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The purpose of this paper is to present a strategic change from the traditionally understood human resource management perspective. Through this paper, the authors attempt to present a diversity and equality based model of managing human resources for global companies for best outcomes through developing an environment of participation within the company.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Through this paper, the authors show that DEMS has immense potential for modern day global organizations. However, it must be noted that adoption and adaptation are to be contextualized with the organization and matched with the overall goals. This paper provides a validation to the research by Ali & Konrad (2017) and empirically proves that migration from present practices to DEMS might take time, but organizations that have adopted DEMS practices have evolved into being participative in nature and have experienced sustainable competitive advantage, leading to superior organisational performance.

The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model developed through a thorough qualitative analysis of pertinent stakeholder perceptions that can be used to map Master of Business Administration (MBA) students’ aspirations, goals, strengths and weaknesses to create optimal interventions and enable better employability.

This study used an exploratory research design. The authors conducted interviews with 60 stakeholders to identify themes that form constituents of the E-Career Canvas for Individuals (E-CCI) model. To assess the impact of the proposed initiative, 30 random participants were chosen for interviews from among alumni, present students, faculty, recruiters and the university administration across five years.

The proposed model captures the short-term and long-term goals of students concerning their career aspirations. This study has qualitatively explored the impacts of the E-CCI initiative on graduating students’ outcomes. The impacts are positive. The findings also suggest that recruiters do experience an incremental difference among graduates who have participated in the E-CCI program at an educational institute in India.

Business schools may adopt this model to create profiles of their MBA students. Students, as well as institutional administration, may work on mitigating the shortcomings and weaknesses identified through E-CCI initiatives and target the roles matching the profiles of students during placements.

This paper presents a novel model of E-CCI to capture the aspirations of MBA graduates and direct them to fulfil their goals. This study takes into consideration the viewpoints of key stakeholders involved to map the effectiveness of the model.

The purpose of this study is to examine the dimensionality of relational benefits in public bike sharing (PBS) and explore the mediating role of user satisfaction and engagement on the linkage between relational benefits and continuance intention.

This study used a mixed method approach. Data were collected using convenience sampling technique from 411 users of PBS in Bhubaneswar, India. In the first part of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted to identify a set of relational benefits for scale development. In the second part, CB-SEM was used to establish the reliability and validity of the scale and test the hypotheses linking relational benefits with user satisfaction, engagement and continuance intention.

The analysis suggests that relational benefit is a second order construct having five distinct yet related dimensions namely economic, convenience, environmental, identity related and health and safety benefits. Also, the impact of relational benefits on continuance intention is positively and significantly mediated through user satisfaction and engagement.

This study is conducted in only one Indian city and is limited to PBS, which, is one of the elements of green transportation and does not cover other modes of transportation. Therefore, generalization of findings beyond this region and the mode of transportation should be done with caution.

This study contributes to the extant management literature by examining the mediating role of user satisfaction and engagement on the linkage between relational benefits and continuance intention which is an unexplored area of research. The study adds to existing knowledge by exploring the dimensionality of relational benefits in PBS context.

The purpose of this study is to identify and develop an understanding of various success factors in implementing an efficient court management system by the court managers employed at the trial courts and high courts in India. Court management implies using a professional approach using managerial tools and techniques in managing courts.

This study is based on a case study with two Indian states demonstrating efficiency in judicial operation with the adoption of court management techniques. Semi-structured interviews with the court registry, court managers, document studies, court visits, along with observation are the main data sources.

It was observed that managerial practices of job autonomy, regular feedback, clear job expectations and support from the supervisor/reporting officer act as critical success factors for court management efficiency.

This paper adds empirical insight from the Indian viewpoint on existing literature concerning management of courts.

