Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
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Item Integrating blockchain capabilities in an omnichannel healthcare system: a dual theoretical perspective(Wiley, 2023-07) Sharma, Sangeeta; Nigam, AchintThe COVID-19 pandemic opened a market for omnichannel healthcare. While some patients trusted the hybrid mode of consultancy, others lacked trust in the online mode of consultancy. The purpose of the study is to understand the extent to which blockchain can influence the swift trust of stakeholders and the usage intention of omnichannel healthcare systems (OHS). We used a quantitative approach by surveying 250 patients that rendered services from OHS by drawing upon the lens of organizational information processing theory (OIPT) and swift trust theory (STT). We test the hypotheses using the PLS-SEM technique. The results show blockchain technology can significantly affect the adoption of omnichannel healthcare by reinforcing swift trust in OHS and its continued usage.Item Mastering the Covid-19 pandemic crisis: from anxiety to hope(Springer, 2023-05) Choubisa, RajneeshThis chapter presents selected results of the Hope Barometer survey during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Against the background of the intense feelings of stress and anxiety in these times of crisis, we first review current theories on psychological stress and coping, present results of our empirical studies during the pandemic and then focus on the role and importance of hope in relation to positive coping styles, well-being, and stress-related personal growth. A central aim of our research is to investigate the role of culture in the perception of stress and hope (as the counterpart of anxiety) and in the choice of different coping strategies, as evident in their relationship to experiences of well-being and personal growth. We compared the results of 11 countries with cross-sectional data collected in November 2019 (N = 9092), November 2020 (N = 9536) and November 2021 (N = 9093). After reporting general findings, we engage in an analysis of the most striking differences between the countries. Our results revealed that a majority of the participants experienced moderate stress levels, but with significant differences between the samples and notable changes between 2020 and 2021. Most people, especially in more collectivistic countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, India, and Portugal, remained hopeful, applied positive coping strategies, and enjoyed moderate to high levels of well-being and personal growth. Our findings highlight the importance of emotion-focused, social, and religious coping sources, besides problem-focused coping, for mastering the crisis, which are predominant in collectivistic societiesItem Sanctity of digital privacy and personal data during covid-19: are youths enough digitally literate to deal with it?(Revistes, 2023) Chauhan, Gajendra SinghThe COVID-19 pandemic has fast-tracked the development of digital applications and inspired everyone to adapt to the technologies to curb the spread of outbreak. As this crisis intensifies, the rapid usage of digital devices and apps has echoed the serious concerns about civil liberties, privacy, and data protection. Considering the situation, this research aimed to explore the internet using habits of the youths of West Bengal, a state in eastern India, during COVID-19. Besides, the paper explored their experiences using various digital applications, and the fundamental digital literacy of them and the safeguards they often take to protect their data from breaches. Thus,the paper presents the results by conducting an online survey among the youths in West Bengal. The result, from 215 participants, highlighted that the increased use of these digital applications has not matched the demand for digital privacy literacy among the young generation of the state. While this pandemic has raised their concerns over digital privacy and data protection, yet they do not undertake any strong protection mechanisms to protect them digitally. Besides, this paper suggests suitable plans to raise awareness among this generation and form a healthy digital citizenship with a proper regulatory framework as it is the need of the hour.Item China as a World Leader: Assessing Implications of COVID-19, BRI and a “Global Common Destiny(NIICE Commentary, 2020-05-08) Ramachandran, VeenaAmidst the COVID-19 induced global lockdown, it is significant to re-listen to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2017 Davos speech in which he articulated his vision to build a community of “common destiny”. It was in Davos, that Xi’s regional vision of common destiny transcended towards becoming the common destiny of humankind, exemplifying China’s urge to elevate the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from a mere development model to a strategic landscape. Xi has been consistent in claiming high moral ground of inclusivity for BRI, opposing Manifest Destiny, the founding principle of United States’ foreign policy. This articulation of global destiny overtly stated China’s quest to redesign or rather offer a Chinese version of the world order. Despite the strategic and economic concerns across the globe, BRI did offer its partner countries a better-connected world by focusing on massive infrastructure and digital projects. However, the fundamental challenge for China remained its failure to be a responsible global power, as has been exposed once again in the COVID-19 outbreak narrative. The Chinese model of development, which is classified as authoritarian capitalism, strives for political stability and regime legitimacy through assured economic development. China has often been driven by its domestic concerns, and so it has always been an inward looking reluctant global player. BRI was a paradigm shift in this policy as China expressed its desire to lead a world greatly interconnected under the BRI network, making it the first step towards the “opening of China