Prabhavathy R

The growing use of mobile augmented reality in gaming, e-commerce, education, and social media has influenced user interactions with digital material. The purpose of this study is to assess the technological acceptability and learning transfer theories in India among Gen Z and Millennial smartwatch purchasers using mobile augmented reality. In the months of July to September of 2024, 389 individuals were selected at random from a shopping center in Chennai, India. All of the participants got their hands on a free augmented reality shopping app for their smartwatches. They filled out a Google Form survey after a quick overview of the features of mobile augmented reality. Participants are already actively engaged in purchasing and may be more inclined to employ an Augmented Reality (AR) shopping application in a shopping center. The study results found that mobile augmented reality habits significantly impact Behavioral Intention, Performance Expectancy, Hedonic Motivation, and Effort Expectancy (β = 0.589, p = 0.001-0.871, p = 0.003-0.024). Behavioral intention between Generation Z and Millennials is not moderated by mobile augmented reality habits (β = 0.254, p = 0.227), but Performance Expectancy, Hedonic Motivation, and Effort Expectancy demonstrate significant moderating effects (β = 0.168, p = 0.012, p = 0.029, p = 0.000, β = 0.261, p = 0.005). This model states that Mobile Augmented Reality habits influence Millennials’ performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and effort expectancy. Age negatively moderates Habit using Mobile Augmented Reality on Performance Expectancy and Behavioral Intention, indicating Gen Z values quality more.

Type of the article: Research Article

In the era of digital transformation, organizations are increasingly integrating digitalization and artificial intelligence to enhance employee behavior and organizational outcomes. This study examines the associations among digital leadership, AI-based performance assessment, employee empowerment, work engagement, and organizational performance in a Chennai-based IT company in India. Specifically, the study investigates the direct and indirect effects of digital leadership and AI performance assessment on organizational performance through employee empowerment and work engagement. Data were collected from 373 IT employees using an online survey conducted between June and August 2025 and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). A stratified random sampling technique based on organizational job levels (entry, mid, and senior) was adopted to ensure adequate representation of hierarchical positions within the organization. Hypothesis testing revealed that digital leadership and AI performance assessment significantly enhance employee empowerment and work engagement (β = 0.490, 0.415, 0.527; p < 0.001), which in turn positively influence organizational performance (β = 0.383, 0.477, 0.195, 0.287; p < 0.001, 0.033). Furthermore, employee empowerment and work engagement significantly mediate the relationships between digital leadership, AI performance assessment, and organizational performance (β = 0.135, 0.199, 0.265, 0.244; p < 0.001). In addition, a multi-group analysis was conducted to examine differences across employee hierarchical levels. The findings highlight that transformations in modern workplaces and digitalized HR practices contribute to organizational performance across the workforce, while ensuring that employees from different hierarchical levels are adequately represented in the sample.