This systematic literature review (SLR) delves into the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered virtual influencers (VIs) in social media, examining trust factors, engagement strategies, VI efficacy compared to human influencers, ethical considerations, and future trends. Analyzing 60 academic articles from 2012 to 2024, drawn from reputable databases, the study applies specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Both automated and manual searches ensure a comprehensive review. Findings reveal a surge in VI research post-2012, primarily in journals, with quantitative methods prevailing. Geographically, research focuses on Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America, indicating gaps in representation from other regions. Key themes highlight trust and engagement’s critical role in VI marketing, navigating the balance between consistency and authenticity. Challenges persist regarding artificiality and accountability, managed through brand alignment and transparent communication. VIs offers advantages, including control and cost efficiencies, yet grapple with authenticity issues, addressed through human-like features. Ethically, VI emergence demands stringent guidelines and industry cooperation to safeguard consumer well-being. Looking ahead, VIs promises transformative storytelling, necessitating vigilance in ethical considerations. This study advocates for continued scholarly inquiry and industry reflection to navigate VI marketing evolution responsibly, shaping the future influencer marketing landscape.

This study examines the spatial distribution of socioeconomic conditions in Colombia, using Moran's Index as a tool for spatial autocorrelation analysis. Key indicators related to education, health, infrastructure, access to basic services, employment, and housing conditions are addressed, allowing the identification of inequalities and structural barriers. The research reveals patterns of positive autocorrelation in several socioeconomic dimensions, suggesting a concentration of poverty and underdevelopment in certain geographic areas of the country. The results show that municipalities with more unfavorable conditions tend to cluster spatially, particularly in the northern, northwestern, western, eastern, and southern regions of the country, while the central areas exhibit better conditions. Permutation analyses are employed to validate the statistical significance of the findings, and LISA cluster maps highlight the regions with the highest concentration of poverty and social vulnerability. This work contributes to the literature on inequality and regional development in emerging economies, demonstrating that public policies should prioritize intervention in territories that exhibit significant spatial clustering of poverty. The methodology and findings provide a foundation for future studies on spatial correlation and economic planning in both local and international contexts.

This study examines the intricate interplay between the digital environment and the evolving communication dynamics of Generation Z, specifically focusing on the impact of social media on familial bonds. The research objective is to explore the ways in which Generation Z’s social media consumption patterns shape their relationships and lives, providing insights into the intricate interplay between technology and human connections. Adopting Hirschi and Wellman’s theoretical framework, this investigation employs a survey method, utilizing a questionnaire to gather data from 384 Iranian Generation Z social media users. The findings reveal a significant and negative correlation between family bonds and social media usage, dependency on the platform, and support received from it. Excessive use diminishes interaction and intimacy, highlighting social media’s potential consequences for family relationships, which are crucial for individual and societal well-being. The study underscores the significance of balanced social media usage and encourages initiatives promoting face-to-face interactions, empathy, and responsible digital citizenship. The findings hold significant implications for academics and policymakers in developing strategies that promote responsible digital habits, foster healthy relationships, and contribute to digital citizenship advancement. This may involve regulatory initiatives, guidelines for social media platforms, and public awareness campaigns emphasizing the importance of balanced digital habits.

Using the Resource Advantage Theory approach, this research aims to examine the gap between entrepreneurial opportunities and marketing performance, with market-based innovation capability acting as a mediating variable. The data collection method used non-probability sampling with a purposive sampling technique. The data that was eligible to be processed were 250 respondents. Hypothesis testing was used using the AMOS application. The research results show that market-based innovation capability can improve marketing performance as a mediating variable. In addition, market penetration strength can also improve marketing performance. As a strategic variable, market-based innovation capability (MBIC) converts entrepreneurial opportunities into competitive advantages relevant to market needs. In addition, business actors become more adaptive and responsive to market dynamics, increasing competitiveness sustainably. MBIC, rooted in the Resource Advantage Theory of competition, contributes to developing market-based innovation strategies in the UMKM sector.

This research aims to test the effect that the implementation of green practices at a major sport tourism event, the Badminton World Championships in Huelva (Spain), has on the future intention of spectators to return to similar sport events. A total of 523 spectators who attended the event were randomly selected and self-administered in the presence of the interviewer. A confirmatory factor analysis of the model and a multi-group analysis were carried out. Sporting events have a great impact on the environment in which they are organised, mainly when they are linked to tourism, whether at an economic, social or environmental level. The results indicated that green practices indirectly influence spectators' future intentions through emotions and satisfaction, direct antecedents. In addition, green practices directly affect both image and trust, and indirectly affect satisfaction. In conclusion, green practices are a variable to be taken into account when planning the organisation of a sporting event that aims to consolidate itself in the tourism and sports services market.