Earticle

China and South Korea, two major representatives of the micro-drama industry, have developed distinct development paths and industrial logics due to differences in market environments, industrial foundations, and cultural DNA. Relying on the ecosystem of short video platforms and algorithmic recommendations, China embraces a "channel-centric" approach. IP development relies on traffic-driven growth and rapid monetization, fostering a highly efficient "invest-test-money" commercialization model. However, this model suffers from content homogeneity, shallow narratives, and short IP lifecycles. South Korea, rooted in a mature film and television industry system and upholding a "content-centric" tradition, prioritizes emotional tension, character development, and narrative integrity, resulting in IP development with a more long-term perspective and the potential for cross-media storytelling. This study compares the differences between China and South Korea across five dimensions: industrial model, IP origins, development strategies, narrative logic, and case studies. China, driven by the "traffic logic," fosters fragmented narratives and a horizontally expanding "database consumption" model, while South Korea constructs a "story universe" with emotional depth and a complete worldview, promoting vertical IP development and brand building. By comparing Chinese and Korean cases, this paper reveals fundamental differences in IP operations between the two countries. It suggests that Chinese micro-short dramas, while maintaining their channel advantages, should shift from a "traffic logic" to a "content logic": promoting narratives from "stacked with exciting moments" to "building a story world"; guiding platforms from "traffic distributors" to "cultivators of the ecosystem"; and leveraging technology to enhance content quality and cultural connotations. By rebalancing "channels and content," an IP ecosystem with both commercial value, cultural appeal, and sustainable vitality can be built.

This study presents a systematic review of on-demand services within a sustainability context. We conducted a comprehensive weighted synthesis and a preliminary meta-analysis of 31 quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2025. Guided by a review protocol, we assess the key determinants of user adoption and behavioral intentions and identify the principal drivers of the sharing economy. The findings show that sustainability plays a crucial role in shaping consumer attitudes and intentions. Core predictors of on-demand service adoption include attitude, economic benefits, and social impact. Although economic benefits and convenience remain the primary drivers of adoption, rising awareness of environmental and social responsibility is gradually influencing consumer choices. In addition, trust and perceived risk affect user intentions, underscoring the need for platforms to strengthen transparency and security. Building on these insights, the article proposes an integrative framework that can serve as a theoretical foundation for future research. Given current limitations in the literature, future work should broaden data sources and database coverage, employ multi-method validation, conduct cross-industry comparisons, and examine workers’rights and career development to generate more explanatory and actionable insights.

This study investigates how luxury consumption values influence brand attachment and purchase intention, focusing on generational differences between the MZ and older generations. A questionnaire survey of 355 Chinese consumers from both cohorts was conducted between March 24 and April 11, 2025. Using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0, the study examined the relationships among four consumption value dimensions—hedonic, quality, conspicuous, and social—and their effects on brand attachment and purchase intention. The results indicate that all four value dimensions positively influence both brand attachment and purchase intention, though the strength of these effects varies by generation. Specifically, hedonic and conspicuous values have stronger effects among MZ consumers, while quality and social values are more influential for older consumers. These findings highlight the different psychological mechanisms underlying generational consumption behaviors. The study contributes to the integration of Consumption Value Theory and Attachment Theory by revealing generation-specific pathways in luxury consumption. Practically, it suggests that marketers should develop differentiated strategies, such as emphasizing emotional and experiential branding for MZ consumers and quality-based trust building for older consumers. The study is limited to Chinese consumers; future research should employ cross-national samples and consider additional factors such as social media influence and digital brand experiences.

With the rapid development of the metaverse and immersive technologies, virtual experience has emerged as a pivotal innovative medium, significantly enhancing user participation and fostering profound emotional connections. Grounded in Symbolic Interaction Theory and Self-Expansion Theory, this study investigates the mechanisms through which virtual experience interactivity influences user acceptance and attachment. The research framework posits three dimensions of interactivity—content interaction, situational interaction, and device interaction—as independent variables, with user acceptance and attachment serving as dependent variables. Furthermore, self-cognitive expansion, spiritual expansion, and self-efficacy expansion are incorporated as mediating variables. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey, yielding 350 valid responses from active users of various virtual platforms. The data were subsequently analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The empirical results demonstrate that all three interactivity dimensions significantly impact user acceptance and attachment, but through distinct mediating pathways. Specifically, situational interaction strongly influences attachment through the mediation of self-cognitive expansion, while device interaction directly drives user acceptance. Content interaction, on the other hand, exerts its primary effect on attachment via spiritual expansion. These findings not only validate the theoretical model and enrich academic research but also offer valuable practical insights for designers and marketers seeking to optimize virtual experiences.