Showing papers by "Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad published in 2002"
TL;DR: The GLOBE southern Asia cluster consists of India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand as mentioned in this paper, which has a total population of almost 1.5 billion and a gross domestic product of almost U.S.$1 trillion.
194 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a good starting point for analyzing certain issues in the modern industries of developing countries, like improvement of operations, impact of technology mix, and effects of certain aspects of privatization.
146 citations
TL;DR: A scenario-based approach for capturing the evolution of demand and a stochastic programming model for determining technology choices and capacity plans are developed, which is likely to be large and may not be easy to solve with standard software packages.
122 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the renewable and carbon market linkages and assesses mitigation potential of power sector renewable energy technologies under global environmental intervention scenarios for GHG emissions reduction.
Abstract: The future economic development trajectory for India is likely to result in rapid and accelerated growth in energy demand, with attendant shortages and problems. Due to the predominance of fossil fuels in the generation mix, there are large negative environmental externalities caused by electricity generation. The power sector alone has a 40 percent contribution to the total carbon emissions. In this context, it is imperative to develop and promote alternative energy sources that can lead to sustainability of the energy–environment system. There are opportunities for renewable energy technologies under the new climate change regime as they meet the two basic conditions to be eligible for assistance under UNFCCC mechanisms: they contribute to global sustainability through GHG mitigation; and, they conform to national priorities by leading to the development of local capacities and infrastructure. This increases the importance of electricity generation from renewables. Considerable experience and capabilities exist in the country on renewable electricity technologies. But a number of techno–economic, market-related, and institutional barriers impede technology development and penetration. Although at present the contribution of renewable electricity is small, the capabilities promise the flexibility for responding to emerging economic, socio–environmental and sustainable development needs. This paper discusses the renewable and carbon market linkages and assesses mitigation potential of power sector renewable energy technologies under global environmental intervention scenarios for GHG emissions reduction. An overall energy system framework is used for assessing the future role of renewable energy in the power sector under baseline and different mitigation scenarios over a time frame of 35 years, between 2000 to 2035. The methodology uses an integrated bottom-up modelling framework. Looking into past performance trends and likely future developments, analysis results are compared with officially set targets for renewable energy. The paper also assesses the CDM investment potential for power sector renewables. It outlines specific policy interventions for overcoming the barriers and enhancing deployment of renewables for the future.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a large point sources (LPS) analysis for India is presented, showing that the former emissions are primarily from fossil fuel combustion while the latter have agriculture sector dominance, explaining the drastic difference in LPS contributions to all India emissions.
78 citations
TL;DR: In this article, five hundred and thirty-four college students, drawn from five distantly located cities in India that varied in affluence and infrastructural facilities, participated in a study designed to understand their normative predictions about people's responses to 20 situations.
Abstract: Five hundred and thirty-four college students, drawn from five distantly located cities in India that varied in affluence and infrastructural facilities, participated in a study designed to understand their normative predictions about people's responses to 20 situations. The responses consisted of five combinations: collectivist behaviour with collectivist intention (CC), individualist behaviour with individualist intention (II), collectivist behaviour with individualist intention to behave subsequently in an individualist way or to serve individualist intention (CI), individualist behaviour with collectivist intention to behave subsequently in a collectivist way or to serve a collectivist purpose (IC), and a mix of collectivist and individualist intention and behaviour (C&I). The findings indicated that the situations involving family members were reported to induce collectivism in behaviour as well as intentions. However, compelling personal needs were believed to lead to serve individualist interests, ...
77 citations
01 Apr 2002
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the shoppers' primary reasons for choosing a store and used multinomial logit regression to study the store choice pattern across different types of stores.
Abstract: Store choice is a decision that a shopper is fairly involved in. It is important for a store to understand this behaviour for developing marketing strategies to attract and keep its clientele. It is found that shoppers choose the store based on many aspects that could be classified as primary and image based. It is also found that the importance of each of these aspects changes with the kind of store the shopper wants to visit. In the Indian context where the shopper does not have much variety in store format, the type of store is recognized by the kind of product the store deals in. The paper is an attempt to understand this behaviour of the shopper. The shoppers are explored for the primary reasons for choosing a store. Then, using a factor analysis, the several image dimensions are classified. Further, using multinomial logit regression, the store choice pattern is studied across different types of store. Implications for the managers in the retail business are drawn and future research directions have been highlighted.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a market microstructure model of stock splits in the presence of minimum tick size rules, where discretionary trading is endogenously determined and there exists a tradeoff between adverse selection costs on the one hand and discreteness related costs and opportunity costs of monitoring the market.
