bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adoption and Altruism: Those with Whom I Want to Share a Dream
Authors: Schervish Paul G.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews findings from a study on philanthropy among the wealthy, with a special emphasis on adoption philanthropy. Attempts to define altruism from deductive philosophical or theoretical reason ing are destined to disappoint, and a positive understanding of altru ism must be gleaned from an inductive examination of adoption philanthropy. Recent considerations on altruism have shifted the de bate from the rational dismissal of altruism to an exploration of its existence as part of human nature (Piliavin and Charng, 1990). This change in analytic perspective implies that the study of altruism can now be moved further into the sociological arena by constructing it in terms of emotion, taste, moral sentiment, and normative orientation. That is, altruism can be viewed not just as a part of human nature (as anthropology and sociobiology have indicated) but as part of moral biography and identity.
The potential value of CD-ROM in Nigerian libraries and information centres
Authors: Nwali L.O.
Published: March 2007

The potential value of CD-ROM has implications for different socio- cultural environments, especially for developing countries such as Nigeria. The advantages of CD- ROM in the context of Nigeria are discussed in detail. The benefits of CD-ROM in Nigerian libraries and information centres can only be achieved if certain requirements are met. These requirements are described and suggestions are made as to how Nigerian libraries and information centres could satisfy them.
Innovation: insights from the literature
Authors: Willard Patricia
Published: March 2007

This paper brings together the findings and theory from a selection of the vast literature of innovation. Particular attention is given to library literature. The paper con cludes that the literature provides useful guidelines for the library manager seeking to encourage inno vation. Areas particularly recom mended for consideration are (1) the organizational structure and its hospitality to innovation and (2) the role of the 'innovation champion' and the need to foster such a per son.
The user interface to CD-ROM databases
Authors: Large Andy
Published: March 2007

The article discusses CD-ROM user interfaces under the following headings: 'Dialogue transaction' (command languages, full-screen menus, pull-down/pop-up menus, command menus, direct manipula tion and natural language); 'Input devices' (keyboard, mouse, touch- screen and voice); 'Display features' (layout, colour, sound and response time); 'User assistance' (error mes sages, on-screen help, on-screen tutorials and manuals/quick refer ence cards) and 'Reliability and robustness'.
Wastage within the library and information profession: a report
Authors: Elkin Judith , Nankivell Clare
Published: March 2007

The Class of '88 Study of the National Cohort Study of Newly Qualified Librarians and Information Workers, Birmingham Polytechnic, identified wastage as a crucial issue of the 90s. Wastage is taken to mean the loss of qualified librarians and information professionals, who leave the profes sion shortly after qualifying (20 per cent of the qualified workforce leave the profession in less than 3 years after qualifying). A questionnaire survey was conducted in 1988, 1989 and 1991 to determine the factors governing wastage. Concludes that action is needed to nurture and develop the skills and enthusiasm of new professionals; and to improve the pay and career structure of library and information science and the nature and number of posts available. The Study felt that if these improvements are not intro duced soon, the consequences for the profession could be catastrophic.

'I started outside the profession and stayed out'. This is just one com ment reflecting the wastage of new professionals in the library and information field. This article identi

fies one of the main issues facing library and information employers and educators today; that of wastage. It discusses the extent of wastage in the library and information profes sion and why wastage occurs and places this discussion in the context of the changing employment climate of the 1990s.
The effect of the Education Reform Act on public library services to children
Authors: Heeks Peggy
Published: March 2007

This article investigates the effects of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) on school library services (SLS), the support services to schools provided by most Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in England and Wales. While the research aimed to present an over all picture, it had a particular interest in the management of change and, with this in mind, established a close contact with 14 authorities over the project time-span.

It was obvious, from the time of the Education Reform Bill, that the new legislation would have a major effect on SLS: it was less apparent that it would affect public library ser vices to children. However, the research did find that the Act was having an impact on children's library services, and this article attempts to identify the nature and extent of that impact, and to discuss possible future implications.
Perceptions and utilization of media centres in South Africa
Authors: Kistan Ganas
Published: March 2007

The structure of the education system of a country usually reflects the pat tern of the government of that coun try. The present education system in South Africa has been distorted by apartheid, with huge surpluses and grave shortages existing side by side. One finds racially segregated schools administered along the own affairs' lines by 17 different education depart ments. Each autonomous department has its own goals and philosophy of education for the race or ethnic group that it was created to serve. The great disparity in state funding of the frag mented education system has adversely affected the quality of edu cation afforded to each race group. This research article investigates the relationships between the disparities in funding, resource provision and facilities and the way educators per ceive and utilize media.
Creating the BCMSV database: cataloguing and indexing earlier English verse
Authors: Pickering Oliver
Published: March 2007

