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The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the role of e-service quality factors in predicting e-satisfaction. The study context was spirituality and well-being over-the-top services. The e-service quality factors consisted of perceived functional completeness, perceived performance, perceived quality of interface and interaction, perceived quality of content and information and perceived quality of customer support. The study goal was to ascertain over-the-top services customers’ behavioral intention toward upgrading to premium subscription and the spread of electronic word of mouth.

This study was based upon the integrated stimulus-organism-response framework where e-service quality represented the stimulus, e-satisfaction the organism, behavioral intention and electronic word of mouth as the response. The study used a moderated-mediation approach with e-satisfaction as the mediator and the price value of a premium subscription as the moderator. To empirically test the model, the authors collected data from 312 spirituality and well-being over-the-top services users in India. Partial least squares-structured equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data.

The findings of the study supported the association between e-service quality factors and e-satisfaction while using spirituality and well-being over-the-top service. The results furthermore indicated that satisfied spirituality and well-being over-the-top customers were willing to upgrade to the premium subscription and spread favorable electronic word of mouth. The moderated-mediation study results revealed that the price value of premium subscriptions moderated the relationship between e-service quality and e-satisfaction but did not moderate the relationship between e-satisfaction and behavioral intention, and e-satisfaction and electronic word of mouth.

This study offered a comprehensive stimulus-organism-response theoretical model by using the five e-service quality measurement factors as “stimuli” for motivating the internal state of spirituality and well-being over-the-top subscribers. This was toward sustained usage in over-the-top services subsequent to the end of the freemium period. Furthermore, in this study, both e-service quality theory and user satisfaction theory were integrated into the stimulus-organism-response model. This helped to better comprehend the impact of e-service quality factors in driving e-satisfaction among spirituality and well-being over-the-top service users.

This study revealed the significance of differentiating premium over-the-top subscriptions based on price value. To ensure a high level of e-satisfaction from a premium subscription, a greater emphasis on the e-service quality dimensions was required. This study provided insights to managers regarding the role of favorable electronic word of mouth in fostering effective customer acquisition.

This was one of the first studies which concurrently integrated perceived value of the premium subscription and e-satisfaction with customers’ behavioral intention and electronic word of mouth through the theoretical lens of stimulus-organism-response.

The purpose of this study is to explore circular economy (CE) initiatives and apply the stimulus-organism-response theory to find the socio-political drivers and enablers of CE in the pharmaceutical industry. CE as a concept was relatively not studied much with respect to socio-political interests from operations management perspectives. This was especially so in the pharmaceutical industry.

This research study was anchored in the theoretical conversation of stimulus-organism-response theory to find the socio-political interests and enablers of the regenerative CE principles. These were the functions of remanufacturing, reuse and recycle. For this research study, data was collected in two steps. First, eight industry practitioners were interviewed to understand the CE practices in the pharmaceutical industry. Then 166 chiefs of production and operations functions from 124 pharmaceutical companies were surveyed. The quantitative data was empirically analyzed using SmartPLS3 software.

This research study revealed that pressure from suppliers and other public stakeholders were driving regenerative CE practices in the pharmaceutical industry. The results further stated that CE enablers such as green information technology systems and internal environmental management were critical for making pharmaceutical manufacturing operations circular.

This research study measured the constructs on a formative scale. Studies measuring socio-political interests, CE enablers and sustainability practices constructs on a formative scale were much required for the development of the CE theory. This research study output could be applied across geographies and industries to measure the indicators of CE.

This research study indicated that in the context of the pharmaceutical industry, there was an overemphasis on the remanufacture and reuse principles. However, the focus on recycling principles was mostly subdued. For managers and regulators in the pharmaceutical sector, this research study provided clear insights that for more effective CE implementation. This was based on an effective application of recycling practices in the critical functions in pharmaceutical industry.

Earlier research studies on green and environmental manufacturing were focused on linear production models. To provide clear and robust foundations for CE theory, this research study considered operations management from the perspective of the value chain. This comprised the entire circular production model. Earlier research studies had treated socio-political interests, CE enablers and sustainability practices as reflective constructs. This study was one of the foremost to measure these constructs on a formative scale.

The purpose of this study was to comprehend the current state of green supply chain management (GSCM) and its drivers and enablers in the pharmaceutical supply chains (PSCs).

This study developed a model consisting of the factors green drivers, green enablers and green practices. For this study, data were collected from 166 supply chain heads from 124 pharmaceutical companies operating in India. The data was empirically analysed using SmartPLS3 software.

The study revealed that in Indian PSCs, public pressure, supplier pressure and competitor pressure were the major drivers for GSCM practices and coercive pressures such as pressure from government and regulatory bodies were insignificant drivers. The results indicated that the influence of green drivers and green enablers altered with supply chain flow. Green drivers indicated higher influence at the upstream of PSCs whereas the influence of green enablers was higher at the downstream of PSCs. Furthermore, the study revealed that the factor “green enablers” was a good mediator for the relationship between “green drivers” and “GSCM practices” in PSCs.

This study was an extension work with the addition of external green drivers to the self-induced organizational activities. Further investigations can be done by including the “green barriers” construct in the conceptual model.

This research connected the institutional theory with the resource-based view to understanding the role of green drivers and green enablers in greening PSC. For managers and regulators, this study provided clear insights on how to approach different supply chain drivers and enablers to maximize the impact of GSCM practices. Moreover, the findings of this study helped in incorporating knowledge about GSCM into a framework that can be used for defining strategies for setting up a sustainable PSC for pharmaceutical products leading to the development and growth of the pharmaceuticals industry.

Most of the earlier studies on GSCM were at the firm level and some studies were at the supply chain level. To further enhance the scope of GSCM theory, this study was conducted at two different levels, first at the complete supply chain level and second at three different levels: upstream, firm-level and downstream.

The purpose of this research study was to examine the role of Social Networking Technologies (SNT) in developing Public Services Supply Chain (PSSC) during COVID-19 pandemic. Due to lack of sufficient support from corporations and non-government groups, citizens in developing democracies were dependent upon their governments for the delivery of vital public services. During the COVID-19 epidemic, a number of organisations attempted to assist governments in managing the supply of public services. However, organisations often lacked a thorough grasp of how to cultivate social ties for the delivery of efficient and effective public services for citizens. In this research work, to study the delivery of efficient and effective public services to citizens, the authors have proposed a social network viewpoint. This was at a ‘meso-level’ lens so as to examine the intersection between organisational SNT and PSSC. According to the qualitative study conducted in this research work, it became evident that organisational social ties could play a significant role in facilitating homophilic and heterophilic ties. This was specially so for the distribution of public services in pandemic situation like COVID-19. However, the research study findings also found out that these network forces were highly dynamic and dependent upon a set of factors. These factors included tie frequency, the sequencing of interaction with social ties and the prevailing norms. This research study enriched the understanding regarding the role of SNT. This was in the context of developing PSSC during critical crisis situations such as prevalent during COVID-19 pandemic. This research study offered a better understanding of social ties and motivational factors in the social networking environment. The social ties were analysed based on the contact incidents of six participants focusing on the PSSC during the COVID-19. Future research studies could consider a diverse set of participants in complex global PSSC consisting of multiple constraints. Furthermore, this research study had practical implications for managers. The study revealed that homophilic social ties were more supportive as compared to the sequence of interactions starting with heterophilic ties. Therefore, managers needed to develop better PSSC especially as compared to unrelated institutions.