Purpose: The growing global awareness of environmental sustainability and the threat of climate change has prompted organisations to embrace green supply chain practices (GSCP) to minimise their ecological footprint and improve their competitive edge. The primary objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive, insightful analysis of the GSCP utilising the TCCM (theory, context, characteristics, and methods) framework. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study conducts an extensive bibliometric analysis, incorporating the TCCM framework and SPAR-4-SLR (Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews) protocol, to delve into the dynamic field of GSCP spanning 2004 to 2023. Findings: This article offers a nuanced exploration of the intricacies of GSCP research dynamics, shedding light on influential articles, distinguished authors, prominent academic institutions, publication sources and nine key thematic research clusters that have had a substantial impact and propelled this pivotal domain forward. TCCM framework is used to construct an all-encompassing citation network, elucidating five significant domains guided by the theoretical framework. These domains include social and economic theories, resource and strategy theories, innovation and change theories, systems and interdisciplinary theories, and management and organisation theories. Every subcategory within the GSCP realm represents a distinct and unique facet and is supported by an individual theoretical framework and scholarly contribution. Practical Implications: The findings from the bibliometric review yield significant insights for researchers and green supply-chain practitioners. This article aims to guide future research endeavours and policy formulation by evaluating the existing knowledge base and pinpointing diverse research avenues. It underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among academics from different domains to address the complex aspects of sustainability in supply-chain operations, thus highlighting the multidisciplinary character of green supply-chain research. Originality/Value: To the best of our knowledge, this review study is the first to present a bibliometric analysis of GSCP using the TCCM framework and the SPAR-4-SLR protocol.

Advancements in big data analytics, IoT, and artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly transformed marketing practices and consumer behavior. AI offers promising opportunities for marketing practice and research. However, marketers need a holistic understanding of AI and its influence on consumers. Thus, this study aims to offer a review of AI applications in marketing and explore the role of AI in aiding marketing. This study carries out a review of AI and its applications in marketing by analysing the existing literature between 2000 and 2021. Only those papers were selected for this review, which are positioned around AI technology. Articles were drawn from Google Scholar and Scopus databases and were analysed using thematic analysis. A review of selected papers depicts that AI implementation in marketing is still in its nascent stage. The review proposed the following themes: (a) Prediction Analysis, (b) Relationships with AI, (c) Consumer Relationship Management, (d) AI in Strategic Marketing, (e) AI and Services, (f) Conversational Commerce, (g) Advertising and Artificial Intelligence, and (h) Consumer Brand Engagement.

Purpose: Bitcoin, the most popular form of virtual currency, currently holds the highest market capitalization among cryptocurrencies and serves as a benchmark for the typical cryptocurrency. The main goal of this research is to evaluate Bitcoin’s potential as a distinct asset class. This will be achieved by building upon previous studies and investigating its utility as both a hedging instrument and a tool for portfolio diversification. Methodology: In this study, Bitcoin is compared with other asset classes, such as key stock indices of India’s Nifty-50 and Sensex, and key currency pairs with the Indian Rupee, including the US dollar ($), Euro (€), Pound sterling (£), and Japanese Yen (¥). Gold, as one of the most precise commodities, is analyzed using descriptive statistics to verify and confirm its properties as a distinct asset class. Additionally, the study employs the DCC-GARCH model to ascertain whether Bitcoin qualifies as both a hedging instrument and a tool for portfolio diversification. Findings: The findings of this study indicate that Bitcoins constitute a unique and separate category within alternative assets and investment classes. Various descriptive statistics confirm that Bitcoins exhibit characteristics of an asset class. Additionally, the study reveals and verifies the hedging and portfolio diversification capabilities of Bitcoin based on the results of the DCC-GARCH model. Practical Implications: The findings of this study will prove useful for investors considering cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) as an alternative asset class for diversifying their portfolios and hedging against volatility. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the research paradigm of Bitcoin finance by providing a perspective from a developing nation on Bitcoin as an asset class, which differs from other asset classes such as Nifty-50, Sensex, USD–INR, EUR–INR, GBP–INR, JPY–INR, and gold. While previous research has predominantly focused on developed nation contexts, this study underscores the importance of examining Bitcoin’s role in portfolio diversification and hedging strategies. To enhance our understanding, this research presents daily observations of recent economic data spanning from 2011 to 2021. Assessing whether Bitcoin qualifies as an alternative investment and a distinct asset class is crucial, as it could significantly influence investment decisions and serve as a valuable tool for risk management and diversification purposes for investors.

