Rusdiyanto Rusdiyanto

During COVID-19, consumers of skincare products pay more attention to safety and comfort. In such a crisis, consumers seek skincare products with brand effectiveness, high quality, and persuasive reviews by social media influencers. This study investigates the influence of brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers on purchase intention of halal skincare products in the pandemic. The study employed a survey of halal skincare users in East Java, Indonesia. A purposive sampling of 180 female respondents was analyzed; they were followers of Safi-Skincare Instagram and aged 18 and over. Descriptive statistics indicated that religious background strengthened the factors influencing the purchase intention towards a skincare product. The data were then analyzed using multiple linear regression with a statistical level of confidence of 95%. The result showed that brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers significantly affect purchase intention in Indonesia during the pandemic. The study concludes that Muslim standards reinforce rigid standards applied to skincare products with a halal logo, supporting good quality performance and encouraging stronger purchase intention. This study contributes to understanding consumer behavior in the pandemic using a purchase intention framework that can be applied to the safety and comfort of other consumer products.

Acknowledgment
We would like to thank Universitas Jember, East Java, Indonesia, for providing partial publication funding.

This study aims to evaluate and test the impact of knowledge, trust, unity, and self-efficacy on knowledge management of employees in Indonesian businesses in the education sector. This empirical study also examines the relationship between knowledge management among employees in Indonesian education sector businesses and conformity through knowledge self-efficacy, trust, and unity. A quantitative causality technique was employed in the study using a sample of workers from Indonesian companies involved in the education sector (at least 35 years old and engaged). The primary data consisted of 220 replies from respondents with varying educational backgrounds. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling software was used to analyze the data. The Likert scale is used to determine each answer’s value. Empirical evidence shows that knowledge self-efficacy does not affect the knowledge management of employees in these companies (T Statistics = 0.992); on the other hand, knowledge self-efficacy influences conformity, harmony, and confidence, which in turn affects the knowledge management of employees in these companies. The indirect effect demonstrates that agreement can moderate the influence of knowledge self-efficacy on the knowledge management of employees in these companies (T Statistics = 5,959); conversely, conformity mediates the strong impact of trust on the knowledge management of employees in these businesses. The empirical results show that employees need to have a high level of knowledge for diverse expertise to function well. Conversely, trust will make people more eager to share their information. Lack of confidence might impede the dissemination of knowledge.

Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the partial publication funding provided by Indonesia school of Economic (STIESIA), Surabaya, Indonesia

Type of the article: Research article

Abstract
SMEs in East Java, Indonesia, play a crucial role in supporting the national economy, yet they continue to face significant obstacles in the context of global competition. Key challenges include limited access to financial capital, suboptimal adoption of green business strategies and technology, low awareness regarding environmental performance in business operations, and the need for human resource development. Furthermore, a substantial number of SMEs operate informally, which restricts their ability to access policy support and broader markets. This study aims to examine the mediating effect of green business strategy on the relationship between environmental performance and the marketing performance of SMEs. The analysis was conducted with 103 randomly selected batik SME entrepreneurs in East Java. A quantitative approach was employed, involving structured surveys and data analysis using the SEM-PLS technique. The empirical findings reveal that environmental performance has a significant positive impact on green business strategy (significance value p = 0.000***), and green business strategy, in turn, positively affects the marketing performance of SMEs (p = 0.003***). Additionally, environmental performance also directly contributes significantly to SME marketing performance (p = 0.001***). Indirectly, green business strategy is proven to mediate the relationship between environmental performance and SME marketing performance (p = 0.004***). These results indicate that environmental performance not only directly influences SME marketing performance but also exerts an indirect effect by strengthening green business strategies.

Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the invaluable support and resources provided by the leadership of Wijaya Putra University Surabaya, which were instrumental throughout the research. Furthermore, sincere gratitude is expressed to all individuals who contributed directly or indirectly, offering assistance and time that significantly facilitated the successful completion of this study.