The article describes the creation of an innovative computer database of manuscript English verse in Leeds University Library, outlining the record structure and the free-text search techniques, and explaining in detail the nature of the 17 different fields. It discusses the indexing prob lems encountered in the course of the work, particularly the best means of subject indexing. The solution, unconventionally, has been a discur sive content field in which the user of the database is explicitly informed about the poem's subject matter and emphases in words not drawn from a controlled thesaurus, but nevertheless designed to be helpful for retrieval purposes. It is recognized that this particularized approach will have drawbacks for researchers necessitat ing the use of synonyms and other techniques, but the database has already successfully answered many different kinds of enquiry. BCMSV aims to be an informative finding list, not a comprehensive catalogue, and one of the intentions is to encourage scholars to come to Leeds to see the manuscripts for themselves rather than provide long-distance answers to all possible questions.
Performance measurement in prison libraries: research methods, problems and perspectives
Authors: Lithgow Susan D. , Hepworth John B.
Published: March 2007

Describes a research project carried out at the Department of Information and Library Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, to develop a series of performance indicators for use in evaluating prison libraries so as to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of such services. Research completed to date involves a litera ture survey and a pilot study. The purpose of the pilot study was to assess current practice in prison libraries, and involved opinion leader interviews, selection of test sites, structured interviews with prison staff and inmates, observation and monitoring. Having assessed perfor mance indicators, care was taken to allow for the problems arising from the prison regime. Six test sites were involved in the inmate interviewing programme and the aim was to talk to a minimum of 10 per cent of the pop ulation at each test site. Sites included two women's prisons (one open and one closed), and four men's prisons (one dispersal, one category B local, one category C and one Young Offender Institute).
New model librarians
Authors: Heery Mike
Published: March 2007

Reviews the literature of the aims and objectives of academic libraries and the ways in which they have adapted to change over the years. Examines a case study, based on the experiences of the University of the West of England Library, Bristol (UWE), which examines the degree to which a 'new model' approach can help an academic library secure growth. Describes the'new model' approach, based on a number of UWE's interrelated policies and involves: a man agerial approach that is enforced by pro fessional management practices involving genuine staff participation; purposeful staffing and staff development policies that work in support of the library's aims and objectives; sufficiently generous funding to permit the support of inno vation ; a commitment to collection devel opment policies that integrate information technology based sources; an active library role in the development of the University's teaching and learn ing strategies; and a commitment to mar keting the library and its services.
Electrocopying, the Publishers Association and academic libraries
Authors: Muir Adrienne , Oppenheim Charles
Published: March 2007

Discusses the concept of electrocopy ing, defined by the Publishers Association to cover the copying of printed materials, by scanning or other means, into electronic databases, in which the text is stored in either image or character encoded form. Briefly mentions technical aspects of electro copying, including the two document scanning technologies: document image processing (DIP); and optical character recognition (OCR); but main ly concentrates on the legal and eco nomic aspects. Considers the copyright implications of electrocopying, in par ticular, the fears of widespread copy right infringement expressed by publishers. Considers the role of the Commission of the European Communities and the views and ini tiatives of a selection of major pub lishers. Concludes that the approach of publishers is that they do not want solutions foisted upon them by statute or the practice of electrocopying becoming widespread, yet seem to be taking a long time to do anything pos itive. Reviews the situation in the UK and the role played by academic libraries in electrocopying and net working information. Reports results of a questionnaire survey of UK acad emic libraries to determine the use of information technology in general, and electrocopying in particular. Concludes with a discussion of the possible future implications of electrocopying for the pattern of scholarly communication and the survival of the periodical.
Unlocking the word-hoard: a review article
Authors: Grogan Denis J.
Published: March 2007

Reviews the main features of the Oxford Thesaurus: an A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms; in the context of the historical development of general the saurus publishing and the main char acteristics of early published thesauri. The unique features of the Oxford Thesaurus consist of the technique of illustrating entries with sample sen tences carefully selected to clarify the precise meanings, and the inclusion of a full index of all synonyms used. The examples chosen are lively, con temporary, natural and idiomatic. While all the notorious four letter Anglo Saxon words are included, one class of word is notably absent: terms of racial abuse; all of which are included in Roget's Thesaurus. The Oxford Thesaurus is published by Oxford University Press and is avail able in printed form and on floppy diskette for use on personal comput ers.
The Bibliotheque Nationale de France project: access or expediency?
Authors: Kessler Jack
Published: March 2007

