Commerce & Business Researcher

Contradictory Narratives on Drivers and Barriers of Online Shopping Intentions for Apparel among Customers in Kerala

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

Apparels are the frills of social embellishment and the medium for defining one’s personality. The rapid advancement in information technology, online banking, and smartphone accessibility has resulted in exponential growth in online apparel shopping in developing countries, with India ranking second in market potential. A spectrum of internal and external factors influences people’s intentions to buy online, with customers’ attitudes shaped by perceptions being the most influential one. The descriptive study using first-hand data investigates the perceptions regarding drivers and barriers of online shopping intentions for apparel among online and offline preferring customers in Kerala. There are diverging arguments for and against online apparel shopping, labelled as drivers and barriers. The discussions hint that, for customers who prefer to shop online, the perceived impact of drivers outweighs the barriers. However, customers who prefer offline overweigh the impact of barriers on online shopping intentions rather than what drivers could exert. The study concludes that people’s perceptions of how drivers and barriers impact their online apparel shopping intentions serve as the foundation for their preferences of being online or offline. The contradictory narratives of the perceived impact of drivers and barriers on customers’ online shopping intentions have classified strategic implications for businessmen in understanding consumer behaviour patterns and effectively enrooting their products.

Beyond the Hype: Evaluating the Real Impact of News on Cryptocurrency Market Volatility

2024-01-10T17:20:39+00:00

This study used the CMC 200 Index as a cryptocurrency market benchmark to examine complex volatility patterns of cryptocurrencies. The growing interest in cryptocurrencies and the necessity to analyse their market dynamics, especially in the face of external inputs like news, prompted the study. The study examined market responses and causes to diverse stimuli using rigorous analytical models including GARCH, EGARCH, FIGARCH, and News Impact Curve. The asymmetric
volatility or “leverage effect” showed that negative events or news have a greater impact on market volatility than positive developments of similar magnitude. Symmetric volatility indicated large price shifts regardless of news direction. The left-skewed news effect curve emphasises this asymmetric volatility, demonstrating that negative news has a greater impact on market dynamics. The curve’s leftward skew shows the market’s increased susceptibility to pessimism. This suggests that negative news might undermine investor confidence in the crypto market more than favourable news. Beyond these initial reactions, the research revealed a “long memory” in market volatility, suggesting that prior shocks continue to affect its volatility over time. These studies emphasise the importance of investor sentiment in crypto market. Investors in this volatile market need honest communication and strong risk management due to the leverage impact and prior experience.

Relevance of Islamic Banking in Academic Arena: A Bibliometric and Citation Analysis

2024-01-10T17:20:39+00:00

Islamic banking, also known as interest-free banking, refers to a financial system that operates in accordance with Islamic law or Sharia principles, guided by the principles outlined in the Quran. In Islamic economics, the acquisition of financial interests is strictly prohibited. This article employed bibliometric and citation analysis techniques to evaluate the scholarly literature on Islamic banking. The research utilized the Web of Science database from Clarivate Analytics to extract papers containing the term “Islamic banking.” The bibliometric analysis was performed using software tools such as Biblioshiny( ) package from RStudio and VOS viewer. The analysis aimed to acquaint researchers and professionals with the most prolific authors, sources, institutions, and countries in the field of study. It also sought to identify influential research channels and the impact of authors, sources, countries, and research topics. Additionally, the analysis aimed to identify significant clusters within the Islamic banking research and provide valuable information for further investigations.

Assessing the Influence of the Digital India Initiative on Digital Payment Mechanisms: A Comprehensive Study on Policy-Driven Digitalization

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

This research examines the impact of the Digital India program, initiated in 2015, on the progression of digital payments in India. The study applies linear trend models to analyse both the volume and value of digital payments before and after the program's implementation, revealing a significant upsurge in both aspects post-implementation. Despite a temporary downturn in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the general trajectory recovered swiftly, indicating the digital payment system's resilience. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 45% for total digital payment volume and 7% for total digital payment value further reinforces this growth. The study's outcomes underline the effectiveness of government-led digitalization initiatives in advancing a nation's financial sector and fostering a digital economy. This research carries implications for policymakers, financial stakeholders, and scholars investigating digitalization policies. The results offer a solid basis for future research exploring the influence of such policies on financial inclusion and economic growth.

Irrationalities in Investment Decisions: A Bibliometric Analysis

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

Behavioural biases are a branch of behavioural finance which focuses on irrationalities in the decision-making of investors. The present study is a bibliometric analysis of the research in the area of “behavioural biases” to bring out the evolution, growth, major contributions, and trend topics in the field. Through bibliometric analysis, the study made a time-line based scientific mapping of publications in behavioural biases. Biblioshiny, a web interface tool in the bibliometrix R software package, is employed for mapping the literature. A total of 340 documents were extracted from the Web of Science database using the keyword “behavioural biases”. The documents were refined using the PRISMA framework, and 172 of them
were included in the study. The analysis shows that the first article on the topic was published in 1995 by Schweitzer, and the year in which the most articles were published was 2020. Alok Kumar, University of Texas, has made the highest contribution in the field. The United States is the leading contributor. ‘Prospect theory’ remains the most used keyword, and the thematic analysis reveals that ‘investment’ is the main theme around which more articles are written. The most globally cited article is Frank Zhang’s ‘Information Uncertainty and Analyst Forecast Behavior,’ published in 2006. By analysing the results, it is evident that there is a wide scope for exploration into the various dimensions of behavioural finance. Prospective researchers can effectively utilise the gaps prevailing in the discipline of behavioural finance.

