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Purpose: The pulp and paper industry has been the focus of government policies ever since independence. This is the only industry where government plays a multi-dimensional role – not only as the regulator but also as the supplier of raw material and as the buyer. Despite the government's omnipotent role, there is evidence that industry is not very competitive, as it has very high energy and water intensity and poor productivity. A potent factor identified in the literature for the underperformance of the industry or for that matter any economy is the kind of technology used by the firms in the sector. This paper aims to look into the role of government policy in affecting the growth of the industry and what role embodied technology has played in influencing the efficiency of firms in Indian pulp and paper industry. Design/methodology/approach: For the first question, the study uses 66 years of production data of the industry from 1951 to 2016 and tests for the structural break. For the second question, the study uses cross-section plant-level data for the year 2011-2012 of 160 paper manufacturing units to first estimate the stochastic production frontier (stochastic frontier analysis [SFA]) and then uses the output of SFA to find an association between embodied technology gap (TG) and technical efficiency. A methodological problem in earlier literature is the use of the productivity gap as a proxy for embodied TG. The present study uses technical parameters of papermaking – machine deckle and operating speed – to construct an index of TG. Findings: The results show a structural break in the production trend occurring in 1999 with the delicensing in July 1997 as the possible cause. The SFA results show that the average technical inefficiency (TE) of the firms in the sector is 74 per cent with half of the firms having TE higher than 76 per cent. The study, however, does not find any impact of embodied TG on technical efficiency; rather it is the age, size, ownership and location that have an impact on it. Originality/value: This is an original research, as the author has not come across any study in Indian context or elsewhere using technical parameters to construct TG variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mobile-based payment is increasing exponentially but in the developing country like India, consumers' perception is highly positive in daily cash transaction. The purpose of this research is to identify and examine the important challenges for mobile wallet (m-wallet) implementation in India. In the wake of COVID-19, one of the transmission mechanisms of this virus has been the coins and paper money passed between a buyer and a seller. As such m-wallet considered as a convenience of payment has become a necessity in light of the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The authors explored 19 unique sets of challenges selected from the literature and collected data from 14 experts from private sector, multinational corporations and mixed private and public partnership who have significant knowledge and experience of mobile payment implementation and use in their respective organisations. Also, the authors have used Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology in developing a hierarchal model for the identified challenges. The authors implemented Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to classify the identified challenges. Findings: The ISM-based framework is divided into nine different hierarchical levels. "Lack of strong regulatory compliance (Ch6)" has been recognised as the most important challenge, which inhibited the mobile wallet implementation, whereas "Perception of customers about the value of using mobile wallets (Ch11)" is the most dependent critical challenge. There are seven hierarchical layers in between the top and the bottom level with the varied number of challenges based on their driving and dependence power. Originality/value: This is the first research to the best of our knowledge that has not only comprehensively reviewed the m-wallet literature but also employed a unique ISM-MICMAC-based approach to develop a framework of challenges for the m-wallet implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the status of gross and net working capital and their association with sales of Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Ltd, with reference to the Indian paper industry over a decade, from 1999 to 2008. Design/methodology/approach – The research is mainly based on secondary financial data obtained from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). It focused on the size, character, and annual growth rates of gross and net working capital of the company. In addition, it analyzed the growth trends of gross and net working capital of the company in relation to sales. With the help of the Karl Pearson's correlation model, the inter-relationship between sales and working capital has been identified. Then the strength and significance of such a relationship has been tested with the use of other statistical tools such as coefficient of determination and Student's t-test. Findings – The major findings of the research showed that while there was an increase in sales positively, strongly, and significantly associated with an increase in gross working capital for both the company and the industry, its association with net working capital was negative, poorly related, weak, and insignificant for the company under study. Originality/value – There is a dearth of studies in the world literature that discuss the relationship that exists between sales and working capital in India's paper industry, in general and Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Ltd in particular, and therefore this research is expected to add significant value to exploring the said linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Taking as a point of departure the edited collection Yaraana (1999), ostensibly the first mainstream publication on gay writing from India, the purpose of this article is to trace the way Indian authors have dealt with the growing visibility of nonnormative sexualities. It suggests that from the start this debate has centered on a dyad between local and culturally specific sexual identities vs its globalized opposite, which is held to threaten regionally specific expressions. The continuing struggle for recognition and equality is revealing for a growing divide between those whose sexuality can rely on growing representation in Indian popular media, and those who feel increasingly marginalized. Design/methodology/approach: This article revisits important texts that were published and publicly accessible in India from 1999 onwards. All the text considered and discussed were accessible outside academic networks and thus, available in mainstream bookstores, produced by Indian authors or long-term residents and available in English. Considering the vast language diversity of India as well as the complexity of gaining access to locally published materials, the analysis does not include texts that are only available in a vernacular language. Besides this, the article benefits from the direct input of key activists and scholars from India working on this topic. Findings: Even if homosexuality has now been decriminalized in India, what emerges from the writing is a concern that globally hegemonic expressions of alternate sexualities might impact, homogenize and eventually eradicate locally specific expressions. Considering socioeconomic equality in India, this raises serious questions about those whose precarious positions may see them further marginalized because of this. Originality/value: While there have been various overviews and analyses of the fight for decriminalization of homosexuality in India, so far there has not been an analysis how this benefited from a growing awareness and discussion in popularly accessible texts. This analysis also raises concerns that the fight for decriminalization might have negative consequences for those in marginalized positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to determine India's position in publishing top research papers in chemistry as reflected in Science Direct. It also aims to find out authorship pattern, countries with major contributions, journals with high publication rates, etc. Design/methodology/approach – Citation analysis methods were applied to study citations of 450 research papers in chemistry taken from the listing of top 25 papers in Science Direct database. The citations covered 18 issues of the Science Direct generated alert service for the period 2004-2008. The bibliographic data were entered in Excel sheets for necessary analysis. Findings – The studies revealed that, out of 450 research papers, 36 (8 per cent) are contributed by Indian researchers. In the ranking of contributing countries, India reserves third position after the USA and China. More than 86 per cent of Indian chemistry research papers were cited by others. As regards to number of citations, 25 per cent of Indian papers are cited between 10 and 25 times each. The journal Tetrahedron was found as the highest publishing journal with 71 (16 per cent) publications. Research limitations/implications – The paper presents a sense of the importance of Indian chemistry research, and as such informs that community, as well as researchers involved in citation analysis. Originality/value – The outcome of the study is an original research work with citation analysis of top research papers in chemistry. The findings will have practical implications for Indian scientists, funding agencies and research establishments in different areas of chemical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the state of supply chain management (SCM) research in India and to understand the research trends and methodologies used. The present study also aims to create a taxonomy of the subject areas researched in India. Design/methodology/approach: The present study employed the systematic literature review methodology. Literature from 395 peer journal papers in 67 leading journals over a 20-year period (2000–2020 Quarter-1) was comprehensively reviewed and assessed. Findings: SCM research in India started around the year 2000. The quantum of research was low (single digit) until 2010. There has been steady growth over the last decade, and over 50% of the total papers up until now has been published in the last four years. The present study created a three-tiered taxonomy of the subject areas and classified the papers as