Describes the current efforts being made to complete the new Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) and uses the experience gained in this project and the ideals of pub lic access to electronic texts, which in part it represents, to shed light on some of the political, economic, social and intellectual problems of this peri od. Issues discussed include: freeing the word from the printed word by deciding whether and to what extent the texts contained in the books of the Bibliothèque Nationale might be considered separately from the phys ical books themselves; the building of the BNF itself and the construction of a system which will make the infor mation contained in the collections available to the general public and the outside world; the many political meetings and debates surrounding the BNF, including the trends of 'dirigisme', 'Colbertisme', 'biblio thèques pour tous', and 'la crise de l'edition'; and the crisis facing French publishers and the threat posed by electronic publishing (online and CD- ROM databases).
Local politics and the public library service
Authors: Usherwood Bob
Published: March 2007

Notes the trend towards greater polit ical awareness among library man agers in public libraries, compared with the attitude of previous years, and the increasing role of the public library as part of a complicated local government framework. Discusses the influences at work within the council and the interplay of forces produced by: overall policies of cen tral government; public opinion; and media coverage. Concludes that a sys tem is needed which is large enough to provide the range of services that a modern society requires and that pro vides people with a sense of place and represents a commitment to col lective needs and values.
Knowledge automation and the need for intermediaries
Authors: Birchall Alexander , Deakin Anthony , Rada Roy
Published: March 2007

Although librarians have always ago nized over the status of librarianship as a profession, in recent years the debate has been intensified by the revolutionary changes associated with information technology. Draws together research from a variety of dis ciplines to consider why and how advanced information technology is qualitatively different from older tech nologies of information, and why this promotes changes at both the indi vidual and the social level. Concludes from this analysis that there are two diverging directions for organization al and societal development: towards technocracy or towards the learning organization and the learning society. In both there will be roles that could be filled by librarians, but the learning organization's network structure would offer many more opportunities for active intermediary roles, and it is in accord with the social ethic of the library profession. In a technocracy, the librarian might assume the high status role of 'knowledge manager' but be out of touch with the ultimate users of information. Considers the pursuit of professional status by librarians as not being the best way to ensure the continuation of the social ethic' according to which librarians are educated.
A comparative approach to assessing the performance of a short-loan collection
Authors: Wall Terry
Published: March 2007

Librarians in academic libraries face many problems when attempting to make cost effective provision of recommended reading for students. Moreover, the diversity of academic institutions and academic disciplines impedes comparison between libraries. However, within a single institution, quality of provision can be monitored by the use of internal comparisons. Reviews measures of performance and patterns of student activity and assesses the provision of recommended reading for two groups of undergraduate students enrolled on similar courses by comparing their recorded utilization of short-loan books. The assessment is corroborat ed with statistics of use, distributions of user activity and the results of a user survey. By comparing perfor mance indicators for the utilization of the collection by these two groups of students with similar library require ments, systematic differences in the provision and uptake of recomm ended titles are distinguished from the general unevenness in demand which is common to both groups and well known in libraries.
The chief officer/ councillor relationship in British public libraries
Authors: Curry Ann
Published: March 2007

Explores the relationship between the chief librarians of public libraries and members of their local authori ty councils, as a crucial element in the management of these public libraries. Factors affecting this rela tionship include: political pressures; power balances; personal agendas; the prestige of the officers; status of library services within the authori ties. Reviews and discusses Bob Usherwood's investigation of public library politics and governance ( Public library politics: the role of the elected member: Library Association Publishing, 1993) and complements his work through an examination of the counterbalancing point of view; that of the officers, based on a PhD research project which explored the opinions of UK and Canadian chief library officers on censorship. Results indicate that for UK chief librarians, politics is acknowledged as the key element in their relationship with councillors, and that officers consider acuity of political knowledge and intuition to be crucial management components. Party politics and public image were acknowledged as predominant influ ences for many councillors, and offi cers were very much aware that politicians of different political per suasions might promote different roles and stock selection policies for the public library.
Comparing needs with available resources
Authors: Farmer Jane , Peffer Melanie
Published: March 2007

