We undertake a comprehensive evaluation of stress and its determinants for Indian banks, from the viewpoint of opportunity cost incurred under diverse stress events. Using a sample of 39 banks in India over the 2005?22 period, the study reveals size, ownership and operating inefficiencies as the principal determinants of stress. A sharp rise in delinquencies draws proactive policy intervention, which mitigates stress at subsequent time periods. Higher quantum of corporate loan exposure was found to relieve banking stress. The study meaningfully augments extant literature landscape on banking default prediction by establishing efficacy of stress score as a potent Early Warning Indicator (EWI) of banking distress. Our findings pinpoint the need for rigorous monitoring of regulatory capital, liquidity and credit screening standards of Indian banks. The study offers valuable guidance for proactive policy intervention, aimed at minimizing the adverse impacts of stress on banking stability. ? 2025 Elsevier B.V.

Purpose ? This study explores the factors influencing the investment intentions of potential home buyers among paraprofessionals in sustainable housing within urban construction. By combining the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the extended model of goal-directed behavior (EMGB), the research seeks to understand how technological perceptions, personal motivations and behavioral intentions intersect to shape these investment decisions. Design/methodology/approach ? A quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive research design was employed in this study. The study surveyed 641 paraprofessionals as potential home buyers in various Indian cities using a multi-stage stratified sampling technique. It incorporated variables from the TAM and EMGB, modifying some aspects to include financial self-efficacy, hedonic motivation and anticipated regret, alongside adding location as a new factor to examine its impact. For data analysis, partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized. The analysis focused on hypothesis testing to examine the relationships between the constructs of interest. Bootstrap t-values and effect sizes were used to assess these relationships? significance and magnitude. Findings ? The study found that perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly enhance attitudes toward sustainable homes, while subjective norms have a minimal effect on such investments in India, emphasizing personal rather than societal influences. Financial self-efficacy, anticipated regret and hedonic motivation are key drivers, indicating that economic capacity and the pursuit of a satisfying lifestyle are crucial for investment intentions. Additionally, the importance of location is highlighted, with infrastructural aspects notably affecting sustainable housing appeal. These insights reveal unique dynamics in India?s sustainable housing sector, diverging from trends in developed countries. Originality/value ? The study lies in its unique fusion of the TAM and EMGB specifically tailored to the Indian urban construction context. It introduces financial self-efficacy, hedonic motivation and anticipated regret as novel variables within these frameworks, alongside emphasizing the significant role of location in sustainable housing decisions. This approach offers new insights into the psychological and socioeconomic factors driving sustainable housing investments in developing countries. ? 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited

Quick commerce (Q-commerce) refers to ultrafast delivery services designed to satisfy consumer needs within minutes. While speed defines its core promise, this study examines how experiential values, income, and consumer trust influence Q-commerce adoption. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach; the first phase utilized netnographic analysis to identify consumer sentiments publicly expressed on two digital interaction platforms. The second phase employed PLS-SEM to test our hypotheses. Based on the netnographic analysis results and using initial trust theory as a basis, we hypothesize that initial trust is affected by several experiential values and delivery time as well as affects willingness to use, desire to re-purchase, and advocacy intentions. Furthermore, we hypothesize that income moderates the relationship between initial trust and willingness to use Q-commerce. We found that in Q-commerce, initial trust can be an essential antecedent to adoption, and speed is not the only factor for adoption. The results reveal that income does not directly enhance willingness to use Q-commerce. Instead, income negatively moderates the relationship, meaning that as income increases, the influence of trust becomes weaker. From a theoretical perspective, our findings indicate that income serves as an important moderating factor in the relationship between initial trust and willingness to adopt Q-commerce services. From a practical standpoint, these results suggest that fostering initial trust is particularly critical for encouraging adoption among consumers with lower income levels. ? The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, robo-advisors are transforming the automation of finance functions in the wealth management and investment decision-making branches of the financial services industry. Acceptance of customers has been, and remains to be, one of the main challenges, primarily due to the differences in the individualization and sophistication of financial services as compared to nonfinancial, robotic services. The present research examines the role of customer?robot compatibility, the perceived value, and the trust of potential customers in the adoption of financial sector robo-services. To document lived experiences with robo-advisors, we employed a mixed-methods approach, surveying 550 respondents and interviewing 6 users in depth. A variety of factors influencing the acceptance of robot services were investigated using the results of a narrative inquiry. Furthermore, these insights served as meta-inferences for developing the proposed framework and quantitative study. Our findings reveal that trust- and empathy-driven interactions have a significant impact on customer perceptions, thereby enhancing service-robot acceptance. We emphasize the significance of robot empathy responses and active customer involvement as moderators in fostering trust. Humanizing robo-services can alter banking standards in two valuable ways: by adopting AI-driven financial solutions and by increasing customer confidence. This study adds to the growing body of research on human-robot interaction in the financial services industry and suggests some tactical ways that banks can use AI to increase customer engagement. ? 1988-2012 IEEE.

