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Importance of the manufacturing sector in bringing about structural transformation in the economy is well appreciated in literature. In India, with more than 70% of manufacturing employment originating in the unorganised segment, it becomes imperative to explore the dynamics of employment and growth of firms in the unorganised manufacturing sector. Additionally, interest in the sector arises since it is one of the prime avenues of employment generation. In particular, this paper examines the economic viability of unorganised manufacturing firms and underemployment therein. Results on underemployment help us to conclude on the prospect of full-time employment opportunities in the sector, whereas an assessment of economic viability brings out the major obstacles to growth plaguing unorganised manufacturing firms. This article identifies the prime areas requiring policy intervention and emphasises the need of implementing existing policies on ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexibilities are involved in the process of decision-making. They offer much freedom of choice in terms of the selection of suitable actors who interact with the dynamic environment of the organization. This paper presents a systematic and holistic approach to ranking key actors responsible for the business excellence of an organization. The study highlights the area where the actors of the organization should focus on achieving desired business excellence. It portrays the outcome in the form that top management is the most influential actor since it is responsible for the formulation of the vision/mission of the organization along with the setting of plant quality targets, cost-saving targets, manpower planning, and policy formulation for energy-saving. Top management is followed by cross-function teams (CFTs) and the government of India (GOI) in terms of interaction with the various processes. The novelty of this case study is that it utilizes qualitative and interpretive tools for the analysis, which does not require much statistical knowledge to produce outcomes, and the results are easy to understand. The reported results are in consensus with the results reported by various studies that are conducted using quantitative tools like Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), total interpretive structural modelling (TISM), etc. that require statistical excellence for the calculation, interpretation, and dissemination of results to the general public and shopfloor employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Techno-marketing is a unique combination of technology + Marketing. Techno-marketing is a new disruptive way of marketing which is going to change the future of traditional marketing by using technology. It is the effective way to promote a company's products and services. By this, companies can attract their customers and easily interact with them. Technology is the backbone of all the market strategies around the globe. It provides a short time solution to solve complex marketing problems in today's competitive environment. In this paper, we have focused on Techno-marketing techniques such as Technology Marketing Mix (TM mix), Web 2.0, Cloud computing, Mobile computing and Electronic commerce which are commonly used by many companies in India for their promotional activities in the Indian market. As per the findings of the study, out of all Techno-marketing tools, Web 2.0, Mobile computing and Electronic commerce are the most commonly used by pharmaceutical companies. These technologies are fast catching up and have the potential to increase the sales of top global companies in future. It is also recommended that a company should promote its products using Techno-marketing Tools such as Web 2.0, Mobile computing and e-commerce which can be positively effective in Indian market. The study is based on a sample size of 103 retailers representing 8 top global companies in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the structure and semantics of English-language accounting terminology through a close examination of The Company Act, the official legal document regulating the establishment and operation of India's commercial companies. The study aims to explore specific terminology occurring in accounting and audit books in the economic discourse, as well as to identify and analyse culture-marked terminology in the chosen field of study. Study results were used to compile a glossary of commonly used accounting terms constituting a part of a unified terminological system. The author has systemised the main notional classes of accounting terminology thus demonstrating its structural nature in English economic discourse, the semantic organisation and conceptual framework of the field-specific terminology system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to propose a new hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework with spherical fuzzy numbers (SFNs). We extend two recently developed algorithms such as level-based weight assessment (LBWA) and MULTIMOOSRAL in spherical fuzzy (SF) domain. We present a case study on six MSME units belonging to engineering cluster for examining their leanness. MSMEs form the backbone of the socioeconomic growth and therefore garner attention of the policy makers. Lean manufacturing (LM) has been a key enabler for the last three decades which help the organizations to achieve business growth. We consider the criteria like leadership, supplier focus, customer focus, process management, waste, culture, human resource focus, technology use and communication, and awareness to compare leanness of the MSMEs using expert opinions. We find that committed leadership, waste reduction, and customer value are given more weightage by the experts for achieving leanness in SMEs. Furthermore, the results show that medium and small units with focused product line score high in terms of leanness. We validate the results obtained by our proposed method by comparing with the same derived by using another widely used approach such as Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). We carry out sensitivity analysis for examining the stability in the solution with the changes in the given condition such as variations in