bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Ghanas Public Procurement Act on the Acquisition of Academic Library Resources in Ghana
Authors: Etse Daniel , Boateng Michael Sakyi
Published: September 2016

There is a scarcity of literature on the effects of Ghanas public procurement act on the acquisition of academic library resources. This study therefore sought to address this knowledge gap. A survey approach was adopted for conducting this study and questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data, and findings were presented using tables. Findings suggest that the implementation of the Public Procurement Act has enhanced the procurement structure of academic libraries in Ghana. Effects of the Act were however found to be weak with regards to development of capacity of procurement personnel, dealing with issues of transparency and accountability, and achieving value for money. It was recommended that the Public Procurement Act and the procurement system should be revised and strengthened, and training and development be improved and should target the attitude and morality of the procurement personnel.
A Study on Operational Efficiency Enhancement of University Transport System with Special Reference to Vignan University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Katuri Phani Kumar , Rao K. S.
Published: September 2016

The present study focuses on operational efficiency enhancement of university transport system with special reference to Vignan University, Guntur. Vignan University was established in the year of 2008 in remote village named Vadlamudi. The university gets the students from nearer towns. For providing better facilities to the students community, university started transport system and it have not been going on smoothly. University management is not satisfied with the performance of transport wing in terms of profits and operational efficiency. This study is intended to examine the operational costs and optimal bus facility network allocation. For this study, data are collected from both primary and secondary sources. Data are analyzed on the basis of cost-benefit analysis. The results revealed that variations taken place in operating costs, transit operations could save better to management by reallocate resources as per operational cost changes. Transit network setting is one of the causes for incurring high costs. The data analysis reveals that there is a scope for increasing the profits by operational efficiency enhancement. Findings and suggestions of this study may be helpful to the university policy makers for developing more effective and better transport system.
An Interactive Possibilistic Programming Approach for Blood Bank Locations with Emergency Referral
Authors: Mottaghi Amirhossein , Alinaghian Mahdi
Published: September 2016

Regionalisation of Local Blood Banks (LBBs) is so vital for blood supply to facilitate the clinics in the obligated regions to go along with the requests in typical conditions and the moments of crisis. Determination of location of LBBs is a key factor in the selection of alternatives in the blood store networks. In this paper, we first develop a new multi-objective possibility mixed integer linear programming model (MOPMILP) for blood bank location problem considering distinctive contradictive goals at the same time and additionally the loose way of some basic parameters, for example, requirements of hospitals and number of emergency referrals for clinics or hospitals. At that point, in the wake of applying legitimate procedures for changing over this possibilistic model into a precise novel multi-objective linear model (MOLP), we propose a novel intelligent fuzzy method to understand this MOLP and find a proper trade off arrangement. Eventually, we propose a careful analysis and will see the performance of the proposed model.
Competitive Negotiation Tactics and Kraljic Portfolio Category in SCM
Authors: Narsimhan Sundar , Ungarala Devi Prasad
Published: September 2016

Negotiation outcomes are broadly classified as Distributive/Competitive and Integrative/Collaborative. Substantial academic and research negotiation literature of the past two decades commend adoption of a collaborative style for almost all real-life conflict situations. Business negotiation materials and relational self-construal psychology studies present a picture of contrast. Negotiations being at the heart of buyer-supplier interactions drive value sharing and value co-creation aspects of modern Supply Chains. Pricing, product selection, delivery terms, shipment schedules, carrier selection, volume discounts, product training, and quality standards are all more often than not subject to negotiation between supply chain members. Negotiation interactions ensuing preparation and determination of BATNA, entail use of Competitive or Collaborative Tactics. Buyers are the protagonists in procurement organizations. And procurement often accounts for the lions share of an organizations budget. Small wonder, they drive cost competitiveness together with the firms partners. Indeed this is true of the overall Supply Chain. An Indian pharmaceutical company was chosen for the qualitative research in the form of a case study. The most popular competitive negotiation tactics were chosen for this study and buyers were asked to spell out the negotiation techniques that they deployed, material-wise (with the corresponding suppliers). This data when plotted material-wise and grouped Kraljic category-wise circumstantiates the use of competitive tactics in all Kraljic categories, marked by a refreshing nuanced approach for different categories, with intensity varying for different categories. Interviews with buyers and the key informant to discern the rationale behind use of those negotiation tactics, however, brought out a pattern despite the refreshing tendency not to straight-jacket.
Examining the Influence of Learning Style and Demographics on Instructional Method Preference
Authors: Khatun Rizwana
Published: September 2016

