bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tourists Shopping Behavior and Trip Typology: A Study in an Emerging Destination of India
Authors: Baruah Uttam Kr. , Sarma Mrinmoy K.
Published: September 2016

Research findings consistently indentified the importance of inbound tourists shopping activities as contributor to local economy. This paper analyses the shopping expenditure of domestic tourists in the Northeast India. Previous studies show the associations of tourists trip typologies and demographic profiles, particularly, of the international tourists with shopping expenditures. A study was carried out in 2011 by employing a convenient method of sampling survey in Northeastern region of India comprising seven sister states to examine the association of trip typology, marital status and gender of domestic tourists with expenditure on shopping. The results indicate probable association of shopping expenditure with trip typology and gender while marital status does not seem to influence expenditure on shopping. Among tourists of different typologies, Rural and culture tourists scaled high reflecting maximum expenditure on shopping while Nature and parks tourists as well as Active outdoor tourists incurred least on shopping. Gender-wise segmentation indicates female tourists as high spender than male counterparts. It is advisable to retailers in destination areas to orient their products offerings attractive to the female tourists visiting to enjoy rural & cultural tourists and also those come with family members for leisure purposes.
Computational Approach of Molar Refraction, Molecular Radius and Internal Pressure of a Binary Mixture - Molecular Interaction Studies
Authors: K. Anil Kumar , Ch. Srinivasu , J. Siva Rama Krishna , M.S.N.V. Jitendra
Published: September 2016

Refractive indices and molar volume of binary liquid mixture of 1, 4-dioxane with 1-butanol were measured over the entire composition range at T= (298.15, 303.15, 308.15, 313.15 & 318) K using Anton Paar and Abbemat Refractometer. Basing empirical formulae and the measured data were utilized to evaluate the molar refraction (Rm), molecular radii (r), internal pressure (pi) along with their excess parameters. The computed results of RmE, rE and piE were fitted to the Redlich–Kister polynomial equation and focused on the molecular interactions present in the mixture.
Double Processing Information Extraction for User Queries
Authors: Balaji H. , Govardhan A.
Published: September 2016

Data extraction (IE) is the task of removing sorted out information from unstructured semi composed machine clear reports. In a huge part of cases this development concerns taking care of human vernacular messages by system for trademark tongue planning. Information extraction has not got as much thought as information retrieval (IR) and is routinely baffled with the later. The task of IR is to look over a get-together of artistic reports, a subset which is pertinent to a particular request, considering essential word chase and possibly extended by the use of a thesaurus. The IR gets ready conventionally and gives back a situated once-over of documents, where the rank contrasts with the relevance score that the structure assigned to the chronicle in light of the request. This paper proposes double handling data extraction technique (DPIE), where backward classification is used with normal pre-processing technique. These are data processing and query processing. This system gives better results when contrasted with existing rules.
Performance of Socially Responsible Portfolios Do Economic Conditions Matter?
Authors: Bhandari Varun , Tripathi Vanita
Published: September 2016

In a first of its kind, this paper examines the performance of various socially responsible stocks portfolios as compared to general stocks portfolios and market portfolio using return and various risk-adjusted measures over the period January 1996 - December 2013 and over different business economic conditions. Besides the conventional risk-adjusted measures, we have also used modified Sharpe ratio, double Sharpe ratio, M2 measure, alpha based on three factor Fama-French model and Famas decomposition measure. Further we have checked for the impact of economic conditions (recession or boom) on the alpha and slope coefficients. We have also examined whether single factor CAPM is sufficient to explain cross sectional variations across portfolios or we need a multi-factor model (like Fama-French three factor model). We find that despite having higher risk, socially responsible stocks portfolios generated significantly higher returns and hence outperformed other portfolios on the basis of all risk-adjusted measures as well as net selectivity returns during both recession and boom periods. The results uphold even with the use of Fama-French three factor model for estimating excess returns. The empirical results, besides augmenting the existing literature on performance evaluation, clearly indicate that investors in India have become more socially conscious as the stock market is rewarding socially responsible companies well in terms of higher returns (on risk adjusted basis). The study supports the view that socially responsible investing is boon for investors in India. Therefore, regulators, policy makers and mutual funds should construct and make available various socially responsible investment products to initiate the movement of socially responsible investing in India.
Foreign Portfolio Investments and Return Volatility: An Analysis of the Indian Stock Market
Authors: Wadhwa Ruchika
Published: September 2016

