as well as reinforcing capabilities both boost competitiveness at the farm level and enhance the farmers’ desire for farming pineapples. Pineapple farmers in Ejigbo employ a differentiation approach to gain a competitive advantage in their agro-farming industry. This could lead to an increase in the volume of fresh pineapple products that are exported