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In the face of rapid technological change, rising competition, economic fluctuations, and evolving customer expectations, private sector banks must adopt effective survival strategies to sustain performance and competitiveness. This study explores employee perspectives on survival strategies adopted by private sector banks in Tamil Nadu. The study examines key strategies such as technological innovation, customer relationship management, human resource development, risk management, and service quality enhancement. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to bank employees. The findings reveal that technological integration, employee training, proactive customer engagement, and risk mitigation practices are considered critical to survival. However, employees identify challenges such as resistance to change, workload pressures, and skill gaps. The study provides actionable insights for bank managers to strengthen strategic resilience in a dynamic financial environment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming organizational management, particularly Human Resource Management (HRM), in the Information Technology (IT) sector. The adoption of AI in HR functions has improved operational efficiency, decision-making accuracy, and strategic workforce management. This study investigates the impact of AI on HR practices such as recruitment, performance appraisal, training and development, employee engagement, and HR analytics in IT companies. Primary data were collected from HR professionals and employees using structured questionnaires. The findings indicate that AI enhances productivity, reduces human bias, and supports personalized employee development, while ethical issues, data privacy, and resistance to change remain challenges. The study provides practical insights for HR managers to implement AI effectively and ethically in IT organizations.

The 5S methodology—Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and sustain—is a foundational lean management tool aimed at improving workplace organization, efficiency, safety, and quality. While 5S has been extensively applied in manufacturing environments, its operational implications in service-oriented technical sectors such as the vertical transportation industry remain underexplored. The vertical transportation sector, which includes elevator and escalator design, installation, maintenance, and modernization, demands high operational reliability, safety compliance, and process efficiency.
This study examines the operational implications of 5S implementation in the vertical transportation sector. The research focuses on understanding how 5S practices influence operational efficiency, safety performance, maintenance effectiveness, quality of service, and employee productivity. A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 200 employees working in vertical transportation companies through a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis, mean score analysis, correlation analysis, and ranking techniques were used to analyse the data.

Mobile payment systems have significantly transformed commercial transactions in urban India, particularly in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru. With the rapid growth of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms such as PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, and BHIM, merchants are increasingly integrating digital payment options into their businesses. This study examines merchant perspectives on the adoption and implementation of mobile payment systems in Bengaluru. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews with 150 merchants across retail, food, service, and wholesale sectors, the study identifies key drivers, perceived benefits, challenges, and future expectations. The findings reveal that while merchants recognize operational efficiency, customer convenience, and improved sales tracking, concerns remain regarding transaction fees, security risks, and technical literacy. The study provides recommendations for policymakers, payment providers, and merchants to enhance adoption and usability.

Occupational stress has emerged as a critical challenge in modern organizations due to rapid industrialization, globalization, technological advancement, and intense competition. Employees across sectors are subjected to increased workloads, strict deadlines, role conflicts, job insecurity, and performance pressure. Prolonged exposure to such occupational stress not only affects job performance and satisfaction but also significantly increases employees’ vulnerability to physical, psychological, and behavioral health problems.
The present study aims to examine the impact of occupational stress on the health vulnerability of employees. The study focuses on identifying the major sources of occupational stress, assessing the level of stress experienced by employees, and analyzing its influence on physical health issues, mental health problems, and lifestyle-related disorders. A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 200 employees working in service and corporate organizations using a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis, mean score analysis, correlation analysis, and simple ranking techniques were used for data interpretation.

The teaching profession in higher education has undergone significant transformation due to increasing academic, administrative, and institutional demands. Engineering college teachers, in particular, face intense work-related stress arising from workload pressures, research and publication requirements, accreditation standards, and role ambiguity. This study examines the nature of work-related stress and its impact on teaching performance among engineering college teachers in Tamil Nadu. Using a structured questionnaire, primary data were collected from 412 faculty members across selected engineering colleges. The study adopts a descriptive and causal research design and employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse the relationships between work-related stress dimensions and teaching performance. The findings reveal that work-related stress has a significant negative impact on teaching performance, with workload and role conflict emerging as dominant stressors. Institutional support and work-life balance were found to play a moderating role in reducing stress effects. The study provides valuable insights for academic administrators and policymakers to develop stress management strategies and improve faculty performance and well-being.

Smart Cities aim to enhance urban living through technology-driven infrastructure, efficient public services, and citizen engagement. Evaluating the effectiveness of Smart Cities requires understanding citizen perceptions regarding service delivery, infrastructure, governance, and quality of life. This study investigates citizen perceptions of Smart City initiatives in selected cities of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires from residents, covering areas such as urban mobility, digital services, sanitation, and public safety. The findings reveal that while citizens acknowledge improvements in digital governance and infrastructure, challenges persist in service accessibility, environmental management, and civic participation. The study offers practical insights for policymakers to enhance Smart City efficacy by aligning technological interventions with citizen expectations.

The Indian banking sector has undergone rapid transformation due to digitalisation, regulatory reforms, competitive pressures, and changing customer expectations. Private sector banks, in particular, continuously engage in strategic adaptation to sustain competitiveness and operational efficiency. While strategic adaptation enables organisational survival and growth, it also has profound implications for employees in terms of job roles, performance expectations, stress levels, and career development. This study examines the impact of strategic adaptation on employees working in private sector banks in Tamil Nadu. Using primary data collected from 398 bank employees across selected private banks, the study adopts a descriptive and causal research design. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is employed to analyse the relationship between strategic adaptation practices and employee outcomes such as job performance, job satisfaction, stress, and organisational commitment. The findings reveal that strategic adaptation significantly influences employee performance and commitment, while inadequate change management increases stress levels. The study provides practical insights for banking management to implement adaptive strategies in a more employee-centric manner.

The 5S methodology—Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain—is a fundamental lean management tool aimed at improving workplace organization, efficiency, safety, and quality. While the application of 5S practices has been widely studied in manufacturing industries, empirical research focusing on service-oriented and technical sectors such as the vertical transportation industry remains limited, particularly in the context of Azerbaijan. The vertical transportation industry, which includes the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, requires high levels of safety, precision, and operational discipline.
The present study examines employees’ perceptions of 5S practices in the vertical transportation industry in Azerbaijan. The objectives of the study are to assess employees’ awareness and understanding of 5S principles, evaluate perceived benefits and challenges of implementation, and analyze the relationship between employee demographics and perceptions of 5S practices. A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 200 employees working in selected vertical transportation companies using a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis, mean score analysis, correlation analysis, and ANOVA were used for data analysis.