International Journal of Business & Management Science

EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN THROUGH MGNREGA: A PATH TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE: A REVIEW

Dr Vandna Sharma — 2025-03-18

Since MGNREGA boosts female economic power across India while improving rural economic conditions it has become a transformative development since its implementation. The MGNREGA social security program established in 2005 provides annual paid wage employment to families who perform manual labor without specialized skills for 100 days per year. Rural women have experienced substantial positive changes through MGNREGA because it expanded their economic activities and financial development and autonomy. The workforce welcomes millions of women due to MGNREGA's gender-sensitive rules which provide equal pay and on-site childcare facilities and require at least 33% female participation. The rural female population has achieved better healthcare access and transformed traditional gender norms by gaining economic independence which led to improved household resources and increased school funding. Through this method women can stay in their communities during seasonal periods because migration has decreased. Gender-based socioeconomic research shows that MGNREGA supports women participants by creating higher self-esteem and enhanced household financial decisions and improved social engagement. MGNREGA has brought positive outcomes but implementation problems include delayed wage payments and subpar execution in certain areas and insufficient work areas and cultural resistance to participation in some communities. The program has built better community facilities and taught new skills but women face challenges when they try to transition from basic to advanced work. MGNREGA needs updated policies to achieve its intended goals. The program needs to enhance its training programs for women plus start awareness efforts and create better workplace environments alongside faster salary payments. The long-lasting impact of MGNREGA will grow stronger by strengthening connections between the program and rural business initiatives and microfinance possibilities and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).MGNREGA functions as a powerful tool to drive social and economic transformation while India pursues rural development that includes both genders. Successful implementation along with ongoing policy changes about MGNREGA will eventually lead to improved financial freedom and labour market entry for rural women together with better gender equality across rural areas in India.

HOW DO BEHAVIOURAL BIASES INFLUENCE ASSET PRICING AND THE EFFICIENCY OF FINANCIAL MARKETS?

Paridhi Kumar — 2025-03-05

This paper investigates how behavioural biases influence asset pricing and financial market efficiency. Classical finance theory conceptualizes the EMH; it assumes financial markets to be rational, with the efficient market passing on all available information to reflect prices. However, where behavioural finance does oppose this assumption is in its acceptance of the presence of psychological factors leading to deviations from rational decision-making. This paper looks at the traditional behavioural biases that, in common sense, lead to decisions on the part of investors with an overview or projection of how asset prices will behave. Price bubbles, excessive volatility, and mispricing of assets all emerge as market anomalies, so opportunities to exploit inefficiency are created. As indicated by the other writer's works and empirical studies, it describes how biases due to behaviour run through an investor's perception and behaviour and how it causes inefficient pricing mechanisms to develop. It also analyzes the influence of these biases in matters related to asset allocation, risk management, and market stability. The research suggests while behavioural biases limit any normal economic functioning of the market, acknowledging and understanding these behavioural biases could present numerous opportunities to formulate more impressive investment options and policy interventions for a better working market

"HOW HAS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AI-DRIVEN ALGORITHMS IMPROVED THE ACCURACY OF FINANCIAL FORECASTING MODELS AND ENHANCED THE PERFORMANCE OF INVESTMENT STRATEGIES IN THE STOCK MARKET OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS?"

Rachit Gianchandani — 2025-04-02

AI has been a game changer in the financial world, especially with regard to prediction and investment strategies. Algorithms driven by AI over the past 5 years have improved decision making, data handling and predictions. Manual calculation based forecasting using historical data would not be able to address the complexities and rapid changes of the market. But with machine learning and deep learning, AI has really made an impact using really big data, globally including market sentiment at speeds and accuracy never before possible.

AI investment in the financial industry amounted to 35 billion by 2023, with 21 billion of this amount being funded by banks. Thousands of financial reports are monitored in real time by AI tools like BlackRock’s Aladdin platform and provide actionable insights for proactive decisions and risk management. AI also enhances portfolio management and algorithmic trading systems, delivers more reliable forecasts of the future and investment strategies that better withstand economic shocks. And, it turns out that those built on AI can perform better than those built on foundries, to put it another way.

