bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ideas and Experiences
Authors: Varghese Sara 
Published: September 2016

In the July-September 1987 issue of Vikalpa, Dr Benjamin Pulimood, Director, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, discussed the relevance of management training for hospital administrators. Based on his. experience at CMC&H and the few months he spent at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Dr Pulimood identified the areas that hospital administrators may find useful. In agreeing with Dr Pulimood, Dr Sara Varghese presents some important differences between a private institution such as CMC&H and a government medical college and hospital and draws implications for training administrators of government hospitals.
Forecasting: Does the Box-Jenkins Method Work Better than Regression?
Authors: Nanda S 
Published: September 2016

A difficult exercise, forecasting is key to effective management. Models using time series data are frequently used for forecasting likely values of important variables such as supply and demand. The regression method is the most common, although it involves many critical assumptions that are difficult to satisfy in practice. Efforts to reduce the severity of the assumptions and improve our ability to manipulate data have led to generalized regression and the Box-Jenkins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models. Nanda tests the forecasts from two models in each method, using data on monthly milk procurement by Amul Dairy from January 1965 to December 1975. The regression method produced better forecasts than the Box-Jenkins method.
Role of Humanities in Management Education
Authors: Singh Sampat P 
Published: September 2016

Most current curricula in management centre around scientific analysis and rationality. They take little notice of those aspects of managerial behaviour which lie beyond reason�dream, vision, instinct, emotion, etc. Sampat Singh argues that this is a serious lacuna, and provides an outline of how humanities can make management education much more wholesome and purposeful. Vikalpa has presented many articles on management education in the past. It hopes that this Perspectives piece will intensify the debate and experimentation about some of the neglected facets of managerial education.
Can a Holding Company be an Effective Buffer for Government Enterprise?
Authors: Murthy K R S , Nath N C B 
Published: September 2016

The holding company form of organization has held a continuing attraction for over 20 years. Yet, there has been no systematic analysis of what it is, how it can improve performance, or what the Indian experience has been with it. Murthy and Nath argue that the Indian holding company form has been unable to buffer the operating units. The authors identify two types of holding companies — the facilitator type, reducing the ministry's workload, and the other, the supplanting type, taking over the ministry's role. In both types, governmental procedures and control of the holding company and subsidiaries have continued.
Managing Discipline: A Systematic Approach
Authors: Mahesh V S 
Published: September 2016

Hard-nosed line managers tend to take a trial-and-error, case by case approach or a confrontational approach to managing discipline. Both approaches fail to provide a predictable course of action or planned results. A systematic approach can be taken, argues Mahesh, and details the steps involved. They include quantifying the problem, establishing norms, sharing widely the problem perspective, identifying individual acts of violation, acting kindly but firmly on each violation, and, finally, zeroing in on hard-core offenders for disciplinary action. Mahesh illustrates the approach using the example of the Kitchen Stewarding Department in the Taj group of hotels. Following this approach, the group cut unauthorized absenteeism from 10 per cent to less than 2.5 per cent in just six months and has maintained it at that level for over four years now.
Training Public Servants: Recent Policies, Needs, and Experiences
Authors: Sanwal Mukul 
Published: September 2016

For the last three years, the Government of India has been emphasizing upon the training of public servants as a strategy for social and economic development. The earlier training policy which focused on remedying deficiencies in skills of individual officers has yielded place to the new policy of preparing all civil servants for development. The new training policy is neither a part of a new developmental paradigm, nor is it based on an assessment of training needs. A survey of 400 supervisory Group ’A‚ officers of U P State Government and of All India Services shows that the administrators feel that training should emphasize much more the external environment they face than the principles of management. Based on this survey, and his own experience as a trainer, Mukul Sanwal argues that besides political emphasis, a new development paradigm and an assessment of current systems and practices are prerequisites for the new policy. He suggests ways to link training programmes with the service goals of development administration and for the resolution of specific problems. He considers the human resource concept involving changing the ingrained values and attitudes of public servants as central.
Sustained Development through People: The Need for Political Activization
Authors: Rao V M 
Published: September 2016

In the January-March 1988 issue of Vikalpa, Professor Ranjit Gupta discussed how village communities could identify and develop their own opportunities and resources as part of planned interventions for development. Based on the experiment initiated by the late Pr6fessor Ravi J Mathai, Professor Ranjit Gupta drew lessons of how rural development activities should be mounted. From his experiences as a rural investigator in Karnataka, V M Rao agrees with Professor Gupta that given the initial fillip by the interveners, the rural poor can be motivated for developmental action. But for sustaining the initiative, their political activization is necessary to ensure governmental support and resist pressures from the rural elite -Ed.)
JIT: A Way to Get Strategic Results from the Shop Floor
Authors: Thomas P S 
Published: September 2016

