The moments in which employees attach themselves with their work roles are called as the moments of engagement (Kahn, 1992). The number of higher educational institutions is rapidly growing in India to cater to the increasing demand for advanced studies (KPMG, 2014). As a result, Indian academia is facing the challenge of keeping academics engaged so that academics can happily and efficiently perform a larger role. So, this study examines the influence of job resources on engagement along with how the interaction among job resources and perceived autonomy impacts performance in service delivery. We also examine the mediating role of work engagement between the job resources and service employee performance relationship. Two hundred sixty one academics elected from different Indian universities were asked to rate themselves on the support, autonomy and engagement scales. Further, 261 students were asked to rate the performance of these academics. Structural equation modeling was used to test the formulated hypotheses. The results suggest that work engagement mediates the relationship between supervisory support and service employee performance. Moreover, perceived autonomy moderates relationship between co-worker support and work engagement relationship. These findings extend the theoretical understanding of engagement enhancing the performance in service delivery as reflected in the feedback from students. Results also urge universities to make policies that enhance coworker and supervisory support which can create a culture of cooperation. Certain limitations and future research directions of this study have also been discussed in greater detail.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to check for the effects of brand familiarity, customer brand engagement and self-identification on word-of-mouth (WOM) communication.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of the literature regarding brand familiarity and customer brand engagement CBE) was conducted and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results revealed that brand familiarity had a positive impact on CBE; self-identification also had a positive impact on WOM communication.Research limitations/implicationsThe model was tested in the context of service sector; future research may investigate in different context.Practical implicationsThe framework advances insight into customer engagement and service dominant logic, which, despite having been recognized for their significant theoretical fit, have remained largely disparate in the literature.Originality/valueThis study is among the first few attempts to examine the impact of brand familiarity on different dimensions, namely, cognitive, affective and activation dimensions of CBE. This study contributes to a more detailed description of the brand familiarity construct and improves understanding of WOM communication. The study provides implications for practitioners and marketers.

Purpose In this paper, the prior research on virtual teams was reviewed to assess the state of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine why individuals prefer working in virtual teams (also termed liquid workers and part-time workers). Previous researchers have focussed on the benefits that organizations receive if they hire liquid workers, but to date, no research has been conducted to determine the perspective of these liquid workers. The various definitions of virtual teams are discussed and an integrative definition is proposed that suggests all teams may be defined in terms of their extent of virtualness. Design/methodology approach A systematic review of the literature on virtual teams was conducted. The data were collected from 12 informants. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Six main themes were identified, namely, pliability, opportunities, increased earnings, vigour, family and transportation. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a three-metropolitan city in India and warrants being extended to rural and international settings to gain additional insights and confirmation of the research findings. Practical implications It is suggested that organizations who recruit liquid workers will be in a position for substantial cost savings; this is because organizations usually make payment of liquid workers’ wages on an hourly basis. This will help the organizations to schedule the number of working hours depending on their needs. Originality/value The current study is novel as there is a paucity of research in identifying the factors behind working in the virtual community in India. This study presents the first research of its kind to the best knowledge of the author, and the findings will be valuable for companies who are looking for cost savings.

Green products are increasingly becoming popular in India as a fashion statement. Yet, limited attention has been given to understand why users of green products associate themselves with green brands in India. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of brand personality to green products. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of green product consumers revealed six dimensions of green brand personality (GBP). GBP is a set of human characteristics associated with a green brand. By focusing on the green brand personality dimensions discovered in this paper, marketing managers can better understand why people buy green products. Companies can use this enhanced understanding to promote their green products in order to enhance sales and encourage/attract non-green product customers to switch to green products.

Fashion not only forms an important part of everyday consumption decisions, but also plays an important role in all daily events such as, the clothing we wear, how we think and also what we eat and where we eat. In realism, fashion is an outcome of a dynamic culture and common shifts in the tastes and style of individuals. The center of the debate appears to be that branded fashion accessories involvement is likely to be associated with differences in sensitivity to one’s social surroundings (Auty & Elliott, 1998). The question is: “Whether involvement in fashion accessories with its strong brand image and sensory components, has similar capabilities to be seen as a significant possession creating a fulfilling life, because of the happiness, success, and central position it may occupy in the lives of some?” Branded fashion accessories are increasingly becoming popular among India’s youth population. However, less attention has been given to understand the reasons behind this changing consumer behaviour in India. Thus, this study aims to understand the role of branded fashion accessories in self-image enhancement of India’s youth. For this purpose, semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted using college students who wear and who do not wear branded fashion accessories. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data revealed that “social belongingness,” “sense of completeness,” “self-confidence,” and “style and price” are the important factors that play a vital role in affecting youth’s self-image. These findings may encourage retailers to focus their product and sales strategies on consumers’ positive emotions and promote their products among non-consumers by explaining how these products can benefit them.