Astha Sanjeev Gupta, Jaydeep Mukherjee and Ruchi Garg
COVID-19 disrupted the lives of consumers across the globe, and the retail sector has been one of the hardest hits. The impact of COVID-19 on consumers' retail choice behaviour…
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19 disrupted the lives of consumers across the globe, and the retail sector has been one of the hardest hits. The impact of COVID-19 on consumers' retail choice behaviour and retailers' responses has been studied in detail through multiple lenses. Now that the effect of COVID-19 is abating, there is a need to consolidate the learnings during the lifecycle of COVID-19 and set the agenda for research post-COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach
Scopus database was searched to cull out academic papers published between March 2020 and June 6, 2022, using keywords; shopping behaviour, retailing, consumer behaviour, and retail channel choice along with COVID-19 (171 journals, 357 articles). Bibliometric analysis followed by selective content analysis was conducted.
Findings
COVID-19 was a black swan event that impacted consumers' psychology, leading to reversible and irreversible changes in retail consumer behaviour worldwide. Research on changes in consumer behaviour and consumption patterns has been mapped to the different stages of the COVID-19 lifecycle. Relevant research questions and potential theoretical lenses have been proposed for further studies.
Originality/value
This paper collates, classifies and organizes the extant research in retail from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies three retail consumption themes: short-term, long-term reversible and long-term irreversible changes. Research agenda related to the retailer and consumer behaviour is identified; for each of the three categories, facilitating the extraction of pertinent research questions for post-COVID-19 studies.
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Vandana, Ruchi Jain Garg, Vinod Kumar and Alok Kumar Singh
Present research analyzes and evaluates the impact of e-resources usage factors (training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits and ease of use) towards satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
Present research analyzes and evaluates the impact of e-resources usage factors (training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits and ease of use) towards satisfaction and intention to use these e-resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for present study were collected from postgraduate students of Delhi (India) and 248 valid responses were received through the survey. After reliability and validity tests, structural relationships between variables were studied.
Findings
The present study revealed that all five factors significantly affected satisfaction and intention to use e-resources. However, influencers were found to have the highest impact on satisfaction and intention to use e-resources.
Originality/value
The present study is a maiden attempt to explore the impact of e-resources usage factors on satisfaction and intention to use by postgraduate students at management schools in Delhi, India.
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Shweta Bajaj, Ruchi Garg, Monika Sethi and Sujit Dey
The purpose of this paper is to classify the total quality management (TQM) practices and position them based on their importance in the implementation of TQM in steel industries…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to classify the total quality management (TQM) practices and position them based on their importance in the implementation of TQM in steel industries for obtaining improved business performance and customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The study undergoes a deep literature review to recognise the TQM practices necessary for the implementation of TQM in the steel industry. The identified 17 practices were grouped under three activities such as “breakthrough activities”, “improvement activities” and “routine operational and maintenance activities” with experts’ suggestion. The positioning of 17 TQM practices and 3 activities of TQM was done using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique as per their relevance in TQM implementation.
Findings
The findings of the research show that though all the 17 practices and 3 activities of TQM play a vital role in the successful implementation of TQM in steel industries, breakthrough activities have gained more weightage as compared to the other two activities. Top management commitment, quality system and continuous improvement are relatively more important than the other practices.
Research limitations/implications
The research has limitation analogous to the AHP technique. The technique considers all the sub-sets of each nod to be independent from each other, whereas in real world this does not stand true.
Practical implications
The study positions the TQM practices and activities on the basis of their relevance in TQM implementation in the steel industry, thus helping the managers in understanding which practice has to give how much importance for TQM implementation in steel industries. By following the practices according to the weights, the managers can achieve the results desired from TQM implementation.
Originality/value
The study gives the implementation priorities of TQM practices in the steel industry. To the best knowledge of researcher, it is the first study in the steel sector for TQM implementation. The lacuna was reported by the literature, and the researcher has made an attempt to fill that gap.
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Rubal Rathi, Sheetal Jain and Ruchi Garg
This study explores reasons for and against secondhand luxury (SHL) fashion adoption among young consumers in an emerging nation, India. As a trend, SHL has witnessed tremendous…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores reasons for and against secondhand luxury (SHL) fashion adoption among young consumers in an emerging nation, India. As a trend, SHL has witnessed tremendous growth in the past few years, but scholarly interest remains scant.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from an interpretivist paradigm, this study uses an exploratory qualitative approach with 26 semi-structured interviews with SHL buyers, analyzed using NVivo software.
