American Scholars Press

Dr. Michael Williams
Editor-in-Chief
Dean, School of Business and Management,
Thomas Edison State University, NJ USA

Dr. Linda Sun,
Managing Editor
American scholars press
Kennesaw State University (Part-time Faculty)

Dr. Michael Williams, Ph.D., MBA, is a highly experienced dean, organizationalexecutive, and educational entrepreneur. A strategic, results-oriented leader, Dr.Williams has a proven record of driving growth, operating in hyper-competitiveglobal markets, leading through marketplace disruption, and facilitating large-scaleorganizational change. He is a seasoned educational and executive leader recognizedfor solving complex administrative, financial, and operational issues. An expert inleadership development, adult education, and distance learning, Dr. Williams has heldsenior academic leadership positions in public, private, and proprietary universitiesand executive education and business development roles in the financial services andinformation technology industries.

An innovative, adaptive, and resilient educational leader, Dr. Williams built afinancial services training and leadership academy for a national financial servicesfirm, led a global corporate university located in lower Manhattan through and afterthe 911 World Trade Towers attacks, and shepherded three business schools throughseveral major higher education market disruptions, including distance educationexpansion, the 2015 nationwide decline in enrollments, and the continuing responsesthe COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Williams has launched over 30 new academic degrees, courses,continuing education, and professional development programs. An interdisciplinarianand curriculum designer, he is an expert in developing scholar-practitioner degreeprograms integrating the liberal arts and sciences with the professions realizedthrough experiential learning and enabling career preparation, workplace readiness,and professional career advancement.

Dr. Williams is a New England Conservatory President's Council member,manages active international publishing and presenting schedule, and leadsPsychology Practices Solutions, a global consultancy specializing in businessdevelopment and high-performance coaching solutions for mental health, highereducation, and industry professionals.

Dr. Ying Wang, DBA, CPA is a professor of accounting at Montana StateUniversity-Billings in Billings, Montana. She has done extensive research inthe financing accounting area. Her major research interests are financialaccounting and reporting. E-mail: ywang@msubillings.edu

Debra M. Schoenfeld, BBA, MBA, CPA, JD, LLM is a professor of tax andbusiness law at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana.Background includes experience in public accounting and working for one ofthe top fortune companies. Professor for the last 10 years. Major research inthe area of taxation and accounting.  E-mail:debra.schoenfeld@msubillings.edu

In this analysis, data spanning from 2008 to 2021 is utilized to examine theextent of earnings discretion exercised by state governments. The studyencompasses both accrual and modified accrual basis discretion. Notably,North Dakota exhibits the least amount of discretional accrual, whereas RhodeIsland stands out for having the highest level of discretional accrual. It isobserved that both types of discretional accrual, whether on accrual ormodified accrual basis, tend to carry forward into the future. However, thetendency for modified basis discretional accrual to carry forward issignificantly stronger. To gauge modified basis discretional accrual, the studymeasures other financing sources and uses. The findings suggest that statesshould duly consider this propensity when formulating their budgets.

Dr. Andrew Valentine is an adjunct faculty member of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), The University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focuses on issues related to corporate governance and strategic leadership. He also instructs management and strategy classes in the AGSM’s MBA Programs. Andrew holds a Ph.D. in strategic management from UNSW Sydney. He has also gained professional experience in the executive search and leadership consulting industries in Australia and the United Kingdom. Email: andrew.valentine@unsw.edu.au

Do directors utilize their relationships with prospective CEOs to determine new CEO compensation in the interests of investors? Or are new outsider CEOs empowered by their relationships with directors to negotiate compensation in their own interests? This study addresses these questions by examining the impact of board/CEO ties in 1,173 outsider CEO successions on a range of short- and long-term, performance-related CEO compensation ratios. Results show that new outsider CEOs in the United States and other common law founded Commonwealth countries can leverage their relationships with directors to restructure compensation in their own interests and against those of investors.

Dr. Dina Silbernagel-Krohne earned her DBA from Thomas Edison State University (TESU), an MBA from Western Governors University, and a BS in Business Administration from TESU. She is an advocate for non-traditional adult education and a TESU alumni ambassador. She has over 20 years of experience creating value added improvements for Fortune 500 companies in healthcare foodservice and e-commerce fulfillment. Certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt, FEMA National Incident Management System, and FEMA Incident Command System for Healthcare/Hospitals. Her specialty is researching the root causes of issues stonewalling business goals to develop solutions that include organizational culture and process-based components. 

Dr. Tami Moser is the Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor of Pharmacy Administration, and the Coordinator of the Center of Excellence in Pharmacy Leadership, Innovation, and Quality Outcomes at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses on the improvement of quality outcomes and patient experience in healthcare settings and leadership. She has earned a Ph.D. in Organization and Management and a Doctorate in Behavioral Health (DBH). She is an ICU Master Trainer, Consultant with Moser Collective, and a Coach. Her coaching practice focuses on Ph.D. and Professional Doctorate students seeking mentorship, support, and guidance throughout their doctoral journey.

This qualitative study, intended to explore statements of former Amazon employees, categorizes reasons for resignations, and provides answers to two questions. First, what are the three main reasons Amazon Fulfillment employees give for resigning? Second, what percentage of the total reasons do the top three represent and what minor themes exist within those three major themes? Social media comments from the subreddit r/Amazon FC and Glassdoor websites made by previous employees who self-terminated in 2021 and 2022 provided secondary data that was organized into major and minor themes. The three major themes were management issues, difficult work, and schedule hardships with six minor themes: toxic culture, poor management, negative employee engagement, physically demanding, long hours, and shift schedule. Recommendations to address the major and minor themes include a comprehensive culture change, shift modifications, and updates to the internal transfer policy.

Mrs. Yao Xintao is an Associate professor of Lishui Vocational and Technical College, in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China. She is pursuing her PHD in public administration at Philippines Christian University. She has published more than 10 papers in domestic and international journals and participated in the compilation of a national planning textbook. 

Dr. Neil Catly Bermudez is a Professor of Public Administration of Philippine Christian University, Manila, Philippine. His main research area is in Principles of Economics; Public Management and Administration; and Environmental Management. neil.bermudez@yahoo.com

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, ecological value realization has been mentioned in an important place. Local governments, as the implementers of the "Two Mountains Theory," play a significant role in realizing ecological value. Under China’s national goal of “realization of ecological value,” this paper criticizes the existing government performance evaluation mechanism and discusses the role of GEP (Gross Ecosystem Product) in the evaluation of local government performance. By integrating GEP evaluation, this paper tries to fix the existing government performance evaluation mechanism.

Ms. Afsa Parveen is a PhD research scholar in the Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Her area of research specialization is marketing.

The current time needs strong entrepreneurial intention to resolve stress levels that arise due to lack of jobs availability. The existing research investigated determinants of entrepreneurial intention. To accomplish this purpose, the effect of the need for competition, the image of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial education, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are investigated to determine entrepreneurial intention. Data of 246 respondents was analyzed with the help of PLS-SEM. The need for competition, image, attitude, and perceived behavioral control has significant positive effects, whereas education and the subjective norm have insignificant effects on entrepreneurial intention. Attitude has found partial mediation between need for competition and entrepreneurial intention.

Ms. Neha Garg is a doctoral scholar at Bharati Vidyapeeth (deemed university) Institute of Management and Research, New Delhi, India. She has completed graduation from Delhi University and MBA from IBS, Hyderabad. She has rich banking industry experience of almost 12 years and presently teaching finance and accountancy subjects to BBA and MBA students. She has keen interest in AI applications with respect to banking field. She has also written several research papers on Artificial intelligence which are published in UGC care journals and other journals / books of high repute.

Dr. Neetu Jain is a tenured professor of economics at Bharati Vidyapeeth (deemed university) Institute of Management and Research, New Delhi, India. She is the author of several research papers published in Scopus, Wos, UGC and others. She has more than 15 years of wide experience of teaching economics to BBA and MBA students. She is proficient in using various research tools and software like Eviews, SPSS, AMOS, Smart Pls and many more.

The twenty-first century has witnessed drastic transformation in the financial sector as financial disruption has caused adjustments in the ever-changing banking industry. Banks are looking for innovative ways to handle massive numbers of transactions per day.

The main objective of the study is to determine the impact of the facilitators and inhibitors on bankers’ behaviors and perceptions of using AI applications by considering an extension in the UTAUT model to include risk, perceived complexity, and technological anxiety.

The extended UTAUT model was assessed using a final sample of 108 bankers. The study is based on primary data through a structured questionnaire circulated in bank branches of Delhi / NCR.  A questionnaire using seven factors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, risk, technological anxiety, perceived complexity and behavioral intention) was used. The data is investigated to test the hypothesis using statistical tools such as reliability, KMO, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, exploratory factor analysis, regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the instrument items. The results estimated using a multiple regression analysis showed that social influence and risk play a significant role in understanding bankers’ intention to use AI applications. The results further showed characteristics, such as age, education, gender, and the type of banks, through pie diagrams and descriptive frequency charts.

Ms. Mehak Mittal is a PhD research scholar in the Department of Management Studies, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Institute of Management & Research, New Delhi, India. Her research area lies in the field of Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Adoption, and Voice Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. Sanjay Manocha is M.B.A., M.P.A. & PhD qualified. During his total tenure of 19+ years, he has demonstrated leadership in selling, training, managing, coordinating, researching, and teaching. Through his tenure in Pharma companies, Wockhardt (at a managerial cadre), and FDC, he learned personal selling techniques, sales management techniques, sales channel management techniques, and CRM. Through his tenure in HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, he learnt and demonstrated expertise in sales and product training. Currently working in Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of management & Research, Delhi (a constituent unit of Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Pune, University ranked in top 70 + band by NIRF, as an Asst. Professor. He has 20 plus research papers to his credit.

Technological advancements and globalization have initiated worldwide development over the past few decades. However, COVID-19 has paused this development process and created a need for tremendous development and fulfilment of sustainable development goals by all nations. Nowadays, artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in the economic, social, and technological development of any nation. Voice artificial intelligence has left the server room and entered the lives of billions of consumers worldwide to alter their interactions with brands and even establish a new marketing and retail channel: voice commerce. Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant understand the human voice and interpret it to perform the required action and response in a synthesized voice. Voice assistants are rapidly being adopted across various sectors like education, entertainment, hospitality and tourism, health, and even retail. The onset of voice commerce has upgraded consumers’ e-commerce experience. With the unique characteristics and an increase in voice touch points, we cannot deny that voice is the future. Voice assistants have shifted consumer preferences and reshaped Consumer behavior towards shopping and marketing activities. As consumers are the king of any business, it is necessary to understand consumer behavior, consumer acceptance, usage, and trust of voice artificial intelligence. Though consumers trust voice assistants for their daily routine tasks like listening to music and calling someone, their trust in these devices while engaging in transactional activities like shopping is still a question for debate. 

This study is an attempt to examine consumer acceptance and adoption of voice commerce. The data was collected from 400 respondents residing in India. Also, researchers have proposed a comprehensive model to examine the factors influencing the adoption of voice commerce. Researchers have applied structural equational modelling for data analysis. This study sheds light on how voice artificial intelligence may alter market dynamics and consumer behavior. It will be a valuable contribution in this field and provide valuable managerial insights for marketers regarding uplifting their games in this disruptive era.

Dr. Michael Williams
Editor-in-Chief
Dean, School of Business and Management,
Thomas Edison State University, NJ USA

Dr. Linda Sun,
Managing Editor
American scholars press
Kennesaw State University (Part-time Faculty)

Dr. Kerri L. Jones earned her Ph.D. in Business Management from Capella. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Health Planning and Management from Alfred University in May 1994 and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Averett University in December 2013. Her research focus is on the impact and perceived value of leadership on organizational environments. She helped establish and run RD Jones Electric since 2004. In addition, she continues to work with a California company as a Controller for emergency mitigation and restoration.

Dr. Tami Moser is the Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor of Pharmacy Administration, and the Coordinator of the Center of Excellence in Pharmacy Leadership, Innovation, and Quality Outcomes at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses on the improvement of quality outcomes and patient experience in healthcare settings and leadership. She has earned a Ph.D. in Organization and Management and a Doctorate in Behavioral Health. She is an ICU Master Trainer, Consultant with Moser Collective, and a Coach. Her coaching practice focuses on Ph.D. and Professional Doctorate students seeking mentorship, support, and guidance throughout their doctoral journey.

Dr. Thomas R. Marben, PhD, CPA, CMA worked for 7 years in public accounting, and 10 years in corporate accounting before joining higher education as a full-time faculty member in 2017.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Davenport University in 2003 and his MBA from Central Michigan University in 2005. In 2022 he earned his PhD in Business Management with a concentration in accounting from Capella University.  He is currently the Assistant Dean for the School of Business at Tiffin University, where he is also an Assistant Professor of Accounting.

This research study was conducted to determine the transformational leadership style of real estate managing brokers, their perceptions of group dynamics, and their influence on job satisfaction, especially in this high-pressure high-volume sales environment. The significant size of the real estate industry enhanced the need to generate additional research on the topic of group dynamics in real estate firms as it could impact the economic growth of states and countries. The sample population of twelve comprised real estate managing brokers from across the United States with at least 5 years of managing experience, a four-year college degree, and self-identification as transformational leaders. This study’s informed view of an organization’s operation allowed the researcher to explore transformational leadership characteristics that influenced organizational factors such as job satisfaction, intent to stay, productivity, creativity, success, and profitability. A significant finding emerging from this study is the misconception that money or other forms of compensation affect the job satisfaction of real estate agents. This finding directly contradicts Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory that states that wages and other forms of compensation directly impact job dissatisfaction. The themes that emerged revealed that perceptions of relationships exist between the constructs of transformational leadership, group dynamics, and job satisfaction in the real estate industry. Themes revealed include culture, job satisfaction of real estate agents, career growth and self-motivation, education and training, and the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of real estate managing brokers.

Dr. Cyril Okhio is a faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University. He is registered as a Chartered Professional Engineer with the Council of Registered Engineers, United Kingdom UK; a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, USA. Dr. Okhio has carried out experimental and numerical investigations of, and developed statistical analysis tools and computer codes, for the calculation of complex flows. He has been co-PI in a few successful NSF efforts in the past. He is currently involved in multi-disciplinary research and development concerning Vehicle to Vehicle, Human to Vehicle Interaction and communication, under the purview of a Transportation, Vehicular Systems and Safety Engineering hub, within the Simulation and Visualization Research Cluster.

Dr, Tim Martin is associate professor of psychological science at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include the cognitive neuroscience of visual attention, time perception, and motion perception, with applications to understanding learning in virtual environments and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease and mild cognitive impairment. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, where he studied recovery of visual functions after stroke.

Dr. Theodore O. Grosch received his BS ‘82, MS ‘89, and Ph.D. ‘93. in electrical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. He worked at Hughes Aircraft Co., Space and Communications Division, and General Electric from 1982 to 1986 designing RF, microwave and MMW low noise amplifiers, mixers, and filters. He was Present and CEO of a startup from 1986 to 1992 that focused on automotive radar. He joined M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory in 1993 and researched ground penetration radar, ballistic missile defense, and active fuse systems until 2001. He designed cellular base station receivers and small cell transceivers at Airvana, Inc. from 2001 to 2012. Since 2012, he has been a Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and is now an Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University specializing on antenna design, radar systems, and embedded systems. His research topics are ultra-low noise techniques, crest factor reduction, and the Internet of Things. He is now the Chief Scientist in the Command, Control, and Communications Division in the Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory at Georgia Tech Research Institute.

Ms. Lakshmi Bhargavi Tripuranen is Ph.D. student at the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University. She has Mater degrees in Computer Science and Advanced Electrical Power Systems. She has designed and conducted research in Immersion and Attention, Conductivity Measurement, Optimization Range Queries, Negative Sequence Relay for Generators, and Detecting the Fault Location in a Transmission System using ANN (Artificial Neural Network).

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems & Security in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of the Immersive Visualization Environments Research Cluster. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on several research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Dr. Sarah North is a tenured faculty member of the Computer Science Department, College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North’s Doctorate degree is in Computer Science/Educational Technology and Leadership/Administration. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing K-12 community service in computing areas for over two decades at higher education institutions. She has been successfully involved in research in the areas of, human-computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and several technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on several research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Security Agency (NSA).

Mr. Elliot Larez is research/teaching assistant in Information Systems & Security Department, Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. Mr. Larez is in charge of the technical aspects of all the equipment and instruments (e.g., the Emotive system that collects and visualizes Brain signals, Electroencephalogram [EEG]) of the Immersive Visualization Environments Research systems and Metaverse Research Group laboratory. In addition, he closely assists researchers, students, and experimental participants. 

Dr. David Garofalo is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University where he studies the interaction between black holes and magnetic fields in an attempt to understand the enormous amounts of energy generated in active galaxies. Dr. Garofalo has experience in simulation, data analysis, and scientific visualization apparatuses and techniques; specially implemented for black hole magnetospheres, the environments near black holes where strong electric and magnetic forces are thought to dominate dynamics. Dr. Garofalo has numerous high-ranking publications in his field.

Immersive environments and technologies have become increasingly prevalent in recent times. Sustaining adequate attention during the learning processes in immersive environments is essential for optimal and productive educational performance. Experiments can be performed to develop efficient and effective teaching methods by examining brain signals that relate to attention. Consequently, this research was conducted to explore the design of experiments to collect and analyze brain signals induced by attention in a variety of immersive environments. Participants were asked to take part in two distinct common and validated tests measuring visual attention: the Anne Treisman Test and the Eriksen Flanker Test. The data obtained from the experiments showed that generated brain signals enabled consistent monitoring of neural activities, thus providing a standard and confirmed platform for conducting a wider scope of research in future experiments related to attention in immersive environments. 

Nangialy Hashimi is a Ph.D. scholar at the School of Management and Commerce, RIMT University, Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, India, and working as Dean Faculty of Economics at Alfalah University, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Possessed teaching, research ability, administrative, and leadership skills spanning over a period of 15 years at various esteemed organizations at the National and International level. Have won the batch position at Post Graduation level for Academic Excellence, on occasion of having full accreditation to Alfalah University he is honored with a notable award titled “Best Employee of the Year” Merit, and an Appreciation letter for his valuable contribution to the evaluation of quality enhancement standards of Ministry of Higher Education.

Dr. B S Bhatia, Pro Vice-Chancellor of RIMT University obtained a post-graduate qualification in Commerce from the prestigious Birla Institute, Pilani and Ph.D. in management and commerce from the coveted Panjab University, Chandigarh. Has more than 50 Years of Teaching, research, and administrative experience at well-known Universities like Panjab University, Indian School of Mines, and Punjabi University. Has been awarded by Indian Management Association for contribution to Management and by PCMA with Life Time Achievement Award.

Over the last few decades, human resource development (HRD) has become one of the fastest-growing areas of management. Several studies on the subject have recognized the relationship between HRD and organizational performance. However, the mechanisms by which HRD leads to organizational performance still remain unexplored. The purpose of this study is to address this gap and investigate the routes that are connecting HRD to organizational performance. The study has been conducted on private universities in eastern Afghanistan. The data was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire from 301 respondents consisting of the deans, heads of departments, academic faculty, and administrative members. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyze the data to calculate regression and correlation models to study the causal relationship between HRD and the organizational performance of universities under study. The result indicates that the impact of HRD on organizational performance is positive and serially mediated through job satisfaction.

Dr. Suresh Talamala has been accredited with academic qualification Doctor of Philosophy in Commerce and Management Studies from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, A.P, India. He did MBA, MA (English) M.Com, PGDHRM. He possessed with teaching and research experience over a period of 14 years at various esteemed organizations. He qualified UGC NET and AP SET for Lectureship. He has participated 16 National and International Conferences and 20 National and International Seminars. He Participated 7 Workshops and attended 7 Faculty development programmes. He attended 45 National and International Online Conferences. He Published 5 Research articles in peer reviewed journal and 2 UGC Care Journals.  

A new focus is needed in light of the digital breakthrough and the escalating talent market rivalry in order to support informed and quick decision-making in a sustainable society. The current study takes into account the important areas of an employee's life cycle, namely talent recruitment and acquisition, evaluation, training and development, which have been identified by practical research as the limitations of talent management. Further, in order to predict future personnel management trends, new tools have been developed, such as employee advocacy programs and/or brand ambassadors. In the examination of the most important digital tools used in the Indian market by both national and global organizations, this research analyzes the talent attraction employee life cycle, training, acquisition, evaluation, and development. The main findings indicate a rapid rise in the quantity and tools for different types of talent acquisition, an expansion of the use of social networks to broaden the scope of those processes, and a modest rise in the use of digital tools for the talent development and retention processes.

Dr. Anoop Pandey is top grade professor with over 20 years of commendable success in teaching, training, research, development, and knowledge management. He has more than seventy quality research paper published in various reputed journals including ABDC, WOS, SCOPUS, UGC Care etc. and successfully completed six research projects including Major research project under Research Promotion Scheme funded by AICTE. Three research scholars have successfully awarded doctorate under his supervision and five research scholars are working under his guidance. He was invited as keynote speaker in International and National Seminars organized by Reputed University and Institutions. He was also conducted research methodology workshop on research paper writing, SPSS, and publishing research paper in reputed journal etc. He received best paper presentation award in International and national conferences in India and Abroad. He is a blind peer reviewer of many reputed research Journals. Presently he is working on ICSSR funded major project on SMEs and technology in the capacity of project director.

Prof. Anuj Kumar is currently an Assistant Professor at the Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, Delhi. His significant thrust areas are marketing, international business, and general management. He has published research papers in reputed SCOPUS/Web of Science/SCI/ABDC/UGC Care Journals. Prof. Kumar has more than sixty publications in total (Scopus- 23, ABDC- 15, Web of Science- 15, SCI-3). He also has three e-books and five book chapters to his credit (two are Scopus indexed). He has published several cases in Case Centre, ABDC-B, and Scopus journals. He has three internationally granted patents by South Africa and two more patents filed for a grant in India. He has handled various Scopus/ABDC/Web of Science journals in the capacity of Special Issue Editor. He is also a reviewer in several Scopus/ABDC/ABS journals. He is the India Country Head for International Management Review (UGC-CARE-I). He received several academic awards/recognitions- Best Researcher, Outstanding Academician, Dynamic Leader, Best Mentor, Young Achiever award, etc. Overall, he is a very dynamic, creative, and positive individual. His motto in life is to grow and help others in growth.

Dr. Purvi Pujari is a highly experienced academician and researcher with a doctorate in Economics and a gold medal in her post-graduation, with JRF(NET). She has over twelve years of experience in teaching.  She has co-edited two e-books. She has been the convener of many research conferences. She has also worked as a co-project director of two Minor Research Projects at Mumbai University. She has been the Project Director of an ICSSR-funded Major Grant Project in 2018. She has published her research papers, book chapters and case studies in SCOPUS, ABDC, UGC Care I and other peer-reviewed journals and won the best paper awards. She is an editor and reviewer for SCOPUS, ABDC and other journals.  Currently, she is working as a co-project director of an ICSSR-funded Major Grant Project on SMEs.

Dr Monika Arora is working as a Professor with Amity Business School, Gurugram. She has more than 24 years of mix experience in teaching and industry in Information Technology and Operations. She has done her PhD from MPBHOU, Bhopal. She has worked with companies like nucleus software exports limited, Platinum Edu and Global Information System Technology. Her areas of interest include sustainable practices, Data mining, E-commerce, Data retrieval and Analytics. She has numerous research papers published in national as well as reputed international journals. She played a role as reviewer and editor in reputed international journal. she has also published a book on Efficient and Intelligent Data Retrieval in Semantic Web.

Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) are motivated to use the technology in their processes for efficiency and effectiveness.  The technology adoption can be assessed at three levels, i.e., individual, institution and societal, for SMEs' efficiency and effectiveness. This paper studied three models Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, the Technology Organization Environment (TOE), and the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) to understand Social Media Adoption as a strategy by SMEs. The researchers have identified the dimensions of Perceived Time Taken (PTT), Access to Technology (AT), and Perceived Effectiveness (PE) for the extension of the UTAUT model. The three factors identified and proposed in the extended model of UTAUT are for the better understanding of factors which influence strategic technology adoption in Indian SMEs. The conceptual model also provides better strategic insights to SMEs to increase efficiency and effectiveness.  

Mr. Jake Bulim is a part-time faculty member of the Department of Information Systems and Security at Kennesaw State University. Jake Bulim currently holds a Bachelor in Business Administration-Information Security and Assurance, a Master of Science in Information Systems, and a Master of Science in Cyber Security from Kennesaw State University of which he received the top student award for that degree program. Jake comes from working at 2 of the Big-4 firms, starting with EY as a Cyber Triage and Forensic Analyst (GSOC) and now currently a Senior Security Monitoring and Incident Response Analyst (CSIRT) at KPMG. Additionally, Jake participates in activities in the Immersive Visualization Environments (IVE) Research Cluster and activities in relation to the Cyber Institute. 

Mr. Jason Maddox is an experienced information technology professional with over 15 years of combined experience as a Chief Information Security Officer and Information Technology Director. He holds a current CISSP certification and leads cybersecurity for Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, Maddox serves as an advisory board member for Agio, a cybersecurity firm based in New York, NY, and serves on the board of directors for the InfraGard Atlanta Members Alliance located in Atlanta, GA. Maddox is pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a major in Information Security and Assurance at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems & Security in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of the Immersive Visualization Environments Research Cluster. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on several research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Dr. David Garofalo is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University where he studies the interaction between black holes and magnetic fields in an attempt to understand the enormous amounts of energy generated in active galaxies. Dr. Garofalo has experience in simulation, data analysis, and scientific visualization apparatuses and techniques; specially implemented for black hole magnetospheres, the environments near black holes where strong electric and magnetic forces are thought to dominate dynamics. Dr. Garofalo has numerous high-ranking publications in his field.

Dr. Sarah North is a tenured faculty member of the Computer Science Department, College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North’s Doctorate degree is in Computer Science/Educational Technology and Leadership/Administration. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing K-12 community service in computing areas for over two decades at higher education institutions. She has been successfully involved in research in the areas of, human-computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and several technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on several research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Security Agency (NSA).

Caroline Watson, Gilberto Gonzalez, Brittany Brown, Nisha Patel, Elizabeth Alli, Morgan Hammer, James McCracken, Cynthia St. John, and Berkley Stout have extensively contributed to this article. They are undergraduate/graduate scholars [Eclectic majors] at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw GA, U.S.A.

This concise article explores and discusses the stock investment industry and how stock investment has been enhanced by mobile technology/applications. It details the stock investment industry; the introduction of vital forces that affect the investment industry; services provided by the investment industry; the value chain of the investment industry; the business process of the investment industry; mobile applications used in stock investment/trading; the leading mobile apps; challenges, benefits, legal and ethical issues faced by mobile applications; and concise inferences.

Dr. Amit Kishore is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Management at CMR University in Bangalore, India. He also works as an Adjunct faculty at MICA, Ahmedabad where he teaches multiple courses in the digital marketing specialization and holds a rich industry and academic experience across geographies & cultures. In his career spread over two and half decades, he has managed the traditional & digital marketing communications of several Indian and multi-national firms.

Dr. Om Prakash C. is an Associate professor in the School of Management at CMR University in Bangalore, India. He is an engineer with Ph.D. in Operations Management and specialized in Data Analytics and statistics. He is a mentor at the Centre of Excellence in Data Analytics and Supply Chain Management of CMR University. He has many research publications to his credit along with vast experience in research, academics, and engineering projects.

There is enough research on the effectiveness of digital display as an advertising channel. All these studies treat a click on the display/banner ad as a binary event. This paper goes beyond the binary value of the click to study the subsequent actions taken by a user post clicking on a display/banner ad, referring to those actions as the depth of interaction, and testing if the depth of interaction is better able to predict the final outcome. A prescriptive research design was employed in the study to model users’ exposure to the banner ads during the campaign, employing binary logistic regression analysis. The results of the study indicate that the depth of interaction is able to predict the outcome significantly better than just the clicks. The results also indicate that the device used, depth of pages visited, duration of time spent and recency of visit have a very high effect on the final outcome and controlling them can deliver better results to the advertiser.

Dr. Ranpreet Kaur has been accredited with academic qualification of Doctor of Philosophy in Financial Management from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune and cleared UGC NET. Possessed with teaching and research ability skills spanning over a period of 12 years at Bharati Vidyapeeth( Deemed to be University) , Pune. Author interest area of research is banking, financial services, education and financial management.

Dr. Sonali Prasad Dharmadhikari has been accredited with academic qualification of Doctor of Philosophy in Financial Management from Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune and Fellow member of Institute of Cost Accountants of India.( M/25847). She has been appointed on Board of Management of Bhagini Nivedita Sahakari Bank since 2020. Possessed with teaching and research ability skills spanning over a period of 17 years at Bharati Vidyapeeth( Deemed to be University) , Pune. Author interest area of research is banking, international finance, education and current trends in finance.

Financial inclusion talks about the availability of basic banking products and services to an unbanked population. Many policy decisions and regulations have been formulated for rigorous financial inclusion, and now the next level is happening by involving technology to make available banking services to mass populations. The banking sector is exploring technology to exploit the available opportunities. This research work focuses on major banks’ initiatives towards financial inclusion by using products and services based on artificial intelligence (AI). This research work considers the top five banks that are the part of NIFTY index. Research findings suggest that the major use of AI is in form of chat bots, loan appraisals, risk management, credit assessments, bank enquiries, product applications, payment transfers, ATM-related services, and personalized offers. This research work also may be a contribution to retail customers; it may, as well, assist policy makers and bankers in applying artificial intelligence tools to enhance financial inclusion. 

Ms. Shabana is a doctoral research scholar at the Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She has completed her B.com (Hons.) and M.com from the University of Delhi. She qualified UGC NET/JRF and holds a promising teaching experience in the domain of Investments and Finance, Economics, Accounting, Statistics, and Insurance & Risk Management as a guest teacher at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Deshbandhu College of Delhi University. She was also associated with the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB), Delhi University. Her research endeavors explore the areas of behavioral finance which is an upcoming field in the discipline of finance.

Dr. Naseeb Ahmad is a professor at the Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi. He has more than twenty years of teaching experience in the disciplines of Accounting and Finance, Portfolio Management, Business Communication, Marketing Communication, and Entrepreneurship. He has produced 7 doctorates and 8 scholars are currently pursuing Ph.D. under his Supervision. He has published more than 35 research articles in various reputed journals. He was the former deputy director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and convener of the Entrepreneurship cell. 

Heuristics allow people to make quick and optimal decisions within a short period, but they can also lead to severe cognitive errors in decision-making. The purpose of the research is to analyze the impact of heuristics on the perceived investment performance and financial satisfaction of Indian individual investors. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used to collect data from 200 respondents, out of which 184 responses were found suitable for further analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS 21 were employed to test hypotheses in the research model. The findings suggest that among the heuristics, representativeness, and anchoring were positively associated with perceived investment performance across the sample, while availability bias was significantly associated with the financial satisfaction of individual investors. The study has several implications for academicians, financial advisors, and educators, as it helps them understand the psychology of Indian retail investors. 

Shailin Mary Kharjana is a research scholar of the Department of Commerce at Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India who can be reached at shailinkharjana@gmail.com

Dr. Biju Mani Das is the Head of the Department and Associate Professor of the Department of Commerce at Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India. In post Ph.D. 9 years of experience teaching and research. A total of 3 Ph.D. scholars had been awarded under his guidance. Overall, he has a total of 15 years of teaching experience. Dr. Biju Mani Das is interested in the area of research in the diverse field of Entrepreneurship and Management related research. Mentoring students throughout the years for their proper grooming helps them for making their careers bright. He has guided more than 20 UG students for Projects and 15 PG students for Dissertations. He has also participated in and presented 30-plus research papers at national, and international level conferences, seminars, and symposiums. He has also published 11 research papers in a web of science, UGC care-listed journal. Dr. Biju Mani Das can be reached at biju.das@dbuniversity.ac.in

On one side, the outreach of SHGs across the East Khasi Hills District to nurture the means of support for the poor people is overwhelming. On the other side, the number of youths who have taken up entrepreneurship as their source of livelihood is visible throughout the district. This study attempts to analyze the impact of the growing number of SHGs on youth entrepreneurship in the East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya through their schemes and support, loans, and training programs. The negative impact of SHGs on young entrepreneurs will enhance their role in entrepreneurship development among the youth.

Dr. Michael Williams
Editor-in-Chief
Dean, School of Business and Management,
Thomas Edison State University, NJ USA

Dr. Linda Sun
Managing Editor
American scholars press
Kennesaw State University (Part-time Faculty)

Anuj Kumar 
Guest Editor
Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, Delhi, India profanuj15@gmail.com

Geetika Parmar is a Ph.D. Research scholar at Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune, India. Her research area lies in the field of Big Data Analytics and Business Analytics.

Prof. Dr. T.J. Vidyasagar is currently working as a Professor - MBA and Associate Dean at School of Business, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University. He has conducted many MDPs for corporates, conducted student centric research on Stress Management and Work life balance. He has more than 2 decades of experience in teaching and training post graduate management students. He has attended many National and International Conferences. He is a recognized PhD Guide and currently guiding Ph.D. students in the area of General Management and HRM. 

Big data analytical tools have been used widely in the service industry. This paper will study the impact of sustainable big data analytics tools in talent management and how these tools are helpful in the day-to-day activities of the talent management function of the organization. How companies retain good talent in the organization is the key to success. It happens with the right mix of many factors, like compensation benefits, bonuses, equal opportunity for growth, and involvement in decision-making, to name a few. Therefore, this study explores and analyzes the available literature on retaining talent in the organization and how big data analytical tools are helpful in this decision-making in the talent management domain. The instrument designed to measure this has 21 items on a 7-point Likert scale. The respondents are HR professionals working in the service-based industry. The responses were collected from 60 HR professionals in Pune city with the help of an online survey instrument (google forms). The study also considers the demographic traits and other BDA tools organizations use to maintain employee data. These BDA tools analyze the current data and can make predictions, which can help in decision-making. These technologies and tools fall under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 9 -- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. 

Dr. Gagan J. Bhatia is currently working at Lala Lajpatrai Institute of Management, Mumbai as a Senior Core Faculty for Marketing. He is an approved faculty of Management Studies from University of Mumbai. He has a rich experience of 17 years in academics, print media & banking sectors, having held positions of importance at The Times of India Group (BCCL) & Citibank N.A. His areas of specialization are Marketing Management, Services Marketing & Strategy.

Online grocery shopping is in the country's embryonic stage. The number of clients who are inclined towards web-based shopping for groceries is minuscule in number. Of late, there have been several organizations that have forayed into the online grocery business. Some online grocery companies also needed help to sustain their business. Many of them cleared out from the industry. The reasons were many, from requiring the option to sort out conveyance models to the unendurable expenses related to the interaction. This research paper deals with convenience as a factor and tries to judge its impact on online grocery shopping. Research methodology discusses the methodology adopted for constructing measures and collecting and analyzing the data. The research design used in this study is exploratory. The sampling method used to select the sample is done by convenience sampling. The Chi-Square test has been used for Inferential analysis to conclude.

