Minnesota Journal of Business Law and Entrepreneurship
Minnesota Journal of Business Law and Entrepreneurship The Minnesota Journal of Business Law and Entrepreneurship is a student-edited legal publication dedicated to examining the legal, regulatory, and policy issues that shape business activity and entrepreneurial innovation. The Journal publishes high-quality scholarship from academics, legal practitioners, policymakers, and students on topics including corporate governance, startups, venture capital, securities regulation, intellectual property, technology law, and economic development. Committed to rigorous legal analysis and practical relevance, the Journal serves as a forum for advancing dialogue at the intersection of law and business. By highlighting emerging trends and fostering interdisciplinary perspectives, the Journal contributes to the development of legal frameworks that support innovation, ethical business practices, and sustainable economic growth.
AI-Driven Dynamic Visual Merchandising and Its Micro-Level Impact on Impulse Buying Behaviour in Supermarkets
Artificial​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the world of physical retail, especially in how store visuals are created and used. Instead of just simple, static product displays, stores can now rely on visual merchandising that are not only more interactive and adaptive but also driven by data. Based on the SOR theoretical model, this investigation focuses on the role of AI-driven visual merchandising in supermarkets in influencing consumer impulse buying, with the degree of visual engagement acting as a mediating factor. Employing a quantitative research methodology, the study gathered and analysed through SEM customer survey data that was collected from shoppers who were exposed to various AI-powered visual merchandising elements such as upgraded display quality, custom shelf arrangements, live digital signage, and product recommendation visibility. The results show that AI-powered visual merchandising greatly enhances visual engagement, which then leads to impulse buying, with visual engagement being the complete mediator between AI and impulse buying. The most impactful element was the visibility of product recommendations. The paper underlines that visual engagement is the main psychological mechanism that connects technological factors with consumer behaviour and thus serves as a strong empirical support of the S–O–R framework in the case of AI technology in the retail context. On a practical level, supermarkets employing AI-powered displays that not only attract consumer attention but also smartly present product recommendations can increase the number of unplanned ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌purchases.
Predicting and Modeling Customer Churn in Telecom Industry: An SEM–PLS-Based Analytical Framework
India’s mobile telecommunications market, the world’s second largest, faces rapid growth and fierce competition, making customer churn reduction a strategic priority. This study develops and validates an integrated framework to identify and predict churn determinants within India’s emerging 5G ecosystem. Data from 1,600 mobile subscribers in Hyderabad were analyzed using a two-stage process involving Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Logistic regression and PLS-Predict were applied to assess predictive accuracy. Results indicate that network quality, service experience, and product value significantly influence churn, while advertisement, brand, and social influence are insignificant. Predictive testing confirmed high accuracy (AUC = 0.84) and strong relevance (Q²_predict > 0). The validated SEM–PLS model offers actionable insights for proactive churn management, emphasizing network reliability, responsive service, and value-added offerings. This study extends existing literature by modeling churn behavior through a structural–predictive approach specific to India’s 5G context.
Ethical Challenges in Accounting Practice in the Era of Performance-Based Reporting
Accountants' ethical behavior is crucial to financial reporting's credibility, transparency, and stakeholder confidence, particularly in performance-based reporting systems. Even though accounting ethics have been extensively discussed in the literature, there are surprisingly few empirical studies that statistically investigate the connection between ethical aspects and the quality of fiscal reporting. This research aims to investigate the impact of significant ethical principles on ethical decision-making in accounting practice. Quality in fiscal reporting, sincerity, objectivity, competence, secrecy, and professional conduct are among these guiding principles. The study employs a descriptive and analytical research approach to collect primary data from 143 accounting professionals by utilizing a structured questionnaire. After making sure the data was suitable using reliability and normality tests, we used Spearman's rho correlation analysis to look for correlations between the variables. At the 1% significance level, the results show a positive and statistically significant correlation between fiscal reporting quality and all measured ethical dimensions, suggesting that adhering to ethical standards significantly improves reporting quality. Strong ethical frameworks, regulatory compliance, and professional integrity greatly reduce the likelihood of ethical dilemmas intensifying due to performance constraints, according to the study's findings. It is suggested that businesses incorporate ethical indicators into performance reviews, enhance ethics education, and promote ethical leadership in order to foster an atmosphere in the accounting industry where honesty and professionalism are valued.
The Synergistic Effect of Talent Attraction and Retention on Employee Productivity: Empirical Evidence from the Indian IT Industry
This study investigates the individual and combined effects of talent attraction and talent retention on employee productivity within the competitive context of the Indian Information Technology (IT) industry. It aims to address a gap in the literature by testing their synergistic impact, rather than examining them in isolation. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. Data was collected via a structured questionnaire from 350 IT professionals across five major Indian IT hubs (Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi). Validated scales measured perceptions of talent attraction, retention, and self-assessed productivity. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results confirm that both talent attraction (β = 0.34, p < 0.001) and talent retention (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) are significant positive predictors of employee productivity. Crucially, hierarchical regression revealed a significant synergistic effect. The combined model (Talent Attraction + Talent Retention) explained a substantially greater variance in productivity (R² = 0.48) than the model with attraction alone (R² = 0.32), demonstrating that their integrated impact is greater than the sum of their individual parts. Research Limitations/Implications: The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and self-reported data may introduce bias. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and objective performance metrics. Practical Implications: The findings urge IT firms to move beyond siloed HR approaches. Managers must develop integrated talent management strategies where employer branding and recruitment promises are seamlessly aligned with the internal work experience, leadership support, and career development opportunities to maximize employee productivity. Originality/Value: This study provides empirical evidence for the synergistic relationship between talent attraction and retention, a area previously underexplored in the Indian IT context. It offers a validated model and instrument for future research and provides managers with a clear rationale for a holistic talent management framework.
