Happiness In World Research Articles

Optimizing Last Mile Delivery Operations: A Comprehensive Case Study on Flipkart’s Innovative Approach

Effective last-mile delivery operations are essential for both customer happiness and long-term business growth in the ever-changing world of e-commerce. This study thoroughly examines the ground-breaking tactics and creative solutions that Flipkart, one of the biggest e-commerce companies in India, used to streamline its last-mile delivery processes. After a thorough examination that takes into account strategic network development, customer-centric efforts, and technical advancements, this paper clarifies the various tactics that have helped Flipkart become a leader in last mile delivery excellence. This paper examines the larger implications and practical insights for transforming last mile delivery operations in the e-commerce business, based on the analysis of Flipkart's case study. Keywords: Flipkart, supply chain management, e-commerce, last-mile delivery, and logistics optimization.

Albert Camus and Rachel Bespaloff: Happiness in a Challenging World

Abstract Albert Camus and Rachel Bespaloff had an undeniable influence on the existential thought of the twentieth century. The former, by claiming the world to be silent to our search for meaning, based the concept of happiness in the inherent value of life. The latter grounded her happiness in music and transcendence rather than in the acceptance of the absurd human condition, though the two thinkers seem to agree on the importance of subjective contemplation. In this article, I will offer a reading of Camus’s works that emphasizes his view of happiness in awareness of the absurd. I will then argue for the ethical and political challenges that such happiness causes. Finally, by putting into dialogue the philosophies of Camus and Bespaloff, I wish to show that the two thinkers advocate for the possibility of happiness despite the suffering of the world, and show that this concept, understood as contemplation, can be rooted in the absurd as well as in transcendence.

A Comparative Political Analysis of Finland and Belarus Based on the 2022 World Happiness Report

This analysis is in the field of Political Science, specifically Comparative Politics. This paper analyzes the scores of two countries Finland and Belarus on the 2022 World Happiness Report. Finland, known as the happiest country in the world is highly esteemed as a leader in democracy, healthcare, and education, and ranks number 1 on the World Happiness Report with a score of 7.821. Belarus*, a former Soviet Republic famously known for its lack of free and fair elections, ranks number 65 with a score of 5.821 (Helliwell et al., 2022). According to the report, the asterisk near Belarus signifies that the ranking is based on survey reports from 2019, and not from 2020 or 2021 (Helliwell et al., 2022). This analysis explains the gap between the two countries and identifies factors responsible for the stark differences between the scores. Several factors identified that explained the differences in the scores were related to politics, such as formal political institutions (political structure within both countries), political informal institutions (political culture), election processes (validity of elections), and the presence of a steady modern democracy or lack thereof, determined by the presence of four requirements. Another important factor identified was economic performance and the presence or lack of economic stability. This paper concludes that although Belarus presents itself as a democracy, the country does not in fact qualify as a modern democracy because of its inability to pass the requirements of a modern democracy.

The Spirit of Happiness: The Universal Manifestation of Life

Happiness is the manifestation of positive contemplation and consciousness. It is a way of demonstrating positive thinking and intuition. The spirit of happiness is a collaboration of life contentment, positive effect, and high thinking in the subjective nature. The study delves into the sources of happiness globally, revealing mental health, physical wellbeing, living conditions, behaviors, personal safety, and life expectancy. The feeling of life has the most delighted meaning, leading to the divine inspiration of happiness. The objective of the paper is to state the spirit of happiness, encompassing feelings of contentment, positive vibes, and supportive life. The paper covers the World Happiness Report since 2012 when it was started, its background, factors, reports, and findings. The emancipation of happiness is multifaceted, covering positive emotions and cognitive feelings. Social connection, natural attitude, fiscal support, socio-culture, pragmatic sign, and mental healing are key terms, creating a vibrant evolution of happiness, and leading to the contentment of consciousness and self-awareness. Happiness is not only a personal pursuit but also a societal measure of progress, manifesting emotional intelligence, individualism, idealism, and perfectionism.

