bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Employment Implication of Divestiture: The Indian Experience
Authors: Kaur Simrit
Published: August 2011

This paper attempts to explore the employment implications of disinvestment of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in India. Contrary to popular belief that disinvestment would severely undermine employment growth in central SOEs, the present analysis suggests that such fears are largely exaggerated, if not mistaken. There has been a uniform decline in growth rate of employment among all SOEs during the post reform period viz 1991–2000. As a result, the share of employment in disinvested SOEs and non-divested SOEs to total SOEs has remained constant. Another important conclusion is that the decline in absolute employment during this period was more a result of changes in the macro policy regime (e.g. a more open economy) than of disinvestment per se. Specifically, competition was more closely linked to employment than ownership, implying a more significant role of factors other than disinvestment. The apprehension that disinvestment may result in layoffs/retrenchment on a large scale is thus unwarranted.
Creating Corporate Advantage through Human Resource Development
Authors: Ahuja Shobha
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the paper is to ascertain the extent to which human resource development impacts the economy in general and the corporate sector in particular.

The paper, while analysing in detail the situation prevailing in the international arena, concludes that there is no close correspondence between economic development and human resource management at the aggregate level. A high ranking of the Human Development Index does not necessarily imply wealth creation which would lead the economy on a high growth trajectory.

However, a closer look at corporate performance-demonstrated through case studies-shows that employee satisfaction and HRD does help companies to leverage their production pattern and create new advantages through sustained value addition. The success stories of corporates across the globe, made possible through human resource management, has spurred a number of professional companies in India to adopt HR practices and invest in human resource development. Companies are increasingly adopting innovative HR polices which would empower their skilled and qualified employees and motivate them to add value to the production process.

However, corporate India has yet to invest in HR in a big way. This is especially the case when it comes to investing in unskilled labour which continues to be regarded as a fixed cost in the manufacturing process. Hence, there is a need for a planned strategy on manpower development as well as recruitment and remuneration which would enthuse workers to score high on the productivity index.
ERP - A Paradigm Shift
Authors: Priyadarshini Keren
Published: August 2011

ERP market in India and the world. The current extension of ERP is e-CRM, The ERP market has saturated and is on the decline and to emerege from it is the market for small and medium scale enterprises. ERP, especially in India is being offered by small localised players to small and medium sized firms customising it to the needs and their pockets. Taking this cue the big ERP players have also started offering complete solutions to the small firms. The article illustrates this point by using the case example of Prathma, a modern blood bank in India. Prathma has been the first blood bank in India to use ERP to integare its functions using a customised ERP This has brought in a quality check in its operations and has also lowered the cost. Thus ERP is here to stay though the metamorphosis is for real.
The Economics of Delivering Mobile Wireless Value
Authors: Sabat Hemant Kumar
Published: August 2011

As mobile wireless unfolds, the business-world looks for an assessment of the technical and competitive landscape, for a high return on investment opportunities, for sweet spots in the value chain, and for value propositions of the industry. In short, mobile wireless stakeholders must understand the economics of delivering mobile wireless value. This paper summarizes the mobile wireless economics to help the stakeholders discharge their responsibilities. Because customers' perception of mobile wireless value decides the success of the industry's offering, this paper describes the value propositions that the mobile wireless chain is evolving to offer. Then, it traces chronological roots of the chain to describe how fundamental drivers and key economic characteristics of the evolutionary phases have led the growth of the evolving industry. Mobile network operators' regulatory environment and spectrum acquisition strategies, and technology investment and subscriber penetration life cycles have been discovered in the industry These life cycles along with network economics of mobile wireless help explain the current dynamics in the industry, and will lead to the emergence of mobile wireless industry.
Understanding HRD System: A Critical Appraisal of HRD Practices and Facilitators
Authors: Sayeed Omer Bin
Published: August 2011

Kandula's (2001) study on HRD practices and facilitators was re-examined to assess whether these constructs really measured practices and facilitators claimed by the author. Using the intermediate results of HRD practices and facilitators in matrix form, an attempt was made to establish the explanatory power of HRD facilitators vis-à-vis practices, besides attempting to isolate such practices and facilitating variables that maximally discriminate profit orientation of the company The reanalysis revealed that practices and facilitators' dimensions largely suffered from being non-specific and the dimension scores of both the measures overlapped with each other to such an extent that there is little chance to differentiate them as independent domains of human resource development. It was demonstrated that due to using non-discriminative and psychometrically inadequate dimensions of practices and facilitators besides using a single response per organization, the main findings turned out to be less significant The relationship with profit making orientation of the company also showing primarily non-significant results could be attributed to above reasons. A relatively short but conceptually distinct list of HRD practices (what is seen as action outcomes) and the facilitators (concerns for producing desired practices) are developed for further research in this area.
Internationalisation and Innovation: A Case Study of Nokia
Authors: Bhatt P R
Published: August 2011