Foreign investments are the investments made by residents of a country in the financial instruments and production process of any other country. Any individual, entity or institution that invests money in the financial markets of other countries is called as Foreign Portfolio Investor. Policymakers of any country are concerned about foreign equity investors because they can withdraw their capital from a country rapidly and hence affect the stability of stock markets in the country. The present paper carries the objective of examining the influence of foreign portfolio investor trading behavior on the stock markets of India. Various models of GARCH have been used to examine the impact and coefficients were found to be significant in all the cases. Hence the paper suggests the government and economists should design and control suitable foreign investments policies for the Indian Stock markets.
Investors Perceptions about Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP): Evidence from Agartala
Authors: Deb Rajat , Paul Abhijit
Published: September 2016

The objectives of the study is to report the motivating factors of respondents for investing in Kisan Vikas Patra (hereafter, KVP), a post office saving scheme and to assess the perceptions about the strategies to make it as an efficient investment instrument. An interview schedule comprising 41 questions with personal interview has been used to collect data from a sample size of 153 respondents chosen using different non-probability sampling techniques. A protocol interview with 10 respondents followed by a pilot survey with 20 respondents is carried out to check the validity of the questions, reliability and sample adequacy test is also performed. Through Factor analysis, five major factors are extracted. Based on such factors, students t-test is carried out. The findings indicate that a number of factors ranging from safety, liquidity, investment and maturity in cash, satisficing return, non-disclosure of sources of income and Permanent Account Number (PAN) motivate for invest in KVP. It documents that a number of issues need to be amended like allowing tax benefits, reduction in maturity tenure, rationalizing KYC norms, increase in the rate of return, provision for e-certificate and e-investment etc. The study also acknowledges its few limitations.
Agricultural Financing: Impediments and Possible Solutions
Authors: Shweta  , Shachi
Published: September 2016

Agriculture, being lifeline of more than 75% population dwelling in rural areas, is generally practised as mixed farming venture including-horticulture, cattle, poultry, piggery rearing etc. and its dependence on weather and financial needs etc. sometimes, come in way of farmers prosperity. In this paper, efforts have been made to review the status of agriculture in India and highlight the contribution of agricultural credit systems with critical analysis of problems faced by farmers. Possible solutions have been thought of to inculcate the prosperity of peasant society endeavoring to the cause of food security and nation building parameters.
Seasonality in Momentum Profits: Evidence from the Indian Stock Market
Authors: Maheshwari Supriya , Dhankar Raj S.
Published: September 2016

The paper investigates Indian momentum profitability along with its performance stability round the year using the stock price data from National Stock Exchange (NSE). Results show evidence in favour of momentum profitability over the sample period from 1997 to 2013. Moreover, the momentum performance is not specific to any particular month suggesting no influence of calendar on momentum anomaly in the Indian stock market, though momentum strategies performed differently in different calendar months, with particularly strong negative returns in the month of May. However, no statistically significant difference was observed among the mean monthly momentum returns across calendar months. Contrary to the US market findings, no January or similar April seasonality is observed in the Indian momentum profits suggesting some unique characteristics of Indian momentum profitability. In nutshell, the results from the study suggest support in favour of practical implementation of momentum strategies throughout the year in the Indian stock market.
Exploring Group Effects on Individual Ethical Judgements and Whistleblowing Decisions of Accountancy Students
Authors: Li Sally M. , Ma Will W. K.
Published: September 2016

Public confidence in the finance industry has been shaken by the numerous accounting scandals and corporate failures in recent years. These events have damaged the high regard and perceived integrity of professional accountants. As university students are prospective business leaders, it is important to develop their ethical reasoning and judgement to uphold the professionalism and justice in society. In this study, we examine the ethical judgement of final year accountancy students using brief vignettes that describe scenarios such as violations of codes of ethics, involvement in fraudulent activities, and earnings management. The various scenarios are commonly encountered by certified public accountants (CPA). In particular, we used a survey questionnaire to obtain 120 final year accountancy students perceived ethical responses to 6 vignettes together with their whistle blowing responses to each vignette, from inaction to internal or external whistle blowing. After they completed their individual answers, the students were requested to form groups of three to four members to provide group responses to the same set of vignettes. The results of this study provide evidence that prospective CPA can be encouraged to think independently, work collaboratively and enhance their ethical sensitivity and judgement through participating in group discussions. The limitations of the study are identified along with suggestions for future studies.
Relative Importance of Push & Pull Factors in Entrepreneurial Selection for Tourismpreneur
Authors: Sharma Kshitiz
Published: September 2016