Predictive factors of happiness and policy countermeasure in post COVID-19 pandemic era

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected numerous individuals lives and inevitably lowered their happiness levels. In the process of recovering from the effects of the pandemic, a series of measures must be taken to enhance peoples happiness as soon as possible. The research used multiple linear regression and random forest to analyze the data from World Happiness Report 2023 in order to identify some effective predictive factors of happiness, and made recommendations to policymakers. The result of this study shows social support and GDP are the main indexes policymakers should put effort into improving. Governments can enhance the level of social support not only from the classical perspective but also from improving health care. Reformations of the health care system are necessary if current contingency measures are not sufficient for such severe situations as COVID-19. Policies on economics are continuously beneficial to a populations overall well-being and thus are important for policymakers to work on.

Elucidating the Association of Key Socio-demographic Factors Underlying Happiness and Well-being in the Eastern Indian Bengali Population

Background: Subjective happiness or well-being is an important aspect of positive psychology and is determined by several external factors, based on several of which, the World Happiness Report ranks the countries annually. India’s happiness ranking has consistently declined over the years compared to the neighboring countries. Methods: The present study considered relevant socio-demographic factors and assessed their association, if any, in subjective happiness using multiple linear regression analysis among the eastern Indian Bengali population. A total of 191 participants were recruited for the study and their subjective happiness scores were measured using a well validated Subjective Happiness Scale. Results: The result showed a significant association of 3 factors viz. individual’s ‘choice to stay or work in a group or alone’ (p ≤ 0.0001); ‘frequency of feeling sad in daily life (p ≤ 0.0001); and ‘personal relationship satisfaction’ (p ≤ 0.0001) with subjective happiness scores in both males and females. Eight other variables showed a gender-specific association with happiness (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: These three socio-demographic factors might thus be the key determinants in regulating subjective well-being in this section of the world population. This information might thus be helpful in future counselling of individuals suffering from distress or severe depression and keep their better mental health.

Navigating Indian Societal Dynamics: Explorations and Vision

The traditional Aristotelian unities, once confined to the realm of tragedy, now transcend their original context and play a crucial role in contemporary society’s pursuit of inclusivity and sustainability. This paper examines the pressing challenges faced by humanity, as evidenced by reports such as the World Happiness Report and the Global Hunger Index, and emphasizes the urgent need for addressing fundamental human needs. While the debate over human evolution persists, the focus of this study shifts towards the exploration of life’s purpose. By juxtaposing Aristotelian principles with modern paradigms of science, humanity, and society, this research prompts discussions on empathy, human sensitivity, and emotional intelligence. Highlighting the interconnectedness of individual choices and societal impacts, the paper advocates for prioritizing Emotional Intelligence (EI) over the prevalent trend of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to foster deeper societal understanding. In the Indian context, a nation known for its multiculturalism and pluralism, the narrative centers on post-independence India’s journey. Despite the challenges posed by colonial rule, India has emerged as a beacon of inclusivity, championing knowledge sovereignty and celebrating diverse moralities. Embracing the ethos of Indian Swaraj, citizens are positioned as agents of change, driving progress through parallel knowledge systems and advocating for global inclusivity. The forthcoming Presidency of G20 presents an opportunity to promote productive global collaborations and foster peaceful coexistence. Additionally, the paper explores the philosophical underpinnings of Emile Durkheim’s Structural-Functionalism, offering insights into social integration and coherence. It also examines the practical implications of scientific knowledge, highlighting its transformative potential in societal contexts. Ultimately, this discourse serves as a call to action, urging societies to reassess their paradigms, embrace inclusivity, and prioritize emotional intelligence in navigating contemporary challenges. Through proactive engagement and celebration of diverse perspectives, societies can chart a path towards a more equitable and harmonious future.

The Cantril Ladder elicits thoughts about power and wealth

The Cantril Ladder is among the most widely administered subjective well-being measures; every year, it is collected in 140+ countries in the Gallup World Poll and reported in the World Happiness Report. The measure asks respondents to evaluate their lives on a ladder from worst (bottom) to best (top). Prior work found Cantril Ladder scores sensitive to social comparison and to reflect one’s relative position in the income distribution. To understand this, we explored how respondents interpret the Cantril Ladder. We analyzed word responses from 1581 UK adults and tested the impact of the (a) ladder imagery, (b) scale anchors of worst to best possible life, and c) bottom to top. Using three language analysis techniques (dictionary, topic, and word embeddings), we found that the Cantril Ladder framing emphasizes power and wealth over broader well-being and relationship concepts in comparison to the other study conditions. Further, altering the framings increased preferred scale levels from 8.4 to 8.9 (Cohen’s d = 0.36). Introducing harmony as an anchor yielded the strongest divergence from the Cantril Ladder, reducing mentions of power and wealth topics the most (Cohen’s d = −0.76). Our findings refine the understanding of historical Cantril Ladder data and may help guide the future evolution of well-being metrics and guidelines.