NOKIA is one of the ‘e-generation’ companies, which relies on the web to conduct their everyday business, demanding richer and more personalized experience. Its objective is ‘to transform the Digital Age to a truly Mobile Age’, giving everyone access to information. Nokia is the undisputed global king of mobile communication. Its strategy is to become a global player in telecommunications through ‘collaboration and innovations'. It has made spectacular innovations in mobile communications. It brought technologies such as General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as the mobile moves third generation (3G). Nokia has established their cutting edge technology and trend settling lifestyle offerings while unveiling their mobile handset products. In 3G services, Nokia will give e-mail, weather information maps, rout planning, traffic information, bank account data, views, travel information, etc. Nokia adopted a strategy of mergers, acquisitions, alliance and collaboration to gain superiority in technology and competitive advantage. While Nokia is the market leader in handset manufacturing with 35.3% share, Ericsson is the king of wireless network equipment with 33% market share. Nokia's performance was impressive during 1996–2000. Nokia's future growth areas include market leadership in security infrastructure for corporates, supplying solutions to help corporations block viruses and intruders at their network gateways.
Power Sector Reform: Key to Economic Growth
Authors: Shahi R. V.
Published: August 2011

Electricity Industry has worked for over 50 years with a set framework of organisation and regulation. The growth till 1990 witnessed a pattern of doubling the capacity in energy decade except in the decade of Nineties. The pace of expansion declined sharply in last ten years. The present status of the Power Sector is far from being satisfactory. Huge transmission and distribution losses coupled with totally improper tariff structure have led to substantial gaps between cost of supply and tariff and much more so between cost of supply and revenue. De-Politiciation of tariff formulation and proper regulation of utilities was considered to be one of the first few essential requirements to set things in order. The Ministry of Power, Government of India has taken a number of important initiatives in the recent past. The Electricity Bill 2001 is perhaps the most important initiative of the Ministry of Power. The steps that have been taken now to bring about reform and restructuring of tariff, removal of imbalances, elimination of gaps between cost of supply and revenue would strengthen the industry commercially and financially.
A Study of Indian Business Ventures Abroad
Authors: Srivastava Ritu , Kumar Krishna
Published: August 2011

India started opening its economy a decade ago to integrate with the global economy. Several economic reforms have been undertaken during this period with the hope that India will soon emerge as a global player. There is a need to review the developments and take necessary corrective action. It is necessary because globalisation and integration with the world economy is a double-edged sword. If necessary care is not taken, the country may become only a global market rather than emerging as a global player.

This paper examines the patterns of Indian Business Ventures Abroad, both in the form of subsidiaries and joint ventures over a period of 50 years since independence. The analysis reveals that there has been a significant increase in the activity. The ventures, however, have been concentrated in only a few, about a dozen, countries. The study also shows that there is a noticeable preference towards subsidiary mode of operation. Further, there are country-wise patterns of preferences towards use of joint ventures and subsidiary modes. The study also reveals that there is a significant shift in the mix of activities, tilting from high risk manufacturing to low risk trading and software development. It is also observed that there is a wide gap between the number of ventures approved and actually implemented. A comparison has also been drawn between Indian Business Ventures Abroad and the Foreign Business Ventures in India during the pre and the post-liberalisation era. This is complemented with the patterns of export/import ratio in the respective periods. The two together indicate that the reforms in economic policies undertaken so far seem to be leading to India fast becoming a global market rather than emerging as a global player. The paper then suggests that there is a need for intensive studies for developing policy and strategic interventions to strengthen India's business ventures abroad and to help India emerge as a global player.
Performance Evaluation of Indian Factoring Business: A Study of SBI Factors and Commercial Services Limited, and Canbank Factors Limited
Authors: Banerjee Prashanta Kumar
Published: August 2011

Factoring is a global industry with a vast turnover. It offers various advantages like consistent cash flow, lower administration costs, reduced credit risks and more time for core activities. Both the domestic and international factoring are getting popularity at an impressive rate in all parts of the world. The factoring services made an entry in India in the year 1991. Since then, a good number of factoring companies namely SBI Factors and Commercial Services Ltd., Canbank Factors Ltd, Wipro Finance Ltd., Integrated Finance Company Ltd, and Foremost Factors Ltd. have been offering factoring services in India. This paper evaluates the operational and financial performance of Indian Factoring Companies. For this, Ratio, Annual Average, Average Per Annum Growth Rate, Compound Growth Rate and Mann-Whitney U test have been used. The study confirms that operational and financial performance of the factors in India has been improving through time.
Meeting the MNC Challenge: Are Indian Firms Competitive Enough
Authors: Ahuja Shobha
Published: August 2011

The objective of the paper is to ascertain whether foreign firms display superior performance in the marketplace as compared to Indian owned business units. The emphasis is on the branded product.