Reports results of a British Library funded project to examine the information needs of a group of rheumatology outpatients about the drugs they are taking and to carry out an audit of available information sources. The study was conducted between October 1994 and September 1995 and involved in-depth interviews with a sample of 40 patients attending a clinic in Aberdeen, Scotland. The aim was to assess how well current information resources matched patients' needs and to recommend improvements. Potential information sources included: Arthritis Care Newsletter; television programmes; newspapers and magazines; family and friends; health professionals (including community pharmacists); other patients; public libraries; and purchased books. Further work involved a questionnaire survey of 37 pharmaceutical companies and 230 rheumatology clinics in the UK regarding their information provision to patients. Concludes that many patients are not aware of a need for further information about their drugs and for these patients the presentation of more information might encourage them to think about evaluating their information requirements in future. Helpful models for rheumatology departments might include interdisciplinary teams, involving nurses and pharmacists, who can provide information tailored to individual needs. Full results and recommendations of this project are published in the British Library Research and Development Department report 6227, 1995 (LISA ref. 9603034).
Productivity Growth at the Firm Level: with Application to the Chinese Steel Mills
Authors: Yanrui Wu
Published: March 2007

This article applies a stochastic frontier approach to examine the impact of firm-specific economic and policy factors or environmental variables on productivity growth, effi ciency changes, scale economies and technological progress. Three hypotheses are tested with empirical application to the Chinese steel firms. The three hypotheses are: (a) firm-specific factors affect efficiency changes only; (b) firm-specific factors have a direct impact on the production structure particularly on the production frontier; and (c) firm-specific fuctors influence both efficiency changes and the production technology directly. The findings from this study provide insights into the deter minants of productivity and efficiency changes in the Chinese steel industry.
Family Enterprises and Business Partnerships: Rural Entrepreneurs in India, Malaysia, and Indonesia
Authors: Rutten Mario
Published: March 2007

An overview of the major debates on entrepreneurship in South and Southeast Asia indi cates an emphasis on collective forms of business organisation. While earlier views argued that collectivism in business activities was one of the main causes of Asia's backwardness, more recent notions emphasise that family enterprises and business net works account for Asia's economic rise. This article compares the forms of business organisation of rural entrepreneurs in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is based on empirical research among Hindu small-scale industrialists in central Gujarat, Chinese and Malay owners of combine harvesters in the Muda region, and Muslim owners of iron foundries in Central Java. These findings indicate that both collective and indi vidual strategies are present within each group. It is the flexibility of the business organ isation to adjust to changing social and economic circumstances that explains the success or failure of any enterprise. These findings are in line with studies on European entrepreneurs. There is therefore reason to reconsider the notion of significant differ ences in business organisation between Asian and European entrepreneurs.
What Role does Bargaining Power Play in Participation of Women? A Case Study of Rural Pakistan
Authors: Weinberger Katinka
Published: March 2007

Participation strengthens the abilities and potential ofpoor people. However, various studies have indicated that women 's participation is often hampered by several factors. This article analyses the determinants of women's participation in local organisations in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir. A focus of the article is to establish the centrality of participation in the empowerment of women. The author argues that women are not a homogenous group—meaning that strategies adopted to empower them would vary across regions, class and other factors. The article also highlights the role social networks play in furthering participation. Finally, the arti cle puts forth the argument that participation is a complex process—a process whose outcome cannot be predicted. Factors like incomplete information, cultural, ethnic and economic restrictions often influence the decision-making process of women and hence have a bearing on the final outcome, i.e., empowerment.
Predicting Entrepreneurial Success
Authors: Chattopadhyay Rachana , Ghosh Anjali
Published: March 2007

Predicting entrepreneurial success using psychological variables like individualism-collectivism, achievement value, locus of control and the socio- cultural variable, for example the entrepreneurial status, had been the usual practice. These variables could identify the traits that differentiated a new entre preneur from a traditional one. This article makes an attempt to expand the measurement of entrepreneurial success from two other angles. Using two regression equations, one can predict the future success of an entrepreneur. It has also been observed that the psychological variables have a fairly high cor relation with entrepreneurial success, and all of them can also separately pre dict the success of an entrepreneur efficiently. However, the study establishes that the achievement value, along with entrepreneurial status, are the most effi cient predictor variables in predicting entrepreneurial success.
Women Entrepreneurs
Authors: Ganesan R. , Kaur Dilbagh , Maheshwari R.C.
Published: March 2007

