bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blue Dart Express Limited
Authors: Bhatnagar S.C. , Ranganathan C. 
Published: January 2017

This case study describes the operations of Blue Dart Express Limited and documents the development of major IT applications by the company during 1987 to 1997. The company has been investing nearly one per cent of its revenue on developing IT applications during this period. The case describes the evolution of a consignment tracking application on which the current operations of Blue Dart are completely dependent. In 1997, the company was reviewing its plans for the next five years. The company plans to use the emerging information technology to enhance the existing applications and to widen the geographic scope of the application. The case lists some of the issues faced by Malcolm, the chief architect of the successful tracking system, in proposing the size and scope of t he next IT plan to the top management. Readers are invited to send their responses on the case to Vikalpa Office.
Privatization, Performance, and Efficiency: A Study of Indian Banks
Authors: Sathye Milind 
Published: January 2017

Enhancing efficiency and performance of public sector banks (PSBs) is a key objective of economic reforms in many countries including India. It is believed that private ownership helps improve efficiency and performance. Accordingly, the Indian government started diluting its equity in PSBs from early 1990s in a phased manner. Has the partial privatization of Indian banks really helped improve their efficiency and performance? International evidence on impact of privatization is mixed. Though the issue is important in the Indian context, no study to the author's knowledge has addressed it so far. The present study, thus, fills an important gap. The data required for the study were obtained from Performance Highlights of Banks, a publication of the Indian Banks' Association. The author could readily obtain publications for five years — 1998-2002; his analysis is, thus, restricted to these five years. The financial performance of the banks was measured using the standard financial performance measures such as return on assets. The efficiency of banks was measured using accounting ratios, e.g., deposits per employee. Two main approaches are generally used to evaluate the impact of privatization on firm performance: ‘Synchronic’ approach in which the performance of state-owned firms is compared with the firms that were privatized or with the firms that were already in private ownership. ‘Historical’ approach, in which ex-ante and ex-post privatization performance of the same enterprise is compared. Given that the data are available for only five years, the author uses the synchronic approach. Since the dataset is not large enough to allow the use of more robust multivariate statistical procedures, he confines himself to the use of the difference of means test. This study reveals the following: Financial performance of partially privatized banks (measured by return on assets) and their efficiency (measured by three different ratios) were significantly higher than that of the fully public banks. In the matter of quality of advances (measured by the ratio of non-performing assets to net advances), significant difference was not found in these two groups. Of course, there is no quick fix for this problem. Partially privatized banks also seem to be catching up fast with fully private banks as no significant difference was found in financial performance and efficiency between them. On comparing the strategies of privatization in India with the other countries, India was found to adopt the strategy of initial public offerings like Poland. This strategy failed in Poland but seems to have succeeded in India. Gradual privatization and well-developed financial markets seem to have contributed to Indian success.
Superior-Subordinate Relationships and Satisfaction in Indian Small Business Enterprises
Authors: Afza Mainuddin 
Published: January 2017

This paper has used the hierarchy-based power system by French and Raven (1959) for researching the motivational potential in small business manufacturing enterprises. Studies in this area have been conducted but most of them are in the US, a country that is characterized by favourable demographic and other infrastructural environmental factors. However, this study used data from small business enterprises in India which is a fast developing economy though it does not yet have the logistics and the techno-economic infrastructure like the one in the US. One primary objective of this study was to see if the findings from an emerging economy are different from those of developed countries. Another objective was to get insights into the hierarchical motivation dynamics in the Indian enterprises. Indian environment is different from the US' in two important respects: the existence of high power-distance in the organizational hierarchies (as opposed to low power-distance in the US), and the market life cycle driven maturity level of Michel Porter's (1985) industry forces. The ultimate objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between bases of leader power and several criterion variables such as commitment, satisfaction, intent to leave, and compliance. Some of the findings of the study are as follows: The power bases are influential predictors in the US, a society that is characterized by high level of individualistic materialism, low power-distance, and strong entrepreneurial mental behaviour. In India, the power bases are likely to be even more influential because of the society's unique socio-cultural characteristics. India's social environment is high on power-distance that commands loyalty and possibly accountability in small business sector. The influence of Confucian philosophy and Gandhi's values are likely factors that differentiate India's culture base from that of the US. The results of this study are quite consistent with many of the findings of more recent studies done in the US. There were some differences between the findings of the present and other recent studies which may be attributed to the type of professionals who participated in this study and the socio-economic and power-distance driven cultural differences between the US and India. One important limitation of the present study is that the relationships discussed are correlational, not causal. Experimental studies are needed to investigate causal links between the bases of leader power and criterion variables. Moreover, further studies of superior-subordinate relationships and their effects on motivation and compliance using India's culture factors are needed to determine the relevance and applicability of US-based studies in India.
Simplifying the Six Sigma Toolbox through Application of Shainin DOE Techniques
Authors: Sharma Sunil , Chetiya Anuradha R 
Published: January 2017