The emerging demographic dividend offers India a latent potential for attaining economic prosperity. With the rise of globalization and the rampant use of technology in our everyday lives, learning has become an indispensable part of our society as well. Albert Einstein aptly said that Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. Consistent with this thought, it is widely accepted that in the contemporary age, any individual, organization or a country would cease to progress, if it fails to acknowledge lifelong learning. Individuals are the foundation of any society and country, and an understanding of how they learn plays a crucial role in their growth and development. Since learning is a vital ingredient of organizational growth that provides momentum to a countrys economic development. So this study is an attempt to provide better insight in the field of adult learning. With India boasting of the largest youth proportion of the world, it is evidently important for us to cater to the needs of this young populace to facilitate global competitiveness and achieve the power of demographic dividend. The aim of this paper is to identify potential factors that may help trainers to adopt the most suitable method for training adult learners.
Identifying Managerial Competencies in the Indian Banking Sector
Authors: Pandey Rina , Misra Rajnish Kumar
Published: September 2016

In todays liberalized & globalized banking environment, managerial competencies have been considered very important concept. These competencies help in improved customer satisfaction which ultimately leads to enhanced customer base. The objective of the present study is to identify the competencies which are important for middle level managers in the banking industry, particularly in the Indian context. The objective was determined with the help of a survey which was administered to various banking professionals in the National Capital Region. The first part of the paper deals with the current situation of the Indian banking industry, concept of competency and managerial competencies, and literature review on managerial competencies. The second part deals with the survey carried out and the outcomes obtained as a result of it. Finally, the paper concludes with the limitations of the study and comes up with the areas in which future research can be carried out.
Effects of CSR Focused HRM on Employees Satisfaction: A Study of Indian Organisations
Authors: Kundu Subhash C. , Gahlawat Neha
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential effects of various components of CSR focused HRM on employees satisfaction towards their job. Primary data based on 563 respondents from 204 organizations operating in India have been analyzed to test the stated hypotheses. Using regression analysis, this study has revealed that adoption of CSR focused HRM in form of legal compliance HRM and employee-oriented HRM leads to increased job satisfaction among employees working in organizations operating in India. No such relationship has been detected for other CSR focused HRM components i.e. general CSR facilitation HRM and general CSR conduct. The implications for HR practitioners and organizations are also discussed.
Implementation Challenges in the Management and Placement of Skilled Staff in a Civil Service Institution
Authors: Maliti Biemba , Matembo Dickson
Published: September 2016

Research has shown that strategic management of human resource is an enigma. Also, one of the enigmas is lack of translation of the strategic directions by people who are expected to execute it. To test this theory, a cross sectional study using a survey questionnaire was administered to 145 Division I and II officers in the Auditor Generals office. Executive Summary: The Auditor Generals office in Zambia should have a strategic direction for managing qualified employees. In this case, the office has plans regarding staff orientation, training, and staff development. The office ensures that these strategic directions are adhered to but the most outstanding challenges relate to staff retention and the problem of patronage where staff have relationships with those in higher positions and are modeled to do the will of the appointing authorities. Data were collected and analyzed and it showed that there was no association in deployment and management of staff between ones occupation or gender with regards to challenges affecting the implementation of strategic directions because the p values were more than the a error rate of 0.05. Staff that undertake auditing functions and who support audit functions are valuable, rare, inimitable. The study has provided room for readers to appreciate the manner the office of the Auditor General manages its staff – the most valuable resource for an organization. The contribution to the scholarship on strategic planning in the public service is that facts should be allowed to speak for themselves- in essence qualitative research is advocated.
Turnover Intentions among Nurses in Private Hospitals: Antecedents and Mediators
Authors: Dasgupta Prasanjit
Published: September 2016

Private hospitals in India are preferred by people inspite of their higher cost, a reason for its preference is quality of care. Quality care is delivered by health-workers among whom nurses form a major group. Organizational turnover is high among nurses, to frame a proper retention policy their turnover intentions need to be understood. Studies in several countries indicate there are several antecedents and mediators of turnover intentions. India is culturally different from those countries, hence keeping in view the cultural variation the present study was made to analyze the influence of different factors on turnover intentions of nurses. The study found organizational support, nursing role stress, and core self-evaluation play a significant role in predicting turnover intentions and affective commitment mediates their relationship. The study also found that turnover intentions of nurses from Kerala (India) differ from those of other Indian states. This study shall help healthcare administrators to devise appropriate retention policy for nurses. Limitations of this research, academic and managerial implications are also discussed.
Evaluation of an International Disaster Response Teams Perspective Post 2011 Japan Multiple Disasters: Pivotal Learnings in Human Resource Management
Authors: Arora Preeti , Gunaseelan Rupa , Bhardwaj Janak R.
Published: September 2016

