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Purpose The overall purpose of this empirically validated research paper is to determine factors that impact the success of using social media channels by consumers for salvaging health-care information by integrating constructs of the information system (IS) success model, e-health service quality and perceived usefulness during pre- and post-COVID settings. Design/methodology/approach Online survey responses of 243 consumers for study 1 and 184 consumers for study 2 were validated using factor analysis to understand consumers’ attitudes toward social media use. Constructs from existing literature and theories have been extracted to develop the proposed model, which has been empirically validated through statistical tests. A paired-samples t-test was also conducted to compare the customer satisfaction mean of pre- and post-COVID conditions; and word of mouth (WOM) for pre- and post-COVID conditions. Findings The outcome of this study supports that service quality and information quality conclusively influence customer satisfaction of consumers for health-care information among respondents pre COVID, and service quality, perceived usefulness and information quality conclusively affect customer satisfaction of consumers for health-care information among respondents post COVID. Furthermore, the e-health service quality contributes noteworthy in shaping the consumers’ satisfaction with social media usage for study 2 and information quality for study 1. A paired-samples t-test revealed that the two groups behaved significantly differently for customer satisfaction and WOM in the two groups. Research limitations/implications At prima facie, this study has a geographical limitation for the sample size. The respondents for the online research were from the urban suburb of Bengaluru, India. The data collection has not focused on any precise social media channel. Practical implications Identification and comprehension of constructs that influence consumer satisfaction related to social media usage for health-care information can assist health-care managers in developing appropriate strategies for consumers to maximize social media usage. Moreover, this study provides an insight into the consumer’s perception of using social media channels for seeking health-care information. Originality/value This study recommends an empirically validated model for the success of social media in a consumer setting for the health-care scenario. This research is a unique attempt that inspects social media satisfaction by adapting constructs from existing theories of the IS success model, e-health service quality and perceived usefulness.

Management institutes a part of higher education system, determine the career paths of the youth and in turn the future of the country. Students, parents, teachers, staff and society in general are the stakeholders of these institutes. Faculty members, the core eighty percent human resource of any management institute, have the potential and power to transform the future generation of a country.This paper studies and identifies the affective, cognitive and conative factors which drive job satisfaction of management faculty members and is directed towards understanding the factors which affects to job satisfaction of faculty members at management institutes in Pune, in the state of Maharashtra.

Purpose This paper aims to identify and empirically validate the various factors for adoption, usage and intention to recommend e-pharmacy for purchasing medications by consumers. Design/methodology/approach Based on constructs from well-established theoretical models, the technology acceptance model, extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory, a model was proposed for the study. The model was validated with a sample size of 184 respondents using partial least squares method and factor analysis to establish and validate relationships among the various identified constructs. Findings The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and hedonic motivation have a positive co-relation with adoption of e-pharmacy and the intention to recommend. The results depict that gender and educational background have no correlation toward adoption and intention to recommend e-pharmacies for purchasing medicines in India. Research limitations/implications This research comes along with a geographic limitation of the sample size. The research was conducted in an urban suburb city of Bengaluru, India. Practical implications At an academic level, this research will provide interesting insights for exploring adoption and usage intention of consumers toward e-pharmacy. At a managerial level, this empirically supported study will provide insights into the relationship among the various constructs and the consumers’ motivation toward adoption and usage intention of e-pharmacy. Originality/value This research is the first of its form which uses constructs from the technology acceptance model, extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory in the online healthcare space to understand consumer usage behavior.

Purpose Stress has been a common phenomenon among the working professionals. The stress has been known to affect the job satisfaction level, health outcomes, affect burnout through the physiological, emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes resulting in to low performance. This study aims to identify the factors determining organizational stress among women workers in the garment industry in India and to develop and validate a contextual scale for organizational stress among women workers in the garment industry in India. Design/methodology/approach This study consisted of women workers who were employed in garment manufacturing companies. The data has been collected through a structured questionnaire, which identifies the factors leading to stress. The respondents of the study included women workers employed in the garment manufacturing units in and around Bangalore. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted and the model fit was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Findings The measurement scale for the organization stress of women workers in the garment industry was found to be highly reliable and valid for conducting the study in any Indian garment industry. The analysis identified the factors as follows: job-related factor, organization-related factor, social factor and personal factor. Research limitations/implications Due to limited access to the population, which is the women workers, the authors have not been able to collect a large sample data. The sample size is the limitation of the study. Practical implications Organizational stress have has been shown to have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of employees. Organizations need to step up their effort to integrate emotional well-being, conducive work environment, workloads and job responsibilities, social connectedness and job satisfaction with their efforts to support the physical health and mental health of the workers. Originality/value The study is one of its kind with a focus on women workers in the garment industry in India. The study highlights the factors that result in stress among women workers who have not been studied in past research studies. The strategies to cope with organizational stress in such a work requirement is different and very challenging, making it unique for practitioners.