The paper, on the basis of specified parameters, concludes that even with higher productivity, foreign firms are unable to secure a distinct niche in the market place. The reason is that the foreign firms have limited presence in some higher growth areas. However, MNCs can pose a challenge once FDI enters the country in a big way.

To meet competition from the MNC, Indian firms need to emphasise on product innovation and adopt constant technological upgradation as an integral part of corporate planning. Besides, there is need to continuously rework on factors such as price and performance in order to enhance the brand appeal. It is also desirable to address social and cultural factors to draw the customer to the branded product. Above all, domestic companies need to be accorded a level playing field to compete with foreign firms on equal terms.
Some Aspects of Insurance in the Context of Risk Management
Authors: Roy Dilip , Banerjee Saikat
Published: August 2011

The present paper examines the importance and limiteations of insurance in the context of risk management. The state of insurance in India has also been studied along with a detailed analysis in search of the objective of insurance. The need for differentiated offer and customized pricing in insurance have been highlighted, indicating the drawbacks of the existing approach under global competition.
Estimating Value Added by Brands from Market Data: An Application to the Indian Toilet Soap Market
Authors: Sivramkrishna S.
Published: August 2011

Tracking the value added by brands over time and across market segments can be an important input to corporate strategic planning. Unfortunately, measures of value added by brands have relied on elaborate consumer experiments or surveys. We propose a measure or index of value added by brands (IVAB) that can be computed from market price-sales data. As a practical and low-cost tool, the IVAB can be used to monitor on a regular basis a company's brand management activity and its relative position in markets where competitors influence each other's performance. The computation of IVAB is illustrated with secondary price-sales data on the Indian toilet soap market.
Achieving Corporate Excellence through Creativity Management
Authors: Palo Sasmita
Published: August 2011

Creativity is a strategic business weapon. It is an imperative for gaining competitive advantage in the market place. Today, organisations that can unleash, apply and manage the creativity of their workforce can only thrive. However, there is no exact recipe for creativity management. In this paper, some strategies have been designed to help the managers to renew the creative ability of their people, thereby to help their business to become a clear winner.
Strategic Pricing in the Cement Industry: An Empirical Study
Authors: Paliwal Pramod
Published: August 2011

The epoch of competitiveness in the cement industry has necessitated that a hitherto commoditized product like cement moves forward on the commodity-band band. Pricing decisions, which have direct implications for a strong bottom line of the cement companies, have up till now been dealt with from a conservative angle. It is high time that the industry tackles pricing decisions with a strategic approach. The paper discusses strategic issues in cement pricing in India. The aspect of cartelization and its role in pricing in the cement industry has being revisited. Based on extensive literature survey and discussions with the cement-marketing professionals, factors ideal to cement pricing have been identified. An empirical study has been made in this context on the executives and distribution network of a prominent cement company. The study is an attempt to develop a conceptual framework for further extensive research work in this crucial marketing-mix element of the cement marketer.
Identification of Elements of Total Quality Management for the Educational System: A Study of Select Engineering and Management Institutions in India
Authors: Sahney S. , Banwet D. K. , Karunes S.
Published: August 2011

The higher educational institutions and in particular such institutions imparting professional education are faced with demands for greater responsiveness and accountability, which has manifested itself in the form of competition amongst such educational institutions, to provide for services better than their counterparts. The answer to such pressures lies in quality, especially if they have to compete with each other to satisfy their stakeholders, gain the edge and survive in the long run. Dosed on a theoretical foundation, this paper is an empirical study conducted on select higher educational institutions to identify the various quality elements/components for an Educational System. Starting with a theoretical background, an empirical study is presented with analysis and results. The study is exploratory and diagnostic in nature and has been confined to the internal as well as external customers of select engineering and management institutions awarding graduate and post-graduate professional degrees/diplomas. The study has helped identify the various quality elements/components that have been grouped under three factors/constructs, which have been termed as management system, technical system and social system.
Asset-Liability Management among Commercial Banks in India — A Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Jain P. K. , Gupta V.
Published: August 2011