Entrepreneurship as a strategy to promote enterprise can be successful only if the same is duly imparted and conscientiously induced. This argument holds strong particularly when such a strategy is being tried on women. In the pres ent context many of the theories dealing with entrepreneurship has seen a divergence from practice. It is seen that many cntrepreneurs are motivated on their own to start their own enterprises. Many of these entrepreneurs actually do not receive any structured entrepreneurial input. They learn the same through trial and error. Keeping these views on entrepreneurship, this article deals with the problems, which these self-motivated women entrepreneurs con front, and then highlights the prospects and the future challenges. The article establishes the role entrepreneurial training can play in making the ventures initiated by these self-motivated women self-sustaining. The article identifies the concern areas of these women who are in business and also proposes what kind of entrepreneurial training would be ideal. The authors feel that when more women initiate businesses without such formal training, one should prob ably then start investing resources into making them stand on their own. The article has also identified certain special factors and problems women in busi ness generally confront and the gendered root of such problems. The sugges tion is that these problems could be taken care of through investing in building network and alliances.
Credit, Demand and Supply: A Study of Small-scale Units
Authors: Kar Jyotirmayee
Published: March 2007

Small-scale units have to encounter the perennial problem of resource crunch. This article tries to examine the factors that come into play in addressing the credit needs of the small-scale sector entrepreneurs. The paper also makes an attempt to understand this aspect from the angle of the institutional credit sup pliers and then tries to look into certain business traits. The paper finds that most often it is the interplay of the business traits and ownership patterns which act as major determinants to the demand as well as the supply of credit. The em pirical work finds that the need for credit is observed to be increasing with investment requirement and the level of output, i.e., the scale of operation. It has been observed that these two factors often influence the lenders in extending credit support. The paper contents that the time has come where the lending institutions have a close look into other factors too, apart from the financial factors.
Technology Absorption in Large and Small Enterprises: A Proposal for Comparative Research 1
Authors: Roy Anjan , Sikdar Arijit
Published: March 2007

It is hypothesised that small enterprises have certain learning characteristics which enable them to adopt new technologies faster than large enterprises. The entrepreneurial work structure of small enterprises are exemplary for large enterprises where cognitive and goal dissonance amongst members act as impediments to technology absorption. Several other factors point to superior absorption performance of the small enterprises. This position contrasts the view that large enterprises, owing to their higher R&D spending have higher absorptive capacity, and therefore are expected to learn quicker than small enterprises. The paper proposes an empirical research for ascertaining this hypothesis.
The Entrepreneurial Self-Image
Authors: Øyhus Arne Olav
Published: March 2007

In most of the mainstream literature, entrepreneurs are portrayed as extremely individualistic actors. A study to validate this interpretation was carried out with entrepreneurs from two countries—Tanzania and Indonesia. The author in this paper draws out the conclusion that the 'lonely rider' image is not only found in the literature, but also actually seen among entrepreneurs. It seems to be a common feature that entrepreneurs attach very little importance to relationships with other actors in their social environment. However, while analysing the 'historical records' on how these entrepreneurs established their enterprises it was seen that entrepreneurs in both countries did exploit their personal relations with friends, colleagues and family members and that too to a substantial degree. It is in this context, the author argues, that the network per spective which emphasises the role of individual relations as social capital presents a more accurate image of entrepreneurs and their enterprises. Although many similarities were found between Tanzanian and Indonesian entrepreneurs regarding their utilisation of these networks, some basic differences were also noted. This paper is based on a qualitative case study approach. The author has used interviews as his main data collection technique.
Attitude Towards Entrepreneurship in Organisations
Authors: Shetty Pramod
Published: March 2007

The researches conducted in the area of entrepreneurship have always been considering entrepreneurs and not the intrapreneurs as the focal point of their research. In most cases these researches were done on the personality traits with very few initiated to understand the attitudinal aspect of an entrepreneur. The studies that have been done on attitudes on entrepreneurs have not considered the cultural difference that exists among these entrepreneurs hailing from diverse population groups. This study is an attempt in this direction and has tried to adopt the Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO) scale so as to measure the attitudinal characteristics of Indian intrapreneurs. A sample drawn from two hundred executives was studied and the sub-scales identified using the hier archical cluster analysis. The analysis tells us the existence of eight factors consisting of forty-five items. This is a departurefrom the existingfive sub-scales which had eighty-nine items.
Artisan or Merchant Industrialists? Small-Scale Entrepreneurs in the Countryside of West India
Authors: Rutten Mario
Published: March 2007

Small-scale industrialists in India appear to have little interest in making pro ductive reinvestment of the profits earned from an enterprise in the same unit. Instead, they seem to have greater propensity to promote, successively and simultaneously, a wide range of disparate undertakings. This, according to most observers of the Indian industrial scene, is due to a basically commercial orientation among Indian entrepreneurs which places high premium on quick profits. This paper questions this notion through a close, hard look at an industrial centre in western India and stresses that the reality can be better understood by analysing the interconnection between agriculture, trade, and industry on the one hand, and the Indian social system on the other.
A Financial Comparison between Taiwanese and US Firms: Evidence of Differential Financial Strategies
Authors: Van Auken Howard E. , Tseng Shu-Hua
Published: March 2007

