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Health Communication as Capability: Gig Workers Freedoms Through Sens Approach
The rapid growth of the gig economy has increased the number of delivery-platform workers, whose precarious employment conditions expose them to health risks while limiting their ability to utilize existing health resources. This article employs Amartya Sens Capability Approach (CA) to reframe the health challenges faced by delivery workers, arguing that critical barrier is not the absence of medical facilities but the lack of communicative capability to access and use them. Within the CA, resources are only meaningful when individuals can convert them into valued functionings. For delivery workers, constraints such as time poverty, lack of paid leave, and informational asymmetries weaken this conversion process. We argue that health communication must be understood as a capability that directly enlarges workers substantive freedoms by equipping them with the knowledge, confidence, and navigational skills needed to make informed health choices. Health communication thereby turns access into utilization, and utilization into well-being. Health communication operates both as a valued function of being informed and able to engage with health systems and as an instrumental freedom that enhances the conversion of existing resources into achieved health outcomes. Recognizing health communication as a capability reshapes policy debates, highlighting the need to invest in service provision and communicative infrastructures that expand workers agency and real opportunities for well-being. 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
The role of service customisation and process innovation in enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement in pet care services: Evidence from India and the UAE
This study examines the impact of pet care service quality on customer satisfaction and engagement, with a focus on the moderating effects of service customization and process innovation in India (Study 1) and the UAE (Study 2). Using an adapted SERVPERF model, data was collected from 221 Indian and 238 UAE pet owners and analyzed through PLS-SEM and multi-group analysis (MGA). Findings reveal that in India, assurance, reliability, and responsiveness significantly influence customer satisfaction, which enhances engagement, but service customization and process innovation showed no significant moderating effect. In the UAE, reliability is the sole driver of satisfaction, while service customization and process innovation significantly moderate the satisfaction-engagement relationship. The PLS-MGA results confirmed that the moderating effect of service customization and process innovation was significantly stronger in the UAE than in India, suggesting that UAE consumers place greater value on personalized and technology-driven services, while Indian consumers prioritize fundamental service quality dimensions. These findings provide theoretical contributions by extending SERVPERFs applicability in the pet care industry and managerial implications for service providers aiming to optimize customer experience, engagement, and retention in emerging markets. 2025 American Society for Quality. -
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. -
The presence of others increases prosociality: examining the role of dating Partners accompany on donation
Research in the field of prosocial behavior has shown that the presence of others has a significant effect on individuals prosociality. However, no research has explored such an effect of romantic partners presence. Studies in evolutionary psychology have shown benevolence/prosociality as an important factor when choosing a romantic partner. Therefore, in the present study, we hypothesized that people will donate more in the presence of dating partners to maintain a positive impression on them. The research followed a mixed-method approach. The first study, a vignette-based experiment showed that people believed the presence of a dating partner significantly enhances the chances of donation. The second study was a between-subject experiment that confirmed the findings of study 1 from both donors and receivers perspectives. The third study was a qualitative investigation, where a semi-structured interview method was used to find out how and why the presence of a dating partner may influence donation. The interviews showed that the presence of dating partners increases prosociality mainly because donors want to make a good impression and project the right image of them in their partners eyes. The research overall suggests that the human need for self-presentation that projects them more socially likable shapes their willingness to extend a helping hand to others in the presence of their romantic partners. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Finding balance in a digital world: Equanimity as a predictor of nomophobia
The present study examined the relationship between equanimity and nomophobia. The study also examined the differences in experience of nomophobia considering gender, education and employment status. The sample included 216 emerging adults (M = 64, F = 152) from across India. The Equanimity Scale 16 and the Nomophobia Questionnaire were used to measure equanimity and nomophobia, respectively. Mann-Whitney-U test and Rank-Biserial coefficient indicated that gender differences significantly affected the losing connectedness factor of nomophobia. Correlation analysis showed that equanimity had a significant negative relationship with nomophobia and its factors- not being able to access information, giving up convenience and losing connectedness. Regression analysis showed equanimity as a significant predictor of nomophobia. The studys findings hold potential implications for equanimity-based interventions for nomophobia and individual well-being, technological design improvements in the digital age and unfolds areas for future research. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Invalidation of emotions and emotional eating: The moderating role of emotion regulation among young adults
