The purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart home devices and services in the context of Initial Trust formation. The data, collected from 505 technology enthusiasts residing in the most technologically advanced cities in India, were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. It employs the UTAUT2 model with Initial Trust to propose and test the research framework. Results show a significant influence of effort expectancy, social influence, price value and firm reputation on behavioural intention. The ease of use of the technology challenges user acceptance, while hedonic value significantly influences technology acceptance. Firm reputation does not affect Initial Trust formation, in line with the findings of previous studies. Control variables such as age and education influenced Initial Trust formation, echoing similar studies in e-commerce and mobile payment adoption. Extending the UTAUT2 model, this study sheds light on key determinants shaping IoT-based smart home adoption, offering insights for future studies and industry practitioners.
The present study seeks to examine the impact of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) factors on itself from different dimensions and how these factors help to strengthen competition in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations over the period from 2010 to 2019 by considering annual time series data. Thus, various regression equations have been developed to fulfil the above objectives. The study has revealed that the 12 pillars of GCI have significantly impacted GCI positively, which is very significant. Even if the factors of the four subcategories of GCI have a positive and significant influence on their own categories (enabling environment, human capital, market and innovation and ecosystem), which is as expected. It has also been opined that competitiveness is an important tool for every nation to solve various problems, which leads to long-term growth and prosperity.
This study explores how individuals make sense of digital currencies and how their use reshapes perceptions and practices of money. Drawing on in-depth interviews with diverse users, the analysis reveals that digital currency operates as a socio-technical apparatus that embeds new forms of control, accountability and legitimacy into everyday financial life. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the findings identify four interconnected mechanisms through which users experience and interpret digital currency: control, inclusion, legitimacy and coping. Digital currency was perceived as enabling greater financial control, visibility and self-monitoring, while also fostering inclusion for women, informal-sector workers and low-literate users by enhancing legitimacy through access, confidence and participation in financial exchanges. At the same time, digital currency generated new pressures and vulnerabilities, prompting users to develop coping strategies to manage overspending, surveillance anxiety and social expectations. The study contributes a holistic model illustrating the iterative and cyclical nature of these mechanisms, advancing understanding of digital currency as more than a financial instrument—rather, as a symbolic and social artefact that reconfigures accounting and accountability of money. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, along with limitations and directions for future research.
Given the equivocality regarding the application of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the context of consumers’ luxury fashion counterfeit (LFC) consumption behaviour, the present study aimed to compare the efficacy of TRA and TPB in explaining and predicting consumers’ willing LFC consumption. Data were collected from 215 respondents and were subsequently analyzed using structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis. The results of the study indicated that attitude and subjective norm were positively related, whereas perceived behavioural control was not significantly related to purchase intention of LFCs. Furthermore, perceived behavioural control did not significantly explain purchase intention of LFCs after attitude and subjective norm were accounted for. The study challenges the general belief that TPB is a superior choice to explain unethical consumer behaviour by empirically demonstrating that TRA better explains the unethical consumer behaviour of willing LFC consumption in the context of an emerging economy, that is, India. The findings can be leveraged by luxury fashion brand managers to inform their anti-counterfeiting campaigns.
Sustainability consumption has been the major barrier the world has to overcome to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) requirements. Even though raising consciousness has been one of the main reasons for the organizations that would still choose the unsustainable way of doing things, they often argue about the poor quality of the marketing done and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that the companies might have. In this study, the roles of Innovative Digital Marketing Strategies (IDMS), CSR initiatives and consumer awareness of sustainability (CAS) in fostering sustainable consumption behaviour (SCB) are investigated. A quantitative method was employed, where data were collected using structured online questionnaires, and the subsequent analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t -test, correlation and multiple regression in SPSS version 26. The results showed that IDMS, CSR initiatives and CAS have a positive and significant impact on SCB, with the regression results providing the strongest predictive power of IDMS and CSR. The findings support the idea of integrating sustainability into brand communication and CSR practices as a way of facilitating consumer behaviour change that is more than just superficial. The research area contributes to the theory of sustainable marketing, stakeholder theory and service industry, giving practical insights to organizations that are setting out to design effective, transparent and sustainability-oriented digital strategies.