The focus of this research is the importance of cognitive bias in facilitating the greenwashing of companies when marketing their goods and services as sustainable. This research looks at cognitive biases like confirmation bias, the halo effect, and cognitive availability, and how they impact both the psychological phenomena that drive particular corporate activity and the perception of the consumer. Using case studies in the theoretical framework and other empirical evidence, the study attempts to show how corporate entities mislead consumers by overstating the environmental benefits of their products relative to the reality of the environmental benefits and how this enhances or diminishes consumer confidence and impacts the sustainability movement. The mixed methods in netnographic research and qualitative analysis which involved the study of 50 online interviews and 124 posts and comments digital postings to address and explain the cognitive bias that begets greenwashing and the study attempts to explain the behavior and perception and response of firms to environmental deception, and for the quantitative part, the four hundred forty-seven respondents from firms involved with green products and green activity in different geographical locations in India. Given the nature of the proposed relationships and the complexity of the relationships involved, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships since it is able to provide answers to several variables at the same time. This research identifies and demonstrates the cognitive biases of over-optimism, narrow framing, and hyperbolic discounting, which impact greenwashing behavioral tendencies. Moreover, the research seeks to test whether the audit process and market gain act as moderators between the stated variables and greenwashing. This study begins to address the very limited research on the behavioral and cognitive biases of firms in relation to greenwashing. In particular, this research helps understand the burgeoning practice of greenwashing, the cognitive biases that are driving its proliferation, and the potential strategies that could be employed to reduce its impact. ? 2026 The Authors

This research investigates how Hofstede's cultural dimensions impact the application of AI technology in fulfilling Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives by concentrating on organizational attitude and policy as moderating factors. The framework formulated using cultural theory attempts to explain the influence that power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism have on the application of AI to various sociocultural settings. This study used a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design involving qualitative grounded theory and in-depth interviews with stakeholders and key informants from different domains to identify culturally relevant constructs pertaining to AI use for ESG objectives in the exploratory phase. In the confirmatory phase, the relationships formulated in the previous step were tested using PLS-SEM with survey data from 448 respondents in India, processed with SMART PLS 4.0, ensuring the results met the various PLS-SEM validity criteria of reliability, validity, and theoretical rigor. It is noted that positive organizational attitudes increase the effects of AI on ESG outcomes, while formal policies, save for a few, do not exert any meaningful moderating influence because they are too rigid and lack context. This research contributes to culture theory by illustrating the intersections of AI adoption and ESG performance, which are relatively under-discussed in modern academic research. Addressing this gap highlights the inadequacy of culturally sensitive attitude-centered frameworks tailored for responsible organizational leadership shaped by sustainable ethical guiding global principles. ? 2025 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

