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1 – 10 of 13Dhiraj Kumar Malhotra and Sonia Bansal
Instant messaging (IM) apps like WhatsApp have given an impetus to rapid sharing of information through multimedia messages in this information age and their clear impact has been…
Abstract
Purpose
Instant messaging (IM) apps like WhatsApp have given an impetus to rapid sharing of information through multimedia messages in this information age and their clear impact has been noticed in the academic sector. The present study is conducted with the aim to understand the magnetism of WhatsApp among veterinary students. The major purpose of the study is to analyse the use of WhatsApp for academic proposes with a special emphasis on its impact on studies.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from students of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) using questionnaires as a tool. Questionnaires were randomly distributed among 100 postgraduate (PG) and 100 undergraduate (UG) students. In total, 78 PG and 77 UG students responded to the survey.
Findings
More than 90 per cent of the students were using WhatsApp for academic purposes. More UG students were using WhatsApp to chat, share images/videos and so forth for academic purposes as compared to PG students. Nearly two-thirds of the students admitted that addiction to using WhatsApp diverted attention from doing any other kind of activity. More than 75 per cent of the users were using WhatsApp while studying at their home or hostel. About 28 per cent of the students said that the use of WhatsApp had affected their studies, and more than 60 per cent of these students noticed a positive effect.
Originality/value
WhatsApp increases knowledge sharing, leading to enhanced creativity. Thus, WhatsApp can contribute significantly to the academic community by users consciously controlling its use and not allowing its addictive nature to divert attention from their studies.
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Sonia Singh, Ankita Bansal, Rajinder Sandhu and Jagpreet Sidhu
This paper has proposed a Fog architecture-based framework, which classifies dengue patients into uninfected, infected and severely infected using a data set built in 2010. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper has proposed a Fog architecture-based framework, which classifies dengue patients into uninfected, infected and severely infected using a data set built in 2010. The aim of this proposed framework is to developed a latency-aware system for classifying users into different categories based on their respective symptoms using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and audio and video files.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the aforesaid aim, a smart framework is proposed, which consist of three components, namely, IoT layer, Fog infrastructure and cloud computing. The latency of the system is reduced by using network devices located in the Fog infrastructure. Data generated by IoT layer will first be processed by Fog layer devices which are in closer proximity of the user. Raw data and data generated will later be stored on cloud infrastructure, from where it will be sent to different entities such as user, hospital, doctor and government healthcare agencies.
Findings
Experimental evaluation proved the hypothesis that using the Fog infrastructure can achieve better response time for latency sensitive applications with the least effect on accuracy of the system.
Originality/value
The proposed Fog-based architecture can be used with IoT to directly link it with the Fog layer.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the most important dimensions and antecedents of the employee's commitment to the firm using a multidisciplinary perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the most important dimensions and antecedents of the employee's commitment to the firm using a multidisciplinary perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a national sample of 285 employees working in different firms, the research reported here portrays the paths which link the economic and relational antecedents of commitment with the dimensions of organizational commitment. A structural equations analysis is performed.
Findings
It was found that the most effective way to get normative commitment and thus make the employee continue working in the same firm is to engender affective commitment. And affective commitment is determined mainly by interaction between the firm and its employees (participation, flexibility and information exchange). Employee gender, level of studies, offspring and firm size and belonging to a group show a moderating effect on the global model.
Research limitations/implications
Information has only been collected from the employee and only in Spain. Hence, it would be interesting to collect information from the firm, supervisors and managers and to replicate the study in other cultural and labour contexts.
Practical implications
This research shows the most important ways for an organisation to get their employees' commitment. In this sense, relational norms are essential to retain employees in the firm.
Originality/value
A multidisciplinary perspective is adopted to improve the understanding of employee‐firm relationships. It is one of the few studies that include relational norms and opportunism to explain organisational commitment. Besides, the paper offers an exploratory study of the moderating effects of firm and employee characteristics on the global model.
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The authors suggest that the research-to-practice gap, such as that found in evidence-based management, is due in part to a lack of attention to embodied knowledge. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors suggest that the research-to-practice gap, such as that found in evidence-based management, is due in part to a lack of attention to embodied knowledge. The recommendation is for change agents to bring attention to embodied knowing when implementing change based on research. The purpose of the paper is to address the research-to-practice gap.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper that considers limitations of the predominant approach to considering the research-to-practice gap. The literature on phenomenology, feminist theory, and learning theory form the basis for exploring these challenges as well as possible solutions for transcending the research-to-practice gap.
