Search results
1 – 10 of 331Amanpreet Kaur Sidhu, Harwinder Singh, Sandeep Singh Virdi and Raman Kumar
The purpose of this research paper is to identify the sources of job stress and their impact on health of employees.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research paper is to identify the sources of job stress and their impact on health of employees.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 650 employees of power sector in Punjab (India) responded to the survey. Exploratory factor analysis and ANOVA were performed. Further, post hoc was conducted to find out which variable differs significantly.
Findings
The findings indicates that five parameters, namely workload, working environment, concentration, positivity and future perspective are the factors that are responsible to create stress in employees. There is great impact on health as “frequency of visit to a doctor” and “numbers of diseases” they have are high and “employee's time spared for exercise” is less.
Research limitations/implications
Since the survey was conducted only in power sector, it is difficult to generalize the results. However, the findings from this study will provide the factors that cause job stress and how they impact on health of employees.
Practical implications
The result indicates the impact of job stress on health of employees in power sector. Current research suggests that job stressors should be treated timely to minimize the impact of job stress.
Originality/value
While previous research has focused on the effect of stress on health, the present study provides evidence of the relationship between the sources of job stress and health, particularly in power sector in Punjab. This study would be contributing to the existing literature in Indian context.
Greeshma Benny Thadikaran and Sandeep Kumar Singh
This study aims to synthesize the literature on shopping experiences of visually impaired consumers (VIC). The review probes the extent of the research done, highlights the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to synthesize the literature on shopping experiences of visually impaired consumers (VIC). The review probes the extent of the research done, highlights the shopping experiences of VIC documented in the existing literature, pinpoints gaps and provides directions for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses Arksey and O’Malley’s framework to conduct a scoping review. Articles related to VIC shopping experience were collected from Scopus databases. In total, 27 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for the review.
Findings
The results were divided into three sections. The analysis section conveys the extent of the research relevant to the methodology, study context, geographical location, timeline and citation analysis. The emerging themes portray the experiences VIC encounters while shopping. Finally, the consultation process revealed the current perspectives of VIC.
Practical implications
This review collates the existing literature and identifies the research gaps. These research gaps provide directions for future research. This study creates awareness of VIC shopping needs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to review the literature on VIC’s shopping experience.
Details
Keywords
Bekan Serbessa Waktola, Manjit Singh and Sandeep Singh
This study aims to examine the effect of social responsibility practices on competitive advantage. It focuses on analyzing how strategic initiatives addressing social…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of social responsibility practices on competitive advantage. It focuses on analyzing how strategic initiatives addressing social responsibility practices influence banks’ competitive advantage (CA).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 463 customers of selected commercial banks in Ethiopia. Self-administrative questionnaire was used to collect data. The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2023. The study used a structural equation model to test relationships between variables.
Findings
This study’s empirical findings show that social responsibility practices positively affect CA. This suggests that banks actively engaging in social responsibility practices can boost their CA.
Research limitations/implications
The study only targeted customers as respondents and did not include other stakeholders such as employees and the community. This recommended that future research should include these stakeholders. This study relied solely on quantitative data. Future studies could consider incorporating qualitative data to complement the quantitative findings. The study’s sample was limited to Ethiopia’s banking sector. Other service sectors and manufacturing sectors will be considered in future studies to examine the relationship between social responsibility practices and CA.
Practical implications
This study provides insights for banks operating in dynamic markets by providing the strategic implications of social responsibility. Banks can strategically leverage social responsibility practices to gain an advantage in a competitive market. Banks should continuously innovate and adapt their social responsibility strategies to address evolving societal needs and emerging challenges and consider social responsibility an integral component of their strategic planning. The findings of this study can enhance managers’ understanding and enable them to better oversee their social responsibility initiatives to attain a sustainable CA.
Social implications
This study highlights businesses’ pivotal role in society beyond profit generation. The research findings emphasize the interconnectedness of business success and social responsibility. By integrating social responsibility practices into their operations, companies enhance their CA and contribute to society’s greater good. This underscores the importance of promoting a corporate culture that values social responsibility as a cornerstone of business success.
Originality/value
Empirically examining the relationship between social responsibility practices and CA contributes to the overview of the conceptual and practical base of social responsibility practices into strategic importance. The study provides insight into the importance of social responsibility practices in enhancing CA in developing country’s contexts.
Details
Keywords
Sandeep Kumar Singh, Amit Singh, Mamata Jenamani and Nripendra P. Rana
As an emerging technology, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) and blockchain have the potential to disrupt many areas of business and social structure. However, it is loaded…
Abstract
Purpose
As an emerging technology, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) and blockchain have the potential to disrupt many areas of business and social structure. However, it is loaded with significant technical, social, legal, financial and ethical complications that bring difficulty in its widespread use within the public distribution system (PDS). This research aims to analyze the barriers to integrated RFID and blockchain adoption in developing countries' PDS. Furthermore, this study also aims to validate the proposed framework against the Indian PDS.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework consists of 10 potential barriers to integrated RFID and blockchain adoption. To identify the barriers, this study referred to the extant literature followed by consultations with domain experts. This study prepared the DEMATEL-based questionnaires, collected the data from four domain experts and analyzed them using an integrated Grey-DEMATEL approach.