Our emotions play a decisive role in shaping our behavior. However, when the expression of these emotions is met with disapproval, it leads to us experiencing emotional invalidation. This experience has a detrimental influence on cognitive abilities, including decision-making, thinking, and reasoning, ultimately impeding ones daily functioning. The present study examined the role of perceived invalidation of emotions on emotional eating tendencies. Further, it explores the moderating role of emotion regulation. The sample consisted of 320 young adults aged between 18 and 25. The data was collected through an online survey and offline questionnaires distributed in higher education institutions. The Perceived Invalidation of Emotions Scale, Emotion Regulation Scale, and Emotional Eating Scale were administered. Multiple linear regression and moderation analysis using Process Macro were performed to interpret the results. The results showed a positive relationship between perceived invalidation of emotions and emotional eating. Further, cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression were found to moderate the relationship between perceived invalidation of emotions and emotional eating. These results have implications for designing physical health and well-being interventions that address invalidation of emotions. The moderation analysis results extend to interventions targeting emotional eating tendencies, emphasizing enhancing cognitive reappraisal skills. Health psychologists and nutrition experts can identify the antecedents of maladaptive eating patterns and apply this understanding while dealing with clients facing similar issues. 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Grit as a protective factor against Nomophobia: Moderating effects of maximizing decision style
The present study examined the role of grit and decision-making styles in predicting nomophobia among young adults, considering gender and educational differences. The study also tested whether decision-making styles moderated the association between grit and nomophobia. Using a cross-sectional ex-post facto correlational design, data were collected using purposive sampling technique from 323 young adults (aged 1725) through online platforms. Participants completed the Three-Dimensional Grit Scale, the Maximizing Inventory, and the Nomophobia Questionnaire. Chi-square test showed that there was an association between gender and education. Mann-Whitney U test showed that men were higher in grit than women. Men and women did not differ in nomophobia or decision-making styles. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA showed that grit, nomophobia, or decision-making styles did not differ concerning education. Spearmans correlation analysis showed that grit had a moderate positive correlation with satisficing. Nomophobia had a weak negative correlation with grit and a moderate positive correlation with Maximizing. Regression analysis showed grit as a negative predictor and Maximizing a positive predictor of nomophobia. Moderation analysis indicated that Maximizing style weakened the protective effect of grit on nomophobia, accounting for a small but significant variance in outcomes. The study highlights the interactive role of grit and decision-making styles in understanding nomophobia. Findings suggest that grit alone is insufficient as a protective factor against nomophobia. Its effectiveness depends on decision-making styles, with Maximizing acting as a risk enhancer. 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Understanding the Experiences and Impact of Secondary Trauma and Moral Injury on the Professional Identity of Mental Health Professionals in India
Mental health professionals often encounter emotional and ethical challenges, including exposure to client trauma and complex ethical dilemmas. These situations can lead to secondary trauma and moral injury. This study examines the factors contributing to secondary trauma and moral injury and their impact on the professional identity of mental health professionals in India. A purposeful sample of 30 professionals, composed of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatric social workers, participated in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative thematic analysis identified four key themes: vulnerabilities and emotional exposure, ethical complexities and responsibilities, balancing integrity with emotional strain, and resilience and professional growth. These qualitative themes underscore the significant challenges faced by mental health professionals in India, including emotional strain, systemic barriers, and ethical conflicts, while highlighting strategies such as coping mechanisms, professional development, and support systems to address these issues. This study provides practical recommendations for interventions aimed at addressing secondary trauma and moral injury, fostering resilience, and strengthening the professionals identity and overall well-being of professionals within the Indian context. 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
AI and human collaboration in tourism: a framework for scalable, authentic, and engaging content
