bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analgesic Efficiency of Tramadol Administered Prior to Hysteroscopy Procedure
Authors: Kadiroğulları Pınar , Seçkin Kerem Doğa , Yücel Burak , Çetin Berna Aslan , Barut Sibel Arslan , Yıldırım Gökhan
Published: September 2016

OBJECTIVE: In this study, our objective was to assess the pain scores using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in patients who were given tramadol prior to office hysteroscopy in order to demonstrate its analgesic activity when given before this procedure. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study conducted in year 2015 included two group of patients undergoing office hysteroscopy that were defined on the basis of the type of analgesia. Patients in the first group (Group 1, n=44) received oral tramadol prior to the procedure, while patients in the other group (Group 2, n=44) received placebo. VAS scores were determined during (0 minutes) and after (15 minutes) the procedure. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups in terms of age, parity and body mass index (p>0.05). Comparison of VAS scores at 0 and 15 minutes, lower values were observed in tramadol patients at 0 minutes (p<0.05), while scores at 15 minutes were not significantly different between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Although oral tramadol given prior to office hysteroscopy was effective and safe in reducing pain during the procedure, it is not useful for the pain that occurs after processing.
Changes in Serum High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin Levels in Critically Ill Children with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Authors: Tretjakovs Peteris , Rautiainena Linda , Krievina Gita , Jurka Antra , Grope Ilze , Gardovska Dace
Published: September 2016

Background:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) on serum high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMWA) levels.

Method:

Twelve children with SIRS were enrolled in this study at the intensive care unit (ICU). Twelve age and sex matched healthy subjects were selected as controls. Serum HMWA, interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were determined after 2 hours and 24 hours, and on the day of discharge which was on the average 9.4 days after ICU admission.

Results:

2 hours after admission to the ICU, the patients had significantly decreased serum HMWA levels compared with healthy controls (P < .001). 24 hours after the admission, the patients did not have any significant changes in their HMWA levels, however on the day of discharge, on average 9.4 days after hospital admission, a significant increase was observed (P < .05). After the treatment, there was a decrease in serum PCT, IL-6 and CRP levels. The only variable that was decreased 24 hours after the ICU admission was PCT (P < .05). A negative correlation was found between serum HMWA and PCT levels, and between HMWA and CRP (P < .05 and P < .01), however no correlation was found between HMWA and IL-6.

Conclusion:

In SIRS we observed a marked reduction in serum HMWA concentrations and a profound increase in IL-6, PCT, and CRP levels. A significant relationship between serum HMWA and PCR and CRP levels was evident.
Damage to Cranial Extension of the Small Saphenous Vein and Vein of Giacomini in Lower Limb Varicose Vein Disease
Authors: Sabadosh Rostyslav Vasyliovych
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The vein of Giacomini is often identified with the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein despite the fact that according to the international interdisciplinary anatomical nomenclature they are distinguished from one another.The objective of the research was to improve the results of treatment of patients with lower limb primary chronic venous disease disease studying the variation in anatomy and pathology of the vein of Giacomini and the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein with subsequent development of differential surgical tactics.Materials and methods. 502 patients with primary chronic venous disease on 605 legs were examined and treated. Each patient underwent preoperative ultrasonographic triplex scanning of the lower limb venous system.Results. Varicose dilatation of the vein of Giacomini was observed in 3.8% of patients (95% CI 2.4-5.6 %), and the pathology of the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein was detected in 1.7% of patients (95% CI 0.8-3.0%). When the arch of the small saphenous vein was present the following variations in the pathology of the vein of Giacomini were observed: 1) the spread of reflux from the great saphenous vein to the vein of Giacomini; 2) reflux from the terminal valve of the small saphenous vein intensified the antegrade flow of blood within the vein of Giacomini resulting in reflux in the great saphenous vein distal to the point where the vein of Giacomini drained into the great saphenous vein. The causes of failure of the valves in the trunk of the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein included: 1) reflux from the ostium of the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein; 2) perforating vein reflux; 3) reflux from the terminal valve of the small saphenous vein.Conclusions.  The pathology of the vein of Giacomini and the cranial extension of the small saphenous vein is not homogeneous; therefore, surgical tactics in every patient has to be hemodynamically justified and differentiated depending on the pathways of pathological reflux spreading.
Creating Places through Architecture: Can environment-behaviour research help?
Authors: Dayaratne Ranjith
Published: September 2016

