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Modelling the role of institutional support in shaping the social behaviour of business administration students
The relevance and scope of teaching social responsibility and ethical behaviour to business students has been widely discussed among academicians worldwide (Giacalone & Thompson, 2006). Presently all business schools emphasize teaching social responsibility to the students. But the effectiveness of this education on the student's social responsibility was not evaluated in the past. This study tries to fill this gap by conducting an empirical study on the effectiveness of social responsibility projects undertaken by undergraduate business students for their overall development. The study hypothesized that the course support and institutional support would influence the student's perception of social responsibility, which in turn affects the student's academic performance. For this purpose, the study was conducted among 450 students who have undergone a social responsibility course. The path analysis method was used to test the hypothesized model. Further, the study also evaluated the moderation effect of gender on this model. The study's major finding indicated that the social responsibility course and the organizational support positively impacted students' social responsibility perceptions, which, in turn, influenced students' academic performance. The study suggests that business institutions should emphasize social responsibility initiatives. 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. -
Role of spiritual intelligence and occupational stress on organizational commitment: Evidence from outsourcing industry
As the world passes through uncertainty, researchers contemplate the future of work. While trying times highlight the importance of spiritual intelligence and commitment towards the organization, change brings with it large amounts of stress. Even before the pandemic, a large portion of the working population was moving towards the 'gig' style of working. The freedom of choice and the level of control that the option brought with it, made it a rather attractive option. However, for organizations the question remains on how to instil the same level of commitment in an employee who is not directly linked to the organization. In an attempt to understand the same, the current study looks at the drivers of organizational commitment for employees of the outsourcing industry. Similar to gig employees, these employees remain outside the organization they currently work for. Additionally, they are expected to balance the expectations of the parent and the host organization. The findings of the study suggest that the individual's spiritual intelligence levels and the level of perceived stress in the role would be significant in determining their levels of commitment. These findings are of significance for organizations dealing with outsourced employees and especially for those attempting to create alternate employment opportunities within their organization. 2019 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) -
Leadership Style and Work Engagement: A Comparison of Private and Public Sector Firms in India
Post-privatization, public sector organizations were encouraged to borrow and learn from private sector firms. The popular belief was that the human resource practices followed by private sector organizations were far superior and more effective than those of the public sector organizations. However, this claim lacks empirical proof. This study adds to this body of knowledge by comparing the level of work engagement in private and public sector firms of India. Given that the leadership is crucial in setting the tone of an organization, the study also analyses the dominant leadership styles and their relationship to the levels of work engagement. The study is descriptive in nature and utilizes a structured questionnaire to collect data. Individuals currently employed in Indian public and private sector firms, in managerial roles, were invited to record their responses. The final sample consisted of 240 employees, with equal representation from both sectors. The collected data was then analysed using SPSS. The findings suggested that the dominant leadership styles were not significantly different in public and private sector organizations. Private sector employees were found to be more engaged and the leadership style appeared to be significantly related to the levels of engagement in public sector firms only. 2021 MDI. -
Evaluating the Use of White Board Animation in the Learning Process; [Evaluaci del uso de la animaci de pizarra en el proceso de aprendizaje]
A big challenge for the present-day trainers and teachers is to attract and retain the attention of the students and participants. In the era of social media and smartphones, students have several things that can distract them during the learning process and the responsibility to find ways to engage them effectively falls on the teacher. Based on a review of literature on technological developments, the researchers of the current study propose the use of whiteboard animation multimedia as a tool to enhance the learning experience. In the current study, the effectiveness of this technique is evaluated through a pre-test post-test control group design and the sample comprised of students of the masters in business administration course. The findings provide empirical evidence supporting the use of whiteboard animation videos to supplement classroom learning. 2022 Authors. All rights reserved. -