Mapping Global Joy: Descriptive Analytics of Subjective Well-Being from the World Happiness Report

This article delves into the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental aspect of human existence, focusing on the exploration of factors contributing to subjective well-being (SWB). Drawing from the rich dataset obtained from the January 2019 release of the Gallup World Poll (GWP) and the World Happiness Report of 2019, spanning the years 2005 to 2018, our descriptive analytics offer a comprehensive analysis of global happiness. Through an examination of individuals' perceptions across diverse cultures and societies, this research elucidates key findings, revealing nuanced insights into the complex interplay of societal, economic, and personal elements that influence well-being on a global scale. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate fabric of happiness trends, patterns, and influencing factors, providing valuable insights for researchers and policymakers alike.

The relationship between subjective and objective happiness: a historical review of research, new empirical evidence, and reflections

The article is devoted to obtaining new empirical evidence regarding the correlation between subjective and objective well-being. The purpose of the study was the further develop approaches to determining the list of indicators (variables) that form the prerequisites of subjective well-being (happiness, life satisfaction) and can be used in the course of happiness research; identification of factors that determine subjective well-being (predictors of happiness) for countries with different levels of GDP per capita. The information base of the study was the results of the Annual World Survey on the Perception of Happiness (World Happiness Report) and the Global Competitiveness Index (The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking). Based on the assessment of the closeness of the correlations, hypotheses were tested regarding the influence on the perception of happiness of such factors as: Pension funding (Pens), Equal opportunity (EO), Disposable income (DI), Use of big data and analytics (BigData), Image abroad or branding (Braind), Digital transformation in companies (Digital), Health infrastructure, (InfrHealth). In order to test the hypothesis about the dependence of subjective well-being (happiness) on the indicator of objective well-being (GDP), the countries were grouped into 2 groups («poor» and «wealthy») of 27 countries each – with income above and below the overall average of the countries included in our sample (40 thousand US dollars). The conducted research allows us to state that the GDP predictor for the first group («poor» countries) significantly affects the «level of happiness», while for the second group («wealthy» countries) it does not. The list of predictors of subjective well-being (happiness) depends on objective well-being, the indicator of which is GDP: the FLS predictor (freedom to make life choices) is significant for «wealthy» and not significant for «poor» countries; the predictor PC (perception of corruption) is significant (with a negative correlation) for «rich countries», while it is not statistically significant for «poor countries»; the predictor DI (disposable income) significantly affects the level of happiness for the first group of counties, while for the second group, it is not significant. The obtained conclusions should be taken into account by state and regional bodies, and serve as a motivator for the development of appropriate target programs and action plans aimed at their improvement.

Happiness and the state: Going beyond GDP with political performance measures for societal subjective well-being

Extending human development metrics beyond GDP, we explore the impact of objective national political performance measures of state capacity, extraction and allocations as additional mechanisms impacting societal happiness. While ‘adding politics back in’ is not novel, such objective political performance measures are distinctly apolitical and not ideologically anchored to types of political systems, cultural legacies or institutional structures. Compared to subjective governance perceptions, these measures potentially allow for alternative, more accurate comparisons of state performance across time, space, structures and cultures. Here we econometrically investigate the role of national political performance on subjective well-being from the World Happiness Report 2021 for a panel of 83 countries from 2006 to 2019. We perform exploratory data analysis and then offer fixed effects, panel-corrected standard error estimations controlling for vectors of more traditional economic, social, and technology determinants to investigate how such factors change in various regional and heterogeneous cultural contexts. Globally, our findings indicate that political performance is almost equally as important as economic development, being strongly associated with increasing societal level subjective well-being. In going beyond GDP to assess human attainment, understanding nuanced national political performance is critical when seen through the evidentiary lens of various regional and cultural contexts.