58 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a model of effective corporate coping with a market environment has been developed based on prior Western and Indian research, and the model argues that the greater use of policy frameworks representing entrepreneurial, organic, professional, and participatory styles of management, and mechanisms of uncertainty reduction, differentiation, and integration tend to enhance corporate performance in such an environment, while their absence or low usage depresses it.
Abstract: The Indian economy began to liberalise and globalise in earnest beginning in 1991. The principal elements of the economy's structural adjustment that have created a far more competitive and turbulent but also opportunity-rich market environment are described. Based on prior Western and Indian research, a model of effective corporate coping with such a market environment has been developed. The model argues that the greater use of policy frameworks representing entrepreneurial, organic, professional, and participatory styles of management, and mechanisms of uncertainty reduction, differentiation, and integration tend to enhance corporate performance in such an environment, while their absence or low usage depresses it. Four sources of information are utilised to assess the model: published information on how Indian corporates have generally coped with economic liberalisation and globalisation, three corporate case studies, data from a recent study of 139 Indian corporates, and another study of 54 Indian corporates. All four sources broadly converge in their support for the model. Several issues relating to the contingency and strategic choice perspectives, and the generalisability, applicability, acceptability, and the diffusion of policy frameworks and redesign mechanisms are discussed.
54 citations
TL;DR: In the context of the wheat subsidy scheme in India, the implications of quality differences between public and private grain supply have been investigated in this article, showing that the lower quality of public grain marks the inefficiency of government operations.
46 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse the technology strategies of six Indian firms in different product groups which are trying to build competitive manufacturing and technology capabilities, and explore the linkages between corporate, technology, and manufacturing strategies.
Abstract: As a consequence of economic reforms, the Indian manufacturing sector faces a variety of technology related challenges. It not only has to quickly develop world-class manufacturing capabilities, but also gear up to develop new products and processes. In this paper we analyse the technology strategies of six Indian firms in different product groups which are trying to build competitive manufacturing and technology capabilities. The linkages between corporate, technology, and manufacturing strategies are explored and the role of complementary assets is studied in order to identify patterns through which these firms are building capabilities of various kinds. Specifically, we evaluate the extent to which firms use supply chains to develop product and process technologies. Some links between public policy and firm level technological capabilities are also explored to identify a few key priorities in the current context
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors deal with the experiences of other Asian countries in handling of NPAs and suggest mechanisms to handle the problem by drawing on experiences from other countries, and further look into the effect of the reforms on the level of NPA.
Abstract: Financial sector reform in India has progressed rapidly on aspects like interest rate deregulation, reduction in reserve requirements, barriers to entry, prudential norms and risk-based supervision. But progress on the structural-institutional aspects has been much slower and is a cause for concern. The sheltering of weak institutions while liberalizing operational rules of the game is making implementation of operational changes difficult and ineffective. Changes required to tackle the NPA problem would have to span the entire gamut of judiciary, polity and the bureaucracy to be truly effective. This paper deals with the experiences of other Asian countries in handling of NPAs. It further looks into the effect of the reforms on the level of NPAs and suggests mechanisms to handle the problem by drawing on experiences from other countries.
TL;DR: Two distinct theoreticalstreams flowing in the investigation, documentation, and dissemination ofMarginalized Peoples' Knowledge (MPK) are identified and a third suggested and athird Subaltern Knowledge perspective is suggested.
Abstract: Two distinct theoreticalstreams flowing in the investigation,documentation, and dissemination ofMarginalized Peoples' Knowledge(s) (MPK)are identified and a third suggested.Systems thinking, which originally coined theterm Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS),continues to predominate the growinginterdisciplinary interest in MPK. Thisapproach has tended to view knowledge or itsproduction based on systemic principles.The asystems approach challenges theusefulness of MPK as a systemsconstruct. Its central proposition is that MPKdoes not always represent a coherent system ofknowledge with underlying principles.Asystemists tend to prefer the term LocalKnowledge (LK) and approach the subject fromvery different, even opposing, epistemologicalassumptions. Although both the systemsand asystems research streams are oftenconcerned with power, an in-depth explorationof power-issues is not inevitably integral toeither approach. A third Subaltern Knowledge(s)(SK) perspective is suggested. The SK termembodies a central condition of many LKsvis-a-vis the scientific/Western knowledgeestablishment – that of being marginalizedbut resisting or with the potential to resistthis process. More benign terms in literature(IK, LK, Rural Peoples' Knowledge (RPK), etc.)fail to make this condition explicit. Such aconceptual recasting overtly invites aconsideration of the intertwined nature ofpower and knowledge in the exploration ofMPK.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: A 3m deep probe with five PT 100 temperature sensors was installed at the campus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in August, 1999 to monitor temperature at various depths as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A 3-m deep probe with five PT 100 temperature sensors was installed at the campus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in August, 1999 to monitor temperature at various depths. Hourly values from all the sensorS were noted one day in each month for a year. The diurnal and seasonal variations of temperature at different depths in soil have been observed in order to determine the level suitable for installation of earth tube heat exchangers.