The Great East Japan Earthquake that forms the focus of this study inflicted unprecedented damage to infrastructure, lives, livelihood, and economy (estimated damage: US $ 235 billion). The disaster necessitated colossal human resource deployment with 163 countries and 43 international organizations offering assistance. The present study focuses on the importance of human resource management in disaster management and presents perspectives of the International Disaster Response Team from India deployed in Japan post-disaster. Responses on the following dimensions: rescue, relief and recovery (R3) assignment, specialised training and equipment, on-ground situation assessment, psycho-social parameters, and mission accomplishment led to several revelations. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc Tukeys HSD test. The present study presents key lessons for R3 personnel deployed on international missions in the wake of mega disasters. Our findings underscore the necessity to develop and implement responder-friendly policies and practices that can facilitate international R3 missions.
The Economic Crisis and Flexible Pay Structures: The Current Italian Outlook
Authors: Caponetti Simone
Published: September 2016

The author explores an issue of acute contemporary relevance which is fueling a heated doctrinal debate in Italy and regards flexible remuneration or the linking of pay to productivity, performance or quality. It is the authors belief that, as a result of the economic downturn and changing organizational models within companies, at this moment in time there is a growing need for workers to be made more directly involved in their companies overall productivity. This aim can be achieved by tying pay to performance, with remuneration based not on the amount of time spent at work, as has traditionally been the case in Italy, but with a pattern of remuneration based on the efficiency of workers performance, a practice which has until now been infrequently applied.
Effect of Diversity Management on Employees Organisational Commitment: A Study of Indian Organisations
Authors: Kundu Subhash C. , Mor Archana
Published: September 2016

The main objective of the study is to assess the potential effect of diversity management on employees commitment towards their organization. Primary data based on a sample of 400 respondents from 162 Indian organizations have been analyzed to test the stated hypothesis. Results of regression analysis revealed that implementing diversity management in the form of equality based HR practices i.e. recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, and compensation practices leads to increased organizational commitment among employees working in firms operating in India. The implications for HR practitioners, senior managers, and organizations are also discussed.
Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Banking Sector
Authors: Mahal Prabhjot Kaur
Published: September 2016

This study explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee satisfaction among executives working in service sectors in northern India including Delhi/NCR. Information was gathered, using three instruments, from a sample of 120 managers, by using the emotional intelligence scale developed by Chadha and Singh (2001) and job satisfaction scale developed by Harris (2000). It was found that there is a very strong significant linear relationship between emotional intelligence and employee satisfaction. This research therefore adds a new dimension to employee performance, leadership and emotional intelligence, since no similar study has been conducted.
Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and Its Role During the Hydration of Portland Cement
Authors: Rai Sarita , Tiwari Shivani
Published: September 2016

The utilization of waste materials in concrete manufacture provides a satisfactory solution to some of the environmental concerns and problems associated with waste management. Agro wastes such as rice husk ash, wheat straw ash, hazel nutshell and sugarcane bagasse ash are used as pozzolanic materials for the development of blended cements. India being one of the largest producers of sugarcane in the world, produces 300 million tons per year and large quantity of sugarcane bagasse is available from sugar mills. Sugarcane bagasse is partly used as fuel at the sugar mill. In the present paper, sugarcane bagasse was burned at 600oC and the ash obtained is known as sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) and characterized by using different techniques. SCBA was mixed with OPC in different proportions and the hydration studies were made. Mechanism of hydration has been discussed.
An Efficient Synthesis of Bis (Indolyl) Methanes Under Solvent Free Condition Using Silica Supported Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA-SiO2) as Recyclable Catalyst
Authors: Kirti Sugat , Kumar Deepak , Mogha Navin Kumar , Singh Virender , Masram Dhanraj T.
Published: September 2016

Silica supported poly-phosphoric acid (PPA-SiO2) has been utilized as an efficient and an environmentally friendly heterogeneous, reusable catalyst for the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes under solvent free condition. The significances of this protocol are mild reaction condition, excellent yield and simple work up procedure.
In Vitro Culture-An Alternative Method for The Enhanced Production of Some Volatile Components of Ocimum Citriodorum Vis.
Authors: Tripathi Anamika , Abbas N. S. , Nigam Amrita
Published: September 2016

