European Economic Letters (EEL)

The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Job Satisfaction Among Bank Employees: An Empirical Analysis

Navya S T, Ramesh Chandrahasa — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the impact of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction among bank employees in Karnataka. Emotional intelligence (EI), which encompasses self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, has been increasingly recognised as a vital determinant of employee well-being and organisational effectiveness. A structured questionnaire was administered to 200 employees from various public and private sector banks across the state of Karnataka. The data were analysed using statistical techniques, including correlation and regression analysis. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. Among the five dimensions, self-regulation and self-awareness were the strongest predictors. These results suggest that banking institutions should incorporate emotional intelligence development into their HR practices to enhance employee satisfaction, reduce turnover, and improve organisational performance.

Best Practices for Gender Inclusion in Leadership Roles

Nupur Saxena Kulshrestha — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s evolving professional landscape, the imperative for gender inclusion in leadership roles has never been more critical. Despite growing awareness, women and gender-diverse individuals continue to face systemic barriers that limit their access to leadership opportunities across industries. Gender inclusion in leadership is not merely a matter of equity—it is a strategic advantage that fosters diverse perspectives, drives innovation, and enhances organizational performance. Embracing inclusive leadership practices means creating an environment where individuals of all gender identities feel valued, empowered, and equipped to succeed. This requires a deliberate commitment to dismantling biases, ensuring equitable policies, and cultivating cultures that support diverse leadership pathways. As organizations strive to build more inclusive and effective leadership structures, understanding and implementing best practices for gender inclusion becomes an essential step toward achieving long-term success and social progress[1].

Gender diversity is the variation of gene within a species. In work parlance it means equitable proportion of male and female employees in a workplace. The Gender gap should be as low as possible so as to reduce inequality to bare minimum.

Diversity And Inclusivity in Senior Management-Future of Work Place Dynamics

Nupur Saxena Kulshrestha, A Kumar, AK Sharan — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We are already witnessing a reversal of decades of modest and shaky progress on gender equality and women's rights. Without a coordinated reaction, we risk losing a generation's worth of gains. In short, the pandemic is exposing and increasing the significant barriers that women confront in exercising their rights and realizing their full potential. It may take years, if not millennia, to restore lost progress. Board variety fosters the inculcation of various views with inside the boardroom primarily based totally at the mixture of flexible human and social capital, having an ability effect on next performances of a firm. Non-inclusive behaviour has a detrimental impact on one's career and organization promoting may also face similar situation where the acceptance of the firm could be diminished.

A Regional Investigation of Employee Job Satisfaction in Selected Public Sector Banks in Gujarat

Kiranben Durgaprasad Rajput, Komal Mistry — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This descriptive study examines employee job satisfaction in selected public sector banks across the state of Gujarat. Using a convenient sampling method, the researcher targeted three major banks—SBI, BOB, and PNB—based on their market capitalization. Data was collected from eight municipal corporations. A total of 480 responses were initially gathered using a scale questionnaire. After data cleaning, the final sample size was reduced to 473. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA through Microsoft Excel and SPSS 20. The study found that compared to employees at Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank employees expressed much lower levels of job satisfaction; SBI employees expressed the highest levels of satisfaction. There were notable variations as per city, with Junagadh recording the lowest level of satisfaction and Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, and Gandhinagar the highest.

The Study of Commonly Used ‘Sanskrit Subhashitas’ in Management Perspective: Indigenous Management Thoughts Deeply Rooted in Indian Lifestyle.

Ashish M. Puranik, Narayan K. Apte, Prasanna A. Deshpande — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sanskrit Subhashitas are always a matter of curiosity. Indian culture and practices are considered to be only spiritual; but Indian culture has gifted the world with great philosophical knowledge. Indus Valley Civilisation was well-organised and well-developed. The civilisation, culture and language are parallel to each other. If culture was developed and civilisation was at its peak, then it also means that the practices and work culture were also well-developed and managed. The management and administrative principles and thoughts were in practice. Su-bhashita’ means the best and well-said quotes. Entire philosophy and knowledge of ancient culture is recorded in Sanskrit. Ancient Sanskrit texts are found in the form of Shlokas. It is an ‘expression in a formulaic manner using limited words’. Any concept of knowledge, takes many sentences and examples to explain. Sanskrit explains the same in the shortest form of ‘Shubhashita’. ‘Su’ means the best and ‘bhashita’ means told or said. There are many such commonly used ‘Subhashitas’ which are neither from any standardised book nor said by some leading ‘Rishi’. All those are lifestyle teachings and guiding principles or indigenous proverbs for Indian society. The paper is an attempt to study selected 41 unlisted and commonly used ‘Subhashitas’ explaining management and administrative principles.

Assessing the Influence of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on the Structural Transformation of the Indian Schools & Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The education system in India has historically been characterized by fragmentation and obsolescence, necessitating comprehensive overhaul. The NEP 2020, the inaugural comprehensive policy since 1986, was introduced with the objective of fostering an egalitarian, inclusive, and multidisciplinary educational framework. The program guarantees a significant reorganization of both school and higher education by prioritizing comprehensive development, autonomy, adaptability, and international competitiveness. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 signified a fundamental transformation in India's educational framework, seeking to modernize and integrate learning throughout schools and higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper presents a compared study of the impact of NEP 2020 on these two sectors, examining its revolutionary structural reforms, implementation results, and challenges. The research utilizes policy documents, implementation reports & available secondary data . Significant findings indicate that although school-level reforms have accelerated due to curricular and pedagogical modifications, higher education institutions encounter obstacles in regulatory reformation and the implementation of autonomy. The study concludes with recommendations for expedited implementation.

Incest As Sexual Crime in Indian Legal and Social Framework: A Violence Within Family

Yukti Yadav, Sapna Bansal — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Incest, as a form of sexual crime which remains one of the most under-reported and non-acknowledged crime within India’s legal and social framework, as it takes place within four walls of a house. Indian society has been under delusion and denial for a very long period as to the existence of such crime; reason being strong belief in societal culture. It was Covid-19 that acted as evidence for existence and mirror to such incestuous cases. While criminal law addresses several forms of sexual violence, incest is dealt silently under such recognized provisions. Present research critically examines incest within India’s legal and social framework by addressing associated taboo. Furthermore, this study advocates for special Act to be enforced for criminalizing incest as an offence with separate recognition. Adding to it, recommends gender neutral, victim-centered legal approach and apt intervention at every stage of life; which can only be achieved by addressing real incestuous standing in Indian society. This paper has empirically collected data from 38 school teachers to understand whether educational institutions can help in early detection of incest.

Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Financial Risk Tolerance of Investment Choices Among Women Salaried Employees.

T. Arockia sagayaraj, S.Priyadharshini — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study looks at how emotional intelligence (EI) influences financial risk tolerance and investment behavior among salaried women. Based on data from 129 participants, the analysis used regression, T-tests, and chi-square tests to examine the relationships. The findings show a clear positive link between emotional intelligence and risk tolerance, especially in women who show strong self-regulation, adaptability, and the ability to reflect on their emotions. However, EI did not appear to significantly impact the types of investments chosen, suggesting that other factors like financial literacy, income level, and social influences may have a stronger role. These insights highlight the importance of financial education programs that consider emotional and psychological aspects, particularly for supporting women in making confident and informed financial decisions.

Green Fintech and the Culture of Sustainability: A Case Study of Select Banks in Karnataka

Faseeha Begum, Saurabh Gupta, Savitha. N. L — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Green Fintech is the term combining financial technology and environmental sustainability, and it developed as a high-priority solution to transforming the banking industry. Through the implementation of sustainable operations, the financial institutions are currently lessening the environmental change as well as meeting the rising consumer demand of environmentally friendly services. The terminology of sustainability in fintech is the willingness to operate technology in such a way that it helps to contribute a sustainable attitude towards nature, which means emphasizing minimizing the carbon footprints, stimulating green projects, and promoting a sustainable financial service growth. Sustainability in banking may include zoning in green financing, responsible investment, and utilizing technological tools to have more efficient management of resources.

Leveraging IoT and Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Financial Forecasting and Customer Insights in Modern Marketing Systems

Dimpal Roy, Tribhuwan Kumar Vashishtha, Priyesh Tiwari, Satarupa Nayak — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines how the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) synergistically combine to transform financial prediction and understanding of customers with modern marketing environments. As companies shift their focus on shifting their reactive company to proactive company, the real-time data collected via IoT devices i.e. wearables and smart retail sensors, helps in giving fine details of consumer metrics. Coupled with AI-driven analytics, encompassing things such as predictive modeling, machine learning, and sentiment analysis, organizations can attain new heights in terms of personalization, operational efficiency, and strategic visioning as never before. The paper will suggest a well-structured framework that will involve data capture, combination, model-based analysis, decision support and feedback levels to make marketing operations and financial forecasting more efficient. Empirical claims reveal better forecasting accuracy (up to 30 percent), a better customer segmentation, and responsiveness in the campaign optimization. With the possibilities of transformation, there are still impediments in terms of data privacy, ethical issues, infrastructural restriction, and interpretability of the models. Via case studies and literature review, the paper demonstrates how it has been applied in real life across industry, outlining both advantages and hindrances. It ends on the note of endorsing a balanced action that enshrines the adoption of ethical AI practices, quality data governance, and organizational preparedness to make full use of the potentialities of AI IoT convergence under dynamic market conditions. Finally, the study offers a whole new picture of the idea on how the intelligent technologies can unlock the data-driven marketing transformation and long-term business growth.

"An Evaluation of Microsoft's Marketing Strategies and Their Role in the Company's Growth"

S.Dhivya, S Srimathi, K. P. Indhuja, R.Rajagopal — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research studies the marketing strategy of Microsoft, a company in the world technology arena, especially focusing on conceptual core principles underlying its marketing strategy-and-gains in business. The essence of this research will be to analyse-how-the application of digital marketing, product positioning, branding, and competitive strategies have been used by Microsoft to sustain its global influence. The study also explores how marketing innovation has shaped Microsoft's marketing endeavours in light of emerging trends in the industry sector and shifting consumers' demands. Also critically evaluated will be an outside perspective-near evaluation of the effectiveness of Microsoft marketing strategies in acquiring and retaining customers and responding to market challenges. This will also extend to considering the competitive landscape in which it competes and further contrasting Microsoft's marketing approaches with those of its competitors, identifying in this respect how Microsoft distinguishes itself by means of branding, product innovation, and customer relationship management. The study also offers insight into the sustainability of marketing strategies for Microsoft in the longer haul and vistas for action in the changing digital landscape. Besides offering theoretical perspective and analytical thrust, this research entails drawing significant conclusions to be used by different groups of people in the industry-who-are-businessmen, marketers, and researchers-interested in strategic marketing and its impact in the field of technology.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Supply Chain Management and Logistics Optimization

N.Manju, S.Sasikala, K.Srinivasan, S Rajkamal — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research paper investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on supply chain management (SCM) and logistics optimization through primary data collected from companies that have integrated AI solutions. Through surveys and interviews with key supply chain managers, logistics coordinators, and technology experts, the study evaluates the effectiveness of AI applications including predictive analytics, inventory management, demand forecasting, and route optimization. Research shows that AI adoption has improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction, but challenges such as data quality and initial investment costs remain.

A Microeconomic Analysis of the Market for Egg Donation – With Extension to the Indian Context

Sohini Mazumder — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper discusses the interesting and under-explored subject of egg donation in India, the characteristics of the market thereof, the actions of the participants, and the possible role of the government. Legal, ethical, and sociological issues are touched upon, as they directly affect the functioning of the market. It includes information to better understand the biological phenomenon of female infertility and its incidence in India.

Analyzing Commodity Market Volatility and Price Forecasting: A GARCH and ARIMA Model Approach

Jagabandhu Padhy, Amit Bathia, Anvesha Goyal, Rayna Adlakha, Rewa Jhaveri — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Commodity trade is a cornerstone of world financial markets, providing investment opportunities, risk management, and price discovery. As commodities are inherently volatile, understanding their price fluctuations and forecasting future trends is essential. This study examines the performance and volatility of four widely traded commodities in the United States - Gold, Silver, Wheat, and Crude Oil using the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model to measure volatility and the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model to predict future price trends. The GARCH model effectively captures volatility clustering, a key characteristic of financial time series data, while ARIMA analyzes historical patterns for price prediction. Using a decade's worth of daily historical price data from secondary sources, this research provides a robust dataset for in-depth analysis. Additionally, this study highlights the need for advanced predictive models that enhance accuracy during market fluctuations. By analyzing GARCH and ARIMA applications in commodity trading, this research contributes to financial modeling and risk management literature, encouraging further exploration of alternative forecasting methods.

Empirical Assessment of Transgender Workplace Inclusivity Under the New Labour Codes: A Study in NCT Delhi

Priyanka, Sapna Bansal — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research provides an empirical evaluation of transgender workplace inclusivity under the provisions of the recently passed Labour Codes in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Based on primary evidence gathered from structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with transgender workers, employers, and labour rights activists, the study examines to what extent these legislative changes result in real-world workplace equality. The analysis is centered on the primary parameters, such as recruitment practices, workplace policies, anti-discrimination practices, grievance redressal mechanisms, and access to social security benefits. The findings reveal a wide and ongoing gap between the legal requirements of the Labour Codes and their actual implementation and, as such, numerous transgender individuals continue to encounter subtle exclusion, stereotyping, and procedural obstacles. The research identifies system problems like low employer awareness, weak enforcement mechanisms, and socio-cultural prejudice constraining the availment of statutory protection. The paper ends with policy suggestions for enhancing compliance, incentivizing sensitization schemes, and guaranteeing strong monitoring to institute true workplace inclusion among transgender individuals in Delhi.

Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence as Catalysts for Marketing Transformation in Electronic Business Environments

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The convergence of digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming marketing strategies within e-business environments. This study examines the role of AI in driving marketing transformation through three core capabilities: personalization, predictive analytics, and automation. Drawing on an extensive literature review and a conceptual framework, the research explores how these technological pillars enhance customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty while addressing adoption challenges and ethical considerations. Findings reveal that AI-driven personalization enables the delivery of highly relevant, behavior-based marketing experiences, strengthening consumer-brand relationships. Predictive analytics empowers marketers to anticipate customer needs, forecast trends, and make proactive strategic decisions. Automation operationalizes these insights at scale, ensuring timely and consistent interactions while optimizing resource allocation. Customer engagement and satisfaction emerge as critical mediators linking AI capabilities to transformative marketing outcomes. However, successful AI adoption requires more than technology deployment. Ethical considerations particularly data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and bias mitigation are essential for maintaining consumer trust and regulatory compliance. Organizational readiness, including robust digital infrastructure, skilled personnel, and an innovation-driven culture, significantly influences adoption success. The study emphasizes that AI-enabled marketing transformation is a multidimensional process requiring strategic alignment between technology, people, and governance. The proposed conceptual framework highlights the interplay between technological enablers, customer-centric mediators, and contextual moderators, offering a roadmap for businesses seeking to harness AI’s potential responsibly. By balancing innovation with ethical responsibility, organizations can leverage AI not only to achieve competitive advantage but also to foster sustainable, trust-based relationships in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Balancing Price and Purpose: How Consumer Behaviour Shapes Sustainable Pricing Decisions

Megha Sharma, Shivani Vats — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores consumer behavior toward sustainable marketing strategies within the urban population of Delhi. It investigates how demographic factors, purchasing preferences, and perceptions influence the adoption of eco-friendly products. Using a sample of 500 respondents collected through convenience sampling, the research employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, logistic regression, and cluster analysis to identify patterns and relationships. The findings reveal that while consumers express a willingness to pay more for sustainable products, price sensitivity and skepticism about corporate sustainability claims remain significant barriers. Female consumers show a stronger preference for eco-friendly products when provided with transparent and credible information. The analysis identifies three distinct consumer segments: eco-conscious advocates, pragmatic buyers, and skeptical consumers, each with unique attitudes toward sustainability. The study emphasizes the importance of transparency, affordability, and education in shaping consumer behavior. It offers practical recommendations for businesses to enhance consumer trust and engagement through targeted, sustainable marketing strategies. This research provides valuable insights for companies seeking to align their marketing efforts with evolving consumer expectations and environmental responsibility.

An Analytical Study of Consumption and Saving Functions: Interlinkages of MPC, MPS, APC, and APS in Economic Theory and Practice

Kumari Deepa Rani, Sourav Kumar, Vipul Ranjan, Brajesh Kumar, Tushar Dhiman — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study presents an analytical examination of the consumption and saving functions, focusing on the interlinkages between the Marginal Propensity to Consume (MPC), Marginal Propensity to Save (MPS), Average Propensity to Consume (APC), and Average Propensity to Save (APS) in both economic theory and practice. Grounded in the Keynesian framework and enriched by modern theories such as the life-cycle and permanent income hypotheses, the research explores how households allocate income between consumption and saving, and how these allocations respond to changes in income levels. The analysis confirms the fundamental identities MPC + MPS = 1 and APC + APS = 1, derived from the exhaustive allocation of disposable income. The study discusses how these relationships are influenced by factors including income distribution, consumer confidence, access to credit, cultural norms, and macroeconomic conditions. Empirical insights from the literature highlight significant variations across socio-economic groups, countries, and time periods, as well as the impact of uncertainty and behavioral biases. Findings underscore the policy relevance of these measures: high MPC values suggest greater short-term multiplier effects from fiscal stimulus, while high MPS and APS values indicate stronger long-term investment potential. The research emphasizes the need for policymakers to strike a balance between promoting consumption to support aggregate demand and fostering savings to finance sustainable growth. Overall, the study reaffirms the enduring significance of these propensities as tools for understanding and guiding economic behavior in an evolving global context.

Marketing Ethics in Pharmaceuticals: An Indian Case Study of Selected Companies

Prahallad Pujari, John Imran Sandeep. P, M. Sree Rama Raju — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the ethical dimensions of pharmaceutical marketing practices in India through a case study of six selected companies (three domestic and three multinational). Using a mixed-methods approach, the research collected data from 120 marketing executives, 80 physicians, and 30 pharmacists. Quantitative analysis reveals that while 85% of marketing executives are aware of ethical codes, only 60% have received formal ethics training in the past year. Incentive-driven sales targets strongly correlate with higher frequencies of ethically questionable practices (r = 0.64, p < 0.01). Physicians report that 72% of promotional claims are sometimes exaggerated, and 48% have experienced direct prescription pressure. The study highlights the gap between corporate policy and field practice, and proposes regulatory, training, and incentive-structure reforms.

Factors affecting growth of Console and PC Video Games in India and their comparison with Other Digital Entertainment Sources

Ashu Tripathi, Kamakshi Mehta, Umesh Solanki — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Digital entertainment industry is amid unprecedented growth phase fueled by lockdowns during the pandemic. India too has seen tremendous growth in OTT, mobile games, and subscription-based music industry both in revenue and consumer base, but the growth has been lethargic in PC and Console Video Games in India. This study analyses the difference between Console and PC games and other digital Entertainment sources across seven parameters that are Price, Hardware requirements, Active and passive form of entertainment, time consumption, Marketing and advertisements, social approval and piracy within the Indian context. We conclude that PC and console games are unable to grow in India due to higher prices, expensive hardware requirements and time requirements to complete a game when compared to other entertainment means. Social awareness and approval and need for active participation may also reduce consumer interest in Video Games. Impact of piracy and marketing and advertising is difficult to ascertain due to unavailability of enough data on the same. This paper emphasizes the need for pricing the video games according to purchase power parity and growth of cloud gaming in India among other things to make India one of the largest PC and console Video game Markets in the world.

Determinants of Job Satisfaction of Gig Workers in the Food and Beverage Industry in Mumbai Metropolitan Region – A Regression Analysis of Socioeconomic, Organizational and Behavioral Factors

Khushboo Ashok Lala, Sanjay Rode — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Job satisfaction has been a matter of concern among workers across different sectors. It is a crucial issue in the growing gig economy, especially for temporary workers employed within the food and beverage industry. This study explores various factors that influence job satisfaction among gig workers in the food and beverage industry in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Gig workers, including cooks, cashiers, cleaners, and support staff, usually work on a temporary or part-time basis, and often lack the benefits of formal employment. With the gig economy rapidly expanding in India’s urban areas, particularly in Mumbai, it becomes imperative to understand the factors that satisfy or dissatisfy gig workers in their jobs. Based on personal interviews conducted with 2,000 gig workers across the Western, Central, and Harbour regions of Mumbai, this study analyzed a variety of factors such as age, gender, income, work environment, employer support, access to health benefits, appointment letters, and opportunities for growth. The research found that workers who received formal appointment letters and, employer support during health emergencies, worked in a respectful and clean environment, and had cordial relationships with their co-workers reported higher job satisfaction. These conditions provided them with a sense of recognition, stability, and belonging. On the other hand, job dissatisfaction is linked to high stress levels, lack of job promotions, absence of performance-based incentives, and workplace issues. In addition, ownership of household items such as refrigerators was associated with higher satisfaction levels. The research suggests that job satisfaction among gig workers depends on wages, workplace conditions, employer treatment, and availability of social security benefits. To improve satisfaction, employers should provide formal job contracts, health-related support, and recognition of the work put in by the workers, while policymakers should design inclusive labour laws and welfare schemes that address the specific needs of gig workers. By improving working conditions and offering basic benefits, both businesses and the government can help to create a more motivated, stable, and productive gig workforce in the food and beverage sector.

Investigation Into Hr Practices for It Employees – A Study with Specific Reference to Performance Appraisal and Placement & Recruitment

F.Josephine Lenta, M.Kovarthini — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

HR practices play a crucial role in maximizing employee potential and driving their success in assigned tasks. In today's competitive environment, staying relevant is essential. Therefore, it is important to keep employees informed through effective HR practices. This study aimed to examine key HR practices among employees in IT companies in Chennai. It utilized descriptive and empirical research designs, gathering both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 354 IT employees in Chennai. Secondary data were sourced from newspapers, magazines, reputable journals, previous dissertations, Ph.D. theses, relevant websites, books, and libraries. The study used a convenient sampling method. Totally three IT companies in Chennai City were selected for the study such as Tata Consultancy Services, Hexaware Technologies and Capgemini.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Human Resource Management

S. Kannamudaiyar, S. Priyadharshini — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence makes it feasible for the sector to thrive quicker and more efficiently in today's competitive industry. The swift growth of technology and the utilization of AI in HR have made major changes in hiring processes and practices. HR plays a vital role in strategic growth planning and execution, just like technology and business leadership do. It has been integrated into human resource management because it has the ability to benefit employees and customers in companies. In the modern day, the job of human resources has grown to cope with more advanced technologies that allow AI and artificial intelligence. Organizations can use AI for career development, employee engagement, and candidate screening.

Operative Stress Management for Employees in Select It Companies in Chennai City

R. Sindhu Premalatha, V. Praveen Kumar — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Employee stress management is the strategy of providing employees with an environment and resources that reduce pressures and tensions in the workplace. This process may involve discovering the cause of employees' stress and devising a plan to address the origin. Once employer develop a plan, they can communicate it to his employees and train all of them so as to relieve tension and pressure at the workplace. The researcher while designing the research article sequentially followed certain procedures in research methodology. Descriptive and Analytical Research Design was used for this research. Employees of selected IT companies in Chennai City were surveyed for data collection. Both primary and secondary sources have been used in this research. Total Sample Size is 100 employees who are the part and parcel of different selected IT companies in Chennai City. Convenient Sampling Method was adopted. Five Point Likert Scale were used for measuring the responses of questions. IT companies selected for this research include Infosys, Cognizant, TCS and HCL Technologies.

Strategic Synergy Unveiled: A Bibliomatric Odyssey into AI's Impact on Management Consulting

Ruby Kaushik, Pankaj Madan — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This paper examines the evolving impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on management consulting through both bibliometric and systematic review. Most of the authors have used either bibliometric or SLR in the past. It aims to provide insights into AI’s influence on consulting practices, highlighting key themes such as operational efficiency, human-AI collaboration, and ethical challenges.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A bibliometric analysis of 195 scholarly publications (2010– 2024) was conducted using VOSviewer to map research trends, thematic clusters, and collaborative networks. A systematic literature review was also performed on a subset of 37 studies to extract more profound insights into AI's role in consulting.