Entrepreneurship is the key concept for development of any place, and tourism is another area which is related to development. So entrepreneurship in tourism makes a success combination for any place. This paper is an attempt to understand the relative role Push and Pull factors for a Tourismpreneur. Do the enthusiasts in tourism turn entrepreneurs because they are forced to or are they interested themselves for taking a larger role for their life and society? This paper tries to explore the critical effect of these Push and Pull factors.
Business Model Ontology (BMO): An Examination, Analysis, and Evaluation
Authors: Chungyalpa Wangchuk , Bora Bedanta , Borah Samarjeet
Published: September 2016

Defining business model constitutes a major challenge. This is primarily because there are many different aspects to a business, hence when we talk of business models, it means different things to different people. Difference lies in the very concept of what constitutes a business (key aspects) and how such a concept can be represented using a common notation. One solution to the problem is to use ontology to communicate. Ontologies are agreed upon frameworks for representing concepts in any domain area. Hence, ontologies are used to represent knowledge, processes, business motivations, business strategies, enterprise structure, and more including business models. The Business Model Ontology (BMO) is one such ontology. Designed and developed by Alexander Osterwalder, it is aimed specifically at representing, understanding, communicating and analyzing business models. This paper is an evaluation of the Business Model Ontology (BMO). The paper consists of two parts. In the first part the researchers describe the four pillars, the nine elements and their sub-elements comprising the ontology. In the second part the ontology is reviewed and evaluated using nine criteria. The fundamental aim is to examine the ontology capabilities – its strength and weaknesses.
Situating Self-Employed Urban Women Conducting Business through Contemporary Social Media
Authors: Kalyanaraman Shruti
Published: September 2016

Informal economy includes varied set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers. The economy typically consists of enterprises and/or people that are not regulated or protected by the state. The concept originally applied to self-employment in small unregistered enterprises. It has been expanded to include wage employment in unprotected jobs. A home-based self-employed women worker can be involved as a fashion designer, a tiffin service provider, a home tutor, a person working with vendors, selling and reselling apparel, accessories to name a few. Informal self-employment is very large and heterogeneous as a category itself. There are different people working within in an informally self-employed category. The review tries to understand home based business women within the ambit of informal employment. The focus of research turns to technological advancement, social media and its impact on womens economic and business efforts. The review, using a feminist lens, understands academic researches on womens economic efforts. The reviews focus will largely be owners and own account (individually run enterprises) women workers of informal enterprises in urban areas which for ease of reference, I have termed as home-based self-employed urban woman.
Fully Homomorphic Encryption with Matrix based Public Key Crypto Systems
Authors: Krishna Addepalli VN , Narayana Addepalli Hari , Vani Kokk Madhura
Published: September 2016

In this work, a novel mechanism is considered for asymmetric mode of encrypting data. A generator matrix is used to generate a field with a large prime number. The generator matrix, prime number and quaternary vector are used as global variables. Those global variables are used to calculate public key and also sub keys which in turn are used in the ElGamal mode of encryption. The decryption of data is done with Private Key. The proposed algorithm supports the features like authenticity of users, security & confidentiality of data transmitted. The mechanism can well be used in homomorphic encryption where computations are carried out on cipher text and generate an encrypted result which, when decrypted, matches the result of operations performed on the plaintext. Going by the construction of the algorithm, encryption is being done on blocks of data for which it consumes less computing resources. Going by complexity of the algorithm, the key length needed is much less to provide sufficient strength against crypto analysis.
Structural Empowerment as Antecedent of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour: An Empirical Analysis of Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives
Authors: Narzary Genuine
Published: September 2016

The present study aims at investigating effect of structural empowerment on organizational citizenship behavior of auxiliary nurse and midwives. The study was conducted using standardized questionnaires. Responses were gathered from 178 auxiliary nurse and midwives working in primary healthcare centres in Chirang and Kokrajhar districts of Assam. The relationship between structural empowerment and organizational citizenship behavior was assessed using structural equation modeling. The proposed research model was able to explain11. 9% of variation in organizational citizenship behavior. The result is important to understand the role of structural empowerment in predicting organizational citizenship behavior of auxiliary nurse and midwives. This is very essential as higher degree of organizational citizenship behavior leads to improved attraction and retention of auxiliary nurse and midwives, which may ultimately serve to improve patient outcomes.
Contextualising Highly Skilled South Asian Migrant Woman as A Worker: Exploring Her Work Experiences in Traditional Migration Countries
Authors: Kalyanaraman Shruti
Published: September 2016

This review addresses the career trajectory of highly skilled Asian migrant women. Previous studies have highlighted a plethora of experience of these women across work, family and immediate environment. This review offers a feminist perspective on this category of women as a productive part of labour force in the host country and to bring popular research pieces of the last decade under one roof is the objective of this review. The countries in focus are traditionally immigrant friendly nations such as USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Experiences at each level of work life are traced: right from job search to on- the-job experiences. Coping mechanisms of situations are detailed with possible influence in the identity of the worker. The review concludes with instances of highlight for this category of women in the state policy framework.
Unit-Wise Ranking of Inventory Control Techniques Used in Small Scale Cement Enterprises: A Small Scale Entrepreneurial Perspective
Authors: Chalotra Vipul
Published: September 2016

