The Journal of Innovation in Academia is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly publication committed to advancing innovation in higher education through interdisciplinary research, reflective inquiry, and transformative academic practices. Published by Star Scholars Press in collaboration with Kathmandu Model College, the Model Institute of Technology (MIT), and the International American University, this journal provides a dynamic platform for scholars, practitioners, and institutional leaders to explore forward-thinking ideas that enhance teaching, learning, and academic leadership—both within Nepal and globally.
Upon publication articles are immediately and freely available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License. All articles are permanently available online. The final version of articles may be posted to an institutional repository or to the author's own website as long as the article includes a link back to the original article posted on OJED.
Factors Influencing Stock Market Investment Intentions of Retail Investors
This study aims to examine factors influencing the investment intention of retail investors of the Nepalese stock market from a behavioural perspective. An explanatory research design was employed, using purposive sampling to collect data from 402 retail investors in Surkhet District, which were subsequently analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings of this study revealed that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, and risk tolerance have a significant influence on the investment intention of the retail investors of the stock market. Further, investment intention has a significant influence on the investment behaviour of retail investors. Mediation analysis also validates that investment intention significantly mediates the relationship between behavioural factors and investment behaviour. Policymakers, financial institutions, and market regulators can use these insights to design effective financial literacy programs and strengthen regulatory frameworks that promote balanced investment strategies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Innovation in Academia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Entrepreneurial Intentions among Business Students in Gandaki Province
In Nepal, entrepreneurship is being advocated as a path to economic resilience and job creation. However, little is known about the psychological processes through which personal characteristics and environmental resources influence entrepreneurial intention. The study examined the influence of three foundational factors on entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial intention (EI), as well as the mediating role of ESE. The study surveyed 556 final-year undergraduate and graduate business students purposively from higher educational institutions in Gandaki Province, Nepal. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings revealed that all three foundational factors have a significant influence on ESE and EI. Similarly, ESE mediated the relationship between the foundation factors and EI. The relationship between foundational characteristics and EI is partially mediated by ESE. Practically, the findings offer practical implications for curriculum designers, training program developers, and policymakers seeking to strengthen entrepreneurial capacity among Nepalese business students.
Gender Representation, Media Discourse and Sexual Performativity
Mass media do not merely reflect social reality. They actively construct and normalize particular models of femininity and masculinity. Women are frequently represented through restrictive images of beauty, domesticity, and passivity, reinforcing patriarchal power structures. This study examines gender representation, media discourse, and sexual performativity through a literary critical analysis of Philip Roth’s The Breast. Departing from predominantly psychoanalytic and absurdist interpretations, the study argues that the novella exposes and literalizes the objectifying logic embedded within patriarchal media culture. Drawing on Butler’s concept of gender performativity, Foucault’s theory of productive power, McIntosh’s critique of sexual categorization, and Bertens’s poststructuralist perspective on unstable meaning, the analysis explores how gender and sexuality are discursively produced rather than biologically determined. Through the protagonist’s transformation into a breast, Roth destabilizes binaries such as male/female, active/passive, and heterosexual/homosexual. Ultimately, text reveals fragility of patriarchal norms and reconceptualizes gender as fluid, contingent, and socially constructed.
How Workplace Spirituality Translates into Prosocial Motivation
Grounded on Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines the influence of workplace spirituality on prosocial motivation among university teachers through the mediation of ethical climate. The study adopted an explanatory research design, and data were purposively collected from 259 university teachers across higher education institutions in Kathmandu Valley. Data was analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The findings reveal that workplace spirituality positively influences both ethical climate and prosocial motivation. Furthermore, ethical climate fully mediates the relationship between workplace spirituality and prosocial motivation. These findings extend ethical theory by explaining how workplace spirituality translates into prosocial motivation and offer practical insights for leaders and policymakers seeking to promote ethical and spiritually supportive workplaces. This study introduces a moral-spiritual convergence perspective and extends prior findings while enhancing understanding of spirituality, ethics, and prosocial behavior in the higher education context.
