SKEMA Business School

Abstract: This case study involves finding the source of leakage and seepage in a ceiling of a room in a penthouse located in posh Versova area of Mumbai, the top metropolitan city of Maharashtra state in India. Running water has been detected on one of the ceilings of a room on level 1 of the penthouse. This case study explores and studies different suspected sources of leakage and moisture and also studies each source in-depth to zero-in the source of water. The study also explores potential causes, including structural anomalies and concealed pipelines, and proposes comprehensive waterproofing and repair strategies to mitigate the problem. The findings emphasize the importance of proper maintenance and timely intervention to prevent long term structural and health hazards in residential buildings.

Purpose Mobile applications (apps) have become integral to daily life, yet fostering continued user engagement remains a challenge. This study aims to investigate factors influencing continuance intention by comparing goal-directed (e.g. educational) and experiential (e.g. gaming) apps. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to data extracted from 452 valid survey responses collected from users of popular Chinese mobile apps to determine the mediating effects of inner and social self-relevance and positive and negative emotions and the moderating role of app types (goal-directed vs experiential). Findings Our findings indicate that utilitarian value and social value positively influence both inner and social self-relevance, which in turn positively influence positive emotions, while hedonic value primarily impacts inner self-relevance. Inner self-relevance slightly affects brand love, while negative emotions negatively influence brand love. Furthermore, inherent (hedonic) value has a stronger influence on positive emotions than utilitarian value. A mediation analysis confirmed the mediating roles of inner and social self-relevance in the relationship between perceived value and brand love as well as the indirect effects of perceived value on negative emotions mediated via social self-relevance. Furthermore, a multiple-group analysis revealed significant variations in the influence of perceived value on self-relevance, emotions and brand love for goal-directed vis-à-vis experiential apps. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by comprehensively examining brand love formation in mobile apps, considering both goal-directed and experiential categories. The findings provide valuable guidance for marketers and designers seeking to enhance user engagement and cultivate user-app relationships in a competitive mobile app market.

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the challenges of boundaryless metaverses and their implications for Information Systems (IS) research. We call for a deeper exploration of these implications, structured around three key understandings. First, we highlight the coexistence of multiple metaverse ecosystems within the boundaryless environment. Second, we highlight the pivotal role of major stakeholder dynamics in shaping this complex landscape. Third, we explore the distinctive properties and governance of these multisided platforms within the evolving metaverse. Together, these insights suggest an ecological conceptualization of the metaverse as an “ecosystem of systems”, enriching our understanding of its transformative impact and underscoring the importance of policy and regulation. By moving beyond the metaverse hype, this paper aims to stimulate IS research on its new properties, boundaryless nature, and associated challenges.

ABSTRACT In social media marketing, brands increasingly rely on user‐generated image (UGI) campaigns, yet limited research examines how different types of brand‐related images shape consumer enjoyment of the brand experience. Grounded in impression management theory, this study proposes that brand‐related image types, including packshots (product‐only), consumer selfies (consumer's face with the brand), and brand selfies (branded products held by an invisible consumer), influence consumer enjoyment through self‐presentational concern. We further theorize that platform tie strength moderates this process. Across two laboratory experiments, we test a moderated mediation model. Study 1 indicates that sharing consumer selfies significantly reduces enjoyment relative to packshots and brand selfies, and that this effect is driven by elevated self‐presentational concern. Study 2 replicates these findings and suggests a nuanced moderation pattern: on strong‐tie platforms, self‐presentational concern is elevated for packshots and brand selfies, whereas on weak‐tie platforms it is highest for consumer selfies, where the sharer's face is visible.

There are many valid concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI) that must be taken seriously. However, historically, technological progress has sometimes led to unexpected benefits. This essay begins with an imaginative fictional future-history, followed by an academic discussion. The fictional narrative acts as a jumping-off point for exploring the potential benefits of social AI, or AI that interact socially with humans, (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Grok etc) in three areas: (1) social AI agents as relationship partners, (2) how our interactions with AI might affect our human relationships, and (3) social AI's influence on shaping self-identity. Consistent with macromarketing, we examine how social AI in marketing might affect people's lives far beyond the economic sphere. And in keeping with the theme of this special issue on phygital marketing, we conclude with suggestions on how these dynamics could impact phygital (physical and digital) marketing strategies and consumption trends.