Search results

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether futures markets play a dominant role in the price discovery process. The rate of convergence of information from one market to another is analyzed to infer the efficiency of futures as an effective hedging tool.

The paper uses a two‐regime threshold vector autoregression (TVAR) and a two‐regime threshold autoregression for six commodities. The regimes (or states) are defined around the expiration week of the futures contract.

This paper finds evidence for price discovery process happening in the futures market in five out of six commodities. However, the rate of convergence of information is slow, particularly in the non‐expiration weeks. For copper, gold and silver, the rate of convergence is almost instantaneous during the expiration week of the futures contract affirming the utility of futures contracts as an effective hedging tool. In case of chickpeas, nickel and rubber the convergence worsens during the expiration week indicating the non‐usability of futures contract for hedging.

This paper extends the framework developed by Garbade et al. by superimposing a two‐regime TVAR model to quantify the price discovery process. It is the first paper to analyze the differential impact of price discovery and convergence during expiration week (compared to non‐expiration weeks) for the Indian commodities market.

The rapid growth of the gig economy has reshaped the labor market and provided flexible work opportunities but also exposed gig workers to challenges such as job insecurity, anxiety and mental health concerns. For women gig workers, these challenges are often more pronounced due to the precarious nature of gig work and the lack of social protections.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 603 women gig workers across various sectors in India’s major metro cities. The survey used a combination of Likert scale and structured questionnaire to assess anxiety, mental health, job insecurity, workplace challenges and overall well-being, with reliability tests confirming internal consistency.

Descriptive statistics revealed moderate levels of anxiety, job insecurity and workplace challenges, with most respondents reporting relatively positive perceptions of well-being. Reliability analysis indicated satisfactory internal consistency across the survey constructs, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.774 to 0.789. Hypothesis testing showed significant negative correlations between anxiety, job insecurity, workplace challenges and well-being, indicating that higher levels of these stressors are associated with lower well-being. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions and policy enhancements to improve the working conditions and support systems for women gig workers.

The study highlights the need for tailored policies and interventions to address the unique challenges faced by women gig workers. Enhancing social protections, providing mental health support and ensuring safer working conditions could help improve their overall well-being.

This study adds to the limited literature on women gig workers in India by examining the specific factors influencing their well-being. It offers new insights into the intersection of gender and gig work, emphasizing the need for policy frameworks that better support this vulnerable workforce.

The objective of this paper is to understand the benefits and utility of massive open online courses (MOOCs) as perceived by the student, vis-à-vis internship and determine the factors that influence student motivation and distraction in adoption of MOOCs.

An empirical study is conducted through a survey; data are collected through a structured questionnaire. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is used as the base framework. For data analysis, Statistical Product and Service Solutions–Analysis of Moment Structures (SPSS–AMOS) 24.0 is used.

The impact of context-specific distinctive features of MOOCs and characteristics of students on user satisfaction are examined through perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. In the study, it is found that positive social influence and better facilitating conditions improve perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness leading to a better user satisfaction. Self-regulation positively influences self-efficacy among students while pursuing MOOCs. Contrary to the past researches, it is found that in the pandemic environment self-efficacy is not impacting perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and satisfaction.

The findings of this study will benefit MOOCs developers and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in deeper understanding the significant factors affecting MOOC usage in higher education.

The study is ingrained to find the causes which will lead to user satisfaction of MOOCs by post-graduation students of B-schools in India. This is an original research and primary data has been collected for decision-making.

The purpose of this study is to map the intellectual structure of sustainable finance and accounting (SFA) literature by identifying the influential aspects, main research streams and future research directions in SFA.

The results are obtained using bibliometric citation analysis and content analysis to conduct a bibliometric review of the intersection of sustainable finance and sustainable accounting using a sample of 795 articles published between 1991 and November 2023.

The most influential factors in the SFA literature are identified, highlighting three primary areas of research: corporate social responsibility and environmental disclosure; financial and economic performance; and regulations and standards.