Sustainability Information Processing Biases and Sustainable Consumption Behavior
Sustainability information processing biases distort how people interpret sustainability information; however, research on how these biases influence sustainable consumption behavior remains limited. The study aims to examine how biases in the processing of sustainability information shape sustainable consumption attitudes and behaviors, using a moderated mediation approach. This study adopted a post-positivist approach with purposive sampling. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct, indirect, and moderated mediation effects with data from a survey of 407 respondents. The study revealed a significant positive influence of sustainability information processing biases on sustainability consumption attitude and behavior. Further, it revealed significant moderated mediation effects of sustainable consumption attitude and environmental knowledge, improving the effect of information processing biases on sustainable consumption behavior. Regarding cognitive bias theory and environmental behavior research, the study suggests that clear and credible sustainability communication helps consumers process environmental information effectively, thereby strengthening the sustainable attitude-behavior relationship.
sustainability information processing biases
Behavioral Biases and Investment Decision-Making in Emerging Markets
The study aims to examine the influence of behavioral biases on individual investors’ decisions, and it further assesses the mediating role of risk tolerance and the moderating effect of financial literacy. Drawing on behavioral finance theory, six key biases, namely overconfidence, risk aversion, herding, disposition effect, representativeness, and anchoring, were taken. Analyzing data obtained from a structured questionnaire survey among 385 individual investors in Nepal Stock Exchange, the study revealed that overconfidence, risk aversion, representativeness, and anchoring significantly affect investment decisions, whereas herding and disposition biases do not. Contrary to expectations, neither risk tolerance nor financial literacy showed significant mediating or moderating effects, indicating their limited influence in relationship between behavioral biases and investment decisions. The study concludes that cognitive biases remain powerful drivers of investment choices, particularly within emerging market contexts. The findings highlight the need for policymakers to design investor education programs that directly address specific behavioral biases.
This study aims to critically examine how colonial influences shape language education practices and how alternative epistemologies can be foregrounded. It employs a qualitative thematic literature review design, drawing on Braun and Clarke’s approach to systematically code, analyze, and interpret existing scholarly literature. The findings revealed colonial legacies and cultural hegemony, and barriers to quality education. It validates that the norms of the dominant Anglo-American language, native-speaker ideologies, examination-based practices, and the use of textbooks reproduce language and educational inequities. The study calls for a reorientation of the study of the English language towards decolonisation by incorporating the use of indigenous knowledge, multilingual pedagogies, culturally responsive teaching, and critical consciousness. This can be a way to make English a tool that will support linguistic diversity. English can be re-visioned as a transformative resource that helps to enhance equity, linguistic diversity, and function as an instrument for facilitating inclusive practices.
The article explores how Malgonkar’s novel The Devil’s Wind (1972) operates as a discourse of literary resistance in opposition to colonial historiography and establishes itself as a counter narrative to colonial history. Postcolonial writings customarily stem from the colonial experience, arising from European expansion and exploitation of Third World countries. Accordingly, the writings from the former colonies aim at writing back in an attempt to correct, review, and reinterpret the Western notion of its former colonies. Reinterpreting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 through the lens of Nana Saheb, the novel interrogates and dismantles Nana’s colonial portrayal, assesses Eurocentric notions of history, and thereby claims back indigenous agency. This study employs a qualitative research approach within a historical framework. The study contributes to literary discourse by reasoning and attesting how literature can interrogate hegemonic discourses, and issue counter-narratives that give prominence to colonised voices.
The study aims to identify the determinants of commercial health insurance purchase intention among uninsured school teachers in Nepal. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey study of 412 uninsured school teachers. PLS-SEM approach has been adopted for the analysis. Purchase intention for commercial health insurance among school teachers is primarily affected by perceived usefulness and attitudes, along with the norms, literacy, and the service quality influence as supporting factors. This suggests that for enhancing adoption and long-term engagement, benefit-focused communication and product designs, added with trust and retention efforts, are essential. While male and female teachers differ somewhat in average views, these differences do not meaningfully change how the key drivers relate to intention.
Copyright (c) 2025 Interdisciplinary Journal of Innovation in Nepalese Academia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
This study explores whether the value chain (VC) is primarily a theory or a practical tool for sustainable development. Using the qualitative analytical approach based on thematic analysis of academic literature, institutional reports, and purposively selected global cases between 2010 and 2025, enabling cross-comparative analysis of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions shaping VC as tools for sustainable development. The findings indicate that VCs operate as practical instruments for achieving sustainable development rather than solely economic models or just a theory. Evidence across global cases shows consistent improvements in income generation, social inclusion, environmental performance, and governance coordination when VCs are formally structured and supported. This study offers a unified framework that demonstrates how VCs can drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development, offering strategic insights for practitioners, policymakers, and industry actors for designing inclusive and climate-resilient interventions following the triple bottom line theory and the concept of circular economy.
