Abstract:

This paper explores the paradox of investment decision-making wherein the Indian investors are reluctant to invest even though the financial ratios are favourable. The traditional financial theory is a rational behaviour premised on profitability, liquidity and solvency indicators. The behavioural finance however proposes that psychological factors play an important role in investment decisions. The study examines the hypothesis both on whether consideration of financial ratios and confidence in the profitability ratios can decrease hesitation in investment, and whether psychological hesitation varies among the age and educational qualification groups. The study uses primary survey data of Indian investors. The findings indicate that financial ratio analysis does not have strong explanatory power to minimize the level of hesitation (R 2 = 0.066), and demographic variables like age and education do not play a major role in the investor psychology. These aspects are emphasized as the findings reveal that emotional biases, risk perception, and psychological discomfort are higher than the numerical financial evaluation. The analysis is a contribution to literature on behavioural finance as it combines finance indicators with psychological predictors in the context of the Indian investment.

Keywords: Investor psychology, financial ratios, behavioural finance, investment decision-making, risk perception, cognitive bias, Indian stock market

Abstract:

This paper explores the degree of consumers with regard to their insurance knowledge and how they relate to consumer decision-making when buying insurance policies. The study also examines the issue of whether the decision making in matters involving insurance varies among the groups of educational qualifications. The key survey was done on 70 respondents where a structured questionnaire was used on a five-point Likert scale. According to the results, the average level of insurance awareness (3.5143) is considerably represented compared to the neutral benchmark value (u = 3), which means that there is a moderately positive attitude to the policy features, benefits, and claim processes. The correlation analysis, however, has not revealed significant relationship to exist between insurance awareness and consumer choice (r = -0.222, p > 0.05). Also, the results of the ANOVA show no significant difference in making a decision based on the groups of educational qualification. The study concludes that despite the fact that the awareness level is satisfying, the level does not play a significant role in purchasing decisions, so more strategies to contact the consumer should be developed.

Keywords: Insurance Awareness, Consumer Decision-Making, Insurance Literacy, Policy Understanding, Risk Perception, India, Financial Inclusion, Insurance Penetration

Abstract:

This paper is called From Calculator to ChatGPT: Are Accountants Fearing Being Replaced by AI? studies awareness, use and perception of Artificial Intelligence tools among the accounting professionals within South Gujarat. The accounting profession is being significantly transformed with the fast development of AI technologies like chatbots, like ChatGPT. The research uses a primary survey method to examine the perceptions of accountants in the areas of job displacement, professional relevance and future career security. Information gathered with the help of accounting professionals demonstrates that the moderate awareness of AI tools is accompanied by limited usage. These results suggest that experience level does not significantly relate to fear of job replacement by AI which implies the perspective towards the adoption of AI is cautious and neutral. In addition, there are weak connections between AI use and career related attitudes, which proves a transitional period of adjusting to a profession. The paper concludes that AI is viewed as a supportive system but not a direct threat as it is now, and it requires the organization of competence development programs.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Accounting Profession, Job Displacement Anxiety, Technology Adoption, Automation, Professional Skills, Primary Survey, South Gujarat

Abstract:

This paper provides empirical research on packaging role in consumer purchasing behaviour in the Indian market with specific references to discrepancies between appealing packaging and the quality of the product. Packaging in the current competitive retail world is acting as a silent sales man in that it creates the initial impressions, purchase expectations, and value of the product. The research makes use of survey-based quantitative design to examine the impact of visual appeal, packaging design and informational cues on quality perceptions and purchase decision among consumers. A structured questionnaire was used to sample 70 consumers who took part in the study and their data was analysed with the help of Pearson correlation, one-sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results show that although the good packaging does not have a significant effect on the purchasing decision made on the basis of attraction alone, it has a substantial effect on the perception that holds customers about the quality and performance expectation of the product. Age differences on these perceptions were however seen to be statistically insignificant. The research paper points out the ethical and strategic implication of packaging-based marketing and proposes that the marketer needs to create a balance between the aesthetic and authentic value of products in order to maintain consumer trust in the long term.

Keywords: Packaging Design, Consumer Buying Behaviour, Visual Appeal, Brand Perception, Impulse Buying, Indian Consumers

Abstract

This paper explores how service reliability and transaction transparency affect trust establishing in Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment apps, and empirically observed in Ahmedabad city. UPI has emerged as a leading platform of daily financial transactions because of the rapid growth of digital payment systems in India. It is however determined by the continued use that is heavily influenced by the trust in these applications by users. The primary data were gathered using a structured questionnaire on a survey-based descriptive research design in Ahmedabad on 70 UPI users. Correlation analysis, simple linear regression and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the composite scores of service reliability, transaction transparency and trust formation. The results indicate that service reliability and transparency, both in the formation of trust, have weak non-significant relationships. Also, there is no significant difference in the level of trust between the age groups. The findings are that the confidence in UPI apps is institutionalized and may be likely to be inspired by wider systemic and regulatory circumstances and not the individual characteristics of services.

Key Words: UPI Payment Apps, Service Reliability, Transaction Transparency, Consumer Trust, Digital Payments, Ahmedabad

Abstract:

This paper will look at customer trust and fear relating to the usage of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India, and how this is likely to be continued, despite the fear of digital fraud. The users have come to trust UPI as a necessary way of day to day financial dealings and at the same time move through their fear of its convenience and on the other hand, learn to fear the possibility of security risks. The study compares Composite Trust Scores and Composite Fear perception Scores using primary survey data composed of 70 UPI users to determine the psychological reaction of users towards UPI payments. The t-tests with one sample show that the level of trust and fear of users is significantly higher than the neutral value, which proves the co-occurrence of confidence and anxiety in the behavior related to digital payments. Moreover, the results of the multiple regression analysis indicate that neither trust nor fear are significant predictors of further use of UPI because of convenience. The results indicate that the adoption of UPI has become a routine and a need-based behaviour, in which emotion perceptions are less important than convenience does.