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The beauty products and cosmetics sector in India has grown rapidly due to shifting customer preferences and a greater focus on personal grooming. With the continued growth in sales of beauty products, it is critical for firms looking to succeed in this cutthroat industry to comprehend the dynamics of customer ratings and how they affect the quality of their products. Firstly, this study identifies major trends, obstacles, and possibilities influencing the nexus between artificial intelligence and the Indian beauty goods market by utilizing the body of current literature and empirical data. Secondary data is used in this research, two Kaggle datasets--Amazon Beauty Product Sales Rating and Amazon Beauty Product Recommendation--are analyzed in this study. We seek to provide insight on the complex relationship between customer ratings and product quality and how these aspects affect the success of beauty goods in the Indian market by contrasting these datasets. The objective of this study is to stimulate advancements in the domain of beauty product sales in India by establishing a connection between theoretical research and operational implementations. In the conclusion, our summary of the literature seeks to guide future initiatives focused at leveraging AI to promote innovation, growth, and sustainability in the ever-changing Indian beauty goods sector. The research's conclusions have ramifications for Indian consumers and producers of cosmetic products. This study has results for Indian consumers as well as cosmetic product manufacturers. Customer feedback may provide manufacturers with strategic insights to improve the quality of their products, and customers can use it to make well-informed decisions that suit their tastes. In the end, this research adds to the larger conversation on the dynamics of consumer happiness and product quality in India's thriving beauty and cosmetics industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapidly growing online sales, e-commerce firms in emerging economies like India risk unsustainable practices such as the relentless consumption of goods, increased plastic and paper packaging, or inefficient delivery options that increase fuel consumption. To maintain a favorable corporate image amongst consumers, online firms possibly adopt various mechanisms to signal consumers' adoption of sustainable practices. Such practices by firms may involve implementing sustainability practices in doorstep delivery, packaging, and product selection to influence consumers' buying preferences. This research uses a structured survey approach to explore the impact of three sustainable practices implemented by an e-commerce firm on the consumer's intention to purchase from such a firm. Using a dual theory perspective of the theory of consumption value (TCV) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the study demonstrates the impact of the belief of environmental risks on consumers' intentions to purchase from such e-commerce firms with sustainable practices. The data findings from 301 Indian e-commerce consumers suggest that consumers with a higher belief of environmental risks display a higher degree of tolerance for the inconvenience of order delivery and sustainable product purchase intentions, further influencing their intentions to purchase from e-commerce firms with sustainable practices. However, the preference for sustainable packaging does not impact intentions to purchase from e-commerce firms with sustainable practices. The study discusses the implications for online e-commerce retailers and policymakers and informs online e-commerce consumers' choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous and native chickens play a pivotal role in rural economies, providing income and food security. India is one of the world's top producers of poultry, with a total chicken population of 851.8 million in 2019 and 37.2% representing native or indigenous breeds. In recent years, the rising demand for native chicken meat and government-backed projects in India have led to a shift from traditional backyard chicken raising to semi-intensive and intensive farms, empowering marginalized communities and women. Consumer preferences for native chicken meat in India was examined in this study, employing a two-part model with a logit model and log-normal OLS model to analyse responses from 503 consumers. Additionally, factor analysis revealed nine key factors influencing attitudes. Gender, age, income, education, marital status, cohabitation, household size, the presence of seniors or children, and consumption frequency significantly shaped preferences. Factors such as psychological well-being, affordability, knowledge, nutrition, food quality, fitness, purity, and sustainability had negative effects on preference and quantity purchased. The study reveals a strong consumer preference for native chicken meat, attributed to its organic nature, including traditional farming and sustainable production. To enhance sustainability of semi-intensive and intensive native chicken farming, it is imperative to address pricing disparities and ensure the consistent availability of native chicken meat. Achieving long- term sustainability in native chicken farming requires aligning consumer demand with ethical and environmentally sustainable farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have gradually gained traction in India over the past decade, driven by advancements in battery and electric powertrain technologies, affordable battery prices, improved charging infrastructure, and a shift in consumer preference. However, despite this progress, there are still obstacles-both technical and psychological-hindering the widespread adoption of EVs. This research aims to address these challenges by focusing on the acceptance of standardized battery packs (SBP) for battery swapping. A descriptive research survey was conducted among key stakeholders in India's ecosystem. The survey utilized a simple random sampling method and employed various statistical tools, including ANOVA, Chi-square, Correlation, and Regression, using the IBM SPSS statistical tool. The results of this research shed light on the potential for growth in battery swapping technology using SBP within the electric vehicle segment. This growth has the potential to alleviate range anxiety and will support the expansion of battery swapping infrastructure, further promoting the adoption of EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Consumers can spend their disposable income on hedonic consumption or save for the future. Their preferences were altered by the prolonged life and livelihood-threatening experiences of the pandemic. This paper aims to study the spillover effect of the pandemic experience on consumer savings attitudes and hedonic purchase preferences in the new normal. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted 35 in-depth interviews with consumers in India. The data were analysed thematically. Findings: The results showed that when fear of life and negative emotions of the pandemic persisted, consumers became short-term focused, moved towards materialism and increased hedonic spending. Alternatively, individuals who faced substantial financial hardships resorted to an increased preference for savings. The relationship between changes in savings orientation and hedonic consumption was found to be moderated by consumer's individual differences in financial vulnerability and life history strategies. Practical implications: As the trend towards increased hedonic consumption and preference for luxury products continues, the study findings can be used to devise effective marketing strategies to tap the emerging segment of mass luxury consumption. Originality/value: Despite ample work being conducted in the hedonic consumption domain, it has not been studied in conjunction with savings orientation, a significant determinant. This research links personal savings orientation with hedonic spending and substantiates that purchase decisions are cognitively weighted as a choice of discretionary spending against the opportunity to save. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the consumer buying patterns of cosmetic products in Andhra Pradesh, India. The research focuses on the marketing variables that impact female cosmetic consumption and their decision-making process. The findings indicate that the cosmetic market is primarily dominated by female consumers, with male consumers catching up. Quality was identified as the most influential factor in purchasing decisions. The study offers valuable insights for cosmetic marketers to understand consumer preferences and develop effective marketing strategies. The Indian cosmetics industry is projected to reach USD 20 billion by 2025, with India expected to become one of the top 5 global markets by revenue. The increasing purchasing power and image consciousness of Indian consumers have attracted international brands to establish a presence in the country. Social media and favorable demographics are driving awareness about cosmetics products, particularly herbal and Ayurvedic products, which are contributing to the industry's growth. The online market for cosmetics has also experienced significant expansion, with companies like Nykaa offering a wide range of brands. The article references various studies on consumer buying behavior and factors influencing purchasing decisions of cosmetic products. The research methodology involved a survey of 100 respondents in Andhra Pradesh, and the results demonstrated a strong relationship between factors like product variety, product place, and brand choice with consumer purchasing decisions. The article concludes that companies should prioritize understanding consumer preferences and conducting market research to establish a unique position in the market and attract and retain consumers. [Extracted from the article]

To reduce emission of greenhouse gases, electric vehicle is a good option. During recent time in India, there is emergence of electric vehicle start‐ups. This paper predicts purchase intention of the consumer on electric cars with mediation role of attitude. A questionnaire was framed to collect the data from all ages with 173 valid samples. SmartPLS 4 and SPSS were used to test hypotheses and research model. The secondary data helped in understanding the concept of electric vehicles and consumer preferences for them. The findings showed that price perception, government support and environmental concern significantly influence consumer attitude on electric cars except relative product advantage and range anxiety. Result shows mediating role of attitude between independent variables (Price perception and environmental concern) and purchase intention. Study highlights the role of relative product advantage, range anxiety, government support, environmental concern, and price perception in electric vehicle (car) adoption but it has limitations that the study were conducted in Haryana state (India). The opinions and perceptions of the respondents may also limit the study. In practical, the market of EVs is continuously growing in India. The present study encourages the different stakeholders to go with plan that actually work. At present, driving electric cars in India is luxury for people due to its high prices. There were very less discussion on consumer perception toward EVs in previous literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article titled "Non Parametric Trend Analysis of Tea Cultivation in India" provides an analysis of the trend in tea cultivation in India. The study utilizes data from 1960 to 2021 on the acreage, production, and productivity of tea in India. Non-parametric tests such as the Modified Mann-Kendall test and the Pettitt Mann-Whitney test are employed to identify trends and change points in the data. The results indicate a significant increase in the area, production, and productivity of tea in India over the years. This research is valuable for comprehending the growth and performance of the tea industry in India, which holds a crucial role in the national economy. The article also discusses three different methods for analyzing trends in time series data: Sen's slope estimator, innovative trend analysis (ITA), and the Pettitt Mann-Whitney (PMW) test. These methods were applied to analyze the trend in tea cultivation in India, and all three variables exhibited a significant upward trend over time. [Extracted from the article]

This paper focuses on the imbalances in sex composition of selected states of India and examines whether preference for sons among women influences contraceptive use. Data for this study was collected from the National Family and Health Survey -- 5 and focuses on the DEMARU states. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted for the DEMARU states, for which the dependent variable was contraceptive use. Nine independent variables, viz, education level of the women, wealth status in quintiles, religion, social group, place of residence, the number of living children, the age group of women, sex preference for the child and mass media exposure, were considered for the analysis to evaluate whether these factors have affected the contraceptive use. The study observes that contraceptive use and the factors influencing contraception are not uniform across the states. Son preference was a major factor that impacted contraception across all the DEMARU states. Considerable variations in contraceptive use were seen across states for different variables. Interestingly, the place of residence was not a significant explanatory variable for any of the states except for Haryana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperlocal supply chain refers to the process of sourcing and delivering goods and services within a specific geographic area in few min/hours. Recent past Consumer are choosing hyperlocal delivery over the conventional online grocery delivery company like Amazon and JioMart. There might be several reasons with customers for choosing hyperlocal delivery platform, but this research paper aims for exploring the multiple reasons and which reason can further drive the business growth. The service is typically focused on a specific geographic area and thus it can limit the availability of products for customers. To support businesses overcome this challenge a detailed study has been done by examining consumer preferences. This paper also focuses on prioritizing different categories of products to achieve customer delight. This prioritizing mayfurther drive the business growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study involves a comparative analysis of auto parts manufacturing companies, with a focus on assessing performance, operational efficiency, strategies, and competitive advantages. The study aims to identify the key factors that contribute to the success of companies in the industry and provide recommendations for companies to improve their performance and remain competitive in the long run. The study selected two auto parts manufacturing companies and collected and analyzed data from various sources, including company reports, industry publications, and databases. The analysis examines the performance of these companies in the context of the impact of technological advancements, including changing consumer preferences and regulatory requirements. It also assesses their operational efficiency, examining their production processes, supply chain management, and cost structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing consumerism, changing lifestyle of modern consumers, shifting needs, trends and preferences, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic have collectively resulted in mushrooming of e-commerce startups, which has subsequently led to impulsive and unsustainable consumer behavior. For facilitating and enhancing consumer satisfaction and experience 24/7, these e-commerce establishments keep innovating and launching different products and services, easy payment methods like Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), instant credit, credit card, etc. to lure consumers. Undoubtedly, the payment industry, in the form of e-wallets, has witnessed a paradigm shift recently owing to digitalization and easy Internet access. There is an increasing trend of impulsive buying among millennials and Gen Z in India currently. The study explores the impact of BNPL schemes on the impulsive buying behavior of millennials and Gen Z. Further, the risks and constraints faced by these popular cohorts are also highlighted in the study. Over 100 millennials and Gen Z were contacted personally as well as via Google Forms for the purpose of data collection. Kruksal-Wallis Test was used