the criteria weights. Our results using SF-LBWA-MULTIMOOSRAL show reasonable accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on ethnographic material to analyse how unemployed youth create work in the private educational sector. It shows how a set of educated young men, who moved from rural areas to a north Indian city to find work, are seeking to create jobs after an extended period of unemployment. Having attended coaching clinics and private tuition centres to prepare for white‐collar jobs, they draw on the experience, knowledge, and skills they have gained to create work in those same institutions. They do so by running errands and creating services for institutions, as well as undertaking administrative duties and teaching classes. Our main argument is that young men creatively engage with notions of enterprise to make an income and acquire a measure of respect. Studies of enterprise culture and neoliberal subjectivity formation often emphasise how individuals shore up their own value by competing with others and promoting their own interests. But we highlight how youth also maintain their value by making sense of their strategies in terms of assisting other young people. At the same time, however, their practises work to reproduce gender norms and class inequalities. This paper draws on ethnographic material to analyse how unemployed youth create work in the private educational sector in north India. Our main argument is that young men creatively engage with notions of enterprise to make an income and acquire a measure of respect. Studies of enterprise culture and neoliberal subjectivity formation often emphasise how individuals shore up their own value by competing with others and promoting their own interests, but we highlight how youth also maintain their value by making sense of their strategies in terms of assisting other young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay critically examines the discourse of participation in development finance directed at the poor in the Global South from national and international development agencies. This discourse, often termed financial inclusion, posits the ability of development actors to reach the poor involving them in important economic decisions affecting their lives, provides access to products that improve their material conditions, and ensures their credit worthiness through highly nuanced information technology and social media tools. The paper presents evidence from two ethnographically inspired studies undertaken by the author in India and Kenya to ascertain the ways in which the participatory discourse in finance is understood among societal participants themselves. The paper presents relevant epistemes for analyzing what 'grassroots' actors understand as their participation in development-oriented financial inclusion projects. The study forwards two major conclusions: (1) 'habits of authority' among various development actors thwart effective participation; (2) technology platforms that allow for successive innovations and interconnections from businesses and other organizations encourage financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations are increasingly engaging in socially and environmentally sustainable initiatives. This paper focuses on the institutional isomorphism mechanisms to analyse the organizational adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices like eco-design, source reduction, and environmental management practices. This paper empirically examines the role of institutional influence in the organizational adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices among firms in India. The results of this study confirm the significance of the three institutional isomorphism mechanisms in influencing sustainable responses, but not all mechanisms influence the organizational response equally. In particular, the results show a strong influence of self-regulatory normative isomorphism on the implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green logistics is an important aspect of production system in today’s world. It combines various efforts to quantify and control the environmental effect of production activities in an enterprise. This research is intended to emphasize upon the ways by which organizations can accomplish positive ecological effects simply by modifying their logistics practices. This paper presents a case study of an Indian automobile company by analyzing alternatives for green practices along with organizational objectives. It is imperative to focus on the green practices in context of Indian automobile sector as the volume of vehicles in India has increased considerably during last few decades. Accordingly, this paper attempts to improve the performance for sustainable adaptation of green practices of an Indian company by selecting the best alternative obtained from the use of Analytical Hierarchy Process to analyze alternatives for green practices in the assembly and packaging processes. Alternatives have been evaluated on the basis of three criteria i.e. green efficiency, factor of safety and ease of operation. The study revealed that clinch joint is the most appropriate alternative for assembly operation while carbon positive packaging material is the best alternative for packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner technology strategy is a firm's long term planning to avoid negative externality to the natural environment and remain competitive in future markets. The paper proposes a comprehensive definition of cleaner technology strategy and presents its important aspects to derive competitive advantages based on an empirical study of sixty firms across the industry sectors in India. A measure of cleaner technology strategy was constructed and, tested for its reliability and validity. Descriptive statistics was used to understand the relative importance of competitive aspects of cleaner technology strategy in Indian firms. The result shows that cleaner technology strategy derived from top management's vision of future technologies and ability to manage risk due to natural environment play a critical role in implementation of cleaner technology strategy. Firm's ability to pursue regulators for additional benefits, ability to manage risk associated with failures