Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (ISSN 1997-8553)
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Straight Talk or Green Talk? Family Firms and the Integrity of CSR Reporting
Full text linkThis study investigates whether family firms are less prone to corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling. By analyzing 34,588 firm-year observations across 41 countries (2006–2017) using panel regression on STATA 18 software, study finds that family firms exhibit significantly lower levels of CSR decoupling, greenwashing, and brownwashing compared to non-family firms. These findings suggest that family firms prioritize stakeholder interests and maintain greater alignment between CSR disclosure and performance. Moreover, country-level cultural practices moderate this relationship. Grounded in socioemotional wealth theory, the results imply that family firms, driven by long-term stakeholder relationships and reputational concerns, are more likely to engage in transparent and responsible CSR reporting
Addicted to the Fake: Coaction Theory and the Psychology Behind Counterfeit Consumption
Full text linkThis study explores how behavioral addictions, specifically compulsive and addictive buying, shape counterfeit consumption through the mediating roles of hedonic motivation and social comparison. While prior research has explored maladaptive buying behaviors and counterfeit purchasing separately, limited attention has been given to their intersection within emerging markets. Drawing on coaction theory, this study integrates these constructs to explain how psychological dependencies translate into unethical consumption choices.
Data were collected from 944 young urban shopping mall consumers of Pakistan via self-administered questionnaires. The dataset was analyzed using SPSS 23 for preliminary analysis and AMOS 23 for covariance-based structural equation modeling. The findings confirm that both compulsive and addictive buying behaviors significantly influence counterfeit consumption indirectly through heightened hedonic and social comparison motives. These mediating mechanisms highlight that pleasure-seeking and peer conformity jointly sustain counterfeit demand among young consumers.
The study contributes to the literature by extending coaction theory into consumer psychology and demonstrating how behavioral addictions operate within collectivist, price-sensitive contexts. Policy-wise, the results underscore the need for awareness campaigns and regulatory strategies targeting emotional and social triggers of counterfeit consumption. Marketers and brand managers can also use these insights to design interventions that promote authentic consumption habits and reduce counterfeit apparel
Environmental, Social, and Governance Score and Corporate Financial Performance: The Strategic Role of Corporate Cash Holdings
Full text linkThis research paper investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance on corporate financial performance (CFP). Moreover, it explores the moderating role of corporate cash holdings in the link between ESG and the financial performance of firms. Data is collected for companies with ESG ratings throughout the world. The final sample of this study consists of 6072 firms from 1999 to 2020 covering the various regions of the universe, including East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and North America. Panel data regression by using STATA software is conducted to investigate the direct and moderating roles among the variables. The research’s findings show that higher ESG hurts firms\u27 profitability, measured by EBIT; however, ESG positively influences firms’ revenue (sales). Furthermore, we examined the moderating role of corporate cash holdings on the ESG and CFP nexus. The results indicate that firms with substantial cash reserves can better manage the costs associated with ESG activities, mitigate the impact on profitability, and enhance revenue generation. Our research study contributes to the existing knowledge and provides novel insights regarding ESG by investigating the role of corporate cash holdings on the ESG and corporate financial performance nexus. This study highlights the incentives for corporate managers to maintain sufficient cash reserves. Secondly, firms should adopt governance policies that balance short-run financial goals with long-run sustainability objectives
Unveiling the Impact of AI-Chatbot Attributes and Anthropomorphic Cues in E-Commerce
Full text linkThe rise of AI chatbots in e-commerce has revolutionized digital customer service, yet understanding the factors influencing customer adoption remains a challenge. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model 2 and Anthropomorphism theory, the study aims to examine how human-like interaction elements can enhance trust and usability, leading to greater customer engagement with AI chatbots in e-commerce. A quantitative approach was employed, involving a sample of 423 respondents from Malaysia who interacted with AI chatbots on e-commerce platforms. Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) have a significant direct influence on customer adoption, where PU became the strongest predictor, followed by PEOU. Perceived trust showed no direct influence, but strongly predicted anthropomorphic cues which in turn had a direct positive influence on customer adoption and indirect positive influence as a mediator between trust and adoption. The variable perceived trust (PT) showed no direct influence on adoption; instead, anthropomorphic cues and a strong mediating effect by anthropomorphic features such as emotional expressions and human-like communication enhance user experience, build trust, and drive adoption. This research highlights the originality of the study, which clearly explains that functional attributes (PU and PEOU) are not solely determined by adoption but are carefully designed by the mediating variable of anthropomorphic features. These insights are critical for e-commerce businesses and AI developers in designing chatbots that foster customer trust, usability, and satisfaction. The study contributes to the academic discourse on AI adoption and offers practical strategies for optimizing chatbot-human interaction in digital commerce
Green HRM and Green Image: The Serial Mediating Role Between Green Banking Practices and Sustainable Performance
Full text linkThe Purpose of the paper is to assess the role of green banking practices on sustainable performance through the serial mediation of green human resources management and green image. The researchers with a positivist research philosophy employ a cross-sectional study design to collect data through questionnaires comprised of scales adapted from prior studies. With a usable sample size of 356 respondents, the study uses PLS-SEM for measurement and structural model assessment. Study reveals the significant role of green banking practices on sustainable performance and serial mediation role of green human resources management and green image in between green banking practices and sustainable performance found significant. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by demonstrating how green banking practices improve sustainable performance. Its novelty resides in exploring the serial mediation role of green human resources management and green image between green banking practices and sustainable performance. Policy-wise, the findings point to the developing supportive legislation and incentives that would ensure that the banks make green HRM practices and improve their green image, as this would lead to the long-term sustainability outcomes of the banking industry