The present research divulges the different inventory control techniques used small scale cements enterprises operated by small scale entrepreneurs through the assistance of primary data collected from eight small scale cement enterprises operating in SIDCO & SICOP, under DIC (District Industries Center) in District Udhampur of Jammu & Kashmir State. The various inventory control techniques identified and quested for in the research were: Always Better Control (ABC), Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), Material Requirement Planning (MRP), and Just-in-Time (JIT). The results of the ranking table quoted that Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) was awarded first rank by almost all the units representing overall mean score of 1.71, Always Better Control (ABC) was denoted by rank two repressing overall mean value as 2.00, Material Requirement Planning (MRP) was quoted rank three as depicted by its mean ranking (2.25), and Just-in-time (JIT) was accorded rank four (3.71) by almost all the small scale cements entrepreneurs/owners.
Industrial Hygiene: A Study in Coir Spinning Units in Tamil Nadu
Authors: Saranya S. Gnana
Published: September 2016

Coir yarn spinning as a micro entrepreneurial venture is promoted extensively in rural areas particularly in regions where coconut as a crop is prominent, with the twin objectives of employment generation particularly among women and meeting the global demand for coir and coir related products. Of late, both the State and Central governments have launched several schemes and programmes for extending liberal supports for the promotion of coir based entrepreneurial activities. The study conducted among a few coir yarn spinning units in the sample geographical area in Tamil Nadu discloses the state-of-affair on the health and safety hazards in coir yarn spinning units. Coir yarn spinning entrepreneurs have taken up adequate precautionary measures against safety hazards in the workplace while the measures relating to caring the health and hygiene of the workers employed in the production process are inadequate. The workers are reported to be affected by ailments such as headache, back pain, respiratory problems, skin diseases, and ailments in eyes more frequently. These call for very immediate appropriate solutions. The feasibility of extending the welfare measures as applicable to workers in the formal/organized sectors may be gauged and worked out without hampering the initiatives of the coir yarn entrepreneurs at the grass roots.
Effects of Distribution Strategy on MSP Intermediary Organisations Performance in Nairobi County, Kenya
Authors: Karanja Stanley Chege , A. Muathe S. M. , Kuria Thuo J.
Published: September 2016

This study sought to determine the effect of the Distribution Strategy on the performance of MSP intermediary organizations. It is imperative to note that there has been a high recognition of the role played by the telecommunication sector towards Kenyas economic growth and has multiplier effects on other aspects. This has underscored its importance in the countrys development agenda. However, it still remains validly appreciated that there exist intermediary organizations in the same fast-growing telecommunication sector whose contribution in this acclaimed progress is little appreciated. Thus, the MSP intermediary organizations must implement the appropriate distribution strategies that will enable them deliver their own objectives and those of their parent organizations. The study employed a descripto-explanatory cross-sectional survey research design and collected primary data from 219 respondents from a target population of 397. This study established that choice of distribution strategy contributed significantly to the MSP Intermediary organizations performance. The study recommends that the sales manager need to lobby its management to invest in more people and an ICT system that will enable tracing, tracking and trending of performance of each salesperson and route to ensure adequate coverage of the territory. In addition, sales managers need to lobby the management to approve a performance compensation plan and bonus/incentive scheme that will motivate the salesperson to ensure efficient routing of the customers thus improved performance of the MSP intermediary organization.
Supply Chain of Fruits & Vegetables Agribusiness in Uttarakhand (India): Major Issues and Challenges
Authors: Negi Saurav , Anand Neeraj
Published: September 2016

