In the digital age, gamification has emerged as a paramount strategy for strengthening brand–consumer interaction. Despite the fact that existing studies have extensively probed further into its effects on brand communication and sales performance, rare investigations have been reported to throw light upon how gamification features influence consumer experience, brand engagement, and brand loyalty, as well as the potential mediating mechanisms involved. For this reason, this research delved into these correlations by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) grounded in 461 valid responses from consumers familiar with a co-branded gamification campaign between a tea beverage brand and a gaming IP. The results illustrated that immersion, achievement, and social interaction dramatically reinforced consumer experience, which led to brand engagement and, in turn, strengthened brand loyalty. Furthermore, consumer experience and brand engagement both mediated gamification feature effects on brand loyalty. By constructing and validating a generalized model, the current study not only practically expands the gamification literature but also empirically illuminates mechanisms through which gamification features contribute to loyalty formation in co-branded settings.

The strategy and knowledge creation process help entrepreneurial SME managers achieve sustainable competitive advantage and firm performance. This study aims to investigate the multiple mediating roles of competitive strategies and knowledge creation processes implemented by Chinese SMEs in Thailand between their entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Structural equation model is used to analyze data collected from Chinese SMEs in Thailand. Results showed that (1) there is a positive relationship between perceptions of entrepreneurial orientation and perceptions of firm performance, (2) competitive strategy and knowledge creation process individually play a mediating role between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance, and (3) competitive strategy and knowledge creation process play a chain mediating effect between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. This hypothesis is verified by a chained multiple mediation model, and this model has theoretical significance for understanding the relationship between perceived entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. The competitive strategy has positive effects on SME performance and knowledge creation expands the firm’s valuable resources and actively updates firm performance.

This study examines the evolving digital economy in terms of convergence and divergence in European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries over the period from 2010 to 2024, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research uses a range of digital economy indices, including the ICT Development Index, E-Government Development Index, Online Service Index, Telecommunication Infrastructure Index, and Human Capital Index. It aims to identify and compare the patterns of convergence or divergence in digital indicators within and between the EU and ASEAN regions. The study employs beta convergence analysis, sigma convergence analysis, and difference-in-difference analysis to compare digital performance and assess the impact of the pandemic on the digital economy. By contrasting the digital development paths of the EU and ASEAN, the study provides insights into the digital gap and offers policy recommendations to promote more equitable digital development in both regions. The findings indicate that while the EU demonstrates more consistent convergence across digital indices, ASEAN exhibits both convergence and divergence, particularly during the post-pandemic period. The results reveal the urgent need for policy interventions aimed at reducing regional digital gaps, especially by enhancing digital infrastructure and improving human capital. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers in both regions, providing actionable strategies to foster inclusive digital development, enhance resilience in the face of global crises, and bridge the digital divide in an increasingly interconnected world.

To sort out the mechanism of the digital economy supporting the development of agricultural and rural modernization, the panel model is used to empirically analyze the impact and mechanism of the digital economy on the development of agricultural and rural modernization, using panel data of 30 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities from 2011 to 2020 as the research object. Research shows that the digital economy can positively promote the development of agricultural and rural modernization, that is, it has a significant driving effect; Heterogeneity analysis shows that there are regional differences in the driving effect of the digital economy on agriculture and rural areas, showing a development trend of "Northeast > East > Central > West"; Mechanism analysis shows that the level of economic development, the intensity of government support for agriculture, and the level of regional innovation are important paths for the digital economy to drive the development of agricultural and rural modernization. Further research found that the driving role of the digital economy in agricultural and rural modernization is affected by the level of economic development, the intensity of government support for agriculture, and the level of regional innovation, showing a threshold effect. The research findings can offer useful avenues for using the digital economy to propel the growth of agricultural and rural modernization in the future.