This article is focused on the problem of river sharing in the presence of pollution as a negative externality between two riparian states (agents). In this paper, a market-based contract mechanism is presented; it can address the issue of negative externality imposed by an upstream agent on the downstream agents while sharing a river. The proposed mechanism incorporates a penalty for pollution and also incentives for trading water between upstream and downstream agent. The mechanism introduces a new concept of negative water as penalty against pollution for an upstream agent in a contract for water sharing. The contract is analyzed by a market-based bargaining model to determine a negotiated treaty between the upstream agent and the downstream agent. The results show the characterization of agents with regard to agreement points for negotiated treaty. Also, it shows that an equilibrium exists for a unique solution that makes both the agents better off. The model discussed in this paper can be easily applied to any transboundary river conflict where pollution plays an important role. © 2021, Operational Research Society of India.

Purpose: This paper aims to create a new decision-making procedure that uses “Lot-by-Lot Acceptance Sampling Plan by Attributes” methodology in the production processes when any production interruption is observed in tobacco industry, which is a significant example of batch production. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the fish bone diagram, the reasons of the production interruptions are categorized, then Lot-by-Lot Acceptance Sampling Plan by Attributes is studied to overcome the reasons of the production interruptions. Furthermore, managerial aspects of decision making are not ignored and hence, acceptance sampling models are determined by an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) among the alternative acceptance sampling models. Findings: A three-phased acceptance sampling model is generated for determination of the reasons of production interruptions. Hence, the necessary actions are provided according to the results of the proposed acceptance sampling model. Initially, 729 alternative acceptance sampling models are found and 38 of them are chosen by relaxation. Then, five acceptance sampling models are determined by AHP. Practical implications: The current experience dependent decision mechanism is suggested to be replaced by the proposed acceptance sampling model which is based on both statistical and managerial decision-making procedure. Originality/value: Acceptance sampling plans are considered as a decision-making procedure for various cases in production processes. However, to the best of our knowledge Lot-by-Lot Acceptance Sampling Plan by Attributes has not been considered as a decision-making procedure for batch production when any production interruption is investigated. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

This study examines the efficacy of Askeskin, a subsidized social health insurance targeted towards poor households and informal sector workers in Indonesia, in mitigating the impact of adverse health shocks on household consumption. To overcome selection bias from non-experimental nature of Askeskin enrolment, I use a robust estimation strategy, where outcome regressions are run on a propensity score-based matching sample. Using longitudinal data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey, this study finds that uninsured households facing extreme health health shocks experience a 1.3% point loss in growth in food and 2% point loss in non-food consumption growth. Importantly, households having Askeskin insurance, are fully insured in terms of food and medical consumption. But non-food spending, a discretionary component, is not insured fully resulting in a 1.2% point fall in consumption growth rate, despite Askeskin. This result is robust to a battery of sensitivity and robustness checks, including alternate definition of health shocks. Further, I investigate whether the Askeskin program simply displaced informal, community-based mechanisms of risk sharing. No crowd out effect is observed and informal risk-sharing coexists with Askeskin. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

This paper proposes a Closed-loop Supply Chain game-theoretic model that mimics the DellReconnect Supply Chain. Within this framework, we characterise a game between an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and a social collector, who work together to recover electronics. The market comprises three segments: consumers purchasing only new goods, consumers purchasing only used goods, and indifferent consumers. The social collector decides whether the returns will be used to serve the used-market segment or the indifferent market segment first, thereby establishing the market structure and deciding whether to opt for competition or coopetition. We find that, whereas the social collector is indifferent when it comes to a choice between coopetition and competition, the OEM strictly prefers coopetition. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Purpose: Mobile human resource management application (mHRM app) has emerged as an innovative solution to manage human resources. However, the performance of the application is questionable, and hence, it is crucial to know employees' perception towards it. This study aims to explore employees' perceived service quality towards mHRM app using the moderated-mediation framework. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 265 Indian HR professionals using online questionnaire. The proposed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modelling and PROCESS Macro. Findings: Results indicate that navigation and contact significantly affect employees' mHRM usage behaviour. Results also indicate that perceived values significantly mediates the association between perceived service quality and mHRM usage behaviour. Practical implications: The findings of the study will help organisations in enhancing their employees' perceived service quality towards mHRM app. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on human resource management, total quality management and cognitive-motivational-relational (CMR) theory. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