Compatibility between asset and liability structures of a bank is necessary to maintain adequate liquidity, enhance profitability, and control risk within acceptable limits. Coordinated management of the two has assumed special significance with growing competition, complexity and risk in the banking sector. The objective of this study is to examine and explore the nature and strength of relationship between various assets and liabilities of 68 commercial banks operating in India for eight consecutive years, 1992–2000. The special emphasis is on the performance of banks grouped by their ownership structure and size. The portfolio-matching behaviour has been examined using canonical correlation analysis – a multivariate statistical technique used for evaluating the relationship between two sets of variables. The study reveals that most of the banks, in general, show prudent matching of assets and liabilities. The most prominent relationship is between short term deposits and SLR securities. However, there are substantial inter-group and inter-period differences.
Competancy Mapping Based Training Need Assessment: An Emprical Investigation
Authors: Vaishali DKK , Kumar Mohit P
Published: August 2011

Indian industry is passing through the toughest phase of cutthroat competition. Hence, in the given context, tapping on the competencies and enhancing them for the industry does not remain just an issue for effectiveness rather is a necessity for their survival. The main focus of the present research was to develop competency mapping based training need assessment (TNA) system for two levels of hierarchy i.e. scale one and scale two officers, working for a leading Indian bank. For this purpose a scientific competency evaluation tool (psychometric scale) was developed (218-items) to measure 18 behavioral competencies. After the pilot testing of the instrument the data was collected from 1001 officers. This study measured the confidence level of bank managers on critical job functions (a 66-item scale was developed). Organizational climate survey was also done to align the training needs to the organizational requirements. Results were analyzed to assess the presence/absence of these competencies, the confidence level on the job function and also the overall climate perceived and its relationship with the needed competencies. Bank and region-wise training needs were derived. Research also tried to understand the relationship between the training given and confidence level on job function. The detail results and interpretation are presented in the paper.
Financial Analysis of Independent Power Projects in India
Authors: Bhatt Pushpa , Manjunatha A.
Published: August 2011

This paper aims at giving an insight into the financial analysis of the independent power projects in India (IPP), under Government Power Policy, 1996. These projects are generally executed on BOOT basis, wherein the IPPs build, own, operate and then transfer the project to statutory authorities. The project appraisal using Net Present Value (NPV) method is attempted. This is followed by risk analysis using Monte-Carlo simulation technique. Impact on NPV is studied using sensitivity analysis, where one variable affecting NPV is varied at a time keeping all other parameters constant. The result of this study indicates that based on power policy (1996), the IPPs are financially viable. The conclusions of the paper will be useful to promoters planning to enter the power generation industry. This is an exercise in valuation of an IPP, which will be useful even when mergers and acquisitions in the industry take place.
Sustainability Management: The Turnaround of Air Quality in Delhi
Authors: Sahay A. , Varshney S.
Published: August 2011

Delhi has earned the reputation of the fourth most polluted city in the world. The urbanization and industrialization had their share of air pollution but vehicles on Delhi roads drove the last nail in the coffin. The vehicle registration data reveals that Delhi has more vehicles than the other three metros Bombay, Kolkata and Chennai taken together. No doubt, on the economic front, it was prosperity but on the environmental front it was a disaster Trucks, buses, MUVs, cars, 3 wheelers and 2 wheelers of all vintages running on the roads were belching out smoke, making Delhi air unbreathable. The poor fuel quality and traffic management made things much worse. You could take any parameter for air quality check: CO2, NOx, SO2, PM, etc., it was beyond the prescribed limit. Airborne diseases did not spare anyone - children and older people were the worst sufferers. Press and media made a big hue and cry but all the voices fell on deaf ears till the Supreme Court intervened in the matter. Suddenly all concerned became active, the legislature, the government, the automobile manufacturers, the fuel producers, fleet owners, commuters and the last but not the least the citizens of Delhi at large who had to face both the economic and environmental brunt. The article takes a stock of air quality of Delhi and describes the process of transformation which led Delhi to be recognized for its effort to clean the ambient air, resulting in a cleaner environment.
Relevance of Systematic Approach for Management Development
Authors: Akuratiyagamage Vathsala M
Published: August 2011

The paper argues the importance of a more formalised and structured approach to learning. Both formal and informal development processes are enhanced only if those processes are structured and planned through the accurate identification of needs, the establishment of objectives, the use of appropriate techniques and meaningful assessment mechanisms. Identifying what managers' want through self-diagnosis provides the focus on what is to be learnt Setting goals directs managers towards an appropriate direction while goal sharing with others may be useful in providing mutual support and challenge. Designing learning processes based on goals and appropriate resources and support for learning enable managers to achieve those goals. Finally, by reflection success and failure can be assessed. This provides information on whether learning was on the track or whether goals have to be revised. The paper, further emphasises the need of organisational support systems for what individuals learnt from the development interventions to flow freely within the organisations to be captured and used by other organisational members
Determinants of Delegation — A Study in Five Star Hotels
Authors: Jha Sumi
Published: August 2011

