Browse Items (16488 total)
Sort by:
-
Drone Surveillance: Ethical Considerations for a Sustainable Future
The evolution of drones underlines the 20th-century scientific and technological progress. They evolved within the military context and remained within that circle for almost a century. The 21st century has increased the possibilities and opportunities of drones by incorporating Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technologies. Accordingly, drones are widely used in almost all fields of human inter-action. Among them, the use of drones for surveillance stands out due to its advantages and potential risks. The built-in cameras of the automated drones used not only by law enforcement agencies but also by private actors can collect personal information, raising serious ethical concerns. Although drone surveillance is beneficial to society, as it can restrict illegal activities and violations of human rights, it poses apprehensions concerning the privacy and security of people. From this perspective, this chapter examines the vital ethical considerations essential for realizing a sustainable future while using the method of drone surveillance. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Driving sustainable development through climate finance in India: A case study of the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF)
This case study examines the national clean energy fund (NCEF) as a climate finance policy in India. The NCEF was established with the objective of promoting renewable energy projects and sustainable development in the country. The study explores the background and context of climate finance, providing an overview of the NCEF's goals and implementation. The case study analyzes the impact of the NCEF by examining its funding allocations and utilization over the years. It highlights the challenges faced in effectively utilizing the funds, such as administrative hurdles, limited capacity, policy uncertainties, project development barriers, financial constraints, and governance issues. Furthermore, the case study discusses the socio-economic impacts of the NCEF, including job creation, clean energy adoption, and environmental benefits. It also explores the lessons learned from the NCEF implementation, identifying areas for improvement and providing recommendations for enhancing climate finance mechanisms in India. This chapter creates a contribution to renewable energy development in India. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Driving purchase intentions through visual storytelling: a study of social media platform reels sponsored advertising
This study explores how social media platforms (for example, Instagram) and Reels-sponsored ads influence what makes consumers stop, watch and decide to buy. Using Consumer Engagement Theory (CET) as a lens, it looks at how people emotionally, cognitively and behaviourally respond to short-form video content. Four key factors were examined: engaging content, scenario-based experiences, user participation and perceived usefulness. Data from 393 active social media platform users in Indias National Capital Region revealed that all four elements positively shaped consumer attitudes, significantly influencing purchase intentions. Notably, relatable and emotionally engaging content had the most substantial impact. Attitude played a central role, bridging how consumers feel about a Reel and what they choose to do next. For marketers, the takeaway is clear: Reels that are visually appealing, useful and invite interaction are more likely to turn engagement into action. The study offers timely insights into how brands can connect meaningfully through short-form video. 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Driving profitable business growth through economical optimization, energy management, and industrial 5.0 innovations
The chapter emphasizes the significance of economic optimization, energy efficiency, and Industrial 5.0 innovations in driving sustainable growth and profitability in today's business landscape. It highlights the strategic allocation of resources to maximize efficiency and minimize costs, using lean management principles, automation, and data analytics. Energy management is crucial for reducing operational costs and mitigating environmental impact, using renewable energy sources and smart technologies. Industrial 5.0, a new era of industrial transformation, combines automation, connectivity, and data exchange, with technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, and blockchain. 2024, IGI Global. -
Driving Financial Inclusion: Technology as an Indicator of Financial Ecosystem Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India
This paper examines Indias level of digital access to financial services as compared to other Asian countries. The study also intends to analyse whether COVID-19 has influenced the usage trend of the selected digital payment indicators in India. Data has been collected from the World Bank Global Findex Database and RBI bulletins. Cross country descriptive analysis was used for studying Indias digital financial access against the other Asian countries. Event study methodology followed by trend analysis was employed to examine whether COVID-19 has impacted the digital payment indicators usage in India. The findings of the study indicated that Indias position in digital financial access needs to be improved. It was further identified that COVID-19 has increased the usage of digital modes for financial transactions in India. There has been a significant increase in the usage volume of mobile banking after the declaration of the pandemic. Govt. can frame its action plans to make use of the opportunity created through the pandemic to improve digital financial access in India. 2022 IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Driving customer brand engagement through augmented reality-induced influencer content among Gen Z: The moderating role of credibility