Ms. Mehak Mittal is a PhD research scholar in the Department of Management Studies, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Institute of Management & Research, New Delhi, India. Her research area lies in the field of Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Adoption, and Voice Artificial Intelligence. 

Dr. Sanjay Manocha is M.B.A., M.P.A. & PhD qualified. During his total tenure of 19+ years, he has demonstrated leadership in selling, training, managing, coordinating, researching, and teaching. Through his tenure in Pharma companies, Wockhardt (at a managerial cadre), and FDC, he learned personal selling techniques, sales management techniques, sales channel management techniques, and CRM. Through his tenure in HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, he learnt and demonstrated expertise in sales and product training. Currently working in Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of management & Research, Delhi (a constituent unit of Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Pune, University ranked in top 70 + band by NIRF, as an Asst. Professor. He has 20 plus research papers to his credit.

Technological advancements, the rise in internet and smartphone usage, globalization, and digitalization (Mittal & Manocha, 2022) have encouraged humankind to undergo a rapid paradigm shift leading to altering consumer preferences and the ways consumers interact with brands. Voice assistants have left the server rooms and entered how lives of billions of consumers. Voice assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google assistant, are embedded into smartphones, televisions, and cars or built-in as stand-alone speakers. Young consumers are relatively tech-savvy and find it very interesting to interact with new technologies. With a voice as the most comfortable medium for communication, understanding how voice-based artificial intelligence is reshaping consumer behavior is inevitable. The study explores the awareness levels and usage patterns of Indian consumers to understand consumer adoption of voice assistants in a promising economy like India’s. Data was collected from 250 respondents from Delhi NCR to examine their awareness level and the key factors influencing the adoption of voice assistants. The data collected was interpreted and analyzed using SPSS software.  The study is based on a limited geographical region. Thus, future studies can be carried out in other metropolitan regions or a comparative study between rural and urban areas. Also, longitudinal studies can help understand the change in consumer behavior over a while. The comprehensive and extant literature review underlined the limited presence of studies in this field, especially for Indian consumers. This study would contribute to the previous literature while providing direction for future research in this domain. Also, with voice undoubtedly the future, this study would provide valuable insights for marketers and product developers to cater to the needs of consumers and even earn a competitive advantage.

Dr. T. Shirmila holds a Ph.D. in Commerce from the University of Madras, an M. Phil, and master’s in business administration from the University of Madras. She is working as Associate Professor Undergraduate (B. Com) and Masters (M. Com) degrees in Commerce from Madras Christian College, serving Alma Mater as faculty in the Department of Commerce for the past 22 years, teaching undergraduate and master’s students along with guiding research scholars for Doctoral program. She was selected as the United Board fellow for the year 2017-18 and underwent Advanced Leadership and professional development training at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. in July 2017.  She presented a paper on the theme of Sustainable Green consumption among women at the International Conference on Banking, Marketing and Economy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia organized by IERDC.

Mr. M. Muthu Aravinthan is an Assistant Professor at New Prince Shri Bhavani Arts & Science College. He completed his Master of Commerce (M. Com) at Madras Christian College and (B.Com) at Prince Shri Venkateshwara Arts & Science College. He has experience in ‘Brightech Institute’ for more than a year. His area of research interest is ‘Marketing’. Marketing is not just billboards and advertisements, it’s a strategy companies use to communicate their products or services to their target market. There are many different marketing strategies you can use to communicate those messages. The research contribution of Muthu Aravinthan covers potential areas like Digital Marketing, Green Marketing, etc.

At a time when economic activity is slowing down, COVID-19 has improved e-commerce and accelerated digital transformation. Lockdowns became more common as more businesses and customers “went digital,” offering and purchasing more products and services online. So, from 14% in 2019 to over 17% in 2020, e-proportion commerce’s share of the world’s retail trade expanded. At a press conference to introduce the report, Volkan Bozkir, president of the UN General Assembly, predicted that the trend toward e-commerce would probably persist throughout the COVID-19 recovery. As a result, we must recognize the challenges and assist governments and people as they continue to adopt new modes of operation in the prospects of digital marketing with particular reference to the digital word of mouth (D-WOM) and online advertising.

Neha Prakash is a Research Scholar (Ph.D.) in the Department of Financial Administration, School of Management, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab. She is UGC (NET-JRF) qualified. Her interest area includes Green Marketing, Consumer Brand Relationship, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Media Marketing. She has presented papers in various national and international conferences. She has attended number of workshops, seminars and FDPs. She has published numerous research articles. She is well-versed in basic and advanced data analysis methods, as well as software tools such as MS Excel, IBM SPSS, IBM AMOS, and Smart-PLS.

Dr. Anand Thakur is presently working as an Associate professor, Head & Dean, School of Management, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab. He has over nineteen years of teaching and research experience. His area of research is Consumer Brand Relationship, Rural Development & Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Brand Equity and Financial Services. He has more than thirty research publications in Scopus Indexed & other reputed international & national journals of United States, Croatia, Philippines, and India. He has participated in more than twenty-five National and International Conferences. He has supervised three PhD Thesis & thirteen M.Phil. Dissertations (Full time) successfully.

Over the past few decades, green products have been recognized as a critical source for achieving environmental sustainability. Various factors, including attitude, norms, beliefs, values, and motivations, affect the consumers’ behavior. However, the literature is scarce on the relationship between values and branding. The present study proposes an integrated conceptual model to better explain green consumer behavior by exploring consumer values (personal and consumption), green brand equity (trust, satisfaction, image, and loyalty) and green purchase intention. The study adds to the knowledge of green consumption and branding.

Ms. Nidhi Sareen is working as Senior Research Fellow in University Institute of Applied Management Sciences, Panjab University. She holds a master’s degree in commerce and has presented papers at national and international conferences. She has organized and attended the Faculty Development programs in the field of Research Methodology. Her research areas lie in the field of Infrastructural Management, Finance and Economics.

Dr. Monika Aggarwal, M.Com, MBA, Ph.D., is working as Associate Professor at University Institute of Applied Management Sciences, Panjab University. Recipient of Dr. S Radhakrishnan Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, by UGC, she has authored 35 research papers. She has also presented papers in 25 conferences at national and international level including University of London, UK and IIHM, Bangkok. Her Ph.D. was accepted by ICSSR, New Delhi for publication grant. She successfully completed a project sponsored by UGC, NABARD and AICTE. She is Co-investigator in ICSSR program and TIGR2ESS, University of Cambridge and Global Challenges Research Fund Project. Her research interest lies in the field of Finance and Entrepreneurship. 

The development of transport infrastructure facilities assists economic growth by improving productivity and creating fair, competitive space. Looking at the national and strategic importance of the transportation network and in pursuance to take forward the existing literature on transport growth, the present study investigates the relationship of transportation infrastructure with sustainable economic development in the nine Northern Indian states. As per the availability, the data has been collected for the period of 17 years ranging from the year 2003-2019. The extensive review testifies to the novelty of the present research work, as previous studies have not analyzed the influence of transport infrastructure networks on the economic growth in the states, namely, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Here transport infrastructure has been defined as road and railway infrastructure, and gross state domestic product is considered a proxy for growth. Using the GLS panel fixed effect model, the study concludes that the transportation infrastructure significantly and positively impacts the gross state domestic product. 

Mehak Kapoor is a research fellow at the Department of School of Management Studies in Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India. She has cleared the UGC-NET exam along with Junior Research Fellowship in 2017. She is also Pursuing her PhD from Punjabi University in Management. She has completed her master’s degree in commerce as well as bachelor’s degree in commerce from Punjab University, Chandigarh, India. Her areas of interest are Agribusiness management, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for development and Agribusiness Marketing.  She has written several research papers in ICT for development of agriculture and information seeking behavior of the farming community etc. and has also participated in various national and international conferences   as well as various workshops on research methodologies.

Dr. Harpreet Singh is an Assistant professor at the Department of School of Management Studies in Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India. He holds a PhD. Degree in Management. His areas of interest are Agribusiness management, Rural Marketing, Rural development, and Agriculture Marketing. He has published various research papers in Rural Marketing, Rural development and Agriculture Marketing and has also participated in various national and international conferences and has also organized various workshops on research methodologies in the department itself.

The study identified the information needs and sources used by the farmers of Malwa region of Punjab and analyzed how those sources are used based on the size of their landholdings. The study also identified the challenges encountered when trying to get the necessary information. By adopting a multistage stratified disproportionate sampling technique and a standardized questionnaire, data was collected from 607 farmers. Various statistical techniques utilized were Descriptive statistics, One-way Annova and Factor analysis (EFA). Information on pesticide application and market and price were the main information required by the farmers and farmers mostly rely on other farmers, input dealers as well as mass media sources like television and radio to obtain information. Additionally, the study discovered a significant difference between the utilization of various information sources on the basis of land size. Four factors were identified using factor analysis and categorized as Source, Individual, Information Provider related, and Other Challenges, and no statistically significant difference was found between these difficulties and the farmers land size.

Ms. Shipra Paliwal is a research scholar at IIS DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY Jaipur, India, in the Department of Commerce. She has completed her postgraduation and graduation from University of Rajasthan. She has qualified UGC NET-JRF, and her research interests are sustainable economic development, sustainable tourism, banking, and finance.

Dr. Meenakshi Sharma is an associate professor at IIS DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY Jaipur, India, in the Department of Financial Studies. Her research interests are banking, economics, and finance.

Rajasthan is one of India's most well-liked travel locations because of its magnificent forts, palaces, artwork, traditions, and cultural history. Many foreigners visit Rajasthan while visiting India due to its famous art, culture, and craftsmanship. Handicrafts are valuable souvenirs that form a vital part of the tourism experience; they symbolize local traditions and communities. Many countries benefit from the handicrafts business, providing the local population with earnings and employment prospects. Tourists from all over the world admire Rajasthan's handicrafts because of their simplicity and elegance. These handicraft items generated foreign revenue and earned the state and country a wide acclamation. This paper aims to assess the relationship between the socio-demographic characteristics of local handicraft workers and their perception of sustainable tourism and the role of government. An exploratory study was conducted across the four districts of Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Udaipur to gain insight into the handicraft business through surveys with individuals involved in it. For this study, a structured questionnaire has been used, which consists of statements related to the role of tourism and government.

Anamika Singh is a Research Scholar in Department of Commerce & Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is a full-time research scholar, and her area of research is human resource management. Her thesis title is ‘Study on Training and Development Policies and Practices in Public Sector undertaking in Lucknow City’. Apart from her research, she has presented papers in various National and International conferences/seminars and also contributed to the publication of papers and chapters. She can be reached at email: angel.anamika90@gmail.com

Dr. Farhina Sardar Khan is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce and Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of University of Allahabad and UGC NET qualified. Her expertise is in Finance and Accounting and Auditing area. She has over 12 years of teaching experience and over thirty-five paper publications including projects, patents, books and edited chapters. She is supervising four research scholars at present & four Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under her guidance. Reviewer to Peer-Reviewed and Scopus indexed journals. She has numerous international/national conferences certificates and attended workshops, FDPs, STCs, in her area. She can be reached at farhina.skhan05@gmail.com

In India, the concepts of training and development have a significant weight in the country’s organizations’ public and commercial sectors. It is essential for both the growth and development of the organization, which helps to prevent managerial obsolescence, as well as the development of its employees (which helps improve knowledge, skills, and performance). These training and development policies assist management with assessing employees’ work performance and making choices on the welfare of individual employees about promotion, awards, compensations, and other welfare facilities, among other things. It also helps managers in areas such as inspiring colleagues, keeping workers, planning, organizing, and supervising the implementation and executing of plans. This article is a review study that looks at the practices used for training and development in the public sector in India. The study went through the many phases, techniques, and advantages of training, including those for individuals, organizations, and society. It also developed a model for improving the effectiveness of employee training. In preparation for the presentation of this research work, we combed through a total of 68 research articles. These articles covered training and development practices, design and implementation, evaluation, and transfer of training, all of which are intended to maximize the advantages of training and development.

Darshana Devi is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce at Gauhati Commerce College, Guwahati, Assam, India. She is also pursuing her PhD in Royal School of Commerce at The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam, India. She holds a master’s degree in commerce and has qualified North-East State Level Eligibility Test in commerce subject. Her research area of interest includes entrepreneurship, marketing, management and other broad finance related areas. 

Dr. Aruna Dev Rroy is a PhD in Management working as an Associate Professor in The Assam Royal Global University, Assam. In her decade long academic career she has written books on Marketing Management, numerous book chapters, multiple research papers, newspaper articles, and magazine write ups, national and international patents in her credit. She has also participated in FDPs and various national and international conferences. Her area of research includes green marketing, skill management, general marketing and advertisement and its related disciplines. Her books are widely appreciated and accepted by readers.

Human resource management is a very imperative feature in the education practice. Human resources in an educational institution submit to every individual or group functioning in that institute, counting educators, learners, administrators, and all supplementary members of the workforce running in that institute. Online teaching and learning came into the style. Artificial intelligence (AI) is altering every market sector, and the education sector is no exception. AI has been converted into a fundamental component of educational institutions and has a force on teachers and students. The educational sector has embraced the recent techniques of training and learning. Hence, artificial intelligence (AI) gives opportunities for education to turn effortlessly accessible both inside and outside the classroom. In the demand of the present times, AI has a vast potential in the education sector in the market and is a progressive change. This paper attempts to get an insight on the role of AI in sustainable instruction of higher education institutions from the teacher’s perception.

Dr. Tahera Hoque Mozumdar is presently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, The Assam Royal Global University. She formerly worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati. She was a guest lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Gauhati University. Dr. Tahera has 6 years of research experience and is credited with publications in various national and international journals and book chapter. Her areas of research interest include Counselling Psychology, Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology.

Dr. Mahuya Deb is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology of The Assam Royal Global University. She is an academician with a research experience of five years and gaining momentum in the field of teaching. Her areas of research interest include Clinical psychology, counselling psychology, child psychology, positive psychology, organizational Behaviour, and behavioural management.

Dr. Aruna Dev Rroy is a Ph.D in Management working as an Associate Professor in The Assam Royal Global University, Assam. In her decade long academic career she has written books on Marketing Management, numerous book chapters, multiple research papers, newspaper articles, and magazine write ups, national and international patents in her credit. She has also participated in FDPs and various national and international conferences. Her area of research includes green marketing, skill management, general marketing and advertisement and its related disciplines. Her booksare widely appreciated and accepted by readers.

Rituparna Baruah (M.Com, NET) is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Royal School of Commerce in Assam Royal Global University. She is also pursuing her Ph.D from the Department of Business Administration, Gauhati University. She has contributed to various referred journals and chapter publications. Her research interest vests in diverse fields of management including Customer Relationship Management, Human Resource Management.

Dr. Rajat Bhattacharjee is presently working as Assistant Professor in the Assam Royal Global University for more than a decade now. He has a distinguished profile in academics and is credited with various journal publications (SCOPUS, UGC Care), chapter publications in different books and conference proceedings. Besides serving as a life member of North-East India Commerce and Management Association and Orissa Commerce Association, serving as an expert reviewer of a UGC Care Listed journal. Apart from teaching and research, Dr. Bhattacharjee is also involved in various educational, innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives serving in the capacity of innovation ambassador of Ministry of Education, Innovation Cell, Govt. of India as well as Mentor of Change under Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog.

The present study investigated the subjective happiness of tea garden workers of Dibrugarh district, Assam, concerning gender (male and female) and income group (middle and lower-income groups). The sample comprised 100 (50 male, 50 female) tea garden workers aged 21 to 60 years. A survey research design was implemented in this study, while the purposive sampling technique was used for selecting participants. A socio-demographic sheet and subjective happiness scale was used to collect data. Mean, standard deviation, percentage (%), and t-test were computed for statistical analysis of the responses. The findings reveal that the subjective happiness of male and female tea garden workers is significantly different at the 0.01 level. Male workers perceive more pleasure than their female counterparts; further, it was found that lower- and middle-income group workers perceive an equal level of satisfaction in their lives; no significant difference was found between them.

Dr. Asif Ali Syed, an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration, FMSR, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh is a full-time faculty for the last 23 years, and teaches Digital-Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Retail Marketing, and Entrepreneurship Development. An author of five books and 90 odd publications in reputed national and International journals his interest lies in techno management research consultancy and full-time research guidance with 30 plus research projects and doctoral research in Infrastructure and Alternate green Energy ventures, Public sector undertaking projects, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bio Entrepreneurship, CRM design in service and manufacturing industry, Retail, Digital and Social Media marketing as also social community group projects too. 
 
Hera Zaidi is currently a Research Scholar at Aligarh Muslim University's Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies and Research. She is a full-time Research Scholar. Her primary areas of research interest are in the fields of marketing, consumer behavior, Branding, social media, advertising, and brand management. She is currently exploring the role that programmatic advertising plays, as well as its impact on the online shopping habits of consumers and the privacy concerns associated with online shopping.

In an age where the internet is ubiquitous through platforms like Twitter and blogs, “social media influencers” have become a potent new type of third-party ad agency, swaying consumers’ opinions and decisions to buy a product or service. The concept of a “social media influencer” was first explored in the realm of advertising, specifically to generate excitement about products in markets that target a young audience and increase their social media footprint. Instead of advertising to a broad audience, influencer marketing concentrates on persuading influential people to spread a brand’s message to the desired demographic. Advertisers employ influencers as a means of spreading their messages to consumers. The literature review formed the basis for the conclusion that businesses are moving away from using famous people to promote their products in favor of bloggers and Instagram stars. The efficiency of using social media influencers in brand purchase intention is not well-researched in the Indian context; a latent gap exists to be explored. Influencers are a recent development in the field of social media. Even though western countries have set precedence on different aspects of social media influencers, such as measuring the effectiveness of SMIs on other platforms or celebrity vs. influencer endorsements in advertising and how SMIs are the new celebrity endorsers both from the theoretical and empirical orientations. Moreover, the proposed conceptual paper towards setting a research proposition on using SMI for brand promotion in the Indian context is broken down into two objectives; first , to examine the relationship between consumers’ utilitarian personalities about their attitudes towards SMIs and, second , to study the role of social media influencers in building consumer attitudes towards brand purchases.

Anamika Singh is a Research Scholar in Department of Commerce & Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is a full-time research scholar and her area of research is human resource management. Her thesis title is ‘Study on Training and Development Policies and Practices in Public Sector undertaking in Lucknow City’. Apart from her research, she has presented papers in various National and International conferences/seminars and also contributed in the publication of papers and chapters. She can be reached at angel.anamika90@gmail.com

Dr. Farhina Sardar Khan is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce and Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of University of Allahabad and UGC NET qualified. Her expertise is in Finance and Accounting and Auditing area. She has over 12 years of teaching experience and over thirty five paper publications including project, patents, books and edited chapters. She is supervising four research scholars at present & four Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under her guidance. Reviewer to Peer-Reviewed and Scopus indexed journals. She has numerous international/national conferences certificates and attended workshops, FDPs, STCs, in her area. She can be reached at farhina.skhan05@gmail.com

All countries require a robust and effective financial system to achieve sustainable development. Finance is considered the most fundamental aspect of the growth and advancement of any economy. Moreover, financial inclusion promotes inclusive and equitable growth because it attempts to give every household in the nation easy access to necessary financial services like deposit, credit and insurance facilities at a reasonable cost. Our government has always been proactive; hence, after understanding the significance of financial inclusion, the regulatory bodies have taken numerous landmark initiatives for decades. However, despite the efforts, the results were not overwhelming. So, in continuation of the initiatives taken  from 2014 onwards, a diverse range of financial inclusion schemes have been launched, which offered saving bank account facilities, social security schemes, credit facilities etc., after which exponential growth had been witnessed.

As the public sector banks are the key intermediary in achieving financial inclusion, the current study closely analyzes the perspective of beneficiaries of financial inclusion schemes on their role in its promotion. The study also determines the factors that lead to its successful implementation. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire built on a 5-point Likert scale model, and with a sample size of 400 respondents, judgement sampling was used as the sampling method. Among statistical tools, mean and multiple regression had been applied, and it has been concluded that the public sector banks have successfully implemented the financial inclusion schemes.

Mr. Pankaj Sahu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Commerce, DHSK Commerce College, Dibrugarh, Assam (INDIA). His area of specialization is Accounting and Finance, Financial Literacy & Taxation. He has more than 5 years of teaching experience in UG and PG level. In his field of research he has presented more than 15 paper is different national and international seminars and conferences. He has to his credit more than 10 papers publications in different national and international journals. His research interests are financial literacy, behavioral finance and allied areas. 

Prof. Kumud Chandra Goswami is Professor in the Department of Commerce, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam (INDIA). His area of specialization is Accounting and Finance, Capital Market, Micro Finance and other allied areas. He had served as Head, Department of Commerce, Chairperson, Centre for Management Studies and currently he is holding the post of Dean, Faculty of Commerce and management Science, Dibrugarh University. He has a teaching experience of more than 30 years at UG level PG level. He has a research experience with dozens of research publications in journals of national and international level. More than 11 scholars have got their Ph.D. degree under his guidance and more than 25 scholars have completed their M.Phil. degree and quite a good number of scholars are working for Ph.D. and M.Phil. under him. He has completed three research projects funded by UGC.

Financial literacy (FL) has long been seen as one of the foundations of sustainable growth. Out of the 17 SDGs, SDG 1, SDG 8, and SDG 9 can be achieved by promoting financial literacy (FL). Further, sustainable development can be linked with savings, investments, and financial inclusion. This highlighted the need for financial literacy (FL). Moreover, earlier studies revealed the significance of the young generation’s involvement in achieving the SDGs for any country. Therefore, adequate financial literacy (FL) of college students can help create an equitable and sustainable future for the young generation and the entire world. This paper attempts to investigate the financial literacy (FL) level of college students and the role and reach of RBI (as a regulatory body) in promoting financial literacy (FL). The study has been made using primary data collected from 400 college students across different colleges in Assam.

Prof. Dr. Renu Gupta is a faculty of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi in commerce department. She has done her Ph. D in finance from Department of Commerce, DSE, DU and that is the first Ph. D in VH Category in commerce from University of Delhi. She is teaching in Delhi University for more than 18 years. She has presented and published more than 25 papers at national and international level. She has also authored 8 books. One M. Phil degree is also awarded under her supervision. Hindustan Times, New Delhi published her role model success story in its education section on 12 May, 2012 in article titled ’You-can-do-it-too’ by Vimal Chander Joshi.

Ms. Hersheen Kaur is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce. She has a teaching experience of eight years of under-graduate and post graduate courses. She has authored a book on Financial Reporting & Analysis for undergraduate students and has contributed e-content for University of Delhi. She has attended and presented research papers in various internal and national level conferences of repute. Her areas of research are Taxation and Accounting. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the field of Environmental Accounting & Reporting.

Ms. Manleen Kaur is a faculty of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi in commerce department. She has done her graduation and post graduation both from University of Delhi. She has received Department of Commerce M.Com. Gold Medal for securing highest marks. She has an interest in research in following areas: financial markets, behavioral finance, stock market and education. 

Financial technology, or Fintech, combines two major fields: finance and information technology. In today's era of automation, the financial markets and supply of financial services are significantly impacted by a mix of innovative business models, technology applications, and innovative products and services. The benefits of technology in the financial sector include increased operational effectiveness, cost reduction, disruption of the established industry structures, blurring of industry borders, facilitation of strategic disintermediation, creation of new entry points for entrepreneurship, and democratization of access to financial services. The paper provides a bibliometric review of FinTech in financial markets based on the 901 publications retrieved from the Scopus database between 1980 to 2022 (September). Initially, a wide range of keywords was used to search within “TITLE-ABS-KEY” with the help of Boolean operators in two parts: (1) financial technology and (2) financial markets, which resulted in 1,738 documents. Limiting the search to English as a language, journal as a source type, and article as a document type, documents were reduced to 901. The importance of technology in financial markets, especially the banking industry, is further illustrated through various tools, like Biblioshiny for graphs and tables, Microsoft Excel for frequency analysis, and the VOS viewer for data and network visualization. The empirical research of the study is divided into two parts: performance analysis and science mapping by using common bibliometric indicators like authorship, active institutions, citation analysis, geographic distribution, keywords analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, thematic analysis, and cluster analysis. The study will add to the existing literature by presenting a bird’s eye survey on the evolution of FinTech in financial markets, the challenges faced by its stakeholders and how they have been overcome. The findings suggest that COVID-19 had played an essential role in facilitating the adoption of technology in the financial sector, ensuring the sustainability of all financial transactions even when everyone preferred to be behind closed doors.

Dr. Jitender Kumar is currently working as an assistant professor, Institute of Management Studies and Research, Maharshi Dayanand University, Haryana, India. He has had many papers published in reputed journals. He has participated in many national and international conferences. His area of specialization is human resource management, marketing, and general management.

Simran Sikka is a PhD research scholar in the Institute of Management Studies and Research, Maharshi Dayanand University, Haryana, India. Her research area lies in the field of marketing, customer loyalty, purchasing intension and branding.

This study report aims to pinpoint the awareness of customers toward sustainable brand personality. As a crucial element of a brand’s symbolic and emotional characteristics, the concept of brand personality has recently gotten much attention. Consumers perceived human traits connected to a brand are referred to as its brand personality. Marketers and advertisers may use brand personality connections to design more successful tactics that showcase items in a way that speaks directly into the consumer’s psyche. Nowadays, research on sustainable brand personality is quite famous globally. Therefore, to maintain a competitive edge and increase sales, businesses must meet the needs of sustainable consumers. As a result, its application in influencing consumer behavior has improved. Data was gathered using the questionnaire method from primary sources. The researcher utilized easy sampling and non-probability sampling. The researcher has collected data from the respondents using a survey method. A total of 100 consumers provided information. The primary goal is to use Chi Square to demonstrate the differences in sustainable brand personality awareness among customers across age groups, genders, geographic regions, and educational levels. According to the survey, urban customers in the 20–40 year age range who make a respectable livelihood tend to be more aware of sustainable brand personalities.

Dr. Cliff Butler,
Editor-in-Chief
Thomas Edison State University, NJ USA

Dr. Linda Sun, Managing Editor
American scholars press
Kennesaw State University (Part-time Faculty)

Professor Anuj Kumar, Guest Editor
Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, Delhi.

Ms. Anumeha Thakur is a UGC-NET-qualified senior research fellow at the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi. Her thesis explores the role of Organizational values and Employee Diversity on HR practices and Organizational citizenship behaviour. She is a management graduate and has a master's degree in labour law and labour welfare from Pune University. She has worked in the HR department at a manufacturing firm and recruitment organizations. Her interests lie in management, education, and industrial psychology. She prefers to attend conferences, workshops, and faculty development programs to hone her research skills. She is keen to learn and explore multiple areas of management studies with the objective of contributing to the development of management policies and practices.

One of the most challenging issues an organization faces in the current business environment revolves around its workforce. Ensuring staff availability and devising strategies for retaining, inspiring, and developing employees and encouraging individual behaviors enhancing the firm's efficiency are vital concerns for an organization that SHRM addresses. The effectiveness of a company is strongly influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of its employees. Organization citizenship behavior (OCB) is an extra-role behavior that an organization seeks as it substantially impacts organizational performance. This study's primary goal is to decipher the interaction between SHRM practices and organizational citizenship behaviors. In addition, organizations cannot disregard the internal challenges posed by the diverse nature of their workforce that is capable of modifying the outcome. So, analyzing the moderating effect of employee diversity on the link between SHRM and OCB was inevitable. The study was conducted in the select IT and ITES organizations in India through a survey using a structured questionnaire to assess this relationship. SHRM was found to have a significant influence on OCB. This influence was enhanced in the presence of the selected employee diversity factor as a moderator. This paper shares working employees' perspectives on maintaining a strong SHRM, which will directly influence sustaining OCB. This paper also talks about the components required for an efficient HRM. The findings can help practitioners determine the best ways to engage a diverse workforce to promote OCB.

Kamlesh Kantaria holds a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) and Master of Science (Organic Chemistry) from Gujarat University, Gujarat, India. He has pursued his Executive MBA (Finance) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. He further pursued CFM Program from Centre for Financial Management, Bangalore CFA-MFA Dual Degree Program from ICFAI University, Sikkim. He is currently pursuing Ph.D. (Management) from School of Management, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India. He is working as Associate Vice President at Gujarat Gas Limited, Corporate Office, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Dr. Hemali Tanna is a postgraduate in management with finance specialization and has done her PhD from Gujarat Technological University, India in finance domain. She is working as Associate Professor at R K University, Rajkot in India. She has a teaching experience for 9 years and her area of teaching are Strategic Management, International Business and Finance. She has also published good research paper related to the field of finance and banking in different journals of repute. 

This empirical research compares the profitability of 13 companies belonging to 13 sectors of the Nifty50 indices of the Indian equities market; it utilizes technical analysis, specifically the Moving-Average (MA) crossover approach and compares it to the typical basic buy-and-hold strategy, both before and during COVID-19. Trading conditions like as entry, exit, and holding rules are utilized to assess the performance of the MA crossover approach. For each stock, a total of 36 Buy and 36 Sell combinations were examined, yielding a total of 1296 strategies. Short and long period exponential moving average (EMA) crossover strategies were used to 13 equities from each sector of the Nifty50 indexes, 19 key results have been generated. According to the findings, it is observed that in 61% of the cases, that is 8 stocks out of the 13 selected stocks, different EMA crossover strategies surpass the simple buy and hold with a higher compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This research takes into consideration of daily closing price data for the period 01st January, 2016 to 26th May, 2021 (pre and during COVID-19 period) and separately analyzed for the period 1st February, 2020 to 26th May, 2021 (during the COVID-19 period). Further, in our empirical study, it is found that during the COVID-19 period, EMA crossover strategies surpass the simple buy and hold with a higher CAGR for 12 stocks from our sample.

Ms. Amrita Bhatty is a PhD Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce and Business Management at Integral University, Lucknow. Her area of work financial institutions, financial inclusion and investigating the role of banks in India to promote financial inclusion schemes and related activities. Her interest lies in the fields of Banking Institutions, Financial Inclusion. She has also attended various workshops, seminars and FDPs in her area.

Dr. Farhina Sardar Khan is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce and Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of Central University of Allahabad. She is UGC NET qualified and has expertise in papers of Finance and Accounting, like financial accounting, management accounting, financial management, financial auditing, money and banking, etc. She has 12 years of teaching and research experience. She has good number of research publications, five books and eight edited chapters to her credit. She is a supervisor of four research scholars and three Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under her supervision. She has presented papers in numerous international and national conferences/ seminars and has attended workshops, FDPs, STCs, in her area.

Dr. Syed Shahid Mazhar, M.Com, MBA, D.Phil, is presently working as Associate Professor, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management, Integral University, Lucknow. An Aluminus of University of Allahabad, he has vast teaching experience in the field of Commerce and Management having specialization in Accounting, Finance and International Trade. Dr. Shahid has a substantial number of research papers, publications, paper presentation certificates at National and International Conferences and has also successfully attended a number of workshops, FDP's and STC's. Dr. Shahid is guiding research scholars in the areas of International Trade, Indian Capital Market, Islamic Banking etc. Six PhD Degrees have been awarded under his able supervision.

The paper focusses on the approaches adopted by different banking institutions in India for achieving the aim of financial inclusion for an all-inclusive growth in the country and for analyzing the progress as well as achievements. With the help of financial inclusion, it is possible to achieve inclusive and equitable growth of a country. Financial inclusion is meant for the delivery of the apt financial service at affordable cost, and a timely basis to the most vulnerable groups, like the weaker sections and the lower income segments. These people do not have proper access and reach for even some of the most basic financial and banking services. The present study has been done for understanding financial inclusion and its significance for the overall development of the economy and the society. A sample of 226 respondents was surveyed to learn the role of public sector banks in enabling and implementing financial inclusion schemes. Mean and multiple regression tests were applied to get the results. It is concluded that there is significant role of the public sector banks in effective implementation of financial inclusion schemes.

Dr. T. Shirmila is an Assistant Professor of Commerce serving at Madras Christian College, Chennai, for 23 years. “To value every individual’ has been the motto of her life. She did her M.Com., MBA., MPhil., and Ph.D. in Commerce from the University of Madras. She  completed the IIT Delhi Management Executive Program on Strategic Innovation, Digital marketing and Business Analytics. She has been the Research Supervisor and guide for many doctorate and MPhil students. Her international exposure includes Leadership Training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA;  visiting scholar at International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan; panellist at leadership Seminar Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines. She has been the Director for Semester in the India program of Davidson College, North Carolina, USA. Awards conferred include “Candy T. Eng Fellow” (International fellowship); “Mrs. Lalitha Sadasivam Excellence Award” for Outstanding Women Professor (2018-19), Madras Christian College. She has presented several papers in national and international conferences, published several research papers in peer-reviewed, UGC CARE and Scopus journals, has contributed chapters in books, and has completed many research projects. As an HR trainer, she has trained many students and faculty at the national level, organized many FDP, webinars, and workshops. She has been invited as the resource person and session chair in many conferences. She is certified as an “Innovation Ambassador,” by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and AICTE. She is an exponent in the field of Sustainability, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Development, General Management, Financial Management, and Business Analytics.

Ms. Udhaya Rekha Completed her B.Com., M.Com., and MPhil in commerce at Madras Christian College. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Commerce from the University of Madras. She is a physically challenged person since birth. Her passion for learning has encouraged her to pursue higher goals in life. She received an award from the late former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the academic excellence, representing MCC College. She had a career span teaching Commerce in a MPB Government Girls High school and, later, served as Assistant Professor of Commerce at Dr. M.G.R. Janaki College before joining full time to pursue her doctorate. She has presented several papers in national and international conferences, won a best paper award and has published several research articles in journals.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire educational system has had a huge impact, which has resulted in the start of the new phase of education through “e-learning” in corporate organizations. In fact, electronic technology has been used to reinforce learning through online classes and numerous web forums for students to attend different courses beyond the classroom environment (called e-learning).  Virtual training primarily takes face-to-face training and replicates the experience through virtual platforms like Microsoft Team, Zoom, etc.  This study focuses on the factors that influence the success of virtual training and its impact on corporate learning during pandemic situations.  A sample of 146 respondents employed in various industries in Chennai was selected for the study.  From various non-probability sampling methods, a convenience sampling was adopted to select the samples.  In this study, a survey Questionnaire has been employed as an instrument.  Descriptive statistics have been used to explore the perceptions of the factors that influence the virtual training and domains in e-training. Structural equation modelling is used to study the impact of virtual training on corporate learning.   IBM SPSS Statistics v23. and SPSS AMOS v23. have been used to analyze the data and develop the model.  Results confirm that virtual training has helped the respondents gain knowledge through online learning in terms of their preference, effectiveness, learning, and satisfaction.

Dr. Rashmi Gujrati is a Professor, Director, Dean-International Affairs, President, and Editor-In-Chief at the Tradepreneur Global Academic Institute, UK. Presently, she is working as Campus Director for the KC Group of Institutions, Nawanshahr, Punjab, India She is a researcher, teacher, educator, and administrator. She has specialized in international business, marketing, and finance. She has about 150 papers published in international journals, 140 papers in national journals, and various chapters in books. She is a life member of the All-India Commerce Association, All India Accounting Association, and Association of Principals. She is also a member of the Editorial Board of various international journals.