Psychological Empowerment and Job Satisfaction: A Meta-analytic Review
Studies in the area of psychological empowerment have been on the rise since early 1990s. Given the large amount of information available, the researchers aim to consolidate findings, in order to arrive at a deeper understanding of the concept and its relation to job satisfaction of employees in organizations. The researchers have identified 50 studies, set in varied cultural and organizational settings. The data from these studies form the basis of the analysis in this paper. A meta-analysis of the findings of the chosen studies was conducted. This is followed by a systematic review of literature, to identify a few probable intervening variables that modify the relationship. The findings of the analysis suggest that the direct relation between psychological empowerment and job satisfaction is positive, strong and statistically significant. The study supports the validity of one of the earliest models explaining the relation. The paper establishes that the direct relation between psychological empowerment and job satisfaction is strong, positive and significant. The variations in the strength of the relationship is due to the presence of certain intervening variables like culture, age, educational qualification and experience. 2022 Management Development Institute. -
Level Up Your Learning: The Power of Gamification
In a world overflowing with information and distractions, traditional methods of learning often fall short in engaging and motivating individuals to master new skills. The book Level Up Your Learning: The Power of Gamification explores the captivating intersection of gamification and learning, revealing how incorporating game design principles can revolutionize the way we learn. Embark on a journey that uncovers the dynamic fusion of learning and gamification. Discover how this innovative approach can not only enhance your learning experience but also ignite your intrinsic motivation to tackle even the most complex subjects. Step into the shoes of a game designer as you master the art of crafting gamified learning experiences. This book takes you through the process of creating a captivating learning module, from setting clear learning objectives to strategically implementing badges, points, and narratives. Unearth the secrets to fostering healthy competition and collaboration among learners, while catering to diverse learning styles. Backed by studies and real-world outcomes, understand how gamification not only improves knowledge acquisition but also nurtures crucial skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. Whether you're an educator seeking to captivate your students or a lifelong learner aiming to enhance your skills, this book offers the insights and tools you need to unleash the potential of gamified learning. 2024 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Sense of humour and work culture: A study based in the luxury hotels in Bangalore, India
Employee well-being has been a focus area for Human Resource managers as well as top management alike. The belief that healthy, happy employees would be more efficient, and consequently contribute more, has verily driven the research to understand the implications of different aspects of an employees health and happiness. Based on the work of key humour researcher Dr. Paul McGhee, it has been established that humour does play a key role in ensuring a happy and healthy workforce. The current study attempts to evaluate the benefits of the use of humour at the workplace, primarily in terms of influencing the work culture. The data for the study has been collected from the hotel sector and has been analysed to understand the use of humour and its influence on the work culture. The findings suggest that the presence and use of humour has a strong positive impact on work culture. The researchers also found that, contrary to previous literature, the use of humour did not depend on demographic variables like age, tenure in the current organization or total work experience. Furthermore, the study also attempts to understand how the use of humour would impact the work culture. In this regard, the researchers found that certain dimensions of humour at the workplace, had a stronger impact on the culture and it is expected that the findings would guide the behaviour of leaders and managers in the creation of a mutually beneficial workplace. 2020, Universidade de Aveiro. All rights reserved. -
Mental Health in the Times of Corona: A model for Positive Mental Health During the Global Pandemic
As the world comes to terms with the changes brought on by the appearance and spread of Covid-19, there is an increase in fear and anxiety levels. The World Health Organization has stressed on the need to focus on mental health, as the epidemic affects both young and old. One of the biggest challenges is that the situation has no precedent. This has led to the creation of uncertainty and doubt. The current study focusses on studying the positive mental health of the Indian population. For the study, the researchers have restricted the scope to include only Generation Y and Generation Z, as they form a majority of the working population and literature suggests that negative moods, stressors and apprehensions are far more prevalent among the younger sections of the society. The findings suggest that positive mental health is not dependent on gender or age. However, some of the dimensions do show significant variance. The researchers have also proposed a model of Positive Mental Health based on the dimensions of the Positive Mental Health Instrument. 2021, National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) India. -