The present research aims to analyse the effect of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure on firm value using a sample of Indian-listed firms. The current research adopts cross-sectional regression analysis approach to analyse the financial data of 940 sample firms. The market-to-book value ratio and Tobin’s Q ratio are considered as market value indicators whereas ESG disclosure has been measured as indicator variable from annual report. The results conclude that ESG disclosure has significant positive effect on the market value of the sample firms. Further, the study also analyses the effect of carbon-sensitivity on this relation and found that carbon-sensitive firms experience lower intensity of the positive effect on firm value as compared to others. The findings provide significant implications for managers who can use ESG related disclosures to enhance the firm value. Besides, policymakers can also use the present findings to convey the positive impact of ESG performance and thereby improve the adoption of sustainable and socially desirable business practices. The present study provides pioneering evidence on the firm value effect of ESG disclosure in the context of one of the largest growing economies. The ESG disclosure and firm value nexus has been underexplored in emerging countries, and hence present research adds value to the existing literature.

Purpose: The study is designed to check the impact of human brand image dimensions (other than performance related) on young customers’ psychological attachment toward athlete brands. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted among young athlete fans randomly selected from Kerala, India. The data were collected from 200 sample respondents using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the structural equation model. Findings: The findings reveal that variables such as relationship effort and life story of the athletes contribute to the creation of psychological attachment among the fans. Practical Implications: The result of the present study is a value addition for the marketing of human brands, especially for athlete brands. The results will be helpful in determining what factors should be concentrated on and how much weightage should be given to each factor for making a human brand successful in the market. Originality/Value: The study examines the influence of human brand image dimensions (other than performance-related dimensions) on young customers’ psychological attachment toward athlete brands. As the majority of the sports aspirants are from the young age group, the study variables are tested among young customers of athlete brands. Individual players, managers, and coaches can use the tested variables for analyzing, testing, and managing human brands (athlete brands).

Gender discrimination in the workplace remains a persistent issue with significant implications for employee well-being and organizational effectiveness. This study investigates the multifaceted impact of gender discrimination on employee performance in the transportation sector, focusing on the experiences of female commercial drivers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative thematic analysis with quantitative survey findings to provide a comprehensive understanding of discrimination dynamics and their implications for organizational productivity. To determine the effects of discrimination on employee performance, data were gathered from 243 front-line female commercial drivers employed in Coimbatore’s road transportation industry. Analysis of the data is done statistically using correlation and regression techniques, and mixed-method analysis was used as comparative analysis using cross-tabulation and chi-square and moderation analysis using AMOS. This study considers three types of gender discrimination: hiring, promotion, and facility discrimination. The level of employee performance is more a result of discrimination against women in hiring and amenities. The paper offers principles for human resource managers to follow to prevent discriminatory behavior that negatively impacts employee performance. Guidelines for human resource management and empirical information from the Coimbatore road transport sector relate to employee performance and how it affects organizational productivity.

The advent of technology has led to significant changes in many facets of the economy, including financial services industry. To secure the future of financial services, there is a need to streamline it through digitalization. Thus, the focus of the current study is to examine and uncover the emerging trends through bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications on digital financial services (DFS) and also to highlight the research agenda and thrust areas that may be covered by prospective research studies. The current research study used performance analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-occurrence analysis techniques to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research publications in the area of DFS. The articles were assessed and visualized utilizing VoSviewer user interface. Descriptive and visual representations were used to portray the discussions on citations, authors, and source contributions toward the evolution of financial services in the digital realm. The study also shed light on the innovations that have penetrated the financial sector, helping service providers and financial institutions to innovate traditional financial products and services and produce new ones with the help of blockchain, machine learning, and advanced analytics. Also, this article offers a comprehensive roadmap for further research as well as a broad perspective on the leading nations, authors, and publications in the field.

Confusion among consumers is becoming more prevalent in the marketplace. The importance of consumer confusion to businesses is ultimately determined by its consequences and economic relevance; all consequences have a negative impact on the company’s profitability and sales. It is an issue for both customers and marketers. From the extant literature, three types of confusion are in superior position: similarity confusion, overload confusion, and ambiguity confusion. It represents the consumer confusion concept fully. Through the literature review process, this study develops a theoretical framework and provides a better understanding of consumer confusion and cognitive dissonance, as well as how they affect decision postponement. It provides new insight into consumer confusion.