Sankalp Pratap

Bio: Sankalp Pratap is an academic researcher from Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur. The author has contributed to research in topics: Knowledge process outsourcing & Emerging markets. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 7 publications receiving 64 citations. Previous affiliations of Sankalp Pratap include Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli & Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Towards a framework for performing outsourcing capability

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to go beyond the “What to outsource” and “To Outsource or Not” debate. Recognizing outsourcing as a fast growing reality that firms have to depend upon, the paper concerns itself with optimal management of outsourcing arrangements through the practice of “outsourcing capability”. It argues that outsourcing failure can be mitigated if organizations see outsourcing as an “ongoing activity” to be managed as opposed to treating it as a one-time opportunistic “act”. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the review of existing literature and drawing upon recent instances of outsourcing successes and failures, the paper develops a conceptual framework which divides various organizational processes into four different classes. It delineates the varied aspects of “outsourcing capability” that a firm would need to use to manage these varied class of processes as and when they are outsourced. Findings – There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to managing outsourced processes. Dif...

Evolving efficacy of managerial capital, contesting managerial practices, and the process of strategic renewal

Abstract: Research Summary: This article examines the adaptation process of a large manufacturer in the Indian steel industry faced with radical sociopolitical shifts in the external ecosystem. It uses the Bower‐Burgelman process model in combination with Bourdieu's praxis theory to explain the emergence of competing managerial initiatives and associated contests in the company's internal ecology of strategy‐making in terms of socially acquired dispositions. It illuminates process–practice pathways through which top management's resource allocation supported changes in the efficacy of the different forms of capital of the contesting managerial classes, thereby legitimizing the daily “doings” of the rising class and institutionalizing a (re)defined adaptive rule structure. Managerial Summary: How do managers’ early influences, including family upbringing and schooling, bear upon organization's renewal strategy? Our study finds that during discontinuities imposed by socioeconomic upheavals, when organizational performance flounders, managerial initiatives are driven by deepest dispositions derived from early age socialization. Competing managerial fractions jostle to impose practices favorable to their longstanding preferences by putting their weight behind preferred product‐market choices and seeking appropriate changes in the ineffective internal rule structure. Administration's challenge lies in leveraging internal contests to iteratively allocate resources in search of winning dispositions and configurations aligned with evolving social relations in the external environment. Internal availability of managerial groups from diverse social origins is crucial for the administration to reclaim organizational advantage by arbitrating between contesting practices and practitioner fortunes.

Making sense of the changing face of Google’s search engine results page: an advertiser’s perspective

Abstract: Purpose Google commands approximately 70 per cent of search market share worldwide, resulting in businesses investing heavily in search engine advertising on Google to target potential customers. Recently, Google changed the way in which content and ads were displayed on the search engine results page. This reshuffling of content and ads is expected to affect the advertisers who advertise on Google and/or use it to drive traffic to their websites. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of these changes on various stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Data have been collected from various sources on the internet including blogs and discussion forums. Netnography has been used as it allows a detailed evaluation of the consumers’ needs, wants and choices in a virtual space. Findings The average cost-per-click for ads on the top positions is expected to increase. Advertisers whose ads usually occupy the lower positions would be adversely affected. To counter this, more emphasis should be placed on ad extensions and on product listing ads. In addition, organizations would benefit from increased efforts on search engine optimization. Practical implications A variety of coping strategies have been developed that can help marketers to successfully navigate through the change, including the use of ad extensions and the use of product listing ads. Originality/value This practice-focused paper offers guidelines for digital marketers to use sponsored search more effectively as part of their arsenal in light of some important changes recently made by Google. The potential of netnography as a research methodology has also been expanded by using it in a novel setting and in drawing up actionable insights.

Playing games, receiving gifts, creating experiences and building brands

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding the role of consumer experiences, instantiated through gift giving and game play, in communication of brand values. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on in-depth phenomenological interviews of marketing managers and various channel intermediaries involved in the execution of a mass brand promotion program in rural India. Findings – The study reveals the employment of innovative game designs and gift choices, their design rooted deep in the village populace’s context and life experiences. It shows how the consumer’s experience created through games and gifts shapes their perceptions about the brand leading to favorable consideration and purchase outcomes for it. Research limitations/implications – This work is derived primarily from practice. It is hoped that industry practitioners will benefit from this stream of research and will use games and gifts in innovative ways to engage customers and create brand experiences. Origin...

