The conventional theory of finance is founded substantially upon the assumption that investors process information rationally, make utility-maximising decisions, and cause security prices to reflect available information with reasonable efficiency. Actual financial markets, however, repeatedly demonstrate patterns of investor behaviour that cannot be explained adequately through rational-choice models alone. Investors are human decision-makers whose judgments are affected by cognitive limitations, emotional responses, social influence, past experiences, reference points, and subjective perceptions of risk. Behavioural finance emerged to explain these departures from classical rationality and to examine their implications for asset prices, trading volume, volatility, market efficiency, and investment performance. The present article critically analyses the influence of behavioural biases on investment decision-making and stock-price movements with particular reference to the Indian equity market. It concentrates on overconfidence, loss aversion, disposition effect, anchoring, representativeness, availability bias, herd behaviour, confirmation bias, self-attribution, regret aversion, mental accounting, recency bias, and fear of missing out. Rather than generating artificial primary data, the article adopts an evidence-based empirical synthesis of established behavioural-finance research, Indian investor studies and official securities-market evidence. The analysis demonstrates that behavioural biases influence not merely the portfolio choices of individual investors but, when sufficiently correlated across market participants, can contribute to abnormal trading volume, momentum, reversals, price overshooting, volatility clustering and temporary departures of market prices from fundamental value. Indian evidence is particularly significant because rapid digitalisation, low-cost brokerage, mobile trading and growing retail participation have altered the composition and speed of securities-market participation. SEBI's recent evidence that a substantial majority of individual intraday and equity-derivatives traders incur losses illustrates the importance of examining the psychological processes accompanying speculative participation. The article argues that behavioural finance should not be understood as a rejection of market efficiency but as a complementary framework explaining why efficiency may vary across investors, securities, market conditions and time periods. The study concludes that investor education should move beyond conventional financial literacy toward behavioural literacy, while regulators, intermediaries and digital trading platforms should incorporate behavioural insights into investor-protection architecture.
The evolving landscape of higher education is increasingly shaped by the psychological, emotional, and social needs of Generation Z learners. Traditional academic systems, primarily focused on cognitive development, often overlook holistic wellbeing. This study explores the integration of wellbeing practices within higher education institutions to support Gen Z students, with a particular focus on the Indian context. It examines policy frameworks, institutional practices, and emerging research perspectives that contribute to student wellbeing. The study adopts a conceptual and exploratory approach using secondary data from academic literature, policy documents, and institutional reports. Findings suggest that integrating wellbeing into higher education enhances student engagement, academic performance, and employability. Indian initiatives such as the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, and institutional wellbeing programs demonstrate growing commitment toward holistic education. However, challenges remain in implementation, including stigma, resource constraints, and lack of trained professionals. The paper concludes that embedding wellbeing into curriculum, pedagogy, and campus culture is essential for sustainable and inclusive higher education systems.
This study examines the impact of academic pressure and institutional support on the psychological wellbeing of students in higher education institutions. With increasing competition, performance expectations, and career uncertainties, students experience significant academic stress, which can negatively affect their mental health. At the same time, institutional support systems such as counseling services, mentorship programs, and flexible academic policies play a crucial role in mitigating stress and promoting wellbeing. The study adopts a quantitative research design using survey methodology, collecting data from 120 undergraduate and postgraduate students through a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between academic pressure, institutional support, and psychological wellbeing. The findings reveal that academic pressure has a significant negative impact on student wellbeing, while institutional support has a positive and moderating effect. The study highlights the importance of proactive institutional strategies to balance academic rigor with mental health support. The results provide practical implications for academic administrators, policymakers, and educators in designing student-centric environments that foster both academic success and psychological resilience
This study investigates the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in enhancing customer satisfaction within the hospitality industry, utilizing the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (Mayer et al., 2016) framework. Drawing on a survey of 49 hospitality professionals, the research employs descriptive and inferential statistics to evaluate four branches of EI: perceiving, facilitating, understanding, and managing emotions. Demographic analysis revealed a predominantly young (65.31% aged 25-35) and full-time (83.67%) workforce. Descriptive results indicated that while employees scored highest in "Understanding Emotions" (M = 4.27), "Managing Emotions" (M = 4.21) exhibited the highest variability (SD = 0.64), suggesting a need for standardized training in emotional regulation. Hypothesis testing confirmed a significant relationship between an employee’s ability to manage emotions and high customer satisfaction (p < 0.05), specifically identifying emotional recovery (p = 0.002) as the strongest predictor of service success. Conversely, de-escalation skills alone did not significantly impact satisfaction scores (p = 0.366), implying that guests view de-escalation as basic damage control rather than a value-added service. The findings suggest that hospitality organizations should prioritize training in emotional resilience and "proactive empathy" to improve service standards. Performance evaluations should incorporate EI metrics to foster a workforce capable of maintaining professional composure and rapid emotional recovery during high-stress interactions.
