Soil Chemical Analysis

The Social Psychology of Organizations.

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity

Abstract There is a growing acknowledgement that micro-credit programs have potential for equitable and sustainable development. However, my anthropological research on the micro-credit program of the Grameen Bank shows that bank workers are expected to increase disbursement of loans among their members and press for high recovery rates to earn profit necessary for economic viability of the institution. To ensure timely repayment in the loan centers bank workers and borrowing peers inflict an intense pressure on women clients. In the study community many borrowers maintain their regular payment schedules through a process of loan recycling that considerably increases the debt-liability on the individual households, increases tension and frustration among household members, produces new forms of dominance over women and increases violence in society.

Micro-credit initiatives for equitable and sustainable development : who pays?; a case study of the Grameen Bank Program in rural Bangladesh

Much of the prior research on interorganizational learning has focused on the role of absorptive capacity, a firm's ability to value, assimilate, and utilize new external knowledge. However, this definition of the construct suggests that a firm has an equal capacity to learn from all other organizations. We reconceptualize the firm-level construct absorptive capacity as a learning dyad-level construct, relative absorptive capacity. One firm's ability to learn from another firm is argued to depend on the similarity of both firms' (1) knowledge bases, (2) organizational structures and compensation policies, and (3) dominant logics. We then test the model using a sample of pharmaceutical–biotechnology R&D alliances. As predicted, the similarity of the partners' basic knowledge, lower management formalization, research centralization, compensation practices, and research communities were positively related to interorganizational learning. The relative absorptive capacity measures are also shown to have greater explanatory power than the established measure of absorptive capacity, R&D spending. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Relative absorptive capacity and interorganizational learning

This paper addresses the issue of comparability of the small business across geographical boundaries based on organizational contextual, structural variables and the effectiveness indicators. The authors argue that (1) there are already many features, profiles, managerial challenges and the role the small businesses play in a political economy that are common to many countries; (2) the gradual homogenization (due to successful penetration and integration of web based information and transactional technology) of business cultures in a borderless and seamless global business environment may enable tentative generalizations based on empirical as well as ethnographic studies. The paper first defines small business effectiveness and then outlines several common factors through a review of case and ethnographic studies. Finally, the author takes one of the common factors—the issue of capacity utilization and proposes a quasi deterministic empirical econometric model and shares the findings through a secondary analysis of survey data collected from 179 small scale enterprises in West Bengal, India. The findings reflect positively on the efficacy of the model. The authors conclude: the scholarly pursuits such as this are likely to enrich and contribute to the nascent comparative small business literature and enhance the empirical understanding of the small business dynamics. Consequently, a greater homogenization of the global business practices may facilitate more small business to small business transactions within the country specific diverse global business cultures.

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Comparative Small Business: Toward A Model

Traditionally, money-lending institutions such as banks, lent funds only to people who had property, steady earnings, and a credit history. In the last few decades, however, the concept of banking for the poor has become a reality, and popular parlance terms it ‘micro-finance’. Often, microfinance is extended to groups of people rather than to individuals as a means of ensuring greater security to the lending institution through the vehicle of ‘peer pressure’ among the group members. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to study the grass root reality in the functioning of microfinance mechanism through self-help groups in West Bengal and their developmental influences on the health and primary education. Group-based microfinance, through the mechanism of self-help groups, provides a good opportunity to provide awareness about the need for primary education and basic health care, through their meetings and peer consultations. The chapter’s first section provides a brief description of microfinance and highlights the positive impacts on client, their families, and the community at large. Then it discusses the issue of positive externalities (health and education), resulting from microfinance interventions. The discussion revolves around the success of SHGs in implementing microfinance strategies to accomplish better health and education. The case study of microfinance initiatives by way of grade improvement in self-help groups in West Bengal, and their impact on basic parameters of health and primary education is deliberated upon. The analysis in this chapter is meant to provide policy making bodies a better understanding of client needs and how to (re)structure programs to increase their impact in addressing multiple needs.

Synergistic Effects of Microfinance Through SHGs: A Study of Basic Health and Primary Education Indicators

The present study was aimed to understand the diversity, abundance and distribution of macrozoobenthic community of three selected fishponds differing in sewage intake and culture practices of East Calcutta Wetlands of Kolkata, India, as well as the aquatic ecosystem health of these waterbodies considering benthos as the best indicator of pollution. One year seasonal samplings were done to study the diversity and distribution of macrozoobenthos along with 12 water quality parameters to reflect the ecological conditions and aquatic ecosystem health of these waterbodies through biodiversity indices and statistical analysis (SPSS 10). A total of 27 species of macrozoobenthic organisms belonging to 18 families under four phyla comprising eight major groups viz. Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Hirudinea, Diptera, Odonata, Gastropoda, Bivalvia and Pisces have been recorded. The diversity of macrozoobenthic fauna of these three waterbodies revealed that Ruby wetland had the highest representation of 24 species followed by Sukantanagar pond (17 species) and Sukantanagar bheri (16 species). The result of Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that amongst the collected macrozoobenthos the gastropod species, Bellamya bengalensis and Lymnaea acuminata were wetland site-wise significant. The total benthic population and biomass have positive correlation with water transparency and organic enrichment of the waterbody. Shannon Weiner and Margalef’s indices have revealed higher values for Ruby wetland. Biodiversity indices and BMWP Score System designated to benthic organisms, suggested Ruby wetland is healthier than the other two waterbodies, differing in sewage intake and culture practices.

Macrozoobenthic Community and Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystem Health of three Waterbodies of East Calcutta Wetlands, India

The purpose of this exploratory research is to address gaps within the social entrepreneurship literature in India and Mexico while providing cross-sector and cross-country learning for academicians and practitioners. The study compares two nations in which the practice of social entrepreneurship far outpaces the academic research, making the superficially disparate countries an excellent backdrop to explore motivations, leadership style, and influences social entrepreneurs experience while starting and managing their enterprises. The analysis of the qualitative data indicates five important conclusions as propositions for action. First, social capital matters. Data repeatedly showed that social entrepreneurs relied on and developed strong networks across all types of social capital (i.e., bridging, bonding, linking) to activate and manage their work to enhance the social wealth of others. Second, the effectuation strategies implemented in both countries and across different sectors enabled social entrepreneurs to overcome constraints of previous experience and lack of affluence. Third, empathy and empowerment of others drive leadership styles of social entrepreneurs from both countries and in various sectors, giving educators and emerging social entrepreneurs direction for training and self-development. Fourth, flexibility as a leader and in organizational design is essential to start and succeed in driving social change within a community. Fifth, motivations to pursue social entrepreneurial actions are not consistent, indicating the evolution of social entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurs as demanded by our ever-changing, globalized world.

In Search of Patterns: A Preliminary Investigation of Social Entrepreneurs in Mexico and India

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Sharmistha Banerjee

Papers

Comparative Small Business: Toward A Model

Synergistic Effects of Microfinance Through SHGs: A Study of Basic Health and Primary Education Indicators

Macrozoobenthic Community and Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystem Health of three Waterbodies of East Calcutta Wetlands, India

In Search of Patterns: A Preliminary Investigation of Social Entrepreneurs in Mexico and India

Constructing a Commitment Scale and Developing a Model of Organizational Commitment for IT Industry in Eastern India