Entertainment is increasingly an integral part of the marketing strategy used by shopping centres to entice consumers. Further, entertainment can be a means of image differentiation for shopping centres, given that the image of a competitive retail institution is a critical determinant in consumer patronage decisions. However few studies have examined the contribution of entertainment to shopping centre image. Moreover, using entertainment as a means of identifying distinct market segments has not been explored. Hence, the purpose of this study was twofold. First, a model of attributes that represented the shopping centre image was identified. Three essential attributes that have been neglected in most shopping centre studies were revealed, namely entertainment, food and security. Second, six market segments of shopping centre patrons were identified and labelled the 'serious' shopper, the 'entertainment' shopper, the 'demanding' shopper, the 'convenience' shopper, the 'apathetic' shopper and the 'service' shopper. In particular, the 'entertainment' shopper and the 'service'shopper are identified as entertainment-seeking segments. Managerial implications of the findings and future research directions are addressed.

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Social media platforms are facing increasing tensions in balancing the desire to maintain freedom of expression with limiting the spread of fake news and misinformation. This study investigates whether giving primacy to the source of misinformation on Facebook influences users' sharing behaviour. Two experimental studies show that when fake news is presented in a source‐primacy format, users are less likely to share the post because of reduced trust in the message and increased perceptions of deceptive intent. Additionally, this effect persists only when the person sharing the fake news has a weak interpersonal relationship with the receiver. The study extends current understanding of how misinformation is shared and provides insights into how presentation formats can be used to limit the spread of fake news without restricting freedom of speech.

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The aim of this chapter is to explore the role of environmental scanning in information systems for strategic decisions in the context of small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in Australia. A case study approach was adopted for this exploratory study. In-depth interviews were conducted with owners of two SMEs. Data were analysed using manual qualitative data analysis techniques. Owing to the unique characteristics of SMEs, findings suggest that SMEs share some commonalities and differences to their large firm counterparts. In general, SMEs have a clear idea what their information needs are. They have a narrow scope of scanning, which focuses mainly on economic, customers, and competitive information. External sources from media, salespeople, clients, and competitors are their major sources of information. Human memory and manual filing systems are the key methods of storing information. The information is distributed through personal communications. SMEs use common sense and intuitive approach rather than sophisticated analytical tools to analyse the information. The scanned information is used for both strategic and functional decisions. The findings provide insight to SMEs as to the usefulness of environmental scanning in making various business decisions.

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PurposeThe present study examines the dimensions that are meaningful to define the perceived authenticity of online-only brands (OOBs) (i.e. retail brands that trade exclusively online) from a consumer's perspective. Past frameworks of perceived authenticity exist in the branding literature but consistently focus on contexts beyond e-commerce settings like OOBs.Design/methodology/approachWe employed a mixed-method research design, consisting of quasi-qualitative and quantitative studies with online customers, to establish the dimensions meaningful for the perceived authenticity of OOBs. Our work has theory testing and building components.FindingsWe identify five dimensions that are meaningful to define consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs. They are “honesty”, “connection”, “continuity”, “craftsmanship” and “accessibility”. Representing by multiple factors, “craftsmanship” serves as the most meaningful dimension followed by “accessibility”. Often being considered incompatible with perceived authenticity, we find accessibility particularly relevant to the context of OOBs. It describes the “convenient” and “affordable” aspects of OOBs, which typically serve as unique selling propositions.Originality/valueOur work confirms the utility of established dimensions to define consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs. This highlights that consumers hold some consistent authenticity image between non-online and online brands. Our work also reveals the accessibility dimension being neglected by the branding literature, suggesting a more up-to-date perspective is needed when studying consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs.

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