Dr. Swaty Wadhwa received her Ph.D degree in Management from M.D.U. Rohtak, India. She has worked at prestigious colleges affiliated with Indraprastha University in New Delhi, and she is currently an Associate Professor at the Jagan Institute of Management Studies in New Delhi. She has more than 24 years of teaching and some industry experience at various levels. She has attended many national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, and FDP’s and has published many papers in national and international journals. She has specialised in areas like HR, marketing, and IT. 

Dr. Hayri Uygun is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Tradepreneur Global Academic Institute in the United Kingdom. He is presently working at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University in Rize, Turkey. He has 27 years of teaching and industry experience at various levels. He has attended many national and international conferences, seminars, and FDPs. He has published a couple of papers in national and international journals and various books. He is also a member of the editorial boards of the JSPT journal group, the Tecnia general management sciences advisory board, and the ISCRD. He has also written books on digital entrepreneurship, sustainable development goals, COVID-19, women's empowerment, etc.

Talent management has always been a popular workforce strategy. However, according to the new normal of today after Covid-19, HR professionals are focusing more on this area. Their main aim has been to nurture an agile and self-motivated workforce that grows in these difficult times. Organizations find it challenging to retain and manage their talent globally. On the one hand, organizations need to manage their talent with the new challenges given by the pandemic. On the other hand, the chances of employees leaving their jobs are increasing, which might be due to many reasons like improved career prospects, more salary, work-life balance, better opportunities for growth and promotion, etc. Over centuries, we have witnessed that a human resource is the only resource that has helped organizations deal with such crises. Now is the time for the organizations to repay all this and help their "talent" be efficient and effective during the crisis. Therefore, this paper discusses various techniques to retain talent in organizations, i.e., in the health sector during the Corona pandemic. It will focus on two sub-themes, i.e., the role of artificial intelligence during a pandemic and the role of leadership in changing culture in the health sector to find solutions to the posed challenges.

Dr. Sunita P Gaikwad Ph D. MBA, MCom, GDC&A, B.Ed, serving as an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce since 2009 at Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Fort, Mumbai. Since 2005 joining as a lecturer Indeed, along with teaching I have published and presented many research papers and articles at National and International level in Commerce and Management for an exceptional boost in action, development and society's benefit. As a result of lifelong passion for education presently serving society also which helps in research and development in Commerce and Management.

During COVID-19 pandemic, many countries’ government’ decision was to shift to telehealth and e-prescription methods in order to reduce transmission of the Covid virus and protect individuals from contagious diseases. Before lockdown and COVID19 pandemic under the Medicines Act, 1981, only original hard copies of prescription with an original clinician’s signature and dated was legal, but during COVID-19 pandemic e-prescription helped the clinicians to work from home and encouraged contactless transmission of prescriptions. The e-prescription has taken the place of paper and faxed prescriptions. It is also called a digital prescription. The present paper will assess the consumers’ attitudes towards e-prescription of South Mumbai. Primary and secondary data will be sufficient for achieving objectives and to assess the hypothesis of the study. The survey method used for collecting primary data. A sample of 50 consumers will be targeted from South Mumbai. The survey was based on structured questionnaires designed for the same. Secondary data were collected from banks, newspapers, research agencies, Government Authorities, Government publications, periodicals, magazines, and websites. It was concluded with the benefits, advantages of e-prescriptions, and precautions taken while adopting the same in the present scenario. At the end of the study, suggestions are given for improving, adopting secured and accurate method of e-prescriptions, which will be helpful to the government’s policy, patients, and clinicians (sellers), improving secured financial transactions and for growth of pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Seema Kataria is a doctoral holder in the area of Human Resource Management and Organization Behavior and a silver medalist in MBA. She has completed her BBA from Banasthali University which is an institute of importance in India and abroad. During her doctoral she has developed a scale to measure “Organization citizenship Behaviors of the employees working in the hospitals of Delhi NCR”. Further, she has more than a decade of teaching and academic administration experience. Dr. Seema teaches/has taught the following courses: Management Processes, Organizational Behavior, Behavioral Sciences, Managerial Competency, and Career Development.

Dr. Bhavana Adhikari is currently a Professor in Management Studies and Deputy Dean (Academics) at Amity University Haryana. She has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical from Osmania University Hyderabad followed by an MBA with specialization in Human Resource Management. She has over two decades of experience in research, teaching, training, and academic administration. She has been a resource person and a trainer for Management Development Programs at various national and international forums. Her research interests include competency development, personality studies, employee engagement, and management communication. A keen researcher she has published several books/ research papers in reputed refereed journals.

Organization citizenship behavior (OCB) is considered to be an important aspect in Human resource management, which is well reflected in employee belongingness towards the organization. The available literature supports positive contribution of OCB in overall organizational effectiveness. OCB becomes more crucial when it comes to industry like the service sector. The present study focuses on understanding the most influential dimension of OCB in hospitals of Delhi NCR. The data on OCB was collected by using a 30-item instrument developed by Kataria and Adhikari (2019) based on five dimensions:  positivism, philanthropy, cooperation, discipline and commitment. The multiple correlation and regression analysis using SPSS20 was used for the purpose. The present study found that all five dimensions of OCB have a positive relationship with OCB, and cooperation was found to be the most significant.

Dr. Sayali Pataskar is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Management Studies of H. N. College of Commerce, Solapur. Dr. Sayali has more than 20 years teaching experience. She has published and presented a wide variety of research papers including organized retailing, branding, MSMEs, Small scale industry are among others. She teaches courses like Strategy, Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Brand Management, Services and Retail Management etc.  As she has her graduation completed in engineering, she has also interest in Operations Research and Decision Science.

Ecotourism is  tourism that  includes responsible travelling close to nature, conserving  the environment, and enhancing the life of the people there. Agro Tourism involves visiting the locations close to the nature and not to harming flora and fauna of that region. This paper attempts to study the trend of “hurda.” Hurda is an age-old delicacy that is a roasted form of tender jowar (sorghum) millet. This conceptual paper elaborates on preserving this age-old agricultural tradition. It also provides employment to many women and youth. For people getting experience of the rural lifestyle, it is the idea behind promoting activities. 

Dr. Satish Kumar. R has been accredited with the academic qualifications of Doctor of Philosophy in Management from the Dravidian University, AP. Specialized in Marketing Management and Applied Psychology, possessed with teaching and research ability skills spanning over a period of 20 years at various esteemed business schools and universities undertaking various strategic roles. Has authored multidisciplinary research articles in renowned databases. 

Meera Jyothirmai. K is currently a doctoral student of OB & HRM from GITAM School of Business, GITAM (Deemed to be University), AP. She has earned a master’s degree in Business Administration, with specialization in HRM,  M.H.R.M , and also an MA in English literature from Andhra University. She has 10 years of rich experience in teaching and research as an Assistant Professor, has published a number of articles in referred journals and presented papers in national and international conferences.

Digital adoption is being propelled in rural India at a very fast pace and has made many changes in Indian agroecosystems. Mobile applications' contributions to millions of rural farmers with access to information, such as weather forecasting, the use of appropriate technology for seeding and cultivation, the application of manure and pesticides, crop harvesting, the depiction or forecasting of market demands, financial assistance, and other services, can be a major boost for agriculture and rural development. Mobile phones can make distribution more cost-effective and strengthen ties between institutions, farmers, and customers for each farm’s supply and demand. This paper delves into insights about mobile app user familiarity and reality in this context. This study outlines a survey of 250 farmer respondents, and it tested the variables of demographics and awareness, knowledge, and motivation levels of app-user utility with inferential statistics. The test results show that farmers are not significantly familiar with mobile app usage, owing to low knowledge, low motivation, and lack of awareness. Hence, these study findings encourage M-app developers to promote the knowledge of agriculture mobile apps with a strategic integration of push and pull to induce value addition to the needy population.

Mr. Mohammed MeerAhmed M. Ali is currently an Assistant Professor in the faculty of Management at the Rajarambapu Institute of Technology (RIT) in India.  Ali received his Postgraduate degree in MCA from Shivaji University and MBA from YCMOU University. Ali completed his MPhil from Shivaji University. Ali has published a paper in preferred Journals and conferences. He also presented various research papers at several international conferences including the International Conference on Recent Advances and  Challenges in the Field of Management and Commerce, Social Sciences, Engineering and Medical, 2022 ; the International Conference on Recent Embracing Transformation: Innovation and Creation, 2022. 

Dr. Anand A Deshmukh is currently a Professor and Director at the Vidya Pratishthan's Institute of Information Technology. under Pune University in India. He received his Postgraduate MBA and Mcom.  from Pune University, India. He obtained his PhD in Marketing Management from Pune University – India. He has published several research papers in reputed Journals and also participated in several high profile national and international conferences.

Electric Vehicle (E- vehicle) has emerged as a boon to the world struggling with disastrous environmental impact of consuming fossil fuel and the contribution of present-day vehicle in pollution is massive. Even scarcity of natural resource and recent hike of fuel prices encourages to look at E- vehicle as an excellent alternative to commute with zero impact on environment. Green energy is the need in the present situation of the world and E-Vehicle adoption gives a big drive to reduce pollution. It is an accepted fact that E-Vehicle has a huge scope and hence calls for appropriate marketing tactics to expand the market by creating awareness of the advantages of owning a E –Vehicle and motivating consumers to make their purchasing decisions. There is need to understand the customer’s perception and expectations. This article tries to explore the literature available on E-Vehicle adoption and surface out the consumers perceptions and intensions towards adoption of E-Vehicle.

Mrs. Urooj Shakeel is a PhD Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce and Business Management at Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of Lucknow University. She has 5 years of experience in teaching at Intermediate level with subjects like Commerce, Accounts and Economics. Her thesis explores the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Conflict Management in Select Public and Private sector Banks. Her interest lies in the fields of trade, management, and psychology. Apart from her research, she also runs an export company and an NGO in Delhi, India. She has also attended various workshops, seminars and FDPs in her area.

Dr. Farhina Sardar Khan is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce and Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of Central University of Allahabad. She is UGC NET qualified and has expertise in papers of Finance and Accounting, like financial accounting, management accounting, financial management, financial auditing, money and banking, etc. She has 12 years of teaching and research experience. She has good number of research publications, five books and eight edited chapters to her credit. She is a supervisor of four research scholars and three Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under her supervision. She has presented papers in numerous international and  national conferences/ seminars and has attended workshops, FDPs, STCs, in her area.

Dr. Syed Shahid Mazhar, M. Com, MBA, D.Phil, is presently working as Associate Professor, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management, Integral University, Lucknow. An Aluminus of University of Allahabad, he has vast teaching experience in the field of Commerce and Management having specialization in Accounting, Finance and International Trade. Dr. Shahid has a substantial number of research papers, publications, paper presentation certificates at National and International Conferences and has also successfully attended a number of workshops, FDP's and STC's. Dr. Shahid is guiding research scholars in the areas of International Trade, Indian Capital Market, Islamic Banking etc. Six PhD Degrees have been awarded under his able supervision. 

The study scrutinized types and causes of conflicts existing in public and private sector banks. Rigorous literature search and data collection have been done to highlight the various conflicts of interest and their causes in the banking sector.  The outcome of the study revealed that officials of public sector banks had realistic conflict associated with goal-oriented disagreement.  The major cause of conflict was officials’ involvement in other administrative responsibilities. This often resulted in dissatisfaction among the officials. Private sector banks have entirely different causes of conflicts among management officials. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software was used to perform frequency analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, and factor analysis. Finally, it was concluded that banks should try to minimize dysfunctional conflicts. Parties in conflict must avoid attacking each other, and both sides must take part in thoughtful and constructive discussion. They should have empathy and responsiveness and must try to find equally advantageous solutions. 

Mr. Pradeep Kumar is a PhD Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce and Business Management at Integral University, Lucknow. His area of work is International Trade. His area of work is based on export of software Services Exports in India. His interest lies in the fields of International trade, management, and psychology. He has also attended various workshops, seminars and FDPs in his area.

Dr. Farhina Sardar Khan is an Assistant Professor in Department of Commerce and Business Management, Integral University, Lucknow. She is an Alumnus of Central University of Allahabad. She is UGC NET qualified and has expertise in papers of Finance and Accounting, like financial accounting, management accounting, financial management, financial auditing, money and banking, etc. She has 12 years of teaching and research experience. She has good number of research publications, five books and eight edited chapters to her credit. She is a supervisor of four research scholars and three Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under her supervision. She has presented papers in numerous international and national conferences/ seminars and has attended workshops, FDPs, STCs, in her area.

Dr. Syed Shahid Mazhar, M.Com, MBA, D.Phil, is presently working as Associate Professor, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management, Integral University, Lucknow. An Aluminus of University of Allahabad, he has vast teaching experience in the field of Commerce and Management having specialization in Accounting, Finance, and International Trade. Dr. Shahid has a substantial number of research papers, publications, paper presentation certificates at National and International Conferences and has also successfully attended several workshops, FDP's and STC's. Dr. Shahid is guiding research scholars in the areas of International Trade, Indian Capital Market, Islamic Banking etc. Six PhD Degrees have been awarded under his able supervision. 

Nowadays, the software industry is very useful in our economy. It has a pivotal role in supporting the government. It is an important medium to support the growth of Indian exports. In software, India has developed a significant brand value throughout the years. In software-enabled services, India is developing as a standout among the most favored goals for business process outsourcing. This study evaluated the performance and  growth, factors affecting services exports, and the problem faced by the software industry about the problems in promoting the exports. This study begins by examining India's software export experiences and creates a new "Software Export Success Model." There are several applications for this paradigm, which was developed as a descriptive framework. It offers a normative framework from which ideas for the policies and measures these countries would need to be taken to boost software export growth. This research not only highlights the importance of this new framework for conceptual analysis, but also illustrates how consultants, legislators, and other stakeholders in software sector strategy may find it useful. Although it is not the focus of this article, it appears that the model will also serve as a basis for comparable study and assistance for the several following nations that  have lately entered the software export market.

Dr. Cliff Butler,
Editor-in-Chief
Thomas Edison State University, NJ USA

Dr. Linda Sun,
Managing Editor
American scholars press
Kennesaw State University (Part-time Faculty)

Langdon Morris is a globally renowned teacher, consultant, and keynote speaker on innovation and strategy. He leads the innovation consulting practice at InnovationLabs, supporting companies, governments, and humanitarian organizations worldwide(www.innovationlabs.com). He has written many books on all facets of innovation management and business strategy which are widely used in practice and as university textbooks, including The Innovation Master Plan which was described here. Recently he created the world’s most complete online course in innovation, the 25-hour Innovation Mastery program. He is affiliated with many global organizations, including Mastercard’s Digital Innovation Institute, where he is an Innovation Fellow. He is a former member of the US Team developing the ISO 56000 Global Innovation Management Standard, and former Senior Practice Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Ackoff Center. Farah Naz is an award-winning Climate Change strategist with 20 years of experience throughout the building sector in the USA, UK, Southeast Asia, and most recently the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She is a Chartered Engineer (UK), Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and Chair of CIBSE’s UAE Chapter, LEED and WELL Accredited Professional, and Verified Research Expert for the Dubai Future Foundation. Farah is a strong advocate of STEM education for future generations. Since arriving in the UAE she has been steering sustainability and innovation efforts in the built environment across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf Region. She leads Specialist Services with a focus on Sustainable Cities, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and Urban Resilience for AECOM in the Middle East and Africa. Farah was a prime mover in creating the Energy Strategy for the first zero-energy building in the UK, which won the 2015 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Sustainable Buildings Award. In the Middle East her name is synonymous with implementable sustainability and energy strategies, and she has supported building projects including the Dubai Museum of the Future, the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, Bee’ah Headquarters in Sharjah, the Expo 2020 Sustainability Pavilion, Masdar Eco Villa, and Masdar Housing, and master planning projects including NEOM, Red Sea, Amaala, and Hudayriat in Saudi Arabia. As an innovator, she focuses on implementating best practices in the built environment by applying systems related to the Food-Energy-Water Nexus, Biomimetics, the Five Capital model of Sustainability, Liveability, and Inclusive Integrated Innovation Frameworks, which will build the foundation of the cities and communities of the future.

This paper is excerpted from Net Zero City: How to Overcome the Climate Crisis by 2032: The Ten Year Transformation Plan by Langdon Morris and Farah Naz. The basic argument of the book is that the climate crisis is an unprecedented emergency for all of humanity, and that our cities must take the lead in shifting to a Net Zero economy. This paper focuses on the process of innovation, and the critical role that innovation will play in the Net Zero transformation in cities globally

Rumman Khan is a Ph.D. Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She has qualified UGC NET-JRF. She has completed her M.Com. and B. Com. from Kanpur University, Kanpur. Her teaching and research interest includes Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management. She is well versed with the basic and advanced data analysis methods using software tools such as IBM SPSS, IBM AMOS and Smart-PLS. 

Prof. N.U.K. Sherwani is a professor and Head of the Department in the Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has over thirty years of teaching and research experience. He is specialised in Human Resource Management and International Management Review Vol. 18. No.2 2022 76 Business Environment. He has authored four books, forty-eight journal articles and participated in twenty-seven conferences and seminars. He has also acted as a co-investigator in a UGC project. He has guided over thirty Ph.D. Scholars.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the individual orientation of career development initiatives by exploring the mediator between career aspiration and perceived organizational support. There were 405 responses from public and private sector employees posted in Delhi and National Capital Region of India that were utilized for data analysis by applying structural equation modelling through Smart-PLS. The major findings of this work establish a positive association of career aspiration with proactive career behavior, which, in turn, affects perceived organizational support. The higher-aspiring employees may benefit from taking proactive career initiatives that will increase their chances of attaining better organizational support.

Dr. R K Wadhwa Prof (Dr) R K Wadhwa, after superannuation from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, a Deemed University, in 2009, has set up his own consultancy firm viz Global Business Consultants. He earned his Doctorate on “FDI – Its Role in India’s Economy.” He has more than 30 years of teaching and research experience in international business. His field of specializations in teaching are International Trade Operations (Export-Import Management, Policy, Procedure and Documentation), How to become a Profitable and Successful Entrepreneur, International Business, International Trade Logistics, Managing International Operations, and International Marketing Management. He has core competence in the area of Export-Import Procedure and Documentation, including the Foreign Trade Policy, International Business, International Marketing, and International Trade Logistics Management. He has conducted a few in-house and customized sponsored Executive Development Programs in these areas for the middle and senior executives from reputed foreign and Indian companies, notably Mitsui & Co India Pvt Ltd, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, SAIL, Bhilai Steel Plant, BHEL, Indian Oil Corporation, RITES, Maruti Udyog, Greaves Cotton, IRCON, ECGC, KVIC, NAFED, etc. He also arranged capacity building programs for senior diplomats from African countries on WTO and related issues. As a follow-up of the India Africa Forum Summit held in April 2008 in New Delhi, he was instrumental in designing, developing, and conducting capacity building programs in African countries. During his last tenure with the Institute, he was associated with the successful conduct of International Capacity Building Programs on International Business in Ethiopia, Arab Republic of Egypt, and Botswana, and was rated one of the best faculty.

Dr. Mohd. Afaq Khan Mohd. Afaq Khan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (INDIA). He earned his PhD in Business Administration on the topic, Overseas Marketing of Floriculture Products: Problems, Prospects and Strategies', from the Faculty of Management Studies and Research, Aligarh Muslim University. He has been teaching International Business to the students of MBA and MBA (International Business). He has also been teaching Foreign Trade and International Marketing, WTO, and International Business Law. He has more than a dozen research papers in reputable/refereed journals to his credit. Emerging sectors such as BPO/KPO, pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments, and floriculture are among his areas of interest. At workshops hosted by the National Small Industries Corporation in Aligarh, he has been giving lectures on the WTO to exporters of brassware, building fittings, and hardware. 

Ms. Alka Sanjeev Ms. Alka Sanjeev is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, SMBS, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi (INDIA). She has completed her Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from PEC, University of Technology, Chandigarh, and her masters in MBA-IB from University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh. She has more than 13 years of management teaching experience and 2 years of industry experience. She is credited with research publications in various International Management Review Vol. 18. No.2 2022 77 national and international journals. She has co-authored a book on international business management. She has presented papers in national and international conferences. Her areas of interest/rese

The paper investigates the factors that influence international enterprises' investment in India. Further, the difference in investment motives between MNC’s from the chosen geographic regions is also investigated. The data on the benefits of FDI inflows in India and perceived motives was collected using a survey method. Confirmatory factor analysis and the independent sample t-test were utilized for statistical analysis. Based on the analysis of 271 foreign firms in India, we find that the foreign direct investment motives as propounded by Dunning differed significantly between firms originating from countries representing different continents. The study showed that the strategic asset-seeking factor was not prominent in India.

Navdeep Kaur is a PhD research scholar in the  Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India. Her research area lies in the field of  Marketing, Mobile Technology and Customer Engagement. 

Dr. Ajay Suneja is currently working as professor, Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. He has 28 years of experience of teaching post- graduated classes. He has supervised 9 Ph.D. and more than 30 M.Phil. research scholars. He has got more than 25 research papers published in reputed journals. His areas of specialization are human resource management, services marketing and retailing.

Seema Rani is currently pursuing PhD at Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. Her area of specialization is human resource management.

COVID -19 being a global crisis presented the world with unseen challenges where people are bound to follow new habits, this, in turn, persuades companies to discover new ways of engaging their customers. The paper synthesizes the existing literature by considering the impact of functional, hedonic, and social motives on customer engagement. Moreover, the study also explores how businesses engage customers amidst the challenges of COVID-19. The findings of the study would prompt the app developers to design the apps as per the customer’s motivations. Consequently, with increased usage of mobile apps, companies can earn more profits.

Shradha Jain is a Research Scholar at School of Management, Doon University, Dehradun, India. She is a Gold Medalist in Integrated MBA from IMS Unison University, Dehradun. She has qualified UGC NET and her research interests are consumer behavior and advertising and marketing management. 

Prof. H. C. Purohit is Head of Department, School of Management, Doon University, Dehradun, India. His research interests include consumer behavior, marketing management and Green marketing

Recent decades have witnessed a phenomenal growth of the digital advertising industry where advertisers are leveraging the power of the data-driven form of online advertising widely recognized as Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA). As the world moves further with internet penetration and developments in ICT, it becomes imperative to understand how consumers feel and respond to behavioral targeting practices like online behavioral advertising. The present study integrates constructs from the Persuasion Knowledge Model and Protection Motivation Theory to investigate the consumer acceptance behavior towards online behavioral advertising. The study employed an online survey method for data collection and reliability and validity of the instrument was established through confirmatory factor analysis which was followed by multiple regression for the data analysis. Findings exhibit a significant influence of the perceived benefits from online behavioral advertising on the consumer acceptance for OBA which are positive in nature. The perceived risk exhibits a negative and significant relationship with consumer acceptance for OBA. Persuasion Knowledge was not found significant in influencing consumer acceptance for OBA.

Dr. Seema Rathee is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Department of Commerce, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. Her research interest lies in the areas of Accounting and Finance. She has approximately 11 years of experience in teaching and research. She has published several research papers in National and International journals. She has presented many research papers at conferences and seminars. She has also organized various academic activities in the form of workshops, seminars, extension lectures, and conferences at the National and International levels. She has attended many workshops and faculty development programs in her academic career. She can be reached at rathee.seema@rediffmail.com 

Ms. Deepanshi Aggarwal is a Doctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. She has completed her B. Com Honours and M. Com Honours from Maharshi Dayanand University and became the Gold Medalist of the respective programs. Her research interest lies in the fields of Marketing and Finance. She has also published few research papers in reputed National and International journals and has presented many research papers in conferences and seminars. Furthermore, she has also attended many workshops. Apart from that, she is a determined and hardworking individual who has a keen research interest. She can be reached at deepanshiaggarwal123@gamil.com

The present study contemplates the impact of GDP and GDP per capita on stock market prices of BSE100 and Nifty50. The study is entirely based on secondary data. By using correlation and multiple regression analysis, it is concluded that the GDP is the dominant independent variable of both BSE100 and Nifty50 with R2 values of 85.1 percent and 83.6 percent, respectively. However, the GDP is an important factor for both the dependent variables; nevertheless, its influence on BSE100 has been more than on Nifty50, and the combined impact of both independent variables exposed more influence on NSE than BSE100.

Mr. Antony A F is a Doctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Commerce and Management at Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India. His interested fields of research include Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior and Job satisfaction. He has 35 years of management experience in Public Sector and Government of India. He has held several appointments in the fields of engineering and management. 

Dr. Biju Mani Das is a Professor and Head of Department of Commerce, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India. He holds B. Com, M. Com and Ph.D. from Guwahati University. He is actively involved and passionate about researching. He is a devoted and committed researcher of commerce. He has been working for 15 years into academic fields and has guided scholars in diverse fields. Three scholars have obtained Ph.D. degree under his supervision. He has organized national level conference and seminar in entrepreneurship and other fields. His special area of interest is entrepreneurship, management, and tourism. He had published several research papers in reputed national and international journals.

Inter Service Organizations, manned by Civilian and Military personnel, serve Defence forces in fields common to Army, Navy and Air Force. This research delved into the complex and unexplored area of job satisfaction of civilian personnel in Inter Service Organizations. The study was conducted in Military Engineer Services (MES), one of the Inter Service Organizations in India. Data analysis of 850 completed questionnaires has thrown light on job satisfaction and demographic factors such as Cadre/ group, Gender, Age, Length of service /experience and Nature of work. Findings would be greatly beneficial to improve job satisfaction and productivity of organizations.

Professor Neil Reichenberg is the former executive director of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). He worked for IPMA-HR, for almost four decades until his retirement in June 2020. He is an adjunct professor at George Mason University teaching a graduate public human resource management class, writes a twice monthly public policy/legal column for the Human Resource Certification Institute, and speaks and writes on human resource issues. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and New York Law School and has been admitted to the Bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

There is growing global focus on reducing the workweek from the standard five days to four days. Joe O’Connor, chief executive officer of 4 Day Week Global stated “Momentum for the four-day workweek is building around the world. The future of work is less time spent at work. And it has arrived.” The four-day workweek movement should be distinguished from a compressed workweek where employees work longer days over four days (known as 4/10s) and get the fifth day off or work longer hours over a two-week period and get the tenth day off (known as 9/80s).

Eric Gagnon, a Director of The Business Marketing Institute, has over 30 years ‘experience in the marketing, advertising, direct response, product development, digital marketing, consulting, and publishing fields. He is the author of The Marketing Manager’s Handbook, and The CRM Field Marketing Handbook, and is the developer of the Business Marketing Institute’s (BMI) Marketing Skills Assessment, Certification and Skill-Building (MSA/B/C) and CRM Field Marketing (CRM-FM) systems, Web-based training and certification courseware and systems for business-to-business marketing, sales, and product management professionals. BMI’s partners include the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) at the Pennsylvania State University SMEAL School of Business, the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA), and the Business Marketing Association, the largest B2B trade association in the U.S. BMI courseware has also utilized in the Penn State University business marketing curriculum. In China, BMI content is utilized by the Training Center of Foreign Experts Affairs (TCSAFEA) a government training and professional development agency of the PRC. Gagnon holds two U.S. patents for Internet-related systems and services, and a B.A. in Business Administration/Marketing from George Washington University. Eric Gagnon eric@businessmarketinginstitute.com

Mrs. Alimaa Khosbayar is a Ph.D. student at the National University of Mongolia. Her thesis explores the Big Five personality traits in Mongolians and compares them with those of people in other East Asian countries. She has also taught classes in the Department of Psychology at the National University of Mongolia. Mrs. Khosbayar’s research interests focus on personality, resilience, work productivity, workaholism, depression and COVID lockdowns. She has also had exposure working for the Culture and Emotion Lab at San Francisco State University by participating in a study on “Prototypicality Theory and the Cultural Calibration of Emotion.” Mrs. Alimaa is a founder of Psychology Club at the Medical School of Mongolia and a member of PSI CHI the National Honor Society in Psychology and Human Ergonomic Society.

Dr. Maureen Snow Andrade is a professor in the Organizational Leadership Department at Utah Valley University. She has an EdD in higher education leadership from the University of Southern California and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK. Her research interests include leadership, job satisfaction, work-life balance, business education, and distance education. She is a former associate vice president and associate dean and is currently serving as assistant department chair.

Dr. Ronald Mellado Miller is a professor in the Department of Strategic Management at Utah Valley University. Dr. Miller has published and presented in a wide variety of scientific research areas, including business, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and game theory, among others. Coupled with his quantitative background is a great appreciation for qualitative research in order to understand the meaning behind the numbers. Dr. Miller has run studies in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, Europe and the United States.

COVID-19 has resulted in change, uncertainty, and anxiety in the workplace. Emotional resilience is needed to overcome resulting mental health burdens. Personality traits are important determinants of emotional resilience. This study examined the relationship between resilience and the big five personality traits for mining employees in Mongolia. Four of the five traits, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion, were correlated with resilience. The study offers insights into the relationship of personality traits and resilience in a new context. Understanding the relationship between resilience and personality traits can help managers understand and better support their employees.

Mr. Chandrahaas C S is a Doctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Management and Commerce at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India. His research interests lie in the fields of Values-Centered Leadership, Leader Development, Organizational Behavior and Business Ethics.

Dr. Niranjan Narasimhan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and Commerce at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. His research interests lie in the fields of Values-Centered Leadership, Business Ethics and Organizational Behavior. He also keenly studies the Values and Leadership lessons embedded in Ancient Indian Epics. He teaches/has taught the following courses: Organizational Behavior, Values-Centered Leadership, Research Methods, Self-Development, and Group Dynamics for Teams.

Employees’ organizational commitment is highly sought after by organizations the world over. Research on the factors that influence the affective organizational commitment of employees, directly and indirectly, is thus the need of the hour. This study examined the influence of employee-perceived authentic leadership (AL) on their affective organizational commitment (AOC). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on the respondent data (N=283) revealed that the relationship between Authentic Leadership and Affective Organizational Commitment is fully mediated by Workplace Psychological Safety (WPPS). The findings of this study have several implications for theory and practice.

Homa Ansari is a keen aspirant of research, qualified UGC NET and pursuing research in the area of Human Resource Management from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, which is an institute of national importance in India. She also possesses great teaching experience and has taught HRM as a guest lecturer in Jamia Millia Islamia. She is associated with Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB), Delhi University, Delhi since the last four years and has worked as an assistant professor and delivered lectures on Human Resource Management, Business Students and Business Laws. She has completed her B.A (Hons) and MBA from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh which is a prestigious central university in India.

Dr Ravinder Kumar is a renowned Professor and Dean (Faculty of Social Sciences) in Jamia Millia Islamia -a Central University, New Delhi. He has produced 9 doctorates and 7 scholars are pursuing their research under his supervision. He has more than 25 years of teaching experience. His area of interest includes Finance, OB, and Legal Aspects of Business. He has published 8 books with renowned international publishers, like Prentice Hall and CENGAGE for the university level students.

It has been hypothesized that in today's organization, managers who are emotionally intelligent have a higher leadership quality and tend to share mutual interest with their subordinates to achieve organizational goals. The study has attempted to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and its dimensions or constructs with leadership styles and effectiveness among managers in banking sectors in India. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were followed to collect data, and a total of 114 responses were received from the managers. The study highlights the positive correlation of overall emotional intelligence with leadership. All the constructs of emotional intelligence i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skills are significantly related to leadership, which suggested that managers across all these four dimensions have higher leadership towards their employees or subordinates.

Dr. Vandana Gambhir is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, University of Delhi, and the Ethics & Standards Committee Chair for APCDA, USA. She started her professional career as a medical physician and later excelled and received her doctorate in Psychology. Known as an expert in Psychometrics, Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management, she helps organizations through research with their employee wellness and productivity programs. Her field of involvement in psychology research work spans organizational behavior, career competencies, social psychology, competency mapping, positive psychology, consumer behavior, and mental health.

Ms. Atufa Khan is currently pursuing her Masters in Psychology from the Department of Psychology, North Campus, Delhi University. She has obtained her graduation in Psychology. Atufa holds a promising experience of working with children from lower-socio economic status. During her internships, she has obtained training in grief in psychotherapy, adverse childhood experiences, group therapy sessions, 6-Part Story Method, conducting socio-emotional learning-based sessions. Atufa enjoys doing art and craftwork in her free time as her hobbies. She is dedicated and passionate about her field and loves exploring different spaces. Recently, she completed her certification course in counselling skills.

There are many precursors to the perception of politics in an organization. This study aimed at testing the influence of organizational justice on organizational politics empirically. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires from 150 non-executive employees from various organizations. Three dimensions of organizational justice; distributive, procedural, and interactional justice were explored for their effects on perception of politics. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to explore the validity and reliability of the standardized tools. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the possible relationship between the variables. The influence of interactional and distributive justice on the dimensions of organizational politics was empirically tested in this research.

Dr. Vikas Barbate is Associate Professor in ASM’s Institute of Professional Studies, Pune, India. He is Research Guide of Savitribai Phule Pune University and JJTU, Rajasthan. He has more than 27 years’ experience of industry and academics. He has published and presented more than 51 research papers in national and international conference/seminar and written eight textbooks of master’s in business administration. He has delivered talks on finance for non- finance, Goods and Service Tax and many more. He has been associated as Secretary with Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Prasarak Mandal’s Sane Guruji Vidyalaya, Kharpudi Bk. Taluka Rajgurunagar (Khed) District Pune. He has worked in Ethiopian Civil Service University’s College of Finance, Management & Development (State University) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Africa).

Dr. Dilip Aher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management in IBMR, Pune affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University. He is MBA, PhD in Management from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. He is having 30+ years industrial as well academic experience in the field of Human Resource Management. His areas of interest include Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations, Organization Behaviour and Labor Laws. He has been a Resource Person for National level webinar. He has published 30+ research articles in Scopus as well in International referred journals.

Dr. Bhagyashree Kunte is an Associate Professor in IBMR affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University.She is MBA, PhD Finance (from Pune University) and Fellow Member of CMA institute of India. Her total work experience of 26 years includes 12 years in industry and 14 year in academics. During the 14 years of Academic career she worked as academic coordinator, HOD, Academic dean and Director in charge. She has to her credit 11 research papers published in national and international journals and reviewed a study material of ICWA 2008 Pattern on “Accountancy”. She has been appointed as external examiner for Oral examination (VIVA) for MBA course by Savitribai Phule Pune Univeristy and also worked as paper setter and evaluator. She has attended many workshop and FDP organized by ASM as well by Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Ms. Deepika Mirchandani, a Gold Medalist in Economics from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She has Qualified MH-SET. She has completed BBM (IB) & M.A(Economics ).She is pursuing Ph.D in Economics from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She is working as an Assistant Professor (Department of Management) in ASM’S Institute of Business Management and Research (IBMR),Pune. She has published various research papers and has received Best Paper Award In ICONSTEM 2020. She has published Research Paper in Web of Science as well in International Journal. Her area of interest lies in Economics, Sustainable development and Management Studies.