Fruits & vegetables (F&V) crops being high value crops are important in raising the incomes of the farmers besides creating employment opportunities. Fruits and vegetables sector in India has gained its credibility for providing sustainable income, nutritional security and for providing employment opportunities, both in rural and urban areas. India is the second largest food producer in the world, after china and one of the centers of origin of fruits and vegetables with the total production. Various high temperate fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, pears, peaches, litchis, plums, tomato, green leafy vegetables etc. are widely grown in Himalayas and tarai region of Uttarakhand and are important to the large food processing industry. Fruits and vegetables is one of the most significant and thrust sector of the economy of Uttarakhand state. The entire supply chain of fruits and vegetables in Uttarakhand is laden with the various issues which resulting to poor price realization of growers on one hand and exorbitant prices paid by consumers on the other. Highly inefficient supply chain and cold chain infrastructure is the major impediment in the path of speedy growth of F&V production sector in Uttarakhand. The present study undertakes a thorough review of basic and contemporary literature available and discussed the issues and challenges related to supply chain of fruits and vegetables sector in state of Uttarakhand, India and suggested the corresponding mitigation strategies. As Uttarakhand economy is based on agriculture, there is a need to develop efficient supply chain which may play an important role in increasing the shelf life of the F&V and in turn reduce the losses and wastage in fruits and vegetables, increase in farmer income, generate employments opportunities for the local peoples, and improve the livelihood of the farmers which leads to the development of Uttarakhand and Indian economy as a whole.
Methodology for Evaluating Service Quality of Public Transport: Case of Delhi, India
Authors: Agrawal Vivek , Tripathi Vikas , Agrawal Anand Mohan
Published: September 2016

The harmful effects of air pollution, noise pollution, traffic congestion, and energy consumption can be minimized by more and more use of public transport system. But the service quality is an obstruction in use of public transport. Managing the service quality is crucial and more important factor for increasing the use of public transport. In this paper researchers used SERVQUAL for measuring service quality of one of the modes of public transport. Service quality is an amalgamation of a variety of criteria, among them some vague criteria are difficult to measure. This attribute introduces the problem for respondent to response to the survey. To conquer this issue, the researchers used Fuzzy TOPSIS for assess the service quality of public transport system. To measure the service quality, the researchers firstly developed a questionnaire based on SERVQUAL for collected the data. The respondents provided the linguistic assessment for rating the criteria of service quality and the various alternatives available. Then linguistic assessments are combined by Fuzzy TOPSIS for measurement of overall performance of each and every alternative. The better criterion is chosen on the basis of overall performance score and ranks them. The potency of the presented move toward is its convenient applicability and skill to endow with quantitative information. The utility of this proposed approach for assessment of service quality of public transport will be applicable in the capital city and neighboring townships i.e. Delhi & NCR.
Framework for Study of Supplier Relationships in Indian Automotive Supply Chains
Authors: Bhattacharya Souresh , Mukhopadhyay D. , Giri Sunil
Published: September 2016

Indian automotive industry has increasingly adopted global supply chain best practices including supplier relationship as a management imperative, in the last two decades. Increased competition, globalization, wide-spread outsourcing, use of information technology and rapid technological advances have contributed in supplier relationship development with the objective to achieve competitive advantage and a high level of performance. It is evident that only if mutual benefits accrue to both Vehicle Assemblers (VA) and their suppliers, the partnership between them would be meaningful and effective. Also, VAs have necessarily, to invest considerable resources and effort in achieving collaboration with their suppliers and cost-effectiveness becomes an issue which leads to supply base rationalization and a segmented approach. Therefore understanding the issues involved and identifying focus areas for successful supplier relationships becomes an imperative. This paper, based on an exploratory study, delves into the VA-supplier interface in Indian automobile supply chains, examines various theoretical and practical dimensions, in order to identify strategic imperatives (key impact drivers), Supplier Management Orientation (SMO) of VAs, adoption of Supplier Development Practices, extent of VA-supplier partnerships and mutual benefits accruing to both entities. Based on this a framework for holistically studying the VA-supplier interface is proposed.
Reduction Supplier Tale through Systematic Vendor Management: A Study on Purchase and Vendor Management
Authors: Chakraborty Sandipan
Published: September 2016

Supplier tale reduction is a process to control over the spend. This is one of the major process of vendor management. The tale spend refers to an organisations spend that forms the lower and niche areas of spend that is typically unaddressed due to the insignificant nature of spend. Usually direct/indirect spend categories or low-value products that require a large number of suppliers form the tale spend of the company.
The Perplexing Enigma of Supply Chain Management: Literature Review
Authors: Shekhawat Vibhuti Singh
Published: September 2016

The paper intends to explore the various developments that took place over the years in Supply Chain Management. It tries to delve deeper into this context and also highlights the imperative aspects pertinent to it by throwing light on the evolutionary aspects of concepts such as Six Sigma and others. In fact, it has tried to focus upon the innovative concept of Lean by describing in detail what it is about and how it can be very significant for the modern day large and complex forms of organizations. Details regarding this along with the methodology and its implications are also given. Furthermore, the assortment of Case Studies emphasizing its substance was also discussed with thorough analysis and illustrations with especial reference to successful lean implementation. It also draws attention to the pioneering idea of Lean manufacturings integration with Six Sigma and consequently how it facilitates the process improvement. The instances of corporations such as Lockheed Martin and Bank One are also taken into consideration and especially included in this paper.
A Study on Identification of Key Barriers to E-Commerce in Syria
Authors: Ahmed Jaynal Uddin , Hasan Hassan
Published: September 2016

