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Purpose: Reference voltage or current generators are an important requirement for an analog or digital circuit design. Bandgap reference circuits (BGR) are most common way of generating the reference voltage. This paper aims to provide a detailed insight of design of a folded cascode operational amplifier (FC op amp) and a BGR circuit. The complete study flow from design to layout of the circuits on 180 nm semiconductor laboratory (SCL) process leading to bonding diagram for possible tape-out is discussed. This study work has been supported by MeitY, Govt. of India, through Special Manpower Development Project Chip to System Design. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides a detailed insight in design of a FC op amp and a BGR circuit. The complete study flow from design to layout of the two circuits on 180 nm SCL process leading to bonding diagram for possible tape-out is discussed. Section 2 shows the design of FC op amp, beta-multiplier circuit and their simulation results. Section 3 describes the comparison of design of conventional BGR and the proposed BGR with other state-of-art BGR circuits. Section 4 gives the comparison of their performance. The conclusion is given in Section 5. Findings: The post-layout simulation of FC op amp show an open-loop gain of 64.5 dB, 3-dB frequency of 5.5 KHz, unity-gain bandwidth of 8.7 MHz, slew rate of 8.4 V/µs, CMRR of 111 dB and power of 25.5µW. Among the two BGR designs, the conventional BGR generated 693 mV of reference voltage with a temperature coefficient of 16 ppm/°C the other BGR, with curvature correction generated 1.3 V of reference voltage with a temperate coefficient of 6.3 ppm/°C , both results in temperature ranging from −40°C to 125°C. The chip layout of the circuits designed on 180 nm SCL process ensures design rule check (DRC), Antenna and layout versus schematic (LVS) clean with metal fill. Research limitations/implications: Slew rate, stability analysis, power are important parameters which should be taken care while designing an op amp for a BGR. Direct current gain should be kept higher to reduce offset errors. Input common mode range is decided by the operating temperature range. A higher power supply rejection ratio will reduce BGR sensitivity to supply voltage variations. Input offset should be kept low to reduce BGR error in reference voltage. However, this paper emphasis on the flow from schematic to layout using simulation tools. As part of the study, the bonding diagram for tape-out of BGR and FC design in the given SCL frame size with seal ring is also explored, for possible tape-out. Practical implications: Reference voltage or current generators are an important requirement for an analog or digital circuit design. BGR are most common way of generating the reference voltage. This paper provides a detailed insight in design of a FC op amp and a BGR circuit. The complete study flow from design to layout of the circuits on 180 nm SCL process leading to bonding diagram for possible tape-out is discussed. The chip layout of the circuits was designed on 180 nm SCL process ensuring DRC, antenna and LVS clean with metal fill using Cadence virtuoso and Mentor Graphics Calibre simulation tools. Social implications: BGR are most common way of generating the reference voltage. This paper gives a detailed insight of a BGR design using a folded-cascode operational amplifier. The FC op amp is biased using a beta multiplier circuit and high-swing cascode current mirror circuit. The paper discuss FC circuit design flow from schematic to layout. Originality/value: FC op amp is biased using a beta multiplier circuit and high-swing cascode current mirror. The paper discusses FC design flow from schematic to layout. The circuits were designed on 180 nm SCL technology with 1.8 V of power supply. The post-layout simulation show an open-loop gain of 64.5 dB, 3 dB frequency of 5.5 KHz, unity-gain bandwidth of 8.7 MHz, slew rate of 8.4 V/µs, CMRR of 111 dB and power of 25.5 µW. BGR were designed using FC op amp. The proposed BGR generated 1.3 V of reference voltage with a temperature coefficient of 6.3 ppm/°C in the range from −40°C to 125°C in schematic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the factors affecting the entrepreneur's choice of the dairy value chain and evaluate the impact of the value chain on farm performance (profit). Design/methodology/approach: Primary data were collected from dairy entrepreneurs in India, covering nine states. A multinomial treatment effect model (controlling for selection bias and endogeneity) was used to evaluate the impact of the choice of the value chain on entrepreneurs' profit. Findings: Dairy entrepreneurs operating in any recognized value chain other than the value chain driven by the consumer household realize a comparatively lesser profit. Dairy farmers have established direct linkages with customers in urban areas – who could pay premium prices for safe and quality milk. Food safety compliance is positively associated with profit and entrepreneurs (who have undergone formal training in dairying) preferred partnerships with a formal value chain. The prospects of starting a dairy enterprise are slightly higher in villages compared to urban areas. Research limitations/implications: Dairy entrepreneurs can make a shift in accordance with the study's findings and boost their profitability. It aids in comprehending how trainees (who obtained advice and training for raising dairy animals from R&D organizations) and non-trainee dairy farmers make value chain selections, which ultimately affect profitability. However, purposive sampling and a small sample size limit the universal implications of the study. Social implications: Developing entrepreneurial behavior and startup culture is at the center of policymaking in India. The findings imply that the emerging value chain not only enhances the profit of dairy farmers by resolving consumer concerns about food safety and the quality of milk and milk products but also builds consumer trust. Originality/value: This paper offers insight into how the benefits of dairy entrepreneurs vary with their participation in the different value chains. The impact of skill development/training programs on value chain selection and farm profitability has not yet been fully understood. Here is an attempt to fill this gap. This paper through light on how trained and educated dairy entrepreneurs are able to establish a territorial market by approaching premium customers – this is an addition to the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the role of institution in the combating crime in India. This study also assesses institutions for controlling property crime in India in the post-reform era. Design/methodology/approach: Crime and socio-economic data are taken from National Crime Record Bureau and the Reserve Bank of India, respectively. Twenty major Indian states are selected for the study purpose for the period of 1994–2019. Fixed effect panel data technique is used for analysis purpose. Findings: Property crime rate declines with economic growth, while it increases with financial development. Findings of fiscal policy instruments are different. Own tax is positively associated with property crime in India, while non-tax fiscal instruments such as fine, penalty, and so on, are inversely related to it. Property crime rate is inversely related to institutional factors like charge sheet and conviction rate. Research limitations/implications: Further research is needed for other crimes in India. State-level data are used here for analysis purpose; however, spatial or cluster analysis techniques might provide more insights for combating crimes in India. Practical implications: This study suggests that economic growth and fiscal instrument along with institutional development are essential to control property crime in India. Social implications: Government should take steps to improve the law-and-order system to control property crime across states. Originality/value: Impact of non-tax fiscal instrument reduces property crime while that of own tax is increases it in India. These findings are unique and added certain insight in the study. Institutional roles are captured its performances like charge sheet and convict rate, which are significantly reduce property crime in Indian states. Least square dummy variable model is applied to capture individual state effects. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0063 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The fraud landscape for FinTech industry has increased over the past few years, certainly during the time of COVID-19, FinTech market reported rapid growth in the fraud cases (World Bank, 2020). Taking the consideration, the paper has qualitatively understood the loopholes of the FinTech industry and designed a conceptual model declaring "Identity Theft" as the major and the common fraud type in this industry. The paper is divided in two phases. The first phase discusses about the evolution of FinTech industry, the second phase discusses "Identity Theft" as the common fraud type in FinTech Industry and suggests solutions to prevent "Identity Theft" frauds. This study aims to serve as a guide for subsequent investigations into the FinTech sector and add to the body of knowledge regarding fraud detection and prevention. This study would also help organisations and regulators raise their professional standards in relation to the global fraud scene. Design/methodology/approach: This paper revisits the literature to understand the evolution of FinTech Industry and the types of FinTech solutions. The authors argue that traditional models must be modernised to keep up with the current trends in the rapidly increasing number and severity of fraud incidents and however introduces the conceptual model of the common fraud type in FinTech Industry. The research also develops evidences based on theoretical underpinnings to enhance the comprehension of the key fraud-causing elements. Findings: The authors have identified the most common fraud type in the FinTech Industry which is "Identity Theft" and supports the study with profusion of literature. "Identity theft" and various types of fraud continue to outbreak customers and industries similar in 2021, leaving several to wonder what could be the scenario in 2022 and coming years ahead (IBS Inteligence, 2022). "Identify theft" has been identified as one the common fraud schemes to defraud individuals as per the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. There is a need for many of the FinTech organisations to create preventive measures to combat such fraud scheme. The authors suggest some preventive techniques to prevent corporate frauds in the FinTech industry. Research limitations/implications: This study identifies the evolution of FinTech industry, major evidences of Identity Thefts and some preventive suggestions to combat identity theft frauds which requires practical approach in FinTech Industry. Further, this study is based out of qualitative data, the study can be modified with statistical data and can be measured with the quantitative results. Practical implications: This study would also help organisations and regulators raise their professional standards in relation to the global fraud scene. Social implications: This study will serve as a guide for subsequent investigations into the FinTech sector and add to the body of knowledge regarding fraud detection and prevention. Originality/value: This study presents evidence for the most prevalent fraud scheme in the FinTech sector and proposes that it serve as a theoretical standard for all ensuing comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the impact of corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) media coverage on firm performance in India. It also analyses the effects of the environment, social, governance, and cross-cutting issues on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: The paper utilizes a sample of Indian firms from the Reprisk® database, amounting to 1,103 CSiR media coverage counts for 693 firm-year annual observations from 2008 to 2015. Further, Reprisk® segregates comprehensive CSiR coverage counts into the environment, social, governance and cross-cutting issues, for which the study runs the fixed effects panel regression. The study takes year-fixed effects, industry-fixed effects and clustered standard errors at the industry level. Findings: The results of this study indicate that CSiR coverage negatively influences the firm performance of Indian firms. All issues, including social, governance and cross-cutting, except environmental issues, negatively impact firm value in India. Practical implications: The involvement of firms in CSiR costs the firms financially and drives down firm performance. Social issues, including community and employee-related matters, governance issues and cross-cutting issues, also reduce the firm performance. Social implications: The insignificant environmental impact on firm performance does not indicate that environmental issues have no detrimental consequences. Instead, it might need more stakeholders' awareness to understand the harmful implications of environmental issues on society. Originality/value: Limited studies have explored CSiR in India so far. The study is novel as it analyses the Reprisk® database and its segregation of media counts into the environment, social, governance and cross-cutting issues in the Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite a lot of developments in the financial markets, financial illiteracy is a main concern across the world and is directly associated with faulty financial decisions making. The situation is very alarming among a socially or economically marginalized section of society as they cannot afford to pay finance professionals for their wealth management. The objective of the study is to understand the level of financial literacy as well as its determinants among the marginalized section of society living in hilly areas. Design/methodology/approach: The study is descriptive as well as empirical in design and based on primary data collected from the 300 scheduled tribe households of Himachal Pradesh a hilly state of India. Findings: The study observed that financial literacy is very low among the scheduled tribes living, and their level of education, income, family system and Internet accessibility have a significant impact on their financial scores. Practical implications: The outcome of the paper may be useful to design customized awareness programs, and financial products focusing on scheduled tribes living in far-flung areas so that they can get the benefits of market-driven financial products. Social implications: Financial awareness can help scheduled tribes in their financial inclusion thereby reducing poverty and inequality through informed financial decisions. Thus, the outcome if implemented can help in achieving the objective of inclusive growth. Originality/value: No specific work has been done to explore the level as well as the determinants of financial literacy among the scheduled tribe households living in hill areas. This paper will fill this gap and contributes to the existing work on financial literacy and inclusion. Peer review: The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many working mothers in India adopted involuntary telecommuting work option for the first time. However, no research explored their adjustments and experiences in the new work setting. This paper aims to gain an in-depth understanding of Indian working mothers' lived experience of involuntary telecommuting. Design/methodology/approach: A phenomenological research design was adopted. The authors conducted 14 in-depth, semi-structured telephonic and online interviews. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. Findings: The data analysis yielded two interconnected superordinate themes in this research: (1) characteristics of involuntary telecommuting and (2) the impact of involuntary telecommuting. Under the first theme, four sub-themes emerged: long working hours, increased family demands, reduced interaction with coworkers and technology-enabled communication with supervisors. The second theme comprised five sub-themes: time-based work interference with family, time-based family interference with work, strain-based family interference with work, absence of emotional and professional support and performance management concerns. Involuntary telecommuting mothers faced challenges due to lack of control over their daily work schedule and demands, along with an increased burden of unpaid household work, leading to difficulties in managing their work schedule and negotiating their professional role identity within the family. These findings emphasize that working mothers who participated in involuntary telecommuting encountered bidirectional time-based conflicts and unidirectional strain-based conflict. Research limitations/implications: The study examines a particular subset of women telecommuters who were working mothers with young children. These potential limitations are to be addressed in future research. Practical implications: The findings suggest that managers should develop HR policies and telecommuting ecosystems in order to enhance effectiveness of telecommuting. Specifically, organizations offering telecommuting work options should create opportunities for informal interaction among peers and formal one-to-one interaction with managers. Moreover, HR managers should develop and implement employee-friendly telecommuting policies. Social implications: The research contributes to HRM and gender literature. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the discourses of work-life balance, workplace relationships and work policies within telecommuting literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Though there is emerging research that induces a postulation for a Vedic–Buddhist (V–B) cultural cluster, good theory development requires not only generalizability but also strong explanation. This paper aims to address the explanation gap to strengthen emerging theory development. Design/methodology/approach: Religion-derived spiritual philosophy travel is traced from historical origins in India to contemporary Japanese management practice and its underpinning values. Findings: The enhanced explanation developed in this paper finds a clear trace of spiritual values with roots in India surfacing in contemporary Japanese management as identified in extant cross-cultural management (CCM) literature. Research limitations/implications: This paper offers important explanation to strengthen emerging theory on the novel idea of a V–B CCM cluster. Practical implications: The strengthening of explanation for emerging theory adds to the case for modification of the traditional CCM meta-narrative that has positioned India and Japan in separate cultural clusters. Social implications: Strengthening the postulation of a V–B cultural cluster potentially lubricates foreign investment from Japan to India contributing to achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 17 that pertains to international partnerships. Additionally, the findings raise questions for public policymakers who in modern times occlude religion from the public sphere. Originality/value: This paper offers novel explanatory perspectives for emerging CCM theory, potentially expanding the spiritual philosophy avenue of management research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work is an extension of research on worker participation in achieving career success by including a prominent contextual construct, that is social capital. The present research aims to study how competency development influences the intrinsic career success of females in the handicraft industry, by considering the role of perceived employability as a mediator and social capital as a moderator. By doing so, this paper aims to fill the vacuum in the career literature that suggests that career success is not gender neutral. Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from handicraft workers by adopting the survey method. CFA and SPSS macro named PROCESS were used to analyse data. Findings: Competency development influences the subjective career success of female workers, and perceived employability mediated the relationship between them. Moreover, social capital independently moderates the relationship between the participation of workers in competency development and perceived employability. Research limitations/implications: The study is conducted in the Indian context alone, and therefore future studies must be conducted globally to deepen the scholarly dialogue on female workers' career success. Also, the current study measures career success, from a subjective perspective, thus future studies can measure female workers' objective career success. Practical implications: The current paper identifies the need to study the factors contributing to female workers' career success in small industries. Social implications: Conventional industries and their workers' career success must be given equal importance by researchers, practitioners and policymakers. Originality/value: The paper fills the gap in career research by exploring female workers' career success through empirical evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find theoretical and practical linkages between social capital, network and community participation. The study examines the role of popular social capital and its forms in shaping community participation under the influence of socioeconomic status of individuals. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses household survey data (N = 135) from select north Indian villages to assess the role of social capital and individuals' networks (measured through their network size) in participation. The participation is measured in terms of attendance and vocal participation. Findings: The study finds significant evidence that the networks do not play a uniform role in collective participation. The elitist form of social capital exists in the community which can leverage the networks to their benefit, whereas many people, despite large network size, cannot actively participate. Social capital and networks are not entirely conducive for collective participation and favours a few in the community. Additionally, networks do facilitate information flow but do not help in achieving active engagement. Hence, the peer effect is not truly reflected in vocal participation all the time, especially in local governance context. Research limitations/implications: The conclusion of the study is based on small sample size from seven villages. Nonetheless, in light of the supporting literature available, it provides useful insights and triggers important questions that need microscopic analysis under the macroscopic umbrella of social capital. Practical implications: On policy fronts, takeaway from this paper can be used for policy and law formulation for lower strata of the society such as labour law formulation and labour behavioural practices in community participation. Social implications: The research findings can be utilized for the emerging applications of social networks in understanding local governance and community engagement in developing societies. Originality/value: This research has used a novel field experiment conducted by one of the authors himself. The empirical assessment of social capital and networks in local governance can be replicated elsewhere to study participation in other societies as well. In terms of policy, the research underscores the need of using social capital notion while assessing the community engagement in local governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how the student fund managers perceive the benefits of being part of the fund. Furthermore, this paper examines the country-specific challenges of setting up and managing a student-managed investment fund (SMIF) in India. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative content analysis technique is used to identify, compare and retrieve critical themes about the present state of SMIF clubs in India. The data collection method involved structured, in-depth online interviews with ten student fund managers from various higher educational institutions in India. Findings: Some of the study's key findings indicate that the existence of SMIFs as part of learning facilitates group decision-making and peer learning. Additionally, this study brings to light specific issues related to registration, incorporating real-world practices and integrating SMIF into the academic curriculum. Social implications: The outcomes of this study shall be of use to students and the teaching fraternity across Indian colleges and universities who aspire to set up SMIFs as part of experiential learning. This study will also help existing SMIF clubs in India understand how their counterparts work and can consequently improvise their organizational structure and functioning. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first interview-based evaluation of the present structure of SMIFs structured as clubs in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop understanding of cross-cultural issues relating to the experience and implications of an elite grouping of Japanese CEOs customer value orientations (CVOs) within Japanese firms operating in India. The paper underlines that there is a propensity for East-West comparisons and in contrast the argument contributes to the under-examined area of research on East Asian/South Asian comparative studies. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were employed to generate narratives that provided rich and novel insights into the lived experience of Japanese CEOs working in Indian contexts and in relation to CVO. An inductive framework was employed in order to develop a more in-depth understanding of Japanese CEO CVO in Indo-Japanese empirical settings. Findings: The data analysis identified a number of shared themes that influence CVO practice in the Indo-Japanese context. The findings develop an awareness of cross-cultural management's (CCM) in relation to the under-explored area of the Indo-Japanese dyad. Research limitations/implications: The paper develops CCM perspectives towards a more in-depth conceptualization of Japanese CEO perceptions on CVO practice in India. This is also of potential relevance to wider foreign investors not only Japanese businesses. The sample respondents – Japanese CEOS working in India – constitute a small and elite group. The lead author, having experience as a CEO of a Japanese firm was able to use convenience sampling to access this difficult to access group. In addition, also stemming from the convenience aspect, all the respondents were in the manufacturing sector. The study was deliberately targeted and narrowly focussed for this reason and does not claim automatic wide generalizability to other employee strata or industry; however, other sectors and employees may recognize resonance. This identified gap provides space for future studies in varying regional, national and sector contexts. Practical implications: The paper identifies implications for CCM training and Indo-Japanese business organization design. Social implications: Use and acceptance of the enhanced research paradigm could support diversity in research and knowledge production with implications for research, teaching and future policymakers. Originality/value: The cross-cultural study is original in that it contributes to CCM literature by providing a rare Indo-Japanese (sic East Asian: South Asian) comparative study. It provides an uncommon granular appreciation of the interaction of these cultures in relation to CVO. In addition, it secures rare data from an elite Japanese CEOs of manufacturing sector businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this research, the emphasis is multifold. First objective is to study differences amongst India's Make-in-India, Germany's Industry 4.0 and China's Made-in-China 2025 on a macro level. Second objective is to identify where does individual industry segment out of the five broad segments (prioritized by Make-in-India initiative) represented by ten firms in India stand in terms of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Third objective is to identify key barriers for each of these five industry segments. Finally, socio-technical interventions are also proposed aimed at faster adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methodological approach is followed to achieve the research objectives. First, for the macro-level comparison of three pertinent countries, extant research and industry literature have been relied upon. Thereafter, at a micro level, inputs from experts belonging to focal sectors are included in this study to ascertain the current level of readiness of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and the barriers to adoption. Finally, the authors argue for and propose some socio-technical interventions that are aimed at mitigation of barriers for adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Findings: It has been ascertained that amongst the ten firms (two each from given focal sectors) considered in the study, the automotive and the software firm are perhaps best placed to adopt the Industry 4.0 technology, while