For quite some time, architects have been struggling to benefit from the vast body of environment-behaviour research to produce meaningful architecture. Written examples of such efforts are few and far between. In this context, this paper presents an attempt by a student of architecture to employ environment-behaviour research in the design of an elder’s home and discusses the potentials and problems of the approach. It shows that if theory of architecture, design practices and environment-behaviour research could be re-orientate towards and employ the idea of place as a bridging concept,it will facilitate such a link between the environment-behaviour research and design.2398-4295 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning ; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Architectural design; place; environment-behaviour research; design studio
The Relationship of Physical Activity and Human Comfort in Urban Park
Authors: Nasir Rabiatul Adawiyah , Sh Ahmad Sabarinah , Zain Ahmed Azni
Published: September 2016

Urban parks offer the ideal locations and opportunities for activities to improve human psychological wellbeing. This study investigates the people’s perception of their physical activities at the Shah Alam Lake Garden, Malaysia. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed about their perception on their activities and their sensation of the hot and humid microclimatic conditions. The paper explores the psychological and physical mechanisms involved in outdoor activity and weather assessment.2398-4295 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Physical activity; outdoor thermal comfort; urban park; hot and humid
Conscientiousness and Collectivism as the Predictors of Shame and Guilt Proneness
Authors: Abraham Juneman , Pane Murty Magda
Published: September 2016

This research investigated the relation between conscientiousness, collectivism, and corrupt tendency–which is represented by moral emotions (shame and guilt proneness). The study was conducted on 117 students (76 male, 41 female; Mage = 18.93 years old; SDage = 1.67 years old) in Jakarta. The result shows that (1) Collectivism and conscientiousness positively predict guilt proneness, and (2) Collectivism and conscientiousness can not predict shame proneness.2398-4279 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Corruptive tendencies; moral emotion; psychology of corruption; integrity
Vertical Greening Wall as Sustainable Approach
Authors: Othman Ahmad Ridzwan , Sahidin Norshamira
Published: September 2016

To overcome the excessive heat in tropical climate countries during the day, the types of skin or façade play a vital role in regulating the temperature and the amount of heat transmission in a building. This research was carried out to evaluate the percentage of temperature reduction of two building samples, one with “vertical greening” and one without. The result proved that the temperature reduction of the building with the green façade system is higher than the building without the green façade system. Therefore, it justifies that Vertical Greening Wall does act as an acceptable passive approach for sustainable design.2398-4279 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Vertical greening; passive approach; facade; sustainable design
Corporate Social Responsibility-A Perspective of Larsen and Toubro Group
Authors: Tyagi Honey , Tyagi Vikalp
Published: September 2016

Indian business, which is today viewed globally as a responsible component of the ascendancy of India Businesses are an integral part of society, and have a critical and active role to play in the sustenance and improvement of healthy ecosystems, in fostering social inclusiveness and equity, and in upholding the essentials of ethical practices and good governance. The study aims at analyzing the existing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) level, Corporate Reputation & Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in Larsen & Toubro Limited and to measure its effectiveness in Corporate Reputation (CR), Employer Attractiveness and Organization Citizenship Behavior (OCB)/Employee Engagement. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS to test the relationship between Employer attraction, Corporate reputation and Organizational Citizenship behavior. The findings suggest that there is a positive relations between CSR as Corporate Reputation, Employer Attractiveness and Organization Citizenship Behavior (OCB).
A Study on Career Shift of Women from Hotels to Other Fields
Authors: Karmarkar Anuradha
Published: September 2016

Women employees in hotels play a major role in rendering services which possibly may be done only by them. These includes specialized services in housekeeping, front office, guest service, sales and marketing department etc. It has been observed that very few women employees are take up jobs in departments as kitchen and F & B as compared to the departments mentioned above as GRE, Front Office etc. None of the hotels can have the workforce comprising of only of male employees and female employees have to be an integral part of this workforce. But a trend has been observed of the career shift of female employees from the service sector. The paper therefore focuses on this aspect of career shift of women employees and thereon finding the reasons for these employees to leave the industry thereon. Apart from this, the paper also tries to identify various other factors associated with the career shift as the tenure spend by the women employees in hotels. The growth pattern of the women employees, and the reasons highlighting their shift from the hotel Industry. The Primary data was collected through a questionnaire focusing on the population of women employees in hotel who have shifted from the hotel industry either to retail, academics or are homemakers. The secondary data however was collected from books, research articles and journals. The paper tries to identify the reason/s for women to shift from hotel to other fields.
A Study on Hotel Front Office Practices and Its Impact on Guest Satisfaction with Reference to the Vivanta by Taj Blue Diamond, Pune
Authors: Gumaste Rasika , Bhagwat Ritu , Thakkar Puneet
Published: September 2016

