Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Material and methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Declaration of competing interest

Acknowledgments

Appendix A. Supplementary data

References

Abstract

Chloroxylon swietenia DC. (Rutaceae) is widely used in folk medicine and provides a commercial timber. In the present study, phenological events such as flowering and fruiting phenology, pollinator visitation, anthesis, pollen viability, and pollen tube germination tests were analyzed in 11 populations, in Tamil Nadu, India. The number of flowers was recorded as 82.6 ± 1.4 to 162.2 ± 4.2 during flower bud formation and reduced to 25.4 ± 0.5 to 61.8 ± 1.0 at maturity. The number of fruits per twig was 21.0 ± 0.8 to 47.2 ± 0.7 in initial stages and slightly reduced to 16.2 ± 1.8 to 34.6 ± 1.4 at maturation. Sixty-two species of insects were visiting the flowers with bees/ants as effective pollinators. The 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay revealed more viable pollen grains in five populations, and fluorescence dye assay revealed maximum viable pollen grains in six populations. In the pollen tube germination test, the 60% sucrose concentration provides significant results, with a high number of germinated pollen grains. Principal component analysis of flowering and fruiting phenology, floral visitors, and pollen viability showed 79.5%, 79.3%, 56.7%, and 41.7% for the first factor, respectively. Our results indicated that C. swietenia depends heavily on pollinators for its reproduction. Hence, there is a need to expand this study to related species which are having agronomic, pharmacological, and economic potential.

Introduction

Anthropogenic growth in Earth’s climate is affecting many aspects of ecological systems (Traill et al 2010), including seasonal timing of biological events, which includes leaf, flowering, and fruiting phenology. Association between phenology and reproductive events in plants with diverse climatic conditions has been well understood; mainly, flowering phenology has a major impact on plant reproductive biology, and its success concerns evolutionary and ecological consequences (Tadey 2020). Flowering phenology is driven by climatic conditions, and this enables the plants to bloom when the surrounding climatic features are most suitable, ensuring effective sexual reproduction (Theobald et al 2017). The importance of phenology to the science of global change has been progressively renowned during the last few decades (Schwartz 1998; Fitter and Fitter 2002; Tandon et al 2003; Selwyn and Parthasarathy 2006; Singhal et al 2011; Tadey 2020).

Pollination biology is a prime process in plant reproductive achievement, frequency, and identity of floral visitors, the ability for autonomous self-pollination, and the magnitude of pollen limitation, in which pollinators transmit vital ecosystem facilities to diverse ecosystems such as natural ecosystems and agroecosystems (Tandon et al 2003; Aizen and Harder 2007; Tadey 2015; Richardson et al 2017; Figueiredo et al 2020; Impe et al 2020). Diversity of wildflowers is maintained by pollination, and it plays an important role in resolving floral resource–related problems such as herbivores and seed predators (Potts et al 2006). Most of the plants depend on animal pollination for their sexual reproduction via insects, birds, bats, and so on, among which insects play a vital role in pollination. It is well accepted that diversity of pollinators or the number of interactions established by a specific plant is defined by different features, for example, resource availability (quantity of nectar or pollen), morphological traits such as color, size, and shape of flowers, and flowering time (Bosch et al 1997); significant association was found between flower color and flowering phenology (Warren and Billington 2005).

Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

2. Data and methods

2.1. Subjects

2.2. Data collection and procedure

2.3. Data Analysis

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Respondent’s profile

3.2. Cronbach’s alpha

3.3. KMO and Bartlett’s Test

3.4. Communalities

3.5. Total variance

3.6. Rotated component matrix

4. Concluding remarks

Declaration of Competing Interest

Appendix A. Supplementary material

References

Abstract

The year 2020 has been plagued with COVID-19 and many sectors such as the manufacturing and services are affected, with the educational sector being one of them. Even though a probable way through online learning is found to continue academic activities, the result and the process may not be successful. This study intends to identify the areas of educational disruption due to the COVID-19 situation. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire is used to collect data from students of various part of the Northeast states of India. The findings from the study revealed that there are many reasons that causes educational disruption in the life of students of north-eastern states of India. Students from the north-eastern states of India have been facing poor network, which leads to poor communication between the teachers and students. Continuous lockdown also causes mental stress to the students. As the tension rises due to the on-going pandemic, insecurity regarding the future plans of students also rises. Owing to financial constraints, students are not able to meet the necessary requirements for effective online learning.