The banking sector in India has experienced rapid transformation due to globalization, privatization, digitization, and increasing competition. These developments have significantly altered the nature of banking employment, especially in urban centers like Jaipur. Employees in both public and private sector banks face demanding schedules, target-oriented work culture, customer pressure, and technological stress. Long working hours and unrealistic performance targets have become major factors affecting the work-life balance of banking professionals. The present article critically examines the influence of working hours and organizational targets on the work-life balance of employees in Jaipur’s banking sector. The article explores how occupational stress, workload, digital banking responsibilities, and managerial expectations affect employees’ physical, emotional, and social well-being. The study highlights that private sector bank employees generally experience higher pressure due to aggressive business targets, customer acquisition goals, and performance evaluation systems. Public sector bank employees, though comparatively secure in employment, also face increasing workload because of staff shortages, administrative duties, and pressure to achieve financial targets. Excessive working hours often reduce personal time, family interaction, leisure opportunities, and psychological stability. The article further examines the relationship between work-life balance and employee productivity, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and mental health. It concludes that sustainable work culture, flexible working arrangements, realistic target allocation, and employee-friendly human resource policies are essential for ensuring healthy work-life balance in Jaipur’s banking sector.
The phenomenon of “quiet quitting,” characterized by employees limiting their efforts to formally prescribed responsibilities while disengaging from discretionary contributions, has gained increasing attention across sectors, including higher education. Within academic institutions, faculty members play a critical role not only in teaching but also in research, mentoring, institutional development, and knowledge dissemination. However, rising workloads, role ambiguity, administrative pressures, and declining intrinsic motivation have contributed to a subtle yet significant form of disengagement among educators. Furthermore, the research investigates the impact of silent disengagement on institutional effectiveness, student outcomes and academic culture. The paper also highlights how quiet quitting may remain largely unnoticed due to its passive nature, making it a challenging issue for administrators to identify and address. Using a mixed-method approach, incorporating surveys and qualitative insights from faculty across various higher education institutions, the study provides empirical evidence on the prevalence and patterns of quiet quitting. It also examines demographic and contextual factors influencing disengagement, such as age, tenure status, discipline and institutional type. The findings suggest that younger faculty and those in precarious employment conditions may be more prone to silent disengagement due to uncertainty and lack of institutional support. In conclusion, quiet quitting in higher education represents a critical challenge that requires proactive attention from institutional leaders. By understanding the factors driving silent disengagement and implementing targeted strategies, higher education institutions can re-engage faculty, enhance job satisfaction, and ensure sustainable academic excellence. This study contributes to the emerging discourse on employee disengagement by contextualizing quiet quitting within the academic environment and offering practical insights for policy and practice.
