Avatar Anthropomorphism and Metaverse Marketing Adoption: A Social Cognitive Perspective

This study investigates the impact of self-efficacy among marketing professionals with digital tools affecting their strategic flexibility (ability to adjust marketing strategies to changing trends) and career adaptability (willingness to learn or change roles), and how these variables influence the adoption of metaverse marketing tools. Data were gathered using a cross-sectional online survey of 395 marketing and digital strategy professionals working in the e-commerce, digital marketing, information technology, and educational-technology sectors in China. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine a moderated mediation model between self-efficacy, strategic flexibility, career adaptability, and metaverse marketing adoption. Results show that Marketing self-efficacy significantly predicts strategic flexibility (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) and career adaptability (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) which fully mediate its impact on adoption, indicating an indirect behavioral path. Interestingly, avatar anthropomorphism strengthens these relationships (β = 0.20, p