This study examines the effectiveness of AI-generated content in tourism marketing by comparing it to human-generated narratives. While AI enhances scalability and factual accuracy, its ability to replicate emotional engagement and cultural authenticity remains unexplored. Using the Information Quality Framework (IQF), the study employs readability analysis, sentiment analysis, and thematic analysis to assess AI- and human-generated content. AI-generated travel narratives were sourced from large language models, while human content came from tourism blogs and vlogs. Findings reveal that AI-generated content is well-structured and highly readable but lacks emotional depth and trust-building elements. Sentiment analysis shows stronger emotional responses in human narratives, while thematic analysis highlights richer cultural insights. The study proposes a Hybrid AI-Human Collaboration Model, leveraging AI's efficiency with human creativity. These insights contribute to AI ethics, tourism storytelling, and digital marketing, offering practical recommendations for integrating AI into tourism content creation. 2025 Asia Pacific Tourism Association. -
Environmental justice and rural poverty: Socioeconomic drivers of environmental impact in the Indian Sundarbans
This study explores the complex relationship between environmental degradation and rural poverty through the perspective of environmental justice in the Indian Sundarbans. This region is recognized for its ecological richness but faces significant socio-economic vulnerabilities. Despite the areas abundant natural resources and biodiversity, rural poverty persists, shaping resource use patterns and environmental outcomes. The main objective is to examine how rural poverty affects the environment and to identify key socio-economic factors influencing ecosystem services in the region. A stratified sampling technique was used to select households and data were collected through structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Household-level CO2 emissions were estimated from domestic fuel and energy consumption. Results show nearly half of the household emissions come from burning firewood for cooking and heating. These practices not only release stored carbon but also reduce the regions carbon removal capacity, directly contributing to environmental degradation. The people of the Sundarbans pollute far less than the national average, but they face the harshest impacts of climate change: rising sea levels, salinity intrusion and ecosystem decline that highlighting a profound environmental injustice. Among rural households, the extremely poor emit more CO2 than the less poor because they depend on cutting trees to survive, further weakening the regions natural carbon sink. A log-linear regression model identifies education, dependency ratio, livelihood diversification and access to transport as major factors influencing natural resource-based income. The findings suggest that poverty, isolation and low education reinforce ecological stress, forming a povertyenvironment trap. This study argues that protecting the Sundarbans environmental integrity and enhancing its carbon sequestration potential are inseparable from improving human well-being. Achieving Indias net-zero target by 2070 requires policies that expand clean energy access, build human capabilities and ensure justice for communities who contribute least to emissions but suffer the most from climate disruption. Implications: This study emphasizes the urgent need to integrate poverty alleviation with environmental sustainability in climate-vulnerable regions like the Indian Sundarbans. Rural poverty contributes to environmental degradation by increasing dependence on forest resources, leading to unsustainable practices and higher CO? emissions. Low education levels, limited livelihood opportunities and inadequate infrastructure intensify both poverty and ecological stress. To tackle environmental degradation, it is essential to implement conservation efforts alongside interventions that improve education, enhance connectivity, diversify livelihoods and strengthen social protection. Aligning environmental justice with rural development can break the cycle of poverty and ecological damage, promoting long-term resilience and sustainability. 2025 Air & Waste Management Association. -
A happy mother raises a happy child: insights from employed mothers in Bengali families in Kolkata
The present study explores the complexities of motherhood in Bengali middle-class families, where mothers are traditionally viewed as primary caregivers. Despite societal shifts and increased female workforce participation, mothers still face pressure to prioritize intensive mothering. Through qualitative analysis, the research explores how employed mothers balance work and childcare responsibilities, shedding light on their agency and empowerment within patriarchal structures. Findings reveal a nuanced landscape where mothers navigate societal expectations while striving for autonomy. Support systems, changing socio-economic dynamics, and technological advancements contribute to reshaping maternal roles. Mothers, though not uniformly identifying as feminists, challenge traditional norms, embracing an egalitarian approach to mothering. The study underscores the resilience of mothers in negotiating patriarchal constraints, highlighting their capacity to foster empowerment for themselves and their children within familial and societal contexts. This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews with 37 employed mothers representing diverse professions and roles. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Indigenous womens carework and environmental pedagogy in select contemporary native American fiction
