Showing papers by "Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad published in 1996"

Regulation of the private health sector in India.

Abstract: The expansion of the private sector in India has forced the passages of a number of regulations to promote quality of care and protect consumers. This has expanded the role of government in developing and enforcing regulations in three areas of the health sector: drugs, medical practice, and health facilities. These regulations have been promulgated by both national and state governments. Three particular Acts are examined: the Consumer Protection Act, Medical Councils, and the Nursing Home Act. These Acts have provided basic guidelines for regulation of certain aspects of the health sector, but have also created new challenges, as consumers have become more involved in monitoring health service delivery. The challenge for the future will be to ensure the quality and efficiency of health services in both the public and private sectors through these regulatory mechanisms while seeking to promote national health objectives.

Regulating the private health care sector: the case of the Indian Consumer Protection Act

Abstract: Private medical provision is an important constituent of health care delivery services in India. The quality of care provided by this sector is a critical issue. Professional organizations such as the Medical Council of India and local medical associations have remained ineffective in influencing the behaviour of private providers. The recent decision to bring private medical practice under the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) 1986 is considered an important step towards regulating the private medical sector. This study surveyed the views of private providers on this legislation. They believe the COPRA will be effective in minimizing malpractice and negligent behaviour, but it does have adverse consequences such as an increase in fees charged by doctors, an increase in the prescription of medicines and diagnostics, an adverse impact on emergency care, etc. The medical associations have also argued that the introduction of COPRA is a step towards expensive, daunting and needless litigation. A number of other concerns have been raised by consumer forums which focus on the lack of standards for private practice, the uncertainty and risks of medicines, the effectiveness of the judiciary system, and the responsibility of proving negligence. How relevant are these concerns? Is the enactment of COPRA really appropriate to the medical sector? The paper argues that while this development is a welcome step, we need to comprehensively look into the various quality concerns. The effective implementation of COPRA presumes certain conditions, the most important being the availability of standards. Besides this, greater involvement of professional organizations is needed to ensure appropriate quality in private practice, since health and medical cases are very different from other goods and services. The paper discusses the results of a mailed survey and interview responses of 130 providers from the city of Ahmedabad, India. The questionnaire study was designed to assess the opinion of providers on various implications of the COPRA. We also analyze the data on cases filed with the Consumer Disputes and Redressal Commission in Gujarat since 1991. Four selected cases filed with the National Commission on Consumers Redressal are discussed in detail to illustrate various issues affecting the implementation of this Act.

An interactive simulation model for the logistics planning of container operations in seaports

Abstract: Today, more than 90 percent of international cargo moves through seaports, and 80 percent of seaborne cargo moves in containers. It has thus become imperative for major seaports to manage their container operations both effec tively and efficiently. We have designed and developed an interactive computer simula tion model to support the logistics planning of container operations. Logistics planning of container operations deals with the assign ment and coordination of port equipments such as quay cranes, prime movers, and yard cranes in the transportation of containers between the ship's bay and the container storage yards. This model provides estimates for port performance indicators such as berth occupancy, ship outputs, and ship turnaround time for various operating strategies in the logistics planning of container operations. The main objective of port management is to reduce the ship turnaround time by optimally utilizing the port resources. Reduced turn around time encourages trade and improves the c...

Modelling of Uncertainties and Price Elastic Demands in Energy-Environment Planning for India

Abstract: This paper describes two variants of the Indian MARKAL model, a long-term technology oriented optimisation model for energy-environment planning for India. The first variant uses stochastic programming to include future uncertainties in the analysis. Details of model formulation, results and sensitivity analysis are described here. The second variant uses an innovative approach to simulate price sensitive demands within a linear formulation. The analysis incorporating future uncertainties suggests that it is prudent to reduce carbon emission in anticipation of a global regime in future. Modelling with price elastic demands estimates up to ten percent reduction in carbon emission due to reduced demands, under a severe carbon tax.

