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Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationship between owner-manager or leader's ambidextrous leadership style and its effect on human resource management (HRM) practices, contextual ambidexterity and knowledge-intensive small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) strategic agility. Design/methodology/approach: This study presents an in-depth qualitative case study analysis of two knowledge-intensive SMEs from India's information technology and health-care products industry serving a range of global clients. Using the theoretical lenses of empowerment-focused HRM practices, ambidextrous leaders, contextual ambidexterity and strategic agility, semi-structured interview data of leaders, managers and employees of the case organizations were analysed. Through a two-staged analytical process, we abductively developed a novel conceptual framework at the intersection of the above theoretical lenses. Findings: The findings suggest that the knowledge-intensive SME's strategic agility, ambidexterity and empowerment-focussed HRM approach was influenced by the owner-manager or leader's ambidextrous leadership style and their philosophy towards managing people and had a positive impact in creating a culture of trust, participation, risk-taking and openness, and led to delivering innovative products and services as well as several positive employee-level outcomes. Originality/value: Recent literature reviews on HRM In SMEs highlight several gaps, including the impact of owner-manager or leader's philosophy of managing people in shaping HRM practices and employee outcomes. This paper thus adds to the existing literature on HRM and knowledge-intensive SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India always had cultural and commercial linkage with Central Asian countries in past. However, in spite of these linkages, actual trade volume remained below potential after Independence of India. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the growing energy security needs compelled India to look for newer sources of energy products and the export basket of the five Central Asian countries, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan fitted perfectly with this goal. This paper looks into the trade pattern between Central Asian Countries and India and it first discusses a brief account of the share of Central Asian countries (CAC) in India's trade basket and then it analyzes the nature of products traded between India and five countries of CAC viz. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Major products exported and imported have been along with sectors with growing export inclination are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of browsing on the web shopping adoption by female web browsers in online shopping especially apparels. The paper brings out a theoretical framework model relating to online shopping behavior for apparels. An extensive review of the literature was undertaken to arrive at the antecedent. Various models were studied. Price offerings, perceived benefits, perceived risks, concerns with overall appearance and concerns for size or imaging fit were found to be the major determinants which influence the buying behavior of the customers in online shopping, but impact of browsing was empirically established. The study finds out effect of only one variable. Various tests would need to be applied to establish the relationship between other variables. Marketers may pick the factors they feel would be possible to fulfill while increasing their market share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]