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Many studies have shown that from a theoretical and empirical point of view, downside risk-based measures of risk are better than the traditional ones. Despite academic appeal and practical implications, downside risk has not been thoroughly examined in markets outside developed country markets. Using downside beta as a measure of downside risk, this study examines the relationship between downside beta and stock returns in Indian equity market, an emerging market with unique investor, asset and market characteristics.

This is an empirical study done by using ranked portfolio return analysis and regression analysis methodologies.

The study results show that downside risk, as measured by downside beta, is distinctly priced in the Indian equity market. There is a direct positive relationship between downside beta and contemporaneous realized returns, indicating a premium for downside risk. Downside risk carries a higher weightage than upside potential in the aggregate return of the stock portfolios. Downside beta is a better measure of systematic risk than conventional market beta and downside coskewness.

The empirical results support the adoption of downside beta in practice and provide a case for replacing traditional beta with downside beta in asset pricing applications, trading and investment strategies, and capital allocation decision-making.

This is one of the first in-depth studies examining downside beta in Indian equity markets using a broad sample of individual stock returns covering a wide time range of 22 years. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one to compare downside beta and downside coskewness using individual stock data from the Indian equity market.

The swirl intensity imposed on the flow plays a vital role in aerodynamics, flame shape, flame stabilization and combustion intensity. In lean direct injection (LDI), the air and fuel are fed through separate channels, and the swirling air flows have a strong impact on fuel-air mixing and heat release. The literature indicates that the effects of swirling on helical axial LDI systems are limited to nonreacting flows studied through experimental methods, but not many studies have been reported on the reacting flows of a single swirler. The objectives of the paper are divided into two parts. The first part presents the role of swirl in nonreacting LDI systems and the second part describes spray combustion in LDI systems for low (swirl < 0.5) to high (swirl > 0.5) swirl numbers.

The numerical model incorporates all the necessary features of the single helical axial swirler, starting from the hollow circular section to the outlet of a long mixing chamber. The commercial solver FLUENT is used to predict the flow field around the axial swirler. The first step is to establish a numerical procedure (based on computational fluid dynamics [CFD]) to predict the nonreacting flow behavior for different swirlers and the CFD results are validated against literature data. The spray atomization, droplet evaporation and the effects of interaction between the two phases are modeled by implementing various spray submodels in FLUENT. The large Eddy simulation (LES) reacting flow results for a vane tip angle of 60° are compared with test data and presented at multiple cross planes.

The numerical simulations were carried out on a nonreacting single helical axial swirler for various vane tip angles, such as 40°, 50°, 55, and 60°, and the results were validated against test data. The centerline mean axial velocity and radial velocity profiles at several axial locations are in good agreement with the literature data. For reacting swirling flows, the experimental data is available only for a 60° vane tip angle. The S60 reacting flow LES mean predictions are compared at different cross planes. The axial momentum increases due to the liquid spray combustion in the gas phase and the reacting flow central recirculation zone is substantially shorter than the nonreacting flow. The impact of spray atomization due to interaction with the gas phase is verified, and the droplet mean diameter trends are consistent across different cross planes. The LES predictions of reacting flows for low to high swirls are investigated, and the effects on combustion performance are summarized.

The novelty of the paper is highlighted in two key conclusions. First, the paper presents numerical methods for studying the role of swirl in a nonreacting LDI system and validates the results against experimental data. Second, the effects of combustion on the gas phase, spray combustion modeling and droplet atomization are numerically established and compared with literature data for a 60° vane tip angle. In addition, the role of swirl in the reacting flow field for vane tip angles of 40°, 50° and 60° is numerically investigated, and its effect on flame stability, pressure drop and NOx emissions is presented. The paper describes LES grid guidelines for the LDI swirler and presents a numerical modeling approach that helps to develop a robust swirler design through a parametric investigation of swirler geometry. The methodology can be extended to study multi-element swirler configurations, to understand the effect of swirl on droplet breakup, momentum exchange with adjacent swirlers, flame propagationand emissions.

The study aims to study the extent of research done in luxury marketing in an emerging economy like India by conducting a bibliometric analysis. A period of 21 years has been considered to present a comprehensive picture for results and analysis. Key findings indicate the gaps and scope of further research for academics in India and abroad. The findings indicate a dearth of research by scholars and academicians in luxury, counterfeit and masstige, especially when there is a surge of the upper middle class in India. More specifically, Indian-grown luxury brands also present a massive scope for future research.

Online brand is becoming a popular and major gateway for consumers for booking various services specifically when they travel for several purposes. The present study aims to explore whether exposure to two separate yet similar modes of communication intervene consumer's brand trust and their subsequent loyalty intention toward the brand. The study further aims to investigate whether consumer's price consciousness has any influence on association between brand trust and brand loyalty in the process of decision -making.

The present study follows a different approach to data collection. The data have been retrieved from online brand (Oyo) page on Facebook through Google Form application. In all, 289 useable responses were retrieved from the travelers aged between 18 and 30. Structural equation modeling using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 26.0 has been applied to examine the effects of brand communication and online reviews on brand loyalty through brand trust.

Empirical evidence supports that even after having strong brand communication, online reviews play a crucial role in consumer's brand loyalty through brand trust. The study further reveals that price consciousness acts as a significant moderator in the relationship between consumer's brand trust and brand loyalty.

The current research contributes to the online brand and marketing knowledge by empirically showing the pertinence of consumer–brand relationship in an online brand context through a parsimonious model by examining how the two distinct mechanisms of communication influences consumer brand trust and loyalty intention.

The parsimonious framework of consumer–brand relationship adds to explicating the dual marketing challenges of communication and to draw a positive consumer response (i.e. consumer brand loyalty). The study attempts to examine the impact of two distinct yet identical modes of communication which facilitate shaping consumer brand trust that reinforce the strategic value of the circumstance and equips it with solid theoretical structure within an endeavor of the strategic significance of online brand managers.