TL;DR: This paper introduces a new neighborhood search heuristic that makes effective use of memory structures in a way that is different from that in common implementations of tabu search.
Abstract: Neighborhood search heuristics like local search and its variants are some of the most popular approaches to solve discrete optimization problems of moderate to large size. Apart from tabu search, most of these heuristics are memoryless. In this paper we introduce a new neighborhood search heuristic that makes effective use of memory structures in a way that is different from that in common implementations of tabu search. We report computational experiments with this heuristic on the traveling salesperson problem and the subset sum problem.
Posted Content•
TL;DR: The authors in this article argue that most situations of governnance inadeuacy or failure can be traced to causes in bad policy, rules, law and poor design of institutions; through examples and by uncovering the relationships.
Abstract: Brings out the context for (economic) governnance reform in India and develops the theme of the report on better governance for commercialisation of infrastructure. Argues that most situations of governnace inadeuacy or failure can be traced to utlimate causes in bad policy, rules, law and poor design of institutions; through examples and by uncovering the relationships. Argues against the thesis that the causation runs only one way from governance to economic performanc failures. Critiques the standard position of multilateral agencies. Brings out the roots of governnace failure in excessive discretion with government, the price based subsidisation, policy enduced shortages, poor regulatory structures, use of cost plus approaches, and laws that are unfair or contradictory. Categorises corruption and casts the same in a historical framwork. Corruption therefore is a result of economic policy, law and institutional failure rather than the other way around. Overcoming corruption is possible by bringing about change at the roots of the phenomenon. Lays out a perpective for governance reform for further commercialisation and for enhanced infrastructural development in India
Journal Article•
TL;DR: India's maternal mortality ratio is about 540 deaths per 100,000 live births, but the main reasons for such high maternal mortality are policy barriers and management problems that impede access to good-quality emergency obstetric care in rural areas.
Abstract: Maternal mortality is still very high in India and the developing world. India's maternal mortality ratio is about 540 deaths per 100,000 live births. Poverty and lack of resources contribute to this, but the main reasons for such high maternal mortality are policy barriers and management problems that impede access to good-quality emergency obstetric care in rural areas. The government policy does not encourage training general practitioners to provide cesarean sections, even when there are very few specialists available in rural and remote areas. Nurses are also prohibited from providing such basic emergency care procedures as intravenous oxytocics, antibiotics, and anticonvulsants. The doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff in managerial positions are not trained in modern management skills, which contributes to poor-quality services. The situation can be improved by training existing medical staff to provide emergency obstetric services in rural areas and training hospital managers in management skills. International aid organizations and women doctors should lobby for such policy changes, which will help increase access and quality of emergency obstetric care.
TL;DR: A simple proof of the extension theorem for partial orderings due to Suzumura when the domain of the partial order is finite is provided and the concept of a threshold choice function is introduced.
Abstract: In this paper we provide a simple proof of the extension theorem for partial orderings due to Suzumura [1983] when the domain of the partial order is finite. The extension theorem due to Szpilrajn [1930] follows from this theorem. Szpilrajns extension theorem is used to show that an asymmetric binary relation is contained in the asymmetric part of a linear order if and only if it is acyclic. This theorem is then applied to prove three results. Finally we introduce the concept of a threshold choice function, and our third result says that such choice functions are the only ones to satisfy a property called functional acyclicity.
TL;DR: The problem of identifying a minimum‐weight rooted not‐necessarily‐spanning arborescence in a directed rooted acyclic graph with weights on arcs is presented and a Lagrangian heuristic, L, is proposed that generates both a lower bound and an upper bound in each iteration.