1. Introduction

The novel coronavirus outbreak of pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019 (Kang et al., 2020). The virus then started to spread all over the world. On 29th July the confirmed cases have risen to more than 16,739,530 and the death cases have risen to more than 660,407 affecting around 188 countries (Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, 2020). Due to the spread of the virus, many industries have been affected with a lockdown being imposed. This lockdown has had a toll on the livelihood of people working in various sectors.

The lockdown has had a severe impact on students and their learning process. A total of 50.43% of respondents of Spanish University presented moderate to severe impact of the outbreak. University students have been specially impacted by the COVID-19 confinement (Odriozola-González et al., 2020). Educational Institutions have taken steps to continue the academic process by using digital sources. The sudden change in the delivery of academic activities poses difficulties for the teachers and students to adapt. An interactive environment refers to an effective communication environment in the process of knowledge acquisition. An increase in interaction can improve students’ learning enthusiasm and concentration. In a traditional classroom, there are various teaching interaction modes, such as reversed classroom, random questions, and group reports.

1- Introduction

2- Coal fired electricity generation and carbon mitigation policy in India

3- Opportunity abatement cost estimation

4- Data and results

5- Conclusions

References

Abstract

This study shows potential cost savings by adoption of emission trading in India. At the Paris Agreement, India pledged to reduce CO2 emissions intensity by about 30–35% by 2030 relative to 2005. Applying joint production function of electricity and CO2 emissions, we find that India could have saved about US$ 5 to 8 billion, if she had constituted an emission trading system, with the provision of banking and borrowing over the study period of 5 years. To our knowledge, this is the first study measuring foregone gains due to absence of a nationwide carbon emission-trading program in coal fired thermal power sector, using an ex-post analysis.

Introduction

At the Paris Agreement in 2015 , India pledged to reduce CO 2 emissions intensity 1 by about 30 -35 percent by 2030 relative to 2005 . Coal based electricity generation sector, with an installed capacity of 222 GW, accounts for about three -fourth of total electricity generation (Central Electricity Authority [CEA], 2018) and will remain dominant source of power generation in India. This sector contributes to about half of the total CO 2 emissions generated in the country (CEA, 2013). Therefore, if India is to achieve the targets announced at the Paris agreement, it is imperative to find cost effective measures of reducing CO 2 emissions in this sector. Carbon pricing is economically the most efficient strategy for reducing the emissions (Aldy and Pizer, 2015; Managi, 2015; Schmalensee and Stavins, 2017). The Paris Agreement offers avenues for new market -based approaches such as emission trading, to countries for realizing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Emission trading, popularly known as cap -and -trade program, is one of the way s of putting price on pollution, the other being taxation. Given the heterogeneity in abatement cost s, market -based instruments , such as emission trading , accomplish the targeted emission levels cost effectively , by equalizing marginal abatement cost across the polluters (Carlson et al., 2000). An emission -trading program offers an opportunity to thermal power plants to realize regulatory compliance at lower costs, as compared to CAC regulatory mechanism, by purchasing right s to emit CO 2 emission s from the plants facing lower abatement cost s. Moreover, inter -temporal trading of emissions equalizes marginal abatement costs, not only spatially but also inter -temporally , and thus, further reduces the abatement costs. Note that given the flexibility in regulatory compliance with least cost, investment s in technology or procedures flow to the plants having low abatement cost s (Chan et al., 2012; Goulder and Schein, 2013).

1- Introduction

2- Literature review

3- Theoretical background and hypotheses development

4- Research methodology

5- Data analysis and results

6- Discussions and key findings

7- Conclusion

References

Abstract

Increasingly firms are looking to use social media to connect with different stakeholders as plans on building presence on such platforms are becoming part of top-level strategy. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that would help the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of India to adopt Social Media Marketing (SMM) mechanisms for improving their business impact. Adoption of SMM by SMEs has considerable impact on the improvement of business outcome of the SMEs. A theoretical model has been developed with the help of theory borrowed from TAM and UTAUT2 with some modifications to explore this impact through business performance, sales, connect with customers, identify customer’ needs and creativity of the employees. The theoretical model has been validated empirically using a survey of 310 firms and subsequent analysis have been carried out using structured equation modelling. The results highlight that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and compatibility positively affect impact of SMM after adoption by the SMEs. The facilitating conditions have insignificant impact whereas cost has a significant but negative impact on the use of SMM by SMEs. Since there are a few studies in this context, the study contributes to existing literature on the impact of SMM in SMEs in an emerging economy.

