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Despite the digital penetration in the larger consumer market, the adoption of e-pharmacy services is reported to be very low in emerging economies like India. In this context, the purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of consumers’ risk perception on their intention to purchase medicines/pharmaceuticals through online pharmacies. Furthermore, the study seeks to understand to what extent the perceived usefulness of online pharmacy mediates the relationship between different dimensions of perceived risk and purchase intention.

The study was conducted among a sample of 800 consumers in India who are familiar with online e-commerce. To ensure the homogeneity of the sample and hence the generalizations of results, inclusion criteria were set as not to include respondents who have made a prior purchase through e-pharmacy services. Self-reporting questionnaires were administered among the respondents, who were selected through a purposive and convenience sampling method. Measurement modeling and path analysis were done using IBM SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 24.0 to test the hypotheses and draw inferences.

Results revealed that consumers’ risk perceptions, such as financial, product, source and privacy risks, had a significant direct and indirect effect on their intention to purchase medicines through online pharmacies. India is the major universal provider of generic medicines. The insights gained from this study can help policymakers, corporates, consumers, distributors, retailers and marketing managers to frame effective strategies for improved usage of online platforms for procuring medications.

This study is pioneering in conceptualizing and testing a theoretical model linking consumers’ risk perceptions, perceived usefulness and intention to purchase through online pharmacies, particularly in the context of an emerging economy like India. Implications regarding facilitating and nurturing a conducive platform for online purchasing medicines and its outcomes are elaborated, thus striving to fill a gap in the existing literature. By examining the proposed framework through the lens of the technology acceptance model and theory of risk perception, this study seeks to add to the emergent literature on online pharmacies, especially in emerging economies with huge market potential.

The main purpose of this chapter is dual fold: first, to offer an exhaustive examination of migration trends and factors influencing migrants' decisions to relocate. Second, to propose actionable suggestions aimed at minimising the harmful impacts of climate-induced migration originating from the Indian subcontinent.

This chapter adopts an intensive literature review and integrated approach emphasising safety and partaking rights to examine climate prejudices across various dimensions including age, vulnerability, background, gender, geographical location, pay levels, migrant/refugee/internally displaced status and their connections.

An in-depth assessment of evidence surfaced on environmental migrants reveal a complex interplay of social, environmental and personal dynamics collectively shaping migration patterns beyond purely economic considerations. Natural disasters and associated mental shocks, social tensions and safety concerns, livelihood diversification, educational and development opportunities in host region, family pressures, extent of possession of assets and potential health and well-being all pose as vital drivers in environmental migration.

A novel attempt is made to address the interconnected nature of climate change with other crises, exacerbating existing inequalities whilst emphasising the importance of incorporating diverse interdisciplinary and international perspectives, prioritising the voices of the victimised to effectively address the climate emergency.

Policy recommendations encompass enhancing central and local government support by establishing migrant supportive legal frameworks, expanding livelihood diversification programs and factoring in migrant returnee programmes.

Work readiness and the ability to change how work is conducted are key dimensions of employability. This study focuses on alumni from the social psychiatric care (SPC) programme at University West in Trollhättan, Sweden. As their work readiness and work-changing abilities have not been studied to this point, the purpose was to explore the eventual main employability profiles in these alumni.

Between 8th November 2022 and 2nd January 2023, 94 SPC alumni responded to the Employee Agility and Resilience Short Swedish Version Measurement Scale, consisting of five subscales that represent different employability features. Cluster analysis was used to explore eventual employability profiles in these alumni.

Three clusters of SPC alumni with different employability profiles were identified. Cluster 1: Highly employable profile, which is represented by SPC alumni who scored high on each of the five employability features. Cluster 2: Employability with alliance-creating profile; this cluster comprise SPC alumni whose strengths lie in creating collegial relationships. Cluster 3: Employability with a strong social support profile, which comprise SPC alumni with a strong social backing at work. We discuss that SPC alumni of these employability profiles are variously equipped to (1) follow and develop how work is conducted in their fields and (2) adapt to changes at work.

The study presents employability profiles of SPC alumni and offers valuable insights that could enhance the prospects of these alumni becoming a recognised occupation within the realms of psychiatry, social services, institutional work and community work.

Environmental social governance (ESG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have emerged in recent times as powerful approaches for corporations to add value to social well-being. This study aims to explore the relationship between ESG and CSR, two key parameters by which stakeholders evaluate firms. It develops a framework that positions ESG–CSR in a synergistic “golden triangle” framework, incorporating ESG scores, CSR funding and CSR activities to enhance their mutual impact on sustainable business practices.