Undergraduate Students’ Expectations of Teaching and Learning
In the evolving higher education landscape, understanding, prioritizing, and meeting students' needs is vital for service quality, institutional survival, and competitiveness. This study assesses the undergraduate students' expectations in regard to teaching, learning, assessment types, and teacher qualities in Kathmandu Valley. A descriptive research design with a quantitative survey approach was employed. Data were collected from 611 newly enrolled undergraduate students in Management, Information Technology, and Humanities programs within the Kathmandu Valley and analyzed using frequency distribution, mean scores, ranking analysis, the Kruskal–Wallis H test, and post hoc Mann–Whitney U tests. Across the disciplines, the findings revealed that students prefer knowledgeable instructors, practical and relevant learning, authentic assessments, and interactive teaching methods, highlighting a shift toward more engaging and applied learning over traditional lecture- and exam-based approaches in Nepalese higher education. The findings inform improvements to enhance curriculum delivery, assessment practices, technology integration, and teachers’ professional development.
Green Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment
This study examines the influence of green microfinance (GMF) on women's empowerment (WE) through the mediating role of financial literacy (FL), integrating human capital theory, capability approach, and experiential learning theory. Based on a survey research design, data were purposively collected from 250 women affiliated with three leading microfinance institutions (MFIs), each having at least a minimum participation period of six months. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The findings revealed that GMF significantly influenced FL but did not have a significant effect on WE. Moreover, the relationship between FL and WE was supported, and the mediating role of FL in this relationship was also confirmed. This indicates that GMF fosters empowerment primarily by enhancing women’s financial knowledge and decision-making abilities. The study extends microfinance and feminist empowerment theories by introducing the environmental dimension of GMF and positioning FL as a key mediating factor.
This study explores the narrative techniques of unreliable narration in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories “Ligeia”, “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “Manuscript Found in a Bottle.” It investigates how Poe’s narrators distort time, space, and psychological perception to construct narrative ambiguity and disorientation amongst the readers. Drawing upon Wayne C. Booth’s theory of rhetorical narration and Gerard Genette’s narrative structural analysis, this study demonstrates that Poe’s narrators do not just merely mislead readers but rather actively immerse them in psychological disorientation and narrative ambiguity. Ultimately, Poe’s strategic use of unreliable narration emerges not as a narrative flaw but as a deliberate technique that deepens thematic complexity and reinforces Gothic conventions of instability and uncertainty. The findings contribute to broader discussions on the evolution of unreliable narration in psychological and Gothic fiction and reaffirm Poe’s pioneering role in shaping modern narrative practices.
Economics of Digital Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
This study examines the economic relationship between traditional academic resources and digital learning tools, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), among higher education students in Kathmandu, Nepal. Using cross-sectional data from 439 urban students and an ordered logistic regression framework, the study tests substitution and complementarity effects. Results show that e-learning platforms significantly substitute for physical library visits, reflecting reduced transaction costs, while also enhancing academic performance and research participation. In contrast, generative AI use shows no significant association with library demand or academic outcomes, indicating an early stage of adoption. Core library services continue to deliver distinct benefits and cannot be fully replaced by AI or digital tools. The findings support an integrated policy approach that combines strategic investment in library infrastructure and staff quality with the promotion of high-impact e-learning platforms and ethical AI tools to strengthen academic achievement, research engagement, and human capital development.
Job Autonomy and Innovative Work Behavior in Nepalese Service Industry
This study investigates the mediating effect of creative self-efficacy in the relationship between job autonomy and innovative work behavior within the Nepalese service sector. A quantitative approach was used, and the data were collected purposively from 409 employees in the diverse Nepalese service sector. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM in R software to examine the structural paths. Findings reveal that job autonomy positively influences innovative work behavior, with creative self-efficacy partially mediating the relationship. The results contribute to organizational behavior literature by highlighting psychological mechanisms underlying innovative work behavior in hierarchical contexts. Practical implications include fostering creative self-efficacy through training and structured autonomy to drive organizational innovation. Thus, the study emphasizes that strengthening both autonomy and creative self-efficacy is essential for enhancing employee innovation in service-sector organizations.