In a competitive business scenario, attracting and retaining customers is a daunting task for managers of the service industry in general and five star hotels in particular. The present study has tried to suggest a few measures through which customer care can be improved or in other words–well defined job, better superior subordinate relationship and effective delegation may help frontline employees to take extra care of customers and retain them.

Direct and interaction effect of determinants of delegation i.e., job characteristics and superior-subordinate relationship has been studied. Effect of these determinants on factors of delegation i.e., amount of delegation, process of delegation and facilitating factors of delegation, has also been studied. A sample of 319 frontline employees of five star hotels of Mumbai was chosen. It has been found that job characteristics and superior subordinate relationship significantly influences delegation. Interaction effect of job characteristics and superior-subordinate relationship were also found to be influencing significantly.
Guidelines for Payment of Dividend by the Haryana State Public Enterprises
Authors: Kothari S , Walia K L
Published: August 2011

The government companies were at the core of national economy. Their main aim was to ensure the socio-economic development of the nation. The globalization and the new economic reform policy brought about a range of new business opportunities and opened vast areas for various private organization to operate in these fields. As a result these public sector undertaking were considered by enlarge unviable due to poor return, low productivity, under-utilized capacity excessive controls and lower efficiency As such it became inevitable to ensure that the public sector undertakings provide a proper return on the government investment so as to minimize the gap between the return & cost of funds invested in these institutions. These guidelines aim at regulating the performance of the public sector undertakings.
Product Innovation and Customization
Authors: Bhatt P R
Published: August 2011

Canon was world's leading manufacturer of conventional and digital cameras, copying machines, computer peripherals and optical products. It was a technological giant with global outlook. Initially Canon was known for manufactur of professional camera, but later it had a diversified into copier, computer peripheral and optical products business. It made significant innovations and developments in the camera, copier and printer segments. It adopted global diversification through three regional headquarters systems in Japan, Europe and USA. Kyosei was Canon's corporate vision. As a part of its corporate policy it adopted various technologies to reduce air and water pollution, to protect wilderness areas and to cut back on energy consumption.
Poor Change Preparedness in Indian Business Culture: A Need for Periodic Indian Business Culture Surveys
Authors: Mathew Mary , Kumar Ravi
Published: August 2011

Periodic surveys of Indian business culture gathered from the perceptions of significant actors are essential in this changing environment. This paper gathers the perceptions of potential employees, namely, MBA students of two premium institutes of Bangalore. Indian business organizations—rated and ranked on variables of business culture—are seen as low on risk tolerance, using guarded communication styles, avoiding conflict confrontation and having politicised environments with slow decision-making. Changes required to move towards an ideal productive business culture are suggested.
Children's Understanding of TV Advertisements: Influence of Age, Sex and Parents
Authors: Kapoor Neeru , Verma D.P.S.
Published: August 2011

A study seeks to assess the children's understanding of television advertising from the early childhood to the early adolescence and the role of parent-child interaction in this process. For the purpose, two non-disguised structured questionnaires were designed and administered: one to the children and the other to their parents. Children from both the sexes were considered. The study has revealed that Indian children are not as easy a target as advertisers and critics believe. They are able to analyse TV ads and develop a realistic approach towards them. It has been further noticed that children as young as six years, could understand the purpose of TV ads and distinguish them from TV programmes. With increase in the age of the child, there was found to be a significant increase in his/her cognitive understanding of TV ads. Armed with the knowledge about the advertiser's persuasive intent and scepticism about the truthfulness of advertising claims, children above the age of eight years were found to have the ability to respond to TV ads in a mature and informed manner. The results of the present study also show that the TV ads contribute significantly towards the Indian children's consumer socialisation. Even parents admit the role that TV ads play in shaping their children's buying response. However, it was also found that early parent-child interaction was a key element if parents did not want their child to be effected adversely by TV ads. Parents have a responsibility to teach their child about the realities of the commercial world. They play a crucial role in determining what their child learns from TV ads as they supplement the information provided in them. The final lesson that a child extracts from the viewing of TV ads may be a joint product of what was shown on the screen and what was taught by the parents.
Jesus was Born a Jew!: Strategy, Religion and the Product Life Cycle
Authors: Prasad Ajit
Published: August 2011

The Product Life Cycle remains one of the more popular tools of modern management that has survived in a universally acceptable form. More a product of logic and pedagogical learning than the rigors of empirical validation, the PLC concept has survived the myriad of changes that have taken place in the field of strategic management.

