Business Management

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  IS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM VALID FOR THE BALKAN COUNTRIES? EVIDENCE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESIS

  The transition toward sustainable tourism has become increasingly important for the Balkan countries, where tourism represents a significant source of economic activity but also generates growing environmental pressures. This study examines the environmental implications of tourism development in eleven Balkan countries over the period 1995–2024 ... The transition toward sustainable tourism has become increasingly important for the Balkan countries, where tourism represents a significant source of economic activity but also generates growing environmental pressures. This study examines the environmental implications of tourism development in eleven Balkan countries over the period 1995–2024 by investigating the relationships among greenhouse gas emissions, economic growth, electricity consumption, and international tourist arrivals within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. The empirical analysis applies panel cointegration tests, FMOLS and DOLS long-run estimators, the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator, and the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality test. The results provide evidence of a U-shaped EKC relationship, indicating that greenhouse gas emissions initially decline with economic growth but increase again at higher income levels. Electricity consumption and tourist arrivals exert positive and statistically significant long-run effects on greenhouse gas emissions. The causality analysis further reveals bidirectional causality between greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption, together with unidirectional causal relationships from GDP to greenhouse gas emissions, tourist arrivals, and electricity consumption, and from tourist arrivals to greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing recent regional evidence for a heterogeneous group of tourism-intensive Balkan economies and by jointly examining tourism activity, energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental pressure within a unified panel framework. The findings indicate that tourism-led growth in the region cannot be assumed to become environmentally sustainable automatically as income increases, highlighting the need for tourism decarbonization, greater reliance on renewable energy, and country-sensitive environmental policies.

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  THE EFFECTS OF AI-WASHING ON CONSUMER’S TRUST, ETHICS AND PURCHASE INTENTION

  As artificial intelligence becomes a dominant signifier of innovation in marketing, the practice of AI washing as the strategic exaggeration or fabrication of AI capabilities in marketing communications has emerged as a critical ethical concern. This article reports study results examining AI washing perception and its consequences for consumer ... As artificial intelligence becomes a dominant signifier of innovation in marketing, the practice of AI washing as the strategic exaggeration or fabrication of AI capabilities in marketing communications has emerged as a critical ethical concern. This article reports study results examining AI washing perception and its consequences for consumer trust, perceived brand ethicality, purchase intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is employed with a survey sample of 854 consumers to establish predictive relationships. Drawing on the Trust-Action Model, Ethical Decision-Making Theory, and Consumer Information Processing Theory, the findings shows that AI washing severely and significantly damages all four consumer outcomes. Crucially, a serial mediation pathway Perceived Brand Ethicality-Brand-Trust-Behavioral Intentions was supported in the study, confirming that deception functions primarily as a moral failure before translating into eroded trust and suppressed behavior. Moderation analyses revealed a competence-based susceptibility gradient: technological literacy and prior AI experience amplified these negative effects, whereas age did not. Convergent cross-study effect sizes confirm robust findings with important implications for marketing practice, consumer protection, and AI governance.

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  THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT QUALITY ON GREEN TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR IN AN EMERGING MARKET: EVIDENCE FROM URBAN CONSUMERS IN VIETNAM

  Green technology products have increasingly attracted attention due to growing environmental concerns and the transition toward sustainable consumption. However, consumer adoption of green technology products in emerging markets remains inconsistent, particularly in an emerging market such as Vietnam. Therefore, this study examines the effects of ... Green technology products have increasingly attracted attention due to growing environmental concerns and the transition toward sustainable consumption. However, consumer adoption of green technology products in emerging markets remains inconsistent, particularly in an emerging market such as Vietnam. Therefore, this study examines the effects of product quality dimensions on green technology product consumption behavior among urban consumers in Vietnam. A quantitative research approach was employed using survey data collected from 350 urban consumers in Vietnam. The research model examined seven dimensions of product quality, including product performance, product features, durability, reliability, health safety, eco-friendliness, and conformance to standards. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that all seven product quality dimensions positively and significantly influence green technology product consumption behavior. Among these factors, product performance emerged as the strongest determinant, followed by durability and conformance to standards. The results indicate that urban consumers in Vietnam prioritize functional effectiveness, long-term economic value, and certification credibility when evaluating green technology products. The study concludes that consumers in emerging markets integrate environmental concerns with practical and economic considerations in green purchasing decisions.