Employee Engagement: A Study on Perception of Teachers in Higher Education

Employee engagement is an important factor to be considered while developing any kind of business strategies and it plays an important role in improving overall performance of an organisation. As the importance of employee engagement in service sector has increased to a great extent now, it becomes necessary to know how it works for the benefit of organisation and how it contributes for the success of the organisation. The main objective of the study is to know the commitment and engagement of teachers at higher education level. It is very much important to know the level of commitment and engagement of teachers or faculty members that leads to development of the students and also the institution. The study is empirical in nature and the data is collected from primary sources. The findings suggest that there is a higher-level engagement and commitment among the faculty members for the organisations they work for. Higher level of engagement leads to the development of the institution.

Profile of Food Truck Consumers and their intent to visit Food Trucks

The purpose of this paper is to develop the content and analyze the factors that impact the intent to purchase of customers from a food truck. The study was carried out in Belagavi, Karnataka, India, the study was carried out using a structured questionnaire to collect the data, the data was checked for normality and reliability, further one sample t test was applied to check the impact of selected factors on purchase intent of customers from food trucks. Demographic analysis of the respondents was also a part of the study. The impact of selected factors/variables on customer intent to purchase from food trucks was analyzed and it was observed that prize, taste, hygiene, Variety, service quality and exteriors had significant impact on the customer’s intent to purchase as the p-value = 0.000 (is < 0.05). The factors or variables were not borrowed from a single proven model in the literature, the factors were selected on the basic understanding of the researchers. The study was the first to analyze the impact of the factors impacting the customer intent to purchase from food truck in a non-metro city, and the results can be used by professionals working in the area.

Role of Servicescape on Student Institution Choice

In recent years there has been increased discussion of the subjective, emotional and sociological factors influencing student choice of university. However, there is a dearth of information exploring what constitutes these feelings. This exploratory paper uses the conceptual model of the servicescape to provide insight into the emotional factors driving student choice. In-depth interviews with prospective students revealed that first impressions really do count. Students are deterred by poor physical environments and excited by enthusiastic staff and students. Most significantly, the study revealed the necessity of a restorative servicescape to provide both a sense of escape and feeling of belonging. This paper contributes to broadening the application of the servicescape model and to a greater understanding of the impact of the environment on prospective students, and creates an opportunity to inform policy by providing university marketing decision makers with a better understanding of what constitutes the university environment and what makes it appealing to prospective students.

Forecasting Crude Oil price using Artificial Neural Network model

In the advanced global economy, crude oil is a commodity that plays a major role in every economy. As Crude oil is highly traded commodity it is essential for the investors, analysts, economists to forecast the future spot price of the crude oil appropriately. In the last year the crude oil faced a historic fall during the pandemic and reached all time low, but will this situation last? There was analysis such as fundamental analysis, technical analysis and time series analyses which were carried out for predicting the movement of the oil prices but the accuracy in such prediction is still a question. Thus, it is necessary to identify better methods to forecast the crude oil prices. This study is an empirical study to forecast crude oil prices using the neural networks. This study consists of 13 input variables with one target variable. The data are divided in the ratio 70:30. The 70% data is used for training the network and 30% is used for testing. The feed forward and back propagation algorithm are used to predict the crude oil price. The neural network proved to be efficient in forecasting in the modern era. A simple neural network performs better than the time series models. The study found that back propagation algorithm performs better while predicting the crude oil price. Hence, ANN can be used by the investors, forecasters and for future researchers.

IPO Underpricing across Different Sectors in India from 2010-2020

In this paper, underpricing of Initial Public Offerings across thirteen different sectors in the Indian stock market have been analyzed, during the period 2010–2020 (Data available till 31st October 2020). A sample of 129 companies, having an issue size greater than INR 100 crores, was examined and analyzed through IPO listing gains, weighted mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. The study shows that Retail, FMCG and Consumer Durables industry was underpriced the most while Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure industry issues were underpriced the least or overpriced. It was also found that Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) could be a window to make immediate gains in a very short period of time if thorough analysis of the issues and the market conditions is performed. Furthermore, it was observed that the first day return of the companies varies highly and cannot be fairly predicted by the weighted average first day return of the respective sector.

A Study of the Impact of Crypto Currency on the Indian Payment system

Payment systems form an integral part of any emerging economy. A payment system should be safe, secure, reliable, and accessible. It will help in expanding financial inclusion and bringing financial stability. An efficient payment system helps in the smooth flow of payments and mitigation of risks and smooth functioning of the economy. It helps in fostering confidence in individuals about the use of payment services. Technological development has helped in changing the face of payments system from cards (credit/debit card) to wallets (Paytm/Phonepe etc.) to Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Quick Response (QR)codes. It has not only introduced us to new payment methods but also strengthen the traditional payment methods. It has become an important part of our daily life. It has empowered us and made our life easier by offering services at our fingertips round the clock. The latest addition to these is cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether, Ripple, etc. Cryptocurrencies are one of the first applications of Blockchain technologies.it has removed the need for intermediaries and exert pressure on the existing framework. The attributes of cryptocurrency framework like decentralized network, no intermediaries, and the lack of stable pricing factors do not let it unlock its true potential. The future of Cryptocurrency is uncertain. Whether it will be accepted globally or still be traded via unauthorized means. Every problem allows for finding a solution. The regulators should come up with policies, which will help in shaping the payments system for the betterment of the people, by using the positive attributes of cryptocurrencies and coordinating with the Global peers.