Introduction

In India, Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs are those enterprises where investments in machinery or equipment and in plant lie between INR 25 Lakhs ∼USD 35000 to INR 10 Crores ∼USD 1.4 million concerning to manufacturing industries. For SMEs, concerning to service sector the investments lie between INR 10 Lakhs ∼USD 14000 to INR 5 Crores ∼USD 0.7 million. These limits are in conformity with Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006; notified in Sept 2006. The role of these SMEs in India is vital so far as social and economic developments of India are concerned. These enterprises have effective contribution towards export activities, towards employment generation and in productive growth Junaidah, 2007) SMEs effectively contribute to improve nation’s economic health. It enriches inventions as well as innovation (Massey et al., 2004; Stieglitz, Mirbabaie, Ross, & Neuberger, 2019). SMEs have ample opportunities to employment generation at a low cost and as such SMEs in India may be considered to have emerged as a vibrant and dynamic sector of economic growth (Das, 2007; Srinivasan, Rutz, & Pauwels, 2015; Ng, Kee, & Ramayah, 2019; Adla, Gallego-Roquelaure, & Calamel, 2019). In India, 95 % enterprises are categorized as SMEs and in manufacturing sector, they are adding 40 % value (Singh, Garg, & Deshmukh, 2010). The characteristics of SMEs are highly heterogeneous with high flexibility along with appreciable innovative entrepreneurial spirit. SMEs have variety of sizes having different technological levels with varied characteristics of services and products. As a result, it helps to spread industrialization in backward and rural areas, reducing regional imbalances. This helps to provide equitable and fair distribution of wealth and national income. Study reveals that during 2016, SMEs in India have contribution of 40 % towards total exports, 45 % on manufacturing output, contributing 8% of GDP (Srinivasan et al., 2015). Thus, improvement of the health of SMEs would bring in economic growth of the country. However, ironically, in India SMEs have low technological competence with limited resources. As such, to improve the growth of SMEs in all sectors like effectiveness, efficiency, competitive advantage; applications of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are considered necessary (Consoli, 2012; Ongori & Migiro, 2010). ICT has many and varied applications (Alam & Noor, 2009). Among these, social media is considered as one of the important ingredients of ICT that has appreciable impact on business. In this perspective, it is necessary to investigate if the use of social media can help the SMEs of India towards their overall growth.

Introduction

Literature review and hypotheses development

Methods of study

Results

Discussion

Theoretical implications

Limitations and future research directions

Conclusions

References

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to examine the adoption and efficacy level of progressive human resource management (HRM) practices in various organizations operating in India. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data based on 615 respondents from 103 domestic firms and 116 foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in India were gathered and analyzed using statistical techniques like t-test, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings – The results reveal that the adoption of progressive HRM practices in form of self-managed teams, flexibility to work flexible hours, use of online mediums to invite applicants, selection of candidates using assessment center and integrity test, performance based incentives, flexible benefits, facility of e-learning and innovative management development programs is positively related to firm performance in Indian context. Using institutional and cultural perspective, the findings have also demonstrated that their exist differences in adoption of progressive HRM practices between foreign MNCs and domestic firms. Practical implications – Domestic firms in India are needed to learn some important managerial lessons from the foreign MNCs, especially when their adoption of progressive practices results in more increase in firm performance. These are suggested to implement a broad range of innovative HR practices like MNCs to improve growth potential, instead of focusing on two or three practices. Originality/value – By exploring the differences between domestic and foreign MNCs, this study has offered some key insights on the extent of adoption and operationalization of progressive HRM in current Indian business environment.