The case study of Vivanta by Taj Blue Diamond, Pune focuses on finding the innovative practices of the Front Office Department and measuring their impact on guest satisfaction. Based on the findings it was observed that there was a positive impact of innovative practices, service quality, courtesy, competency and responsiveness (CCR) of staff on guest satisfaction level in the hotel.
Impact of Available Resources for Hospitality Research on the Motivational Levels of Faculty to Pursue Research
Authors: Jadhav Sonali , Singh Bindu
Published: September 2016

Research in hospitality is in its nascent stage. A post-graduation degree in this field was started only a few years ago and currently very few hospitality professionals are involved in hospitality research. While a lot of research has been carried out in the food production area, mostly in convenience foods and molecular gastronomy, hospitality research in other areas is restricted to research carried out by the hospitality academicians. However research is now gaining ground, and Academic Institutions are encouraging their faculty to undertake research in hospitality. The objective of this research paper was to find out what are the factors that will motivate the faculty to undertake research. The findings show that the researchers are motivated to conduct research when resources are made available to them. Academic libraries that use the latest technology for provision of information through various services is the need of the hour. The electronic resources available play a prominent role in motivating faculty to conduct research. Apart from the resources required, research oriented culture is a major motivating factor to pursue research.
Perception of Service Quality in Hotel Industry: A Case of Five Star Hotels of Jaipur City
Authors: Mehta Anil , Sharma Smita
Published: September 2016

Service quality is increasingly being emphasized by industries today as it not only offers a competitive advantage but also ensures a sustainable advantage for them. The present study uses the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality in the various 5 star hotels of Jaipur city and tries to identify the various dimensions which contribute to customer satisfaction. The results reveal that the correlation of tangibility and reliability was low (.110) and between responsiveness and empathy was also less (.059). The results show a positive statistical significance between customer satisfaction and the dimensions of assurance and responsiveness while there was found to be less correlation between customer satisfaction and the dimensions of tangibility and empathy. The standard deviation also ranges between 0.189 to 0.458. The results reveal that the relative relationship between the various dimensions and customer satisfaction vary and that the total service quality also varies from service to service. Hence the specific impact of each quality element should be taken into account before designing the services processes.
A Study on the Benefits of Convenience Foods to Non-Working Women
Authors: Srinivasan Sunder , Shende Kiran Murlidhar
Published: September 2016

The last decade and half has seen a remarkable growth in the manufacture of convenience food industry in India and the non-working women are not left far behind in selecting such products for their family. She always ponders about the right kind of preparations that she needs to make for her family be it any time or any meal of the day. In this process she has to keep take the choices of her family members into account and try to strike a right equilibrium in her food preparation. This study aims at finding out about the use of convenience food by non-working women and of their need to choose, the type of convenience food they generally prefer and what benefits they see by using such a convenient products in their home. The primary data for this study has been collected through questionnaire from non-working women from different areas in Pune city and the same has been presented in graphical form for clear understanding while the secondary data has been collected through literature review of various research papers, articles and books. The non-working women are the forerunners to try out these convenience foods in their kitchens. This study has its focus to understand the benefits these working women would obtain through utilization of convenience foods.
Srilanka a Favorite Tourist Destination Issues and Challenges Faced by the Srilankan Tourism Industry
Authors: Ramgade Atul , Walvekar Shubhagi
Published: September 2016

Sri Lanka in recent past have emerged as a very fast growing tourist destination there are many reasons for this but the main reason being that, the tourist visiting Srilanka are motivated by the perception of beautiful virgin scenery, opportunities for sightseeing, and relaxed place of life. It is necessary therefore to take account of the global trends in tourism, which may have impact on the overall tourism in Srilanka. The aim of this study is to examine the issues relevant to the development of tourism industry in Srilanka and the challenges that are faced by the Srilankan tourism industry.
Women Entrepreneurs and Determinants of their Growth: An Empirical Study
Authors: Chaudhary Richa
Published: September 2016