the infrastructure project management firm is least ready for Industry 4.0 technologies. The common barriers to adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, as elaborated by experts belonging to each of the ten firms, are also identified. These three commons barriers are resistance to change, unclear economic benefits and problems related to coordination and collaboration. Research limitations/implications: The study is one of first attempts to understand the nuances related to technology readiness across focal industries pertaining to the Make-in-India initiative and Industry 4.0. The study furthers the extant understanding of common and distinct barriers across industries. Employing the soft-systems methodology, the study advocates for a number of socio-technical interventions pertaining to establishment of e-skill ecosystem, community learning clusters and sector-focussed skill acquisition and augmentation. Since the study considers only two firms corresponding to each of the five focal sectors, including more firms across industries could have resulted in further validation of study as well. Practical implications: Contrasting the initiatives of the three countries results in identification of different thematic focus of the respective initiatives. While India's Make-in-India initiative has a strong social dimension, Germany's Industry 4.0 and Made-in-China 2025 have key objective related to integration of cyber-physical systems and to graduate to innovation-driven country, respectively. Further, analysis on the technology readiness for adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies based on the respective experts' assessment results in understanding of the underlying barriers. Social implications: Adopting the soft-systems perspective linking nuances of stakeholders, socio-technical systems and socio-economic characteristics results in several propositions to further the social objectives of India's Make-in-India initiative. These propositions advocate for pathways in which extant strengths in terms of technology, people and existing socio-technical structures can be brought together to cater to the requirements related to employability and skill augmentation of new as well as existing workforce. Originality/value: Extant research literature is primarily focussed on certain specific topics within Industry 4.0 implementation and is mainly based on conceptual or theoretical basis. From a practitioners' perspective, only a few empirical papers could be found that too are typically focussed on single case studies resulting from pilot applications of Industry 4.0. However, such papers have not examined the broad implications of Industry 4.0 in terms of differences between key countries' manufacturing initiatives, readiness of key sectors, sectoral barriers and accompanying policy-level implications associated with implementation of Industry 4.0. Thus, the objective of this research is to abridge these research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities that the Indian Tourism and Hospitality faces to rebuild itself. The questions discussed include: what is to be done, the role of the Government at the Federal and Provincial level and how should the stakeholders of the tourism ecosystem play out? Design/methodology/approach: The 2020 expectation for Indian Tourism was for a bumper year, a year that would be remembered, but then the pandemic proved to be devastating. This article is based on secondary literature and discussions with industry representatives, which provide guidance and pointers for future preparedness. Findings: The industry went from a difficult situation during the lockdowns, to a scenario of hope and opportunity initiated by domestic travellers, who provided a ray of hope for tourism stakeholders. Social implications: In the wake of the pandemic, businesses suffered from a lack of business; people lost jobs, travel came to a standstill and so it was mitigation that was important. The way the tourism ecosystem sought to return to normal and build on it for future has a number of implications for relevant changes to society. Originality/value: Resilience, restructuring and renewal have characterised the tourism business in India and this paper investigates new dimensions for innovatively managing the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Wine tourism is spreading from the "old world" wine countries to Asia. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the GLOW framework capturing the tension of homogenization and globalization of touristic experiences, the tourists' rising environmental concerns and their conflict of searching for authentic experience with new sensations. Design/methodology/approach: In a mixed-method procedure, evidence describing the wine tourists' perceptions and motivations is assessed using a quantitative survey and fitting a structural equation model using the PLS algorithm. Complementing evidence through qualitative interviews with Indian entrepreneurs on designing a glocalized experience is analyzed. Findings: Spillover from international travel is the most relevant driver of wine tourism in India. However, types of wines and the experiences are adjusted to the local conditions. The winemakers are remarkably advanced in implementing environmentally sustainable production and avoiding over tourism which perfectly meets their clients' expectations. Research limitations/implications: Entrepreneurial creation theory as described by Alvarez and Barney (2007) is illustrated in the Asian glocalisation context giving special attention to the entrepreneur's individual capabilities as called by Helfat and Peteraf (2015) and Liñán et al. (2020). Practical implications: Conservation of biodiversity and the aesthetics of the local landscape are essential for the vividness of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the attractiveness for the guests. Social implications: Local adaptation of the touristic experience in terms of entertainment, indigenous cuisines and local specialty supports sustainable development of all the stakeholders. Originality/value: Novelty arises from the projection of the visitors considering the wine cellar experience as an alternative to international travels in combination with analyzing how the entrepreneurs create entrepreneurial opportunities by carving out an authentic experience for their guests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the enablers of modular healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach: A survey-based approach was adopted with specialised hospitals as the unit of analysis. A structural model was developed based on a literature review and assessed using a cross-sectional research design. A 23-indicator questionnaire was circulated among service providers in the healthcare system across India, and 286 valid responses were received. The data were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The results reveal that professional competence, technological versatility, clear division of tasks, channelised flow of information and professional autonomy act as enablers that may drive modular service delivery. Research limitations/implications: By examining service providers' perspectives, this paper highlights the influence of the identified enablers on modular service delivery in healthcare organisations. Practical implications: For practitioners, the study provides suggestions for designing patient-centric healthcare services via modular healthcare delivery. The identified structural relationships can facilitate immediate corrective actions and the formulation of future policies. The findings will help practitioners foresee opportunities for patient participation in value co-creation, meet patients' varying needs, decompose service offerings, mix and match components develop sets of rules as interfaces between service modules and design service packages on an ongoing basis. Social implications: This study underscores the emergence of patient-centric care and may aid the design of processes that deliver health to the patient as a person. Originality/value: This paper identifies and empirically validates relationships between healthcare service delivery processes and modular service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore and evaluate the existing and future impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning on the global economy. It includes viewing the inclusion of AI in different sectors, its impact on industries, the trends of the forerunning companies that are capitalizing on AI and the idea of crystalizing exponential growth while maintaining a balance between the understanding of humans and the subsequent possibilities of AI. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on secondary research, reviewing literature based on different industries and perspectives. Findings: The global potential of AI is exponential; the development of AI should be effective. Globally, we see contrasting views, defining the consequences of AI. Hence, the balance between humans and AI, protocols and a global regulatory system needs to be established to prevent catastrophic results soon. Practical implications: The benefits of AI are enormous. The rising incorporation of AI must take into consideration the basic safety fundamentals for a better future. Social implications: This paper will enable readers to understand the importance of AI in the global economy, its current involvement in major industries and the subsequent need for balance in technology. Originality/value: This conceptual review is by its nature and original contribution and, specifically, an interpretation for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide relevant knowledge about entrepreneurship and women's leadership in the Indian context. More specifically, it unleashes the veiled challenges as well as success stories of select women entrepreneurs of a developing country to bridge the gap between entrepreneurship theory and practice. It aims to provide directions to the policymakers, educationists, society and families in creating a conducive environment that is essential for the success of women entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: With a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state which has a maximum number of women entrepreneurs. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to explore the supportive as well as challenging dimensions of their entrepreneurial journey. Findings: Content analysis of the interview transcripts indicated that successful entrepreneurs are opportunity-driven and they focus on innovation, service, generation of wealth and employment. Support from family, especially from fathers or husbands, is as important as the entrepreneurial drive, skills and abilities of an entrepreneur. Success for them is being happy, thriving work, having a happy family, having a great work-life balance and the satisfaction to have served society apart from being independent (economically/ financially). Among India's societal and cultural realities, women have to conquer many hurdles (both implicit and explicit) in their way concerning the societal attitudes toward women stepping out of the home boundaries and traditional gender role expectations. The silver line is societal attitudes are changing, especially in urban India. There are enough support and encouragement from the family, which helps these women pursue their passion and eventually become a successful leader. Social implications: The success stories of women will bring a wave of positive developmental change in India by fostering respect for women in a male-dominated society and flashing the importance of women's entrepreneurship. Originality/value: This paper provides a new examination of women entrepreneurs that significantly further the debate about the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, especially in entrepreneurship in an emerging economy context like India. Apart from the deterrents, it aims to highlight the enablers and motivations to choose this unconventional profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of decolonial approaches (DAs) such as epistemic locus (Mignolo, 1995, 2000) in studying innovation. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a case study of a stem cell surgical innovation developed in India. A critical hermeneutic analysis method has been followed for data analysis. Findings: Epistemic locus influences the framing of the problem, perceptions of risks/opportunities as well as the envisioning of alternate institutional systems. Persistent and strategic effort at building connections changes local improvisation into a globally legitimate innovation. Research limitations/implications: It indicates the value of using DAs for innovation studies especially epistemic locus, enactment and connections in understanding knowledge generation and innovation. Practical implications: Innovation in Global South can be encouraged by giving more space to the innovator to attempt or experiment. More conscious conversation of epistemic locus of the researcher could help. Social implications: Countries have to move beyond a mere technological imitation to include discussions on epistemic imitation. Epistemic imitation prevents one from seeing what one has and one only looks at conditions from the eyes of the dominator. Originality/value: This study documents the development of an innovation from an Indian epistemic locus which differs from a western epistemic locus and the impact this has on an innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper measures the degree of bank competition in Indian banking over the period 1996–2016. Using bank-level annual data, we revisit the case of banking competitiveness during the prefinancial and postfinancial crisis and examine whether the global financial crisis alters the level of bank competition in India. Additionally, this paper addresses the misspecification issues associated with the widely used Panzar–Rosse model in Indian banking context. Design/methodology/approach: We apply Panzar and Rosse (1987) H-statistic and evaluate the degree of bank competition by estimating the extent to which changes in input prices are reflected in revenues earned by banks. Subsequently, we link this measure of competitiveness to a number of structural indicators (HHI and CRn) to examine the structure-conduct-performance hypothesis, which assumes that a concentrated banking system can impair competition. The simple panel regression model was used to handle the empirical estimations. Findings: findings reveal that the Indian banking system operates under competitive conditions and earns revenues as if under the monopolistic competition. We also find evidence that Indian banks are competitive, even under a concentrated market structure. This observation runs, in contrary, to the prediction of the structure–conduct–performance hypothesis. The findings also indicate the differences in the estimated H-statistic value after considering the misspecifications of the P–R model. Practical implications: From policy perspectives, policymakers should focus more on maintaining an optimal level of bank competition by mitigating entry restrictions, exercising less consolidation and withdrawing overregulation from banking activities. A competitive banking industry ensures both efficiency and stability. Social implications: A competitive banking sector by lowering interest rates margin provides easier access to finance to both households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Originality/value: This is the only study that addresses the misspecification of the P–R model while assessing competition in Indian banking and provides a thorough understanding of the role of concentration on bank competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to explore the attributes and systemic characteristics of organisational innovativeness types in sustainability oriented firms in India. In dynamic business environment amid sustainability challenges, benchmarking organisational innovativeness of sustainability oriented firms may pave a way for many other firms to develop suitable strategies. The paper also presents the role of innovativeness in risk-management. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to gather the responses from 689 managers of 60 firms operating in India and displaying traits of sustainability orientation. Generic organisational innovativeness characteristics of these firms are presented based on result of factor analysis and variances explained by respective factors. Innovativeness characteristics have been discussed in context of sustainability and environmental management. Findings: Study provides the glimpse of variability in steps taken by firms to remain competitive in current and future markets. The paper also offers a new factor of organisational innovativeness as "risk-innovativeness" and presents its role in disruptive and sustainable innovation. Research limitations/implications: The study adds to existing literature by providing a measure of organisational innovativeness types and proposes a definition of "risk-innovativeness" and opens a new avenue for further exploration. Practical implications: The study may help organisations operating in emerging economies to benchmark and develop attributes of organisational innovativeness types considering sustainability challenges and uncertain market conditions. Social implications: The study may guide other firms to benchmark their current innovativeness standing and may help in developing suitable attributes leading to combat negative impacts of climate change by developing sustainable innovations. Originality/value: There are no existing studies which offer organisational innovativeness types of sustainability oriented firms, especially in emerging and developing economies context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims at assessing the impact of innovation on productivity as sustainable development can be attained primarily through non-resource-driven growth. Secondly, it also proposes to reflect on the rising capital intensity in the Indian industries as technology advancement, particularly in the light of the fourth industrial revolution, is expected to reduce the labour absorbing capacity of the industrial sector. Design/methodology/approach: Based on panel data for different Indian firms in various groups of industries, this paper estimates TFPG and TE (following Cornwell et al. methodology) and assesses the impact of R&D expenditure on the performance indices. Secondly, it measures the capital intensity across various groups of industries to reflect on the "employment problem". Findings: Innovation does not seem to enhance the performance index in a very significant manner across industry groups considered in the study. The lack of extensive evidence on impact of innovation on total factor productivity growth suggests that innovation does not necessarily result in technological progress while the need of the hour is to experience non-resource-driven growth on the one hand and employment growth on the other. The positive impact of innovation on efficiency as seen in the paper can be interpreted as the expenditure incurred to realize the potentiality of the technology which is possibly imported. However, capital accumulation is resulting in rapid productivity growth at the cost of employment. Research limitations/implications: Capturing technological progress in terms of TFPG can be subjected to criticism. Practical implications: Policy implications for employment generation and inclusive growth are derived. Social implications: The study cautions us about the adverse implications in terms of employment growth. Originality/value: Assessing the impact of innovation on performance such as TFPG and TE is rather rare in the literature, and this paper tries to reflect on this aspect using the Indian firm-level data. Secondly, the trade-offs between productivity growth and employment growth are brought out distinctly in order to highlight the declining labour absorbing capacity of the industrial sector. This enables us to reflect on the adverse consequences of the fourth industrial revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the modern era of e-grocery, attended home delivery (AHD) has been identified as a crucial part of the last-mile delivery problem. This paper aims to deal with a real-life last-mile-delivery problem in the context of the Indian public distribution system (PDS). The authors identified two different environments for the said AHD problem and proposed two different approaches to address the issue under these problem settings. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors first consider the problem in a static environment and propose an iterated local search (ILS) integrated with an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) meta-heuristic algorithm to obtain a routing solution. Thereafter, they extend the study in a dynamic environment where new delivery requests occur dynamically and propose a heuristic algorithm to solve the problem. For the dynamic case, multiple scenarios for the occurrence of delivery requests are considered to determine decisions regarding the opportunity to include a new request into the current solution. Findings: By computational experiments, the authors show that the proposed approach performs significantly well for large size problem instances. They demonstrate the differences and advantages of the dynamic problem setting through a set of different scenarios. Also, they present a comparative analysis to show the benefits of adopting the algorithm in dynamic routing scenarios. Research limitations/implications: Future research may extend the scope of this study by incorporating stochastic delivery failure probabilities and customer behavior affecting the delivery response. Also, the present study does not take inventory policies at the depot into consideration. It will be of interest to see how the system performs under the uncertainty of supply from the depot. Despite the limitations, the authors believe that this study provides food for thought and encouragements for practitioners. Practical implications: This study shows the benefits of adopting an AHD problem in a dynamic setting in terms of customer service as compared to a traditional static environment. The authors clearly demonstrate the differences and advantages of the dynamic problem setting through a set of different scenario analysis. Social implications: This paper investigates a real-life AHD problem faced by the Department of Food, Supply and Consumer Affairs, India. The findings of this study will be of particular interest to the policy-makers to build a more robust PDS in India. Originality/value: The study is unique and highly relevant for real-world applications and can help build a more robust AHD system. Also, the proposed solution approaches to aid the problem in both static and dynamic routing scenarios will be of particular interest to practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore narratives of insecurity to understand how the casualisation of the employment relationship makes life more fragile and precarious. The authors engage in an inquiry about how multinational enterprises (MNEs) structure precariousness for workers in emerging economies. The authors attempt to understand how workers analyse their experiences of precariousness and what form their resistance takes as a result of their analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The authors engage with the narratives of eight Indian workers/trade union activists working in different marginal spaces of the Indian economy to uncover a commons where we are the multitude. By commons, the authors imply shared forms of property, which stand against the concept of private property that is central to the social relations of capitalism. The authors are performing the data of workers by interspersing them in an analysis of angst and hope. Findings: Workers understand their experiences of precariousness as emerging from a complex political economy structured by MNEs, which involves multiple fronts of marginalisation. Workers realize that they need to engage in comprehensive forms of resistance to undo the regimes of precariousness. Workers create shared universes of grief to relate to each other's experiences of precariousness. The unfreedoms experienced by workers lead to a sharing of the social relations of commons where workers can resist by expressing solidarity with each other. Practical implications: The authors contribute to practice by arguing that workers' collectives should not accept the naturalisation of precariousness. By staging a dialogue about the injuries of precariousness, they can craft a politics of resistance that begins the process of commoning. Social implications: Workers' politics of resistance can significantly democratise the global political economy in important ways by advancing the potential for commons. Originality/value: The authors make an original contribution to the study of precariousness in the context of international business by arguing that the experience of precariousness can lead to a commons where workers resist structures of injustice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Kerala is one of India's most advanced states in human development and other social indices. This study aims to look at the management education scenario in Kerala from a macro-perspective and examines the existing trends, major issues and present challenges facing the sector. Design/methodology/approach -- The study is driven by previously unexplored secondary data published by India's apex technical education regulator--All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Qualitative and quantitative assessments are assimilated from the organization, dissection and categorization of unit-level data. Findings -- Business schools (B-schools) in the state are facing acute distress in enrolments. There are intraregional variations in institution count and occupancy rates. The vast majority of the institutions have no accreditation at all. The entire sector is facing a protracted decline. Research limitations/implications -- The study has relied primarily on descriptive statistics considering a single discipline within the higher education sector in Kerala. Future studies should look at other disciplines (engineering, medicine) simultaneously. Use of statistical methods like panel data regression would be beneficial to find hidden trends in cross-sectional and longitudinal time-series data. Practical implications -- Management education in Kerala is facing an existential crisis. This has implications for the state's economic development. The paper creates strong imperatives for government policymaking to forestall the complete decline of the sector. Social implications -- A highly literate state with advanced human development indices need not be a suitable location for building a knowledge-based economy. Government policy has strong implications for the development and sustenance of higher education. The relationship between government and business schools are symbiotic. Originality/value -- The paper maps the progression of B-schools from local to global. A typology of privately funded B-schools is proposed. The conceptual framework advanced in this study can contribute to further literature development. The suggested policy initiatives are applicable not only to Kerala but also to other tightly regulated markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how a socio-digital platform can facilitate consumer responsibilisation in food consumption to encourage sustained responsible consumption and uncovers its possible impacts on different stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach: Two-year-long case study of a socio-digital platform that aims to integrate consumers with the farming process; creating value for them and the farmers in India. Findings: The process of consumer responsibilisation happens through three mechanisms; construction of a moral-material identity, vicarious self-artisanship and shared responsibilisation. Through these key mechanisms, the socio-digital platform could foster consumer responsibilisation and engender positive societal impacts by promoting both responsible production and consumption. Research limitations/implications: This study shows how the construction of moral–material identity could move beyond an either-or choice between moralistic and material identity and allow space for the coexistence of both. This paper highlights how a socio-digital platform can be leveraged to facilitate responsible consumer engagement in an aestheticised farming process. Practical implications: This paper aims to guide policymakers to design digitally-enabled human-centred innovation in facilitating consumer engagement with farming and cultivating responsible consumers in achieving sustainable development goals. Social implications: This study shows how consumer responsibilisation can actually address market failures by enhancing the value created in the system, reducing wastage and cutting costs wherever possible, which drive better incomes for the farmers. Originality/value: Previous studies have discussed heterogeneous motivations for responsible food consumption. However, this research explores the processes through which an individual