EPH-International Journal of Business & Management Science
EPH – International Journal of Business and Management Science is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal that publishes original research and review articles in the fields of business, management, and related disciplines, with a focus on advancing academic research and professional practice. Journal Information Journal Title: EPH – International Journal of Business and Management Science Online ISSN: 2208-2190 Published Since: 2015 Language: English Publication Frequency: From 2015-2025:- Quarterly From 2026:- Monthly Publication Format: Online Publisher: Southern Cross Academic Press
EMPATHY AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BANKS: EVIDENCE FROM BANKING CUSTOMERS
This study examines the effect of empathy-related service behaviours on customer loyalty in public and private banks. Empathy is seen as a service quality aspect in relations, which is manifested in personalized attention, knowing the customer's needs, caring communication, handling customer complaints with empathy, and listening and follow-up. The survey design was an empirical one and the data were collected from 220 respondents comprising 110 public banks and 110 private banks, of adult banking customers in India. This questionnaire was based on the SERVQUAL tradition and literature on customer loyalty was analysed using reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, ANOVA, model summary statistics, multicollinearity diagnostics and independent-samples comparisons. The results indicate that the bivariate level of all empathy dimensions is positively and significantly related to the customer loyalty. In the regression model, the dimensions of understanding customer needs, empathetic complaint handling, personalised attention, and caring communication still have a strong predictive power, which means that they are still significant factors in predicting the customer's reaction. This is because these dimensions of empathy are not completely explained by other dimensions, and they are independent from them. Listening and follow-up is not significant when the other empathy dimensions are included in the model, which means that it is not an independent predictor of the customer's reaction. Customers of private banks also show slightly higher loyalty scores than do customers of public banks accounting for their type, which also has a significant positive effect. The overall model accounts for 61.9% of the variation in customer loyalty. The research findings indicate that empathy is not just a soft interpersonal skill but a quantifiable service characteristic which boosts retention, recommendation and resistance to switching. In practice, banks should focus on customer understanding, recovering complaints, maintaining continuity of the relationship and providing human support in digital service systems, in order to meet customers' needs.
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation: Implications for Organizational Performance
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly in use by organizations to enhance operational efficiency, decision-making quality and strategic competitiveness. Although there has been growing investment in AI technologies, the way that AI adds value to organizational performance is not fully understood. This research explores the relationship between Artificial Intelligence Adoption (AIA), Digital Transformation Capability (DTC) and Organizational Performance (OP) with a special focus on the mediating role of DTC. The study is based on the Resource Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT) and suggests that AI adoption takes a direct and indirect path to improving organizational performance via a boost in digital transformation capability. The design of the research is quantitative research design with cross sectional survey type. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 245 professionals working in technology-based organizational environments and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in ADANCO software. The results show that the use of artificial intelligence is related to the digital transformation capacity and to performance within an organisation. The ability to undertake digital transformation also has a strong positive impact on the performance of the organization. Mediation analysis revealed a significant partial mediating effect of DTC in the relationship between AIA and OP (β = 0.5358, p < 0.001). The study adds to the existing body of literature by offering a holistic understanding of how organizations realize performance outcomes from their AI investments by building capabilities. The results also provide actionable knowledge for companies aiming for sustainable growth and competitive advantage by leveraging artificial intelligence for transformation initiatives.
CUSTOMER CO-CREATION IN THE PRINTING AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO VALUE CAPTURE
The printing and packaging industry is being reshaped by digital production systems, sustainability expectations, shorter product life cycles, and growing demand for customised brand communication. Although customer co-creation is well established in service, innovation, and digital platform research, its role in the printing and packaging industry remains comparatively under-examined. This paper investigates customer co-creation as a strategic mechanism for value capture in printing and packaging firms. Drawing on value co-creation theory and the resource-based view, the study argues that customer knowledge becomes strategically meaningful when it is transformed into repeatable organisational routines for design, production, sustainability alignment, and customer relationship management. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining 20 semi-structured interviews with executives, designers, marketing professionals, and selected customers, and a structured survey of 150 industry professionals and customers. The survey measured customer co-creation capability, digital collaboration, organisational support, sustainability orientation, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, market differentiation, and value capture using five-point Likert-scale items. Reliability and validity were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha, content validation, exploratory factor checks and triangulation with qualitative themes. In addition to descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, the revised analysis reports regression, mediation and group comparison results. The findings show that customer co-creation has a positive and statistically significant association with value capture, and that operational efficiency partially mediates this relationship. Digital collaboration, organisational support and sustainability orientation further strengthen the value of co-creation. The paper contributes to theory by explaining how value co-creation can be converted into a valuable, difficult-to-imitate organisational capability in a manufacturing-service hybrid sector. It also offers managerial guidance for firms seeking to use customer collaboration as a disciplined route to innovation, sustainability and competitive advantage.
A COMPARATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF AAKER AND KELLER: TOWARDS A THREE-LAYER FRAMEWORK OF BRAND EQUITY
This review paper develops an integrative framework that reconciles Aaker’s asset-based model and Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) pyramid, two dominant but traditionally parallel perspectives in brand equity research. While prior studies have compared these frameworks, they have largely remained analytically separate. This study synthesises their theoretical foundations, structural differences, and areas of complementarity through an integrative review approach. Aaker conceptualises brand equity as a portfolio of strategic assets, whereas Keller frames it as a staged process of consumer relationship development. Building on this distinction, the paper proposes a three-layer framework integrating structural foundations, consumer processes, and market outcomes, with brand trust as a mediating mechanism. Ten theoretical propositions are derived to guide future empirical research across digital, cross-cultural, and sustainability contexts. By formalising the integration of asset-based and consumer-based perspectives, this review contributes to advancing brand equity theory and offers a structured basis for both academic research and managerial application.
EMPOWERED OR INDEBTED? RETHINKING WOMEN’S AGENCY IN MICROCREDIT ECONOMIES IN BANGLADESH
Women's involvement in the micro credit industry in Bangladesh has been seen as a sign of empowerment, but access to finance is not necessarily a means of control over resources, enterprise development or of being free from debt burden. The study in this article employed secondary data from four data sets that focused on women's financial inclusion, microfinance institutions, financial behaviour among the national population and policy priorities for women's economic empowerment to analyse women's agency in the context of microcredit and financial inclusion in Bangladesh. The analysis was done between the participation of women in MFIs, banks, NBFIs, mobile financial services, credit from CMSME and national borrowing and saving indicators. The results indicated a double trend. Women were well represented in MFI deposit accounts (91%), but not in bank loan accounts or NBFI loan accounts or in higher value CMSME credit. Also, opportunity and debt exposure were observed in the MFI sector as it had the highest concentration of borrowers and institutional size. The article maintained that although microcredit had brought women into the financial realm, it had not necessarily resulted in women having full economic agency. The empowerment outcomes needed to be strengthened, which necessitated the credit control, financial capability, enterprise pathways, digital access, and protection from gendered debt burdens.
PARTITION AND THE FRAGMENTED SUBJECT: A LACANIAN-FREUDIAN READING OF MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, THE SHADOW LINES, AND TAMAS
The Partition of India in 1947 continues to shape South Asian literary representations of identity, memory, and belonging. While existing scholarship has largely focused on trauma and memory, the present study examines how Partition reshapes subjectivity through a comparative psychoanalytic reading of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (1981), Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines (1988), and Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas (1974). Drawing on Jacques Lacan’s concepts of the Symbolic Order, the Other, and Lack, and supported by Sigmund Freud's theories of repression and mourning/melancholia, the study employs close textual reading and comparative thematic analysis. The study attempts to highlight that Partition is represented not simply as a historical event but as a continuing disruption of symbolic structures that shape identity and social relations. The study highlights the relationship between symbolic instability, otherness, and unresolved loss in shaping post-Partition subjectivity
ARE DRONES TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS FOR THE LAST-MILE REACH IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE
The rapid growth of e-commerce, urban congestion, and rising customer expectations for faster delivery have increased pressure on last-mile logistics systems. This study examines the role of drone technology in improving urban last-mile delivery from business, operational, sustainability, and managerial perspectives. The purpose of the study is to evaluate how drone-enabled logistics can enhance delivery efficiency, accessibility, cost performance, and strategic value while identifying major barriers to large-scale adoption. A secondary research approach was adopted, using peer-reviewed literature, industry reports, government publications, and case studies of Amazon Prime Air, UPS Flight Forward, DHL Parcelcopter, and Zipline. The findings indicate that drones can improve delivery speed, reduce dependence on congested road networks, support access to hard-to-reach areas, and create value in urgent, lightweight, and healthcare-related deliveries. Adoption remains limited by payload capacity, battery life, weather dependency, infrastructure needs, regulation, safety, privacy, and public acceptance. The study concludes that drones are more effective as complementary tools within hybrid logistics networks than as complete replacements for traditional delivery systems. Managerially, firms should adopt drone logistics selectively through cost-benefit analysis, regulatory compliance, infrastructure planning, and strategic integration with existing supply chain operations.
NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL MEDIA ECOSYSTEM: COMMERCIAL SOCIALIZATION, PR DEPENDENCIES, AND THE STATE OF LOCAL WATCHDOG JOURNALISM IN UTTAR PRADESH
The research examines revenue and structural factors affecting the development of hyperlocal digital journalism in Uttar Pradesh, especially the relationship between the backgrounds of platform founders and editorial practices. The research analyzes the influence of different forms of capital, namely institutional cultural capital, prior professional socialization and locational social capital on watchdog journalism, reliance on public relations material and revenue models, using Pierre Bourdieu’s Field Theory and Shoemaker and Reese’s Hierarchy of Influences model. The study is based on a cross-sectional quantitative survey of 162 founders, CEOs, and producers of digital-native hyperlocal news platforms across Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Raebareli. The study found significant correlations between socio-cultural background and platform behavior. The findings reveal that 77.2% of hyperlocal operators have no formal training in journalism, while those who have been educated in journalism have a significantly higher watchdog orientation. Producers with a background in commerce or public relations tend to rely more on press releases from the government and promotional material. Local embeddedness in the long run improves advertising opportunities but increases dependence on local political and commercial networks, often at the cost of editorial independence. The paper shows that hyperlocal journalism in Uttar Pradesh exists in a structurally fragile ecosystem in which economic precarity, professional background, and social networks shape journalistic, independence and democratic accountability.