Modeling Symmetric and Asymmetric Volatility in Nifty 50 Index Futures Market

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

Volatility in stock markets is a matter of concern for investors and policymakers across the world. Derivatives enable traders to manage risk arising out of volatility through hedging and arbitrage (Singh & Kansal, 2010). During times of high volatility, regulatory authorities step in to curb the frenzied activity in the stock market. Time series data of financial nature shows non-normality traits. Thus, it is essential to check whether distributions other than normal distribution can perfectly analyze the time series data. Therefore, it becomes important to use the appropriate methods to model volatility. This study aims to analyse both symmetric and asymmetric volatility in Nifty 50 futures markets. Different variants of GARCH models were used in the study under three probability distributions such as normal, Student’s-t, and generalized error distribution (GED). EGARCH (1,1) model with Student’s- t distribution proved to be the best model for capturing volatility as it had the lowest AIC value. The results detected the presence of a leverage effect and thereby confirmed that negative news created more volatility than positive news.

Farm Tourism in Kerala – An Empirical Analysis of Service Quality

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

Farm tourism is an integral part of eco-tourism. Being an agricultural nominated state, Kerala has huge potential for developing farm tourism without incurring much additional cost. This study aims to examine the service quality of farm tourism spots in Kerala and to analyze its relationship with the overall satisfaction level of tourists. This is a descriptive paper based on both primary and secondary data. The study used a perception-based SERVPERF scale for measuring service quality. The dimensions of the SERVPERF scale include tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The study collected data from 100 farm tourists visiting farm tourism spots in the Wayanad district of Kerala using convenience sampling method. Cronbach’s alpha values for service quality dimensions were high, and hence the SERVPERF scale used in the study is proved to be highly reliable. Findings revealed that the majority of the respondents prefer farm tourism spots because of their eco-friendly nature. Among the dimensions of service quality, empathy has the highest mean score, which is followed by assurance and responsiveness. The result further shows a significant difference between domestic and foreign tourists regarding their perception towards various dimensions of service quality. The study also highlighted a significant positive relationship between service quality dimensions and tourist satisfaction. The outcome of the study can be used for improving the service quality of farm tourism spots in Kerala. Tourism planners can take the findings of the study to develop marketing strategies to attract new tourists and retain existing tourists.

Indiaʼs Post-Harvest Paradox: Exploring Infrastructure Deficits and Opportunities for Food Security

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

This research delved into India's substantial post-harvest losses, highlighting the consequential effects on the country's food and nutritional security. Despite its position as a leading global agricultural producer, India faces pronounced food wastage, largely attributed to suboptimal post-harvest management and infrastructure. The study's objectives were to quantify these losses, ascertain their repercussions on food security, and evaluate the prevailing state of post-harvest facilities. Leveraging secondary data from governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare and the National Centre for Cold Chain Development, the research juxtaposed horticultural data against WHO benchmarks, scrutinized wastage rates of key agricultural products, and gauged the efficacy of the existing cold chain mechanisms. The results revealed a significant increase in agricultural yield, yet a substantial fraction remains unutilized, with perishables like fruits and vegetables bearing the brunt of the wastage. The primary culprits identified were the insufficiency of cold chain amenities and ineffective post-harvest practices. With India's population trajectory on an upward curve, addressing these post-harvest challenges is imperative for fortifying food security. The research accentuates the pressing need for technological advancements, bolstered investments in post-harvest infrastructure, and strategic policy overhauls to curtail these losses and enhance India's food security framework.

Business Skills Among Farmers: A Bibliometric Review

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

The development of certain business skills among farmers becomes necessary as it brings prosperity as well as ensures the sustainability of the farming community. The present paper is carried out to capture the knowledge base and trends in research in the field of business skills of farmers. The bibliographic data extracted from the Dimensions database are analyzed with VosViewer software by performing citation analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling network analysis, and term co-occurrence analysis to meet the study objective.

Exploring Nature’s Abode: Unveiling Kerala’s Enchanting Forest Ecotourism Products

2024-01-10T17:20:38+00:00

The state of Kerala, renowned for its lush forests and diverse ecosystems, has embraced forest ecotourism as a means of sustainable economic development. This paper goes through the realm of Kerala’s enchanting forest tourism products, investigating tourist satisfaction levels and variations across different categories of tourists. The study’s objectives encompass comprehending tourist satisfaction with Kerala Forest ecotourism’s products and services and discerning whether satisfaction varies among foreign, domestic, and local visitors. The primary data was collected through structured interviews with a sample of 400 tourists who visited 16 forest ecotourism sites across Kerala. Secondary data was sourced from records maintained by the Kerala Forest Department, including official reports and information provided by the Ecotourism wing of the department. Satisfaction levels were measured using a 5-point Likert scale for 17 forest products. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and subsequent univariate ANOVA tests unveiled significant variations in satisfaction levels across different categories oftouristsforspecific products. Results showcased that tourist satisfaction with forest ecotourism products was moderate on average, with distinctions observed in satisfaction levels among different tourist categories. The study underscores the necessity of tailoring marketing strategies and product offerings to suit the preferences of diverse tourists. The findings provide insights for policymakers, tour operators, and local communities to enhance the attractiveness and sustainability of forest ecotourism in Kerala. Hence this research also sheds light on the complex dynamics of tourist satisfaction in Kerala’s forest ecotourism context.