This article aims to examine the impact of abusive supervision (AS) on job insecurity (JI) and turnover intention (TI), as well as to explore the mediating role of JI in the relationship between AS and TI. It also examines the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on the relationship between JI and TI, as well as between AS and TI. The empirical data were collected using purposive sampling, including responses from 421 participants. The mediated moderation analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings confirm that AS is a predictor of TI and JI. Additionally, variables such as AS and JI show a significant positive association with TI. The relationship between JI and TI, along with the connection between AS and TI, is explained through POS. Here, the role of POS as a potential moderator in the relationships among AS, JI and TI has provided new insights into TI research. JI, acting as a mediator, helps to reduce the influence of supervisory abuse on the intention to leave and may aid in retaining employees within the organization.
Banks, financial service providers and insurance firms are considered the lifeblood of modern civilization, acting as a stimulus for the growth and development of a country with a growing economy like India. A systematic review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to explore the potential impact of blockchain technology on the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industries in developing countries like India. The study found 148 articles and 33 papers assessing the benefits of blockchain technology based on institutional, market and technological factors. Acting managers, decision-makers and experts place a premium on having a solid foundational view before deciding whether to implement blockchain technology in their banking system, and our study will unquestionably be useful to those individuals. Furthermore, institutional, market and technical factors can be used to analyse the benefits of implementing blockchain in the BFSI sectors. To better understand the applications, prospects and difficulties of using blockchain technology in the BFSI sectors, we will attempt to cover the theoretical background based on earlier research in the study.
Social media influencers play a crucial role in promoting vegan food by creating captivating content that educates and inspires a wide audience about plant-based lifestyles, fostering a culture of compassionate and sustainable living. Within the context of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) paradigm, this study attempts to examine the effects of social media influencer credibility dimensions on parasocial interaction, which further affects brand attitude, leading to purchase intention towards vegan food. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyze the 210 responses from consumers who participated in the survey. Results revealed a positive association between all the relations hypothesized; further, the parasocial interaction and brand attitude significantly mediate the relationship between social media influencers’ credibility dimensions and the purchase intention towards vegan food. The results of this study may help producers, retailers and distributors in the vegan food sector to enhance their marketing tactics for vegan food that has eco-friendly qualities.
This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven marketing analytics can enhance sustainability positioning (SP) in B2B firms by enabling green service innovation (GSI). Despite its potential, many firms struggle to leverage these capabilities due to a lack of techno-driven culture, which negatively impacts environmental and social performance. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) and the Theory, Context, Characteristics, Methodology (TCCM) framework, the study identifies three key themes: (a) creating a data- and AI-centric organizational culture, (b) aligning marketing analytics with sustainability communication and (c) identifying green innovation opportunities. This work offers insights for advancing AI-centric organizational practices in emerging B2B contexts.
With the rise of digital platforms, user-generated content (UGC) has emerged as an important tool in tourism marketing, shaping destination perception and influencing travel decisions. This study examines how perceived values (PVs) influence tourists’ intention to create user-generated content (IUGC) and explores the moderating role of satisfaction and type of tourist. Unlike the existing research that primarily focuses on the impact of pre-existing UGC, this study addresses a critical gap by investigating the factors that drive content creation. The research was conducted among 800 tourists who visited Kerala, India, using a purposive sampling method. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multigroup analysis were done to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that the positive perception of quality and social and emotional value will significantly enhance IUGC. Additionally, tourist satisfaction plays an important moderating role in this relationship. However, the type of tourist does not exhibit a significant moderating role in this relationship. This research contributes to the tourism marketing literature by providing insights into how PV drives content creation. The findings give practical implications for tourism stakeholders in developing strategies that encourage the creation of UGC effectively and enhance engagement. By leveraging these insights, destination marketers can optimize their promotional efforts and attract more tourists through UGC.