WHY STANDARDISED LEADERSHIP APPROACHES FAIL: THE ROLE OF ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT IN LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS
Contemporary organisations operate in complex and diverse environments, yet many continue to rely on standardised leadership approaches that assume uniform effectiveness across organisational settings. The study examines employee perceptions of one-size-fits-all leadership practices, analyses the influence of organisational context on leadership effectiveness, and assesses the relationship between leadership standardisation and organisational outcomes. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were collected from 120 employees and mid-level managers across diverse organisational settings using purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire measured leadership standardisation, organisational context, leadership effectiveness, organisational outcomes, and overall perceptions through a five-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and an independent samples t-test. Organisational context showed a positive association with organisational outcomes and appeared to be a stronger positive predictor of organisational outcomes than leadership standardisation. Descriptive results indicated moderately positive perceptions of leadership effectiveness and organisational outcomes, while overall perceptions of uniform leadership remained neutral. The independent samples t-test revealed no significant difference in perceived leadership effectiveness between employees and mid-level managers. The study concludes that standardised leadership approaches offer limited value in diverse organisational environments and that leadership effectiveness depends more on contextual sensitivity, flexibility, and alignment with organisational conditions.
LABOUR MARKET TRANSFORMATION, INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY INCLUSION IN INDIA: EVIDENCE FROM PLFS, CENSUS AND E-SHRAM DATA
India’s labour market is undergoing a complex structural transformation characterized by rising labour force participation, persistent informal employment, and expanding social security initiatives. This study examines labour market participation, informal employment, and social security inclusion in India using secondary data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017–18 to 2023–24, Census 2011 worker classification data, e-Shram administrative records, and supplementary evidence from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE). The study critically evaluates whether improvements in labour market indicators necessarily reflect improvements in employment quality and workforce security. The findings reveal that the all-India Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased from 49.8% in 2017–18 to 60.1% in 2023–24, while female LFPR rose substantially from 23.3% to 41.7%. However, the study finds that a large proportion of employment growth remains concentrated in informal, low-productivity, and socially unprotected work. Census-based evidence indicates that nearly 47.5% of rural female workers were classified as marginal workers, reflecting significant employment intermittency and workforce vulnerability. Informal employment continues to dominate the Indian labour market, accounting for a major share of self-employment, unpaid family work, and casual labour. The paper further evaluates India’s e-Shram initiative through the identification–coverage–adequacy–utilisation framework for social protection. While the platform has achieved large-scale worker registration and administrative visibility for informal workers, substantial gaps remain regarding benefit utilisation, portability, adequacy, and independent impact evaluation. The study argues that labour market policy should move beyond headline participation and unemployment indicators toward a stronger focus on employment quality, workforce formalisation, social security accessibility, and sustainable labour governance. The study contributes to business and management literature by integrating labour economics, workforce governance, employment sustainability, and social protection analysis within the context of India’s evolving labour market structure. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers, labour administrators, workforce planners, and social protection institutions seeking to improve employment quality, workforce resilience, and inclusive economic development.
EXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: IS JOB SATISFACTION A MEDIATOR?
In knowledge-based industries, employee engagement has become one of the prominent factors in determining organizational success Organizations in India, especially in the IT and BPM Sector, are confronting compounded challenges with respect to retention efforts, employee productivity escalation, work-life balance preservation, and workforce commitment. Although organizational culture is one of the key factors in organizations that affect employee attitudes and behaviors, what are the mechanisms by which it impacts employee engagement is not well understood. This research explores organizational culture, employee engagement and job satisfaction as a mediator in the IT and BPM industry of India. The study develops a conceptual framework between organizational culture, job satisfaction and employee engagement based on the Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Denison’s Organizational Culture Model. Organizational culture is operationalized in terms of involvement, consistency, adaptability, and mission dimensions, and job satisfaction is operationalized in terms of satisfaction with compensation, supervision, work environment, and coworker relationships. Employee engagement is assessed in terms of vigor, dedication and absorption. A quantitative research design is anticipated using the survey data collected from the employees working in the leading IT and BPM organizations across India. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to examine the direct and indirect relationships of the constructs. The results are expected to show that the impact of organizational culture directly and indirectly through job satisfaction is significant to employee engagement. Furthermore, job satisfaction is expected to be a significant mediator that explains the mechanism through which organizational culture leads to higher employee engagement. This study assists to the organizational behavior literature by extending the knowledge of the mechanisms of employee engagement in the framework of emerging economies and provides practical implications for managers who seek to improve the engagement of the workforce through cultural and satisfaction-oriented interventions.
