This exploration will delve into the intricate state of the fashion industry, examining how economic and social shifts during the pandemic era gave rise to unprecedented outcomes. From the highs of pre-pandemic opulence to the lows of economic uncertainties, the scrutiny will focus on the industry's metamorphosis. The post-pandemic fashion landscape is characterized not only by the aftermath of a global health crisis but also by the omnipresence of technology and the transformative influence of social media and consumers. Furthermore, the navigation will extend through the rise of TikTok and the vintage fashion revival, exploring its roots in consumerism, sustainability, and a collective consumer base. It is important to note COVID-19 as both a challenge to fashion and the mark of a new era. Through this exploration, the aim is to uncover not only the industry's response to adversity but also the beginning of a transformation that reflects a new era for fashion.

My research investigates how tech businesses alter society by engaging with their consumers in online and mobile spaces. In the first chapter, I examine the effect of a user deterrence policy - a policy that adds friction to information sharing and promotion to curb malicious activities of abnormal users - on regular users in an online platform. According to a quasi-experiment on an online news site, the deterrence policy increases regular users’ feedback activities by 0.11 percent by upvoting or downvoting others’ comments. To examine the underlying rationale for effect, I use the rational voting decisions framework and find that the deterrent policy enhances the subjective likelihood of affecting the popularity of comments among regular users by casting a decisive vote, due to the expected drop in abnormal user activity. Additionally, I observe that the deterrence policy strongly affects active users and political extremes. As disinformation poses a substantial threat to the sustainability of online platforms, this study provides valuable insights for businesses and policymakers as they assess the consequences of abnormal user deterrence policies. In the second chapter, I develop a conceptual model that shows how the efficacy of artificial intelligence positively affects firm performance, which is mediated by improved distributive equity. Using a dataset of 45 million users from 35 countries across 5 continents collected from a global artificial intelligence-powered education app, I find strong support for distributive equity as a mediator between the perceived efficacy of artificial intelligence and firm performance. I also find that the mediating effect of distributive equity is more pronounced in severe environmental conditions regarding political regimes, economic development, socio-cultural aspect, and technological resources, hence aiding in the actualization of artificial intelligence in such contexts. This research contributes to the growing popularity of the blended value proposition, such as the simultaneous pursuit of financial and social interests, by expanding a business model from a bottom line to a double bottom line approach. I discuss how this study extends the literature and provides managerial implications of artificial intelligence firms for global expansion, recruitment, and an inclusive information system.

In our society, technology has found itself as the root cause of a certain level of modernization. It wasn’t long ago when people heavily depended on bank tellers to complete cash transactions at a bank. Now however, much of the bank teller’s job has been automated in the form of ATM’s and electronic kiosks at drive through lanes. Automation is the current trend, and more departments are going to experience it. To those wondering which area or department may be hit next by a wave of technological automation, the answer is quite simple: CRM. In its raw form, CRM, which stands for Customer Relationship Management, is a “system for managing your relationships with customers” (Hubspot). Essentially, it is a software intended to help companies maintain strong relationships with their customers, customers being a critical part of the process. A good CRM system should benefit both the business and the customer. However, this is easier said than done, making the million dollar question the following: how can CRM systems be improved to truly benefit both the business and the customer? This paper will demonstrate that the answer is quite simple: automation. Through secondary research, as well as interviews conducted with various business professionals, I will demonstrate that automation and integration can make the process much more efficient and can erase a lot of errors in the process. Automation is the future of business, and this fact is not any less true in the CRM field.

The goal of this thesis is to find information to further develop understandings of male customers in the cosmetic and personal care industry. The methods and results are aimed to help direct marketers and product developers create more successful business expeditions in the future. The thesis is based off of an online Qualtrics survey created and distributed to male Arizona State University students enrolled in a Marketing Principles class and then appropriately analyzed with SPSS and Qualtrics data tools. The quantitative survey allowed an investigation of external and internal factors in male respondents’ personal lives and how that may translate into their skincare purchasing practices. Rather than asking what products consumers want, this survey aimed to find significant and influential factors behind young male interest in these products. After analyzing the responses the key implications are that social stigma, and perceptions of attractiveness and self-confidence are not the largest inhibitors for men, but rather that their relationships with others have the most significant influence over their use of skincare products.