There are many other challenges including but not limited to data quality, model transparency and ethical concerns. AI models like any other models are only as good as the data they are fed with. The competitive nature of these algorithms makes it hard to be accountable to identify if the algorithms are indeed fair. But these challenges must be met as AI continues to shape the future of financial forecasts and investment strategies.

THE INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY APPROACH.

Advocate Varun Goel — 2025-03-04

Modern business competition demands leadership because it determines organizational success and continued business survival. Organizational performance alongside employee productivity and business success entirely depend on how well a leader inspires and mentors their team members. This research based on case studies studies organizational functions to assess the impacts of five leadership philosophies including transformational, transactional and laissez-faire as well as democratic and autocratic. The study aims to assess the different leadership philosophies concerning their effects on important performance indicators which include financial results alongside operational effectiveness and employee engagement while studying decision-making procedures and creativity. Success and long-term business viability rely mainly on leadership in the current highly competitive and rapid business environment. Leadership decisions heavily influence the levels of employee productivity and organizational success and business achievement due to a leader's motivational and mentoring abilities toward team members. This study employs case studies to examine leadership theories including transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, democratic and autocratic regarding their effect on organizational operation. The research aims to study the effects different leadership philosophies have on essential performance indicators that involve financial outcomes together with operational efficiency and employee involvement alongside decision processes and creative outcomes. The research strengthens existing knowledge by presenting real-world information regarding organizational success in relation to leadership style use. The research results demonstrate that organizations need to adopt leadership approaches which match their future plans and workforce composition and industry type. The study points out that leadership development through training creates essential initiatives which boost management effectiveness. Research about the evolving nature of leadership at remote workplaces must analyze how these changes alter organizational resilience along with sustainability performance.

HOW DOES MOBILE BANKING CONTRIBUTE TO FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN EMERGING ECONOMIES?

Aamanya Shah — 2025-03-27

A society in which economics is a tool to improve people’s quality of life and equity for all peoples has to be financially inclusive at a fundamental level. This paper delves into the meaning of financial inclusion and investigates mobile banking as a resource to that end.

Mobile banking is a transformative, building block force in financial inclusion; in the case of emerging economies where it is far more ubiquitously available, traditional banking infrastructure presence is very limited. Through a literature review and research approach, this study investigates how mobile banking is used in bridging financial gaps for low income population, rural population and micro entrepreneurs.

The findings indicate that mobile banking has a large impact on financial access, economic participation and digital financial literacy. But there are still structural barriers to achieving financial inclusion like gender inequalities, digital illiteracy, cybersecurity dangers and inconsistent regulatory frameworks. These can be addressed via stronger consumer protection policies, more fintech-government collaboration as well as more fintech minded financial education programs.

The main contribution of this paper is to add to the conversation on digital financial inclusion and policy recommendations on how to make mobile banking more accessible. Future research should further concentrate on the long term effects on the socioeconomic dimensions, integration of AI and blockchain in the domain of digital banking and finally on specific region based regulatory frameworks for achieving better financial inclusion.

TO WHAT EXTENT HAS INCREASED GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF INDIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS?

Adamya Aggarwal — 2025-02-20

I analyse descriptively and theoretically the status of women entrepreneurs in India and how has increased government investment contributed to growth of women entrepreneurs and how can the women owned enterprises contribute towards development of the Indian economy.

This study is carried out with the specific objective to know about the effectiveness of

government schemes and programmes to promote women entrepreneurship in India and how can it help in boost the Indian economy. The present paper focuses on development of the economy by developing the women entrepreneurs of the country. The study combines both

qualitative descriptions (such as case studies, trends, and statistics) and theoretical concepts (like economic growth theories, gender studies, etc.) to provide a comprehensive view of the status of women entrepreneurs in India.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN THE DIGITAL ERA: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Dr Genu Roney Varghese — 2025-03-24