With the growing interest in the globalisation of the economy, it is useful to undertake comparative studies of strategies pursued by business firms in the developed and developing countries. This paper is an attempt in this direction. It examines cross-balance sheet relationships for a sample of small- to medium- sized Taiwanese firms and compares the results with similar studies of small and large companies in the United States. The similarities and contrasts pointed out in the paper may provide insights into how firms adopt their financial strategies in different economies and under different market constraints.
Entrepreneurship at the Grass- roots: Developing the Income- generating Capabilities of Rural Women
Authors: Kirve Harsha , Kanitkar Ajit
Published: March 2007

Until recently, entrepreneurship was associated primarily with major contours of business. With the growing accent on economic development, the term has assumed a more expanded connotation to include all efforts directed to push economic frontiers. Seen in this context, experiments to generate additional income for the rural poor must fall within the ambit of efforts to develop entre preneurship in the countryside. This paper deals with one such experiment by a non-government organisation in one of the states in India.
Agricultural Entrepreneurship: The Concept and Evidence
Authors: Anand Singh K. , Krishna K.V.S.M.
Published: March 2007

Although the French physiocrats of the 18th century associated entre preneurship with agriculture, in later years the term gradually assumed a primarily industrial connotation. Today it is rarely used to refer to an agricultural activity. Pleading that the attributes required by successful farmers, particularly those producing cash crops, are in many ways similar to those commonly associated with industrial entrepreneurs, the authors of this paper discuss the case of a group of cotton growers in Andhra Pradesh to emphasise how the lack of relevant entrepreneurial capabilities can lead an ostensibly successful agricultural operation to tragic failure.
Processes of Innovation, Adaptation and Diffusion: The Case of Agro-mechanical Technology in Gujarat
Authors: Basant Rakesh
Published: March 2007

Very often, the term 'entrepreneurship' is used in an unduly elastic sense to refer to 'creative' acts in any walk of life. While such licence with the term may render it useless as a meaningful frame of analysis, there is a need to expand the theoretical paradigm of entrepreneurship to denote, among other things, a creative response to non-industrial economic oppor tunities. Pointing this out, this paper examines the process of agro- mechanical technology diffusion in two districts of Gujarat, a relatively prosperous state in India.
The Entrepreneur in Economic Thought: A Thematic Overview
Authors: Gopakumar K.
Published: March 2007

Even though the term 'entrepreneur' originated and gained currency as part of economic theory, today it is very often used in a loose, generic sense. This, according to the author, may be due to the fact that the concept could never be fully integrated into a coherent economic theory, except for a brief period of Schumpetarian synthesis. And in recent years, when the develop ment of entrepreneurship, rather than explaining it, has become the prime concern, the concept has virtually disappeared from economic theory.
Induced Industrial Clustering and Efficiency: An Exploratory Study of Gujarat's Industrial Estates
Authors: Kashyap S.P. , Shah Amita
Published: March 2007

Product-specific clusters of small industrial units in advanced economies have demonstrated the efficacy of industrial clustering for economic development. Suggesting that this approach may be of relevance to developing countries such as India as well, the authors here focus on the industrial estates in Gujarat, among the most industrialised states in India, and conclude that even induced clustering, which the industrial estate experiment represents, can lead to collective efficiency, like autonomous clustering in advanced countries.
Aspects of Cognitive Competence and Managerial Behaviour
Authors: Das J.P. , Misra Sasi
Published: March 2007

This paper presents arguments for viewing decision making by managers in the context of both cognitive psychology and neuropsychology of plan ning. Individual differences in managerial decision making are explained within the framework of a model of cognitive processes that has as its components planning, attention, information coding and knowledge base. But all decision making, according to the authors, is also influenced by irrational factors contained in motivation and emotions and the failures of logic. The authors discuss the conditions under which such failures occur and recommend inductive, rather than deductive, rule-learning procedures for good planning strategies. The Appendix provides a list of strategies that can be taught inductively through structuring the manager's experiences. Although the authors' focus is on managers, their observations and prescriptions may be equally relevant for entrepreneurs as well.
A Practical Approach to Sales Force Compensation Plan in a Small Business
Authors: Yang Wei-Tzen , Kuo Chang-Min
Published: March 2007