Entire human mankind in the world is now fighting against corona virus epidemics known as Covid-19 presently. Thought the first case of this COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan city (China) in December 2019. As of now when this paper is taken for writing due to this virus number of cases reported is more than 1 crore from world.  Government of each country have started taking precautionary measures to take remedial actions against corona virus by way of close their seaports airports and lockdown at local and national level. Even they have expelled the import and export activities too. In India, total cases reported as of now are sky shocking despite of lockdown started by Indian Government named as lockdown one from 22nd March 2020. Total days of lockdown and unlock is counted is around 100 days.  Within 100 days India has suffered a lot of problems and adversely affected largely on manufacturing, service, and supply chain activities because of negative influence of COVID- 19 virus. Indian economy has also affected negatively on GDP of the country. As this COVID- 19 has affected 360 degrees round the clock such as rapid rise unemployment, decrease in government income, stress on supply chain management, plunge in fuel consumption, collapse of the hotel and tourism industries, collapse of hospitality, reduced consumer activity and global recession in supply chain, import export etc. In the present paper have discussed the influence of COVID-19 on Indian Market Operations such as employment, service industry and SCM in India.

Ms. Tess MacMillan completed her master’s studies at Carleton University. She conducted her research for her thesis on Niagara wineries. Her research interests lie in the proliferation of eco-certifications and how they benefit or hinder business practices, with a particular focus on the agriculture and aquaculture sector.

Canadian wineries must be sustainable to export their products through achieving sustainable accreditation. However, research proves that there are barriers to the adoption of ecologically sound practices. This research examines how certified wineries perceive organic, biodynamic, and sustainable certifications and how certifications can be improved to encourage more wineries to acquire an eco-certification. Through 14 semi-structured interviews, wineries shed light on the barriers that hinder wineries from considering eco-certifications and how the barriers could be addressed. The results reveal that organic, biodynamic, and sustainable certifications could be lessened by reframing the certification and provide governmental support.

Dr. Tina Blossom Francis is a doctorate holder in the area of commerce. Her focus areas of research being Women Workforce, Work Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, Information Technology Sector etc. She has published 8 research papers in International Peer reviewed journals. She has been into teaching the graduate and post graduate commerce students in the state of Kerala, India and her main subjects being accounting, financial management, financial services, etc.

Mr. Rajesh P. is the head of the Department of Economics in Government Engineering College, Thrissur, India. He is a resource person in Research Methodology and Statistical Techniques and has organized several workshops and seminars in the same. He has an experience of 17 years as faculty in economics and management. He serves the academic fraternity in the areas of research, statistics and economics.

Dr. Ebby Joseph Idicula is a doctorate holder and a research guide of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India and heads the Department of Commerce of BAM College, Thuruthicad, Kerala. He has 15 years of experience as an academician in the field of commerce. His areas of interest being financial accounting, financial management and statistics.

This study examined the incidence and covariates of job satisfaction of women in Kerala’s information technology (IT) sector. Data for the study was collected from 360 women employees from Kerala’s IT sector using the stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests revealed the existence of job satisfaction, albeit moderately, among the women employees in Kerala’s IT sector. Additionally, the study attempted to identify the important covariates of job satisfaction using multiple linear regression, for which ten factors were tested as the covariates, keeping job satisfaction of the employees as the response variable. Results brought to light that except for the experience of the employees, the age of the employees, policies of the companies regarding work-life balance (WLB) of the employees, the support from work-domain, work-life balance of the employees, marital status, having children or not, type of family of the employees, and the level of designation of the employees were recognized as the significant covariates of the job satisfaction of the women employees in Kerala’s IT sector.

Dr. A. Ansari, PhD., CPIM, is a Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Seattle University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Lincoln-Nebraska and has published in Decision Sciences, International of Journal of Production and Operations Management, International Journal of Production Research, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, Industrial Engineering, Journal Purchasing and Materials Management, Production Planning and Control, and Journal of Systems Management. Journal of Transportation Security, Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics, and International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Sustainability: The Journal of Records, Sustainability.

Dr. Batoul Modarress, PhD., is a Professor of Management at the American University of Malta. She holds an MS in engineering and a Ph.D. in quality control and reliability. Dr. Modarress has over 20 years of industry experience, including the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, Kawasaki Heavy Industry, Inc., and Science Applications International Corporation. She is the co-author of a leading text on Just-In-Time purchasing and written articles for such journals as International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, International of Journal of Production and Operations Management, International Journal of Production Research, Production and Inventory Management, Journal Purchasing and Materials Management, Production Planning and Control, and Journal of Systems Management, Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics, and International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, Sustainability, and Sustainability: The Journal of Records, Sustainability.

Alexander Ansari is a graduate student at the American University of Malta. He received his BS from Seattle University. He has published in Sustainability: The Journal of Records, International Management Review.

Today, most manufacturing value chains are created outside of companies. Manufacturers seeking long-term value creation have become increasingly dependent on their suppliers to design and manufacture certain parts and subassemblies. To meet customer demand and maintain profitability, companies need flexible supply chains and production capabilities. The purchasing function plays a significant role in fulfilling company goals through supplier selection. This article briefly reviews current studies in supplier selection criteria. It also discusses the concept of "order winners" as a new approach to supplier selection. This article intends to inspire academics and business people to examine the order winner approach in supplier selection.

Mr. Ashish Kathale is an Assistant Professor in the School of Commerce at MIT World Peace University, Pune. His research interests lie in the fields of Taxation, Accounting, Banking and Financial Markets. He taught the following courses: Accounting, Financial Management, Direct Tax, Costing related subjects and Decision science at Undergraduate and Post-Graduate level. He has also interested in Administrative work and done and currently he is a program head for B. Com and B. Com Hons and Academic head for school of commerce. ashish.kathale@mitwpu.edu.in

Mr. Jayesh J Jadhav is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and Commerce at PES University, Bangalore, India. His research interests lie in the fields of Business Finance, Banking, Taxation and Financial Markets. He has been studying the ever dynamic Indian Stock market and has a strong inclination towards huge market movements. The impact of one small change affects the entire chain in the global market, and that appears fascinating to him. He has taught the following courses: Banking Operations Management, Indian Financial System, Indirect Tax Laws, Business Laws, Financial Management and many more. His teachings focus on Academic development along with adopting a pragmatic approach towards the concepts taught, which makes his teaching experience effective for students. As a researcher, he has studied his interested domains for months, and is now trying to achieve a breakthrough at the new unexplored arenas of the Indian Financial System extensively. jayesh.jadhav@pes.edu

Ms. Shreeya Rajpurohit is an Assistant Professor in the School of Commerce at MIT World Peace University, Pune. Her research interests lie in the fields of Behavioral Finance, Financial Inclusion. She teaches/has taught the following courses: Financial Accounting, Corporate Accounting, Financial Management, Cost and Management Accounting, Strategic Cost Management at Undergraduate and Post-Graduate level. shreeya.rajpurohit@mitwpu.edu.in

Liquidity, being one of the cardinal principles of bank lending, acts as a game changer for the survival and success of banks. However, considering the changing nature of lending in India in recent times and the complex nature of loan requirements, keeping up with the changing pace seems like a tough pathway for most of the banks to adapt to .Moreover, with the help of the PMAY scheme, an opportunity for every individual to buy his own house appears as icing on the cake. The crucial factor is the rate at which home loans are made available by commercial banks in India. Considering the RBI norms, it is mandatory for banks to maintain the requisite norms on SLR and CRR while maintaining the quantum of profitability and still keeping the steep competition in view. This research studies the trend of the statutory liquidity ratio of commercial banks in India and its proportionate impact on the bank’s lending capacity of housing loans. For this purpose, data from the last 5 years has been collected and analyzed  for the leading private sector banks currently operational in India, namely HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, AXIS Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and YES Bank . The data collected is analyzed using correlation analysis (Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient). For testing the hypothesis, an ANOVA test has been used for deriving further results. This research paper uses applicable research tools in order to achieve the desired results while maintaining the required quantum of accuracy. The reduction in the SLR ratio by RBI and its subsequent impact in reduction of home loan interest rates are analyzed to provide a tabular presentation, describing the proportionate change in the latter. The results derived from the data collected and analyzed aim to provide a scope for further study on the subject matter. It also aims to understand the proportionate impact of changes in SLR to a bank’s lending capacity, which also may be adopted as a suggested measure for banks to develop a reliable framework for sound lending and increasing overall efficiency.

Professor James “Wes” Rhea is a Senior Lecturer of Information Systems and the Director of the Hughes Leadership and Career Program in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of information systems, business process management, online learning, and information security. He has contributed to various published articles. Prior to teaching, he held executive level positions as Vice-President, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Information Officer in the telecommunications and healthcare sectors.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Cluster. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a tenured Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Dr. Sarah North is a tenured faculty member of Computer Science Department, College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North’s Doctorate degree is in Computer Science/Educational Technology and Leadership/Administration. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing K-12 community service in computing areas for over two decades at higher education institutions. She has been successfully involved in the research in the areas of, human-computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and a number of technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Security Agency (NSA).

Dr. Cyril Okhio is a faculty of Electrical Engineering in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University. He is registered as a Chartered Professional Engineer with the Council of Registered Engineers, United Kingdom UK; a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, USA. Dr. Okhio has carried out experimental and numerical investigations of, and developed statistical analysis tools and computer codes, for the calculation of complex flows. He has been co-PI in a few successful NSF efforts in the past. He is currently involved in multi-disciplinary research and development concerning Vehicle to Vehicle, Human to Vehicle Interaction and communication, under the purview of a Transportation, Vehicular Systems and Safety Engineering hub, within the Simulation and Visualization Research Cluster.

Dr. David Garofalo is a tenured Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University where he studies the interaction between black holes and magnetic fields in an attempt to understand the enormous amounts of energy generated in active galaxies. Dr. Garofalo has experience in simulation, data analysis, and scientific visualization apparatuses and techniques; specially implemented for black hole magnetospheres, the environments near black holes where strong electric and magnetic forces are thought to dominate dynamics. Dr. Garofalo has numerous high-ranking publications (conference proceedings and journals) in his field. He has been involved in several grants, including a NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis.

The purpose of this report is to explore the impact of mobile applications on the healthcare industry, focusing on four main areas: improved access to healthcare, improved patient engagement, improved patient safety, and improved business models. This report also provides information regarding the security risks associated with the use of mobile applications as they pertain to the healthcare industry. Specific engineering applications of technology in healthcare are also presented, and we include concise examination of companies and corporations who utilize mobile applications to increase their efficiency.

Dr. Sukhmeet Kaur is a goal-oriented HR professional with five years of teaching experience. She earned her Ph.D., M.Phil. in Management from Dayalbagh Educational Institute, (to be Deemed University) in Agra in 2015. She completed her MBA in HR in 2010 with distinction. She has published 13 research papers. She has participated in 14 conferences, 20 webinars, 6 FDP, and 7 workshops/seminars in her career hierarchy. Her expertise embraces human resources management, organizational behavior, research methodology, and HR Analytics. She is Assistant Professor at Dr. Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune, India.

Prof. Anuj Kumar is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, Delhi. He is pursuing an Executive-Ph. D in management from Aligarh Muslim University (Central University). He holds a double master’s degree in management with a specialization in International Business. He has published research papers in reputed SCOPUS/Web of Science/ABDC/UGC Care Journals. Prof. Kumar has more than 100 citations on Google Scholar. He attended/organized more than 40 conferences (National/International/ICSSR) and 30 FDPs. He is also the editor/reviewer for ABDC, and Scopus indexed journal. He has also organized various FDPs, MDPs, and AICTE sponsored conferences.

Educationists in India facing heat in terms of changing competency requirements and challenges. The quality of education depends on effective teaching methods and the efficiency of learning. The application of emotional intelligence in and outside the classroom improves teaching-learning processes, as it involves positive psychological behaviors and active interaction to speed up the emotions involved in the learning process. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, it is more challenging to balance online classes and personal interaction to realize, understand, and regulate the emotions of the students. Therefore, the study explored and analyzed the literature on emotional intelligence in the education industry concerning students. Additionally, the study aimed to measure the emotional intelligence of management students on an instrument based on 33-items measured on a 5-point Likert scale from seven management colleges including both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The responses were collected from 450 students of various management colleges of Pune city using an online survey questionnaire. The study also put some light on demographic traits and digital tools used by them during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to maintain online classes conceivable and includes suggestions for academic institutions in the context of emotional intelligence and technology acceptance by the students.

Ms. Richa Banagiri is a Statistician & Managing Director of Stats Adda, where she provide assistance to scholars in statistics services, data processing, and analysis. She has an expertise in softwares like SPSS & AMOS. In addition, Richa has 16 years of working exerence with MNCs like Walmart, Amazon, Medlife etc. She also has one research paper in her credit.

Dr. Bharati Yelikar is working as associate professor in Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed-to-be University, Pune since 2012. Her overall work experience is of 22 years. She is B.E. (Inst.), M.C.A, MPhil and Ph.D. She has eight research papers to her credit.

Dr. Aruna Dev Rroy is a PhD in Management working as an Assistant Professor in Royal Global University, Assam. In her decade long academic career she has a book on marketing management, numerous book chapters, multiple research papers, newspaper articles, and magazine write ups in her credit. She has also participated in FDPs and various national and international conferences. Her area of research includes green marketing, skill management, general marketing and advertisement and its related discipline. Her book on basic marketing management is widely appreciated by readers.

 is a PhD in Management working as an Assistant Professor in Royal Global University, Assam. In her decade long academic career she has a book on marketing management, numerous book chapters, multiple research papers, newspaper articles, and magazine write ups in her credit. She has also participated in FDPs and various national and international conferences. Her area of research includes green marketing, skill management, general marketing and advertisement and its related discipline. Her book on basic marketing management is widely appreciated by readers.

The study is focused on gauging the impact of vocational guidance as professional support for finding the right career path. Students in their adolescence want proper advice for the right career selection. Both vocational guidance and counseling processes ease the decision of making a career choice. As a result, our young people will have a better understanding of their unique personalities and interests as they select a career path that will allow them to live independently in the future without having to worry about landing a white-collar job or getting stuck in a dead-end job market. Therefore, it becomes imperative to aid students before they take a plunge into setting out on any occupation in life with the goal that they settle on a correct decision.

Dr. Sanjay Manocha is working as an Assistant Professor with Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Institute of Management and Research, New Delhi which is a constituent unit of Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Pune having 'A+' Accreditation (Third Cycle) by 'NAAC' in 2017, 63rd Rank among Universities by NIRF-2020. He has 20 years of work experience in industry and academics. His areas of interest are services management, entrepreneurship development and integrated marketing communication. He has a PhD in commerce from CCS University, Meerut, M.Phil in management from CDLU, Sirsa, and a diploma in entrepreneurship from EDI Ahmedabad. He is an arts graduate with a double Master’s in Business and Public Administration. Skilled in Selling, Training, Lecturing, Mentoring and research. He published a number of research papers both in National and International Journals and attended no. of FDPs, workshops, seminars and conferences both at National and International level. He possesses the ability to bring out the best in others while creating a healthy and friendly work environment, thus enhancing operational efficiency and optimizing resource utilization.

Dr. Pankaj Saini is having 15+ years of working experience in diverse fields of Banking, Insurance, IT and Education sector. He has gained well understanding about the working culture, processes and systems of these sectors. Currently working in Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Institute of Management and Research, New Delhi which is a constituent unit of Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Pune having 'A+' Accreditation (Third Cycle) by 'NAAC' in 2017, 63rd Rank among Universities by NIRF-2020, as an Assistant. Professor (Jan 2010 –till date).

Big data has recently become commonplace in a wide range of research fields. Big data is defined as "datasets that are larger than the capacity of traditional database software program equipment to capture, store, manage, and analyze" (Manyika et al., 2011, p. 1). Nowadays, large data sets enable educational institutions to conduct organizational analytics and carry out new business intelligence using a learning control system. This data visualization allows you to assess overall performance indicators in coaching, management, and research. Actual-time analytics provide the ability to tune people and provide interventions to improve learning by reshaping and personalizing learning experiences. The education sector has faced several challenging situations in terms of coaching effectiveness, student acquisition and retention, and ineffectiveness in storing, processing, or studying data. The goal of this study is to examine the challenges of implementing big data technology (BDT) in higher education institutions (HEIs). This study provides a foundation for future research and highlights new insights and guidelines for the successful use of big data in education.

Dr. Nityananda Barman is currently working as an Assistant professor, Department of Statistics, B.N. college Dhubri, Assam, India. He got Ph.D., M.Sc. in Statistics and B. Ed. from Gauhati University, Assam. He has 20 years of teaching and research experience in the science world. He has published two statistical based books for college students and contributed 6 chapters in one guidebook of Common Entrance Test (CEE). He has published 17 papers (both international and national) and presented 9 papers in national and international conferences. He has also participated in 20 Webinars, 5 FDP and 9 Workshop. He has also guided three PhD students. He is a member of Assam Science Society, Assam College Teachers Association (ACTA) and a of editorial board of the journal “Bholanath College Science Journal” published by B.N. College, Dhubri, Assam, India.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant impact in education, resulting in shifts of the traditional education into online education. This study discusses the application of various e-learning tools, their pros/cons that affect the adoption of the right tools to facilitate educational processes. When we compared different video conferencing tools, Zoom was in the first position, followed by Google Meet and Microsoft Team. Google Meet can be used by all people without any hesitation. Google classroom is mostly preferred by students. There is limited research on this subject, which is a great challenge. To choose the right technology for education, research should be conducted on all available online tools.

Dr. T. Shirmila is an Assistant Professor of Commerce serving at Madras Christian College, Chennai for 23 years. ‘To Value every individual’ has been the motto of her life. She did her M.Com., MBA., MPhil. and Ph.D. in Commerce from the University of Madras. Completed IIT Delhi Management Executive Program on Strategic Innovation, Digital marketing and Business Analytics. She has been the Research Supervisor and guide for many Doctorate and MPhil students. Her international exposure includes Leadership Training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA, visiting scholar at International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan, panellist at leadership Seminar Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines. Director for Semester in India program of Davidson College, North Carolina, USA. Awards conferred include ‘Candy T. Eng Fellow’ (International fellowship) ‘Mrs. Lalitha Sadasivam Excellence Award’ for outstanding Women Professor (2018-19) Madras Christian College. She has presented several papers in national and international conferences, published several research papers in peer reviewed, UGC CARE and Scopus journals, has contributed chapters in books, completed many research projects. As HR trainer she has trained many students and faculty at the national level, organized many FDP, Webinars and Workshops. She has been invited as the resource person and session chair in many Conferences. She is certified as an ‘Innovation Ambassador’, by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell & AICTE. She is an exponent in the field of Sustainability, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Development, General Management, Financial Management and Business Analytics.

Ms. Udhaya Rekha Completed her B.Com., M.Com., and MPhil in commerce at Madras Christian College. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Commerce from the University of Madras. She is a physically challenged person since birth. Her passion for learning has encouraged her to pursue higher goals in life. She received an award from the late former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the academic excellence representing MCC College. She had a career span teaching Commerce in a MPB Government Girls High school and later as Assistant Professor of Commerce at Dr. M.G.R.Janaki College before joining full time to pursue her doctorate. She has presented several papers in national and international level conferences, won best paper award and has published several research articles in journals.

The traditional classroom environment and learning experience are replicated through the virtual training environment. The study focuses on the value created through efficient online training programs for IT employees. A training program needs to address specific requirements of distinct groups with respect to their technical exposure, experience, age, duties, and responsibilities imparted to them, rather than developing a general training program for all the employees. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of IT employees towards virtual training (e-training) and e-learning. A sample of 153 respondents employed in IT organizations in Chennai was selected for the study. A method of non-probability sampling, convenience sampling was employed to select the samples. A questionnaire was used as the study instrument. Statistical methods adopted are descriptive statistics used to explore the perceptions of the IT employees regarding e-training factors. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of virtual training. The impact of the effectiveness of e-training was assessed using multiple regression analysis. SPSS v23 was used to analyze the data. The reliability of the study is confirmed as 83.6% (Cronbach’s alpha =0.836). Results confirm that perceived ease of use, behavioral intention, and perceived usefulness of e-training has more impact on e-learning. Since virtual training allows many groups together through the same platform at the same time across the world, virtual training has been identified as the best alternative for a face-to-face training sessions in on-campus training sessions. Transfer of knowledge and learning are, thus, maximized with the help of the advancement in the technology, which enables easy accessibility and offers learning for all. A thoughtfully, well-designed online training program for IT employees will enrich and systematically enhance their KSA in the digital world.

Dr. Papari Nayak, a Ph.D. holder in Management Discipline, is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, Golaghat Commerce College, Golaghat. She has to her credit numerous research papers, book chapters, participation in FDP and various national and international conferences. She had also been invited as a guest speaker to deliver a lecture on “Presentation Skills” at Department of English, Golaghat Commerce College.

Dr. Aruna Dev Rroy is a PhD in Management working as an Assistant Professor in Royal Global University, Assam. In her decade long academic career she has a book on marketing management, numerous book chapters, multiple research papers, newspaper articles, and magazine write ups in her credit. She has also participated in FDPs and various national and international conferences. Her area of research includes green marketing, skill management, general marketing and advertisement and its related discipline. Her book on basic marketing management is widely appreciated by readers.

The fast spread of online retailing has paved the way for creating opportunities for both retailers and customers. The e-commerce strategies provide numerous merits to their users in their day-to-day life. The e-commerce tasks help customers by reducing shopping time and money spent. With increasing acceptance of online retailing in the past few years, consumer issues with respect to ethical conduct are also on the rise. The paper highlights the perception of customers towards the ethical issues of online shopping.

Dr. Garima Kohli is presently working as a Lecturer at The Business School, University of Jammu. She has eleven years of teaching experience. She got Ph. D in Management from The Business School, University of Jammu in 2020. She completed her MBA with specialization finance and HR from University of Jammu in 2008. She has qualified NET in Management in 2012. She is the member of GAP (Grand Academic Portal). She has published research papers in various reputed journals. She has attended 25 international/national conference/seminars, 15 webinars, 5 FDP’s and 4 workshops. Her research interest includes investment behavior, mutual funds, organizational behavior and financial management.

Dr. Saloni Devi is an Assistant Professor in The Business School, University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Her areas of interest are Strategic Human Resource Management, Organizational behavior. She has published more than fifteen research papers in prominent national and international journals. Her recent research projects are in SHRM, talent management, leadership styles, employee engagement and investment behavior.

Liberalization, privatization, and globalization have opened up numerous vistas for value creation and management, especially in capital and money markets, for the nation. Indians are traditionally known for their orientation towards savings and safe investments. For boosting the development of the economy and making India more innovative, savings and investments are essential. Stock market investment is one such option, as it fulfills all the objectives of investors. India is an emerging market, and mutual funds in India are still developing. With the increasing importance of mutual funds in India, international entrants have flooded the market. Thus, the mutual funds in India are becoming an important investment vehicle that is gaining momentum. The purpose of the present research is to classify the schemes that are most preferred and to study the relationship between demographic factors, SIB (savings and investment behavior) and IMF ( investment in mutual funds) in the UT of Jammu. The respondents are mutual fund investors of the select private and public sector mutual funds operating in the UT of Jammu. From the public sectors, there are UTI and SBI mutual fund schemes, whereas, from the private sectors HDFC and ICICI Prudential mutual funds are used for the study. Convenient sampling technique have been applied to draw sample of respondents. The tools used in the study are percentages, average, standard deviation, ANOVA and correlation. The finding of the study signifies that there is a significant association between demographic factors, SIB and IMF.

Mr. Altaf Yousuf Mir, Ph.D. Research Scholar who is now in MATS University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. A Medical graduate & Post Graduate MBA in Hospital Administration from Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi. One Year Advance Diploma in Computer Software from IICE, New Delhi. More than 12 years of experience in the field of Hospital Administration,

Dr. RashmiVaishya is currently working as an Assistant Professor in MATS University, Raipur Chhattisgarh, She is a fellow (Doctorate) from National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NIITE), Mumbai. She belongs to HR and OB domain and owns 15 years of experience as on date including research, corporate experience and academia

Dr. Sadhna Bagchi is currently working as an Assistant Professor in ITM University, Raipur Chattisgarh, She awarded her Doctorate in commerce from State University Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur in 2017, She belongs to Finance, Accounting and Research domain with 15 years of experience as an date research, corporate-experience and academia. She is also reviewer in ABDC and Scopus indexed journal. She is also organized national level webinar, workshops. She has been invited as session chair and an Expert in various FDP and Conferences.

Quality is the differentiator that differentiates a service provider from others. It provides a competitive edge over other providers. Though hospitals offer similar services with varying degrees of quality, it has become one of the differentiating factors that establishes a distinctive advantage. Private or corporate hospitals give much more emphasis to the quality of the services and cost reduction. At the health care delivery system level, the framework provides an overview of health system quality problems. It becomes essential to consider and differentiate the human and technology aspects to develop a broader view of quality care. Favorable health care outcomes, like reducing mortality, decreasing morbidity, increasing life expectancy, and good quality of care are growing more rapidly. When expectations grow, at some point there may be some disappointment, also. Hence, meeting the growing expectations becomes essential. Patients’ expectations may differ according to geographical locations, education level, culture, and economies (out-of-pocket expenditure). In this paper, a comparative study has been done between the two major public and private hospitals in Raipur city. The data used in the analysis is primary data, and it was collected from the three stakeholders: in-patients, OPD follow-up patients, and the attendants of the patients.

Dr. Sondeep Kaur pursuing Ph.D from Punjabi University, Patiala and working at General Shivdev Singh Diwan Gurbachan Singh, Khalsa College, Patiala. Her area of research is combination of Finance and Marketing. She is goal oriented and presented papers in many International Conferences and got published in reputed journals.

Dr. Baldeep Singh is currently working as Assistant Professor, Department of Basic & Applied Science, Punjabi University, Patiala. He has vast experience of teaching and Industry. He has completed his Ph.d in 2011.He has guided many research scholars in different areas of research. Many of his papers are published in reputed journals.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has sent the Indian economy into a recession that has never been witnessed before. COVID-19 affects the economy with a contrasting impact on different industries. India’s economy faces a long stagnation period due to the country’s prolonged lockdown. The worldwide economic downturn results in disruption of demand and supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic across the nation is expected to have an impact on the country’s overall financial system. The one-of-a-kind and unprecedented nature of this crisis created difficult new circumstances, including economic shutdowns and physical separation. The year 2020 marks a turning point in the insurance industry. Many insurance providers were forced to rethink their business operations and customers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper will, therefore, help emphasize the significance of health insurance during the pandemic and analyze the impact on the health insurance industry of COVID-19, covering the challenges faced by health insurance companies and the possible solutions to handle those challenges. This paper does not have a specific purpose; it provides generic and general information regarding the effect of COVID-19 on the health insurance sector of India.

Ms. Ruth Felicita completed her B.Com., from Mar Gregorios College, M.Com., from Stella Maris College and M.Phil., in commerce at Madras Christian College. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Commerce from the University of Madras. She had a small stint of teaching career in the Department of Corporate Secretaryship at Mar Gregorios College before joining full time to pursue her doctorate. She participated in “The 33rd International Seminar of World Federalist Movement” held at Ventotene, Italy. She has been invited to give guest lectures in seminars and has presented papers in national and international conferences. She has presented one of her research papers in the 150 hours of continuous presentation recognized by the World Book of Records, London. She has also won the best paper award. She has published papers in the fields of Marketing and Strategic Management.

Dr. T. Shirmila is an Assistant Professor of Commerce serving at Madras Christian College, Chennai for 23 years. ‘To Value every individual’ has been the motto of her life. She did her M.Com., MBA., MPhil. and Ph.D. in Commerce from the University of Madras. Completed IIT Delhi Management Executive Program on Strategic Innovation, Digital marketing and Business Analytics. She has been the Research Supervisor and guide for many Doctorate and MPhil students. Her international exposure includes Leadership Training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA, visiting scholar at International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan, panellist at leadership Seminar Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines. Director for Semester in India program of Davidson College, North Carolina, USA. Awards conferred include ‘Candy T. Eng Fellow’ (International fellowship) ‘Mrs. Lalitha Sadasivam Excellence Award’ for outstanding Women Professor (2018-19) Madras Christian College. She has presented several papers in national and international conferences, published several research papers in peer reviewed, UGC CARE and Scopus journals, has contributed chapters in books, completed many research projects. As HR trainer she has trained many students and faculty at the national level, organized many FDP, Webinars and Workshops. She has been invited as the resource person and session chair in many Conferences. She is certified as an ‘Innovation Ambassador’, by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell & AICTE. She is an exponent in the field of Sustainability, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Development, General Management, Financial Management and Business Analytics.

The purpose of this article is to recognize if the body image perception among plus size consumers have an impact on fit related issues faced by them when they purchase clothes. The fashion industry has come to a point of “size acceptance” where designing clothes for plus size is taking up the market to the next level. Future trend shows a huge rise in the consumption of plus size women clothing when compared to the consumption of men and children apparels. A sample of 102 respondents has participated in this study which is descriptive in nature. A non-probability sampling method, convenience sampling method was used to select the sample respondents. Consumers who are plus size women and who purchase plus size readymade apparels are the inclusion criteria for the samples collected. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to explore the constructs of this study. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation modelling was used to confirm the factors and develop a model for Body Image Perception. Cronbach’s Alpha value derived was 0.872 and indicates that the overall reliability of the study is 87.2%. SPSS v21 and SPSS AMOS v21 are the packages used to analyze the data and draw the SEM model. The results of the study have brought out the relationship between functional fit, aesthetic fit and social comfort of plus size apparels showing the influence of Body Image Perception on all the three. It is observed that Social Comfort is the strong predictor of Body Image Perception followed by Functional Fit.

Mr. Amol Kumar (B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration from IHM Bangalore; MBA from Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune; Master of Arts in Tourism Management from IGNOU, New Delhi and an Advance Diploma in Management from AIMA, New Delhi), presently a Research Scholar (Ph.D. Reg No. GL 3769) pursuing Ph.D.(Business Administration) at AIMA-Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh and is also a full time faculty of M.Sc. Hospitality Administration program at NCHMCT, Noida (An autonomous body under Ministry of Tourism, Government of India). He has attended and also conducted several FDPs, MDPs, participated in several conferences, seminars and workshops and has also underwent Certified Learning Facilitator(CLF) certification on the lines of LHC, a subsidiary of Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland. He brings along with him more than 16 years of experience (in organizations such as ITC Windsor, Bangalore; Baljee Group of Hotels, Bangalore; The Oberoi’s New Delhi; The Raj Palace, Jaipur; The Home Store India Ltd., New Delhi; TMI Group, Mumbai and Amrapali Group, Noida) including more than a decade of academic experience. His research papers have been published in leading journals including SCOPUS indexed, UGC Care listed and peer reviewed. At present he is also an editorial board member of NCHMCT for releasing research books, conference proceedings, journal, etc. His area of interest include: Research Methodology, Hospitality based management subjects such as Management functions and Behaviour, Properties Development and planning, Materials Management, Sales Management, etc.

Dr. Asif Ali Syed, B. Sc. (Phy), MBA, Ph. D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies and Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. He is a full-time faculty for the last 23 years, and teaches e-Marketing, Retail Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Export Import Process and Documentation. He is also the founding team members of the South Asian Federation for Entrepreneurial Education and Research (SAFEER). Prior to joining academics, he had a brief industry association with Shell and Phoenix Electrics. He has authored three books and his publications are in more than 60 reputed national and International journals.  As well a reviewer for many international journals.  Also, being widely travelled, he is a presenter and invited key note speaker in both national and international conferences. A visiting faculty a several reputed institutes like NCHMCT Noida, IHM Srinagar, IHM Jaipur, EDI Ahmedabad, NIFT, HIMS and Royal University of Bhutan. He does consultancy and corporate training besides being a full-time research guide for a number of Techno Management Research projects. The 28 plus research projects guided for PhDs include Infrastructure and Alternate green Energy ventures, Public sector undertaking projects, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bio Entrepreneurship,  CRM design in Banking Industry, Retail, Digital and Social Media marketing as also social community group projects too. Also, a participant in the Govt. of India’s Digital India initiative project, the ePG Patshala, a Ministry of Education Project- National Mission on Education through ICT, of MHRD, he developed 40 E Content modules as Paper Coordinator for Skill Development and Social Entrepreneurship which have been of use for students worldwide.

Dr. Ajay Singh is presently working as an Associate Professor at ABES Engineering College Ghaziabad. He is having PhD in Management -Marketing Area from Jaypee Business School NOIDA, a constituent of Jaypee Institute of Information Technology NOIDA along with BTECH (Electronics) & MBA (Marketing & Finance),UGC NET qualified in Management, With total experience of Thirteen years out of which he has worked in corporate for three years with Matrix Cellular International Services Pvt Ltd, New Delhi and Compare Infobase Ltd, New Delhi. Approximately Ten years of Teaching experience with Invertis University Bareilly and ABES Engineering College Ghaziabad.

Information and communication technology (ICT) advancement has created a plethora of opportunities for several business sectors, especially the industries that include star-classified Indian and international hotels. However, several business areas lack the required support system (digital challenges) for such areas as lack of education, training, and the capacity for building up of local people. Hoteliers promoting hotel rooms mimic home-based rooms are almost gone; it is just not feasible to keep up due to rapid changes in technology. It was observed that a hotel’s tech cycle is much speedier than its refurbishment cycle. This research study was conducted in order to discuss the top 16 digital marketing challenges and their best possible solutions in the international hotel industry. The study’s objective was to explore the digital sustainability for star-classified Indian and internationally classified hotels in the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was qualitative and explorative in nature.

Dr. Douglas McWilliams is an assistant professor in the Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia, where he teaches operations management and supply chain management courses. He holds MS and PhD degrees in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, respectively. His research focus has been on the application of operations research tools to solve complex operations and supply chain management problems. Lately, he has focused on behavior operations and supply chain management. His research has been published in scholarly journals such as Computers and Industrial Engineering and Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Management. Email: dmcwilli@westga.edu

Dr. Christopher Torrance is currently an Assistant Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration at Savannah State University. His primary research interests focus on organizational behavior and humanitarian relief. His primary teaching interests are organizational behavior and leadership. Dr. Torrance holds a doctoral degree in management from Jackson State University. Email: torrancec@savannahstate.edu

MaQueba L. Massey is a doctoral candidate in the Management Department at Jackson State University, one of two doctoral-granting HBCU's in Business. Her research interests focus on blockchain technology, financial inclusion, diversity and inclusion, and women leaders. MaQueba's dissertation examines blockchain technology and diversity strategy's impact on financial inclusion. Email: maqueba.l.massey@students.jsums.edu

Dr. Phylicia G. Taylor is currently an Assistant Professor of Management in the School of Business and Industry at Florida A & M University in the Marketing & Management department. Her primary research interests are job satisfaction, Millennials, well-being, business and the environment, gender, and diversity. Her primary teaching interests are organizational behavior, HR, and business policy. Dr. Taylor is a member of the FAMU National Alumni Association, Management Faculty of Color Association, The PhD Project, and Black Women PhDs. Email: Phylicia.taylor@famu.edu

Disasters wreak havoc on state, local, and international communities year after year with increasing devastation, loss of life, and economic impact. Weather disasters can have lasting implications for supply chains for all industries, including food, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.  As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to ravage countries worldwide, research supports that a man-made disaster like COVID-19 can be just as devastating as a natural disaster. Emergency management agencies must focus on investing in strategic partnerships and the role of complementary and idiosyncratic resources to respond to these disasters. The research contributes empirical evidence collected from emergency management agencies that provides insight into the perception of the value of partnerships. The study evidence suggests partnerships impact the relationship between emergency agencies and complementary and idiosyncratic resources.