for analyzing the data. The findings show that BNPL schemes significantly impact the purchase behavior of millennials and Gen Z. The BNPL ecosystem shows tremendous opportunities for the growth of new fintech startups in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's commercial world, ecological concerns have become increasingly essential. A lot of governments care about environmental issues. Sustainable development that doesn't harm the environment is a major concern for companies today. The term "green marketing" describes the strategy of promoting and selling goods and services because of their positive impact on the natural world. Either the product or service itself is environmentally friendly, or the manufacturing process, packaging, and marketing are modified to be more eco-friendly. Concerns about how products harm the environment have recently been expressed by both manufacturers and consumers. Lead-free paint, organic foods, and low-power (or "energy-efficient") electrical equipment are examples of products that consumers and manufacturers are focusing on as being "green" or ecologically friendly. Additionally, the importance of the green marketing idea is becoming more and more apparent to marketers. Though numerous green marketing studies have been conducted globally, there hasn't been much academic research on consumer perception and preferences in India. This study explores consumer green ideals, environmental knowledge, green behaviours, and green products in addition to providing a brief review of environmental challenges. This article emphasises consumer views of and favorites for green marketing tactics and goods through the use of a planned questionnaire. To study was lead on 702 respondents. Customers demonstrated a high level of knowledge about eco marketing tactics and products. The respondents also showed strong environmental values. Research has offered helpful insights for green product marketers owing to the great perceived eco cost amongst customers, and it emphasises essential for creating marketing communication campaigns promoting green products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influencing factors of generation Z (Gen Z) consumers' revisit intentions to robotic restaurants in the post-pandemic times. Design/methodology/approach: Using a sample of Gen Z consumers with dining experiences in an Indian restaurant using service robots, the study empirically tests a research framework based on stimulus–organism–response theory. Findings: The study explains how Gen Z consumer's perceptions of functional attributes (i.e. perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), socio-emotional attribute (i.e. perceived safety) and relational attribute (i.e. trust) shape their attitude, which in turn leads to their evaluations of performance outcomes and intention to revisit the robotic restaurants. The findings also indicate that perceived risk reduction of viral infection moderates the impact of performance outcomes on revisit intention. Originality/value: Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the changing preferences of consumers have resulted in an increase in demand for restaurants offering robotic services. To support the long-term viability of service robots in restaurant services, the current study investigates what elements of service robots can determine consumers' intentions to revisit the robotic restaurants during post-pandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxes on fats and sugar-sweetened beverages are deployed in the developed world to encourage healthier diets. How effective might such fiscal instruments be in emerging economies? We evaluate the impacts of a subsidy for palm oil, introduced as part of the public distribution system in three Indian states. Using variants of the difference-in-differences approach, we find that palm oil consumption increased, particularly in rural areas, as a result of the subsidy, and traditional oils were displaced by cheaper palm oil. However, the intervention did not significantly alter overall edible oil consumption. These results are robust to different specifications, alternative estimation samples, and the exclusion of households who may have been potential beneficiaries of other interventions. Impacts were higher in Tamil Nadu than in other states, and were higher for vegetarian households in rural areas. There was only weak evidence of spillover income effects on other food groups. Given India's dual burden of malnutrition, our analysis suggests that fiscal policy interventions have the potential to effectively nudge consumer choices towards healthier edible oil consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food colorants are imperative ingredients for attracting consumers and in deciding their preferences. Here we discuss the current status of natural colorants and synthetic food colorants on the Indian market by appraising the growth of the food colorant market both globally and nationally, based on published case studies on synthetic food colorants (SFCs), rules, and regulations implemented by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on natural food colorants and SFCs. The substantial lacunae in the research on the impacts of SFCs in the Indian population identified through our literature survey signify the scope and need for appraisal of the issues prevailing in the Indian food colorant market as well as the necessity of renewing the food colorant policies. The illegal use of banned food colorants, the adulteration of natural food colorants, mislabelling of SFCs as natural colorants, and the permitted use of internationally banned food colorants, as well as the unawareness among consumers are serious issues recognized. Appropriate labelling to denote natural food colorants' presence, renewed standards of policy to determine the permitted use of food colorants, comprehensive regulations for the production and use of natural food colorants, stringent rules to constrain the production of toxic SFCs are obligatory to breakdown the dilemma on the Indian food market. Most importantly, awareness and responsiveness should be generated among consumers regarding the illegal use and adulteration of colorants and the need to use natural colorants. We also recommend a logo to designate the presence of natural colorants which will aid the consumers to make the right choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea is the major pulse crop in India accounting for nearly 43% (10.13 MT) of the total pulse production and 80% of total pulse export during 2018-19. It is a good source of carbohydrates and protein and constitutes an important component of diet of largely vegetarian Indian masses. Hydration capacity and volume expansion (after soaking in water) are important cooking quality traits in chickpea, particularly in kabuli type which are mostly cooked as 'whole grain' without decortication. Limited information is available on these properties of chickpea. The current study is aimed at assessing the genetic variability and inter-relationships among grain physical and hydration traits in chickpea varieties. During the period 2017-2018, a total of fifty-nine chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties including 46 desi type and 13 kabuli type varieties were evaluated for their grain physical and hydration traits viz., 100-seed weight, seed density, hydration capacity, hydration index, swelling capacity and swelling index. Significant differences were observed for 100 seed weight (Range: 11.00 to 51.50 g/100 seeds; Mean: 21.8 g/100 seeds), seed density (Range: 1.19 to 1.88; Mean: 1.37), hydration capacity (Range: 0.05 to 0.62; Mean: 0.24), hydration index (Range: 0.33 to 1.51; Mean: 1.10), swelling capacity (Range: 0.08 to 0.60; Mean: 0.25) and swelling index (Range: 0.62 to 2.33; Mean: 1.59). The magnitude of PCV was moderately higher than the corresponding GCV values for most of the traits indicating that the influence of the environment on the expression of these traits was not high. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for 100-seed weight, hydration capacity and swelling capacity in both desi and kabuli varieties. These results indicate that high heritability of these traits is predominantly due to additive gene action and hence direct selection for these traits is expected to be effective. 