per it. The first tier (level-1) has seven categories (SCM strategy, network design, SCM processes and integration, IT systems, skills, performance measurement and others). A perusal of the newly created taxonomy revealed that, except for a few areas under level-1 categories (such as SCM processes and SCM strategy), the other level-1 categories have not seen much research. Similarly, there is little or no research in a large number of level-2 categories (such as outsourcing strategy, channel strategy, demand management, demand fulfillment, customer relationship management, integrated supply chain planning, new product development, returns, supply chain orientation, performance monitoring, performance improvement, SCM adoption process, SCM implementation issues and quantified benefits of SCM). Methodologically, the rigor of SCM research in India needs improvement. Originality/value: A comprehensive taxonomy of SCM subject areas researched in India at three cascading levels was created for the first time in the present study. The taxonomy will help provide researchers with a clear understanding of the structure of the subject areas and help in identifying areas where research has been carried out and the subject areas where gaps exist for future research to proceed. The present study also provides an overview of the methodological rigor of SCM research in India and points out some of the limitations that researchers should avoid in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review, discuss and synthesize the literature focusing on the Indian initial public offering (IPO) market. Understanding the Indian IPO market can help answer broader corporate finance questions. The growing number of IPOs in the Indian context, coupled with the increasing importance of the Indian economy in the global market, makes this review an essential topic. Design/methodology/approach: The systematic literature review methodology was adopted to review 111 papers published between 2002 and 2021. The authors used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach during the review process. Additionally, the authors use a bibliometric review methodology to examine the pattern and trend of research in this area of interest. Furthermore, the authors conduct a critical review and synthesis of the top 20 papers based on citations. The authors also use a co-citation network and manual content analysis method to identify key research themes. Findings: This review helps in identifying major themes of research in this area of interest. The authors find that majority of the research has focused on IPO performance whereas post-IPO performance needs critical attention as well. The authors develop a comprehensive framework and future research agenda based on their discussion. Research limitations/implications: Meta-analysis of the literature can be conducted to gain better insights into the findings of prior studies. Practical implications: This review paper develops a comprehensive overview on Indian IPO market which can be of interest not only to Indian scholarship. India as an economy is increasingly gaining attention at the global level. Hence, the future research objectives as illustrated in the study can be of interest for the global scholarship also. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review paper that examines, synthesizes and outlines the future research agenda on Indian IPO studies. This review can be useful for researchers, business policymakers, finance professionals and anyone else interested in the Indian IPO market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an in-depth awareness into the research on customised training programme for the indigenous population in India. The central aim is to conduct a systematic review on the available studies to explore its crucial themes interweaving with skill development. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses systematic review method, for which the author uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, SPIDER tool and Mendeley to identify relevant articles from 2011 to 2022. Findings: Results show that the customised training programme is useful for the first-generation population to upgrade their skills. It aids in improving scalability, supports job creation and facilitates in mitigating low level of training exposure by meeting the local needs. However, poor approachability on customised training, its oversimplification and lack of research dents the critical insights and prospects. Originality/value: The novelty of this paper lies on retrieving the essential indicators of customised training from previous studies by systematic review tools. It can aid academicians, educators, local administration and policymakers to understand its benefits for indigenous population to fill the policy gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an objective and comprehensive evaluation of the understanding of the professional code of ethics of Indian Professional Management Accountants in Business (PMAIBs). It further delves into their individual, job and organizational characteristics as determinants of their understanding of the code. Design/methodology/approach: This study relies on data from 247 responses to a survey-based questionnaire. Overall scores and sub-scores of the level of understanding of the code were calculated based on questions grounded in IESBA Code and ethical dilemmas. The drivers of these scores were then examined using one-way ANOVA, OLS, Probit and ordered probit regressions. Findings: This study found considerable heterogeneity in Indian PMAIBs' understanding of their professional code of ethics and substantial scope for improvements. PMAIBs were stronger in Application, Resolution and Threats but weaker in Theory and Principles. Further, PMAIBs who had ranked themselves higher on code-familiarity, had higher moral maturity, hailed from western India and worked for foreign-listed, foreign-owned firms were found to have a higher level of understanding of the code. Highly educated elderly professionals and professionals with more responsibility areas exhibited a lower level of understanding of the code. Research limitations/implications: Insights from the study can help professional bodies, employers and academics identify and segment PMAIBs based on their ethics-training needs and customize interventions, which can benefit businesses and society through reduced corporate ethical failures. Considering the risk implications of Indian PMAIBs' inadequacies in understanding their code of ethics, the Indian professional accounting organization (ICAI-CMA) should mandate ethics in continuing professional development and expedite its long pending convergence with the IESBA code, a global benchmark for professional accountants. Originality/value: This paper assesses the understanding of the professional code of ethics of PMAIBs, which is crucial yet amiss in the accounting ethics literature. While ethical decision-making is extensively researched, how well the professionals understand their code is yet unexplored. Research on PMAIBs, despite their unique ethical vulnerabilities and increasingly vital role in organizations, is still dormant. This study aims to fill these gaps by examining PMAIBs from India, an emerging economy under-represented in accounting ethics literature. India offers an important and rich setting for the study due to its large size, fast growth, deep integration with the global economy, high perceived corruption levels and poor ethical behavior of its firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to add a historical perspective to the contemporary debate concerning women's entrepreneurship in India. This study aims to explore the quantitative and qualitative research map of the research field of women's entrepreneurship. Through this exploration, the authors aim to portray the historical and contemporary factors related to women's entrepreneurship development in India, the problems and the opportunities. Future research opportunities are also identified based on the keyword analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a systematic literature review to analyze the historical and theoretical perspectives of women's entrepreneurship in India. The bibliometric analysis portrays the publication landscape, including the most popular journals, authors and countries, citation analysis and keyword analysis. The content analysis reveals the thematic clusters of the research field. Findings: The content analysis of the management literature on women's entrepreneurship reveals four primary clusters from the research: contextual embeddedness in women's entrepreneurship, reasons for starting a business, microfinance interventions and empowerment of women entrepreneurs and marginalization dynamics for women entrepreneurs in India's informal sector. The study also presents implications for policymakers and a women entrepreneurs' development framework. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively analyze the management literature on women's entrepreneurship in India from a historical perspective. The study combines bibliometric mapping and content analysis for a holistic presentation of the research field of women's entrepreneurship in India and future research opportunities. [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: This paper investigates the dynamic nature of risk in pre-, during- and post-COVID duration. It investigates how commercial office portfolio stakeholders in India perceived risk during the COVID pandemic, their risk response and mitigation strategies, and emerging structural changes that would impact the commercial office portfolio (COP) in the post-COVID period. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative and applied research method is adopted for the study. Through purposive sampling, commercial office portfolio stakeholders were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire having two parts. In the first part, risk attributes were accessed on the Likert scale and in the second part there were open-ended questions. Findings: The uncertainty during the COVID period increased the risk perception significantly. There was a sense of urgency to retain the tenants, preserve the headline rentals and keep the properties operational. COP managers were forthcoming to offer rent deferments, common area maintenance discounts and upgrades in the physical office in form of touchless equipment, better air filters, etc. Post-pandemic there would be extensive use of technology and data for facility management and space utilization analytics; mainstreaming of hybrid working and flexible office spaces; increased certification of buildings; adoption of ESG and sustainability norms; and better-designed buildings with a focus on EHS and wellbeing. Practical implications: Identifying structural changes in the post-pandemic period will help the COP managers to align their portfolios to the emerging office market requirements. Originality/value: This study helps in developing an understanding of the dynamic nature of the risk across pre-, during- and post-COVID periods. And risk responses and mitigation strategies adopted during the COVID period in an emerging market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to trace Tata Group's role in responding to disability in the decades immediately following India's independence until the preliberalization period of the Indian economy, i.e. from the 1950s to the 1990s. Design/methodology/approach: This study's methodology entailed a historiographical approach and archival engagement at Tata Archives (Pune, India) of the company documents. Materials and records of the Tata Company between 1942 and 1992. Findings: Adopting the corporate culture lens, the study findings show that Tata Group demonstrated an active prosocial corporate approach toward disability. In a period governed by the ideology of a state-dominated developmental approach, Tata Group's initiatives were related to medical interventions for a wide spectrum of disabilities, rehabilitation and efforts to ensure persons with disabilities (PWDS)' livelihood. Originality/value: Disability, in the neoliberalized economic landscape of India, is an emergent business issue for companies espousing workplace diversity. The historical understanding of business engagement with disability from postindependence to liberalization in India remains, however, limited. In postindependence India, the passive business response to disability emerged within an ethical and discretionary framework, with charity and philanthropy as the main modes of engagement. In this background, this paper explores Tata's response to disability and PWDs, which was distinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to determine the bias-corrected efficiencies and rankings of the selected hotels and restaurants (H&Rs) in India. Design/methodology/approach: The data for the Indian H&R sector are collected from the Prowess database. The bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on a constant return to scale (CRS), variable return to scale-input oriented (VRS-IP) and variable return to scale-output oriented (VRS-OP) are applied on H&Rs to obtain the bias-corrected efficiencies. Findings: It is found that relative efficiencies using basic DEA methods of all the 45 H&Rs of India are overestimated. These efficiencies are corrected using bias correction through bootstrap DEA methods. The bounds for the efficiencies of each H&R are computed using all the adopted methods. All H&Rs are ranked using bias-corrected efficiencies, and the linear trend between ranks suggests that the H&Rs are ranked almost similarly by all the adopted methods. Practical implications: To improve efficiency, Indian H&R companies must rethink their personnel needs by enhancing their workforce management capabilities. The government needs to extend more support to this sector by introducing a liberal legislation framework and supporting infrastructure policies. Originality/value: There is a paucity of studies on H&Rs in India. The current study focused on measuring bias-corrected efficiencies of the selected H&Rs of India. This study is one of the few initiatives to explore bias-corrected efficiencies extensively using the bootstrap DEA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to examine how Indian non-financial service sector companies' financial performance is influenced by their corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditures. The paper also analyses whether family ownership has a moderating role in the CSR expenditure–financial performance association. Design/methodology/approach: The study includes 288 non-financial service sector companies listed in India with 3,456 firm-year observations. Panel data regression analysis using data for 12 years, starting from 2010 to 2021, is carried out. Findings: The study reveals a positive influence of CSR spending on financial performance measures (Tobin's Q and return on assets). Mandatory CSR policies also influence the company's performance. Additionally, family ownership has a positive moderating effect on CSR expenditure–financial performance (Tobin's Q). Research limitations/implications: The study gives insights to the managers on how CSR expenditures can be used to maximise their benefits by supporting social causes, particularly in the case of firms with ownership structures where family involvement is there. Originality/value: The prior studies analysing family ownership effect on the CSR–financial performance relationship are fewer, and in a country like India, where corporate philanthropy is a part of the family business culture, there is a need to understand how CSR spending influences firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the association between productivity growth and job reallocation in terms of job creation and job destruction. It also finds this productivity employment relationship for heterogeneous labor market institutions of the Indian states. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses longitudinal data of the Annual Survey of Industries of Indian manufacturing from 2009–2010 to 2015–2016 and employs fixed-effect multinomial logistic regression. Findings: The paper finds a mixed result of total factor productivity (TFP) increase on employment. An increase in TFP is positively associated with employment by reducing the probability of destroying jobs, while adversely associated with employment by reducing the probability of creating jobs. The negative association of the increase in TFP on employment is more in the Indian states with strict labor regulations. Research limitations/implications: The relationship between TFP and employment can be endogenous. TFP is calculated as output changes that are not explained by inputs, capital and labor. So, job creation/destruction may affect TFP by changing the composition of employment and/or returns on labor/capital. In addition, this study is only restricted to Indian organized manufacturing. Practical implications: The results from this study help deeply understand the Indian labor market. In particular, it provides valuable insights into the "jobless growth" in Indian manufacturing and the recent changes in labor laws. Social implications: The findings from this study provide useful information to enhance the robust growth of productive jobs and efficient reallocation of labor. Originality/value: Unlike most papers, which analyzed the relationship between productivity growth and net employment changes, the present paper finds the relationship between improvement in productivity and job reallocation in terms of simultaneous creation of new jobs and destruction of existing jobs. In addition, the paper links this relationship with the existing heterogeneous labor laws of the Indian states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on employability and skill gap in the context of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) education in India. This paper provides an overview of the critical themes and identifies research gaps for future investigations. Design/methodology/approach: Published empirical studies were reviewed and thematically analysed using NVivo 11 Pro. Findings: In addition to technical aptitudes and skills, organisations also seek other attributes that are associated with employability, such as communication, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills. Communication is an important skill frequently cited in the literature. Additionally, themes related to reasons for skill gaps are identified. Practical implications: Soft skills and non-technical aptitudes should be emphasised in MBA education. Furthermore, significant reforms in MBA education programmes should be implemented in India to make graduates industry-ready. Originality/value: Several studies have been carried out to verify the existence of and reasons for skill gaps amongst MBA graduates in India. Through integrative literature review, the issue of skill gap is discussed. Future research directions are also recommended in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the two consecutive surveys conducted by the authors in 2015 and 2018, it was found that out of a total of 810 and 1008 Indian higher educational institutions, only 54 and 63 institutions (6.67 and 6.25%) were led by women, 725 and 934 institutions (89.51 and 92.7%) were led by men and 31 and 11 (3.83 and 1.1%) were reported to either have no information about their leaders or those posts were vacant (Banker and Banker, 2017; EduShine Report, 2015 and 2018). The current study is a follow-up attempt so that the knowledge around the status of women academic leaders in Indian higher education (2021) can be upgraded. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issue. Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative exploratory research approach was followed for conducting the study. Findings: It was found that out of the current total of 1151 Indian higher educational institutions, still only 110 (9.55%) are led by women, 1031 (89.57%) are led by men and for 10 institutions (0.86%) data on leadership is unavailable. Important contextual inferences have been made in the discussion section followed by the concentrated literature around the possible reasons for such low representation of women leaders in the global higher education sector. Research limitations/implications: One possible limitation of this study is that it does not provide an idea about why there is the highest women leadership in central institutions and the lowest in INIs. Taking the contextual factors into consideration, an extended exploration could have been made of different facilitators and barriers for each type of Indian HEI. The author invites future researchers to conduct this inquiry and come up with certain remedies, which is also one of the limitations of this study. Different enablers and disablers can be found through different primary and secondary research. Practical implications: Increased women leadership will bring diversity in the institutions' modus operandi and impact their culture in a great way. It is the prime responsibility of women to break the glass ceiling and come out of their shells. Family responsibilities contribute to their career stress in a great way, and women may balance their personal and professional lives by creating a sound support system in their family. Utilizing domestic help services will liberate them partially from their routine and unimportant duties. This will allow women to focus on more important work related to their careers. Trending nuclear families is also one of the major contributors to low women leadership; joint family pattern may benefit women to nurture and build their career keeping their sanity intact. Institutional decision makers and other stakeholders at work will be sensitized toward different barriers experienced by not only women leaders but also women in lower positions. Men at work across the levels are responsible for creating a more inclusive and conducive workplace for women. Inclusive workplace policies will render women equal opportunities and fair rewards. Ensuring unbiased and prejudice-free work culture will have a positive impact on the self-efficacy level of women which can be validated through their performance. Social implications: Slow and steady efforts consciously made by both men and women in the workplace for the betterment of women may progressively help overcome the social preconditioning at a macro level. Originality/value: All the studies reported in this paper have been sequentially conducted and are unique in the Indian higher education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Indian government initiated several skill development policies and different types of vocational education and training (VET). Yet the participation in skill education is low because of poor labour market outcomes. This paper aims to calculate returns to skill education to understand the type of training that will have better labour market outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper nationally representative data from the periodic labour force survey (PLFS), collected by the national sample survey office for 2017–2018, are used to estimate the returns to formal and non-formal VET obtained (after different levels of general education) with the help of Heckman's two-stage method. Findings: Nearly 8% of the working-age population has received some form of VET (mostly non-formal), generating poor returns. For the overall population, formal on-job training (OJT) and full-time VET influence wage positively and significantly. Full-time VET obtained after secondary and below levels of education generates positive returns, whereas part-time VET is profitable only to those without formal education. At the graduate level, technical education obtained along with VET is associated with better wages. Originality/value: In India where a considerable proportion of the workforce is employed in the informal sector, different types of skill training like full-time, part-time and OJT influence labour market outcomes. This finding has policy implication for countries with large informal sector and calls for further research in such countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the labour force participation among the elderly population (aged 60 and above) in India from data available for the most recent time periods. The paper reviews the types of employment, industries and occupations that the elderly in India are employed in presently and also examines the impact of different factors on the decision of the elderly to be a part of the labour force. Design/methodology/approach: Unit-level data has been extracted from the most recent data available on employment and labour force in India provided by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), from 2017 to 2018 to 2019–2020. Binary logistic regression model has been used to identify some of the socio-economic and demographic factors that influence the odds of the elderly being a part of the labour force along with the extent of their influence, and Wald statistic has been used to examine the dynamics. Findings: The study finds that among the elderly population, males, individuals living in rural areas, those living alone, those who are currently married and those with low educational attainment are more likely to be a part of the labour force. Again, elderly females are found to be employed mostly in the informal or unorganised sector which provide minimal or nil social security benefits. Between 2017–2018 and 2019–2020, the coefficients for sector, gender, marital status, education and income are found to be significantly different. Originality/value: This paper attempts to shed some light on the scanty literature with regards to studies on the elderly in India, and also to reveal the possible factors which induce the elderly in India to participate in the labour force with the help of the most recent data available. Peer review: The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2021-0350. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak has significant psychological effects because of reduced support system and social quarantine, making women the worst-hit population of shadow pandemic, i.e. domestic violence. While food shortages, unemployment and increased domestic-work burdens are the immediate effects of the lockdown, women at home have to bear its far-reaching impacts in the long term in the form of domestic abuse, making the study of the psychological impact of domestic violence against women imperative. This paper aims to identify the factors and causes responsible for domestic violence and its psychological impacts on women in different aspects. This paper further focuses on the reasons behind an escalation in psychological violence against women. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on extrapolating data from various journal articles, Indian Government reports, newspaper articles and other printed materials that are recent, relevant and discuss domestic violence and mental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers use Indian National Commission for Women's (NCW) data on complaints received regarding violence against women and domestic abuse in the year 2020 and 15 journal articles that discuss domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 period in different countries to discuss social inequalities and power relations impact on women' mental health. Findings: The findings suggest that economic instability during the pandemic and social and cultural norms of India ignited psychological abuse against women during the pandemic. The number of monthly complaints of dowry death, dowry harassment and protection of women against domestic violence reflect on increased registered complaints in the postlockdown period in the year 2020. The number of monthly complaints received by the NCW from January 2020 to December 2020 in India represents that WhatsApp chat is a powerful tool for reporting domestic violence. Originality/value: The pandemic lockdown has an adverse psychological impact on women, making them suffer from posttraumatic symptoms, substance abuse, panic attacks, depressions, hallucinations, eating disorders, self-harm, etc. This paper strives to reflect upon mitigation strategies to curb domestic violence in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the dominant share of India in global production of fruits and vegetables, this paper intends to analyze the export competitiveness of India and other major food exporters in the world trade. The purpose of this study is to examine export structure, substitutability and complementarity of selected fresh and processed fruits and vegetables of top ten food exporters for the period 2010-20. Design/methodology/approach: Balassa's (1965) revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index was used to measure RCA indices of selected fruits and vegetables under study. Also, revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and normalized RCA (NRCA) indices have been calculated. Further, Spearman rank correlation coefficients were computed to analyze changes over the study period for India and other competing countries. The export data have been sourced from UN Comtrade, an electronic database of United Nations, as well as World Trade Statistical Review, a database of World Trade Organization. The analysis was undertaken at Harmonized System (HS) four-digit classification for the period 2010-20. Findings: The results disclosed an improvement in India's comparative advantage over the period of 2010-20 in HS 07 product category, whereas the advantage ceded to other competitive nations in HS 08 product category. Further, Spearman rank correlation coefficients revealed that India faces competition from countries like China, Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and European Union for HS 07 product category, while countries like Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailandare the major competitors of India in HS 08 product category. Originality/value: The paper expands the existing agricultural trade literature in three ways. First, it is one of the very few studies that have analyzed RCA for Indian fresh and processed fruits and vegetables using three different types of indices, namely, Balassa's RCA, RSCA and NRCA. Second, the authors provide a number of comparisons related to RCA for Indian fruits and vegetables with other top food exporters in the world for a period of 10 years (2010-20). Third, the authors contribute to agricultural trade literature by assessing the substitutability or complementarity of India in the export of fruits and vegetables with other competing nations by using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. [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]