and imitation, and focus on up-gradation of in-house technological capabilities help in re-positioning to derive competitive advantages. The results also indicate that sustainable solutions offer differential competitive advantages across the industry sectors and firm's focus to update skill set of employees is also linked with industry sectors. The paper contributes to existing literature by making distinction between cleaner technology strategy and other strategies like pollution prevention and product stewardship. It further argues the strategic perspective of cleaner technology, cleaner production and eco-friendly products to develop necessary attributes for competitiveness. It also provides a measurement tool for the managers to check the performance of their firm to achieve the goals of cleaner technology strategy. Further, the paper provides important managerial, policy and research implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As amply reported, after Bhopal disaster process safety got a boost worldwide and risk analysis got applied more generally. Even if the concept of inherent safety, strongly promoted by Trevor Kletz, represents one of the main lessons from this tragedy, in the first part of the paper we focus on Bhopal mitigation measures representing the ultimate relevant layer of protection. Starting from a technical analysis of the whole safety equipment of the plant and relevant empirical evidences, we face the short-cut design of critical safety devices suitable to mitigate release effects. The applied method allows a preliminary design and management tool to evaluate the effectiveness of safety systems and the impact on surroundings. In the second part, we develop an empirical-based framework allowing to identify emergency actions and intervention time and demonstrate how the implementation of these safety measures when reaching a critical pressure of 10 psig in Thnk 610, even under the condition of protective equipment out of commission, would have surely mitigated such a high profile tragedy. The paper illustrates the determining contribution to this tragedy of such deficiencies in the safety procedures for handling abnormal situations and emergencies by the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous empirical and conceptual studies describe waste minimisation as a key environmental performance indicator for industry. ISO 14001certification in this regard is widely considered the tool of choice for driving waste minimisation efforts. To this day, however, the evidence remains mixed as it pertains to the effectiveness of ISO 14001 in helping firms reduce waste, especially in developing countries. This paper explores the waste minimisation efforts among Indian small and medium enterprises. Specifically, improvements in waste minimisation are analysed from small and medium enterprises operating in the cities of Delhi and Noida. Our proposed model is tested for a model-fit, and the hypotheses are tested through regression coefficient (β) scores to determine the influence of ISO 14001 on the degree of waste minimisation among certified and non-certified companies. The data reveal that ISO 14001 certification alone helped account for a 25% increase in waste minimisation in certified companies after controlling for other critical factors (correlated to the variable ‘waste minimisation’) that may influence this relationship. The analytical tools described in this paper lend themselves to be applied to similar research problems in future studies. The study provides baseline data for further research into ISO 14001 effectiveness in the Indian SME context – a field with still only limited research insights – and offers policy prompts for targeted environmental management improvements in Indian firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current regulatory mechanism is costly and ineffective due to weak enforcement of environmental standards in India. Harnessing the capabilities of capital markets could be a better strategy for environment friendly economic growth. Therefore, the paper aims to examine a relationship between a firm’s environmental performance and its market valuation. The study uses market value as an indicator of the financial performance using the Ohlson (Contemp Account Res 11:661-687, 1995) model, which is a better indicator in an emerging economy compared to Tobin-q and is free from the biases that Tobin-q suffers from. The study finds a positive relationship between the number of voluntary environment program implemented by a firm and its market value and significant negative relationship between a firm’s market value and pollution index. However, the relationship between resource use index and market value is not found to be statistically significant. The study indicates that India could harness the power of capital markets for improving industrial environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sample of 558 Indian companies' financial indicators, during the period 2002-2016, the study investigates empirically the utility of key financial variables that could mitigate the credit risk by improving information on the probability of wilful defaults. The paper has attempted to build a credit risk model using logistic regression to predict the probability of wilful defaulters and classify them with that of the non-defaulting companies. This study has employed an ex-ante approach to pre-empt identification of wilful defaults at an early stage. This could avert/minimize the high costs associated with identification, declaration and legal recourse undertaken by filing a suit. The result of this model with introduction of three cash flow variables has contributed positively to the existing financial distress prediction model. Further, it is empirically tested that the high outstanding debt increases the probability of wilful defaults since the benefits exceeds its implied costs. The resulting estimate from logistic regressions demonstrates that they are statistically significant and the coefficient estimates' signs also possess the predicted sign. The model developed is able to classify with an accuracy of more than 70%, the likelihood of wilful default in the next 2-3 years and the non-defaulting companies with an accuracy of around 98.0% on the above