Findings: The analysis identifies a significant increase in AI-related consulting research post 2018. Dominant themes include AI-driven decision-making, consultant client dynamics, and sustainability. Emerging trends emphasize the integration of AI into strategic decision-making and the development of frameworks for ethical AI governance.

Originality/Value: This work combines systematic review methods with bibliometric visualization to provide a new synthesis of research on AI in management consulting. It fills critical knowledge gaps by exploring AI's long-term strategic influence on consulting practices, its role in promoting sustainability, and the development of consultant competencies. Additionally, this study addresses underexplored areas such as the ethical challenges of AI integration, interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-AI collaboration, and regional disparities in AI adoption, particularly in emerging markets. By bridging these gaps, the paper offers actionable insights for practitioners and a robust foundation for future academic inquiry.

Practical and Social Implications: The findings provide consulting professionals with actionable strategies for adopting AI responsibly, fostering innovation, and addressing ethical and societal challenges. The study underscores the need for sustainable AI practices that align with global goals.

Combating Bonded Labour a worst form of Trafficking in Human beings: Rights Based Approach

Om Prakash Vyas, Aneesha PR — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The issue of bonded labor, a severe form of human trafficking, represents a critical violation of human rights across the globe. Defined as modern-day slavery, bonded labor entraps millions of individuals in exploitative and coercive work environments, often driven by poverty, ignorance, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. This essay explores the widespread prevalence of bonded labor and its intricate ties with human trafficking, focusing on its causes, legislative frameworks, and the essential role of a rights-based approach to combat it. The paper discusses the international and domestic laws aimed at combating bonded labor, such as the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, and relevant Supreme Court rulings, alongside practical state measures for victim rehabilitation. Furthermore, it highlights case studies such as the Gonda Circus Case to demonstrate successful interventions and the importance of an integrated approach combining prevention, protection, and prosecution. The essay concludes by urging a concerted effort to address the root causes of bonded labor through policy reforms and awareness campaigns, emphasizing the need for a rights-based approach to ensure the dignity, protection, and rehabilitation of victims.

The Power of Online Buzz: Social Media Comments to Shape Consumer Perception of Sustainable Products

Sana Khan, Sakshi Kansal — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined how social media comments influence consumer perceptions of sustainable products using a mixed-method approach with qualitative content analysis and quantitative survey research. Comments from Instagram and Twitter were analysed for sentiment, identifying key factors such as consumer trust in sustainability claims, the role of social media influencers, the impact of transparent communication, and the influence of educational content. An online survey of 500 socially engaged consumers evaluated their perceptions of brand sustainability claims, trust in influencers, and their intentions to purchase sustainable products. Findings revealed that the trustworthiness of sustainability claims, influencer endorsements, transparent communication, and educational content significantly impacted consumer attitudes. The study highlights the importance for brands to communicate sustainability efforts authentically, collaborate with credible influencers, and provide educational content. Future research should explore longitudinal and cross-cultural studies to understand how changing consumer perceptions and cultural contexts affect sustainable consumption.

Evolution of Research on Individual Investor Behaviour: A Systematic and Bibliometric Analysis

B Hari Prasad Rao, Venkateswara Rao Bhanotu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research performs an extensive analysis of literature on retail individual investor behaviour using an interdisciplinary approach that synthesizes PRISMA-based systematic review, bibliometric analysis, and VOSviewer. The present analysis uses 4,431 scholarly documents published in the Scopus database between 2000 and 2025. The results show a growing scholarly interest in retail investor behavior, particularly following major events such as the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted retail engagement and financial revolution via digital means in markets. The research reveals a number of major topic clusters, such as behavioral biases (e.g., overconfidence, herding, loss aversion), financial literacy, risk perception, and sentiment analysis. It also highlights the increasing overlap of traditional theories of behavioural finance with modern concepts such as machine learning and sentiment analysis, indicating the influence of FinTech and online platforms on investor sentiment. The bibliometric mapping illustrates that the United States, India, and China are the leading contributors, and influential publications such as the Journal of Banking and Finance and the Pacific-Basin Finance Journal act as major publishing venues. Contribution of influential authors such as Kumar, Barber, and Odean has formed the theoretical and empirical foundation of the discipline. Although the discipline has developed exponentially, the research identifies shortfalls in the form of weak theoretical integration, underrepresentation of new markets, and shortages of longitudinal and culturally nuanced studies. The article promotes more transdisciplinary, regionally applicable, and technologically responsive methods of analyzing retail investor behavior. This research provides an important tool for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers working to comprehend and counter the forces of retail investor involvement in emerging financial settings.

Mental Health and Media in India: A Critical Analysis

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Mental health problems in India impact a significant proportion of the population but only a minority receives timely and adequate treatment. Journalists and media more broadly have remarkable potential for influencing public understanding of mental illness — potentially in positive ways, but also negative ones. This paper tries to analyze the manner in which Indian media, both print and digital (including television) at present reports on mental health, identifying emergent trends along with glaring deficiencies and some of the burning issues pertaining to ethics.

Failure to follow standard ethical standards in reporting is a frequent occurrence. In many cases, journalist may miss hotlines or use boulevard language and sometimes infringe on patient’s right to confidentiality.

The results of our work indicate that many media reports associate mental illness with crime and violence, reinforcing stereotypes. Global Guidelines Since recovery is the goal, even when death occurs it should be used as an opportunity to highlight what has been learned so that more people will have a better chance at survival in the future. The media with guidelines Be encouraged by international standards to focus on messages which are positive and arouse hope Use of person-first language Provide available resources for support. The recent case underscores the need for Indian journalism to embrace such principles, from training reporters and developing dedicated guidelines on mental health reporting to advancing accurate, empathetic storytelling.

Does Ownership Pattern Determine Banks’ Priority Sector Lending Practices? Insights from Review of Literature

Ashish Kumar, S. Sanjay Kumar — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article reviews the previous research and studies how bank ownership affects loans made under the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) program. This scheme requires banks to lend a particular amount of their lending to sectors that aren't getting enough funding, like agriculture, small businesses, and education. The findings indicate that public, private, and international banks contribute differently to the PSL targets. Public sector banks (PSBs) are more likely to follow PSL rules since they are in line with government policies and social welfare aims. However, they do have problems, such as inefficiency and higher credit risks in priority industries. On the other hand, private sector banks are pickier about who they lend to because they want to make money. They focus on less hazardous areas but nevertheless help PSL by strategically prioritizing. Foreign banks typically engage in PSL less frequently due to their global focus. Instead, they frequently purchase PSL certificates to indirectly participate. The assessment also talks about how digital banking and fintech developments might help banks attain their PSL goals. Digital tools have helped banks, especially PSBs, better serve priority sectors by making it easier for people in remote places to obtain financial services and by improving risk management. Overall, the studies reveal that while public sector banks dominate in PSL compliance, the roles of private and foreign banks—though more selective—are still vital for achieving the scheme’s objectives, and fintech has the potential to enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of PSL lending.

Digital-Based Collection Systems in Microfinance: A Bibliographic Analysis (2014–2024)

Sukeshraj Zallare, Ashish Hattangdi — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The adoption of digital-based collection systems in microfinance has significantly reshaped the operational landscape of financial institutions, enabled improved payment processes and enhanced financial inclusion. This bibliographic analysis examines literature from 2014 to 2024, exploring the evolution of digital payment systems in microfinance. Key references, such as Suhrab et al. (2024), who discuss the role of digital financial inclusion in addressing inequality, and Shalini and Sabitha (2024), who evaluate digital payment innovations, provide insights into emerging trends and technological advancements. The study also highlights the role of FinTech (Sultan et al., 2023) and sustainable finance (Bihorac et al., 2024) in transforming microfinance operations.

Findings indicate that digital transformation, particularly through mobile payment systems and FinTech platforms, has driven significant efficiency and cost benefits. Despite these advancements, challenges such as technological infrastructure gaps, digital literacy issues, and user trust continue to hinder widespread adoption. The analysis also identifies a lack of localized research focusing on urban microfinance ecosystems, such as those in Mumbai, where unique socio-economic factors influence adoption.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of key innovations, implementation challenges, and research gaps in digital microfinance systems. It underscores the importance of sustainable and context-specific approaches to promote financial inclusion. By synthesizing insights from a decade of research, this paper serves as a foundational reference for academics and practitioners aiming to understand and advance the intersection of digital technologies and microfinance practices.

Measuring Customer Experience and Behavioural Intention in E-Banking: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach in the Indian Context

Poonam Painuly, Sandeep Rohal — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: E-banking is now a primary service channel in India, but adoption remains uneven across customer segments. Classic acceptance models explain digital uptake through ease of use and usefulness, yet banks also influence upstream factors such as customers’ digital skill and the degree of technology integration in their platforms.

Objective: To measure customer experience and behavioural intention toward e-banking, and to test a seven-construct model linking Digital Skill and Technology Integration to Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Attitude, Behavioural Intention, and Actual System Use.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey of 400 retail banking customers was analysed using SEM. Data quality checks showed good reliability for the 35-item instrument (α = 0.885).

Findings: Digital Skill had a strong positive effect on Perceived Ease of Use (β = .74) and a small negative direct effect on Usefulness (β = −.18) after accounting for ease. Technology Integration increased Usefulness (β = .25). Ease of Use improved both Usefulness (β = .38) and Attitude (β = .48), while Usefulness had a negligible effect on Attitude (β ≈ −.01). Behavioural Intention was driven mainly by Attitude (β = .54) with an additional effect of Usefulness (β = .24). Actual System Use was strongly predicted by Intention (β = .68).

Originality / Novelty: The study extends TAM by introducing Digital Skill and Technology Integration as actionable antecedents and tests the full seven-construct specification on a large Indian sample using SEM. It shows that ease of use, rather than perceived utility alone, is the primary lever converting experience into intention and use in e-banking.

A Practical Approach on Police Investigation in India (Legal Frame Work, Procedure, Techniques, Powers and Duties)

Deepak Kumar Sahu, Pooja Khetrapal — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research work aims to study and analyse the process of police investigation. Police investigation is a part of criminal procedure which is provided under the Criminal procedure Code 1973 (BNSS 2023). It’s said, “a criminal may be very smart but he always leaves behind a clue’’. Investigation means a search for truth, evidence, and justice. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance and effectiveness of investigation in the Criminal Justice System. In this paper, there is discussion on the provisions relating to police investigation and also various techniques.

The present paper aims at to explore the applicability of Forensic science in criminal investigation and what role it plays in keeping law and order in a society. This paper also throws light on how forensic science is acting as a bridge between the medical science and legal science.

The paper also discusses the ground reality of these laws and how it is actually being implemented in the cases. This paper discusses the police powers, duties and also challenges faced by the police officers while investigating. The author will make some recommendations on how to enhance the administration and investigative process.

Investor Perceptions of Futures Trading as a Tool For Managing Volatility in Commodity Markets

Saurabh Gupta, Meghana C, Shazia, Sarala. D, Sumaiya Fathima — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores investor perceptions of futures trading as a tool for managing volatility in commodity markets. Through qualitative research, including interviews with investors and commodity traders, the study identifies key themes such as risk perception, the influence of market news and sentiment, and trust in futures markets as a volatility hedge. The findings reveal that while futures trading is widely viewed as an effective tool for risk management, emotional biases and market sentiment significantly influence investor decisions, especially during periods of heightened volatility. Experienced investors tend to trust futures as a hedge, while less experienced participants express doubts. The study highlights the need for better investor education on risk management strategies, as well as improved transparency and regulatory frameworks to ensure futures markets remain effective in mitigating volatility. The insights from this study offer practical recommendations for investors, market participants, and policymakers to enhance market stability and decision-making.

Perception of Employees Towards Gig Jobs in Delhi NCR: An Analytical Study

Himanshu Kataria, Vidushi Malik — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The gig economy has become a major force challenging traditional employment models worldwide, driven by technological advancements and changing workforce preferences. In India, especially in the Delhi NCR area, gig jobs present an alternative employment option characterized by flexibility, independence, and task-oriented work. This analytical study explores the perceptions of 100 employees from the IT, manufacturing, and education sectors regarding gig jobs. It evaluates their awareness, willingness to participate in gig work, and the perceived advantages and challenges of such employment. The study finds a high level of awareness, with over half of the respondents showing openness to gig opportunities, particularly among younger employees and those in the IT sector. However, concerns about job security, the absence of formal benefits, and income instability remain significant obstacles. The research aids in understanding the changing workforce mindset in India and offers policy recommendations to improve the sustainability and attractiveness of gig jobs, ensuring a balanced labor market that accommodates both traditional and flexible work arrangements.

Analysis in Global Finance-Analysing the Impact of Geopolitical Factors in Global Finance Markets

Zohan Vaghela — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Geopolitical risks mainly refer to the numerous uncertainties and it is also along with any potential adverse impacts that are further arising from many political events. These are also happening because of multiple conflicts, or tensions that mainly exist between different nations. The study has mentioned that As per a Gallup survey in 2017, nearly 75% of overall investors have taken part and talked about their major concerns associated with the impact of both global military and also political conflicts on many investments. Additionally, the study also mentioned that geopolitical risks can particularly inhibit the FDI inflow and can directly hinder domestic economic development. Global financial markets are shaped by geopolitical tensions, which influence its cross-border investments, financial stability and portfolio allocation. The research incorporates in the Geopolitical Risk (GPR) index for measure the arising uncertainties from global conflicts, trade restrictions and economic sanctions. The findings of the study suggest that the risk of geopolitical disrupts the pattern of cross-broader investment which further leads to increased volatility and market fragmentation. The large-cap equities in the developed market emphasise resilience to the short-term shock whereas the emerging market and small-cap equities are focused on exhibiting heightened vulnerability. The findings have critical implications for institutional investors and policymakers underscoring the need for adaptive strategies related to risk management in this economic fragmentation growing era. Through analysing the historical market responses towards major geopolitical events, this research focuses on contributing for a nuanced understanding on the dynamic of how geopolitical instability shapes the dynamics of the financial market.

Challenges and applications of Generative AI in Business

Roohani Alag — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

For the purpose of this current study a systematic literature review has been conducted, this method was chosen to ensure a comprehensive perspective of existing challenges and applications of generative AI in businesses. The research involved tapping into metadata and peer-reviewed publications from reputable and reliable academic databases such as WoS, IEEE Xplore and Scopus while referring to reputable websites such as Statistica and Deloitte for statistical data that is relevant to the research. The sources used throughout the research were specifically chosen for their credibility, reliability and relevance to the topic being researched. Additionally, to enhance the real-world application and relevance of the research the study incorporates three qualitative contemporary case studies from different sectors that were selected to showcase how generative AI is applied and used in various contexts with its specific challenges and applications.

Geopolitical Risks Influencing Oil Price Behaviour Globally

Zia Vaghela — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Oil has been a significant source of energy for the global economy since the last industrial revolution and serves as the primary energy source for both industries and transportation. The study also mentioned that oil price volatility has main points for both policymakers and also for macroeconomics due to its overall specific macroeconomic implications. The study has examined that geopolitical risk is highlighting a number of uncertainties and major threats that are directly arising from many aspects. In addition to this, it has been analysed in this paper that the oil markets globalization has effectively built an interconnected system where a number of geopolitical risks that are involved in even one region can have different effects throughout the world. Geopolitical risks focus on shaping the behaviour of global oil prices, influencing the dynamics like economic growth, supply chains and market stability. This study focuses to analysing how political instability, supply chain disruptions and trade policies affect oil prices through using a mixed-method approach, which combines primary quantitative data, survey analysis through IBM SPSS and secondary quantitative through thematic analysis. The findings of the study indicate that geopolitical crises are inducing some significant volatility in the prices of oil, with asymmetric impact between different forms of geopolitical events. The study also shows a strong relationship between factors like supply chain disruptions, political instability and fluctuations in the prices of oil.

Attitude Towards Wife-Beating Among Adult Males in India: Does Past Shape the Present?

Paramita Barman Sen — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Violence afflicted on women stands as both a major public health issue and violation of human rights. Globally, around 30 per cent of women fall victims to physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime by their intimate partners or non-partners. Attitude towards domestic violence assumes as much importance as the issue itself, when it comes to efforts at termination of this menace. The current study seeks to explore the role of past experience in shaping attitude towards domestic violence against women, among adult males in India.

Data and Method: The study uses data from NFHS-5 (2019-21) on adult Indian males aged 15-54 years. Apart from simple descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis has been employed as the main econometric method.

Results: A substantial 41.52 per cent of adult Indian males feel that wife beating is justified. Past experience of the father beating the mother turns out to be a significant determinant of justification of wife-beating among adult Indian males.

Conclusion: In sync with SDG Target 5.2.1 calling for elimination of violence against women and girls, policies involving both awareness drives and strong punitive measures as deterrents of domestic violence are the need of the hour.

Unconscious Defense Mechanisms in T-Groups: A PRISMA-Guided Psychodynamic Review of Denial, Repression, Projection, And Transference

Shridhar Kshirsagar — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Training Groups (T-groups) are non-prescriptive learning experiences that involve the use of interpersonal awareness and group compelling experiences through real-time unstructured interaction. Core principles include a focus on the here-and-now, open expression of feelings, free flow, and spontaneity. Although T-groups are traditionally based on behavioral learning theories, inherently unconscious psychological processes emerge at the group level. This systematic review examines the defense mechanisms of denial, repression, projection, and transference in T-groups through Freudian, Jungian, and Gestalt psychodynamic perspectives.

By PRISMA 2020, this review synthesizes findings from 100 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 1990 and 2025. Extensive searches on PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were conducted to identify relevant studies. They also had inclusion criteria, which included a direct attention to T-groups, unconscious processes, and the psychodynamic theory. The data were retrieved and descriptively synthesized, and the quality was assessed through CASP and MMAT instruments.

The results have revealed that the most common defense patterns in the T-group are projection and transference, on which group ambiguity, emotional reinforcement, and authority issues are known to arise. These processes have a significant impact on group cohesiveness, trust, and learning. Psychodynamic explanations bring into perspective the insights on group actions through intrapsychic conflicts (Freud), symbolic group roles (Jung), and here-and-now awareness (Gestalt) that are different and at the same time complementary to each other. Anna Freud's classification further clarifies adaptive and maladaptive defenses within group contexts to understand the complexity of the group dynamics.

The review highlights the transformative potential of T-groups when facilitators are trained to recognize and address unconscious processes. However, the evidence base is limited by methodological heterogeneity, underreporting, and a scarcity of T-group-specific studies. Future research should explore longitudinal effects, cross-cultural variations, and empirical assessments of psychodynamic interventions in group settings. This review also underscores the importance of integrating psychodynamic theory into T-group facilitation and design, advocating for deeper engagement with unconscious dynamics to enhance experiential learning, interpersonal, and group development.

Investment Behavior in the Fintech Era: A Serial Mediation Analysis

Simran Singh, Subramanian Shanmugam — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between financial self-efficacy and investment behavior, and whether this correlation is influenced by consumer fintech use and digital financial literacy among millennials and Generation Z. A serial mediation model was constructed to examine the potential link. A sample of 301 millennials and Gen Z individuals from the Gaya district of Bihar participated in an online survey questionnaire. SmartPLS4 was used for the data analysis. The study found a significant positive correlation between Financial Self-Efficacy and Investment behavior, Financial Self-Efficacy and Consumer fintech utilization, Consumer fintech utilization and Digital Financial Literacy, and Digital Financial Literacy and Investment behavior. The findings also indicated that Consumer Fintech Utilization and Digital Financial Literacy sequentially moderated the connection between Financial Self-Efficacy and Investment Behavior. The results illuminate the core mechanisms that underpin the investment behavior of Gen Z and millennials in this fintech era. Policymakers need to regulate fintech apps to ensure embedded educational content (e.g., risk disclaimers, glossary features) aligns with literacy development goals. Fintech Developers need to design interfaces that boost user self-efficacy (e.g., onboarding tutorials, confidence-building feedback) to promote sustained engagement and better investment behavior.

Announcement Effect of Dividends and Share Price Response: Evidence from Indian Financial Services Companies

P. Arun Prakash, M. Karthick — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the Indian capital market's informational efficiency in relation to financial services companies' dividend announcements. The sample consists of 79 final dividend announcements from 2013 to 2024 that were examined utilizing the 21-day event window's Average Abnormal Return (AAR) and Cumulative Average Abnormal Return (CAAR). According to the results, AAR found positive 38% during window period, on the event day (Day 0) both AAR (0.004450) and CAAR (0.005959) found positive. Pre-event data reveals a range of responses, including indications of anticipatory trading and potential information leaks, especially from Day -13 to Day -2. AAR mostly went negative after the event, indicating a market correction following the initial overreaction. The CAAR was not statistically significant, although remaining positive for the majority of the intervals. Overall, the findings are consistent with the semi-strong version of market efficiency, showing that Indian stock prices react swiftly to news about dividends.

"Evaluating the Effectiveness of YouTube Influencer Reviews Videos on Consumer Purchase Intentions for Mobile Phones: A Digital Marketing Perspective"

Ankit Yadav, Himanshu Mohan, Mohd Vaseem Mansoori, Rajat Yadav — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The term "influencer marketing" refers to a relatively new type of digital marketing that has surfaced in recent decades. Influencers shape consumers’ perceptions of a product or brand through videos, photos, and other updates on various digital platforms. This paper specifically focuses on YouTube influencers who make review videos on mobile phone purchases. This study explores the effect of various attributes of influencer credibility and purchase intention of consumers in Lucknow. Google Forms was used to send a questionnaire for data collection. A Total of 453 individuals completed the questionnaire; however, only 319 individuals were chosen for further analysis owing to the inclusion of screening questions, utilization of convenience sampling, and application of structural equation modelling through SmartPLS 4 for the analysis of the data. The finding reveal Argument quality has significant impact on credibility and purchase intention however attractiveness, trustworthiness have impact on credibility but not purchase intention, expertise does not show impact on both credibility or purchase intention.

Human Resource Accounting in Selected Public Sector Companies in India

Sakshi Bhawnani, Jayender Verma, Yasha Srivastava — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Employees of an organization form the core and heart of the business. It would not be wrong to say that the utilization of all the resources that a company employs majorly depends on its “Human Resources”. Hence, similar to the accounting treatment given to all the financial and physical resources of a company, the valuation and communication of human resources should also be a part of the financial statements of a company, marking the way for the concept of “Human Resource Accounting”. This study has made an attempt to analyze and examine the HRA practices followed by the public sector undertakings in India. The study has selected three PSUs namely- IOC, NTPC and SAIL and calculated five HRA metrics for these companies using their annual reports. The study also discusses HR related initiatives, various training and development programmes and HR policies of the selected PSUs.

An Analysis of Factors Affecting Front-Line Employee Job Satisfaction in App-based Home Service Organisation

Laxmi, Rajanikant Verma — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s competitive environment companies are using new and updated technology to survive in the market. Consumers are more demanding now and want the best services at a competitive price and according to their availability. Therefore, Online App based Home Service Industry come into existence to meet the Consumer’s demand. The present study is very useful for understanding the satisfaction of Front-line Employees. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Pay, Security, Work-Family Balance, Autonomy and Training on Front-Line Employee Job Satisfaction. Both Convenience and Snowball Sampling are used to collect data from Front-line Employees. A self-structured questionnaire was designed and filled by 290 Front-Line Employees of respective companies. After data cleaning 229 responses are used for data analysis. Statistical tools such as Cronbach Alpha, CFA and SEM are used for analysis. The results show that Pay, Job Security and Work-Family significantly influence Front Line Employee Job Satisfaction whereas Autonomy and Training are not found statistically significant. The study is limited only to some selected companies. In future more companies can be studied and comparison among them can also be done.