Financial stress has emerged as a critical issue among university students, significantly influencing not only their academic performance but also their mental and emotional well-being. With the continuous rise in tuition fees, increasing cost of living, and growing dependence on student loans, many students experience persistent financial pressure throughout their academic journey. This study examines the relationship between financial stress and mental health among university students by analysing major financial stressors such as educational expenses, accommodation costs, daily living requirements, and debt obligations. The research is based on a secondary data approach, drawing insights from existing literature, research articles, government reports, and institutional surveys to identify patterns, trends, and key outcomes. The study further explores how financial stress contributes to various psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, reduced self-esteem, and overall psychological distress, while also impacting academic engagement, concentration, and performance. The findings reveal a strong and consistent correlation between financial difficulties and deteriorating mental health conditions among students. Additionally, the study identifies that inadequate financial literacy, lack of institutional support, and limited access to coping resources further intensify stress levels. It emphasizes the importance of integrated strategies involving financial assistance programs, student counselling services, and financial education initiatives. The study concludes that addressing financial stress requires a holistic and multi-dimensional approach, combining policy-level interventions, institutional support systems, and individual coping strategies to enhance students’ overall well-being and academic success.
Mental health concerns among adolescents and young adults in educational settings have increased significantly, highlighting the need for structured and effective intervention strategies. While coping mechanisms differ across individuals and contexts, engagement-based strategies such as problem-solving and support-seeking are generally more useful than avoidance-based approaches in reducing psychological distress. This study examines the relationship between mental health interventions and emotional intelligence, with a focus on whether emotional intelligence functions as a prerequisite or an outcome of such interventions. Evidence from psychoeducational programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and coaching practices suggests that emotional intelligence can be enhanced through structured interventions. The findings emphasize the importance of context-sensitive and institutionally supported intervention practices in educational settings. The study concludes that emotional intelligence is more appropriately understood as an outcome of mental health interventions rather than a prerequisite for their effectiveness.
This research investigates the complex interplay between emotional labor demands and coping mechanisms among hotel management teachers, a demographic uniquely positioned at the confluence of academic rigor and service-industry expectations. The study employed a quantitative research design, gathering primary data from 85 hotel management teachers through a structured questionnaire. Analysis using Jamovi revealed that surface acting, the act of faking emotions to meet professional expectations, is significantly and positively correlated with increased emotional dissonance (Pearson's r = 0.745, p < .001) and heightened emotional exhaustion, indicated by its impact on daily energy levels (Pearson's r = 0.372, p < .001). This confirms that the constant need to project a "service-with-a-smile" persona exacts a considerable psychological toll. In terms of coping, social support, specifically interaction with colleagues and friends, was found to be a significantly more effective strategy for stress reduction compared to psychological detachment (Mann-Whitney U = 591, p = 0.019). A notable finding was the widespread lack of formal institutional training in emotional labor management among the surveyed teachers. These results underscore an urgent need for educational institutions to develop and implement targeted interventions. Such initiatives should focus on equipping teachers with authentic emotional regulation skills, fostering supportive work environments, and providing formal training programs to enhance their resilience. By addressing these critical areas, institutions can safeguard the well-being of their hospitality educators and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality education essential for preparing future hospitality professionals.
The increasing global emphasis on sustainable development, ethical business practices, and inclusive economic growth has transformed the traditional understanding of corporate responsibility and investment practices. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), impact investing, and social entrepreneurship have emerged as three significant approaches aimed at addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges through market-oriented mechanisms. Although these concepts differ in their structure, objectives, operational frameworks, and legal implications, they collectively contribute toward sustainable development and social welfare. This article critically examines CSR, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship from a comparative perspective. It explores their conceptual foundations, historical evolution, operational models, regulatory frameworks, and practical implications in national and international contexts. The study further analyzes the role of governments, corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs in promoting socially responsible business ecosystems. Special attention is given to the Indian legal framework relating to CSR under the Companies Act, 2013, as well as the growing significance of sustainable finance and impact-driven enterprises globally. The article adopts a doctrinal and analytical methodology based upon secondary sources including statutes, policy documents, scholarly literature, international reports, and judicial interpretations. It identifies similarities and distinctions between CSR, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship in terms of accountability, profit orientation, sustainability goals, stakeholder participation, and social impact measurement. The study concludes that while CSR primarily operates as a corporate compliance and ethical responsibility mechanism, impact investing represents a finance-oriented strategy integrating profit with measurable social outcomes, whereas social entrepreneurship focuses upon innovative and sustainable solutions to societal problems through entrepreneurial initiatives. The article emphasizes the need for integrated regulatory frameworks, collaborative governance, and sustainable financial ecosystems to strengthen these emerging models of social and economic transformation.