An empirical analysis was conducted on listed public sector undertakings (PSUs) in India to test the proposed golden triangle framework. The framework leverages quantitative data from ESG scores, CSR funding and CSR initiatives to evaluate their synergistic impact. Data was analysed using statistical models to confirm the synergistic relationship.

This study finds a strong synergy between ESG–CSR practices in organisations that are committed to the golden triangle framework. Firms with high alignment among ESG scores, CSR funding and CSR activities tend to exhibit stronger sustainable performance, reflecting the mutual reinforcement of these two parameters.

This study is limited to listed PSUs in India, which may restrict the generalisability of the findings across other sectors and regions. Future research could broaden the scope by examining private and international firms to validate the framework and its applicability across diverse organisational contexts.

The framework provides managers with a framework for integrating ESG–CSR as a synergistic strategy that maximises their positive impact on global wellbeing. By adopting the golden triangle framework, firms can better align their ESG–CSR to strengthen their overall corporate sustainability profile.

By demonstrating the synergy between ESG–CSR, this study underscores the role of coordinated corporate responsibility in driving sustainable social and environmental impact. Effective integration of ESG–CSR can lead to more robust contributions to social welfare and environmental sustainability, benefiting the broader community.

This study offers a novel framework that synergises ESG–CSR in a golden triangle framework, providing empirical evidence from Indian PSUs. It contributes to the existing literature by clarifying the ESG–CSR relationship and proposing a structured approach for firms aiming to enhance their sustainable business impact.

This study aims to examine the influence of digital financial literacy (DFL) on the financial well-being (FWB) of students in Andhra Pradesh, specifically exploring the factors of impulsivity and self-control. Both DFL and FWB are treated as multi-dimensional constructs in the study. The research delves into the impact of DFL dimensions, viz. digital financial knowledge, digital financial experience and digital financial skills, on both impulsivity and self-control. Subsequently, the study assesses the effects of impulsivity and self-control on financial well-being.

To gather data, a questionnaire-based survey method was employed, reaching 475 university students through purposive sampling. The study utilizes confirmatory factor analysis for scale validation and structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing.

The results reveal a significantly negative influence of digital financial knowledge (DFK), digital financial experience (DFE) and digital financial skills (DFS) on impulsivity, while demonstrating a significantly positive impact on self-control. Additionally, the study finds that impulsivity negatively affects financial well-being, whereas self-control has a positive impact. Focusing on higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh, the research highlights students’ limited concern for long-term financial planning.

This study underscores the relevance of understanding the crucial role of digital financial literacy in enhancing their financial well-being. The implications of these research findings are substantial and can be utilized to shape educational programs for students in higher education institutions. Such programs can guide institutions in imparting knowledge and skills related to personal finance management, particularly in the context of the increasing digitalization of financial transactions.

Introduction: Regulatory technology (Regtech) uses technology and innovative techniques to improve and expedite regulatory compliance procedures across various sectors, notably the financial industry. This chapter closely examines how Regtech is being used in the financial sector.

Purpose: This study examines the adoption and implementation of Regtech solutions in the financial sector. It aims to identify the leading technologies propelling the adoption of Regtech and the benefits and challenges financial institutions face when implementing Regtech solutions for regulatory compliance.

Need of the Study: The study examines the increasing demand for effective regulatory compliance in the financial sector. Financial institutions seek novel ways to streamline compliance procedures as regulatory complexities increase. This study fulfills the need to examine the adoption of Regtech as a potential solution to enhance regulatory compliance’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Research Methodology: This chapter’s research methodology entails a comprehensive review of existing studies, and examples to collect pertinent data and insights. The current study provides an extensive and comprehensive view of the existing studies. Examining real-world examples provides practical examples and demonstrates the efficacy of Regtech in the financial sector.

Findings: The findings reveal that the adoption of Regtech is gaining momentum in the financial industry, with increasing recognition of its potential benefits. Financial institutions leverage Regtech solutions to automate compliance processes, monitor regulatory changes, and enhance risk management practices. However, technological complexities, regulatory constraints, and data security concerns pose significant hurdles to widespread adoption.

Building on memory-dominant logic, this study proposes a theoretical model explaining the antecedents and consequences of memorable activation experience.