The rise of virtual streamers in live streaming commerce has gained momentum, driven by the increasing prevalence of human–computer interactivity and artificial intelligence. However, achieving its broader adoption necessitates a comprehensive understanding of consumers' intention to switch from conventional human streamers to virtual streamer services as alternatives. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study endeavours to introduce and substantiate an asymmetric model incorporating innovation barriers, shopping motivations and personalities, shedding light on consumers' intention to switch.

An online survey was conducted in the United Kingdom and analysed using a comprehensive approach that integrates Necessary Conditions Analysis (NCA), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA).

The results unveiled six configurations of arrangements, each of them characterised by a unique combination of causation.

In knowledge, this study presents a significant contribution by revealing both the determinants that stimulate or hamper the desire to switch based on consumer-centric perspectives. In practice, this study is critical for helping practitioners overcome difficulties related to adoption and make educated judgements when promoting virtual streamers and developing marketing strategies in live streaming commerce.

This study investigates the antecedents that nudge followers of social media (SM) influencers into brand evangelism (BE). In doing so, we study how influencer-related attributes such as their homophily, trust, and popularity impact their followers’ BE. Additional interlinkages pertaining to popularity, content, warmth, and prestige are examined, impacting BE.

A cross-sectional survey obtained information about the focal constructs from 206 participants. Quantitative procedures using partial least square-based structural equation modeling were implemented to analyze the collected data and the proposed relationships.

The findings indicate homophily’s role in influencing trust, content, and prestige. BE is developed through warmth and content, whereas trust and prestige inspire warmth. Further, an influencer’s popularity impacts homophily and content. Lastly, the mediating role of warmth, homophile, trust, exciting content, and prestige advances the understanding of influencers and BE.

We converge literature from branding, influencer marketing, and social psychology to understand consumers' facets of promoting BE on SM. This work is a primary attempt to interlink and tie these crucial research streams together.

The study offers managers helpful guidance on strategically assessing influencers' traits to build BE. Additionally, recommendations for tactically assessing and engaging influencers for brands are offered.

This is the first study to identify influencer-related parameters contributing to BE. Secondly, we study unique drivers such as homophily, trust, and warmth, which are important yet remain unexplored as far as BE in influencer marketing is concerned. Furthermore, this study also highlights the mediating role of key constructs that possess a potential to strengthen consumer brand relationships.

The current research delves into how different cues in messages (such as argument quality, usefulness and informativeness) and cues related to the source (such as credibility and expertise) contribute to the perceived credibility of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). The investigation also explores whether source cues influence the overall impact of message cues.

This study synthesizes findings from 100 previous empirical works through the application of meta-analysis.

The outcomes affirm the presence of both systematic and heuristic processing, the additive effects of both message and source cues and the bias effects of source cues. Moreover, the study identifies a connection between eWOM credibility and behavioral intention. Expanding on this, the research discovers that users’ tendency to avoid uncertainty moderates the impact of message and source cues on their judgment of eWoM credibility.

The research contributes to the eWOM literature by providing a heuristic-systematic model of eWoM credibility judgments. It provides new insights for online sellers, who can benefit from eWoM by fostering potential buyers' behavioral intention to purchase.

The fertilizer industry (FI) is well known for its high energy needs, reliance on limited natural resources, and negative environmental impacts (EIs). The consumption of 14.2 billion tons (BT) of materials and the extraction of 1,580 tons of resources per acre are solely attributed to the FI. Because of FI's resource and energy-intensive nature, it becomes crucial for FI to adopt a Circular Economy (CE) to improve efficiency, energy, and resource reuse. However, FI needs to strengthen its progress toward CE adoption. The proposed study comprehends and examines the barriers that inhibit the adoption of CE in FI.

A total of 15 barriers obstructing the CE in FI are identified and categorized into seven different categories. The barriers were identified by performing a comprehensive literature review and expert input. The study employs the DEMATEL approach to analyze the barriers and establish a causal relationship between them.

The study reveals that the most significant challenge to implementing CE in FI is governmental restrictions, which are followed by a lack of awareness and understanding and a need for a steady supply of bulk materials. The results comprehensively comprehend the pivotal factors that jeopardize the CE in FI and furnish a robust foundation for the methodology and tactics to surmount the barriers to CE adoption.

The literature review encompasses the barriers to the transition to CE and offers management and policy perspectives that help the FI's policy and decision-makers surmount these barriers with future research endeavors.

The widespread use of mobile apps in marketing has resulted in in-app advertising to promote products and services. Research on in-app advertising has focused on several dimensions but not on the modality of ad generation. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and memes as advertisements has paved the way for multiple ways to create them. This study aims to understand the effect of various advertisement generation modalities on an individual’s trust, attitude toward the advertisement, subjective norms, intentions and use of a particular product.

Using the theoretical lens of reasoned action and trust, the authors explored through an experimental study (five treatments-AI-generated ad and meme, human-created ad and meme and user-generated meme, and (n = 300) the consumer’s intention to purchase a fictitious shampoo brand based on in-app advertising. The respondents were exposed to one of the treatments without knowledge of the ad generation modality.

Trust differed significantly across all the experimental conditions. Furthermore, the authors observe that the theory of reasoned action holds for all advertising generation modalities.

The use of AI in advertising is increasing exponentially, and brands are using AI-generated content to engage with their audiences on various platforms. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to attempt to understand the effects of various ad generation modalities on the trust, attitude and behavior of individuals. Furthermore, this study examines both AI and human-created memes and their effects. The authors suggest optimizing the prompt engineering to develop AI-generated images.