Manufacturing Priorities & Action Programmes in the Changing Environment: An Empirical Study of Indian Industries

Abstract: The Indian industrial environment has been traditionally identified by its regulative and protective characteristics for investments by foreign manufacturers and for import of goods into the country. The restricted industrial licensing policy by the Government of India had resulted in a closed internal competitive environment without an easy access to foreign goods. However there has been a distinct realisation on the part of the Indian companies since 1991 - when the country opened up for outside direct investments and goods due to economic liberalisation policy of the Government of India - that the manufacturing in India has to compete with outside companies to be competitive even in the domestic market.Study of Indian manufacturing practices at this crucial juncture is likely to be of great interest to the international community because of current interest in India. Foreign companies especially multinational corporations (MNCs) have been excited about the prospect of investing in India which has a huge potential market and relative advantages over China. According to a recent Ernst & Young survey, U.S. based MNCs cite India as one of their top priorities for foreign investment. This widespread interest is evident from the actual foreign investments made so far and number of proposals for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), between 1991 and 1995, investment proposals worth US $15 billion were cleared by Government of India, and 50% of these were approved in the year 1994-95. Actual foreign investments since 1991 is of the order of US $7 billion. Leading international companies including major American corporations such as General Electric, IBM, Pepsico, Coca Cola, Enron Corporation, Digital Corps and Kellogs are investing in a wide range of projects from processed foods and software development to engineering plastics, electronic equipment, power generation and petroleum exploration. Some of the international companies like General Motors have already started sourcing some components from the Indian companies for their global requirements.The studies on manufacturing practices specific to some countries have been reported in literature. Some of the countries for which the manufacturing practices have been studied are Sweden, USA and Japan, Belgium, Singapore, and USA and Europe. An attempt has been made to benchmark global manyfacturing practices by comparing the manufacturing priorities and action programmes of companies in American, European and Pacific Rim countries. Some of the recent studies have focused on only one aspect like quality and on productivity. Identification of various barriers to the management of international operations have also been studied.In our knowledge there is no systematic study on the manufacturing objectives and practices pursued by the Indian companies towards understanding of these competitive issues at the micro level. Hence a survey on Indian manufacturing practices was carried out in the year 1994-95 among the discrete manufacturing companies to take stock of the present situation in terms of their objectives and action programmes in the emerging competitive environment. The study was designed to capture the behaviour of manufacturing in these companies in the previous three years and their planned action programmes in the coming three years. The purpose was also to understand as to how the manufacturing functions in the Indian companies are reacting and gearing towards these objectives in terms of the action programmes for achieving them.These manufacturing objectives and the emphasis given to action programmes were also compared with that of other developed and developing countries in the world to get an idea about the difference in emphasis by the companies in the various countries.

Algorithms and Extended Formulations for One and Two Facility Network Design

Abstract: We consider the problem of sending flow from a source to a destination, where there are flow costs on each arc and fixed costs toward the purchase of capacity. Capacity can be purchased in batches of C units on each arc. We show the problem to be NP-hard in general. If d is the quantity to be shipped from the source to the destination, we give an algorithm that solves the problem in time polynomial in the size of the graph but exponential in \(\left\lfloor {\tfrac{d}{C}} \right\rfloor\). Thus for bounded values of \(\left\lfloor {\tfrac{d}{C}} \right\rfloor\)the problem can be solved in polynomial time. This is useful since a simple heuristic gives a very good approximation of the optimal solution for large values of \(\left\lfloor {\tfrac{d}{C}} \right\rfloor\). We also show a similar result to hold for the case when there are no flow costs but capacity can be purchased either in batches of 1 unit or C units. The results characterizing optimal solutions are used to obtain extended formulations in each of the two cases. The LP-relaxations of the extended formulations are shown to be stronger than the natural formulations considered by earlier authors, even with a family of strong valid inequalities added.

Enhancing Role Efficacy: An OD Intervention:

Abstract: The role of mechanical/traffic inspectors and safety counsellors is of considerable importance in the prevention of rail accidents and in the development of selfprotective behaviour among the staff...

FMEA - A Team-Based Decision-Making Approach to Quality Management

Abstract: Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a powerful proactive technique developed to prevent product and process failures. FMEA (also known as the fish-bone or the Ishikawa technique after its originator) was first used by Japanese automobile manufacturers to plan their production systems on the shop floor (Pfeifer, et alt 1994). It is now gaining acceptance in other areas like logistics, quality control and even personnel management. FMEA in its traditional form. The author is presently a member of faculty at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore is largely dependent on managerial judgment and uses minimal mathematics or computer time. Despite simplicity it is an elegant technique for ensuring process performance, likemany other management techniques originating from Japan, FMEA requires team-based thinking and a mutual belief in collective responsibility. The success of this method therefore rests largely upon the behavioural-motivational aspects of the people involved in the process. In this paper, I propose to provide an overview of FMEA as a management tool and at the same time suggest improvements for better effectiveness.