The Impact of Social Media on Privacy Rights: A Legal Evaluation

Garima, Shreya — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the implications of social media facilities for people’s privacy rights in India, adjusting its lens to the legal, policy and regulatory perspectives. In a society heavily dependent on digital platforms for communication, commerce, and social engagement, widespread collection, processing, and sharing of personal information pose serious threats to privacy. The paper will look at existing legal data protection and privacy frameworks in India currently governing data (the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT Rules, 2021 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023). But it evaluates the extent to which these laws effectively address escalating threats from private sector data practices and government surveillance. The article concludes with legal and policy recommendations to enhance privacy safeguards and to secure a balanced and rights-respecting digital milieu in India.

Hybrid Content Security Model Using Steganography and Cryptography in Cloud Storage

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a hybrid security model for safeguarding cloud storage content by integrating cryptography and steganography. In the proposed approach, sensitive data is first encrypted using robust algorithms such as AES or RSA, rendering it unreadable to unauthorized users. The resulting ciphertext is then embedded within a benign-looking image using Least Significant Bit (LSB) steganography. To cloud storage providers ( AWS, Google Cloud), the data appears as ordinary images rather than conspicuous ciphertext, thereby reducing the likelihood of targeted attacks. This dual-layer approach leverages the strengths of both techniques—encryption ensures the confidentiality of the content, while steganography conceals the very existence of the protected data. The workflow is systematically outlined, demonstrating how layered security significantly increases the computational effort required for a successful breach. Recommended technologies include AES and RSA encryption algorithms, LSB-based image steganography for data concealment, and widely adopted cloud platforms with native encryption support. The model’s strengths are enhanced security, covert transmission—and its limitations are processing overhead, dependency on cover media. These strengths and limitations are analyzed to provide a balanced perspective on its practical application.

Challenges And Opportunities In Linking Sanitation Campaigns With Sustainable Development: A Policy Review Of Swachh Bharat In Indore

Priyanka Chourasiya, Manjari Gupta — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It had already read how the idea of Sustainable Development had been paired with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) in the Madhya Pradesh city of Indore, which had been known all along as the cleanest city in India. It had achieved it in the form of mixed-methods research design that consisted of the quantitative survey and qualitative interviews and field researches. The study had uncovered that citizen awareness and participation had also helped in achieving sanitation in the city. Waste segregation and recycling practices had become the municipal innovations highly oriented on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout the world with respect to the goals connected with the sanitation system, responsible urbanized living and accountable consumption. Even with these successes, there were still other issues such as behavioral resistance, infrastructural deficiencies, lack of finances, and bad welfare of sanitation workers. The paper had reported that though the SBA implementation had been a model of a sustainable urban management in Indore, its long term successes in issues of inclusiveness, financial stability and labour would have been imperative in a bid to ensure the sustainability of the implementation.

The Mediating Role of Mental Health Support Systems in Building Resilient Workplaces for Employee Safety and Wellness

Thammisetty Srilakshmi, Ch. Hemanth Kumar, M. Sowmya, K. Srikanth — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine how leadership commitment, workplace safety policies, work-life balance practices, organizational communication and stress management training influences resilient workplaces, with mental health support systems acting as a mediating factor to enhance employee safety and wellness.

Outcome: Results are projected to demonstrate that mental health support systems significantly mediate the relationship between workplace practices and the development of resilient workplaces, directing to strengthen employee safety, well-being and organizational sustainability.

Methodology/Approach/Design: A quantitative research design has chosen using a structured questionnaire to collect primary data from employees of manufacturing sector.

Sampling Technique: Stratified random sampling will be employed to ensure representation from different organizational levels and departments.

Statistical Tools: Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has used to test the mediation role of mental health support systems along with reliability and validity tests.

Generalization: The study’s output can be widespread to organizations in similar industrial contexts contributing for managers and policymakers to strengthen workplace resilience through mental health interventions.

Mending market linkages to restore the grandeur of traditional Indian textiles

Ettishri B Rajput, Daisy Kurien — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With the recent economic development in India and e-commerce rush, the country has found new patrons of crafts in the elite Indian craft consumer. Not only e-commerce, but several brands like Taneira by Tata, Aadhyam by Aditya Birla and Swadesh by Reliance are the new national brands selling handloom sarees. Such an unprecedented interests in crafts, which is being touted as the Indian luxury, augurs well for revival of traditional crafts. But problems faced by the marketers are considerable. The study initially draws a narrative on Indian crafts right from ancient times and shows how the narrative has changed over time, in the process affecting the stature of the rich cultural heritage. The aim of the study is to examine the supply side linkages that play a role in enriching traditional textiles from the marketer’s perspective. As the variables to be studied were not very clear in the beginning, we follow a qualitative methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of government sector, private sector, non-government organisations. Focus group discussions with primary producers like weavers and artisans associated with traditional textile crafts of Gujarat were conducted. A Grounded theory approach was followed in order to develop a conceptual framework of the supply side challenges faced by the marketers of traditional textile crafts of the Gujarat region. The qualitative inquiry shows that there are three major themes viz. Information Asymmetry, Supply Chain Systems and Product design that need to be addressed in order to
address supply side challenges and externalities of the sector. Organisational/governmental budgetary allocations that aim at improvement in relevant matrices will help the restoration of the stature of traditional textile crafts. Contrary to popular belief that demand of traditional textiles is declining, we found that many constraints faced by the craftsmen and handloom weavers were unrelated to demand. The externalities of this sector have made the compromise between heritage and business a difficult one, unless the supply side linkages are strengthened. One can hope that craft may finally opt out of the preservation rhetoric for the best way to preserve something is to make it prosper. The study findings are unique as they provide a multidimensional narrative on marketing of the tangible cultural heritage of India.

Pricing Sustainability: An Econometric Evaluation of Consumer Demand for Eco-Friendly Coffee Waste Products

Anh Minh Phung Bao — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sustainability of the environment has led to interest in converting agricultural residues into valuable products. A significant by-product of coffee production, coffee waste offers business opportunities in the development of environmentally friendly products. Pricing is one of the key factors in consumer adoption, and it is important to understand the dynamics of demand to promote sustainable consumption. This research examines the consumer demand for environmentally friendly coffee waste products based on the responses of 412 respondents in urban and semi-urban areas. The respondents shared their opinions on the purchasing domain, sensitivity to price, perceived product quality, and environmental consciousness. The SmartPLS SEM was employed to analyze the data, and the validity and reliability tests were conducted to verify the robustness of the model. Findings show that PS harms CD , compared to EC and PPQ , which have a positive effect on CD. The modest positive effects are on SI and In . These results indicate the synergistic contribution of economic and behavioral variables to the development of consumer interest in sustainable coffee waste products.

Sustainable Economic Development in India: Nexus Between Financial Globalization and Economic Growth

Tia Paras Shah — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sustainable economic growth is an essential foundation for India’s long-term development and success. As one of the largest economies in the world, India confronts the twin imperatives of continued rapid economic growth and the challenges of climate degradation and social inequities [1]. With more than 50% of its population relying on sectors such as agriculture, the high enormous risks that India faces due to Climate Change accentuate the need for making sustainability an intrinsic part of its development strategy [2]. Countries’ commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that integrates economic, environmental, and social considerations.[3].

Economic Returns to Higher Education in India An Empirical Study of Employability, Income, and Skills Across Disciplines

Mitali Sharad Gupta, Nitu Kumar, Riya Chandak — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Higher education is often viewed as an investment that yields economic and social returns in the form of employability, income, and skills. This study examines the economic returns to higher education in India through a comparative analysis across disciplines such as Engineering, Management, Commerce, Arts, and Science. Using survey-based data from 200 graduates, the research explores the relationship between tuition costs, employment outcomes, income distribution, job preparedness, and skill acquisition. The findings reveal that professional programs such as Engineering and Management provide higher employability and income opportunities, albeit with significantly higher tuition fees, whereas Arts and Commerce graduates face lower employment prospects and modest returns. Communication skills, digital competencies, and industry certifications emerged as the most critical drivers of employability across fields. The study concludes that while higher education enhances earning potential and job readiness, the return on investment varies considerably by discipline, raising important implications for students, institutions, and policymakers in aligning curricula with labor market demands.

Hiring Challenges in the IT Sector in the Era of AI, Hybrid Work, and Global Talent Shortages

Neha Acharya — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, hybrid work, and globalization of the workforce, the information technology (IT) sector continues to face unprecedented hiring challenges in 2025. While the pandemic triggered the shift towards remote work, the post-pandemic era has transformed these practices into permanent features of recruitment and retention strategies. This study investigates the current hiring challenges in the IT sector, including global talent shortages, rising competition for niche skills like AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data science, as well as evolving employee expectations such as flexibility, wellbeing, and purpose-driven work. The research also explores how AI-powered recruitment, upskilling initiatives, and employer branding strategies are shaping the future of talent acquisition. These findings will be crucial for IT companies navigating today’s competitive hiring landscape.

Balancing B2B Lead Generation through Manual Research and AI Innovation

Nikhil V. Khandar, Shital A. Bhole, Shilpa Agarkar — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study compared three lead generation approaches- manual searches, professional databases, and AI-driven tools. Manual searches found the most companies (94) but produced only two quality leads after 115 hours. Database and AI tools identified fewer leads (3 each) but required far less time—2 hours and 27 hours, respectively. Other methods like LinkedIn outreach and referrals yielded fewer leads but with higher quality.

The Strategic Role of Business Incubators and Accelerators in Fostering Entrepreneurial Development: Analysing Their Impact on Start-up Survival, Innovation Capacity, and Ecosystem Growth

Pritichhaya Tamboli, Kshitij Tankhiwale — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive when innovative ideas are nurtured with adequate resources, mentorship, and funding. Business incubators and accelerators have emerged as powerful catalysts that support early-stage ventures by providing structured environments to grow and scale. This paper explores their strategic role in entrepreneurial development, analyzes their impact on innovation and start-up survival, compares their effectiveness, and provides suggestions for strengthening their role in emerging economies such as India. The study uses theoretical perspectives, case-based evidence, and literature insights to highlight how incubators and accelerators not only foster business growth but also contribute to broader socio-economic development.

The Convergent Impact: How Chatbots, Personalization, and Predictive Analytics Synergistically Shape Consumer Behavior

Sarang Javkhedkar, Anjali Shrungarkar, Atul Kulkarni — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The digital marketing landscape is undergoing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI). This paper investigates the tripartite influence of AI-powered chatbots, hyper-granular personalization, and predictive analytics on contemporary consumer behavior. While often studied in isolation, this research argues that their convergence creates a synergistic effect that significantly amplifies their individual impact on the consumer decision journey. Through a mixed-methods approach—analyzing quantitative data from a simulated e-commerce environment (N=500 virtual consumer journeys) and qualitative insights from focus groups (n=20)—this study demonstrates that integrated AI systems dramatically increase key performance indicators. Findings indicate a 33% increase in conversion rates, a 40% improvement in customer satisfaction scores, and a 28% reduction in cart abandonment when these technologies are used in concert versus in isolation. The research also identifies a critical "creepiness factor" threshold, where overly intrusive personalization can negatively impact trust. The paper concludes that the future of consumer engagement lies in the ethical and strategic integration of these technologies, creating a seamless, predictive, and empathetic customer experience that fundamentally reshapes brand expectations and loyalty.

Revolutionizing the Fintech Landscape: An Empirical Investigation into the Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Usage Intention in Uttarakhand

Rashi Alagh, Anuradha Rathi, Mousmi Goel, Harshil Sharma — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Indian financial services sector has undergone significant transformation with the emergence of Fintech, which integrates financial services with advanced digital technologies. This shift has altered consumer expectations and behavior, creating a demand for more efficient and accessible financial solutions. This study investigates the role of Fintech innovations in enhancing customer satisfaction & intention to use Fintech services. Data was collected from 230 respondents across the Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri & Pauri districts of Uttarakhand. The analysis was performed using Smart PLS to analyze the intricate relation of dimensions of service quality & customer satisfaction. The SERVQUAL model comprising of Reliability (REL), Responsiveness (RESP), Assurance (ASS), Empathy (EMP), and Tangibility (TAN) - was employed to measure the extent of satisfaction driven by perceived service quality with regard to fintech services among surveyed respondents in Uttarakhand. As per the findings, Reliabilityand Responsiveness are among the most significant attributes of service quality towards enhancing customer satisfaction. These elements, in turn, significantly contribute towards the intention to use fintech services in Uttarakhand. The study empirically justifies the significance of reliability, responsiveness & assurance in promoting customer satisfaction which in turn drives intention to use Fintech. Therefore, the Fintech service providers should prioritize these aspects to improve user satisfaction and expand their customer base in regional markets. Moreover, the results from the study bear significant practical implications for Fintech companies, policymakers, and financial service regulators. By focusing on key dimensions of service quality, stakeholders can boost user engagement, drive digital financial inclusion across vulnerable regions, and support the broader goal of a cashless and inclusive economy.

Assessing Consumer Willingness to Adopt Ai-Based Personal Shopping Assistants

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial Intelligence (AI)–based personal shopping assistants (APSAs) are rapidly emerging as innovative tools in online retail and mobile commerce. By simulating human-like guidance through chatbots, recommendation engines, and personalized conversational agents, APSAs aim to enhance shopping convenience, decision-making efficiency, and overall satisfaction. This study investigates Indian consumers’ willingness to adopt AI-based personal shopping assistants (WTA-APSA) and explores the factors that influence adoption, such as perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), trust (TR), and privacy concerns (PC). Using a survey-based approach, responses were collected from 420 online shoppers across metropolitan, Tier-II, and Tier-III cities in India. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test hypothesized relationships. Results reveal that PU, PEOU, and trust significantly influence willingness to adopt, while privacy concerns exert a negative effect. Findings contribute to adoption theory extensions in AI retail contexts and provide practical implications for e-commerce platforms seeking to integrate APSAs effectively.

HR Analytics in the IT Sector: Linking Performance Appraisal Practices with Employee Engagement

Muskan Saxena, Vibhor Jain — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In an increasingly data-driven corporate landscape, Human Resource (HR) analytics has emerged as a pivotal tool in shaping strategic HR decisions. Within the IT sector—an industry marked by high competition, dynamic work environments, and a skilled workforce—leveraging HR analytics for effective performance appraisal has gained significant attention. This study investigates the extent to which HR analytics tools and techniques are integrated into performance appraisal processes and examines their influence on employee engagement levels. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data gathered through structured surveys with qualitative insights from interviews conducted with HR professionals and employees in leading IT firms. The study aims to identify prevalent HR analytics practices, assess their effectiveness in appraising performance, and explore the correlation between data-driven performance evaluation and employee engagement metrics such as motivation, satisfaction, and retention. Findings from the research are expected to reveal that the strategic use of HR analytics not only enhances objectivity and transparency in performance appraisal but also fosters a more engaged and motivated workforce. Moreover, the study seeks to highlight best practices and challenges associated with HR analytics adoption in the IT sector. This research contributes to both academic understanding and practical implementation by bridging the gap between analytical performance management and human-centered employee engagement strategies. It underscores the growing need for IT organizations to align technological tools with human resource development, ensuring that data-driven decisions do not merely quantify employee output but also enhance their overall experience and involvement in the organization.

Assessing the Role of Digital Payment Systems in Enhancing Operational Efficiency among Unorganized Retailers

Shreya Kharbanda, Chanchal Chawla — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid proliferation of digital payment systems in India has significantly transformed the retail landscape, especially in the organized sector. However, their adoption and impact in the unorganized retail segment—comprising local kirana stores, roadside vendors, and small-scale traders—remain underexplored. This study aims to assess the role of digital payment systems in enhancing operational efficiency among unorganized retailers. Specifically, it investigates how digital payment adoption influences sales volume, inventory management practices, and overall business process optimization. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data collection through structured questionnaires with qualitative insights gathered via interviews. The target sample includes unorganized retail outlets across urban and semi-urban areas, with emphasis on those that have integrated digital payment platforms such as UPI, mobile wallets, and QR-based payment apps. Statistical analysis is employed to measure correlations between digital payment usage and indicators of operational efficiency, including sales trends, inventory turnover, and reduction in transaction time. Preliminary findings suggest that digital payments not only streamline financial transactions but also contribute to better tracking of inventory, improved cash flow management, and increased customer trust. Despite challenges such as digital illiteracy, intermittent connectivity, and reluctance among some retailers, the overall trend indicates a positive impact on business efficiency. This study contributes to the growing literature on digital transformation in the informal economy and offers policy recommendations to accelerate financial inclusion and digital adoption among grassroots-level retailers. It also provides practical insights for fintech companies and government agencies aiming to empower the unorganized sector through digital means.

The Role of Motivation in the effectiveness of Employee Retention Strategies: A Study on Private Universities

Vaishali Choudhary, Mohit Rastogi — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Employee retention has become a significant concern in private universities where competition for skilled faculty and staff is intense. Motivation plays a critical role in shaping employees’ decisions to remain within an organization. This study investigates the role of motivation in the effectiveness of employee retention strategies adopted by private universities. Using a structured questionnaire of 10 items, data were collected from 120 employees across selected private universities. The study employed descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis to examine the relationship between motivation and employee retention. Findings reveal that motivational factors such as recognition, job security, growth opportunities, and alignment with organizational goals strongly influence employee retention. The study concludes that employee motivation is a determinant of effective retention strategies and recommends that universities design comprehensive motivational frameworks to reduce turnover and improve long-term commitment.

Economic Perspectives on AI Integration in Business: A Comprehensive Analysis of Trends and Impacts

Aishwarya — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research paper provides an extensive economic analysis on artificial intelligence implementation in business incorporating extensive meta database searches from IEEE, ResearchGate, Scopus and recent statistical inputs from reliable sources such as Deloitte, McKinsey and Statista. This research paper critically examines the impacts of AI, mainly highlighting it as the drive of productivity, operational efficiency and competitive advantage. Researchers have also emphasized ethical and persistent organizational challenges. Issues such as transparency, fairness and bias often weaken trust and slow down its acceptance. In contrast to earlier studies this paper uses a broader qualitative approach, utilizing case studies and a SWOT analysis. This approach explains both limitations and tangible benefits of designing and using AI. Policy implications show the importance of governance strategies and adapting regulatory frameworks as AI evolves. The future research should focus on creating ways to measure the value AI brings and building various models that can adjust to the evolving digital economy. Overall, the findings include AI implementation that is ethically and effectively managed will shape the future of growth and markets.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financial Inclusion Policies on Economic Growth and SME

Viha Varia — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This academic paper is a behavioral and technological study focusing on the influence of financial inclusion policies on economic growth and on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies. The paper utilizes a qualitative case study approach to substantiate the claim, employing Prospect Theory to measure the effects of increased access to financial services on the rate of employment, poverty alleviation, and SME survival. The study notes that while the use of digital finance and the launch of initiatives for women can be a source of profit and job creation, there are still obstacles such as very low levels of financial literacy, the need for collateral, mistrust, and social biases. The results show that changes in procedures, regulatory changes and well-targeted educational programs are the main ways of closing financial gaps, particularly for vulnerable SMEs and female entrepreneurs. The conclusions of the paper are further supported by a re-examination of the literature on global research that points to the increasing role of digital financial inclusion and fintech that are the major drivers of SME-led economic progress.

Linking Self-Efficacy and Hedonic Motivation to Job Performance: An Empirical Study of Medical Representatives in South Gujarat

Nikita Kher, Sapna Chauhan — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s competitive pharmaceutical industry, the role of medical representatives (MRs) extends beyond sales to relationship management, knowledge dissemination, and long-term client engagement. Their success depends not only on technical skills but also on psychological and motivational factors. This study examines the influence of self-efficacy and hedonic motivation on job performance of medical representatives in the South Gujarat region. Self-efficacy reflects individuals’ belief in their capacity to execute tasks successfully, while hedonic motivation represents the pursuit of enjoyment and satisfaction in work-related activities. A structured survey was conducted with 450 medical representatives across major pharmaceutical firms in the region. The data was analyzed using correlation and regression techniques to assess the direct and combined effects of these constructs on job performance. Preliminary findings suggest that self-efficacy strongly predicts job performance, while hedonic motivation significantly enhances workplace happiness, with both variables exerting a combined influence on overall work outcomes. The study contributes to organizational behavior and human resource literature by highlighting psychological and motivational determinants of job performance and well-being, offering practical findings for pharmaceutical companies to design training and motivational strategies.

Exploring Victim-Centered Compensation Right for Homicide Survivors in the Ethiopian Criminal Justice System: Understanding Legal and Economic Impacts.

Cheru Chanko Enga, Debarati Halder — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article gives light to Ethiopian law makers to give attentions and promulgate the clear and independent law to treat the homicide survivors in proportion to the economic and moral loss. And aimed to initiate the government to establish the victim’s compensation scheme. The objectives of the study are: to access challenges of homicide survivors to get compensation, to examine the factors that influencing the compensation strategy in Ethiopia, to study compensation payers to homicide victims in the Ethiopian Criminal Justice system. To achieve the planned objectives the study employed socio legal and qualitative approach. The study founded that, the lack of law provision, and independent legal document concerning compensation to crime victims, new for the compensation scheme to the country, and economic status of the society and awareness of the victims to get compensation for injury and economic loss affects the right to get compensations. The study recommends, Ethiopian experience which gives the attention on the offender only to be criminally responsible and that replaces the civil responsibility should be amended and renewed in the sense of contemporary legal development. And the government should plan to enact an independent law to modernize the entertainment of the crime victims, to stable and balance the lost economy, maintain the future income and reimburse the cost of the victims caused by the crime.

Un-Published

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Un-Published

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WATER LAWS IN INDIA

Ayushi mittal, Dr. Ashish kumar singhal — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Companies are legal persons. Hence, it is the duty of the legal personalities as well to abide by the law and involve in making their contribution to the society as per social norms and expectations. Thus, under the companies act 2013, corporate social responsibility (csr) was formalized mandating the companies to allot 2% of their profits towards social and environmental initiatives. Multiple action plans and social initiatives are formulated by the government of india wherein water conservation and sanitation are among the key focus areas. Though, india's legal framework for water governance is rooted in constitutional provisions and various legislative measures such as the water (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1974 and the national water policy (2012), wherein these laws aim to manage water resources sustainably and ensure access to clean water. The csr initiatives towards water conservation, pollution control and providing accessibility to clean water for drinking and sanitation will aid the government to boost the productivity and approachability. This paper also addresses the challenges of coordinating corporate efforts with regulatory frameworks, monitoring the effectiveness of csr projects, and overcoming regional disparities in water management. Judicial interventions have further expanded the scope of corporate responsibility in environmental sustainability. Thus, public private partnership may help in improving monitoring mechanisms, greater corporate engagement in long-term water management solutions.

Policy shifts and structural barriers: Evaluating the doubling farmers’ income initiative in india

Shashi pratap shahi — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

he indian government’s ambitious target of doubling farmers’ income (dfi) by 2022 marked a significant policy shift from production-centric to income-oriented strategies. This study, based on secondary data, critically evaluates progress by analysing household income trends, policy measures, and structural challenges. Using evidence from the nafis 2016–17 survey and the situation assessment surveys (sas) of 2012–13 and 2018–19, it finds that although farm households experienced substantial nominal income growth, real income gains were modest due to inflation, falling short of the doubling goal. Income composition analysis shows a reduced contribution from cultivation and growing reliance on wages and non-farm sources, highlighting the limitations of farm-based earnings. Government interventions, such as pm-kisan (cash transfers) and pmfby (crop insurance), improved liquidity and risk coverage, but uneven implementation restricted their effectiveness. Similarly, initiatives like e-nam and farmer producer organizations (fpos) strengthened market access and collective bargaining but yielded broader outcomes only after 2020, beyond the original timeline. Overall, while policy reforms expanded safety nets, diversified income sources, and encouraged market integration, enduring issues like fragmented landholdings, rising input costs, and sluggish productivity growth hampered full achievement of dfi. Nonetheless, the initiative generated momentum, laying a solid foundation for sustained rural income growth in the future.