data-set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Decisions pertaining to working capital management have pivotal role for firms’ short-term financial decisions. The purpose of this paper is to examine impact of working capital on profitability for Indian corporate entities.Design/methodology/approach Both classical panel analysis and Bayesian techniques have been employed that provides opportunity not only to perform comparative analysis but also allows flexibility in prior distribution assumptions.Findings It is found that longer cash conversion period has detrimental influence on profitability. Financial soundness indicators are playing significant role in determining firm profitability. Larger firms seem to be more profitable and significant as per Bayesian approach. Bayesian approach has led to considerable gain in estimation fit.Practical implications Observing the highly skewed distribution of dependent variable, Multivariate Student t-distribution has been considered along with normal distribution to model stochastic term. Accordingly, Bayesian methodology is applied.Originality/value Analysis of working capital for firms has been performed in Indian context. Application of Bayesian methodology is performed on balanced panel spanning from 2003 to 2012. As per author’s knowledge, this is the first study which applies Bayesian approach employing panel data for the analysis of working capital management for Indian firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategy that targets pollution prevention shall be the first one among sustainability strategies to be implemented to achieve early cost advantages and mitigate litigation risk. This article aims to isolate pollution prevention strategy (PPS) from other similar sustainability strategies and provides an independent scope of PPS. A questionnaire based survey was conducted among 689 managers of 60 Indian firms known for their orientation towards sustainability. Factorial analysis delivered five factors highlighting the composition of associated variables. Descriptive statistics was used to understand the relative importance of various aspects of PPS and status of implementation of this strategy in Indian firms. The results show that firms are paying higher attention to structured waste management and the priority is early cost advantages hence prefer less investment prone processes modifications. The initiatives are geared mainly due to short term advantages than top management commitment and pro-activeness to comply with environmental regulations. Firms believe in developing expertise and deploying standard practices. It is evident that firms specifically train employees for PPS implantation, but lags in empowerment of employees, resources allocation, cross-functional team formations and rewards for the employees. Also, PPS strategy is implemented as stand-alone strategy and lacks the integration with core corporate strategy. The study adds to existing literature by segregating PPS from other similar strategies like product stewardship and cleaner technology. Tested measure of PPS shall help managers to assess their performance to achieve pollution prevention goals. Further, the paper discusses some important managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to radically redesign the methodology of plant maintenance and develop a three phase framework. A framework for effective and continuous maintenance improvement is presented. Design/methodology/approach – The first phase determines the key performance area, the second phase makes decision about the appropriate policy selection and third phase aims to generate capability in an organization to compete at world level. A case is presented here, of the implementation of a "maintenance reengineering framework", developed with the aid of certain maintenance components. Findings – The maintenance reengineering framework, when implemented, proved successful with a more than 90 per cent rise in production rate. Research limitations/implications – The paper contributes some guidelines which can be helpful in making decision about the selection of maintenance policy and for the achievement of world-class effectiveness. Practical implications – Maintenance reengineering (MR) framework includes the core concepts of preventive maintenance practices, total maintenance management and system perspectives of maintenance. Its implementation goes through three phases from identification of key performance area, via suitable maintenance policy selection to generating the capability for world-class effectiveness. The experience of this pilot implementation in a cement company in India suggested the feasibility of this framework in elevating the performance of maintenance management. Originality/value – This article offers a framework that addresses research on maintenance reengineering. It attempts to establish a relationship among the components of maintenance, which can bring potential benefits to the corporations of similar operations and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the embedding of information and communication technology (ICT) tools in everyday practices among underserved populations in urban India. Using ethnographic investigations of PC-aided micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) in a low-income slum neighborhood in Mumbai, it pursued three broad research goals: first, to etch out organic ICT immersions in underserved technology environments; second, to articulate a new and evolving socio-technical system in an urban slum ecology; third, to seek a fit between goals of ICT for development and impacts of PC-aided enterprise on ICT access and adoption. Based on the ICT4D 2.0 approach interrogating the technology-for-development discourse, this paper substantiates the need for a “new view of the world's poor: one that views the poor not as passive consumers but agile agents and innovative producers of ICT products and services.