http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1 Research Scholars Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:23:54 GMT 2026-06-13T13:23:54Z http://localhost:80/xmlui/bitstream/id/f2a89ff6-c6eb-4746-ac72-21d0cdb4f42e/ http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/1 http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6099 Trading behaviour of Institutional investor in Indian stock market Rani, Pooja Institutional investors are key players in financial markets, executing large-scale and frequent trades that comprise a major portion of total market activity. Their substantial market presence allows them to have a major impact on stock prices and market indices through their purchasing and selling activity. Foreign institutional investors, by channeling capital into a country’s markets, enhance liquidity, promote financial innovation, and support integration with the global financial system. In contrast, domestic institutional investors act as internal stabilizing forces, with their investment strategies significantly shaping market dynamics and influencing investor confidence. The study seeks to analyze trends of institutional investors in the Indian stock market. It also aims to examine the impact of their trading behaviour on stock indices returns and stock market index volatility. Additionally, the study investigates the relationship between institutional investors’ trading behaviour and stock indices movements, and assesses the influence of macroeconomic variables on the investment behaviour of institutional investors. Financial data for this study are sourced from secondary sources, including Money Control, the National Stock Exchange, the Reserve Bank of India, and the Federal Reserve Economic Data. The compiled data are subsequently analyzed using statistical and econometric techniques to extract meaningful insights. The research design employed in this study is descriptive and analytical. Descriptive research follows comparative and correlational methods to yield useful results, while the analytical design utilizes existing facts and figures to conduct a critical evaluation. The research spans a considerable timeframe, focusing on recent years to ensure relevance and depth. Specifically, it examines the period from 2011 to 2020. The sample includes daily trading data on institutional investors and stock market indicators, along with monthly data on key macroeconomic variables such as interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and GDP. Empirical analysis demonstrates the statistically significant impact of institutional investors on stock indices returns in the Indian economy. Although their behaviour exhibits predictive power, the historical momentum of the indices remains the primary driver of the fluctuations. The study also indicates that foreign and domestic institutional investors have a significant impact on the stock market index volatility. Foreign investors exert a negative impact while domestic Investors have a positive impact. In the short run, they adopt momentum trading strategies (knee–jerk reaction to market information, buy-low sell-high) and in the long run, follow value trading strategies (investing in stocks trading for less than their book value). The study introduces a novel perspective by examining how macroeconomic variables influence the investment behaviour of institutional investors. For foreign institutional investors, GDP and inflation emerge as the significant determinants, iv indicating a preference for investing in a growing economy and during inflationary periods, possibly due to the inflation-hedging nature of equities. However, the exchange rate does not show a statistically significant effect. In contrast, domestic institutional investors respond differently, with inflation and interest rates exerting a discouraging effect, consistent with risk-averse strategies during periods of economic uncertainty. GDP negatively influences the domestic institutional investor’s indicating intentional portfolio reallocation strategies. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, start-up companies, and growth-oriented organizations. The findings can also meaningfully contribute to the existing literature and identify the areas that require future research. Agrawal, Rachna and Ahmad Siddiqui,Taufeeque Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6099 2025-06-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6098 Impact of HRM practices on employee engagement and retention A study of knowledge workers in healthcare sector Gupta, Riya The present study is aimed at examining the impact of HRM practices, employee engagement, person-organization (P-O) value fit on employee retention in the healthcare sector. It is an attempt to assess the relationship of key HRM practices namely recruitment and selection, compensation and reward, performance appraisal, training and development, and employee participation on the employee retention. Moreover, the research further investigates the mediating role of employee engagement and P-O value fit in the relationship between HRM practices and employee retention. To fulfill the research objectives based on identified research gaps, primary responses were collected from 311 registered medical allopathic doctors (knowledge workers) working in private hospitals in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). Respondents who have atleast completed their graduation in medicine (MBBS) are included for the research. Furthermore, the purposive selection of private hospitals is focused on institutions where HRM practices are systematically implemented, ensuring a relevant and accurate assessment of their impact on engagement and retention. A structured questionnaire has been designed based on the validated scales relevant to the study. The questionnaires were circulated both physically and online (via Google Forms). The primary data collection process is aimed towards obtaining firsthand