Social media marketing has become one of the most effective tools of reaching out to consumers and changing their perception about the brand. Currently, there are 4.62 billion active users of social media and this makes it crucial for companies to use digital marketing to reach their target consumers. This paper discusses the effects of social media marketing on the consumer behaviour with regards to influencer marketing, user-generated content, personalised advertising, and real-time brand interaction. In this study, a survey is conducted through 500 active social media users, and with 20 social media industry experts, this research examines the consumers trust, engagement and purchasing behavior. According to the studies, eighty-two percent of the consumers interact with the content relating to brands; sixty-seven percent have made some purchase decisions based on social media advertising, meaning that there is a rise in the effectiveness of digital ads. Also, 55% of consumers believe in the recommendations made by influencers, and 78% of the consumers rely on the reviews from their peers when making a purchase decision, which shows the significance of eWOM and community marketing. This also reveals that brands that respond on social media are 42% more likely to keep customers, thus supporting the effectiveness of timely consumer interaction. However, there are content-related and privacy issues, where 87% of consumers reported that they are concerned with data privacy; hence, to address the issues, marketing should be ethical and transparent. They further include guidelines of effectively using the social media to branded ads, employing artificial intelligence in consumer profiling, recommendation of using influencers to boost brand awareness and engagement, and recommended strategies for using posts and advertisements to rebuild consumer trust and loyalty. They have highlighted the need to investigate other effective forms of social media marketing especially with the emergence of other technologies in the market such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

HOW IS THE LAB-GROWN DIAMOND INDUSTRY AFFECTING GLOBAL DIAMOND MARKETS IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT TRENDS, MARKET CAPITALIZATION, AND ITS IMPACT ON ECONOMIES RELIANT ON TRADITIONAL DIAMOND MINING?

Parshva Shah — 2025-02-14

The explosive growth of lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) is causing a significant shift in the diamond market. Natural diamonds controlled the market for a long time, but LGDs are becoming fierce rivals. They are a popular option since they are less expensive, more environmentally friendly, and free from the moral dilemmas associated with mining. By comparing their market share with natural diamonds, analysing the advantages and disadvantages of each, and learning what consumers think of them, this study examines how LGDs are revolutionising the diamond industry.

The market for LGDs is being driven by younger, eco-conscious consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, in Western nations like the US and the UK. In contrast, because of cultural preferences for natural diamonds, acceptance is delayed in countries like China and India. The paper also discusses how economies that depend on mining diamonds face risks as LGDs grow in popularity but could find opportunities in producing these lab-made gems. It explains how LGDs are attracting investors and changing the face of the global jewelry market.

"HOW DO CURRENT TRENDS IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PRICES IN MUMBAI COMPARE TO THOSE IN NEW YORK CITY, AND WHAT ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND REGULATORY FACTORS ARE INFLUENCING THESE TRENDS IN BOTH METROPOLITAN AREAS?"

Rajvir Sehgal — 2025-03-07

The prices of properties is one of the most important factors in deciding the cost of living in metropolitan cities. The following research undertakes these markers and studies the current and emerging price trends in residential and commercial properties in two of the most developed cities of the world, Mumbai and New York. In this process, the study intercepts multiple social and financial parameters. Some of these are cost of living, quality of life, including crime rate and AQI, migration of people in and out of the cities, GDP and the vibrance of these cities’ dynamic markets and per capita income. These recent developments and current trends are not studied in isolation. The research also takes a brief look at the history of these cities; their real estate markets and early establishments. This is done to trace their financial development and that, in turn, would oversee the growth of real estate markets as it stands today. Understanding these historical trends also facilitates the ability to understand the real estate laws and rules that are in place today. The research also illustrates the laws and concerned authorities that govern the real estate markets in these cities. Towards the end, after considering all the above mentioned factors and analyzing the market forces, the research concludes and suggests that it is the unique set ups of the cities that make them comparable, yet different in their own challenges and merits.

HOW DO GOVERNMENT POLICIES AFFECT INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADOPTION IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES)?