This study examines the integration of stress management and emotional labor training into hospitality education curricula in India. It addresses key industry challenges such as irregular schedules, customer-oriented service requirements, emotional labor, stress, and burnout in a sector currently employing 39 million people and projected to employ 53 million by 2029 (Dsouza et al., 2023). The research evaluates pedagogical approaches designed to mitigate occupational stressors, including irregular shifts, physical demands, and emotional dissonance, which are particularly acute among hospitality workers in India (Bhattachayra & Dasgupta, 2021; Ma et al., 2021). It explores curricula that foster resilience and emotional regulation, thereby better preparing students for these demands, enhancing career longevity, and supporting mental health. The analysis contends that stress management education—targeting job insecurity, interpersonal conflicts, and emotional labor as primary stressors—improves frontline employees' well-being by reducing work-related stress (Yoo, 2023). Furthermore, it identifies prevalent stressors in Indian hospitality, reviews current educational practices (Mensah et al., 2024), and recommends advanced modules on emotional intelligence and resilience to counter emotional contagion and work-life imbalance (Elshaer et al., 2025; Rathi & Kumar, 2023)Specifically, this study critically analyzes existing frameworks for incorporating emotional labor—a core competency in guest-host interactions—into hospitality and tourism curricula (Nyanjom & Wilkins, 2021).Additionally, the study explores how digital transformation in hospitality services necessitates new stress management competencies, particularly regarding ethical AI use and human-centric service delivery (George, 2024). Using a mixed-methods approach of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, it evaluates existing educational interventions, identifies gaps in preparing future hospitality professionals for the industry's psychological demands, and examines educators' perceptions of emotion skill development—which is often assumed implicitly rather than explicitly taught in curricula (Nyanjom & Wilkins, 2021).
Corporate transparency, investor trust, and the integrity of capital markets are all jeopardised by financial statement fraud, which calls for better detection methods. By merging narrative disclosure-based behavioural signals with standardised financial indicators and governance monitoring factors, this study suggests an integrated strategy for identifying financial statement fraud. The analysis begins by standardising all variables using z-scores to guarantee comparability across scales. The variables in the dataset are company-year observations that have been labelled as High Risk or Low Risk based on composite scoring. There is proper normalisation of the financial and governance variables, according to descriptive statistics; nonetheless, early comparisons show that High Risk observations show larger financial pressure signals and lower governance monitoring. Financial pressure has a modest association with governance opportunity and narrative behaviour indicators, and a significant association with financial pressure, according to correlation analysis, demonstrating that fraud risk is multifaceted. Highlighting accruals as a key predictor of high-risk categorisation, interpretable insights are provided by logistic regression utilising just underlying z-score variables. Stratified training and holdout testing are used to incorporate several machine learning models, such as SVM, Random Forest, and Decision Tree, in order to further increase prediction performance. Including designed sub-scores Financial Pressure Score (FPS), Governance Opportunity Score (GOS), and Narrative Behaviour Score (NBS) with the z-score indications gives SVM and Random Forest the best accuracy, according to the results. The results show that auditors, regulators, and forensic practitioners may greatly benefit from an integrated, multi-layered approach to fraud detection since it increases accuracy and dependability.
College life is often marked by the formation of social circles, which serve as significant contexts for psychological development, identity formation, and social learning among students. These social groups, however, are not always inclusive. Patterns of groupism, inclusion, and exclusion shape students’ experiences, influencing their academic performance, mental health, and social well-being. This study explores the psychological underpinnings of group dynamics in Indian colleges, examining how groupism affects peer interactions, social inclusion, and social exclusion. By analysing secondary data from research articles, surveys, and reports on Indian higher education, this paper identifies patterns of social behaviour, the factors that drive inclusion and exclusion, and their psychological impacts. The study highlights the importance of fostering inclusive social environments in colleges to support students’ mental health, social integration, and overall development.
