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The study aims to explore antecedents and consequences of customer experience (CE) by positing a comprehensive framework taking cognizance of customer loyalty (CL), customer advocacy (CA), customer value dimensions, and subjective norms (SN).

The study adopted a mixed-method sequential explanatory design where data were collected in two stages. In the initial stage (quantitative study), data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 395 respondents at two different periods and the data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. These results were further verified in the second stage (qualitative study) by conducting semi-structured interviews of 37 respondents for which the data were analyzed using NVivo.

The results suggested a positive and significant relationship between utilitarian value (UV) and CA, hedonic value (HV) and CA as well as with CE. Further, the relationship between UV and CA is sequentially mediated by CE and CL; and the relationship between HV and CA is sequentially mediated by CE and CL. SN was also found to moderate the relationship between CE and CL. The qualitative analysis of the transcripts indicated major themes including HV (enjoyment), UV (usefulness and convenience), recommending mobile payment (M-payment) services, advocating for M-payment services and talking positively about the service provider.

The current study uses the mixed-method approach and comprehensively explores key dimensions of customer value associated with CE and CA, formalizes a relationship between all the facets, delivering valuable takeaways for academics and practitioners (for designing effective CE programs). The current study's uniqueness lies in the fact that the study is one of the first studies to explore the mediating roles of CE and CL using a serial-mediation approach, between UV, HV, SV, and CA. The moderating role of SN between CE and CL is also a novel contribution to the existing body of literature.

After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to understand the following aspects:▪ how good strategic planning can convert a crisis into an opportunity;▪ importance of service excellence and customer satisfaction through customer delight and customer feedback; and▪ utilisation of resources and excellent time management strategies.

This case discusses how vital teamwork and motivated leadership can convert a crisis such as Covid-19 into an opportunity. This case study talks about Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), a metro rail corporation working to develop metro trains in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The case discusses how challenging it was for the metro rail corporation to transform its processes in a short period and deal with the crisis on major fronts such as facilities maintenance, human resource management, ensuring safety and security of its staff and riders, motivation of staff, service quality and maintaining all operational aspects. The case discusses how UPMRC is a leader on all fronts and has excelled in its operational work. It talks about what challenges the lockdown and unlocking phase posed in front of the leadership and how teamwork, dedication to exemplary service quality and customer satisfaction gave the team the strength to make changes that improved their processes and helped them overcome the crisis.The case starts with a discussion of metro rail inception and incorporation of UPMRC and then how this newly formed metro has to face the challenges of pre-lockdown period where the team worked very hard for sanitisation and safety. The lockdown created a completely different set of challenges related to the facilities and the entire metro train systems, which was a difficult situation to deal because of restrictions and other challenges. However, the team dealt with situations with strength and strategic planning, leading to better managed processes and staff. The unlocking phase also gave many challenges that the team handled with a lot of care and efficiency.

This case is suitable for post-graduate-level courses on services marketing, service operations management, general management, crisis management and strategic management. Participants can use the case to develop an understanding of strategic planning and management.This case can also be used in the executive education program for managers to encourage them to think through challenges faced by metro rail corporations.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 10: Public Sector Management.

This study aims to delve into the cultural differences between developing and developed countries pertaining to the negative behavioral fallouts of adopting anthropomorphized humanoids or robots. The underlying motivation (for the study) lies in the fact that these countries are at the vanguard of artificial intelligence development and deployment, albeit with varying levels of development and acceptance.

The research framework used in this study is guided by the computers as social actors framework, expectancy disconfirmation theory and is supported by the uncanny valley theory. The data was collected in two contexts using probabilistic sampling technique, N= = 782 (n₁ = 393 respondents: developed country i.e. USA and n₂ = 389 respondents: developing country i.e. India). The partial least square analysis was carried out for the proposed model’s validation and hypotheses testing.

This study shows that in developed countries, the consumers have high preinteraction expectations while they express comparatively more dark behavior than respondents from developing countries. Consumers in developed countries focus on anthropomorphic knowledge and design cues, while in developing countries, they pay attention to utility and functionality. Finally, the results also suggest that female respondents from developed countries exhibit more resilience toward anthropomorphized agents in adopting and expressing dark behavior.

