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This article undertakes a literature review on showrooming, offering an exhaustive overview of research publications and future research objectives that will contribute to extending the understanding of the phenomenon.

The showrooming literature has been collected from journals indexed by SCOPUS and ranked by ABDC. This was later analysed with the SPAR-4-SLR framework and the TCCM methodology (theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies) proposed by Paul et al. (2021) and Paul and Rosado-Serrano (2019).

The insights of this review include bibliometrics of showrooming research and the number of explored showrooming theories, methodologies, and contexts from which the phenomenon has been studied. It also highlights the various aspects that might be considered while building an optimal approach.

Articles published in SCOPUS-indexed and ABDC-ranked journals between 2012 and August 2022 were considered. Some articles published in conference proceedings and journals, not fulfilling the aforementioned criteria, might have been missed.

SPAR-4-SLR and TCCM methodologies would aid the researchers in further exploration of this phenomenon and suggest options for enhancing customer experience (CX) eventually leading to customer retention. Retail channel managers will find this knowledge handy in “encouraging loyal showrooming” and ensuring business sustainability.

This study uses the novel SPAR-4-SLR framework to structure the review, while TCCM methodology sheds light on the showrooming from the perspective of various theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies. The scope for further research identified through the above-mentioned framework and methodology would be of high value to the researchers and practitioners alike.

Marketers' sustainability is highly dependent on providing their customers with a memorable experience. This experience manifests the care taken by marketers while interacting at every stage of customer's journey from need recognition to post-purchase behaviour. Customer experience's (CX) significance demands that it be measured succinctly to monitor it at various levels, beginning at the customer level and extending to the financial outcome of this interaction(s). This study has attempted to conduct the same, by measuring Net Promoter Score of the customers and the financial ramifications of good/bad CX. Evidence of financial implications of good/bad CX has been presented through secondary research. Customer level study was empirically conducted at two well-known retailers of India, one in the footwear category and the other in general merchandise. Finally, some successful examples from the Indian retail sector have been added to highlight the significance and impact of Indian retailers' measures to enhance their customers' experience.

Children differ in their cognitive ability while trying to interpret television advertisements and hence form different attitudes towards them. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of children's attitudes towards television advertisements on their resultant buying behaviour.

The research has been based on exploratory and descriptive research design. Exploratory research includes a literature review and in‐depth interviews with child psychologists, advertisers and parents of young children. This was further carried forward by carrying out a survey of children in the age group five to 11 years, while they were in their class room. The filling up of the questionnaires was aided by the class teacher, which had response options in a pictorial manner.

The demand for the advertised products is heavily influenced by the children's attitude towards advertisements. Further, the cognitive changes among the different age groups leads to the formation of varying attitudes towards the advertisements. Yet there are other potent factors apart from advertisements, which result in the requests for a product or brand.

The paper has been carried out among children studying in English medium schools in the National Capital region of Delhi. Hence, the sample size is too small and restricted. The interplay of the various buying dimensions on each other have not been probed.

More focused approach is required by advertisers while planning their advertisement campaign for different age groups of children, rather than considering them as one homogenous group. Various elements of the advertisements have to be meticulously planned for different age groups.

At the lower age group it is the entertaining ability of the advertisements, whereas at the higher age groups the credibilty element in the advertisements has the potential of creating a favourable attitude towards the advertisements. There seems to be a complex relationship between attitude formation towards advertisements and the resulting buying behaviour because of the presence of other intervening variables. Characters from folklores can be depicted for creating aspiration.

Mutual funds are the second most preferred investment option in India and have garnered considerable research interest. The focus of Indian studies thus far has been restricted to the bottom-up approach of investing which rewards a fund manager for picking winner stocks and generates superior returns. While changing portfolio allocation as per varying macro-trends has been instrumental in generating superior returns, it has not been given the desired attention. This study addresses this important research gap.

The authors analyze the industry selection ability of the fund manager on a robust sample by decomposing alpha into alpha due to industry selection and alpha attributable to stock selection. Alpha estimates are computed on a robust sample of 34 open-ended Indian equity mutual funds for a 10-year duration 2011–2020 using three base models of asset pricing – single-factor, four-factor and five-factor alpha under panel data methodology.

The study leads us to four major findings. One, industry selection explains more than two-fifth of the alpha both in cross-section and time series of returns; two, industry selection exhibits persistence for more than four quarters across asset pricing model; third, younger funds have level playing when alpha from picking right industries is concerned; four, broad industry allocation continues to explain superior returns as sector allocation undergoes consolidation during ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and funds increase exposure to defensive stocks, consistent with folio allocations as per macroeconomic conditions.

The authors find strong evidence of persistence in the case of alpha attributable to the industry selection component, and the findings are consistent with the persistence results reported in the empirical literature. While some funds excel in stock-picking skills and others excel in picking the right industries, both skills together make for winner funds that attract larger investor flows as investors chase superior performance. The authors also find no evidence of diseconomies of scale in the case of industry allocation alpha generated by the fund managers.

The results suggest a fresh approach for investors while making mutual fund investment decisions; the investors can achieve superior returns by assessing industry selection skills as it tends to provide a more holistic picture concerning a perennial question – why some funds outperform and continue to contribute to investor's wealth?

Mutual funds have become a favored investment option for Indian investors more so as a disciplined investment option owing to dismal financial literacy rates. The study throws light on a relatively unaddressed dimension of choosing winner funds. The significance of right sector allocation assumed even more significance with the onset of the pandemic which lends further credence to the findings of the study.