As traditional capital financing decisions are facing some new challenges, audit attribute-based capital financing decisions, with their task structure and decision aids, have been widely deployed in recent years. However, how audit attributes impact capital financing decisions is not yet established and still presents a number of intervention issues, particularly in the Indian context. This study encompassed an analysis of 113 firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) over a period of 9 years, ranging between 2016 and 2024. Panel data estimation techniques were applied, aligning with established theories concerning audit attributes and capital structure. In this study, leverage as a proxy for capital structure is taken as a criterion measure, while the audit committee size, audit committee independence, audit meetings and audit quality are taken as independent measures. Additionally, control variables, namely firm size, return on assets, firm growth, liquidity, profitability, tangibility and firm risk, were treated for the study. The empirical findings revealed that audit quality (AQ) has a positive significant relationship with leverage in the fixed effects model, demonstrating that firms with high-quality audits send a strong signal to creditors and investors that the company’s financial statements are accurate and reliable. This, in turn, builds trust and confidence in the firm’s financial health, making it easier for the firm to raise debt capital. However, the generalized method of moments model showed that AQ has a negative significant relationship with leverage, indicating that firms with higher debt levels may engage in lower-quality audits due to cost constraints, higher risk profiles or the desire to avoid scrutiny. The present study concludes that an enhancement of audit attributes can support a firm by making its decisions explicit towards external debt in providing optimal capital structure.
The adoption of digital technologies in supply chain processes is reshaping industries by enhancing efficiency, transparency and resilience. Reflecting the growing academic interest in this transformation, the present study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to map the intellectual structure and research dynamics within digital supply chain management. Specifically, it investigates patterns of scholarly collaboration across countries, authors and documents while identifying emerging and high-priority research themes. To achieve these objectives, the study integrates bibliometric coupling and keyword analysis, employing the tool VOSviewer. The analysis reveals extensive international collaborations, regional research networks and the growing influence of both established and emerging countries within the scholarly discourse. It also highlights the author and document-level linkages that form thematic clusters across the field. Based on insights from the keyword analysis, a conceptual model is proposed to direct future research, identifying five key drivers of supply chain performance: digital transformation, innovation capability, sustainable practices, agility and resilience and organizational integration. This study advances the academic conversation by providing a structured and data-driven overview of the digital supply chain research landscape while also offering a theoretically grounded framework to inform and guide future scholarly investigations.
Balancing career and family responsibilities, often with limited support, leads many married women to leave their jobs or experience significant burnout, prompting some to pursue a complete career change. While much research has focused on women’s career re-entry and challenges, the experiences of married Indian women who have successfully changed careers remain underexplored. The present study addresses this gap by examining the career change process among Indian married women. Using purposive sampling, seven women who made a career change were interviewed with a semi-structured approach, and results were analyzed through the interpretative phenomenological approach. The study identified five key themes: self-determined decision-making, transforming challenges into opportunities, the perceived advantage of gender, deprioritizing financial gains and a nurturing ecosystem. This study expands the theoretical understanding of married Indian women’s career changes, emphasizing self-determined processes influenced by sociocultural factors, autonomy and support systems while reframing career breaks as transformative opportunities for growth. The study emphasizes continuous career exploration, leveraging personal strengths, and offers practical guidance for counsellors and women to navigate transitions and harness career changes for growth and opportunity.
This study examines the marketing channel performance and export competitiveness of pineapples in West Bengal, India, through a sample of 400 growers and 30 intermediaries. Six main marketing channels are identified, with Channels II and VI accounting for 75% of the distribution, while Channel I, though most efficient, has limited capacity. Regional differences in marketing costs and profit margins are notable, with higher costs in Uttar Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri compared to Darjeeling. Wholesalers capture the largest share of profits. Despite growth in pineapple exports, competitive pricing is hindered by low revealed comparative advantage and negative revealed symmetric comparative advantage values. The study recommends improving logistics, reducing intermediaries and investing in infrastructure to enhance marketing efficiency. For export competitiveness, improving product quality, developing marketing strategies and securing government support are crucial. Training and financial assistance for farmers are essential for the sustainable growth of the pineapple sector.
The growth in assets under management (AUM) of the mutual fund industry in India with the plethora of funds has been profound over the past decade. This research explores the relative significance of the determinants considered by investment advisors when choosing mutual funds using conjoint analysis. It further examines the perceived value assigned to various levels of these determinants to identify the optimal combination of the determinants. The study found that the most important determinants ranked in the order of significance were the fund category, fund’s AUM and experience of the fund manager. Moderate importance was found to be assigned to the type of fund managed and fund age, while the past performance and expense ratio was preferred the least. The optimal combination of determinants from investment advisors is also identified. Amid growing diversification and competition, the findings of this study are anticipated to aid in the structure of funds and provide valuable guidance to individual investors in selecting mutual funds.