The consideration of alternative sources of material for construction is imperative to reduce the environmental impacts as two-fifths of the carbon footprint of materials is attributed to the construction industry. One alternative material with improved biodegradable attributes which can contribute to carbon offset is bamboo. The commercialisation of bamboo in modern infrastructures has significant potential to address few of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) itemised by the United Nations, namely SDG 9 about industry, innovation and infrastructure. Other SDGs covering sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and climate action are also indirectly addressed when utilising sustainable construction materials. Being a natural material however, the full commercialisation of materials such as bamboo is constrained by a lack of durability. Besides fracture mechanisms arising from load-induced cracks and thermal modification, the durability of bamboo material is greatly impaired by biotic and abiotic factors, which equally affect its natural rate of degradation, hence fracture behaviour. In first instance, this chapter outlines the various factors leading to the durability limitations in bamboo material due to load-induced cracks and natural degradation based on recent findings in this field from the author's own work and from past literature. Secondly, part of this chapter is devoted to a new approach of processing the surge of information about the varied aspects of bamboo durability by considering the powerful technique of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically the artificial neural network (ANN) for prediction modelling. Further use of AI-enabled technologies could have an impactful outcome on the life cycle assessment of bamboo-based structures to address the growing challenges outlined by the United Nations.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the prediction of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) using X-ray image.

This study proposed convolutional neural network (CNN) approach to predict COVID-19.

Prediction of COVID-19 using CNN.

The work has implemented multiple CNN models to classify chest X-ray of affected patients by using their chest scans. According to three models, the ResNet-50 is advantageous because of its high service reliability.

This qualitative research examines the varied reasons for relocation to old age homes (OAHs) in contemporary India. The purpose of this study investigates the acceptance of institutional living in Lucknow (a Tier II city of India) and whether migration to OAHs is a voluntary decision. This study also examines the lifeworld of the older adult in these OAHs in an attempt to find out whether OAHs are conducive to positive ageing. Derivatively, the authors study their engagement/time use pattern and social networking patterns in the OAHs. Finally, the research seeks to learn whether OAHs are slowly substituting older adult care given within the family by offering the best of the facilities and services.

This qualitative research was conducted in two private OAHs in Lucknow, India. The findings of the study are based on 28 qualitative interviews conducted with the inmates, administrative staff and caretakers. The interviews were unstructured and open-ended and were supported by observations. The observation was not only made of the social setting but also the reaction of the participants. The idea was to develop an emic view of the subject by exploring valid narratives. Pseudonyms were used to report the finding so as to maintain the confidentiality of the research subjects.

This research moves beyond the traditional wisdom that people move to OAH because of the push factors within the family. OAHs in India have evolved over the years and high-end OAHs are equipped with modern amenities to cater to the upper class in their twilight years. Residents were found to lead active lives in OAHs and their common habitus and bonding capital helped them to face the vagaries of old age more confidently. Their active life and membership in various civic organizations challenge the contention of the role theory that the aged are more prone to lose rather than gain roles.

The originality of the research lies in the fact that the authors are extending the arguments made by the role theory of social ageing. The theory proposes that aged people are more likely to lose out roles rather than gain new ones. This study finds that the elderly tend to live a very active life in OAHs and engaged various civic organizations. Although they may lose/voluntarily give up the roles like the head of the household, spouse, etc., they acquire new roles in the context of OAHs.

The importance of psychological capital (PsyCap) and perceived organizational support (POS) have been identified over the years, however, the underlying relationship of both constructs with different employee outcomes is still a subject of research. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether POS helps in mediating the effect of PsyCap on employee engagement (EE).

In total, 420 samples (middle-level information technology (IT) professionals) were collected from different IT industry located in India by using online survey questionnaires. The collected data were further analyzed using regression analysis, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, reliability and validity analysis, mediation analysis and model fit indices analysis.

The results of the present study confirmed the full mediating effect of POS on the PsyCap-EE relationship and demonstrated that employees with a higher level of PsyCap, contribute more positively to the POS level which further enhances the employee’s level of engagement at the workplace.