Dr. Betsy Sparks is an experienced engineer, engineering manager, business analyst, and educator. She served as VP of Academic Programs, Dean, and Program Chair at several universities in the southeast. Her research interests include Business Intelligence, leadership, decision making, and innovative work behavior and has been published in several journals. She currently operates her analytics consulting firm, serves on dissertation committees for several universities, and teaches classes for Grand Canyon University and Point University.

Dr. Jack McCann currently serves a full-time appointment at Purdue University Global as Course Lead and Graduate Professor of Human Resource Management. He also teaches courses in management, marketing, and other business topics. In addition, he has an active publishing record in leadership, management, marketing, emerging markets, and strategy topics. He also has many years of management experience in manufacturing, business ownership, and customer service.

As the global business environment faces uncertain times, scenario planning can assist companies with developing strategies for sustainability. Scenario planning is a tool that can help managers with the post-pandemic future of work. Traditional management theory may not address the volatile changes in the work environment after the pandemic. For example, the telecommunications industry was impacted due to human resource issues and shifts in the demand for service. Using scenario planning, telecommunications companies can build scenarios to promote strategic planning and adapt to the new environment. Four scenarios were developed to address possible futures for Telco and assist in strategic planning.

Dr. Ying Wang, DBA, CPA is a professor of accounting at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana. She has done extensive research in the financing accounting area. Her major research interest is financial accounting and reporting. Email: ywang@msubillings.edu

This study analyzes employment data during 2020. Industry-wide and overall employment data across different regions in the U.S. are analyzed. Population density plays a big role during this pandemic. Employment in densely populated areas is more affected than less populated areas. The employment population ratio decreases 7.57% in the most populated areas, while it decreases 3.37% in the least populated areas during 2020. While employment decreases across all sectors, leisure and hospitality is by far the most affected industry. Financial activities, trade, transportation, and utilities fare the best during this pandemic.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Gregory Quinet is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Executive Director of the Shore Entrepreneurship Center in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research interests and teaching are in business strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and supply chain management. He is an SCM thought leader in global implementations of logistic solutions and corporate innovation on global supply chains. Prior to academia, he led numerous leading supply chain management technology companies supporting the Fortune 500 market segment.

Utami Kitajima is Senior Manager of Marketing and Customer Support at Competitive Insights, LLC. She is responsible for project management, marketing and customer support. She also provides guidance on strategic business analysis and business process development including a collaboration with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a sustainable supply chain during a catastrophic event. She is also an instructor of profession education courses on Integrated Business Planning, Supply Chain Cost-to-Serve Analytics and Supply Chain Risk Management at Georgia Institute of Technology.

The main purpose of this concise exploration is to probe into the supply chain risk as a barrier to trade, particularly focusing on the global supply chain aspect. Specifically, this article explores whether implementing a global supply chain enhances the possibility of supply chain disruptions and, therefore, becomes a barrier to trade. A conventional recommendation asserts that senior management must conduct a trade-off analysis to help evaluate the benefits of various supply chains versus the increase in costs due to supply chain disruptions. The structure of this article briefly presents the following components: introduction/background, global supply chain, disruption in the global supply chain, global supply chain risks, and conclusion.

Dr. J. R. Smith joined the Jackson State University Faculty some 40 plus years ago in 1970. Dr. Smith earned his doctorate over forty years ago from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a major in Marketing and minors in Management and the Behavioral Sciences. The MBA degree in Marketing was received from Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia in August 1967 and the B.S. degree in Accounting/ Economics was received from Savannah State College, Savannah, Georgia in May, 1966. Dr. Smith presently serves as Professor of Marketing in the Department of Business Administration. During his tenure at the University, he has served in several capacities such as Chair, Department of Marketing, Director of MBA Program and Assistant Dean, School of Business. Dr. Smith teach senior level marketing courses and doctoral dissertation research in management. Dr. Smith’s research in the field of Marketing has been outstanding and ongoing. He has published in refereed journals to cite a few: Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Review of Business Research, Academy of Taiwan Business Management Review, Journal of North American Management Society, The Journal of Contemporary Management Research, Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives, Research Journal of Business Disciplines and Academy Entrepreneurship Journal. Dr. Smith has also published in several refereed proceedings in the Management and Marketing disciplines. Dr. Smith is an active member of the American Marketing Association, Alpha Mu Alpha Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, Southern Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, and Who’s Who in Academia.

Dr. Johnny L. Lowery is currently teaching at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, He teaches business communications, organizational theory and behavior, and management information systems. Prior to entering academia, Mr. Lowery spent 12 years active duty in the United States Air Force and over 25 years in corporate America. His corporate experience includes several years in the poultry industry, holding positions in quality control, live production, and production management. Dr. Lowery is a member of the PhD Project, an organization founded upon the premise that advancements in workplace diversity could be propelled forward by increasing the diversity of business school faculty. He is also a member of the Academy of Management (AOM) and the Southern Management Association (SMA), where he served as a reviewer for journal article submissions.

Dr. Alisa Mosely serves as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Jackson State University. Dr. Mosley previously served as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tennessee State University (TSU). Her academic career also includes an appointment as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at TSU. Prior to TSU, she served in numerous capacities at Jackson State University as a faculty member in the College of Business, director of the Center for University Scholars, and executive director for Academic Quality. She was also president of the Faculty Senate. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Florida A&M University and a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

The purpose of this research was directed toward an assessment of the influence of demographic and psychographic characteristics of purchasing agents on their perception of supply disruption risk in two areas, (1) a potential threat or opportunity presented by a disruption, and (2) probability of occurrence of a disruption. We drew on bounded rationality and risk perception behavioral theories to assess the relationships among perception and demographic and psychographic characteristics. The random sample was comprised of 370 middle-level purchasing managers. Hierarchical regression analyses  were performed on the six study hypotheses, and four were supported.  Our results show that the influence of attitude was supported at both levels of the perception and the dependent variable. The application of the theories and the findings indicate that the influence of demographic and psychographic variables on perception depends on the supply disruption situations.

Dr. Alaka N. Rao is an Associate Professor in the School of Management in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University. Dr. Rao received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, and her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Rao’s research centers on how individuals and groups work in complex organizational settings. Her research has examined the management of collaborations across geographical and organizational boundaries, including global teams and biotechnology startups. Her work has been published in management journals, such as Journal of International Business Studies and British Journal of Management.

This study examines the concept of market orientation and its relationship to the performance and innovation of global teams.  First, the concept and measures of market orientation are clarified, scales are developed that distinguish between cognitive and behavioral dimensions.  Employing these measures, the impact of cognitive and behavioral market orientations is then tested on team outcomes in a sample of managers dispersed across countries. Findings reveal that cognitive and behavioral market orientations were positively related to team performance and innovation.  Behavioral market orientation was found to partially mediate the cognitive market orientation and team innovation relationship.  Findings from this study not only contribute to the understanding of the concept of market orientation, but also offer insight into how market orientation influences the performance and innovation of global teams.

Aaina Dhingra is a research scholar working at University Business School, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Her area of research is Retailing and neural network in marketing. She did MBA in Retail Management with specialization in Marketing from Panjab University Chandigarh. She has distinguished academic record and was a gold medalist in MBA. She has commitment to her research work and has quite a few publications in reputed journals.

Dr. Rishi Raj Sharma is Professor (Business Management) and Associate Dean at Guru Nanak Dev University RC, Gurdaspur. He has 20 years of teaching and research experience. He is an avid researcher of repute having over 50 research publications and 2 books to his credit with leading publications in Emerald, Sage, Inderscience etc. He is received the Gold Medal and Research Award for Best Empirical Research by Indian Commerce Association at an event hosted by Bangalore University. His research areas are Advertising, Knowledge Management, and Consumer Behavior.

Dr. Rama Bhardwaj is an associate professor working in the Department of Computer Science & IT in DAV College, Amritsar. Her area of research is Knowledge Management and neural networks. She is a passionate researcher and has publications in journals of repute.

The present study aims in exploring the theoretical base of neural networks as further complimented by genetic algorithms. The proposed model exhibits how neural networks guided by genetic algorithms can be employed to analyze  the aspects by which customers’ intentions are affected through interaction with multiple variables used for determining overall retail shopping values. The study suggests a framework consisting of genetic algorithm with a proposed  artificial neural network, which is implemented in three stages. The study concluded that neural networking complimented by genetic algorithms will track and achieve better model interpretability in the brains of persons to judge consumer response behavior  in retail businesses.

Neha V Batra (Research Scholar) is pursuing PhD. from I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar in the area of Human Resource Management – Psychological Contract, Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Employee Turnover Intention. She has over 11 years of experience in academic leadership, teaching, research and training. She also has several international and national publications to her credit.

Dr. Sandeep Kaur (Research Scholar) is currently working as Assistant Professor at Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Ludhiana. She has over 15 years of teaching experience, research and training. She also has several international and national publications to her credit.

The Psychological contract is one of the vital aspects in determining the relationship between employer and employee; however, digital transformation has resulted in dearth of talent in organizations and, furthermore, an increase in employee turnover intentions, which is very expensive to any organization. The insurance sector is not an exception to it. The current study aims to examine the relationships between  psychological contract (PC),  organizational  citizenship  behaviour (OCB), and  employee turnover  intention (ETI), so as to develop inquisitiveness among managers in the insurance sector regarding the variables used in the study and to provide them with the implications to increase PC fulfilment, OCB, and to diminish their turnover intentions. A sample of 667 full-time employees from the Indian General Insurance Industry were selected; a linear structural equation model (SEM) was developed to examine the relationships. The results demonstrate significant positive relationship between PC and OCB and a negative relationship between PC and  ETI and OCB and  ETI.  The study recommended organizations and their executives induce efforts to fulfil the PC of their employees and enhance OCB to retain the employees for longer duration.

Praveen Nayak is Principal of Vivekanand Institute of Management, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India. He is a Research Scholar of VTU Belagavi pursuing research on CSR for his PhD studies. He teaches General Management, Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He is a freelance consultant and a Resource Person for Government Organizations and Business Associations. He coordinates Blood Donation activities and is also involved in social welfare activities. His other research area is related to infrastructural barriers to growth.

Dr. Preeti Patil is Assistant Professor in Management and teaches Marketing, Research Methodology and Strategy. She has been a Resource Person for several Workshops on Research Methods and also in FDP’s. She is also an author and has published Research Articles in numerous journals relating to Marketing and Consumer Behavior. She is actively involved in Quality Assurance and Quality Control measures of the Research Centers. She also coordinates Career Guidance and Campus Placement activities.

A practical and integrated approach, based on a study of local demographics and economy, in the form of creating  women’s  self-help groups and making them self- sustaining as a part of CSR activities, has been taken up by UltraTech Cement Adityanagar, Malkhed. While companies are spending huge amounts in areas of their own interest, there is also an effort to learn from creative and innovative ideas being implemented to make CSR more effective and purposeful. One of the focus areas of CSR  activities is  sustainable  livelihood under which UltraTech Cement has helped by  creating 120  women’s  self-help  groups in 21 villages located near the factory that have benefitted about 2000 families economically and socially. Women’s  self-help  groups have the potential to not just improve the socio-economic status, but also bring about social transformation through empowerment and improving overall quality of life. The Human Development Index, an important indicator of quality of life, needs to be improved, especially in the rural areas of backward regions, such as  Kalaburagi, the area of study of this paper. The efforts of UltraTech Cement, Malkhed Plant, through their CSR Wing Kagina Jan Seva Trust proves that while some CSR  activities may be more visible, popular, and recognized, the creation, guidance and pushing of the SHG’s towards self-sustenance has the potential to bring in sustainable and long-term improvement in the overall quality of life of these villages, especially, among the families of the members of the SHGs.

Dr. Rajanikant Verma is presently working as Associate Professor in the Department of Commerce, Zakir Husain Delhi College Evening (University of Delhi) with more than 20 years of extensive academic and professional experience. He has completed his Ph.D. from Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. He holds his all degrees of B. Com (Hons.), M. Com. M. Phil. from University of Delhi. He has also completed LL.B. Degree from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi and “O” Level in Computer from DOEACC Society. Dr. Verma has written several books in the area of Attitudinal Changes, Corporate Social Development, Human Resource Management, Cyber Crimes and Laws, Business Laws and Industrial Laws. He has organized more than Twenty Seminars, Conferences, and Workshops etc., in the different capacity and has presented more than Forty Five Research papers in various National and International Seminars, and has published more than eighteen Research Articles in various reputed Journals and Edited Books.

Ms. Laxmi, Assistant Professor at Department of Commerce, Vivekananda College, University of Delhi. She is pursuing Ph.D from Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi .She has done M.Phil from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), M.Com from SOL and B.Com (H) from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi. Her Specialization is in Marketing. She is teaching in University of Delhi since 2011.She has attended and presented research papers in various national and international conferences. She has participated in various Faculty Development Programmes and Workshops. She has publications in journals of repute. She is also a member of Indian Commerce Association.

Dr. Shafaq Zareen, Assistant Professor at Department of Commerce, Vivekananda College, University of Delhi. She has done Master of Business Administration from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) and Master of Commerce from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi and “O” Level in Computer from DOEACC Society. She is specialized in Human Resource Management. She is having more than 10 years of teaching experience in various universities to mention some are University of Delhi, Royal University of Bhutan, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Maharishi Dayanand University and Guru Jambheshwar University. She has attended and presented research papers in various national and international conferences. She has participated in various faculty development programmes. She has publications in journals of repute. She is a life member of Indian Commerce Association and Indian Accounting Association-Delhi Chapter.

LinkedIn, the world’s largest network for working professionals, has become very vital for job-seekers in developing countries due to rising uncertainties and job-hooping. This study investigates whether LinkedIn users are familiar with  different features of LinkedIn in Delhi-NCR. A cross-sectional survey was carried with 76 respondents cum LinkedIn users from various sectors and organizations, responded to an online questionnaire concerning LinkedIn. The respondents, aged 20 to 40, are majorly post-graduate degree holders followed by under-graduate students. Around 40 percent of them created LinkedIn accounts due to job search and often update their profiles as they got new skills or achievements as almost all of them feel it highly secure. We also found that 40 percent of respondents are not aware of at least one of the LinkedIn features asked about in the questionnaire. Such detailed insights, including what other features participants would like to see in LinkedIn, have helped us to form the basis of recommendations for enhancing user interaction.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Mark S. Hiatt is a tenured Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Kennesaw State University in the Michael A. Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality. His research interests include leadership theory and development, interpersonal trust and higher education teaching methods.

Graham H. Lowman is an assistant professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at Kennesaw State University in the Michael A. Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality. His research interests include person-environment fit, psychological network analysis, leadership, and emotions in the workplace.

Mark S. Hiatt is a tenured Associate Professor of Management in the Leven School at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of business strategy and performance.

Yana Perros is a summer 2021 MBA candidate at Kennesaw State University. Yana holds two BBAs in Marketing and Finance from the University of Georgia. Yana is currently employed by Porsche Cars North America as an Area Customer Experience Manager. After the completion of the program, Yana plans to pursue her PhD and someday apply her business experience as a professor.

Salary compression between job levels and across industries is analyzed utilizing 25,000 plus responses to a popular management blog. The analysis finds that salary compression between job levels differs by industry. Low levels of salary compression are characterized by bureaucratic industries and those dominated by small businesses. High salary compression is found in capital intense industries and those with strong manual labor components. The findings of this study provide useful information for those interested in salary compression.

Mr. Sange Gombu is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Commerce at Government College, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India. His research and teaching interests are in the area of accounting, tourism & hospitality. He is also doing his Ph.D research in Tourism and Hospitality at Rajiv Gandhi Central University at Doimukh, India. Presently, he is also involve as Institute Nodal Officer in All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) and Institute Coordinator in National higher education mission (RUSA). So far, he has presented more than three research articles at national level.

Tourism and hospitality is  one of the largest and fastest-growing industries and a key driver for the rapid growth of the service sector in India and the world. On the back of huge tourism potential in the country, the hospitality industry presently employs about 2.5 million people and also provides support to other allied industries. As per the Directorate of Tourism and the government of Arunachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, over the past few years, has observed a rapid rise of tourists’ inflow, which has led to an increase in its share in the state’s economy. The Bomdila-Tawang tourist circuit is one of the important tourist circuits that has  contributed to boosting tourism in the state. The main objective of the paper is to determine the factors contributing to the efficiency of the hotels in the Bomdila-Tawang tourist circuit. The Bomdila-Tawang tourist circuit, which offers a rich flora and fauna, is the best way to enjoy scenic beauty along with recreational activities, and it has been found to be an effective tool to improve the livelihood of people and boost economic growth in the region. The present study employed data envelopment analysis (DEA) and BCC and CCR models in order to measure the efficiency of hotels in the Bomdila-Tawang tourist circuit. DEA is a non-parametric technique of estimating the efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs). The efficiency of a firm is calculated by comparing output with input, i.e., efficiency equals  output/input. The present paper employs four inputs and two outputs in order to measure efficiency using DEA-CCR and BCC models with a constant return to scale (CRS) and a variable return to scale (VRS) assumption. DEA in hotels is mostly applied in order to find out overall efficiency, managerial efficiency, and scale efficiency. It is found that hotels are doing better in outputs than inputs. Infrastructure is still a bottleneck for the development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the Bomdila-Tawang tourist circuit.

Dr. Perini PraveenaSri has been accredited with academic qualification of Post- Doctoral and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Prestigious Universities of IGIDR, Mumbai and Central University, Hyderabad. Possessed with teaching and research ability skills spanning over a period of 18 years at various esteemed organizations at National and International level. Have won Gold Medal at Post Graduation level for Academic Excellence and notable achievement awards titled Kalpana Chawla Award for notable contribution in research projects connoting to the specialized field of Energy Economics.

The principal aim of this research study is to espouse top notch protein sources regarding standard wholesome calorie consumption that revitalizes the human framework with optimum health benefits perfected with utilitarian sustenance of customers. The study also entwined exploratory study with a sample of n= 25 participants and assessed consumer perceptions about wholesome protein bars by employing Staple Calorie Share Model. The paramount part of the study involved application of Descriptive Statistical Models coupled with Multivariate Analysis. The investigational outcomes revealed that price and selling costs have tremendous impact to the level of 81 percent on sales of Kellogg’s products.

Prof. Shaan Malhotra is working as an Assistant Professor in Marketing Department at Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore, India. Her areas of academic interest include Marketing Management, Service Marketing, Advertising and Brand marketing. She has completed various certifications in Digital Marketing. She has around 9 years of extensive and excellent experience in Academics. Before joining Prestige she has worked with Global Institute of Management and Research (Jabalpur). She has attended and presented papers in various National and International Conferences. She has also attended various development programs like Case Writing Workshop, Research Methodology Workshop and Faculty Development programs.

Dr. Khushboo Makwana is presently working as Assistant Professor in Marketing Department of Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR), Indore, India. She has twelve years of teaching experience and two years of industry experience. Her areas of interest include subjects like Advertising, Brand Management, Marketing, Digital Marketing and Events. She is a recognized Ph.D. Guide of Management in Devi Ahilya University, Indore. She has also received two best research paper awards from the institutions like SP Jain Mumbai, JBIMS Mumbai. She has worked as referee in editorial review board of NOLEGEIN Journal of Advertising and Brand Management, NOLEGEIN Journal of Consumer Behavior and Market Research, Journal of Scientific Research and Reports. She has done corporate training for the Post and Telegraph department.

This study aims at studying the behavioral format followed by the customers choosing online food platform. As there is a paradigm shift in the lifestyle of the individuals, due to the busy schedule, the consumers have started ordering food from the various mobile apps due to reasons like convenience, taste, ease etc. Food sector being the major contributor in the Indian economy was analyzed closely to chalk down the dominant factors. The study was majorly done on the people residing in central India ordering foods through online food delivery apps. This exploratory study used linear regression and Factor Analysis. The study highlighted that digital marketing has a substantial impact on online food delivery apps and there are eight major factors that affect the consumer buying behavior. This study will also provide useful implications to the marketing managers of food industry as well as academicians and will offer them useful insights about the consumer behavior towards online food delivery apps.

Prof. Sudeepta Banerjee is working with MIT -WPU (formerly MIT PUNE), India, from 2008. She is also Executive Member for International relations and branding for MIT- WPU. She is pursuing Ph.D in E- Commerce. She has done her Master’s in computer application (M.C.A) from Dr. BAM University Aurangabad, in 2004, and Bachelors in science from Government College of Arts & Science Aurangabad, in 2001. Prof Sudeepta has participated and done paper presentation in 20 National and 5 International level seminars, Workshops. She has authored books in DBMS and Data Structure, Cyber law, MIS, Information security.

Dr. T.J.Vidyasagar, Ph.D (Management), from the prestigious Symbiosis International University, India, followed by PG Qualifications in Faculty of Commerce, Management and Law. . Currently employed with, MIT World Peace University, Pune (SOM-PG) as Professor for MBA, and Research Guide. He has more than twenty-two years of experience, has attended more than 45 National and International Conferences/Seminars. Has presented and published Research Papers in National and International Conferences, He was Head of School and Dean (Management) before joining MIT School of Management –PG, He has also conducted FDP’s and MDPs.

This study is an attempt to develop a scale for exploring impact of various risk  dimensions and trust factor on young Indian shopper’s online purchase behavior. Based on the literature synthesis, conceptual model was designed and tested on a sample (n=123). After checking overall and construct wise reliability, EFA was performed and three factors (Financial and Convenience Risk, Perceived Trust and Product and Delivery Risk) were extracted, accounting for 54.8% of total variance. Comprehensive coverage of all major risk dimensions and trust in a single construct to measure the impact on young Indian shopper’s online shopping behavior is the major contribution of this study. Statistical validation of revised conceptual framework on a larger sample size is the future agenda of research. After validation, this study is expected to act as the foundation for future investigations in impact of various risk dimensions on online shopping behavior in Indian context.

Dr. Rajwinder Kaur is Ph.D. in Management from the Institute of Management, Nirma University, India. She had done her post-graduation in HRM from Punjabi University, Patiala. She has around 6 years of experience in corporate as an HR Manager. This helped her to bring first-hand experience in end-to-end HR processes. Her research interest is in Employer Branding, Employee Engagement, Recruitment, and employee behavior. She has attended various national and international conferences and published papers.

Dr Reena Shah, a Ph. D. in Management from Nirma University, India, holds over 20 years of industry and academic experience. She is a certified trainer by Thomas International and has conducted various training programmes for reputed organisations like the MICA, Adani, NDDB, Nirma University (ADR) Cell, NTTTR to name a few. Dr. Shah has edited three books and has 27 publications in reputed national and international academic journals, chapters in edited books and over 7 presentations in international conferences held outside India. She is an editorial review member for 2 international peer-reviewed journals. She is a member of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), Indian Society of Training and Development (ISTD) and Work-Family Researchers Network (WFRN). Her research interests include Work-life Balance and computer-mediated behaviour in form of Selfies and Emojis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered the functioning of economies, societies, organisations, and individuals across the world. Popular and social media are highlighting all the grim facts and stories associated with the prevailing situation. The current study aims to explore the positive crisis management interventions made by organizations worldwide with a focus on the constructive HR initiative. Content analysis and a word cloud of content from varied public sources were used as methodology. Leveraging Technology, Capability Development, Empathy, Employee Wellness, Collaboration, Communication, and Action-Oriented Leadership emerged  as crucial HR initiatives taken by small and large organizations. These HR interventions have found safeguard employee wellbeing and support the smooth functioning of business in the given crisis.

Dr. Surabhi Goyal is a management graduate from Institute of Management Studies & Research, M.D.U, Rohtak, M. Phil from CDLU, Sirsa and Ph.D. from GGSIPU, New Delhi, India. She has published more than a dozen papers in various national and international journals, conference proceedings and presented many papers at national and international conferences organised by eminent institutes of India like IIM, Kozhikode, National Institute of Technology, Uttarakhand, GGSIPU, Delhi and many more. She has participated in various FDPs organised at IIM, Kashipur, GGSIPU, Army Institute of Management & Technology, Greater Noida and Army Institute of Education, Greater Noida. Her areas of interest are Corporate Finance, Personal Finance, Investment Banking, Income Tax, Accountancy, Intellectual Property Rights and Banking & Insurance.

Dr. Shruti Gupta, is currently working as Associate Professor - Human Resources, with a PhD from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India. She is a Certified Psychometric Testing professional from HR- UdaiPareekh’s Lab and has designed and conducted FDP on Psychometric Testing & Counseling for HR Managers. She has published research papers in National and International Journals of repute and has also written case studies in Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation. She was awarded certificate of Accredited Management Teacher (AMT) by AIMA in the field of Human Resources. She has developed and conducted a customized MDP for Judicial Officers and Court Managers of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Her areas of interest are Learning & Development, HR Analytics, Competency Mapping and Performance Management.

Performance of Indian Banking system has improved manifolds since the past two decades. Major and repetitive corporate restructuring was being followed throughout the world. Most of the mergers failed due to mismanagement of the post-merger scenario. This paper gives an insight into the post-merger scenario of Indian Banking system between 2001 and 2018. The impact was studied from both Finance and HR perspective using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Content analysis wherein 13 cases including both public and private banks have been considered. Results have shown that the HR scenario of the post-merger banking sector has been more successfully tackled than the financial scenario. In this study, based on literature reviewed, certain input and output performance variables were identified. After  analyzing different factors playing a vital role in merger of public and private banks, an attempt is made to understand the criteria to be kept in mind for future bank mergers.

Dr. Swati Chauhan is an alumna of IIFM, Bhopal, India and has over eleven years of experience in academics and research. She has published 13+ research papers in different academic journals of national and international repute. As an active member of professional bodies like AIMS International, NHRDN and Indian Accounting Association, she has participated and presented research papers in various National and International conferences. Her areas of interest include Microfinance, Access to finance to MSMEs, Impact assessment and evaluation studies, Financial Econometrics, Financial Modeling and Agricultural financing.

The objective of this study is to measure the financial efficiency of 46 NBFC-MFIs for the time period of 2009-2010 and 2015-2016 by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This research paper is proposed a unique way to select the appropriate DEA model for measuring efficiency. Efficiencies are calculated on various input-output model specifications. All possible outcomes are examined using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). PCA will analyze why a certain DMU achieve a certain level of efficiency under a specified model and help in identifying the best specifications. PCA will also help in the ranking of DMUs and rankings are independent of Constant return to scale and variable return to scale method.

Prof Umang Mehta has been associated with Prestige Institute of Management and Research, India, as an assistant professor and has experience of 7 years in the field of education. Prior to this, he served into industry for two years in the field of insurance and investment. His research area of interest includes Derivatives and Insurance. He has published more than 10 papers and cases in International and National Journals. He has conducted training programs for the employees of leading insurance companies in life and non-life business and continuously providing his consultancy and counseling in the area of Insurance and Investment.

Dr. Minal Uprety has done Ph.D is Statistics, Master of Science in Statistics and Master of Business Administration in Operations Management. She has 12+ years of experience in teaching. She is a recognized Ph. D supervisor in the faculty of Management, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidhyalaya, Indore. She has published 25+ research papers in several national and international journals. She has also attended and presented papers in national and international conferences. Her research area of interest includes Statistics, Operations management and Service Quality.

Derivatives were developed with the intention to give risk management platform through hedging to investors. This study is conducted to give insight on the factors affecting participation of retail investors in derivatives market, and was carried out in tier II cities of Madhya Pradesh, India. After applying factor analysis complexity to understand, profit maximization, information and knowledge, guidance and recommendation, and risk management emerge as the factors affecting retail participation in the derivatives market. The results highlight the importance of effective financial education in stock market for investors that not only increase investor’s confidence but also boost their participation.

Dr. Sachin Lele is as faculty in Marketing and Chairperson-Executive Education Program at International School of Business and Media, Pune, India. He has completed his doctoral study in the area of online customer centricity from Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune. His research interest lies in studies on online consumer behavior and customer centricity. He possesses more than 15 years of experience in corporate, academics, consulting and research.

Dr. Snehal Maheshkar is a Ph.D. guide and associate professor at GBSRC, Pune- India. She has published various research papers in Indian and International Journals. She has worked with some of the renowned management institutes in India. Her research interest lies in marketing strategies and human technology interaction.

Study explores gender wise determinants of online shopping intentions amongst existing online shoppers in India. Research framework was developed by integrating Perceived Trust into TAM construct and was tested on samples of male (n=432) and female (n=275) respondents. With statistical tools such as EFA, CFA and SEM, Perceived Usefulness was validated as antecedent of male respondent’s intention to continue with online shopping while Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Trust determines intention to continue amongst Female counterparts. Exploration of gender  specific behavioral determinants in Indian context is the major contribution of this study. Study is expected to help e-retailers in understanding gender specific engagement factors and managing customer loyalty.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology.

Dr. David Garofalo is a tenured Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University where he studies the interaction between black holes and magnetic fields in an attempt to understand the enormous amounts of energy generated in active galaxies. Dr. Garofalo has experience in simulation, data analysis, and scientific visualization apparatuses and techniques; specially implemented for black hole magnetospheres, the environments near black holes where strong electric and magnetic forces are thought to dominate dynamics.

Ransomware continues to be a growing threat to the data files of individuals and businesses. While ransomware attacks against corporations, government, and critical infrastructure, entries are growing rapidly, attacks against individual consumers are shrinking. Not only have the ransomed attacks become more frequent, they have become more severe. New versions of the malware appear frequently and are empowered to avoid antivirus and intrusion detection methods. In this concise report, we extend our original ransomware evolution, mitigation, and prevention article by presenting a few highlights of the recent growth and shifting target. Furthermore, COVID-19, an unexpected threat, and brief prevention sections are presented.

malware, ransomware, ransom

Satheesh Kumar M, a student of PGDM (Marketing, Business Analyst, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (CGPA_3.79) at Woxsen University, who holds a bachelor of technology degree (CGPA_8.07) at PSG College of Technology and has cleared the preliminary section of Industrial Engineering at Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIIE). Satheesh’s specific areas of interests: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), Natural Language Processing, Data Analytics (Big Data), Marketing Research, Marketing Analytics, Business Development, Business Analytics, Text mining & Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Content Writing. He is also a blogger and an assistant columnist.

Dr. Samala Nagaraj holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Hyderabad. He has nine years of experience in teaching and five years in research. His areas of interest are Marketing and Business Analytics. He was awarded UGC NET-Research Fellowship in 2012. He has presented papers in conferences hosted by IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Shillong, and Great Lakes Institute of Management. He has published several research papers in reputed international journals indexed in SCOPUS, ABDC, and SSCI. His research areas include customer engagement, customer experience, transformative service research, marketing analytics, and marketing research methodology.

The present article highlights the significance of what and how artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications enhance the customer experience by elevating the quality of the service delivered by the banking industry. A systematic study of the literature concerning the various emerging applications of artificial intelligence and its impact on the banking sector is presented in this research paper. A thorough review of the existing literature is systematically undertaken to discuss the applications of AI in banking. Artificial intelligence certainly enhances the banking experience of millions of customers and employees in the banking sector. AI facilitates various processes to reduce the employees’ workload by furnishing credit score checking, system failure prediction, emergency alarm systems, fraud detection, phishing website detection, liquidity risk assessment, customer loyalty evaluation, and intelligence systems. On the other hand, customer experience is upgraded through diverse applications, namely, mobile banking, chatbots, and augmented reality.

banking sector, artificial intelligence, customer experience, service quality

Dr. Dwight D. Ham, DBA, Chair, Department of Business Administration, The Master University. Dr. Ham has taught in the adult singles ministry and has utilized his Master’s in Biblical Counseling degree from The Master’s University to counsel people in marriage and single life. With more than 45 years in business, Dwight Ham has been affecting positive change, taking organizations to the next level, and expanding business and financial operations across diverse industries, including financial services, banking, business equipment systems, and broadcast technology. Dr. Ham has served as a CFO, COO, and a member of various Board of Directors managing financial reporting, accounting, P&L, and operations.

Dr. Katherine N. Yamamoto received her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in Management concentration from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. She teaches Management courses for Eastern Oregon University; She also instructs in the EOU’s Agribusiness Program. She has food industry work experience and is fluent in both English and Japanese. Her research interests are in sustainability, business ethics, cross-culture, food supply chain management, and diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Dr. Robert Lloyd teaches management courses at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. He has also led students on travel courses to the Caribbean and Latin America. Research interests include motivational theories, CSR, and interpersonal leadership. In addition to research and teaching backgrounds, Robert Lloyd brings ten years of industry experience managing his own fertilizer merchandising firm and real estate investments and working as a commodities marketer for Koch Industries. He spent several summers on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska as an outdoor adventure guide and manager and served one season as auxiliary staff at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

This qualitative case study interviews a U.S.-based company, which uses the Maquiladora manufacturing process in Mexico, to understand the benefits and challenges of using the Maquiladora program. The study found that the Maquiladora process is generally beneficial for this company to maintain its economic competitiveness globally. This study's limitation is that this is only one example out of many U.S.-based companies that use the Maquiladora process.

global supply chains, exports, manufacturing, Maquiladora, Mexico, United States

Dr. Karabi Goswami is an MBA and PHD. She is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration, NERIM Group of Institutions, Assam, India. She has done her PhD in the area of Emotional Intelligence and interested in conducting more research in the same field as well in the areas of Employee Engagement, Human resource Information System and Business Ethics. She has published many papers in reputed journals.

Dr. Monoshree Mahanta is an MBA and Ph.D. She is currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Gauhati University, Assam, India. Her research Interests include areas such as Corporate Governance, Business Ethics, Emotional Intelligence and Employee Wellbeing.

Emotional intelligence has been found to play a vital role in successful performance of individuals, which leads to organizational effectiveness. The objective of this paper is to examine whether emotional intelligence can be a predictor of job performance and which dimension of emotional intelligence impact performance the most. This paper also aims to study the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance in the presence of two contextual factors viz., emotional labor and job autonomy, and whether the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance is stronger in case of sales jobs. The data for the study were obtained through a questionnaire survey of 400 employees working in three service sectors (insurance, banking, and telecom) in Guwahati, Assam. Emotional intelligence was measured using a standardized test consisting of 22-items. Employees’ performance was measured based on supervisory ratings on a scale of 1 to 5. The results revealed that emotional intelligence is a strong predictor of workplace performance with emotional competency explaining the highest variation in performance (35%). The relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance was found to be stronger for individuals whose job involves greater amounts of emotional labor and for jobs with high autonomy, and for sales jobs. These findings have great implications for policy makers and human resource managers, as they can now understand the significant role emotional intelligence can play in the performance of employees in managerial positions whose job involves high autonomy and in the case of front-line service personnel whose jobs involves high emotional labor. Hence any effort on the part of HR managers to train service personnel on emotional intelligence will help these personnel to handle emotional labor and cope with emotional stress in a much better manner, thereby leading to lower employee turnover.

emotional intelligence, performance, emotional labor, job autonomy, sales jobs

Dr. Ishani Patharia is a faculty at Department of Commerce, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur Kalan Sonipat, Haryana, India, since April 2012. She has published papers in journals of national and international repute. Her interest areas are Green Purchase Behavior, Corporate Social Responsibility and other issues related to Sustainable Development.