Introduction

Since the triggering of liberalization and economic restructuring programs in 1990s, India has witnessed a remarkable growth (Som, 2008). With this outstanding progress, the issues pertaining to increased globalization, ever changing customer and investor demands, and heightened competition to generate innovative products and services have become the standard backdrop for the organizations operating in India (Budhwar, 2012). Organizations have now realized that to manage these issues, they have to constantly increase their performance through reduction in various costs, improvement in quality of products, and differentiation in their products and services. In the opinion of Subramaniam and Youndt (2005), an organization’s ability to improve its performance while developing continuously very much depends upon its “human capital”. Further, Bhatnagar (2006) has opined that organizations in India are increasingly becoming aware of “human capital” as their most important asset in contrast to the technology, IT infrastructure, and the large-scale operations that can no longer be considered as effective tools for gaining an edge over competitors for a long time. This shifted focus on “human capital” has directly impacted the functioning of HR departments in Indian organizations which, in turn, have responded back with development of a domestic workforce proficient in facing the challenges brought forth by the entry of foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) in Indian market (Budhwar and Bhatnagar, 2009).

1- Introduction

2- Literature review

3- Research question and purpose of the study

4- Research methodology

5- Data analysis

6- Findings, interpretation and discussion

7- Conclusion

References

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the perception of the bankers towards an integrated approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in a strategic way of achieving sustainable growth of the banking sector. The paper additionally provides insights into different CSR initiatives and their implementation process in the context of scheduled commercial banks (SCB) of India. Design/methodology/approach – The study is exploratory and endorses the qualitative approach of primary research methodology by adopting a non-random stratified sampling method. The localist approach of the face-to-face interview has been applied to collect the data from 26 elite class respondents from 13 SCBs. The interview method was semi-structured and open-ended. The conformity, trustworthiness, credibility, transferability, dependability test of the study have ensured the quality of the data.
Findings – The study reveals that the bankers perceive CSR as a moral obligation for the benefit of the society, beyond the regular banking operations. Further, the study comprehends that the CSR initiatives play a vital role in establishing the bank’s image, brand and reputation, as well as, building a strong bond of trust among the employees and the bank management. Besides, CSR activities facilitate to cultivate a better culture by improvising in the quality of customer service for achieving competitive advantages.
Research limitations/implications – The findings of the study represent a significant contribution to CSR theory from the interface of banking and society. Significantly, the results confirm that CSR initiatives play a vital role in building trust and minimise the gap between the employees and the management of the bank. The banks can increase its acceptance in the society and achieve competitive advantage by integrating CSR objectives with the business objectives to strengthen the corporate personality and brand.
Practical implications – The study will help practitioners to develop the social identity of their firm to achieve competitive advantages in long-run. The bankers can channelise their limited resources while planning, designing and the implementation of different CSR activities with the overall goal of the bank in a cost-effective way. The study is confined only to public and private SCBs and limited to the geographical scope of one state in India. Therefore, further exploration may be carried out by considering other banks and geographic regions in India and different cross-cultural settings.
Originality/value – The originality of the study lies with the in-depth analysis and quality check of the data. The results can contribute significant value to the qualitative method of conducting research.

Introduction

In recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability have been considered as the twin idea of global corporate consciousness. While both these ideas have followed parallel evolutionary paths, they have converged to convey a unified sense of a company’s long-term success and its existence (Vaaland et al., 2008; Chabowski et al., 2011; Vallaster et al., 2012; Hammer and Pivo, 2017). Since the past few decades, CSR has rapidly evolved in most of the emerging countries. Pioneering companies have voluntarily made strategic approaches to CSR, devoting unprecedented efforts and resources in creating value for both the company and the society (Porter and Kramer, 2011; Lodsgard and Aagaard, 2017). In light of the value creation, CSR initiatives are well incorporated into the national and international banking community (Yeomans, 2005; Karim et al., 2016). The corresponding progress in Indian banking sector, CSR has been predominantly aimed at addressing the financial exclusion problem by providing financial services to the unbanked or untapped banking areas of the country (Narwal, 2007; Bihari and Pradhan, 2011). Additionally, CSR in banking sector emphasises the socio-economic development of the country by focussing on the activities, namely, poverty eradication, health and medical care, rural development, self-employment and financial literacy training, infrastructure development, education and environmental protection (Dhingra and Mittal, 2014; HadfieldHill, 2014). The benefits of CSR are well documented in the literature.