to the world”. Until the COVID-19 outbreak, the world was more concerned about the lack of transparency among other flaws in this development model, which normalised securitisation and idealised a surveillance state. Even when, the partner countries are predominantly quasi-democracies, failed democracies or autocracies and their preferred choice was the Chinese model over what Washington provided. The early spread of novel Coronavirus and its declaration as a global pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of the Chinese regime and has jolted the Chinese model. Moreover, it is ironic to find that the global pandemic that originated in Wuhan, essentially followed the Chinese path of global common destiny in terms of the damage it caused to entire humankind. The significant concerns that arise here, are the frailties of the BRI amidst COVID-19, and China’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Even though BRI is a loosely-governed infrastructure initiative, it has been designed not only to benefit the Chinese state but also to significantly increasing foreign dependencies on China. Subsequently, the BRI projects depend extensively on Chinese companies for labour, materials supply and credit. As global travel restrictions on Chinese people continue, it is a significant factor for the disruption of these projects. Even after China shows signs of recovery internally and has recouped after a countrywide lockdown, the longer the Chinese labour and supplies are denied entry to the partner countries, the more it will droop these projects. This raises questions about the Chinese model, as it demonstrates the inherent vulnerability of partner nations in being excessively dependent on Beijing, and there is no scope for devolution. The immediate future of globalisation seems to be bleak as the virus has accelerated the need for localisation. Subsequently, this has compromised initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and various BRI projects in South-east Asian countries. Though reports indicate China’s fast recovery, it would not reflect in its projects outside China any sooner.Item Infodemic of Fake News: Hope for Print(University News, 2020-12) Chouhan, Gajendra SinghThe media reporting of the COVID-19 pandemic has risen the critical questions about the future of journalism. Getting a clear, accurate information of disease is often difficult, as most of us do not know that we are dealing with a fake news, forwarding a photoshopped image or watching a concocted video. Social media is overwhelmed by lots of self-proclaimed experts’ advises, precautions and treatments to protect oneself from the coronavirus. Amid these misleading claims circulating online, it is hard to know what is real and what is fake. The author explores the possibilities of looking through the social media from the perspectives and practices of print media and makes a strong pitching that the robust editorial behavior and standard ethical print culture could salvage the menace of misinformation in civic society. The dying print may still be a torchbearer to a fast-paced, interactive social media and help it gain credibility and acceptance form the masses. There is a serious concern that digital connectivity is widespread and untapped posing an infodemic of inaccurate information about COVID-19. It could also a moment of redemption for social media to manage this misinformation and follow print media to check the proliferation of misinformation on their platforms.Item The Challenges Faced in Technology-Driven Classes During COVID-19(IGI Global, 2021) Sharma, SangeetaIn the wake of coronavirus pandemic, social distancing became a mandate that led to the transition from traditional classroom-based lectures to computer-based learning. This paper extensively deals with the ranking of the challenges faced by instructors and students. Primary data from 624 participants (399 students and 225 instructors) is collected through a questionnaire. To assign the ranking to the challenges, Technique of Order Preference Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is deployed. A contextual model is developed by using Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) technique that further provides recommendations for prioritizing the challenges that need to be addressed to mitigate the problems faced in online lectures in coronavirus situation. The number of variables is reduced to simplify the interpretation by exploratory factor analysis. The study also provides the basis to formulate the strategies for policymakers and administration after identifying which challenges need to be addressed first for mitigating all the other challenges.Item Marketing at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Overcoming the Challenges through MICMAC Analysis(Taylor & Francis, 2021-02) Sharma, SangeetaMarketers face innumerable challenges related to awareness, affordability, availability, and accessibility to reach the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) markets. The objective of this paper is to enumerate the challenges faced by marketers in making their product available to the rural population during COVID-19. The study focuses on 25 challenges, identified from past studies, for marketing in rural areas. Along with the identification of the challenges from a literature review and marketing practices, an attempt is made to contextually relate the challenges to one another, for which three extensive focus group discussions each among six experts were conducted. After this step, Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classment (MICMAC) analysis was conducted to plot the challenges based on driving power and dependence power. An Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) is also developed from the MICMAC analysis. This paper will allow marketers to identify and formulate an action plan based on the preference order generated from ISM to create maximum impact. Further, the research, marketing, and societal implications of the study are discussed.