This study proposes a marketing strategy framework tailored to address the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Uzbekistan. Amidst a fiercely competitive business landscape, SMEs encounter obstacles in establishing brand awareness, attracting customers, and optimizing financial performance. To address these challenges and sustain growth, SMEs can leverage the extended marketing mix, encompassing product, price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical evidence. Employing a combination of descriptive and exploratory research methodologies, this study utilizes quantitative data-gathering techniques, including a survey of entrepreneurs’ perspectives on the implementation of marketing mix strategies by SMEs. Regression analysis, facilitated by STATA software, examines the correlation between marketing mix variables and SME development. Key findings underscore the importance of integrating marketing mix elements to enhance SME marketing efforts, cultivate brand loyalty, and gain a competitive advantage. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of marketing strategies for SMEs in developing economies like Uzbekistan, offering actionable insights for policymakers and entrepreneurs alike to foster SME growth and economic development.

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, has precipitated a paradigm shift in the realms of academic writing, plagiarism, and intellectual property. This article explores the evolving landscape of English composition courses, traditionally designed to develop critical thinking through writing. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the academic sphere, it necessitates a reevaluation of originality in writing, the purpose of learning research and writing, and the frameworks governing intellectual property (IP) and plagiarism. The paper commences with a statistical analysis contrasting the actual use of LLMs in academic dishonesty with educator perceptions. It then examines the repercussions of AI-enabled content proliferation, referencing the limitation of three books self-published per day in September 2023 by Amazon due to a suspected influx of AI-generated material. The discourse extends to the potential of AI in accelerating research akin to the contributions of digital humanities and computational linguistics, highlighting its accessibility to the general public. The article further delves into the implications of AI on pedagogical approaches to research and writing, contemplating its impact on communication and critical thinking skills, while also considering its role in bridging the digital divide and socio-economic disparities. Finally, it proposes revisions to writing curricula, adapting to the transformative influence of AI in academic contexts. 

One very essential tool for the success of any business operation is a good knowledge of the consumer behaviour of its target. Consumer behaviour encompasses the various actions, thoughts, and emotions that impact individuals’ decisions related to the purchase, usage, and disposal of goods and services in their daily lives. While existing literature extensively covers consumer decision-making processes, there is a noticeable lack of information on the factors influencing the decision-making processes of university students, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. To address this gap, the present study investigates the factors influencing the decisions of University of Cape Coast (UCC) students when choosing specific fast-food delivery vendors. Utilizing one-on-one interviews, a purposive sample of 12 University of Cape Coast students was selected to gather their perspectives. The findings from these interviews indicate that the primary factors influencing students’ choices to engage with fast-food delivery services are convenience/proximity, timely delivery, and the taste of the food. Additionally, sub-categories such as the quantity of food, packaging, and the appearance of delivery motor riders were identified. The outcomes of this study have implications for marketing communications, highlighting the importance of addressing factors like convenience, timely delivery, and taste to effectively engage university students in the context of fast-food delivery services.

The fast development of social media and online marketing brings a lot of benefits to business. In marketing, the use of controversial advertisements has increased in the last 2 decades. However, it is not clear whether consumers hold positive or negative attitudes toward controversial advertisements. Although the consumers’ attitudes toward competing brands are important determinants of their buying decisions, provocative messages could cause negative attitudes and negatively affect purchase decisions. While the issue of controversial or offensive advertising has been raised in Western countries, but there is a lack of study in this topic in developing countries like Vietnam. This study focuses on exploring the factors affecting to the attitude toward controversial advertising of consumers about FMCG products in Vietnam and suggesting solutions for applying controversial advertising in the Vietnamese context. Based on the related research, a research model is proposed including five variables: general beliefs, positive emotions, negative emotions, affective attitudes, cognitive attitudes. Through a survey of 286 valid samples, the research model has been tested using SEM/AMOS. The results show that all 6 hypotheses are supported. The research gives meaningful insights for any FMCG brand when it comes to deciding on controversial advertising strategy in Vietnamese market.

Information and Communication Technologies over the past decades have enhanced University Teachers’ ability to provide effective and prompt teaching and learning. Therefore, this study explored University Teachers' behaviour intentions toward the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning in higher educational institutions in Ghana. We grounded our study on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by testing the contributions of two key variables, the Cost of Internet Data and the Cost of Smart Phones to predict Behaviour Intentions (BI) of university teachers in three higher educational institutions towards the use of Digital Technologies (DTs) for online teaching and learning. We applied Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling for data analysis. Hypotheses testing on how the Cost of Internet Data and the Cost of Smartphones influence university teachers' Behaviour Intentions (BI) toward the use of Digital Technologies (DTs) were supported. The findings of our study further showed that university teachers’ intentions to use DTs are influenced by determinants such as social influence, personal experience, and facilitating conditions. The study concludes that the polarity in the findings could help the university authorities to understand the factors to consider in selecting appropriate digital technologies for teaching and learning in universities. The findings from this study are a template for University teachers to get governments to change policies that affect the introduction of digital technologies in higher educational institutions.