Covid related distress and its impact on mental health a study based on early and late adolescents in Bangalore
The closure of educational institutions and social distancing norms have impacted the life of adolescents. Forced to stay at home, limited interaction with friends and online schooling are some of the factors that have affected their lives. While some researchers believe that the true extent of the impact on the mental health of the adolescent is still not clear, others propose that the impact will only be observable in later stages of their life. In an attempt to understand the impact of the COVID related distress factors on the mental well being of adolescents, the current study collected data from 100 early adolescents and 100 late adolescents. The COVID related distress factors were measured through an instrument designed for the same, while mental well being was measured through depression symptoms and general anxiety levels. The finings of the study identify the particular distress factors that have a significant impact on the mental well-being of adolescents. The findings also identify the factors that are significant in predicting the mental well-being of each category, separately. 2023 -
A systematic review on the impact of e-tailing on Indian retail industry
The paper initially focusses on the growth and issues concerning internet retailing in India. The study also aims to explore exhaustively on the growth potential of internet retailers and their prospects in the Indian retail market. The profile of the country's customers is also discussed in detail including their expectations and the complications posed by their demography. The study also intends to analyze the challenges confronting the e-tail players, their hardships, and investments. Using a meta-analysis framework study reviewed articles from national and international journals, newspapers, and books on drivers of e-tail growth in India, E-tail players in India, and Indian E-tail customers. In the results and discussions, more was spoken about the advent and opportunity exposed by the digital wallets to promote internet retailing. In the summary and conclusions investigators talked about the digital learning mania and the dynamic online shopping behavior exercised by the subscribers of e-tailing. 2020 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) -
Metalsemiconductormetal visible photodetector based on Al-doped (Cd:Zn)S nano thin films by hydrothermal synthesis
High quality undoped and Al-doped nanocrystalline (Cd:Zn)S films [CZS and ACZS] were deposited on glass substrates by hydrothermal assisted chemical bath deposition. The Al concentration was varied from 0.5 mol.% to 2 mol.% in steps of 0.5 mol.% replacing cadmium while keeping other deposition parameters constant. XRD, SEM, and EDX were used to observe crystallinity, morphology and composition of the as prepared samples. X-ray diffraction revealed the hexagonal phase of CZS films with prominent orientation along the (002) plane. XPS analysis was used to confirm the doping concentration of Al in to CZS lattice. Repeatable photoresponse was recorded under 100 s cycle light-on and light-off conditions. 1 mol.% Al doped film being optimised as good photoconductor; a photodetector was fabricated with Ag/ACZS/Ag device structure. The ACZS photodetector exhibits similar time response, good photocurrent reproducibility and a sharp photoresponse at blue radiation with high photo-dark current ratio of 95. The device exhibits peak responsivity of 3.48 mA W?1 and detectivity of 1.26 1011 Jones at 470 nm. These properties suggest that the ACZS photodetector holds great potential for application in high-performance visible photodetectors, especially in the blue region. 2021 Elsevier GmbH -
Women entrepreneurs vs. women employees: a comparative study of personality traits and success factors of women in India
In the current study, the researchers evaluate the relationship between personality traits, as defined by the Big Five personality traits, and success factors of women: as entrepreneurs and employees. The findings are based on data collected from 100 women employees and 100 women entrepreneurs. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using IBM SPSS. The findings suggest that there are statistically significant differences between women entrepreneurs and women employees on certain dimensions of personality. The evaluation of the relationship between the personality traits and success factors revealed that in the case of entrepreneurs, personality traits were significant in predicting success. As nations work to improve gender ratios in the labour force and as the number of women entrepreneurs grows, a better understanding of what constitutes success and the factors that could influence success are critical in supporting female participation in the economy, as entrepreneurs and employees. Copyright 2024 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