Self-Management and Development: Perceived Stress Management with Cost-Effective Self-Care Strategies for Well-Being among Women Educators.
Women educators frequently experience significant work-related stress due to demanding workloads, emotional labour, and the challenge of balancing professional responsibilities with household and caregiving roles. This study evaluates perceived stress levels and examines the acceptability and effectiveness of cost-effective mindful self-care strategies aimed at promoting holistic well-being among women educators. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 120 participants through a structured questionnaire covering stress, self-care practices, and well-being indicators. Results revealed moderately high stress levels, with lack of personal time and difficulty balancing work and home emerging as major contributors. Although participants reported irregular use of self-care techniques, they consistently rated these practices—such as deep breathing, micro-breaks, stretching, grounding exercises, and sleep hygiene—as highly effective in reducing stress. Holistic well-being across emotional, mental, physical, and social domains was moderate overall. The findings highlight a strong willingness among women educators to adopt and sustain simple, low-cost self-care routines if institutional support and structured guidance are provided. The study underscores the importance of integrating mindful self-care into professional development and workplace wellness initiatives to strengthen resilience and enhance overall well-being among women educators.
Empowering Markets: Strategic Women Leadership and Organizational Success
The study looks at the special strategies adopted by leadership teams made of women in developing economies and the results such strategies have on improvements and the expansion of the organization. I looked through many texts, including ones created using correspondence analysis and topic modelling (Latent Dirichlet Allocation), to find relationships with academic and organizational data published since 2020. The base of the work is built on institutional theory, social role theory and transformational leadership. The study is focused on these themes by sorting information under ten theme clusters for inclusivity, trust, legitimacy, positive teamwork, leadership and ethics. Correspondence analysis further maps semantic relationships by distancing structural facilitators from outcome-based conceptions in Dimension 1 and leadership attributes from more generic contextual components in Dimension 2. The results show how women leaders work in complex ecosystems, challenging norms and encouraging innovation and growth. Women’s strategic leadership benefits from people acting as mentors, from building supportive settings and from receiving leadership training. However, there are some problems, as well, like not having enough contact, women being treated unequally and managing work and personal issues. According to the report, organizations need to give mentorship, apply gender-responsive leadership and set up inclusive and appropriate strategies. Women leaders help make a difference in many areas, not just in business. As well as giving insights into how promotional measures and policies can affect gender equality and the economy, the research uses two different analysis methods to encourage progress in leadership research. Future research can take advantage of using longitudinal studies, sectoral exams, intersectional approaches and collected data and numbers.
The Moderating Role of Board Skills in the ESG Performance and Dividend Payout Relationship: Evidence from Emerging Markets
Prior research on the link between ESG performance and dividend policies has mainly focused on developed markets, with limited attention to emerging economies such as India. The role of directors’ professional skills in this relationship also remains underexplored. This study examines the impact of ESG performance on dividend payouts, moderated by board background skills, using data from Indian listed companies during 2017-2024 sourced from Refinitiv Eikon. Dividend-to-assets and dividend-to-income ratios are used as payout proxies. Fixed-effect panel regression results show a significant positive association between ESG performance and dividend payouts, indicating that sustainable practices support both shareholder and stakeholder interests. The presence of highly skilled directors further strengthens this relationship. Robustness checks across alternative measures, firm size, sectors, and dividend-paying intensity confirm stability. Findings provide valuable insights for investors, managers, analysts, and policymakers in fostering ESG and governance excellence
Strategic Assessment of ESG Disclosure Practices in India: A Case Study of Larsen & Toubro Using BRSR, Integrated Reporting, and Sustainable Finance Frameworks
The corporate reporting quality has evolved from a compliance-based necessity to a multiple structured of value add activity. The examination of the L&T’s disclosure architecture is based on its Integrated Annual Reports, standalone Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reports (BRSR), and Sustainable Finance Frameworks 2022–25.The study is based on a qualitative research design based on Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis and manual line-by-line coding. The study considers the SEBI Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR Core) and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) multi- capital framework as the reference to study the reporting architecture of L&T. The findings disclose a credible and a comprehensive system, where the alignment between ESG performance and the cost of capital is attributable and very much present. Being India’s first issuer of green bonds under SEBI’s 2025 ESG framework, L&T’s architecture serves as a critical benchmark for corporates belong to emerging economies.
Legal Frameworks for Artificial Intelligence Startups: Comparative Insights from India and the United States
The current paper also presents the comparison of the legal and regulatory environment of Artificial Intelligence startups in India and the United States and how the national approach to innovation, the speed of data privacy and transactions influence the manner in which they expand and evolve their operations. Specifically, it discusses the hidden issues of liability, responsibility, and intellectual property development in the AI creation context, and a set of urgent factors of data handling and algorithm responsibility which characterise the legislative response to both fields. The weaknesses of laws in India are also discussed, where the provisions in policies are typically in place before the specific AI law is discussed, compared with a more fragmented but more substantial provision in the legal system in the United States. Within the framework of qualitative research, a comparative study design is used in the study, which would help in critically assessing how AI is transforming and redefining the legal regimes in these two dissimilar national settings. To identify the characteristics of differences in the political approach to regulation and how it is done, the research is based on the content analysis of primary sources including legislation, policy papers, and government reports in the two countries. It also resorts to the expertise of the academic sources and the view of the experts in providing a comprehensive perspective of the evolving legal environments. Lastly, the paper is meant to describe the implications of this regulatory non-alignment in AI start-up ecosystems to inform policymakers and entrepreneurs to figure out how AI innovation works in different countries.