1- Introduction

2- Geology, gravity, seismic network and data

3- Methodology

4- Results and discussions

5- Conclusions

References

Abstract

We herein use the joint inversion of P-receiver functions and fundamental mode group velocity dispersion data (9–70 s) of Rayleigh and Love waves to estimate crustal and lithospheric thicknesses at twenty three-component mobile broadband stations in Kachchh, Gujarat. Modeled Moho depths range from 35 to 43 km, while lithospheric thicknesses vary from 64 to 106 km. The main result of our modelling is the delineation of a marked crustal (∼2–4 km) as well as lithospheric (∼10–20 km) thinning and a 2–6% drop in Vs across the lithosphere-asthenosphere-boundary (LAB), within the Samkhiali graben (associated with gravity high) underlying the central Kachchh rift zone (KRZ), where 95% of the continued aftershock activity took place since 2001. Such a large drop in Vs could be attributed to the presence of carbonatite melts in the upper mantle. Our modeling reveals a 4 km crustal thinning below the central KRZ and a 4 km crustal thickening below the surrounding riftless regions. This kind of crustal structure is inferred to induce large flexural deviatoric stresses (∼50–100 MPa) in the upper crust, thereby, these stresses in the presence of regional plate tectonic stresses can bring the Samkhiali graben below the central KRZ near to the critical stress level. While stress-transfer, meteoric water (in the upper crust), and metamorphic fluid as well volatile CO2 flows (in the lower crust) provide the required triggering effect to the critically stressed graben structure (down to 35 km depth) for generating continued aftershock activity in the Kachchh rift zone, since 2001. We also propose that the deeper circulation of volatile CO2 through the inferred conduit (related to the 65 Ma Deccan Plume activity) extending from lower crust down to asthenosphere plays a key role in the generation of uninterrupted occurrence of earthquakes in the Kachchh rift zone, Gujarat, India.

Introduction

The lithosphere underlying the Mesozoic Kachhchh rift zone (KRZ), northwest India, has been significantly affected by two-phase rifting episodes (viz. 184 Ma African and 88 Ma Madagascar) and the 65 Ma Deccan volcanism (Courtillot et al., 1986; Mahony et al., 2002; Sen et al., 2009). The influence of the above tectonic episodes on the crust-mantle structure has been seen through the mapped present-day thinning of crust and lithosphere below the Kachchh rift zone (Mandal, 2016 and 2017). Also, this effect has been reflected in the Bouguer gravity anomaly map of the region, showing alternate regional gravity highs (crustal thinning) and lows (crustal thickening) (Mishra et al., 2005; Khan et al., 2016).This thinning model gets further support from the results of local earthquake tomography, surface wave dispersion and receiver function modelling studies, which have imaged crustal mafic underplating, Moho upwarping and asthenospheric thinning underlying the 2001 Bhuj earthquake region (Mandal and Pujol, 2006; Mandal, 2012). In India, topography and crustal density heterogeneities associated with the Deccan volcanic province (India) have shown to induce intraplate stresses of the order of 100 MPa (Mandal et al., 1996). Thus, the crustal stresses associated with the density heterogeneities might play a key role in generating the intraplate earthquakes in the Kachchh rift zone also. It has been seen that the occurrences of earthquakes in the continental shelf as well as in the continental rift zones are found to be significantly influenced by flexural stresses (Stein et al., 1989; Assumpcao, 1998; Assumpco et al., 2011; Zoback and Richardson, 1996).

2- LITERATURE REVIEW

3- CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENT

4- METHODOLOGY

5- DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

6- DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

Organ donation is a social issue, and marketers face challenges promoting it. If factors aiding and inhibiting it are identified, it becomes easier to enhance intention of donating organs. The objective of this research is to establish the role of perceived awareness, family support, perceived individual value, and religiosity on organ donation intention (ODI). A sample of 247 respondents answered a structured questionnaire. Proposed model is mediated by organ donation attitude (ODA) and moderated by perceived risk. Findings from the study show that all the predictors are positively related with ODI mediated through ODA and perceived risk moderates the influence of ODA on ODI.