Women entrepreneurship has been recognized as an important source of economic growth. However, they still represent a minority of all entrepreneurs. Looking into the reason of the minority representation, this study aims at determining the factors affecting the growth of Women Entrepreneurs. The study is descriptive in nature, factor analysis was used to find out various determinants influencing the success of Women Entrepreneurs in MSEs of Dharavi, Mumbai and results of the factor analysis were put through the Cronbachs Alpha reliability test. The analysis indicates that economic factor is the principal factors affecting the growth of women entrepreneurs, other factors which play important role in the success of women entrepreneurs are social and personal factors, followed by legal and administrative factors. The findings of the study will give right direction to Government and other Institutional networks and support agencies to design effective programmes and policies to help these women entrepreneurs flourish in future.
An Empirical Test of Cross-Market Efficieny of Indian Index Options Market Using Put-Call Parity Condition
Authors: Mohanti Debaditya , Priyan P. K.
Published: September 2016

The purpose of the present study is to examine the cross market efficiency of the Indian index options, futures and cash market by testing S&P CNX Nifty index options, by Put-Call Parity condition using spot index values and futures prices. Over a period from April 01, 2008 to March 31, 2012, the daily closing prices of nifty index options contracts, spot values and futures contracts have been used in this research. The results of the sensitivity analysis of violations with respect to time to maturity and moneyness demonstrates that the majority of violations in options contract are exploitable, however, the proportion of exploitable violations severely falls after considering the transaction cost, as most of the profits were wiped out and showing negative profits. Thus, although the Indian index options market shows traces of inefficiency, in totality it is suggested that the Indian index options market is efficient as majority of violations are un-exploitable after incorporating transaction cost.
Measuring Investment Importance Perception in Equity Shares: A Scale for Individual Investors
Authors: Krishnan M. Rakesh , Ganesh C.
Published: September 2016

This study focused on developing a scale for measuring Investment Importance Perception in Equity shares (IIPe) of individual investors. Item generation (from equity share investors) and content validity was performed (with expert panel) to gather the initial pool of items for the scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used for item reduction and for establishing the dimensions of IIPe. Further, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used test the measurement validity. Parameters were estimated with maximum likelihood (ML) through the use of AMOS (version 16). The assumptions for multivariate normality were checked by looking into the skewness and kurtosis value of the individual items of the scale. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test guided evaluation of model fit along with established fit indices such as goodness of fit index (GFI), comparative fit index (CFI), incremental fit index (IFI), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC).
Retail Store Service Quality: Insights from Indian Retail
Authors: Duggal Ekta
Published: September 2016

Services have surpassed other sectors in terms of contributing to the economic growth and enhancing consumers lifestyle. Retail in particular is touching new horizons by being organised and modernized. Retail structure has undergone tremendous transformation. Retail has found a prominent place in consumers life by providing them with enriched experiences. However, the inviting retail sector is not left untouched by the powerful environmental forces. As the modern retail opens up possibilities of profit and expansion, it also carries with it the risks associated with management of complex retail operations and the ever-changing customer needs and demands. Researchers and practitioners have identified service quality as a key to gain competitive superiority and sustain effectively in the marketplace. In this background, the present paper seeks to explore the service quality perceptions across demographics in order to understand the differences among the customer segments and thereby uncover crucial service quality parameters for the retailers to empahsise upon.
Framework of Training for Lean Service
Authors: Haque Shamima , Chaudhuri Sandeep Ray
Published: September 2016

The direct applicability of human resource activities in Lean service, hitherto, a relatively unexplored field have been focused in this paper. The seven major lean principles have the potential of being applied for significant improvement in organizational performance and creation of congenial environment in the organization. Out of the seven principles, elimination of waste, thereby creating value-added service is one of the major strategic imperatives in the present scenario. Training, one of the constructive subsystems of the HRD system, has the potential of playing an important role in realizing this objective. Lean training, typically characterized as mutual training with a holistic developmental perspective encompassing both trainers and trainees, is different from traditional training approaches. An attempt is made to identify the quintessential features of training initiatives for different levels of employees and propose some guidelines which may be advantageously referred to by senior management to design tailor-made lean thinking module.
Prayatna: A Student Led Initiative to Empower Underpriviledged Children through Education
Authors: Ramchandani Raji Ajwani , Sharma Ashima , Anekar Nachiket , Mishra Vikash Kumar
Published: September 2016