Ms. Anjana Pandey is an Assistant professor and research scholar in Department of Commerce, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Viswavidyalya Sonepat, Haryana, India. She has published papers in consumer behavior and intention of students towards entrepreneurship. Her interest areas are marketing and entrepreneurship.

Communication is an integral part of human beings. The traditional communication systems (telephone) have been replaced by the modern and advanced ones (mobile phones) to a large extent due to ease and promptness of communication. Customers have become increasingly important for the telecommunication industry since the introduction of the facility of mobile number portability. The challenges of retaining existing customers have increased for the telecom service sector in the competitive business environment. Therefore, it is important for the telecom industry to create satisfaction and loyalty in their customers and reduce their switching behavior. Therefore, this article is an attempt to identify factors affecting the customer satisfaction and loyalty towards mobile network service providers through the review of literature that has been published in various reputed academic journals from 1999 to 2020. This paper will help the telecommunication industry to know about the factors that are important for customers so that they will be capable of making pragmatic and effective future strategies. Results reveal that customer satisfaction, service quality, corporate image, trust, and perceived value are the most important and studied factors and value added services; switching barriers and commitment are the least studied factors that have affected customer loyalty towards mobile network service providers.

customer loyalty, service quality, customer satisfaction, cognitive, affective, behavior

Rani Jaiswal, a qualified NET-JRF scholar, obtained her MBA in Human Resource Management from Gauhati University, Assam in 2013. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from the Department of Management and Business Studies, Jamia Hamdard University, a deemed to be university and an institution of excellence declared by UGC and MHRD, Government of India, New Delhi. She has published papers in an international conference, UGC approved Journal & UGC- care listed. Her main areas of interest encompass Organizational Behavior, Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

Dr. P.s. Raychaudhuri is a faculty in the school of management and business studies, Jamia Hamdard University, a deemed to be university and an institution of excellence declared by UGC and MHRD, government of India. He has worked in industry for 18 years in senior managerial capacity along with hands-on supervision handling a large workforce in production and customer support. He has also spent 4 years in entrepreneurship before joining academics since last 13 years. He has an engineering background with post- graduation.

The research paper empirically explores the power of Perceived organizational Justice and organizational Learning Culture on employees’ organizational commitment. The investigation was initiated in Indian private hospitals of Delhi-NCR with a capacity of over 300 workers. In this research, the terms health professionals, work force, and human resources are applied, involving physicians, nurses, and paramedics. From a total 630 distributed questionnaire among health professionals, the researcher retrieved 500 valid responses that were employed for analyzing the constructs. The information has been analyzed by using descriptive analysis and inferential statistics. The researcher stated that both Perceived Organizational Justice, Organizational Learning Culture are firmly related to and having significant impact on Organizational commitment. The findings are discussed for their managerial implications in the health care sector.

learning culture, organizational commitment, organizational justice, social exchange theory

Mrs. Tina Blossom Francis is a full-time research scholar of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India and has acquired post graduate degree in Commerce as well as Management. Her main areas of research being human resource management focusing on women workforce, Work Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, Information Technology Sector etc. She has published seven research papers in International Peer reviewed journals. She is currently working on four other research papers as well. She has been into teaching the graduate and post graduate students in the state of Kerala, India and her main subjects being accounting, financial management, financial services, etc.

Mr. Rajesh P is the head of the Department of Economics in Government Engineering College, Trissur, India. He is a resource person in Research Methodology and Statistical Techniques and has organized several workshops and seminars in the same. He has an experience of 16 years as faculty in economics and management. He serves the academic fraternity in the areas of research, statistics and economics.

Women in the information technology (IT) field are a group that faces problems with maintaining Work-Life Balance (WLB), primarily because of the nature of the industry's work. This study aims to examine the prevalence of WLB among the women workforce in the information technology (IT) sector of Kerala, a state in India; the study examines the patterns of the WLB in terms of its size and a few important socio-demographic factors. The study is based on a cross-sectional data set collected from 360 women employees employed in the IT sector of Kerala. The study revealed that, albeit moderately, WLB prevails among the women employees in the IT sector of Kerala. The strength of their WLB was not different across their marital status, type of families in which they reside, age categories, and the designation level of the employees. However, the WLB of the women employees having children was significantly lower than that of the employees having no children. The WLB of the women employees whose spouses were in business was significantly lower than that of the women employees whose spouses were doing other private and government jobs. Childcare responsibility and insufficient support from businessmen who were also husbands tended to adversely affect the WLB of women in the IT sector of Kerala.

information technology, Wlb index, work-life balance, women workforce

Dr. Juanita Stewart is an Information Technology advisor to Senior Leadership in the Department of the Army. She holds a Doctorate in information technology, information assurance & security, a Master of Science degree in information technology management, and a Bachelor of Science in Management. She aspires to share life lessons learned as a wife, mother, 30+ years in the Information Technology field, and to learn from others.

Author's E-Mail: jcistu@gmail.com

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore small business end-users' experiences and challenges with cloud data storage and security perceptions of cloud emerging technologies security tools. Cloud data storage security is critical to business success, as more small businesses are moving to cloud data storage. The gap identified in the literature was the perceptions and experiences of end-users’ trust in cloud data storage. The central research question was: How do the perceptions and experiences of challenges with cloud data storage and security perceptions of cloud emerging technologies security tools affect the trust of small business end-users in cloud data storage? An exploratory generic qualitative study design was utilized to explore the cloud data storage experiences, challenges, and security perceptions of the emerging technologies' security tools among end-users of small businesses. The target population was 20 small business end-users from four different types of small businesses with at least one year of cloud experience within a South Atlantic state. The study findings addressed the experiences and challenges of small business end-users with cloud data storage and security perceptions of cloud emerging technologies security tools. The results found that all 20 end-users reported a lack of trust in data storage cloud security. The conclusion is that end-users questioned the protection of cloud storage data.

big data, data storage, cloud data security, cloud service provider, emerging technology security tools

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a tenured Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center/Cluster. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Due to the unforeseen pandemic, many educational institutions were forced to migrate from traditional teaching/learning methods to an online environment in a short period. This article measures the possible impacts on student learning via a three-stage evaluation process. The first stage surveyed faculty perspective on the success of the online part of the Spring semester and the second part focused on student perception of that same transition. The third stage compared results from selected traditional courses with comparable online counterparts. Overall, while many faculty were not familiar with the online teaching format, they were satisfied with the process and learning outcomes. Students also showed satisfaction with the online transition overall.

traditional teaching, hybrid delivery, online learning environment, learning management systems

Dr. Jerry S. K. Adatsi received his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in Management concentration from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, USA. He has extensive healthcare management experience in both the private and public sectors. His research interests are in healthcare management, quality management, and human resources development.

Dr. Katherine N. Yamamoto received her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in Management concentration from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, USA. She teaches Management courses for Eastern Oregon University; She also instructs in the EOU’s Agribusiness Program. She has food industry work experience and is fluent in both English and Japanese. Her research interests are in sustainability, business ethics, cross-culture, food supply chain management, and diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Dr. Robert A. Lloyd received his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in Management concentration from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, USA. Since 2017, he serves as a Management Faculty at Fort Hays State University. Dr. Lloyd’s research interests are in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and organizational management.

Performance within an organization significantly impacts success and development of the employee. Although many factors impact the success of organizations in industry, few studies have assessed high-performance government success factors. To address the gaps, this study’s objective is to explore what high-performance government success factors are by conducting a qualitative analysis. This qualitative study aimed to identify the high-performance government success factors through utilizing a qualitative case study methodology; this study uses survey interviews with human resources officers in the United States. Findings reveals high-performance government success factors, the process accomplishing high- performance government organization, and the limitations. Further, findings indicate that there is a significant lack of performance culture for the workforce within government agencies. The authors concluded that to create a high-performance government organization, the organization needs to create a strong culture, align strategies and goals of the organization with production and operations, and develop clear metrics to measure high-performance. Accomplishing a high-performance government organization requires government leadership commitment and buy-in to change management to achieve a high- performance work culture and human resources management and development strategies tailored to address the needs, mission, and objectives of government agencies. Limitations of government agency high- performance success factors unique to government agencies are discussed.

performance, high-performance, HPO government agency performance, human resource management, high performance organizations, human resource development, success factors, United States

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center/Cluster. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Professor James “Wes” Rhea is a Senior Lecturer of Information Systems and the Director of the Hughes Leadership and Career Program in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of information systems, business process management, online learning, and information security. He has contributed to various published articles. Prior to teaching, he held executive level positions as Vice-President, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Information Officer in the telecommunications and healthcare sectors.

Armon Ansari and Zachary Sellers are contributors to initial research and preparation of this article. Affiliated as undergraduate students. Information Systems Department, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA.

Dr. Cyril Okhio is a faculty of Electrical Engineering in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University. He is registered as a Chartered Professional Engineer with the Council of Registered Engineers, United Kingdom UK; a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, USA. Dr. Okhio has carried out experimental and numerical investigations of, and developed statistical analysis tools and computer codes, for the calculation of complex flows. He has been co-PI in a few successful NSF efforts in the past. He is currently involved in multi-disciplinary research and development concerning Vehicle to Vehicle, Human to Vehicle Interaction and communication, under the purview of a Transportation, Vehicular Systems and Safety Engineering hub, within the Simulation and Visualization Research Center.

Professor Lance Crimm has been the founding department chair in the Electrical Engineering department since its inception, and was instrumental in bringing several exciting and relatively new engineering degree programs to Southern Polytechnic in 2007 and 2008 such as Mechatronics Engineering among others. Professor Crimm has been a professor at Southern Polytechnic since 1997, serving in a multitude of roles as he continually seeks to savor the joys of teaching and learning from faculty, staff, and students. His research primarily consists of analyzing and conducting the effects of STEM outreach programs, both inside and outside of Higher-Ed academia. Professor Crimm is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Georgia who recently awarded him the prestigious title of 2019 Georgia Engineer of the Year.

Dr. Sarah North is a tenured faculty member of Computer Science Department, College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North’s Doctorate degree is in Computer Science/Educational Technology and Leadership/Administration. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing K-12 community service in computing areas for over two decades at higher education institutions. She has been successfully involved in the research in the areas of, human- computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and a number of technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Security Agency (NSA).

This article presents a primer exploration of the Department of Defense (DoD) industry, along with details concerning the chain of commands within the DoD and its business processes. It briefly provides an overview on Information Systems/Technology and how it is structured and implemented in the DoD. Furthermore, companies that have succeeded and have not completely succeeded in implementing information systems to their companies are included to assist in formulating a conclusion. After examining the DoD’s competitive advantages, studying the importance of the value chain, and applying Porter’s Five Forces, this article concludes that, while the DoD has its flaws, it is able to uphold its competitive strategy and be successful in part due to their utilization of a separate agency for information systems and technology.

department of defense, DoD, Industry, information systems, engineering technology

Dr. Gurumoorthi V is working as Assistant Professor in Social Work at Madurai Institute of Social Sciences. Presented papers in various academic platforms. Published 9 articles in the journal of national and international repute and authored a book. Has 5 years of teaching and 9 years of research experience. Participated in several conferences/seminars/workshops and delivered special lecture in different institutions. Area of interest includes Human Resource Management, Labour Welfare, Social Work Research, Industrial Social Work.

Mr. T. Venaktesan is Pursuing Master of Social Work in Madurai Institute of Social Sciences.

This research study aims to explore the impact of the psychological contract on organizational citizenship behavior. It focuses on, specifically, whether there is a relationship between psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior among employees. The transactional contract and the relational contract are considered as the measurement variables of psychological contract. Meanwhile, altruism, compliance, sportsmanship, courtesy, and civic virtue are regarded as the measurement variables of organizational citizenship behavior. As suggested by the organization, 60 out of 336 employees were selected as the sample for this study by adopting convenience sampling technique. To test the hypothesis, inferential statistical tests were performed to identify whether there is a significant difference in the psychological contract and the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) among employees based on socio- demographic factors and, also, to find the relationship between organizational variables. Findings have shown the psychological contract, and organizational citizenship behavior is varied as a low, moderate, or high level among employees. Furthermore, there is a significant positive relationship between psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior. Through regression analysis, it is found that psychological contract influences the organizational citizenship behavior and one of its dimensions: sportsmanship.

psychological contract, organizational citizenship behavior, variables, dimensions, impact

Dr. Sonia Bhatt is a lecturer in the Humanities and Management Science Department at Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, India. She has done Master of Business Administration from New Delhi Institutions of Management, New Delhi and Ph.D from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University. Her current research interest includes online shopping behavior, E-commerce, M-commerce, E-retailing, Digital Marketing and Social media. Her research has appeared in Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Journal, Vision Journal of Indian Taxation, other referred journal and several international conference proceedings.

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of small retailers toward online selling of products in India. This study determines retailers’ awareness of and willingness to use the bricks-and- clicks approach and the concerns of retailers for the cost of opening an online shop in an established website. This study suggests that retailers are aware of E-retailing but still are not connected to the online business, as they perceive that online selling of their products is a complex process and will incur high costs. E- commerce players should promote the facts that online selling of products is not costly and is, instead, economical.

online selling, e-retailing, electronic retailing, multi-channel retailing, retailers, omni- channel retailing

V Vasavi is working at present as an Assistant professor of Commerce at Government Degree College, Nagari which is affiliated to Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. She has entered into the field of teaching in the year 2002, by getting through the exam conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission. She has been awarded M.Phil degree in the year 2009 and at present she is pursuing the research work for the degree of Ph.D. She qualified National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) being conducted by the UGC, the regulator of higher education in India and State Eligibility Test (AP SET) being conducted by the Andhra Pradesh state government in the year 2012. She is a life member of Indian Commerce Association. She attended a number of national and international seminars and presented articles which got published with ISBN.

Dr. P Mohan Reddy is currently serving the department of commerce, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati as a Professor of Commerce. Additionally, at present he is rendering his services as the chairman of board of studies (Commerce) of S V University. He has been in the teaching profession since 1992. During his long career, he held various administrative posts such as Head of the department of Commerce, S V University, member of expert committee, National Board of Accreditation, New Delhi, an external member of board of studies of various universities etc. He is a life member of various organizations such as ICA, IIPA, AIAA, IBF and FI. He has a credit of publishing 16 books and 162 articles so far. He has successfully guided 21 scholars for the degree of Ph.D and 7 scholars for the degree of M.Phil. He received the Best Teacher Award from the government of Andhra Pradesh in the year 2017.

Insurance has been playing a vital role in advanced and emerging nations and has been recognized as a reliable tool for the mobilization of public savings. In India, the insurance sector has gone through various phases, such as deregulation, regulation, nationalization, privatization and globalization. Liberalization has paved the way for the entry of many private players that have the support of foreign partners. Since 2000, the Indian life insurance sector has been characterized by intense competition between the private and public sector players and within the private sector players. Against this backdrop, this study aims to examine the earnings and profitability performance of ICICI Life and SBI Life during the period 2010-11 to 2017-18 by employing indicators from the CARAMEL framework. For further analysis of the data, a t- test is applied, and the results of the t-test reveal that there is a significant difference in the performance of selected insurers.

ICICI Life, SBI Life, CARAMEL framework, t-test

Dr. Mahmoud Haj is an associate professor of Finance and Economics at Grambling State University Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance. He has a Ph.D. in Financial Economics, majoring in Corporate Finance, Investment and Financial institutions. He is interested in emerging stock markets and their characteristics as efficiency, volatility, and anomalies.

Market efficiency states that stock prices are fairly priced and reflect all available information in the market. The arrival of new information will be instantly reflected in the new stock prices and no investor will be able to achieve abnormal return more than the market offers. However, researchers have shown that in certain dates stock prices go up compared to the rest of the period. The dates are called anomalies or calendar effects. These anomalies have been show to exist in both mature and emerging stock markets. This paper examines the existence of three types of calendar effects; the month-of-the-year, the turn-of-year, and the turn-of-the fiscal year in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the period 1978-2018. This researcher concludes that except for the sub-period 1993-2018 where the turn-of-the-financial year is present, none of the calendar anomalies are present in the Amman Stock Exchange.

efficient market hypothesis, emerging markets, Amman Stock Exchange, calendar effects

Samit Kumar is a Graduate in Agriculture from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, India, and holds MBA in Agri-Business Management from National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, MANAGE, Hyderabad, India. He has been serving the Agribusiness Industry for the last 15 years, and has worked in various companies like Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech, NCDEX, Maple Orgtech, Mahindra & Mahindra and Camson Bio Technologies Ltd.; cutting across various functions and echelons. His area of competence and predilection includes Value Chain Analysis, Agri- Commodities-Spot-Futures-e-Markets, Digital Marketing, Agri-Input Marketing, Organic Farming, Six Sigma, Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Block Chain Technology and Scrum Framework.

The Himalayan challenges encompassing Indian agriculture at present is the deterioration of soi1l quality, the decrease in quantity and quality of farm produce, the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals and synthetic fertilizers, unattractive price remuneration for producers, exiguous water availability for irrigation, poor post-harvest practices, and unpredictable weather conditions. Corollaries to these appalling situations include growers who are further prone to distress sales, inaccessibility to formal credit, insufficient market intelligence, detachment from mainstream commercial supply chains, bleak information networks, counterfeit agri-inputs, and mediocre crop management practices. When it comes to organic agriculture, there are many hard challenges, as the protocols are much more stringent and unforgiving. Today, organic agriculture should undergo a paradigm shift from being only traditional to being organic smart agriculture (OSA) in which the technological intercropping (TI) is present with various information and communication technologies (ICTs) and digital technologies, like IoT, cloud computing and big data analytics. This would play a key role in maneuvering desirable information and tools, leading to better decision-making and risk management. Making the organic agriculture smart would involve using the latest high-yielding agricultural technologies coupled up with the value-based technological interventions for improving agricultural productivity and sustainability, all the while remaining globally competitive and environment friendly. However, given the technological complexities and asymmetry in information networks, small and marginal farmers may not be able to comprehend or come on this platform single handedly; therefore, the role of farmer-based organizations like farmer producer organizations (FPOs), farmer clubs, NGOs operating in rural areas, SHGs, rural formal credit institutions (RFCI), including micro finance institutions (MFIs), crop insurance service providers, panchayat bodies, post offices, certification bodies, etc., will be absolutely critical to strategize and execute the entire game plan. The author envisions a CONSORTIUM DRIVEN MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER MODEL (CDMSM) for providing these analytics services to the rural diaspora in a customized manner. The idea is to utilize the existing infrastructure available in rural/rural town areas by technologically upgrading them for reaching out to the organic small and marginal farmers. Hence, this would be a cost-effective and faster means to educate and coach the organic grower community. Further, the rural unemployed youths can be trained to act as infopreneurs, and they can be employed with the above-mentioned stakeholder bodies for installation of sensors and proper dissemination of information. Again, the possibility of carbon credit can be worked out, as well as once the technological intercropping takes a concrete shape as the data and information collected integrated with the upgraded infrastructure can be used to do the carbon audit, credit/debit, and trade.

ICT, analytics, big data, internet of things, IoT, cloud computing, organic agriculture, smart agriculture, intercropping infopreneurs

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a tenured Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center/Cluster. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co- principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media. Email: mnorth@kennesaw.edu

Dr. Sarah North is a tenured faculty member of Computer Science Department, College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North’s Doctorate degree is in Computer Science/Educational Technology and Leadership/Administration. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing K-12 community service in computing areas for over two decades at higher education institutions. She has been successfully involved in the research in the areas of, human- computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and a number of technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Security Agency (NSA).

Dr. David Garofalois a tenured Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, College of Science and Mathematics at Kennesaw State University where he studies the interaction between black holes and magnetic fields in an attempt to understand the enormous amounts of energy generated in active galaxies. Dr. Garofalo has experience in simulation, data analysis, and scientific visualization apparatuses and techniques; specially implemented for black hole magnetospheres, the environments near black holes where strong electric and magnetic forces are thought to dominate dynamics. Dr. Garofalo has numerous high-ranking publications (conference proceedings and journals) in his field. He has been involved in several grants, including a NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis grant (pending).

The primary purpose of this research study is to report on business students’ perceptions of critical and marketable skills as it relates to attaining job security in prosperous, innovative companies. The first phase of the study involved a case study considering a top-fifty company directed in several sections of a Management Information Systems course. A concise survey was developed and administered to students. In the second phase, responses to several open questions were solicited from students. Collected responses and data from both phases were analyzed. The findings of this study provide useful information for general business students and beyond.

marketable skills, job security, business students’ perception, management information systems

Dr. Muhammad A. Obeidat is a Professor of Operations and Technology Management. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, management science, information systems, statistics, management of technology, quality management and control, and project management. His research has been published in several journals, including the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, and the Journal of Business Administration. He has worked and consulted with several automobile vendor companies on productivity, process design and layout. Dr. Obeidat is a member of the Decision Sciences Institute, and the Production & Operations Management Society. He is currently serving as the Associate Editor of the International Management Review journal.

Whiteney Puckett MBA, is an Acoounting Controller at KSU who is Responsible for daily analysis and processing of journal entries. Responsible for monthly closing activities including preparation of journal entries and analysis of account balances. Ensure that accounting transactions comply with GAAP Work with internal and external customers concerning general ledger matters Review monthly liability reconciliations Assist with monthlu and year-end-close.

Larry Jackson, MBA, works at UPS who Assists the Asset Manager with buildings and facilities projects Provides project oversight and leadership to a variety of initiatives related to building expansions, relocations and consolidations Supports the Real Estate and Facilities Committee (REFCO) process through gathering requests, evaluating projects, and providing alternatives and recommendations to the Asset Manager for submission to REFCO Contributes to the development of ten year projections and planning and supports the Asset Manager in working with real estate groups on lease renewals, purchase opportunities, and building expansions Collaborates with various functions on projects and determines equipment needs for business units.

Dr. Hani AbuSalem is a Professor of Computer Science at University of South Carolina-Aiken. Dr. Hani AbuSalem continues teaching several courses at the undergraduate level. Developing new online courses in computer science. Participating in several university committees including Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Committee, the University Library Committee, and serve in the University Planning Committee. Participating in the Faculty Senate, and the Math and Computer Science Academic Administrative, and the Online courses development Committee.

Technological innovation continues to permeate and shape the environment we live in. Each decade sees our society become more integrated with new technologies to make our lives easier. One key area where technological innovation can be seen is mobile technology. The increased use of mobile technology and AI has allowed for the advent of mobile banking, bringing banking and financial services to the palm of your hand.

mobile technology, innovation, AI, technology industry, radical innovation, incremental innovation, disruptive innovation, mobile banking

Dr.Cara MacMillan is a leader in the Circular Economy and currently leads Halcyon Consulting Group, a Best for the World B Corps, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. She holds a DBA in Strategy and Innovation from Capella University. Dr.MacMillan brings extensive knowledge and expertise in angel investing focused on blue ocean strategy creation and implementation.

Canadian companies want to understand the potential revenue opportunity of investing in a strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) business model innovation. This exploratory, quantitative longitudinal correlational design sought to understand the relationship between CSR and nondomestic sales revenue using secondary data sources. Sustainalytics’ environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) rankings measured CSR business model innovation, and nondomestic sales revenue measured financial performance. Simple linear regression analyzed 61 observations from fiscal years 2009-2017, and the findings revealed a significant statistical relationship between strategic CSR adoption and nondomestic sales revenue. The paper includes a discussion of the contribution of this research and possible future research areas.

CSR, financial performance, growth, business model innovation

Dr. Ying Wang DBA, CPA is a professor of accounting at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana. She has done extensive research in the financing accounting area. Her major research interest is financial accounting and reporting. E-mail: ywang@msubillings.edu

Professor Debra M. Schoenfeld BBA, MBA, CPA, JD, LLM is a professor of tax and business law at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana. Background includes experience in public accounting, and working for one of the top fortune companies. Professor for the last 10 years. Major research in the area of taxation and accounting. E-mail: debra.schoenfeld@msubillings.edu

This study is an in-depth analysis of complex industry’s remarkably lower tax rates. Our data is from China’s publicly listed firms of 2010-2018. We analyze whether company performance and investment returns are improved by lower tax rates. Our analysis indicates that complex industry’s lower tax rate is likely to be the result of lower earnings management, which leads to lower income and lower tax. Investors are rewarding complex industry the same as other industries even though complex industry has significantly lower net income and income growth, indicating that investors base their decisions on multiple factors and reward high-quality earnings, even though they might appear lower on the books.

effective tax rates, earnings management, investment return

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Patel as a keen aspirant of dynamic learning and research, qualified NET-JRF, have completed the research in the area of Taxation and Economics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He has got best research paper award two times (32nd AIAC, India and International Conference, Nepal). He is a Fellow Member of Indian Accounting Association and Indian Commerce Association. He has teaching experience in B.H.U., G.G.U and CURaj. He has contributed research papers on burning issues in diversified area of commerce published in leading national and international journals.

Ms. Poonam Kumari a qualified NET-JRF scholar, have completed B.Com(H) and M, Com. from Delhi University and joined the research (Ph.D.) in the Central University of Rajasthan in the area of environmental accounting. She successively completed course work with good remark and developed the interest to attend workshops on econometrics and advanced statistical analysis tools. She is a Member of Indian Accounting Association for explore her academic endeavor. She develops the hobby to work in innovative researches on burning issues in the field commerce and published paper in reputed journal.

Measuring and managing climate change impact, the concept of carbon accounting and green investing has grabbed attention all over the world nowadays. The climate change impact and green performance of companies is measured and reflected as sustainability indices constructed by stock exchanges around the world. In India, BSE introduced two sustainability indices in 2010 as BSE Carbonex and BSE Greenex for measuring the climate change risk, carbon emissions performance, and promotion of energy efficient practices. The present study attempts to explore the behavior of sustainability indices to market indices. The study examines the movement of BSE Carbonex and BSE Greenex performance in respect to market indices (Sensex & BSE 500) from September 2010 to June, 2019. The performance is evaluated and tested by using the mean of the monthly return and through risk adjusted measures, i.e. Sharpe’s ratio, Treynor’s ratio, and Jensen’s alpha. The study finds that the Carbonex index performance is similar to the BSE Sensex and BSE 500. Greenex index performance is slightly lower than both BSE Sensex and BSE 500. The study suggests that sustainability indices can be used by investors as better performing indices to satisfy the urge of green investment.

stock market, market movement, sustainability indices, Carbonex, Greenex, carbon emissions, indices performance, risk adjusted measures, green investment, India

Mr. Sachin Batra has completed Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Warangal which is an institute of the national importance in India and then completed Post Graduation in Human Resource Management from Management Development Institute, Gurugram, India, which is the prestigious national level management institute. He has to his credit numerous consultancy and research assignments. Currently, he is associated with National Institute of Construction Management and Research, Delhi NCR as a faculty member. Also, in January 2020 he has submitted his PhD thesis at IMS DAVV Indore, the state university of Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Anukool Manish Hyde is a Professor and Head (HR and General Management) at the Institute. He is an approved Ph.D. guide in Management for DAVV, Indore. Eleven research scholars have done Ph.D. under his guidance. He has more than twenty three years of teaching experience along with industrial experience in Personnel Department. He has been awarded “Best Teacher” by PIMR in International Conference held in 2009. His areas of interest include Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Industrial Relations and Labor Laws, Organization Behavior. He was an Organizing Secretary for Second International Conference 08 at PIMR. He was Coordinator for National Research Methodology and National Case Writing Workshops at PIMR. He has attended several conferences and his many papers have been published in reputed Journals like VISION (Journal of MDI Gurgaon) and Journal of XLRI etc., His papers have been published in ABDC and Scopus listed journals. Conference books and ADBC listed journal. His manuals on Emotional Intelligence Scale and Organization Commitment have been published. He has attended FDPs which were sponsored by AICTE, New Delhi. He has conducted Personality Development sessions, Mock Interviews for CAs and Management Students. He has conducted sessions for Platoon Commanders at Rustamji Armed Police Training College, Indore, NGO and various organizations. He is an Editorial member for many reputed journals.

The present research is carried out to understand the constructs of leadership, commitment, and socialization in the construction sector. Surprisingly, little work has been conducted on leadership, commitment, and socialization in the construction sector. In this paper, the author reviews the literature on the topic. The literature mentions that the leadership style, which is relevant for construction professionals, is authentic leadership, and authentic leadership has the potential to moderate the relationship between socialization domains and affective commitment. The findings are considered with respect to the relationship between the constructs. This research will provide the groundwork for the construction management scholars to further empirically examine the relationship between the constructs.

leadership, commitment, socialization, authentic, construction

Dr. Salochina Oad has earned her Ph.D. in Business management from University of International Business and Economics Beijing with Excellent Student Award, MBA from Quaid - I- Azam University Islamabad, and Masters in Population Sciences from Karachi University. She has served as Assistant professor and Research Coordinator/Instructor in Public Sector for almost ten years. Dr. Salochina has also corporate level experience as a Data Scientist in USA. She has performed duties in a diverse organizational environment, got few publications, and attended various conferences. Her area of interest is diversity, leadership, communication and emotional intelligence'.

This study examined the role of group size through moderated mediation where information elaboration was used as a mediator. A total of 1036 respondents were used to collect the data from Pakistan and China. With regard for age diversity, full mediation was observed for education diversity. The large group size showed significant relationship of conditional direct effects for both types of diversity on individual creativity. However, conditional indirect effects of the interaction were only significant for education diversity.

diversity, information elaboration, individual creativity and group size

Ms. Sanjana V Marathe is a final year student of CHRIST Deemed to be University, studying BBA Honors and specializing in Human Resource Management. Her area of interest is data analytics and has presented papers in inter disciplinary conferences.

Dr. V John Paul Raj is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in School of Business and Management, CHRIST Deemed to be University since 2009. He holds a bachelor degree in philosophy and arts, MBA (HR) from ICFAI University, Dehradun. He holds doctor of philosophy in Management from Bharathiar University. He is an ardent professional soft skills trainer. He has published several research articles in international referred journals.

The study aims to understand how Indian students perceive having menstruation leaves in the workplace. An exploratory study was carried out with a sample of 394 responses. A Chi square test and Levene’s t-test were used. There is significant difference in the attitude of male and female respondents towards the perceived impact of menstrual pain on work. However, there is no significant perception gap between genders in the way they perceive pain related to menstruation, fairness to the other gender in having a leave policy, and overall support extended. Both genders perceived positive outcomes from having such leaves, but women were hesitant to use them. There is good amount of support seen to implement the leaves.

Menstruation leave policy, perception gap, women, future workforce

Dr. Arti Arun Kumar is an Assistant Professor, Institute of Management, Christ University, Bangalore, India, who can be reached at arti.kumar@christuniversity.in

Akash, U is a Scholar at Institute of Management, Christ University, Bangalore, India, who can be reached at akashmba3@gmail.com

Listening to music while working is not an evolution of present-day world. It has been practiced for decades. With easy availability of listening devices like MP3 players, digital file formats, and the internet, music listening at work is a growing phenomenon. With the increasing use of music in the work place, it is important to understand why individuals listen to music and how music supports them during their work. This study is focused on identifying the music listening preferences of employees in office environments and the influence of demographic factors on these preferences in India. Employees (48 males and 78 females) working in offices across different industries provided data on their music listening preferences. Thedemographicfactorsconsideredareindustry/organizationinwhichtheemployeeworks, gender, and age. Respondents rated their preference on a 5-point Likert scale for different music genres, functions of music, and activities done while listening to music. Gender and age are considered as influencing factors in preferences for music styles and functions that music serves. Male employees prefer listening to more music at work than female employees. Romantic, melodious, soft, and Bollywood music were the most preferred genres. Music helped in relaxing, improving mood, reducing boredom, and creating a happier environment. Both male and female respondents did not prefer listening to music while talking to others and talking to their colleague. Significant relationship existed between preferences for genres of music and functions of music.

music listening, workplace, functions of music, demographics

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center/Cluster. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co- principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media. Email: mnorth@kennesaw.edu

Sarah McCuan, Taj Mohammed, Nandi Irving, and Rhonda Turner are contributors to initial research and preparation of this article. Affiliated as undergraduate students. Information Systems Department, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

The main objective of this article is to provide a perspective exploration of the business model and, particularly, information systems of airline industry. To reduce the complexity of reviewing the airline industry, this article will probe into different components of the industry. After providing a brief background and literature review, it follows with industry structure, leading into the competitive strategy and value chains associated with the industry. Further, it continues by reviewing the role of information systems, some of its uses, drawbacks, and benefits; then it reports on several companies within the industry that have and have not made successful use of information systems. Finally, completing with concluding inferences.

airline industry, competitive strategy, business model, information systems

Dr. Kat Yamamoto received her doctorate from George Fox University in Newberg, OR and is an adjunct professor at Eastern Oregon University. Her research interests include Japanese cultural practices in the workplace, as well as Corporate Social Responsibility.

Mallory Milstead is a graduate student at Fort Hays State University pursuing a degree in accounting. Her research interests include pedagogy, cultural learning, and efficiency practices.

Dr. Robert Lloyd received his undergraduate and master's degrees from Fort Hays State University and his doctorate degree from George Fox University in Newberg, OR. In addition to teaching management courses, he has also led students on travel courses to the Caribbean and Latin America. Dr. Lloyd brings eleven years of industry experience to higher education. In addition to private-industry consulting, he also managed his own fertilizer merchandising firm and real estate investments. He worked for six years as a commodities marketer for Koch Industries in Wichita, KS, spent several summers on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska as an outdoor adventure guide and manager, and served one season as auxiliary staff at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

This paper explores Lean manufacturing and related Lean practices, which were derived from the Toyota Production System (TPS). The TPS was the incubator in which the methods, techniques, and tools of Lean were pioneered and refined. This research paper examines what were the circumstances that gave rise to the development of Lean production and how Ohno and others have contributed to the development of the TPS and the Lean principles. For decades, the whole system of Lean principles and practices was known only to specialized manufacturers, certain academic researchers, and quality gurus. Its full potential was unknown to most organizations. All of that changed in the late 1980s, as the term Lean was coined to describe the fundamentals of the TPS to the rest of the world. As the understanding of Lean spread across the world, it became much easier to understand and implement. Lean is a proven long-term approach to aligning everything in a business to deliver increasing customer value. Lean engages people and aligns systems into processes that deliver a continuous stream of value to customers while continuously eliminating waste and deficiencies in the process. However, Lean is not just for specialists. Lean is an everyday practice performed by everyone at all levels to improve performance consistently.

lean, lean manufacturing, lean principles, Ohno, Toyota production system

Dr. Erick Albarracin Alarcon is a leader in healthcare and currently is working and practicing managerial coaching at Kaiser Permanente in Mid-Atlantic States, USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Organization and General Management from Capella University. Dr. Erick brings extensive knowledge and expertise in coaching, management and leadership, developing and managing teams, operational excellence, and change management. He is particularly interested in building positive relationships between manager-coaches and direct reports in healthcare based on the application of interdependence theory.