This study examines the impact of reward gamification on brand relationship quality (BRQ) in the mobile banking (m-banking) context. The study also examines the mediating effect of brand engagement and how the effect varies at different levels of personal innovativeness. A scenario-based experimental design was used to examine the effect of reward gamification on BRQ. Data were collected from 259 m-banking users to examine the proposed hypotheses. The findings suggest that gamification has a significant impact on BRQ. This study contributes to the emerging gamification and m-banking literature and helps banks design gamified rewards programs to enhance BRQ. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Purpose: This paper aims to review the literature on “E-fulfillment” with respect to marketing and operations issues in the current dynamic and complex e-tailing environment and thereby generate significant insights. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a systematic literature review on e-fulfillment focusing on marketing and operations issues therein. This systematic literature review consists of a critical review on e-fulfillment under planning (review question initialisation), searching (literature search), screening (literature evaluation), extraction and synthesis and reporting phases to conceptualise e-fulfillment. A total of 122 research articles have been reviewed to explore e-fulfillment and to develop key constructs and propositions. Findings: This review provides the following three outcomes. First, the varied-fulfillment definitions have been critically reviewed, leading to synthesis, and thereby, an e-fulfillment definition is provided. Further, the variations for e-fulfillment across product types, which have been identified as a key variable for e-fulfillment, have been explored. Second, authors find five e-fulfillment components at the marketing and operations interface: website quality, customisation strategy, distribution strategy, last mile delivery and return management. Continuing with the e-fulfillment interface with marketing, the linkages between e-fulfillment and select post-purchase consumer behaviours measures across different product types have been reviewed. The paper thus with a focus on synthesising e-fulfillment literature from a process perspective emphasises the consumer behaviour metric for measuring e-fulfillment performance. Practical implications: This study would help academicians, researchers, e-tailers and practitioners to understand e-fulfillment from a process perspective. For the researcher, it presents areas for future research by giving possible research directions in this emerging area. This study also brings out the impact of e-fulfillment according to product type on the post-purchase consumer behaviour measures, which will help e-tailers to link e-fulfillment to consumer behaviour metrics. Originality/value: The paper classifies the fragmented literature to develop constructs and propositions for e-fulfillment. This is the first kind of study on e-fulfillment process and its impact on select post-purchase consumer behaviour measures across product types. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

[No abstract available]

Purpose: The mobile human resource management application (mHRM app) has recently been seen as an innovative cloud-based solution to manage human resource management (HRM) within organisation. Despite its great potential, organisations have shown resistance towards the usage of the mHRM app. This study investigates the dark side of electronic HRM (eHRM) by examining factors affecting HR professionals' resistance to the mHRM app using status quo bias (SQB) theory. The study also examines the moderating effect of personal innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach: Responses were collected from 239 HR professionals using an online survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and PROCESS macro were used to examine the hypotheses. Findings: The results indicated that regret avoidance, inertia, switching costs and perceived threat significantly affect HR professionals' resistance towards mHRM app adoption. Results also indicated that high personal innovativeness negatively moderates the association between inhibitors and resistance to adopt the mHRM app. Practical implications: The study's findings will help HR professionals reduce their resistance towards mHRM app adoption. Originality/value: This study enriches eHRM, mobile applications and the SQB literature. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the performance of white-collared gig workers using three theoretical perspectives: knowledge-based view theory, employee engagement theory, self-determination theory. The study investigates the relationship between intellectual capital, collective cognitive engagement, intrinsic motivation, and knowledge management as antecedents to the performance of gig workers. Furthermore, it investigates whether a moderation effect of intrinsic motivation using game elements can improve the performance of gig workers. This study uses primary data collected over 8 weeks from January 2020 to Feb 2020. This study collects self-administered cross-sectional primary data from an online platform that currently engages white-collar gig workers or has engaged them in two previous years (2018 and 2019) in either one or more platforms. This study also develops a conceptual model to measure the performance of white-collared gig workers using an extension of the three theoretical perspectives. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.

The significance of sustainability is continually expanding among researchers, policymakers, and decision makers. To improve the efficiency of value chain activities such as manufacturing, distribution, and consumption, an innovative research solution has been proposed: ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)’. Sustainability through ICT is significant for the industry in terms of its sustainable effects on production processes, environment, and community. This research seeks to gauge ICT—as knowledge management—for industries in the successful adoption and execution of SCP. In so doing, potential key ICT-based factors to SCP are identified from the literature and experts’ feedback. The present work suggests a decision framework for assessing the interrelationships among and between the ICT oriented factors by utilizing graph theory and matrix approach. Data for this work derives from three automotive companies operating in India. From findings, ‘Governance and Management’, is the topmost factor for the adoption of sustainable consumption and production in value chains. The relationship among the index values is further evalu-ated using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. This research can facilitate practitioners, government agencies, and customers for a better understanding of ICT-driven factors in managing resources, reducing waste, and improving cost, which would further help in meeting sustainable development goals of the United Nations of responsible consumption and production and innovation, industry, and infrastructure. © 2022 by IGI Global. All rights reserved.