The success of a Six Sigma programme in an organization depends to a large extent on the success of the Six Sigma projects, which in turn depends on how the team handles the problem and whether the right combination of tools is being applied to address the root cause. The Six Sigma toolbox consists of a wide range of tools comprising, on the one hand, simple and commonly used tools like flow charts, Pareto analysis, and cause-and-effect diagram and the more advanced statistical tools like design of experiments, regression analysis and many more, on the other hand. While the simple tools are easy to apply, understand, and analyse, engineers perceive the more advanced tools difficult to comprehend. Design of experiments (DOE) is one such tool. Two well-known approaches of design of experiments are the Classical DOE, pioneered by Sir Ronald A Fisher and the Taguchi approach, pioneered by Dr Genichii Taguchi. A third approach to experimental design—the Shainin DOE techniques, offered by Dr Dorian Shainin—can be considered as a very good alternative to the other approaches. They are much simpler than the factorial designs, response surface designs, and orthogonal arrays of the conventional approaches of DOE, but at the same time are recognized as being very powerful and effective in solving the chronic quality problems that plague most manufacturers. Shainin DOE basically works at eliminating suspected process variables by mostly using seven different tools, viz., Multi-Vari Charts Component Search Paired Comparison Variable Search Full Factorials B vs. C (Better vs. Current) Analysis Scatter Plots or Realistic Tolerance Parallelogram Plots. Though not very well documented, these tools have proved to be the key drivers in the success of many companies, e.g., Motorola. This article examines two projects of a leading automotive and general lighting lamp manufacturing company, in which a combination of the standard Six Sigma tools and Shainin tools has been successfully used to address the root cause of the problems. The advantage of using Shainin tools is that: Very small sample sizes are required to analyse the problem. Often samples as small as 2 or 3 are enough to make statistically valid conclusions. Statistical software is not required to analyse the data. In fact, Shainin DOE does not even require knowledge of complex statistical tools. It involves employees at all levels, including workers and junior staff in problem solving that was hitherto a domain of senior technical experts. Also, the success of the projects had a very positive effect on the morale of the employees in terms of convincing them that Six Sigma is not all about using complex statistical tools.
Role of Burnout in the Relationship between Job Demands and Job Outcomes among Indian Nurses
Authors: Kar Suryatapa , Suar Damodar 
Published: January 2017

Burnout is a severe psychological strain that occurs in response to prolonged exposure to stress at work and has adverse individual and organizational consequences. It has reached a critical stage among today's workforce with a high occurrence among human service professionals. Although avid studies on burnout have been made worldwide, the same among the nursing profession still needs more attention. The goals of this study are to understand how various nursing specific job demands have impact on nurses� burnout and to see if burnout has a role in their job commitment and intentions to turnover. Through a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 862 nurses working in 24 private and public hospitals across six cities in India. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analyses, path analyses, and mediator analyses tested the hypotheses. The results reveal the following: Workplace demands such as role conflict, role ambiguity, work load, work-home conflict, shift work attitudes, job complexity, physical environment, and organizational politics are positively associated with emotional exhaustion. While role ambiguity, organizational politics, and job complexity are important predictors of depersonalization, role ambiguity and organizational politics have lowered personal accomplishment. While perception of organizational politics is found to be the most important predictor of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, role ambiguity is the most important predictor of reduced personal accomplishment. While emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment are responsible for decreased commitment, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization initiate the intentions to turnover. Finding of the study provided empirical evidence that tri-components of burnout mediate the relationships between job demand and outcome variables. Emotional exhaustion is the most important mediator between job demand and outcome variables. In the context of the nursing profession, the above-mentioned job demands can be minimized. Also, early screening for burnout components can help in mitigating their adverse impacts on commitment and turnover of nurses through targeted strategies.
Does Equity Research Induced Buying Have Investment Value? Evidence from an Emerging Market
Authors: Sayed Samie A , Chaklader Barnali 
Published: January 2017

