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Sustainability issues on economic, environmental and social perspectives have drawn attention of environmentalists, ecologists and governments. In this context, circular economy provides an opportunity to transform waste into resources, reduction of production and consumption activities; and reduction of carbon footprints, all at the same time. The purpose of this paper is to develop a strategic framework for measuring circular supply chain management.

A grounded theory approach has been used to develop the strategic framework for circular supply chain management.

This study provides an integrative framework for studying, designing and evaluating circular supply chain management performance matrix.

A conceptual strategic framework has been proposed to measure the performance of circular supply chain management. Further empirical studies may be carried out to validate the framework.

The conceptual strategic framework provides key indicators for reducing material consumption, reducing waste, reducing carbon footprint and recycling opportunities throughout the supply chain. These may be utilized by practitioners for gaining competitive advantage.

This paper provides insights into development of circular supply chains that provides opportunities for cost reduction and securing competitive advantage for a business in the long run.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the dimensions of the e-fulfillment process and its influence on customers in pure e-tailing; to classify the pertinent literature that has evolved over time addressing relevant managerial issues; and to identify the gaps between the practices prevalent in the e-fulfillment and those suggested by academicians to develop insights for future research.

A critical systemic literature review approach was used for the study with quantitative and qualitative analysis.

The authors identified seven dimensions of e-fulfillment in the literature on pure e-tailing: e-business quality, product quality, pricing, availability, timeliness, condition and ease of return and explored its linkages with shopping satisfaction and repurchase intention of customers in e-tailing.

The study was skewed toward an empirical approach. The study does not include many of the analytical models in this space.

This study helps e-tailers, academicians and practitioners understand critical dimensions of e-fulfillment and its influence on customers in the pure e-tailing setting in order to design customer-centric e-fulfillment architecture.

The study identified seven dimensions of e-fulfillment in the literature and explored its influence on shopping satisfaction and repurchase intention of customers in pure e-tailing. This is the first compilation of standalone/isolated studies available in the literature to provide e-tailers and academicians meaningful insights into e-fulfillment in the pure e-tailing setting.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how consumer-brand relationships affect brand loyalty and word of mouth when mediated by brand trust considering online brand communities on social media platforms.

A conceptual model is developed, depicting the impact of customer-brand relationships on brand loyalty and word of mouth via brand trust. The conceptual model is validated using partial least squares structural equation modeling and data for which are collected online through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 131 brand community members in North Capital Region of India.

Findings of the present study revealed that brand trust partially mediated between the involvement and commitment variables of customer-brand relationships, and brand loyalty and word of mouth. However, the link between satisfaction variable of customer-brand relationships, and brand loyalty and word of mouth via brand trust was found insignificant.

The present study provides novel insight to understand consumer-brand relationships on social media platforms.

Globally, the oil and gas (OG) industries are under pressure from numerous stakeholders for their sustainable operations against the backdrop of climate change, ecological damage and social challenges. Drawing on the twin theoretical frameworks of the institutional theory and dynamic capability perspective, this study aims to examine the impact of the institutional pressures and dynamic capabilities on the overall sustainability performance of OG industry.

This study uses survey method to analyze the responses from 275 middle management professionals of OG industry in India using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Further, focused group discussions with the select industry leaders validate the empirical findings of this study.

The research reveals that both institutional pressures and firm’s dynamic capabilities have significant positive impact on its economic and environmental performances in OG sector in India. However, they do not have any impact on social performance, unlike earlier findings.

The main limitation of the study is generalizability of the findings, given the cross-sectional design of the study.

Insights of this study will help regulators and policymakers in formulating effective regulatory and policy frameworks, besides creating awareness amongst the organizations to simultaneously focus on all the three aspects of sustainability performance.

The research has bearing on policy formulation and creating a regulatory ecosystem to ensure overall sustainability performance of OG industry in India.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of HR managers as choice architects to increase the communication efforts for vaccination drives, thereby making the workplace a safe place for all employees.

This study used qualitative research methodology and interviewed 10 HR managers.

The findings indicate that HR managers can use the nudge theory and choice architecture to encourage employees towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination.

HR professionals will get an alternate perspective regarding how learnings from behavioural economics can be leveraged in a post-pandemic world which can help them create a safe working environment.

This paper is an attempt to explore how learnings from behavioural economics (that is, nudge theory and choice architecture) can be leveraged by HR managers to design default options while organizing COVID-19 vaccination camps to motivate employees to get fully vaccinated and hence creating a safe working environment.

Existing studies examine the effect of mobile service quality (M-S-QUAL) on shoppers' intent to continue mobile shopping using various theoretical lenses to understand its underlying factors. However, there is limited research focusing on combining theories to integrate the understanding of the factors that contribute to continuance intention of customers towards mobile shopping. This study integrated M-S-QUAL, the technology adoption model (TAM) and technology continuance theory (TCT) to test our proposed conceptual model of mobile shopping use

Empirical data from a survey of 193 respondents who frequently make purchases using mobile and its applications were analysed using partial least squares based on structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

This study found that M-S-QUAL and perceived usefulness (PU) positively influence shopping satisfaction and CI. PU and innovativeness, positively affect shopping satisfaction and CI. The study also found support for the mediating effect of satisfaction between M-S-QUAL and PU with CI.

This study contributes to TCT by incorporating pre-purchase and post-purchase dimensions for mobile shopping through applications. Pre-purchase variables include technology-related and innovativeness-related features. In contrast, post-purchase variables include the service quality of forward and reverse logistics.

The service providers should focus on technology and innovativeness to increase the continuing intent of shoppers through mobile applications.