Findings
Strategic opportunities for introducing increased corporeal understanding are advanced. The suggestions address the research-to-practice gap at three critical stages of research-based change initiatives. These include making embodied knowledge integral to change initiatives in framing research, reducing resistance, and increasing acceptance. Among the specific strategies discussed are attending to tacit knowledge when considering the change, embracing the embrained body including attending to kinesthetic resistance and starting with the body to increase acceptance when implementing change.
Originality/value
There has been very little previous attention to the corporeal in management research and practice, including in the organizational change literature. This paper not only increases this discussion significantly but also provides suggestions for how to move forward in practice.
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Abhishek Kajal and Siddharth Bansal
The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of corporate attributes like a company’s profitability, size, age, leverage and board size on companies’ sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of corporate attributes like a company’s profitability, size, age, leverage and board size on companies’ sustainability reporting as measured through India’s new business responsibility and sustainability reporting (BRSR) framework.
Design/methodology/approach
A random sample of 130 companies was taken from the top 1,000 listed companies on the National Stock Exchange. Sequential mixed methods research approach was used to prepare a sustainability quality index. Then, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the impact on the quality of reporting by Indian companies.
Findings
Interestingly, the analysis revealed that traditional metrics like age, profitability, board size and leverage did not have significant associations with reporting quality. Rather, the size of a company in terms of market capitalisation was found to have a strong positive impact on sustainability reporting.
Research limitations/implications
This was a cross-sectional study, as time series data for BRSR reporting is not yet available. Also, only five parameters were taken for analysis. Lastly, subjective judgment in content analysis may be involved.
Practical implications
This suggests that only larger companies in India are prioritising sustainability reporting over smaller ones. It affirms the legitimacy and stakeholder theory in the Indian context.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first endeavours to assess the efficacy of the new Indian BRSR framework and test its primary objectives. Furthermore, significant implications have been given for managers to catalyse and reinforce the sustainability momentum down the lane across companies of all sizes in India.
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Sonia Mehrotra and Santosh Rupa Jaladi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the practices that start-ups in emerging economies can implement to design circular economy business models and how they can create and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the practices that start-ups in emerging economies can implement to design circular economy business models and how they can create and capture value from a circular economy business model.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a qualitative case method approach with semi-structured interviews with start-up founder promoters, its employees, its beneficiaries and its customers, conducted in two local Indian start-ups engaged in the manufacture of products and providing services that promote adoption of circular economy principles.
Findings
Analysis of the two business models reveals common patterns in building value proposition. The findings suggest that start-up ventures adopt an iterative approach to produce reusable and interlinked products and co-create with customers, vendors and local communities. They adopt mechanisms that can create, deliver and capture value while maintaining economic viability, and thus contribute towards micro- and macro-level benefits.
Research limitations/implications
This study maximizes the depth of the phenomenon under investigation by leveraging case study methodology. Future research opportunities could be found in quantitative studies to increase the generalizability of the findings of this paper.
Practical implications
The paper presents a theoretical model linking the circular business model design and deployment mechanisms that can be used by start-up entrepreneurs desirous of embracing circular economy principles and thus contribute towards environmental, economic and developmental goals in emerging economies.
Social implications
To accelerate the transition of adoption of circularity principles in emerging markets, start-up ventures could adopt circular business models that contribute towards achieving positive behavioural change. This can be achieved by integrating with different stakeholders in the value network such that they play a vital role in the process of value creation and delivery and benefit from the value captured.
Originality/value
An interdisciplinary approach that integrates the research streams of circular economy, and business model design has been pursued to identify the design and deployment mechanisms adopted in the circular business models of start-ups in real-world emerging economies’ context.
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Sonia San-Martín, Jana Prodanova and Blanca López Catalán
This study aims to explore the issue of word of mouth (WOM) about mobile shopping, including activities conducted by consumers using a wireless internet connection to make a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the issue of word of mouth (WOM) about mobile shopping, including activities conducted by consumers using a wireless internet connection to make a purchase. The objective is to ascertain the determinants of m-shoppers’ WOM.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a causal model to examine how satisfaction, perceived control, perceived entertainment and subjective norms affect WOM about mobile commerce. The authors treated a sample of 447 Spanish mobile phone buyers and applied different sound theoretical approaches to support the research.
