Deidre Popovich , Mikaela Trussell , Kellilynn M. Frias
{"title":"Pain exchange consumption: An exploration of taking risks to avoid the pain of paying","authors":"Deidre Popovich , Mikaela Trussell , Kellilynn M. Frias","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumers often seek to avoid pain, but little is known about what happens when they face two psychologically painful options. This research introduces the concept of pain exchange consumption by using detailed qualitative data to explore how consumers who live along the Texas-Mexico border decide whether to avoid the pain of paying for healthcare in the United States by obtaining it in Mexico, risking personal safety. We investigate how experiences of different types of pain lead consumers to utilize the Mexican healthcare market alongside their health insurance coverage in the U.S. Border crossers take risks to avoid financial losses. When faced with two undesirable options in healthcare, consumers experience psychological conflict. They often resolve this conflict by focusing on the positive outcomes of their choice and certain aspects of the servicescape, viewing the care and medication of the chosen option as superior to the alternative, even when it is objectively equivalent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 115460"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anastasia Kulichyova , Alisha Ali , Martin McCracken , Judith Woods , Sandra Moffett
{"title":"Creativity is a journey, not a destination: A team flow theory perspective for service workers","authors":"Anastasia Kulichyova , Alisha Ali , Martin McCracken , Judith Woods , Sandra Moffett","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teamwork, recognised for supporting employee creativity, is crucial to organisational sustainability and survival. However, the ways of unlocking teamwork for creativity remain an unrealised opportunity. By integrating team flow theory, we exemplify how flow can be activated in teams and give rise to creativity, adding to the nascent literature on teams achieving an optimal state. Using a creative problem-solving intervention, qualitative data was collected via participant observation and semi-structured interviews with front-line hotel managers. We show the creativity outcomes at the individual, team, and organisational levels resulting from team flow, with our data emphasising the longer-term impacts on individual creativity. Notably, we extend team flow theory with our model, contributing to the discussion of creativity processes and offering important insights into how the reciprocal relationship between teamwork and individual creativity can be achieved. Our findings have implications for business leaders seeking to drive high-performing, creative organisations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115448"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143932015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Brand influences on the relationship between livestream seller commissions and sales","authors":"Jiani Jiang , Bruce A. Huhmann , Shiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Firms contract with livestream sellers to promote products through real-time online selling sessions, offering commissions as incentives. Using data from 2,535 livestream sessions from Chinese social media platform Douyin, this study finds a strong relationship between commissions and both unit and monetary sales outcomes. Synthesizing Social Identity and Expectancy Theories, findings show that commission’s influence on sales performance weakens when livestream sellers derive non-monetary motivation from brand identification. Third-party purchase platforms disrupt buying decisions, reduce the viewer-to-purchaser conversion rate, and lower sellers’ expectations of rewards. Instead, firms should integrate purchase options within livestream sessions to enhance marketing effectiveness. Both seller efforts and firm-led brand-building activities positively influence viewer visits to a session. These viewers, in turn, exert social influence through word-of-mouth and observed behavior, mediating the commission-sales relationship. This study also provides insights to help firms optimize livestream seller compensation and strategically invest in brand-building to maximize livestream selling’s benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115431"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An innovation intermediary’s role in enhancing absorptive capacity for cross-industry digital innovation: Introducing an awareness capability and new intermediary practices","authors":"Andrea Kerstens , David J. Langley","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging digital technologies enable the combination of data from different industries to create new innovation opportunities. Many firms, particularly those with underdeveloped absorptive capacity, rely on innovation intermediaries to facilitate this process. However, current theory does not fully explain how intermediaries achieve this in cross-industry settings where digital technologies drive innovation. This study investigates the question: How does an innovation intermediary contribute to the absorptive capacity of firms that collaborate in cross-industry contexts to develop digital innovations? This research examines how one intermediary enhances absorptive capacity for cross-industry digital innovation. We provide a definition for cross-industry digital innovation, a concept previously undefined in the literature. Results show the intermediary develops potential absorptive capacity but has less impact in the exploitation phase. The concept of “awareness capability,” which triggers firms’ search for new knowledge, is introduced. Additionally, specific practices of intermediaries are identified for each absorptive capacity phase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115426"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the top management team demographic faultlines–firm performance relationship: The roles of TMT temporal stability and TMT hierarchical differentiation","authors":"Kaili Li , Renjing Liu , Jiamin Dong , Yi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Faultline literature typically adopts social categorization and information elaboration perspectives to examine the relationship between top management team (TMT) demographic faultlines and firm performance, but yields inconsistent findings. This study intends to reconcile these contradictions by utilizing the categorization-elaboration model (CEM) to analyze which perspective dominates this relationship under different scenarios. Using a sample of 1718 Chinese-listed firms from 2009 to 2021, we examine the independent and joint effects of TMT temporal stability (TMT shared experience and TMT membership change) and TMT hierarchical differentiation on the faultlines–performance relationship. The findings indicate that TMT shared experience weakens this negative relationship by enhancing information elaboration, whereas TMT membership change and TMT hierarchical differentiation strengthen it by enhancing social categorization. Additionally, TMT shared experience weakens the negative moderating effect of TMT hierarchical differentiation, whereas TMT membership change strengthens it. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for better managing faultlines and team characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115443"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arménio Rego , Ace Volkmann Simpson , Dustin J. Bluhm , Miguel Pina e Cunha