A Study of the Application of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to E learning among undergraduate students in India- A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Technological developments in the field of education have paved the way for e-learning. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and online certification courses have become widely popular among students especially those in higher education. Today, E-learning platforms have provided the end users the opportunity to pursue online certifications, gain knowledge and skills, and learn from experts in different fields from the comfort of their homes. Students are an important stakeholder in this knowledge transfer process. Therefore, it is important to understand their attitude towards e learning and their expectation from such platforms. This paper attempts to study the concept of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in e-learning among undergraduate students in India to understand their perception and behaviour towards e-learning. The main research methods used were: the questionnaire for primary data collection, journals and research articles for secondary data collection. Excel and Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) were used to process the collected data, test the hypotheses, statistical analysis, analyse the results and achieve research objectives. Microsoft Word was used for textual representation of final results and interpretations. Hypothetical model based on TAM was framed and six research variables were identified for the study: Perceived Usefulness, Capability, Perceived ease-of-use, Intention to Use, Trustworthiness, Actual Use. The research helped to understand the components of TAM, analyse and identify the relation between TAM and E learning, and revealed that undergraduate students in India have positive perception of E-learning.

Fair Trade Alliance and its Pertinence in the Indian Scenario

The account of Indian agriculture dates back to Indus Valley Civilization. As per Indian Agriculture and Allied Industries Industry Report 2020, Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for 58 per cent of India’s population with significant contribution to Indian GDP, Gross Value Added (GVA) growth with 4 Per cent by agriculture, forestry, and fishing was estimated to be Rs 19.48 lakh crore (US$ 276.37 billion) in FY20(PE). The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India, and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export, and expected growth. The Indian agriculture sector is predominately unorganized and dominated by players from the unorganized sector with the exploitation of producers by market participants. The current paper tries to study the prospects of Fairtrade practice in Kerala by making a critical analysis of the problems and prospects of the Fair trade practices in Kerala. Fair trade in border sense tries to address the concerns of producers through structured arrangements designed to help producers in emerging countries attain sustainable and equitable trade relationships through an organised set of practices. Fair trade advocates for the Premium price, Better working, socio, and economic and environmental standards for producers. FTAK commenced in 2006, small farmers’ organization located in South India that grows coffee, cashew nuts, and tropical spices. Incorporated with objectives enabling farmers to tap global markets and enhance income through Fairtrade which tries to surpass the upcoming challenges of food security, the appropriation/utilization of rural land, the effects of pests and disease on their livelihoods, destruction of crops by wildlife, and the unwillingness of the younger generation to continue with agriculture. FTAK tries to preserve the historical legacy of Indian cash crops by creating sustainable livelihood for producers engaged in fair trade and help to calibrate the food security for a growing population.

Philosophical Alignments in Social Science Inquiry: A Scoping Review

This review seeks to understand the implications of empiricism, interpretivism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, pluralism, and solipsism in social science inquiry within social reality, using scoping review method. An in-depth review of the literature was conducted to understand the various philosophical alignments or paradigms applied in social sciences research. The study is aimed at understanding and applying these paradigms with the view of having a deep comprehension of the turbulences plaguing society and proffering solutions to them. From the review, it was discovered that the various philosophical alignments in social science inquiry provide the scientist or researcher with a worldview of the different perspectives and multiple levels of analysis of the social world. Thus, creating a systematic lens from which individuals (at several levels), groups, and organizations are examined to know the; “when”, “how”, and “why” they behave the way and manner that they do. It was concluded that an adequate understanding of these paradigms would better shape the methodology to be adopted in conducting research studies within the social and/or behavioural sciences. This will help determine its objectivity, rigor, or the extent to which scientific methodology is applied within social science researches. Lastly, a combination of these paradigms creates a mixed-method, which demonstrates knowledge validity and objectivity in investigator triangulation (which involves; observation, questionnaire administration, and interview), data triangulation (which encompasses collecting data at different times from different people in different places as a cross-check for validity and to check the interpretation and conclusion arrived at), methodological triangulation (which includes within-method triangulation and between method triangulation: the former entails the application of various techniques within the same method, while the latter applies a combination of research methods), generalization, verification, explanation, and deductions. This will allow for data gathering and/or fact-finding, in search of new knowledge, and subsuming new valid knowledge, enhance research results and findings efficacy.

Statistical Analysis of Facilitating and Impeding Factors for the Sustenance of Autonomy

Factors play a significant role in change management. In the context of national education policy 2020, it is envisaged that all the higher education institutions will be autonomous universities or autonomous colleges by 2035. In the current study factors affecting autonomy are explored at the institute, faculty, and student level. Researchers made instrument in Google form is used containing pre-identified facilitating and impeding factors to the sustenance of autonomy. These factors are identified based on the literature review and experiences of researchers. The facilitating and impending factors are prepared on a four-point Likert-type rating scale in Google form. The instrument is filled up by 752 respondents. The data were analyzed using a weighted mean. The reliability of the factors is calculated using Cronbach alpha. All the facilitating and impeding factors have been validated by respondents and it is found that all the factors have more than 60% and less than 75% influence. The institutes are suggested to measure the intensity of both the types of factors and design strategies for maximizing the use of facilitating factors and minimize the influence of the restraining forces for the sustenance of autonomy.