As urban logistics demand grows, traditional truck-based delivery faces significant challenges, including traffic congestion and difficulty meeting time-sensitive customer needs. With their flexibility and mobility, drones offer a promising complement to traditional last-mile delivery using trucks. Hybrid truck?drone delivery is gaining traction as a solution for last-mile logistics. However, integrating trucks and drones into a cohesive routing system is complicated by varying service capabilities, diverse customer requirements, dynamic traffic conditions, and strict delivery time windows. Motivated by these challenges, this paper introduces a time-dependent vehicle routing problem with drones under time windows and customer service constraints (TDVRPD-TW-CS). We model dynamic road conditions using a time-dependent function based on travel speed and incorporate time window penalty costs into the objective function. The problem is formulated as a Markov decision process, and an end-to-end deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm is developed to solve it. Comparative experiments with the Gurobi optimizer, variable neighborhood search (VNS), and existing DRL methods, conducted using instances of varying scales, demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm in solution quality, efficiency, and robustness. Thus, with a novel modeling and solution approach, we contribute to the literature on the vehicle routing problem with drones. Our work provides valuable insights for intelligent urban delivery planning, accounting for realistic operational constraints. ? 2025 Elsevier Ltd

India?s railway network, serving over 23 million daily passengers, necessitates efficient ticket reservation systems to enhance user experience and satisfaction. This study examines the role of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd?s (IRCTC) app in improving user satisfaction, brand loyalty, and perceived quality. Employing a two-wave repeated cross-section design, data were collected from diverse demographic groups across two time periods using structured questionnaires. Structural equation modeling analyzed the relationships between user experience factors?visibility, interactivity, and persistence?and outcome variables. Results indicate these factors significantly enhance user experience, leading to greater perceived quality, brand awareness, and brand loyalty among users. The study underscores the importance of integrating intuitive information management systems with seamless user interactions in designing user-centric transportation apps. Theoretical and practical implications highlight the necessity for continuous app improvement to cater to diverse user groups, thereby making public transportation more inclusive and efficient. ? 2026 Elsevier Ltd.

Purpose ? This study aims to examine the roles of utilitarian, hedonic and social motivation in shaping user satisfaction and continuance usage intention for FinTech applications. It also investigates whether cyber fraud experience moderate the satisfaction?continuance relationship. Design/methodology/approach ? Data were obtained through an online survey distributed on social networking sites. A total of 243 valid responses from FinTech users were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling with SmartPLS. Findings ? The results show that utilitarian (B?=?0.474, p = 0.000) and social (B?=?0.231, p = 0.000) motivation significantly enhance user satisfaction, which, in turn, drives continuance intention (B?=?0.686, p =?0.000). However, hedonic motivation (B?=?0.036, p =?0.505) has no significant influence on satisfaction. Moreover, users? experiences of cyber fraud (B?=?0.011, p =?0.903) do not moderate the relationship between satisfaction and continuance intention. Research limitations/implications ? As the study used convenience sampling, findings may have limited generalisability. The cross-sectional design limits its ability to establish causality between motivation, satisfaction and continuance intentions. For practitioners, the findings underscore the importance of prioritising functional value and social reinforcement when designing FinTech services. Originality/value ? This study contributes by revealing that FinTech users? post adoption satisfaction is primarily driven by application?s utility and its acceptance among peers, while hedonic attributes do not play a significant role. Furthermore, prior cyber fraud experience does not affect user intention of continuous use, indicates possible risk normalisation within the digital financial ecosystem. By linking post-adoption behaviour with exposure to financial crime, the study extends the application of technology acceptance and consumer behaviour theories in fraud prone FinTech environments. ? 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose ? The present study aims to examine how organisations adopt Generative AI and what are the key capabilities that influence the adoption of this technology. The study also investigates how Generative AI adoption influence market performance and sustainability performance. It additionally examines the moderating effect of regulatory support and organizational culture in influencing the association between Generative AI and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach ? The study uses a mixed-methods design involving qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. The first stage begins with qualitative interviews followed by thematic analysis to establish leading capabilities behind Gen AI adoption, in the second stage, the data were collected from 385 respondents from different organizations which was then analysed using PLS-SEM structural equation modelling. Findings ? The results observed that a firm?s digital transformation, innovation and marketing capabilities (MC) significantly enhance its Generative AI Adoption, which further influences firm performance. In addition, regulatory support emerges as a key moderator in driving DTC. Research limitations/implications ? The findings emphasize that the firm should enhancing digital transformation capabilities, innovation capabilities and MC which can further strengthen the adoption of Generative AI and affect the firm market and sustainability performance. Whereas strengthening regulatory support can enhance the positive impact of DTC and Gen AI on firm sustainability performance. Originality/value ? The study contributes to the literature on Generative AI by shaping an understanding of how the adoption of GenAI relates with the capability of firms in impacting sustainability performance. The research reports a critical gap in the literature by moving beyond the GenAI enthusiasm and assesses whether the advantages of adopting GenAI are durable as the technology diffuses across industries. The study contributes to literature by highlighting the role of regulatory support and determines that how environmental and firm-level factors jointly shape the effective and responsible capitalization of Generative AI for value creation over time. ? Emerald Publishing Limited