INTRODUCTION

Organ donation (OD) has become a very important issue as the level of organ failure has seen a steep increase over the years. Medical advancements have escalated the propensity of number of people undergoing the organ transplant process. A combination of these factors have continuously lead to an increased demand for organs (Becker & Elias, 2007). It becomes the responsibility of social marketers to communicate the scenario and make common people understand the value of organs and importance of OD. OD can occur in whole (such as kidney, heart, and pancreas) or in parts (such as heart valves, partial lobes of lung or liver, skin, and bone; Steinberg, 2012), and it can be from both living and deceased donors. Tissue may be recovered from donors who are cardiac dead up to 24 hr past the cessation of heartbeat. Unlike organs, most tissues (with the exception of cornea) can be preserved and stored for up to 5 years (Hood, Vogelsang, Black, Farmer, & Santos, 1987). This study focuses on cadaveric OD. Nonavailability of suitable donor (Theodore & Lewiston, 1990) leads to an increased demand of organs. The supply of organs is stagnant even though death rates are high (Merion et al., 2005) leading to widening of the demand–supply gap. India’s OD rate in 2016 is 0.8 person per million population (pmp; Times of India, 2017). Three percent out of 85,000 terminally ill liver patients (for whom transplant is the only way of survival) gets liver for transplant. Among 0.2 million patients who register for kidney annually, only 8,000 get it, and others die in due course because of nonavailability of donor kidneys, and people awaiting cornea for transplant is 1 million (medindia, 2015). Around 0.25 million people die due to organ failure annually in India (Times of India, 2017).

1- Introduction

2- Methods

3- Results

4- Discussion

References

Abstract

Introduction: There is scarce data available on community based prevalence of Anxiety Disorders (ADs) amongst adolescents in north Indian settings.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of anxiety disorders, and associated factors amongst adolescents in a rural community of Ballabgarh block, district Faridabad, Haryana. Methods: Participants (10–19 years) were enrolled through simple random sequence from a sampling frame of adolescents residing in 28 villages of Ballabgarh block using household survey technique. They were screened using Screen for Childhood Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) tool and then subjected to confirmatory diagnosis using Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children/Adolescent (MINI KID). All adolescents with ADs were assessed for co-psychiatric morbidities using MINI-KID and functional impairment using Children Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Prevalence and 95% Confidence intervals are reported. Additionally, socio-demographic factors were elicited using a semi-structured interview schedule and associations were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis.
Results: A total of 678 adolescents participated in this study with mean age (SD) as 14.2 (2.5) years. The age adjusted prevalence of anxiety disorders was found to be 16.6% (95% CI: 16.0–17.2). The most prevalent anxiety disorder among participants was social anxiety disorders followed by specific phobias. Female sex and low socioeconomic status were associated with anxiety disorders. Two third of adolescents with ADs had no functional impairment and almost one third were found to have one or more co-existing psychiatric co-morbidity.
Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of ADs in rural north Indian community settings warranting adequate health system response at primary care level.

Introduction

Adolescence, a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, is characterized by a number of physical, psychological, personality, cognitive, and attitudinal changes. World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescents as those aged 10–19 years (WHO, 2014). As a result of improved child survival along with high fertility rate, adolescent population is increasing across the globe. Adolescent age group constitutes almost 18% of world’s population and 88% of them are living in developing countries (Anthony, 2011). In India, the estimated size of adolescent population is 253 million constituting 21% of country’s total population (Census India, 2011). Many of the common mental health problems like anxiety disorders appear during adolescence, but often go unidentified and left untreated, resulting in wide ranging sequel (Patton et al., 2014). Anxiety disorders are among the most common and functionally impairing mental health disorders to occur in adolescence (Ollendick et al., 2010). Anxiety disorders share common features, including excessive fear, avoidance of whatever is feared, and anticipation and worry when expected to encounter whatever is feared. Globally, it is estimated that almost 3.6% of the population suffer from anxiety disorders. The prevalence among adolescents is similar to the global prevalence (WHO, 2017). Nair et al.