Findings
The findings shed significant light on value drivers and find support for status value, uniqueness value, quality value and monetary value, while adding the role of emotional value in reasons for SHL adoption. The results reveal an interesting trait of Indian consumers: price, fashion and celebrity association outweigh sustainability concerns, where an attitude–behavior gap is observed. Also, the findings add depth to risk perceptions as a major reason against SHL adoption.
Originality/value
While most existing studies have only focused on the motivational drivers, this study offers in-depth insights into the growing SHL literature by drawing attention to the enablers and equally important inhibitors by applying the novel Behavioral Reasoning Theory. It also intends to enhance practitioner knowledge in understanding a culturally diverse market and developing strategies relevant to a new set of consumers. The study calls for SHL retailers to sensitize young consumers in India about the sustainability aspect of SHL consumption, which is currently less appreciated.
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Ruchi Jain Garg, Vinod Kumar and Vandana
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale involving the factors affecting usage of e-resources.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale involving the factors affecting usage of e-resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study identifies five factors affecting the usage of e-resources: training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits, and experiential and hedonic benefits. To generate measurement items, two focus group discussions were carried out which resulted in 20 items. To empirically ensure reliability and validity of scale, data were collected from 347 postgraduate students actively using e-resources. To test reliability of scale, internal consistency reliability and construct reliability were examined. The construct validity of scale (which includes convergent validity and discriminant validity) was verified through confirmatory factor analysis using structure equation modeling.
Findings
Findings of the study present a statistically reliable and valid scale consisting of five factors and 18 items.
Originality/value
The present study is one of the distinctive studies on introducing a scale employing factors affecting usage of e-resources.
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Shweta Bajaj, Ruchi Garg and Monika Sethi
Due to its impact on business performance total quality management (TQM) has gained a lot of importance by businessmen, managers, practitioners, and research scholars over the…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to its impact on business performance total quality management (TQM) has gained a lot of importance by businessmen, managers, practitioners, and research scholars over the last 20 years. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically assess the literature on TQM and find out the areas where future research is required.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this purpose the articles published in the last 20 years were studied in a systematic way and a snapshot of the same was prepared in the tabular format with points such as year and journal of publication, application and country, statistical method used, and findings of the study such as practices and impact of TQM. After identifying the practices and impact of TQM a quality tool “Pareto Analysis” was applied on them for development of the model.
Findings
The findings provide the practices of TQM and its impact on the performance of a business. The gaps from the literature have been identified and areas for future research have been suggested. On the basis of the findings a generalized framework of TQM has been suggested which can be applicable irrespective of the sector.
Practical implications
The research will help academicians and future researchers to have a clear understanding of TQM in different rosters.
Originality/value
Ample literature is available on TQM but in the best knowledge of authors no study has taken place to integrate the reviews and findings of 102 research papers of the last two decades.
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Ruchi Garg, Ritu Chhikara, Ramendra Singh, Gautam Agrawal, Vishal Talwar and Vedant Mehra
This paper aims to assess the factors favoring the adoption of the challenges faced and support mechanism, which will lead to the proliferation of glass fiber-reinforced gypsum…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the factors favoring the adoption of the challenges faced and support mechanism, which will lead to the proliferation of glass fiber-reinforced gypsum (GFRG) technology in India.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with 35 experts, including construction developers, architects, contractors, government officials and design consultants, were conducted. This qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis and matrix analysis.
Findings
GFRG-based buildings produce much less carbon footprints as compared to traditional ones and can be safely recommended as a promising, environmentally sensitive technology of the future. The major drivers in its adoption are its efficient construction capability, energy and soil conservation and significant waste reduction. Some of the challenges in implementation are long planning time, lack of skilled labor, lack of awareness about green building technologies and myopic perception of high cost incurred in green building adoption in people’s minds.
Practical implications
This study establishes that the construction industry has the potential to contribute toward creating a sustainable and green planet. It does so by evaluating and then positively positioning GFRG as an environmentally friendly building system.