Small business owners and marketing managers encounter the threat of higher turnover of their sales people as most of them do not realise the firms' limitations and are notfamiliar with the fundamentals of the practice or the theory of sales. In this situation, they tend to copy sales force compensation plans from each other. This paper presents a compensation plan that combines a base salary (including a quota) with some incentives (in the form of commissions or bonuses) and the firm's profits. The factors that affect the compensation plan are identified and the implications of changes in some of these factors are demonstrated with a case study to serve as a guide for small businesses while designing or rewriting sales force compensation plans.
What Creates an Entrepreneur? Some Observations from a Micro Study
Authors: Poojary M. Chandra
Published: March 2007

Much has been written about the role of entrepreneurship development programmes (EDPs) in creating a new class of entrepreneurs. Very few studies, however, have tried to scan small enterprises at the local level to look for the possible sources of entrepreneurship, and thus validate and establish the claims made by the supporters of entrepreneurship develop ment training. The author of this paper attempts to fill in the vacuum using observations from a micro level study from the State of Karnataka, India. The author argues that an entrepreneur's practical experience in or exposure to entrepreneurial activities is important for the success of small ventures.
On Redefining the Urban Informal Manufacturing Sector: A Study of Micro Businesses, Petty Producer Units and Small Capitalist Producer Firms in Sambalpur, Orissa
Authors: Samal Kishor C.
Published: March 2007

In this paper the author has tried to redefine the concept of the informal manufacturing sector (IMS) based on two surveys done in 1985 and 1994 in Sambalpur, Orissa. In the benchmark study (1985), size of the unit was used as the first-order condition for demarcating the informal sector, while all the other characteristics were taken as second-order conditions. In the follow-up study, the existing units were classified into three groups using the labour composition establishment approach. It was concluded that irrespective of size, the IMS includes (a) micro businesses, (b) petty producer units, and (c) small capitalist producer units involving un protected wage work and operating in an unprotected economic environ ment.
Internationalisation and Entrepreneurial Response on the European Periphery: The Experience of North-Eastern Greece
Authors: Kalantaridis Christos , Labrlamdis Lois
Published: March 2007

Expansion of trade and intensification of global competition have trans formed the structure and pattern of the industrial sector in many developing and industrialising countries. Facilitated amply by the advances in com munications and information technologies, and under the pervasive in fluence of large corporations, many regions have become integrated into the international production networks. Drawing upon the experience of the clothing industry in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, one of the poorest regions of the European Union, the authors argue that industrial growth in this region was initiated by the decision of large scale enterprises catering to the international markets to move into the area. This relocation was induced by the incentives proferred in the regional development policy and the prevalence of under-employment. The paper takes a close look at the process of internationalisation in the region during the late 1980s, the decade which witnessed gradual relaxation of the restrictions governing the world clothing trade and changes in Central and Eastern Europe, and examines the strategic entrepreneurial responses to it.
Market Orientation and Performance: An Empirical Study of British SMEs
Authors: Appiah-Adu Kwaku , Singh Satyendra
Published: March 2007

In the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, this paper investigates two key areas: the effects of market orientation on dimensions of performance and the moderating influences of market dynamism, competitive hostility and market growth on the market orienta tion- performance relationship. The authors find evidence of the existence of a strong and positive relationship between market orientation and sales growth of SMEs. The analysis also highlights the decisive role of competi tive environment in determining SME performance. The paper, however, cautions against overemphasising competitive influences to the neglect of distinctive capabilities of firms.
A Scale to Assess Entrepreneurial Motivation
Authors: Vijaya V. , Kamalanabhan T.J.
Published: March 2007

Much of the research conducted in India in the area of entrepreneurship considers personality characteristics and motivation interchangeably. This article argues that there is a need to treat entrepreneurial motivation as a separate entity and objectively measure and classify different types of motivation to draw meaningful inferences. The authors attempt here to develop a scale relevant to the Indian context to measure entrepreneurial motivation. The sample for the study was drawn from 195 potential women entrepreneurs. Five core motivations—the entrepreneurial core motiva tions, the work core motivation, the social core motivation, the individual core motivation and the economic core motivation—are identified with the help of factor analysis by the principal components method. Their strength is measured using the the Likert-type five-point rating scale.
Tradition and Change: Artisan Producers in Gujarat
Authors: Parthasarathy R.
Published: March 2007

This paper takes a closer look at the problems of petty producers belonging to traditional artisan communities in Gujarat, India. Broadbasing of entrepreneur ship being one of the cardinal objectives of the entrepreneurship development movement in India, artisan communities, where production skills are transferred hereditarily, have borne the brunt of mechanisation and commercialisation that accompany economic development. In the absence of any meaningful measures to develop them into tiny entrepreneurs, many artisans have shifted to non-tradi tional vocations, mostly as casual wage workers. At the same time, lack of access to productive assets seems to have prevented the emergence of 'entrepreneurialism' within these communities.
Producers and Markets in Rural Bihar: A Case of Tribal Handicrafts
Authors: Pal Sanjay
Published: March 2007