Remittances, Export Performance, and Policy Frameworks in a Developing Economy
This study purpose to test whether larger remittance inflow supports or weakens Nepal’s export competitiveness. Annual data from 1994-2024 were used in this study, applying the export-centric ARDL bounds model with ECM and full diagnostics, modelling aggregate exports against remittance, GDP, import, and CPI. The data series are mixed I (0)/ I (1), cointegration is confirmed, and the error-correction term is found to be strong, indicating rapid adjustments. The result shows remittances have a positive but statistically insignificant effect on exports in the short and long run, providing macro-level insight into Dutch-Disease type crowding out. Export moves together with GDP and depend on imported intermediates. Remittance Granger causes imports but not exports. Stability, normality, and specification tests are stable. Thus, it concludes that Nepal’s challenge is not remittance-induced harm to tradables, but rather its failure to convert household savings into exportable capacity.
Influence of Financial Knowledge and Attitude on Financial Behavior of Working Women
Grounded on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Self-efficacy Theory, this study examines the influence of financial knowledge (FK), financial attitude (FA), and financial self-efficacy (FSE) on the financial behavior (FB) of working women through the mediating role of FSE in this relationship. Using the purposive sampling technique, data were collected from 309 working women working in different sectors. Data were analyzed using Smart PLS 4.0v. The findings revealed that FK did not support FB, whereas the FA and FB relationship was supported. Similarly, the relationship between FSE and FB was supported as well, and the mediating role of FSE was established in the relationship between FA and FB. FA and FSE emerged as significant predictors of FB of women, indicating the importance of psychological and motivational factors in shaping financial decisions. Policymakers and financial institutions should design targeted interventions that combine knowledge dissemination with confidence-building strategies.
This study re-examines how setting operates as an active narrative force by analyzing Stacy Aumonier’s “The Perfect Murder” and W. W. Jacobs’s “The Interruption.” While existing narratological frameworks have theorized Bakhtin’s chronotope and anticipation as separate components, they have not sufficiently explained how environmental conditions produce anticipatory pressure within the storyworld. Using qualitative close reading and an interdisciplinary synthesis of Bakhtin’s chronotope, phenomenological accounts of mood and atmosphere, and temporal theories from Genette and Brooks, the study argues that the lateautumn environments in both stories function as fused narrative chronotopic fields rather than descriptive backdrops. The analysis identifies a shared “harvest-before-death” chronotope in which November atmospheres externalize psychological instability and render outcomes feel inevitable by constraining character agency. Building on these findings, the article advances narrative gravity as a theoretical model that pulls the storyworld towards its endings long before events unfold.
Determinants of AI Adoption in Higher Education
This study investigates Cambodian university students’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and the key determinants shaping their behavioural intention to use AI. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 256 students across multiple higher education institutions in Cambodia. Multiple regression analysis revealed that attitude, perceived ease of use, and facilitating conditions significantly predicted behavioural intention, with attitude emerging as the strongest determinant. In contrast, perceived usefulness, social influence, and ethical and privacy concerns were non-significant, suggesting that students’ adoption decisions are driven more by personal evaluations and usability perceptions than by normative pressure or ethical considerations. The findings highlight the need for universities to strengthen AI literacy, develop faculty capacity, and establish ethical guidelines to promote responsible AI use.
This study explored quality assurance practices in Ghanaian Colleges of Education, highlighting challenges and proposing solutions to improve teaching and learning. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected from 15 participants across five Colleges of Education, including principals, quality assurance officers, and student leaders. Findings revealed that internal quality mechanisms, academic counseling, and staff workshops enhance teaching quality. However, issues such as delayed result releases, curriculum irrelevance, and outdated resources persist. Participants recommended updating curricula, improving infrastructure, and strengthening professional development. The study provides context-specific insights into educational quality enhancement in resource-limited settings.