100-seed weight showed significant positive correlations with hydration capacity and swelling capacity and negative correlation with seed density. Seed density showed negative correlation with hydration capacity, hydration index and swelling capacity. Hydration capacity was positively correlated with hydration index, swelling capacity and swelling index. These traits are important for consumers where whole grains are consumed after soaking and cooking. Existence of sufficient variability for these quality traits suggest the scope for breeding chickpea towards improved consumer preferred quality traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online grocery sales have witnessed a significant surge during the pandemic, and older consumers are among the online shoppers with the quickest growth. Importantly, this study is possibly among the first to explore how the stimulus-organization-behavior-consequence framework can be used to assess the impact of product experience, website experience, and delivery experience on their online grocery shopping experience, which further strengthens seniors' satisfaction and impacts their "webstore loyalty". It is tested through an analysis of cross-sectional data collected from 282 elderly online grocery shoppers from India. Findings reveal that webstore design, physical environment, personalised communication, and customer service responsiveness are more significant in creating a positive affective experience, while competitive pricing and product information details are more significant in forming a cognitive experience. As a result of the pandemic, consumers prefer stores that provide them with food product knowledge, diversity, and a secure shopping environment. Our research can aid online retailers in identifying essential aspects of online grocery services in order to better serve older customers. The findings have interesting implications for online grocery retailers who wish to expand into emerging markets, particularly for the senior cohort, and can create differentiating service experiences to address emerging shopper experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressively marketed, cheaper and more easily available pre‑packaged foods, often considered as foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) is finding a growing preference amongst consumers in India. These HFSS foods are the major causes of heart and other non‑communicable diseases worldwide. To prevent or control further widespread of NCDs, Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued numerous food and packaging laws and acts to control their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import so that a safe and wholesome food is available to the consumers. The Front‑of‑pack labeling (FOPL), proposed by FSSAI in 2019, is a key strategy to alert and educate consumers in making an informed choice. This article aims to enlist and describe various food and labeling laws and acts enacted in India since the last two decades and identify that what type of label would be best suited to India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits associated with Geographical Indications (GI) are largely underutilized by most of the registered goods in India, with few exceptions. Therefore, an exploratory study was conducted with experts in the field of GI and also with producers of the GI registered agricultural and food products of Tamil Nadu in order to find reasons for poor GI usage and constraints perceived by the producers of the registered goods. The experts (n=14) reported, lack of awareness among producers about the GI and its benefits, lack of awareness among consumers about the uniqueness and originality of the good, and the absence of quality maintenance mechanism in the registered territory as reasons for poor usage. According to the producers (n=241), lack of awareness, narrow price difference between GI products and their non-GI counterparts and consumer's preference for low price over quality were the top constraints that pull the producers from using GI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato has become an integral part of human diets world over and is consumed alone or with wide variety of other vegetables. Consumer preference of the regions varies and is dependent upon market specifications, variety; tuber appearance, size, shape, colour; absence of disease or tubers defects; texture and flavour of cooked potatoes. Breeding for consumer preference related traits is integral part of the varietal development efforts world over and thus helps to write the success story of a variety evolved. In recent years there has been a surge in the consumer awareness in India, with consumers becoming more conscious about the food, its nutritional valueand its use. The desired products fetch higher premium prices in the market. A potato is not merely a potato anymore in recent times, but a commodity having varied uses, with each user having a specific requirement. In view of the above, it becomes pertinent to delineate the various consumer-oriented breeding objectives for potato, based on its use. Indian consumer-based profiles of potato have been proposed, based on recent overview and prevailing Indian scenario for orientingspecific breeding programmes, guiding consumers and seed producers to breed, consume and multiply the variety of their choice and formulation of selection indices for genotype screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the menace of drug tourism on the hummus trail of India. The study unfolds Israeli tourists' socio-psychological background, motivations for escape and transformation, and drug use behaviour in India. A qualitative research design was applied to understand travel experiences. The finding highlights three significant themes supported by textual descriptions of narratives produced as evidence. Schmoll's tourism consumer choice model was used to understand the travel decision-making process. The study proposes curating spiritual experiences through tourism for people's mental health and well-being by replacing drug abuse on the hummus trail of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to address two objectives. First, to examine the socioeconomic and demographic factors contributing to financial literacy and second, to analyze if financial literacy affects investment choices. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses financial inclusion insights (FII) survey data conducted by Intermedia, comprising 47,132 individuals in India. Further, instrument variable estimation has been used to analyze the relationship between financial literacy and individuals' investment choices. Findings: The study finds that differences in financial literacy level can be attributed to various socioeconomic/demographic factors like age, gender, education levels, income, location of residence, sources of information, etc. Econometric analyses indicate that financial literacy influences investment decisions, mainly in businesses and traditional assets such as gold, property, etc. Originality/value: The study contributes to the growing literature on financial literacy in the context of developing countries like India and highlights the role of financial literacy in how individuals make investment choices. Using a novel instrument, i.e. participation in the stock market by family or peers for advanced financial literacy, the results provide evidence that advanced financial literacy among individuals increases the probability of their stock market participation. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2021-0764. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian roads are currently dominated by petrol and diesel cars and bikes with only one percent of the vehicles in India being Electric Vehicles (EVs). India is not self-sufficient and it imports crude oil from other countries, which is a huge burden on the country's balance of payments. India is making efforts to adapt to the EV trend and various automobile manufacturers are taking advantage of the situation by producing and marketing EV vehicles. However, the Indian customer's mindset is not favourable for the promotion of EV's. Hence, an attempt has been made to identify the various aspects that influence or prevent consumers from switching from carbon-fuelled vehicles to electric vehicles. The primary data collected through a well-structured questionnaire has been analysed using Percentage Analysis and Chi- Square analysis. The study found that awareness level is not a significant factor, although awareness was considered a major factor in consumers' preference for buying electric vehicles in earlier literature. Statistically significant results indicate that changes in 'fuel price', 'environmental consciousness' and 'same price as petrol/diesel' significantly influence consumers' buying preferences for an electric vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and environmentally friendly marketing has grown in relevance in India, due to the country's increasing pollution resulting from industrial growth and development. Corporations have recognised green marketing as a good marketing philosophy for maintaining ecological stability. Climate change, unplanned urbanisation, increased globalisation and industrialisation have increased the emphasis on green marketing among industrialists and consumers alike. Consumer perceptions and attitudes have shifted in the modern era, from grey to green items. This paper attempts to investigate consumers' perceptions and preferences regarding green marketing methods and products. The goal of this study is to investigate the level of green awareness among individuals and to comprehend the concept of green value in consumer purchasing behaviours. Additionally, the researchers attempt to determine how age, gender, and academic credentials affect consumers' propensity to make environmentally friendly purchases. The data have been gathered from the respondents using a structured questionnaire and a convenient sampling technique. Regression analysis has been used to analyse the acquired data, leading to the conclusion. Our findings concluded that there is a significant difference between age and the green values instilled in consumers, which has an impact on their purchasing habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organizations are being compelled to revamp their loyalty programs due to the increase in digital transactions, customer acquisition costs and competition in the loyalty market. Given the significance of consumer-brand relationships, businesses must quickly identify the relationships that best elicit brand loyalty. Thus, this study seeks to develop a comprehensive model about the consumer-brand relationship that encompasses the following constructs: brand trust, brand satisfaction, brand preference, brand affect, brand equity, brand image, commitment, variety seeking, and relationship length, and their influence on brand loyalty. The study also investigates the impact of the bandwagon effect, in tandem with the aforesaid antecedents. Design/methodology/approach: A data set comprising 248 consumers in India was used to validate the measures and test the hypotheses. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesis. The data analysis was carried out on R version 4.0.2. Findings: The study found that all the selected constructs exert influence on brand loyalty, although commitment, brand equity and brand preference exhibited the strongest impact. The bandwagon effect also demonstrated a strong effect. Originality/value: This study advances the field's understanding of information processing through a consolidated meta-view of various consumer-brand relationship constructs along with bandwagon effects. Perhaps the most important contribution is shedding light on the influence of bandwagon effects on brand loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most diversified (including growth habit trait) species among the members of the Cucurbitaceae family. The fruit is valued for attractive shape, size, flavour, flesh colour and sweetness. For increased acceptability by farmers and consumers, high yielding cultivars with consumer preferred fruit quality traits are desirable. An investigation was carried out to study the influence of plant growth habit and other end user preferred quality traits viz., fruit shape, flesh colour and fruit cavity size on commercially important traits viz., Total Soluble Solids (TSS) and average fruit weight in muskmelon during 2021 rainy season at experimental plots of Namdhari Seeds Pvt. Ltd., Itakudibbanahalli, Karnataka, India. Seventy-two advanced breeding lines (ABLs) were grouped into different classes based on different plant growth habit (3), fruit shape (4), flesh colour (4) and fruit cavity size (3). Trait means of different classes of ABLs were statistically compared for TSS and average fruit weight. Non-significance of means of plant growth habit and fruit cavity size classes for TSS and average fruit weight indicated lack of influence of these traits on TSS and average fruit weight. On the contrary, significant mean differences of four different classes of fruit shape and flesh colour for TSS and average fruit weight suggested prevailing influence of these quality traits on TSS and average fruit weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The airline industry is currently the world's largest mode of transportation. It focuses on a service approach to attract customers, as providing excellent service is a means to earn customer loyalty. The goal of this research is to find the best airline in terms of service quality, which includes tangibility, trustworthiness, and sensitivity. Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) proposed by Yager [55, 56] is a significant tool for displaying ambiguous and vague information. The goal of this investigation is to broaden application of logarithmic similarity measures under PFSs. Novel logarithmic similarity measures for PFSs are developed. Numerical computations have been carried out to validate our proposed measures. Application of logarithmic similarity measures have been applied to some real-life decision-making problems of customer satisfaction to airlines in India using PFSs based on PFSs. Moreover, comparison of the result for the proposed measures has been carried out with the existing analogous similarity measures to show the efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to find the role social networking sites (SNSs) have in the form of expert opinions and blogs available at digital platforms, on financial product choice (FPC). How do social blogs and online expert opinions influence people's purchasing decisions when using a TPB-based model? The research is conducted in northern India on an individual-level survey basis. The effects of the chosen variable on purchase intentions through the theory of planned behavior were examined by partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SMART-PLS 3.2. The results revealed that social media platforms have a positive impact on individuals' FPCs through blogs and opinions. This study adds to the literature by providing insights into the impact of social media on financial product selection in a developing country like India, an area that is not much explored. More so, there is no conclusive literature available in the Indian context using gender as a moderator over TPB while examining intention to invest in financial products. The study provides a better understanding of investment behavior using online social platforms, blogs, and online expert opinion to policymakers and regulators like SEBI and service providers for enhancing the reach of their services. However, constraints such as dealing with self-reporting and generalizing findings to various situations are expected to be overcome with additional research in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, advertising is becoming one of the most important tools not only to promote brands but also to spread awareness about social issues among the masses. Nowadays, marketing managers mainly focus on understanding the mindset of their target audience, as consumers prefer brands they can relate to. The societal marketing aims to pursue both earning revenues and improving society. Coming up with such innovative advertisements that are simple and convincing is what the brands are aiming for. Brands want to advertise themselves in a way that leaves a lasting impression in the minds of consumers. However, oftentimes difficulty arises when people immediately question or raise objections to the ads whenever they sense something unethical or inappropriate. There is a very thin line between being relevant and being controversial. Therefore, the present study focuses on some brands that use advertising techniques to inform the masses about the