Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming digital marketing practices. While the extant literature extensively covers AI applications that generally benefit businesses and customers, there is scant research on AI deployments that exacerbate problems for financially vulnerable customers. These customers have limited access to financial systems, services or technologies. To rectify this research deficit, this paper describes the challenges confronting businesses as they attempt to integrate AI into the digital marketing of their financial services. Ultimately, Al-enabled digital marketing is not as simple as collecting big data and using analytical algorithms; the technology may not always help businesses target their customers more effectively. This paper examines the relationships between AI, digital marketing, and financial services in relation to vulnerable customers, highlighting key implications in the collection, processing, and delivery of information, as well as the importance of human connection for optimal customer experience and engagement with financial services providers. Understanding ethical implications, as well as data and modelling challenges, is necessary for the successful deployment of AI. This study provides a theoretical framework to financial services providers, AI developers, marketers, policymakers, and academics, aiding the understanding of the precarious conditions facing vulnerable customers, and the ways in which they can more effectively be reached.

Purpose: Consumer ethics in Asia has attracted attention from marketing scholars and practitioners. Ethical beliefs and judgements have been predominantly investigated within this area. Recent research argues for consumer ethics to be measured in terms of behaviours rather than attitudinal judgements, due to a potential pitfall of attitudinal scales, which researchers often refer to as an attitude–behaviour gap. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the dimensions of ethically minded consumer behaviour (EMCB) in an Asian emerging market context. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of 316 Vietnamese consumers was conducted to investigate their ethically minded behaviours. Findings: The SEM analyses reveal a significant impact of long-term orientation on EMCB, whereas spirituality has no impact. Collectivism, attitude to ethically minded consumption and subjective norms are found to influence the dimensions of EMCB. Age, income and job levels have effects on EMCB dimensions, but gender, surprisingly, has no effect. Practical implications: The study can be beneficial to businesses and policy makers in Vietnam or any similar Asian markets, especially in encouraging people to engage with ethical consumption. Furthermore, it provides practitioners in Vietnam with a measurement instrument that can be used to profile and segment consumers. Originality/value: This is among the first studies utilising and examining EMCB, especially in Vietnam where research into consumer ethics is scant. It contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a greater understanding of the impact of personal characteristics and cultural environment on consumer ethics, being measured by the EMCB scale which has taken into account the consumption choices. Furthermore, this study adds further validation to the EMCB scale.

Purpose: Drawing on equity theory, social exchange theory and goal setting theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the contingencies on the link between employees’ budgetary participation and their work performance. Specifically, this study addresses the research questions: whether vertical information sharing and budget goal commitment mediate the relationship between employees’ budgetary participation and their work performance; and whether employees’ perceived budget fairness can strengthen the positive effects of budgetary participation on vertical information sharing and budget goal commitment. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from a sample of 556 low to middle level managers of business organizations in Vietnam. The research model and its hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. The standardized root mean squared residual value of the composite model was employed to assess model fit. Common method bias was also checked using the marker-variable approach. Findings: This study has two key findings: both vertical information sharing and budget goal commitment partially mediate the positive effects of budgetary participation on work performance; and both dimensions of perceived budget fairness (distributive and procedural) elevate the positive relationships of budgetary participation – vertical information sharing and budgetary participation – budget goal commitment. Practical implications: The findings could benefit businesses in Vietnam and similar market contexts. Specifically, top management needs to select a proper level of budgetary participation that can facilitate information sharing vertically within the organization and motivate their employees to be more committed to achieve budget goals. Besides, the top management also needs to ensure that their employees perceive the fairness in the budgeting process. Originality/value: The study contributes a greater understanding as regards the mediating roles of vertical information sharing and budget goal commitment as well as the moderating role of perceived budget fairness on the relationship between employees’ participation in the budgetary process and their work performance, especially in the context of an emerging market – Vietnam. Overall, this study contributes to the management and accounting literature with insights concerning a more complex process explaining employees’ work performance and triggered by their budgetary participation.

Marketing managers of higher education institutions need to acknowledge the trends that have changed the landscape for higher education marketing. African universities must make an effort to integrate their marketing communications to reach prospective students and other stakeholders. The best of Africa’s universities, probably those in the top 500 in the world, can also form a consortium to develop campuses in other emerging markets of the world, such as China and India in Asia, Mexico in North America, Turkey in Europe, and Brazil in South America. Trained and qualified human resources, who possess the sophisticated know-how that will determine where resources should be deployed immediately in the universities’ marketing plans, are needed within the team. The task of building brand applies to both established universities which need to build their existing brands, and also new universities with new brands that need to be developed.