The PLC has had two major contributions: First, the process of innovation is an eternal quest for identifying the “new curves.” Second, the new curve identified may not be a singular. This is true for all products, and this paper takes the stand that the concept and dimensions of the PLC can also be applied to religion.

This paper argues that on three fundamentals: one that religion like all other commodities needs to be “sold” and therefore growth paths need to be identified (refer The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino), two there is a common thread running through all religions, and that strategies of differentiation and focus dominate; and three that it is possible to identify a unique PLC for each religion, along with the accompanying assumptions of predictability with, of course, with different periodicities.

The process of application of the PLC to five different religions has resulted in the series of seven propositions outlined in the paper. The implications of the propositions would have substantial learnings for the “managers” of religion.
Towards Understanding Transformational Leadership in India: A Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Singh Niti , Krishnan Venkat R.
Published: August 2011

An important factor that contributes to successful organizational transformation is leadership. Transformational leaders take strategic decisions and give shape to such changes, thereby ensuring that their organizations stay competitive. While the core of transformational leadership is universal, timeless and immanent, its behavioural manifestations, however, differ across cultures. This paper attempts to take a preliminary look at those behavioural manifestations of transformational leadership that are unique to Indian culture, most of which have been drawn from Singh and Bhandarker's (1988) model. After using the grounded theory method for data generation, 1617 response sets obtained from 250 working managers were content analyzed. Results show that the universal dimension of transformational leadership constitutes 44 per cent of the responses, while culture-specific dimensions constitute the rest. The 56 per cent Indian cultural dimensions have been operationalized through seven sub-dimensions, ‘Nurturant’ (20 per cent), ‘Personal Touch’ (13 per cent), ‘Expertise’ (7 per cent), ‘Simple-Living-High-Thinking’ (7 per cent), ‘Loyalty’ (4 per cent), ‘Self-Sacrifice’ (3 per cent), and ‘Giving Model of Motivation’ (2 per cent). The paper concludes by discussing the importance of recognizing culture-specific manifestations for leading change.
An Alternative Model of Transformational Leadership
Authors: Khatri Naresh
Published: August 2011

Bass's model of transformational leadership has generated much research. While most of the studies to date have provided basic support for the model, major conceptual and methodological problems that cast doubt on the validity of its theoretical constructs remain. In this paper, I propose an alternative model of transformational leadership that addresses the problems in Bass's model. Specifically, I suggest that the four transformational components proposed by Bass and his colleagues should be replaced by two of the most central constructs in “new leadership” research—charisma and vision. The alternative model proposed in this article classifies leaders into four mutually exclusive categories based on their level of charisma and their ability to generate visions: visionary charismatic leaders (transformational), non-visionary charismatic leaders, non-charismatic visionary leaders, and non-visionary non-charismatic leaders (the last three categories of leaders are all non-transformational). The efficacy and implications of the proposed model are discussed along with directions for future research.
The Crucial Role of Leadership in Meeting the Challenges of Change
Authors: Alimo-Metcalfe Beverly , Alban-Metcalfe John
Published: August 2011

One of the most important factors, in managing change effectively, is the nature of leadership exercised Much has been written on the subject of leadership, but most of it has emanated from US studies of ‘distant’ leaders (e.g. CEOs). We undertook research into the nature of ‘nearby’ leadership (day-to-day behaviours of line managers), in UK public and private sector organisations, since such behaviours must be embedded in the organisations' culture if effectiveness is to be sustained. This paper describes the findings from our major investigation, involving over 4,000 male and female managers and professionals, which resulted in a new model of leadership of a very different tenor to the dominant US ones. It also describes how we have used the 360-feedback instrument developed from the research—The Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ)—to support culture change programmes, and the major barriers to the effectiveness of such interventions.
Organizational Decline and Turnaround: Insights from the Worldcom Case
Authors: Pandey Satish C. , Verma Pramod
Published: August 2011