This research investigates the contribution (if any) of sell side analysts towards profitable investment decisions for investors in India. A sample of 1,000 target prices issued with buy ratings issued between 2007 and 2011 is used to investigate if investors have benefitted from these target price forecasts. The accuracy of target price forecasts is assessed by investigating if target price forecasts have been achieved anytime during the forecast horizon of one year. Analysts are found to meet their target price forecasts with 57.6 percent accuracy which is better than 55.6 percent target price accuracy reported from 16 countries. This implies that analysts perform in line with global analyst performance. The findings support the proposition that analyst recommendations with buy ratings have investment value in India and investors can benefit by tracking buy recommendations issued by analysts. The research was developed further and factors affecting target price accuracy for buy recommendations were investigated through regression analysis of panel data. Promoter holding was found to have a significant and negative impact on target price accuracy. This implies that analysts produce less accurate results with companies in which promoters have bigger role in managing company�s resources and share prices. Stocks with high promoter holding indicate the possibility of insider trading to outsmart the market. Further, regression analysis reveals that price to book is significantly and positively linked with target price accuracy. Fund managers believe that emerging market stocks tend to trade at premium to book values as companies have successfully managed their ROE better than cost of capital. The authors infer that analysts outperform with buy ratings on stocks with higher ROE than cost of capital. Analyst optimism was found to significantly reduce target price accuracy. The results with respect to analyst optimism are in line with the results reported from developed markets like Germany. Past research suggests that higher analyst optimism is possibly associated with trade generation and brokerage revenues out of retail clients. The regression results are supported by a battery of tests associated with panel data. The authors conclude by suggesting that investors, to some extent, can rely on equity research in India for profit-making investment decisions in stocks. The key message is that equity research induced buying has investment value in India.
Segmentation of Bank Customers by Loyalty and Switching Intentions
Authors: Kaur Gurjeet , Sharma R D , Mahajan Neha 
Published: January 2017

In a highly competitive world, it is imperative to understand why customers switch, as switching has a significant impact on a firm's performance. Just as satisfied customers are not necessarily loyal, dissatisfied customers do not always exit (Yanamandram & White, 2006). Even then much attention has been diverted towards growing relationships as compared to ending of the same (Akerlund, 2005; Halinen & Tahtinen, 2002). This study aimed at predicting customer switching through various relational and switching factors, viz., quality, value, satisfaction, trust, commitment, loyalty, switching costs and barriers, particularly in the context of Indian private banking. Further, the study investigated those traits of the customers, which would facilitate bank managers in formulating different retention strategies. The main findings of the study are: Majority of respondents have no intentions to switch their prime bank, but at the same time these respondents cannot be classified as true loyals. There exist two groups of respondents, i.e., ‘loyal stayers’ and ‘spurious stayers’. A direct relationship exists between ‘customer switching intentions’ on the one hand and ‘quick and effective responses to service failures’, ‘core services up to expectations’, ‘reasonable prices’, ‘switching costs’ and ‘switching barriers‘ on the other. Thus, banks need to undertake the following initiatives, which would be useful for increasing customer retention among bank customers: Promote commitment by implementing and demanding higher standards of conduct from the bank employees. Develop schemes/services that provide value to their customers in a sustained way and maintain them overtime in order to generate competitive advantage. Satisfy its customers, which can be implemented only when customers' needs are known. Hence, every bank should have a separate R&D department, which can pursue market surveys on continual basis. Concentrate on the core service delivery and recovery, so as to seek competitive advantage. Focus on CRM strategies and develop wide-ranging relationships with their customers so as to make it difficult for them to switch their bank. In order to build profitable relationships, firms should not attempt to attract all customers in the market indiscriminately, but focus on those who are more valuable to the company.
Vibration Control of a Flexible Arm with Active Constrained Layer Damping
Authors: Tawfeic S. R. , Baz A. , Ismail A. A. , Azim O. A. , Karar S. S. 
Published: January 2017

The vibration of a single link flexible manipulator is attenuated using the Active Constrained layer damping (ACLD) treatment. The ACLD treatment consists of a viscoelastic layer sandwiched between two piezo-electric layers acting as constraining layers with sensing and actuation capabilities. The shear deformation of the visco-elastic layer is controlled to enhance the energy dissipation mechanism and attenuate the vibration of the flexible manipulator. A finite element model is used to describe the dynamics of the system. A third order polynomial is used to describe the lateral displacement of the manipulator and a second order polynomial is used to describe the longitudinal displacements of the different layers of the manipulator. An appropriate control law is used to control the system. The Coupled Modal Strain energy technique is used to compute the equivalent viscous damping ratios for the elastic layer using the loss factor data of the material. The theoretical predictions of the model are compared with the experimental performance of a manipulator fully treated with a Dyad 606 visco-elastic layer sandwiched between two layers of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezo-electric films. The results obtained clearly demonstrate the attenuation capabilities of the Actively-Controlled Constrained Layer Damping.
Initial experience with xenograft bioconduit for the treatment of complex prosthetic valve endocarditis
Authors: Roubelakis Apostolos , Karangelis Dimos , Sadeque Syed , Yanagawa Bobby , Modi Amit , Barlow Clifford W , Livesey Steven A , Ohri Sunil K 
Published: January 2017