Purpose: There is limited literature linking e-fulfillment and product type with postpurchase consumer behavior measures like loyalty, even though there has been a rapid increase in e-tailing. E-fulfillment is defined in literature as a sequence of processes. Each process in this sequence is expected to have a different impact on consumer loyalty across product type. Thus relative importance of e-fulfillment processes leading to consumer loyalty. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of e-fulfillment on consumer loyalty across two product types: “standard, regular” and “physical product” (e.g. book, clothing, etc.) and “standard, nonregular” and “physical product” (e.g. computer, refrigerator, etc.) using the peak-end rule theory for an e-tailer. Design/methodology/approach: To know the consumer loyalty for e-fulfillment across the two product types, the partial least square-structural equation modeling approach aided by the SmartPLS 3 tool was used for data analysis as it avoids biases in the parameter estimation in regression analysis. A total of 603 consumer responses through an online and physically administered questionnaire were obtained and were used for the empirical analysis. Findings: Results indicate that for standard, nonregular and physical products, all the e-fulfillment components (customization strategy, website quality, distribution strategy, last mile delivery and return management) positively impact consumer loyalty. Except for the customization strategy, for standard regular and physical product types, all other e-fulfillment components positively impact consumer loyalty. Practical implications: This study will be helpful to e-tail managers to configure the e-fulfillment components according to product types, thereby increasing consumer loyalty. Originality/value: While some e-fulfillment components have been linked to consumer loyalty in literature, there is no study establishing linkages between e-fulfillment as a construct and consumer loyalty across product types. This has implications for decision makers in e-tail as the study provides e-fulfillment strategy customization across product types for achieving consumer loyalty in e-tail, a key marketing metric. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Governance of the Internet is a matter of global importance and concern. The multi-stakeholder (MS) and multilateral (ML) forms have been presented as two competing and plausible models of Internet governance. Drawing on actor–network theory (ANT) and building on an interpretive case study of rich archival data, this paper examines how the focal actor’s (i.e. the U.S. government’s) beliefs influence the choice of Internet governance form. It further explores the strategies of the focal actor to translate the interests of the ML network’s supporters, with a view to enrolling them in the MS governance network. The analysis shows how the focal actor has established the MS governance form through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as an Obligatory Passage Point to keep the Internet successfully operational. The analysis also illuminates the combination of structural and collaborative strategies employed to allay the growing dissatisfaction with the MS governance form. The paper suggests that whilst the protocols and technical standards of the Internet are increasingly relegated to the background, the social and political network that Internet artefacts draw together in a meta-form has grown in prominence. It also argues that there may be a hierarchy of beliefs, which influence how actors enact their translation strategies. Finally, the paper discusses parallels between the MS/ML forms of Internet governance and IT governance in organizational contexts. © Association for Information Technology Trust 2022.

A contract in an agriculture supply-chain under market uncertainty leads to renege. Specially, when the contract enforcement cost is not very high it is prone to collapse. In this paper, a set of game theoretical models have been employed to analyse renege of the contract farming (informal-contract). To start with a normal form game-theoretic model with pure strategies has been utilised to model the price risk of the market and determine the outcomes for the players (firm and farmer); subsequently, a mixed strategy model has been studied. Owing to incomplete information under the informal-contract, a Bayesian Nash equilibrium and mixed strategy Bayesian Nash equilibrium have also been analysed. The results have been explained with an example of tomato contract farming of Southern India. From the business standpoint the results and renegotiation framework presented in this paper can be utilised to avoid a renege and dispute in the contract farming. Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Purpose: The study aims to map the links between Industry 4.0 (I-4.0) technologies and circular economy (CE) for sustainable operations and their role to achieving the selected number of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a systematic literature review method to identify 76 primary studies that were published between January 2010 and December 2020. The authors synthesized the existing literature using Scopus database to investigate I-4.0 technologies and CE to select SDGs. Findings: The findings of the study bridge the gap in the literature at the intersection between I-4.0 and sustainable operations in line with the regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize and exchange (ReSOLVE) framework leading to CE practices. Further, the study also depicts the CE practices leading to the select SDGs (“SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation,” “SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy,” “SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,” “SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production” and “SDG 13: Climate Action”). The study proposes a conceptual framework based on the linkages above, which can help organizations to realign their management practices, thereby achieving specific SDGs. Originality/value: The originality of the study is substantiated by a unique I-4.0-sustainable operations-CE-SDGs (ISOCES) framework that integrates I-4.0 and CE for sustainable development. The framework is unique, as it is based on an in-depth and systematic review of the literature that maps the links between I-4.0, CE and sustainability. © 2021, Vishal Singh Patyal, P.R.S. Sarma, Sachin Modgil, Tirthankar Nag and Denis Dennehy.