This research examines the reasons behind the continued use of Augmented and Virtual Reality?based Travel Applications (AVTA) in Tourism. Utilizing the Expectation Confirmation Model, this study employs an exploratory sequential design with qualitative and quantitative components. The study demonstrated that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust, confirmation, enjoyment, and immersion are essential for attaining user satisfaction and continued use. This study enhances the available literature on digital tourism by proposing an integrated model of behavior with actionable guidelines for the creation of user-centric immersive and sustainable digital travel applications. ? 2026 International Association for Computer Information Systems.

This study takes the conceptualization of sociotechnical systems of different nation-states regarding systems and behavioural research and studies investment decisions on renewable energy as emergent behaviours of these systems. Using a cybernetics and systems complexity approach, the study introduces a new systems-analytics framework that provides a hybrid configuration of PCA (principal component analysis), multiple MCDM (multicriteria decision-making) methods and machine learning-based weighting. Analysis of the onshore wind, solar PV and hydropower investments in the 2023 G20 countries showed a cross-national, stable and emergent convergence and systemic attractors, with hydropower demonstrating systemic resistance, which was explained by the economic, technology, policy and environment (ETPE) subsystems. The machine learning weight uncovered a nonlinear decision framework that was superior to traditional weighting methods, which were poorly aligned with the investment data. The study demonstrates the interaction of feedback systems, and the preferences toward technology, expanded behavioural systems, sociotechnical systems, and shows that the investment decisions of a nation are the outcome of a set of systems and interactions in a given context. ? 2026 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Green finance plays a pivotal role in empowering India?s micro, small, and medium enterprises by supporting their transition toward sustainability, reducing their ecological impact and enabling them to tap into expanding markets for eco-friendly products and services. With the facility of accessing the funds, high-tech know-how, and innovative marketplaces for green offerings, green finance fosters innovation and enables sustainable development. The benefits that green finance offers MSME are manifold, including enhanced access to capital for sustainable business ventures, cost savings through efficient resource, energy utilization, entry into emerging markets, improved corporate reputation, compliance with environmental standards, and opportunities for knowledge enhancement. With the support of green finance, MSME not only gain the capability to drive growth through sustainable practices and boost their profitability, but also contribute to a greener, more sustainable Indian economy. The collaboration between MSME and green finance is paving the way for the future sustainability of India?s economy, demonstrating the potential for a prosperous, environmentally conscious business landscape. ? The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2026.