Purpose The higher education, universities and institutions across the world have increasingly adopted information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for curriculum development, learning and teaching, and for administrative activities. The use of technology to facilitate learning is gaining acceptance across various educational institutions. In order to use technology in the best possible manner, it becomes essential that the teacher should be willing to accept the technology and use it for the teaching activities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to understand the teachers’ motivation toward adopting technology in the higher education. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory-descriptive approach is used in this research. The sampling frame for the study is the teachers employed in the management institutes in Bengaluru, Pune, Indore and Delhi. A simple random sampling technique is used for identifying the sample for the study. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to measure the validity of items measuring the teacher’s intention to use technology. Findings The results of the study confirm a significant positive impact of value beliefs (VB), social influence (SI) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) on the behavioral intention (BI) to use technology by the teachers. However, the study does not establish the relationship between self-efficacy and BI to use technology by teachers. Practical implications The use of technology will be an important area in the field of higher education where it becomes crucial to understand the motivation factors that lead to the adoption of ICT in the classroom and the curriculum. In order to successfully integrate technology into the teaching-learning process, it is concluded that the factors that positively influence the BI to use technology include the VB, PEOU and the SI. Originality/value This study contributes toward the study of teachers’ motivation in the adoption of technology in higher education in India.

The government, for the betterment and upliftment of the standard of living of citizens, undertake multiple initiatives simultaneously. These initiatives exhibit actions of the government and also ...

The government, for the upliftment of the standard of living of citizens, simultaneously runs various campaigns. These campaigns exhibit the conducts of the government and also act as 'goodwill' ambassador! Government extensively advertises such campaigns to disseminate information and create awareness. The present study is an attempt to explore the impact of government campaign commercials on government's brand equity in India. This study not only reveals the perception of the public to the government but also establishes the relevance of campaign advertisements by government. The foundation of the present study is based on extensive review of existing literature by authors. Findings of this study can further be used by professional agencies involved in designing effective campaign commercials for the government. The study provides a new dimension to understand the relevance of 'campaign commercials' for forming brand image of the Government in India. In this space, it is one of the initial attempts.

The authors of the study are inquisitive to understand the relationship between Service Encounter and Retail Experience under the dynamic business environment in India. The purpose behind conducting this study was to examine the link between the customers’ idea of a retail customer experience (CE), service encounter and its effect on satisfaction and loyalty and to further establish the effect of loyalty programs on these links as well. The study was undertaken in Pune city, which is well established, and it has been evident to observe and possibly imitate entrance of international competitors. The data was collected using convenience-sampling technique from the Major supermarkets, hypermarkets, malls and single brand retail stores of Pune with or without loyalty programs based on their location and model of operations. In addition to that, partly data was collected using google forms to capture the attitude of retail customers from major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ludhiana. The findings confirmed the model of customer experiences and service encounter leading to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and supported positive relation with customer satisfaction. However, it discarded the role of loyalty programs membership in enhancing customer loyalty. Further studies can / may examine whether the findings hold true for each individual loyalty program or not. The paper calls for more studies and measures to encourage publication of negative empirical outcomes to ensure empirical generalization and self-correction in the literature. Managers in retail segment should focus their attention on the design and delivery of customer experience, without placing reliance on loyalty programs. Both cognitive and emotional attributes of retail services must be considered for managing a holistic Customer Experience.

An oil spill occurred off Goa, west coast of India, on 23 March 2005 due to collision of two vessels. In general, fair weather with weak winds prevails along the west coast of India during March. In that case, the spill would have moved slowly and reached the coast. However, in 2005 when this event occurred, relatively stronger winds prevailed, and these winds forced the spill to move away from the coast. The spill trajectory was dominated by winds rather than currents. The MIKE21 Spill Analysis model was used to simulate the spill trajectory. The observed spill trajectory and the slick area were in agreement with the model simulations. The present study illustrates the importance of having pre-validated trajectories of spill scenarios for selecting eco-sensitive regions for preparedness and planning suitable response strategies whenever spill episodes occur.

Recently, after 3 years, the German Bakery reopened its doors to its patrons. Eagerness hovers, but within the lines of prudence and security checks. The 2010 blasts that killed 17 and injured at least 60 people right there creates a certain curiosity to visit the German Bakery. While it was once a humble cafe with communal seating and self-service; the new German Bakery is now a swanky cafe with well informed waiters and an extended menu. It has been rebuilt and restructured to make the emotional people of Pune forget the dark past that it holds. This case study analyzed the current branding strategy of the German Bakery and made a comparison with its pre-existing model, that is, the model followed prior to February 2010. The case study aimed to highlight the concept of rebranding in the context of marketing strategies adopted by the German Bakery, and examined the steps taken by the owners to revamp and safeguard its premises post the 2010 blasts. The case study also took into account the customers' feedback about the revamped German Bakery, Pune.