Abstract: In this paper, we propose the problem of identifying a minimum-weight rooted not-necessarily-spanning arborescence (MRA) in a directed rooted acyclic graph with weights on arcs. We show this problem to be NP-hard and formulate it as a zero—one integer program. We develop a heuristic H to construct a rooted arborescence (RA) in a given graph G, giving an upper bound. We also formulate a Lagrangian problem, LMRA, by relaxing one set of constraints of the zero—one integer program. For a given set of Lagrange multipliers, LMRA can be easily solved to obtain a lower bound. Then, we propose a Lagrangian heuristic, L, that generates both a lower bound and an upper bound in each iteration. The above heuristics were tested with 50 test problems. We also compared the performance of L with a general-purpose optimization package, CPLEX, using 12 test problems. The results show that L was able to identify an optimal solution in almost all cases. CPLEX found an optimal solution in all cases, but was not able to verify optimality in some instances. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that good infrastructure needs good governance, which can only be achieved through good governance mechanisms, such as the creation, protection and enforcement of certain basic rights such as rights to land, clean air, information, and to earn a livelihood.
Abstract: IIR 2002 focuses on one of the most fundamental building blocks of a reform agenda, namely, governance frameworks for commercialization. It was in December 2000 that we first mooted the subject of governance for this issue of the IIR. Subsequent developments, such as the Enron saga, the Orissa power sector reforms, delays in the introduction of the Convergence Bill, and the CNG vehicle programme in Delhi, against the backdrop of further deteriorating infrastructure services, all played a role in forcefully proving the point we had been trying to make all along – good infrastructure needs good governance. Governance should encompass the creation, protection and enforcement of certain basic rights such as rights to land, clean air, information, and to earn a livelihood. Our approach to these rights defines the framework in which our societies operate and the extent to which we can tolerate inequities and unbalanced growth of opportunities. Thus, it has implications both for welfare considerations within a country as well as at the international level. The inability to solve the problems of dispossessed peoples around the world lies at the root of international terrorism. The right to good governance in terms of policies to promote ‘public good’ arises precisely from these foundations. We ignore these fundamental issues at our own peril. What we are witnessing in India is the failure of the government to re-invent itself to meet the changing realities of our times. It was amply evident the world over that an omnipresent government attempting to do everything from maintaining law and order to providing goods and services to people, is not feasible. The business of the government is to provide good governance at least cost. This cost is the yardstick of success. The citizen comes first in any governance framework. In India, we saw the government provide services, but this came with enormous wastage of resources, deteriorating service quality, an inability to invest in improvements and safety standards, high and rising subsidies, large and unfounded pension liabilities for employees of the system, massive cost and time overruns of crucial projects, and, above all, an inability to reform encrusted institutional mechanisms that oversee this juggernaut. Many of these symptoms are illustrated in government owned and operated infrastructure services in the past such as railways, airlines, hotel and tourism services, road building and maintenance, hospitals, and education. Clearly we need a new paradigm that will gradually dismantle what we have built since independence and replace it with an enabling environment which encourages private participation. The answer to many of our problems lies in public–private partnerships that use available resources effectively. Defining these partnerships in a manner which can be operationalized, is the challenge for the coming decade. IDFC is working on this paradigm, using UK’s Private Financing Initiative, which has enormous implications for India: privatize where possible (where commercialization possibilities exist and users of services are in a position to cover the full cost of its provision); and where this is not possible and where the government retains its accountability, to tax payers for service provision (such as education, health services, national savings, and defence), use private financing and management of services with governments paying the final bill and thereby reaping huge efficiency gains. There are many possibilities that can bridge the transition from where we are to where we wish to go. It is not the choice of means that poses a problem, as the clarity in determining the ends and setting-up objectives to be attained. This can only be done through good governance mechanisms. If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable. The challenge for India is to decide in which direction we wish to head. This report fulfils a gap in our understanding of governance issues for successful commercialization of infrastructure services.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an approach to b2b branding integrating Aaker5 s brand identity framework and the principles of b2B marketing, which is based on the Aaker's four components, namely brand as product, brand as person, label as symbol and symbol as symbol.
Abstract: This essay consists of a review of three books on Brand Management. The books are reviewed with the purpose of arriving at an approach for b2b branding. The three authors Travis, Davis and Aaker show different approaches to branding. Travis is anecdotal, Aaker is conceptual and Davis adopts a mixture of the two approaches. Consequently, Travis targets the practitioner, Aaker targets the academic and Davis targets both. The three authors give useful principles for branding in general. But none of them directly addresses the issue of b2b branding. This paper provides an approach to b2b branding integrating Aaker5 s brand identity framework and the principles of b2b marketing. High value b2b purchases are typically made by a buying center, a formal committee constituted for that purpose. The committee members in the buying center are known to play different buying roles like initiator, influences specifier, approver, user, buyer, gatekeeper and decider (Webster and Wind, 1972). The expectations from the brand are different for different roles and these expectations are specifically taken into account by the b2b branding approach suggested in this paper. Aaker's (1996) brand identity framework has four components namely brand as product, brand as organization, brand as person and brand as symbol (Aaker's four). The approach recommended here elaborates on what should be done under Aaker's four to satisfy the brand expectations of the members in the buying center.