Findings
The obtained results provide a precise list of barriers and the correlations among them. From the results, it is concluded that the unavailability of a skilled workforce at affordable cost, lack of knowledge about privacy level and unclear return on investment and benefits are the most critical blockchain adoption barriers in the context of Indian PDS.
Originality/value
This research proposes a framework consisting of 10 integrated RFID and blockchain adoption barriers in relation to Indian PDS. It also proposes a method for analyzing causal interrelationships between the barriers while allowing for data input from domain experts. Consequently, the framework is capable of coping with experts' biases and data scarcity.
Details
Keywords
Sandeep Singh, Muskaan Arora, Rajinder Kaur, Amita Rani and Payal Kathuria
This study aims to examine the relationship between religious commitment (RC), environmental values (EVs), behaviour intentions and awareness. In this study, EV is studied as a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between religious commitment (RC), environmental values (EVs), behaviour intentions and awareness. In this study, EV is studied as a mediator between the relationship of RC and environmental behavioural intentions. Finally, this study examines the conditional effect of environmental awareness on this mediation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted in the textile industry in Punjab, India. The sample for this study was 259 managers of different textile firms. The data was collected on standardised scales. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects in this study.
Findings
It was found that the indirect effect between RC and environmental behaviour intention was significant through EV. This study confirmed that the mediation between the variables was moderated by environmental awareness.
Practical implications
Based on the tested model, textile organisations can improve their corporate social responsibility practices. This study highlights the importance of encouraging environmental awareness among textile industry employees, especially those with religious convictions, to reduce environmental impacts. It suggests ecological training, education initiatives and implementing eco-friendly policies.
Originality/value
This study provides a model based on social and psychological factors. The findings of this study can be applied in the textile industry to augment environmentally friendly behaviour among managers. The perspective of moderated meditation among the relationships of variables carries a unique value in this study. Furthermore, this study combines social factors like religion with environmental psychology within business settings. In this way, study carries a unique value.
Details
Keywords
Sandeep Singh, Shashi Kant Sharma and M. Abdul Akbar
The purpose of this work is to improve the air entrainment capacity of a concrete by using fine mineral admixtures such as fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) as cement substitute…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this work is to improve the air entrainment capacity of a concrete by using fine mineral admixtures such as fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) as cement substitute, and coal bottom ash (CBA) as fine aggregate substitute. Air entrainment capacity has been studied indirectly as a measure of heat resistance of concrete. Literature has suggested that mineral admixtures improve the air absorption in the paste component of the concrete, on the one hand, whereas they perform pore and grain size refinement, on the other, thereby reducing the air entrainment. CBA, which being porous, creates the possibility of air adsorption by the aggregate component. Therefore, the study finds out whether a double benefit of adding both of these materials will be achieved, or CBA will try to improve the deficiency in the air entrainment created by the mineral admixtures.
Design/methodology/approach
Air-entrained concrete (AEC) mixes were constituted in three groups. First group represents mixes with natural fine aggregates only, and second with 25% fine aggregates substituted by CBA. Progressively, the third group has 50% fine aggregates substituted with CBA. In all the three groups, cement was substituted with FA and SF @ 0%, 20% and 40%, and 0%, 5% and 10%, respectively, thereby creating four binary and four ternary mixes corresponding to each group. Compressive and flexural strength tests were conducted at 28 days on the concrete mixes pre and post high-temperature heat treatment, i.e. 100°C, 200°C and 400°C, respectively. This study also examines the microstructure characteristics of AEC after 14 days of curing via X-ray diffraction. Sorptivity test was also conducted to estimate the capillary and air-entrained voids in concrete.
Findings
It was found that a concrete mix containing 20% FA and 10% SF along with 50% CBA could give similar post-heated strength to a normal (without mineral admixtures) AEC. In AECs where only CBA is present and cement paste is not substituted, both of the pre- and post-heated strengths of concrete reduce. Also, some mixtures containing large amounts of mineral admixtures in concrete with nil CBA show a high reduction in post-heated strength though they show good pre-heated strength. Therefore, mineral admixtures and CBA complement each other in improving the post-heated strength. Air pore structure found from sorptivity test also verifies these results.
Originality/value
AEC is very helpful for insulation of buildings during summer season by absorbing heat waves. AEC containing FA and CBA reduces carbon footprint because of substitution of cement and it also helps to conserve natural resources by the use of CBA in place of fine aggregates.
Details
Keywords
Shilpa Chaudhary, Sunita Deswal and Sandeep Singh Sheoran
This study aims to analyse the behaviour of plane waves within a nonlocal transversely isotropic visco-thermoelastic medium having variable thermal conductivity.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the behaviour of plane waves within a nonlocal transversely isotropic visco-thermoelastic medium having variable thermal conductivity.