Technical Efficiency and Growth of Banks: A Bibliometric Analysis

Mangal Chhering, Shweta Goel — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study delves into the complex relationship between technical efficiency and growth of the banks using a bibliometric approach. While it is commonly believed that efficient banks should grow, the literature on this relationship remains sparse and ambiguous. Our research aims to identify and analyze key publications, authors, academic affiliations, source titles, countries, languages, document types, subject areas, and citation matrices addressing above issue. By examining these factors, we seek to offer valuable insights for guiding future research in this field. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to investigate the current trends and patterns in the research on technical efficiency and growth of the banks. By analyzing 217 documents sourced from the Scopus database, the study identifies key research areas, influential authors, and significant publications. The most cited papers were written in 2002 (468 total citations), 'Economics, Econometrics, and Finance' being the dominant subject area (32.68% publications). Articles being the most published (87.55%), English is the key language (96.8%), the United States is the top country (31 publications), and 'Journal of Banking and Finance'
is an important journal (11 publications). Isik, I. is the most influential author (705 total citations). This study elucidates publications pertaining to the technical efficiency and growth of banks, encompassing key contributors, authors, countries, journals, publishers, and significant keywords. Researchers can leverage this paper for their further investigations, particularly in establishing the relationship between technical efficiency and the growth of banks. The study is constrained by its limitation that only Scopus database has been employed to the analysis. Our paper is first of its kind in exploration into the relationship between technical efficiency and the growth of banks using bibliometrics method.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Service Quality and Customer Perception Research in the Banking Sector

Karthikeyan R, D Gnana Senthilkumar — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on service quality and customer perception in the banking sector published between 2013 and 2023. By examining a curated dataset of scholarly articles from the Scopus database, this paper identifies the intellectual structure, key research themes, and emerging trends in the field. The analysis reveals a consistent growth in publications, indicating sustained academic interest. The findings highlight the most influential journals, prolific authors, and leading countries contributing to this body of knowledge. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords identifies prominent research clusters, including the evolution from traditional service quality models to the emphasis on digital banking, e-service quality, and customer experience in the modern banking landscape. This study provides a comprehensive overview for academics and practitioners, outlining the trajectory of research and suggesting avenues for future inquiry in an increasingly technology-driven banking environment.

A Study on Hybrid Vehicles from Dealer’s Perceptions in Bangalore city

Rajdeep Manwani, Koushik R, Raghappanavara Dharmaraj Prakasha, Shruthi Joshi — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research delves into the perceptions of automotive dealers regarding hybrid vehicles in India. With the Indian automotive market undergoing significant transformations due to environmental concerns and technological advancements, understanding dealer perspectives becomes crucial. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, to assess factors influencing dealer attitudes towards hybrid vehicles. Findings indicate that while dealers acknowledge the environmental benefits and government incentives associated with hybrids, challenges such as consumer awareness, infrastructure limitations, and higher upfront costs persist. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations to enhance hybrid vehicle adoption through dealer engagement and policy support.

Managing People at Work: Challenges in Human Resource Management

Smita Mandwekar, Ar. Hemant Mandwekar — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Human Resource Management (HRM) refers to the structured systems designed to oversee people within an organization. The main responsibilities of an HR manager revolve around staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and work design. The ultimate goal of HRM is to maximize organizational productivity by enhancing employee effectiveness. Despite the rapid pace of business changes, this fundamental role is unlikely to shift. As Edward L. Gubman noted in the Journal of Business Strategy, the essential tasks of HR—acquiring, developing, and retaining talent; aligning employees with business goals; and contributing meaningfully to organizational success—will always remain relevant. HRM poses additional challenges for small enterprises, which often lack a dedicated HR department and may rely on a single HR person or even the owner. Therefore, understanding these challenges becomes vital for ensuring growth and sustainability. This paper seeks to analyze the challenges in HRM, propose solutions, and highlight future trends.

Consumer Behavior Analysis Using AI and Big Data

Saudamini Mowade — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The digital revolution has transformed consumer markets, leading to unprecedented volumes of structured and unstructured data generation. Understanding consumer behavior is no longer limited to surveys and traditional econometric models; instead, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data analytics have emerged as powerful tools to capture, process, and interpret consumer patterns. This study provides a comprehensive deep dive into how AI techniques, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and deep learning, when integrated with Big Data frameworks, can revolutionize consumer behavior analysis. This study highlights applications in personalized marketing, dynamic pricing, predictive analytics, and customer segmentation while addressing ethical concerns, data privacy challenges, and future prospects of consumer behavior research in the AI era. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, consumer behavior, predictive analytics, personalization, sentiment analysis, customer segmentation.

Analysing Investment Behaviour of Salaried Individuals in Jaipur: An Empirical Approach

Mehak Gulati, Surbhi Mathur, Aditi Kaushik — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Investment is an activity that involves almost all individuals and reflects their financial knowledge, skills, preferences, and objectives. For salaried individuals, investment decisions take on added importance as they often include retirement planning alongside other financial goals (Chaturvedi, 2025; Miranda, 2023). In today’s dynamic global economy, a wide range of investment avenues are available such as equity, debt, gold, provident funds, real estate, and post office savings schemes. Salaried individuals typically invest in multiple channels to meet various objectives over time. Recent studies emphasize that factors influencing investment decisions among salaried employees include demographic aspects, financial literacy, risk tolerance, and psychological biases (Miranda, 2023). Furthermore, employee satisfaction with their investments is closely linked to how well these align with their financial goals.

Bibliometric Review of Online Learning Challenges and Opportunities

S.Gnana Sugirtham, Mythily R — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on problems and prospects of online learning platforms published between 2014 and 2024. By examining a curated dataset of scholarly articles from the Lens.org database, this paper identifies the intellectual structure, key research themes, and emerging trends in the field. The analysis reveals a significant growth in publications, especially from 2020 onwards, driven by the global shift to remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the most influential journals, prolific authors, leading institutions, and prominent countries contributing to this body of knowledge. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies major thematic clusters, including "e-learning," "digital divide," "student engagement," "learning analytics," and "educational equity." This study provides a comprehensive overview for academics and practitioners, outlining the trajectory of research and suggesting future directions in an increasingly digital education environment.

Stakeholder Engagement Analysis of Existing Buildings Retrofitting Projects

Sunam Nandi, Atul Rawat — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Retrofitting residential buildings is not a technical problem that can be solved by installing equipment and making logical decisions; rather, it is a complicated socio-technical issue that necessitates taking into account how physical arrangements encourage sustainable activities. Stakeholder plays a very important part in taking decision regarding retrofitting an existing building. There are different stakeholders involved in the process of retrofitting and analysing their influence can give a wider view on the challenges and come out with strategies to overcome. This study aims to analyse the stakeholders’ level of influence involved in retrofitting. The study revealed that stakeholders influence on retrofitting projects are not limited. The importance stakeholders spreads to other groups, emphasizing the necessity of precise laws, rewards, and funding sources.

From Arthashastra to Algorithms: Data-Driven Mergers, Consumer Welfare, and the Evolution of Consumer Harm Theories in Indian and EU Competition Law

Kritika Singh, Gagandeep Kaur — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The proliferation of data-driven mergers in India's rapidly digitising economy presents unprecedented challenges to traditional competition law frameworks, necessitating a fundamental reassessment of merger analysis methodologies and theories of consumer harm. This research examines the competitive implications of mergers where data aggregation constitutes the primary strategic objective, analysing their effects within the jurisdictional frameworks of India and the European Union while exploring the integration of traditional Indian knowledge systems with contemporary competition law analysis.

“What Drives Workers’ Reverse Migration From SMES: Economic, Social, Health or Workplace Factors Post Disasters?”

Indrajit Khandai, Ashish Kumar, S Sanjay Kumar — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Reverse migration, the phenomenon where migrant workers return to their native places, has garnered significant attention, particularly in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) post disasters like Covid-19. This study explores the factors influencing reverse migration from manufacturing units of SMEs, focusing on the perspectives of migrant workers from neighboring states. Drawing from primary data collected through surveys and interviews, the study identified social, health, sources of relief, and food insecurity determinants as key contributors to reverse migration decisions. The insights from the study indicate social, health, sources of relief, and food insecurity determinants have significant positive impacts on reverse migration, whereas economic and housing factors have either weak or non-significant influence on reverse migration. This is contrary to previous research studies, which focus on reverse migration of migrant workers from unorganized sectors such as construction, hospitality, tourism, and other service sectors. Pull factors such as feeling sense of relief at being in native place, a sense of sustainable life, emotional fulfillment, advance decision to travel arrangement, greater sense of relief and quality of life at home played vital role in their decision to return to their native place. The findings indicate a nuanced interplay among these factors, with the COVID-19 pandemic intensifying the reverse migration trend. The study emphasizes the need for policy interventions, such as improved accessible healthcare systems near SMEs, localized economic development, conducting mandatory disaster awareness and preparedness programs, and support systems to address the challenges and optimize the potential of migrant workers. These are initiatives that can help minimize the risks and build confidence in workers’ minds to restrict reverse migration in any disaster-like situation, like a pandemic, in the future.

Between Awareness and Action: Exploring Gen Z’s Purchase Intentions towards Sustainable Clothing

Mandeep Kaur, Amarjeet Kaur Malhotra, Shweta Mittal — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The fashion industry is increasingly criticized for its environmental and social impacts, making sustainable clothing a critical pathway toward responsible consumption. Generation Z, often characterized as environmentally aware and socially conscious, represents a vital consumer group for sustainable fashion. Yet, despite their strong pro-sustainability attitudes, a persistent gap remains between their intentions and actual purchase behavior. This study employs a qualitative exploratory design to investigate how Gen Z consumers perceive, consider, and make decisions about sustainable clothing choices. Using 25 semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, four key themes emerged: (1) peer validation and social media influence, (2) affordability and accessibility barriers, (3) moral identity and environmental values, and (4) knowledge–action dissonance. Together, these findings illustrate the complex interplay between values, social expectations, and structural constraints shaping Gen Z’s purchase intentions. The study contributes by providing context-specific insights into Gen Z’s lived experiences. Practical implications for fashion brands and policymakers are also discussed.

Financial Inclusion Status of Hakkipikki Tribal Women in Mysuru District, Karnataka

Kiran Kumar, Dammurappa K — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Purpose of this research study is to understand the level of Financial Inclusion Index of Hakkipikki Tribal Women residing in Mysuru district of Karnataka state. The term financial inclusion refers accessibility to, the availability of, and the usage of financial services to all individuals of the population irrespective of their economic level. The level of Financial Inclusion is vary from one demographic population to other demographic population. The research objective of the study was to examine the current level of financial inclusion index of Hakkipikki tribal women residing in Mysuru district of Karnataka. In this research study financial inclusion is quantified by creating Financial Inclusion Index for ten Dichotomous financial services variables. The levels of financial inclusion index classified as 03 different levels based on a scoring from zero to ten. Low level of financial inclusion index contains scores from 00 to 03, medium level of financial inclusion index comprises scores from 04 to 06, and high level of financial inclusion index incorporates scores from 07 to 10. The Chi-square non-parametric test was performed to assess the statistical significant relationship between the levels of financial inclusion index and respondents demographic and socio-economic variables such as age, the level of education, marital status, present occupation, and the monthly income. The present occupation and the monthly income categorical variables were statistically significant at 5% level. 80 percent of the respondents fall under the levels of low & medium financial inclusion index and remaining 20 percent of the participants fall under the high level of financial inclusion index. To improve the level of Financial Inclusion Index within Hakkipikki tribal community of women. The present study recommends that the concerned policymakers for financial services and development authorities of tribal communities should take necessary initiatives which are in a position to reduce the poverty and societal imbalances of tribal women.

Artificial Intelligence and Smart Workforce Development: A Transformative Approach to Human Resource Management

Megha P. Nanhe, Vrushali Parkhi, Diwakar R. Tripathi, Aarti Kulkarni — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought a paradigm shift in Human Resource Management (HRM), especially in the sphere of employee development. AI-enabled tools support customized learning journeys, personalized career growth, and data-informed decision-making, ultimately boosting workforce efficiency and engagement. This study examines the transformative influence of AI on employee development, focusing on applications such as smart learning management systems, adaptive training programs, performance analytics, and AI-assisted coaching. Through machine learning models and predictive analytics, AI helps identify skill deficiencies, recommend targeted development initiatives, and ensure continuous upskilling in line with organizational objectives. Moreover, AI enriches the employee journey by enabling tailored career pathways and real-time performance feedback.

The paper also addresses the challenges of adopting AI in HRM, including concerns about data security, ethical dilemmas, and algorithmic bias. It further outlines strategies for embedding AI into employee development frameworks while maintaining equilibrium between technological progress and people-centered practices. Case studies are highlighted where AI adoption has improved talent retention, strengthened learning outcomes, and driven organizational effectiveness.

As businesses increasingly integrate AI-driven HR solutions, a clear understanding of its impact on workforce development becomes vital. This research offers practical insights for HR leaders, policymakers, and scholars, providing an in-depth analysis of AI’s contribution to shaping employee growth in the digital age. By harmonizing AI capabilities with human expertise, organizations can cultivate a flexible and future-ready workforce capable of adapting to evolving business landscapes. The paper concludes with recommendations for advancing AI-powered employee development models that uphold principles of ethics, fairness, and transparency.

Gamification Strategies in Education, Fitness Apps and Financial Services for Enhancing Customer Engagement

Shital Kene, Sunil Manoharrao Ikharkar, Vipul S Akhare — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores how gamification strategies influence customer engagement in education, fitness applications, and financial services. Gamification uses elements such as points, badges, leader boards, challenges, feedback, and social features to enhance motivation and sustained participation. The study draws on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Flow Theory, and the Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) framework to explain how gamification mechanics shape behavioural, cognitive, and emotional engagement.

A mixed-methods research design is proposed: first, qualitative interviews and focus groups will refine constructs and identify sector-specific features; second, a quantitative survey and behavioural data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) will test the relationships among gamification elements, engagement outcomes, and mediating factors such as intrinsic motivation, competence, and social relatedness.

The expected contributions include: (1) a cross-sector taxonomy of effective gamification mechanics, (2) empirical evidence on psychological mediators linking gamification and engagement, and (3) managerial guidelines for designing ethical and effective gamified services. This study aims to provide both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for creating meaningful, sustainable engagement in digital services.

Unveiling the Black Box: Explainable AI and the Diffusion of Machine Learning in Algorithmic Trading

Inesh Dora Kanati — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly integrated into algorithmic trading, offering significant predictive accuracy and real-time adaptability. However, widespread adoption is constrained by critical barriers including model complexity, the “black box” problem of transparency, and regulatory concerns. This paper investigates how emerging paradigms such as Explainable AI (XAI) can resolve these challenges and shape future adoption trends. Employing a qualitative case study methodology guided by the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, this research analyses the diffusion of these technologies through the dimensions of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Findings reveal that while existing literature recognizes ML’s capacity to enhance decision-making accuracy, limited studies analyse whether transparency-driven ML structures can accelerate systemic adoption. This study presents a framework connecting advanced AI capabilities with the practical requirements of user trust and regulatory compliance. The results highlight the pivotal role of XAI not only in mitigating the “black-box” barrier but also in aligning AI-driven trading strategies with risk management and regulations.

Robust Optimization of Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Through ML Algorithms Fostering Resilience and Reducing Wastages

Vedant Agrawal — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms within pharmaceutical supply chains, emphasizing their role in enhancing resilience and minimizing waste. A structured questionnaire was distributed to seventy professionals representing supply chain management, logistics, procurement, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance. Responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that domain-specific ML algorithms substantially improve forecasting accuracy, strengthen regulatory compliance, and optimize inventory management compared with conventional methods. Forecasting accuracy and stakeholder readiness achieved high reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.86 each), whereas adoption barriers, largely reflecting limited organizational confidence in digital transformation, showed only moderate reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.57). Despite the relatively small sample, the findings underscore the transformative potential of hybrid AI-classical models, integration with blockchain and IoT sensors, and federated learning approaches for pharmaceutical supply chains. The study proposes a novel framework that balances predictive precision with regulatory feasibility, offering actionable insights to support resilient and globally scalable pharmaceutical logistics.

Blockchain Enabled Smart Contracts for Reducing Transaction Costs in Financial Markets

Subasis Mishra, Neha Agarwal, Byomkesh Pradhan, M Mallikarjuna — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The fast digitization of financial markets has added pressure to the demands of efficient, transparent, and cost-effective infrastructural systems where the transaction was concerned. The conventional financial systems are characterized by high cost of transaction due to intermediaries, manual checks, information asymmetry and agency problems. This paper will discuss the concept of reducing these transaction costs and improving market efficiency through smart contracts that should be enabled by blockchain technology. Smart contracts, which are automated contractual agreements coded on blockchain systems, will replace contractual processes with automation, remove middlemen, and create trust by decentralizing verification. The study is founded on a qualitative analysis of close to sixty academic articles, industry reports, and policy documents that have been published since 2015. The paper recognizes automation, transparency, decentralization, and information symmetry as mediating factors that smart contracts can lower the operation, coordination and enforcement costs. Conceptual framework is presented to define the connection between the smart contracts and the reduction of transaction costs, which is moderated by technological scalability, regulatory environment, and the market adoption. Results indicate that smart contracts are able to reduce trading fees, delays in settlements and counterparty risks as well as enhance transparency and reliability in the systems. Nevertheless, there are still issues such as regulatory uncertainty, cybersecurity, poor interoperability, and excessive energy use in blockchain activities. The paper proposes that broader use of smart contracts would need regulatory transparency, technological change, and institutional preparation. It also concludes that smart contracts based on blockchain have a great potential to turn financial markets into more efficient, inclusive, and resilient ecosystems, assuming the barriers to their implementation are planned appropriately. Empirical validation of the study by pilot projects and real time applications in finance should serve as the future research.

A Critical Analysis of the Implementation of Child Protection Laws in Madhya Pradesh

Sunil Verma, Pooja Khetrapal — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study critically examines the implementation of child protection laws in Madhya Pradesh, with a particular focus on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and related legislative frameworks. Drawing upon secondary data and insights from law enforcement perspectives, the research evaluates the effectiveness, challenges, and practical implications of these laws in safeguarding children against sexual abuse and exploitation. The findings reveal that while Madhya Pradesh has made significant strides in adopting comprehensive legal measures and institutional mechanisms for child protection, their practical enforcement remains inconsistent. Factors such as inadequate training of officials, delayed investigation processes, insufficient victim support services, and limited public awareness hinder the overall impact of these initiatives. Despite high reliability in the understanding and intent of law enforcement agencies, the gap between policy and implementation persists due to structural, administrative, and sociocultural constraints. The study underscores the importance of enhancing inter-agency collaboration, capacity building, and awareness programs to strengthen the protective environment for children. It concludes that a holistic approach—combining legal rigor with community participation and institutional accountability—is essential to ensure that child protection laws in Madhya Pradesh achieve their intended objectives of justice, prevention, and rehabilitation.

"Application of Six Sigma in Thickness Control of Stainless Steel Sheets for a New Startup Manufacturing Company "

T Dakshinamurthy, Nandha kumar S, Semmalai.K — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The paper focuses on the application of Six Sigma methodologies in controlling the thickness of stainless steel sheets manufactured by a company. The industry standard sheet thickness is 5mm with an allowable tolerance of 5.05 mm (USL) and 4.95 mm (LSL). A set of control charts coupled with process capability indices Cp and Cpk was used to assess the stability and performance of the processes. A sample of 20 to 30 stainless steel sheets was selected and the thickness was tested against the customer parameters. The findings proved that Six Sigma methodologies can be successfully utilized in production process quality control.

A Study on Financial Performance of Select Private Sector Sugar Companies in Tamil Nadu

R. Sathya, B. Savitha — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Maximizing economic outcomes requires managerial decisions that are strategically grounded and supported by comprehensive data reflecting all aspects of business operations. Annual financial statements provide a consolidated view of these operations, offering valuable insights into a company’s financial position and overall performance. They also enable both qualitative and quantitative assessments of resource allocation and value creation within the organization.

Quality of Worklife among Garment Industry Workers - Role of Employee Development Practices and Organization Culture

Umesalma, Aisha M Sheriff. — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The garment industry has developed tremendously over the years and has become one of the biggest employers of people in India, contributing a significant amount of money towards the country's revenue. But in the same regard, the sector has been criticized for poor working conditions, long working hours, low wages and no social security protection. With this background, the current study is an attempt to measure the quality of work life among garment workers and understand the role of employee development and organizational culture. The current study uses quantitative descriptive research to assess the impact of employee development on the quality of work life through organizational culture. Through the use of the Cochran formula of unknown population at a 10% margin of error, a sample of 150 responses was collected using the convenience sampling technique from the workers in Garment Industries in Bangalore. The data collection instrument was prepared based on the previous scales. The questionnaire included variables related to quality of work life in 5 aspects: organizational culture, knowledge needs, aesthetic needs, esteem needs, and actualization needs. Questions were asked on employee development programs and organizational culture in the garment industry. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software using the Andrew Hayes process macros model 1. This paper has provided insights towards an understanding of the moderating role of organizational culture on the relationship between ED practices and quality of life so that organizational culture is fostered and fully supported to improve employee development practices for the enhancement of quality of life among employees.

Sustainability As a Strategic Innovation and Its Effect on Investor Attitudes in The Next Generation: Fuzzy Optimization Model

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In India rapidly evolving business environment, sustainability has transitioned from a peripheral concept to a central element of strategic innovation that shapes corporate competitiveness, value creation, and stakeholder engagement. This paper examines the transformative potential of sustainability as a strategic innovation and its impact on next-generation investor attitudes. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature and empirical research, it highlights how sustainability-oriented practices—such as circular economy adoption, green technology integration, and ethical governance—are redefining long-term business success. The study emphasizes that Millennials and Gen Z investors increasingly prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, demanding transparency, accountability, and sustainable impact over short-term financial returns. Consequently, organizations embedding sustainability into their core strategy are not only improving operational efficiency and brand credibility but also strengthening their appeal to ethically conscious investors. Moreover, the research explores the role of digital technologies and fintech platforms in democratizing ESG data, empowering young investors to make data-driven, responsible investment decisions. Using qualitative insights and fuzzy modeling, the paper demonstrates that transparency, technological innovation, and governance are key determinants of positive investor sentiment. Ultimately, the convergence of sustainability and strategic innovation is fostering a paradigm shift where responsible business practices and financial performance reinforce each other, creating an inclusive, resilient, and future-ready investment ecosystem.

DNA Test Jurisprudence: An Analytical Study with Respect to Privacy and Paternity Cases and the Approaches Adopted by the Courts in India.

Vaibhav Kumar, Rishab Kumar, Vikant Kumar — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the evolving technological advancements DNA test technology played a significant role in justice delivery system in India. With the development of human relations one of the major Institutions that have emerged is in the form of marriage. In Matrimonial disputes major concerns are regarding paternity, infidelity, inheritance etc. DNA test has assisted courts in determining these disputes with precision and certainty. This research article traverse in to analyse the impact of DNA technology in Indian society and secondly how courts in India have adopted DNA technology in determining the paternity disputes with reference to existing legal provisions and the jurisprudence developed by courts in applying DNA test. With the major debacle surrounding the application on DNA analysis on individuals in paternity cases this research paper dives in to analyse these disputes and present some suggestions after examining the existing laws to balance the interests of the individuals and safeguarding the children from subjecting them to unnecessary lacerations from the society.

From Data to Decisions: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Analytics

David Rahadian, Sudip Biswas, Jhugdamby Bhoje Parsad, Sujata Vijay Shinde — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the contemporary era, marketing has evolved from intuition‑led campaigns and broad demographic targeting to a realm dominated by data, algorithms, and adaptive systems. The transformation rides largely on the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to turn raw data into meaningful insights, enabling decisions that are more precise, timely, and aligned with both customer expectations and business goals. The journey from data to decisions is neither linear nor simplistic; it involves multiple interlocking layers: gathering and cleaning data, selecting and applying analytical methods (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive), integrating AI models, interpreting results, operationalizing them, and ensuring ethical, human‑centric oversight. This article explores how AI plays a role across that journey, what the current state looks like, where it is heading, and what companies must do to succeed [1].