The purpose of this explorative qualitative study was to find the factors of effective coaching relationships that contribute to successful employee coaching outcomes. Results showed that positive interdependence was an antecedent for effective manager-coach and employee relationships. All 18 (100%) of the participants indicated they established positive interdependent relationships with their manager-coaches. The results also showed that employee relationships were mutually dependent partnership-oriented relationships that positively evolved over time to become personal and professional working relationships. The researcher concluded that positive interdependence was necessary to establish effective manager-coach and employee relationships in organizational settings.

interdependence theory, positive interdependence, positive interdependent relationship, manager-coach and employee coaching relationship, employee coaching outcomes

Furquan Uddin

Department of Management & Business Administration

Aliah University, New Town, Kolkata

The present study aims at examining the rural marketing strategies of LIC of India (a public insurer) and ICICI Prudential (a private insurer) in regard to life micro insurance. It is a descriptive andcomparative study.Asampleof82policyholders hasbeentakenintoconsideration. Multi-stage sampling has been adopted to collect the data from the rural market of Prayagraj, India. For the purpose of analysis, t-testing has been applied. The findings of the study show that there is significant difference between LIC of India and ICICI Prudential in their rural marketing strategies, such as customer orientation of a product, price affordability of the life micro insurance product, convenient distribution of the life micro insurance product, effective promotion of the life micro insurance product, efficiency of employees related to the life micro insurance product, simplicity of process related to the life micro insurance product, and attractiveness of physical evidence related to the life micro insurance product.

affordability, ICICI prudential, LIC of India, life micro insurance, rural marketing strategies

Miss. Shivangi Singh is currently working as Junior Research Fellow in University School of Management, Kurukshetra university, Kurukshetra. Before that She taught various subjects: Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations & Labor law legislation in colleges. She has qualified University Grant Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET-JRF) in 2016. She is graduate in Commerce as well as Postgraduate in Master of Business Administration. She has presented 7 research papers in national and international conferences and seminars & 3 research papers have been published in reputed journals. The research areas include human resource management, organizational behavior, corporate social responsibility and psychology.

Prof. Nirmala Chaudhary has been a faculty member in the University School of Management in the HR discipline at Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra since 1995. She takes courses - Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Change Management & Organizational Development, Management of Industrial Relations & Compensation Management. Before that she taught Psychology for five years in college cadre (HPSE). Presently she is professor in university school of management. She has a very diverse educational background. She is graduate in Arts as well as in Professional Law; post graduate & masters in Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Psychology; doctorate in Management (Ph.D.). She presented a number of research papers in national and international conferences and seminars & 40 research papers have been published in reputed journals. She has been convener and member of various professional and non- professional committees of the university as well as department. She supervised 4 Ph.D. &a number of dissertations of MBA. & 6 Ph.D. scholars are under her supervision presently. She has been elected President of KU Teachers’ Club K.U.Kurukshetra twice (17th Oct.2016-17th Oct.2018), (17th Oct.2018-17th Oct.2020).

In today’s dynamic environment, employees’ wellbeing at work has become a matter of concern. Work- related wellbeing refers to every aspect of work life, from safety and security to quality of work life, work environment, organizational climate, and work culture. The sample consists of 100 employees working in a textile organization. The main objective of the study is to identify the factors affecting employees’ wellbeing at work and the impact of demographic variables and quality of work life on wellbeing at work. Data were collected using the snowball sampling method. An independent T-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were employed for measuring the relationship of the quality of work life and work related wellbeing. The research findings indicated demographic variables do not play significant roles in influencing work-related wellbeing; on the contrary, the quality of work life ameliorates the wellbeing of the textile employees and good wellbeing at work.

quality of work life, work related wellbeing, textile employees, satisfaction.

Jerome Conlon has more than thirty years of brand development experience, twenty from inside Nike (Global Director of Brand & Marketing Planning & Insights), Starbucks (VP of Brand, Strategic Research & New Products), NBC Entertainment (SR VP of Marketing & Your Company and Brand (Futurelab Press, 2015). Jerome has degrees in economics, accounting and a master in business from Gonzaga University. He is President of Brand Frameworks, LLC a brand consultancy in Portland, Oregon. Jerome is also a business development consultant with Futurelab and The Blake Project. He is former Global Director of Brand and Marketing Insights for Nike Inc. Vice President of Brand Planning, Consumer Insights and New Products for Starbucks Coffee Company, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Program Development for NBC Entertainment. As founder of Brand Frameworks, for the past 17 years Jerome has offered consulting services in the following areas: brand education workshops, strategic research projects, research planning, assessment of past projects for insights that may have been missed. Market planning, Brand Planning Process, Brand Guardian Group Process, Brand Audits, Marketing Audits, Communications Effectiveness Studies, Deep Campaign Development, Brand Positioning Analysis, Brand Repositioning, Brand Essence Research into Purpose and Values and how to align with consumer facing positioning, Brand Narrative Development, Storytelling, Brand Field Analysis, Brand Strength Monitoring, Qualitative Research, Segmentation Studies, Depth Workshops, Concept Generation or Ideation Workshops, Brand Initiatives Planning, Client services have been tailored to start-ups –to- Fortune 100 brands. For feedback or questions contact Jerome at jcbrandworks@mac.com

Langdon Morris is an award-winning innovator and world-renowned innovation consultant. He is Senior Partner at InnovationLabs LLC, where he leads the firm's global innovation consulting practice with a wonderful variety of clients in business, government, and non-profits. Recent clients include Accor, Airbus, Bayer, France Telecom/Orange, ING, Kaiser Pemanente, Leidos, L'Oreal, National Board of Medical Examiners, Stanford Health Care, Total Oil, UNICEF, US Navy, US Coast Guard, and many others. The breakthrough project he led for the UNICEF Polio Eradication effort was honored as a finalist in the Innovation Leader Impact Awards for 2018. He is also a founding partner of FutureLab Consulting, a strategy and technology firm that offers advanced blockchain solutions for global enterprises. He is Co-Chair of the Innovation Council at RedTeam Engineering, and in 2017-2018 he served as Innovation Coordinator at SUNY's Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He is recognized as one the world’s leading thinkers and consultants on innovation, and his original and ground-breaking work has been adopted by corporations and universities on every continent. His breakthrough white paper, Business Model Warfare, a landmark in the field is now a renowned book, and a standard reference at universities and corporations worldwide. His book Fourth Generation R&D, coauthored with William L. Miller, is considered a classic in the field of R&D management, and his more recent books The Agile Innovation Master Plan and Permanent Innovation are recognized among the leading innovation books of the last 5 years. He has also taught MBA courses in innovation and strategy at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris and Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, and has lectured at universities on 4 continents. Langdon is author or co-author of numerous acclaimed books on Innovation and Strategy, with editions in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and French, and Editor of the five volumes in the NASA/Aerospace Technology Working Group series of space technology and commerce. at www.innovationlabs.com.

Dr. Don Larsen is currently teaching at College of Business, Montana State University, Billings, USA. He holds Ph.d in Business from University of Missouri. Dr. Don Larsen brings experiential learning to his courses in management, leadership, and human resource management. He brings knowledge to the classroom from his experience as a senior auditor for the U.S. Department of Defense and as a consultant. He has published in journals such as SAM Advanced Management Journal and Journal of Business and Psychology.

Dr. Sandra D. Edwards is a professor in the Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Technology, Northeastern State University, Broken Arrow, OK, USA.

This study examined the relationship between previous international relocation experience and willingness to accept an additional future international assignment by surveying 316 employees from several corporations who had recently repatriated to the U.S. Employees assessed 37 items relating to the nature of support provided by their organizations during their international assignment. These items focused on three factors: adjustment support, financial support, and career support. Using hierarchical regression, financial support was related to employee willingness to accept an additional international assignment. Contributions and future research are discussed.

expatriate, international assignment, organizational support

Dr. Heather Weller Ph.D., is an Affiliate Professor at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Weller started up a Marketing Strategy Agency in 2017; E-knowledge Bookshelf, LLC. Research interests include brand equity, strategic partnerships, and marketing education.

Dr. Alyssa Streller Ph.D., is a Senior Manager of Credit and Fraud Analytics at Verizon. Additionally, she has served as an academic editor and curriculum designer for multiple projects. Research interests include leadership theories, marketing effectiveness, and organizational behavior as well as change management.

Dr. Elizabeth Purinton Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.A. Dr. Purinton is a fellow of the AMA-Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium. Herresearchprogramsincludeconsumerbehaviorofjewelryandtattoos,studentengagement and strategic alignment. Dr. Purinton’s research is published in the Academy of Marketing Science Review, Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, the Journal of Business to Business Marketing, and several conference proceedings.

The purpose of this case study research is to explore key drivers that create brand equity for professional sports teams. Brand equity is optimized through shared goals and complementary brand identification or personalities (Aaker, 1996). This study aimed to delve further into brand equity and explore partnership fit. The authors analyzed two professional sports marketing organizations through interviews. Findings confirm two previously accepted constructs; shared goals and brand identification. A third driver, operational alignment, was uncovered as being necessary to strategic fit. These three constructs are deemed critical in determining strategic fit and result in increased brand equity for a sport organization.

brand equity, strategic alliances, partnership fit, brand identity

Diksha Panwar, Swati Anand, Farmaan Ali, and Kanika Singal

Uttaranchal University Dehradun, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Marketers strive to understand various steps in the whole process of consumer decision making for final purchase of the products of their choices. The marketers may improve their marketing strategies by understanding aspects, which are most common in the different consumer decision model developed by earlier researchers of marketing. Market models assume that the consumer's purchase decision process consists of various steps through which the buyer passes in purchasing a product or service. However, this might not be the case. It is not necessary for every consumer to pass through all these stages when making a decision to purchase, and, in fact, some of the stages can be skipped, depending on the type of purchases. This paper analyses the reasons for the study of the consumer’s decision-making process with using models, which help organizations to improve their marketing strategies to convince the customers more effectively.

decision making, service industry, consumer behavior models, strategy

Dr. Michael Williams Ph.D., MBA is the Dean of the School of Business and Management at Thomas EdisonStateUniversityinTrenton,NJ. Astheschool’schiefacademicandadministrativeofficer,heleads all aspects of the school's scholar-practitioner focused degree programming. Dr. Williams is an ACBSP evaluator, a member of the Dean's Panel for the 2018 ACBSP Dean's Symposium and the 2018 Region 1 Best Presentation Winner. He is the founder and principal consultant for Psychological Practice Services, an international consultancy specializing in business development for mental health professionals. Dr. Williams's research, publishing and presentation interests include; the psycho-dynamics of leadership, influence of modern psychoanalytic theory on leadership efficacy, workplace bullying, cultural change management. Dr. Williams earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Administration and an MS in Human Resource Management from Fordham University. In addition, he earned an MS in Labor and Employee Relations from Rutgers University, an MBA in Management from DeVry University and an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Touro College and University System.

Dr. Tami Moser Ph.D., DBH is a Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Administration at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford Oklahoma. She is also the creator and coordinator of the Center of Excellence in Pharmacy Leadership, Innovation, and Quality Outcomes for the College of Pharmacy. In addition, she has served as a consultant in Higher Education and in the healthcare industry. Dr. Moser holds multiple graduate degrees including: Ph.D. in Organization and Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management from Capella University, a Doctorate in Behavioral Health (DBH) with a specialization in the development and management of integrated health care teams focused on quality outcomes from Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, and Master in Public Administration with a specialization in Management from the University of Oklahoma.

Coding in qualitative research is comprised of processes that enable collected data to be assembled, categorized, and thematically sorted, providing an organized platform for the construction of meaning. While qualitative research orientations differ theoretically and operationally relative to managing collected data, each employs a method for organizing it through coding data. Coding methods employ processes that reveal themes embedded in the data, in turn suggesting thematic directionality toward categorizing data through which meaning can be negotiated, codified, and presented. Coding is a key structural operation in qualitative research, enabling data analysis and successive steps to serve the purpose of the study. This paper focuses on identifying, defining, and describing the coding techniques available to researchers, the function of each stage in the coding method, the iterative review process associated within the coding cycle, and the transition from codes to themes toward constructing meaning from the data. In addition, it references/provides examples of manual coding practices and identifies qualitative research software available for coding.

Coding; thematic exploration; qualitative research

Mohammed S Ibrahim

School of Engineering Technology Eastern Michigan University MI. USA

mibrahi6@emich.edu

Dr Muhammad Sohail Ahmed is an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University. He received B.E degree from N.E.D University Pakistan and MS (Mechanical Engineering), MS (Manufacturing Engineering) and Ph.D degrees from Wayne State University Detroit USA. From 1990-1993 Muhammad worked for Ford Motor Company as a CAE application engineer working on Electric vehicle and on FEA frontal crash design. From 1994 to 1999 Muhammad worked as a Research Associate/ Scientist at Wayne State University’s Department of Industrial Engineering, on four National Institute of Standards & Technology’s automotive research grants, worth 8 mil dollars, in the area of dimensional control, reliability, problem solving, decision making and auto body digital virtual build. From 1999-2008 Muhammad was the manager for Wayne State University BS Manufacturing Engineering program at Focus HOPE, a civil rights organization in Detroit. Dr Ahmed’s research work is in the area of decision support system, knowledge management, learning organization, lean and quality systems, project management and engineering education. Muhammad also worked on the National Science Foundation’s Manufacturing Education grant to Greenfield Coalition as a researcher and subject matter expert. He worked on the development of web based manufacturing engineering curriculum and course.

Like developed nations, the developing world strives for assuring high standards of healthcare services. To meet this demand, healthcare providers have begun their quest for services improvement using process re-engineering. This paper is a part of major research and documents the finding of a cross-sectional pilot study conducted in Jordan to check the reliability and validity of a patient satisfaction model, SERVQUAL. The study covers a sample of 50 patients who have visited the Emergency Department, ED, of hospitals in Amman and Irbid, Jordan. The pilot study also determines the different dimensions of the service quality in Jordanian hospitals and evaluates the service quality from the patients’ perspective. The study concluded that, overall, the SERVQUAL questioner is reliable but not valid. The sub-scale of the questioner does not possess adequate reliability, except responsiveness for the perceived service quality. The study recommends modifying the number of dimensions in SERVQUAL before implementing it on a larger scale and using a shorter instrument.

SERVQUAL, Patient Satisfaction, Jordan, Emergency Department, Hospital.

John Latham

Michael J. A. Miranda is an Assistant Professor of Information Security at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, which has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Miranda is also the principal consultant at SPARTIX, a cybersecurity consulting company. He recently served as the Director of Information Security for Hawaiian Telcom, and previously held cybersecurity positions with Northrop Grumman and Referentia Systems. Mr. Miranda earned his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law, a B.A. in English from the University of Central Florida, as well as a B.A. in Information and Computer Sciences from the University of Hawaii. He holds current Global Information Assurance Certifications (GIAC) as a Systems and Network Auditor (GSNA), Intrusion Analyst (GCIA), Forensic Analyst (GCFA) and in Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM).

Email communications is a critical service in nearly every aspect of business and personal activities. A person’s email address is the online identity most relied upon for reliable and accountable communications. Banking, health and recreational activities conducted online in most cases depend on a person possessing and actively maintaining an email address. Unfortunately, email inherently possesses security shortcomings that enable malicious actors to commit fraud through phishing emails. Technology solutions do not entirely solve this issue, and the users themselves require training on how to identify and respond to suspected phishing emails. A structured and comprehensive phishing exercise training program can (1) reduce the probability of a cybersecurity compromise originating from fraudulent emails and (2) improve the overall cybersecurity posture.

cybersecurity, information security, email, phishing, social engineering

Dr. U. Faisal is Associate Professor in the Department. He is also the Chairman, Board of Studies in Management Studies. He is an expert in the areas of Quantitative Techniques, Operations Research and Information System. He has teaching experience of more than one and half decade at post graduate level. Dr Faisal has completed an MDP at IIM Kozhikode, published a book and has many papers in national and international levels to his credit. He takes keen interest in socializing academic community through various innovative social initiates undertaken by the Department. He is also an active participant of international student-faculty exchange program with German Universities of Calw and Reidlingen. Areas of interest: Quantitative Techniques, Management Science, Information Science and Project Management. Email: faisaludms@gmail.com

Mr. Muneer T.Kis an Assistant Professor at DMS. He is a postgraduate in business management from SMBS, MG University. He started his career as a territory manager with Somany Ceramics, then progressed as Assistant manager at Godrej group and learned the basic of real time business. After serving industry as a marketing professional for four years, he switched to academics to mould the students to take up market challenges. He is a proactive teacher and young researcher with innovative ideas and was instrumental in establishing the Business Incubation Centre of Kannur University. Mr Muneer was the driving force behind the extension activities like “KAITHANGU PARIVARTHANA”. He also shows interest in Entrepreneurial Development (ED Club) activities at the department and thus bringing out a culture transformation both in the minds of the academic community in particular and society at large. He takes keen interest in fine tuning the raw talent of the student and turning them in to professionals with a keen business acumen. Areas of interest: Marketing. Email: munnas1986@gmail.com

Gopakumar T P

Doers’ Education Lab Pvt. Ltd.

Business Incubation Center, Kannur University, India

E-mail: gopakumar@doersclub.in

Plastic products have become an integral part of our daily life as a basic need. It produced on a massive scale worldwide and its production crosses the 150 million Tons per year globally. The quantum of waste is considerably increasing day by day due to increase in population and developmental activities and indiscriminate littering and disposal. In this paper, we explore the scope of K-12 school student Inclusion to address the issues of Waste Management. The students will be bringing recyclable plastic waste to their schools on a daily /weekly basis. A Management Information System developed and stored in the Cloud will be used by the schools. The School authorities make the input of the details of waste collected by each student and equivalent value-based points will be allotted to them. These points thus generated become savings for the students. Students can convert these points for the purchase of educational products such as Skill Development tools, Information and Communication and Technology applications, Project kits etc. It can also be used for some entrepreneurial initiatives to be undertaken in the school. Students also become familiar with e-commerce activities. Hence the scheme develops entrepreneurial skills in the school students while providing environmental education. In this paper, the Sustainable waste Management Model developed addresses the burning issue of plastic waste management prevailing in the society.

sustainable waste management, plastic waste, entrepreneurship, management information system, environmental education, information communication and technology (ICT)

Elizabeth O. Adegbulugbeholds a doctoral degree in Health Education, a Master of Public Health, and a BSC in Nursing from College of Graduate Health Studies from A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO. Liz has many years of experience as a healthcare provider, director, and manager of various managed care facilities in both government and private healthcare settings. She is the director of H.A., MD, Health Services LLC, a private setting that provides health education on various health topics affecting immigrant women in MD Metro area communities. Previously, Liz has served as a director of a local faith-based ministry, and as a healthcare provider specialist for the World Health Organization (WHO), she has also served in the United Nation’s Training of Trainers program in Cambodia. Email: eadegbulugbe@atsu.edu

Dr. Candace Ayarsis an assistant professor as the A.T. Still University. Email: cayars@atsu.edu

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in African-born black women living in the United States. Racial disparities in breast cancer diagnosis exist. Little is known about breast cancer knowledge, and sources of health information in African-born black women. This study investigated factors that predict Breast Cancer Knowledge and Sources of Health Information among African-born women in the Washington DC metro area. Data were collected from 203 African-born immigrant females, ages 20- 65. Results showed that breast cancer knowledge, and increase in health information sources are dependent on having access to health insurance, a primary care provider, increase in community-based outreach efforts, and family social support.

African-born women, breast cancer, disparities, knowledge, health information sources.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.Email: mnorth@kennesaw.edu

Kristin Tucker, Jake Bulim, Glenn Koch, Trinh Nguyen, Joseph Fox, & Dalton Delay

Information Systems Department

Coles College of Business

Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA

The objective of this article is to concisely explore the Internet industry through a new perspective and concept of Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Everything (IoE). Within this article, a brief description and development of Internet industry are presented; following with competitive strategy within the Internet industry; then value chain and the use of applications in the Internet industry. Followed by effects and benefits; and challenges, legal and ethical issues of IoT and IoE. Finally, a Concise Concluding Statement for Thoughts is stated.

internet industry, internet of things, internet of everything

Langdon Morris is co-founder and Senior Partner of InnovationLabs, one of the world’s leading innovation consultancies, and Chairman of FutureLab, a global strategy and technology firm. His work focuses on developing and applying advanced methods in innovation and strategy to solve complex problems with very high levels of creativity. He is recognized as one the world’s leading thinkers and consultants on innovation, and his original and groundbreaking work has been adopted by corporations, governments, and universities on every continent. He is a frequent and much-appreciated public speaker at conferences and corporate events, and is author eight books including some of the most important titles in the field of innovation from the last decade, co-author of three more, and editor of the five books in the Aerospace Technology Working Group series on the future of space travel and space commerce. He is formerly Senior Practice Scholar at the Ackoff Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and he has taught MBA courses in innovation and strategy at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (France) and Universidad de Belgrano (Argentina), and has lectured at universities on 4 continents, including Chaoyang University of Technology (Taiwan), Conservatoire Nationale des Arts et Métiers (France), University of Colorado, University of North Carolina, and Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), and Shanghai Jao Tong University (China), and the University of Nairobi.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.Email: mnorth@kennesaw.edu

The primary objective of this effort is to reflect on observations of connections between the Arts and Sciences in the field of abstract art and cosmology. This article attempts to demonstrate how two different groups of artists and scientists are possibly unconsciously progressing toward similar images of the Universe and its components, following two different paths and approaches, but seemingly making similar discoveries. Consequently, images and ideas are presented, allowing the audience drawing their own conclusions.

Arts; Sciences; Abstract Art; Visualization

Dr. Christie Hui-chuan Chen is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin in the College of Business and Global Affairs. Her research focused on long-term care industry in quality management and operational efficiency. Her contact email is hchen38@utm.edu.

Dr. Tommy A. Cates serves as the Tom E. Hendrix Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise in the College of Business and Global Affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin. His research centers on health care issues and market forces in education and industry. His contact email is tcates@utm.edu.

The majority of existing research studies of long-term care sectors has focused on reducing deficiencies and improving quality. The objective of this current study is to investigate how information technology capability affects innovative capability and knowledge management in the long-term healthcare sector. Our findings indicate that IT and innovative capabilities are associated with facilities’ knowledge management capability in the U.S. long-term care sector. Hence, the success of healthcare depends critically on the utilization of information technology capability and innovative capability to collect, analyze, and exchange knowledge within and across organizational boundaries.

Information technology capability, innovative capability, knowledge management, healthcare, healthcare information technology

Jin Zhang1, Li Sun2, Ahmad Khan3

1Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

2 University College, Kennesaw State University, GA USA

3 Corresponding author, AT&T Communication Company

health consciousness, prediction, intervention, consumer behaviour

Dr. Robert Lloyd received teaches management courses at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. He has also led students on travel courses to the Caribbean and Latin America. Research interests include motivational theories, CSR, and interpersonal leadership. In addition to research and teaching backgrounds, Robert Lloyd brings ten years of industry experience managing his own fertilizer merchandising firm and real estate investments and working as a commodities marketer for Koch Industries. He spent several summers on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska as an outdoor adventure guide and manager and served one season as auxiliary staff at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

Dr. Daniel Mertens has taught Undergraduate, Masters, and Doctoral-level business management courses. He taught graduate courses at Duquesne University, George Fox University and Fu Jen University (Taipei, Taiwan). Daniel Mertens won the SGA Faculty Award in 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2008-2009 school years. He is the first faculty member to win the award consecutively in the schools 160- year history. Dr. Mertens also was inducted into The Business Strategy Game Hall of Fame as a Master Professor of Strategic Management in the Fall of 2009. Out of more than 4,000 registered BSG instructors, he was a unanimous selection for Master Professor status.

Investigating Vroom’s expectancy theory, with direct examination of the historical context of its three main tenants, leads to a supportable framework for inclusion of a fourth. Specific consideration is given to social context as it relates to worker motivation within the environment of multiple sectors. The literature on equity theory, organizational justice, and early modifications of expectancy theory suggest that social context necessitates consideration for effectively gauging workplace motivation. Previous research dictates a collection of individuals is not simply an aggregate of their individual motivations and abilities; rather, workplace results are a product of the group's influence on said individuals. Our endeavor is to expand the understanding of workplace motivation with a specific focus on the interaction of the social environment within the organization as well as across sectors. This examination postulates Vroom’s expectancy theory formula (motivation = instrumentality * expectancy * valence) should be modified to support management decision-making by introducing a new social variable.

expectancy theory, motivation, social context, group influence, management history, workplace social dynamics

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Dr. Ronny Richardson is a Professor of Operations Management in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, statistics, project management, and computers. He is the author of 22 books and over 500 published articles. He has consulted with several major companies in the areas of production and inventory control. Prior to teaching, he worked for Georgia Power Company.

The main objective of this investigation is to analyze the effectiveness of two distinct methods of quiz offerings (optional and mandatory) on learning specific concepts in college courses, specifically analyzing how each method contributes to the final comprehensive examination performance. Quiz and examination scores were collected from several courses. Unexpectedly, analysis of the data demonstrated that both optional and mandatory quiz methods had a similar, weak correlation with the performance level of final comprehensive examinations.

quizzes, examinations, online courses

Xu Dawei

Faculty of Management and Economics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

Zhao Peng

Faculty of Management and Economics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

We develoed this study based on a summary of current studies on development of the carbon finance business by commercial banks. To determine the amount of carbon emissions and production cost incurred by enterprises, we analyzed emission reduction equipment and carbon emission rights purchased by emision reduction enterprises. Next, to establish a revenue model for commercial banks’ carbon finance business, we analyzed and compared the revenue and the revenue impacting factors and identified theoretical conditions under which commercial banks may develop carbon finance business.

commercial banks, carbon finance, carbon emission, revenue model

Liu Man

International Business School, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Kunming, China

Jiang Qifa*

International Business School, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Kunming, China

Bing founded on public satisfaction; this paper analyzes the necessity of the construction of performance evaluation index for public projects. After discussing the principles and priorities of index construction, the initial indicators are proposed, and the feasible and reasonable methods to establish the evaluation system are penetrated as well. As a conceptual and theoretical study, it is concluded that public satisfaction should be integrated into the performance evaluation of public projects, not only because of the dominated goals but also the requirements of continuous improvement for public projects.

public projects; public satisfaction; performance; an evaluation system

Langdon Morris InnovationLabs, recognized as one of the leading innovation consulting firms worldwide. He is also a Senior Editor of The International Journal of Innovation Science and a board member of the International Association of Innovation Professionals. He is author of “The Innovation Master Plan” and “Permanent Innovation,” and co-author of “Fourth Generation R&D: Managing Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation,” Wiley, 1999. This work is now judged to be a classic in the field, the defining statement about the management of R&D for breakthrough innovation. He is also author of two other books: Managing the Evolving Corporation, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995 and The Knowledge Channel: Corporate Strategies for the Internet, iUniverse, 1998. His writings appear regularly in many periodicals worldwide. He speaks frequently at industry gatherings and company meetings worldwide. He has taught Business Strategy at the graduate level at the Universidad de Belgrano, Buenos Aires, and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris.

Ying Wang, Scott Butterfield, and Michael Campbell

Accounting Department, College of Business Montana State University-Billings, Billings, MT, USA

E-mail: ywang@msubillings.edu, scott.butterfield1@msubillings.edu mcampbell@msubillings.edu

Maximizing profit is a key goal for most companies. Minimizing taxes paid is generally, if not universally, seen as a desirable component of that goal, and is the case for many companies in the US. However, most Chinese companies demonstrate an unusual pattern of paying more taxes than they report as tax expense. This unique tax-planning problem has resulted in Chinese firms having a cash effective cash rate 14% higher than their GAAP effective tax rates. The goal of this paper is to investigate how incentive pay schemes for various groups, and equity ownership for these groups affect tax-planning behavior by Chinese firms. Our results shed light on optimum compensation design for board of director members, executives and managers. We contribute to current literature by studying the effect of executive compensations, and equity holding on tax payment and reporting. We incorporate earnings management, Board of Supervisors and management equity holding in the analysis. We contribute to the current literature by focusing on temporary book tax differences and use real temporary book tax differences data instead of using proxies. We have not documented any link between earnings management and tax, further research is warranted in this area. Different earnings management detection methods can be applied.

Earnings management; effective tax rates; executive compensation; insider equity holdings; book tax differences

Max North, Ronny Richardson, Rakesh Patel*, and Luke Dabbs

Information Systems Department

Management and Entrepreneurship Department

Coles College of Business Kennesaw State University, GA, USA

Economic flourishment; Shanghai stock exchange; diplomacy and trade agreement

Andre S. Avramchuk

Faculty Director, Healthcare Management Programs

Department of Management, College of Business and Economics

California State University, Los Angeles, USA

Dr. Wagner Padua Filho is an experienced consultant in the areas of marketing, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. He has worked as a consultant for many different companies in a wide variety of industries, and currently serves as a specialist in the health management sector. Dr. Filho started his education as a medical doctor, but diversified to the business world after his MBA. He obtained his MBA from Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), and his Ph.D from University of São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Filho completed his Post-Doctoral studies from University of Florida in the USA. He is also serving as a professor of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at FGV and as a professor of Health Management at Ipatinga School of Medicine in Brazil. Previously, Dr. Filho also serves as CEO and Owner CRW Education; a business company specialized in training and developing educational projects in business management, marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation. His research Interests include marketing management with focus on health services, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Brazil has become a globalized economy with development and professionalization of its business and market. Many sectors have attracted the interest of firms, competitors, and investors. One such sector consists of the hospitals in Brazil, which are facing challenges in improving efficiency and competitiveness. One of the strategies adopted by organizations in pursuit of growth is making mergers and acquisitions (M & A). This paper analyzes the M & A strategy focusing on Brazilian hospitals, describes the objectives, delineates the steps of the process, and lists its advantages and benefits. This paper also discusses obstacles, risks, and causes of success and failure.

merger and acquisition; hospital; health management; strategy

Dr. Abhiruchi Singh Verma holds an MBA degree in human resource & marketing management, and a Ph.D. in management. She has 10 year experience working in academics, research and industry. Her research interests include emotional intelligence, sustainable marketing, strategic human resource management, and crisis management. She has published research papers in numerous national and international journal of repute. Presently she is working as associate professor with a premier management institute at New Delhi, India, also serving as part of editorial board for the institute’s biannual journal.

Modern globalized world is moving towards greater environmental concern and awareness. The anti - environmental policies followed in the early stages of industrialization are no longer a viable option. It is becoming imperative that environment and industrialization must go hand in hand to achieve sustainable development. Nowadays organizations’ sole aim no longer can be just improvement of its performance but its policies must be environment friendly as well. Hence, the notion of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has received increasing attention and acceptance from various quarters. As the public becomes more aware of environmental issues and the need to prevent global warming, consumers do ask questions about environmental impact of the products they are purchasing. Companies should anticipate questions being raised about how green their manufacturing processes and supply chains are, their carbon footprint and how they recycle. Further organizations need to be responsive towards the demands of various stakeholders of the society and need to install systems and processes which maximize environment conservation and minimize negative environmental impact of these processes. The objective of this paper is to present conceptual clarity about GSCM as well as highlighting various efforts taken by Indian hospitality industry to green their supply chain. The paper adopts case study approach based on the conceptual framework green supply chain management as proposed by Hervani, Helms, and Sarkis, (2005), i. e. green procurement, green design, green manufacturing, green operations and reverse logistics and waste management.

Green supply chain management, Indian hospitality industry, green procurement, green design, green manufacturing, green operations, reverse logistics, waste management

Dr. Kazi Nazmul Huda is an assistant professor at the Southern University Bangladesh, 739/A Mehedibag Road Chittagong, Bangladesh; knhuda@yahoo.com

Dr. Tahmina Rita Anika is a lecturer of the Department of Management Studies at Jagannath University, Dhaka.

Dr. Moslehuddin Chowdhury Khaled is an assistant professor at the School of Business in Chittagong Independent University, Bangladesh. He teaches strategic management, business communication, human resource management, personnel training and development, leadership and conflict management, industrial law and public relations. His research interests include the areas of strategic management, human resource, organizational behavior, and change management. He can be reached at moslehuddin.khaled@ciu.edu.bd

In modern Human Resource Management (HRM), the concept of "Strategic Human Resource Development" (SHRD) is a relatively new concept. The idea of SHRD is built upon the increasing importance of HR as an essential value-creating component of organization and needs to be studied in details. The central objective is to study empirically the status and scope of SHRD. The investigative objective of this paper is to do it for a manufacturing sector, and here the sub sector is Steel Rerolling. In this article, first the concept of SHRD is elaborated with the help of an extensive literature review. The study tries to identify the current scenario of SHRD practices in the branded steel mills of Bangladesh by studying the opinions from 62 workers of 6 different steel industries. This was supplemented with interviews of HR executives from 3 different companies. The key discovery of the study is an absence of interactive relationship between workers and management that is quite evident, and the workplace environment is not compliant with required standards to be considered as practicing SHRD. The need and scope to modernize the HR practices along the lines of SHRD concepts and ideas are recommended in detail. There is a long way to go on the way of conceptualizing and actualizing SHRD principles and practices. A paper like this one will help discuss and debate cultural and conceptual changes, which are much needed in these sectors.

strategic human resource development; strategic human resource development systems

Dr. Khaldoun I. Ababneh is an associate professor of management at the American University in Dubai (UAE). His research interests include personnel selection, applicant reactions, attribution theory, turnover, and performance management. Dr. Ababneh is also a corresponding author and can be contacted at: kababneh@aud.edu

Dr. Nita Chhinzer is an associate professor in the Department of Management at the University of Guelph (Canada). Her research is concentrated on strategic human resources management, with a strong focus on downsizing practices, procedures and ethics. Her program of research includes securing a stronger understanding of downsizing activity in the Canadian context, with an aim to affect public policy and legislation regarding layoffs.

This paper examines the bases of the job application process in terms of the favorability/fairness perceptions of 12 personnel selection methods and the consequences of these perceptions on organizational attractiveness and application, recommendation, and litigation intentions. Our paper reveals that face validity, widespread use of selection methods, the employer’s right to obtain information, and the opportunity to perform are the strongest predictors of favorability perceptions, while interpersonal warmth, predictive validity, and respect for privacy are the weakest predictors of favorability perceptions. Additionally, procedural justice dimensions and favorability perceptions correlate with organizational attractiveness and application, recommendation, and litigation intentions. This study expands previous research on job applicants' perceptions of the selection methods to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East. Furthermore, this research examines both the antecedents and the consequences of applicants' fairness perceptions of 12 selection methods within the same study.

selection methods; fairness; procedural justice; applicant intentions; job search; United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Dr. Ram Kesavan is a professor of marketing of University of Detroit Mercy, MI, USA. He teaches in the areas of marketing/entrepreneurship. He has counseled over 300 small businesses, mostly minority owned. He has authored over 50 articles and a manuscript on international strategic marketing. Some of his work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Academy of Marketing Science. He has served as the Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow. He is the treasurer of the Marketing Management Association. Dr. Kesavan earned his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, USA.