{"title":"Are morally courageous leaders more effective?","authors":"Arménio Rego , Ace Volkmann Simpson , Dustin J. Bluhm , Miguel Pina e Cunha","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Detecting, interpreting, assuming responsibility, and being driven to act upon situations with <em>potential</em> ethical implications requires morally courageous leaders to be continuously ‘tuned’ to the environment. We argue that this ‘tuning’ facilitates leader respect for employees and greater receptiveness to their inputs, and that it is through these mechanisms that leader moral courage is positively related to leader effectiveness. In a multi-source study involving 102 team leaders (assessed by peers, subordinates, and supervisors), we found that leaders with higher levels of moral courage convey greater respect for team members and are more receptive to relational transparency from them, and that such respect and receptiveness enhance leader effectiveness. We also hypothesized and found that leaders who overestimate their moral courage (i.e., who self-describe as <em>being</em> morally courageous while others perceive them as <em>not being</em> so) are particularly less respectful toward team members, and thus are less effective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115423"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Measuring true bootlegging: Conceptualization, scale development and validation","authors":"Di Zhao , Hongyu Wang , Xianliu Kou","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Among the three sub-classes of bootlegging, true bootlegging occurs most frequently in organizations because it is the most covert. However, the definition and measurement of true bootlegging have been rarely explored. This study contributes to the bootlegging literature by distinguishing between the sub-classes of bootlegging and conducting an in-depth investigation of true bootlegging. Drawing on representative definitions from existing literature, we conceptualize true bootlegging. Then, we use three studies to develop and validate a five-dimensional, 17-item True Bootlegging Scale (TBS). The empirical results demonstrate that the TBS exhibits good reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity. This scale addresses the shortcomings of existing measurement tools and provides a scientific scale for the empirical study of true bootlegging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115442"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143917399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Salesperson self-esteem: Measure development and validation","authors":"Nadia Pomirleanu , Babu John-Mariadoss","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115422","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although scholarly interest in salesperson self-esteem has always been high, past research on self-esteem in selling contexts has almost always measured salespersons’ self-esteem using items adapted from global self-esteem measures. In this paper, we use mixed methods to develop and validate a new measure for self-esteem in sales settings. Through grounded theory, we build and propose a multidimensional conceptualization encompassing professional, task and relational dimensions of salesperson self-esteem (SpSE). Analyses of data obtained from multiple surveys of salespeople show (i) better fit for a 3-factor structure when compared to competing models; (ii) high reliability and content validity for the new measure; (iii) convergent and discriminant validity with related constructs, and (iv) incremental validity while predicting key outcomes over and above prior salesperson self-esteem measures. Cumulatively, we show that the SpSE measure is reliable and valid, advancing a nuanced approach to research relating to self-esteem in selling organizations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115422"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sahana (Shahana) Sen , Michele Gorgoglione , Umberto Panniello
{"title":"The Influence of the Perceived Hedonic vs. Utilitarian Product Type on Consumers’ Brand Engagement on Social TV","authors":"Sahana (Shahana) Sen , Michele Gorgoglione , Umberto Panniello","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transformation of TV into a highly targeted and measurable medium, coupled with evolving consumer viewing behaviors, has led marketers to focus on brand engagement on social TV (STV). We present a conceptual framework for understanding how consumers engage about brands advertised on TV (CBE) on social media, and examine how their perception of the brand as hedonic (H) vs. utilitarian (U) influences their intention to engage (CIE) and the positive valence of this engagement sentiment (CES). We investigate the mediating roles of ad liking and personal ad relevance in this process. Through a field study, a survey, and two lab experiments, we demonstrate that hedonic brands elicit higher CIE and are more likely to generate positive eWOM (CES) on social media. Our results, confirming the causal relationship between perceived H vs. U product type and CBE, as well as the mediation effects, provide insights for both theoretical understanding of CBE on STV, and practical implications for marketing and advertising strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115257"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Manjul Gupta , Arman Ghafoori , Eunyoung Kim , Mohammad I. Merhi , Raffaele Filieri
{"title":"Growth hacking capability: Conceptualization, survey instrument development, and empirical study of its impact on firm performance","authors":"Manjul Gupta , Arman Ghafoori , Eunyoung Kim , Mohammad I. Merhi , Raffaele Filieri","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growth hacking has emerged as a novel approach for organizations. This trend is accompanied by a rising acknowledgment among business academics and practitioners of growth hacking’s ability to achieve rapid consumer growth and enhanced performance. Despite its frequent mention in contemporary business and marketing dialogues, to the best of our knowledge, there are no measurement instruments to quantitatively assess a firm’s growth hacking capability. This study not only develops a survey instrument to measure growth hacking capability but also proposes and empirically validates the relationship between growth hacking capability and firm performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 115446"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}