Drivers of Customer Retention: An Introspection Into Indian Retail Customers
There is a wide variety of choices for the modern retail customer including multiple retail formats. The success of the retail establishments has a great reliance of customer retention, which is an essential attribute to achieve profitability. This study takes in to consideration to extract the factors responsible for customer retention which in turn assists in increasing the customer base. The prime objective of the study is to ascertain the influence of customer satisfaction, switching costs and customer loyalty on customer retention. Whereas, the second one is to explore the effect of demographic factors on customer retention. The sample size of this study was 600 respondents who were chosen for the full-fledged study. The statistical techniques used for final analysis were structural equation modelling and regression. The findings subsequent to the statistical analysis and interpretation concluded that customer loyalty, customer satisfaction and switching cost have the strongest effect on customer retention in retails. Customer satisfaction alone is not every time an indicator of customer loyalty. A loyal customer will spread positive word of mouth to other prospective customers about the retail. Occupation of respondent has a major influence on customer retention dimensions. 2021 Management Development Institute. -
Disorders in graphene: types, effects and control techniquesa review
The development of graphene and graphene-like materials has been a breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology for its exceptional properties. It exhibits extraordinary properties owing to its unique, regular arrangement of carbon atoms in it. However, graphene is usually modified for specific applications, by introducing disorder in the system. Since disorders are ubiquitous during the synthesis of graphene and graphene-like materials, it is best to exploit the defects for tuning its exceptional properties for suitable device applications. Like in any material, the disorder can drastically affect the properties, and hence they are deliberately incorporated into the material. In this review, we discuss topics related to the creation and configuration of disorders in graphene such as corrugations, topological defects, vacancies, adatoms and sp3-defects. The effects of these disorders on the electrical, thermal, chemical and mechanical properties of graphene are analysed subsequently. Finally, we review earlier works on the modulation of structural defects in graphene for specific applications. 2021, Korean Carbon Society. -
Augmentation of the energy storage potential by harnessing the defects of charcoal for supercapacitor application
The depletion of fossil fuel reserves coupled with an avalanche in the global energy demand has driven the need for developing facile techniques for energy storage devices to a large extent. Supercapacitors, has emerged as one of the most promising energy storage devices to address the demands of providing high energy density, quick charge discharge cycles and long cyclic stability. Although carbon based materials play an imperative role in the fabrication of electrode material of this device, the inherent defects are known to hinder the performance of the system. Even so, these defects can be engineered in a way to improve its overall functionality. The present work reports the tuning of the inherent defects of wood charcoal by surface functionalisation and doping via thermal annealing in order to incorporate substitutional impurities such as Nitrogen and Sulfur resulting in the improvement of the surface area and porosity of the system. The specific surface area of the system is observed to increase significantly from 4.2 m2/g of the bare material to 411.19 m2/g and 865.36 m2/g with the addition of Nitrogen and Sulfur respectively at a pyrolysis temperature of 900 C. Furthermore, the incorporation of Nitrogen exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 567 F/g and 193.24 F/g, and the addition of Sulfur exhibits 644 F/g and 255.1 F/g in the three-electrode and two-electrode systems respectively at a current density of 1 A/g. They also exhibit an energy density of 26.83 Whkg?1 and 17.36 Whkg?1 respectively with a capacitance retention of 88.5 % and 86.1 % for 5000 cycles. 2024 Elsevier Ltd -
Crumpled and porous graphene for supercapacitor applications: a short review
Research on Graphene and its importance in the field of energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors and solar cells has gained momentum recently. It is studied to be the most suitable electrode material for enhanced performance of supercapacitors in terms of chargedischarge cycles, specific capacitance, high power and energy densities and so on, specifically due to its high conductivity and large theoretical surface area. Unfortunately, it posits lot of challenges due to its irreversible stacking between the individual sheets resulting in the decrease in the Specific Surface Area (SSA) compared to the theoretically reported values. Numerous studies have been carried out to prevent this stacking in order to increase the surface area, thereby being a more suitable material for the manufacture of electrodes for supercapacitors as its capacitance greatly depends on the electrode material. To solve this problem, the conversion of two-dimensional graphene sheets to three-dimensional crumpled graphene structure has been verified to be the most effective approach. The study of crumpled graphene has been one of the recent trends in the field of energy storage applications in consumer electronics and hybrid vehicles as the process of crumpling can be controlled to suit the prospective device applications. 2021, Korean Carbon Society. -