This article explores how Indigenous womens fiction functions as a site of environmental education, reimagining pedagogy through relational ethics, affective care, and land-based knowledge. Drawing on The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (Chippewa), Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford (Cherokee), and The Removed by Brandon Hobson (Cherokee), the paper examines how storytelling, domestic labour, and ecological care become pedagogical practices that sustain cultural continuity. Grounded in Indigenous feminist and environmental humanities frameworks, the study integrates Leanne Betasamosake Simpsons (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) concept of land as pedagogy, Mishuana Goemans (Tonawanda Band of Seneca) idea of spatial sovereignty, Kelli Keelers (Cherokee Nation) theorization of land as agent, and Beth Piatotes (Nez Perce) notion of the feminine everyday. Together, these theories reveal how the everyday practices of Indigenous women enact sustainable learning rooted in reciprocity and care. The analysis demonstrates that these literary works do not simply represent ecological consciousnessthey perform ittransforming narrative into a relational curriculum. By situating Indigenous storytelling within environmental education, the article argues that carework, kinship, and ecological reciprocity form a decolonial pedagogy aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (Quality Education), (Climate Action), and (Life on Land). 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
The living archive: memory, design-innovation and cross-cultural life of the pashmina shawls
This research explores the history and modern developments within the realm of pashmina shawl craftsmanship. It explores these shawls over time and influences on their design and craftsmanship used in their construction. From their influences rooted in artistic traditions to the challenges they face today. This research explores the evolution of design, with the adoption of floral patterns prevalent in seventeenth-century India by Kashmiri designers and tracing the subsequent development of a distinctive visual language characterized by innovative adaptations. It examines contemporary trends in the industry, illustrating how traditional craftsmanship has adapted to meet the demands of contemporary fashion. Through this analysis, the research aims to provide valuable insights into the enduring allure and evolving nature of the pashmina shawl art. The article discusses how artisans often hesitate to adopt new designs due to concerns about the time and effort involved in crafting these artefacts. However, there is a willingness among artisans to collaborate with professional designers, offering hope for the conservation of pashmina designs and crafting. Today, these shawls continue to connect the past and the present, it reveals how innovation and adaptation have always been central to the craft. In the present, this legacy is kept alive as artisans reimagine heritage patterns for contemporary audiences. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Locations of environmental marginalisation and resistance: mapping environmental movements in India
This paper intends to revisit some of the environmental movements in India to examine how environmental exploitation intersects with the social locations of those affected, drawing on insights from prominent environmentalists and historians like Madhav Gadgil and Ramachandra Guha. Their work underscores that environmental movements in India often come from the grassroots, driven by the poor. In countries like India, socio-economic marginalisation and poverty intensify the impact of environmental degradation on the poor. Moreover, the concept of development in India remains largely detached from social welfare. Similarly, the compensations for the displacement and other damages caused by unsustainable development are also highly influenced by social hierarchies like caste. The significant involvement of participant protesters from socially and economically marginalised communities in both historical and ongoing environmental movements highlights their vulnerability and underscores the deep-seated inequalities they confront. Their active participation reflects not only their struggle against environmental degradation but also their fight to reclaim and protect their lost land. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Intersecting queer rights and legislative theatre in India: advocacy narrative of power, justice and expression
Queer activism and Legislative Theatre (LT) converge in myriad ways at their intersection, influencing and shaping each other. The present work investigates how LT can help to identify queer marginalisation in the fissured legal paradigm of India. It explores how LT can address the hegemonic silencing of the queer from an advocacy perspective. Our conviction is that the LT challenges the entrenched power structures against a queer-inclusive democratic space, offers a blueprint to advance queer dialogue, and coalition-building for legislation and policy discussions. It is the time when such a potent artistic activism must shape the public discourse. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Who mourns for her? The death and Re-death of Yakshi
In the Indian cultural lexicon, the term Yakshi refers to an enigmatic supernatural entity whose disposition can oscillate between benign and malevolent. This duality underscores the ambiguity and complexity inherent in traditional Indian narratives concerning gender and paranormal beings. In regional narratives from the southern state of Kerala, Yakshi embodies both demonic and divine essence. This phenomenon reflects a complex interaction between cultural beliefs, supernatural lore, and practices aimed at controlling or neutralising perceived threats from beyond the human realm. This paper focuses on investigating and delineating the progression leading to the death of Yakshi and analysing the subsequent integration into the natural environment. By examining literary/cultural narratives alongside gender and environmental symbolism, this study seeks to understand the transformation of Yakshi from a mythical figure to an intrinsic part of nature, particularly in the ambiguities surrounding Yakshis death, burial and mourning. 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
AI and data-driven digital platforms: the case for establishing global minimum standards in competition law