A robust education system is the cornerstone for building a strong nation. Government of India led initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, Right to Education Act are some efforts made to provide universal education to children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. However these efforts appear to have received a mixed response. Quality education still remains an elusive goal. A recent study (ASER, 2015) states that in rural India, half of the children enrolled in Grade V cannot read matter pertaining to Grade 2. Reading ability even among children enrolled in private schools in rural India is poor. Close to half of all the children lack basic skills in Math and English. Amenities such as usable toilets, availability of drinking water are lacking in rural Indian schools. The situation in the urban slums pertaining to education, is a relatively unresearched area and hence not much data is available regarding the quality and the impact. Against this backdrop, the paper describes the case of Prayatna which is a student led initiative to provide quality education to poor children living in the slum areas of Hinjewadi, Pune (Maharashtra). Since its inception in 2008, this NGO has helped 30 children. The dilemma for the NGO is to generate sustainable funding sources and motivate the beneficiaries, parents and volunteers which are accompanied by the challenges of managing varied aspirations.
Work Deviant Behavior-Employee Engagement: An Empirical Investigation of the Role of Ethical Leadership of Indian Middle Level Managers
Authors: Srivastava Shalini
Published: September 2016

The paper intends to study the relationship between work deviant behavior and employee engagement as well as the moderating role of Ethical leadership on the relationship in non-western world. 200 middle level managers were surveyed to study work deviant-employee engagement relationship and the moderating role of ethical leadership on the stated relationship. The study found that both the variables i.e., work deviant behavior and ethical leadership was significantly related to employee engagement and ethical leadership moderated positively and significantly work deviant-employee engagement relationship. The present study constituted a relatively small number of regions belonging only to Delhi-NCR region. The study is novel of its kind in the sense little work has been done on these dimensions in Indian context.
Revitalizing the Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility with Traditional Indian Wisdom
Authors: Rao Karanam Nagaraja , Nair Aswathi
Published: September 2016

Corporations are legal entities operating within the boundaries of society. They have social responsibility both for business and moral reasons. The responsibility encompasses economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic aspects and in the context of deterritorialised global business environment, the responsibility assumes wider ramifications especially in the context of diminishing role of governments and ascending role of corporations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now an offshoot of the realization that corporation is answerable for the consequences of its operations. Ethical way of doing business for social and economic sustainability is inherent in the thinking of seers of ancient India who proclaimed for universal peace and happiness. The essence of CSR can be traced to Rig Veda which pronounced that a person who enjoys himself being totally oblivious of society is taken over by sin. The sense of charity, sacrifice, dharmic way of doing business and the ideas of live and let live permeate throughout the literature of ancient India. The search for spiritual routes strengthens the convictions towards CSR and for preserving the planet for future generations. An attempt is made in this article to discuss the nature of CSR in the global perspective and try to search for the roots in the cultural milieu of ancient India and trying to integrate the ancient Indian spiritual thoughts for the modern arguments favoring corporate responsibility. The intention here is to strengthen the theoretical thought structure with spiritual inputs for better appreciation and promotion of CSR. The aim of the article is to get insights in to ancient wisdom for connecting spiritual linkage to the theoretical edifice of the CSR and hence the methodology is exploratory in nature aiming to understand the concepts in a better way.
Voluntary Human Resource Disclosure Practices of Selected Listed Indian IT Firms
Authors: Puri Veerma , Sharma B.C. , Kumar Manoj
Published: September 2016