“Effectiveness of Management Information Systems in Manufacturing Industries: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Themes and Emerging Trends”
The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of Management Information Systems (MIS) followed in manufacturing industries by synthesizing existing scholarly literature through a systematic bibliometric analysis. The study aims to identify dominant research themes, theoretical foundations, and emerging directions that explain how MIS contributes to operational efficiency, decision-making effectiveness, and strategic competitiveness in manufacturing organizations. The study adopts a bibliometric research design based on peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in the Scopus database. A PRISMA-guided literature selection process was employed to ensure transparency and rigor. Keyword co-occurrence and network visualization techniques were applied using VOSviewer to identify thematic clusters and intellectual linkages within MIS and manufacturing research. The bibliometric analysis yielding five testable propositions for empirical validation via PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that MIS effectiveness in manufacturing industries is multi- dimensional, encompassing decision-support intelligence, operational integration, engineering–management coordination, performance evaluation, and sustainability orientation. The literature shows a clear transition from traditional reporting-based MIS to analytics-driven and strategically aligned information systems, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0. The study relies on secondary bibliometric data and does not empirically test causal relationships. While the findings provide a comprehensive conceptual synthesis, future research may validate the identified dimensions using empirical and longitudinal research designs. The study offers actionable insights for manufacturing managers to align MIS investments with decision intelligence, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability goals. It also highlights the importance of integrating shop-floor data with managerial decision systems. This study contributes to the MIS and manufacturing literature by structuring fragmented research into coherent thematic dimensions and by positioning MIS as a strategic organizational capability rather than a purely operational support system.
“Institutional Segregation in Correctional Facilities: Network Formation, Governance Failures, and the Limits of Rehabilitative Reform”
This research investigates the process of inmate segregation in India's prison establishment and assesses how those practices create and reproduce criminal networks and inhibit inmate rehabilitation. Through doctrinal legal analysis, the study concludes that segregation is established as a conscious choice. While this decision is framed as a security measure, it is often arbitrary and wilfully discriminatory based on caste, religion, gang associations, and perceived risks; it lacks governmental oversight, is amorphous and opaque, and does not evince legal or constitutional calculations of limitation. Segregation practices try to benignly identify authors of criminal behaviour while not addressing the welfare of first-time or minor offenders, exposing them to dangerous convicts. Segregation a breeding spaces for criminality that transfer criminal ideologies, criminal financing, skills, and fulfils social networks to not dip back into previous criminal habits, leading to greater recidivism and to perpetuate cycles of recidivism. Marginalised identities endure further spatial and systemic exclusions of segregation that amplify psychological harms and perpetuate social disparities embedded in existing prison cultures. The study challenges the continuity of the colonial time-temporal peculiarities of prison governance that fail to comply with Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and the internationally sanctioned obligations embodied in the Mandela and Bangkok Rules. It proposes three significant reforms: (1) that international human rights law be first integrated into India's domestic prison law and then open to review of transparency; (2) that an independent custodial oversight mechanism be adopted; and (3) that custody does not define access to education, healthcare, and legal aid.
From Clicks to Bricks: How Artificial Intelligence Shapes Showrooming and Webrooming Effects on Purchase Intention
This study investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes the influence of showrooming and webrooming behaviors on consumer purchase intention within omnichannel retail environments. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, Information Processing Theory, and technology adoption perspectives such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and UTAUT, the research conceptualizes showrooming and webrooming as external stimuli that activate internal cognitive and evaluative states namely decision confidence and perceived value which subsequently drive purchase intention. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire from omnichannel consumers, yielding 412 valid responses for analysis. Established multi-item measurement scales were employed to capture showrooming, webrooming, AI-enabled retail services (including personalization, recommendation systems, and chatbot assistance), decision confidence, perceived value, and purchase intention. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0, enabling simultaneous assessment of measurement reliability, construct validity, direct effects, mediation, and moderation relationships. The findings reveal that both showrooming and webrooming exert significant positive effects on purchase intention, while decision confidence and perceived value partially mediate these relationships. Importantly, AI-enabled retail services significantly strengthen the impact of both showrooming and webrooming on purchase intention, highlighting AI’s role as a critical technological moderator in omnichannel decision-making. The study offers actionable insights for retailers by demonstrating how AI-driven personalization and intelligent decision support can convert cross-channel search behaviors into purchase outcomes, while contributing theoretically by advancing an integrated, AI-enabled omnichannel consumer decision framework.
Ease of Doing Business and Its Implications for Firm Survival in India’s Dynamic Economic Landscape
The main motive of this research is to study the spatial pattern of firm survival in India on manufacturing and service sector (both collectively and individually) firms in context of agglomeration externalities across the different regions of India over the period 1900-2024. It further emphasizes on ease of doing business variable as a main regressor. Our results show that there is spatial dependence across states leading to global tendency of geographical clustering i.e. the states with similar firm survival rates are located close to each other. Our results also indicate that higher score of ease of doing business in a state helps sustain the firms not just within that particular state but also in the neighboring states.