SFA has experienced rapid development in recent years. The results identify the current research domain, guide potential future research directions, serve as a reference for SFA and provide inspiration to policymakers.

SFA typically encompasses sustainable corporate business practices and investments. This study contributes to broader social impacts by promoting improved corporate practices and sustainability.

This study expands on previous research on SFA. The authors identify significant aspects of the SFA literature, such as the most studied nations, leading journals, authors and trending publications. In addition, the authors provide an overview of the three major streams of the SFA literature and propose various potential future research directions, inspiring both academic research and policymaking.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a concept and design to cast Al alloys/metal matrix composites (MMCs) by continuous casting process. The various steps involved in the evolution of the design have been reported and discussed in this study.

On the basis of developed design concept, initial prototype design has been prepared in this study. The casting process's melt flow pattern was studied via computer simulation, and the resulting changes were implemented in the original design. The single-phase fluid flow pattern through bottom feeding technique is studied. The equipment was fabricated based on computer simulation and water modelling studies. Finally, validation was performed for the preparation of Al alloys/ MMCs after parameter optimisation. The results were observed in the optical metallography to confirm the alloying and Al MMC preparation.

The developed continuous casting process with bottom feeding technique for the addition of constituent particles shows more efficiency in comparison to the existing batch processes. The final manufactured setup demonstrates effective Al alloy/MMC production as the basis for final fabrication has been accomplished by both computer simulation and water model test. In addition, the microstructure exhibits homogeneous distribution, validating the reliability of the setup.

Integrating continuous casting with continuous reinforcement or master alloy addition is novel in this area. The constraints that batch production had that have been rectified will also lower the contemporary cost of production.

Research on leaders’ knowledge management systems focuses exclusively on how leaders gather and disseminate knowledge in collaboration with external actors. Not much is known about how leaders address the psychological aspects of employees and strategize internal communication. In addition, while previous work has treated high uncertainty as a default feature of crisis, this study aims to propose that perceived uncertainty varies in experience/meaning and has a crucial bearing on the relative balance of cognitive/emotional load on the leader and behavioral/psychological responses.

The authors contribute by qualitatively examining the role of leader knowledge systems in designing communication strategies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis by investigating communication characteristics, style, modes and the relatively unaddressed role of compassion/persuasion. In this pursuit, the authors interviewed 21 C-suite leaders, including chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, chief financial officers, chief human resource officers and founders, and analyzed their data using open, axial and selective coding, which were later extracted for representative themes and overarching dimensions.

Drawing from grounded theory research, the authors present a framework of knowledge systems and their resultant communication with employees in high uncertain and low uncertain crises. The authors highlight interactions of a set of concepts – leaders’ preparedness, leaders’ support to employees tailored communication adapted to perceived uncertainty, leading to enhanced trust – in the achievement of outcomes related to balancing operational and relational systems with employees. The findings suggest that a structured process of communication helps employees mitigate any concern related to uncertainty and feel confident in their leadership.

The research has implications for leaders in managing their knowledge systems, for human esources practitioners in designing effective internal communication programs, as well as for scholars in knowledge management, communication and leadership.

This paper aims to identify the current research trends and set the future research agenda in the area of human resource (HR) analytics by an extensive review of the existing literature. The paper aims to capture state of the art and develop an exhaustive understanding of the theoretical foundations, concepts and recent developments in the area.

A portfolio of 125 articles collected from the Scopus database was systematically analyzed using a two-tier method. First, the evolution, current state of the literature and research clusters are identified using bibliometric techniques. Finally, using content analysis, the research clusters are studied to develop the future research agenda.

Based on the bibliometric analysis, network analysis and content analysis techniques, this study provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature. The study also highlights future research themes by identifying knowledge gaps based on content analysis of research clusters.

The evolution and the current state of the HR analytics literature are presented. Some specific research questions are also provided to help future research.

This study enriches the literature of HR analytics by integrating bibliometric analysis and content analysis to develop a more systematic and exhaustive understanding of the research area. The findings of this study may assist fellow researchers in furthering their research in the identified research clusters.