Ever since UPI, mobile wallets, and card-based systems were widely used, the payment ecosystem in India has been greatly affected by the fast growth of digital financial technology. This research looks at the spending habits of people in urban and semi-urban areas of India after they've switched to digital payments. Eight hundred fifty participants, ranging in age from eighteen to sixty-five, were surveyed using a structured questionnaire in order to accrue primary data for a quantitative study. A DID regression model, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis were used to compare changes in discretionary spending before and after the implementation of digital payment methods. Using digital payment methods causes consumers to spend more money, according to the results. After using digital payment services, people's discretionary spending went up by around 18.9% on a monthly average. People in the 18–24 age bracket showed the most significant increase in their buying habits, suggesting a greater sensitivity to convenience and promotional offers among this demographic. There are robust positive correlations between convenience, incentives, impulsive purchases, and total expenditure, according to the studies of correlation. Furthermore, regression findings show that using digital payment methods considerably increases spending behaviour, but financial literacy has the opposite effect, moderating impulsive expenditure. Improving financial literacy is crucial, and these results show how digital financial technology affect people's finances and their conduct.
The key areas of focus of this research include culture, market dynamics, and technical improvements as it follows the developments of the furniture design in India. Furniture, as an important element of the residences of people, is their gateway to societal norms, economic trends, and values over time. This paper concentrates on how urbanisation, globalisation and technical progress have led to the transformation of traditional Indian furniture, which has traditionally been crafted and rooted in cultural identity, towards more modern, modular and multipurpose forms. Three trends in contemporary furniture that this study examines are sustainability, user-centred design, and customisation. This paper brings out the amalgamation of traditional beauty and modern practicality through a review of the literature and analysis of the current trends in design to identify the main forces that drive this transformation. The research points to a well-rounded approach combining cultural legacy, commercial requirements and technical efficiency as the way in which to go with Indian furniture design in the future.
This paper explores the evolving role of strategic human resource (HR) leadership within the dynamic landscape of India’s metro economies, with a specific focus on Delhi/NCR. As a result of the quick pace of urbanization, digital disruption, and the competitive nature of the labor market, human resource (HR) leadership is projected to gradually shift away from administrative and support roles and towards strategic business partnership. The research emphasizes how metropolitan ecosystems, such as the Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), with its diverse workforces, high rates of employee turnover, and highly competitive environments, increase the necessity for human resources departments to develop leadership styles that are adaptable and prepared for the future. Although Delhi/NCR is a bustling commercial center, it does not have the necessary infrastructure to nurture human resource leaders who are capable of influencing corporate strategy and promoting resilience inside their organizations. Insights have been derived from a variety of sources, including scholarly articles, global human resource models, consulting white papers, and recorded human resource practices of businesses operating in the region. These insights were gathered using a conceptual technique that is secondary in nature. The authors of the report conducted a theme analysis that revealed systemic shortcomings in the development of leadership skills, the planning of succession, and the strategic engagement of human resource professionals. Additionally, it evaluates the landscape of Delhi/NCR in relation to international standards of excellence in order to bring attention to areas that require enhancement. According to the findings, firms located in the Delhi/NCR region are failing to provide sufficient resources to the development of human resource leadership as a result of outdated attitudes, fragmented mentorship, and a lack of competency-based position mobility. The report recommends that metropolitan corporations adopt city-specific leadership academies, policy frameworks, and organized internal mobility initiatives as a means of repositioning human resources as a fundamental strategic pillar inside their organizations.