Small Language Models as Control Planes: Designing Cost-Efficient GenAI Orchestration Layers for Enterprise-Integrated Digital Workflows
Generative AI applications such as chatbots and text-to-image systems create demand for GenAI models that address the common information needs of diverse stakeholders in a responsive and personalized manner. Yet the effort to train, host, and serve these models can incur substantial cost and complexity. Many large language models can answer a wide range of questions, but risk being underutilized for specific enterprise workloads. At the same time, enterprise-integrated GenAI services are supporting the digitalization of business processes at an unprecedented scale, revealing latent use cases for specialized models or adjusted configurations of the same model that reflect the cost profiles of these systems. These factors suggest that deploying smaller models to manage the GenAI orchestration layer across an enterprise might yield significant cost savings. A control plane design based on the concept of GenAI orchestration is proposed, along with a set of cost-efficiency principles for implementing this functionality. Control planes are responsible for decision-making and policy enforcement across a distributed system. Making cost-effectiveness an explicit design goal when architecting an orchestration layer introduces additional considerations beyond those that typically inform the design of control planes. Model size, sparsity, quantization, caching, and workload characterization shape the trade-offs governing the overall cost of model execution, create opportunities for realizing cost savings, and identify workload patterns that can further inform cost-saving measures.
Integrating Marketing ROI into Financial Decision-Making Frameworks
The growing responsibility trend in corporate expenditure has enhanced the necessity to incorporate the Marketing Return on Investment (ROI) within the formal financial decision-making models. Conventionally, the spending on marketing has been regarded as discretionary expenses and not as strategic investments and therefore the long-term value addition to the investments is underestimated. This research paper also analyses how the marketing ROI can be systematically integrated into the financial planning, capital budgeting and performance evaluation procedures to achieve strategic alignment as well as profitability of the organization. The paper summarizes the state of existing literature about marketing metrics and financial modelling and strategic management to suggest a methodical framework that relates marketing performance measures with the financial performance like cash flows, net present value and shareholder value. Focus is made on the connection between cost of customer acquisition, customer lifetime value, brand equity, and the campaign effectiveness to the standard financial metrics in the finance departments. Another problem discussed in the paper is the issue of measurement, attribution complexity, data integration problems, and the short-term bias of financial reporting systems. Combinations of marketing analytics and financial controls help companies better distribute resources, make marketing investment justifications to senior managers, and encourage cross-functional integration between the marketing and finance departments. The proposed structure provides significant emphasis on the use of data-driven decision support systems and predictive modelling and scenario analysis to assess tangible and intangible returns. The results indicate that companies with an integrated marketing-finance view are more transparent, strategic and have sustainable competitive advantage. Finally, integration of marketing ROI into financial decisions will transform marketing as a cost center into a value-creating investment activity, which enhances marketing as a long-term corporate strategy and financial performance parameter.
From Innovation to Commercialization: The Role of Intellectual Property Law in Business Development
The paper explores the complex nature of the intellectual property law in converting innovative ideas into commercial products and services. It explores the role played by robust intellectual property systems including patents, trademarks, and trade secrets in protecting innovative output and also providing business growth and competitive power. Namely, the review paper will focus on the complex relationships between intellectual property rights and different business development phases, starting with the original ideation and ending up with market penetration and expansion. Also, the analysis suggests the essential role of IP licensing as the means of promoting innovation and supporting the creation of a new business. It also takes into account the effect of IP on the reduction of risk and the acquisition of critical startup funds, as well as its role in research and developing projects. In this paper, the strategic worth that the intellectual property management, especially the patenting process holds to firms that aim to seize and utilize their innovations, in knowledge based economy has also been explained.
Access to Medicines and Patient Satisfaction: A Study of Pharmaceutical Insurance Benefits
In regions with high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, such as India, pharmaceutical insurance emerges as a vital mechanism for bridging gaps in access to medicine. However, its direct link to patient satisfaction remains underexplored. Access to essential medicines remains a central issue in healthcare systems, particularly in contexts where medicine costs account for a significant share of household health expenditure. Pharmaceutical insurance benefits are designed to reduce financial barriers, improve the affordability of medicine, and enhance the patient experience. Despite the expansion of insurance schemes, there is limited empirical evidence on how pharmaceutical coverage explicitly influences patient satisfaction. This study aims to examine the relationship between pharmaceutical insurance benefits and patient satisfaction, with a specific focus on the scope of drug coverage, out-of-pocket expenditures, claim procedures, and the availability of medicines under insured plans. This research aims to evaluate how insurance benefits shape access to medicines and overall patient satisfaction. Employing a cross-sectional design, we surveyed 850 insured individuals from 10 Rajasthan hospitals via stratified sampling using a reliable Likert-based tool measuring affordability, availability, and service quality; data were analyzed using chi-square tests and regression in SPSS. The analysis revealed a statistically significant positive association between comprehensive pharmaceutical insurance coverage and higher levels of patient satisfaction. Reduced co-payment requirements and timely claim settlement were found to enhance the perceived value of insurance benefits. Conversely, formulary restrictions and limited availability of medicines within network pharmacies were associated with lower satisfaction scores. Pharmaceutical insurance benefits play a decisive role in shaping access to medicines and patient satisfaction. Well-designed insurance schemes that reduce financial burdens and improve access to medicine can significantly enhance the patient experience within healthcare systems. Ultimately, these insights affirm insurance as a cornerstone for enhanced access and joy in care, highlighting affordability's pivotal role. Findings show 72% better access rates and 68% high satisfaction (mean 4.12/5), with affordability driving outcomes (β=0.45, p<0.001). Comprehensive drug coverage, lower co-payments, efficient claim processing, and reliable medicine availability emerged as key determinants of patient satisfaction among insured individuals.
