Sindu Bharathi S. K.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Increasing demographic diversity and shortages in labor necessitate healthcare organizations to establish inclusive workspaces that promote retention. In a dynamic and diverse labor market, this study evaluates how diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belongingness influence employee retention in multispecialty hospitals in Chennai, a major healthcare center in South India. A standardized questionnaire was administered to collect data from 247 physicians, who represent a critical group within the hospital between January and March 2025. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine direct and indirect relationships. The findings indicate that diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belongingness practices have a substantial and positive impact on employee retention (β = 0.700, 0.784, 0.410; p = 0.000), thereby improving the overall well-being of employees. It is worth noting that the inclusion-specific strategies implemented within this framework did not have any statistically significant effects (β = 0.095; p = 0.459) on retention. Also, well-being played a significant role in mediating the relationship between diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belongingness practices and retention (β = 0.411; p = 0.000). Furthermore, the individual mediation paths revealed statistically significant results (β = 0.228, 0.371, 0.189, 0.167; p = 0.010, 0.001, 0.003, 0.002). Higher organizational commitment has a positive impact since it has been shown to moderate the relationship between retention and well-being (β = 0.076; p < 0.01). In addition to contributing to the expanding corpus of literature on urban healthcare settings, findings may help policymakers enhance workforce stability through more equitable and inclusive organizational practices.

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.