During the previous two decades Indian economy has shown a tremendous improvement due to emergence of various knowledge based industries. In such industries, firms recognize people as a key resource to gain competitive edge over their peers. Many firms, especially in Information Technology (IT) sector, view their employees or human capital or human resource (HR) as their most valuable assets and invest heavily on them. Many Indian IT firms voluntarily disclose much more information about their human resources than is mandatorily required by the Indian regulations so as to reduce information asymmetry between the insiders and the outsiders regarding their human resources (Jindal & Kumar, 2012). This study measures the extent of voluntary HR disclosures done by selected listed Indian IT firms in two stages. In the first stage, a 33 items voluntary HR disclosure index was developed based on a detailed review of voluntary disclosure indices used in the existing studies of HR disclosures of firms (Jindal & Kumar, 2012, Murthy & Abeysekera, 2007, Abhayawansa & Abeysekera, 2008) and also based on best practices followed by a few Indian IT firms (Infosys, Wipro etc.). In the second stage, a detailed content analysis of annual reports of twenty firms which were part of CNX IT Index as on Jan 8, 2014 was performed using a CAQDAS software to check the variability/presence or absence of all the Voluntary HR Disclosure Index code items. The results of this study shows that Indian listed IT firms (a) provide loads of information about several aspects of Training and Development programmes for Existing/New Employees (b) provide little information on such crucial matters such as Human Resource Valuation, Compliance with Employment and Labour laws, Geographical distribution of employees, Information regarding Employee Commute, Travel, Medical insurance/reimbursement and Termination Benefits.
Comparison of Logistic Regression and Artificial Neural Network based Bankruptcy Prediction Models
Authors: Iyer Easwaran , Murti Vinod Kumar
Published: September 2016

Logistic Regression is one of the popular techniques used for bankruptcy prediction and its popularity is attributed due to its robust nature in terms of data characteristics. Recent developments have explored Artificial Neural Networks for bankruptcy prediction. In this study, a paired sample of 174 cases of Indian listed manufacturing companies have been used for building bankruptcy prediction models based on Logistic Regression and Artificial Neural Networks. The time period of study was year 2000 through year 2009. The classification accuracies have been compared for built models and for hold-out sample of 44 paired cases. In analysis and hold-out samples, both the models have shown appreciable classification results, three years prior to bankruptcy. Thus, both the models can be used (by banks, SEBI etc.) for bankruptcy prediction in Indian Context, however, Artificial Neural Network has shown marginal supremacy over Logistic Regression.
Sentiment Analysis of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Authors: Raj Sahil , Kajla Tanveer
Published: September 2016

The present paper is about the social media analytics. It is a new tool to analyze the behavior of the users who use social networking sites and other social sites like blogs, forums etc. Every organization uses this tool to analyze their customers. Even the government agencies are using these analytical tools to get the feedback of their newly launched missions and their policies. In this paper the sentiment analysis of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is done with the help of tweets extracted from twitter. Tweets regarding Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are extracted with the help of an open source software R-studio. The geo-locations of tweets are also extracted in the software and the results are plotted on the map of India. The pattern of tweets are analyzed and the popularity of the mission is evaluated. The word cloud of the popular and the most used words is also formed in the R-studio software. With the overall analysis, the popularity of the mission is perceived according to the regions on the map of India, and the strategies can be applied to popularize the campaign in the lesser known regions of India.
A Multiple Attribute Group Decision-making Model for Selecting the Best Supplier
Authors: Azadfallah Mohammad
Published: September 2016

In the current literature, supplier selection is an important Multi Attribute Group Decision Making (MAGDM) problem which heavily contributes to the overall supply chain performance. Several solutions for the above problem are proposed. In this paper, TOPSIS and Bordas function approach, which is one of these methods, is discussed. So that, in the present model, first TOPSIS is used to find the individual preference ordering. Then, Bordas function is used to find the collective preference orderings. Finally, a simple example is provided in order to demonstrate its applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Claim Analytics across Multiple Insurance Lines of Business
Authors: Vemuri Ravi Chandra , Nookala Balaeswar , Chandrasekaran Ramakrishnan , Kharkar Madhavi , Rao Sarita
Published: September 2016