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of present research paper is a research scholar of C C S University, Meerut and who has submitted his research study in the university which belongs to the study of economic status of scheduled caste in district Meerut and district Saharanpur. In his research work he examined the economic progress made by the people of scheduled caste community with regard to their education, employment, opportunities in business sector etc. The author of the present paper, who belongs to a scheduled caste family, made an effort to analyse the reasons of non-acceptance of scheduled caste people by the business community of India. For the purpose he interviewed the 1000 families of scheduled castes of district Meerut and district Saharanpur and found that 2369 people of these families were engaged in different economic activities. The results of the results study are presented in the present research paper [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While India is an increasingly attractive destination for foreign capital, the country is also becoming a significant source of outflows. Many Indian enterprises view outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) as an important dimension of their corporate strategies. This paper presents some data on the magnitude and composition of Indian OFDI. It also discusses the rationale for and empirical determinants of overseas acquisitions by Indian companies. The empirical findings suggest that OFDI from India is not entirely different from that of other countries in that they are motivated by many common factors. There is evidence, however, that Indian OFDI is more market- and resource-seeking than OFDI from most other countries. The paper concludes with a broader discussion of the impact of the global rise of Indian companies on the Indian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private Equity investments have restructured the trend of acquisitions and aided in value creation as against strategic buyers. Private equity's growing involvement in many sectors is even more striking. The nature of investments of private equity firms and funds, the strategies employed, value creating practices, profitable exits are significantly different from that of other strategic and corporate buyers. The paper deals with the above aspects. The paper is divided into two parts. Part I deals with the basics of private equity investment structures and exits. Part II of the paper deals with the private equity growth story in India. Private equity investments, proposed changes to regulations, sectoral growth, venture capital regulations as well as impact of the latest Union budget and the credit crunch have been dealt with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to construct and validate a tool that measures the knowledge strategies in software organizations in India. The knowledge strategies discussed in this paper are based on the characteristics of organizational learning typology, which are classified as consolidators, transformers and co-inventors. This tool measures the extent to which the software organizations practice the consolidator strategy, transformer strategy, and co-inventor strategy. Data were collected from 39 software companies in India. The tool was tested for psychometric properties such as unidimensionality, validity, and reliability. These properties of the tool are at a very acceptable level in view of the confirmatory fit index (CFI), Bentler Bonett Coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha, which are above the recommended minimum values. Descriptive statistics were tested to quantify the extent to which knowledge strategies were being practiced across the software companies in India. ANOVA was performed to see the role of organization size and age in view of knowledge strategies. Significant differences were observed in knowledge strategies based on the organization's size and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature on the early-modern Asian commercial world, the lack of historical longevity of mercantile wealth has been accepted as a major attribute. This paper establishes that some merchant families of Surat did experience longevity and family fortunes were kept up for five or six generations. It analyzes the institutional dimensions of trade and examines the ways in which these merchants articulated commercial strategies to ensure a long span of their family businesses. The paper demonstrates that fortunes were built and sustained primarily through trade and that the association with the European Companies was an important but additional means of achieving commercial affluence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the argument for analyzing negotiations from an institutional perspective. A major theme of the argument being advanced in this paper is that the institutional perspective provides a more comprehensive understanding of the negotiation process in its entirety. The negotiation process can be broken down into three distinct components, namely fa) the pre-negotiation phase; (b) the negotiating phase; and (c) the post negotiation evaluation. Each of these phases is critically influenced by a specific component or components of the institutional environment. Scott's distinction between the regulative, the normative, and the cognitive dimension of the institutional environment is drawn upon to illustrate the usefulness of (his perspective. The framework is applied to assess the similarities and differences between Indian and Chinese institutional environments and their implications for negotiating processes in the countries discussed. Choosing India and China to illustrate the utility of this framework is justified by the fact that India and China are both in the process of transforming their economies, and although confronted with similar challenges, they have dealt with them in very different ways. This comparison is thus useful, not only for illustrating the value of the institutional perspective, but also for understanding the dynamics of the negotiation process in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid globalization and boundary less business ventures have contributed to a growing number of expatriates working in foreign locales. As a result of this, it is increasingly important that multinational corporations sending their employees for international assignments prioritize expatriate management. The Global Delivery Model followed by the Indian firms creates a number of onsite (international) opportunities for Indian professionals. The effective management of