The present study investigates the impact of Augmented reality-induced influencer content moderated by the influencers credibility, steering to word of mouth trailed by purchase intentions of Gen Z in the fashion industry. This study employs a conceptual model grounded on the theory of social power and the S-O-R model with the moderating role of credibility. Data was gathered from 423 samples. To test the dimensionality of Augmented reality-induced influencer content, exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis and Varimax orthogonal rotation was adopted. SPSS version 22.0 and AMOS version 20 were used for data analysis. The studys findings indicate that following influencers generates favorable brand effects, such as increased social power and higher purchase intentions, by fostering familiarity and internalizing behavioral intents. Credibility is vital in influencing views and promoting electronic word-of-mouth through interactions between audiences and influencers. Brands have significant chances to engage Generation Z with genuine content by utilizing influencer marketing facilitated by augmented reality. Therefore, the study concludes that Augmented reality-induced influencer content encourages consumers to engage actively and positively drives them toward brand outcomes. 2025 Korean Scholars of Marketing Science. -
Driving better health outcomes for gig workers through strategic health initiatives
The gig economy offers flexibility and autonomy to workers but also presents significant challenges related to health and well-being, especially for delivery professionals who face irregular hours, physical strain, and limited access to healthcare. Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), present innovative solutions to bridge these gaps. However, gig workers' adoption of these technologies remains underexplored. This paper applied the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory to analyse the adoption patterns of immersive technologies within the gig economy and identified barriers, such as digital literacy and cost, alongside facilitators, like perceived usefulness and ease of integration. The paper provides insights into how these technologies can be effectively implemented in the gig workforce. The study highlights the role of platform policies and the broader regulatory landscape in shaping technology adoption, offering valuable recommendations for policymakers and technology developers. 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Driving AR Experience to Purchase Intention: Examining the Role of Users' Immersiveness, Perceived Innovativeness and Engagement in Virtual Try-On
This study examined Augmented Reality Virtual Try-On (AR-VTO) experiences in luxury jewellery retail by integrating Flow Theory with the S-O-R framework to investigate how AR experiences (stimulus) enhance user immersion (organism), shape attitudes towards the brand, and drive user engagement and luxury product purchase intentions (responses) among high-involvement consumers in an emerging market. Despite growing AR-VTO research in apparel and cosmetics, its influence on immersion, engagement, and purchase intentions in luxury jewellery remains underexplored in emerging markets. This study addresses this gap by examining 488 Indian luxury jewellery consumers through a sequential mixed-methods approach: thematic interviews (n = 28) identified consumer perceptions, followed by a survey analyzed using SEM-ANN with a multilayered perceptron feed-forward back-propagation (FFBP) algorithm. Results demonstrate that perceived innovativeness moderates key organism-to-response relationships. The findings contribute to literature by embedding Flow Theory and the S-O-R framework in AR-based luxury experiences and provide practical insights for AR developers and luxury brands on designing high-fidelity virtual interfaces to enhance engagement and conversion. 2026 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
Drivers of value creation in Indian corporate - An empirical evidence /
International Journal of Applied Business And Economic Research, Vol.15, Issue 22(2), pp. 563-574, ISSN No. 0972-7302. -
Drivers of Rural Non-farm Sector Employment in India, 19832019
Using the national-level employment and unemployment surveys (NSS and PLFS) and the macro-level data for the period 20052019, this article explores the trends and recent growth patterns of rural non-farm sector employment in India. It also examines the micro-level factors determining individuals preference towards non-farm sector jobs and the macro-level factors responsible for the growth of non-farm sector employment in rural India. The main findings of the study suggest that although rural non-farm sector employment is rising in absolute terms, its growth rate has slackened in recent years. While the level of education and skill training, market wage rates and socio-cultural setups are among the key micro-level factors determining farmnon-farm employment choices of rural folks, at the macro-level, the growth of investment in capital goods, the number of factories, investment in infrastructure development and the growth of the manufacturing sector are crucial for the growth of non-farm sector jobs in India. Based on these findings, it is argued that the improvement of human capabilities through increased investment in education and skill, and the growth of non-farm sector employment through the development of rural infrastructure and industrialization measures, are necessary to sustain the structural transformation and to harness the demographic dividend in India. JEL Codes: J01, J21, J43, J64 2024 Research and Information System for Developing Countries & Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. -
