Ahmed Hassan Abdou

Purpose: This study examines how brand anthropomorphism drives customer engagement through the mediating roles of brand respect and emotional attachment, culminating in perceptions of brand heroism, and investigates the moderating effect of customer ability readiness on the heroism–engagement relationship, grounded in Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) theory. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected via an online survey from 980 users of AI-enabled food delivery platforms in Iraq. The study measured six constructs: brand anthropomorphism, brand respect, emotional attachment, brand heroism, customer engagement and ability readiness. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping was employed to assess direct, indirect, sequential mediating, and moderated effects. Findings: Brand anthropomorphism significantly enhances brand respect and emotional attachment, which sequentially mediate its effect on brand heroism. Heroism, in turn, strongly boosts customer engagement. Moderation analysis indicates that customer ability readiness amplifies the heroism–engagement relationship, showing that consumer competence strengthens the translation of symbolic brand meaning into engagement. The model explains substantial variance across all key constructs. Research limitations/implications: The findings extend S–O–R theory by demonstrating how anthropomorphic stimuli activate intertwined cognitive, affective, and symbolic organismic states that culminate in engagement outcomes. By introducing brand heroism as a higher-order symbolic mechanism, the study advances understanding of how moral respect and emotional attachment jointly elevate brands beyond functional service providers in AI-mediated food contexts. Originality/value: This research introduces brand heroism as a mediator linking anthropomorphism to engagement and identifies ability readiness as a boundary condition, offering actionable insights for AI-mediated food service branding.

Purpose: This study investigates how different forms of perceived discrimination (subtle, overt, and service-level) shape customer experiences and behaviors in the hospitality sector. Drawing on Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT) and the Stress–Strain–Outcome (S-S-O) framework, it examines the impact of perceived discrimination (PD) on customer embarrassment (CE). The study further explores embarrassment as a mediating mechanism linking perceived discrimination to two adverse behavioral outcomes: service boycott (SB) and brand sabotage (BS). In addition, it incorporates greenwashing as a moderating factor, assessing its influence on the relationships between perceived discrimination and service boycott, as well as between perceived discrimination and brand sabotage. Design/methodology/approach: A three-stage, time-lagged survey was conducted among guests of four- and five-star hotels in Saudi Arabia, resulting in 406 valid responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed framework. Findings: The results reveal that perceived discrimination (PD) has a significant positive effect on customer embarrassment (CE), which in turn drives negative behaviors such as service boycott and brand sabotage. Furthermore, CE partially and significantly mediates the relationship between PD and these adverse outcomes. In addition, hotel greenwashing significantly moderates the relationships between perceived discrimination and both service boycott and brand sabotage. Practical implications: The findings highlight the need for hotel managers to implement strict anti-discrimination policies, provide employee training on inclusive service delivery, and adopt transparent and authentic sustainability practices to avoid greenwashing. Such actions can reduce customer embarrassment and mitigate risks of service boycott and brand sabotage, ultimately protecting brand reputation and customer relationships. Originality/value: This study provides novel insights into the emotional pathways linking perceived discrimination, customer embarrassment, and negative customer behaviors—specifically service boycott and brand sabotage—in the hospitality sector, a relatively underexplored area, particularly within the Saudi Arabian context. It extends the application of Cognitive Appraisal Theory and the S-S-O framework to hospitality research by positioning embarrassment as a mediator and greenwashing as a critical moderating variable, thereby offering both theoretical contributions and practical implications for ethical management practices in the hospitality industry.

Introduction: While the hospitality industry faces growing pressure to improve environmental performance, the mechanisms and boundary conditions shaping these outcomes remain unclear. Drawing on the Natural Resource-Based View and Stakeholder Theory, this study aims to investigate how stakeholder engagement influences hotel environmental performance through key internal capabilities, namely knowledge digitalization and circular economy practices. It examines their individual and sequential mediating roles, as well as the moderating effect of AI–Human Intelligence (AI–HI) collaboration on these relationships. Methods: Data were collected from 224 managers, executives, and their assistants working in five-star hotels across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: The findings show that stakeholder engagement is significantly associated with environmental performance, knowledge digitalization, and circular economy practices. Knowledge digitalization and circular economy practices both positively influence environmental performance and act as individual mediators in the stakeholder engagement–environmental performance relationship. A significant serial mediation effect was also identified, indicating that stakeholder engagement enhances knowledge digitalization, which subsequently improves circular economy practices, ultimately leading to higher environmental performance. Furthermore, AI–Human Intelligence (AI–HI) collaboration significantly strengthens the relationships between stakeholder engagement and knowledge digitalization, and between circular economy practices and environmental performance. Discussion: This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that knowledge digitalization and circular economy practices function as interdependent and sequential capabilities linking stakeholder engagement to environmental performance. It also introduces AI–HI collaboration as a key boundary condition, highlighting how the integration of technological and human capabilities enhances sustainability outcomes in the hospitality sector.