Financial Health Prediction Of Indian Private Sector Banks By Using Altman Z- Score

Bibhudatta Das, Pratap Chandra Sahoo, Mangulu Charan Dash — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the Indian banking industry, maintaining profitability is essential for sustainability, while avoiding bankruptcy is critical for financial stability. Effective risk management, strong governance, regulatory compliance, and technological innovation are key to balancing both. This study is aiming to identify the relationship among the profitability matrix of banking sector to evaluate the bankruptcy performance by using Z- score model, for this purpose top 5 private sector banks are taken as sample over the period of 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Statistical tools like descriptive statistics, correlation matrix and t- test is applied to justify the objectives. It found that there is a stable and robust financial health of five major Indian banks like HDFC, ICICI, KOTAK, AXIS, and IDBI over the period of 5 years from 2020–21 to 2024–25 and all the factors are also positively responsible for financial stability of the banking sectors. Some factors are not explored in this study to evaluate the bankruptcy of banking sectors. Sample sizes and longitudinal research can be considered to extend the future research.

Leveraging Digital Marketing for Enhanced Sales Performance: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Pre-Engineered Building Industry

Tarmeen Jahan, Aditya Sharma — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Pre-Engineered Building (P. E. B.) industry has witnessed a significant evolution in marketing strategies, with digital marketing emerging as a crucial tool for reaching and engaging potential customers. This study investigates the impact of digital marketing on sales performance in the P.E.B sector, focusing on the adoption of digital marketing strategies, customer engagement through digital touchpoints, and the return on investment (ROI) of digital marketing initiatives. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys, interviews, and data analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The findings reveal that while the P. E. B. industry is gradually embracing digital marketing, many firms face challenges in fully leveraging its potential. (Bruce et al., 2023) This study highlights the correlation between specific digital marketing activities and sales outcomes, emphasizing the importance of tailoring strategies to the unique characteristics of P. E. B. sub-sectors. The results also underscore the role of digital content and social media in lead generation, nurturing, and building B2B relationships. The study contributes to the understanding of digital marketing in B2B contexts and provides valuable insights for industry practitioners and researchers.(Fatima et al., 2022; Sanbella et al., 2024; Sugiharto, 2024) The findings suggest that by investing in comprehensive digital marketing strategies, P.E.B companies can enhance their visibility, improve customer engagement, and ultimately drive sales performance in an increasingly digital-centric market.

Organizational Attractiveness: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Factors And The Moderating Role Of Personality Traits

Carmel Felixia, S. Kundhavai — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study conducts a meta-analysis on Organisational Attractiveness (OA) factors across industries, with the focus on the IT industry, where the talent competition is strong. The challenges in attracting the right talents seem to exist in terms of demographic, labour, societal and diverse workforce(s) respectively. The insights from the published literature across the globe are considered in view to study the existing factors relevant to organisational attractiveness and emerging trends. This study reviews the perceived organisational attractiveness among potential applicants in any organization, and the research conducted across industries and nationalities are also included in this study. The drivers which become the focus of this study under the purview of Organisational Attractiveness and those reviews pertaining from the year 1975 to 2025 are considered by researchers. The paper is further narrowed down after conducting the first level of reviews and focuses on analysing how individual personality traits and job characteristics are being moderated from a potential candidates’ perception basis in the organisation. The outcome of the study highlights how organisational attractiveness drivers can be contributed towards the individuals’ behavioural and attitude perspectives as such. at the individual. Keeping the outcomes as an end with the organisational attractiveness as a means, the study ensures to throw some light towards organisational implications - especially supporting the HR professionals and HR product owners mainly in an organization.

Bibliometric Insights into Behavioral Finance: An Analysis of Publication Growth and Scholarly Impact (1988–2024)

Nitika Chaudhary, Jasvir Singh Sura — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose – This study aims to look into changes in the publication trends of behavioral finance research papers published between 1988 and 2024. This paper uses Bradford's rule to identify which journals are well-known for their scholarly production on behavioral finance context and Lotka's law to assess the writers' output.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper combines bibliometric analysis, which uses The Lens database to perform an accurate and comprehensive statistical analysis of publications to examine the trends in behavioral finance over the years. 125 articles from 96 sources were selected for the present research out of 1000 articles retrieved from 433 sources.

Findings – The results have confirmed that the field of behavioral finance is expanding, and more scholars are paying attention to it. There was only one published paper between 1988 and 1992. It became well-known in 2007, and in 2023 and 2024, thirty-five articles were published. A list of the most popular articles in the database was included in the results. Samuelson (1988) tops the list with 4724 citations for his 1988 Journal of Risk and Uncertainty article.

Originality/value-This paper reviewed relevant literature that is available on The Lens

Database. It covers an extended time frame of almost five decades (1988-2024). This paper attempts to look into changes in the publication trends of behavioral finance research papers. This study builds a solid theoretical framework for researchers and academicians by demonstrating the available literature on behavior finance.

Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance: An Empirical Study in IT Companies

Radhika Dixit, Manoj Agarwal — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study uses qualitative research methodologies to investigate how different leadership styles affect employee performance in IT organisations. Given how quickly the IT industry is developing, strong leadership is essential in determining worker motivation, output, and job happiness. Organisational results, employee motivation, and performance are all significantly influenced by leadership. This qualitative study investigates how employee performance in a few Indian IT organisations is affected by three distinct leadership philosophies: transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire. Five team leaders and twenty workers from mid-sized IT companies participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic research showed that while transactional leadership increases short-term production through structure and incentives, transformational leadership boosts employee engagement, innovation, and job happiness. On the other hand, unclear leadership frequently results in low morale. The study comes to the conclusion that the most successful leadership style in the fast-paced IT industry is a hybrid one that combines transformational and transactional qualities. There is a discussion of suggestions for staff retention and leadership development.

The Evolving Discourse on MSMEs and India’s Five Trillion Dollar Aspiration

Supriya G R, Roopadarshini S — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector plays a pivotal role in India's economic growth, contributing nearly 30% to the GDP, over 45% of exports, and employing more than 110 million people. This study employs bibliometric analysis to map the evolution of scholarly discourse on MSMEs in India from 1996 to 2023, identifying key themes, institutional contributions, and research trajectories. The temporal analysis reveals a surge in publications post-2010, peaking in 2021, driven by policy initiatives, the five-trillion-dollar economic vision, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal articles and conference proceedings dominate the research output, with the International Monetary Fund emerging as the most prolific contributor. Co-occurrence analysis highlights the centrality of COVID-19, indicating its disruptive impact on MSMEs and its influence on research priorities. Sustainability, innovation, and digital transformation also emerge as significant themes. However, co-authorship and bibliographic coupling analyses suggest a fragmented research landscape with limited collaboration. Grounded theory analysis postulates that while MSMEs are critical drivers of inclusive growth, their potential is constrained by structural challenges, necessitating a supportive ecosystem. The study underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of grassroots perspectives to translate knowledge into action for building a resilient and equitable economy.

Gendered Experience and Safety Challenges Among Women Gig Workers

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The gig economy is becoming a major source of income for women, offering the flexibility of employment in various sectors like home services, deliveries, and ride-hailing. However, even though it is a flexible arrangement, gig work leads women into gendered experiences and safety issues that are hard to avoid, such as discrimination, emotional labour, and work-life conflict. The research aims to reveal the correlation between the gendered experiences and safety outcomes of women gig workers in India, using a sample size of 280 participants. To validate the constructs, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted as preliminary methods, then Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that the gendered experiences are the main reason for the significantly increased safety challenges, where emotional labour mediates and work-life conflict moderates. The necessity of platform interventions and policy reforms to ensure the safety of women participating in the gig economy is pointed out by the study.

English Opens Doors: Social Class, Equity, and the Expansion of English Education in Indian Public Schools

Vandana Whig, Rajiv Verma, Pirtibha Sharma, Pankhuri Agarwal, Roma Khanna — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

English education in India occupies a complex and contested space within the nation’s linguistic and social fabric. Historically associated with privilege and colonial legacy, English today symbolizes opportunity, employability, and access to global networks. This paper examines how the expansion of English education in Indian public schools intersects with issues of social class, equity, and educational reform. Drawing on the framework of linguistic capital and social mobility, it explores how English functions both as a bridge to empowerment and as a marker of persistent inequality. Government initiatives such as the National Education Policy (2020) and various state-level English-medium programs are analyzed for their role in democratizing language access while confronting the challenges of quality, teacher preparedness, and cultural inclusion. The study highlights the paradox that, while English aims to create an equitable educational landscape, it often reproduces class distinctions through uneven resource distribution and pedagogical gaps. Ultimately, the paper argues that the transformative potential of English in public education can be realized only through policies that integrate linguistic inclusion with social justice, ensuring that English ceases to be the privilege of a few and becomes the shared asset of many.

Indian Cinema as a Platform for Spreading Political Messages to Gen Z

Kb Aswathi, Shemin B. Nair — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Indian cinema has always been an influential player in framing public discourse as a strong vehicle for spreading political messages. Since the advent of Generation Z (Gen Z), a digitally native and politically engaged population, Indian cinema and political stakeholders have leveraged cinema as a means to spread ideologies, talk about social causes, and sway voters. This article delves into the way Indian cinema operates as a political instrument and how it is shaping Gen Z's political awareness and participation. It is done through case studies, theoretical insights, and empirical data to make evident how Bollywood and regional cinema frame political narratives, shape youth movements, and inform electoral turnout in India.

A Study on Human-AI Interaction and Strategic HRM Practices: Challenges and Potential

Bibi Hajira, Richa Das, Naina Malhotra — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in organizational practices has transformed human resource management (HRM), demanding a nuanced understanding of AI–human interaction within strategic and operational HR functions. This study investigates the determinants of AI adoption in HRM, focusing on both organizational and HR role-related factors. A structured survey-based research design was employed, targeting senior HR professionals—including HR Heads, Managers, and Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs)—drawn from a professional HR database. After rigorous data screening, valid responses were retained for analysis. The study examined major AI adoption determinants, including Behavioural Intention, Top Management Support, Performance Expectancy, and Competitive Pressure. Additionally, it considered critical HRM role dimensions derived from Ulrich’s model, such as Administrative Expert, Employee Champion, Strategic Partner, and Change Agent. Measurement items were refined from established constructs and assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics revealed that respondents exhibited positive attitudes toward AI adoption, reflecting expectations of efficiency gains and improved decision-making. Validity and reliability analysis confirmed the robustness of the measurement instrument. Hypothesis testing using structural equation modeling demonstrated that all proposed hypotheses were supported, highlighting the significant influence of both organizational factors and HRM role responsibilities on AI adoption. The findings suggest that alignment of strategic objectives, managerial support, and change facilitation synergistically enhances AI–human collaboration. This study provides empirical evidence for practitioners and policymakers to design effective AI-driven HR strategies that optimize talent management, operational efficiency, and organizational competitiveness.

Empowering Cultural Heritage: Leveraging Indigenous Knowledge of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Mayurbhanj, Odisha through Education

Rasmilata Nayak — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As modernisation and globalisation dominate cultural diversity in the world, can education be a vehicle for the conservation of Indigenous knowledge and capacity building of vulnerable communities? The Santhal, Bhumji and other Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, India, are threatened with the extinction of indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practices due to erosion of language, economic pressures and educational marginalisation. Despite their great cultural richness, these communities are underrepresented in formal academic and policy frameworks, leading to great gaps in the preservation of their heritage. The focus of this study was to investigate how indigenous knowledge can be integrated into inclusive educational practices to preserve culture and empower socioeconomically. Data were collected from 137 respondents using a structured survey using a quantitative research design. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate regression, which were conducted using SPSS 28 software. In this study, systemic barriers were addressed using multilingual education, participatory learning, and digital tools. The key findings were that 54.7% of respondents named language erosion as a major barrier, and 55.5% admitted a lack of resources for cultural preservation. Government initiatives were partially considered effective but had policy gaps in implementation and community engagement. This work showed that participatory educational approaches and technological innovation (digital documentation of tribal folklore) promise to span generational divides and secure cultural continuity. In line with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this study also endorses community-driven strategies for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the global discourse. Rather, its findings make clear the power of education as a weapon to enable cultural preservation and socioeconomic empowerment and make it a model which can be replicated throughout the world in other marginalised communities. This study proves that education is one thing that walks us to modernisation, not only but also to modernisation, which goes hand in hand with the tradition itself in the progress of an increasingly interconnected world.

An Examination of the Awareness Level of Entrepreneurs Towards Terms and Conditions for Borrowing Loan

Kalika Bhardwaj, Neeraj Gupta — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The primary goal of this research is to assess entrepreneurs' understanding of the terms and conditions of loans. In this study, factor analysis was utilized to detect and categorize entrepreneurs' understanding of the terms and conditions for borrowing loans from an NBFC. This statistical strategy condenses the information contained in numerous original variables into fewer dimensions (factors) while minimizing data loss. Before doing the factor analysis, the data adequacy test was performed using KMO and Bartlett's Test. And to determine the level of awareness among entrepreneurs, a sample t test was used. It may be argued that the outcome is minor, and that entrepreneurs are unaware of the aforementioned requirements and conditions for obtaining a loan.

"Development and Validation of a Model for the Work-Life Balance (WLB) Among Women Employees in the Indian Education Sector: An Exploratory Study”

Namrata Dhone, Amit Hole, Neelkanth Dhone — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Balanced work-life relationships are becoming more and more significant in the modern professional environment, especially among women who usually have to overcome complicated roles at the workplace and at home (McLellan and Uys, 2022). Work-life balance (WLB) contributes to the general well-being and professional satisfaction, which makes employees able to fulfill individual and professional obligations (Carlson et al., 2021). In the case of women, WLB is unattainable and extremely difficult because they have extra societal demands and family issues that may contribute to increased work-family tensions (Li et al., 2021). Policies and practices that deal with these issues are, thus, becoming the target of interest to organizations and WLB is a fundamental point of study. This paper focuses on different issues that affect WLB in women employees and compares both the positive and negative effects in order to see what leads to a balanced life.

Impact of Digital Financial Literacy Initiatives by Cooperative Banks of Uttarakhand on Adoption, Satisfaction, and Retention

Paras Sabberwal, Mohit Rastogi — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid digitization of India’s banking sector has reshaped how customers access financial services, particularly in semi-urban and rural regions where cooperative banks play a vital role. This study investigates the impact of digital financial literacy initiatives implemented by cooperative banks in Uttarakhand on customers’ digital banking adoption, satisfaction, and retention. The research aims to understand how awareness programs, training workshops, and digital outreach campaigns influence customers’ ability to use online and mobile banking services effectively. A structured survey was conducted among 400 customers of selected cooperative banks across different districts of Uttarakhand, complemented by interviews with bank managers to assess the strategic intent behind literacy drives. The findings reveal a positive and significant relationship between digital financial literacy and both digital service adoption and customer satisfaction, which in turn enhance customer retention. The study also identifies barriers such as inadequate digital infrastructure, limited smartphone access, and low awareness in rural pockets that moderate this relationship. The results emphasize the need for cooperative banks to integrate continuous financial education and personalized digital support into their service delivery models. The paper concludes that strengthening digital literacy initiatives can lead to a more inclusive, loyal, and digitally empowered customer base, contributing to the long-term sustainability of cooperative banking in Uttarakhand.

Religion- Why is it so Political? - Towards an empirical view.

Jimmy Mathew, Jerry Paul — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The incorporation of empirical science is a necessary and welcome development in the social sciences. The fields of Psychology and Social psychology has become very important to Economics. It has made inroads into Political Science too. Religion, and its potent power to influence politics has long mystified experts in the field. An empirical enquiry can be quite useful.

The roots of religion seem to be rooted in the ‘Mystical Experience’- a well-studied phenomenon in Psychology. As humans progressed from tribes to super-tribes to groups comprising of millions of individuals, religions seem to have evolved a political superstructure that is very powerful in ensuring human group cooperation and extreme altruism. But the way in which it developed, makes it a recipe capable of generating conflict with other groups of humans.

The secularization process that led to the development of liberal democratic political structures aimed to deliberately suppress this factor to enable people of different religions to coexist together. But religions, with its long and ancient hold on humans are inherently, more powerful. Appreciation of this helps us to understand the political nature of religion and could help policy makers to better design political structures for durability. We may need to make sure that religious expression is confined to homes and the private sphere, and limit its expression in the official running of the state, for a durable democracy with a liberal structure. It is also worthwhile to encourage more solemnity, legitimacy, and reverence for non-religious structures like the parliament, democratic values, the constitution, and non-partisan rule of law.

Examining Millennial Intelligence: Utilizing the Joyce Martin Tool to Harness Multiple Intelligences from Job Experience

Seema Sant, Mrinali Tikare, Seva Ranganekar — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the early 21st century, Artificial Intelligence ignited fascination, overshadowing our diverse human intelligence. Amid the excitement, our innate cognitive gifts often went unnoticed. This study probes millennial intelligence levels, employing Joyce Martin's tool with 135 items across nine types. Utilizing Varimax rotation, it uncovered robust scale loadings. Focused on Mumbai and Maharashtra, the research targeted tech-savvy millennials with stratified sampling. Descriptive analysis highlighted elevated Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, and Philosophical-Ethical Intelligences. Pearson correlations unveiled significant positive links among these variables. While 'job experience' and 'no job experience' groups showed no significant intelligence score differences, a marked contrast emerged in Philosophical-Ethical Intelligence within job experience groups. The study emphasizes consistent intelligence scores across job experiences, offering HR and academic insights, despite acknowledging sampling and self-report biases.

Organisational Strategies for Mitigation and Management of Stress of Women Garment Workers in Bangalore

Umesalma, Aisha M Sheriff — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The garment industry is a large economic activity in the Indian economy and Bangalore can be termed as one of the garment industries with major workforce being women. Despite the numerous employment opportunities, the sector has to offer, the high workloads, long working hours, low welfare support and high production pressures are typical of the sector which shapes high organizational pressures among the workers. The paper will discuss the implications of organizational stress management amongst women garment workers in Bangalore. We adopted a descriptive research design and survey 100 women who work in various functional capacities using a structured questionnaire. The tool consisted of questions related to demographic, work-related, organizational stress management practices and organizational stress levels that included workload, work conditions, pay and benefits, organizational support, work life balance, job insecurity and work supervisor relationship.

Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to find the correlation between mitigation strategies and stress in organizations. Root Mean Square Error of Approximation RMSEA and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual SRMR model fit indices indicated an excellent model fit. The findings demonstrate that low stress levels are also linked to an excellent mitigation and management strategies within organizations. They were identified as organizational variables and found to play a significant role in stress reduction: they were structured training program, grievance redressal, supportive supervision and participatory communications. These results highlight the importance of shifting towards a paradigm of applying personal coping responses to institutionalized stress response strategies.

The study contributes to the research literature by combining organizational strategies systematically in an analytical approach and giving managerial recommendations to factories, policy makers, and labour welfare authorities. It shows the importance of gender sensitive workplace responses in order to enhance the well-being, job satisfaction, and sustain the productivity of the workforce in the garment industry.

Perceptions and Challenges of Senior Secondary Teachers in Implementing Cooperative Learning Strategies for Life Skills Development in Economics

Purva Chugh, Parvesh Lata — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The integration of cooperative learning strategies in Economics education has gained prominence as a means of enhancing both academic understanding and essential life skills among students. Life skills such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are increasingly vital in preparing learners for real-world challenges beyond the classroom. Despite the pedagogical value of cooperative learning, its effective implementation at the senior secondary level remains inconsistent, particularly in Economics, a subject often taught through traditional, exam-oriented methods. This study investigates the perceptions and challenges experienced by senior secondary school teachers in implementing cooperative learning strategies specifically for life skills development within Economics instruction.Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study involves the collection of quantitative data through structured questionnaires administered to Economics teachers, complemented by qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews. The research explores teachers’ beliefs regarding the relevance and effectiveness of cooperative learning in fostering life skills, the extent to which such strategies are utilized in Economics classrooms, and the institutional, pedagogical, and contextual challenges that hinder their application. Factors such as teacher preparedness, curriculum constraints, class sizes, availability of instructional resources, and assessment systems are examined in relation to their impact on implementation.The findings aim to provide a nuanced understanding of how Economics educators perceive cooperative learning as a tool for life skills development and what barriers impede its practice in real classroom settings. The study also seeks to identify potential enablers and practical recommendations for more effective integration of cooperative learning strategies. The outcomes are intended to inform curriculum planners, teacher educators, and policymakers to support more inclusive, skill-oriented teaching approaches in senior secondary Economics education. Ethical standards, including informed consent and confidentiality, are upheld throughout the research process to ensure the integrity and reliability of the study.

From Chanakya’s Arthashastra to Industry 5.0: A Neo-Vedic Framework for E-Banking Cybersecurity in the Indian Legal System

JP Yadav, Gagandeep Kaur, Gurdeep Kaur, Amit Singh — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Cybersecurity in e-banking has become a critical concern in India’s financial sector, demanding robust legal and strategic frameworks. This paper explores a neo-Vedic approach to cybersecurity by drawing parallels between ancient principles from Chanakya’s Arthashastra and the demands of modern Industry 5.0 technologies. Through doctrinal legal analysis and comparative framework evaluation, authors examined how age-old wisdom on governance, espionage, and statecraft can inform contemporary cyber defense strategies. Authors analyzed current Indian cybersecurity statutes – including the Information Technology Act of 2000 (and its amendments), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, and emerging data protection laws – in the context of e-banking. Balancing historical-philosophical foundations with modern technological elements (such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) under Industry 5.0), authors proposed a Neo-Vedic cybersecurity framework. This framework emphasizes ethical duty (dharma), strategic intelligence (chanakya-neeti), and collaborative defense, aligning ancient principles with cutting-edge practices. The analysis highlights gaps in the current legal regime and offers recommendations to strengthen India’s cyber law architecture for banking. The study concludes that integrating timeless strategic wisdom with modern technological safeguards can enhance cyber resilience in e-banking, fostering a secure digital banking environment consistent with Indian cultural values and international best practices.

Socio-Economic Impact of the Kumbh Mela on Host Cities Insights into Employment, Trade and Tourism

Kirti Bala, Bindoo Malviya — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Kumbh Mela, recognized as one of the world’s largest human gatherings, holds immense religious, cultural, and economic significance for its host cities. This study examines the socio-economic implications of the Kumbh Mela, with a particular focus on its impact on employment generation, trade expansion, and tourism dynamics in the host cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research integrates quantitative data from government reports, tourism statistics, and local business surveys with qualitative insights obtained through interviews with vendors, pilgrims, and administrative officials.

Findings reveal that the Kumbh Mela serves as a substantial short-term economic catalyst, stimulating local employment across formal and informal sectors such as transportation, hospitality, food services, and handicrafts. The event also accelerates infrastructural development and urban renewal, yielding long-term benefits for tourism and regional trade. However, the economic gains are often unevenly distributed, and the post-event slowdown exposes vulnerabilities in the local economy’s dependence on the periodic festival. Socially, the Mela fosters communal interaction, cultural exchange, and the strengthening of local identity, though it also presents challenges related to crowd management, waste disposal, and price inflation.

The study concludes that strategic management, sustainable planning, and inclusive policy interventions are essential to maximize the socio-economic benefits of the Kumbh Mela while minimizing its disruptions. The research contributes to the broader discourse on mega-event management and regional development, offering practical insights for policymakers, urban planners, and cultural tourism stakeholders.