Recently, we have witnessed the phenomenal success of e-commerce giants, such as Amazon.com and ebay.com. This paper investigates the sustainability of a new e-commerce format called the penny auctions. They have become the basis for a number of internet startup companies. In this paper we report on the penny auction industry from an entrepreneurial perspective. In particular, we analyze QuiBids.com, a fast-growing penny auction company. We are most concerned about the “infant mortality syndrome” affecting this new industry. We develop hypotheses based on our case study to enable the penny auction industry to survive in the short term and grow in the long term.

sustainability; e-commerce; penny auctions

Dr. Yohan Bernard is an associate professor at the University of Franche-Comté, France. He holds a Ph.D in marketing from the University of Paris II, France. His research interests deal mainly with consumer behavior and international marketing. He can reached at yohan.bernard@univ-fcomte.fr
Dr. Sarra Zarrouk-Karoui is an Associate Professor at the University of Bourgogne, France. She holds a PhD in marketing from the University of Paris II, France. Her research interests deal mainly with consumer behavior.

In a tense economic environment where consumers are encouraged to favor local rather than imported products, multinational companies (MNEs) need leverage to enhance their offer regarding local products. This research suggests a consideration of consumer affinity towards a foreign country as a means to reinforce both willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay (WTP). An experiment was conducted with 170 French consumers (non-students). Respondents were asked about their WTB and their WTP for products for which the country of origin varied in a within-subject design based on 1) the level of the respondent's sense of affinity towards the product’s country of origin and 2) the image of the country of origin for the product category in question. In addition, the sources of affinity feeling to a foreign country were explored. Results indicate that consumer affinity towards a foreign country has a positive effect on consumer WTB and WTP. This effect is complementary to the well- known country of origin effect. Three main factors influence consumer affinity toward a foreign country in a positive manner: a consumer’s 1) personal experience with the country (to have visited it, to have friends there, etc.), 2) a positive evaluation of its natural landscapes, and 3) an appreciation of its culture (history, values, etc.) Implications for MNEs are detailed to inspire their marketing strategy.

consumer affinity, international marketing, country-image, willingness to pay

Eric Gagnon serves as the director of the Business Marketing Institute (BMI), and is the developer of BMI's marketing skills training courseware, training, and certification programs. Mr. Gagnon also serves as marketing and technology development consultant to a wide range of companies, from start-ups to global corporations. Mr. Gagnon holds two U.S. patents for Internet-related systems, and is also the author of two books on marketing, The Marketing Manager's Handbook, and the CRM Field Marketing Handbook.

In a previous article in this journal, we described the end of B2B marketing as we know it, the ways prospects will access information on products and applications in the post-marketing era, and the critical role played by content in this new environment.

B2B Brand Marketing, content-based marketing

Dr. Kevin S. Bottomley is a faculty member in the School of Advanced Studies at the University of Phoenix teaching doctoral-level research courses and mentoring doctoral candidates on their dissertation. Dr. Bottomley earned his Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina ATT State University.

Dr. Sylvia Willie Burgess is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at North Carolina ATT State University in the Leadership Studies Program where she also serves as the PhD Program Coordinator.She is a Senior
Consultant at One Step A Time Consulting where her focus is on leadership training, community engagement training, curriculum development, cultural diversity and cultural competency training,
strategic planning, organizational capacity building and event facilitation. She earned a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina A&T State University.

Moxes Fox, III; M.S. is a doctoral candidate at North Carolina A&T State University in the Leadership Studies department. He received his Master degree in Organizational Change and Leadership from
Pfieffer University.  Mr. Fox currently serves Partnership Coordinator for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.

The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual framework of the behaviors needed to be an effective leader. The authors provide an interdisciplinary model for leader effectiveness and to classify four essential behaviors needed to identify transformational leaders as: 1) a vision-builder; 2) a standard-bearer; 3) an integrator; and 4) a developer. According to leadership pioneers such as Peter Drucker, John McCall, Luther Gulick and others, these behaviors are vital for effective leadership within any industry. As a result, this study identifies basic behaviors essential to effective leaders and connects them to a conceptual model of transformational leadership.

behaviors; transformation leadership; organization

Michael C. Campbell, M.S., CPA is a professor of accounting at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana. His background includes experience as an auditor for a Big-4 CPA firm, and as an accountant or controller for a national manufacturing company, a large not-for-profit organization and a real estate development company, as well as, over 15 years’ experience as a consultant specializing in accounting systems implementation. He has taught various accounting courses at several universities for over 30 years. His major research interest is financial accounting and accounting information system. He can be reached at mcampbell@msubillings.edu

Dr. Ying Wang, DBA, CPA is an assistant professor of accounting at Montana State University-Billings in Billings, Montana. She has taught various courses for about 3 years. Her major research interest is financial accounting and reporting. She can be reached ywang@msubillings.edu

This research studied cash effective income tax rate (cash ETR), GAAP effective income tax rate (GAAP ETR), and sales tax and addition effective tax rate (STA ETR) for China publicly listed companies. The data is from 2007-2011. The mean for cash ETR, GAAP ETR, and STA ETR are 23.07%, 19.98%, and 5.29%, respectively. We do not document any influence of the big four auditors on ETRs in all categories. We also do not document any influence of international ownership on ETRs in all categories. Industry, asset mix, leverage, size, and state ownership are factors that affect ETRs.

Tax rate; listed company

Dr. Ram Kesavan is Professor of Marketing, University of Detroit, Mercy, Michigan, USA. Professor Kesavan teaches marketing and entrepreneurship. He has counseled over 300 small businesses, mostly minority owned. He has authored over 50 articles and a manuscript on international strategic marketing. Some of his work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Academy of Marketing Science. He has served as the Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow. He is the treasurer of the Marketing Management Association. Dr. Kesavan has a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, New York, USA. He joined the university in 1980.

This paper is primarily a case study of how post-Mao China reduced the poverty rates among its people. We believe that the main architect behind the efforts of poverty reduction is Deng Xiaoping who lead China towards market economy after Mao passed away. Deng had a different vision for China. He envisioned a society where business competition and communism coexisted. Post-Deng China, now, has a poverty level of 20 percent as compared to the 60 percent during Mao’s time. Ironically, the Gini Income Inequality Coefficient for China was low under Mao (everyone was equally poor) as compared to the current Gini Coefficient which is as high as the U.S. China’s economic revival is truly a “miracle” since it achieved significant poverty reduction while creating a huge middle class at the same time. India has created a middle class of 100 million people, though its poverty rate is still high (still at 40%). We try to explain this phenomenon in this paper.

Deng Xiaoping; poverty reduction; foreign (FDI); entrepreneurialism

Art Trejo works in the Aerospace sector, more specifically, in the Airline industry where he has contact with almost all airlines around the world, developing and installing in-flight entertainment and communications systems on board the aircraft. Dr. Trejo has worked in the Information Management and Technology field for over 30 years working for a major Information Technology company with a focus on computing research from the perspective of optimal performance. Assigned to work in several countries around the world, his program and projects have given him the opportunity to travel internationally.

The present quantitative correlational research study explored relationships between Emotional Intelligence (EI) competencies, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, and project management outcomes: scope creep, in-budget project cost, and project timeliness. The study was conducted within the context of high technology projects of Hispanic professionals in the United States, as the research study environment. The purpose of the research study was to identify the relationships between the four EI predictor variables and the three project outcomes criterion variables, measuring their strength and direction. Statistical tests were conducted to determine if any of the relationships could support the notion of applying EI could improve the execution of high tech projects by using EI skills to help predict project outcomes. The sample population consisted of 88 Hispanic participants responding to an online survey instrument. Statistical correlational analysis of the collected data indicated the existence of some positive relationships between the identified EI skills and project outcomes existed. The research study conclusions should help understand the benefits of EI in the workplace from the perspective of the Hispanic population and the positive generalization of the study results to other ethnic groups.

emotional intelligence; project outcomes; EI competencies; quantitative; project scope; project budget; management; self-management; relationship management; Hispanics

Abdelrafe Elzamly is currently studying a Ph. D. in Software and Information Systems Engineering from Faculty of Information and Communication Technology at Technical University Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Born in November 30, 1976, Gaza, Palestine. He received his B.Sc. degree computer in 1999 from Al-Aqsa University, Gaza, and his Master's degree computer information system in 2006 from The University of Banking and Financial Sciences. He is working as lecturer in Computer Science at Al-Aqsa University from 1999 to 2013 as a full time and worked as lecturer at the Islamic University in Gaza from 1999 to 2007 as a part time. He also worked as a manager in The Mustafa Center for Studies and Scientific Research -Gaza from 2010 to 2012. His research of interest is software risk management, software engineering, and data mining.

Dr.Burairah Hussin got a Ph. D. in Management Science – Condition Monitoring Modelling from University of Salford, UK in 2007. He received his M.Sc. Degree in Numerical Analysis and Programming from University of Dundee,UK in 1998. He received his B.Sc. Degree in Computer Science from University Technology Malaysia in 1996. He is currently working as associate professor in University Technical Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and he worked as Research Manager at Centre for Advanced Computing Technology (C-ACT),Faculty of Information and Communication Technology at Technical University of Malaysia Malacca (UTeM). His research interests are in data analysis, data mining, maintenance modelling, artificial intelligent, risk management, numerical analysis, and computer network advisor and development.

This paper aims to present new techniques to determine if fuzzy and stepwise regression are effective in mitigating the occurrence software risk factor in the implementation phase. The proposed process compares the accuracy of prediction between stepwise multiple regression analysis techniques and fuzzy multiple regression. In addition, After applying MRE, the results show that the most value of MMRE in fuzzy multiple regression modelling for risks were slightly higher than the value of MMRE in stepwise multiple regression except risk 1 models around about fuzzy regression. Therefore, the most value of Pred (25) fuzzy multiple regression model for risks were slightly higher than or equal the value of pride (25) stepwise multiple regression except 9 were slightly higher than stepwise. The model’s accuracy slightly improves in fuzzy multiple regression than stepwise multiple regression. Successful application of software project risk management will greatly improve the probability of project success.

software project management; software risk management; implementation phase; software risk factors; risk management techniques; stepwise multiple regression analysis techniques, fuzzy multiple regression analysis techniques; evaluating techniques

Dr. Muhammad A. Obeidat is a Professor of Operations and Technology Management. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of operations management, management science, information systems, statistics, management of technology, quality management and control, and project management. His research has been published in several journals, including International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics,and Journal of Business Administration. He has worked and consulted with several automobile vendor companies on productivity and process design and layout. Dr. Obeidat is a member of the Decision Sciences Institute, and Production; Operations Management Society.

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Business Administration Department. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Both private and public sector organizations tend to recognize the prominence of information technology within project management techniques and practices. The primary objective of this paper is to present a comparative review of information technology within project management in private and public sectors. Moreover, this research provides an extensive review of related topics such as the evolution of information technology, factors contributing to project abandonment, and the tools and techniques of management that effect project success. In conclusion, the authors present a variety of practical and effective guidelines and recommend approaches for the successful deployment of information technology within project management for both private and public sectors.

information technology; project management; private and public sector organizations

Mr. Eric Gagnon is a Director of the Business Marketing Institute (BMI), and developer of BMI's marketing skills training courseware, training, and certification programs. Mr. Gagnon, a marketing and technology development consultant to a wide range of companies, from start-ups to global corporations, is the author of two books on marketing, The Marketing Manager's Handbook, and the CRM Field Marketing Handbook, and holds two U.S. patents for Internet-related systems.

Langdon Morris is recognized as one the world’s leading thinkers and consultants on innovation. His original and ground-breaking work has been adopted by corporations and universities on every continent to help them improve their innovation processes and the results they achieve. He is a senior partner and co-founder of InnovationLabs (www.innovationlabs.com), where his work focuses on advanced methods in innovation and strategy to solve complex problems with very high levels of creativity and innovation. His breakthrough white paper, Business Model Warfare is a landmark in the field, and is used as a standard reference at universities and corporations worldwide. His book Fourth Generation R&D, coauthored with William L. Miller, is considered a classic in the field of R&D management, and his more recent Permanent Innovation is recognized as one of the leading innovation books of the last five years.

Every business has some forms of competitive advantage, such as size, location, product mix, technology, customer relationships, or many others. However, no matter what advantages a business has today, sooner or later changes in the marketplace cause every competitive advantage to degrade. When this happens, yesterday's advantage may mean nothing. In the face of this problem, there is one critical response: innovation. Innovation enables existing advantages to be maintained and new advantages to be created. In fact, innovation is the only source of sustainable competitive advantage because only through innovation do companies adapt. So, you must ask yourself, How can you make your company an innovator? When you think about innovation, you must first distinguish between two types: continuous and discontinuous. Both are important, but they are managed differently and have fundamentally different objectives. Continuous innovations enable you to keep up with your competitors; successful discontinuous innovations put you into the lead. Managing R and D for continuous and discontinuous innovation is a difficult process, and few companies do it well. Marketable innovations are tremendously elusive. As it turns out, however, there is a right place to look for innovation, but it's a place in which most people don't look. That unique place, that hidden place, that special place, is in front of you each and every day. It is your customers. Your customers know how they want your products and services to be better, and you need to ask them. Whether it is through surveys, face-to-face discussions or just walking through your store and talking to customers, they will probably be able to tell you a lot that you don't already know. To understand the scope for innovation, we put together a table of 32 possible innovation targets that the R&D process can focus on. However, even beyond these 32 targets of continuous and discontinuous innovation, there is also a third innovation dimension, one that we are now beginning to understand. While the 32 innovation targets stand separately, they also, fundamentally, distort your view because by looking at the parts, you cannot necessarily get an understanding of the whole. What if you could look at the problem of innovation as whole, as one thing? What would you see? If you are like most people, what you would see are systems, systems that we call "the economy" and "the market" and "the company," systems in which companies and customers and competitors are all actors, working to optimize their own unique positions. Innovating at the level of this system is called "business model innovation," and it is the leading edge of innovation today. Business model innovation is the most powerful of the three types of innovation. While continuous and discontinuous innovations in products and services are important and necessary, the companies that innovate in the structure of their businesses, particularly in how they define their relationships with customers, become the leaders. Business model innovators look at the market and see something different than others see -- they see possibilities that others have overlooked, and they transform those possibilities into competitive advantages, and profits. Properly managed and properly targeted, innovation can lead directly to the bottom line.

Innovation; three dimension; innovation targets; change; R and D

Dr. Kong-Hee Kim is Associate Professor of Management at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and serves as the chair of Management Department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas in Arlington with a specialization in Strategic Management. His primary research areas of interest include corporate governance, strategic decision making, top management team, and global strategy. He has published articles in research publications including the Journal of Business Research; International Journal of Organizational Analysis; Career Development International; and Journal of Management Research. Prior to his academic career, he has served more than 11 years in the Korean Air Force, conducting various managerial positions in both Air Force headquarters and flight wings.

Prior empirical research on CEO duality board structure has paid little attention to deep structures (tacit forces that govern the process, such as managerial task environment and social process) that modify the CEO duality-performance linkage. An empirical examination of 290 Fortune 1000 companies shows that CEO duality is related to superior firm performance when the firm’s task environment is characterized by extensive business diversification, which highlights the structural benefit of organizational flexibility derived from CEO duality. However, counter-balancing tacit forces relative to CEO duality, such as institutional ownership concentration, board tenure, and board tenure heterogeneity, have negative moderating impacts on the relationship between CEO duality and firm performance. Implications of the results are discussed for future research.

CEO duality; deep structure; corporate diversification; institutional ownership concentration; board tenure; board tenure heterogeneit

Dr. Mohammad Alawin is Associate Professor in Economics, Faculty of Business, the University of Jordan. He has obtained his Ph.D. of Economics from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA. His specialty and fields of interest include International Economics, Financial Economics, Monetary Theory, and Econometrics. He has published widely in both English and Arabic.

Dr. Mohaned AL-Hamdi joined the faculty in the Economics Department as an Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2008. Prior to that, he was the Lentz Fellow of Conflict and Peace Research at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Also he was an Assistant Professor at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) in Kuwait. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics, M.A. in Economics, and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Missouri. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Kansas State University in 2005. His research interest is in the field of conflict theory, defense economics, mathematical economics, political economy, and the history of economic thought. He has taught classes in microeconomics, macroeconomics, managerial economics, economics of war, econometrics, money and banking, and international conflict theory. He advises many government agencies, including the State Department about the economic, political, and security environment in Iraq and the Middle East, and he has worked on the evaluation of many projects regarding the U.S. reconstruction programs in Iraq.

This paper examines the relationship between income distribution and economic growth in Jordan for the period 1987-2010. Using a Granger causality test and a Johansen cointegration test, the results indicate that income distribution affects and causes economic growth, and there is a long-run relationship between the two variables. This paper also applied the Kuznets inverted U-Hypothesis to the case of Jordan. The results indicate that the relationship between economic growth and inequality in income distribution follows the Kuznets inverted U-Hypothesis in Jordan for the period of the study.

economic growth; income distribution; granger causality; Jordan

Eyad Taha Al Rawashdeh Department of business administration, Tafila Technical University, Tafila, Jordan

This study aimed to investigate organizational justice and its impact upon job performance in the Jordanian Customs Department (JCD). A random sample consisting of (536) employees was selected to achieve the purpose of this study. A statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that there is an impact in organizational justice upon job performance in the JCD and the availability of organizational justice dimension leads to high employment performance. Also, the result of the study showed that organizational justice affects job performance. The study recommends encouragement of employees in the JCD by providing financial and incorporeal support, establishing the organizational climate, which will support the employees' performance in the JCD.

Jordan; procedural justice; distributive justice; interactional justice

Dr. Ram Kesavan is Professor of Marketing, University of Detroit, Mercy, Michigan, USA. Professor Kesavan teaches marketing and entrepreneurship. He has counseled over 300 small businesses, mostly minority owned. He has authored over 50 articles and a manuscript on international strategic marketing. Some of his work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Academy of Marketing Science. He has served as the Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow. He is the treasurer of the Marketing Management Association. Dr. Kesavan has a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, New York, USA. He joined the university in 1980.

Dr. Mike Bernacehi is a Professor of Marketing, University of Detroit, Mercy, Michigan, USA. Professor Bernacchi teaches marketing management, consumer behavior, marketing communications, research, and corporate social responsibility. He has a B.A. and M.A. from Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa, USA), a Ph.D from Southern Illinois University, and a J. D. from the University of Detroit. Bernacchi is a frequent contributor and consultant to business, not-for-profit organizations, and the media. He publishes a weekly marketing newsletter, Under the Mike-Roscope. He joined the university in 1973.

While the manufacturing of goods has been off-shored from the U.S since the early 1980s, the off-shoring of services started much later. China became the off-shoring hub for manufacturing and India for services. In this paper, we focus on the nature of growth and the motivation towards the off-shoring of services to India. The future of services off-shoring from the U.S to India, along with its challenges, will be explored. Figure 1 is from Blinder (2009) and presents a typology for offshorability of services. Table 1 presents some major service offshoring corporations as of 2010. Table 2 categorizes the literature to date. After analyzing the available evidence, we conclude that in the long run, 1) off-shoring presents a win-win for both nations and 2) it presents significant opportunities for worldwide growth of entrepreneurship in both the U.S, India, and beyond.

outsourcing services; offshore; market; economic growth

Dr. Lucia Maria Barbosa De Oliveira has a Ph.D in industrial relations from the London School of Economics. She currently serves as Dean of Master of Business Administration for Professionals - Faculdade Boa Viagem - FBV/DeVry, Brazil. Her research focus is on human resources management, mainly in the following topics: organizational and cultural diversity, spirituality in the organizations, social responsibility, and human resources processes and models. E-mail: loliveira3@fbv.edu.br

Elda Lucia Paiva Madruga has a master degree in Business Administration and is currently teaching Business Administration professional courses at Faculdade Boa Viagem – FBV/ DeVry. She is a consultant for educational corporations and human resources processes. Her research interests include human resources, corporate education, and social responsibility. E-mail: elda.madruga@hotmail.com

Dr. Maria Auxiliadora Diniz De Sá is a Ph.D. Of Labor and Organizations Psychology from Université f de Rouen, France. She is a Professor of Business Administration and teaches professional courses at Faculdade Boa Viagem – FBV/ DeVry, Brazil. She is also a researcher in labor relations, human resources, and organizational behavior, mainly focusing on organizational culture and commitment, individual culture, and quality of work life. E-mail: msa@fbv.edu.br

Dr. Helder Pontes Regis is a Ph.D. in Business Administration from UFPE - PROPAD - Brazil. He is currently teaching management graduate course at UFRPE - Brazil. His research focuses are entrepreneurship and organizational behavior, mainly in motivation, mentoring, social networks, entrepreneurial cognition, incubators, and quantitative methods applied to management. E-mail: hregis@hotlink.com.br

This study examined the motivation of Banco do Brasil’s (Bank of Brazil's) employees to participate in volunteer programs based on the theory of expectancy. The methodology combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. The individual rewards were the first focus of the respondents, followed by social improvement and contribution for social inclusion, and even benefits to the company. Some negative aspects were also registered concerning the lack of time and being professionally overworked. Results are consistent with previous studies of the theory of expectancy, which support that people will choose the option according to individual perception of the value associated to various kinds of rewards.

motivation; theory of expectancy; corporate volunteering programs; Banco do Brasil; Brazil

Dr. Adel Mohammed Sarea received his Ph.D. in Accounting from the Islamic Science University of Malaysia in 2011. Dr. Adel joined Ahlia University in January 2012 as Assistant Professor. He conducted research in the area of accounting for Islamic financial institutions and published in the journals of repute, as well as supervised students for BS & MBA.

The accounting and auditing organization for Islamic financial institutions (AAOIFI) has taken the proper initiative to develop accounting, auditing, governance, ethics, and Shari’ah standards for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs). The AAOIFI standards serve as a guideline that may reflect the unique characteristics of IFIs and become a useful tool to meet the various needs of IFIs. Currently, one the major challenges facing Islamic Financial Institutions (IFSs) lies in the preparation of financial statements under different accounting standards and which may result to problem of comparability, reliability and compliance level’s measurement. This has, however, resulted in a heated debate among scholars that has hitherto translated to the evolving existing literature surrounding the interpretation of the level of compliance with the Islamic accounting standards. This paper, therefore, discusses the Islamic accounting standards through a review of the literature. Overall, the evidence reviewed suggests that the need of the Islamic accounting standards to fill the gap in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries. This paper concludes with various recommendations for future research, the most important of which is the need for future studies to be done to implement the Islamic accounting standards, such as the AAOIFI accounting standards. The current paper, therefore, contributes to a better understanding and acceptability of the Islamic accounting standards, such the AAOIFI.

Islamic accounting; Islamic financial institutions; AAOIFI; accounting; standards

Ahmad M. O. Gharaibeh and Fatima Ismail Hammadi. Ahlia,University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain s III

The objective of this study is to examine the existence and the conditional nature of one of the most recognized anomalies, known as “the day-of-the-week anomaly,” that has jarred confidence in the conventional concepts of the efficient market hypothesis. A variety of statistical techniques -- multiple regression analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and t-test – have been employed to investigate the presence and the nature of the week-end effect on the Bahraini Stock Exchange. The study concludes that there is credible evidence for demonstrating the existence of the day-of-the-week effect in trading conducted through the medium of the Bahraini Stock market (albeit that the Bahraini market exemplifies only weak form market efficiency). In addition, this study demonstrates with respect to the Bahrain Stock Exchange that there is a positive correlation between returns on the first trading day of the week and the last trading day of the week and that the first trading day’s returns during the first half of the month exceeds that of the second half of the month.

Bahrain; stock market; the day-of-the-week-anomaly; market effect

Dr. Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri obtained his Ph.D. in Accounting. So far, he published 20 papers in national journals and 25 papers in international journals. Currently, he is an assistant professor of Accounting at Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

Dr. Mahdi Salehi obtained his Ph.D. in Accountancy. So far, he has published more than 160 papers in international journals. He serves on an editorial board of 18 international journals. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

Researchers indicate that if the market value of the stock in a firm exceeds its true value, this overvaluation affects the managerial behaviors and corporation actions. Thus, for investigating the impact of equity overvaluation on consequent, income-increasing earnings management financial data of 60 listed companies were collected from Tehran Stock Exchange during 2006-2010. Consequently, regression analysis for testing correlation regressions was employed. Results of the study indicate that equity overvaluation had a positive and significant relationship with subsequent income-increasing earnings management. The results indicate that firm's management tended to support valuation errors to access the benefits of a rising stock price through discretionary accrual's manipulation, when stock would become overvalued by market.

overvalued equity; earnings management; discretionary accruals; valuation errors

Dr. Sameh M. Reda Reyad received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, in 2008. He worked as an Accounting Lecturer in the Higher Technological Institute, 10th of Ramadan City-Egypt. Dr. Reyad joined Ahlia University in February 2009 as an assistant professor; he has over 18 years of experience in research, training, and teaching. He has published many papers and worked as a reviewer for several regional and international journals. He became a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) & Member in the Institute of Certified Management (USA) in March 2009.

This study explores the relationship between external auditing quality as a tool of corporate governance and the level of earnings quality in Egypt. This was accomplished by reviewing the literature and previous studies related to corporate governance, auditing quality, and earnings quality, then analyzing the relationship between the characteristics of the auditing quality at auditing firms and the possibility of reducing the total accruals as one of the indicators of the quality of earnings at the industrial corporations listed on the Egyptian exchange. The study model examined the relationship between the independent variables of auditing quality characteristics and the dependent variable of total accruals by using the multiple regression of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Data of (60) corporations of the industrial sector for the period 2005-2010, which were arranged in a way that makes it possible to apply the Pooled Data Regression. The study concluded that there was an acceptable level of earnings quality in the industrial corporations listed on Egyptian exchange ,there was an accepted level of the Auditing quality in Egyptian auditing firms, there was a positive impact on reducing the total accruals in the industrial corporations listed on the Egyptian exchange, thus improving the quality of earning for each of the specialties in a client's industry, the relationship with international audit firms, and auditor’s qualifications.. On the other hand, there was a negative impact on reducing the total accruals for the client retention period.

corporate governance; auditing quality; earnings quality; Egyptian Industrial corporations

Dr. Alaka N. Rao is an Assistant Professor in Organization and Management in the College of Business, San Jose State University. Dr. Rao received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Irvine and her Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Rao’s research centers on the management of complex collaborations across geographical and cultural divides. Her current research focuses on how local and global pressures influence the performance of global outsourcing relationships. This research examines the critical role of national culture, employee cognition, and trust in the management of global collaborations. Dr. Rao has also conducted research on how managers exchange and build trust in countries lacking institutional support. Her work has been published in management journals, such as the Journal of International Business Studies.

A theoretical framework for understanding the influence of power on the effectiveness of global outsourcing relationships is presented in this article.llowing a review of the research on inter-organizational relationships and the literature on Hofstede’s cultural measure of power distance, I propose that the differences in the levels of power distance create particular intra-organizational dynamics by influencing trust, status competition, and role ambiguity within the organization. These variables are subsequently argued to impact the inter-organizational relationship by acting as a mediating mechanism between power distance across levels of analysis and outsourcing effectiveness. Lastly, the moderating role of the type of knowledge outsourced is considered. The relationship between power and inter-organizational effectiveness is argued to be weaker when tacit knowledge is outsourced than when knowledge is explicit. The implications of this model to research on cultural values and the effective management of global outsourcing relationships are discussed.

cultural values; power distance; global outsourcing relationships

Hung-Yue Suen is a PhD candidate of Management Information System in National Chengchi University, and holds a MBA Degree from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He is also a Department Head of International Affairs at Taiwan Life Financial Group. His main research interests include Human Resource Technology and e-Commerce. His study works have been presented in several international conferences and journals. He can be reached at collin.suen@gmail.com

Dr. Jiann-Min Yang, Ph.D. in Management Science, University of Texas at Dallas, USA, is a Professor of Department of Management Information System, National Chengchi University. Among his research interests are: research methodology, knowledge management, enterprise system, and operations research. Professor Yang’s research has been presented published in a dozen scientific outlets such as international journals and books, while he is a reviewer for several SCI/SSCI Journals.

Although Information Technology (IT) is often considered a driver of change within the Human Resource (HR) function, the required competencies related to job performance for HR professionals in the computing environment have received little attention in HR or IT literature. This paper seeks to explore the possible HR/IT competency predictors of job performance within different HR roles. A data mining approach was used to explore the prediction model, and an in-depth interview was designed to probe the key findings of the results andexplore the context in more detail, in which 501 HR professionals within ten financial service companies in Taiwan participated. The study found the different combination of IT and HR competencies have a different performance predictive impact on the different roles for the HR professional. Overall,results suggest that the Credible Activist rated as the most salient and important competence for HR professionals and some competencies may not be as important as a matter of course. The research establishes a holistic view guiding the direction and content of the future development of HR practitioners in computing environment.

IT competencies; HR competencies; HR roles

Dr. Allam Mohammed Mousa Hamdan Ph.D. in accounting, is an Assistant Professor of Accounting, who is teaching currently at Department of Accounting, College of Business and Finance, Ahlia University. Dr. Hamdan can be reached at ahamdan@ahliauniversity.edu.bh

Dr. Adel Mohammed Sareareceived his Ph.D. in Accounting from Islamic Science University of Malaysia in 2011. Dr. Adel joined Ahlia University in January, 2012 as Assistant Professor. He Conducted research in the area of accounting for Islamic Financial Institutions and published in the journals of repute as well as supervised students for BS & MBA. He can be reached at Adel Mohammed Sarea College of Business and Finance, Ahlia University, Kingdom of Bahrain

Dr. Sameh M. Reda Reyad was born in 1973. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt in 2008. He worked as Accounting Lecturer in Higher Technological Institute, 10th of Ramadan City-Egypt. Dr. Sameh joined Ahlia University in February, 2009 as Assistant Professor, he had over 18-year experience in research, training and teaching. He published many papers in regional and international journals. Dr. Sameh became Certified Management Accountant (CMA) & Member in the Institute of Certified Management (USA) in March 2009. He worked as Reviewer in several regional and international journals.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between audit committee characteristics (namely: audit committee size, financial experience, and audit committee independence) on performance, which includes financial, operating and stock performance. The study sample contained 106 corporations from the financial sector listed in the Amman Stock Exchange Market with a total of 212 observations during the 2008-2009 sample years. The results showed that the audit committee has an impact on financial and stock performance. It does not have an effect on operating performance.

audit committee characteristics; performance; Amman stock exchange

Liu Jiao-hua is Ph.D. Candidate in the College of Economics; Management at Huazhong Agricultural University. Liu’s research interests include rural economy and agricultural finance and trade. Liu can be reached at Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1 Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail:jiaohualiu@163.com

Dr. Li Chang-jian is Professor who is currently teaching in the College of Economics & Management, Huazhong Agricultural University. His research interests mainly include farmers’ right and rural economy.

Chinese agricultural commodities prices have fluctuated violently, which affected the people's lives, as well as farmers’ income. The article, based on the VAR model and using the data from 1979 to 2010, analyzes the effect of agricultural commodities price increase on farmers’ income, and finds that price fluctuations of agricultural commodities influence farmers’ income remarkably. The increase in agricultural commodities prices will initially increase farmers’ income, and then decrease them. Therefore, only stabilizing agricultural commodities price can ensure that farmers’ income will increase steadily

agricultural commodities price; farmers’ income; VAR model; impulse response function; agriculture industrialization

Eiad Basher Al Hyasat, Business Administration, Aqaba University College – Al Balqa Applied University, Jordan

This study aims to identify the management information systems and the degree of their usage in Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, by acknowledging the extent of their use in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness, timing, clarity and flexibility of information. The study demonstrates that the management information systems are used in terms of accuracy and comprehensiveness, clarity, timing and flexibility of the information in them. Moreover, the study also exhibited that there is not any statistically significant difference in the degree of the use of management information systems of the employees of Jordan Phosphate Company attributed to the variables of gender, age, and occupation. The most important recommendation of the study is the necessity to develop the information system in order to provide brief, concise and adequate information, and thus, the output of the information system will be comprehensive and able to be represented in charts, graphs and other diagrams

management information systems; Jordan Phosphate Mines Company; accuracy; comprehensiveness; timing; clarity; flexibility of information

Ram Kesavan and Michael D. Bernacchi
University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI, USA
Oswald A. J. Mascarenhas
Saint Aloysius College, Mangalore, India

We explore the prospects for CSR as an important branding tool, using social media. We cite current CSR social media related efforts of some major corporations. We argue that despite their successful efforts in developing CSR programs via traditional media, firms are more empowered for disseminating their corporate CSR efforts when using the social media. We strongly recommend that the social media be used as a tool for effectively communicating an organization’s CSR activities. We, also, investigate managerial implications of our major arguments in this paper.

corporate social responsibility; social media; branding component; managerial implication

Dr. Khaled M. S. Faqih is an assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems at Al al-Bayt University, Jordon. He received B.Sc. (Hons.) in aeronautical and astronautical engineering degree from the University of Southampton, England, in 1983. He joined the Royal Jordanian Air Force for 16 years. He received a master degree in Information Technology from the University of Science Malaysia, Malaysia, in 2002. He has been working as a lecturer since 2002 at Al al-Bayt University, Jordan, teaching various topics in information technology. He received a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems, in 2010, from the University of Banking and Financial Sciences, Jordan. His research interests, in addition to the aerodynamics of natural flight, include software reliability, web usability, web computing and adoption of online and mobile shopping.

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived risk and Internet self-efficacy on the consumers’intentions to use online channels for purchases in Jordan. To examine the above perception, a research model is proposed based on an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A non-probability sampling technique has been used in this study to collect data by means of a self-administered questionnaire that was developed from previously validated measurements. Ten hypotheses were formulated and tested by Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling technique. The empirical findings reveal that perceived risk, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease-of-use have direct impact on the consumers’ behavioral intention to use online channel for purchase. Furthermore, the current findings display that the Internet self-efficacy has no direct significant impact on consumers’ intention to shop online in Jordan. However, the Internet self-efficacy has indirect influence on consumers’ intentions toward online shopping through the intermediating factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use. It can be concluded that perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and Internet self-efficacy can be considered important determinants in influencing consumers’ intentions toward online shopping behavior in Jordan. Managerial implications are provided.

online shopping; perceived risk; Internet self-efficacy; technology acceptance model; Partial Least Squares

Dr. Yung-Sung Chiang received his Ph.D. degree from Department of Business Management at National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. His current research focuses on the areas of consumer research, IS service quality, web service quality, and e-marketing. He now works for Taiwan Power Company as an administrative officer. He can be reached at u158319@taipower.com.tw

Han-Jen Niu is an Associate professor in the Department of Management Science at the Tamkang University. Her research areas include innovation, behavior research, technology management and strategy management. She can be reached at freyaniu@gmail.com

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between advertising expenditure and price level as joint signals of product quality in marketing practices and consumer perception research. This study, based on a sound literature review, utilizes game modeling from a signal economic perspective to examine whether advertising and price can be substantially used to determine product quality. There is often insufficient information on product quality before consumers make their purchases, and advertising and price indeed signal product quality. Situational decision making is what manufacturers consider doing, and this study combines the 4P strategy in the Product Life Cycle (PLC), and provides a skeleton description of managerial implications.

signal theory; game theory; advertising; price; product quality