PurposeThe study aims to investigate the impact of perceived brand localness (PBL) and perceived brand globalness (PBG) on brand authenticity (BA) to predict consumers' attitudes toward local and global brands in two Asian markets. Further, the study examines the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance (UA) after controlling the effects of brand familiarity (BF) in Asian markets (China and Pakistan).Design/methodology/approachIn accordance with the non-probability technique and through an online survey, the study collected 1,880 responses (on local and global brands) from China and Pakistan. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is the most robust technique applied to examine the proposed hypotheses in the Asian environment.FindingsAfter controlling the effects of BF, the findings revealed that PBL and PBG positively influenced consumers' perceptions of BA, which had a significant impact on consumers' brand attitudes toward both local and global brands in Asian markets. Further, the research identified that BA was an essential mediator from the Asian perspective. The interaction effects of UA and PBL on BA were discovered positively significant in Pakistan, whereas the effects of UA and PBG on BA were found negatively significant in Pakistan and had no effects in China.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focused on two Asian countries (China and Pakistan). However, future researchers may collect additional data from other Asian countries in order to generalize the findings in all Asian markets.Practical implicationsThe research assists local and global managers in designing and implementing various targeting, positioning and segmentation strategies for successfully managing businesses in Asian markets.Originality/valueThe novel research is based on signaling theory that contributes to the local and global branding domains from the Asian perspective (China and Pakistan).

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand the mediating role of psychological need and immersive experience on graduates' skill gaps on massive open online courses (MOOCs) adoption intention.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed research model is developed by combining two popular theoretical models, namely, the self-determination theory, network externalities theory along technology adoption theory. Data are collected from 318 respondents to test the model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to analyze the data.FindingsThe study reveals that the sense of psychological needs and immersive experience mediates the influence of skill gap and social interaction on MOOC adaption willingness. However, immersive experience alone cannot influence adoption intention. Similarly, psychological needs cannot have a significant impact on adoption intention without the graduate skill gap.Originality/valueThis study specifically focuses on investigating the mechanism of how psychological needs satisfaction mediates the relationship between graduates' skill gap and MOOC adoption intention. The findings suggest us to develop a course that will increase learners employability skill. This study also contributes by incorporating the idea of immersive experience to facilitate improved virtual social interaction.

Based on Construal-level theory, this study hypothesized that self-actualization positively relates to employees’ taking charge, and self-actualization affects creative performance and normal performance through taking charge positively, but the effect is different. The authors selected a cross-sectional design to investigate interrelations amongst study variables at two different time points with the interval of one month, and surveyed 417 team members and 186 immediate team leaders in the banking sector in Pakistan. The authors used individual-level data to evaluate the validity and test the proposed relationships by using Mplus. They revealed that self-actualization affects taking charge positively, and taking charge mediated the relationship with the difference in effect e.g. taking charge has high effect on creative performance in comparison to normal performance. The outcomes carry important implications aimed at increasing high-level self-actualization that results in taking charge, and so on leads to creative and normal performance.

Aim This study examines Pakistan nurses’ emotional labor and stress in healthcare emergencies on their emotional exhaustion and availability of support at organizational and managerial levels to alleviate the effects. Background As COVID‐19 pandemic has been declared a global outbreak and many countries have enacted medical emergencies, this has increased job demands and expected desired emotional expressions from frontline workers. Such high levels of job demand contribute to various stress reactions among employees. Methodology Authors applied a longitudinal design, using an experimental approach, to collect data from 319 nurses serving in 107 government hospitals in Pakistan. The authors surveyed nurses at two‐time points with the interval of 3 months by using an online questionnaire tool. At one time, they asked nurses to report on emotional labor, stress, and exhaustion. In the second phase, after providing supports (during interval phase) at different levels, the authors repeated the same scales from same participants in addition to instrumental support and coaching leadership. Data were processed using SPSS‐Amos for elementary analysis and Process‐macro for robustness and hypotheses testing. Results Authors find that job stress fully mediates relationship between surface acting and emotional exhaustion in controlled phase and partially mediates in intervention phase. Furthermore, in intervention phase, authors find that instrumental support moderates and alleviate positive effects of emotional labor on job stress, and coaching leadership moderates and lessens positive effects of job stress on emotional exhaustion. Conclusion This research concludes that healthcare organizations can alleviate emotional exhaustion caused by emotional labor and job stress amid emergencies by providing support at different levels; organizational and managerial. However, the effectiveness of these supports depends on high to low levels. Implications for Nursing Management This study demonstrates that to handle and support emotional labor and job stress to avoid emotional exhaustion in healthcare emergencies, organizational supports matter. Support at organizational level can include instrumental support. At managerial level, holding a coaching leadership style can foster external facets of management while uplifting the internal support qualities of confidence and self‐awareness that improve the individuals’ ability to lead; work with paradox and uncertainty.

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