Avinash Balakrishnan — 2025-01-03

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are one of the major drivers of economic developement. However they have to face several challenges when it comes to adopting new technologies. These are mainly due to limited financial resources as well as complex regulations, making it tough for them to keep up with advancements. This study looks into the impact of government policies on SME innovation and technology adoption in terms of financial incentives and regulatory reforms, as well as collaborative initiatives. Through case studies and comparative analysis, successful implementations of policies are highlighted with the critical obstacles identified that have resulted in damaging the growth of SMEs. Well-designed policies, including streamlined regulations and funding availability, will help SMEs innovate and compete heavily in a digital economy; however, the extent cannot be realized under inefficiencies in policy execution. This paper, through evidence, recommends policymakers to develop a nurturing ecosystem for sustained SME innovation

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF “DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES – THROUGH WEBSITES, DIGITAL FUNNELS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL TOOLS”

Dr. Arif Habib — 2025-03-05

As the recently hired Marketing Strategist at the Good Glamm Group, year 2022, was entering the board room, he was immediately tasked with critically evaluation of the current e-commerce & Digital marketing strategy of the Brand Sirona, so that one comes up with a transformed / fresh e-commerce & digital marketing strategy - which has lower Revenue:Cost Ratio, Lower Customer Lifetime Acquisition value & more numbers of customer flow at the top & bottom of digital funnel. This as he was told that day, was required to touch unicorn mark for evaluation & increase revenue by 3x times. The marketing strategist gave a thought, then asked the a question to the board, which became the direction changing advice / critique for the company as a whole & Digital strategy in particular for the group. His question to board was “ Do you want me to evaluate /re-frame the e-commerce & digital marketing strategy for the existing Product Value Proposition or does the scope of my work allows me to challenge the current Product value proposition itself, using series of digital tools / processes - to aim at coming up with a new value proposition so that it can then tailor-make a re-created and transformed e-commerce & digital marketing strategy” which mirrors the need-gap-fit of consumer in the market for the given category by using digital tools & softwares. The board was not ready for it as it clashed with their current practice of find market for existing products through digital marketing & e-commerce rather than build the product itself through digital marketing & e-commerce. As the board looked surprised with the question, given that they were looking for a digital marketing strategy already crafted products with lower cost & higher returns using own website, social media and digital tools - but here the newly hired marketing strategist was critically challenging the Product value proposition itself and critically asking “to use digital marketing for product development first”. The marketing strategist used examples of Gillette, Marico and Emami where he had previously had gone through this learning curve - convincing the G3 Board room that core concept of Marketing starts with creating a Product value proposition based on deep insights on gaps consumer need-gaps which are not solved by current products in the market (blue ocean strategy) and hence any attempt to transform the digital marketing strategy would not work if the Product value is proposition is not transformed or freshly created based on digital insights through crawlers and other programmed softwares which scans the G3 consumer landscapes. Once the marketing strategist got the mandate on same he came with disruptive transformation in Digitally Re-created Product Value Proposition, Digitally crafted Minimal Viable Product, Digitally transformed & connected Direct To Consumer (DTC) Own Website, and Digital marketing through a digitally consumer researched mix of DTC, Digital Market Place (Amazon), Social media and Digital tools. The same can be summarized in two lines below

ANALYZING EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGIES IN THE IT SECTOR: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

G. Hementh Reddy — 2025-04-02

The IT sector faces a critical employee retention problem because high employee turnover rates affect organizational productivity and financial stability and business performance. The research examines employee retention approaches through a systematic evaluation of job satisfaction elements, industry obstacles and employee benefit effects. Job satisfaction demonstrates a direct link to employee retention rates because organizations that focus on career growth, leadership involvement and professional development experience reduced employee departures. The IT support and software development fields show higher employee turnover rates compared to AI & ML professionals because they receive better career advancement possibilities and higher compensation. Workforce stability depends more on non-monetary benefits than ever because organizations now offer programs that combine flexible work schedules with health insurance along with professional development opportunities. Organizations that use these distinct HR elements in their policies achieve improved employee involvement and maintain the longest possible workforce retention.