Design/methodology/approach
The concept of enunciation is used in the generalized theory of thermoelasticity in accordance with the Green–Lindsay and Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity models. The linear viscoelasticity model developed by Kelvin–Voigt is used to characterize the viscoelastic properties of transversely isotropic materials.
Findings
It has been noticed that three plane waves, which are coupled together, travel through the medium at three different speeds. The derivation of reflection coefficients and energy ratios for reflected waves is carried out by incorporating suitable boundary conditions. Numerical computations are performed for the amplitude ratios, phase speeds and energy partition and displayed in graphical form.
Originality/value
The outcomes of the numerical simulation demonstrate that the amplitude ratios are significantly influenced by variable thermal conductivity, nonlocal parameters and viscosity. It is further observed from the plots that the phase speeds in a transversely isotropic medium depend on the angle of incidence. In addition, it has been established that the energy is preserved during the reflection phenomenon.
Details
Keywords
Sandeep Singh Sheoran, Shilpa Chaudhary and Kapil Kumar Kalkal
The purpose of this paper is to study the transient thermoelastic interactions in a nonlocal rotating magneto-thermoelastic medium with temperature-dependent properties…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the transient thermoelastic interactions in a nonlocal rotating magneto-thermoelastic medium with temperature-dependent properties. Three-phase-lag (TPL) model of generalized thermoelasticity is employed to study the problem. An initial magnetic field with constant intensity acts parallel to the bounding plane. Therefore, Maxwell's theory of electrodynamics has been effectively introduced and the expression for Lorentz's force is obtained with the help of modified Ohm's law.
Design/methodology/approach
The normal mode technique has been adopted to solve the resulting non-dimensional coupled field equations to obtain the expressions of physical field variables.
Findings
For uniformly distributed thermal load, normal displacement, temperature distribution and stress components are calculated numerically with the help of MATLAB software for a copper material and the results are illustrated graphically. Some particular cases of interest are also deduced from the present study.
Originality/value
Influences of nonlocal parameter, rotation, temperature-dependent properties, magnetic field and time are carefully analyzed for mechanically stress free boundary and uniformly distributed thermal load. The present work is useful and valuable for analysis of problem involving thermal shock, nonlocal parameter, temperature-dependent elastic and thermal moduli.
Details
Keywords
Recognizing the importance of Robo-advisors in digital financial services, this paper aims to analyse the users’ perception and acceptability of artificial intelligence (AI) in…
Abstract
Purpose
Recognizing the importance of Robo-advisors in digital financial services, this paper aims to analyse the users’ perception and acceptability of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital investment solutions using an extended “Technology Acceptance Model” (TAM).
Design/methodology/approach
The model is tested using 454 online valid responses received from Indian Fintech users via direct path analysis, mediation and moderation.
Findings
The study’s findings show that trust, perceived usefulness and perceived risk all significantly impact users’ attitudes towards Robo-advisors. In contrast, ease of use and social influence did not impact users’ attitudes statistically. Furthermore, the results indicate that their attitudes and ease of use influence users’ intentions to adopt Robo-advisors. Moreover, the moderation effect of gender partly supports the overall model. Specifically, in the path between attitudes and their antecedents, gender plays a role in influencing the relationships among these variables. This aligns with preliminary research in the field, providing additional insight into how gender may moderate the factors influencing users’ attitudes and intentions regarding Robo-advisory services.
Research limitations/implications
This research study also reveals that trust, perceived risk, ease of use and demographic factors influence the adoption of Robo-advisory services. It is functional, but its sample selection is not probabilistic and overly emphasizes gender. Future research should use probabilistic sampling, other demographic factors and experience and situational factors. Also, it is necessary to examine how convenient and satisfying it is to communicate with service providers. Filling these gaps will improve the knowledge of consumer behaviour in the context of Fintech adoption and develop the current research.
Practical implications
This study posits that perceived usefulness, trust, perceived risk and ease of use remain core determinants of adopting Robo-advisory services. So, to improve the level of trust of users, it is necessary to develop security measures, data clarity and quality and customer support. Enhancing ease of use by incorporating better interface gestures is always beneficial for increasing the number of users and their level of satisfaction. As identified in previous studies, practical solutions will be achieved by pursuing the increased use of technology while leveraging AI for personal services and minimizing perceived risks, which will strengthen more advanced security measures as well as sufficiently clear communication.
Originality/value
The paper aims to extend the TAM by incorporating measures of trust and social influence to identify the factors that drive the adoption of Robo-advisors. In doing so, the paper may contribute to developing a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that shape consumers’ attitudes and intentions towards these technologies. Moreover, the paper appears to examine the moderating effect of gender on attitude and its predictors, which could provide insights into how gender characteristics may impact the adoption of Robo-advisors.
Details