Governance of Marwari capital: Daily living as a decolonial ‘matrix-of-praxis’ intermeshing commercial, religious and familial spheres:

Abstract: This paper is a narration on practices of unlimited liability Marwari businesses of a textile town in Western India. Although depicted as an ‘outdated’ form of incorporation, these businesses were ...

An Ecosystem-Level Process Model of Business Model Disruption: The Disruptor's Gambit

Abstract: Based on a longitudinal case study, this paper presents an ecosystem‐level process model of the interlocking key activities of the business model disruptor, other ecosystem participants (customers, partners, media, analysts), and the incumbent. Together these constitute a strategic process of ecosystem evolution from incumbent‐centred to disruptor‐centred. We identify the phenomenon of a ‘disruptor's gambit’, where the disruptor reveals its intentions early on through effective framing, followed by rapid adaptation of its business model to satisfy ecosystem needs. These processes generate a virtuous framing‐adaptation cycle, where feed‐forward and feedback enable rapid response to customers and partners, while engaging them as force multipliers during new ecosystem creation. Our findings suggest that framing constitutes a dynamic strategic process enabling disruptors to reduce uncertainty, dislodge powerful incumbents, and shape new ecosystems through business model innovation.

An Ecosystem-Level Process Model of Business Model Disruption: The Disruptor's Gambit

Abstract: Based on a longitudinal case study, this paper presents an ecosystem-level process model of the interlocking key activities of the business model disruptor, other ecosystem participants (customers, partners, media, analysts), and the incumbent. Together these constitute a strategic process of ecosystem evolution from incumbent-centered to disruptor-centered. We identify the phenomenon of a "disruptor's gambit," where the disruptor reveals its intentions early on through effective framing, followed by rapid adaptation of its business model to satisfy ecosystem needs. These processes generate a virtuous framing-adaptation cycle, where feed-forward and feedback enable rapid response to customers and partners, while engaging them as force multipliers during new ecosystem creation. Our findings suggest that framing constitutes a dynamic strategic process enabling disruptors to reduce uncertainty, dislodge powerful incumbents, and shape new ecosystems through business model innovation.

Mapping five decades of international business and management research on India: A bibliometric analysis and future directions

Abstract: India-focused research has proliferated in the last few decades. That stated, no study to date has systematically examined the nuances of the intellectual evolution of this rich body of literature. To fill this lacuna, we attempt to quantify and evaluate five decades of India-focused international business (IB) and management research in leading journals. To accomplish this, we map publication trends, shed light on the sample characteristics, major theories, research methodologies, and key research themes of the India-related literature. Moreover, we conduct a bibliometric analysis to account for citation records, authorship patterns, and underlying knowledge structure. The results reveal continuous growth in the number of India-focused IB and management studies from 1974 to 2021. The bibliographic coupling analysis identifies four major clusters of research themes. Based on our findings, we offer distinct avenues of research for future scholars interested in studying the Indian context.

Eccentric Methodology with Optimization to Unearth Hidden Facts of Search Engine Result Pages

Abstract: The World Wide Web houses an abundance of information that is used every day by billions of users across the world to find relevant data. Website owners employ webmasters to ensure their pages are ranked top in search engine result pages. However, understanding how the search engine ranks a website, which comprises numerous web pages, as the top ten or twenty websites is a major challenge. Although systems have been developed to understand the ranking process, a specialized tool based approach has not been tried. This paper develops a new framework and system that process website contents to determine search engine optimization factors. To analyze the web page dynamically by assessing the web site content based on specific keywords, elimination method was used in an attempt to reveal various search engine optimization techniques. Our results lead to conclude that the developed system is able to perform a deeper analysis and find factors which play a role in bringing the site on the top of the list.