expatriates is increasingly been recognized as a major determinant of success or failure in international business. This paper attempts to identify factors that impact expatriate satisfaction in the industry and how an expatriate can act as a boon to domestic employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bhopal disaster was a gas leak incident in India, considered the world's worst industrial disaster happened around process facilities. Nowadays the process facilities in petrochemical industries have becoming increasingly large and automatic. There are many risk factors with complex relationships among them. Unfortunately, some operators have poor access to abnormal situation management experience due to the lack of knowledge. However these interdependencies are seldom accounted for in current risk and safety analyses, which also belonged to the main factor causing Bhopal tragedy. Fault propagation behavior of process system is studied in this paper, and a dynamic Bayesian network based framework for root cause reasoning is proposed to deal with abnormal situation. It will help operators to fully understand the relationships among all the risk factors, identify the causes that lead to the abnormal situations, and consider all available safety measures to cope with the situation. Examples from a case study for process facilities are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. It also provides a method to help us do things better in the future and to make sure that another such terrible accident never happens again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite growing interest in, and government support for, ISO14001 certification across Asia in recent years, little is known about issues surrounding the uptake and the effectiveness of environmental management systems in this region. There is a particular void of academic work in relation to ISO certification in India and the country's large number of small and medium enterprises; a field of inquiry this paper seeks to advance. Specifically, as a means of providing a basis for classification of firms for an analysis of the state of ISO14001 in India we test the adequacy of critical factors such as nature of business, size, year of establishment and internationalisation among small and medium enterprises and industry best companies. An analysis is presented of secondary data derived from the websites of a sample of ISO14001 certified firms located in the cities of Delhi and Noida. The data show that in the area of manufacturing the highest number of ISO14001 certifications can be recorded and that established small and medium enterprises with high turnover are more likely to adopt ISO14001 certification compared to low turnover firms. The findings inform the status of environmental management systems in India and have implications for government policy intended to foster ISO14001 uptake by Indian firms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The basic principles of design for assembly (DfA) are well established. This paper presents a short review of the development of DfA approaches before presenting a new tool in which these principles are packaged for use in teams, both in an industrial and an educational context. The fundamental consideration in the design of this tool is to encourage wide team participation from across an organisation and is thus physical rather than software-based. This tool builds on the process developed by Appleton whilst at the University of Cambridge. In addition to the traditional analysis of component fitting, feeding and fixing, this process also encourages the team to explore how this relates to the overall assembly flow and specifically the achievement of throughput targets. The novel approach is an improvement to established methods and encompasses an original assessment tool and its delivery process that includes custom designed post-it notes and simple check lists for scoring. The process is demonstrated in a single case study in an Indian firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the transformation of India's telecommunications and media industries in the context of neo-liberal policies pursued by the state since 1991 to establish the supremacy of the market. The growth of the capitalist enterprises, their expansion abroad, their entanglement with foreign capital and the closer ties to the multinationals are some of the features of this historic process. While the evidence indicates impressive short-term gains for the middle and upper classes, the larger structural questions linger. Nearly 400 million Indians out of the billion-plus population are languishing in crushing poverty as they attempt to climb up the economic ladder and grab the ephemeral promises made by the new, fast globalizing economy. The social costs of this economy, in which post-colonial India's vision of a fair and just society are abandoned, have resulted in various upheavals and an unstable political economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of group-affiliation on Indian corporate firms’ capital structure, based on data on 875 Indian non-financial firms for the period 2002–2010. The GMM turns out to be the most appropriate among the three alternative methods. Following our hypothesis, group-affiliated firms are found to have lower leverage than the stand-alone firms. Managers of group-affiliated firms seem to prefer equity as high leverage increases its bankruptcy risk. Also, firms are forced to cut capital requirements and R&D investments in order to service debt payments, damaging their long-run efficiency and competitive position. From our analysis the conclusion that follows for the policy makers is that although group-affiliation is considered to be beneficial for emerging economies like India in some earlier studies (Khanna & Palepu, 2000a), they ignored other dimensions of firm performance such as optimization of capital structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most of the developing countries across the world have opened up their mining industry for private sector participation since late 1980s with a view to increase the overall efficiency of the mineral extraction. But are the private mining firms really efficient than the public sector firms? In such a context this paper