Through a qualitative research methodology – a narrative review, an analysis of current activation trends, eight interviews and content validity evaluation by five experts – this study hypothesized that six antecedents (positive emotions, novelty, meaningfulness, involvement, experience intensification and serendipity) positively influence memorable activation experience, which in turn significantly affects two managerial outcomes: positive word-of-mouth and sponsor recall. To evaluate the proposed hypotheses, this study analyzed data collected from consumers who participated in a sponsorship activation by Lafleur (n = 215) and Salon de jeux de Québec (n = 306) using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The results indicate that all antecedents, except for novelty, have a significant impact on memorable activation experience, which positively impacts positive word-of-mouth and sponsor recall.

By extending the scope of memorable experience to the sponsorship field, this study enhances its conceptualization and application. It also contributes to a better understanding of designing activations to increase the likelihood of memorability, thus improving their effectiveness.

Several businesses have begun to use memes as part of social media marketing. Although memes have been independently explored through various theories, their use in social media marketing has not yet been explored. This study analyzes theories used to study memes and suggests popular marketing theories to do the same for memes in social media marketing.

This study employed a mixed methodology. We used the Scopus database and the SPAR-4 protocol to gather, organize, and evaluate the literature. A bibliometric analysis was performed to understand the themes explored in the literature. Manual content analysis was performed to identify the theories used to elucidate study memes.

We profiled meme research through a bibliometric analysis. Relevance theory, Rhetoric theory, Theories of humor, Evolutionary theory, and the theory of conceptual blending are the most frequently used theories in meme literature. Furthermore, we found that the marketing theories used to study memes are limited.

The findings of this study will benefit academia, marketers, and social media managers by offering a comprehensive picture of theories used in meme research. It also suggests new avenues for conducting future research on memes based on identified theories.

This is one of the first known studies to employ both bibliometric and content analyses to review theories in meme literature. Furthermore, we suggest marketing theories and research questions to explain meme marketing.

This study aims to explore the impact of perceived information quality on customers' self-efficacy and knowledge and how these factors subsequently influence perceived value and intentions to participate and visit.

A video scenario was used to depict a co-creation dining experience, with participants recruited through self-selected convenience sampling. Data were collected from 472 participants who viewed a video showcasing co-creation dining in restaurants. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed hypotheses.

Results indicate that perceived information quality significantly enhances customers' knowledge and confidence. Increased knowledge and self-efficacy lead to higher perceived value, which subsequently boosts customers' intentions to participate and visit. Additionally, knowledge and self-efficacy partially mediate the relationship between perceived information quality and perceived value.

This study applies framing and processing theories, highlighting how clear, engaging presentation enhances perception, comprehension and self-efficacy in the co-creation process. Practical recommendations for restaurants include developing instructional materials, staff training and tiered experiences to improve customer engagement.

This study provides new insights into the role of information quality in shaping customer perceptions and behaviors in co-creation dining experiences, highlighting the importance of knowledge and self-efficacy in enhancing perceived value and participation intentions.

AISI 4140 is a versatile, low alloy steel often used in various applications in mechanical systems and manufacturing processes. To mention a few in processes such as friction stir welding tooling and in engine components, temperatures above 700°C coupled with wear. Despite its versatility, it is still susceptible to wear and corrosion. A common method to address this shortcoming is physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. This study aims to experimentally investigate the wear performance of AISI 4140 PVD coated with titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) at room and elevated temperatures.

Two sets of three samples were prepared. Where one sample was uncoated AISI 4140, TiN and TiAlN PVD coated, one set was tested at room temperature and the other set at 780°C for comparison purposes. The average coating thicknesses were measured, and the adhesion properties were assessed using a scratch test. Their tribological wear scars were further characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and confocal microscopy, and the results were furnished in the paper.

With the scratch test, the first critical load (Lc) on the TiAlN coating was 15% higher than that of the TiN coating. At room temperature, TiN had the highest coefficient at 0.61, while TiAlN was 0.39. After 1,500 s, samples showed run-in and stability. At elevated temperatures, TiAlN started with the highest friction but stabilized later than TiN and uncoated samples, which stabilized after 200 s due to titanium oxide formation. This was due to the formation of an oxidation layer caused by the thermal environment. Hence, the opposite is observed at room temperature. The findings were supported by the Raman, XRD, SEM EDS and areal topography analysis.

The results presented in the study are valuable to design engineers and researchers anticipating wear in high temperature applications. Therefore, with these results, reasonable, informed decisions can be made about specific design requirements.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-09-2024-0354/