Originality/value
The harmful effects of continuous environmental manipulation by humans leading to its degradation is a critical discussion agenda for most nations of the world. The issue has been taken up seriously by developing countries, and now, developing countries are also becoming sensitised to it. Several policies toward the attainment of this goal have been formulated and are being implemented by government and private bodies. Although some authors have studied the issues and challenges related to the adoption of green buildings, their attempts mostly focused on developed countries. Moreover, research that investigated the evaluation of the GFRG building system as a successful green technology of the future is inadequate.
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Ruchi Garg, Zillur Rahman and M.N. Qureshi
– The paper aims to measure customer experience in Indian banks. This study examines the 14 factors of customer experience and identifies their impact on customer satisfaction.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to measure customer experience in Indian banks. This study examines the 14 factors of customer experience and identifies their impact on customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, psychometric scale development procedure is followed comprising with the steps of item generation and selection, scale refinement and scale validation. A one-way ANOVA test is applied to identify the relationship between 14 experience factors and demographics of respondents.
Findings
The findings of the study present a 41-item 14 factor reliable and valid customer experience scale among which “convenience” appears as the most significant among all the factors.
Research limitations/implications
This study concentrates on a sector-specific scale, whereas a generalized scale that can be applied in other service sectors should be developed. In comparison with previous studies, the results of the current study provide a more absolute coverage and understanding of various touch points used in measuring customer experience in banks.
Practical implications
By this reliable and valid scale, bank managers can identify the current and expected experiences of the customers and can build up effective strategies for the utmost satisfaction of the customers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the foremost studies for developing a validated tool to measure the experiences of banks' customers.
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Ruchi Garg, Zillur Rahman, M.N. Qureshi and Ishwar Kumar
The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the critical success factors which make the dimensions for measuring customer experience (CE) in banking organizations more…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the critical success factors which make the dimensions for measuring customer experience (CE) in banking organizations more effective and purposeful. These critical success factors have been prioritized in order to find out which is more important for the five threshold dimensions to achieve favourable CE.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines the critical success factors of CE which have been identified from the literature survey and through expert's opinion have finally confirmed in context of this study on banking organizations. Further, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been used in order to evaluate the identified 14 critical factors of CE and to find their priorities for success in banking organizations.
Findings
On the basis of the proposed hierarchical model, the findings suggest that the factors such as convenience, employees, online functional elements, and servicescape are critical for measuring CE in banking organizations.
Research limitations/implications
In the literature, it is assumed that the criteria for measuring CE are mutually exclusive. But it has been found that in the real world these criteria may sometimes depend on one other, particularly in banking organizations. Therefore, in order to resolve such issues it is advised that future research may apply analytic network process (ANP).
Practical implications
The findings suggest that the managers in banking organizations must ameliorate these critical factors according to their weights, in order to attain favourable CE, sustainable competitive advantage and customer delight.
Originality/value
Because of the subjective nature of CE, AHP serves as an empirical approach in prioritization of critical success factors of CE, which has been a major lacuna in available literature. The results presented in this paper are objective, reliable, and may be generalized for measuring CE in banking organizations.
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Tourism often conjures notions of relaxation, joy, and pleasure. The tourism industry caters to providing leisure experiences to people, whose preferences have evolved…
Abstract
Tourism often conjures notions of relaxation, joy, and pleasure. The tourism industry caters to providing leisure experiences to people, whose preferences have evolved significantly over time. With a shift toward alternative tourism rather than traditional mass travel, the emergence of Niche Tourism becomes pivotal. While India has made strides in niche tourism, one particular facet remains unexplored: Dark Tourism. This form of tourism has gained immense popularity globally in the 21st century. As tourist preferences evolve and the concept of special interest tourism takes root, policymakers in the tourism sector worldwide are compelled to include this segment in their strategies. Several nations, previously impacted by conflict or lacking in tourism infrastructure, have embraced dark tourism to gain a competitive edge in attracting visitors. India's tourism industry has yet to delve into offering dark tourism as a product. A successful product hinges on customers' perceptions of its ability to meet their expectations. Without awareness among potential customers, even the most exceptional product can falter. This chapter aims to explore the potential of dark tourism in India by gauging the public perception of this form of tourism. It will also address potential challenges in developing dark tourism in India and propose recommendations to foster the growth of this tourism segment.