social ills that are prevalent in society and how these advertisements affect the brand's public image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do consumers discriminate against foreign products made in countries they deem adversarial? While previous studies have examined how nationalist boycotts influence trade, there is little evidence consumers "follow the flag" more generally. In this study, we employ a conjoint choice survey experiment in the United States and India to assess how individuals' geopolitical attitudes affect their product preferences. By permitting heterogeneity in perceptions of foreign relations, and examining how these perceptions affect consumer behavior, we reveal one of the micro-level mechanisms at work in the macro-level relationship between trade and conflict. The results show that, when compared to goods made in countries perceived as "neutral" or "friendly," consumers are 2–6% less likely to select goods made in countries they perceive as being "hostile." We conclude that, along with organized boycotts, firms, and states, consumers are also partially responsible for the observed correlation between international political relations and trade flows. ¿Los consumidores discriminan los productos extranjeros fabricados en países que consideran adversos? Si bien estudios anteriores han examinado la forma cómo los boicots nacionalistas afectan al comercio, hay pocas pruebas de que, de un modo más general, los consumidores prefieran «lo nacional». En este estudio, empleamos un experimento de encuesta de elección conjunta realizada en los Estados Unidos y en la India para evaluar cómo las actitudes geopolíticas de los individuos afectan a sus preferencias a la hora de elegir un producto. Al permitir la heterogeneidad en las percepciones de las relaciones exteriores, y examinar cómo estas percepciones afectan al comportamiento de los consumidores, desvelamos uno de los mecanismos a nivel micro que actúan en la relación a nivel macro entre el comercio y el conflicto. Los resultados muestran que, en comparación con los productos fabricados en países percibidos como «neutrales» o «amistosos», los consumidores son entre un 2% y un 6% menos propensos a escoger productos fabricados en países que perciben como «hostiles». Concluimos que, además de los boicots organizados, las empresas y los Estados, los consumidores también son parcialmente responsables de la correlación observada entre las relaciones políticas internacionales y los flujos comerciales. Les consommateurs sont-ils réticents à acheter des produits étrangers provenant de pays qu'ils considèrent comme antagonistes ? Si de précédents travaux ont examiné l'influence de boycotts nationalistes sur le commerce, il est plus difficile de trouver des preuves attestant d'une tendance plus générale au patriotisme de la part des consommateurs. Cet article s'appuie sur une enquête conjointe réalisée aux États-Unis et en Inde, destinée à évaluer dans quelle mesure les postures des individus en matière de géopolitique affectent leurs choix de consommation. Grâce à la pluralité des perceptions des relations internationales reflétée et à l'analyse de l'impact de ces perceptions sur les comportements des consommateurs, nous révélons l'un des mécanismes à l'oeuvre, au niveau micro, dans la relation qui s'observe au niveau macro entre commerce et conflits. Les résultats de nos recherches démontrent que les consommateurs sont 2 à 6 % moins enclins à acheter des produits provenant de pays perçus comme « hostiles » que des produits issus de pays considérés comme « neutres » ou « amis ». Nous en concluons que, tout comme les entreprises, les États et les boycotts organisés, les consommateurs sont partiellement responsables des corrélations observées entre relations politiques internationales et flux commerciaux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the rapid growth and emerging trend of e-commerce have changed consumer preferences to buy online, this study analyzes the current Indian legal framework that protects online consumers' interests. A thorough analysis of the two newly enacted laws, i.e., the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 and literature review support analysis of 290 online consumers answering the research questions and achieving research objectives. The significant findings are that a secure and reliable system is essential for e-business firms to work successfully; cash on delivery is the priority option for online shopping; website information and effective customer care services build a customer's trust. The new regulations are arguably strong enough to protect and safeguard online consumers' rights and boost India's e-commerce growth. Besides factors such as security, privacy, warranty, customer service, and website information, laws governing consumer rights protection in e-commerce influence customers' trust. Growing e-commerce looks promising with a robust legal framework and consumer protection measures. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on e-commerce and consumer rights protection by elucidating the key factors that affect customer trust and loyalty and offering an informative perspective on e-consumer protection in the Indian context with broader implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of internet and mobile phone by the young/new generations in India provides an emerging prospect for virtual(online) consumers. The internet is changing the world of consumer behavior with the familiarity to technology having an internet access and trust of customer gives a high boom in this online business. The awareness of the Consumer is always looking to the best in terms of brands, quality for money, features and mainly the time and secure to buying. The study concentrates to take how online shopping navigating the consumer buying behavior with respect to mobile phones. During the pandemic many consumers are preferred to buy their products through online since it's very safe to buy and at the same time in a recent past of the history of online shopping the FMCG products was very familiar among the consumer to purchase through online. The era changed, many consumers are purchasing their FMDG products also in online especially the mobile phone is the prime way of purchasing through online era. In this juncture this study would be very essential to understand about the consumer buying behaviour towards mobile phones through online shopping. The main objective of the study is to find out what are the main factors are considered by the consumer while purchasing mobile phones through online and what is the reason behind that. The studies used by descriptive research design, with help of convenience sampling method, 104 valid responses were collected through structured questionnaire. On the basis of data analysis study concluded that most of the customers were perceived that online shopping is better option for purchasing mobile phones than in store shopping and most of the customers are satisfied by online shopping, From the research it can be set that in today's fast moving world, people don't have time to travel to buy goods and other factors like distance, traffic make it even more difficult for a person to manually go to shops and buy goods and hence people have started using online shopping for purchasing and because of payment modes like cash on delivery has rapidly increased the number of the online shoppers and this list will keep on increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjoint Analysis is an analytical technique used in market research to quantify consumer preferences for a product or service. The result of the technique provides us with different combinations of attributes that consumers value the most. The technique uses different features of a product or service and their corresponding levels to model and quantifies the customers' buying decision process. Using Conjoint Analysis, one can study the trade-offs undertaken by the consumer and use the derived insights for design implementation. The sale of Bluetooth Earphones in India witnessed a sudden spike during the COVID 19 pandemic. The consequential market, thriving with competition, saw market leaders attempt to strengthen their positions further and new players try to enter the market. The paper seeks to understand the existing consumer preferences for different features of Bluetooth Earphones using Conjoint