This study validates fulfilment, responsiveness and contact as key determinants of service quality in mobile shopping. It also identifies the practical implications to the managers for improving service quality, innovativeness and the PU of mobile shopping to retain customers.

The case has the following learning objectives: to understand the dilemmas that an emerging market MNC faces during pre-and post-acquisition scenarios; understand and appreciate the basic tensions that arise when two different companies with different cultural setups are integrated; understand the importance of creating a culture integration road map to leverage the synergies of two successful companies; and understand the role of leadership in leading and managing change.

Asian Paints Ltd. has been a market leader in the Indian paint market for over five decades (since 1967). Over the years, starting in 1978, the company has steadily spread its footprint in the international arena as well. As of 2017, Asian Paints was a leader in 10 overseas markets, one of the top 3 paint companies in the Middle East, the largest paint manufacturing company in South Asia, and served 60 markets across the world. The international business contributed to around 12% of the company’s group turnover. In line with its long-term vision and to consolidate its presence in emerging markets, the company acquired Causeway Paints, a leading paint company in Sri Lanka, in April 2017. Asian Paints had a presence in Sri Lanka since 1999. Mr. Jatin Upadhyay, International Business Unit Head for Asian Paints, had played significant roles in the past in such acquisitions and was well aware of the impending challenges that came with such acquisitions. How would the integration of the two distinct entities be made possible without losing the overarching objective? How would the transition be managed? How would the cultural transition take place? What and how would the role be handled by the General Manager (GM) of Causeway Lanka? How would the new organisational structure support the transition? The case illustrates the complex management challenges that arise when a leading enterprise from a different country (Asian Paints) acquires a leading company in a different country, in this case, Causeway Paints, Sri Lanka.

The target audience for this case study is the students pursuing a post-graduate programme in management or an executive post-graduate programme in management. The case can also be used for management development programmes for experienced participants who are interested in understanding the possible scenarios that may arise after an acquisition when managing an international subsidiary in a different cultural setting.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

The detrimental influence of perceived work–family conflict (WFC) on employees' job-related attitudes has been examined in individualistic cultures. However, this relationship needs to be studied in collectivist societies, where the “family” is a salient social institution with family-centric work ethics. This study empirically investigates the role of nurturant task leadership (NTL) behavior in attenuating (1) the negative direct effect of perceived WFC on job satisfaction and (2) the negative indirect effect of perceived WFC on job satisfaction, mediated through affective commitment (AC) on a sample of employees from a public sector bank in India.

The study adopts a cross-sectional research design, and the data were collected from 244 executives working in the banking sector of India. The direct, indirect and moderated effects were analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression.

NTL behavior was found to moderate the negative direct relationships between perceived WFC and job satisfaction as well as the negative indirect relationship between perceived WFC and job satisfaction, mediated through AC.

The study contributes to existing literature on WFC by introducing an important boundary condition in NTL behavior, thus providing impetus to further research in this direction through research designs that allow for causal inference and generalizability.

Findings from this study can provide useful pointers to organizations dealing with employee performance challenges owing to WFC. Results indicate that leaders who exhibit NTL behavior are more likely to attenuate the negative influence of WFC on employee attitudes and performance.

This study is among the first empirical examination of the effectiveness of NTL behavior in mitigating the negative effects of perceived WFC on job satisfaction.

Human Resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations and Strategic Management.

Post-graduate students or executive post-graduate students, Core course in Human resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations or Strategic Management or in elective courses in Industrial Relations and Strategic HRM.

The Personnel manager of Asian Paints Ltd., Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) factory, found himself in a Catch 22 situation when a Union leader of the manufacturing unit refused to work. The Union leader had been transferred from the Quality Assurance department to the Production department. The case describes the sequence of events and the backdrop in which the aforementioned situation had unfolded. Given the circumstances that prevailed in the factory, the personnel manager’s decision was likely to have significant impact on the factory’s output.

The student will be able to understand the industrial relations/Union issues in a company and the role of different stakeholders, namely, management, Union, workmen and the government in a conflict scenario. The student will learn the application of principles of natural justice and will be able to evaluate the Industrial Relations (IR) strategy adopted by the organizations to prevent labor unrest at the workplace. The student will understand the impact of critical management decisions on the organization’s performance in an uncertain global environment.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Guided by social exchange, broaden and build and conservation of resources theoretical perspectives, this study explores the moderated mediating role of supervisory support (SS) on the relationship between job meaningfulness (JM) on job performance (JP) through employee engagement (EE).

Field data were collected from two hundred and nineteen executives and their thirty-eight supervisors of a large paint manufacturing industry through a time-lagged research design and was analyzed with partial least squares based structural equation modeling.

Findings of this study indicate that JM mediated by EE contributes to JP, which means if an employee finds one's job meaningful, she/he is likely to be more engaged emotionally, psychologically and cognitively to deliver better JP. SS is also found to be salient as it moderates both direct and indirect relationships between JM and JP through EE.

Generalizability of the findings of this study should be done with caution. Though the study has time-laggard data from two different sources but missing longitudinal data restricts causality of relationships/findings.

These findings are relevant for organizations given that organizational leaders can create a context, by appropriate job design and engaging work context that motivates employees to perform better in their jobs. Insights of this study will be useful for organizations to curate meaningful jobs for their employees and also groom leaders with requisite skills and competencies to help subordinates perform up to their potential.

This study is an attempt toward a better understanding of the interplay of JM, work engagement and SS on JP in a manufacturing set-up in India, which has not been hitherto examined in Indian context.