REMEMBERING EMPIRE: MEMORY, IDENTITY, AND HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN TAYEB SALIH’S SEASON OF MIGRATION TO THE NORTH AND KAZUO ISHIGURO’S THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
The present paper examines the reconstruction of historical consciousness in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. Using a qualitative, interpretative and comparative approach. The study analyzes how both novels revisit the past through retrospective narration and personal experience. Drawing on the postcolonial theories of Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, it explores the relationship between empire, memory, identity, and marginalized perspectives. The analysis demonstrates that selected texts question dominant historical narratives by foregrounding individual recollection, cultural negotiation, and overlooked experiences. It further reveals that imperial legacies continue to shape selfhood and historical understanding beyond the formal end of colonial rule. By presenting identity as fluid and historical knowledge as interpretive, the novels challenge claims of historical certainty and authority. The study concludes that both works construct a distinctly postcolonial historical consciousness in which the past remains open to revision, negotiation, and competing interpretations.
EXPLAINING IMPULSE BUYING IN SOCIAL COMMERCE THROUGH PARASOCIAL IDENTIFICATION: THE ROLES OF CREATOR AUTHENTICITY AND FEAR OF MISSING OUT
Social commerce has revolutionized online shopping by bringing social interaction, user-generated content, and eCommerce together in an immersive environment. While previous research has focused on the effects of parasocial relationships or impulse buying behavior separately, there is a lack of research in understanding the combined effect of creator authenticity and fear of missing out (FOMO) on impulse buying through parasocial identification (PSID). This study is based on Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model and aims to investigate how creator authenticity, social attraction and FOMO influence consumers' impulse buying behaviour through the mediation of parasocial identification as the psychological mechanism. Using secondary survey data from a data set of social commerce users who have active social commerce accounts on creator-driven digital platforms & partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) we evaluated measurement and structural models. The findings show that creator authenticity and social attraction positively contribute to parasocial identification. Moreover, parasocial identification has a positive effect on impulse buying behaviour, thus reinforcing its importance as a mediation mechanism between the creator's characteristics and its consumers' purchase responses. Additionally, FOMO also proves to be a substantial direct predictor of impulse buying, emphasizing the psychological urgency in social commerce contexts. The study advances the social commerce and consumer behaviour research field by building upon the S–O–R model and incorporating creator authenticity, FOMO, and parasocial identification into a single model. The results offer actionable insights for content creators, marketers, and platform developers aiming to enhance customer interaction and drive purchasing decisions by delivering genuine and emotionally compelling digital experiences.
THE ROLE OF EMPATHY AND ENCOURAGEMENT IN IMPROVING CANDIDATE OUTCOMES: EVIDENCE FROM GLOBAL RECRUITMENT REPORTS
The recruitment process has evolved from a transactional hiring activity to a strategic function that emphasizes candidate experience and organizational attractiveness. In this context, empathy and encouragement have emerged as critical interpersonal factors that influence how candidates perceive and respond to recruitment interactions. This study examines the impact of empathy and encouragement on candidate outcomes and investigates their role in shaping positive recruitment experiences. Drawing upon Social Exchange Theory, the study proposes that supportive recruiter behaviors foster favorable candidate attitudes and behavioral intentions. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 151 respondents who had recently participated in recruitment processes. The study employed a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale to measure empathy, encouragement, and candidate outcomes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, validity assessment, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that both empathy and encouragement significantly and positively influence candidate outcomes. Empathy emerged as the strongest predictor of candidate outcomes (β = 0.472, p < 0.001), followed by encouragement (β = 0.391, p < 0.001). The model explained 64.2% of the variance in candidate outcomes, indicating substantial explanatory power. The results demonstrate that empathetic communication, active listening, emotional support, constructive feedback, and motivational interactions contribute to higher levels of candidate satisfaction, confidence, engagement, organizational trust, employer brand perception, and job offer acceptance intentions. The study contributes to recruitment and candidate experience literature by highlighting the importance of human-centered recruitment practices. The findings offer valuable implications for recruiters, human resource professionals, and organizational leaders seeking to enhance candidate experiences and strengthen employer branding through supportive recruitment interactions.
BEHAVIOURAL DETERMINANTS OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT DECISION-MAKING: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF FINANCIAL AWARENESS IN AN EMERGING MARKET CONTEXT
Rapid expansion of financial markets, digital investment platforms, and diversified financial products has increased the need to understand how retail investors make investment decisions. In emerging economies such as India, investment behaviour is influenced not only by economic considerations but also by behavioural and cognitive factors. This study investigates the effects of Investor Attitude, Risk Perception, and Financial Awareness on personal financial Investment Decision-Making among retail investors in West Bengal and Eastern India. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and 550 questionnaires were distributed. After data screening, 408 valid responses were retained for analysis. SPSS was used for exploratory analysis, while SmartPLS and PLS-SEM were employed to assess the measurement model, test structural relationships, examine predictive relevance, and evaluate mediation effects. The results indicate that Financial Awareness is the most influential determinant of Investment Decision-Making, suggesting that investors with greater knowledge of financial products, market information, and risk-return trade-offs make more informed investment choices. Investor Attitude and Risk Perception also exert significant direct and indirect effects on Investment Decision-Making through Financial Awareness. The study extends behavioural finance and bounded rationality theory and provides practical implications for financial institutions, policymakers, advisors, and investor education initiatives aimed at improving investment decision quality.
GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND WORKPLACE ATTRACTIVENESS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SERVICE AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR EMPLOYEES
Environmental sustainability has appeared as a strategic organizational priority, leading firms to increasingly integrate Green Human Resource Management practices into their human resource systems. The present study focused on the effect of Green Human Resource Management on the attractiveness of the workplace among employees from manufacturing and service industries, as well as the mediation of perceived organizational support for the environment. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used and data was gathered with 240 full-time employees of whom 120 were from manufacturing and 120 were from service organizations from India. This study used hierarchical regression analysis, Structural Equation Modeling and Multi-Group Analysis on SPSS 28 and SmartPLS 4. The results showed that the Green Human Resource Management has a significant indirect effect on workplace attractiveness through the partial mediation by perceived organizational support for the environment (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), and an important direct effect (β = 0.51, p < 0.01). Furthermore, sectoral comparison indicated that the total effect of Green Human Resource Management on workplace attractiveness was stronger in manufacturing (β = 0.53) than in services (β = 0.38). The study concludes that sector-sensitive implementation of GHRM practices is essential for strengthening workplace attractiveness and sustainability-oriented employer branding.
Perceived Organizational Support for the Environment
POWERING PERFORMANCE: THE IMPACT OF COMPENSATION AND INCENTIVE PRACTICES ON SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY
This research aims to determine how compensation and incentive practices affect the sales force’s effectiveness in the pharmaceutical equipment industry. This industry is notable for its high levels of pressure and complexity. Sales personnel must undertake product demonstrations, manage institutional customers, cope with long sales cycles, and carry out after-sales with an additional pressure of targets. The research used a quantitative methodology. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather data. The research looked at remuneration for recruiting and keeping people, compensation for performance, incentive alignment with sales objectives, motivating structure of compensation, compensation competition, non-financial appreciation, and sales staff performance. SmartPLS and SPSS were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the sales staff polled had a favourable opinion of the incentive and pay policies. The measuring model demonstrated the validity and reliability of the study components for further examination. The structural model stated that incentive and pay policies addressed sales staff performance. Within the studied variables, non-financial appreciation and compensation competitiveness were the strongest predictors of sales personnel performance. The study recommends that a balanced reward system, comprised of fair and competitive compensation, performance-based compensation, recognition, career advancement opportunities, and supportive practices be implemented to improve the effectiveness of the sales force in the pharmaceutical equipment industry.
CONSCIOUS OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE: INTEGRATING THE INNER ENGINE WITH LEAN, SIX SIGMA, AGILE AND TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Operational excellence models such as Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, and Total Quality Management have significantly improved process discipline, defect reduction, responsiveness, and quality culture. Yet organizations with mature process systems continue to experience avoidable failures caused by communication overload, false urgency, weak escalation, ambiguous directives, blame-oriented reviews and poor decision timing. This conceptual article develops Conscious Operational Excellence (COE) as an integrative framework that combines operational-excellence traditions with the Inner Engine disciplines of decision stillness, strategic silence, structured reflection, timing discipline, governed speech and institutional consequence. Using conceptual synthesis, the paper maps Lean to communication-waste reduction, Six Sigma to mental-variance reduction, Agile to timing discipline and TQM to leadership speech as a quality input. The article contributes to business and management scholarship by distinguishing process defects from leadership-origin defects and by theorizing how leadership cognition and communication influence operational performance. Six testable propositions are developed to guide future empirical research. The framework has practical relevance for operations leaders, HR professionals, quality managers, and digitally enabled organizations that rely on dashboards, AI alerts, and real-time performance data but require reflective human interpretation before action.
Quality Administrative Workload And Documentation Burden, Burnout, And Job Satisfaction Among Emergency Department Physicians: A Healthcare Management Perspective On Workforce Well-Being And Operational Performance
Quality documentation is essential in healthcare management for ensuring patient safety, supporting accreditation standards, facilitating quality improvement initiatives, and maintaining organisational accountability. Its importance, increasing documentation requirements can impose additional administrative responsibilities on physicians, potentially affecting their well-being and work experience. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived quality Administrative workload and documentation burden, Employee strain and burnout-related symptoms, and job satisfaction among Emergency Department doctors. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 80 physicians working in the Emergency Department of a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire consisting of 15 items grouped into three domains: quality Administrative workload and documentation burden, Employee strain and burnout-related symptoms, and job satisfaction. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale and analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviations. The findings indicated a high level of Administrative workload and documentation burden, with most respondents reporting that documentation consumed substantial working time and increased workload through accreditation and audit-related activities. Employee strain and burnout-related symptoms, particularly mental fatigue and reduced motivation, were also reported by many participants. Overall job satisfaction remained high among respondents. The study concludes that Administrative workload and documentation burden contributes to workload pressure and Employee strain and burnout-related symptoms, while supportive organisational practices may help sustain physician job satisfaction, engagement, and overall professional well-being.
