This study investigates whether the perceptions and attitudes of residents living within the vicinity of heritage tourism sites differ from those living further afield. It examines residents’ attitudes toward tourism development; community attachment; environment and culture attitudes; economic gain; and involvement, alongside the moderating role of distance from heritage tourism sites. In doing so, it investigates how the aforementioned factors influence residents’ perceptions of tourism development in their city. Data was collected from inhabitants of Kashan and Tabriz, two historic cities couched within Iran’s growing heritage tourism sector, and analyzed using partial least squares - structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrate significant differences between the perceptions of tourism impacts, economic gain, environmental and cultural attitudes, and involvement between residents living within the vicinity of heritage tourism sites and those living further afield. However, these findings contradicted the hypotheses; identifying higher positive perceptions, environmental and cultural attitudes, economic gain, and involvement for residents living far from heritage tourism sites. Further, the findings did not support the moderating role of distance for the effects of influencing factors on residents’ perceptions. Therefore, this study proffers significant theoretical contributions and practical implications with regards to developing sustainable tourism in Iran.

Purpose: Manufacturing sectors are identified to be of the foremost importance expected to increase Malaysia's GDP contribution to the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11th MP). The present study aims to examine the effects of intellectual capital and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on knowledge sharing in manufacturing SMEs. The impact of intellectual capital and EO on firms' innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is accordingly investigated by considering knowledge sharing as the mediator.Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected via a questionnaire consisting of the owners or top managers of 121 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. Partial least square (PLS) was used to analyze the obtained data.Findings: Results indicated that human capital, as well as external relational capital, has a positive correlation with both knowledge sharing and innovation performance mediated by knowledge sharing. It was also shown that knowledge sharing has a significant impact on firm innovation performance. Interestingly, structural capital, internal relational capital and (EO) did not significantly impact knowledge sharing and innovation performance. However, all of these elements are important to influence the firm's innovation performance.Practical implications: The study contributes to the literature on intellectual capital, entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge sharing and innovation through developing and testing the possible connections among them. The finding of this study will provide owners and top managers in manufacturing SMEs insight into the variables improving firm innovation performance.Originality/value: This study provides a basis for researchers to reach more mounting evidence about the practice of knowledge sharing and innovation performance among manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia.

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) customer service has grown rapidly in recent years due to the emergence of COVID-19 and the growth of the e-commerce industry. Therefore, this study employs the integration of the stimuli–organism–response (SOR) and the task-technology fit (TTF) frameworks to understand the factors that affect individuals’ intentions towards AI customer service adoption in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approach: The study utilised a survey-based research approach to investigate the factors that affect individuals’ intentions towards AI customer service adoption in Malaysia. The data were collected by conducting an online survey targeting individuals aged 18 or above who had prior customer service interaction experience with human service agents but had not yet adopted AI customer service. A sample of 339 respondents was used to evaluate the hypotheses, adopting partial least squares structural equation modelling as a symmetric analytic technique.Findings: The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that social influence and anthropomorphism have a positive direct relationship with emotional trust. Furthermore, communicative competence, technology characteristics and perceived intelligence were positively correlated with TTF. Moreover, emotional trust significantly impacts AI customer service adoption. In addition, AI readiness positively moderates the association between task technology fit and AI customer service adoption.Practical implications: The study provides insights to individuals, organisations, the government and educational institutions to improve the features of AI customer service and its development in Malaysia.Originality/value: The originality of this study is found in its adoption of the SOR theory and TTF to understand the factors affecting AI customer service adoption. Additionally, it incorporates moderating variables during the analysis, adding depth to the findings. This approach introduces a new perspective on the factors that impact the adoption of AI customer service and offers valuable insights for practitioners seeking to formulate effective strategies to promote its adoption.

Purpose: Innovation has become an approach to create value for the customer to remain competitive in the market. However, previous research on innovation performance particularly among Bumiputera small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had received little intention. Hence, Bumiputera SMEs need to inculcate the innovation culture to generate innovation performance. As such, the purpose of this study is to examine the ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy on innovation culture, and how innovation culture could mediate the relationship between ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy and innovation performance. In addition, this study also examines the role of government support as the moderator between innovation culture and innovation performance.Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 140 Bumiputera SMEs and analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling via Smart PLS.Findings: Findings indicated that ambidextrous orientation (alignment and adaptability) and innovation strategy (proactive creativity strategy and growth risk orientation strategy) had a significant impact on innovation culture. Besides, innovation culture mediated the relationship between alignment, proactive creativity strategy, growth risk orientation strategy and innovation performance. Surprisingly, innovation culture does not significantly mediate the relationship between adaptability and innovation performance. However, government support plays an important role to support innovation culture and innovation performance in Bumiputera SMEs.Originality/value: This study makes both theoretical and practical contributions, especially in identifying the significant role of Bumiputera SMEs in creating an innovation culture. Besides, it explained government support as an important role in strengthening the relationship between innovation culture and innovation performance. The findings of the study will provide great help to Bumiputera entrepreneurs in formulating innovation culture in Malaysian SMEs.

With a global focus on environmental sustainability, hotels worldwide are actively transitioning their services from conventional to eco-friendly practices. This study aims to comprehensively understand the factors that contribute to visitors’ satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels and how this satisfaction influences customers’ future reactions towards such environmentally conscious establishments. Employing the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, this study collected data from 277 respondents using a robust quantitative research strategy. A combined approach of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was employed, to uncover deep insights into visitors’ satisfaction and their reactions towards eco-friendly hotels. The PLS-SEM results reveal significant associations between customers’ satisfaction towards eco-friendly hotel services and service quality, green practices, perceived value, and environmental sensitivity. Moreover, this study highlights a positive correlation between satisfaction and crucial outcomes like revisit intention (RVI), willingness to pay a premium (WTPP), and word-of-mouth intention (WOMI). Complementing these findings, the fsQCA analysis uncovers intricate causal relationships among antecedents that influence customer satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels. By offering critical marketing insights, this study provides guidance for hotels, the tourism industry, and policymakers on attracting customers to eco-friendly hotels, to meet the increasing demands for environmental sustainability.