TL;DR: In this article, the boundary between polynomially-solvable Max Cut and NP Hard Max Cut instances when they are classified only on the sign pattern of the objective function coefficients was investigated.
Abstract: This note investigates the boundary between polynomially-solvable Max Cut and NP Hard Max Cut instances when they are classified only on the basis of the sign pattern of the objective function coefficients, i.e., of the orthant containing the objective function vector. It turns out that the matching number of the subgraph induced by the positive edges is the key parameter that allows us to differentiate between polynomially-solvable and hard instances of the problem. We give some applications of the polynomially solvable cases.
TL;DR: A general class of facets is identified that subsumes as special cases some known facets from the literature and is obtained optimal solutions to problem instances with up to 600 integer variables without resorting to branch-and-bound procedures.
Abstract: We study a scheduling problem with changeover costs and capacity constraints. The problem is NP-complete, and combinatorial algorithms for solving it have not performed well. We identify a general class of facets that subsumes as special cases some known facets from the literature. We also develop a cutting-plane-based procedure and reformulation for the problem, and we obtain optimal solutions to problem instances with up to 600 integer variables without resorting to branch-and-bound procedures.
TL;DR: This work analyzes actual in‐the‐field experiences of the renovation process initiated by the health system in Rajasthan, India and draws out lessons which may be instructive for future renovation efforts.
03 Apr 2002
TL;DR: This study shows how a genetic algorithm based technique, coupled with a simple heuristic can achieve good results in business negotiations and indicates possible use of such approaches in actual electronic commerce systems.
Abstract: The Internet is quickly changing the way business-to-consumer and business-to-business commerce is conducted. The technology has created an opportunity to get beyond single-issue negotiation by determining sellers' and buyers' preferences across multiple issues, thereby creating possible joint gains for all parties. We develop simple multiple issue algorithms and heuristics that could be used in electronic auctions and electronic markets. In this study, we show how a genetic algorithm based technique, coupled with a simple heuristic can achieve good results in business negotiations. Outcome of the negotiations are evaluated on two dimensions: joint utility and number of exchanges of offers to reach a deal. The results are promising and indicate possible use of such approaches in actual electronic commerce systems.
TL;DR: The measure, expressed as a percentage of the total variability, is arrived at by separating the fuzziness from the randomness present in the data, and it is used to provide a guideline regarding the appropriate number of levels in measurement.
TL;DR: Some of the critical aspects (based on published literature) in assessing, planning and implementing renovations at an EmOC facility are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined these initiatives related to development of human capital and suggested further measures to be taken by different agencies and concluded that Indian software industry till date has been mainly due to the availability of highly competent and cost competitive software professionals in India, Software organisations, national educational institutes, corporate private training institutes and the central and state governments have been taking a number of initiatives to develop the human capital for sustaining the growth of Indian software Industry.
Abstract: The growth of Indian software industry till date has been mainly due to the availability of highly competent and cost competitive software professionals in India, Software organisations, national educational institutes, corporate private training institutes and the central and state governments have been taking a number of initiatives to develop the human capital for sustaining the growth of Indian software industry. The paper examines these initiatives related to development of human capital and suggests further measures to be taken by different agencies.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of the introduction of futures trading in the National Stock Exchange, India (NSE) and get insights into the effect upon the volatility of the NSE.
Abstract: This project attempts to investigate the effect of the introduction of Futures trading in the National Stock Exchange, India (NSE) and get insights into the effect upon the volatility of the NSE. The underlying spot market volatility is estimated using symmetric GARCH methods. Any increase in stock market volatility that has followed the onset of futures trading has generally been taken as justifying the traditional view that the introduction of futures markets induces destabilizing speculation. This has led to calls for greater regulation to minimise any detrimental effects. An alternative view is that futures markets provide an additional route by which information can be transmitted, and, therefore, increased spot market volatility may simply be a consequence of the more frequent arrival, and more rapid processing of information. Thus, futures trading may be fully consistent with efficiently functioning markets. This paper attempts to investigate the change, if any, in the volatility observed in the Indian stock market due to the introduction of futures trading. The change in the volatility is compared not only in absolute levels of volatility but also in terms of the structure of the volatility. This is done to give insights into the way the futures market is influencing the Indian spot market's volatility.
TL;DR: In this paper, the optimality of orthogonal array plus one run plans under generalized criteria of type 1 which include the D-, A-, and E-criteria was studied.