Introduction: Despite growing interest in leadership and employee wellbeing, limited research has empirically examined how autonomy-supportive leadership (ASL) enhances psychological wellbeing (PWB) in high-demand hospitality settings, particularly regarding the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. This study addresses this gap by examining the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction (PNS; autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS). Methods: Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Organizational Support Theory, and the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework, this study employed a three-wave, time-lagged design. Data were collected from 394 frontline employees working in five-star hotels in Saudi Arabia. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping to assess direct, indirect, moderating, and moderated mediation effects. Results: The findings reveal that ASL significantly and positively predicts both PWB (β = 0.504, p < 0.001) and PNS (β = 0.455, p < 0.001). PNS partially mediates the relationship between ASL and PWB (indirect effect β = 0.098, 95% CI [0.045, 0.149]). Additionally, POS strengthens the positive effects of ASL on PNS (β = 0.107, p < 0.05) and on PWB (β = 0.133, p < 0.001) and moderates the indirect effect of ASL on PWB via PNS (β = 0.023, p < 0.05). Discussion: By integrating leadership style and organizational context into a moderated mediation framework, this study provides robust empirical evidence that combining ASL with strong organizational support enhances employee wellbeing. These findings offer practical implications for fostering healthier and more sustainable work environments in high-pressure hospitality settings.

Toxic leadership is a growing problem in nursing settings marked by high job demands and emotional strain, yet little is known about how it leads to nurses

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how responsible innovation (RI) is impacted by digital transformation (DT), green knowledge management (GKM) and green human resource management (GHRM). It also looks into how RI mediates its effects and how top management commitment (TMC) moderates the relationship between RI and green competitive advantage (GCA). Design/methodology/approach: A time-lagged dataset with three stages was analyzed using structural equation modeling with a sample of 791 managers from manufacturing companies. Findings: The results demonstrate that GKM, GHRM and DT are significantly related to RI. Additionally, RI mediates the relationship between GKM, GHRM, DT and GCA. Furthermore, TMC has a significant impact on GCA and moderates the relationship between RI and GCA. Practical implications: Grounded in natural resource orchestration theory (ROT), this study provides actionable insights for manufacturing firms, managers, employees and policymakers regarding the critical need for RI to achieve a competitive advantage while also contributing to broader societal and environmental sustainability goals. Originality/value: This study integrates both digital and green factors to evaluate competitive advantage within the framework of ROT.

While prior research has examined the role of smart technologies (e.g., IoT and AI) in sustainability, the combined influence of IoT, AI, and organizational capabilities on hotel sustainable performance, particularly through the mediating roles of data-driven decision-making and innovation capability, remains underexplored. This study investigates how the integration of smart technologies, specifically the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as dynamic managerial capabilities focusing on data-driven decision-making (DDM) and innovation capability (IC), enhances hotel sustainable performance (HSP) within the context of Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector. Grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), the research develops and tests a conceptual model that explores both the mediating roles of DDM and IC in the link between IoT and HSP and the moderating role of AI application in the relationships between IoT and DDM, IC, and HSP. Using data collected from 312 managers of four- and five-star hotels across Saudi Arabia, the study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that IoT has a significant positive effect on HSP, DDM, and IC. Further, the IoT-HSP relationship is partially mediated by both DDM and IC. Furthermore, AI significantly strengthens the relationships between IoT and DDM, IoT and IC, and IoT and HSP, highlighting AI’s crucial role as an enabler of digital transformation and sustainability. The findings extend the RBV and DCT by demonstrating how technological resources, when combined with dynamic managerial capabilities, lead to superior sustainability outcomes. Practically, the study emphasizes that hotels must pair digital adoption with employee training, innovation culture, and AI-powered analytics to enhance HSP.