Ocimum plants are highly valued for their effective antibacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant and therapeutic activities. These properties are attributed to some active metabolites. In order to enhance and develop an alternative source for the production of such active components, a comparative study was carried out. Composition of volatile organic compounds emitted by in vitro shoots, calli derived from leaf and nodal explant of Ocimum citriodorum Vis. were studied using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and compared to those emitted by mother plants. Solvent extraction method was used for obtaining essential oils from the samples. Total 18 volatile compounds from the leaf extract of mother plant, 14 volatile compounds from the leaf extract of in vitro regenerated plants, 5 volatile compounds from the calli derived from leaf and 10 volatile compounds from the calli derived from nodal explant were identified. The content of nerol (2.44%) and geranylacetate (1.53%) was greater in in vitro regenerated plantlets than in comparison to mother plant (nerol- 0.88% and geranylacetate- 0.32%). Seven new compounds (isocaryophyllene, b-farnesene, b-himachalene, globulol, geranylformate, b-citronellylacetate, citronellylisobutyrate) were identified from the in vitro regenerated plants while six and three new compounds were identified from the calli derived from nodal explant (geraniol, trans-b-bergamotene, b-longipinene, bergamotene, geranylformate and b-citronellyacetate) and leaf (b-curcumene, trans-b-bergamotene, b-citronellol) respectively. From the present study, it can be concluded that in vitro propagated plants as well as calli derived from leaf and nodal segment may be used as an alternate source for the increased production of bioactive compounds.
Agricultural Tourism- Typology Study & Tourist Perception with Reference to Maharashtra
Authors: Pal Sanjeeb
Published: September 2016

Farm-based recreation or Agri-Tourism is increasingly seen as a diversification strategy to promote rural economy and to protect farming incomes against market fluctuations. Within literature, there are many international studies that discuss the concept of agri-tourism in various ways. Wide-ranging definitions and labels concerning agri-tourism still create confusion as there is not a transparent and basic understanding of the characteristics that define it. The form and concept has been studied in various ways and contexts. It can be argued, however, that studies have yet to provide a clear and basic understanding of the characteristics that underpin and define agritourism. This paper makes a modest attempt to propose an ordinary typology for defining agritourism by identifying the key characteristics currently used to define agritourism and also place it in the backdrop of Tourists perception of Agri Tourism and its various attractions in Maharashtra. The paper also tries to create awareness.
Book Review: International Organizational Behavior Transcending Borders and Cultures
Authors: Kunte Monica
Published: September 2016

N.A.
Book Review: Corporate Life in Ancient India
Authors: Bhattacharya Sanjay
Published: September 2016

N.A.
Effect of Cultural Differences on Performance of Merger and Acquisition via Psychological Safety: A Framework
Authors: Jha Jatinder Kumar
Published: September 2016

This article proposes a framework connecting cultural difference with performance of M & A via psychological safety of target firms employees. Existing studies have suggested the need of effective social-cultural integration post acquisition for the success of M & A of culturally distant firms. This paper includes leadership visibility as the boundary condition of relationship between cultural difference and psychological safety of the employees of target firms. Existing literature indicates cultural difference between merging organization as one of the factors for the poor performance of M&A. Proposed framework elucidate, mechanism through which cultural difference between merging firm effects the performance of M&A. However there is extant literature investigating effect of cultural difference on performance but studies examining the mechanism of this effect is still in its infancy. This study contribute to the literature by investigating the mediating role of psychological safety and moderating role of leadership visibility.
An Empirical Study of the Influence of School Students on the Motivation of Teachers
Authors: Roy Debarshi , Sengupta Palas R.
Published: September 2016

Students form a major part of the influence for the effective implementation of the teaching-learning process in schools. Teachers make up the other significant part of the process. Studies have been conducted on whether students influence teacher motivation at work. Since schools can be designed to create a self motivating behavioral systems, it is essential to know in detail how each aspect of students behavior influence the motivation of teachers. The present study dwells into the various factors related to student behavior that influences the motivation of school teachers. A random sample of teachers (N=111) was chosen for the purpose of the study and the subsequent results were analyzed by SPSS 17.0. A principal component analysis extracted three factors: these factors were named Bonding factors, Process factors and Hindrance factors. Subsequently a principal component regression was conducted. The study provided a detailed insight on how the motivation of school teachers is influenced by the behavioral aspects of their students.
Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Conflict Management Styles of Employees: A Study of the Indian Railways
Authors: Bhattacharya Sanjay , Jain Aditi , Rangarajan Anirudh , Saksena Vani
Published: September 2016