Claim loss payouts attribute most significantly to the overall costs of any insurance company and subsequently have a greater impact on its profits. Settling claims early, detecting fraudulent claims, increasing customer satisfaction and customer retention through recurring business have become increasingly important. The key to gain competitive edge is the ability to quickly and efficiently explore and understand data, settle claims and enhance customer experience. Claims processing, for any line of business in insurance (i.e. auto, life or health) is time consuming and labor-intensive involving multiple systems and several business units. To address the above challenges and support the claim handlers decision, information that is available during the first notification of loss (FNOL) is used to predict claim severity using predictive analytics. A claim that is straight forward with reliable evidences can be considered as a simple claim which can be settled quickly and dealt by a junior adjustor. While a claim which involves accident, death or a police case can be considered as complex and needs a team of senior adjustors or lawyers to get involved. Using the prediction model, the claims department can classify the claims based on its severity and assign it to the respective team thus improving its operations. Additionally the research also involves analysis of similarities and differences between the key attributes across three lines of business in insurance (auto, life and health) that impact the claims severity. By further studying the claim trends across these lines of business for a particular geography or demography, business can further refine the risks considered during underwriting or can design new products with add-ons which will be beneficial to the customers and contribute to increased business.
State and Social Responsibility of the Corporate: Analysis of the Role of State in India
Authors: Sharma Seema , Mann Deepa
Published: September 2016

The present article aims to underscore the role of state in developing the context within which corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged in India. The paper traces the trajectory of the Indian economy through the five year plans which were considered to be its backbone and which have now been jettisoned. In addition, it takes a critical look at the public rhetoric of the political class to justify CSR in India. The analysis shows that Indian state since Independence has been dominated by the bourgeoisie class and hence even while focusing on planned development, it continued to create pockets of want in the social sector which have eventually been used to provide justification for the mandated CSR in India. The state had neglected the social sector throughout the plan periods. With the onset of privatization, liberalization, and globalization under the structural adjustment in India, the involvement of state in social sector was likely to reduce further. The state therefore pushed for mandatory CSR to fill the likely gap and the political class of the country provided necessary rhetorical justification for the same.
Empirical Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility Influencing Not for Profit Organisation: A Case Study of Manipur, India
Authors: Singh N. Tejmani , Singh Chinglen Pukhrabam
Published: September 2016

In the fast changing business scenario, business ethics and value based education form the foundation of a civilized society. This will find a focus in Training Programme under topics Corporate Social Responsibility in the light of The Companies Act 2013. They need to recognize the need to create organizations where ethical decisions are not undermined but are encouraged and promoted. They turned vibrant and actively functional as local governance modules. To realize the Government of Indias mission and Modis mantra of development Make in India, corporate sectors should spend Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) money which is 2% of net profit currently on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. State Government should facilitate field visits by Embassy officials of those countries who issued travel advisories to their nationals against visiting states in the northeast region of India. In response to the demands of this new social system, NGOs begin to wonder what a responsible organization is like, as an exercise of assumption of its responsibilities. For the third sector, the starting point of social responsibility is the coherence between the values and the social proposal being done from their action fields: cooperation for development, social, human aid or environment.
An Empirical Study of the Financial Mismanagement of Internally Generated Revenue in Ife South Local Government of Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: Ajayi Adeola
Published: September 2016

This study focused on financial mismanagement of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Ife South Local Government. It also identified viable sources of revenue in the local government and examined problems militating against effective collection of revenue. This study was necessitated by the need to ensure increased revenue generation in Ife South local government of Osun State, Nigeria. Primary and secondary sources of data were utilized for the study. The primary data were collected through structured questionnaires. Respondents were selected from career officers in GL. 03-16 in departments and units of finance and supplies, administration, primary healthcare, agriculture, town planning and estate valuation of the local government, thus 180 respondents were sampled representing 29.31% of 614 staff strength of these departments and units of the local government. The questionnaires were administered using descriptive statistical analysis such as frequency and percentage value. The study revealed that there are many viable and non-viable sources of revenue in Ife South local government, the myriad of problems militating against effective collection of the revenue and the poor financial management of internally generated revenue which aptly explains why the local government could not be developed. The study concluded that the share of local government from the statutory allocation be increased, routine auditing and post-auditing from the supervising ministry should be encouraged at the local government level and that the local government should also intensify her effort on increase revenue generation in order to withstand the challenges posed by the current global economic crisis.
Corporate Governance Reporting in Bangladesh: A Study of Selected Listed Private Commercial Banks of Bangladesh
Authors: Dey Suman
Published: September 2016