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Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of gender diversity both at the board and workforce level on firm performance (FP) in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on annual data of 200 companies listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for the period 2012–2019. The authors have used the fixed-effects (FE) regression and system generalized method of moments to estimate the impact of board gender diversity and workforce gender diversity (WGD) on FP. The authors have used Blau's Index (BI) and Shannon's Index (SI) to measure gender diversity. Further, the authors have used return on assets and Tobin's Q (TBQ) to measure FP. Findings: The authors' panel regression results suggest that board gender diversity and WGD have a positive and statistically significant impact on FP. The authors' findings are robust across different methods of estimation and alternative measures of FP. Originality/value: This paper examines the impact of gender diversity both at the board and workforce level on FP of 200 companies listed on BSE. The authors' study contributes to the literature that is sparse in the Indian context and provides new insights on the impact of board and WGD on FP. The findings have useful policy implications. To achieve better performance, it is imperative to appreciate gender diversity at the governance and workforce level in a fast-growing economy like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Migrants face some unique health-care challenges, which often remain unaddressed by the health system. The purpose of this study is to determine health-care access among migrants in Chhattisgarh, from a lens of health equity. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted in a government-built tenement under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development program in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh state of India. It is a mixed-methods study which used a survey method, focus group discussion, in depth-interviews, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations of health facilities in the area. Respondents included residents (migrants) and other local stakeholders like the Chief Medical Officer of the district, elected representatives of the local government and frontline health workers. This paper focuses on the findings from the qualitative component of the study. Findings: The move to resettle the people living in the slums to the periphery of the city had a negative impact on their health-care access. They find it difficult to access public health services, given the services are concentrated in the city. Women, elderly people and disabled people grapple with additional challenges in being able to access basic reproductive health services and care for chronic illnesses. Equity in health-care access is linked to various social determinants of health including access to housing and social security. However, the authors found that the migrant community is being deprived of appropriate housing facilities and social security. Originality/value: This paper explores the health-care access of internal migrants in Chhattisgarh state of India in the larger context of urban development with a focus on health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the pain and suffering of elderly age people during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was an unpleasant experience for old age people. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, primarily, the information has been collected through interviews and observation. The researchers interviewed the older people and discussed their experience during the lockdown, and they also observed their activities during that period. Findings: The main results of this paper suggested that lockdown appeared as double-edge sword for old age and elderly people. They are not allowed to go outside to safeguard their lives, and inside the home, they are facing issues of anxiety, fear and mental trauma. They are not able to complete their daily routine, and it is hampering their mental strength. Originality/value: The paper is based on firsthand information received from an old-age couple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper contributes to the long-standing interest in studying the relationship of social capital and trust. It examines the relationship between social capital and trust in a producer company and the role of perceived benefits as a mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach: A multistage sampling was done to collect data from 395 farmer members from five producer companies spread over three states of India. Through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) latent constructs were mapped, and composite reliability and construct validity were established. PROCESS macro of Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) was used to probe relationship between social capital and member's trust and mediation effect of perceived benefit. Findings: The authors' research findings establish that the social capital has a positive and significant relationship with members' trust in a producer company and perceived benefit mediates this relationship. Research limitations/implications: The paper contributes to reduce complexity of social capital theory by differentiating sources and benefits of social capital. It opens up the avenues of testing theoretically valid mediation effects of many other constructs. Originality/value: The role of member's perceived benefits as a mediator between social capital and members' trust is a new knowledge to the literature of social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the impact of remittance inflows on sustained economic growth in India. Design/methodology/approach: This study has taken a time series dataset for the period of 1976–2021, and a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model technique (NARDL) has been applied to check the impact of remittance inflows along with other control variables, including broad money and service sector performance, on the sustained economic growth of India. Findings: The results of the study indicated that in both the short and long runs, any positive shock in remittance inflows has a positive impact on the economic growth of India, while negative shocks do not affect economic growth. Practical implications: The economic policymakers of India can use the findings of the study by implementing remittance-friendly policies. Moreover, NITI Aayog, the body working toward achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in India, can also use this study as a reference while making strategies to achieve SDG. Originality/value: Economic growth has always been an area of interest among economists, researchers and policymakers. However, achieving sustained economic growth requires an analysis of those factors that themselves have sustained performance over a long period of time and have the potential to sustain it over the upcoming years. This study has taken remittance inflows as one such factor and investigated its impact on the sustained economic growth of India. At present, there is an evident gap in the literature that very little attention has been given to sustained Indian economic growth. Moreover, there is no study available in which the nonlinear impact of different variables has been tested on the economic growth of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the impact of social inclusion factors and foreign fund inflows on reducing gender-based unemployment in India. Design/methodology/approach: A time series data set for the period of 1991–2021 has been considered, and an autoregressive distributed lag methodology has been applied to measure the short- and long-run impact of social inclusion and foreign fund inflows on reducing gender-based unemployment in India. Findings: According to the study's findings, both social inclusion and foreign fund inflows are critical factors for reducing male unemployment. However, in the case of female unemployment, only social inclusion factors play an important role, whereas foreign fund inflows have no role in it. Originality/value: Analyzing the factors that affect gender-based unemployment has always been a grey area in literature. There are very few studies that capture gender-based unemployment in India, making this study a novice contribution. Second, it examines the relationship between foreign fund inflows, social inclusion and unemployment, which is another novel area of investigation. Finally, this study provides comprehensive and distinct results for both male and female unemployment that can help policymakers devise gender-based unemployment policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether information asymmetry mediates the relationship between disclosure and cost of equity. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a sample of 500 companies listed in Bombay Stock Exchange for a period of six years from 2015 to 2021. Panel data regression is applied to analyze the relationship between voluntary disclosure, cost of equity and information asymmetry. Mediation effect of information asymmetry is tested with the help of Barron and Kenny's (1986) approach. Findings: Findings suggest that in case of Indian companies, disclosure reduces cost of equity directly and indirectly through mediation of information asymmetry. Indian investors value credible information for better estimation of future returns, supporting the validity of estimation risk and stock market liquidity hypothesis, which proposes an inverse relationship between disclosure and cost of equity. Research limitations/implications: Managers can use the findings to strategize their disclosure policy and secure funds at lower cost. Shareholders can monitor managerial actions by demanding credible disclosures. Government too can encourage voluntary disclosure by providing special incentives to the firms. Originality/value: This study is a pioneering research that investigates the mediating influence of information asymmetry between disclosure and cost of equity with reference to the Indian corporate landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to establish and empirically investigate a research model examining the effect of four dimensions of the technology readiness index – optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity – on customer engagement that further influences purchase intention in the context of online shopping through artificial intelligence voice assistants (AI VAs). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected in India from 429 customers in a self-administered online survey. Data analysis uses the structural equation modelling technique. Findings: Technology readiness dimensions, e.g. optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity, are critical factors driving customer engagement. Customer engagement further results in purchase intention in online shopping through AI VAs. Research limitations/implications: This study adds to the literature by understanding how customers' technology readiness levels drive engagement and purchase intention. However, this study includes customer engagement as a unidimensional construct. Further research can consist of customer engagement as a multidimensional construct. Practical implications: The findings offer guidelines for e-retailers to enhance customer engagement that matches their personality traits, thereby strengthening their purchase intention through AI VAs. Originality/value: The research contributes to the literature by empirically investigating a research model, revealing optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity as crucial parameters for customer engagement and purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of elements of corporate governance along with firm specific variables on the financial leverage of listed Indian firms in the context of agency conflicts and new governance laws. Design/methodology/approach: A series of panel ordinary least squares as well as fixed/random effects regression models of book and market value of financial leverage on variables of corporate governance (board size, board composition, board meeting, board attendance and board gender) along with a set of control variables (asset tangibility, firm size, growth, liquidity and profitability) were estimated by employing 113 listed Indian firms during 2010–2021. Dynamic panel generalized method of moments models were also estimated to check the robustness of empirical results. Further, the full sample of firms was divided into small and large board sized companies using the median approach to investigate differences between small and large board characteristics on financial leverage. Findings: The evidence predominantly suggested that the governance variables have significant impact on leverage ratios of selected firms. Governance variables such as board size, composition, attendance and gender are significantly found to be reducing the financial leverage of firms indicating that in general these attributes in a way, through monitoring managers, put pressure on them to pursue lower financial leverage. Board meeting is found to be positive and significantly related with financial leverage suggesting that the frequency of meetings signals its monitoring ability that may influence lenders' risk assessment lowering borrowing cost. The results on small and large board sized companies indicate that firms with small boards relatively issue more debt compared to firms with large boards suggesting that small boards adopt high debt policy. Practical implications: The main policy implication of the study is that elements of internal corporate governance is a significant governance tool that has the potential to reduce agency conflict between the managers and agents through monitoring and decision making that has tangible effects on critical corporate decisions such as capital structure choices. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the existing literature by bringing new evidence relating to agency conflicts and capital structure decisions in an emerging market like India post adoption of new regulations related to corporate governance specified in Clause 49 of Securities and Exchange Board of India and Companies Act, 2013 as there is significant dearth of such empirical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted organizations, bringing in unforeseen situations and highlighting the need for organizational leaders to develop a capacity for resilience, i.e. the ability to recuperate, exhibit agility and rebound. Hence, this paper aims to explore leaders' views on what resilience capabilities are needed to manage themselves, the team and the organization. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative research study uses an in-depth interview tool and adopts a reflexive thematic analysis. The capabilities approach and resilience theory framework were applied to view resilience capabilities. The sample comprises 19 middle and senior leaders, both men and women, from the information technology Industry in India. Findings: This study unravelled different capabilities to manage individuals, teams and organizations. The three key themes of resilience capabilities observed were as follows: self-leadership capabilities – where leaders focussed on capabilities that developed themselves; people leadership capabilities – which focussed on leading people and the team; and organisation-focussed leadership capabilities – which focussed on the macro level. Originality/value: The findings of the study benefit organizations, leaders, human resource professionals, talent management strategists and academic leadership scholars to identify, train, conceive and deliver resilience capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how changes in creditors' rights affect the dividend policy behavior of corporate firms. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the implementation of the bankruptcy and insolvency code (IBC) in India in 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment setup. Differential application of this law allows them to use the Difference in Differences approach to extract the marginal impact of change in creditors' rights on the dividend policy. Findings: The authors show that firms responded to strengthening creditors' rights by decreasing their dividend payout. Further, the authors observe that this negative response is conditioned on firm leverage and the nature of the creditor, i.e. public or private. The firms with a greater leverage ratio and a greater proportion of private debt in the total debt in the pre-event period have shown greater response to the change in the law. Lastly, the authors show that stock markets positively respond to the observed decrease in dividends only when a corresponding decrease in the leverage accompanies such a decrease. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the finance and law literature from several aspects. First, the authors extend this stream by bringing to light the dividend policy response of firms when they are subjected to a change in creditors' rights. Second, the authors also show how firm-level factors like financial policy and the nature of the creditor condition their response to IBC. Lastly, the authors also examine the market reaction to the dividend policy response of firms to the change in bankruptcy law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aims to investigate the effects of e-service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The moderating effects of web design and trust in the relationship between e-service quality and customer satisfaction are also explored. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model involving various dimensions of e-service quality, customer satisfaction, loyalty, price perception and web design is developed, and hypothesized relationships are tested using Hayes's PROCESS macros. A survey instrument and data from 650 respondents who are regular e-buyers from the southern part of India are used. Findings: The results indicate that e-service quality positively relates to customer satisfaction and loyalty. The findings also suggest that price perception and trust are vital in enhancing customer satisfaction. Further, the indirect effect of e-service quality on customer loyalty through customer satisfaction is supported. Finally, web design (first moderator) and trust (second moderator) significantly influence the relationship between e-service quality and customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: This research underscores the importance of e-service quality, web design, and trust in influencing customer satisfaction. Based on the findings from this study, e-retailers are suggested to discover the methods of building and improving customer trust and create a web design that is appealing to the customer to enhance satisfaction and loyalty. Some of the limitations of this study include common method bias and social desirability bias. However, the authors have taken adequate care to minimize these biases. Originality/value: This paper used the e-service quality model and investigated the consequences of e-service quality during the post-pandemic new normal period in a developing country (India). The double moderation of web design and trust is a novel idea that previous researchers have not explored to the best of the authors' knowledge and makes a significant contribution to service marketing. In addition to providing resounding evidence of direct relationships, the three-way interaction investigated in this study makes this study unique and pivotal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study evaluates the accident-adjusted dynamic efficiency of public bus operators providing bus transportation services in eight major metropolitan cities of India. Design/methodology/approach: The slack-based measure (SBM)–undesirable window analysis approach is used to gauge the dynamic efficiency levels and identify the sources of inefficiency in bus transportation services. This innovative approach integrates the SBM model developed by Tone (2001, 2004) and the window analysis approach of Charnes et al. (1985). The main advantage of this approach is that one can explicitly incorporate the number of accidents in the production technology specification as an undesirable (bad) output and potently handle the issue of the "curse of dimensionality" in a small sample like ours. Findings: The key empirical findings suggest wide variations in average efficiency levels across sample bus operators in metropolitan cities. The Chennai Transport Corporation is observed as the most efficient and consistent bus operator due to its most stable efficiency performance. The results additionally unveil that the role of managerial inefficiency was diminutive, and the scale-related issues were the real cause of sub-optimal or supra-optimal behaviour of sample bus operators in the resource-utilisation process. Practical implications: There is an urgent requirement for effective policy intercessions to mitigate the sizeable observed inefficiency in the production process and resolve scale-related issues of public bus operators offering transit services in major metropolitan cities of India. Originality/value: This paper is maybe the first to assess the dynamic efficiency of public bus transit systems in India's major metropolitan cities after treating accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article attempts to highlight the defining role that community media engagements play during times of the pandemic. It is argued that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic forced community news media houses to reinvent their news reporting practices to cover issues pertaining to the marginalized and underprivileged sections of the society. It explores the role of community media in engaging and empowering the citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Central to our study is the analysis of the news model of "Video Volunteers" (henceforth VV), an independent community-based online news platform based in India. To understand the level of citizen participation and engagement in the making and dissemination of news during the pandemic, the authors conducted 13 interviews with different stakeholders of VV, including founders and news audiences. Findings: It seeks to reveal that when the mainstream media have failed to represent the issues of a local community, it is the independent media platforms like VV which function as a veritable source of information and sharing of knowledge. Most importantly, this paper emphasizes that the communicative model of independent community-based online platforms has been most successful in the coverage of the pandemic and the level of engagement with the citizenry. Originality/value: The study contributes to the aspects of reciprocity and collaborative journalism in community news media and its potential impacts on news creation and dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to empirically validate the determinants of cloud adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India and examine its impact on their economic performance. Design/methodology/approach: An integrated theoretical model interplaying technological, organizational and environmental aspects were applied for analyzing the variation in factors. Using data from 317 Indian SMEs, we have applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results demonstrated that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, technology readiness, top management support and trust were the influencing drivers of cloud adoption in SMEs in India. Compared to previous studies, we did not find compatibility and competitive pressure as significant, suggesting that there was no single set of factors influencing technology adoption. Economic performance achieved by reduced transaction costs formed the basis of favorable adoption. Research limitations/implications: The integrated model can provide space for new dimensions based on the category and geography of the SMEs. The paper does not address the supply-chain perspective of cloud adoption. Practical implications: The study directs the firm owners to visualize business logic by creating a digital ecosystem. Further, the model guides the stakeholders, including cloud service providers, to contribute to the economic proficiency of the SMEs. Originality/value: The paper empirically validates a model integrating both the drivers and consequences of cloud computing adoption as a unique study. Findings indicate that the usage of metrics such as return on investment and system efficiency form a part of the technology system approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine earnings management around initial public offerings (IPOs) in India. It also explores the influence of issue characteristics on earnings management around the IPOs. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 511 IPOs that came during April 2003-March 2019 is studied for calculating earnings management for pre-issue, issue and post-issue years. Using Cross-Sectional Modified Jones Model, the paper presents earnings management on the basis of three proxies i.e. discretionary accruals, discretionary current accruals and discretionary long-term accruals. The influence of issue characteristics on earnings management practised around the IPOs is also observed through correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings: The paper finds that earnings management is abnormally high during the issue year compared with pre-issue and post-issue years. It also unveils that profitability, premium, age, and size of the issuer significantly determine the level of pre-issue and issue year earnings management practised by Indian IPO issuers. Research limitations/implications: The findings are useful to stakeholders (potential investors, analysts and regulators) to observe, assess and understand the quality of financial numbers that are based on fallacious disclosure of accounting figures. It provides insight into the possibilities of managed earnings around the issue that could influence investors' decision-making. Further, the study reflects the efficacy of Indian regulatory norms for IPOs. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, it is the only Indian study that had used an extensive data set of about two decades to calculate earnings management during pre-issue, issue and post-issue years. The uniqueness of the study further lies in three proxies of earnings management representing short-term and long-term accruals. Moreover, it is the first study to observe the influence of IPO issue characteristics on earnings management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Verbal abuse of the aged people in later life is a matter of grave concern in contemporary times. Aged people are abused by family members, relatives and neighbors in the form of yelling, taunting, swearing and threats, among other things. These abusive behaviors have the greatest influence on their social standing and well-being, and they cause society and families to dismantle their social networks as a result. This study aims to understand the nature of verbal elder abuse as a social phenomenon under the theoretical framework of sociocultural paradigm and examines the causes. Design/methodology/approach: The descriptive phenomenology method has been applied in this study. The study has been conducted on a sample of 60 elderly living in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The concern of using descriptive phenomenology in the present study is to understand the nature of verbal abuse against the elderly systematically by exploring cultural, situational and social aspects of verbal abuse in Indian society. This method analyzes the reality behind the verbal elder abuse as a social phenomenon and relationship between elderly and their abusers. Findings: The study finds an increase in verbal elder abuse in Indian families, which can range from psychological torture to physical torture, and includes insults, humiliation and neglecting the needs of the elderly for food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. The study also points out that reduction in attachment is as a responsible factor for verbal abuse with the elderly in modern times. Originality/value: This is an original paper. This paper talks about the most concerning issue of verbal abuse which is faced by aged people in their family and society. Basically, this paper has applied the descriptive phenomenological method for the analysis of verbal elder abuse as a social phenomenon in the sociocultural context of Indian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper compares the impact of corporate governance determinants of asset quality between India's public and private sector banks. The article identifies which corporate governance determinant is better utilized between the two sectors. The findings empower the banking regulatory authorities and individual bank administrators to handle asset quality in a better manner through a robust corporate governance framework. The study's findings are also helpful for other nations to make informed judgments by countries with economic relations with India. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses a dynamic panel data analysis method on novel data to achieve the purpose of this article. Using the General Method of Moments, the authors analyze 21 public and 24 private sector banks. The data used in this study span over a decade from 2010 to 2019. Findings: According to the estimates, there is a significant difference in the impact made by corporate governance determinants on public sector banks vis-à-vis private sector banks. The results find that while board size has a greater impact on the asset quality of private banks, board independence has a lesser impact. Gender diversity contributes to more reduction of NPAs in private banks. The article also concludes that public banks perform better in the utilization of audit committee while private banks are better at using board meetings, CEO duality and ownership concentration. Originality/value: Several papers have identified the determinants of asset quality in banks in various nations. However, to the authors' knowledge, none of the papers has identified the difference in the impact of corporate governance determinants between India's public and private sector banks separately. This article is the first to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to explore the process of identity regulation and identity creation on social media for employees in the IT sector of India and how this process is different for men and women. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on the thematic analysis of in-depth interviews of 31 IT professionals. Findings: The authors find that identity regulation and identity creation is a complex process when it is mediated on social media as cues and guidelines for professionals are ambiguous. Enriching Ibarra's model of identity creation, the authors find that this process consists of five steps: (1) motivation to build a desirable self, (2) experimenting with identity boundaries, (3) failed identity experiences, (4) active self-regulation and (5) enacting inauthentic selves. The authors further find that this self-regulation for men is driven by the pressure to conform to the identity of an ideal "corporate man", whereas for women it is driven by the need to conform to societal and cultural expectations. Practical implications: Since identity regulation is a cognitively demanding process that affects both the productivity and well-being of employees, organisations can proactively help employees manage their social media presence through training and mentorship programmes. Originality/value: The paper provides an enriched version of Ibarra's (1999) model on identity creation and regulation and highlights the role of gender in the process. The paper is practically relevant as it provides a window into how employees can feel the need to manifest inauthentic selves which is cognitively demanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the performance of marginalized farmers in supply relationships with agri-tech firms in emerging rural agricultural economies. The complex relationship among the suppliers, dual relationship and knowledge transfer (KT) was studied. This paper empirically investigates the relationship between