Most employees experience conflict at workplace with their colleagues as a usual or normal part of their job. Some individuals handle it better, while some of them may need intervention. The area of work conflict has rapidly grown over the last two decades. High conflicts and bad ways of managing them cause extreme job stress and low engagement at work. This study investigates the influence of Emotional Intelligence (EI)on the conflict management style of employees in government sector organizations. The study comprised of a sample 73 employees, both from management and non-management cadre of Indian Railways. The results obtained through quantitative analysis demonstrate a clear and definite relationship between the emotional intelligence of an employee and his/her conflict resolution technique.
Leader-Gender Stereotypes in Female Congenial Workplaces
Authors: Patel Dhvani
Published: September 2016

The present study is an attempt to study the attribution patterns of employees toward descriptions of leaders in a female congenial workplace. 100 preschool teachers employed at various playschools located in Vadodara city served as sample for the study. The sample respondents completed a questionnaire that comprised of preliminary information and the Indian Gender Role Identity Scale (IGRIS) by Basu (2010). The data thus generated was subjected to ascending means to find out the frequency with which adjectives were chosen from the Scale. The results revealed that a leader in a female congenial workplace is largely described with masculine adjectives and lesser with feminine adjectives.
Disability as Disjuncture: A Theory to Guide Social Work Practice
Authors: DePoy Elizabeth , Gilson Stephen
Published: September 2016

Over the past several decades, disability and social work have become increasingly strange bedfellows, in large part due to the espousal of the medical model of disability on the part of social workers. This approach locates disability with the body as a deficit in need of repair, revision, or ongoing professional scrutiny. In opposition to this approach, disability scholars proposed the social model, which holds negative stereotyping and oppression as disabling factors, thereby creating a binary debate on cause and appropriate response to disability. We suggest that this binary is not useful in guiding social work to consider disability as a complex phenomenon, which requires multifaceted action responses. We therefore propose disability as disjuncture. This interactive model synthesizes a wealth of interdisciplinary fields to inform social work analysis and response to disability that meets the goals of advancing individual function, locating disability within a broad diversity dialog, and thus promoting equivalence of rights, choice, and opportunity for full participation for those who fit within the disability category. We conclude with exemplars of the thinking and action processes, guided by disjuncture theory, that illustrate the potency of this framework and its guiding properties for progressive social work disability practice.
What do Parents Know About the Mental Health Needs and Problems of Children?
Authors: John Jilly
Published: September 2016

Mental health is how people think, feel and act as they encounter lifes ups and downs. Parents and child care providers need to be aware of the role of mental health in the overall healthy development of young children. It is the task of caregivers to observe young children to be sure that they are maintaining mental health by mastering age-appropriate social and personal skills, such as understanding and managing their feelings, interacting with others and learning to assert themselves in the world. The present study was conducted to examine and compare the knowledge level of parents on mental health problems of children in Gulbarga district, Karnataka and Wayanadu district in Kerala. The data was collected from 250 respondents who are members of different neighbourhood groups in Gulbarga district and Wayanadu district. Stratified random sampling method used for collecting the data. The findings revealed that there is a poor knowledge regarding the mental health problems of children among the parents. This indicates the need for creating knowledge among the parents with the help of specific intervention programme. This study is an initiative to evolve appropriate suggestions for better strategies to promote mental health awareness among mothers.
A Journey into Grief: Reflection on Loss and Suicide
Authors: Casstevens W. J. , Gallagher June G.
Published: September 2016

The rising suicide rates in United States of America and elsewhere prompted this phenomenological case study which reflects upon the life and loss of a young man. Tom came into this world with mild developmental delays. He struggled with learning disabilities, and subsequently with auditory hallucinations and depression. Excerpts from Toms journal, his mothers narrative on his life, and selected quotes from professional assessments, tell Toms story from his mothers perspective and with her consent and involvement. Sadly, Tom purchased a handgun and ended his life when he was still in his twenties. The authors examine this narrative and its relevance for social work and social workers as we practice within our communities and the larger, global society.
Case Management and Social Support System for Families in Distress: A Social Work Response
Authors: Amin W akar
Published: September 2016