Although there has been recent interest in the measurement of advertising-evoked nostalgia, the dimensionality and generalizability of the related scales are restricted to the national/cultural boundaries of Western nations. In the present study, we develop an emic scale to measure ad-evoked personal nostalgia in an important emerging economy, India, refining and purifying the scale with seven separate studies (with a combined sample size of 1823). The resulting scale contains five dimensions: past imagery, physiological reactions, positive emotions, negative emotions and collective nostalgia. In the present study, we follow rigorous scale development procedures, and we also go beyond by comparing the effectiveness of our emic scale with a previous scale developed in France (etic), and subsequently we test our measure in another (culturally-congruent) market – Bangladesh. Our study emphasizes the need for culture-specific measures (emic), and we present important theoretical and managerial insights.

Introduction

The concept of nostalgia has been an area of significant research interest over the years (e.g., Brown, Kozinets, & Sherry Jr, 2003; Davis, 1979; Holak & Havlena, 1998; Holbrook, 1993; Merchant, Latour, Ford, & Latour, 2013). Nostalgia has been found to be relevant across age groups, social classes, gender and ethnicity (Greenberg, Koole, & Pyszczynski, 2004). The nostalgic experience comprises cognitive and affective dimensions and is associated with preferences for products and services. It has been shown to influence purchase behaviors (Merchant et al., 2013; Merchant, Ford, Dianoux, & Herrmann, 2016). In practice, the nostalgic appeal has been extensively used in advertising for cola, beer, cereals, insurance and banking (Sullivan, 2009). Owing to its potent role in driving consumer intentions, nostalgic advertising appeals have also been used in different countries. However, the measures of nostalgia and more specifically, nostalgia stimulated by marketing communication, have been sparse, and the ones that have been developed (such as Merchant et al., 2013, or Merchant et al., 2016) were developed in a US context.

1- Introduction

2- Literature review and development of hypotheses

3.- Data description and methodology

4- Methodology and model construction

5- Results and analysis

6- Conclusion

References

Abstract

In this current knowledge-based economy, firms’ productivity and competitive advantage are no longer based on physical and financial assets but on intangible assets. This has compelled knowledge-intensive firms to look for a more reliable source for higher productivity and competitive advantage by focusing on their intellectual capital, which cannot be easily imitated. As banks are classified as knowledge intensive, this study examines investment in intellectual capital by banks and examines how it has improved bank productivity measured in terms of asset turnover (ATO) and employee productivity (EP). Using a panel of 73 commercial banks in India for a 12-year period (2006e2017), the study found that some components of intellectual capital improves productivity, and others do not.

Introduction

In recent years, global banking has been transformed by knowledge as a source of wealth, compared to other tangible and physical assets (Bontis, 1998). Knowledge has become the new engine driving organizations’ wealth, and the World Bank (1999) stated that “knowledge is our most powerful engine of production.” Banks as service firms have been classified as a knowledgeintensive sector (Branco, Delgado, Sousa, & Sa, 2011), and studies explore the relevance of knowledge to bank performance (Edvinsson & Malone, 1997; Firer & Mitchell Williams, 2003; Kamath, 2015). This makes the recognition and development of knowledge management (intangible asset) an important aspect of bank management. Originally, the entire operations of banks depended on creativity, offering edge products and providing unique services in creating competitive advantage. Therefore, Chen, Cheng, and Hwang (2005) stated that banks are sources of economic value, and higher productivity comes from their intellectual capital (IC). This phenomenon has made the concept of IC popular in the current era of knowledge economies, building on the knowledge-based theory (KBV) of a firm. Barney (1991) considered these intellectual assets resources that can be physical capital, organizational capital, and human capital resources. Additionally, the resources are exactly what Pulic (1998) referred to as the components of IC that form the valueadded intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model. This model is useful in evaluating IC and in distinct features of organizations (El-Bannany, 2008).

1- Introduction

2- Review of theory and empirics

3- Data and method

4- Empirical results

5- Conclusions

References

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between working capital financing and firm performance for a sample of 437 non-financial Indian companies. In addition, this study examines the impact of financial constraints on working capital financing–performance relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on secondary financial data of 437 non-financial Indian companies obtained from Capitaline database, pertaining to a period of 10 years (2007–2016). This study employs two-step generalized method of moments techniques to arrive at results.
Findings – Results of the study confirm the inverted U-shape relationship between working capital financing and firm performance. In addition, the authors also found that the firms that are likely to be less financially constrained can finance greater proportion of working capital using short-term debt.
Originality/value – This study contributes to the scant existing literature by testing the impact of financial constraints on the relationship between working capital financing and firm performance, representing a typical emerging market in India.