The Role of Simplified GST Rates in Enhancing MSME Policy Effectiveness

Mukesh Kumar Yadav, Mohit Rastogi — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The simplification of GST rates under the GST 2.0 reform has played a pivotal role in enhancing the competitiveness of MSMEs in India. By reducing the number of tax slabs and aligning input and output rates, the reform has lowered the cost of compliance and minimized tax-related distortions. MSMEs, which often operate with limited financial and administrative resources, benefit significantly from a clearer and more predictable tax structure. Lower GST on essential inputs and consumer goods reduces production costs and boosts demand, allowing MSMEs to price their products more competitively. Additionally, streamlined input tax credit mechanisms improve liquidity and working capital management, enabling faster reinvestment and scaling. The simplified regime also encourages formalization, helping MSMEs access institutional credit, government incentives, and broader markets. Overall, the rationalized GST framework fosters a more business-friendly environment, empowering MSMEs to grow sustainably and compete more effectively in both domestic and global markets.

Assessing Perception towards SDG 4: A Comparative Study of Government and Private Educational Institutions in India

Surbhi Agrawal, Namrata Jain — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Ensuring quality education for all is one of the fundamental pillars of Sustainable Development. The same is emphasized in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) - Quality Education, one of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The accomplishment of SDG 4 demands contribution from different stakeholders of the society. This reflects the need to understand the perception of stakeholders involved in the attainment of SDG 4 and to identify the gaps, if any. Teachers and students are amongst the key stakeholders from quality education per se. In view of this, the present study aims to understand the differences in the perception of teachers and students of government and private educational institutions (schools and colleges) towards the attainment of SDG 4 in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. To collect the data, a structured questionnaire was developed based on all 10 targets of SDG 4. The data was collected from 320 respondents using purposive sampling. Out of these 320, 160 respondents were the teachers and students from government educational institutions and another 160 respondents from private educational institutions.

The study revealed that there is a significant difference between perception of teachers and students of government and private educational institutions towards the attainment of SDG 4. Private institutions have upper hand in resources, infrastructure, and teacher quality leading to improved workforce readiness. Conversely, government institutions face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, digital resources and curriculum affecting their educational outcomes. To bridge the gap, targeted policy interventions including curriculum reforms, enhanced teacher training, and public-private collaborations is essential. Overall, collaborative efforts of government and private educational institutions to bridge the quality gap and promote equitable access to quality education for all can help in balanced educational landscape. Such efforts together help in achieving SDG 4 and advancing Sustainable Development.

Overcoming Occupational Stress Among Women in the Banking Sector: A Pathway to Enhanced Employee Performance

Gargi Sharma — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid transformation of India’s banking sector, fueled by digitalization and competitive performance systems, has intensified occupational stress—particularly among women employees balancing professional and domestic roles. This study examines the primary sources of occupational stress among women in public and private banks and evaluates its effect on employee performance. A descriptive–analytical design was adopted, involving 120 women employees from Delhi NCR, selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, correlation, t-test, ANOVA, and regression techniques. Findings indicate that work–family conflict, workload, and time pressure are the major stressors influencing women employees. A strong negative correlation (r = –0.582) was found between occupational stress and job performance, with regression results showing that stress accounts for 33.9% of performance variation. Women in private banks experience higher stress levels than those in public banks, while early-career employees report greater strain than senior staff. These outcomes confirm that occupational stress significantly reduces productivity, concentration, and motivation. The study recommends adopting flexible work policies, employee wellness programs, and gender-sensitive HR practices to enhance resilience and performance.

An Examination Of The Association Between Demographic Variables And Income-Expenditure Patterns Of Self-Help Group (SHG) Members

Poonam Devi, Arti Pandit Dhawan, Suresh Sharma, Pawan kumar, Naveen Bhardwaj — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: This study investigates the association between demographic variables and the income-expenditure patterns of Self-Help Group (SHG) members in Himachal Pradesh. Understanding these relationships is vital for assessing the economic empowerment of SHG participants and for designing effective development interventions.

Methods: Primary data were collected from 450 SHG respondents using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square (χ²) test were applied with SPSS (version 2025) to examine the relationships between demographic variables age, social category, education, and occupation, and economic indicators such as personal income, household income, savings, and monthly expenditure.

Results: The analysis revealed that social category, education, and occupation were significantly associated with personal income, household income, and monthly expenditure. Education and occupation also showed significant associations with savings, while social category did not. Age exhibited no significant relationship with any of the economic indicators. The findings highlight the critical role of educational attainment in enhancing household income and promoting economic empowerment among SHG members.

Corporate Governance and Emerging Technologies: Legal and Ethical Dimensions

Tanveer Kaur — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and big data analytics are transforming corporate operations and posing new challenges for corporate governance. This article examines how legal frameworks and ethical duties in key jurisdictions (the U.S., EU, India, etc.) are responding to technological disruption. Adopting a doctrinal approach, it analyzes statutes and regulations such as the U.S. Sarbanes Oxley Act, India’s Companies Act 2013, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), alongside leading cases (e.g. SEC v. SolarWinds, the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the Uber data breach settlement). Author discuss how fiduciary duties of directors – the duty of care, loyalty, and oversight are being reinterpreted in the face of cybersecurity threats, AI decision making, and data privacy risks. The analysis finds significant gaps in current governance regimes: laws often lag behind fast evolving technologies, leaving ethical issues (like algorithmic bias or cybersecurity preparedness) to be managed within existing corporate governance structures that were not designed for them. We argue for a global, harmonized approach including clearer legal mandates for tech oversight, integration of ethics and technology expertise at the board level, and cross border cooperation to ensure that corporate governance keeps pace with innovation.

Impact of AI-Integrated Cognitive and Physical Training Programs on Decision-Making and Skill Acquisition among College Students

Vinod Kumar Jain, Nagendra Kumar Yadav — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and training environments has transformed traditional learning paradigms. This study investigates the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-integrated cognitive and physical training programs on decision-making, skill acquisition, motivation, and engagement among college students. Using an experimental pre-test–post-test control group design, 120 undergraduate participants were divided into an experimental group (AI-integrated training) and a control group (traditional training). Standardized instruments, including the Decision-Making Accuracy Scale (DMAS), Reaction Time Test (RTT), Skill Acquisition Index (SAI), and Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES), were employed to measure key outcomes. Statistical analyses using t-tests and ANOVA revealed significant improvements in the experimental group across all parameters—decision-making accuracy (p < 0.01), reaction time (p < 0.05), skill acquisition (p < 0.01), and motivation and engagement (p < 0.01). The findings demonstrate that AI-driven training enhances learners’ cognitive processing speed, problem-solving accuracy, and intrinsic motivation by providing adaptive, data-informed, and personalized feedback. Moreover, the AI environment fostered higher consistency in performance and deeper learner engagement, confirming the holistic benefits of integrating cognitive and physical learning domains. The study concludes that AI-based personalized programs can effectively enhance both intellectual and affective dimensions of learning, preparing students for complex, technology-driven academic and professional contexts. It further emphasizes the need for ethical implementation and long-term evaluation to maximize AI’s transformative potential in higher education.

Self-Help Group Intervention for Socioeconomic and Political Empowerment: A Study from Ganjam, Odisha, India

Srimanta Kumar Patra, Prasanta Kumar Parida, Siddhiswarupa Swain — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses research on the socio-economic and political empowerment of rural women via Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the Ganjam Division of Odisha, India. The different factors considered as empowerment indicators were examined separately using the data obtained from the women SHG members (through random sampling). The thorough analysis of specific factors and their influence on the previously mentioned empowerment has been examined. Its significance level has been evaluated using the Chi-Square Test and P-value using the statistical data analysis program SPSS. As a result, the Garret Ranking Method has been used to evaluate the degree of empowerment, the order of the elements, and their contribution to the three dimensions of empowerment. According to the survey, there is significant empowerment in each of the three areas. The Garret Ranking Method also estimates that women who participated in SHGs had the most economic empowerment, followed by social and political empowerment. The study will help politicians create policies and raise the degree of women's empowerment in the study area and other rural areas.

Green Law and Green Growth: Evaluating the Economic Effects of EU Environmental Regulations

Atul Kumar, Aprajita Singh, Pallavi Chhabaria, Priya Karmakar Das — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper analyzes the diversified economic impacts of the environmental laws of the European Union on India in both long and short terms with respect to the implications of the policies on the various sectors directly or indirectly. It talks about the effects of various environmental policies in both the EU and India on the trade relations, industries competitiveness and sustainable development. In particular, the review will integrate the existing literature to find out how the programs of the EU concerning the green trade and renewable energy can help to calculate the ecological footprint and the economic growth patterns in India. The paper will in addition examine the rapport between the ratification of the international and local treaties on sustainable economic development in India and the EU regulatory pressures in particular regarding the multifactor productivity and application of the green energy technologies. The extent to which these external control processes will result in internal policy changes in India that can possibly lead to a shift in more sustainable production and consumption patterns is also explored in this discussion. The paper has also balanced the impact of these regulatory impacts on the capacity of India import substitution and the general efforts of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The economic growth patterns which are characteristic and are largely practiced in India which are characteristically marked by a consumer of energy that determines the consumption of fossil fuels as well as imported crude oil are very threatening to the environmental sustainability.

Tax Harmonisation and Legal Diversity in the European Union: Balancing Fiscal Sovereignty and Market Integration

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

European Union (EU) is grounded on the two principles, both being integration of the market and sovereignty of member states, a combination that is the most evident in the field of taxation. The following paper examines the conflict that is becoming real to the dream of the EU to have a single-market without hustle and the fiscal sovereignty of separate states which is being passionately defended. The problem here is that, despite the fact that the EU law is creating free movement across the borders, it does not harmonies the direct taxation, only the order of competitive fiscal federalism. This asymmetry in the law permits tax competition, because member’s states have the ability to promote mobile capital and company by adopting different taxation policies, which could lead to an outcome of the race-to-bottom scenario demise to the base of national revenues and market deception essentially. The capacity to raise, administer and allocate resources is what is referred to as fiscal sovereignty as one of the crucial attributes of national government and of democratic responsibility. However, the single market is crippled by uncoordinated systems of taxation internalizing inefficiencies and favoring aggressive tax avoidance schemes that would shatter a level playing field. The EU on its part has responded with a conglomeration of action to level competition in taxation that is disastrous without necessarily going into the process of harmonization as the political will mostly lacks.

Enhancing the Metaverse: Integrating IoT Devices to Elevate User Experience

Dillip Kumar Parida — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores the integration of IoT devices in the Metaverse to enhance the user experience. This study aims to provide insights into optimizing user interaction within virtual environments by examining design considerations, challenges, and potential solutions. The findings highlight the significance of seamless and immersive experiences, addressing latency, security, and interoperability issues. Here, they focus on features such as ‘‘ease of use,’’ ‘‘customizable and friendly’’ user interfaces, and ‘‘interactivity’’ as opportunities; ‘‘latency’’ and ‘‘security risks’’ as threats. We present possible resolutions such as edge computing, analytics tools, and several security measures to respond to these threats. This paper aims to investigate how the use of IoT devices influences the Metaverse from the user’s perspective and how designers can enhance it accordingly. The proposed solutions include the following: introducing several measures to optimize the use of IoT devices in the Metaverse design and tempering with the Metaverse design to create a more engaging, safe, and secure environment for the user. Future research directions are also suggested to improve the integration of the IoT in the Metaverse.

From Policy To Practice: Examining The Role Of Gender-Responsive Frameworks In Addressing Gender-Based Violence

N. Yathinthar, M. Maria Antony Raj — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The current study examines how gender-sensitive approaches address global issues related to gender-based violence. Based on an extensive analysis of twenty-three pivotal research papers, this study explores the complex dimensions of gender-based violence, identifying various underlying factors contributing to it, as well as different forms such as physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse across multiple contexts including societies, cultures, and institutions. This study underscores the significance of integrating holistic strategies encompassing educational initiatives aimed at prevention, legislative changes for protection, and collaborative social service programs across various sectors, and active participation in local communities. Studies show that although efforts like CEDAW, RESPECT, and UNCRPD have contributed significantly towards reducing violence against women globally, implementation remains difficult due to obstacles faced by vulnerable groups and changes brought about by digital advancements. The document highlights the importance of specific measures aimed at eliminating unfair societal expectations regarding genders, fostering equality, and boosting support for victims as well as those who witness injustices. It is recognized that constraints related to geographical scope, variability in available datasets, and successful execution of policies exist. In conclusion, this evaluation demands steadfast governance, sufficient funding, as well as inclusive approaches aimed at tackling both acts of aggression alongside broader social frameworks contributing to gender discrimination.

Exploring the Dimensions of Awareness toward Poverty Alleviation Schemes among BPL Households in Haryana

Jitender Kumar, Hawa Singh — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The present study explores the awareness level of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households towards poverty alleviation schemes in Haryana. Despite numerous government initiatives aimed at eradicating poverty, low awareness and limited accessibility continue to hinder their effectiveness. An exploratory research design was adopted, involving 180 respondents selected from six revenue divisions of Haryana through a structured questionnaire. The results of factor analysis revealed five key dimensions of awareness—Eligibility Awareness, Scheme Awareness, Procedural Awareness, Benefit Awareness, and Resource Awareness—which collectively explain a substantial portion of the total variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.878 and significant Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity confirmed the adequacy of the data for factor analysis. Findings indicated that eligibility and procedural awareness play a crucial role in determining the utilization of welfare schemes. The study concludes that increasing information dissemination, simplifying administrative procedures, and strengthening local communication channels are vital for improving beneficiaries’ participation and ensuring equitable access to poverty alleviation programs.

Impact of Sustainable Marketing Strategies on Purchasing Behavior of Consumers

Bhagyashree Teli, Bhavika Paliwal, Puneet Tak — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Consumers of today are understanding marketing strategies and now it has become difficult to market products with the traditional concept of selling, so marketers has come up with the new concept of sustainable marketing strategies like, Green marketing which includes, Marketing with continuous tracking mobile applications and videos, natural ingredients, Reusable packaging, donating profit percentages, partnering with charities. Many companies have initiated these marketing strategies and this paper aims to study the impact of these strategies on repeat purchase behavior, psychological aspect and consumer satisfaction. To get clear insights a consumer survey on a 5 point likert conducted on a sample of approximately 183 consumers and to test this t-test method used which stated that continuous tracking options, natural ingredients, reusable packaging, donating profits have a significant impact and partnering with charities does not have much effect on the purchasing behavior of the consumers.

Inventory Models: A Managerial Perspective on Strategic Optimization and Decision-Making

Ravi Kumar Raj, Suresh Kumar Sahani — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Efficient inventory management serves as one of the most critical pillars of modern business operations. It encompasses the systematic planning, organizing, and controlling of materials, components, and finished goods to ensure that a company’s production and customer service functions operate smoothly. From a managerial standpoint, inventory management is not merely about keeping track of goods in storage—it is a strategic discipline that directly influences organizational performance, cost efficiency, and overall competitiveness. Poorly managed inventory can lead to excessive holding costs, stockouts, production delays, and customer dissatisfaction, while effective management ensures optimal utilization of resources, streamlined cash flow, and time lorded fulfillment. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the major inventory models from a management perspective. It aims to explore how these models contribute to achieving equilibrium between various operational factors such as cost control, demand fulfillment, and supply chain coordination. The study investigates both deterministic models, where demand and lead time are assumed to be constant, and probabilistic models, which incorporate uncertainty and variability in market conditions. By examining their mathematical foundations, managerial implications, and real-world applications, this research highlights how inventory models assist managers in formulating data-driven policies and making informed decisions. Furthermore, the paper discusses how inventory management extends beyond operational control into the realm of strategic planning. It emphasizes that managers must not only understand the quantitative techniques underlying inventory models but also interpret them in the context of organizational goals, market volatility, and technological advancements. In today’s highly competitive and globalized business environment, an effective inventory strategy can significantly enhance supply chain resilience, reduce waste, and improve customer satisfaction. Thus, this study aims to bridge the gap between theoretical inventory models and their practical implementation, providing valuable insights for managers seeking to optimize inventory performance and strengthen overall business efficiency.

Rethinking Corrosion Cost Management: Toward a Unified Framework for Indian Steel Infrastructure

Shekhar Joshi, Vaishali Patil — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Corrosion has emerged as a major economic and managerial concern for India’s infrastructure sector, eroding between two and four percent of the nation’s GDP annually. While an estimate of the world GDP in corrosion is 3.4 percent, the practice in India continues to be maintenance-focused and reactive, lacking in streamlining enforcement of standards at the technical level. The unavailability of an integrated approach of incorporating managerial frameworks and cost effectiveness continues to be a major barrier to achieving sustainable infrastructure. This paper utilizes a systematic literature review method following the PRISMA protocol to consolidate and analyse literature published between 2010 and 2025 in various academic databases. It surfaces five major thematic clusters spanning the economic burden and the lifecycle costing proactive and reactive corrosion management systems with organizational capability, control, and policy or institution framework. The study, as a result, also proposes a Unified corrosion-cost management framework and determines the variable. It also accounts for the organizational logic within governance and decision-making framework. In doing so, the frameworks shift the paradigm from corrosion control being a maintenance routine to strategic management. It establishes the rationale for conducting national corrosion audits and subsidized CMS, the central database on corrosion-cost, to be institutionalized in India with the expectation of improving sustainability, cost effectiveness, India’s infrastructure for greater dependability.

A Study on Relationship Between the Price Performance of Individual Stock and Nifty Fifty Index

Samrat Ray, Mansi Kishor Vora — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Investors are looking for safe, low-risk, and highly profitable investment solutions in the erratic marketplace. The performance of the Nifty fifty Index may be studied to provide insight into potential investment opportunities and the direction of the market's future movement. The study's primary goal was to determine the link between the performance of the NIFTY fifty Index and the newly listed selected companies chosen from the NSE website. Secondary goals included analysing the effects of various individual stocks and correlating the NIFTY Index's direction of movement. Secondary sources of data were employed in this study for the correlation and causal research designs. The information, which includes indexes and closing share prices of particular firms, will be gathered over a ten-year period beginning on January 1, 2012 to 31st Dec, 2022 on yearly basis. The study concludes that there is no relationship between Nifty fifty Index and Individual selected stock prices. Also, the market performance is improving over the period of time. The Nifty fifty index is indulged to up rise with increase in Nifty fifty stock prices.(Patel & Surti, 2020)

NEP 2020 Addresses Socio-Economic and Gender-Based Disparities in the Context of Equity and Access in Indian Education – An Analytical Study

Parag Kalkar, Niti Saxena, N.Sumathi, Subhita Kumawat, Dushyant Nimavat — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Education is a fundamental catalyst for equity and socio-economic advancement. Nonetheless, inequalities in gender and socioeconomic status continue to exist in India. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlights the necessity of fair and inclusive education for all pupils, irrespective of gender, economic standing, or social background. Notwithstanding the policy framework, empirical evidence about its perceived success is scant. This analytical study investigates the influence of NEP 2020 on mitigating socio-economic and gender-based gaps, utilizing primary data from 147 respondents, including students, teachers, and parents from both rural and urban areas. Statistical analyses, specifically Chi-square and T-test, were employed to assess the significance of variations in gender and income levels. Findings indicate that NEP 2020 effectively advances gender equity; nonetheless, socio-economic obstacles, including the digital divide and affordability, persist as significant impediments. Charts and tables substantiate findings, indicating that although the policy purpose is commendable, its execution encounters discrepancies influenced by income and geographic location.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Modern Accounting Systems

Purvesh P. Fating, Ankit V. Pusadkar, Neha M. Gajabe — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed modern accounting systems by enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and analytical depth in financial processes. This study explores the diverse applications of AI within contemporary accounting environments, focusing on how machine learning algorithms, robotic process automation (RPA), natural language processing (NLP), and predictive analytics are reshaping traditional accounting practices. AI-driven systems automate routine tasks such as data entry, reconciliation, and invoice processing, thereby reducing human error and improving operational productivity. Moreover, advanced analytics enable real-time financial monitoring, anomaly detection, and strategic forecasting, strengthening managerial decision-making and risk management. The abstract also highlights the role of AI in enhancing audit quality, fraud detection, and compliance through intelligent pattern recognition and automated control systems. Despite its transformative potential, AI adoption presents challenges, including data privacy concerns, implementation costs, skill gaps, and ethical implications. This study concludes that integrating AI into accounting systems is essential for building resilient, future-ready financial functions. It emphasises the need for continuous technological adaptation, workforce upskilling, and robust governance frameworks to optimise AI’s impact on organisational performance and financial integrity.

Sustainable leadership: An empirical investigation using bibliometric analysis

Vaishali joshi, Dr. Mohd shamshad, Dr. Samant shant priya — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sustainable leadership is a necessity to achieve the goals of sustainable development, such as addressing complex global issues, preserving environmental and social balance, ensuring the well-being of future generations, and promoting innovation. This research paper provides a summary of scientific research on sustainable leadership by using bibliometric analysis. Data analysis as well as visualization utilising vosviewer program and the scopus function for analyze search results. Using the scopus database, the paper analyzed 390 publications and identified research gaps and new study topics through “vos-viewer” Software. The study reveals that iqbal, q and mahidol university were the most active individual scientists and affiliated institutions in sustainable leadership publication. The findings provide a starting point for further investigation and offer opportunities for researchers to expand their expertise in exciting and innovative studies. Overall, this study seeks to help researchers discover new avenues for exploration in sustainable leadership while advancing their present understanding.

The Economic Impact of EU Competition Law Enforcement: A Quantitative Assessment of Antitrust Fines and Market Efficacy

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The paper critically analyzes the quantitative research on the economic impact of the implementation of the European Union competition law by paying particular attention to the antitrust fines and their role in enhancing the efficiency of the marketplace. It combines results about cartel overcharges, the deterring effect of fine changes and the overall microeconomic and aggregate effects of the enforcement choices. Also, it analyzes the methodological tools to test the competitiveness policy effectiveness, such as the research of merger control, and the spread of deterrence. This is further analyzed to determine the real economic utility of interventions by competition authorities and analyzing the distinction between the direct effects and the more substantial deterrent effect, which prevents anti-competitive behavior. It has been pointed out in the review that quantifying these effects is complicated at best, with the direct effects of deterrence on certain markets being easily discernible, whereas in temporal and sector wide spillover effects are very large and multifaceted. As a result, UAE requires complex econometric models to carefully quantify the ripple effects, as it requires that therefore other confounding macroeconomic and sectoral changes cannot be ignored. These assessments can be further narrowed by combining ex-post evaluation frameworks and a better insight into the internal learning processes of competition authorities, which makes it possible to have a more detailed vision of historical mistakes and the factors that caused them.

Monopoly of Migrant Labour and it's Implications – Evidence from Construction, Food and Education Sectors in the State of Andhra Pradesh

K.Srilatha, C.Udaya Kumar — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interstate migration from economically weaker states of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Odisha, significantly contributes to the workforce in sectors like construction, food, and education across urban and semi-urban regions. This study investigates the socio-economic drivers, challenges, and impacts of this migration, focusing on the lived experiences of migrant laborers and the structural inequalities they face. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research collects data from approximately 400-500 migrant workers in key destinations through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. Findings reveal that migration is predominantly driven by limited local employment opportunities and wage disparities between sending and receiving states. However, migrants face precarious working conditions, wage exploitation, lack of social security, and disruption of family structures. The study also examines the role of public policies and urban planning in addressing migrant vulnerabilities and ensuring equitable access to resources. By highlighting the intersection of migration, labor markets, and social protection, the research provides actionable insights for policymakers, NGOs, and stakeholders to enhance the well-being of migrant workers and optimize their contributions to the economy. However, this study is aimed to understand the prevailed monopolistic conditions raised by the migrant labor in the concerned states. Furthermore the paper aims to determine the significant implications over the domicile workers in the sectors such as, construction, food and education.

Changing hr roles with artificial intelligence

Divya shukla, Mitushi singh — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The human resource roles have evolved with the changing business environment. The digital revolution has made eminent changes in human resource functions like introduction of human resource management portals. With the introduction of artificial intelligence, the business is expecting new set of changes in human resource roles. Based on the set of human resource roles proposed by (thite et al., 2014), the authors have proposed few themes which can be investigated in the industry. These themes are backed by the literature and can lead the practitioners to an easy implementation of artificial intelligence in human resource management.