Purpose ? The purpose of this study was to investigate potential direct impact of environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) on organisational innovation and their role as isomorphic factors in multinational life sciences organisations. Design/methodology/approach ? The authors applied necessary condition analysis (NCA), using the R statistical tool to determine the direct impact of environmental (E), social (S), governance(G) and composite ESG factors on innovation, represented by research and development (R&D) expenditure across a sample of 86 multinational life sciences companies. Findings ? The study established that ESG factors have a positive impact on the innovation output of multinational firms in the life sciences industry. Further, the study also established that ESG factors act as isomorphic factors in the organisation of multinational life sciences firms in implementing sustainability practices. Originality/value ? This empirical research study was a novel attempt to establish a direct impact of ESG factors on innovation output of multinational life sciences firms. This was one of the first empirical studies to integrate the institutional theory with the resource-based view and thereby demonstrate that ESG factors had a significant role in contributing to institutional isomorphic behaviour, in the form of sustainable innovation as a strategy. This study established the importance of ESG factors in defining the sustainability agenda of multinational life sciences organisations. Lastly, the study elucidates the benefits of the integration of sustainability as a strategy in multinational life sciences corporations. ? 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose ? This study remains focused on the evaluation of perceived value, satisfaction, attitude, trust, and habit as determinants impacting consumers' intention to continue using and advocating for online food delivery services. Thus, illuminating these constructs within Technology Continuance Theory (TCT). The intent is to analyze the competition and technological advancement engagement advocacy landscape in relation to the aforementioned factors in question. Design/methodology/approach ? A quantitative cross-sectional design was implemented for this study, along with a purposive sampling method from 420 users who were considered seasoned over a significant period of time with the use of online food delivery applications. All hypothesized relationships, alongside moderating effects, were tested using PLS-Structural Equation?Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings ? The results suggest that perceived value increases satisfaction, which positively influences attitudes and continuance intentions. Trust also acts as a moderator between continuance intention and recommendation intention by enhancing advocacy at higher levels of trust. Stronger positive attitudes propel improved continuance intentions, while trust bolsters the relationship between continuance and recommendation intentions, reinforcing advocacy when trust is high. Contrarily, this model demonstrates no moderation from habit, which implies that promotional efforts are not triggered by habitual usage. Originality/value ? This study deepens the body of knowledge by applying TCT to online food ordering systems and focusing on the trust and habit formation dynamics of referring users to the service. As noted in the practical implications, trust must be earned alongside a sustained delivery of value for brands to transform their loyal consumers into advocates. ? Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose ? Micro and small businesses are run by entrepreneurs who have established businesses. However, conflicts often arose when transitioning these businesses to the next generations. This had been a challenge for most family-run companies. The succession of business without conflict to the next generation for healthy sustenance and continuance during the transition period had been a significant issue to be addressed. Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges and strategies associated with family business succession in technology-dominant sectors. Design/methodology/approach ? The authors in this study empirically investigated the phenomenon of the three-circle model (TCM) and the three spiral theory (TST). The authors conducted a Focus Group Discussion with the founders and the second generation. In total, 22 founders were part of the focused group discussion (FGD), while 26?s-generation potential business inheritors were also part of FGD. Two FGDs comprises only founders, and two FGDs comprises inheritors separately. In addition, two FGDs consisting of founders and inheritors. The data was content analyzed for themes using NVIVO. Findings ? The study revealed that successful generational transition in technology-based family businesses required inheritance to have both business acumen and technical skills. A key challenge was to balance the ownership within the family. Clear governance structures and role boundaries were essential to minimize family conflicts. In addition, maintaining core values and adapting to technological changes were found to be crucial. Strategies to address ownership dilution, professional mentoring and regulatory compliance emerged as important drivers for sustainable succession. Research limitations/implications ? Integration of TCM and TST frameworks was required in family business succession, particularly in technology-enabled contexts. Moreover, existing theories and frameworks needed to be evolved to account for the dynamic nature of technology in family businesses. Practical implications ? India, as an emerging nation, required more successful examples of succession planning. The study insights would help family business owners to better manage their succession planning by integrating TCM and TST practically. Originality/value ? To the best of the authors? knowledge, this was one of the first sets of studies on micro and small technology business succession planning. Most research on family businesses relied on the TCM framework. By integrating the two frameworks of TCM and TST, the current study provided a fresh perspective. ? 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose ? FII, the sought-after capital infuser by emerging economies, faces an agency issue as a minority investor. The dividend payout policy of an investee firm plays a critical role in regulating this issue. At the same time, firms may use it to attract the investors. This study explores the relationship between foreign institutional investors (FII) presence as a shareholder and their shareholding proportion (independent variables) with dividend payout policy in terms of dividend-paying behavior (dividend payer) and dividend payout proportion (dependent variable) and otherwise. Design/methodology/approach ? Considering the sample of 4, 044 firm years during 2013?2023, the study uses the Tobit and Probit regression model to examine the relation between dividend-paying behavior and dividend payouts against FII presence and FII shareholding proportion. The study applies 2SLS for controlling endogeneity as a robustness check. Findings ? The results demonstrate that FII prefer firms that pay high dividends and self-select them. The Tobit model shows that FII presence induces dividend decisions, and the Probit models show that dividend payouts attract foreign shareholding. These effects are evident in firms with high profits, potential growth opportunities, higher leverage and lower cash flows. The FII influence is more significant when they have substantial shareholding. Firms with higher FII investments have more dividend payout and firms with higher dividend payout attract more FII investments. The study indicates that firms can use dividends as a signal for obtaining capital investments from FII. Originality/value ? This is the first study checking such a bidirectional relationship. For emerging economies, this can serve as a tool for attracting the capital. The research is also helpful for policymakers for regulatory purposes, considering the monitoring role of FII, executed through investment decisions in emerging economies. ? Emerald Publishing Limited