insights into the influence of HRM practices on employee engagement and retention. The study has employed IBM SPSS Statistics for generating descriptive statistics, normality testing using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests and common method bias using Harman’s Single-Factor test. Additionally, PLS-SEM using Smart PLS 4 is applied to analyze theoretical model and test the hypothesized relationships. The PLS-SEM framework is advantageous for handling complex models with multiple constructs and latent variables. The analysis involved measurement model assessment including reliability testing, convergent validity and discriminant validity followed by formative model assessment. Final structural model is observed where bootstrapping procedure is followed for hypothesis testing. Overall, the bootstrapping results confirmed the robustness of the HRM Practices construct, validating the inclusion of all five first-order constructs in the model. The significant T-values and P-values reinforced that these dimensions meaningfully contribute to HRM Practices, with recruitment & selection and compensation & reward having the strongest influence. The findings of this study emphasize the crucial role of HRM practices in fostering employee engagement and enhancing employee retention in the healthcare sector. Effective recruitment, competitive compensation, structured training, and participatory decision-making significantly contribute to engagement and retention. However, performance appraisal systems require further iv refinement to maximize their impact on engagement. the insignificant impact of performance appraisal on engagement suggests that existing appraisal systems may require reassessment and refinement to better align with employee expectations and organizational goals. Additionally, mediation analysis is conducted to evaluate the mediating role of P-O value fit and engagement in the relationship between HRM practices and employee retention. The statistical significance of the indirect effect, combined with a strong mediation pathway, confirmed that Employee Engagement partially mediated the relationship between HRM Practices and Employee Retention. These findings emphasized the need for the healthcare organizations to not only implement effective HRM practices but also ensure that such practices enhance employee engagement to achieve workforce retention. Similarly, the results confirm that P-O value fit partially mediated the relationship between HRM Practices and employee retention. While HRM practices had a direct positive impact on retention, their effectiveness was further enhanced by ensuring that employees identified with the organization’s values. Finally, the research is concluded with theoretical contributions and practical implications. The theoretical contributions provide a robust conceptual foundation for understanding influence of HRM on healthcare organizations, integrating established theories to explain the dynamics of employee engagement and retention. Meanwhile, the practical implications offer actionable insights that can guide healthcare organizations, HR professionals, and policymakers in implementing HRM practices that enhance employee engagement and long-term retention. By focusing on these aspects, the study not only enriches academic literature but also provides a roadmap for healthcare organizations to optimize their HRM practices, ensuring a more engaged and dedicated knowledge workers. Agarwal, Rachna and Gupta, Arti Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6098 2025-04-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6097 Corrosion studies of industrially important metals in different environmental conditions Vasishth, Priya Corrosion-induced metallic degradation constitutes a persistent technological and economic challenge across petrochemical, infrastructure, automotive, and aerospace sectors, with annual global losses estimated at nearly USD 2.5 trillion, representing 3-4% of global gross domestic product. Mild Steel (MS), characterized by elevated reactivity and limited intrinsic corrosion resistance due to its minimal carbon content, remains particularly vulnerable to electrochemical deterioration in aggressive aqueous environments. This investigation systematically evaluated the efficacy of structurally diverse organic compounds, selecting natural plant-derived extract, pharmaceuticalgrade heterocyclic molecules (antihistamine derivatives), and the synthetic azo-dye compounds, as potential corrosion inhibitors for MS protection in acidic chloride and sulfate media. Electrochemical characterization methodologies, like potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface analytical technique (Atomic force Microscopy), were used to elucidate inhibition mechanisms, quantify surface coverage characteristics, and assess protective film formation dynamics. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameter governing inhibitor adsorption were determined through application of established isotherm models, while computational approaches utilizing density functional theory provided molecular-level insights into electronic structure characteristics and metal-inhibitor interaction enthalpies. The botanical extract formulation BPE depicted maximum inhibition efficiency of 97.5%, whereas pharmaceutical-derived LT exhibited exceptional efficacy of 98.72% in hydrochloric acid and 86.35% in sulfuric acid media at 308 K. Synthetic dye systems TH and PSF attained inhibition efficiencies of 95.8% and 83.2%, respectively, at 4 × 10−4 M concentration. Synergistic composite inhibitor formulations utilizing eugenol oil with dye constituents ALZ, AMR, and PSF develop critical performance enhancements, increasing inhibition efficiency from base eugenol efficiency of 56.37% to 83.57%, 76.71%, and 93.62%, respectively, indicative of cooperative adsorption phenomena & improved interfacial interaction. Comprehensive temperature-dependent evaluation across range 308338 