Effect of functionalization on the energy storage performance of super capacitors derived from wood charcoal
The electrochemical performance of wood charcoal is investigated with respect to the disorders in the system after subjecting to oxidation and exfoliation conditions. The Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge discharge curves indicate an improvement in the electrochemical behavior, resulting in a marginal increase in the specific capacitance values at higher exfoliation temperatures. The improvement is predominantly due to the change in the structural disorder in the system accompanied by the incorporation of oxygen functional groups which act as electrochemical active species. The exfoliation of wood charcoal at 160 and 200C yield a specific capacitance of 6.23 and 12.24 F/g at a current density of 0.01 A/g. The ESR values representing the overall resistance of the system are observed to be 6.07 ? for 200C as opposed to 10.41 ? of the bare material, making the material more conducting. The drastic change in the structural morphology along with the optimal amount of oxygen functional groups can be the reason for this behavior. The acquired results offer useful information for investigating the possibilities of fabricating supercapacitors with wood charcoal by tuning the defects of the system. 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers. -
Enhancement of the Electrochemical behaviour of Carbon Black via a defect induced approach
In order to address the rising global concern of energy storage, carbon-based materials have established themselves due to their distinct features. Despite the demand for the fabrication of supercapacitors from natural, inexpensive carbonaceous materials is on the rise, the intrinsic disorders present in such materials hinder their performance, and hence, tuning these defects can aid in the improvement of their electrochemical performance. In this study, carbon black is introduced with defects in the form of oxygen functional groups via oxidation and thermal exfoliation and the impact on its electrochemical performance is studied. Careful tuning of the type of oxygen functional moieties at the basal plane of the carbon lattice is observed to be the contributing factor for the electrochemical behaviour. The distortion in the graphitic lattice caused by the epoxy and hydroxyl groups alters the specific surface area, porosity, and thermal stability, facilitating easier ion diffusion rates and enhanced faradaic reactions. The obtained specific capacitance of the thermally exfoliated carbon black is as high as 246.49 Fg?1 in a three-electrode system and 82.85 F/g in a two-electrode setup, owing to an energy density of 5.63 Whkg?1 and a power density of 189.75 Wkg?1. It has also exhibited excellent cyclic stability and capacitance retention up to 4000 cycles. The equivalent series resistance is found to decrease from 5.67 to 4.96 ? making the material conductive. As a result, the electrochemical properties of carbon black can be enhanced by tuning the oxygen functional groups, making it a promising supercapacitive material. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.). Qatar University and Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
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Evaluation of morpho-cellular and spectroscopic characteristics of Myristica fragrans Houtt mace across three different maturation stages (juvenile, raw and ripe)
This study was based on comprehensive analysis of Myristica fragrans Houtt mace samples across various stages of maturation (juvenile, raw and ripe). The anatomical analysis was performed using SEM coupled EDX spectroscopy that revealed distinct cellular changes and the presence of oil-storage structures in the mace. The EDX analysis further confirmed the presence of key elements such as carbon (C), oxygen (O) and potassium (K) which contribute to mace's pharmacological properties. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed a steady increase in chlorophyll content as the mace matures, with total chlorophyll content rising from 1.02 during the juvenile stage to 1.25 at the raw stage and reaching 3.29 at the ripe stage. The Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI) shows a rise in carotenoid content, increasing from 0.15 in the juvenile stage to 0.17 at the raw stage and reaching 0.82 at the ripe stage. This increase correlates with the mace's colour transformation to crimson red during ripening. The FTIR spectroscopy analysis provided a detailed chemical characterization of the mace, identified various functional groups (carboxylic acid, aldehyde, alkanes, azides) and organic molecules. The presence of multiple functional groups across the maturation stages suggested a complex composition that likely contributes to the mace's sensory and pharmacological qualities. 2024 World Researchers Associations. All rights reserved.