History is witness to the fact that warring factions in any armed conflict often commit several human rights violations like murder, rape, torture etc., and the act of disappearance of person is one among them. While the persons who are subjected to disappearance are the primary victims, the families they leave behind are the secondary victims. The situation makes families of the disappeared person suffer great anguish when their loved ones go disappeared. The phenomenon produces anguish, fear and unspeakable sorrow for thousands of families. Appreciating the importance of social work professionals in helping families deal effective with their life situations the present paper aims to provide a case for social work interventional techniques of Social Support System (SSS) and Case Management to modify and make the social environment conducive for the families to live a normal life.
Educational Problems of Children Orphaned by AIDS: A Study in Krishna, YSR Kadapa and Karimnagar Districts of Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Abraham Mutluri , Rao A.B.S.V. Ranga
Published: September 2016

HIV/AIDS is one of the major social problems in developing countries like India. In 1986, the first HIV case was diagnosed by Dr. Suniti Salmon in a female sex worker from Tamil Nadu, India. Then gradually the HIV has been transmitted and diagnosed in all states of India. More than 6 million people in India are living with HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV/AIDS is more on children, women and aged people. According to NACO, more than 2.1 million children, below age of 18 years have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. NACO defined AIDS orphan is a child who is less than 18 years of age whose mother or father or both have died of HIV/AIDS. This study makes an attempt to analyze the situation of AIDS orphans in three high prevalent districts of united Andhra Pradesh i.e. Krishna, YSR Kadapa, and Karimnagar, India. The study analyzed socio-economic demographic profile of the AIDS orphans, perceived stigma and discrimination, educational and psychological problems faced by AIDS orphans and suggested the better interventions to promote the quality of life among AIDS orphans. The study collected data from 316 AIDS orphans and also conducted 6 focus group discussions. The study found that there are many challenges facing by AIDS orphans to access the basic education.
Indigenising Social Work Education: An Analysis
Authors: Chougule Mahesh P .
Published: September 2016

The present paper is a review based article written on the needs of social work education in Indian context. The researcher had made an attempt to critically review the research works and articles written by scholars on the topics of social work education in India and the need to make it indigenised and more applicable to Indian communities. The researcher had used the reviews which have been studied while doing his doctoral research review work. The researcher had written this article with the reflections from his own practice and experiences while working as an assistant professor in department of social work. The article focuses on social work education and its need to make it suitable, application and relevant in Indian context. The studies made and reviews written on the particular topic were critically studied during the PhD research work. The research gap thus found out that, there is urgent need to redesign the social work curriculum and develop new theories that can fit the India society. The article had travelled right through the history of social work education in India to the contemporary challenges of social work education in India.
Management of Service Gaps by Infusion of Technology
Authors: Kazi Roshan , Prabhu Sandeep
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this research paper is to study infusion of technology in services marketing, and to investigate role of technology as an enabler to manage service gaps. Service gaps are theorized to be arising from internal organizational inconsistencies, and affect service quality perceptions of the customers. The research design comprised of bibliometric analysis, citation count, and review of literature in services marketing in relation to its engagements with technology aspect. The major findings point to, extensive use of technology by service firms to minimize internal and external service gaps. Various technologies are contributing towards interlinking stakeholders by creating seamless service processes. Newer technologies has potential of efficiently interlinking stakeholders, thus improving service quality by minimizing external (customer) and internal service gaps. Technology though being adopted by service industry extensively, its implication in relation to service gaps model has not been discussed by researchers.
Exploration of Product Centric Factors in Telecom Industry
Authors: Ganeti Swati , Agarwal Rajat , Medudula Murali Krishna , Sagar Mahim
Published: September 2016

Telecom industry is one of those industries which has changed dramatically during the past decade. With more and more players entering in this industry, competition is ever increasing. The war between these players is slowly shifting from the price to the augmentation. This paper aims at exploring such factors which influence a customers preference of one telecom service provider (TSP) over the other. It is a descriptive research where study has been conducted among the consumers of different telecom service providers (TSPs). By reviewing the existing literature in this domain, we explored different factors which affect the consumers decision to prefer one telecom service provider over the other. A consumer targeted questionnaire was designed where consumers were asked about the factors they consider (with their relative importance quantified using Likert scale), before buying a new network connection to know the relative importance of the various factors. Factor Analysis was performed to club various variables into distinct factors. Statistical techniques then helped in identifying the relative importance. From the Factor Loading matrix the following five factors were generated:- Overall service quality, Point of Purchase Differentiator, Promotion Measures, Tariff Plans and Size of the Network. Further study in the behavioural perceptions of consumer shows that the most important factor in influencing the customer buying behavior is Service Quality. The second most important factor is cost and various plans offered by the telecom service provider. Network connectivity was considered by almost all the respondents and consumers prefer the largest network player. The study also found that promotional measures dont influence the customers as expected.
Analyzing the Indian Subscriber Behavior Towards Mobile Social Media - A Data Monetization & Customer Engagement Perspective
Authors: Sarkar Sohag
Published: September 2016

