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The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on both competitive advantage (CA) and organizational performance (OP) in the manufacturing sector in Ethiopia.

Data for the study were collected from a sample of 221 manufacturing companies operating in the four manufacturing groups/sectors in Ethiopia. In addition, data analysis was performed using the partial least squares method, which is a variance-based Structural Equation Modeling approach in the Smart-PLS software version (SmartPLS 4.0).

Based on the statistical analysis of the collected data, it demonstrates that SSCM has a significant and positive impact on both competitive advantage and organizational performance. Furthermore, statistical findings offer proof of the clear connection between competitive advantage and organizational performance. Moreover, competitive advantage indirectly mediates the relationship between SSCM and OP.

The primary limitation of this research is its reliance on a cross-sectional design. The generalizability of the findings obtained from the present study may be hindered. The variable under investigation in this research assessed organizational performance, a concept that is widely acknowledged to be extremely dynamic.

The study provides managers and researchers with valuable information on Sustainable Supply Chain Management strategies and how they influence competitive advantage and organizational performance in commercial and industrial environments.

This paper adds to the body of knowledge by providing new data and empirical insights into the relationship between SSCM practices and the performance of manufacturing companies in Ethiopia.

The main objective of this study is to analyze the mediating role of intellectual capital in the relationship between diversification, financial stability, and efficiency of the banking sector in Ethiopia.

Secondary data for this study was obtained from audited financial statements of 17 Ethiopian commercial banks for a decade starting in 2013. A descriptive and explanatory research design with a quantitative research approach was employed. The seemingly unrelated Hierarchical regression analysis is used to estimate diversification’s effect on banks' financial stability and efficiency, considering the interaction between diversification and intellectual capital as a mediating variable.

The Mediation analysis reveals that asset diversification improves the financial stability of commercial banks when mediated by intellectual efficiency. Investment diversification negatively impacts risk-adjusted return on asset and Z score. Intellectual capital significantly enhances commercial banks' efficiency and financial stability in Ethiopia and mediates the relationship between geographic diversification, financial stability, and efficiency. The mediation analysis also indicates that intellectual capital significantly mediates the relationship between income diversification and efficiency.

This study highlights the importance of intellectual capital and promotes its strategic allocation by management and regulatory bodies to enhance the financial stability and operational effectiveness of the banking industry in Ethiopia.

To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this study is one of the rare attempts to investigate the mediating role of intellectual capital on the nexus between diversification, financial stability, and efficiency of commercial banks in Ethiopia.

This study delves into the complex realm of consumer behavior by exploring the impact of distinct shopping motives, encompassing status, value and gratification, on store satisfaction within the domain of organic food retail. Moreover, it seeks to decipher the influence of perceptual disparities between male and female patrons on the intricate nexus between shopping experience and consumer loyalty within organic food stores.

A comprehensive dataset comprising responses from 400 participants was gathered and subjected to confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling. These analytical tools were employed to dissect the data, validate the underlying research framework and unveil critical insights.

The empirical analysis, facilitated by structural equation modeling, substantiates that organic food stores prioritize the organic attribute, primarily centered on healthiness, often to the detriment of broader conceptual and social aspects. This validates the interplay between shopping experience dimensions, customer contentment, loyalty and the intent to revisit. Gender, as a moderator, exerts a discernible influence on these relationships, highlighting distinct shopping behaviors among male and female consumers when gauging the influence of shopping experience dimensions within organic food retail establishments.

The implications of this research resonate deeply within the organic food retail landscape. The insights garnered provide valuable guidance to organic food retailers aiming to enhance their store ambiance and allure, thereby fostering sustained customer satisfaction. This, in turn, augments the propensity for customer loyalty and repeat patronage, a particularly pressing concern in today's fiercely competitive retail milieu. Furthermore, the study carries significant ramifications for organic food producers and governmental entities, outlining a framework for augmenting the value proposition of organic foods in alignment with customer experiential paradigms.

In a milieu characterized by the emergence of novel product categories and industry entrants, the study fills a critical void by investigating customer satisfaction within the broader retail food sector, with specific focus on organic food stores. Moreover, the research embarks on a pioneering exploration of the prospective trajectory of organic food stores in the Indian context, employing a marketing lens and grounded in the theory of needs satisfaction.

The purpose of the study is to determine the factors influencing the job choices of Indian women working in the informal manufacturing sector. The informal sector has always played a significant role in emerging and developing countries. This study investigates the effect of social cultural norms influencing women informal workers in the manufacturing sector to participate in home-based work (HBW) or non-home-based work (non-HBW) .

Both Quantitative and Qualitative methodology have been used. In accordance with descriptive statistics, a multinomial logistic regression model was employed to assess women's likelihood of participation in home-based activities. To gain a more in-depth insight, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the perspectives of both men and women workers. The data were analysed using narrative analysis.