Purpose: This study aims at identifying critical success factors of a sustainable mobile banking application using text mining approach. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 6,073 consumer reviews relating to a mobile banking application were collected and analyzed to meet the study objective. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) was done to identify the critical success factors of a sustainable mobile banking application. Findings: The results indicated that privacy and security, navigation, customer support, convenience and efficiency are the key factors. Research limitations/implications: The study findings enrich the mobile banking and sustainable service delivery channel literature. Practical implications: The results are expected to benefit the bankers in delivering effective banking services through a mobile banking application. Originality/value: Studies in the sustainability are few yet promising particularly the ones that use rigorous statistics suitable on thousands of data points to accomplish the study objectives. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Purpose: This study aims to understand role employee emotional capital in e-commerce organizations for implementing a sustainability-oriented approach. It explores two research questions: First, what role does emotional capital play in creating a sustainability-oriented functioning in an e-commerce organization? Second, how the emotional capital of employees and leaders can be molded and aligned to the desired behavioral approach toward sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: The authors’ methodology involves literature review undertaken to appropriately position the understanding of sustainability and its relationship with emotional capital in the e-commerce industry. The paper is based on the review of articles published between the year 1990 and 2020. Academic and peer-reviewed journal articles, which have contributed to enrich the concept of emotional capital and sustainability, were collected from various data sources like SCOPUS, ERIC, Science Direct and Emerald. Findings: The findings indicate that the organizational emotional capital can help in designing and pursuing sustainability-oriented practices in a more “engaged” manner. This can further stimulate a new approach for determining the dimensions, goals and measurement criteria for organizational performance management in the e-commerce industry. Originality/value: This is a first of its kind study that connects the dots between sustainable organization performance and emotional capital establishing groundwork for future research pursuits in the direction. This study presents strong futuristic managerial implications and focuses on how e-commerce organizations can achieve long-term sustainability performance by harnessing the resource of emotional capital, which is inherently present with them at individual and collective levels. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems and applications based on them are fast pervading the various functions of an organization. While AI systems enhance organizational performance, thereby catching the attention of the decision makers, they nonetheless pose threats of job losses for human resources. This in turn pose challenges to human resource managers, tasked with governing the AI adoption processes. However, these challenges afford opportunities to critically examine the various facets of AI systems as they interface with human resources. To that end, we systematically review the literature at the intersection of AI and human resource management (HRM). Using the configurational approach, we identify the evolution of different theme based causal configurations in conceptual and empirical research and the outcomes of AI-HRM interaction. We observe incremental mutations in thematic causal configurations as the literature evolves and also provide thematic configuration based explanations to beneficial and reactionary outcomes in the AI-HRM interaction process. © 2022

Western countries have experienced a steady increase in the number of immigrants since 2000 and these immigrants appear to be a sizeable market segment for apparel retailers in Western host countries owing to their acculturation. This study investigates how acculturation of immigrants drives their loyalty to apparel stores in Western countries. Three hundred and sixty usable responses obtained from South Asian immigrants living in Australia were analysed using PLS-SEM, non-linear variance-based SEM, and fsQCA. The results showed that immigrants’ acculturation enhances their loyalty to Australian apparel stores, whereas immigrants’ ethnocentrism reduces their loyalty as well as mediates the impact of ethnic community participation on their store loyalty. Ethnic community participation further weakens the association between acculturation and store loyalty. This study contributes to consumer behaviour literature and retailing in the context of immigrants’ acculturation. It provides implications for retailers interested in creating a loyal customer base among immigrants in Western countries. © 2020 Westburn Publishers Ltd.

We consider a large population of firms in a market environment. The firms are divided into a finite set of types, with each type being characterized by a distinct private cost function. Moreover, the firms generate an external cost like pollution in the production process. As a result, the Nash equilibrium outcome is not socially optimal. We propose an evolutionary implementation mechanism to achieve the socially optimal outcome. In contrast to the classical VCG mechanism, evolutionary implementation does not require the planner to know or elicit any private information from firms. By imposing a tax equal to the current external damage being imposed by a firm, the planner can guide the evolution of the society toward the social optimum. The imposition of the tax generates a potential game whose potential function is the social welfare function of the model. Evolutionary dynamics converge to the maximizer of this function thereby evolutionarily implementing the social welfare maximizer. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.