In 2002, the entire globe was rocked by the WorldCom accounting scandal that led to the bankruptcy of the fourth-ranked Fortune 500 telecom company, and raised several questions in relation to corporate governance, ethical leadership and corrupt practices in American companies. The consequences of this famous scandal led to unrest within the ranks of investors, pension funds, banks and the public at large. Later, the company appealed to the US court for reorganization under chapter 11 of US bankruptcy code and under the leadership of the new CEO, Michael Capellas, the new company (MCI) not only reconsolidated its financial position but also overhauled all its internal systems and transformed itself from a corrupt company to an ethical one. This article presents insights learnt from this case study in the context of managing organizational turnaround. It also focuses on the role that the new chief executive played in installing an ethical work culture in the organization. The authors have used Chowdhury's four stage theory to analyze the case. They have further tried to integrate insights from other theoretical models to focus on both the process of turnaround and the role of ethical leadership in bringing about the turnaround.
Ethics, Trust and Mutual Assistance
Authors: Boru Deniz , Islamoglu Guler
Published: August 2011

There is a lot of literature on the importance of ethics and trust. Ethics has been found to be closely related with trust because it has been agreed by many researchers that in order to develop trust, behaviour must be ethical The present research aims to study the effect of ethics on trust and mutual assistance. The research was conducted by distributing questionnaires among the employees of different organizations in different sectors. Analyses indicated that people trust individuals exhibiting ethical behaviour more than individuals exhibiting neutral behaviours; but there would be no difference in giving and taking assistance to and from people exhibiting ethical or neutral behaviour.
Value Chain Management: A Small Industry Perspective
Authors: Butt Khursheed A.
Published: August 2011

During the last decade or so, far reaching changes have been taking place in the field of business and economy in India. These changes include: liberalization, privatization, globalization, and culmination of GATT into WTO. As a consequence of these and other developments, the Indian entrepreneurs will have to operate in a totally new business landscape, where only the fittest can survive. Thus, it is imperative for enterprises of all sizes to appreciate the changes taking place around them. However, contrary to this urgency, small enterprises in general have been found to have failed to recognize that the world around them is changing rapidly, throwing open great challenges. To survive and prosper in the emerging borderless market, they would require to evolve a different outlook to mobilize and utilize resources to strengthen competitiveness both in national and international context. A widely held view is that competitive advantage comes from building value that customers appreciate and competitors find difficult to copy. In essence, creation of superior value is the outcome of effective management of discrete activities in Value Chain, which helps in achieving operational excellence throughout an enterprise by optimizing different tasks and roles within the overall process. Probably this is one of the reasons why more and more companies are embracing the concept of value chain management. In this paper, an attempt has been made to design a value chain for small enterprises and identify the specific sources of competitive advantage and how they can be related to the creation of superior value to delight customers.
Efficiency of the Indian Capital Market: An Empirical Work
Authors: Bodla B.S.
Published: August 2011

This paper examines the weak form efficiency of Indian capital market. For this, two tests, namely the runs test and serial correlation test have been applied. The study is based on stock price daily data for three years from January 2001 through December 2003. The results of the runs test have given a clear-cut inkling of the existence of weak form market efficiency in the Indian securities market. Similarly, the serial correlation analysis based on its coefficients confirms the weak form hypothesis of efficient market. This finding, thus, reduces the probability of continuously making extra profits by forecasting the security prices.
Review Essay
Authors: Goyal Anita
Published: August 2011

Roy Stephenson, Marketing Planning for Financial Services, Gower, 2005, xi+183pp, £75, hard
Renewing Human Assets in Indian Ports: Issues and Strategies for Improving Performance
Authors: De R.N.
Published: August 2011

The main objective of this research study is to examine (i) critical issues relating to renewing human assets for improving port performance, (ii) strategies to be taken for imparting training which would result in improving performance for Indian ports, and (iii) the existing relationship between port efficiency and renewing human assets through training in Indian Ports. A statistical analysis through a model comprising trainee density and average turnround of ships on port accounts in days has been carried out for data over three years 1999–00, 2000–01 and 2001–02. The results obtained have been very interesting. Three distinct relationships have emerged between renewal of human assets and port efficiency for three segments of observations. The author has then identified the issues and suggests the framework of policy and a plan for renewal of human assets for improving performance in Indian ports.
Size Effect in Indian Stock Market: Some Empirical Evidence
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Tripathi Vanita
Published: August 2011

In this study we attempt to test if there is a size effect in Indian stock market. The data relates to the top 482 Indian companies for the period 1990–2003. We find a strong size premium using six alternative measures of company size, viz., Market Capitalization, Enterprise Value, Net Fixed Assets, Net Annual Sales, Total Assets and Net Working Capital. Further the size based investment strategy seems to be economically feasible as it provides extra normal returns on risk adjusted basis. Frequent rebalancing of size based portfoilo is however found to be undesirable. The size effect does not seem to be owing to any seasonality or business cycle factors. The study has strong implications for mutual funds managers, investment analysts as well as small investors who are continuously on the lookout for trading strategies that beat the market. The presence of a strong size premium also raises doubts about the informational efficiency of Indian equity market.
Decision-Making: A Study of Intending Indian Car Buyer'S Consideration Set in the Small Car Market (Segment B)
Authors: Mehra Vikas
Published: August 2011