This study aims to assess the efficacy of AI driven client onboarding solutions within the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector in Delhi NCR, India's largest fintech and financial services region. A systematic questionnaire was employed to collect primary data from 100 top executives and leaders in digital transformation. The relationships among AI maturity, investment intensity, perceived hurdles, trust, adoption level, and a composite effectiveness indicator were analysed by multiple regression, mediation, moderation, principal component analysis, k-means clustering, and structural equation modelling (path analysis). The average adoption rate of AI in client onboarding was 71.6%, yielding efficacy outcomes of 37.9% increased customer satisfaction, 53.1% reduced drop-off rates, 21.4% cost savings, and 46.2% decreased onboarding durations. The most significant predictor of perceived efficacy, as indicated by regression analysis, is AI adoption (β = 0.492, p < 0.001), succeeded by diminished perceived barriers (β = −0.185, p = 0.006). Notably, increased adoption was positively associated with heightened perceived barriers (β = 0.238, p = 0.026), suggesting reverse causality: organisations that utilise more AI become more aware of practical obstacles. The correlation between adoption and effectiveness was not influenced by trust in AI, nor were adoption and effectiveness significantly affected by AI maturity or investment intensity. The successful transition of AI onboarding in the BFSI sector is not adequately reflected by formal maturity evaluations or financial investments alone. To optimise perceived and measurable results, businesses should emphasise actual deployment depth rather than expenditure or maturity metrics, while aggressively addressing obstacles like as skills, integration, legislation, and ethics. This study provides primary, region-specific data on the adoption and effectiveness of AI-driven onboarding within the Delhi NCR BFSI sector, highlighting that increased AI implementation surpasses financial investment or maturity level in generating measurable business outcomes.
Corporate governance has emerged as a critical determinant of financial reporting quality, particularly in emerging economies like India. Effective governance mechanisms ensure transparency, accountability, and reliability in financial disclosures, thereby enhancing stakeholder confidence. This article examines the relationship between corporate governance structures—such as board composition, audit committees, ownership patterns, and regulatory frameworks—and financial reporting quality in India. Using a doctrinal and analytical approach based on secondary data, the study explores how governance mechanisms influence earnings management, disclosure practices, and compliance with accounting standards. The findings suggest that strong governance structures significantly improve financial reporting quality, though challenges such as regulatory enforcement gaps and board inefficiencies persist. The study concludes with recommendations for strengthening governance frameworks to ensure high-quality financial reporting in India.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative technological innovations influencing higher education globally. The integration of AI into teaching, learning, and research practices is reshaping the educational ecosystem by introducing intelligent systems capable of automating tasks, personalizing instruction, enhancing research productivity, and improving institutional efficiency. In higher educational institutions, AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, intelligent tutoring systems, chatbots, predictive analytics, and generative AI applications are increasingly being utilized to improve academic experiences and administrative functions. The rapid development of AI-based tools, particularly after the emergence of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, has significantly accelerated digital transformation within universities and colleges. This article critically examines the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping teaching methodologies, learning processes, and research practices in higher educational institutions. The study explores the conceptual foundations of AI in education, its applications in curriculum delivery, personalized learning, student assessment, academic administration, research innovation, and scholarly communication. The article also evaluates the opportunities and challenges associated with AI integration in higher education, including ethical concerns, academic integrity, data privacy, digital inequality, and the changing role of educators. The study adopts an analytical and descriptive approach based on secondary data obtained from scholarly articles, policy reports, educational studies, and recent empirical literature. The findings indicate that AI significantly enhances educational accessibility, student engagement, adaptive learning, and research efficiency. AI-powered systems facilitate personalized learning experiences, automate repetitive academic tasks, support evidence-based decision-making, and accelerate data analysis in research activities. At the same time, concerns regarding algorithmic bias, overdependence on technology, plagiarism, misinformation, and ethical governance continue to challenge educational institutions. The article concludes that artificial intelligence is not intended to replace human educators or researchers but rather to augment human capabilities and improve educational outcomes. Successful integration of AI in higher education requires balanced policies, ethical frameworks, digital literacy, faculty training, technological infrastructure, and human-centred pedagogical approaches. The future of higher education will increasingly depend upon collaborative interaction between human intelligence and artificial intelligence in fostering innovation, creativity, critical thinking, and inclusive educational development.