A Systematic Review on Customers Shopping Response towards Online Impulsive Buying Behaviour

Purpose: Online Impulsive buying, which accounts for 40% of sales in developed nations, has a big impact on the current consumer markets. The purpose of this study is to thoroughly investigate the complicated dynamics of this behaviour, comprehending the factors that lead to impulsive purchases and the subtle interactions between customer trust and buy intents. The research is aimed at providing essential insights into the changing digital consumer landscape that is impacted by the interaction of convenience, emotional triggers, and impulsive behaviour. Specifically, it aims to unravel the change from trust to intention to buy and ultimately leading to online impulsive buying. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study depends on secondary sources gathered from a variety of sources, including case studies, journal articles, magazines, books, and internet searches. Findings/Result: Findings reveal that, retailers are strategically using consumers' emotions to drive impulsive purchases through their online shopping habits. Contextual considerations, trust-building programs, and website subtleties all significantly influence decision-making. These results highlight the crucial role that these components play in influencing online impulsive purchases, providing businesses with a framework to encourage impulsive buying, client loyalty, and happiness in the ever-changing world of e-commerce. Originality/Value: This review summarizes findings from the research on the various aspects influencing consumers' online purchasing decisions. It provides a thorough grasp of the factors influencing consumers' online buying behaviour, making it a valuable resource for internet businesses and marketers. Equipped with this understanding, enterprises can devise customized promotional plans intended to enhance spontaneous purchasing, resulting in increased revenue and profitability within the virtual marketplace. Type of Paper: Literature Review

부패가 행복과 행복불평등에 미치는 영향

The aim of this paper is to urge the seriousness of anti-corruption in accomplishing happiness and an equally happy society. Based on the literature review, this paper wind up with a research hypothesis and analysed statistical verification. The data used in the anlaysis were from the diverse organizations, such as the World Happiness Report, UNESCO, World Bank and ILO. This study analyzed 680 joined data of 112 countries, ranging from 2009 to 2018. The paper executed a fixed-effect panel analysis to control endogenous problems within unobserved values. This study concludes that the greater the corruption, the lower the happiness and the higher the happiness inequality among 112 countries. From this results, the paper emphasized practical and political procedures to solve out corruption.

Relationship Between World Happiness Index, Hoefstede Cultural Dimensions And Government Education Spending

The author analyzes the interplay between the World Happiness Index and a nuanced array of seven variables in this research. Specifically, the focus extends to the Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, encompassing six distinct facets and the financial allocations dedicated to government education spending. The author starts with a literature survey on the profound domains of happiness and wellbeing. Building upon this foundation, the author posits the Hofstede Cultural Dimensions and Government Education Expenditures as prospective variables that may yield a discernible influence on the World Happiness Index. A dataset spanning 58 countries and analytical methodologies of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares (IRLS) regression are used to test this conjecture. The outcome of this study reveals compelling insights into the association between the World Happiness Index and the identified variables. The results underscore a discernible relationship between the World Happiness Index and specific dimensions of cultural orientation, such as individualism, long-term orientation, and indulgence. Furthermore, the study reveals that government investment in education is another factor influencing the overarching landscape of happiness. These findings transcend mere statistical findings; they serve as beacons of knowledge with far-reaching implications for education policymakers, educators, and individuals interested in understanding the complexities of cultural variations, educational dynamics, and overall wellbeing. The implications of this research can offer relevant information to those who navigate the intricate intersections of cultural diversity, education policy, and the pursuit of societal happiness, such as education policymakers, educators and anyone interested in the issues of cultural differences, education, and wellbeing.

Applying Linear Regression to The World Happiness Report

Applying Linear Regression to The World Happiness Report

Religion and Courtship Novels: A Comparison between The Story of the Stone and Mansfield Park in Spiritual Worlds and Secular Lives

This paper compares how the different religious traditions in China and England shaped their courtship narratives in the long eighteenth century respectively. It finds that though the courtship novels in the two countries share the theme of temptation, the hero in The Story of the Stone is tempted by general worldly pleasures, while in Mansfield Park by sexual desire. When constancy plays an important role in the Chinese context, second attachment is central to character development in English courtship narratives. The English marriage plot usually embraces worldly happiness while The Story of the Stone’s tragic ending enables the hero’s experience of enlightenment and becoming a monk. Although Xueqin Cao’s and Jane Austen’s courtship novels address similar theme, the very different Christian and Buddhist-Daoist values in China and England shape their courtship plots decisively. Courtship novels, a popular genre in the long eighteenth century that has been widely recognised as narratives focusing on secular life and marriage practice, are unable to depart from the religious tradition in each country.