An Algorithm for the Min-Max Loss Rule for Claims Problems

Abstract: In this paper we provide an algorithm which gives us the unique solution to the problem of minimizing the maximum loss (where loss is measured by unsatisfied demands) for a claims problem. The answer lies crucially on the structure of the problem.

Market Driven Manufacturing : A Requirements Analysis

Abstract: In this paper, Kunal Basu and Pankaj Chandra develop a framework for market driven manufacturing that identifies market conditions and success requirements for determining the necessary manufacturi...

Electricity Privatisation Revisited: Case of India

Abstract: Normally privatisation is resorted to by different economies for different reasons — resource mobilization, introducing efficiency by promoting competition, and for achieving commercial orientation. Often these are assumed to be independent objectives. The Indian experience is showing that they are quite interdependant and unless all the three objectives are tackled simultaneously, privatisation will not succeed. Specifically, the poor financial performance of the State Electricity Boards and their lack of commercial orientation is applying a brake on investment in the Power Sector by foreign IPPs. Similarly the Government's approach to privatisation without promoting competition — through the so-called Memorandum of Understanding — is leading to high cost solutions and acrimonious public debates demanding transparency in decision making and review of those already made.

Cooperative Rural Banking: Anad Shows the Growth-oriented Path:

Abstract: Anad Farmers Service Cooperative Bank is an innovative bank in both the spirit of its cooperation and rural banking. This bank is also financially viable and growth-oriented.This paper by Bhupat M ...

Reprodução: o desafio feminista para uma política social

Abstract: Este trabalho defende a ideia de que os programas estatais do bem-estar social, tanto historica quanto contemporaneamente, sao o resultado de teorias politicas que reforcam frequentemente as disparidades de genero, classe e de raca/etnia na sociedade, atraves da forma com que se referem ou nao a reproducao.

Affine Cost Share Equilibria for Economies with Public Goods

Abstract: In this paper we propose the concept of an affine cost-share equilibrium and show that under natural assumptions any optimal allocation corresponds to an affine cost-share equilibrium. With linear cost functions and under mild regularity assumptions we show that an optimal allocation is a ratio equilibrium with redistribution.

Technology, Trade Policy and Competitiveness: 'Learning' in East Asia & Its Lessons for India

Abstract: This paper has examined the major issues relating to the technology dimensions of competitveness confronting India, as it globalises its economy through a trade and FDI liberalisation policy package. Drawing from a wide range of available evidence from East Asia, the paper has argued for a strategic approach, rather than a passive market orientation approach. The outstanding success of Japan and S. Korea was based on the ability to create dynamic advantage in high value, fast growing industries. Their approach to technology has been based on the build up of technological capability, while remaining open to market competition. There has been a remarkable strategic focus in technological effort to increase industrial productivity. The relation between the public and private components of technological effort has been synergistic. The contrast with India has been highlighted, to draw out the implicit lessons. The paper also examines evidence related to the Indian, Korean and ASEAN experience with respect to technology transfer to show that the link between liberalisation, FDI, export growth and technology development is complex, and can go counter to the build up of technological capacity. The paper closes with an assessment of the positive and negative aspects of the limited evidence concerning the technology posture of Indian firms in post 1991 period. While some indications are encouraging, the attainment of international competitiveness will require much more of both strategy and effort.

Development of Decision Support Systems (DSS) - Some Practical Considerations

Abstract: Use of computers have been traditionally in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Data Processing (DP). Recent advancements in networking, different needs of the users and improved techniques of software development have led to usage of computers in different ways. The most important new applications of computers are in the field of Decision Support Systems (DSS) and Office Automation Systems (OAS). Advancements in micro computers which can be effectively networked have helped to a great extent, popularity of DSS and OAS. In this paper, attempts are made to describe some of the important characteristics of DSS software. Based on the author's experience in developing a few real life DSS, distribution of the code in various modules of DSS have been described. Such an analysis should help the DSS developer in planning proper strategy for software development for DSS.

Reproduction: le défie feministe pour une politique social

Abstract: Cet article enonce. I'idee par laquelle les projets de I'Etat envisageant le bien etre social, aussi bien du point de vue historique que de celui de I'actualite, ce sont les effects de forces politiques qui renforcent frequemment les differences de geme, de classe et de race/ethnie dans la societe, selon Ia facon qu'iIs faisent reference ou pas a la reproduction.