Effects of perceived stress, mindfulness, selfefficacy and social support on psychological wellbeing of life insurance agents during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Conservation of Resources theory has been set in motion to understand the psychological wellbeing at work-place-focused foothold of the realm in light of the JD-R theory. Life insurance agents experience multifarious stressors and challenges that negatively impact their psychological wellbeing. The current pandemic situation of the COVID-19 outbreak has directed significance to workplace health promotion as a novel postulation addressed in this study. This research is the first to empirically test and investigate the predicting effects of perceived stress, mindfulness, social support, and self-efficacy on psychological well-being among 794 Life Insurance Agents in India. This non-experimental research method incorporates the reflective model analysed through Smart PLS-3. A power analysis is executed by drawing evidence from India recruited through random sampling. Results show mindfulness as the strongest and most effective predictor of positive psychological well-being. This study underpins the significance of mindfulness-based interventions in unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic where the mindful selling of the right policies surges and assists the agents to build a long-term relationship with the customers. Future studies should try to test these interventions with multi-centred research that can further enhance the robustness of research findings

Integrating artificial intelligence for knowledge management systems – synergy among people and technology: a systematic review of the evidence

This paper analyses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Knowledge Management (KM) and focuses primarily on examining to what degree AI can help companies in their efforts to handle information and manage knowledge effectively. A search was carried out for relevant electronic bibliographic databases and reference lists of relevant review articles. Articles were screened and the eligibility was based on participants, procedures, comparisons, outcomes (PICO) model, and criteria for PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews). The results reveal that knowledge management and AI are interrelated fields as both are intensely connected to knowledge; the difference reflects in how – while AI offers machines the ability to learn, KM offers a platform to better understand knowledge. The research findings further point out that communication, trust, information systems, incentives or rewards, and the structure of an organization; are related to knowledge sharing in organizations. This systematic literature review is the first to throw light on KM practices & the knowledge cycle and how the integration of AI aids knowledge management systems, enterprise performance & distribution of knowledge within the organization. The outcomes offer a better understanding of efficient and effective knowledge resource management for organizational advantage. Future research is necessary on smart assistant systems thus providing social benefits that strengthen competitive advantage. This study indicates that organizations must take note of definite KM leadership traits and organizational arrangements to achieve stable performance through KM

Effects of perceived stress, mindfulness, self-efficacy and social support on psychological wellbeing of life insurance agents during the COVID-19 pandemic

AbstractThe Conservation of Resources theory has been set in motion to understand the psychological wellbeing at work-place-focused foothold of the realm in light of the JD-R theory. Life insurance agents experience multifarious stressors and challenges that negatively impact their psychological wellbeing. The current pandemic situation of the COVID-19 outbreak has directed significance to workplace health promotion as a novel postulation addressed in this study. This research is the first to empirically test and investigate the predicting effects of perceived stress, mindfulness, social support, and self-efficacy on psychological well-being among 794 Life Insurance Agents in India. This non-experimental research method incorporates the reflective model analysed through Smart PLS-3. A power analysis is executed by drawing evidence from India recruited through random sampling. Results show mindfulness as the strongest and most effective predictor of positive psychological well-being. This study underpins the significance of mindfulness-based interventions in unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic where the mindful selling of the right policies surges and assists the agents to build a long-term relationship with the customers. Future studies should try to test these interventions with multi-centred research that can further enhance the robustness of research findings

The assessment of locavorism through the lens of agritourism: the pursuit of tourist’s ethereal experience

AbstractThe popularity of local foods is increasing among the masses, especially tourists, and this has led to the inception of ‘locavorism’ where the consumers – termed locavores – look for sustainable local foods. We gauge tourists’ ideology of locavorism through the lens of agritourism in India as we found it crucial to highlight and enhance local foods as an addition to the tourists’ palate. A pre- and post-survey was conducted using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to empirically assess 8 Agritourism farms’ tourists’ behaviour towards locavorism. Data was collected among tourists by using a self-report questionnaire during two phases (check-in and check-out; n = 344). Findings underscore that tourists’ intention to buy local food increases considerably after experiencing Agritourism. This study is the first of its kind to understand the perception of tourists towards India’s ethnic cuisine, its role in augmenting tourist experience, and in figuring out better ways to sustain local foods. The impact that Agritourism has on tourists’ behaviour towards locavorism and its continuing effects on the local economy needs to be studied by researchers. Future research can extend the concept of locavorism to service providers by understanding their perception of producing and marketing sustainable local foods

Effectiveness of social robots as a tutoring and learning companion: a bibliometric analysis

A long-term perspective on how technology will mature is needed whereby robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) have accomplished a consequential and remarkable impact by finding their way into mainstream higher education. Robots have already become an indispensable factor in society and possess high potency as a part of educational technology. Social robot education is limited to complementing the digital aptitude of students in the world of information, and the role of social robots is crucial in polishing students ‘cognitive and social abilities. This study reviews the effectiveness of social robots in education, where we highlight the application of educational robots, surrounded by a blend of social robots and enactive didactics, which could lead to promising ideas for tutoring activities in education. It is empirically proven that social robots can assist with literature, science, or technology education. We synthesize the role of social robots in education and weigh their pros and cons by examining the impact of their appearance on robots’ performance as tutors, tools, or peers in learning exercises. The current study is the first bibliometric analysis that reflects robots’ impact in the education field as tutors and learning companions. A total of 288 articles were reviewed, and the data were extracted to construct an overview through bibliometrics. The outcome of this study paves the way for educational institutes to make informed and fruitful decisions on the applicability of robots, which can help them comprehend the learning styles of students and create knowledgeable and well-adjusted learners.</p