The Indian Mobile Services Industry is going through a paradigm shift in terms of their business model-moving away from a Voice centric business to a Data focused business. Mobile Operators are looking at new and innovative avenues to increase the data penetration or the contribution of non-voice revenue (currently hovering around 11%) with respect to their overall service revenue. A similar paradigm shift is also being witnessed in the manner in which communication and social interaction happens-with Social Media emerging as a front runner when compared to hitherto popular communication mediums: email and instant messaging service. The immense popularity of social media has attracted advertisers and enterprise users to effectively engage their prospective as well as existing customers using social media. In emerging markets like India, Social Media has been used for customer engagement and monetization. Every day innovation in the mobile social media space is defining a win-win monetizing model for all the players in the value chain-device manufacturers, technology providers, telecom operators, and social media players. Operators are recognizing the need to investigate the subscriber behavior and aspirations relating to Mobile based Social Media. The extra-large investments in next generation high-bandwidth technologies like 3G & Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) will provide the required momentum to the mobile operators as subscribers resort to user generated content over social media. The paper analyzes the subscriber behavior to ascertain the avenues for customer engagement and monetization using this channel.
Liturgiczna eklezjologia sakramentu kapłaństwa w obrządku wschodnim
Authors: Nowakowski Przemysław
Published: September 2016

The subject matter of the above paper is the role and position of the Church community in the rite of ordination to the priesthood in the byzantine tradition. It has been considered the split of the orthodox ministers into the church ministers (lower ordination) and ordained ministers (higher ordination). The influence of the local community upon the election of the candidates to priesthood has been weakened with time and nowadays within the Orthodox Church only the local bishop decides about the appointment of the new ministers and only the imposition of hands is regarded as the sacramental rite. The contemporary liturgy of ordination, however, has preserved some significant elements reminding us about the former equal importance of the community influence, who used to elect by offering to God and at the same time to accept their shepherds. This role of the Church is expressed by three main parts of the rites: 1) the election of a candidate, 2) the imposition of hands of the bishop and prayer, 3) the reception of ordination and of the newly ordained. Out of the presented liturgy of ordination one can draw the outline of the eastern ecclesiology of the sacrament of ordination, already elaborated by Prof. N. Afanasiev. This kind of liturgical ecclesiology may be of some help to the contemporary Church in regaining her more active role in electing and apointing her ministers and shepherds.
Dobry Pasterz a pasterze Kościoła w Sermo 46 św. Augustyna
Authors: Mejzner Mirosław
Published: September 2016

Sermo 46 of St. Augustine’s, offered for meditation in the 24th and 25th week of the Liturgy of the Hours, is entitled De pastoribus. The scriptural basis is constituted by the reading of Ez 34 : 1–16 where the prophet criticizes the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves and not their sheep, and announced the Lord’s promise to feed his people himself. Augustine, by using an actualizing, allegorical exegesis, develops his homily to describe a true Christian shepherd distinct from a mercenary. The latter only searches for his own interest and honour, symbolized by the sheep’s milk and wool. His selfish attitude causes damage: the strong sheep become weak, then sick and in the end are lost. For Augustine the scattering of the sheep signifies approaching heretic and schismatic groups. The bishop of Hippo disputes especially with the donatists. He emphasizes that Christ is the foundation of our salvation, the only Good Shepherd whose sheepfold is the Catholic Church throughout the world. The shepherds are good when they belong to that sheepfold, and following Christ they accomplish their mission to feed the sheep. The meaning of priesthood is indeed to serve God’s people by proclaiming the Word, distributing the Sacraments and promoting unity. The priest accomplishes Christ’s work and not his own. Therefore his responsibility is immense, since it deals with the eternal life to which God will welcome all those who faithfully served him.
Autor Księgi Mądrości i czas jej powstania (1)
Authors: Poniży Bogdan
Published: September 2016

This article is the first part of a longer essay, which is divided into two parts. The Book of Wisdom is a special book in the Bible. It is the youngest book of the Old Testament, but Canon Muratori enlists it among the New Testament books. Many manuscripts and old translations call this book the Wisdom of Salomonos, because Salomon seemed to be the author of this work (cf. Wis 7–9). Strong arguments exclude his authorship, but it is sure, that an Israelite must have been the author. Although there are many hypotheses about the date of its birth, Sitz im Leben and the wording defend the view that the text must have been written while the Romans ruled in Egypt.
On the concept of market concentration, the minimum Herfindahl‒Hirschman index, and its practical application
Authors: Krivka Algirdas
Published: September 2016