KT and supplier's performance improvement (SPI) via buyer–supplier relationship (BSR). Design/methodology/approach: Grounded on agency theory, a conceptual framework has been proposed to identify the mediation effect of BSR. The context deals with suppliers who are farmers in developing nations. The hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation with a sample of 121 marginalized farmers from Indian states. The data was collected using a survey instrument designed by adapting the well-cited and validated measures. These marginalized farmers worked in collaboration with the agri-tech firms facilitating them with the KT. Findings: The relationships established from the results also indicate the fact that KT is a powerful tool to make connections with farmers that lead to their performance improvement. The KT was found as a driver to improve performance (SPI) and the BSR acted as a positive mediator in this study. The complex relationships among the KT, BSR and SPI hold. Research limitations/implications: This paper can be subscribed to various nuanced understandings of the agricultural supply chain context in emerging economies, in the specialized cases where farmers belong to the marginalized communities. This study has the scope to replicate using a mixed-method approach in emerging economies beyond India. It also advances the agency theory literature in the supply chain discipline of emerging rural economies. Practical implications: This study offers strategic implications for agri-tech practitioners, policymakers and academic debate. The marginalized farmers with KT and improved BSR can become a part of the mainstream value chain, their debts can be reduced, suicides can be prevented and the quality of their family life can be significantly improved. Originality/value: This study makes a unique contribution by investigating how the agri-tech firms (non-traditional buyer) and supplier relationship and KT helps improve the economic sustainability of smallholder farmers in India. The authors immersed themselves in fieldwork by interacting and meeting in person with 121 farmers residing in the remotest of the remote rural areas across multiple states of India. This resulted in the collection of authentic data and capturing the ground realities from one of the fastest-growing and largest emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the patterns of convergence/divergence among the districts in India. Specifically, this paper investigates if the impact is heterogeneous among different cohorts of districts (based on income distribution). The differential impact may lead to heterogeneous long-run growth paths, resulting in unbalanced development across regions within the country. A study of convergence can ascertain the possible trajectory of such development across regions. Investigation of this phenomenon is the primary aim of this study. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the panel regression method for estimation. This paper uses high-frequency nighttime light intensity data as a proxy for aggregate output. Findings: The authors observe a significant reduction in the convergence rate as a result of the pandemic. Across the cluster of districts, the drop in ß-convergence rate, compared to the pre-pandemic period, varied from approximately 33% for the poorer districts to close to zero for the richest group of districts. These findings suggest that the pandemic may lead to a wider disparity among different regions within the country. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature in the following ways. First, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the convergence rate. A detailed look into the possible disparity in convergence among various regions is critical because a larger drop in convergence, especially among the poorer regions, may call for policy attention to attain long-term equitable development. The authors perform this exercise by dividing the districts into four quantile groups based on the distribution of night-light intensity. Second, while previous studies on convergence using nighttime light data have used a cross-sectional approach, this study is possibly the first attempt to use the panel regression method on this data. The application of this method can be useful in tackling district-level omitted variables bias. Finally, the heterogeneity analysis using different quantiles of the distribution of night-light intensity may help in designing targeted policies to mitigate the disparity across districts due to the shock. [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 – The purpose of this paper is to explore various types of research materials in Indian institutional repositories. Design/methodology/approach – The repositories are identified from the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR). The repository sites were visited to collect the data necessary for the study. Findings – The present study reveals that barring a few repositories the collections of most of the repositories are very low. The percentage of archived materials is high for journal papers, and moderate for conference papers/thesis. However it is very low for preprints/working papers, teaching resources and patents. Originality/value – The study provides an overview of archived material in institutional repositories in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Green Revolution transformed agriculture in the Indian State of Punjab, with positive spillovers to the rest of India, but recently the state's economy has fallen dramatically in rankings of per capita state output. Understanding the trajectory of Punjab's economy has important lessons for all of India. Economic development is typically associated with changes in economic structure, but Punjab has remained relatively reliant on agriculture rather than shifting economic activity to manufacturing and services, where productivity growth might be greater. Design/methodology/approach: The authors empirically examine structural change in the Punjab economy in the context of structural change and economic growth across the States of India. The authors calculate structural change indices and map their pattern over time. The authors estimate panel regressions and time-varying parameter regressions, as well as performing productivity change decompositions into within-sector and structural changes. Findings: Panel regressions and time-varying-coefficient regressions suggest a significant positive influence of structural change on state-level growth. In addition, growth positively affected structural change across India's states. The relative lack of structural change in Punjab's economy is implicated in its relatively poor recent growth performance. Comparisons with a handful of other states reinforce this conclusion: Punjab's lack of economic diversification is a plausible explanation for its lagging economic performance. Originality/value: This paper performs a novel empirical analysis of structural change and growth, simultaneously using three different approaches: panel regressions, time-varying parameter regressions and productivity decompositions. To the best of the authors' knowledge, it is the only paper we are aware of that combines these three approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using data from 2009–2016 across 31 states and union territories, this paper investigates determinants of juvenile delinquency in India as well as explores the nature of the complex relationship between economic variables and crime rate. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs a panel corrected standard error model due to the presence of heteroskedasticity and contemporaneous correlation. Additionally, due to possible feedback effect from independent variables resulting in endogeneity, a two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) is utilized to estimate a system of equations. Findings: Estimation results indicate that macroeconomic factors – GSDP per capita and adult unemployment rate – are significant in explaining the juvenile crime rate in India. Higher poverty rate and percentage of slums were found to increase juvenile crime. This paper also demonstrates the harmful effects that domestic violence has on juvenile delinquency. Finally, education has a deterring impact on crimes relating to juveniles but deterrence factors do not. Originality/value: While some implications are consistent with those found in previous studies of crime in developed and developing countries, the analysis in this paper also reveals unique results. For example, the adult unemployment rate was negatively correlated with juvenile crime, and an increase in police density exhibits a positive association with the juvenile crime rate. Further analysis of crimes by type (property and violent) reveals additional insights. In addition to that, contrary to hypothesis, by employing GMM estimation, the paper finds no evidence of a negative impact of juvenile delinquency on economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which learning and development (L&D) professionals use reflective practice to promote the function of L&D and their own professional growth. The claim that L&D practitioners need to develop their reflective ability to make sense of their own practice is well-argued in the literature, but few studies focus on an in-depth individual self-reflection and its impact on professional growth. Design/methodology/approach: An autoethnography and reflective practice design was deployed. The data was collected by sending a semi-structured, pre-set question as a 'reflective conversation' to an L&D manager and a 10-hour tape recording of personal reflection over three months.[AQ1] Data was sanitised, transcribed and edited, and a narrative data analysis method was used to analyse the data developed into reflective narratives. Findings: The authors find that reflective practice emerges through gradual reflective patterns that define the circumstances surrounding the reflection, the content, exploration and interpretation and confirming the fulfilling of the reflection. Originality/value: This paper offers the journey of an L&D manager working in the hotel industry in India. Through a set of reflective practices, including introspection and reflexivity, the manager considers the changes she has experienced. The paper contributes to the literature on reflective practice based on promoting the L&D function as an essential part of the horizontal integration of human resource management in organisations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]