The number of Internet users in the world has been mounted over the years. By the end of 2011, more than one-third of the population, i.e., 2.3 billion people were online, and this growth has provided the impetus and the opportunities for global and regional e-commerce. However, all countries are not likely to benefit equally from the virtuous circle of Internet diffusion created by globalization and multiple revolutions in information and communication technologies. The e-commerce can reduce the economic disparity between the developing and developed countries. Despite the promises made by various international organizations, the developing countries are encountering difficulties in realizing the benefits of e-commerce. It is argued that many factors are still confound and challenging the adoption of e-commerce. In order to derive the benefits of e-commerce, region specific/country specific diagnosis of the associated factors and barriers leading to the problem is an immense necessity. Keeping in view the various initiatives undertaken by the Syrian government viz., E-Signature Legislation Project, Intellectual Property Protection Project, and the National Programme for Promoting Information Technology Initiatives etc., and considering the multifaceted issues relating to e-commerce in Syria viz., formation of contracts, cyber contracts, validity of e-transactions, dichotomy of offer and invitation to treat, mutual mistake, identity of parties etc., a study on e-commerce adoption in Syria is fascinating academic focus. Hence, the paper is an attempt to identify the barriers of e-commerce in Syria.
Commitment and Business Relationships: Evidences from Small Scale Industries
Authors: Chalotra Vipul , Andotra Neetu
Published: September 2016

The paper flashes on the eminent role that commitment portrays in business enthusiasm. The research divulges empirical results on the foundation of data collected from 44 small scale industries functioning in District Udhampur of J&K State. The primary data so collected were subjected to factor analysis in order to reduce the unwanted statements. The KMO and Cronbach Alpha values revealed significance of the construct. The results of CFA confirmed all the statements so obtained from EFA. The results of hierarchical linear regression revealed that commitment among business partners ensures timely performance of business activities, commitment paves way for business success and commitment leads to development of trust & cooperation among business parties. The upcoming monsoon season might bring a whole new set of problems as the particular problem could again play a critical role in damaging profits.
Green Marketing & CSR: A Proactive & Innovative Tool to Gain Competitive Excellence
Authors: Bashir Makhmoor , Yousaf Anish , Wani Aaqib A.
Published: September 2016

This conceptual paper has been designed to discuss the concept of green marketing strategies, and how it could be used as an effective tool for CSR to gain the competitive advantage. It also includes how diffusion of innovation theory can be related to green marketing in a new way. This paper begins with the literature review of corporate social responsibility and green marketing strategies, and value is added to the paper by including the innovation theory to address the gap in the literature. Various strategies that could be adopted by marketers in order to act to the changes in the external environment have also been discussed. Propositions were developed in the current paper to reflect the relationship of green marketing strategies with types of innovations and competitive advantage. In addition, the paper also includes some of the managerial implications which can be used effectively. Managerial recommendations are suggested related to diffusion of innovation characteristics in the study.
Socially Responsible Supply Chain Management: An Essence of Value Creation
Authors: Mehta Shweta
Published: September 2016

Strategic supply chains are becoming integral part of a firms competitive strength. It not only gives financial advantages, but also well-managed and extremely synchronized supply chain offers certain social obligation. Many businesses are now moving into course of unfolding codes of conduct as one of the ways of overseeing number of suppliers behavior inside the supply chain network. This research paper addresses the issues related with the degree to which customers must be accountable for moral behavior of their partners, like suppliers in buying process. Corporate social responsibility is a very important issue for any firm but it is very depressing that extremely minute material is on hand on this issue. This paper conceptualizes structure for recognizing the responsibilities of the more commanding supply chain member to the other members of the supply chain. It mainly focuses on the degree to which one supply chain member should apply ascendancy as it relates to social responsibility on the members of complete supply chain.
Service Supplier Selection using Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Bag Surajit
Published: September 2016

This paper argues the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process in service supplier selection process. The literature has evidence of important criteria for supply supplier selection process. However, there is a dearth of studies on service supplier selection process. To address this gap, this paper firstly systematically reviews the existing procurement literature, secondly, it argues for the use of alternative methods research to address questions related to ranking of selection criteria, and thirdly, it proposes and illustrates the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process to analyze the identified criteria. The paper concludes with limitations and further research directions.
Quality of Work Life and Job Satisfaction: A Case of Veterinary Doctors in Punjab
Authors: Kochar Deepak
Published: September 2016