The paper analyses the phenomenon of market concentration in the context of
the most popular industrial organization approaches: the structure-
conduct-performance (SCP) approach and the efficiency hypothesis (EH). The
theory of market concentration evaluation is briefly presented, followed by
an analysis of the main concentration indicators and their application in
recent empirical research. The main problem in the practical application of
the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) - the necessity to incorporate the
market shares of all the enterprises in the market - is further addressed
and the issue of calculating the minimum value of the HHI is analysed from
the theoretical point of view and by modelling hypothetical markets.
Auditing Challenging Fair Value Measurements: Evidence from the Field
Authors: Cannon Nathan H. , Bedard Jean C.
Published: September 2016

Concern about effective auditing of fair value measurements (FVMs) has risen in recent decades. Building on prior interview-based and experimental research, we provide an engagement-level analysis of challenging FVMs, using quantitative and qualitative data on audit phases from risk assessment to booking adjustments. Challenging FVMs have high estimation uncertainty, high subjectivity, significant/complex assumptions, and multiple valuation techniques. Estimation uncertainty is associated with higher inherent risk assessments, which are, in turn, predictive of client problems identified during the engagement. The use of a valuation specialist by auditors, associated with higher inherent risk and client specialist use, is a key decision: procedures performed by specialists have the highest yield in identifying problems. Auditor-client discussion of an adjustment increases with problem identification and auditors' expressions of residual concern about uncertainty post-testing. However, booked audit adjustments are infrequent; the only factors explaining income-decreasing adjustments are better evidential support and breadth of problems identified.
Disclosure Readability and the Sensitivity of Investors' Valuation Judgments to Outside Information
Authors: Asay H. Scott , Elliott W. Brooke , Rennekamp Kristina
Published: September 2016

Prior literature suggests that investors react less strongly to information in less readable disclosures. We extend this literature by considering how disclosure readability affects the sensitivity of investors' valuation judgments to the information contained in outside (i.e., non-firm) sources of information. Using an experiment, we present investors with a disclosure containing mixed news about the valence of firm performance, and this disclosure varies in readability. We find that investors who initially view a less readable firm disclosure provide valuation judgments that incorporate the outside information to a greater extent, such that their valuation judgments are more sensitive to whether outside information is relatively more or less supportive of management's positive forward-looking statements. We find evidence that this occurs primarily because investors who view a less readable initial disclosure feel less comfortable evaluating the firm and, in turn, rely more on the outside information. We also find that viewing a less readable firm disclosure indirectly increases the extent to which participants search outside information. Combined, our results suggest that investors' valuation judgments may be more influenced by outside sources of information when managers provide less readable firm disclosures, potentially limiting the extent to which managers can benefit from strategically issuing less readable disclosures to obfuscate poor performance. These findings also imply that investors might over-rely on more readable disclosures while discounting outside sources of information about the firm.

Data Availability: Contact the authors.
Changes in apical base sagittal relationship in Class II malocclusion treatment with and without premolar extractions: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Janson Guilherme , Aliaga-Del Castillo Aron , Niederberger Ana
Published: September 2016

Objective: To evaluate the changes in apical base sagittal relationship in Class II treatment with and without premolar extractions.

Materials and Methods: Controlled studies evaluating ANB angle changes after Class II Division 1 malocclusion treatment with or without premolar extractions were considered. Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Lilacs, and Google Scholar) without limitations regarding publication year or language were searched. Risk of bias was assessed with Risk Of Bias in Non-randomized Studies—of Interventions tool of the Cochrane Collaboration. Mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated from the random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

Results: Twenty-five studies satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Eleven nonextraction and only one extraction Class II treatment studies presented untreated Class II control group. Therefore, meta-analysis was performed only for the nonextraction protocol. In treated Class II nonextraction patients, the average of the various effects was a reduction in the ANB angle of 1.56° (95% CI: 1.03, 2.09, P < .001) compared with untreated Class II subjects. Class II malocclusions treated with two maxillary-premolar extractions and four-premolar extractions produced estimated mean reductions in ANB of −1.88° and −2.55°, respectively. However, there is a lack of low-risk-of-bias studies.

Conclusions: According to the existing low quality evidence, the apical base sagittal relationship in nonextraction, two-maxillary and four-premolar extractions Class II treatments decreases −1.56°, 1.88° and 2.55°, respectively. Further studies are necessary to obtain more robust information.