Findings
Shopping experience, control over the process, group influence and satisfaction with mobile purchasing affect subsequent WOM shopping recommendations by innovative and pioneer mobile shoppers. Besides, entertainment, group influence, shopping experience and perceived control influence customer satisfaction in mobile shopping contexts.
Originality/value
This research provides a better understanding of WOM regarding m-shopping and contributes by outlining important variables for recommending WOM regarding m-shopping, which is key in the m-shopping diffusion. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneer study in Europe focusing on these variables for addressing the ways of achieving m-shopper WOM and one of the few addressing WOM in the m-shopping context. This study is based on information collected from real buyers, who are pioneer in m-shopping.
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This study aims to explore the moderation effect of environment uncertainties (supply, competition and demand) in the relationship between a firm’s drivers (internal and external…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the moderation effect of environment uncertainties (supply, competition and demand) in the relationship between a firm’s drivers (internal and external) and practices (purchasing, design and manufacturing, logistics and internal management) when going green.
Design/methodology/approach
The questionnaire survey was utilized in this study. The survey was distributed to 981 electronic manufacturing companies, with 174 valid responses collected (a response rate of 17.74 per cent). Confirmatory factor analysis and regression models were then conducted to test the result.
Findings
The result indicates that both the internal and external drivers have significant influence on the adoption of green-related practices when firms go green. It is further confirmed that the practice of green purchasing is significantly influenced by the moderator of environmental uncertainty. Moreover, supply uncertainty has the most significant influence on numerous green practices, such as green purchasing, internal management and green logistics.
Originality/value
This paper measures the drivers, practices and environmental uncertainty of firms going green from multiple perspectives. It provides guidance to practitioners on how to choose appropriate practices in accordance with the uncertainties they are facing.
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Sónia Maria da Silva Monteiro and Beatriz Aibar‐Guzmán
The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of organizational change undergone by a large Portuguese business group within the context of the environmental agenda and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of organizational change undergone by a large Portuguese business group within the context of the environmental agenda and the role of accounting as a mechanism for change.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports the results of a case study conducted between 2006 and 2009. Information was obtained from semi‐structured interviews and secondary sources. Organizational changes were analyzed using Laughlin's model in order to identify which category reflected most of the changes introduced to address environmental matters.
Findings
This paper offers evidence that change is not a homogeneous phenomenon. Additionally, it confirms previous studies' findings which found that accounting did not play a significant role in the process of organizational change within the context of the environmental agenda.
Originality/value
This paper seeks to complement the research in this area by integrating observations from a case study into an existing model of levels of organizational change according to how a Portuguese business group incorporated environmental issues into its processes, policies and corporate culture.
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Sujata Khandai, Jones Mathew, Renu Yadav, Sonia Kataria and Harpuneet Kohli
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sustainable marketing practices of firms on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. In addition, this study also…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sustainable marketing practices of firms on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. In addition, this study also aims to explore the mediating effect of brand trust and brand affect on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A combination of descriptive and causal research has been used, for which data was collected from 582 respondents and processed using structural equation modeling to establish multivariate relationships. The PROCESS method was used to estimate mediation effects.
Findings
A rather valuable insight that emerged is the significant role that brand trust and brand affect play in engendering attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty among consumers, for firms adopting sustainable marketing practices. Findings revealed that sustainable marketing practices result in enhanced brand trust, which further translates into higher levels of brand affect, thereby leading to attitudinal brand loyalty and further resulting in behavioral brand loyalty. This study also highlights the importance of brand affect in developing enduring behavioral brand loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
Consumers today are changing their consumption habits, preferring to satisfy ideological and symbolic needs rather than just rational needs. So, marketers practising sustainable marketing should aim to leverage brand trust and brand affect to ensure lasting behavioral brand loyalty.
Originality/value
The examination of the effect of sustainable marketing practices on brand-related variables has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlines the operation of emotion-based enduring loyalty. The vast majority of studies that provided insights about sustainable marketing practices and consumer behavior thereof were dominated by European and American perspectives and very few studies exist with a focus on developing economies. This study attempts to fill this void by exploring the personal care market in India.
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