Digital Transformation and Omnichannel Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery in Emerging Markets: Evidence from an Empirical Study
Rapid digitalization, uneven healthcare infrastructure, and changing patient expectations are reshaping pharmaceutical distribution in emerging markets. Traditional supply chains, largely dependent on fragmented retail networks and intermediaries, often struggle to ensure continuity of care, especially in rural and semi-urban regions. In this context, omnichannel drug delivery has emerged as an integrated model that connects physical pharmacies, e-pharmacies, telemedicine platforms, and logistics systems into a coordinated patient-centered framework. The study aims to examine the structure, adoption drivers, and performance outcomes of omnichannel drug delivery systems in emerging markets. It seeks to assess whether integrating digital and physical channels improves access, affordability, adherence, and patient satisfaction, and to evaluate its strategic implications for pharmaceutical firms. The research adopts a mixed-method design. Primary data were collected from 620 respondents, including patients with chronic conditions, retail pharmacists, and healthcare managers in urban and tier-2 cities. Structured questionnaires measured service integration, channel accessibility, perceived convenience, delivery reliability, and therapy adherence. Secondary data were drawn from policy reports and industry databases. Statistical tools included exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling to test the relationships between channel integration and patient-level outcomes. Omnichannel systems increased delivery success rates by 45% and reduced average fulfillment time to under 24 hours, while telemedicine coordination boosted adherence by 32% in rural areas. The findings indicate that higher levels of channel integration significantly improve medication adherence, refill consistency, and overall patient satisfaction. Digital touchpoints, particularly e-prescriptions and real-time order tracking, were strong predictors of perceived convenience and trust. The findings suggest that policymakers should develop more straightforward regulatory guidelines for e-pharmacy integration and digital prescription systems.
ESG Driver of Value Creation for Business
Environmental, Social, and Goverance (ESG) considerations have increasingly moved from the periphery of corporate responsibility discourse to the center of strategic decision-making. While a growing body of research examines the relationship between ESG performance and firm financial outcomes, much of the existing literature remains fragmented, often focusing on whether ESG matters rather than how it creates value. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by positioning ESG as a strategic architecture of value creation rather than a compliance-oriented or reputational tool. Drawing on stakeholder theory, the resource-based view, legitimacy theory, and agency theory, the study synthesizes prior research to identify the key mechanisms through which environmental efficiency, social capital, and governance quality contribute to sustainable business value. The paper develops an integrated conceptual framework that explains ESG-driven value creation through pathways such as risk mitigation, operational efficiency, innovation, trust-building, and improved access to capital. By shifting the analytical focus from short-term financial performance to long-term value generation, this study contributes to the evolving ESG literature and offers a clearer theoretical foundationfor future empirical research. The findings have important implications for managers seeking to embed ESG into core strategy, investors evaluatinglong-term firm resilience, and policymakers promoting sustainable economic development, particularly in emerging market contexts.
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Digital Tools Integration in Social Entrepreneurship Education: A Dual-Pathway Enhancement Model for Student Engagement and Employability Capital Development
Purpose -- This study addresses the critical gap in understanding how the integration of digital tools creates dual pathways for enhancing social entrepreneurship education outcomes, where traditional models fail to explain the simultaneous effects on immediate learning engagement and long-term career development through the formation of employability capital. Drawing on mental model theory, this research extends understanding of how students process and internalise digital technology experiences in mission-driven educational contexts. Design/methodology/approach -- A structural equation modelling approach with data from 271 university students across 15 institutions in 8 countries. The study develops and validates a novel Dual-Pathway Enhancement Model that integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, while introducing and empirically validating a five-dimensional framework of employability capital. This framework incorporates the innovative zero-harm capital dimension, complemented by digital mindset components. Findings -- Digital tools integration operates through two complementary pathways: Learning Enhancement (DTI → Perceived Usefulness → Student Engagement, 59.2% mediation) and Career Development (DTI → Employability Capital → Social Entrepreneurial Intentions, 73.9% mediation). Employability capital development demonstrates the largest effect size (Cohen's d = 1.96), while the enhanced zero-harm capital dimension addresses contemporary sustainability, ethical, and digital adaptation requirements. The model explains 54-57% of the variance in key outcomes with excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.060). Research limitations/implications -- The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, despite robust theoretical foundations. Cultural variations between developed and developing country contexts may influence the effectiveness of pathways, suggesting a need for cross-cultural validation. Future research should investigate digital growth mindset as a potential mediating mechanism and examine cultural moderators affecting dual-pathway performance across different educational and economic contexts. Practical implications -- Educational institutions can expect transformative improvements through digital integration, with an 83% enhancement in student engagement and a 96% improvement in employability capital development. The framework provides evidence-based guidance for government policy, institutional curriculum design, and student development strategies, with technology selection prioritising mission alignment over ease of use and sequential competency development approaches. Originality/value -- This research provides the first comprehensive Dual-Pathway Enhancement Model specifically for social entrepreneurship education, introduces and validates enhanced zero-harm capital with digital mindset components as a novel employability dimension, and demonstrates that digital tools create simultaneous learning and career development benefits rather than isolated outcomes. The mental model framework positions an advanced theoretical understanding of how students cognitively process digital educational experiences.
