Horia Mihălcescu

Despite growing interest in AI technologies, there is a lack of integrated models explaining AI adoption in SMEs from a consumer perspective. This study addresses this gap. Although artificial intelligence (AI) has gained traction in digital innovation strategies, especially among SMEs, existing research lacks integrative models that address cognitive, contextual, and emotional factors driving AI adoption. This study addresses this gap by developing a theoretical model based on TAM and UTAUT2, enhanced with passion, workplace integration, and trust. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and consumer trust theories, the study provides empirical insights into how these factors shape behavioral intentions to adopt AI technologies. The findings aim to inform both theory and practice by highlighting how emerging digital tools affect consumer decision making and engagement across personal and professional contexts. The study contributes to both theory and practice by offering empirical evidence on the drivers of AI adoption and by providing managerial recommendations for SMEs to implement AI-driven personalization responsibly.

This paper explains the influence of hedonic motivation on consumer decisions during online clothing purchasing. As e-commerce continues to expand, shopping behavior has evolved beyond the usual needs, often driven by emotional factors. Hedonic motivation, characterized as pleasure resulted from browsing, discovering appealing new items, and enjoying a seamless shopping experience, plays a crucial role in shaping these decisions. The research highlights aspects of hedonic motivation, including the attractiveness of products, excitement of discovering new styles, and the sense of reward associated with indulging in online shopping. These elements not only explain the overall shopping experience, but also stimulate impulsive tendencies, particulary when consumers encounter personalized recommandations or limitted-time offers. Moreover, the study examines how hedonic motivation has an important role in customers behavior, releaving that consumers who feel positive emotions during the procces of shopping, are more likely to feel satisfied with their purchases, even if the product has no real utility for them. This emotional connection, usualy leads to repeated purchases and increased loyalty. Strategies such as creating visiualy enaging interfaces and offering organized collections are recommended to enhance the impact of hedonic motivation.

The purpose of this research is to measure the level of social media platform’s impact on hedonic and impulsive purchases when it comes to the Romanian clothing industry. The study analyzes different purchasing factors, in the context where social media platforms have a major impact on consumers. Price reduction seems to be as important as using credit cards when it comes to hedonic targeted purchases, while the impact of social media increases alongside the desire to buy. The sources of information (such as comments, reviews, influencers, or even shares) amplify the impact on consumers’ future purchases. The paper researches purchasing factors, such as hedonic and impulsive buying, and social media platforms’ impact on them. The two approached perspectives are: hedonic motivation, which means the desire to increase the positive experiences; and decrease the negative ones, and impulsive behavior which is characterized as the tendency to act without thinking. The results show that social media’s impact on hedonic and impulsive purchases is accelerated as long as personalized recommendations and discount campaigns exist. This study provides insights for Romanian brand to optimize their digital marketing strategies and reveals the psychological triggers behind hedonic and impulsive behavior.

Although impulsive and hedonic purchasing behaviors may seem to contradict sustainability principles, there are unexplored opportunities through which social media platforms and influencers can redirect these impulses toward sustainable actions. Young consumers, increasingly concerned about the ecological impact of their choices, can be encouraged to adopt responsible and sustainable buying behaviors when these are promoted attractively, enjoyably, and emotionally satisfyingly through social media. This research investigates how social media communication influences hedonic and impulsive purchasing behavior in the Romanian clothing market. In the context where social media is one of the main sources of information and influence for consumers, the research analyzes several determining factors of the purchase decision. Price reductions and the use of credit cards are highlighted as elements that facilitate spontaneous and hedonic targeted purchases, while the attractiveness of clothing items and the need felt play an important role in terms of the desire to buy. In addition, sources of information (such as reviews) have a major impact on consumers’ perceptions and their purchase intentions. Additionally, the study investigates factors such as overall shopping experience and its influence on consumer loyalty. It is approached from two perspectives: attitudinal loyalty, reflected in the preference for brands promoted on social media, and behavioral loyalty, expressed through repeat purchases. The results show that social media acts as an accelerator for hedonic and impulsive buying behaviors, prompting consumers to react quickly to stimuli such as discount campaigns or personalized recommendations. The conclusions highlight the importance of adopting digital marketing strategies that capitalize on the consumers emotional need while also strengthening brand loyalty. These perspectives can guide companies in the clothing industry to adapt their promotion methods to the specifics of the Romanian market and the consumer behavior.

Similar to so many other aspects of modern life, education is gradually being automated by technological means. The software, apps, systems, platforms, and digital devices that permeate modern education are inextricably linked to these automated processes. One of the primary goals of automation has always been to improve quality and efficiency by reducing the number of human repetitive tasks based on machine learning (ML) algorithms and applications that facilitate the automation of decision-making of artificial intelligence (AI). Thus, computers and robots are predictable and do exactly what they are programmed to do. It is impossible for a computer’s memory or processing power to become “tired” because machines never rest, and now some activities can be automated, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence. Schools nowadays have software that analyses data and makes decisions based on the data rather than relying solely on human analysts regarding repetitive administrative tasks. The exploratory research within the K–12 group of teachers from LINK Educational Alliance from Serbia was performed on 109 persons to identify the genuine knowledge about AI and the potential for automatisation of work processes. Based on the teachers’ opinions regarding opportunities brought about by AI in K–12 schools, we analysed their implications in implementing AI in the educational process in K–12 education.

The structural changes in the public communication space through the advent of the Internet and the further development of online commerce culminate today with the explosion of blockchain techniques and social networks. This communication space was quickly taken over by marketing tools, as demonstrated by the many marketing campaigns dedicated to these new communication channels. The development of online commerce and the emergence of social networks have allowed consumers to efficiently search for brands/products/services, compare them, express their point of view on them, and even give them grades. Due to the explosion of relevant data online, the changing business environment needs attention to interpret and extract relevant information. The application of sentiment analysis to public reaction in the online environment provides the researcher with how the authors of the analyzed texts (clients/beneficiaries) express themselves regarding the studied reference (product/service/organization/social theme and a feature of them). Along with the other metrics present in marketing, including digital marketing, the reports in the analysis panels of google analytics and social networks, sentiment analysis instantly provides the general and competitive context in which the product/service/theme evolves. In this article, two types of research have been conducted to highlight the benefits felt, but also the degree of knowledge, implementation, and use of sentiment analysis in online marketing analysis. One of the types of research was qualitative, carried out on 10 participants (specialists in the field of marketing), with the help of an interview guide. Qualitative research aims to find out the level of knowledge of sentiment analysis and the general degree of digitalization of Romanian companies, an indicator considered critical in the new post-pandemic business environment. The second research was quantitative and used to develop analysis by structural equations. For this, a questionnaire applied to a sample of 108 respondents was used. Through the analysis by structural equations, a conceptual model was developed that presents the main factors that are related to others and that contribute to the satisfaction of the users of the analysis of feelings for obtaining marketing data.