Green Banking Practices and Perceived Bank Performance
This study examines the impact of green banking practices (GBP) on perceived bank performance (BP), with a specific focus on the mediating role of green financing (GF). It analyzes four GBP dimensions, namely employee, operation, customer, and policy-related, using data from 269 banking professionals. Results show that GBPs and GF positively affect both environmental and financial performance, with GF partially mediating this relationship. Among GBP components, customer-related practices have the strongest impact, followed by employee and policy-related efforts, while operation-related practices show no significant influence. The findings provide strategic insights for banks and policymakers: strengthening green financing tools, integrating environmental policies into operations, and boosting customer and employee involvement are essential for sustainable outcomes. This study contributes to the evolving discourse on green finance by highlighting actionable pathways for improving both environmental and financial performance in the banking industry.
This study employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate the integration and impact of formative assessments in MBA programs across Nepal. Using stratified purposive sampling, 211 faculty members from 28 institutions under six universities participated. Quantitative findings reveal that while formative assessments are incorporated into curricula, their implementation varies widely. Faculty generally hold neutral views on their effectiveness, with more experienced educators being more positive. These assessments are associated with improved competencies in decision-making, critical thinking, and leadership. Qualitative findings highlight innovative practices like reflective journals, case studies, and collaborative projects that support student learning. However, challenges such as limited institutional support, insufficient digital infrastructure, and a lack of faculty training hinder optimal implementation. The study emphasizes the transformative potential of formative assessments and recommends policy reforms, professional development, and enhanced technology. Its integration of theory and practice offers a model for similar contexts globally.
The Transformative Role of AI in Advertising and Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally transformed advertising and marketing by enabling data-driven hyper-personalization and predictive capabilities. This systematic literature review, based on 98 peer-reviewed studies (2018–2024) and guided by PRISMA, explores AI’s evolving role, from analyzing consumer behavior to enabling automated ad creation, dynamic segmentation, and real-time optimization. Findings reveal that AI enhances conversion rates while reducing costs by leveraging tools like generative AI for text/visual ads and predictive analytics for customer insights. The study highlights AI's shift from transactional to relational marketing, emphasizing its capacity to foster long-term customer relationships through personalized messaging and immersive Metaverse experiences. However, challenges such as algorithmic bias, privacy concerns, and SME adoption barriers persist, necessitating ethical frameworks like Explainable AI (XAI) for transparency. The study extends Relationship Marketing and Resource-Based View (RBV) theories to AI-driven environments and offers practical guidance on integrating AI while preserving human creativity.
Artificial Intelligence, customer segmentation, explainable AI (XAI), hyper-personalization, metaverse, predictive analytics
Organizational resilience is essential for businesses, especially in uncertain environments like Nepal. However, there is limited understanding of how different leadership styles influence resilience and the mediating role of organizational learning culture in this relationship. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership styles, organizational resilience, and the mediating effect of organizational learning culture within the Nepali manufacturing and service industries. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 340 employees across 40 diverse Nepalese organizations. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings revealed that neither transformational nor transactional leadership styles had a direct significant impact on organizational resilience. However, organizational learning culture fully mediated the relationship between both leadership styles and resilience. This highlights the importance of cultivating a learning- oriented culture to strengthen organizational resilience, regardless of leadership style.
Webrooming and Pure Online Shopping Behavior of Skincare Consumers in Indonesia
Based on social cognitive theory, this study examines the influence of content marketing and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) on the purchasing decisions of skincare consumers. It also investigates whether the effects of content marketing and e-WOM on purchasing decisions differ significantly between pure online shoppers and webroomers. A quantitative approach was used to examine the causal relationship among the study variables. Likewise, cross-sectional data were purposively collected from 298 skintific users in Sumenep Regency, Indonesia. SmartPLS 4.0 was employed for analysis. This study found that both content marketing and e-WOM significantly influence skincare purchasing decisions, with no notable difference between pure online shoppers and webroomers. The results suggest that digital content and peer-generated reviews have become central touchpoints in high-involvement product decisions, transcending the physical-digital shopping divide. Findings reveal converging digital consumer behaviors, urging brands to adopt consistent, credible, and engaging digital strategies to build trust and drive purchase intentions.