Entrepreneurship, Productivity, and the Long-Run Path of Economic Development
Entrepreneurship has long been positioned as a catalyst for economic growth, yet its role in shaping productivity dynamics and long-run development trajectories remains unevenly understood. This study revisits the entrepreneurship–development nexus by examining how different forms of entrepreneurial activity influence productivity growth and, in turn, the sustained economic advancement of nations. Moving beyond the simplistic view that “more entrepreneurship is always better,” the paper argues that the quality, orientation, and institutional embeddedness of entrepreneurship are decisive in determining developmental outcomes. Drawing on insights from growth theory, evolutionary economics, and institutional perspectives, the study conceptualises entrepreneurship as a mechanism through which resources are reallocated, innovations diffused, and productivity-enhancing structural transformation occurs over time. Particular attention is given to the distinction between necessity-driven and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and their contrasting implications for long-run productivity gains. The paper contributes to the literature by integrating entrepreneurship into a dynamic productivity framework, highlighting why some economies experience virtuous cycles of innovation-led growth while others remain trapped in low-productivity equilibria. The findings carry important implications for development policy, suggesting that fostering entrepreneurship without parallel investments in institutions, skills, and technological capability may yield limited or even counterproductive outcomes in the long run.
AI, Influencers, and Immersion the Next Phase of Digital Marketing Trends
Digital marketing is entering a transformative phase shaped by the convergence of artificial intelligence, influencer-led communication, and immersive digital technologies. As consumers become increasingly resistant to traditional advertising formats, brands are compelled to adopt more intelligent, personalised, and experiential approaches to engagement. This study explores how artificial intelligence-driven analytics, the evolving role of influencers, and immersive environments such as augmented and virtual reality collectively redefine contemporary digital marketing strategies. Rather than functioning as isolated tools, these elements interact to reshape consumer decision-making, brand authenticity, and value co-creation. The paper argues that the next phase of digital marketing is characterised by predictive personalisation, trust-based influence, and experiential immersion, shifting the focus from exposure to participation. By synthesising emerging literature and industry developments, this study offers a strategic perspective on how organisations can leverage these technologies to build meaningful consumer relationships and sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly digital-first marketplace.
Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Redefining How Firms Understand and Influence Consumers
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the marketing discipline, fundamentally reshaping how firms understand, predict, and influence consumer behaviour. Moving beyond traditional data-driven decision-making, AI enables marketers to process vast, unstructured datasets, uncover latent behavioural patterns, and deliver highly personalised interactions at scale. This conceptual paper examines the evolving role of AI in marketing, with particular emphasis on its implications for consumer insight generation, predictive analytics, and behavioural influence mechanisms. Drawing on contemporary marketing and information systems literature, the study synthesises key AI applications—including machine learning, natural language processing, and algorithmic decision systems—and evaluates how these technologies redefine customer segmentation, targeting, and engagement strategies. The paper also critically discusses emerging challenges associated with algorithmic bias, consumer privacy, ethical governance, and the erosion of consumer autonomy. By integrating technological capabilities with marketing theory, this study offers a structured framework for understanding AI’s strategic role in modern marketing practice. The paper contributes to the growing AI-marketing discourse by clarifying conceptual boundaries, identifying research gaps, and outlining future research directions that balance firm performance objectives with responsible and transparent consumer engagement.
Augmented Reality and Its Role in Retail Strategy Innovation
In an era defined by hyper-digitalisation and immersive technologies, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as more than just a marketing gimmick, it is rapidly becoming a strategic imperative in the evolving landscape of retail innovation. This paper critically explores how AR functions as a catalyst for retail strategy transformation, not merely enhancing consumer experience but fundamentally reshaping organisational models, brand engagement, and value creation. Drawing from multidisciplinary perspectives in retail management, consumer psychology, and emerging technology, this study develops a comprehensive framework to understand AR’s role in strategic innovation. The research employs a mixed-methods empirical approach, integrating primary data from retail consumers and professionals with robust statistical analysis via structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings suggest that AR contributes significantly to competitive differentiation, customer journey optimisation, and data-driven personalisation — all while challenging traditional retail paradigms. Importantly, the study reveals a strategic convergence between AR integration and agile business model adaptation, with implications for both legacy retailers and digital-native brands. This paper contributes to theoretical advancement in retail innovation literature and offers actionable insights for practitioners navigating the complexities of post-pandemic consumer expectations, digital fatigue, and omnichannel fluidity.
Beyond Greenwashing: Authentic Sustainability as a Competitive Marketing Strategy
As sustainability becomes a central discourse in contemporary marketing, organisations increasingly face scepticism regarding the authenticity of their environmental and social claims. The proliferation of greenwashing has eroded consumer trust, transforming sustainability from a symbolic branding exercise into a strategic credibility test. This study moves beyond surface-level sustainability narratives to examine how authentic sustainability—defined by transparency, measurable impact, and long-term organisational commitment—functions as a competitive marketing strategy rather than a reputational safeguard alone. Drawing on contemporary sustainability and strategic marketing literature, the paper develops a conceptual framework linking authentic sustainability practices with brand trust, consumer engagement, and competitive differentiation. The analysis argues that firms embedding sustainability into core value creation processes, rather than promotional communication, achieve superior market positioning and resilience in increasingly conscious consumer markets. By reframing sustainability as a strategic marketing capability rather than a signalling mechanism, this study contributes to the growing debate on ethical marketing and offers actionable insights for organisations seeking durable competitive advantage in an era of heightened stakeholder scrutiny.