IT organizations must implement a whole-system data-based strategy for workforce retention by combining financial rewards with professional advancement opportunities, leadership training and flexible work environments to boost employee satisfaction. The utilization of AI analytics in human resources helps organizations to predict employee retention risks which enables them to respond with timely responses. This research provides useful findings but faces two main limitations. It depends on secondary data and does not include primary research about current workforce patterns. Employee surveys and case studies should be added to upcoming research to discover specific patterns regarding workforce retention behaviors. IT organizations that develop custom retention strategies will achieve higher employee commitment while decreasing turnover expenses and building superior-performing teams that drive long-term business success.

CULTURE & EXPORTS (TAKE YOUR START UP GLOBAL)

Dr. Arif Habib — 2025-03-04

This article aims at pointing towards the need to see the cross-cultural difference through a lens of a global mindset, and identifies seven keys of doing successful business with a Global mindset. It also contains the ways to create a “Cultural Competence” for global companies. It American, European, the Middle East and few Indian examples of cultural dynamics in business. It also deals with the issue of the significance of Women crossing cultures in a very different dynamic than men and explains its impact and significance in the Indian context as well. Most importantly this book, with the help of several case studies and establishes the role of cross-cultural management to bottom-line of the companies. However, the same needs to be done for Indian FMCG companies in my research work.

This paper also extends to establish “Bharat’s heritage is a global brand International Business management” - The 21^st century in many ways is pointing towards domination of Indian in the world economy, and hence, many more companies and business managers from India are expected to operate in the international cultures diverse ecosystem for which we need to be prepared with a template to measure and manage the cross-culture diversity. Apart from the power of Indian companies on intellectual capital, IT savviness and economical bend, the most critical factor would the management of cross-cultural variables in each international country they expand into. Hence the significance of this research to address the future of Indian companies managing across cultures in much bigger number in coming years as much as currently.

The key finding is 34% of consumers across selected 8 countries have valued India very highly as source of “Ayurveda wellness” for both health & beauty products sourced from India, along intention to buy such an offering provided the quality standards are international, further 28% consumers have valued India as good to mild value in “Ayurveda Wellness equity” with intention to purchase to such products sourced from India. Remaining 38% are unaware of India’s wellness equity and hence indisposed to purchase of products sourced from India. This 62% consumer segment provided for huge opportunity for exponential growth of Indian exports in Wellness segment, hence academia and corporate research should focus on converting this to a 100,000-crore made in India exports where China cannot compete with us. In the end the paper presents the concept of “Global Marketing Dexterity” for your MBA and PhD students to launch their global startups.

How have India’s economic policies influenced its current unemployment situation, particularly in terms of skill development and workforce readiness?

Virika Juneja — 2025-03-27

India's demographic dividend, characterized by a growing working-age population and a declining dependency ratio, presents a unique opportunity for economic growth. This paper analyzes demographic trends from 1990 to 2030, highlighting the increase in the working-age share from 62.1% in 1990 to a projected 68.9% by 2030. The dependency ratio is expected to decline from 0.80 to 0.55 during the same period, indicating fewer dependents per working-age individual. Leveraging this demographic shift requires strategic investments in education, healthcare, and job creation to harness the potential of the youthful workforce. Failure to do so may result in underemployment and economic stagnation, underscoring the need for timely policy interventions.

THE INFLUENCE OF SEASONAL TRENDS ON E-COMMERCE SALES- AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Nikhil Pande — 2025-02-19

The goal of this research is to discover how seasonal trends affect the sales of e-commerce— more specifically, how holidays such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, as well as seasonal transitions like summer and winter. It also forests on how companies can leverage these trends to better their strategy and increase sales. Some of the tactics include; Marking trends to understand market movements, using AI to predict sales, offering customers specific deals, and making it easier for them to shop via their mobile phones. The peak seasons are full of opportunities that need to be seized, but there are also challenges that come with it, such as inventory management, price competition, and keeping the upper hand over the competitors. Tricks can be used by the companies to boost the sales and exploit the trend is what this study explores. One of the recommendations made is that the influence of different cultures on buying behavior and how emerging technologies may reshape the methods by which e-commerce businesses track these trends also warrants additional research.