Just-in-Time (JIT) is a proven management innovation which is assuming international importance for achieving industrial excellence. It is necessary to understand JIT for improving the efficacy of our own industrial policy and management. Yet JIT seems to have been virtually ignored by Indian authors so far. Thomas argues that Indian industry must not develop a blindspot to important management innovations originating abroad. He introduces JIT, summarizes itsmain elements, and discusses the way it gets strategic results from the shop floor. Thomas feels that JIT enables top management to push strategic thinking to all parts of the organization thus linking day to day actions of all employees with the top management's long term strategies.
What Should be the Time Schedule for a Project?
Authors: Gupta Devendra Kumar 
Published: September 2016

Finalization of time schedule for a project is a crucial decision. It is not entirely a technical matter. Compressing the duration has cost and other implications. Managers can determine what the time schedule should be to achieve significant savings. Gupta feels that it is possible to crash time schedules by up to 15 per cent of the initial time schedule with only marginal increases in project costs. Gupta presents a methodology for analysing the costs in arriving at the optimum time schedule for a project. He illustrates the method with a project involving capital expenditure of Rs 100 million.
Institutional Learning: The Essence of Strategic Management
Authors: Ramnarayan S , Reddy N Mohan 
Published: September 2016

Strategic management is not a formal, well-laid-out set of techniques. It is the mode in which decision makers understand the context in which they function and initiate decisions and actions for establishing meaningful linkages with the environment. In recent years, strategic management has become important for several Indian organizations due to dramatic environmental changes. In this article, Ramnarayan and Reddy use the “learning” perspective to evolve a framework of the strategic management process in organizations. Through four illustrative cases, they highlight four clearly identifiable blocks to institutional learning. These are : Single Loop Learning, Analysis Paralysis, Ivory Tower Planning, and Me Too Planning. The paper outlines the likely causes of each of these dysfunctional blocks to learning. The authors propose a set of guidelines for enhancing the effectiveness of strategic initiatives in organizations.
Objectives and Role of Institutional Finance for Agricultural and Rural Development
Authors: Desai B M 
Published: September 2016

In India, rural institutional finance is extended not only to the agricultural production sub-system but for selective purposes also to the agricultural inputs sub-system and the agricultural produce marketing and processing sub-system. While this innovative policy has earned some dividends, there are some lacunae in it as well as in the intermediation instruments of rural financial institutions. Desai identifies these lacunae and discusses how they may be overcome to achieve the objectives of high rural growth, better equity, and viability of institutional finance.
Marketing Approach to Promoting Banking Services
Authors: Bhattacharyay Biswa N 
Published: September 2016

In recent years, banks in India have not been able to mobilize surplus funds owing to the rapid emergence of competitive non-banking financial institutions. Non-fund based banking services have been underutilized by customers because of low awareness and this has affected banks' profitability. In this article, Bhattacharyay presents a marketing approach to promoting banking services and mobilizing deposits. Using primary data obtained from a country-wide survey of 19,000 households, Bhattacharyay has identified different segments of the customers which could be tapped by identifying their current and future needs and providing an appropriate range of services.
HRD in Indian Organizations: Current Perspectives and Future Issues*
Authors: Dayal Ishwar 
Published: September 2016

In this article Ishwar Dayal discusses the patterns of HRD management and identifies three different HRD approaches as practised in Indian organizations. These are: Man- Centered, Reciprocal, and Selective. Underlying each approach is a set of beliefs shared by top management. Policy formulation and HRD programmes in these organizations emanate from these philosophies. The author also analyses the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. According to Dayal, HRD is a shared belief by management in the development of individuals and involves a strategy of linking organization development with individual growth. The author also raises some relevant issues concerning the future of HRD in Indian organizations.
Behavioural Safety Management
Authors: Chhokar Jagdeep S 
Published: September 2016

Industrial and occupational safety have become important areas of social concern in India with increase in industrial activity. The standard organizational response to accidents is conducting an investigation and taking some corrective measures like improving equipment design, plant layout, and changing some work practices. One factor which is often overlooked, or paid inadequate attention at best, is employee behaviour. In this paper, Chhokar describes a twostage safety programme based on applied behavioural analysis. The aim of the programme is to increase the frequency of safe behaviour by employees through suitable interventions. Issues related to implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of this programme are discussed and suggestions for implementing it are made.
Harinagar Rural Energy Development Project
Authors: Suresh M R , Mishra B N , Joshi Veena 
Published: September 2016