The economic liberalization of 1991 turned the Indian economy into a competitive market-place. Every sector of the economy—whether industrial or consumer – was opened up to competition from global players. The Indian passenger car industry also attracted considerable attention both nationally and internationally, particularly in the last decade (post 1993). The industry attracted investment from domestic as well as overseas players. New players, who entered the country after auto sector de-licensing in 1993, created additional capacities and domestic players followed by augmenting their own capacities.
Managing Innovation and Technology
Authors: Sahay A.
Published: August 2011

John Howells, The Management of Innovation and Technology, London, Sage Publications, 2005, 290 pp, £24.99, soft.
PSU Disinvestment in India: Process and Policy–Changing Scenario
Authors: Dhameja Nand
Published: August 2011

Though the public sector in India has occupied a prominent place, it has changed over the years with the initiation of economic reforms and liberalisation measures. Certain enterprises have been categorized as ‘navratna’, some have been included in another category, namely, ‘mini-ratnas’ giving them greater financial and operational autonomy so that these profit-making enterprises are able to operate in a framework that will be ‘depoliticised, deregulated and debureaucratised’.
Data Envelopment Analysis (Dea) for Measuring Technical Efficiency of Banks
Authors: Sanjeev Gunjan M.
Published: August 2011

The Indian banking sector has witnessed a series of reforms in the last fifteen years to improve their efficiency. The reforms focussed on the deregulation of policies, prescription of prudential norms on capital adequacy, income recognition, asset classification and provisioning for impaired assets. They allowed the opening up of the private sector, including the entry of foreign banks in order to increase competition within the Indian banking system. The reforms also gave greater freedom to the banks to manage both the pricing and quality of resources. This study makes an attempt to evaluate the technical efficiency of the banks operating in India in the post-reform era. The study uses a non-parametric linear programming-based technique. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to determine the technical efficiency of the public, private and foreign banks operating in India. The study has also investigated the relationship between the efficiency and the percentage of non-performing assets (NPAs) of the commercial banks operating in India. The results show that the efficiency of the banks has improved over time and that the foreign banks have outperformed both private sector and public sector banks. Competition has increased sharply amongst the banks in the post-reform era. Therefore, it is evident that banks have responded positively to the reforms. It is concluded that the Indian banking sector is likely to witness greater thrust on reforms in coming years.
Empowerment at Work: The Dyadic Approach
Authors: Gupta Ananda Das , Kurian Shaji
Published: August 2011

The very idea of empowerment depends on managing the dilemmas or polarities (dyads of a continuum) which confront management decisions in organisations. Polarities can also help people diagnose and deal with a group's resistance to change. This paper proposes a new approach to empowerment, reinforcing the traditional (centralised) and modern (participative) approaches with a new ‘dyadic transcendence’ style where the empowerment has to be balanced between the two approaches. Organisations that wish to survive and thrive in today's dynamic marketplace need to constantly re-invent their work processes and structures. Real empowerment must be supported by information collected from both dyads of a continuum: inner-dyads and outer dyads.
An “Open Eye and Ear” Approach to Managerial Communication
Authors: Subramanian Sharmila
Published: August 2011

Managerial communication does not restrain itself to corporate presentations, meetings, conferences, media relations, official correspondences like business letters, memos, proposals and reports. This is quite obvious from the fact that today we have “ hi-tech” communication like intranet, internet, teleconferencing, video-conferencing, net meeting, etc. … as part and parcel of our professional communicative life. But, communication is not always formal. In fact, informal communication is far more active in the work place than formal communication.

People at workplace spend between 25 per cent to 70 per cent in face-to-face conversations, and about 88 per cent to 93 per cent in unscheduled communication (Whittaker et al., 1994). This enhances the level of informal communication in the organisations. This type of communication is sometimes backed by opportunity, and sometimes spontaneity. On one hand, it augments mutuality and solidarity, on the other hand, it spreads rumours and counters the formal communication network. Informal tie- ups give rise to cliquey functioning in the organisation, which in turn induces clique politics. The consequences can be low productivity, low morale, less belongingness and high attrition. To cope with these problems managers need to adopt “an open eye and ear” approach to organisational communication. The paper, here, attempts to provide a solution to the problem of informal (mis) communication and organisational politics that is acceptable to both academia and industry.