Does Brand Betrayal Indeed Incite Brand Hate? A Moderated Mediation Model of Past Experience and Perceived Deception
Full text linkThis study investigates whether brand betrayal, caused primarily by deceptive brand communication, incites brand hate among consumers. We performed PLS-based structural equation modeling, using SmartPLS on a dataset comprising 450 respondents selected through Mall Intercept sampling to corroborate the hypothesized relationships between the subject constructs. A significant mediating effect of perceived deception in the swelling of brand hate attributable to brand betrayal has been empirically substantiated. A moderation analysis reveals that the relationship between brand betrayal and perceived deception and the association between perceived deception and brand hate become more robust due to the crossover of negativity accumulated through past experiences. The paper offers rich contributions in enhancing our understanding of betrayal → deception, → hate serial links in the brand, and in the general context. This study\u27s findings expand the exiguous theoretical and empirical evidence on brand hate and offer helpful advice to marketers on how to truncate brand hate to avoid its negative implications. It is a pioneering study investigating the antecedents and contextual contingencies of brand hate in a South Asian geographical context
Drivers of Renewable Energy Adoption: Assessing the Role of Artificial Intelligence and Climate Finance in High-Income Economies
Full text linkRenewable energy adoption (RNE) has become a worldwide concern owing to its fundamental role in achieving environmental goals. The literature has suggested diverse factors that can influence RNE. However, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and climate finance in shaping RNE has received little attention. This research examines the role of AI and climate finance in shaping renewable energy, utilizing panel data from 29 high-income countries from 2000 to 2020. The empirical analysis is conducted using panel data estimators such as fixed and effects models and the system generalized method of moments. Moreover, the method of moments quantile regression is used to assess the nonlinear effects of AI on RNE. The results are estimated using Stata software. The empirical outcomes indicate that AI exerts a positive influence on renewable energy. This finding implies that AI initiatives can trigger efforts toward the renewable energy transition. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the marginal effects of AI on RNE vary across different levels of AI. Similarly, climate finance also positively and significantly contributes to renewable energy. Finally, the empirical outcomes demonstrate that climate finance moderates the role of AI in RNE. Policymakers need to focus on AI integration in renewable energy systems by prioritizing climate finance availability in AI applications that support renewable energy development
The Impact of Sustainable Leadership on Sustainable Performance: The Moderated Mediation of Green Organizational Culture and Organizational Commitment
Full text linkThis study investigates the relationship between sustainable leadership and the sustainable performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan, with a particular focus on the mediating role of organizational commitment and the moderating influence of green organizational culture. Data were collected from 351 respondents representing small to medium-sized manufacturing firms using a purposive sampling technique. SmartPLS 4 software was employed to test the measurement and structural model and to test the hypotheses using partial least square structural equation modeling. The findings reveal a significant positive association between sustainable leadership and sustainable organizational performance. Moreover, organizational commitment was found to mediate this relationship, while green organizational culture emerged as a critical contextual factor influencing these dynamics. This study contributes to the existing literature by offering a novel perspective on how sustainable performance encompassing ethical practices, social responsibility, and environmental initiatives is vital for achieving long-term organizational success in a rapidly evolving business environment
Building Customer Citizenship Behavior through Corporate Social Responsibility, Perceived Value, and Perceived Service Quality: The Mediating Effect of Corporate Reputation
Full text linkThis paper focuses on examining the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR), perceived value, and perceived service quality on corporate reputation and customer citizenship behavior (CCB) in the airline industry. It further aimed to verify the mediating effect of corporate reputation among the aforementioned variables. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and a convenience sampling technique for data collection. Specifically, required data were collected through an online survey from 346 Airline passengers in the UAE. After data collection, partial least square structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 4 was used for analyzing the data. The findings showed that corporate reputation positively affects CCB. The analysis further revealed that CSR, perceived service quality and perceived value have positive effects on also corporate reputation as well as CCB. Finally, it was verified that corporate reputation mediates the link among the stated factors and customer citizenship behavior. These results enrich our knowledge about the factors that affect CCB in the airline industry. In addition, taking-into account the small number of studies that have been conducted previously about this topic in the Arab region, this article adds to the prevalent literature by investigating the influence of the selected factors on corporate reputation and customer citizenship behavior with empirical insights from the UAE
Threshold Analysis, Financial Inclusion and Financial Stability in Developing Economies: Assessing the Moderating Role of Digital Financial Inclusion
Full text linkThis study examines the relationship between financial inclusion and financial stability in developing economies, with a focus on the moderating role of digital financial inclusion (DFII) and the identification of threshold effects. Using a dynamic panel analysis with a two-step System GMM estimator, the analysis covers 72 developing countries from 2012 to 2022. A composite financial stability index (FSI) is developed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to capture financial soundness and market depth. The inclusion dimensions model results indicate that penetration and usability of financial services have a negative impact on financial stability (FSI). Conversely, accessibility has a positive influence on FSI. However, both indices traditional financial inclusion (TFII) and DFII in model 2 analysis reveal a negative relationship between both indices and financial stability. The results of the third moderation model show that DFII strongly moderates these TFII effects by enhancing access efficiency and transparency. A threshold effect is identified in model 5 analysis of this study, suggesting that the benefits of inclusion diminish and potentially reverse beyond a certain level. The findings suggest the need for balanced financial inclusion policies that integrate both traditional and digital financial services