The case is about the urge for improving the processes and utilizing technologies available in market for Human Resource Management Services especially in recruitment. The dilemma in the case is whether the company should opt for automation or not. And if the company is adopting automation to support workforce planning and recruitment functions, is the company ready for the same. The HR industry at large is aware of the challenges faced by the recruitment teams in terms of the various hiring functions involving sales engine, sourcing, interviewing, providing offers, post offer follow-ups and finally joining and induction. To address this challenge, the case touches on instituting a culture change by embracing technology into divisions which are not yet open to adopting innovative methods. The company is looking at incorporating Artificial Intelligence in its various processes. It is also looking at Robot Process Automation to perform standard HR functions in the recruitment process. The company must decide whether to implement automation and if it does, how it should be executed. The case also debates on whether technology would increase the effectiveness of talent acquisition function and bring a change in the administrative HR image or would this automation-led hiring take away the control from the company human resources?

Influence of Social Reference Group on Buying Behavior, a Comparative Study of Working and Non Working Women in Bangalore-A Pilot Study Analysis

Healthy skin will never go out of style, and the advancements and improvements in the cosmetics industry guarantee to provide improved products with a healthy and personal touch. However, for consumers, it is difficult to assess the quality and effectiveness of a product. Extrinsic cues like the “Natural” or “Organic” labels are used to help the consumer distinguish between alternatives. This paper analyses how the organic label biases the consumers’ buying behavior, perceived value, and finally, the consumer’s purchase decision and the price he willingly pays for the product (willingness to pay). This phenomenon is known as the natural label halo effect. It further means to reveal the connections between the effect of the ‘Natural’ label on the factors affecting buying behavior and it’s out-turn as emulated in the consumer’s perceived value. It intends to identify if those outcomes at last lead to positive buying decisions and greater willingness to pay. A quantitative study in an experimental online shopping scenario was conducted to understand the relations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was done to test the hypothesized statements. The results show that the halo effect of the ‘Natural’ label positively influences the factors affecting consumer buying behavior and eventually improves the probability of the product being bought by the consumer and also the price the consumer is willing to pay for it through inferential beliefs on quality attributes and functional value evoked by the label. The study also reveals that natural skincare products are perceived to be more compliant with a consumer’s beliefs/attitudes relating to environmental protection and animal protection, which positively influences the propensity of a consumer towards buying the product and paying a high price for it by increasing the perceived functional and hedonic values associated with the natural cosmetic product.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the influences of social reference group on women buying behaviour and across specific women segments. The paper aims to apprehend and review social reference group influence on women consumer groups based on publications between 1942–2015. Women are influenced by Informational reference group, Utilitarian reference group and Value-expressive reference group though their influence vary across different women segments. Studies have indicated that Informational and Utilitarian reference group influence are the most pervasive amongst women purchases. Women as a segment is more influenced by reference group compared to men during product and service purchases as they are more socially connected compared to their male counterparts. Young working women usually carry out joint decisions with their spouse in comparison to a housewife where the husband has been the dominant decision maker. Moreover, some studies revealed that working women across certain product purchases would also take decisions individually as against housewives. Results also indicated that younger women were more susceptible to reference group influences (their friends’ opinion) as compared to older women. Conspicuousness of a product also plays a vital role in reference group influence on women consumer behaviour.

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