Faculty engagement and artificial intelligence: Bibliometric analysis and recent trends

Kalpana rawat, Dinesh rawat, Arti sharma, Jyotsana waldia — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a bibliometric investigation of research linking faculty engagement and artificial intelligence (ai) over the period 2014–2025, using scopus as the primary data source. Analytical tools, including vosviewer, were employed to trace publication growth, citation trends, and collaborative networks, as well as to uncover intellectual foundations and thematic developments. The results indicate a sharp increase in scholarly attention after 2020, with the years 2023–2025 marking the highest levels of research activity. Countries like the united states, united kingdom, canada, india, and china emerged as leading contributors, while brazil demonstrated notable impact through highly cited publications despite fewer outputs. Key contributions from scholars including borges, braganza, and koo provided pivotal theoretical grounding for subsequent studies. Thematic clustering revealed that research in this area has expanded from early discussions of technological adoption to broader concerns involving pedagogy, institutional leadership, workload distribution, ethical considerations, and the gigification of academic roles. Although the study is limited by its reliance on a single database and the dynamic nature of citation metrics, it offers novel insights by systematically integrating two fields that have rarely been examined together. The originality of the study lies in mapping how ai is shaping faculty engagement in higher education and in identifying knowledge gaps that open pathways for future interdisciplinary and practice-oriented research.

The Ethical Implications Of Ai In E-Commerce: Consumer Data, Transparency, And Algorithmic Bias

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The integration of artificial intelligence (ai) in e-commerce has revolutionized online retail through personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, and automated customer service. However, this technological advancement raises critical ethical concerns regarding consumer data privacy, transparency in algorithmic decision-making, and systemic bias. This paper examines the ethical challenges posed by ai systems in e-commerce, analyzes their impact on consumers and businesses, and proposes frameworks for responsible ai implementation. Through examination of current practices, regulatory approaches, and case studies, we demonstrate that while ai offers substantial benefits to e-commerce, its deployment requires careful consideration of ethical principles to protect consumer rights and promote fairness.

Regulation and Market Behaviour: Economic Insights into Legal Frameworks

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The interplay between regulation and market behaviour constitutes one of the most dynamic intersections between economics and law. Legal frameworks not only structure market operations but also influence individual and institutional decision-making. Economic theories, particularly those of welfare economics and behavioral economics, provide critical insights into how regulation can correct market failures, promote efficiency, and ensure equitable outcomes. This paper explores the economic underpinnings of regulatory design, focusing on how markets respond to legal interventions. It analyses traditional economic approaches such as the Coase theorem, public choice theory, and cost-benefit analysis while integrating behavioral insights that acknowledge the bounded rationality of market participants. Through a multidisciplinary lens, the study investigates the role of regulation in shaping competition, consumer protection, and innovation in both developed and emerging economies. The paper also examines contemporary challenges—technological disruption, regulatory capture, and data-driven governance—calling for a more adaptive and evidence-based legal order. Ultimately, it argues for a balanced regulatory framework that harmonizes economic efficiency with social justice, guided by empirical insights and behavioral realities.

Adaptive Storage Scaling for Disruption-Ready Multi-Echelon Networks: A Comprehensive Simulation-Based Framework

Goldi Makhija — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for enhancing supply chain resilience through adaptive storage scal-ing in multi-echelon networks facing location-specific disruptions. We investigate the complex interplay between dynamic ordering policies, warehouse expansion strategies, and disruption recovery mechanisms across four-echelon supply chain structures with as-sembly operations. Our sophisticated simulation-based analysis, incorporating real-world data from electronics manufacturing, reveals that downstream disruptions cause significantly longer service degradation periods (280 days vs 120 days for upstream) and persistent inventory imbalances exceeding two years. The research demonstrates that reactive expediting strategies, while commonly employed in industry, amplify system variability and increase total costs by 18-32% compared to optimized dynamic ordering approaches. We propose an integrated resilience play-book combining adaptive safety stock policies, staged distribution center capacity expansion, and cross-echelon parameter opti-mization using metaheuristic techniques. Experimental results show that genetic algorithm-based global optimization achieves 16.3-30.2% cost savings over conventional local search methods, though with higher computational requirements. The framework enables 45% faster post-shock stabilization with 28% lower total costs compared to traditional expediting-led responses, providing actionable insights for supply chain resilience planning in volatile environments.

“The Impact of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence on Investment Behavior Across Generations in India”

Bala Murali S, S.P. Deepeka, Somasundaram T — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This conceptual review explores the investment pattern in India and generation-wise. It is a way to see into what occurs when all the behavioural finance principles crash into a convergence of digital and AI led ecosystems considering various generations of Indians. The eight separate generational cohorts from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, which are receiving attention and study, and emerging financial tools driven by AI in form of robo-advisors and their acceptance in the Indian market in lieu of changing behavioural biases, are also examined. As for another of its central themes, the paper tackles the significant regulatory implications created by the pervasive application of AI in finance. It deals with data privacy issues, algorithmic bias, corporate ethics, and consumer protection. This review thus contextualizes a significant gap in existing literature by providing a more systematic framework to examine the complex interaction of generational traits, behavioural biases, and digital/AI-driven financial platforms that together influence investment decisions in India. Insights from this will benefit both academic fraternity and practical financial planning.

Reimagining entrepreneurship in the digital era: An analysis of innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable practices in driving business resilience and growth

Kavita dahiya — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable business strategies are now prioritised in entrepreneurial practices, which have been significantly altered by the emergence of digital technologies. This study examines the ways in which big data and artificial intelligence (ai) might promote sustainable entrepreneurship in india, with an emphasis on the social, environmental, and economic effects. A structured survey of 420 entrepreneurs from a variety of industries yielded primary data that was used to measure the use of ai and big data, operational effectiveness, economic performance, environmental practices, and social impact. The findings were contextualised by utilising complementary secondary data sourced from government databases, industry publications, and scholarly literature. A 5-point likert scale survey, semi-structured interviews about adoption strategies and barriers, and case studies of best practices in ai/big data implementation were the main methods used to collect data. Backward descriptive statistics, reliability and validity calculations, and relation testing with structural equation modelling (sem) were the main quantitative approaches. As mentioned, a qualitative thematic analysis was also carried out. The claim that the use of digital technologies enhances a company's operational efficiency and economic growth in tandem with the sustainability of the environment and societal equity is supported by results showing differences in practices within technology and sustainability adoption. This study advances the field of sustainable entrepreneurship by providing practitioners and policymakers with more information to support the more realistic implementation of resilient and responsible business growth using ai and big data.

A comparative analysis of electric vehicle attributes for consumer decision-making

Nishant maurya, Sawankumar naik — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

due to the electric vehicle (ev) market's explosive expansion, buyers now have an abundance of options, each with unique qualities that can greatly affect their choice. This essay compares and contrasts five different electric car models, emphasising important characteristics including peak speed, battery capacity, range, and charging time. The study rates and assesses these models using waspas and topsis approaches to help potential purchasers make well-informed choices. The results show that while both approaches produce reliable rankings, differences draw attention to the subtle differences in the order of each model's features. With the help of this dual-method approach, which provides a thorough assessment framework, customers may make decisions that balance convenience, affordability, and performance.

ICT Interventions in Indian B-Schools: The Interplay of Teacher, Student, and Institutional Factors in Shaping Academic Performance

Anjali Khanna, Chanchal Chawla — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Indian B-Schools are rapidly integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance teaching–learning processes and improve academic outcomes. Yet, the effectiveness of these interventions varies widely, suggesting that technology alone is not enough; the surrounding human and institutional ecosystem determines its true impact. This study examines ICT effectiveness through a three-dimensional lens encompassing teacher-related, student-related, and institutional factors. The research aims to understand how teachers’ attitudes, ICT competency, and professional development influence the implementation and pedagogical use of ICT tools in management education. Simultaneously, it evaluates students’ perceptions, access to digital resources, and digital literacy, and how these variables relate to academic performance in ICT-integrated learning environments. In addition, the study investigates institutional determinants, including ICT infrastructure, availability of technical support, policy frameworks, and administrative commitment toward digital learning initiatives.

The Effect of Managerial Overconfidence on Firm Performance: A Panel Study of Indian Companies

Karishma Anklesaria Dalal, Seema Pandit, Anjali Ramnani, Rikita Thakkar — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Behavioural Finance is a nascent field that examines the impact of human behaviour on financial decision making. Corporate behavioural finance is a niche that studies the actions of individuals especially CXO’s, management and board in the context of corporate financial decision making. Overconfidence is an erroneous, dysfunctional and excessively optimistic assessment that individuals have of their own ability or knowledge. It is one of the most common but powerful and significant cognitive behavioural bias prevalent in managerial decision making. Research in various disciplines indicates that managerial overconfidence leads to detrimental consequences for firm performance such as destruction in value and subpar investment behaviours. In contrast literature also provides evidence of positive effect of managerial overconfidence due to its impact on innovation of pioneering products, processes and services. Past studies have investigated the effect of managerial overconfidence on firm performance outside India, but the literature for Indian Companies remains scarce. This research seeks to contribute to the broader understanding of how cognitive biases influence managerial behaviour and correlates with firm performance within the unique context of an emerging economy. By exploring managerial overconfidence within the Indian corporate landscape, this study aim to provide insights that may aid strategic decision-making and improve organizational performance.

Public Policy Conundrum in the Enforcement of Arbitral Award

Niharika Chauhan, SK Bose — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Arbitration is a consensual conflict resolution procedure that allows the parties to settle their differences swiftly and amicably in contrast to the conventional courtroom dispute resolution method. The autonomy given to the parties to adopt the procedure of their choice saves time and money. The decision or award can be challenged on limited grounds. According to Sections 34 and 48 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996, an arbitration decision in India may be overturned if it violates public policy. The role of public policy in implementing arbitral verdicts is still a controversial topic in the arbitration world, despite the fact that “the New York Convention and the UNCITRAL” model legislation acknowledge its importance. However, the term 'public policy' isn't clearly defined in this Act; instead, courts have tried to explain it through various legal decisions. Indian courts have used the public policy argument to reject arbitration decisions that clash with public policy of the country. Even though India is part of the New York Convention, it has gained a reputation for making it hard to enforce international arbitration decisions. This is mainly because there's no clear understanding of what the public policy exception means in India. This article investigates the theory of public policy and its use in enforcing Arbitral Awards.

Green Packaging and Its Influence on Impulse Buying in Retail Stores

K. Punitha, Amrith Nachappa N, R. Santhiya, Archana Singh, Sheeba B S — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Over the past years, the increased interest in sustainability in the world has dramatically changed the way consumers behave and retail strategies. Green packaging, which is defined by the use of materials that are environmentally friendly, recyclable designs, and the least environmental effects, has been a potent marketing approach in shopping premises. This is a conceptual paper that examines how green packaging affects impulse buying habits of consumers in the retail stores. Although the necessity of impulse buying has been conventionally influenced by emotional appeal, product exposure and marketing tactics, green packaging brings in a new element of psyche. Environmentally responsible packaging is becoming more and more correlated with ethical consumption, positive self-image and social responsibility in the eyes of consumers. The paper is a synthesis of the literature on consumer behavior studies, green marketing literature, and literature on retail psychology to conceptualize the role of green packaging in triggering unplanned buying behavior. It suggests that green packaging does not only meet the requirements of environmental consciousness but also increases product appeal, trust and perceived value hence affecting the impulse buying behavior. The paper identifies possible managerial implications that retailers should use sustainable packaging policies as a two-fold weapon of encouraging eco-friendly actions and making more sales.

The Impact of ESG Reporting on Investment Decisions with Respect to Investor Perception on Capital Markets

Y Esther Reeta, N S Bala Nimoshini Supraja, T Barathi, Aswini K — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting on investment decisions within the Indian capital market. With rising global emphasis on sustainability, Indian investors are increasingly factoring in ESG disclosures. The research evaluates awareness, perception, and behavioral influence among retail and institutional investors. Using a structured survey of 200 respondents, the study applies descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and CFA to analyze data. Findings reveal that mid-career professionals and educated investors show higher ESG sensitivity. Institutional investors prioritize ESG for risk mitigation, while retail investors are guided by personal values. Strong ESG disclosures enhance investor trust and capital allocation. However, inconsistent standards and green washing limit trust. The results suggest ESG is transitioning from compliance to a strategic differentiator in India.

Leveraging Social Media and E-Commerce for Scaling Women Entrepreneurs’ MSMEs

V.Mohana Rani, V. Ramanujam, Rithika. G, A. Ajitha — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Women-led Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are critical to inclusive economic development in India; however, their scalability is often hindered by limited market access, sociocultural barriers, and technological constraints. This study investigates the role of social media and e-commerce adoption in enhancing the scalability of women-led MSMEs in Tamil Nadu. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Resource-Based View (RBV), and Empowerment Theory, a structured survey of 400 female entrepreneurs was conducted, and the data were analysed using correlation, regression, ANOVA, Chi-square, and t-test techniques. The findings reveal that social media adoption significantly enhances business growth, whereas e-commerce adoption drives market expansion. Digital engagement varies significantly with education, and higher digital literacy is strongly correlated with platform adoption. Furthermore, entrepreneurs who experience fewer technological barriers report significantly higher scalability. This study underscores the transformative role of digital adoption in strengthening women-led MSMEs and provides policy and managerial implications for promoting inclusive digital entrepreneurship.

Exploring the Interlinkage between Dividend Policy and Stock Performance: Analytical Study of NIFTY IT Sector in India

Amol Rajendra Chippa, Ravindra Gavali — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

India is a developing economy aiming to become US$ 5 Trillion by 2030. There is a great deal of contribution of IT sector in shaping the Indian economy. This study critically examines the intricate relationship between dividend policy and stock performance within the NIFTY IT sector, a high-growth segment of India’s capital markets. Leveraging a robust analytical framework, the research investigates firm-level data from top IT companies listed in the NIFTY IT index over the past decade, employing panel data analysis, correlation matrices, and regression models to assess the influence of dividend payout ratios, dividend yields, and related policy variables on stock price volatility and returns. The findings reveal nuanced sector-specific dynamics that deviate from the classical dividend irrelevance theory, uncovering significant, albeit variable, associations between dividend policy metrics and market performance of IT stocks. While some IT firms showcase high dividend yields acting as valuation support during market downturns, structural shifts and cyclical sector trends also shape investor responses to dividend announcements. This paper contributes original insights into the strategic financial management of IT sector firms and informs institutional and individual investment decisions, with implications for policy makers and corporate boards navigating the evolving landscape of India’s technology-driven equity markets.

Green CSR: A Conceptual Framework for Corporate Environmental Stewardship

Kiran Cotha SJ, Arpita Jena — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Environmental degradation, climate vulnerability, and intensifying regulatory scrutiny have increased the need for corporations to engage in environmentally responsible practices. Green Corporate Social Responsibility (Green CSR) has evolved as a strategic extension of traditional CSR, shifting the focus from philanthropic initiatives toward proactive and integrated environmental stewardship. Although Green CSR has received growing scholarly attention, existing studies often examine its drivers, practices, and outcomes in isolation, resulting in a fragmented understanding of how environmental responsibility is embedded within organizational strategy. Addressing this gap, the present conceptual paper develops a comprehensive, multi-layered framework that links external and internal drivers of Green CSR with organizational practices and their environmental, strategic, and reputational outcomes. Drawing on Stakeholder Theory, Institutional Theory, and the Natural Resource-Based View, the paper synthesizes insights from sustainability, environmental management, and CSR literature to propose an integrative model of corporate environmental stewardship. This conceptual approach offers theoretical clarity on the mechanisms through which Green CSR creates long-term value and highlights practical pathways for strengthening sustainability-oriented organizational behaviour. The study contributes to the growing discourse on corporate environmental responsibility and provides a foundation for future empirical research.

Impact of AI on Operational Efficiency: A Study of SBI and PNB

Mohit Kumar, Manjula Jain — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in reshaping the operational structure of the global banking industry. In India, public sector banks have increasingly adopted AI-driven technologies to strengthen operational efficiency, reduce costs, minimize human error, and enhance customer service delivery. This study examines the impact of AI on operational efficiency in the State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB), the two largest public sector banks in the country. The research evaluates how AI tools—such as machine learning models, chatbots, automation platforms, fraud detection systems, and predictive analytics—have transformed core operations, including loan processing, risk management, customer service, back-office automation, and compliance monitoring.

Using secondary data from research articles, bank reports, digital transformation policies, and industry analyses, this study highlights the extent of AI integration in these banks. SBI has implemented advanced AI applications across multiple operational domains, including robotic process automation (RPA), AI-based credit scoring, intelligent customer service platforms like YONO, and real-time fraud analytics. PNB, while adopting AI at a progressive pace, has integrated AI in areas such as fraud risk mitigation, early warning systems for loan defaults, document verification, and automated customer query resolution. The analysis reveals that AI adoption in both banks has contributed to enhanced speed and accuracy of operations, reduced workload on employees, improved decision-making, and strengthened risk control mechanisms.

However, the implementation of AI also presents challenges, such as data security concerns, technical complexities, employee resistance, high initial investment costs, and legacy infrastructure limitations. The study concludes that AI has significantly improved operational efficiency in SBI and PNB, though the scale and impact vary across the institutions. To maximize the benefits of AI, these banks must invest in digital infrastructure, employee training, cyber security, and robust data governance frameworks.

WTO-TRIPS and Indian Agriculture: Legal Implications for Farmers’ Rights, Seed Sovereignty, and Hybrid Plant Protection

Mukesh Kumar, Bhateri — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The globalization of intellectual property rights through WTO-TRIPS has profoundly impacted national legal systems. This paper rigorously analyses the influence of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on India's patent legislation, emphasizing the control of hybrid plants and its consequences for farmers' rights and seed sovereignty. This study conducts a doctrinal and content-based legal examination of the junction between international intellectual property duties and domestic agriculture legislation, focusing on the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FRA), 2001. This paper examines historic legal cases, including Monsanto v. Nuziveedu, PepsiCo v. Farmers, and the Bt Brinjal moratorium, to reveal how the commercialization of hybrid seeds and biotechnology patents generate legal difficulties and socio-economic challenges for smallholder farmers. India's unique legal structure provides some safeguards for traditional agricultural techniques; nonetheless, the data indicate that implementation is uneven and court interpretations fluctuate, therefore eroding farmers' seed rights. The document emphasizes the critical need for legislative clarity, institutional fortification, and policy changes to guarantee that India's adherence to TRIPS does not compromise agricultural sustainability, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods.

Examining Factors Influencing the Performance of Social Media Marketing Initiatives for Travel Promotion

Rajni Rathi, Narinder Tanwar — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rising power of social media has changed the way in which destinations and the tourism businesses market the travel experiences and digital platforms become an invaluable tool to reach and reach the contemporary travellers. The paper analyses the most vital issues that determine the effectiveness of social media marketing (SMM) initiatives in promoting travel through the synthesis of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Based on the interviews and analysis of successful campaigns, 250 individuals surveyed are social media users, the study participants would share the determinants that influence campaign performance. The results of the regression indicate that content quality and visual appeal are significant boosters to the SMM performance, but the visual appeal is the strongest among the results. The choice of platforms and optimization contributes greatly to the ambient interaction, whereas the impressions of influencer marketing and user-generated content have a positive influence on trust and travel intention influencer marketing the most. Moreover, the number of likes, comments, shares, and views are the audience engagement metrics demonstrating a strong correlation with the success of the entire campaign. The results demonstrate the multidimensional character of the social media performance influenced by the strategic, technological and behavioural aspects. This research offers practical recommendations to tourism marketers, destination management organisations and travel businesses that want to develop data-driven, engaging, and high-impact social media marketing campaigns that successfully change traveller behaviour.

Economic Disruptions in Conflict-Prone Regions: Labour and Tourism Impacts in Jammu & Kashmir

Tanushka Pandotra, Irbha Magotra — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In Jammu & Kashmir’s regional economy, informal labour and tourism form core structures and at the same time, see the economy as being fragile and sensitive to shocks arising from instability. Events that transpired in the region in April 2025 had immediate effects on the labour and tourism dependent markets of Kashmir, Jammu and Katra. The primary sources of information for the study – field interviews, observatory and secondary economic indicators – evidence a sharp and sudden decline of touristic and transport activities; hotel occupancies were low, particularly in the case of Kashmir. In Katra, earnings from religious tourism collapsed. The economy of Jammu did not resist partially but did so with a significant weakening of its economically active population. Informal actors experienced severe income drops and job breaks or disruptions, and a growing reverse migration phenomenon. The cycles of tourism and the informal labour livelihoods rely on one another, and with the slightest operational disruptions, the economic shock on a conflict-ridden region is intensified. The study calls for the need to devise specific systems and strategies that protect informal workers during crisis times.

Exploring the Role of Marketing and Communication Strategies in Creating Consumer Awareness Aboutelectric Vehicles.

Christina. M, J. Ashok Kumar — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The global transition towards sustainable practices, notably in the automotive industry, is gaining substantial speed in an era marked by growing environmental consciousness and technical innovation. This study centers on the overlapping domains of consumer behavior and marketing techniques in the context of eco-friendly products, specifically electric vehicles (EVs), which are acknowledged as a pivotal remedy for environmental concerns. The study examines crucial marketing factors, including product innovation, perceived benefits, competitive price, and government incentives, which significantly impact customer buying choices for electric vehicles (EVs). The government of India has established ambitious goals to shift to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, which is in line with their broader environmental pledges. This trend is especially significant in India. The analysis incorporates India's ambitious proposal, endorsed by the Government of India and backed by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers' (SIAM, 2017) estimates for electric vehicle (EV) sales, to make all cars electric by 2030. This research aims to investigate the factors that influence Indian customers' intents and attitudes towards acquiring electric vehicles (EVs) by examining digital marketing methods that effectively engage potential EV buyers. Specifically, the study will focus on the use of digital platforms instead of traditional media. Furthermore, the research assesses the influence of governmental measures designed to promote the production and use of electric vehicles (EVs), specifically by customizing these policies to align with customer preferences in order to enhance their effectiveness. This extensive examination seeks to offer a more profound understanding of the intricate relationship between consumer inclinations, marketing tactics, and policy structures in the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market. It presents a strategic plan for the industry's advancement towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future.

Consumer Preference towards Life Insurance Policies in Odisha

Ambaris Pratap Singh, Chandra Bhooshan Singh — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Future losses are uncertain. To deal with the future losses the level of risk also increases, hence insurance is also needed. In order to having a protection against financial issues, insurance policies acts as a protection shield against future risk and uncertainties. This research paper is based on the preference and intention in the mind of consumers towards life insurance policies. This paper involves the study among 200 respondents to figure out the opinions of the policyholders as well as customers. The perceptions of the different respondents have been gathered with a scale of 5 point known as likerts scale. Again the factor analysis, reliability analysis and other techniques have been followed to get the desired results. This paper point out that the expectations of each and every consumers as regards the life insurance products are different based on different factors.

A Comparative Study on Extra Role Behaviour of Employees in Public and Private Sector Banks in Kerala

Treesa Antony, R. Latha, Sivanunni P.S., Nishanth S — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims to compare the discretionary behaviour (Organisational Citizenship Behaviour) of employees in public and Private Sector Banks in Kerala, with a focus on identifying which bank exhibits more Organisational Citizenship Behaviour and understanding which dimension is the most prominent in this sector. The quantitative method was used for collecting the data by a cross-sectional survey with a structured questionnaire. The information was obtained from 350 respondents from each category of banks at Kerala, through a structured questionnaire. The study employed descriptive analysis, ANOVA, correlation and Regression analysis. The study found a significant difference in the exhibition of discretionary behaviour among different categories of bank employees. Here, private sector bank employees exhibitmore extra-role behaviour than the public sector. It also identified that Altruism and Courtesy are the most influential dimension of OCB in thissector.