Introduction: The treatment of complex prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) with aortic root abscess remains a surgical challenge. Several studies support the use of biological tissues to minimize the risk of recurrent infection. We present our initial surgical experience with the use of an aortic xenograft conduit for aortic valve and root replacement. Methods: Between October 2013 and August 2015, 15 xenograft bioconduits were implanted for complex PVE with abscess (13.3% female). In 6 patients, concomitant procedures were performed: coronary bypass (n=1), mitral valve replacement (n=5) and tricuspid annuloplasty (n=1). The mean age at operation was 60.3±15.5 years. The mean Logistic European system for cardiac operating risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) was 46.6±23.6. The median follow-up time was 607±328 days (range: 172-1074 days). Results: There were two in-hospital deaths (14.3% mortality), two strokes (14.3%) and seven patients required permanent pacemaker insertion for conduction abnormalities (46.7%). The mean length of hospital stay was 26 days. At pre-discharge echocardiography, the conduit mean gradient was 9.3±3.3mmHg and there was either none (n=6), trace (n=6) or mild aortic insufficiency (n=1). There was no incidence of mid-term death, prosthesis-related complications or recurrent endocarditis. Conclusions: Xenograft bioconduits may be safe and effective for aortic valve and root replacement for complex PVE with aortic root abscess. Although excess early mortality reflects the complexity of the patient population, there was good valve hemodynamics, with no incidence of recurrent endocarditis or prosthesis failure in the mid-term. Our data support the continued use and evaluation of this biological prosthesis in this high-risk patient cohort.
Freezing episodes in hemiparetic stroke: results of a pilot survey
Authors: Bussin J L , Abedin H , Tallis R C 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To determine whether freezing episodes commonly occur in patients who have had a hemiparetic stroke. Design: A postal questionnaire sent to 108 patients who had been admitted to our Stroke Unit with a hemiparesis due to an acute ischaemic stroke or a primary intracerebral haemorrhage. Results: Ninety-three questionnaires were returned, of which 14 were unsuitable for analysis as the patients were unable to walk. The remaining 79 questionnaires were analysed (response rate 73%). Twenty-six (33%) patients reported freezing episodes while walking. Conclusions: Freezing episodes have been underappreciated in patients who have had a hemiparetic stroke. This is potentially important as these patients may benefit from some of the rehabilitation techniques currently being developed for patients with cerebral multi-infarct states who have similar gait problems. Future studies should be more widely based and designed to characterize the nature of the freezing episodes and their relationship to the location of the lesion.
Lumbar spine range of motion as a measure of physical and functional impairment: an investigation of validity
Authors: Nattrass Caroline L , Nitschke Julie E , Disler Peter B , Chou Michael J , Ooi Kathleen T 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To investigate the validity of the spinal range of motion models outlined in the second and fourth editions of the American Medical Association Guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment (AMA Guides), for assessing the percentage impairment in chronic low back pain patients. Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Setting: Outpatient department in the Rehabilitation Medicine Unit. Subjects: A volunteer sample of 34 subjects participated in the study, 21 females and 13 males, with a mean age of 47.7 years (1 SD =12.1) and 40.1 years (1 SD = 11.1), respectively. Subjects had chronic low back with or without leg pain of at least six months’ duration. Subjects were recruited by medical practitioners and physiotherapists through the Rehabilitation Unit at the Essendon Campus of Royal Melbourne Hospital. Main outcome measures: Lower back range of motion measured with a long arm goniometer and a dual inclinometer, Waddell Physical Impairment Scale, Waddell Disability Index, Oswestry Disability Index. Results: Both range of motion measurement methods demonstrated poor validity and do not bear any consistent relationship to the level of physical or functional impairment in subjects with chronic low back pain. Conclusions: There was no evidence for a relationship between low back range of motion and impairment, and thus it would appear illogical to evaluate impairment in chronic low back pain patients using a spinal range of motion model when aiming to measure or compensate disability.
Shoulder joint replacement for osteoarthrosis in association with thalidomide-induced phocomelia
Authors: Newman Raymond J 
Published: January 2017

The natural history of thalidomide-induced phocomelia has not yet been established since only 35 years have elapsed since the problems associated with this drug became evident. This paper presents what is considered to be the first case of osteoarthrosis in such an individual treated by shoulder joint replacement. Joint arthoplasty is almost certainly going to become an integral part of the life-long rehabilitation process in such affected individuals.