Drivers of Mandatory and Non-Mandatory Internet Corporate Reporting in Public and Private Sector Indian Companies
The papers objective was to measure the drivers of mandatory and non-mandatory internet corporate reporting by public and private sector companies following the internet disclosure compliance of listing and obligation requirement of SEBI under Clause 46. Several drivers, namely firm size, profitability, leverage, liquidity, board size, independence of board, and CEO duality, were used to measure the effectiveness of mandatory and non-mandatory disclosure. A multiple regression model was applied to test the present papers hypotheses. The results of multiple regression revealed that the firms size was exceptionally important for both sectors. In contrast, public sector disclosure was largely impacted by leverage, liquidity, board size, and board independence. In comparison, the private sector disclosure scores were mainly impacted by leverage and board size, although there is no relationship between ICR and firm profitability and CEO duality. In performing separate multivariate regression between the two sectors, many disparities emerged. This disparity showed that public and private sector corporations had quite different firm and governance characteristics of the disclosure. As the first exploratory research to assess the mandate internet disclosure of public and private sector companies in India, it is very informational, specifically for those working on Indian companies regulation, compliance, and research. 2022, Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. -
Drivers of Hybrid Teaching in Higher Education: A Post-Adoption Usage Analysis
Post-adoption behaviors in technology acceptance research, particularly in hybrid teaching, are not yet understood. We aimed to predict faculty perceptions and experiences with hybrid teaching at the post-adoption stage. Data were collected from 529 faculty members via an internet-based survey, and structural equation modeling was used to assess the accuracy of the research model. Our findings suggest that at the post-adoption stage, organizational and individual factors influence perceived usefulness and post-adoption usage (exploratory and extended). Perceived usefulness strongly predicts exploratory and extended usage. Perceived usefulness mediates the association between organizational and individual factors and post-adoption usage. Organizations should recognize that adopting hybrid teaching requires collaboration between faculty and administrators, a comprehensive technology infrastructure, intellectual property rights, and development agreements with faculty. Further, by understanding faculty perceptions of exploratory and extended usage, institutions transform their technical infrastructure to help students with innovative pedagogies, multimodal learning, and digital pathways essential for deep engagement and reading comprehension in hybrid environments. 2026 College Reading and Learning Association. -
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. -
Drivers and inhibitors of consumers adoption of AI-driven drone food delivery services
This study sheds light on the determinants of consumers adoption of artificial intelligence-driven drone food delivery service (AI-driven DFDS) using a mixed-methods approach. Interviews with hospitality industry professionals revealed several drivers and inhibitors of AI-driven DFDS adoption. Using these findings, we developed a theoretical model AI-driven DFDS adoption based on the premise of the behavioral reasoning theory and innovation resistance theory. The model was tested using data collected from 1240 consumers. The results suggest that drones relative advantage, perceived ubiquity, social influence, and green image positively influence attitudes and adoption. Risk, usage, and experience barriers have an adverse influence on attitudes and adoption. Consumers openness to new technology has a positive influence on reasons for using AI-driven DFDS. The research makes an important theoretical contribution to research on the adoption of AI-driven DFDS. The study also provides important practical implications for marketers and industry professionals. 2024 Elsevier Ltd -
Drinking straw from coconut leaf: A study of its epicuticular wax content and phenol extrusion properties
Background and Objectives: Plastics are a ubiquitous part of our daily life but now posing a major threat to marine life, animal and human health. More than 50% of the manufactured plastic including straws are being disposed of after single-use. There is an increasing need to mitigate this trend so that the damage could be brought under control. The aim of this research was to develop a compostable, eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws using the leaves of Cocos nucifera L. Materials and Methods: The biochemical properties of 6 varieties of Cocos nucifera L. leaflets were studied in order to screen the most suitable material for making sustainable straws. Epicuticular wax content was analyzed to choose the best variety for preparation of hydrophobic straws. Total antioxidant activity, total tannin content, phenolic and flavonoid content were assayed to evaluate the potential functionality of the leaflets. The phenol extrusion properties of the material were also checked in acidic and normal beverages. Results: Estimation of epicuticular wax and phytochemical analysis in all 6 varieties revealed that all varieties of Cocos nucifera L. leaves provide a potent biomaterial for straw preparation. Silicon 732 was found to be a good adhesive agent for straw preparation. Phenol extrusion assays revealed that there is a negligible difference in the release of phytochemicals before and after dipping of straws in the beverages. Conclusion: The outcome of this research opens up vistas to carry out further research in a hitherto unexplored area of utilizing the leaf of Cocos nucifera in a novel way with far reaching economic and employment implications. 2019 Jyoti Jeena James et al. -