Research has been conducted on secondary data extracted from a well-cited database for Indian mutual funds. Empirical analysis and conclusion drawn are based on authentic statistical analysis and adds to the existing literature.

This paper presents a systematic literature review of the various aspects of reverse logistics (RL) and closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) in implementing and achieving circular economy (CE) motives. CE is identified as a method of embracing imperishability into the economic structure, helping shift from a linear to a condition leading to ecological and social benefits.

Systematic literature was used to review a total of 80 peer-reviewed articles are included in the study and covers different concepts related to the implementation of CE, such as cost-saving, network design, sustainable RL, waste management and extended producer responsibility.

The findings reveal that the research in the domain is in a growing phase, and in recent years, a lot of attention has been given by researchers across the globe. However, further research is required in crucial areas for the adoption of CE, such as retail reverse logistics, pharmaceutical industries and resource recycling industry.

The study discusses the business needs and solutions for industries. Key enablers and barriers are listed along with the main activities involved in each sector in CLSC. Managers can design a pathway to decide which lever to use to overcome a particular challenge.

The work contributes theoretically by developing research themes in RL and CLSC practices applied to CE. It also provides theoretical and practical implications of the study, which can be used as a signboard for further research.

Micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) is the kingpin of Indian economy. It contributes to 48% of India's exports and provides employment to 110 million people. As a result, it is critical to evaluate the obstacles, expose them and find a way to overcome the crisis due to the pandemic. The study aims to analyse the impact of financial and non-financial measures for the revival of MSME and its impact on firm sustainability and future opportunity as perceived by MSME owners/heads during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This study, based on a cross-sectional survey of 197 export-oriented Indian MSMEs, attempts to investigate covid crisis mitigation strategies/measures in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model was applied to check model fit, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed for data analysis.

The results of this study show the financial and non-financial revival measures such as firm revival, marketing training, customer relationship management (CRM), financial incentive and firm support, extending worker social security and financial access and price control positively impact MSMEs' business sustainability and future opportunity as perceived by the respondents that lent good support to the hypothesis.

The study emphasizes management in association with government and financial institutions to design short-term as well as long-term strategies that may enhance their sustainability in the market. MSMEs are being forced to reassess their business strategy and modify their operating model as a result of the uncertain/unpredictable climate. Many levels of strategy aid in revitalizing the company and providing future possibilities to move forward if the government schemes positively impact the perception of entrepreneurs. Further, the study identifies the immediate measures to tide over the crisis over this sector and then furnishes recommendations for closing the identified gaps in the present understanding.

The impact of COVID-19 on Indian MSMEs and how these MSMEs are dealing with it are highlighted in this paper, which is quite scarce and insufficient to cover the gap. It also provides a comprehensive view of firm sustainability and perceived opportunity among MSMEs.

This paper aims to explore the key factors which influence whistleblowing intentions of teachers working with higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. Both internal and external whistleblowing intentions of the HEI teachers are studied by examining their relative intentions to report a potential wrongdoing to the authorities within the management of the institution and to the external statutory bodies. The reporting intentions of the HEI teachers are measured through the use of three vignettes related to academic frauds. Whistleblowing intentions are proposed to be determined by the individual, organizational and situational factors.

Survey method of descriptive research design has been used to obtain the primary data regarding the individual, organizational and situational variables deemed to influence HEI teachers’ internal and external whistleblowing intentions. A self-administered structured questionnaire is used as survey instrument for primary data collection. The respondents’ internal and external whistleblowing intentions are measured through the use of three vignettes related to academic frauds. Non-parametric tests such as Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman correlations have been used to test the research hypotheses.

The study has found that the HEI teachers are more likely to blow the whistle internally if there is a proper communication channel in their organization for reporting wrongdoings. However, they do not hesitate to blow the whistle externally in the absence of internal reporting channel, especially in those cases of wrongdoings where they perceive the cost of reporting to be high. The high status of the wrongdoer and high costs of reporting discourage the teachers to blow the whistle internally. However, if the wrongdoer holds a very powerful position in the organization, then the teachers prefer to report his wrongdoing to external agencies as they are afraid of the likely negative repercussions of reporting against him internally. In case of serious wrongdoings, the teachers intend to blow the whistle within the organization rather than going to external agencies probably because they do not want to spoil the image of their organization in the external world.

The first limitation is that because of the unavailability of pre-tested vignettes in the context of academic frauds, the study has used three vignettes which have been developed on the basis of few case studies. Second, the results showed the existence of social desirability bias across all the three vignettes. Also, the study has been conducted among teaching professionals; therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to the professionals of other sectors.

The findings of the study may bring awareness to the board of management of HEIs, regarding the importance of whistleblowing in their educational institutions. They should encourage the teachers working with their institutions to report the wrongdoings internally as external reporting may cause damage to their institute’s reputation. Proper reporting mechanisms should be designed and shared with the employees as a part of institutional culture.

The Whistle Blowers Protection Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2011 should be amended to include the private sector employees, especially the teachers working in higher education sector. This will encourage the HEI teachers to report the academic frauds fearlessly which will put a serious check on the growing number of frauds and wrongdoings in the education sector.

Previous research studies have discussed the factors influencing whistleblowing intentions in the context of various non-academic organizations. However, existing research has not adequately provided a better understanding of the influencing factors of whistleblowing intentions in higher education sector. The present paper addresses this gap by empirically examining the key factors which influence HEI teachers’ intentions of blowing the whistle and reporting the wrongdoings occurring in their institutions, in Indian context. An attempt has been made to identify the influencing factors of both internal and external whistleblowing intentions by using three different vignettes related with academic frauds.