The present study attempts to establish the association between Quality of Work Life (QWL) and job satisfaction among the veterinary doctors of Punjab. Multiple linear regression analysis has been employed to examine how far the factors of QWL identified with the help of factor analysis affect the job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is a dependent variable and factors, Monetary Consideration, Social Relations at Work, Constitutionalism at Work, Pride in Job, Facilitation for Current Performance and Future Growth, Nature of Job, Security and Safety, Innovative and Challenging Job, Fair and Unbiased Attitude of Top Officials, Less Educated and Ignorant Clients, Space and Infrastructure, Insufficient Diagnostic Facilities and Staff, and Reporting are independent variables. The results of the present study reveal strong association of Monetary Consideration, Facilitation for Current Performance and Future Growth, Security and Safety, Nature of Job, and Space and Infrastructure with job satisfaction. The eight variables which were not found significant include, Social Relations at Work, Constitutionalism at Work , Pride in Job, Innovative and Challenging Job, Fair and Unbiased Attitude of Top Officials, Less Educated and Ignorant Clients, Insufficient Diagnostic Facilities and Staff, and Reporting. The present study conducted on veterinarians working under department of animal husbandry, Punjab can make a niche in this area. Commitment on the part of government and department itself to work on the activities and initiatives which promote QWL and job satisfaction of the respondents can create a sound and harmonious working environment to get the desired results.
Factors affecting Job Satisfaction among employees of Higher Education: A Case Study
Authors: Mathur Aditi , Mehta Anil
Published: September 2016

The higher education sector plays a pivotal role in developing the skilled manpower for the balanced socio-economic growth of the country. Both public as well as private higher educational institutions contribute towards building the competence base of the society. In Rajasthan also, the higher education sector has seen a vast growth both in terms of investments and gross enrollment ratio. The employees are involved and are crucial for the accomplishment of the objectives. The study involved assessing the antecedents of job satisfaction level of the employees and identifying the most significant factors influencing the same. The findings suggest that the major factors affecting the satisfaction among the academic employees remain the job challenges, concern for the performance evaluation methods used, and the lack of role clarity in the institutions. The private sector employees have more concern for the salary and the job security as compared to the public sector employees.
HR Practices in Select Domestic and Foreign Companies in India - A Comparative Study
Authors: M. Nirmala , A.M. Uma Devi
Published: September 2016

Human resource is the most precious resource for every business in comparison to other resources like money, material, and technology as it cannot be replicated. Human capital is the only asset involved in all the operations of the enterprise right from the manufacture of goods to delivery to the consumer. Enterprises have realized the significance of this resource and have started investing huge amounts of their budget to develop this resource. These investments will be rewarding only if the human resources are properly managed and effectively utilized. This paper is an attempt to further such investigations. In this paper the researcher intends to investigate the HRM practices in the following three areas: 1. Change Management developing an adaptable workforce, 2. Innovation and Learning, and 3. Global Integration, in select Indian and foreign companies and whether the nature of firm ownership has an influence on the HRM practice. This paper is aimed at a comparative study of the HR practices in foreign owned and domestic companies in India that address the HR preparedness of these companies in facing the challenges listed above. The outcome of the study would help the organizations to learn from each others strengths and weaknesses and develop on them.
Organizational Factors Influencing Innovation: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Shukla Timira , Singh Anita
Published: September 2016

It is widely acknowledged that managers will have to innovate and transform their businesses continuously to keep pace with the ever changing and evolving business landscape in the VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity). Innovation is no longer restricted to the process of creating something new from beginning to end but includes the capacity to quickly adopt externally created innovations that may be of benefit to the organization. The literature on innovation is wide, varied and diverse as it is an extensive concept which can be applied organization-wide. It is well documented that making paradigm shift requires the organization to embrace new ideas, facilitate its realization and institutionalize creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. But most organizations overlook the people dimension that is the workforce. The present study is an attempt to discover what managers opine about the organization-specific factors that influence innovation at the firm level. An exploratory investigation was carried out amongst managers in different organizations to identify what factors are important in impacting an organizations ability to manage innovation.
Analysis of Wireless Sensor Networks Security Solutions and Countermeasures
Authors: Mishra D.P. , Kumar Ramesh
Published: September 2016

Wireless Sensor Network is special type of Ad-hoc network formed with autonomous motes with power and memory constraint. WSN is used in various applications such as healthcare, Environmental monitoring, habitat monitoring military, ecology, home and many more practicable solution for challenging applications of different areas. When wireless sensor networks are deployed in an open, hostile or specific defense environment the security becomes extremely important, since WSN motes are resource constraint there is scope for different types of malicious attacks on them. This paper analyses the security solutions and the security mechanisms that will overcome security issues and attacks and recommends adequate solution for the WSN threats.
Tourism Potentiality and Prosperity in Andhra Pradesh with Special Reference to Rayalaseema Region
Authors: Ramabrahmam V.
Published: September 2016

