Journal Press India^®

In ever-changing business world, innovating, adopting emerging technologies, and being open regarding consumer buying behaviour appear to shape the key drivers of success for businesses organisations. This edition of MANTHAN: Journal of Commerce and Management is a collection of the articles highlighting the intricacies of consumer preferences and behaviour, organizational justice, financial behaviors, and technological advancement in organisations, offering valuable insights from across sectors and contexts - automotive brands to e-banking services and corporate culture. As industries worldwide pivot towards consumer-centric and tech-driven models, these studies provide both theoretical and practical frameworks for businesses and policymakers to shape future strategies.

A study by A. Khaleelur Rahman and Jafar Sathik S. on Exploring Consumer Perceptions and Preferences for Car Brands, delves into consumer behavior focusing on personal, social, psychological, and cultural factors influencing car brand preferences in context of Tamilnadu, a southern Indian state. By leveraging advance research analysis tools, the authors provide a detailed analysis that can guide automotive marketers in tailoring their strategies to meet consumer expectations.

Emphasizing on critical role of parental financial socialization and early financial education a study by Rajwinder Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur and Manjit Singh on “Parental Financial Socialization, Financial Learning, and Financial Well-being of Young Adults,” examines the influence of parental communication and formal learning on financial attitudes and behaviors in young adults. The study reveals that financial self-efficacy and behavior mediate the relationship between financial attitudes and well-being.

The critical connection between organizational justice and job satisfaction particularly in today’s competitive employment landscape, has been very well highlighted by Purvashi Thakur, Dalbir Singh and Vinod Kumar in their study titled “Unlocking Job Satisfaction: Unveiling the Power of Procedural Justice and the Mediating Influence of Employee Silence”. The authors have demonstrated that procedural fairness enhances job satisfaction, and that employee silence mediates this relationship. Moreover, gender-based treatment to employees is still a big challenge. Lallawmawmi F. and Tabitha Durai sheds light on the personal, organizational, and societal barriers that women face at the workplace in the capital City of, Mizoram, an eastern Indian state. The study reveals that personal barriers significantly hinder career growth, while organizational and societal factors show lesser impact. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on gender equality in the workplace.

Ravi Vashisht and Sakshi Vashisht’s study, “Community Embeddedness as Moderator between Organizational Culture and Turnover Intentions: Evidence from Academics,” investigates the impact of organizational culture on turnover intentions among university faculty. The study indicates that community embeddedness substantially influences this relationship, offering a distinct viewpoint on how off-the-job embeddedness can improve employee retention. Further, Anupreet Kaur Mokha and Jasdeep Kaur emphasized the critical roles that customer trust and employer branding play in loyalty and satisfaction. The study offers practical insights for organizations looking to foster strong relationships with customers and employees alike, ultimately driving long-term success.

How do emerging economies uses export performance as an indicator of their economy’s attractiveness? Esubalew Melese, Ajay Kumar, Ram Komal Prasad and Teg Alam unveil the dynamics underling this theme. Export performance in emerging economies of India and China is highlighted in there through bibliometric analysis of published intellectual literature and highlighted innovations, MSMEs, and green initiatives that shape export strategies.

Highlighting the artificial intelligence applications in banking sector Fathima Febeena and Mohamed Nishad examined the impact of AI on the financial performance of two leading banks with respect to HDFC bank and State Bank of India. The study underscores the importance of effective AI implementation in improving financial metrics, providing valuable lessons for banks and financial institutions striving to enhance their operational efficiency.

Swati Chawla, Ritu Bajaj, Sharmila Pudaruth and Dhruv Gupta highlighted importance of employer branding for enhancing employee satisfaction evidence taken from Indian IT sector. The study explores the relationship between employer branding and employee satisfaction among executive-level employees in India's IT sector.

In view of the important role played by microfinance institutions in the financial sector of developing countries, the paper by Preeti Gupta and Niti Bhasin examines the productivity of microfinance institutions (MFIs) operating in India during the period from 2016 – 2022. Employing the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI), the authors find that Indian MFIs have experienced an average growth rate in total factor productivity of 8.9% and this rise is attributable to enhancement in technology to serve the clients. 

To sum up, the collective findings from these studies highlight the interconnectedness of consumer behavior, organizational justice, financial socialization, and technological innovation. As industries continue to evolve, these insights provide a roadmap for businesses, policymakers, and academic institutions to navigate the complexities of modern markets and drive sustainable growth.

We thank and express our profound gratitude to all writers, reviewers, co-editors, and the editing team for their assistance in facilitating the prompt publication of this issue.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Raj K Kovid

Associate Editors
Dr. Manisha Gupta
Dr. Anil Kumar Kashyap