Extensive attention to buyers’ perspectives in e-commerce research fails to acknowledge that sellers are equally vital to an e-marketplace functioning as buyers are. Realizing the same, the study empirically investigates sellers’ perspectives in the B2B e-marketplace by analyzing the relationships between various information systems success dimensions adopted from DeLone and McLean’s Information Systems Success Model and perceived value. The study employs structural equation modelling using AMOS to analyze the data obtained from 206 sellers listed and conducting business in B2B e-marketplaces in India. The results highlight the role of all three quality dimensions in driving seller satisfaction and perceived value and then proceed to emphasize the importance of perceived value in driving continuous usage. It also unveils that satisfaction alone may not lead to continuance intention among sellers, which is incongruous with what prior research has endorsed over time. These findings offer a new breadth of view to the prevailing body of literature and present managerial insights. Additionally, it underscores the need to explore the sellers’ side in e-marketplaces, which has been overlooked in previous research despite their relevance in and bearing on the e-marketplace’s functioning.
Munculnya gerakan literasi sekolah yaitu sebagai hal yang sangat diharapkan oleh banyak pihak apabila dilihat dari tingkat minat membaca di Indonesia. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektivitas pembentukan kebiasaan membaca pada siswa. Metode penelitian menggunakan deskriptif dengan implementasi pendekatan kualitatif di SDN 11 Lubuk Keliat, dan langkah-langkah yang dilaksanakan untuk memperoleh data penelitian yaitu observasi, wawancara serta studi pustaka. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu data primer serta data sekunder. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan Gerakan Literasi Sekolah yaitu sebagai gerakan dalam membiasakan siswa untuk membaca yang berhasil memberikan peningkatakn minat membaca siswa. Minat membaca siswa bisa mengalami peningkatan karena program ini menjadikan siswa sudah merasakan hal yang biasa dalam kegiatan membaca. Meningkatnya minat membaca disebabkan karena mengikuti kegiatan membaca buku non-pendidikan selama 15 menit sebelum pelajaran, siswa merasakan bahwa membaca adalah kegiatan yang menyenangkan serta tidak membosankan. Siswa senang dalam aktivitas membaca mereka. Selain itu, lingkungan sekolah dirancang agar mempunyai nuansa dalam membaca dan menulis.
Suhu dan kelembapan adalah faktor penting dalam proses pengeringan dan pengerasan semen. Suhu dalam proses pengerasan berkisar antara 10°C hingga 35°C dengan kelembapan relatif 40% hingga 60%. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh suhu dan kelembapan terhadap nilai setting time awal dan akhir pada semen OPC dan PCC di lima kondisi lingkungan yang berbeda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa semakin tinggi tingkat kelembapan, semakin lama waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk pengerasan semen, baik untuk PCC maupun OPC. Sebaliknya, semakin rendah kelembapan, semakin cepat waktu pengerasan terjadi. Pada peningkatan waktu setting time awal, semen PCC menunjukkan kenaikan sebesar 38,5%, sedangkan semen OPC sebesar 37,5%. Untuk waktu setting time akhir, semen OPC mengalami peningkatan yang lebih signifikan sebesar 41,65%, dibandingkan PCC yang hanya 25%. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa semen OPC memiliki waktu ikat akhir yang lebih cepat dan relatif kurang dipengaruhi oleh suhu dan kelembapan dibandingkan PCC. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa suhu dan kelembapan secara signifikan mempengaruhi waktu ikat semen, dengan variasi efek yang berbeda antara semen OPC dan PCC.
The study aims to determine whether there is a significant influence of teacher certification on the performance of PAUD teachers. The method used in this study is the Quantitative method with a survey method approach which is carried out using a questionnaire as a research tool in large and small populations. The population in this study were all teachers who were certified and the sample used 13 teachers. Data collection technique used in this study were observation, questionnaires, and document tation. After collecting the result of the questionnaire answers that had been distributed, the researcher used simple linier regression test data analysis techniques, correlation coefficient (r) test, determination coefficient (R2) test anf hypothesis test. The results of the analysis showed a positive influence of variable X on variable Y with the equation Y 45.414+0,224 X. the strength of the relationship between these two variables is 0,409, from thes results of the calculation and questionnaire data processing, the author concludes that teacher certification implemented by the PAUD instution in Tanjung Batu District, Ogan Ilir Regency has an effect on creating teacher performance. This is proven mathematically through a hypothesis test, where the results of tcount (2.5535) > ttable (2.069).