“Behavioural Barriers to Wealth Creation among Women Investors: An Empirical Study”
The present study examined the behavioural factors influencing investment decisions and wealth creation among women investors in Bangalore City. The study aimed to analyze the level of investment awareness and participation, identify key behavioural barriers, examine the role of behavioural biases, financial confidence, and social influence, and assess their impact on long-term wealth creation. Primary data were collected from 180 women investors using a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and regression analysis were employed to test the hypotheses using SPSS software. The findings revealed that women investors demonstrated a moderate level of investment awareness and participation, with a preference for safer investment avenues. Behavioural barriers and behavioural biases showed limited influence on wealth creation, with risk aversion exhibiting marginal significance in certain cases. Financial confidence, social influence, and financial literacy did not show statistically significant relationships with long-term investment performance. The study concluded that while behavioural factors shape investment attitudes, wealth creation among women investors is influenced more by structural, economic and institutional factors than by behavioural aspects alone. The study provides useful insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and educators to design targeted financial literacy and investment support programmes for women investors.
AI-Enabled Carbon Tagging Systems (AI-CTS): An Intelligent Architecture for Real-Time Carbon Accountability and Sustainable Decision-Making
The growing urgency of climate action has intensified the need for transparent, scalable and decision-relevant carbon accountability systems. While existing carbon accounting and ESG disclosure mechanisms have improved organizational reporting, they remain largely static, resource-intensive and disconnected from real-time operational and consumer decision contexts. Building on the foundational concept of the Carbon Tagging System (CTS), this paper proposes an advanced AI-enabled Carbon Tagging System (AI-CTS) that operationalizes product- and service-level carbon transparency through intelligent automation. The study develops a multi-layer socio-technical framework that integrates artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain to enable real-time carbon estimation, dynamic tag generation, behavioral personalization and automated verification. Grounded in stakeholder theory, institutional theory and behavioral economics, the AI-CTS framework extends prior sustainability disclosure models by embedding machine learning-driven lifecycle assessment, explainable AI for tag transparency and predictive governance dashboards within a unified architecture. The paper advances the emerging domain of Carbon Information Systems (CIS) by demonstrating how AI can transform carbon tagging from a static reporting tool into an adaptive decision intelligence infrastructure. Conceptual propositions are developed to guide empirical testing of consumer trust, purchase behavior, greenwashing detection and firm-level ESG performance under AI-enabled tagging conditions. The study contributes to sustainability, information systems and ESG scholarship in three ways: (1) it introduces an intelligent automation pathway for scalable product-level carbon disclosure; (2) it integrates behavioral nudging with AI-driven environmental analytics; and (3) it provides a practical implementation blueprint for firms, policymakers and digital platform providers. The paper concludes by outlining validation strategies, governance considerations and research directions necessary to operationalize AI-CTS in both developed and emerging economies, positioning it as a critical infrastructure for real-time carbon accountability and low-carbon market transformation.
Analysing ESG Risk in MSMEs: A Context-Sensitive Framework from Forestry Enterprises in India
MSMEs offer distinctive opportunities to influence sustainable development of the Indian economic structure as a result of their adaptability, scope, and local focus, yet ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risk assessment remains limited to the large corporate context. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing ESG risk landscape in MSMEs. The study conducts a qualitative analysis of data collected through a survey from 121 forestry-MSMEs situated in the Vidarbha region of India. Understanding ESG risks in MSMEs requires an approach tailored to their specific challenges and operational scale. This paper examines key ESG risks and their impact on MSMEs’ strategies to manage these risks. The findings highlight that environmental exposure dominates due to ecological dependence, while governance vulnerabilities remain structurally embedded. The study contributes to ESG measurement literature by offering a context-sensitive, statistically defensible, and MSME-appropriate framework. The integration of ESG principles can strengthen the resilience of MSMEs to operational risks, improve brand reputation, and reduce costs through increased resource efficiency. However, applying a common ESG framework to MSMEs, given their contextualized nature, would be a hindrance to their contribution to sustainable development.[1] Therefore, the proposed framework conceptualizes ESG integration in MSMEs not as a compliance outcome but as a cognitive-institutional process triggered by climate exposure. By theorizing ESG familiarity as a mediating mechanism, the model explains how ESG uncertainty becomes embedded in governance structures. The study contributes a process-based explanation for how informal risk perception evolves into formal governance structures.
Free Speech and Corporate Political Spending after Citizens United Case: Implication for Emerging Business
This paper examines the complex interplay between free speech principles, corporate political spending, and their profound implications for emerging businesses in the aftermath of the seminal 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This case essentially transformed the face of corporate participation in political debates by removing limits on independent spending, which produced a major boom in corporate political participation. This judicial overreach on corporate personhood in the name of equating the value of monetary contributions to guarded speech, but also in terms of how such a step has not only increased the financial stream into the political campaigns but has also affected the strategic thought behind nascent businesses facing an environment dominated by the increasing role of political capital. In particular, the ruling allowed corporations to use unrestricted sums of money to benefit or detract political candidates and reduced the First Amendment to contain a powerful tool used by corporations in order to influence the election outcomes. This has brought in a lot of debate about this growth of corporate rights especially the free and easy profligacy in election campaign as far as their effect on the process of democracy and the fair involvement of all the parties is involved. This paper will delve into the mechanisms through which Citizens United has fostered an environment where corporate political spending can either stimulate economic growth and policy changes beneficial to a broader populace or exacerbate inequalities by prioritizing corporate interests over those of smaller entities and the general public.
