Farrukh Rafiq

This study examines associations among perceived political ideology, local stakeholder reactions, liability of foreignness, and perceived foreign direct investment (FDI) risk in India. Drawing on survey responses from 312 managers and executives, the study employs covariance-based structural equation modelling to assess theoretically specified direct and indirect relationships. The reported structural estimates indicate positive associations between perceived political hostility toward foreign investment and stakeholder resistance, liability of foreignness, and perceived FDI risk. Liability of foreignness is positively associated with perceived risk, whereas stakeholder resistance exhibits an unexpected negative association, contrary to the hypothesized direction. The findings highlight the relevance of managerial perceptions of political conditions and foreignness-related disadvantages to perceived investment risk. The cross-sectional, single-source design limits causal interpretation, while the negative stakeholder association requires further investigation.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 outlines a strategic shift from oil dependency to a diversified, knowledge-based economy. This study investigates the combined effects of regional trade agreements (RTAs), foreign direct investment (FDI), export diversification (ED), and economic integration (EI) on economic growth (EG) in Saudi Arabia, a country undergoing structural transition under Vision 2030. Drawing on primary survey data (n = 316) and secondary institutional sources, the study employs covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) using AMOS 24. Results show that all four predictors significantly impact EG, with economic integration exerting the strongest influence (C.R. = 2.821, p < 0.05). Model fit indices (CFI = 0.941; RMSEA = 0.056) confirm the robustness of the framework, which explains 64% of the variance in EG. Policy implications include strengthening institutional integration, aligning FDI with innovation-led sectors, recalibrating RTAs to promote non-oil trade, and supporting SME-driven diversification. The study concludes with a call for systematic literature reviews (SLRs) to consolidate fragmented research and extend future inquiry into green FDI, digital trade, and regional policy coordination in emerging economies. The model estimates direct relationships among constructs rather than interaction or moderating effects. The study contributes to the literature by providing an integrated framework that simultaneously examines trade, investment, diversification, and integration factors within the context of a resource-dependent economy undergoing structural transformation. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers seeking to accelerate the objectives of Vision 2030 and promote sustainable economic development.

This paper explores the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO), entrepreneurial competencies (EC), and international performance of born global firms (BGFs). These firms from their inception, view the world as their marketplace and typically engage in international business activities. Given the increasingly globalized business environment, understanding the factors that contribute to their success is vital. This study investigates whether entrepreneurial orientation enhances the international performance of BGFs and how entrepreneurial competencies mediate this relationship. By reviewing the literature, research gaps in the context of born global firms were identified, a conceptual framework was also proposed. For the assessment of research constructs of the conceptual model, the data was collected from 201 senior managers/CEOs of these born global firms. The scales for the assessment of these measures were developed and refined by utilising robust research methods. Analysis was carried out in three stages, assessment of normality of data, assessment of measurement and structural model. On the basis of the results obtained implications for research and practice were presented along with study limitations. The paper offer insights for both practitioners and academics on how entrepreneurial orientation and competencies can foster global competitiveness of these organisations.

Recent changes in national and international environmental policy place a lot of emphasis on electric vehicles (EVs) as they reduce ecological damage by eliminating emissions. However, given the products’ novelty, consumers have expressed mixed emotions about EV purchases. Skepticism surrounding EV reliability is a significant concern for potential adopters, primarily due to a lack of essential support. As a result, to resolve the problem of consumers’ mixed emotions toward EVs, it is necessary to understand how consumer environmental concerns (EC), attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control shape consumers’ intentions. Leveraging the modified and expanded version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the current study developed and validated a conceptual model and hypotheses through cross-sectional research. Employing the snowball sampling method, we collected data from 274 respondents via an online survey. The study establishes that social pressure can impact individual ATT, fostering enduring benefits for respondentsʹ EC and behavioral intentions. Consequently, active involvement by EV manufacturers in advocating sustainable consumption is paramount to catalyzing future market growth. Our research is a ground-breaking attempt to determine EV interest among consumers. The nuanced findings hold implications for marketers/practitioners involved on the supply side of the EV business.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important link between online consumers and the tourism industry. AI-chatbots are the latest technological advancement that have shaped the tourism industry. AI-chatbots are a relatively new technology in the hospitality and tourism industries, but little is known about their use. The study aims to identify factors influencing AI-chatbot adoption and their use in improving customer engagement and experiences. Using an offline survey, researchers collected data from 530 respondents. Using the structural equation modeling technique, the conceptual model was empirically tested. According to the results, the S-O-R theoretical framework is suitable for evaluating chatbot adoption intentions. Additionally, the structural model supported the ten hypotheses, validating the suggested directions of substantial impacts. In addition to practitioners and tourism managers, this study also has broad implications for scholars.

This study examines the role of environmental knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness, and willingness to sacrifice on travelers’ towel reuse behavior. Additionally, it tests whether environmental consciousness moderates the effect of environmental knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness, willingness to sacrifice, and attitude towards towel reuse on actual towel reuse behavior. The proposed research model was tested using Amazon Mechanical Turk data. Using partial least square structural equation modelling, we analyzed the hypotheses. The results demonstrate that environmental knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness, and willingness to sacrifice have significant influences on travelers’ towel reuse behavior. Additionally, findings about environmental consciousness indicate that high levels of environmental consciousness can help bridge the attitude-behavior gap. To bridge the gap between travelers’ attitude and behavior, managers should develop communication strategies to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among them.

Recently, researchers have been drawn to the literature surrounding positive psychology. The role of explanatory and dispositional optimism in eco-friendly tourism has been largely ignored by researchers, even though positive psychology, or optimism, has been studied in the sustainability domain. The purpose of this study is to determine which trait predicts eco-friendly tourist behavior. In the study, the data were collected online using Amazon Mechanical Turk from 400 respondents, and the model was assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings revealed that in terms of predicting eco-friendly tourism behavior, dispositional optimism outperformed explanatory optimism. Furthermore, this study found that environmental concern positively moderates the association between optimism (dispositional and explanatory) and eco-friendly tourism behavior. This study has wide-ranging implications for tourism managers, practitioners, and academics.