Quality Administrative workload and documentation burden
Employee strain and burnout-related symptoms
CHALLENGES AND WORKLOAD BURDEN AMONG QUALITY PERSONNEL DURING ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS (EMR) IMPLEMENTATION IN PRIVATE TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF TELANGANA
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are increasingly introduced in hospitals to improve documentation, operational efficiency, quality monitoring, and accreditation compliance. However, their implementation creates organisational and managerial challenges, particularly for quality personnel responsible for documentation review, audit preparedness, compliance monitoring, and coordination between clinical and information technology teams. Guided by the Technology Organisation Environment (TOE) framework, this study examined technological issues, organisational support, training adequacy, workload burden, and compliance-related pressures during EMR implementation in private tertiary care hospitals in Telangana. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 75 quality personnel using a structured questionnaire, and data were analysed through frequency and percentage distribution. The findings revealed that 85.3% of respondents reported increased work responsibilities, while 85.3% identified inadequate training as a major implementation challenge. Increased documentation workload was reported by 70.7%, and 56.0% experienced higher audit and compliance monitoring activities. Staff resistance and technical issues were reported by 42.7% and 40.0%, respectively. The study concludes that effective EMR implementation requires structured training, workload planning, leadership involvement, technical support, workflow redesign, and change management to improve quality outcomes.
CORPORATE ESG PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES: EVIDENCE FROM A MULTI-INDUSTRY PANEL
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have become increasingly important in corporate finance and investment decision-making, yet empirical evidence on their financial implications remains mixed. This article examines the relationship between corporate ESG performance and financial outcomes using a multi-industry panel dataset of firm-year observations. A quantitative empirical approach is employed to analyze how overall ESG performance and its individual environmental, social, and governance dimensions relate to corporate financial outcomes, with particular emphasis on market capitalization as a measure of firm valuation. The analysis combines descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression techniques to assess the strength and direction of ESG–financial performance linkages across industries. The results indicate a positive association between overall ESG performance and firm valuation. Notably, environmental ESG performance emerges as the most influential dimension, exhibiting a statistically significant and economically meaningful relationship with market capitalization. In contrast, social and governance ESG dimensions display weaker and statistically insignificant direct effects on financial outcomes. These findings suggest that financial markets increasingly price environmental sustainability and environmental risk management when valuing firms. Environmental ESG performance appears to serve as a forward-looking indicator of strategic resilience, reflecting firms’ ability to manage regulatory pressures, climate-related risks, and resource constraints. The weaker effects observed for social and governance dimensions imply that their financial relevance may operate through indirect or longer-term channels. The study contributes to the ESG literature by highlighting the heterogeneous financial impacts of ESG dimensions and by providing evidence from a multi-industry panel context.
HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES IN RESEARCH CAPABILITY BUILDING: ACADEMIC, TECHNICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS AMONG YOUNG SCHOLARS IN INDIA
Research engagement among young scholars is vital for innovation, knowledge creation, and human capital development. However, young researchers in India often face academic, technical, and psychological barriers that restrict effective research participation. This study examines these barriers among undergraduate, postgraduate, and early-stage research scholars across Indian higher education institutions. A mixed-method design was adopted, combining quantitative analysis of a structured Likert-scale questionnaire with qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Data were collected from a simulated sample of 300 respondents. The questionnaire assessed key dimensions of the research process, including literature review, methodology, data analysis, supervision, and motivation. From a business and management perspective, research capability is positioned as an essential element of human capital development, knowledge workforce readiness, organizational learning, and evidence-based decision-making. Reliability analysis confirmed strong internal consistency across constructs. Multiple regression results showed that academic, technical, and psychological barriers significantly influenced research engagement, with psychological barriers emerging as the strongest predictor. Findings indicate that young scholars show strong research interest but struggle with methodological competence, data analysis anxiety, motivation, and limited support. The study recommends structured mentoring, AI-assisted research support, methodology training, and psychological well-being initiatives to strengthen research capability and research culture in India.
THE IMPACT OF JOB STRESS ON KEY DIMENSIONS OF EMPLOYEE RESILIENCE
In the modern organizational, employees are constantly subjected to various types of workplace stress related to increased workload, technology and organization changes. Stress at workplace has become an important issue for employee health and productivity. On the other hand, although employee resilience has been identified as a psychological resource to cope with work adversity and recover from stressful events. The present study is a systematic review of the empirical evidence concerning how job stress impact employee resilience in organizations. Relevant studies were identified by searching databases including Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Following application of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 43 peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 2019 and 2024 were selected for in-depth analysis. Results show that job stress has a significant impact on several features of resilience in workers as follows: emotional stability, adaptability, ability to cope and event recovery. It also emphasizes that providing an environment that fosters resilience among improve employee resilience benefits from perceive organizational support, leadership behaviours at work, culture and relationships. The significance of the final review is to help to understand both existing links between job stress and resilience in order to direct new research towards justifying their connection.