Drill hole surface characterisation of hybrid FRP laminates through statistical analysis
As it is known that the hybrid Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite laminate is a recently evolved class of structural material. Hence, the present work deals with secondary processing ability like hole drilling on hard to machine FRP laminate. The influence of drilling attributes on the delamination factor and surface roughness contours are studied for a high thickness hybrid (carbon/glass FRP) laminates. Here, the experimentation was performed utilising Taguchis L27 design of experiments array. Later, on post-drilling, the predominant and optimum variables were studied through taguchi and variance analysis to highlight their contribution on the response functions. Taguchi results indicate that the combination of the 90?tungsten carbide tool, speed of 800 rpm, and rate of feed 50 mm/min gives the best performance concerning the delamination. Also, it was observed that the combination of the 118?tungsten carbide tool, cutting speed of 900 rpm and the rate of feed 60 mm/min give the best performance concerning surface roughness. Whereas, as per ANOVA, the highest percentage contribution factor was concerned to a tool material followed by other factors and analysed data lie with the confidence level of 95%. The work also indicates that tungsten carbide tool yield better results compared to high-speed steel tool. Further, fibre morphology has been studied, which indicates optimal structure with minimal damage. 2020 Engineers Australia. -
Dreamscapes and Virtual Realms: Exploring VRs Impact on Dream Patterns
In recent years, psychologists have been exploring the impacts of virtual reality on mental health, discovering its potential toward curing diseases and therapeutic tools for many such mental conditions. In conventional exposure therapy, the ability of patients to successfully visualize particular feared stimuli is a prerequisite for imaginal exposures. On the flip side, various VR-related tasks have been conducted to test the impact on dreams. This study examines the impact of VR on dreams and analyze the changes in its patterns. By reviewing the recent papers, we concluded that the potential harm caused by VR is well established, with negative side effects reported since the early 1990s. Seven of these twenty-three studies either did not report global incorporation rates or failed to provide sufficient data to determine them. The side effect profile associated with the clinical use of VR and AR remains largely unknown; therefore, we systematically reviewed available evidence of their adverse effects. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2026. -
DREAMS Digital Pedagogical Models for Inclusive Education: A Report From the Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE)
Digital pedagogy is the current need of the hour and it is the social responsibility of facilitators in adopting a growth mindset of innovation. Learners at present are diversified with varied psychosocial concerns in the virtual field. Hence, to integrate a culture of autonomy and inclusivity within the learner's framework digital pedagogical models need to be constructed. This article reports the innovation and application of 21 virtual resources created for DREAMS (Thomas, 2014) program from May 2021-June 2023 using digital software's like CANVA and Adobe, graphic interchange formats (GIPHY App), and memes (Meme Generator App). The virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) was created through zoom platform where these resources were applied as a pedagogical tool throughout the virtual intervention for a period of 6 months. Through this article, contemporary virtual models are explored for personal development of teenagers. There is also a need to work with digital pedagogical models for promotion of inclusive education and positive youth development. 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
DREAMS After-School Programme for the Holistic Development of Children Amid Covid-19
After-school programmes (ASPs) help to facilitate students learning. DREAMS ASP facilitates schoolchildren with holistic development interventions at different locations. Due to the pandemic, DREAMS conducted their ASP in the online mode. The present study aims to narrate the case of ASP in the virtual mode and discuss participants experiences on holistic development at one of its locations. The study employed qualitative study designs. The sample of the study included participants from DREAMS ASP site at Kerala, India. The study interviewed four mentors, seven participants, and their parents to understand participants holistic development. However, the study excluded physical and spiritual aspects of holistic development. It found that the virtual DREAMS ASP was joyful, and there was a significant, positive change in all the selected dimensions of holistic development as reported by mentors, children, and parents. The study encourages future researchers to provide opportunities and frameworks to conduct more ASPs in India. 2022 IGI Global. All rights reserved.