Corporate Governance (CG) largely determines how well the interests of the stakeholders are being maintained. This study has been opted for in-depth inquiry into the corporate governance disclosure practices in the annual reports of the selected listed banking companies in Bangladesh. The study finds that all the sample companies disclose corporate governance information as per regulatory requirements laid down in Clause 1.5 of the SEC Notification, 2012. The focus of this study was to empirically examine the mandatory corporate governance disclosure and the relationship between various corporate attributes and with the level of that mandatory disclosure of the banking companies of Bangladesh. The study revealed that Bangladeshi banking companies have high level of compliance to the mandatory corporate governance disclosure and the variables of board size, ownership, board composition, and profitability have significant impact in the corporate governance disclosure. However, the inclusion of the separate section of Corporate Governance Reporting in the annual reports and suggested guidelines for mandatory list of items to be included in the report is a milestone for Bangladesh. For the purpose, the study has developed a questionnaire based on recent literature survey and have gathered the opinions of the executives of three sample banks under the framework of likerts 5 point scale. The gathered primary data have been properly analysis by a number of descriptive statistics, such as, Mean, Standard Deviation, ANOVA and Post hoc multiple comparison tests.
Assessment of Demographic Differences Regarding Customer Value in Life Insurance Corporation
Authors: Sharma Amit , Sharma Bodh Raj
Published: September 2016

Aim of this paper is to assess the empirically demographic differences among the customers regarding customer value in Life Insurance Corporation. It is a fact that life insurance players in J&K have realized that their business advantage depends on customer value. The study is based upon the primary data obtained from customers of LIC belonging to various districts of J&K through quota sampling. A questionnaire was framed containing items of demographics and statements measuring customer value based upon seven point Likert scale. The findings indicate that the demographic variables viz., age, qualification, occupation wise, there is no significant difference regarding customer value in the perception of customers of LIC. However, district wise respondents do differ in their opinion regarding customer value in Life Insurance Corporation.
Mutual Funds in India: A Study on Select Equity-Oriented Hybrid Funds
Authors: Ghosh Atanu
Published: September 2016

The conventional method of pooling savings by banks for financing industries is changing with time. Investors are resorting to equity-oriented instruments during the last few years. Maximization of Return on Investment (ROI) with risk minimization is an important objective of investors. For a retail investor, it may not always be possible to have adequate skill, knowledge, time, and inclination to keep track of events in capital markets. In such cases, mutual funds are there to cater to the needs of different types of investors. Mutual funds offer variety of flavors balancing the two important factors of risk and return. A need was felt to test the above and consequently this paper analyses the performance of few funds from the perspective of risk and return.
Empirical Study on Price-Risk Perception of Investors in Stock Market
Authors: Chowdhury Sanjeev , Tiwari Nitin
Published: September 2016

In the most basic sense, risk is defined as the chance of financial loss. More formally, risk may be defined as the variability of returns associated with a given asset. Investors in commodity markets use various means to minimize the risk. Hedging is one way of minimizing the risk, at the same time it can also help in locking the profits. The purpose of the present study is to examine if there exists a correlation between the type of securities and the risk associated with it. The study aims to be useful for analyzing the most preferred means of securities buying and uncover investor objective behind purchasing those securities. For the purpose of this study a questionnaire was administered and data were collected from a stock trading house located in Delhi.
Indian Life Insurance Market and Corporate Performances: A Study of Selected Firms
Authors: Chakraborty Joy , Sengupta Partha Pratim
Published: September 2016

In the pre-reform era, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI) dominated the Indian life insurance market with a market share close to 100 percent. But the situation drastically changed since the enactment of the IRDA Act in 1999. At the end of the FY 2012-13, the market share of LICI stood at around 73 percent with the number of players having risen to 24 in the countrys life insurance sector. One of the reasons for such a decline in the market share of LICI during the post-reform period could be attributed to the increasing competition prevailing in the countrys life insurance sector. At the same time, the liberalization of the life insurance sector for private participation has eventually raised issues about ensuring sound financial performance and solvency of the life insurance companies besides protection of the interest of policyholders. The present study is an attempt to evaluate and compare the financial performances, solvency, and the market concentration of the four leading life insurers in India namely the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited (ICICI PruLife), HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Standard), and SBI Life Insurance Company Limited (SBI Life), over a span of five successive FYs 2008-09 to 2012-13. In this regard, the CARAMELS model has been used to evaluate the performances of the selected life insurers, based on the Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs) as published by IMF. In addition to this, the Solvency and the Market Concentration Analyses were also presented for the selected life insurers for the given period. The present study revealed the preexisting dominance of LICI even after 15 years since the privatization of the countrys life insurance sector.