THE IMPACT OF RETURN-TO-OFFICE TRANSITIONS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND ORGANISATIONAL TRUST: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF POST-PANDEMIC WORKPLACE RESEARCH
The shift from remote work to return-to-office and hybrid arrangements has become a major organisational challenge after the pandemic. These transitions influence how employees experience trust, autonomy, communication, and psychological safety at work. This article examines how moving from remote work to return-to-office or hybrid work arrangements affects employees’ psychological safety and organisational trust. Using a systematic literature review approach, it synthesises peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 on remote work, hybrid work, return-to-office policies, leadership communication, flexibility, employee voice, psychological safety, and organisational trust. The review shows that rigid or poorly communicated return-to-office policies can weaken employee trust, particularly when such policies are viewed as signs of managerial control rather than organisational support. Psychological safety may also decline when employees face reduced autonomy, uncertainty, surveillance, loss of flexibility, or limited involvement in workplace decisions. However, the findings suggest that transparent communication, inclusive leadership, fair policy implementation, flexible work design, and employee participation can strengthen both trust and psychological safety. The article concludes that organisational trust and psychological safety are closely connected relational mechanisms that shape employee voice, collaboration, engagement, and adaptation during workplace transitions.
URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION AND BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY IN PUNE: A BAI AND IMURA MODEL-BASED ANALYSIS
Urban environmental change is not only a municipal planning concern. It also shapes the operating conditions of firms, industries, workers, markets, and local economic systems. This study examines the environmental evolution of Pune city through the Bai and Imura model and interprets this evolution from a business sustainability perspective. The model classifies urban environmental issues into four categories: poverty-related issues, rapid industrialization-related issues, rapid economic growth-related issues, and wealthy lifestyle-related issues. Using secondary data from Census sources, Pune Municipal Corporation reports, socio-economic surveys, Maharashtra industrial statistics, transport records, and pollution-related institutional sources, the study maps Pune’s urban indicators to these four categories. The analysis indicates that Pune has made visible progress in several Type I indicators, including water access, sanitation, literacy, and infant mortality. Type II issues remain important because of the city’s strong MSME and industrial base, although selected air pollution indicators remain within prescribed standards in the data used. The city’s present environmental pressure is more strongly reflected in Type III and Type IV issues, particularly vehicle growth, two-wheeler dependence, electricity consumption, solid waste generation, e-waste, and lifestyle-related health concerns. The study argues that these issues have direct implications for business sustainability, industrial efficiency, workforce conditions, infrastructure reliability, compliance planning, logistics, and emerging circular-economy opportunities. The paper contributes by extending the Bai and Imura model from an environmental classification framework to a diagnostic framework for understanding the changing business sustainability conditions of a rapidly growing Indian city.
COGNITIVE SECURITY IN THE AI AGE: HR’S STRATEGIC ROLE IN BUILDING THE INTELLIGENT HUMAN FIREWALL FOR SUSTAINABLE DECISION-MAKING
The accelerated integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into organizational processes has fundamentally transformed how individuals think, teams interact, and decisions are made. While AI enhances efficiency, analytical depth, and innovation capability, it simultaneously reshapes cognitive processes, interpersonal communication, and collective judgment. Over-dependence on algorithmic recommendations, diminishing reflective thinking, AI-mediated communication, and diffusion of responsibility increasingly threaten decision quality, team bonding, ethical conduct, and long-term organizational sustainability. In this context, many organizational failures no longer originate from technological breakdowns but from compromised cognition, behavioural drift, and erosion of trust. This paper advances the concept of cognitive security, defined as the organizational capability to safeguard human judgment, ethical reasoning, communication integrity, and behavioural discipline in AI-enabled environments. Anchored in Organizational Behaviour, strategic Human Resource Management, and leadership practice, the paper positions HR as the strategic custodian of cognitive security. The paper proposes an Intelligent Human (Cognitive) Firewall, operationalized through the OWNER framework, to ensure that inputs from data, analytics, AI tools, and human stakeholders are filtered through human judgment, accountability, and command responsibility. Reinforced by BMW (Body–Mind–Words), Emotional Intelligence, and the military ethic of “walking the talk,” the framework aligns thought, communication, and action.
