The degradation of the environment is associated with economic activity, particularly with the linear way in which the economy does not make efficient use of resources. However, the circular economy is opposed to this linear paradigm, since it makes the most of the resources in trying to achieve zero waste. In this context, this study investigates the relationship between industry 4.0 technologies, COVID-19 outbreak, environmental regulation policies and circular economy practices. A questionnaire is designed to collect information from 214 big and private manufacturing firms in Ecuador, and subsequently, through CB-SEM, the information is processed, and the study paths are validated. The results suggest that industry 4.0 technologies and environmental regulation policies are driving circular economy practices during the pandemic. The study finds no evidence favoring COVID-19 being a determining factor in the adoption of the circular economy. The results provide a policy framework for the adoption of a circular economy.

Purpose: This study aims to focus on proposing and empirically validating a model that captures certain critical socio-psychological factors that nurture consumers' attitude towards affordable luxury brands in an emerging market context of India.Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected via a cross-sectional questionnaire survey from 491 customers of different fashion accessory luxury products in India. The data were analyzed through structural equation modelling (SEM) using AMOS 23.0 SEM software.Findings: The findings of this study reveal that conspicuousness, status consumption, brand name consciousness, need for uniqueness and hedonism positively affect consumer attitude towards affordable luxury, which consequently affects consumers' purchase intention. The findings further reveal that age acts as a moderator in driving consumers' neo-luxury consumption.Originality/value: By uniting various socio-psychological factors with consumer attitude and purchase intention in a conceptual model, along with studying the moderating role of age, this study responds to the calls for further research regarding affordable luxury and offers a more granular understanding of specific consumer motivations that guide Indian consumers' affordable luxury consumption.

In today's marketing landscape, consumer demand for eco-friendly products is on the rise, yet the psychological factors that encourage green purchasing intentions remain unclear. To address this research gap, the current study builds on Social Identity Theory to explore the role of social influence and sustainability consciousness in shaping customers' green purchase intentions. Data were collected through a survey of 406 customers at Saudi Arabian upscale restaurants and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that social influence positively impacts both sustainability consciousness and green purchase intentions. Besides, the study identifies sustainability consciousness as a critical mediator in this relationship, emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivations in driving environmentally responsible behavior. Additionally, gender differences were also examined, revealing that women are more responsive to social influences regarding sustainability consciousness and green purchase intentions. This study enriches the literature by providing a robust framework to understand the collective social processes influencing green consumption. Practically, the research offers actionable insights for managers to develop targeted marketing campaigns, leverage social influencers, and utilize technology to enhance transparency and trust in sustainable practices. This study not only bridges literature gaps but also provides a foundation for promoting green consumption patterns essential for addressing global environmental challenges.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has attained great interest among academicians and practitioners alike. However, the underlying mechanisms and theoretical boundaries that amplify customers’ willingness to pay a higher price towards environmentally conscious hotel brands is under researched. Thus, to accelerate this discourse, the current study explores the relationship between perceived CSR, green image of a hotel brand, and customers’ willingness to pay a higher price. Drawing insights from the stakeholder theory, this study proposes a model and empirically validates how a positive CSR perception helps Generation Z customers perceive a green image of the company and drive positive responses like willingness to pay higher price towards socially responsible luxury hotels. The study further examines the moderating role of gender on the proposed relationships. Data collected from 302 Gen Z customers from 4 and 5 star (luxury) hotels in the capital city of India were analyzed through structural equation modelling. The results of this study confirm the significant direct impacts of perceived CSR on green image of a hotel brand as well as customers’ willingness to pay higher price. Moreover, the study also demonstrates the significant positive effect of perceived CSR on customers’ willingness to pay higher price. The results also confirm the moderating influence of gender on the proposed relationships. This study has important implication for managers of luxury hotels.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most oil-rich countries in the world, and oil production is the country’s primary source of income. The aspects of greenhouse gas emissions and the harm they cause to the environment and residents have been overlooked because of the continuous emphasis on economic growth and a high reliance on oil resources. Consequently, environmental issues have become challenging for residents and questionable for industries. Despite various environmental awareness and pollution control studies around the world, Saudi Arabia’s pollution rate appears to be increasing. This study attempted to understand the impact of pro-environmental factors on pollution control and sustainable gasoline consumption in order to fill a research gap in the literature. Environmental awareness, self-efficacy and self-identity, ecological attitude, contextual factors, and social norms were considered as factors to investigate local residents’ sustainable consumption and pollution control behaviors. Primary data were collected from 416 local residents and analyzed using multiple regression. The results demonstrate the positive significant impact of pro-environmental variables on sustainable consumption and efforts toward pollution control. This study further presents practical implications for the Saudi government and environmentalists.

Despite consistent investment in innovation by the hospitality industry, it remains unclear how a restaurant’s innovativeness influences customers’ willingness to pay a higher price. Moreover, the role of customer engagement in enhancing prices in upscale restaurants is not well known. Correspondingly, the aim of this study is to establish a research model that illustrates the relationships between customers’ perceptions of a restaurant’s innovativeness (CPRI), customer engagement, and customer willingness to pay a higher price (WPHP) in upscale restaurants. The study also examines whether the impact of restaurant innovativeness and customer engagement on customer WPHP is moderated by boundary conditions of gender. Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey administered to 322 customers across multiple high-end restaurants located in the capital city of India, New Delhi. The results reveal that CPRI and customer engagement are important drivers of customers’ WPHP for upscale restaurant customers in India. Additionally, CPRI was found to have a positive effect on customer engagement. The results further indicate that gender moderates the effect with respect to the observed relationships. This study expands the theoretical foundation of these constructs and offers promising marketing strategies to create differentiation and enhance firm value.