The hedonic well-being index for measuring city competitiveness – an exploratory study

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the construction of a valid and reliable measure for the competitiveness of cities that excludes the drivers of competitiveness from the index construction. Not incorporating these drivers in the index avoids the problem of assuming relative contributions (i.e. weights) of these drivers on competitiveness as a maintained hypothesis.Design/methodology/approachFrom the definition that competitiveness is the ability of a city to sustain prosperity, this study derives a model called the hedonic well-being index (HWI) in which prosperity is measured by using the consumption of goods and service including leisure. This study then uses secondary data sources to construct an exploratory HWI (assuming a Cobb Douglas functional form) and compare this index to three benchmarks, namely, income, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the World Happiness Report (WHR) index. This study also review the component expenditure of the index across geographical locations.FindingsThe HWI is better predicted by the WHR index (a subjective well-being index) than by the GDP per capita (a measure of output), owing to the inclusion of leisure and household production absent in per capita GDP. This study explored and found regional variations in the distribution of the expenditure components in the HWI.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates the feasibility of constructing an exploratory HWI to measure the competitiveness of cities using secondary data. The reliability of the index can be improved using primary data in future research. Separating the drivers from the definition of competitiveness allows testing of the contribution and interaction of these drivers on competitiveness.

A Unified Algorithm for Penalized Convolution Smoothed Quantile Regression

Penalized quantile regression (QR) is widely used for studying the relationship between a response variable and a set of predictors under data heterogeneity in high-dimensional settings. Compared to penalized least squares, scalable algorithms for fitting penalized QR are lacking due to the non-differentiable piecewise linear loss function. To overcome the lack of smoothness, a recently proposed convolution-type smoothed method brings an interesting tradeoff between statistical accuracy and computational efficiency for both standard and penalized quantile regressions. In this article, we propose a unified algorithm for fitting penalized convolution smoothed quantile regression with various commonly used convex penalties, accompanied by an R-language package conquer available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network. We perform extensive numerical studies to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm over existing methods in both statistical and computational aspects. We further exemplify the proposed algorithm by fitting a fused lasso additive QR model on the world happiness data.

Economy and happiness in the Visegrad Four and Scandinavian Four countries

This study examines whether there is a connection between certain economic indicators (gross domestic product, the aggregate amount of investment, inflation, average consumer prices, unemployment rate, general government revenue and expenditures, general government net borrowing costs and general government net debt, current account balance, and general well-being) and the indicators published in World Happiness Report, Life Expectancy, Ladder of Life, Ecological Footprint, Happy Planet Index, and the Human Development Index. The scope of the research extends to the Scandinavian Four (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) and the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia). The research findings indicate the existence of such a connection determined by general government revenue.

Wellbeing Rankings

Combining data on around four million respondents from the Gallup World Poll and the US Daily Tracker Poll we rank 164 countries, the 50 states of the United States and the District of Colombia on eight wellbeing measures. These are four positive wellbeing measures—life satisfaction, enjoyment, smiling and being well-rested—and four negative wellbeing variables—pain, sadness, anger and worry. Pooling the data for 2008–2017 we find country and state rankings differ markedly depending on whether they are ranked using positive or negative affect measures. The United States ranks lower on negative than positive affect, that is, its country wellbeing ranking looks worse using negative affect than it does when using positive affect. Combining rankings on all eight measures into a summary ranking index for 215 geographical locations we find that nine of the top ten and 16 of the top 20 ranked are US states. Only one US state ranks outside the top 100—West Virginia (101). Iraq ranks lowest—just below South Sudan. The Nordic countries that traditionally rank high using life satisfaction do not rank as highly on other measures. Country-level rankings on the summary wellbeing index differ sharply from those reported in the World Happiness Index and are more comparable to those obtained with the Human Development Index. The state level rankings on the summary index look very different from those just based on positive affect measures and look more similar to rankings based on objective wellbeing measures.