Whistleblower Protection and Criminal Investigations in Corporations
The paper is an analysis of the complex correlation between whistleblower protection systems and the effectiveness of criminal investigations in corporate organizations. It explores the legal issues, controversies, and uncertainty of adopting information obtained through private in-house investigations as part of official criminal investigations, especially the rights and safeguards of whistleblowers. The analysis also looks at the effect of situational jurisdiction on corporate investigative law on the incentives promoted by corporations to prevent and report misconduct in order to affect the enforcement result. They will also consider whether there is a possible clash between the rights of corporate self incrimination and the need to have transparency when it comes to finding out the corporate malfeasance. Also, the review will examine the fragile nature of promoting internal reporting based on strong whistleblower protection and the protection of the due process rights of employees involved in corporate investigations. In addition, it will consider the issue of implementing evidence on corporate internal investigations into the criminal process made in capital, particularly when such jurisdictions do not have legal provisions addressing that very matter. Lastly, the paper will address the developing role of artificial intelligence in internal investigations where this will be analyzed in terms of the implication it has on admissibility and value of evidence in future criminal trials.This is an in-depth review that seeks to summarize existing studies and provide valuable information on best practices that can help create an environment that will enable whistleblower disclosures to positively impact corporate responsibility and the integrity of the criminal investigations.
Adoption of AI-Based HR Analytics and Its Impact on Firm Productivity, Employment Structure and Wage Dispersion: Evidence from Workforce Data
Nowadays, artificial intelligence reshapes how HR handles workforce data. This research compares several publicly available workforce datasets to explore whether AI, powered tools predict job performance more accurately. Instead of relying solely on classic statistics, newer machine learning approaches are tested here. Their capacity to outperform older techniques becomes a central point of examination. Evidence, based choices in management gain support when predictions improve. Results hinge on how well these modern models adapt to real, world employment patterns. Starting with raw inputs, the study follows a structured process involving cleaning data, creating features, then applying models to public workforce records containing details on employees backgrounds, roles, involvement levels, and results. Moving beyond basic statistical methods, comparison includes modern approaches, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machines, and deep, learning, based neural nets. To judge how well each performs, measures including correctness rate, exactness, completeness, F1 value, along with AUC, guide assessment across trials. What stands out is how AI, driven methods handle prediction tasks much better than older statistical tools, particularly because they capture subtle patterns that traditional approaches miss. Notably strong results come from ensemble and deep learning systems, which maintain consistent precision even when applied to different company environments. It turns out that factors like how involved someone feels at work, how quickly they adapt to new skills, how long they have held their current position, and whether their workload feels manageable play a central part in shaping outcomes. These insights emerge clearly when examining what each variable contributes within the model structure. Despite real, world challenges, the proposed AI, powered talent analytics framework functions as a scalable, data, focused tool companies might apply to track performance, shape employee growth strategies, or spot emerging high performers and those facing difficulties. Insights from this research could assist HR professionals, planners, and executives when embedding intelligent decision aids within workforce design workflows. This work stands out because it draws from several datasets at once, while centering on freely available labor market information, to support results that others can test and extend. Starting where lab, style AI studies often stop, it moves into real HR settings, delivering grounded insights for the growing field of smart hiring systems.
Mapping Digital Financial Inclusion and FinTech Studies in India: Bibliometric Trends and Future Directions+
The rapid development of digital financial technology has changed how financial services are accessed, used, and benefited from in India, changing the financial inclusion paradigm. To assess the intellectual structure, thematic development, and fields of emergent research in digital financial inclusion, fintech, and banking performance, a bibliometric synthesis of 338 peer-reviewed articles published in the literature between 2012 and 2025 was conducted. The study uses Biblioshiny to identify a clear trend in the literature: the shift from early interest in online banking, trust, and risk to later attention to digital lending, mobile wallets, and fintech ecosystems. According to the research, the discipline is still in disarray with little synthesis between behavioral adoption research, systemic banking performance research, and sustainability-focused research. However, publication output has rapidly increased due to policy benchmarks like demonetization and the coronavirus-fueled digital explosion. Global comparative findings are limited by patterns of collaboration, which show strong local networks but poor global connections. Additionally, trend analysis indicates a significant potential for future research and a relative lack of themes in resilience, green finance, and green innovation. According to the studies, digital financial inclusion research in India has generally emerged as a thriving and policy-relevant field. However, to address more challenging issues related to stability and competitiveness, the field needs to become more integrated and globally connected to the financial system's sustainability.
A Systematic Review of Leadership Development Programs for Faculty Members in Higher Education Institutions: A PRISMA-Based Review
Leadership development has emerged as a critical strategy for strengthening academic governance and institutional effectiveness in higher education. Despite the growing investment in faculty leadership development programmes, empirical evidence on their outcomes remains fragmented. This systematic review synthesizes and advances empirical research on the effectiveness of leadership development programs for faculty members in higher education institutions. Following PRISMA 2020 reporting standards, a comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar. After rigorous screening and eligibility assessment, 32 empirical studies were included in the final synthesis. The findings were analyzed thematically to identify dominant leadership outcomes and programme impacts. The review reveals that leadership development programmes contribute significantly to the enhancement of faculty communication skills, strategic decision-making, collaborative leadership practices, leadership identity formation, and engagement in institutional governance. Programmes incorporating experiential learning, mentoring, reflective practice, and institutional alignment demonstrate stronger and more sustainable outcomes. However, the evidence base is limited by methodological inconsistencies, a lack of longitudinal evaluation, and the underrepresentation of studies from developing country contexts. This review contributes to higher education policy and management literature by consolidating existing empirical evidence, identifying persistent research gaps, and highlighting the governance-level implications of faculty leadership development. The findings underscore the need for context-sensitive, methodologically robust, and strategically integrated leadership development initiatives to support sustainable leadership capacity in higher education institutions.