Green Manufacturing 5.0: Leveraging AI for Carbon-Neutral Industrial Growth

Padmaja D V, M. Niveditha — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The transition toward sustainable industrial practices has elevated the role of green manufacturing as a strategic imperative for reducing carbon footprints while enhancing competitiveness. With the rise of Industry 5.0, emphasis has shifted from digitalization alone to a human-centric and sustainability-oriented paradigm. This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technologies—including predictive maintenance, digital twins, and data-driven energy optimization—can support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in achieving carbon-neutral growth. Building on the evolution from the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to holistic sustainability frameworks, the research highlights the potential of AI in optimizing energy efficiency, reducing waste, and fostering resilient supply chains. A conceptual framework and model are proposed, linking AI adoption, green practices, carbon-neutral growth, and industrial competitiveness. Empirical analysis through SME-focused data demonstrates significant positive relationships, with results indicating that AI-enabled practices lead to measurable reductions in energy intensity and carbon emissions, while simultaneously strengthening competitiveness. Despite challenges such as limited financial resources, knowledge gaps, and infrastructure constraints, SMEs adopting AI-driven sustainability practices achieve higher performance than their counterparts. The findings bridge a crucial research gap by providing empirical evidence of AI’s role in carbon reduction within SMEs. This study contributes to the discourse on Green Manufacturing 5.0, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for industries and policymakers seeking to balance sustainable development goals (SDGs) with industrial growth.

Uncovering Behavioral Determinants for Adopting and Implementing Green IS/IT: A Framework Based on Systematic Review and Bibliometric Insights

Swati Yadav, Vineet Tiwari — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Green Information Systems and Green Information Technology (Green IS/IT) have emerged as crucial tools for mitigating environmental impact, enhancing cleaner industrial processes, and fostering sustainability-driven economic growth. Although technological readiness and policy support for Green IS/IT are steadily increasing, organizations still face notable barriers in their adoption and implementation, particularly those rooted in human behavior. This study addresses this gap by identifying and synthesizing the behavioral dimensions that influence the adoption and implementation of Green IS/IT. A hybrid methodological approach was employed. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to extract behavioral factors associated with Green IS/IT. Second, a bibliometric analysis was performed to map research trends, intellectual structures, and thematic evolution within the field. The consolidated findings were categorized into behavioral dimensions and structured using an adapted Belief–Action–Outcome (BAO) framework to conceptualize the determinants and expected outcomes of Green IS/IT adoption. The review reveals that green human resource management practices, green organizational culture, and behavioral intention to use technology are the most influential behavioral determinants of Green IS/IT adoption and implementation. Complementary relationships among green culture, value-based alignment, employee commitment, and intention emerge as critical enablers. Additionally, green competitive advantage, enhanced environmental performance, improved brand value, and a strengthened corporate image are identified as key outcomes of Green IS/IT initiatives. The proposed theoretical framework provides a foundational structure for future empirical validation and offers actionable insights for organizations seeking to integrate behavioral dimensions into their Green IS/IT strategies. The broad adoption of Green IS/IT has the potential to significantly enhance data-driven sustainability practices, process monitoring, and environmentally responsible decision-making.

The Constitutional Discipline of Assent: An Analysis of the Supreme Court's Recalibration of Article 200

Vidhyanshi Bhanwar, Rajiv Khare — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper critically analyses the constitutional debate regarding the discretionary powers vested in the Governor of the State within the legislative framework as specified by Article 200 of the Constitution of India, a persistent challenge to India's federal structure. The paper examines the reasons this provision has become a contentious issue between elected state governments and centrally appointed governors, resulting in legislative impasse. It delves into the historical context by analysing what the Constituent Assembly meant by the provision. The main focus is a doctrinal analysis of the Supreme Court's important decision in The State of Tamil Nadu v The Governor of Tamil Nadu & Anr (2025), which clears up the confusion about what happens in gubernatorial inaction and the purported ‘veto’ powers. This paper argues that the judgment significantly curtails gubernatorial overreach by establishing judicially enforceable timelines, clarifying that withholding assent is not an absolute veto but a procedural step requiring legislative reconsideration, and affirming the general primacy of the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The paper concludes by proposing implementable suggestions, including constitutional amendments to codify the Court's directives and reforms in the appointment process of Governors, to ensure the enduring legacy of this judicial intervention in strengthening parliamentary democracy and cooperative federalism.

Unveiling Factors for the Impact of Organizational Behavior on Employee Productivity

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the impact of key organizational behavior factors such as leadership style, workplace culture, motivation and reward systems, and communication and team dynamics on employee productivity across PAN India. Using a sample of 150 respondents, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression modelling were employed to evaluate the relationships among the variables. Results reveal that leadership style significantly influences productivity, with supportive and transformational leadership enhancing employee performance. Workplace culture and motivation–reward systems also show strong positive correlations with productivity, demonstrating the importance of collaborative environments and fair recognition practices. Communication and team dynamics emerge as the strongest predictor, indicating that open communication and cohesive teamwork substantially elevate efficiency and work outcomes. The regression model explains 72% of the variance in productivity, confirming the combined power of organizational behavior variables. Overall, the study highlights that strengthening these organizational elements can meaningfully enhance productivity and organizational effectiveness in Indian workplaces.

A Study on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) In India with Focus to Rural Development Initiatives Promoting Sdgs

Himalay, Sonia Riyat — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the evolving role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India, emphasizing its contribution to rural development, a critical priority for inclusive and sustainable growth in a nation where nearly 65% of the population resides in rural areas. Over the years, CSR in India has shifted from a profit-centric approach to a more inclusive model, integrating socio-environmental responsibilities alongside financial performance. Given India’s persistent rural-urban disparities in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities, CSR initiatives play a crucial role in bridging these gaps and accelerating progress toward the SDGs.

The paper analyses year-wise CSR expenditure trends to assess the progression and effectiveness of rural-focused initiatives, such as agricultural innovation, women’s empowerment, clean energy adoption, and digital literacy programs. By evaluating secondary data from CSR reports, government publications, and corporate disclosures, the study highlights geographical disparities in CSR investments, revealing how certain states receive concentrated funding while others remain underserved. This regional imbalance underscores the need for a more equitable and need-based allocation of CSR resources to ensure holistic rural transformation.

A qualitative methodology is employed to critically assess the impact of CSR on rural communities, focusing on SDG linkages, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 8 (Decent Work). The findings aim to provide actionable insights for businesses, policymakers, and stakeholders to optimize CSR strategies, enhance accountability, and foster multi-stakeholder collaborations for maximum developmental impact.

Ultimately, this research reinforces the strategic importance of CSR in rural India, demonstrating how targeted corporate interventions can reduce inequality, strengthen local economies, and align national development priorities with global sustainability goals.

Policing the Alcohol Prohibition: An Analysis of Enforcement Powers, Over-Criminalization, And Constitutional Burdens on India’s Criminal Justice System

Karan Kumar Choudhary, Pranay Prakash — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The current paper is a purely doctrinal overview of the alcohol prohibition laws in India with a focus on the police powers legal architecture of the prohibition, the criminalisation standard and the procedural safeguards of the Constitution. Although Article 47 requires the State to make a good-faith effort to ban intoxicating beverages, the form of legislative and enforcement structure embraced in such states as Bihar and Gujarat has raised the most fundamental constitutional compatibility question. The design of prohibition offences in statutes, broad granting of search, seizure, and arrest authority to the police, reduction of the mens rea threshold, and the introduction of the strict-liability type offences are all critiqued in the paper. Through the critical analysis of the constitutional clauses in Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22, judicial review by the Supreme Court and different High Courts, the paper evaluates whether prohibition policing contributes to the disproportionate liberty and procedural fairness limitations. The question of whether the classification of a minor consumption offence as cognizable but not bailable leads to over-criminalisation, over-delegation and breach of established criminal jurisprudential principles is discussed further. The paper will end by concluding that the present condition of the legal system is too burdensome to criminal justice, contrary to the principle of proportionality, and requires a doctrinal correction of prohibition policing to fit within constitutional morality and the modern criminal law theory.

Advancing Indigenous Tribal Development: Bibliometric Insights and Moderation Analysis of Financial Practices

Disha Rani Yadav, Amit Manglani, Manju, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Suraj Patel — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study seeks to strengthen financial practices among tribal communities in ways that promote their socio‑economic advancement while safeguarding their cultural heritage and natural environment. Despite a substantial rise of nearly 46% in government allocations for tribal development in 2025 (₹14,925.81 crore), many tribal groups continue to face challenges related to financial literacy and limited access to essential services such as banking and savings.To address these issues, the research is framed within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and employs a dual methodological design: first, a review of existing literature, and second, an empirical analysis of financial behaviour across different demographic segments. Tools such as VOSviewer and RStudio Biblioshiny (TITLE‑ABS‑KEY “TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT”) are used for bibliometric mapping, while Smart-PLS facilitates multi‑group moderation analysis to examine how variables like age and gender influence saving and spending patterns. Findings reveal significant variations in the way tribal populations manage financial resources, underscoring the urgent need for culturally sensitive financial inclusion programs that encourage growth without eroding traditional values. By aligning with the SDGs, the study provides actionable insights for policymakers and development practitioners committed to building a more equitable and inclusive future.

“Shifting Trade Patterns and GVC Participation: India’s Linkages with Selected Economies”

Manpreet Kaur — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines India’s integration into the global value chain (GVC) with selected emerging Asian economies—China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Malaysia, and the Philippines—covering the period from 1991 to 2020. It analyses India’s trade in intermediate and final goods and evaluates the involvement of primary, resource-based, and low-, medium-, and high-technology products within these value chains. Further, the study assesses India’s manufacturing network products and its overall competitiveness across major sectors using key trade indicators. The findings indicate significant shifts in India’s export and import shares with Asian economies over time. Export shares increased with Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Turkey, whereas a decline was observed with Japan and China, particularly during the COVID-19 period. Import shares rose mainly from China, Indonesia, and Korea. Overall, India’s trade growth with these economies experienced considerable fluctuations due to global economic crises and other shocks. The study also shows that India’s total GVC participation with the world increased from 23.96 percent in 1991 to 31.40 percent in 2020. While backward participation expanded substantially, forward participation declined. India’s GVC linkages with China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Turkey generally strengthened, despite periodic instability driven by economic uncertainties. Additionally, India’s share of network products in manufacturing trade grew markedly with China and showed moderate expansion with Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Turkey. Overall, the paper highlights the growing significance of Asian partners in advancing India’s engagement and competitiveness in global value chains.

Evolution of Paddy Cultivation and Procurement System in Telangana: Trends, Challenges and Policy Implications

Chintha Yellaswamy — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Paddy cultivation has become the backbone of Telangana’s agricultural economy following unprecedented expansion in irrigation and the strengthening of the decentralized procurement framework. Since the formation of Telangana in 2014, large-scale irrigation projects such as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and Mission Kakatiya have transformed dryland agriculture into a high-input, high-productivity system dominated by paddy. The procurement of paddy through Minimum Support Price (MSP)-based Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) has reduced the involvement of middlemen and empowered local women’s groups, particularly Self-Help Groups (SHGs), PACS and DCMS. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the decentralized procurement model was stress-tested and proved robust by operationalizing 7,700 PPCs that ensured farm-gate procurement and timely payments through the Online Procurement Management System (OPMS). Despite significant successes, challenges persist relating to logistical delays, storage shortages, quality-grading disputes and procurement quotas. Recent seasons (2024–25) recorded record procurement levels exceeding 60.61 LMT in Rabi and a projected 80 LMT target for Kharif 2025–26, demonstrating major institutional progress. Ensuring sustainability requires policy strengthening through logistic infrastructure upgrades, warehouse expansion, SHG capacity building and integration of labour support via MGNREGS. Overall, Telangana offers a replicable model of farmer-centric MSP procurement that has strengthened rural livelihoods, empowered women and stabilized agricultural markets.

AI-Driven Digital Transformation in Business Models: Redefining Business Strategies and Market Dynamics with Artificial Intelligence

R. Vishnupriya, R. Sathya, D. V. Padmaja — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has elevated Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a technological novelty to a strategic imperative, driving digital transformation across industries. While AI’s potential is widely acknowledged, empirical research on its structural impact on business models and strategic outcomes remains limited. This study addresses the existing gap by identifying and empirically validating the underlying dimensions of AI-enabled digital transformation, and by examining their impact on business model innovation and strategic agility. Using a cross-sectional survey of 220 firms in finance, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed four key constructs: Operational Intelligence, Customer-Centric Innovation, Strategic Automation, and Ecosystem Integration, which collectively explain 71.4% of the variance in AI-driven transformation. Descriptive and inferential analyses show strong internal consistency and moderate-to-high levels of AI integration across sectors. The findings support a causal pathway in which AI adoption enables business model innovation, which in turn enhances strategic agility and competitive positioning. The present investigation presents a data-driven, multidimensional framework that enhances both scholarly insight and practical management amid the rise of artificial intelligence. It highlights the imperative for organisations to transition from isolated AI pilot projects to comprehensive, ecosystem-wide transformation strategies in order to fully realise AI’s strategic potential.

ESG and Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD): Lessons for India from the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)

Surbhi Goyal, Surya Saxena, Ravi Raj, Sakshi Gupta, Deepak Bansal, Isha Kaushal — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) norms have emerged as a central pillar of modern corporate responsibility, with human rights due diligence (HRDD) increasingly positioned at their core. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), adopted in 2024, represents a landmark shift from voluntary soft-law frameworks to binding obligations requiring companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and remedy adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their value chains. This directive not only reshapes corporate governance in the EU but also influences global supply-chain behaviour, with significant implications for countries like India that are deeply integrated into European markets.

India currently relies on a voluntary ESG ecosystem supported by the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR), the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), and sector-specific regulations. However, the absence of a mandatory, comprehensive HRDD regime creates gaps in enforcement, accountability, and global competitiveness. As Indian businesses increasingly cater to EU buyers, alignment with mandatory due diligence standards becomes both an economic necessity and a strategic legal priority.

This paper critically analyses the CSDDD as a blueprint for designing an Indian HRDD framework suitable for the country’s legal, regulatory, and socio-economic context. It examines how EU-style obligations—such as board-level responsibility, supply-chain mapping, risk-based due diligence, grievance mechanisms, and civil liability—could be adapted to strengthen India’s ESG landscape. The study also highlights challenges, including compliance burdens for MSMEs, fragmented labour-law enforcement, and the need for capacity-building. Ultimately, the paper argues that a phased, context-sensitive HRDD model could enhance India’s global trade positioning, reduce rights violations, and promote sustainable, accountable business practices.

Impact of Behavioral Factors on Investment Decisions of Rural Women Entrepreneurs of Handloom Sector in Telangana State: A Study

Shaik. Kamruddin, N. Rajyalaxmi — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study empirically investigates the impact of Behavioral Factors on the Investment Decision of Rural Women Entrepreneurs in the Handloom Sector of Telangana, India. Given that women’s economic development is crucial for overall societal progress, and that rural women handloom weavers face specific financial challenges, and other related problems addresses a gap in the literature regarding their investment behavior.

For the purpose of the study, data was collected from 500 respondents with a well designed questionnaire. The data is analyzed with help of statistical tools like percentages and Factor Analysis. The factor analysis identified seven principle components influencing the investment decisions of these entrepreneurs viz., Risk, Market Influence, Confidence Levels, Investment Attitudes, Investment Decisions, Cultural Influence and Behavioral Attitude.

The findings indicate that factors like Modern Investment Tools, Investment Alternatives, Financial Situations and Goals, Diversified Portfolio and Social Factors plays a major role in their investment choices. The study concludes that the investment decisions made by these rural women are informed by their understanding of benefits and risks, suggesting a high degree of fianancial awareness, and are strongly influenced by the perceived accessibility and availability of investment sources. The research successfully meets its objective, confirming that investment behavioral factors are significant by accepting alternative hypothesis in influencing the investment decisions of rural women handloom entrepreneurs.

Gender Differences in Behavioural Biases Affecting Investment Preferences in Delhi

Aditya Vikram, Sneha Verma, Monu — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines how behavioural biases differ between male and female investors and how these biases shape investment preferences in Delhi. The main aim is to find out what factors influence investment choices, how gender impacts risk-taking and diversification habits, and what can be suggested to financial advisors to handle these differences better. The research followed a descriptive design using both primary and secondary data. A total of 400 respondents were surveyed using a structured questionnaire that covered demographic details, multiple choice, and Likert-scale questions. Statistical tools like Frequency Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Normality Test, Reliability Test, Regression Analysis, Chi-Square Test, Paired Samples t-Test, Pearson Correlation, and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The findings reveal that investors mostly prefer safe options, and their decisions are guided by biases like herding and fear of loss. Gender plays a big role in the choice of information sources and risk comfort. The normality and reliability tests ensured that the data and tool were sound and dependable. Regression and ANOVA results showed strong links between behavioural factors and investment behaviour. The study concludes that to improve financial inclusion, there should be more gender-based awareness programmes to guide investors towards better risk management and portfolio choices. The insights can help advisors and policymakers design more focused investor education in India.

Leading Through Culture: The Impact of Leadership Style and Organizational Culture on Employee Engagement

Rutwick Vyas, Bhumika Achhnani, Akanksha Jaiswal — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

High levels of employee engagement are crucial for achieving this objective. However, recent internal surveys show a decline in engagement, which may be related to leadership style and organizational culture. Prior research indicates that these factors play an important role in shaping employee engagement and must be addressed to enhance overall organizational performance. This study aims to explore the correlation and relationship between leadership style, organizational culture, and employee engagement. The findings will also be connected to evaluate whether these relationships influence the organization’s overall performance. This quantitative research utilizes surveys to collect data and applies PLS analysis to examine the interactions among the variables, even when working with moderate sample sizes and non-normal data. Results reveal that both leadership style and organizational culture positively affect employee engagement, with organizational culture showing a stronger impact. Higher levels of both factors contribute to increased employee engagement. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that leadership style and organizational culture significantly influence employee engagement within an organization, such as a telecommunications company.

Influences of Social Media Marketing on Online Shopping Intention Among Shoppers (A Study on Customers Engagement of Online Shoppers in Coimbatore City)

R.Geethalakshmi, A. Shahar Banu — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Aim and Purpose: This study investigates the impact of Consumer Engagement on online shoppers’ behaviour across three key stages: pre-purchase, during purchase, and post-purchase. Specifically, it examines the demographic and socio-economic profiles of online shoppers, their social media usage patterns, and their perceptions of Consumer Engagement within the context of social media marketing. The research also explores how Consumer Engagement shapes shoppers’ intentions throughout the buying journey.
Methodology: The study employs a descriptive research design and uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Primary data were collected through closed-ended questionnaires administered to 480 online shoppers residing in Coimbatore, India.
Findings: Respondents actively use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube to discover and evaluate products and services. They value robust search functionalities on e-commerce sites and are significantly influenced by peer recommendations. The data supported all six hypotheses formulated for the study. Results indicate that Consumer Engagement exerts a strong positive influence during the pre-purchase stage (e.g., product discovery and research), with moderate but meaningful effects during and after the purchase process. Additionally, participants highlighted the importance of website features like ease of access and clarity.
Implication: The authors suggest that online retailers improve website quality, provide clear and helpful information especially for novice shoppers and regularly share updated, engaging video content on social media. Furthermore, influencers and brand advocates should expand their roles by providing credible pre- and post-purchase support and reviews to foster trust and engagement.
Original Value: This research addresses a notable gap in the literature: few studies have examined Indian consumers’ attitudes, perceptions, satisfaction, or motivations regarding Consumer Engagement in online shopping. Moreover, there is limited integration of both Consumer Engagement and the design/functional aspects of retail websites (e.g., visual and cognitive aids). The study also contributes by applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to understand consumer motivation in the context of online retail, a perspective underexplored in the Indian setting.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Improving Credit Risk Assessment in Banking

Ayush Sinha, Sourav Saw, Ankit Kumar — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The paper reviews the use of AI and ML in improving credit-risk evaluation in financial institutions. With advances in AI, banks now apply machine learning, deep learning, and predictive analytics to analyse diverse datasets and generate more accurate credit-risk predictions. A structured questionnaire was administered to 300 purposively sampled banking and fintech professionals experienced in risk management. Perceptions of AI/ML adoption were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and ANOVA. Results show moderate agreement on benefits such as improved predictive accuracy, reduced Non- performing Assets, and better MSME credit assessment. However, barriers—including legacy systems, explainability requirements, data governance, and skill gaps—received higher concern. Correlation and regression indicate that AI/ML maturity strongly predicts better risk forecasting and lower NPAs, with no perceptual differences across institution types. The study concludes that AI/ML integration can significantly transform credit-risk assessment, but its full potential depends on strong data governance, a skilled workforce, and responsible AI practices. These findings offer practical guidance for banks advancing digital transformation of credit assessment models.

Legal and Policy Dimensions of Rainwater Harvesting in India: Bridging the Governance Gap for Sustainable Water Security

Biswadeep Dutta, Tuhina Sinha, Priya Chaudhari, Srija Mondal — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research critically examines the adequacy of India’s legal and institutional frameworks in mainstreaming rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a sustainable strategy to address groundwater depletion and climate-related water stress. The study applies a doctrinal legal research methodology, supported by comparative case analysis from jurisdictions including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Sari Lanka. Core data sources include constitutional mandates, environmental legislation, water policy documents, and landmark judicial pronouncements. Findings indicate that while RWH techniques such as percolation tanks, recharge shafts, and rooftop systems significantly improve groundwater quality, soil moisture retention, and community-level water resilience, their implementation remains hampered by fragmented legal mandates, insufficient enforcement mechanisms, and low public engagement. Comparative insights reveal that decentralized, community-driven RWH systems with tailored incentives yield more effective outcomes than top-down approaches. The study recommends a model national legislation on RWH, integration of RWH into environmental impact assessments, and legally backed incentives for adoption in both urban and rural settings. It contributes to the discourse on environmental law by linking legal reform with technical feasibility and participatory governance. Future research should prioritize region-specific policy design, cost-benefit modeling, and the inclusion of traditional water knowledge systems into formal governance.

Uncovering Diagnostic Patterns: Exploratory Machine Learning Approaches for Medical Condition Classification

Paromita Sadhu, Arpit Rastogi, Ayush Sinha, Darshini R — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Machine learning has huge prospects in disease early detection and enhanced treatment of patients. The present paper presents a predictive model of medical states by use of a Kaggle healthcare dataset of demographic, clinical, and lifestyle variables. The most significant health indicators will be age, glucose level, blood pressure, BMI, oxygen saturation, cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c, and behavioral indicators, such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical exercises. Four classification models were taken into account to identify the most effective classification model; these were Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Decision Tree and Random Forest. The model performance metrics were accuracy, F1-Score and ROC-AUC. The precision obtained with the Logistic Regression was 91.37%, Decision Tree 84.16%, Random Forest 91.63% and KNN 81.53%. ROC-AUC results indicated a high predictive value among all the models and in most circumstances of significance An AUC value above 0.95 in Logistic Regression and KNN. Random Forest also gave values of AUC exceeding 0.95 in all disorders of significance and more challenging to identify multi-class disorders, such as cancer, diabetes and asthma. The findings indicate that the ensemble-based methods can be viable when compared to the traditional classifiers, when dealing with healthcare data, which is both non-linear and high-variance. Overall, the proposed predictive models can have great potential when used as a source of clinical decisions and preventive healthcare.

Analyzing Growth, Emerging Trends, and Opportunities in the Indian Real-Estate Sector

Shreya Chopra, Teena — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The real estate sector in India is a vital component of the economy, second only to agriculture in employment generation. This study examines the multifaceted growth of this sector, focusing on its evolving role in housing, retail, hospitality, and commercial domains. It delves into the macroeconomic and demographic drivers propelling the industry, explores investment trends, and highlights government initiatives shaping its trajectory. By analyzing data from urban centers like Pune, Bengaluru, and Delhi-NCR, the study identifies patterns in residential and commercial real estate, including significant contributions from foreign direct investments (FDI) and private equity. The findings provide actionable insights into the sector's future, projecting its expansion to a $1 trillion market by 2030 and a $5.8 trillion market by 2047.