Showing papers by "Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad published in 1980"

Systematic Risk and the Theory of the Firm

Abstract: The mean-variance capital-asset-pricing model forms the basis for much of the theoretical and empirical work in modern financial economics. While this model defines the relevant measure of the risk of a security β in a general equilibrium context, the relationship between this measure and the microeconomic variables of a firm has not been studied in the literature. This paper develops a model of the firm under uncertainty and derives the relationship between systematic risk and such firm variables as monopoly power, demand elasticity, and the labor-capital ratio. The general conclusions are surprisingly robust and point to several interesting empirically testable hypotheses.

A network algorithm for the exact treatment of the 2×k contingency table

Abstract: A common statistical problem encountered in biomedical research is to test the hypothesis that the parameters of k binomial populations are all equal. An exact test of significance of this hypothesis is possible in principle, the appropriate null distribution being a normalized product of k binomial coefficients. However, the problem of computing the tail area of this distribution can be formidable since it requires the enumeration of all sets of k binomial coefficients whose product is less than a given constant. Existing algorithms, all of which rely on explicit enumeration to generate feasible binomial coefficients

Institution Building for Social and Organizational Change: An Appreciation

Abstract: The study of institution building and institutionalization has engaged the attention of a variety of scholars from several disciplines. However, institution building as a distinct body of knowledge has emerged only in the last decade. The bulk of the literature has been put together as a result of the efforts of a consortium of American scholars working within a common framework developed in the context of aid to the less developed countries through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Unfortunately, while this literature has done much to provide considerable guidance and thrust to institution-building (IB) efforts, it has the danger of producing a cleavage in the social science contributions to this area. True to the spirit in which the various scholars developed the IB model in the United States, this paper attempts to synthesize various relevant streams in this important area of human endeavour. In doing so, it goes beyond the existing models and reports a general processual ...

An international study of management perceptions of the working capital process

Abstract: Working capital literature is rather limited and the process of managing short‐term resources is not understood well by academicians. In contrast, corporate managers are continuously involved in the working capital decision-making process, but their perspective is limited to the practices within their firm. In order to fill this gap in the working capital literature, a study of management perceptions of the working capital process was undertaken. A survey was used to collect the information from the sample of marketing, production, and financial executives in large corporations in Belgium, France, India, and the United States. The study intercepts management ranking of working capital objectives and indicates the need to improve finacial planning models to include explicitly short–run objectives; further, predictability of cash inflows and outflows is examined and the potential factors affecting the predictability are evaluated. Finally, this study examines management perceptions of long-range objectives in order to provide a proper perspective to the short-run financial planning.

Social Accounts for Urban-Centered Regions

Abstract: Social accounts are important for tracing the complex interactions of social and economic phenomena within a unified frame work. The concepts of central place theory and the ecological psychology of Roger Barker jointly offer a means for constructing social accounts based on time people spend in behavior settings within Functional Eco nomic Areas. Barker's concept of behavior setting genotypes translates readily into standard categories in the economic censuses and other pub lished data systems, as is demonstrated here by linking Barker's data on private enterprise genotypes to the selected business functions used by Borchert and Adams to classify trade centers into hierarchical levels.

Personality Factors in Road Accidents

Abstract: Present investigation attempts to isolate those personality factors which are predominent in accident-prone drivers. The study was conducted at the Passenger Bus Depot of the U.P. State Road Transport Corporation, Azamgarh. Hindi version of Cattell's 16 PF Test was used to assess the personality of these drivers. The study was conducted on a total sample of 40 drivers divided into two groups of 20 drivers in the each group. The first group included drivers with accident records (AG), and the second group included those driverss who were free from accidents (NAG). The accident group was further divided into two sub-groups, namely, multi-accident group (MAG) and single-accident group (SAG). There were 14 drivers in the SAG and 6 in the MAG.The results were analysed in terms of mean, S. D., and F-ratios. The findings of the study indicate that drivers involved in accidents are characterized by such personality traits as happygo-lucky, impulsive, gay, enthusiastic, shy, restrained, diffident, timid, tenderminded, dependent, overprotected, sensitive, apprehensive, worrying, depressive, throubled adequacy, anxiety and introversion. Those drivers who were free from accidents were found to be sober, prudent, serious, venturesome, socially bold, uninhibited, spontaneous, tough-minded, self-reliant, realistic, placid, confident, serence, adjusted and extravert.

Performance of management education institutions: An Indian sampler

Abstract: In the 1950s and 1960s, several institutions were created in India to cater to the needs of management education and to assist in the process of national development. To date, there has been very little systematic comparative analysis of the experience of creating these institutions and examining their performance. The present paper reports the results of an attempt to assess the performance of six management education institutions in India which were established in the 1950s and 1960s and equally divided between post-graduate and post-experience education. Being an exploratory study, the emphasis has been on developing a methodology for assessment of performance and applying this to the area of management education. Basically, performance on both system survival and system effectiveness dimensions has been incorporated into the performance measurement attempt. System survival has been operationalized through a series of indicators on capability development; the system effectiveness dimension has been operationalized through a series of indicators on innovative thrust and penetration for these six institutions. An attempt has also been made to relate various process mechanisms of institution building to the different aspects of performance. Thus, the paper also explores the relationship of institution building processes with performance.

On Wait-and-See Stochastic Linear Programmes: An Application and an Algorithm

Abstract: This paper develops a computational algorithm for estimating the mean objective function value of a stochastic linear programming problem of the passive or wait-and-see type. The algorithm is applied to a problem connected with design of a milk-grid in India and is found to be computationally effective in that case. It is most likely to be useful in the case of fairly large LP problems with a few (<10) stochastic right hand side variables.

Validity of selection tests: a study

Abstract: Several reasons have been offered for the depressed values of coefficients of correlation between performance evaluation scores and test scores for tests that otherwise seem to have high validity. Most of these studies have concerned themselves with only the first year performance measure. This study was undertaken to broadbase the validity design by including performance measures of three subsequent years. Data on the test and performance scores of a sample of executives were analysed. The results indicate that though test scores may not show significant relationship with the first year performance appraisal score, they show positive and significant relationship with subsequent performance appraisal scores. The results are explained in terms of changed performance evaluation.

The Alienated Indian Consumer and the Role of Consumer Education

Abstract: Even a cursory look at the Indian market place reveals that utter confusion prevails in the minds of Indian consumers. This has been confirmed by a survey of Indian housewives conducted in a large city. The consumers feel completely alienated and blame practically every one for this state of affairs. The authors believe that apart from government intervention, consumer education could go a long way in remedying the situation. The paper makes out a case for active involvement of consumers, government agencies, marketers, and educational institutions in consumer education movement.

Estimating Ferrous Scrap Availabilities

Abstract: The day may not be far off when the world would have exhausted its stock of resources, considering the present rates of consumption. Futurologists have cautioned that limits to growth may have to set if the natural resources are not to be depleted. One way of conserving natural resources is to recycle industrial waste materials for producing the same, output. This paper developes a heuristic model for estimating availabilities of ferrous scrap and the savings in iron ore and coke that could result.

Corporate Power: Benign or Malignant?

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility is fast becoming a fashionable phrase among businessrnen, managers, management academics, economists, politicians, and the public at large. Before these diverse grou...

Backward Area Subsidies and Location of Projects

Abstract: In 1971 the Government of India announced a subsidy scheme to develop backward areas. Projects located in these areas are eligible for a subsidy of one-tenth of fixed capital in the case of new uni...