AI and data-driven platforms have the potential to enable foreclosures, exclusionary and exploitative practices, resulting in the distortion of competition in the digital markets. The inherent conundrum of boundary-less AI and data-driven systems and territorial application of competition laws has created problems in cross-border digital markets. Countries have adopted divergent approaches in enforcing competition law, with some following the per se rule to categorically prohibit MFN clauses and others employing the rule of reason, assessing the anti-competitiveness of such agreements based on effects. Moreover, the countries have adopted either ex-post or ex-ante or a combination of both to regulate digital markets, deepening the divergence in competition, allowing AI and data-driven practices to enable regulatory arbitrage. To establish divergences in regulating the digital markets, the research adopts a comparative approach, analysing the competition law statutes and case laws across jurisdictions. Although competition laws must duly account for domestic market conditions, bringing harmonisation in their enforcement across jurisdictions remains imperative. Adopting a global minimum standard for competition law is a necessary step towards bringing consistency in the application of the competition laws across countries and equipping the competition law enforcement body to confront AI and data-driven market distortions in cross-border digital platforms. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Steering through the pandemic: narrative analysis of school leader experiences in India
The COVID ?19 pandemic has disrupted the regular functioning of schools. Transitioning to online learning posed significant challenges to all stakeholders in the educational system. The continued changes and challenges due to the pandemic require school leaders to make intuitive decisions. School leaders vision and leadership styles can considerably impact successfully managing crises and challenges. The current study looks at the lived experiences of eight school leaders working in India. The data collected using an interview guide was subjected to narrative thematic analysis. The interviews were designed primarily in an open-ended manner to captivate the story of their experiences. The results yielded an understanding of how school leaders navigated through multiple challenges such as transitioning online, attending to student needs, financial challenges adopting crisis and collaborative leadership. The results highlight various personal feelings and experiences that helped the school leaders to hold up during the crisis. School leaders lack training in crisis management, and their mental health needs are neglected. The paper calls for professional support for school leaders in managing professional and personal challenges. The article gives direction for school professionals on focus areas and requirements in Indian schools. 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Steering through the pandemic: narrative analysis of school leader experiences in India
The COVID ?19 pandemic has disrupted the regular functioning of schools. Transitioning to online learning posed significant challenges to all stakeholders in the educational system. The continued changes and challenges due to the pandemic require school leaders to make intuitive decisions. School leaders vision and leadership styles can considerably impact successfully managing crises and challenges. The current study looks at the lived experiences of eight school leaders working in India. The data collected using an interview guide was subjected to narrative thematic analysis. The interviews were designed primarily in an open-ended manner to captivate the story of their experiences. The results yielded an understanding of how school leaders navigated through multiple challenges such as transitioning online, attending to student needs, financial challenges adopting crisis and collaborative leadership. The results highlight various personal feelings and experiences that helped the school leaders to hold up during the crisis. School leaders lack training in crisis management, and their mental health needs are neglected. The paper calls for professional support for school leaders in managing professional and personal challenges. The article gives direction for school professionals on focus areas and requirements in Indian schools. 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Exploring tourists metaverse experience using destination spatial presence quality & perceived augmentation: metaverse exploration, physical expedition (MEPE)
A recent surge of interest surrounds metaverse tourism, with researchers highlighting its potential to revolutionize the tourism industry and attract new travellers. This article delves into the key features of a tourist's metaverse experience that influence their desire to visit a destination in the real world using systems theory. In addition, the current study also explores the moderating role of FOMO (Fear of missing out) in few of the proposed relationships. The study is a cross-sectional descriptive investigation carried out among Indian tourists chosen based on the simple random sampling technique and is analyzed using the Smart PLS software. The findings of the study reveal that several attributes of a tourist's metaverse experience, including entertainment, interaction, trendiness, novelty, and intimacy, significantly enhance both the perceived quality of spatial presence within the destination and the level of perceived augmentation experienced by tourists. Notably, both these factors then exert a significant positive influence on a destination's brand equity, ultimately explaining tourists' intentions to visit the physical location. Interestingly, the moderating role of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) suggests that the relationship between brand equity and the likelihood of tourists undertaking a physical visit is strengthened as their perceived FOMO increases. 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.