Sharmistha Banerjee

Bio: Sharmistha Banerjee is an academic researcher from University of Calcutta. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social capital & Small business. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 19 publications receiving 119 citations.

Microfinance and Human Development: A Cross-Generation Study

Abstract: Microfinance has been accepted as a potent instrument to improve the living standards of the ultra-poor women in developing and least developed countries in the world. Most of the research studies inferred that participation in microfinance initiatives has a positive impact on female labor force participation rate, which in turn improve their initial consumption and empowerment. A relatively more empowered woman is expected to exercise agency and make strategic life choices in a context, where women’s ability to set their own goals and pursue them is seriously constrained by an in egalitarian gender system. These strategic life choices normally include their children’s schooling and education, their own healthcare options, and ability to earn and spend according to their own will. Thus, involvement in income-generating activities using microfinance which leads to improving/enhancing decision making of women may not only improve their own lives but is expected to improve the quality of human development over generations. It would be thus interesting to explore how far a mother with long-term engagement in microfinance can take progressive steps to reduce early dropouts of her daughters from educational institutions and also to give freedom to her daughter-in-law to pursue career choices, as manifestations of comprehensive long-term development. Given this backdrop, the chapter aims to capture the impact of microfinance use on 1200 middle-aged women on the overall human development of women of their next generation. The specific objective of the study is to assess the impact of microfinance on education and career choice of the second generation of microfinance users, daughters and daughters-in-law, compared to the original microfinance borrowers and non-borrowers. Using propensity score matching techniques of impact evaluation, the chapter does not identify that among the second-generation women of microfinance borrowers, education nor financial inclusion appears to be statistically higher compared to that of non-borrowing control groups. Thus, the impact of microfinance seems to fizzle out without sustainability, representing a sure sign of mission drift.

Relationship Between Job Embeddedness and Employees’ Turnover Intention:A Study on Private Airlines in India

Abstract: Job embeddedness is recognized as important factor in turnover literature in retaining valuable talented employees and develop a sustainable edge of the organization. Job embeddedness is taking centre stage in analysing employees’ turnover intention because an individual’s decision to leave an organization is highly shaped by the work environment in which the employee is embedded, in addition to the job per se. Using a sample of 416 employees belonging to four renowned organizations of Indian Airlines Industry namely Indigo, Spice Jet, Go Air and Jet Airways, in this study, an attempt has been made to find out the relationship between job embeddedness and turnover intention of Non-technical employees in Airlines Industry in India. Through the results, an important relationship between these two variables can be seen substantiating available literature. However, this study disaggregates job embeddedness into its components Link, Fit and Sacrifice, to assess their impact on turnover intention, separately. In the results, it is revealed that the participants having lower job embeddedness tend to have a higher turnover intention and it is found that Link and Fit have been significant influencers on turnover intention.

Unique Promotional Strategy for Sustainability of Community Based Tourism (CBT)

Abstract: Community based tourism (CBT) focuses on the protection of socio-cultural values and economic benefits of stakeholder host communities of tourism destinations. It is increasingly being promoted as an avenue of sustainable tourism development. But for achieving economic sustainability in long run for CBT initiatives it is imperative to ensure revenue generation through regular tourist footfall and productive use of available resources. The purpose of the study is to examine the tourists’ awareness level about CBT initiatives. The paper also seeks to analyze how far the aware tourist is able to contribute to economic sustainability of CBT destinations. It also aims to identify popular tourist information dissemination sources so that a policy prescription can be suggested for effective marketing and promotion strategy of CBT. The study used questionnaire based survey method and collected primary data of 100 domestic tourists focusing on the CBT destinations of Northern part of west Bengal region. Statistical analysis is used to develop a framework to explain the theoretical relationship of CBT awareness level and tourists’ visit possibility. The findings will lead to policy prescriptions for CBT developers to achieve sustainability in long run by developing unique promotional strategy to increase tourist visit.

Thread of Sustainability: Crafting Fashion for Conscious Community and Conservation

Abstract: This chapter aims to look into the current practices of fashion production and consumption and argues for a sustainable model. This model advocates the need of conscious creation and consumption, mindful connection with the community, and conservation of the ecology. It opens up conversations about fetishistic attitudes vs. sustainable practices and how production and consumption behaviors are manufactured in postmodern society. With interpretative epistemological stance, this chapter follows qualitative research methodology to develop an alternative model of fashion production and consumption. This alternative model, ‘C3 Model of Art of Fashion', is the result of a qualitative study conducted amongst artisans, consumers, and entrepreneurs of Kantha.

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

Abstract: 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.

Relative absorptive capacity and interorganizational learning

Abstract: 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.