Analysis. The outcome of the analysis provides market stakeholders with a yardstick to guide their design decisions and formulate sustainable long-term business strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The literature provides evidence of consumers' willingness to purchase (WTP) refurbished products. However, the studies focusing on young consumers' (18–24 years) purchasing behaviour of refurbished products from online platforms/stores are limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative study to identify the key attributes/factors that influence young consumers' WTP refurbished products. Design/methodology/approach: Two qualitative techniques, focus group discussion (FGD) and depth interviews (DI), are used for data collection. Criterion sampling is used for sample selection. Consequently, 37 participants (20 for FGD and 17 for DI) from India were recruited. Findings: The study's findings indicate six broad attributes/factors (purchase attributes, product attributes, credibility, reviews/support, refurbishment process and ecological factors) that influence young consumers' WTP refurbished products. In each attribute, some characteristics are unique (for example, greater trust in online platforms/stores, preference for video reviews and historical information of the product) to young consumers. Originality/value: The current study integrates three literature streams: consumer behaviour in the online/offline context, young consumers' inclination towards an online purchase and WTP refurbished products. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to do it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 struck the humanity at the end of 2019 and since then it has been ravaging the mankind. Since then the economies have been badly affected; businesses have shut down and the restaurant businesses are no exception to it. Now, when the vaccination programs are being carried out by the governments all around the world, including India, and restrictions are going away, the customers will be coming out to the restaurants. This paper intends to study what are the factors which will make the Indian customers choose a restaurant and to find out if there have been effects of the pandemic on the criteria of restaurant selection. To find the answers to these, a questionnaire with ten various factors was designed and circulated by using Google Form. The data thus collected was analyzed by applying one sample t-test and Gap analysis. The hypothesis was tested and it was found that the pandemic had an impact on the restaurant selection criterion. 'Personal hygiene of the staff', 'quality of food ingredients' and 'taste of food' are the most important factors for customers in deciding to choose a restaurant and 'location' with no impact on restaurant selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayurveda is an ancient medical method that uses a variety of floras and herbs in preventing sickness and maintaining healthy lifestyle in the Indian Sub-continent. Women consumers in India prefer to use ayurvedic products to protect themselves against medical disorders, personal care and beauty products [1]. During the last decade, the demand for ayurvedic products have grown significantly and therefore every business organization in this sector is aspiring to increase market share by understanding the need of the consumer as well as changing consumer perception through referral marketing and brand preferences. The purpose of this study is to identify links among referral marketing, customer perception, and brand loyalty in relation to ayurvedic products. A structured questionnaire was created for the purpose of survey, and a pilot study was conducted to ensure its validity. Working women and housewives, were the respondents from whom the data were collected. A total of 242 valid responses were collected from the respondents. To examine the link between the latent constructs, structural equation modelling was devised for the constructs-referral marketing, consumer perception and brand loyalty. The study found that referral marketing had positive effect on the perception of the consumer at ß = 0.36, CR= 2.59, p=0.000, referral marketing on brand loyalty at ß = 0.41, CR= 2.09, p<0.05, accepting the hypothesis H1(Referral marketing has a positive effect on consumer perception); and H2 (Referral marketing has a positive effect on brand loyalty); Consumer perception affects brand loyalty at ß = 0.18, CR= 1.95, p = 0.000, accepting this hypothesis H3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This conceptual paper aims to study the Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic's impact on branded functional beverages consumption in India. There is a sincere effort to critically review the role of some vital determinants of consumer behaviour and to develop an integrated model for branded functional beverages consumption behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic and extensive literature review was performed by searching electronic databases relating to consumer acceptance and purchase behaviour of functional beverages in India from 2000 to 2021. This study also reviewed very recent literature on the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global consumer traits, buying behaviour, marketing trends and psychographic behaviour. Findings: The extensive review of the literature yielded results that shed light on some crucial factors propelling branded functional beverages' consumption behaviour in India, especially in the COVID-19 scenario. Research limitations/implications: The study is based purely on a conceptual understanding of branded functional beverages' consumption behaviour among Indian consumers. The conceptual framework proposed here results from the review of past literature. Therefore, the scientific world is invigorated to test further the implications presented in this study empirically. Practical implications: The conceptual framework proposed here concerning consumer behaviour in functional beverages would guide the food marketers to segment and position their functional food offerings, mainly beverage variants, in the post-pandemic scenario. Moreover, the study findings enable policymakers to craft food policies to uphold the noble cause of moulding a healthy generation. Originality/value: The COVID-19 pandemic has virtually shattered our food system and modified our associations with food in many different ways. The perception of health risks associated with COVID-19 might have influenced people's food purchase and consumption behaviours. It is proposed that health-conscious people would prefer more health-promoting foods and beverages to strengthen their immunity. Several reports disclose that food consumers in India demand functional foods and beverages more extensively than before to include in their daily food basket. A detailed literature review revealed an evident shortage of research studies regarding consumer behaviour in functional beverages in India. No prior research works could be identified as to why consumers prefer functional beverages to benefit their overall health and immunity and what guides them to purchase or not to purchase such products, especially in the post-pandemic scenario. Therefore, this research work would be a primer that would guide future studies investigating consumers' attitudes and purchasing behaviour of branded functional beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mostly for Indian consumers online shopping has become a way of life, especially in the case of working women. By 2020, the Indian online market is estimated to grow by 3.5 times. The reasons behind these are growing preference of online shopping, internet penetration, ease of shopping, flexible delivery, and increase in number of online retailers and increasing purchasing power of consumers. This study is undertaken to analyze purchase intention of working women in the study area. The study provides detailed analysis on the factors that are impacting the online purchase decision and regarding most preferred online shopping website. Recommendations were provided to the marketers based on the customers’ insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze two global brands (i.e. Benetton and Tommy Hilfiger) and one Indian brand (i.e. Wills Lifestyle) in terms of general brand impression, brand specific associations and brand commitment. In