In 1986, the National Research Institute (NRI) adopted Harinagar to improve its energy situation. The Rural Energy Group and the Social Forestry Group of NRI were made responsible for implementation of welfare programmes in Harinagar. In the same year, NRI formed the Village Energy Development Committee (VEDC), the members of which comprised villagers and the Sarpanch. NRI, however, was beset with several problems like negative attitude of villagers towards NRI, inadequate coordination between the two groups, etc. Apte, a programme associate of the Rural Energy Group, felt that it was essential to involve VEDC, Panchayat, and villagers in a more meaningful way. The case raises some basic issues: What should be the organization structure of VEDC? What are the implications and effectiveness of the structure of VEDC as suggested by Apte? What should be the role of NRI in the envisaged structure?
Manager in the Middle: A Case of Underdevelopment and Underutilization
Authors: Nilakant V , Ramnarayan S 
Published: September 2016

Middle managers play a crucial role in ensuring that the activities inside an enterprise are well-coordinated, that employees act responsively and responsibly, and that the organization continuously generates creative alternatives to grapple with its problems. Further, it is at the middle level that the organization's policies and strategies get translated into decisions and actions. However, it is more than evident that the nature of middle management dynamics in organization has remained largely unexplored and there has not been enough understanding of the strategies appropriate for effective utilization of this critical resource. In this article, Nilakant and Ramnarayan draw on their study of four medium and large sized business organizations in the private and public sectors in India to examine aspects relating to the performance of middle level managers. They discuss the implications of the findings for organizational performance and change and offer suggestions for enhancing middle management potential in similar contexts.
Individual and Organizational Interests: Pathways to Integration
Authors: Aram John D 
Published: September 2016

Mismatched incentives between individuals and organizations occur frequently. At times, individuals are led to undertake actions that benefit their immediate interests but which undermine organizational values. At other times, individuals, acting rationally, forego actions that would have created value for an organization or a community. John D Aram examines several organizations and two communities through the framework of mismatched individual and organizational incentives. His analysis suggests that several paths exist for overcoming mismatched incentives and for achieving greater individual-organization integration. His observations raise various possibilities for managing organizations for higher performance and also suggest questions for further research.
An Overview of the Pesticides Industry and its Marketing Environment
Authors: Srivastava U K , Patel N T 
Published: September 2016

The pesticides industry has grown by 7.6 per cent during the last 20 years. It has also undergone a structural change from low value products to high value products. The major constituents of this industry are technical grade material manufacturers, formulators, and dealers. In this article, U K Srivastava and N T Patel analyse the growth of the pesticides industry, the changes in the product mix, the problems of the constituents, and the marketing scenario. According to them, there is vast scope for accelerating pesticides consumption by diversifying to hitherto untapped regions and crops. This, however, calls for a major market development effort on the part of the industry.
Evolution of Leadership Theory
Authors: King Albert S 
Published: September 2016

In recent times, the phenomenon of leadership has assumed considerable significance. The key question “What makes an effective leader?” continues to daunt researchers. In this article, Albert S King uses a developmental perspective to create an evolutionary tree of leadership theory. He identifies nine evolutionary eras with researchers in each era focusing on a specific theme of leadership. He also discusses the requirements of the Tenth Era — the Integrative Era — which hopefully will bring together different approaches in developing a sustainable theory of leadership.
Management of Seed Enterprises: A Point of View
Authors: Singh Gurdev , Seetharaman S P 
Published: September 2016

Effprts towards organizing seed production have yielded positive though inadequate results in terms of seed multiplication and distribution. A wide gap still exists between demand and supply in the seed industry in India today. In this article, Gurdev Singh and Seetharaman analyse the structure of the seed industry and examine various aspects related to the management of seed research, seed multiplication and its distribution. They also suggest suitable policies to facilitate these activities.
Is Customer Service Deteriorating in the Indian Banking Industry?
Authors: Bhattacharyay Biswa N 
Published: September 2016

The Indian banking industry has been criticised for its growing indifference towards customer concerns. This criticism has been particularly pronounced after the nationalization of banks in 1969. The question, therefore, is one of examining whether customer service in the banking industry is really deteriorating. In this article, Biswa N Bhattacharyay investigates this question using data from two field surveys conducted by the National Institute of Bank Management in 1974 and 1984. He comes to the conclusion that an unqualified assertion that customer services have deteriorated in the banking industry in the post nationalization phase is empirically untenable.
Convertible Securities and Implied Options
Authors: Barua S K , Raghunathan V. 
Published: September 2016

The Indian capital market lacks an organized futures and options market. The investors are, therefore, not able to manage their portfolio risks effectively. In this article, S K Barua and V Raghunathan examine the possibility of introducing call and put options in a limited way by making modifications in the terms of issue of convertible debentures and equity. According to them, this will reduce the need for government interventions in the primary market and provide greater investor protection without compromising market efficiency.
Malfunctioning of the Public Distribution System: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Koshy Abraham 
Published: September 2016