This article explores how Mulk Raj Anand, through Untouchable, redefines the aesthetics of beauty and ugliness by challenging caste-based hierarchies in 1930s colonial India. Anand critiques the idealization of upper-caste purity by exposing the moral decay of Brahmins and Chhetris, while attributing ethical and humanitarian beauty to untouchables like Bakha, who embody honesty, humility, and labor worship. Employing Bakhtin’s concept of grotesque realism, Mukarovsky’s idea of socially constructed beauty, and Raymond Williams’ critique of aesthetic idealization, the study frames Anand’s politics of aesthetics within the discourse of social justice. It also draws on B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste to contextualize the novel’s anti-caste ideology. Anand ultimately destabilizes binary notions of beauty and grotesqueness, portraying the oppressed as morally beautiful and the so-called pure as ethically corrupt. The novel becomes a powerful critique of caste orthodoxy and a celebration of the dignity and humanity of the marginalized.
Impact of Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity on Emotional Exhaustion among Non-Managerial Employees in Boutique Hotels in Nepal
This study investigates the impact of role conflict and role ambiguity on emotional exhaustion experienced by employees working at a non-managerial level in different boutique hotels operating inside the Kathmandu Valley. Non-managerial employees are an essential part of the boutique hotel segment and its overall functioning, efficiency, and effectiveness. This study applies a cross-sectional survey design along with descriptive and multiple-regression analysis. According to data analysis, role conflict among non-managerial employees in boutique hotels is positively and significantly related to emotional exhaustion, while the link between role ambiguity and emotional exhaustion is positive but not statistically significant. Importantly, to reduce the stressful experiences germinating from role conflict and role ambiguity, which contribute to the prevalence of emotional exhaustion, this study implies that boutique hotels need to implement efficient HRM policies and practices that provide job descriptions, areas of specialization, job specifications, and performance agreements to their non-managerial employees.
The rapid growth of digital platforms in Nepal has reshaped democratic participation but also intensified misinformation, undermining informed citizenship and electoral trust. This qualitative study uses in-depth interviews and phenomenological analysis to explore how Nepali citizens engage with digital political content. Four major themes emerged: Digital Literacy as Situated Competence, Interpretation of Political Content, Misinformation and Democratic Trust, and Informal Misinformation Detection Strategies. Findings show digital literacy is deeply contextual, influenced by socio-cultural norms, gender gaps, and informal learning rather than formal education. Participants often respond emotionally to political information and depend on trusted social networks for validation. Misinformation erodes trust, leading to political disengagement or polarization. Yet, communities develop adaptive strategies to identify falsehoods. The study highlights the need for culturally sensitive digital literacy initiatives, stronger platform accountability policies, and community-based civic education to bolster democratic resilience.
While the adoption of digital banking continues to rise, research on how digital service quality affects customer retention is limited. This study applies an E-S-QUAL-based framework to assess how dimensions of digital banking service quality (DBSQ) influence customer satisfaction and their mediating role in customer retention within commercial banks in Kathmandu Valley. A cross-sectional design was used, collecting data from 426 respondents through structured questionnaires and analyzed through SmartPLS 4.0. Results show that among the five DBSQ dimensions, efficiency, ease of use, and security significantly affect customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction, in turn, has a significant impact on customer retention and partially mediates the relationship between service quality and retention. These findings highlight the critical role of digital service quality in enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The study offers valuable insights for banks and policymakers aiming to improve digital banking experiences to foster stronger customer retention.
Authenticity of Identity in Lauren Oyler's Fake Accounts
This study explores authenticity in Lauren Oyler’s Fake Accounts through the lens of Goffman’s self-presentation theory, Baudrillard’s simulacra and hyperreality, and Turkle’s insights on digital disembodiment. It analyzes the protagonist’s negotiation of online and offline identities, revealing how digital personas operate as curated performances detached from an underlying “real” self. Using Goffman’s dramaturgical model, the study shows how social media fosters continuous impression management similar to theatrical role-playing. Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality further exposes these digital identities as simulacra, self-referential images that supplant authenticity. Turkle’s framework highlights the alienation and fragmentation arising from fragmented digital selves. Together, these theories illuminate the novel’s critique of performative pressures and the crisis of authenticity in hyperconnected, postmodern digital culture. Ultimately, Fake Accounts questions the possibility of genuine selfhood amid pervasive simulation and digital disembodiment.