Background: In an increasingly digital marketplace, social media marketing activities (SMMAs) have become vital for building consumer–brand relationships, particularly among Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers. Coffee shops offer a unique context because they are lifestyle-oriented and highly dependent on repeat visits, making them especially responsive to digital engagement. This study examines the impact of SMMAs on brand loyalty in the Saudi Arabian coffee shop sector, with a particular focus on the mediating role of consumer brand preference and the moderating role of brand awareness. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework and Generational Marketing Theory, the research explores how Gen Z consumers respond to social media efforts that are informative, interactive, trendy, and personalized. Methods: Data were collected using convenience sampling via an online survey of 412 Gen Z consumers in Saudi Arabia who follow at least one local or international coffee shop brand on social media. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships, mediation, and moderation effects. Results: The findings revealed that SMMAs have a substantial direct effect on both brand loyalty and consumer brand preference. Moreover, consumer brand preference partially mediates the relationship between SMMAs and brand loyalty, underscoring its importance as a psychological mechanism in the formation of loyalty. Additionally, brand awareness was found to significantly moderate the SMMAs–brand loyalty relationship, with more potent effects observed among consumers with higher levels of brand familiarity. Implications: The study contributes theoretically by extending the S-O-R framework with Generational Marketing Theory, demonstrating the partial mediating role of brand preference and the moderating direct effect of brand awareness. Practically, the results suggest that coffee shop marketers should design social media strategies that are informative, interactive, trendy, and personalized while also investing in awareness-building campaigns to amplify loyalty among Gen Z consumers.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the mechanisms by which eco-centric leadership (Eco-L) influences Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment (OCBE) among employees in Saudi eco-friendly hotels. It investigates the mediating role of green commitment (G-Com) and the moderating role of environmental self-efficacy (ESE) within this relationship.Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employs a cross-sectional survey design using a structured questionnaire to collect data from employees working in five-star eco-certified hotels in Saudi Arabia. This design involved gathering data at a single point in time to capture employees' perceptions and attitudes. The proposed conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM.Findings: The results reveal that Eco-L has a positive and significant effect on OCBE. Furthermore, green commitment (G-Com) significantly mediates this relationship, indicating that employees' psychological attachment to green values enhances their voluntary environmental behaviors. In addition, ESE positively moderates the relationship between Eco-L and OCBE, suggesting that the impact of eco-centric leadership is stronger among employees with greater confidence in their environmental capabilities.Originality/Value: This study makes a novel contribution by integrating Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to explain the psychological and behavioral mechanisms linking leadership to pro-environmental behavior. While prior research has examined green commitment as a mediator and environmental self-efficacy as a moderator separately, this study is among the first to simultaneously explore these constructs within the combined SET and SCT framework. Furthermore, it applies this integrated approach specifically to the hospitality industry's eco-friendly hotel sector in Saudi Arabia—an underexplored context. The findings provide valuable insights into sustainable human resource management and leadership practices in this setting.

Introduction: The hospitality industry is known for its intensive resource operations, making it a critical sector for promoting sustainability. This study empirically examines how environmentally specific servant leadership (ESSL) influences organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) by fostering Green Psychological Capital (GPsyCap) as a psychological resource. Specifically, it investigates the direct impact of ESSL on GPsyCap and OCBE, as well as the mediating role of GPsyCap in the ESSL-OCBE relationship within the hospitality industry.Methods: Data were collected using convenience sampling from 388 full-time employees working in eco-friendly five-star hotels in Egypt. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the relationships between ESSL, GPsyCap, and OCBE.Results: The findings indicate that ESSL positively influences both GPsyCap and OCBE, demonstrating that environmentally responsible leadership fosters voluntary pro-environmental behaviors among employees. Furthermore, GPsyCap significantly predicts OCBE and partially mediates the relationship between ESSL and OCBE, suggesting that GPsyCap serves as a crucial psychological mechanism through which leadership practices are translated into employee-driven sustainability efforts.Discussion: Building on these empirical insights, the study contributes to theory by extending the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, Social Exchange Theory (SET), and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) Model, integrating green organizational (ESSL) and psychological (GPsyCap) resources within the hospitality sector. By positioning GPsyCap as a mediating construct, this study offers a novel perspective on how leadership-driven sustainability initiatives influence employees' pro-environmental behaviors. Practically, the study highlights the need for organizations to cultivate ESSL qualities in leaders, enhance GPsyCap among employees, and foster a culture of environmental stewardship to promote sustainability in the hospitality industry.