addition, the study investigates how the regional differences in India and Indian consumers' affinity towards global brands influence the consumer-brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach: The research framework has been developed based on consumer-brand relationship theory. The consumer–brand relationship is an important indicator of the success of brands, especially when brands attempt to expand to other markets (Roper and Parker, 2006; Bastos and Levy, 2012). Three brand types were chosen for this study. The choice of the US global brand is Tommy Hilfiger, the European global brand is United Colors of Benetton, and the Indian domestic brand is Wills Lifestyle. The study utilized a repeated measure (split-plot) design involving more than two independent groups. A split-plot analysis of variance analyses a design in which a repeated measure (i.e. within subjects) factor is crossed with a between-subjects (i.e. treatment variable) factor. Findings: The results confirm the importance of global brands over local brands in the Indian apparel consumer market. This study also examined how Indian consumers' affinity for global brands influences their evaluation of the global brands and the local Indian brands. Originality/value: The study expands the literature on Indian consumer brand preferences through the investigation of three brands. The theoretical background of the study is the consumer-brand relationship theory that explains the importance of consumer–brand relationship when brands attempt to expand to other markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fashion industry is an ever-evolving industry whether we take trends, fits, colors, techniques, or sustainability into consideration. It is of utmost importance for international fast fashion and premium brands to keep a regular tap on competitive brands with regard to the price points offered both at the category and sub-category level. This study is an attempt to explore the consumer perception towards teenage clothing brands in India. The study adopted a consumer survey technique to explore the insights into the perceptions of towards teenage clothing brands, and adopted a market study to compare the major available brands in teenage category. The study found that the most preferred brands by the consumers in the teenage category, style options preferred and price points. This study fills the gap in the extant literature in terms of bringing out insights about a specific category of apparel brands (i.e., clothing brands for teenagers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing has been growing for decades in one form or another. The main purpose of marketing is to make goods and services available to customers as per their needs and wants. Traditionally, marketing used to be done through limited mediums like television, print media, and so on. However, with the changing times and with continuous improvements in information technologies, there has been a shift to modern ways of marketing. Digital Marketing has provided the great opportunity and a huge platform to the marketers to connect to the target audience. India is one of the largest growing markets in the world and the scope for digital marketing is going to increase the most. Modern tools include social media advertisements, e-mail marketing, and so on. This study will focus on how companies and various firms are moving towards the use of modern ways of advertising, and how it is getting easier for them to use these mediums and in connecting the tastes and preferences of a larger customer base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although firms' tendencies to re-enter international operations after exiting from initial internationalization are relatively high, re-internationalization has not received much attention in extant literature. It is vital for managers of de-internationalized firms to understand what aids successful re-internationalization, which prompted us to study the relevance of learning and experiences gained from initial internationalization stages on subsequent strategies when firms re-internationalize. Results from surveying senior managers amongst re-internationalized Indian firms indicated that firms tend to opt for more focused strategies in their choice of products, customer segments, and geographies during re-internationalization than during the initial internationalization period. The findings suggest managers should not be disenchanted from the initial failed internationalization attempts as the learning from the initial internationalization are much helpful when firms re-internationalize. Managers should invest in knowledge management systems to efficiently use such learning to implement more focused strategies leading to successful reinternationalization. The study also has meaningful research and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the effect of online reviews on online book sales performance in the Indian context. A sales rank was used as a proxy measure for sales. The total sample size was 2028 books from the 'bestseller' and 'recent' book categories on Amazon.in. Cross-sectional analysis and difference-in-difference analysis approaches were adopted for data analysis. The results revealed that online reviews shared by the Indian consumers impact books sales, as the consumers prefer to analyze the books on the basis of available online reviews before making their purchase decision. Overall, the results indicated that reviews had a positive impact on the sales in both book categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this midst of Covid -19 Pandemic during lockdown period from 25 March 2020 consumers were restricted with respective regional area and time period. In such pandemic restricted situation consumers preferred to purchase from convenient stores or Kirana Stores (Mom and Pop Stores) for mostly grocery and food items. The Indian organized retailer has been looked as predator to Kirana Stores survival still not marked its presence in terms of market share. In fact during lockdown demand was high and Kirana stores were matching their best to supply from distributor. The present study has been conducted to understand current service operations of unorganized retail (Kirana Stores) in lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19 Pandemic in Navsari City. The study also finds trend line for organized retail revenue to investigate impact of Covid-19 Pandemic. The qualitative research has been conducted by primary data collected through exploratory open-ended interview method for unorganized sector. The non-probability convenience sampling is used to take sample of 50 Kirana stores in Navsari District. The secondary data of previous six financial year's revenue respectively studied to find a linear trend line. The R Square value is calculated to know fitness of estimated trend line values with actual data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies have become more conscious of customer satisfaction while implementing social responsibilities compliance. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature is tremendously rich. Numerous scholars and researchers have contributed to enriching the literature on CSR. Following a thorough review of literary texts on CSR, it was found that most crucial aspects of CSR have been explored and studied so far. The study helps to create a deeper understanding of essential and functional elements of CSR. CSR scope and models have been discussed by analyzing the amount of research reporting performed in this field in India and abroad over the last few years. The goal of the researcher is also to project the research gap that exists in this field and to concentrate on the topics that have received priority and attention in this regard. Surveys about CSR within the framework of a selling approach have shown that there is a positive relationship between consumer preference of products and social responsibility of the corporate. Thus, a trend is revealed towards consumers' increasingly preferring products of a socially responsible company (Edelman, 2010). The results suggest that CSR activities induce positive CSR perception that improves performance. Furthermore, the results indicate that companies should consider employees' perception of CSR and their feeling of attachment and long-term performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]