Public distribution system (PDS), which acquired prominence in India during the Second World War period, has evolved over the years as a major policy instrument of the government to ameliorate difficulties caused by shortages and price increases of foodgrains and other essential items. The commodities supplied at subsidized prices through PDS are aimed to benefit the more vulnerable sections of the society. Questions, however, have been raised about the effectiveness and efficiency of PDS in achieving its objectives which assume more importance because of the large quantum of subsidy involved. This article by Abraham Koshy focuses on one of the major concerns raised about the efficiency of PDS, namely, the extent of stock diversion at the retail points. This study was carried out in Kerala where PDS is perceived to be well developed and, therefore, the findings could be considered as a pointer towards the state of PDS operations in other states where it is less developed.
Humane Turnarounds
Authors: Khandwalla Pradip N 
Published: September 2016

Rampant industrial sickness has become a characteristic feature of the dynamics of rapid industrial development in both the developed as well as the developing economies. However, in the context of developing economies, there is an urgent need to revive sick organizations given the reality of an acute resource crunch. It is in this context that the development of a relevant model of turnaround management becomes significant. In this article, Pradip N Khandwalla describes the significant elements of a humane brand of turnaround management based on his analysis of the experiences of several corporate turnarounds.
Comparative Performance of Farmers' Service Societies and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies
Authors: Desai B.M. , Namboodiri N.V. 
Published: September 2016

Have the Farmers' Service Societies (FSS) performed better than the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS)? B.M. Desai and N.V. Namboodiri's paper focuses on this question. They compare the performance of FSS and PACS on seven criteria and conclude that FSS have performed better than PACS though neither has been successful in undertaking agromarketing and processing functions.
Natural Resources Corporation Limited
Authors: Chhokar Jagdeep S. , Dixit Mukund R. 
Published: September 2016

The case presented in this issue focuses on the total functioning of a mining company— Natural Resources Corporation Limited (NRC). The company which was performing well in the past is faced with the situation of likely losses in the financial year 1989-1990. What should the new MD do? Readers are invited to send their comments on the case.
Experiential Learning Model of Entrepreneur Development: An Approach to Develop Innovative Entrepreneurs
Authors: Arumugam S , Sankaranarayanan V 
Published: September 2016

Over the years, various organizations have contributed for the development of entrepreneurs in India using the three-stage model — selection, training and follow-up. This model, however, is facing difficulties in various stages of its operations. In this article, S Arumugam and V Sankaranarayanan suggest a new model — the Experiential Learning Model of Entrepreneur Development — which they feel is more suitable to develop innovative entrepreneurs.
Technical Progress in Indian Agriculture: Temporal Analysis
Authors: Dholakia Bakul H , Dholakia Ravindra H 
Published: September 2016

The role of technical progress in determining the performance of Indian agriculture is the issue addressed by Bakul H Dholakia and Ravindra H Dholakia in this paper. An attempt has also been made to estimate the extent of technical progress in Indian agriculture during the period 1950-51 to 1988-89. According to the authors, the contribution of technical progress to the growth of agriculture has been steadily rising and acceleration in total factor productivity has contributed significantly to acceleration in the overall growth of the Indian economy during the eighties.
Carpets International Malaysia Berhad
Authors: Ramnarayan S 
Published: September 2016

The case presented in this issue discusses the functioning of a carpet manufacturing company — Carpets International Malaysia Berhad, a subsidiary of KPS, which has been incurring losses for the past five years. A new chief executive, Mr Wahid, has taken over and is entrusted the task of turning around the company. What strategies should Mr Wahid adopt for turning around the company? Readers are invited to send their comments on the same.
Proposals for Financial Sector Reforms in India: An Appraisal
Authors: Bhole L M 
Published: September 2016

The Narasimham Committee Report has made a number of recommendations regarding the structure, organization, functions and procedures of the Indian financial system. In this article, Bhole has attempted a critical appraisal of the Report with a view to place the recommendations in a proper perspective and also to generate some thinking on the emerging issues.
Productivity: A View from the Labour Market
Authors: Aggarwal Ashok K , Prasad D. Durga 
Published: September 2016

Labour productivity studies have largely focused on the product markets. The issues relating to organization and operations of the factor markets have largely been ignored. This study by Ashok Aggarwal and Durga Prasad attempts to explore productivity of labour from the viewpoint of labour markets. Using two different measures of labour productivity, it has been argued that both measures should give similar results if labour markets were perfect. The closer the relationship, the lower the imperfections.