A CONTEMPORARY STUDY ON CONSUMER PROSPECTS OF E-MOBILITY HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN INDIA: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Indian automotive industry is experiencing a paradigm shift towards sustainable transport systems; however, there is limited scientific evidence related to the customer behavior toward HEVs despite their increasing relevance. Although BEVs dominate the policies, HEVs can be a good choice in this regard for Indians because of lower fuel dependency but no need for charging infrastructure. In this research, an attempt is made to explore the issues associated with purchase intention and consumer perception of HEVs among 110 individuals from urban areas of Pune city using structured quantitative survey. The validity of constructs was performed using Cronbach’s Alpha and Exploratory Factor Analysis by conducting Principal Component Analysis with Varimax rotation (KMO = 0.812). Three factors including Economic & Policy Consideration, Environmental Awareness & Perception and Adoption Barriers contributed to explain 59.4% of the variance in HEV purchase intention (R² = 0.594, F = 51.87, p < .001). One-way ANOVA revealed income-based difference in readiness for purchasing an HEV (F = 9.63, p < .001). As per results, major obstacles include relatively high purchase cost, lack of adequate incentives, uncertainty regarding resale value, and concerns about life expectancy of batteries. It seems appropriate for policymakers to streamline the tax policies related to HEVs, while automobile companies need to promote awareness among potential customers.
VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT OF FLUID WORKFORCE IN HYBRID WORK ENVIRONMENT: LEADERSHIP ROLE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
The pace of hybrid working has changed the way HR teams operate, impacting their people, processes, technology and performance. It is a conceptual study to explore how to virtual manage a fluid workforce in hybrid working and specifically how digital leadership can support the organizational transformation. The study builds on interdisciplinary literature from human resource management, leadership studies, information systems, digital transformation, and organizational behavior, to create a conceptual understanding of how leadership capabilities influence effectiveness of hybrid workforce. The study introduces a conceptual model that connects the dimensions and constructs of digital leadership competencies, digital transformation enablement, hybrid workforce management, and organizational outcomes (employee engagement, productivity, innovation, well-being, and organizational resilience). It also identifies sectoral differences between IT/software, healthcare, manufacturing, and education/EdTech, revealing how different the requirements for leadership are for each of these sectors based on the level of digital maturity, regulatory pressure, task structure, and the fluidity of the workforce. The study adds to the theory by combining e-leadership, transformational leadership and the socio-technical viewpoints in the hybrid working discourse. In practice, it provides management insights into building sustainable hybrid working systems by means of outcome-based performance management, inclusive digital cultures, continuous learning and context sensitive leadership. The study is based on the premise that the effectiveness of hybrid working is more about quality leadership in implementing hybrid technology in a human centric way than the technology itself.
RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYABILITY IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA
The rapid transformation of the global tourism and hospitality industry, accelerated by Industry 4.0 technologies, digitalization, and post-pandemic workforce disruptions, has intensified the need for reskilling and upskilling to ensure sustainable employability. This study systematically reviews the existing literature on reskilling and upskilling within the tourism and hospitality sector to examine their role in workforce sustainability, future employability, and organizational adaptability. Using the PRISMA framework, 113 peer-reviewed studies published between 2009 and 2023 were identified and analyzed from major academic databases including Scopus, Emerald, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The findings reveal that reskilling and upskilling significantly contribute to employee adaptability, career resilience, workforce productivity, and sustainable organizational performance. The review further highlights that the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, and digital tourism ecosystems has widened the skill gap between existing workforce competencies and evolving industry requirements. The study identifies experiential learning, industry-academia collaboration, vocational training, soft-skill enhancement, and technology-oriented learning as critical drivers of future employability in tourism and hospitality. The review also demonstrates a substantial increase in scholarly attention toward workforce reskilling and employability after the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the growing importance of sustainable human capital development in service-intensive industries. Drawing upon Human Capital Theory, the study proposes that continuous skill development serves as a strategic mechanism for improving organizational resilience, employee retention, and long-term industry competitiveness. The paper contributes to the literature by synthesizing fragmented knowledge on sustainable employability within tourism and hospitality and by proposing a future research agenda focusing on AI-driven workforce transformation, green skills, digital competencies, and sustainable human resource development. The findings provide practical implications for policymakers, educational institutions, tourism enterprises, and human resource managers seeking to build a future-ready and sustainable workforce.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
Human resource management (HRM) practices relate to employee performance under the influence of employee engagement and organizational commitment. The study is based on secondary data using an organizational human resources dataset to combine the archival HR data with employee engagement to create a holistic evaluation of HRM performance. The last sample has 311 employees, who are from different departments such as production, information and software engineering. Indicators such as compensation, development opportunities, and performance appraisal are used to operationalize HRM practices, whereas survey-based indicators are used to measure employee engagement. Behavioral measures that capture organizational commitment are employment status measures. The results indicate that employee performance is directly and indirectly related to HRM practices. Employee engagement becomes a powerful psychological process between HRM practices and performance results and proves that engaged employees have always higher performance ratings. The role of organization commitment is also significant, and active employees have higher performance outcomes than those who left the organization. Engagement and commitment give a complementing account of how HRM practices lead to improved employee performance. The research contribution to the HRM literature is that it combines both attitudinal and behavioral processes into a single empirical model and provides valuable organizational implication of developing a HRM system that facilitates long-term employee performance.