Introduction

Working capital is actually a difference between current assets and current liabilities. If the difference is positive or if current assets are more than current liabilities, then there is a need for the firm to finance its positive working capital requirement. However, the way firm finances its working capital has an impact on its performance (Baños-Caballero et al., 2016). Firms may either adopt a conservative working capital management strategy by investing larger amounts in current assets that are financed by utilizing low proportion of short-term sources of funds. This strategy allows a firm to reduce both the refinancing and interest risk at the same time this approach might force a firm to bear the high cost of liquidity. Conversely, a firm may adopt an aggressive working capital management strategy by investing smaller amounts in current assets that are financed by utilizing the high proportion of short-term sources of funds. This strategy might allow a firm to reduce its financing costs and also mitigate agency costs, however, this approach might push the firm to bear the high cost of illiquidity. Based on these arguments it can be amplified that both conservative and aggressive approach have their cost and benefits attached to it that might affect the performance of the firm. Thus, it might be expected that a firm’s need strikes a trade-off between costs and benefits while financing working capital. Accordingly, a non-linear relationship between working capital financing and firm performance might be expected, thereby emphasizing the need to study the functional form possibilities of working capital financing and performance relationship. It is thus, assertive that investment in working capital is not the only factor that affects the performance of firms, financing of working capital might also affect the performance of the firm.

1- Introduction

2- Literature on management

3- Methods

4- Results

5- Discussion

References

Abstract

Weak management is widely recognised as a key impediment to scaling-up coverage of health interventions and ensuring health systems are responsive to population needs. Yet there is scant evidence linking management practices in the public administration to effective health service delivery. We report on the development of a tool to measure management practices in India’s district health bureaucracy. We first developed a conceptual framework based on a review of the literature and qualitative interviews with district public health managers. Across 16 management practices, we then drafted and piloted questions to be used with a scoring grid to evaluate process-orientated management practices. We implemented the tool in 34 districts of Maharashtra between April and July 2016, interviewing up to three district public health managers per district (n = 99). Using rigorous psychometric methods, we assessed the acceptability, reliability and validity of the tool. We present three key findings. First, the tool was feasible to implement, response rates were high, and there were no missing data. Second, internal consistency of the tool was high and test-retest reliability was comparable with other management tools used in the literature. Third, there was evidence of validity. The number of staff with a management qualification was positively associated with better management practices. Factor analysis showed that one principal component loaded positively on all the management practices although there was little support for management sub-scales. These findings provide novel evidence on the psychometric properties of a tool designed to measure management practices in the public administration of a developing country. Our framework and tool provide the basis to examine associations between district health management practices and health service delivery, and test the effectiveness of management strengthening interventions in India’s public health sector.

Introduction

Weak public service delivery has long been regarded as a key obstacle to ensuring widespread coverage of essential health interventions (Travis et al., 2004). Nowhere is the issue more salient than India, where the state has struggled to deliver basic public services to its population, despite the presence of elite national institutions and a highly educated top brass of public administrators (Pritchett, 2009). This is perhaps best reflected in the absenteeism of frontline health workers in the public sector, estimated at 40 percent (Muralidharan et al., 2011). One reason for the current situation is possibly poor managerial quality in the public administration. Weak management is widely recognised as a key impediment to scaling-up coverage of health interventions (Mangham and Hanson, 2010) and ensuring health systems are responsive to population needs (de Savigny and Adam, 2009). Yet there is a dearth of evidence linking practices in the public administration to effective service delivery and outcomes (Goldfinch et al., 2012). With a few exceptions (Rasul and Rogger, 2018), much of the literature on management has focused on private firms or service delivery organisations, such as hospitals, schools and universities (Bloom et al., 2014; Bloom and Van Reenen, 2007; McCormack et al., 2014). In health systems and policy research, management has received little attention. Management is almost absent in commonly used frameworks on health system performance, falling under broader notions of “stewardship” and “governance” (WHO, 2007b).