Muhammad Shakaib Akram

Purpose: This study aims to examine whether and how a digital transformation strategy (DTS) can improve organisational performance (OP) when confronted with environmental hostility (EH) disruptions. Based on the resource-based view, dynamic capability theories and literature straddling digital transformation (DT) and organisational development, this study developed and tested a conceptual model consisting of key elements and relationships between DTS, business analytic capabilities (BAC), organisational agility (OA), data-driven decision-making (DDM), OP and EH. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a quantitative cross-sectional design, using a survey sample of 309 respondents, working mainly in information technology (IT) and different industry sectors in North America. Structural equation modelling was used, and five hypotheses have been tested. Findings: The results suggest that EH has a negative effect on OP, while DTS via business analytics capability and OA enable DDM to enhance the OP. The specific paths are uncovered – both digital capability and OA drive dynamic capability development. DDM, in the form of decision automation by non-human entities and collective sense-making, leads to superior performance and reduces the impact of EH. Originality/value: The study contributes to the theoretical development of the dynamic capability framework from digital capability and OA perspectives. The practical implications will support IT managers in designing IT strategies and agile practices that embed BAC for DDM that increases OP.

Purpose: Evolving business landscapes have highlighted the crucial role of innovative digital transformation strategies (DTSs) in reimagining organisational operations and responses to optimise performance, regardless of organisational size or employee composition. The study suggests that DTS is a process that occurs continuously, rather than being a one-time event. It also underscores the critical role of personal resilience and organisational support in achieving job performance goals. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey analysis, this study examines the impact of organisational response and agility, as fundamental components of DTS, on employees' job performance. In addition, it investigates how boundary conditions of personal resilience and organisational support moderates the relationship between (1) organisational agility and job performance, and (2) organisational response and job performance. Findings: The research findings demonstrate the impact of DTS on job performance. It highlights the mediating roles of organisational support and agility in improving employees' performance. The study also discusses the critical role of personal resilience and organisational support in navigating the insightful impacts of organisational agility and organisational response on the job performance. Originality/value: This paper presents a theoretical framework that integrates the dynamic capabilities of employees and organisations, providing academics and practitioners with a comprehensive perspective on the growth of employees' dynamic capabilities. By offering insightful discussions, the study highlights that, while creating new DTS, organisations not only improve their dynamic capabilities but also enhances the people’s dynamic capabilities and make them more resilient.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have altered the gaming industry, thanks to their newly incepted functionalities, which have enhanced the consumer experience. Building on innovation diffusion theory, technology acceptance model, and flow theory, this study highlights an AI‐powered avatar concept. This study explores the roles of perceived easiness, usefulness, advantage, compatibility, enjoyment, customization, and interactivity in forming the gamers' intention to play with AI‐powered avatars. A survey data of 500 respondents from China having experience playing online video games is used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results offer significant support to the proposed relationships related to adopting an AI‐powered avatar and the consumers' psychological association with its adoption. Consequently, the results imply that AI‐powered avatars should allow gamers to customize, interact, and take assistance to move up levels with an enjoyable experience. Moreover, this study also suggests that digital technologies such as AI could be integrated into the gaming environment for a more pleasing and immersive experience.

Purpose: Drawing on social identity theory and prosocial behaviour research, this study explores how people's integration of their offline and online social activities through Facebook cultivates their Facebook citizenship behaviour (FCB). It also offers further insight into the underlying mechanism of offline and online social activity integration - FCB relation by investigating people's social identification with their offline and online social groups as possible mediators.Design/methodology/approach: Based on social identity theory (SIT) literature, community citizenship behaviour and offline-online social activity integration through Facebook, we developed a conceptual model, which was empirically tested using data from 308 Facebook usersFindings: The results confirm that the participants' offline-online social activity integration via Facebook is positively linked to their FCB. Further, the integration of offline and online social activity through Facebook positively affects how a person identifies with their offline and online social groups, which in turn causes them to display FCB. In addition, offline/online social identification mediates the integration – FCB relation.Practical implications: In practice, it is interesting to see people's tendency towards altruistic behaviours within groups they like to associate themselves with. Those who share their Facebook network with their offline friends can use such network to seek help and support.Originality/value: From a theoretical perspective, unlike past research, this study examines how individuals' offline-online social activity integration via Facebook helps them associate with groups. In addition, this study investigates social identification from an offline and online perspective.

The study investigates the underlying motives facilitating users’ continuance intention for digital content in academic settings. Extending the expectation confirmation model of IS continuance (ECM-ISC), the study proposes a conceptual model by incorporating personal and technological antecedents of users’ continuance intention for digital content. In addition, users’ environmental concerns and price value are considered as potential moderators in the relationship between their satisfaction and continuance intention for digital content. An online survey was used to collect data from 311 digital content users of a large public university in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships in the conceptual model. The results obtained from SmartPLS 3.2 confirm that compatibility, convenience, self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions are the predictors of confirmation and usefulness of digital content. The confirmation of expectations and perceived usefulness result in greater satisfaction with the digital content, which in turn leads to users’ continuance intention. In addition, the article provides empirical evidence for the impact of environmental concerns on the satisfaction–continuance intention relationship, thus opening a novel research debate. The study is expected to offer new insights both for academicians and managers of digital content.