The findings reveal that a high fixed cost is a key driver of HBW. Workers prefer to work from home when the loss of joint household production due to working outside is substantial. Social and cultural standards play a significant effect in job selection for women. These conventions limit women's employment options, and the current study demonstrates that strong social and cultural standards limit women to home-based jobs only.

Enhancing women's involvement in the public realm is critical and may be accomplished by affirmative action; but, for women to be treated equally in their homes and in society, an attitude shift is necessary. Despite the government's initiatives and regulations aimed at protecting informal women workers, many of the programmes and legislation fall short. The position of women in this environment cannot be improved until and unless the norms of society are flexible and liberal for Indian women. The first step would be to educate people and make them aware of the need to abandon outdated practices and embrace new progressive ideals. It will not be achievable just via government efforts; rather, both the government and society must work together to achieve the same goal.

The author hereby declares that this submission is their own work and to the best of their knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. The author would like to undertake the above-mentioned manuscript has not been published elsewhere or under editorial review for publication elsewhere; and that all co-authors have agreed to have seen and approved the manuscript for submission.

Introduction: Blockchain technology is the method of storing the data systematically, such that it is impossible to change, defraud or hack the data. Distributed Ledger Technology is another name for this technology. It is like a digital ledger of numerous transactions stored or distributed throughout the Blockchain extensive network by a computer system. Banks offer critical services like payments, clearance and settlement systems, trade finance, securities, etc. Hence, there are fraud and mistakes in these key services due to many manual procedures and human mediators.

Purpose: The main purpose of this chapter is to study the emerging role of Blockchain in banking services. This chapter will attempt to examine the significance and applications of Blockchain in banking operations. This chapter will also investigate the challenges encountered by banks in adopting Blockchain technology.

Research Methodology: In this research chapter, secondary data are collected by studying the various journal papers and scholarly articles, with exact keywords like: blockchain, banking sector, applications and blockchain role. Data are collected from the Emerald, Springer Open, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases.

Findings: This technology will enhance transparency in banking transactions in the coming future. The adoption of Blockchain will transform the banking system in many ways, such as faster payment and settlement systems, security management and fundraising.

Purpose: Preserving a country’s culture is crucial for its sustainability. Handicraft is a key draw for tourism destinations; it protects any civilisation’s indigenous knowledge and culture by managing the historical, economic, and ecological ecosystems and perfectly aligns with sustainable development. It has a significant role in creating employment, especially in rural regions and is an essential contributor to the export economy, mainly in developing nations. The study focuses on the skills required and existing gaps in the handicraft industry, its development and prospects by considering women and their role in preserving and embodying the traditional art of making handicrafts.

Approach: A framework has been developed for mapping and analysing the skills required in the handicraft sector using econometric modelling; an enormous number of skills have been crowdsourced from the respondents, and machine learning techniques have been used.

Findings: The findings of the study revealed that employment in this area is dependent not only on general or specialised skills but also on complex matrix skills ranging from punctuality to working in unclean and unsafe environments, along with a set of personal qualities, such as taking initiatives and specific skills, for example polishing and colour coding.

Implications: The skills mapping technique utilised in this study is applicable globally, particularly for women indulged in casual work in developing nations’ handicrafts industry. The sustainable development goals, tourism, and handicrafts are all interconnected. The research includes understanding skills mapping, which provides insights into efficient job matching by incorporating preferences and studying the demand side of casual working by women in the handicraft sector from a skills perspective.

Introduction: AI technologies are transforming the industrial sectors, and the impact of AI technologies does not leave behind human resource management (HRM). From recruitment to development and payroll, AI has its own impact. In recruitment, selection, training and development, compensation, and remuneration AI play an important role.

Purpose: The main purpose of this chapter is to analyse the challenges in adopting AI in HRM. This chapter investigates the various strategies to overcome challenges encountered by companies while adopting AI in HR practices. Moreover, this chapter also examines the role of AI in HR practices.

Methodology: To achieve the purpose of this chapter, various case studies were analysed and literature studies with emphasis on what types of challenges are face in adopting AI in HR practices. The authors of various newspaper articles, books, published journals, and websites on AI analyse the various newspaper articles, books, published journals, and websites on AI in human resources (HR). Electronic databases are used as the most effective technique to begin a literature search for the current overview, specifically Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Emerald. In addition to this, the application of AI in HRM practices used by leading organisations globally is also reviewed. The analysis used four keywords: HRM, AI, challenges and adopting. This research has been conducted by searching scholarly papers and relevant studies using similar keywords.

Findings: The adoption of AI technologies is continuously increasing in HR practices. AI performs various HR functions such as recruitment, selection, training and development practices, scanning resume, etc. Organisations can be benefitted in many ways by adopting AI in HRM practices, such as better employees engagement and relations, accelerating competitive advantages and effectively utilising HR budgeting. The findings show that many companies like IBM, Deloitte, Amazon, etc., adopt AI in their HR practices.