compares the extraction efficiency of public and private mining firms in India by assessing their Total Factor Productivity (TFP). The study reveals that TFP levels of private firms are significantly higher than that of public firms in metallic, non-metallic and coal mining sectors. TFP levels of private firms in non-metallic sector are almost double that of public firms. Similarly, private firms in metallic and coal mining industry are one and half times more productive than public firms. In such a context, we can suggest that private participation in the mining industry may boost the overall productivity of the sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a recent analysis (July 29, 2010) Hewitt Associates have reported a steady decline in the global employee engagement levels. According to the report this is the largest drop in the engagement levels that has been observed in the past 15 years. This clearly highlights the need for some concrete mechanism to improve the engagement levels of the employees in organizations. In response to the dire need for organizations to increase engagement levels of employees, the importance of the human resource development (HRD) climate cannot be overlooked. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of HRD Climate on employee engagement in select business organizations in Indian. An attempt is made to closely examine the interrelationship between factors of HRD Climate and employee engagement. The study was conducted on 85 business executives from both private and public sector manufacturing and service firms in India. Data was analyzed using correlation and regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that the general climate dimension of HRD Climate was the most significant predictor of employee engagement followed by the HRD mechanism dimension. Thus, by studying HRD Climate and employee engagement together, this paper makes a significant contribution to the existing dearth of academic literature on employee engagement and HRD Climate in an Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to examine the association between the Corporate Leverage (cl) and the Dividend Policy (dp) of firms across industries in India in respect of Size of Corporate Firms. The investigation is conducted on a panel sample of 73 firms across industries [Cement, Chemical and Fertilizer, it, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceutical, Shipping, and Textiles], which listed their shares in National Stock Exchange (nse) in India for the period 1996-2007. The impacts of Capital Structure (cs) variables (leverage) on dp measures - dividend payout (Net dividend paid/net income) in the presence of some basic fundamental variables are considered to be the determinants of dp, using the Multiple Regression Technique (ols method). The results of the cross-sectional ols Model for the selected sample firms under various sectors show that there is a significant effect of selected independent variables, dpoα+β1dpot-1 +β2pat+β3tde+β4cf+β5size+β6inv+ β1ltd + β8std + e. Therefore, this study proves that the dp of Small Size, Medium Size, Large Size, and Overall Corporate Firms across industries in India is dependent on the level of debt in cs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The larger part of the economy in most developing countries is outside the regulative control of the state. When defined in this way, it has two types of expression: first, self-employment (with some wage-work) in unregistered or unincorporated small enterprises; second, unregistered and unregulated activity and workers inside and around large registered organizations such as firms, public sector enterprises, and the state itself. This paper reviews the literature, mainly but not exclusively from India, with three objectives. First, it questions what brings order to such economic activity and how economic and social insecurity is instituted. Second, it examines the counter intuitive proposition that social security rights are de facto, if not de jure, dependent upon work rights. Third, it explores the dynamics of, and responses to, informalization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper attempts to examine the role of technological efforts and firm size in determining the export behaviour of firms belonging to the basic chemical industry in India. The basic chemical industry is an important industry that provides intermediate chemicals to firms operating in diverse industries in both India and abroad. In this study technological efforts have been considered in terms of in-house R&D, import of embodied technology, and import of disembodied technology. Three different econometric models, namely, the Tobit, the two-part (Probit + Truncation) and the sample selection (Heckman), have been used for estimation and the results have been compared. The authors find evidence in support of the view that export behaviour of the firm can be modelled in a more appropriate manner using a two-part or a sample selection model rather than the popular Tobit model. The results of the econometric exercise confirm that technological efforts, firm size and other firm-specific characteristics are important in explaining the export behaviour of the firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the recent success that India has enjoyed in the domain of outsourcing of services can be explained through the triple helix paradigm of university-industry-government networks albeit in a manner that does not conform strictly to the existing notions of triple helix. First, it presents an analytical discussion on offshore outsourcing focusing on the heightened sense of uncertainty that prevails in this particular form of procurement. It is suggested here that one of the ways of managing uncertainty is to leverage personal and social ties which are constitutive of the social capital of firms engaged in such economic exchanges. Second, it looks at the case of India through in terms of social networks and the triple helix thesis and illustrates how university-industry-government networks and the social capital of the firms involved have played a central role in India's success in the export of knowledge-intensive services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A company is an organization