This article explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots for creating positive change by supporting customers in the digital realm. Our study, which focuses on the customer and his/her declarative psychological responses to an interaction with a virtual assistant, will fill a gap in the digital marketing research, where little attention has been paid to the impact of Error and Gender, as well as the extent to which Social Presence and Perceived Competence mediate the relationships between Anthropomorphic design cues and Trust. We provide consistent evidence of the significant negative effect of erroneous conversational interfaces on several constructs considered in our conceptual model, such as: perceived competence, trust, as well as positive consumer responses. We also provide support to previous research findings and confirm that people employ a biased thinking across gender and this categorization also influences their acceptance of chatbots taking social roles. The results of an empirical study demonstrated that highly anthropomorphized female chatbots that engage in social behaviors are significantly shaping positive consumer responses, even in the error condition. Moreover, female virtual assistants are much more commonly forgiven when committing errors compared to male chatbots.

Against a backdrop of globalization, dynamic shifts in consumer demand, and climate change impact, the intricacies of agri-food supply chains have become increasingly convoluted, necessitating innovative measures to guarantee agri-food security and authenticity. Blockchain technology emerges as a promising solution, offering transparency, immutability, traceability, and efficiency in the overall supply chain. This study aims to investigate determinants impacting both the intention to use and the actual usage of blockchain-driven agri-food supply chain platforms. To achieve this, an expanded and adapted conceptual model rooted in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was formulated and empirically examined through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling using data from 175 respondents from agri-food companies across eight European countries. Agri-Food Supply Chain Partner Preparedness (FSCPP) emerged as the pivotal factor with the highest degree of influence on the intention to use blockchain-driven supply chain platforms. Additionally, the results from this study offer support for the significant influence of Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), and Perceived Trust (PT) on usage intention, while also revealing the positive impact of Organizational Blockchain Readiness (OBR) on expected Usage Behavior (UB). This study provides significant insights into blockchain adoption within agri-food supply chains, contributing to the existing literature through an extended UTAUT framework.

This paper represents a research response to the current vision on transformations regarding the capacity building of smart cities focused towards sustainability, by addressing the knowledge based urban development and collaborative tools that support the development, dissemination, and use of knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to develop a collaborative pattern of knowledge networking, focusing on sustainability goals within a smart city concept, using the logic of the Complex Adaptive System (CAS). The study was carried out in an innovation cluster in Romania; the Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used as a tool to perform the study. The results of this analysis, due to the suggested networking, have led to delimitation of the roles that Groups of Competences play to enhance the sustainability of smart cities in areas where the use of knowledge has the greatest impact. Results show that the success of the smart solutions’ implementation depends on how the social and competence structures of the network are shaped and whether it permanently adapts to fit the sustainability objectives in the considered areas.

The emergence of blockchain technology has captured considerable interest across various industries due to its ability to revolutionize traditional systems by ensuring enhanced security, transparency, traceability and efficiency. More recently, the higher education sector has begun exploring the adoption of blockchain technology, acknowledging its potential to transform multiple facets of the educational landscape, including academic administration, the learning and teaching process, and academic research. The primary goal of this study is to ascertain the factors that influence individuals' behavioral intention to adopt and use blockchain-based educational platforms. Moreover, the research aims to underscore the pivotal role played by educational leadership in advancing the adoption of blockchain technology within higher education institutions. Blockchain technology is recognized as a cutting-edge solution that has the potential to streamline processes, reduce costs, and foster trust within the educational ecosystem. A novel conceptual model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was developed and tested for the purpose of this study. Data was gathered from 175 respondents across eight European countries through a structural questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine the hypotheses of the model. The study unveils perceived trust as the primary determinant influencing the behavioral intention to use blockchain-based educational solutions, underscoring its pivotal role in embracing innovative technologies by instilling confidence and reducing uncertainty among users. Furthermore, educational partner readiness, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy also have a positive impact on the usage intention. Additionally, the results also highlight the significance of leadership blockchain readiness in shaping the actual usage behavior. The findings offer valuable insights into the adoption of blockchain technology in higher education. Also, the study extends previous research by utilizing an extended UTAUT framework, and it contributes to the emerging literature on blockchain implementation and technology acceptance models.

We argue that a new type of adaptive change management is needed in Romania, in which social and territorial cohesion are key elements of governance, in accordance with sustainable development requirements. Based on critical analysis and comparative study, the paper investigates, using several approaches, the possibility to select those elements that enable determining a viable managerial sustainable development “model” for communities in Maramures County, Romania. New trends worldwide, and the multidimensional aspects of sustainable development of communities, were the subject of examination, through a regional polycentric approach, which led to a new model proposed by the authors. The result is a conceptual integrated model which promotes a balance of interaction between systems—economic, human, environmental and technological—in a dynamic, flexible and functional process.

Multinational organizations are considered among the best-performing organizations, both through organizational culture, politics, and education. The management functions of these organizations also generate effective leadership that largely determines the organizational performance and success of the companies. The management performance of managers in these organizations is measured by criteria that influence work efforts, effectiveness, and employee satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is an analysis of leadership styles and their effects on Northwest Romanian multinationals. In this sense, the research aims to fill the gaps in the specialized literature in the field. The research was based on instruments specific to the study of leadership styles,by applying a questionnaire to 140 leaders from 24 multinationals operating in NW Romania. The analysis was made through the prism of the correlations between the attributes and behaviors of the leaders and the results of these behaviors, respectively, the performance indicators. These quantitative data have statistics so as to identify the specific relationships between the leadership styles and their results. Also, the differences in the results were analyzed according to the sectors of activity, industry, and services in which these leaders operate. The results showed extremely small differences, which proves that the effects of leadership styles are significantly equal, regardless of the activity sector of the multinational organizations. The importance of the empirical study resides in the results of the analysis, which can lead to the promotion of effective leadership both in the studied region and in the entire country, as well as in other types of organizations and institutions.