The samples collected for the current study included only middle-level IT professionals of the IT industry in India; therefore, the present study results have limited general applicability. The results and findings of the current study are only on the basis of inferential statistical analysis, and descriptive analysis was not performed on the collected data. Further, the study does not investigate the influence of time.

This study would assist practitioners of human resources in organizational development by enhancing the employee’s positive attitude and commitment toward their study. Further, EE can also be improved by enhancing the levels of POS and PsyCap of employees, which is in line with the findings of the current study.

The current study examines the mediating effect of POS on psychological capital and EE the relationship for the first time.

This paper aims to review the role of government initiatives for developing clean fuels in India, decarbonize the transport sector and maximize the use of renewable sources of energy. India’s socio-economic prosperity is dependent on modern energy. The authors examine the role of biofuel in India’s emerging fuel mix.

A 20-year timeframe between 2000 and 2021 was set to learn about the subject and find the existing gaps. Of the 40 research papers, the authors found using keywords and delimiting criteria in the database, the authors have shortlisted 21 papers, which provided the theoretical framework for the study. Additionally, the authors used the government database to develop future projections using compound annual growth rate and trend analysis.

The study findings suggest that India should strictly implement the Biofuel Policy to promote indigenous production of biofuel to enhance affordability and accessibility. With blending options available with biofuels and biogas, the country can replace the right proportion of fossil fuel use by 2050. It will not only decrease India’s import dependence but also will create new job opportunities, specifically in tribal and remote locations and promote green energy mix. With emerging options like electric vehicle and hydrogen, the transport sector could be decarbonized to a greater extent.

Indigenous cleaner fuel adoption and transport sector will generate additional employment and cut down fossil fuel import. Financial savings through reduced fossil fuel import will be directed toward social development.

The paper carries out critical analysis for the active use of modern green fuels in the present and coming days. Such unique analysis must help India to balance its energy basket.

Nanotechnology as an emerging area if adequately harnessed could revolutionise food packaging and food processing industry worldwide. Although several benefits of nano-materials or particles in food packaging have been suggested, potential risks and health hazards of nano-materials or particles are possible as a result of migration of their particles into food materials. The purpose of this review therefore assessed nanotechnology and its applications in food packaging, consumer acceptability of nano-packaged foods and potential hazards and safety issues in nano-packaged foods.

This review takes a critical assessment of previous literature on nanotechnology and its impact on food packaging, consumer health and safety.

Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging could be divided into three main divisions: improved packaging, which involves mixing nano-materials into polymers matrix to improve temperature, humidity and gas barrier resistance of the packaging materials. Active packaging deals with direct interaction between nano-materials used for packaging and the food to protect it as anti-microbial or oxygen or ultra violet scavengers. Smart packaging could be used to sense biochemical or microbial changes in foods, as well as a tracker for food safety, to prevent food counterfeit and adulteration. The review also discussed bio-based food packaging which is biodegradable. Bio-based packaging could serve as veritable alternative to conventional packaging which is non-degradable plastic polymers which are not environmental friendly and could pose a threat to the environment. However, bio-based packaging could reduce material waste, elongate shelf life and enhance food quality. However, several challenges are envisaged in the use of nano-materials in food packaging due to knowledge gaps, possible interaction with food products and possible health risks that could result from the nano-materials used for food packaging.

The increase in growth and utilisation of nanotechnology signifies wide use of nano-materials especially in the food sector with arrays of potential benefits in the areas of food safety and quality, micronutrients and bioactive ingredients delivery, food processing and in packaging Active studies are being carried out to develop innovative packages such as smart, intelligent and active food packaging to enhance effective and efficient packaging, as well as balanced environmental issues. This review looks at the future of nano-packaged foods vis-à-vis the roles played by stakeholders such as governments, regulatory agencies and manufacturers in looking into consumer health and safety issues related to the application of nano-materials in food packaging.