where a cluster of individuals work with a commonality of aim to achieve the objectives of the company and to earn maximum profit. But there also exist differences of interests and opinions among individuals, where a few form the majority while the rest form the minority. It is this balancing act between the majority and minority that requires careful judicial scrutinization to avoid abuse of position. This paper is an attempt to describe the law related to prevention of oppression and mismanagement in India and England. It also compares the discretionary power of courts to provide just and equitable remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian economy is expected to grow by over 8 per cent per annum until 2020 and can become the second largest in the world, ahead of the United States, by 2050, and the third largest after China and the United States by 2032. The turnaround in manufacturing and other sectors, which has occurred in the face of increased global competition, is due to improved efficiency following the various policy reforms in recent years. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) constitute 6 per cent of GDP, 34 per cent of national exports and account for the employment of more than 30 million people. SMEs have improved their performance and presence through industrial cluster approaches. In this paper, we present the experiences of three auto clusters in three major locations in India. We also highlight some of the important issues that SMEs face and conclude by suggesting suitable cluster interventions for enhancing competitiveness and sustainability of the SME sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the determinants of the overseas direct investment activity of Indian manufacturing enterprises. In general, several firm-specific characteristics such as age, size, R&D intensity, skill intensity and export orientation are observed to be important explanatory factors in the outward foreign direct investment (O-FDI) activity of lndian firms. The impact of age and size on O-FDI has been observed to be non-linear. The product differentiation activities and the productivity of firms are other useful factors in overseas production expansion in certain industries. The study reveals that the performance of these firm-specific variables is subject to sectoral dynamics. Internationalization of production activities of Indian finns has been observed to be partly fuelled by policy liberalization during the 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in the economic development of any developing country due to their innate capability of transforming novel ideas into innovations and thus building profitable enterprises. Globalisation has necessitated smaller firms to target on Sustainable Oriented Innovation (SOI) practices, as an essential parameter for achieving competitive advantage. However, transforming MSMEs towards the incorporation of SOI practices is not an easy task for a developing country like India. For this, MSMEs will have to focus on significant innovation factors that would help them sustain global competition. This paper highlights essential Critical Factors (CFs) to implement SOI practices in MSMEs of the Delhi NCR region of India catering to sector which manufactures products. A novel multi-criteria decision-making technique called an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed in identifying the vital CFs amongst these. The AHP evaluation results' robustness is checked by performing a sensitivity analysis. Research results indicate that 'Top management support'; 'Government initiatives' and 'Financial resources' are the most important factors contributing significantly in implementing SOI practices. This research is useful for developing recommendation for companies, academic experts, and Governmental professionals. The authors believe that research outcomes would be helping India in contributing for the sustainable development of MSMEs. Image 1 • Factors influencing innovation practices towards sustainability are proposed. • The focus is on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), India. • The ranking framework of the identified factors is developed. • Sensitivity analysis is used to validate the developed ranking framework. • Policy implications are derived for sustainably oriented innovation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the corporate sustainability of agro-food value chains, business organizations need to rely on a higher performing and more reliable logistics system. Particularly, in case of dairy industry, organizations are facing some important challenges containing people management, short shelf life, high food losses and wastage, high greenhouse gas emissions. Based on "Confederation of Indian industry - Dairy Vision 2025", it is believed that the dairy sector in India has high potential if organizations can develop an effective logistics and supply chain system. This article attempts to analyze the interaction between distribution related challenges with a focus operational excellence and higher corporate green growth and sustainability viewpoints in food supply chains by considering the business example of four Indian dairy product based organizations using graph theory and matrix approach. Several key challenges were identified based on a literature survey and experts' views. Graph theory and matrix approach has been applied to select the most significant challenge. The results show that food organizations must work on cold chain to manage logistics and distribution challenges to reduce wastage, decrease financial losses and to take environmental issues into account. This paper ranks the challenges as well as develop an index for the dairy industry to achieve corporate sustainability in its supply chain and logistics network. The present study findings will provide useful knowledge for managers and policy makers managing interaction between people and process aspects and corporate sustainability management in the agro-based diary organizational logistics and supply chains. This is one of the unique studies in food supply chain that helps in improving the logistics and supply performance in diary industries of emerging economies. Image 102787 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]