reconnects to food production and the mechanisms that support this process in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Information is often available to consumers through their social networks. Focusing on dairy consumers in India, this paper aims to present evidence of peer effects in consumers' attitudes towards various food safety attributes and food safety practices. Design/methodology/approach: Unobserved individual heterogeneities are crucial confounders in the identification of social (endogenous) effects. The identification is based on exploiting within-consumer variation across different aspects of attitude (or practices) related to food safety. Findings: This paper uses a novel identification strategy that allows for average effects across attributes and practices to be estimated. Using the strategy, though this paper cannot estimate endogenous effects in each attribute or practice, this paper is able to identify such effects averaged over attributes or practices. Research limitations/implications: Cross-sectional study, caste affiliation is not defined at the right level of granularity. Practical implications: The results suggest that information campaigns aimed at creating awareness about food safety can have social multiplier effects, and this also translates into changes in the practices followed to mitigate food safety risks. Social implications: In health-related awareness and practices, there are well-established cases of multiplier effects. The most significant example of this is the Pulse Polio campaign in India, where an awareness drives through social multiplier effects had such a significant impact that in 2012 India was declared polio-free. Perhaps, a similar campaign in matters related to food safety could be very fruitful. Originality/value: The methodology and the issue are unique. Little exists in assessing social networks in the context of food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to focus on data envelopment analysis for assessing the microfinance institutions (MFIs) efficiency over the footings of its undesirable output, i.e. non-performing loans (NPLs). The attention is not only to evaluate the efficiency but also to identify the variable wise inefficiencies incorporating the quality of the portfolio. Design/methodology/approach: The paper assessed MFI efficiency using three different methods of treatment of undesirable output to portray the significant difference. It also has used an advanced methodological model, i.e. weighted Russell directional distance model (WRDDM), under the non-radial assumption that allowed us to find the variable-wise inefficiency contribution. The study also investigated the efficiency differences concerning ownership, including all sizes of MFIs. Findings: The study findings evidence the fall in efficiency score as NPL integrated, and it is found to be statistically significant. In the context of inefficiency assessment, among all input and output variables, total employees and operating expenses, portfolio quality inefficiencies are the leading causes of MFI inefficiencies. Undesirable output inefficiency accounts for almost one-third part of the total inefficiencies and remaining due to input inefficiencies. It is significant to draw attention that there is no improvement in undesirable output inefficiency. By contrast, input inefficiencies retained gains for two years and gradually showed a decreasing trend throughout 2015–2017. Research limitations/implications: The authors have used balanced panel data of 72 Indian MFIs for five years' period from 2013–2017 whose complete data were available in the Microfinance Information Exchange. Practical implications: The paper has focused on identifying the inefficiencies that are needed to be focused on to attain efficiency. It could provide vital information to the managers, policymakers in identifying the causes of inefficiencies, which is crucial to improve for long-term sustainability. It will be a roadmap for benchmarking, strategy building and policy-making processes. Social implications: The findings of the study help in finding the benchmarking information for the inefficient decision-making units to identify the target units that need particular attention to focus. These practices could give a positive outcome, not only for institutions but also for the MFI clients. Originality/value: The study provides an insight in to variable-wise inefficiency measurement using advanced model WRDDM in Indian context MFIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to find out the performance of the Grameen Banks of West Bengal after their merger. Design/methodology/approach – The objective of the paper is to measure the performance of Paschim Banga Gramin Bank (PBGB) and Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank (BGVB) after their amalgamation, to compare the performance of PBGB and BGVB, using the key performance indicators and to analyze the future scope of these two banks. The factors that are considered for this study are number of branches (if these banks could reach maximum of the rural mass), number of staffs (if these banks generated employment after the merger), investments, deposits, composition of total funds (owned funds and borrowed funds), lending services, productivity per branch and per staff, etc. The study uses statistical tools to analyze the data. Findings – It has been observed that there exists a significant difference in the “Branch Network” of PBGB and BGVB. A significant difference has been observed in the “Number of Staffs” of PBGB and BGVB. It has been found that there is a significant difference in the “three type of funds” of PBGB and BGVB. It has been found that there is a significant difference in the “Investments” of PBGB and BGVB. A significant difference has been observed in the “Deposits” of PBGB and BGVB. It has been found that there is a significant difference in the “Outstanding Loan” amount of PBGB and BGVB. It has been observed that there is a significant difference in the “Loan Issued” amount of PBGB and BGVB. It has been found that there is no significant difference in the Productivity “Per Branch” and “Per Employee” of PBGB and BGVB. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on the published/secondary data and is restricted to two Regional Rural Banks of West Bengal, the PBGB and the BGVB, for nine years, 2012–2020. Social implications – The paper will help the future researchers, to know the performance of the Grameen Banks for the study period; this will help them to carry on with the study in the future. Originality/value – The work is original and never sent to anywhere else for publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In view of dynamic and widespread economic transformation in emerging economies, managing organizational change and growth in this context deserves more research attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine how three organizations in different industries manage change, growth and transformation in their organizational ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted in-depth interviews with the leadership of three organizations in different economic sectors in India, a country representing an emerging economy. The authors also reviewed historical data from these organizations. Three case studies illustrating the evolution of these organizations were developed from the data collected. Findings: Lessons and implications from the three case studies suggest the following key elements of effective organizational change mechanisms in an emerging economy: visionary entrepreneurial leadership; program quality excellence; scale growth and scope expansion; network capabilities; and sustainable stakeholders' engagement. At the same time, this study also shows how these organizations manage change, growth and transformation in the context of a society with strong traditions and cultural norms. Research limitations/implications: Results and conclusions may be limited by the fact that the study is based on three case studies. Additional studies from a variety of industries with large numbers of participants will be helpful in more fully understanding the ways in which change, growth and transformation can best be developed and deployed in different organizational settings. Practical implications: The proposed model of organizational change in an emerging economy may assist organizational leadership in designing and sustaining their change efforts. Social implications: This study highlights the role of visionary entrepreneurial leadership and the impact of organizational growth mechanisms on organizational value delivery capabilities and organizational reputation. Originality/value: Lessons and implications of five growth steps of outstanding organizations in an emerging economy context provide valuable insight for organizational change, growth and transformation in other emerging contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper analyzes the welfare implications of the unequal distribution of wealth amongst the social and religious groups by studying the segregation of these groups across different occupations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use measures suggested by Alonso-Villar and Río (2017) and del Río and Alonso-Villar (2018) to compute the well-being of social groups (based on caste system prevalent in the Indian subcontinent) and religious groups due to their segregation across different regions (urban and rural) and occupations and social welfare loss of the society due to the segregation. Here social groups comprise of ST: Scheduled Tribe, SC: Scheduled Caste, OBC: Other Backward Caste and Others: other remaining castes; while, religious groups comprise of followers of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other religious groups. Findings: The result shows that SC and ST groups are worse; while, the "others" group is better off due to the segregation of social groups across both regions and occupation. Similarly, in the case of religious groups, the analysis reveals that followers of Christianity are better off due to the segregation across region and occupation. It further shows that followers of Hinduism are negatively impacted while followers of Islam and other religious groups were better off due to the segregation across the regions. Originality/value: Various researchers have studied the wealth inequality and unequal distribution in India over the years but did not dive further into the welfare implications of segregation of social and religious groups from wealth perspectives in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand how to build and implement information and communication technology (i.e. ICT) to help vulnerable people when significant social, cultural and economic barriers exist between the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: The authors followed an action research approach to design and implement a mobile health hypertension education application to help India's most vulnerable populations. The authors used interpretive analysis, guided by the sustainable livelihoods framework, to uncover key findings. Findings: Successfully implementing information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) requires understanding that all stakeholders (i.e. donors, facilitators and the beneficiaries) have important assets to contribute. Facilitators play an important role in connecting donors to the beneficiaries and fostering cultural humility in donors so that the donors will understand the role beneficiaries play in success. Stakeholders may use the ICT4D in unintended ways that both improve the people's health and increase some beneficiaries' financial livelihood. Research limitations/implications: This research expands the definition of information systems success when implementing ICT4D in resource-constrained environments. Success is more than creating an mHealth app that was easy for beneficiaries to use and where they learned based on a pre- and post-test statistical analysis. Success involved development in all the stakeholders impacted by the social innovation collaboration. For the beneficiary community, success included getting screened for noncommunicable diseases as a first step toward treatment. For the facilitator, success involved more resources for their community health program. Amongst the donors, success was a change in perspective and learning cultural humility. Practical implications: Although universities encourage faculty to work in interdisciplinary research teams to address serious world problems, university researchers may have to exert considerable effort to secure contracts, approvals and payments. Unfortunately, universities may not reward this effort to build ICT4D and continue to evaluate faculty based on journal publications. When universities undertake social innovation collaborations, administrators should ensure responsive and flexible university processes as well as appropriate academic reward structures are in place. This need is heightened when collaborations involve international partners with limited resources and time needed to build relationships and understanding across cultures. Social implications: This study discovered the importance of fostering cultural humility as a way of avoiding potential conflicts that may arise from cultural and power differences. Cultural humility moves the focus of donor-beneficiary relationships away from getting comfortable with "them" to taking actions that develop relationships and address vulnerabilities (Fisher-Borne et al., 2015). This research shows how the facilitator helped the donor develop cultural humility by involving the donor in various initiatives with the beneficiary community including allowing the donor to live in a dormitory at the hospital, work in an urban slum and visit health screening campus. Originality/value: This study (1) extends the ICT4D literature by incorporating cultural humility into the sustainable livelihoods framework, (2) provides a contextual understanding of developing cultural humility in ICT4D projects with a complex group of stakeholders and (3) describes how facilitators become a catalyst for change and a bridge to the community. The culturally humble approach suggests revising the livelihood framework to eliminate words like "the poor" to describe beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to test the serial mediation effect of attitude toward socially responsible investing (SRI) and social investing efficacy (SIE) on the relationship of knowledge about SRI with the intention to invest in SRI along with moderating effect of religiosity. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a quantitative analysis approach, wherein the data has been collected from 569 north Indian retail investors. Partial least square (PLS)-structural equation modeling has been applied in this study using the latest version of SmartPLS (v. 3.2.8) software to examine the complex model of serial and moderated mediation. Findings: Attitude toward SRI and SIE significantly and serially mediate the relationship between knowledge about SRI and intention to invest in SRI. Also, the interaction effect of religiosity with knowledge about SRI is significant only for SIE and not for attitude toward SRI. Research limitations/implications: The study is cross-sectional in nature conducted only on the north Indian investors. Besides knowledge, there can be many other personal or social aspects that might affect SRI intention that have not been taken into the study. Practical implications: The results suggested that the companies, financial advisors and governmental bodies can improvise upon social and environmental performance reporting so that investment in SRI can be promulgated. Social implications: The paper concludes that religious-minded people are more open to the idea of investing in SRI. India, being is a religious-minded country, the results of this study suggest that there is good potential for the development of SRI in India. Originality/value: Empirical evidence regarding the relationship of SRI intention with its determinants is limited in Asian countries. Prior literature mainly provides evidence from developed countries where social and governance systems are comparatively stronger. The study provides evidence for the bright future of SRI in India, where investor's beliefs are dominated by their religious values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the under-researched dynamics of gender, workplace support, and perceived job demands in two different contexts, the United States and India. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws from two studies conducted in different contexts (the United States and India) via different methodological approaches (quantitative and qualitative, respectively). In Study I of this paper, data was collected using questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of adult workers in the United States. In Study II, interviews were conducted with 48 workers in India, selected using convenience sampling. Findings: It was found that both in the United States and India, women perceived considerably greater job demands than men. In terms of workplace support, both the studies found that workplace culture and supervisors' support influenced the perception of job demands, but the same was not true for coworkers' support, which mainly helped in coping rather than actually reducing the perception of job demands. Research implications: The article contributes to research by concluding that job demands as a construct are not clearly segregated from gender demands or expectations, especially in the way women "perceive" it. Women construct job demands as "job-family" demands and workplace support as "job-family" support. Moreover, being a woman in the workplace, women feel the "burden" of gender. Practical implications: It would be useful for organizations and policy makers to understand that women remain "conscious" of their gender in the workplace, and for them, the meaning of job demands and workplace support are "job-family" demands and "work-family" support, respectively. Social implications: This research intends to contribute toward thinking about gender relations and empowerment of people within organizational and work settings from a new light. Originality/value: The present study provides an alternative way of thinking about gender, job demands, and workplace support. Its value underlies in the way it raises the voices of women workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the role of employee relations and human resource management (HRM) practices on firms' commitment to sustainability in the context of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in India. This paper proposes a theoretical framework, namely "awareness, action, comprehensiveness, and excellence (AACE)," to present the solutions and practices as adopted by MSME firms in meeting their sustainability objectives alongside pluralistic constraints related to human resource, capital and legitimacy risk. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs a cross-case methodology to investigate five food processing MSME firms to understand and delineate the role of employee relations and HRM practices in driving their commitment to sustainability. Findings: The paper discusses the status of employee relations and HRM practices as practiced by MSME firms, specifically designed to meet their agenda to strengthen their commitment to sustainability. The study proposes a framework constituting four levels, namely "awareness, action, comprehensiveness, and excellence (AACE)," that reflects HRM practices as adopted by MSME firms to develop their commitment to sustainability. Social implications: MSMEs and food processing industries are critical to the growth of Indian economy and likewise for other emerging and developing economies. They are especially critical for their contribution to overall employment and sustainability comprising the second, third and fourth supplier links in supply chains. They have a major impact on sustainability outcomes and the life quality of employees. This paper makes a contribution in this direction. Originality/value: The study fulfills the need to explore the role of employee relations and HRM practices to develop "commitment to sustainability" in the context of food processing MSME firms in an emerging economy of India. This paper adds an understanding of people management practices and sustainability in small firms (MSMEs), adding to the existing literature on the domain, which is mostly skewed toward large firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper, the authors propose and empirically test an integrated model which investigates the relationship between POS-E (perceived organizational support for the environment) and employee outcomes, which are employee eco-initiatives (the first category of OCBE), employee psychological capital and alienation. Meaningful work as a mediator between POS-E and employee outcomes was also investigated. Design/methodology/approach: The study utilized a survey method to empirically test the hypothesized relationships on a sample of 303 respondents. For testing, Confirmatory factor analysis for the proposed and alternative models, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on software AMOS, version 20.0 was used. This was to ensure validity and construct distinctiveness among the variables in the study and to evaluate the fit of the hypothesized measurement model in comparison to several alternate models. To estimate the effects of meaningful work (as a mediator) on the association between POS-E and eco-initiatives, psychological capital and alienation, the authors administered Sobel test. Findings: The present research augments the contemporary research on environmental sustainability and employee outcomes by further developing the emerging constructs of perceived organizational support of the environment (POS-E) and organized citizenship behavior toward the environment (OCBE), which is measured by eco-initiatives. The results imply that POS-E is positively associated with eco-initiatives and employee psychological capital and is negatively associated with alienation. The findings further suggest that meaningful work mediates the association between POS-E and all the outcome variables which are: employee-eco-initiatives, psychological capital and alienation. Research limitations/implications: The findings confirm the desired direction of research and accomplished the research objective of the study. As the consequences of POS-E imply immense value for all stakeholders, decision-makers must also reflect on the means of enhancing employees' understanding. Further, it is imperative, that the organization supports their environmental goals and values, and their green engagement. Practical implications: Results of the present study exhibit wide practical inferences for the managers. HR managers need to organize the passion for green behavior and work on intrinsic drivers of employee green engagement to let it sustain over a period of time. As society gradually expects increased organizational contributions towards environmental sustainability, this paper indicates that those employees who get an opportunity to act in coordination with environmental objectives will engage in eco-initiatives, exhibit higher psychological capital, and be less likely to feel alienated. The results imply that leaders should examine a diversity of probable interventions to enhance POS-E in order to gain from the initial rise in perceived meaningful work, employee eco-initiatives, increased psychological capital and reduced alienation. These interventions may lead to higher passion for sustainability and green behavior. Social implications: Further, this work supports the work of Toffel and Schendler (2013), whose study states that organizations should market their environment and climate initiatives, climate activism, such that customers and suppliers appreciate their leadership, and understands what matters. This work supports the work of Turaga et al. (2010), whose study states that for pro-environment behavior, environment passion is an intrinsic behavior which is needed (see Afsar et al., 2016). The current study enhances the need to trigger employee's sense of pro-environment passion at work place for significant results. Originality/value: This is a pioneer study, in India which confirms and extends the construct of POS-E using Social Exchange theory as an underpinning theory. We found that POS-E was linked with previously untested employee consequences, like employee eco-initiatives and psychological capital and that it was negatively associated with alienation. Our study confirmed mediator variable to be meaningful work in the relationship between POS-E and psychological capital, alienation and eco-initiatives [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the new kind of investors – women entrepreneurs – and to find out the factors that drive their investment behaviour and investment decisions. Design/methodology/approach: The approach of qualitative enquiry was used for the research in which 18 in-depth exploratory interviews were conducted to identify the determinants of the investment behaviour shown by women entrepreneurs, a growing segment in investment. The accumulated data was analysed using open coding. Findings: The research show that women entrepreneurs consider investment as a long-term instrument are risk averse and quite conservative. They are willing to take risks in business but not for making investment decisions. The reasons for this low-risk behaviour include lack of time to understand investments and lack of knowledge about various products. The research asserts that if they spend time to be informed about the nuances of investment instruments, they are likely to take risks for their investments as well. The interviews also reflect that women entrepreneurs often mimic the investment behaviour of their parents. Research limitations/implications: The sample for this research was taken from only two cities in India and a broader research in other cities as well will expand the understanding of investment behaviours demonstrated by women entrepreneurs. The differences in women entrepreneurs' investment behaviour due to culture and ethnicity of the respondent are also not considered. Practical implications: The outcomes of the research will help the investment manager to get a better insight into the psychology of women entrepreneurs as investors. This will help them develop personalized and relevant portfolio recommendations. Second, the findings will help service providers to develop training modules for their investment advisors by sensitizing them to needs and wants of women entrepreneurs as potential investors. Third, the research will be of interest for policymakers and researchers to understand the determinants of personal investment decision-making amongst women entrepreneurs. Finally, it will help women entrepreneurs understand and mitigate their biases while taking investment decisions. It will lead them to take wiser investment decisions, thereby reducing the risk and maximizing opportunities of returns. Social implications: The research will provide opportunities for enhancing gender equality amongst investors. This can be achieved by educating the investment advisors on the traits and preferences of women entrepreneurs as investors. Designing and delivering specific workshops on investment awareness for women entrepreneurs can also be accomplished based on the findings of this research. Originality/value: To the researcher's best knowledge, the investment behaviour of women entrepreneurs in India has been little investigated. This study appears to be the first qualitative research attempt in that direction. This paper will be useful in understanding the behavioural biases by women entrepreneurs in considering their personal investment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the mediation effect of psychological biases, namely, financial risk tolerance (FRT) and financial overconfidence on the relationship between personality traits of individual investors and their investment performance (perceived) in the context of a developing financial market such as Indian Capital Markets. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses both quantitative and cross-sectional approach to collect response from 983 individual investors through a questionnaire. The questionnaire had segments that were designed to assess their personality traits, investment performance and psychological traits. The personality traits were assessed through Big-Five personality inventory (TIPI), the psychological traits, i.e. FRT was measured through FRT scale, whereas financial overconfidence was measured through three basic concepts, namely, over-precision, over-placement and overestimation. Investment performance was assessed through perceived investment performance measures. The collected data was then analysed through AMOS and SPSS to validate the hypothesised relationship. Findings: Findings of the study depict that personality traits of individual investors are related with their FRT, financial overconfidence and perceived investment performance. In addition, FRT and financial overconfidence are negatively related to perceived investment performance. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that the two psychological traits were found to fully mediate the relationship between personality traits and investment performance. Research limitations/implications: There are still certain limitations of the present study. First, the questionnaire pre-testing and sampling technique allowed for only for those investors who had an experience of investment in financial markets; however, the quantification of actual investment performance for each investor was impossible, and thus the actual investment performance was not determined. Second, this study focusses on the mediating role of financial overconfidence and financial risk-taking, as such it is known that levels of financial overconfidence and risk-taking depend on many other extraneous factors such as socio-economic status and financial knowledge. Practical implications: The findings of the present study is useful for financial companies, policymakers as well as issuers of financial securities, who can keep a watch on these behaviour-related traits before issuing a security in the financial market and for the financial service providers; this study would be beneficial to design a "behavioural portfolio" according to the personality and psychological traits of their clients. Social implications: Through this study, the investors can recognise their personality traits and psychological biases and take sound and good investment decisions and can also maximise their level of overconfidence. This increased level of overconfidence will propel them further to actively and frequently participate in financial markets and make financial gains. Originality/value: The essence of this paper lies in the identification of personality traits and psychological traits of individual investors, and their relationship with investment performance. Studies such as this are less prevalent in the context of a developing country such as India. Moreover, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is first of its kind to study the meditating effect of psychological biases in the relationship between personality traits and investment performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to explore the attributes and systemic characteristics of absorptive capacity in sustainability oriented firms in India. Such understanding shall pave a way to integrate knowledge about societal stakeholders with technological and market knowledge. The study may help other firms to benchmark their business process considering sustainability aspects to integrate a broader set of stakeholders in decision making. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to gather responses from 689 managers of 60 firms belonging to various industry sectors. Absorptive capacity of firms based on result of factorial analysis, variances explained by factors and rank of attributes is presented. Findings: The study provides a glimpse of variability in steps taken by firms to remain competitive in current and future markets. This study highlights the importance of benefits sharing among alliance partners, knowledge-management processes, social integration for tacit knowledge and exploration of new knowledge sources. Surveyed firms require improvements in employee's skill set up-gradation, exploitation of knowledge spread across different departments and suitable training systems to promote knowledge sharing behaviour. Research limitations/implications: The sample of study covers respondents mainly from Health, Safety and Environment/Sustainability/Clean Development Mechanism departments so leading to certain biasness in their perception. Practical implications: The study may lead organizations to transform business processes to integrate stakeholder's concerns and expectations. Social implications: The study may help organisations to develop important attributes of absorptive capacity for effective integration of stakeholders considering sustainability challenges. Originality/value: This research article enhances understanding on common aspects of absorptive capacity, dynamic capability and sustainability strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since finance is an efficacious instrument for economic development, social inclusion and women empowerment, the present paper examines the determinants of accessing institutional and non-institutional finance across male- and female-headed households in rural India. Design/methodology/approach: Multinomial logistic regression is applied for categorizing households' accessing finance in four categories, namely Only Institutional Finance (IF), Only Non-institutional Finance (NIF), Both Sources of Finance (BF) and Neither Source of Finance (N). Both household and state-level determinants have been analysed. Household data set is sourced from the Situation Assessment Survey (NSSO, 70th round) and state-level data sets from Basic Road Statistics 2016, Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2016, Rainfall Statistics of India 2014, database on Indian Economy RBI and Census 2011. Econometric regressions have been evaluated for female-headed households (FHHs), male-headed households (MHHs) and overall pooled households (HHs). Findings: Four important findings emerge. First, FHHs have a lower probability of accessing IF and a higher probability of accessing NIF vis-a-vis MHHs. Second, in general, education levels, monthly household consumption expenditure, land size holding, irrigated area and penetration of scheduled commercial banks favourably influence FHHs accessing IF. Third, FHHs belonging to socially disadvantaged castes have a lower probability of accessing IF. Fourth, a substantial proportion of FHHs accesses neither IF nor NIF relative to MHHs. Practical implications: The paper thoroughly addresses the issue of accessing finance by FHHs and MHHs, which will further assist policymakers in formulating holistic financial policies for rural India. Social implications: The paper recommends increasing women's access to financial services as an effective tool for reducing poverty and lowering income inequality in rural India. Originality/value: This article contributes to the scant empirical literature on finance and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how China's rapid growth and increasing resource dependence have changed its relationship with India and their respective defense strategies. In particular, we consider China's Belt and Road Initiative, India's "Act East" policy and the strategic and economic value of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions. Design/methodology/approach: The authors find no econometric evidence of interactions between China and India's military spending using a Richardson-Baumol arms race model. Likewise, in a cross-county panel data study of military spending, they find that China's military spending has no independent effect on military spending in other countries. The authors also show that once wage costs and other sources of military inflation are accounted for, the pattern of real defense spending growth is much less intense than is suggested by nominal data. Nevertheless, they show that China has been undertaking intense military modernization with rapidly rising capital-labor ratios in its defense spending. Findings: The authors find little evidence of a traditional arms race, but also show that China, and to a lesser extent India, have been realigning their military capabilities to these new security risks while maintaining overall military burden on the economy. Research limitations/implications: Econometric analysis is limited by data availability and is necessarily historical, whereas the security situation is very fluid and may change in the short term. Practical implications: The paper identifies factors that are likely to influence China and India's attitudes to defense spending in the coming years. Social implications: The paper finds that there is not an arms race in the traditional sense but may be an arms race in terms of new technologies and military modernization. Originality/value: This is a very much underexplored topic in economics. The authors take an interdisciplinary approach showing how economics tools can be used to help understand this important issue in international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Distribution and retail supply of electricity is the most important cog in the power sector value chain. Despite several reforms, most of the Discoms are facing huge financial losses and resorting to a tariff hike which may not be a viable solution. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL) which inoculated itself against the financial ills, and demonstrates how a utility can nurture itself and manage the key stakeholder expectation with innovation, ethics, safety, transparency and agility being its cornerstone. Design/methodology/approach: The study analyses the situation for Tata Power-DDL which needs to realign its strategy to meet emerging sustainability challenges. The case covers the aspect of strategic management, strategy formulation and change management system deployment using tools such as strength, weakness, opportunities, threat (SWOT), political economical social technological legal environment (PESTLE), critical success factor and key performance indicator cascade. It touches upon the emerging need for distribution utilities to look beyond economic signals and take social and environmental impacts into the strategy planning process. Findings: It viewed the distribution business beyond its conventional responsibility of making power available to consumers and to provide quality service. A well thought out adaption and adoption of upgraded technology can be a game changer even for a market which is highly regulated and dominated by players in their respective defined territories. Research limitations/implications: Since the sector is regulated and each utility has a pre-defined set of area of operation with no competition within its licensed area, hence, there is a limited application of applied strategy tools such as SWOT and PESTLE. Practical implications: Since the sector is regulated and each utility has a pre-defined set of area of operation with no competition within its licensed area, hence, there is a limited application of applied strategy tools such as SWOT and PESTLE. Originality/value: India as a market is evolving in energy space and utilities are still struggling to have a fundamental structure to meet the agenda of "power to all." The paper provides the valuable insights into the process of environmental scanning and formulation of organizational strategy to meet the needs of existing and future energy markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the era of Industry 4.0, knowledge component plays a vital role in manufacturing. For tacking the new complexities of the business, a concept of knowledge supply chain (KSC) is being proposed, which takes into account of knowledge component. Higher education institutes (HEIs) which are primary creator of knowledge are important foundations of such supply chain and act as the "knowledge supplier." The purpose of this paper is to focus on why the HEIs are failed to become knowledge supplier in developing country like India. Design/methodology/approach: This research paper adopts a resource-based theory to explore the concept and identify barriers which obstructs the progress of HEIs to become prominent knowledge supplier to industry. To tackle the research problem, an integrated hybrid approach of interpretive structural modeling–analytic hierarchy process is used. Expert elicitation was engaged to find out the prominence of each barrier and the interrelations among them. Findings: Based on literature review, eight critical barriers were recognized. The findings put forward a four layer structural model. Based on this model, various remedial actions are also suggested to eliminate the barriers or lessen their negative effects on KSC. Practical implications: This study finds its practical implication in higher education reforms as the identified barriers could enhance the decision-making quality regarding academia–industry interaction. Social implications: Using the results of the study, HEIs could improve their social sustainability as they have different stakeholders covering wider sections of society and one being industry. Originality/value: Most of the existing studies talk about short-term interactions like technology transfer. This study takes into account the barriers which are acting as roadblocks in long-term knowledge supplying role of HEIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine compatibility groups of different fruits and vegetables that can be stored and transported together based upon their requirements for temperature, relative humidity, odour and ethylene production. Pre-cooling which is necessary to prepare the commodity for subsequent shipping and safe storage is also discussed. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used in this journal is an attempt to form clusters/groups of storing together 43 identified fruits and vegetables based on four important parameters, namely, temperature, relative humidity, odour and ethylene production. An agglomerative hierarchical clustering algorithm is used to build a cluster hierarchy that is commonly displayed as a tree diagram called dendrogram. The same is further analyzed using K-means clustering to find clusters of comparable spatial extent. The results obtained from the analytics are compared with the available data of grouping fruits and vegetables. Findings: This study investigates the usefulness and efficacy of the proposed clustering approach for storage and transportation of different fruits and vegetables that will eventually save huge investment made in terms of developing infrastructure components and energy consumption. This will enable the investors to adopt it for using the space more effectively and also reducing food wastage. Research limitations/implications: Due to limited research and development (R&D) data pertaining to storage parameters of different fruits and vegetables on the basis of temperature, relative humidity, ethylene production/sensitivity, odour and pre-cooling, information from different available sources have been utilized. India needs to develop its own crop specific R&D data, since the conditions for soil, water and environment vary when compared to other countries. Due to the limited availability of the research data, various multi-criteria approaches used in other areas have been applied to this paper. Future studies might be interested in considering other relevant variables depending upon R&D and data availability. Practical implications: With the increase in population, the demand for food is also increasing. To meet such growing demand and provide quality and nutritional food, it is important to have a clear methodology in terms of compatibility grouping for utilizing the available storage space for multi-commodity produce and during transportation. The methodology used shall enable the practitioners to understand the importance of temperature, humidity, odour and ethylene sensitivity for storage and transportation of perishables. Social implications: This approach shall be useful for decision making by farmers, Farmer Producer Organization, cold-storage owners, practicing managers, policy makers and researchers in the areas of cold-chain management and will provide an opportunity to use the available space in the cold storage for storing different fruits and vegetables, thereby facilitating optimum use of infrastructure and resources. This will enable the investors to utilize the space more effectively and also reduce food wastage. It shall also facilitate organizations to manage their logistic activities to gain competitive advantage. Originality/value: The proposed model would help decision makers to resolve the issues related to the selection of storing different perishable commodities together. From the secondary research, not much research papers have been found where such a multi-criteria clustering approach has been applied for the storage of fruits and vegetables incorporating four important parameters relevant for storage and transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine perspective of "gendered labour process" to explore the aspectsof managerialism, which utilize gender as a control measure to achieve its ends. The paper seeks to integrate gender and labour process theory and contribute to studies on gendering of organizations that focus on organization logic as well as integrated studies of labour process theory and gender. Design/methodology/approach: The paper utilizes thematic analysis as the method for analysing the interviews of senior managers in an information technology service organization in India, to identify managerial ideologies and practices. Findings: A gendered labour process perspective could reveal the institutional orders that systemically discriminate or exclude women in organizations, rather than gender ideologies alone. Practical implications: Rather than focussing on gender sensitization alone, as is the case with the gender diversity initiatives, it may be fruitful to revisit work design and work organization, to identify and implement changes, so that women's marginalization and exclusion from certain workplaces could be minimized. Social implications: A view of gendered labour process could aid public policies aimed at enabling women to continue their employment without disruptions. Originality/value: The paper attempted to integrate gender and labour process theory by delineating the organization logic that deploys gender as a means of managerial control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the workplace experiences of women employees during maternity and post-maternity periods to reveal the institutional order that coordinated the social relations and shaped their experiences through local and extra-local texts. Design/methodology/approach: The institutional ethnography research framework allowed for mapping of workplace experiences of women employees during their maternity and post-maternity periods in their local context, connecting them to the invisible extra-local social relations. Findings: The research study explored the disjuncture between the gender diversity initiatives that aimed at the inclusion of women employees and the workplace experiences of women employees in terms of work disengagement and work role degradation, including career discontinuity. Practical implications: The gender diversity and inclusion initiatives of an organization need to examine the local and extra-local institutional texts that govern their context and coordinate social relations, such that there is no inconsistency between the intentions, implementation and outcomes. Social implications: The state needs to revisit the maternity benefit act to provide additional measures to protect the career continuity of women, who choose maternity at some point in their work lives. Originality/value: The paper explored the institutional order that influences the career continuity of women employees during maternity and post-maternity periods using institutional ethnography research framework in an information technology services organization in India. No such research study has even been attempted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate items on social isolation. The comprehensive literature review of existing studies on the measures of social isolation, loneliness and the related construct was conducted. The paper seeks to conceptualize, validate and present items to measure social isolation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on theoretical and empirical investigation of the measures of social isolation, loneliness and related constructs such as social others, social loneliness and feeling of sociability. The items were generated through theoretical exploration of previous literature and later modified. The author examined the items through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and further checked for external criterion validity. Data collected from 128 individuals, in India, were examined to design and validate the scale. Findings: The finding of the paper is a ten-item social isolation scale. Using structural equation modeling, we have found extraversion and well-being significantly associated with final items in the present study, confirming the external quality of the scale. Practical implications: Organizations may benefit by close examination of the presence of social isolation in employees along with providing support and assistance to employees so as to reduce negative consequences of social isolation and can address the well-being of the employee. Originality/value: There is a dearth of developed and validated measures of social isolation in the literature. The study reveals the conceptualization and empirical validation of measures of social isolation in the Indian context so that researchers can move forward to develop theories on social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to the published report by the National Sample Survey 2014 the data says that the incidence of indebtedness among households in the rural areas of Maharashtra, India, is almost twice that of other rural places in India. Around 64 percent of rural households are indebted in Maharashtra as against 31 percent other households in India. The purpose of this paper is to examine which source of credit is creating more distress among the farmers. Further the researchers also wanted to find out the reasons why the farmers choose private moneylender over the formal financial institutions. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objective, the authors used the mixed method methodology. The qualitative study was done using the ethnography approach.In depth interviews were conducted and coded accordingly to find out the themes. The interviews conducted were semi structured and had open ended questions in it, followed by a structured questionnaire. Different statistical tests were also applied on the responses obtained from the questionnaire to check the reliability and validity of the interviews. This methodology gave a robustness to the findings of the study. Findings: The results show that sources of loan play a major role in causing farmer distress in Maharashtra. The findings also show major reasons like grapevine bureaucracy, lengthy documentation, etc. as the major reasons for choosing private lenders over the formal financial institutions. The most interesting finding of the study was a phenomena observed during the field study. The borrowers first borrow from financial institutions for their credit needs, when they fail to repay the debt borrowed they again borrow money from the private money lenders and with this borrowed money they try repaying a part of the old existing loan in order to make themselves eligible for the next loan cycle. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the study is that due to time constraint only two districts with high number of farmer suicide could be visited. Given more time and fund a comparative study can be done among different states of India. Practical implications: This study will help the policy makers in identifying the real cause of farmer distress. The motive behind the policies made by the government is very noble but the implementation of these policies is inadequate and without a strong research base. The paper will be able to highlight how much the state intervention is required at multiple levels in order to ensure that the benefits reaches to those who deserve it. Social implications: It is imperative that we have yet not realized the gravity of the situation where people belonging from a community which is so essential to the economy are killing themselves because of lack of money. This is not just about the fact that the people who give us food are unable to access food themselves. Originality/value: The paper contains significant information with regard to indebtedness. It focuses on the issue troubling the authorities the most. It provides the ground realities of the incidence of indebtedness in Maharashtra, one of the most distressed states of India. Lot of studies have been done in the past but very few studies have used mixed methodology to study this incidence of debt among the farmers of Maharashtra. This study also unveils a new phenomena of borrowing happening among the farmers of Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the evolution, current competitive scenario, and future direction for the food-tech business in the Indian market. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on press reports, industry reports, and secondary information about companies based on interviews of CEOs, analysts, industry trend watchers, and academicians. Findings: The incumbents are competing on the basis of various parameters such as capital infusion (especially, funding), tie-ups with restaurants, customer loyalty, fleet size and management, and management of employees. High growth is driving volumes for all companies, although there is lack of differentiation in offerings. Companies need to build customer loyalty and seek diverse monetization models for profitability in the future. Research limitations/implications: First, food-tech companies need to identify means of differentiation to gain competitive advantage. Second, customer loyalty is the key to long-term profitability and firms need to identify ways to build it. Promotions and offers cannot build loyalty. Third, firms would need to expand into different types of monetization methods, such as cloud kitchens, B2B food delivery services, to build revenues and profits. Practical implications: Incumbents and prospective entrants in the food-tech industry need to understand the structure of the industry and the structure of competition to be able to succeed in the long term. They need to understand that promotions cannot be a differentiator and that funding will dry up. Therefore, it is critical to identify means of differentiation to build a loyal customer base. Social implications: The food-tech industry in India has strong social foundation. More than 50 per cent of the Indian population is below the age of 25, the percentage of working population is increasing in India and so are income levels. In this context, the food-tech business is important as order outs are increasing. This, however, has also led to problems in the workforce for such startups as companies do not want to invest in employee training, safety or work conditions owning to high attrition rate because of the standardized nature of the job. Originality/value: This paper makes an attempt to assimilate information about the progress of the food-tech industry in India in the last few years. It attempts to identify various factors that decide the nature of competition among incumbent players. It also identifies what factors these incumbents need to bear in mind while looking ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between work–life balance (WLB) and job stress, job commitment and job satisfaction. Further, the role of work environment and training and development as moderators in the relationship between WLB and its consequences is investigated. Design/methodology/approach: Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 331 respondents working in a transportation company in southern part of India. After checking the psychometric properties of the structured survey instrument, the authors analyzed data using hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling. Findings: The hierarchical regression results indicated that WLB is (1) negatively related to job stress, (2) positively related to job satisfaction and (3) positively related to job commitment. The results also indicated that (1) job stress is negatively related to job satisfaction, and (2) job commitment is positively related to job satisfaction. The results also support that work environment is a moderator in the relationship between (1) WLB and job stress, and (2) WLB and job satisfaction. Results also documented that training and development is a moderator in the relationship between (1) job stress and job satisfaction, and (2) job commitment and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: Since the present research is based on self-report measures, the limitations of common method bias and social desirability are inherent. However, the authors have taken sufficient care to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for managers in work organizations. Practical implications: This study contributes to both literature on human resource management and practicing managers. The study suggests that employers need to be aware of the importance of WLB and invest moneys into training and development programs. Results also suggest maintaining congenial work environment to help employees maintain balance between work and life. Social implications: The study is expected to contribute to the welfare of the society in terms of identifying the consequences of WLB. Originality/value: This study provides new insights about the consequences of WLB through moderating role of training and development and work environment. To the authors' knowledge, this is a conceptual model developed and tested and first of its kind in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]