K revealed dynamic adsorption behavior characterized by concentration-dependent and temperature-dependent inhibition efficiency variation. Azure dye series compounds (D-1, D-2, D-3) demonstrated thermally activated surface interactions, with competitive inhibitor displacement patterns evolving from D-2 ≥ D-1 > D-3 at lower temperatures to D-3 > D-1 ≥ D-2 at elevated temperatures, consistent with chemisorptive binding mechanisms and increased thermal mobility of adsorbed molecular species. The integrated experimental and computational findings establish that investigated inhibitor systems exhibit sustained high corrosion protection capability via multi-site adsorption mechanisms, robust protective film formation and usable thermodynamic v driving forces governing surface localization. The plant-derived and synthetic organic inhibitors demonstrated comparable or superior performance relative to conventional heavy metal-based formulations, while holding substantially improved environmental compatibility, biodegradability, and occupational safety profiles. These results provide fundamental mechanistic understanding and quantitative validation leads development of advanced eco-compatible corrosion inhibitor technologies for large-scale industrial implementation in mild steel protection applications across diverse aggressive media environments. Mangla, Bindu Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6097 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6096 Customer engagement strategies in health insurance industry Mangla, Dolly Health insurance is still underutilized, despite a rise in public awareness, interest, and consideration after the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that a wide range of attractive plans are being offered to the general populace by both public and private companies. The reason Health Insurance (HI) companies are not succeeding in achieving the HI penetration has now becomes an area of study. A population’s attitude regarding health insurance may not be fully understood by stakeholders. According to a review of the literature, there are numerous problems with the health insurance market, including lack of trust, out-of-pocket expenses, and lack of knowledge about available facilities. Insurance market players can address these problems through CE in HI sector as CE has become strategic tool for facilitating satisfaction, repurchase intention, loyalty, co-creation, repatronage intention, and consequently firm performance in the service context. (Agyei et al., 2020; Dessart et al., 2015; Harrigan et al., 2017; Hollebeek, 2011a; Islam & Rahman, 2016). CE has been extensively researched across other service sectors such as banking (Islam et al., 2020), telecommunications (Mishra et al., 2020), and hospitality (Durna et al., 2015; Yen et al., 2020); however, its strategic role in the Indian health insurance industry domain remains underexplored. This study aims to fill that research gap by developing and validating a context-specific customer engagement model for the Indian health insurance sector. The research addresses four key objectives: (1) identifying the major issues in the Indian HI industry, (2) assessing the current level of CE, (3) determining the critical factors that influence CE, and (4) proposing an empirically validated CE framework tailored to India’s unique economic landscape. A descriptive and causal approach is adopted. Initially, expert opinions and a literature review informed the identification of CE dimensions. Fuzzy AHP was used to determine the level of customer engagement, while a structured survey of health insurance policyholders helped collect primary data. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques were employed to test hypotheses and validate the model. The present study seeks to examine, with the help of proposed model, the influence of various strategies (AI chatbots, gamification, innovation, and referral rewards) on CE which in turn leads to repurchase intention. The Stimulus-Organism-Response theory has been adopted as the theoretical background to justify the proposed model of the study. After carrying out an extensive literature review on CE and health insurance sector, this study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design for empirically investigating the model. Two self-administered questionnaire surveys were conducted from experts and customers having health insurance respectively in NCR. Only those customers were taken as respondents who had HI from at least 3 years. A total of 396 valid responses were taken for statistical analysis (PLS-SEM) for the study and to study iv the level of CE, total of 25 responses were taken from HI industry experts for Analytical Hierarchy Process (Multi-Criteria Decision Making) technique. Findings of the study demonstrated that CE has a significant influence on repurchase intentions. Strategies such as digital interactivity (e.g., AI chatbots), referral reward programs, gamification, and service innovation emerged as key enablers of customer engagement. The study emphasizes the need for customized engagement strategies that reflect India’s cultural and demographic nuances. The key contribution of the present study is the formulation of a robust model that explains the CE concept in HI industry and explains that various strategies including AI chatbots, gamification, innovation, and referral rewards drive CE which in turn has a positive influence on repurchase intention. Moreover, the systematic literature review on CE and the various issues in health insurance sector provides insights for researcher regarding future research directions. By offering empirical evidence and managerial recommendations, the study contributes to both the academic literature, and industry practice, helping to solve the various issues in the health insurance industry. Aggrwal, Renu Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6096 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z