The present research makes essential contributions to anthropomorphism literature. First, this study explored impact of the interaction effect on the dark side, a rather under-explored domain in regret literature. Second, this study provides evidence for cross-cultural variations pertaining to the dark side impacts. Finally, this study adds to impact of demographic variables, showing that gender played a significant role in moderating relationships in the proposed model.

There is an emerging paradigm with reference to marketing communication, i.e. inclusive marketing communication (IMC). This calls for brands to be sincere with their customers and give due recognition and representation to underrepresented groups, communities and individuals. In this constantly evolving and globalized world, consumers have become more sensitive towards authentic portrayals of inclusivity and diversity by brands while choosing one brand over another.

A mixed method approach was used whereas in the first study, a quantitative method was used. Standardized questionnaire was used for collecting data through a time-lagged method. While the second study adopted the qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were performed which lasted for 30–45 min for most of the participants.

It was found that IMC has a positive and noticeable effect on brand attitude (BA) and brand love (BL) when mediated by social identity (SI). While stigmatization was found to positively and significantly moderate the relationship between IMC and SI. Moreover, it was also found from both the studies that if a brand fails to strengthen the SI of an individual it doesn’t affect the BA as well as BL of customers.

Very few studies have incorporated a quantitative method of study while studying IMC. Furthermore, a collective study on different aspects of inclusivity like ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical attractiveness, etc., has not been explored yet. Scattered studies on aspects like skin tone, body size, religion, etc., have been explored individually in prior studies.

The study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by Indian women professionals during the pandemic and the human resource (HR) initiatives like effective communication, taken by the organizations to mitigate the plight of these professionals.

A mix of two qualitative research methods namely focus groups in-depth and one-to-one in-depth interviews was used. A total of 32 females working with different organizations participated.

The thematic analysis revealed themes related to challenges faced by working women-gendered burnout, mental health issues, increased household responsibilities, job insecurity, work-life conflict, gender inequalities, reduced internal communication and financial independence, domestic violence and exploitation. The major themes that emerged for the organizational initiatives were flexible working hours, equal women representation in response to planning and decision making, driving transformative change for gender equality, paid leaves for family care, caregiving bonus, leadership development seeds, increased female recruitments, transparent communication and counseling sessions.

The study establishes a holistic understanding of the plight of Indian women professionals and the consequent organizational interventions accompanied by transparent communication. It adds rigor to the evolving literature on COVID-19 and enriches the theoretical narrative of policy adaptations by industry practitioners for aligning them with employee needs. This helps in routing the policy design and implementation in light of the challenges faced.

The study presents an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by women employees; and provides a foundation for identifying human resource management (HRM) interventions customized for working females. It also proposes a framework implementable in the recovery phase, deploying critical strategic shifts like reflection, recommitment and re-engagement of the women workforce in order to maximize their efficacy for rapidly evolving organizational priorities.

This study attempts to develop a practical understanding of the positive and negative employee experiences due to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and the creation of technostress. It unravels the human resource development-related challenges with the onset of Industry 4.0.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 professionals with average work experience of 7.6 years and working across nine industries, and the transcripts were analyzed using NVivo.

The findings establish prominent adverse impacts of the adoption of AI, namely, information security, data privacy, drastic changes resulting from digital transformations and job risk and insecurity brewing in the employee psyche. This is followed by a hierarchy of factors comprising the positive impacts, namely, work-related flexibility and autonomy, creativity and innovation and overall enhancement in job performance. Further factors contributing to technostress (among employees): work overload, job insecurity and complexity were identified.

The emerging knowledge economy and technological interventions are changing the existing job profiles, hence the need for different skillsets and technological competencies. The organizations thus need to deploy strategic manpower development measures involving up-gradation of skills and knowledge management. Inculcating requisite skills requires well-designed training programs using specialized tools and virtual reality (VR). In addition, employees need to be supported in their evolving socio-technical relationships, for managing both positive and negative outcomes.

This research makes the unique contribution of establishing a qualitative hierarchy of prominent factors constituting unintended consequences, positive impacts and technostress creators (among employees) of AI deployment in organizational processes.