The production and marketing of products made by rural artisans in India is car ried out under conditions of uncertainty. The interlocking of product and credit markets, as it exists in rural areas, adversely affects the viability and sustainability of economic activities of poor artisans. More importantly, such interlocking has hindered the development of the collective bargaining capacity of the producers, which, in turn, has undermined their capability to scout for markets and fetch better prices. This paper illustrates the case of an innovative attempt by a non- government intermediary to organise marginal artisan producers in rural Bihar with a view to give them access to a larger market.
Promoting Industrial Clusters: Review of Experiences in Europe, East Asia and India
Authors: Shridharan L. , Manimala Mathew J.
Published: March 2007

'Small firm clusters have come to occupy a significant space in the discussions on industrialisation strategies, especially in the context of less-developed regions. This paper reviews a select set of literature on European, East Asian and Indian clusters with a comparative perspective. The review is organised around the pro vision of support services to small and medium enterprises in these regions in four fields: credit, marketing, technology and skill development and networking. The paper calls for a concentrated approach to cluster development in India based on size of the cluster, its potential for growth and export, technological status and scope for modernisation.'
Panchayat Udyogs in Uttar Pradesh: A Democratic Experiment in Micro Enterprise Development
Authors: Singh S.K.
Published: March 2007

This paper documents a unique experiment in micro enterprise development that has been underway in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for the past three decades. Inspired by the Gandhian economic philosophy of 'gram swaraj', this experiment has given birth to a distinct set of enterprises, which are owned and operated by panchayats, the grassroot level self-governments. Christened panchayat udyog, these ventures have proven that decentralisation of industrialisation becomes more meaningful when the economic and political structures at the local level cooperate with each other.
Corporate Ethical Dilemmas: Indian Models for Moral Management
Authors: Das Gupta Ananda
Published: March 2007

The 'wall' that differentiates two different kinds of attitudes of the same person at different points of time denotes, as the author envisages, Conscious Attitudinal Infringement Area (CAIA), where moral dilemmas take birth to bridge the two different kinds of attitudes to give way to attitudinal interrelatedness. In order to 'reinforce' CAIA to narrow the gap between personal behaviour and public behaviour, lead a moral life and behave ethically in public, there has to be harmony between the inner life of thoughts, feelings and emotions, and the circumstances and events in the person's outer environment. After discussing the corporate scenario in India in brief, the author has put forward a model called Action By Objectives (ABO) as the basis of the harmonization approach. Drawing inspiration from the ethical aspects of Buddhism, Sufism, Sikhism and Vedanta in this context, he suggests an abhyasa yoga (perfection through disciplined practice) menu for refining samskaras (inner predispositions) and reaching the ultimate level of positive, inspiring leadership.
Integrating Corporate Values: The Malaysian Airlines Experience
Authors: Tuan Haji Zulkifly Baharom  , Yazdi Jehangir Bankwala
Published: March 2007

This paper is an illustration of the case study of trying to create an awareness of human values at the Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) as part of its work culture. Some of the principles of this intervention and the key process used in developing a values-based culture are highlighted. A brief background of why MAS undertook a values journey is given along with the approach and the process used, based on the values clarification process (VCP). The development of other internal processes customized to design in-house modules through the values awareness programme (VAP) and the values inculcation programme (VIP) are also outlined. The paper combines two perspectives in this case study: one of the authors was an internal consultant with MAS and the other an external consultant to parts of the process. The objective is to share insights from such an intervention to enable other organizations to benefit from this experience.
Emerging Ethics in Rural India
Authors: Sekhar R.C.
Published: March 2007

This paper explores the ethical dimensions of some of the current issues engaging rural India, affecting 600 million people. It uses the evolutionary framework of Sri Aurobindo's integral yoga, and also tags on to it the rights concepts of Amartya Sen's ethics. It attempts to take a balanced view between Ambedkar's perception of the ancient Indian village as a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism, and the more common and traditional, but historically untrue, idealized view of the Vedic times. In this process it also steers clear of the pitfalls in the Marxist writings or positivist research, which has taken a wrong position that there was no rule of law and therefore no ethics as understood in modern times. It then attempts to show the more eternal features of perennial ethics in India, the idiom, institutions and the instruments it has nurtured, and the manner it is getting integrated with and is supportive of evolving modern values of democracy and social justice in Indian villages.