This study explores the transformative role of advanced technologies in shaping user experience (UX) within Indian fashion apps, focusing on Ajio, Myntra, and Snapdeal. By integrating the SERVQUAL model with machine learning techniques, we analyze how service quality dimensions' impact user experience in a digital retail context. Employing a mixed-method approach, we conducted two complementary studies: a text-mining analysis of user-generated reviews using Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling and a survey-based investigation leveraging structural equation modeling. We collected around 300,000 user reviews from the Google Play Store for each application for content analysis, alongside 489 responses for SEM analysis, utilizing a purposive sampling technique. Findings reveal that offers, availability, price transparency, product quality, app performance, and diverse collections significantly enhance UX, while customer service challenges and inefficient return processes detract from it. Additionally, service feedback fosters co-creation and engagement, highlighting its critical role in digital platforms. This research extends the SERVQUAL framework by adapting it to e-commerce environments and provides actionable insights for fashion app developers to leverage technology for improved customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty. Our findings contribute to understanding the multifaceted effects of technological innovations, offering a roadmap for retailers and policymakers to create user-centric, tech-enabled retail ecosystems. ? 2026 Elsevier Inc.

Information systems (IS) research has continually evolved alongside rapid technological advancements, shaping its impact on business and society. While past analyses have explored the discipline?s identity and diversity, the accelerating pace of information technology (IT) innovation necessitates continuous reassessment of emerging trends. This study employs a novel BERT topic modeling approach, enhanced by a large language model, to analyze author-supplied abstracts from Information Systems Frontiers (ISF) and eight other leading IS journals. Our findings highlight the emergence of the SMAS (Social Media, Mobile, Analytics, Security) paradigm, reflecting the growing significance of these areas in IS research. As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in societal structures, critical topics such as social networks, content generation, and data protection have gained prominence. ISF continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the next frontier of IS research while maintaining a strong focus on core concerns, including IT management, development, and business value. ? The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.

Amid deepening geopolitical rifts and heightened focus on free trade agreements (FTAs), India and the European Union?s (EU) broad-based FTA has garnered significant interest. Of special interest in this FTA is trade in services, as services are a major contributor to GDP and trade flows in the two economies. However, services trade between these two partners is marked by differences across sub-sectors, modes of trade, regulatory barriers and specific interests. This study uses bilateral revealed comparative advantage and gravity modelling analysis to explore the opportunities and challenges for India under this FTA. Using disaggregated data spanning 2010?2019, we construct different trade indicators, to identify the potential sectors of benefit for India as well as potential partners among EU countries, which could prove valuable for FTA negotiations. We find that under services trade liberalisation by the EU, the gains for India?s exports will be approximately US$1.3b, but the potential complementary gains from signing an FTA with a high income countries in terms of greater integration with global value chains, boost in servicification opportunities in manufacturing and enhanced investment and technological flows may be enough motivation for India to negotiate the terms astutely. ? 2026 Indian Institute of Foreign Trade