Mans search for food and shelter and his curiosity for things around gave birth to travel. Travel led to tourism. Tourism is the activity of tourists and those who deal with them. Tourism is not a single industry, but an aggregate of many components. As a means of education and cultural exchange, tourism is an excellent instrument for the promotion of national integration and international understanding friendship and peace. There are two regions in the state namely Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema and hence, the two regions are more often referred as Seemandhra by the media. There are 13 districts with 9 in Coastal Andhra and 4 in Rayalaseema. Visakhapatnam is the largest city and a commercial hub of the state with a GDP of $26 billion followed by Vijayawada with a GDP of $3 billion. Guntur, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Ongole and Eluru are other important cities. In Consonance with the Government of Indias National Tourist Action Plan of May, 1992, the Government of Andhra Pradesh formulated the first ever tourism policy of the state. According to their, the tourist places in the state were divided into three zones. 1. Gateway (Tirupati Zone) 2. The Sunny South (Visakhapatnam Zone) 3. The Adventure Zone. Finally my paper attempts Tourist Potentiality and Prosperity in the study area Rayalaseema, Assessing the existing infrastructure facilities, Perceptions and opinions of Tourists: Problems & Prospects, Suggestions, etc.
A Study on the Relationship Between Psychological Climate, Employee Engagement and Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: George Ginu , Joseph Binoy
Published: September 2016

Employee engagement is becoming an important area of focus by many HR consultancies in the recent years. Organizations having engaged employees tend to out-perform than employees who are not engaged or disengaged, also it will enable them to compete better in their industry resulting in higher performance, lower turnover, more profitability etc., Despite of all this there are still some industries who are ignorant and neglect the importance of having engaged employees. Therefore there is a necessity for more of academic research on employee engagement which helps in creating awareness to these organizations about the prominence of focusing on employee engagement and the findings will also augments the existing literature on employee engagement. The study was conducted on 433 employees working in travel organizations set up in Bangalore with the purpose of determining the relationship psychological climate (antecedent) has on employee engagement and in turn its relationship with organizational citizenship behavior (outcome). The study also determines the mediating relationship of employee engagement between PC and OCB.
Exploring the Interrelationship Among Organizational Climate, Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction: A Review of Literature
Authors: Rakhi  , Kumar Anil
Published: September 2016

This article offers a brief review of studies on organizational climate, employee motivation and job satisfaction. A relationship among organizational climate, employee motivation and job satisfaction has been reviewed in the paper. The paper consists of four sections beginning with a brief introduction of variables along with their dimensions. It is followed by exploring their interrelationship using previous studies. Conclusion and discussions, managerial implications and direction for future research have been given in the end.
Impact of Microfinance on Women Empowerment
Authors: Gandhi Jitendra S.
Published: September 2016

Micro-finance has proved its importance in relation to poverty eradication, financial development, rural finance, banking and financial services in India. Though the India had philanthropic philosophy to help each other and grow together, micro-finance helped the same in a more institutional and organized manner. India is a diverse country in every aspect of human life which applies to its poverty too. Each region of India has its own language of poverty. Micro-finance also puts forward the movement of financial inclusion of women across the community. Micro-finance has come forward as a ray of hope for the women who are supposed to be equally participating in financial inclusion. The impact of micro-finance in the area of women empowerment in India is still neglected and less documented concept especially in the spectrum of research. The present article is an outcome of literature review which clearly indicates the impact of micro-finance movement in the process of women empowerment. The article has utilized qualitative as well as quantitative aspect to explore the impact of micro-finance in the process of women empowerment.
Wrist Wars: Smart Watches vs Traditional Watches
Authors: Darmwal Rahul
Published: September 2016

Wearable technology is the latest buzzword doing rounds in Technology forums with humongous growth expected in next few years. Of various devices, Smart Watches have shown most promise. A lot of companies have already launched Smart Watches or have indicated an interest to explore this area. In this paper, we try to understand the following: Definition of Watch and how a Watch has changed over years, What are the Mechanism to keep time. How does a watch function. What is a Smart Watch? Its Past and Present, What are features that Smart Watch provides. How useful are these features? Target Segment for Smart Watch. What factors could dictate decision of consumer to buy Smart Watch? What is the outlook for Smart watch Market? How would Traditional watches fare once Smart watches become mainstream, Authors Conclusion around Smart Watches ability to disrupt the Traditional Watch market.