Purpose -This paper aims to analyse the antecedents of brand love in online network-based communities and to develop an integrative conceptual model in which social-interactive engagement influences brand love via the mediating effects of social identity. Design/methodology/approach -A survey was conducted on the Facebook fan pages of 20 leading international brands. A total of 387 responses were collected from consumers living primarily in Europe and the USA. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the hypothesised linkages. Findings -The results confirmed that the positive influence of social-interactive engagement on brand love is mediated by the psychological effects related to how members perceive their self-concept based on belonging to the social group of the brand fan page. Research limitations/implications -This study considered Facebook, the favourite social network used by customers to connect with brands. Future research is invited to consider other social media to increase the external validity of the model. Practical implications -To strengthen the emotional bond with a brand in online network-based communities, managers should stimulate consumers' social identity by leveraging on the experiences which influence social-interactive engagement. Originality/value -This study is the first to investigate the effects of social-interactive engagement on social identity to enhance the understanding of brand love's antecedents in specific online social environments.

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Purpose – This paper analyzes consumers’ attitudes and behaviors towards online piracy and their willingness to try subscription-based music\ud services. The objective is to develop and test an attitude-intention model which includes ethical considerations in consumers’ decision making\ud process regarding music consumption.\ud Design/methodology/approach – The study analyzes 505 consumer questionnaires using a structural equations model.\ud Findings – Attitude toward online piracy is positively determined by economic and hedonic benefits and negatively by moral judgment. A favorable\ud attitude toward online piracy, in turn, negatively influences consumers’ willingness to try subscription-based music services, which is also directly\ud determined by their interest and involvement with the services themselves.\ud Research limitations/implications – The limitations of the paper are linked mainly to the adapted scales, to the analysis of just two\ud subscription-based music services (Napster and Spotify) and to the fact that all respondents came from one country.\ud Practical implications – The results call for a greater commitment by music industry actors to educate consumers about the consequences and\ud implications of online music piracy, while also stressing the value added and hedonic benefits offered by subscription-based music services.\ud Originality/value – This paper is the first to focus on consumers’ propensity toward online piracy and their willingness to try subscription-based\ud music services as a possible alternative to the phenomenon, through the development and test of an attitude-intention model that includes ethical\ud considerations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of external knowledge in the innovation process of firms in the food and beverage (F&B) industry and the effects of two external knowledge sourcing modes on new product development (NPD) performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies a quantitative approach, relying on data from 157 Italian firms operating in the F&B industry to test the hypotheses through OLS regression models. Findings Results suggest that the surveyed firms actively engage in open innovation with strong ties with market-based sources. Moreover, the authors found that market-based sources are associated with income from incremental innovation and time to market, while science-based sources are associated with income from radical innovation. Finally, the authors found that the R&D intensity enhances the benefits of the above external knowledge sourcing modes. Originality/value Despite the large amount of studies assessing the effects of external knowledge sourcing on performance in the open innovation field, few studies focused on a specific industry, especially with regard to F&B. Moreover, this paper considers different types of NPD performance measures given that different external knowledge sourcing modes exert different effects.

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PurposeThere is a need to understand value co-creation in service ecosystems that engage multiple actors with different goals. This study aims to extend the understanding of value co-creation by considering the orchestration of service ecosystems with reference to resource-integration processes.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study approach is used to analyze actors' roles in resource orchestration within a service ecosystem, gathering data from the macro, meso and micro levels of an Italian hospitality and tourism services ecosystem.FindingsA framework is devised that highlights the intersection between orchestration and resource integration for value co-creation processes across the macro, meso and micro levels in service ecosystems. This extends the understanding of service ecosystem dynamics, especially how new value co-creation structures emerge, by emphasizing the circular causality between system levels. Findings show how orchestrating resource integration activities initiate and institutionalize non-linear value co-creation processes.Practical implicationsResource integration orchestration within and between ecosystem levels is a possible response to societal challenges and for creating economic, cultural and social value across the community. The study offers policymakers insights into developing new competencies for developing actions according to a logic of socially and sustainable value.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of service orchestration by expanding the concept and the feasibility of service ecosystem orchestration. It offers insights into the importance of orchestrating resource integration to the emergence and vitality of service ecosystems themselves. The study responds to the need for empirical studies on value co-creation.