Showing papers by "Indian Institute of Management Calcutta published in 2012"

Preprocessing unbalanced data using support vector machine

Abstract: This paper deals with the application of support vector machine (SVM) to deal with the class imbalance problem. The objective of this paper is to examine the feasibility and efficiency of SVM as a preprocessor. Our study analyzes different classification algorithms that are employed to predict the customers with caravan car policy based on his/her sociodemographic data and history of product ownership. A series of experiments was conducted to test various computational intelligence techniques viz., Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Logistic Regression (LR), and Random Forest (RF). Various standard balancing techniques such as under-sampling, over-sampling and Synthetic Minority Over-sampling TEchnique (SMOTE) are also employed. Subsequently, a strategy of data balancing for handling imbalanced distribution in data is proposed. The proposed approach first employs SVM as a preprocessor and the actual target values of training data are then replaced by the predictions of trained SVM. Later, this modified training data is used to train techniques such as MLP, LR, and RF. Based on the measure of sensitivity, it is observed that the proposed approach not only balances the data effectively but also provides more number of instances for minority class, which in turn enhances the performance of the intelligence techniques. Highlights?Support vector machine (SVM) acts as a preprocessor for unbalanced data. ?SVM generates extra data related to minority class. ?The modified training data is used to train multiple classification techniques. ?The hybrid approach performs well in terms of sensitivity.

Conflicts at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Profitability, Poverty Alleviation, and Neoliberal Governmentality

Abstract: This article adopts the concept of neoliberal governmentality to critically analyze public policy failures in a bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) marketing initiative. This research shows that e-Choupal, an Indian BOP initiative, is hampered by a divide between poverty alleviation and profit seeking, which is inadequately reconciled by the neoliberal government policies that dominate contemporary India. The initiative sounds good, even noble, but becomes mired in divergent discourses and practices that ultimately fail to help the poor whom it targets. This research helps explicate the problems with BOP policy interventions that encourage profit seeking as a way to alleviate poverty.

Consuming postcolonial shopping malls

Abstract: Through a naturalistic inquiry, we interpret shopping malls in India as post-colonial sites in which young consumers deploy the West in an attempt to transform their Third World identities. Shopping malls in former colonies represent a post-colonial hybridity that offers consumers the illusion of being Western, modern, and developed. Moreover, consumption of post-colonial retail arenas is characterised as a masquerade through which young consumers attempt to disguise or temporarily transcend their Third World realities. This interpretation helps us to offer insights into transitioning retail servicescapes of the Third World, which in turn helps to improve extant understanding of consumer identity and global consumer culture.

Improving Police Performance in Rajasthan, India: Experimental Evidence on Incentives, Managerial Autonomy and Training

Abstract: The role of good management practices in organizations has recently been emphasized. Do the same principles also apply in government organizations, even the most bureaucratic and hierarchical of them? And can skilled, motivated managers identify how to improve these practices, or is there a role for outsiders to help them in this task? Two unique large-scale randomized trials conducted in collaboration with the state police of Rajasthan, India sought to increase police efficiency and improve interactions with the public. In a sample of 162 police stations serving almost 8 million people, the first experiment tested four interventions recommended by police reform panels: limitations of arbitrary transfers, rotation of duty assignments and days off, increased community involvement, and on-duty training. Field experience motivated a novel fifth intervention: “decoy” visits by field officers posing as citizens attempting to register cases, which gave constables incentives to behave more professionally. Only two of these, training and decoy visits, had robust impacts. The other three, which would have reduced middle managers’autonomy, were poorly implemented and ineffective. Building upon these findings, we designed a second experiment that provided explicit incentives to police officers to carry out sobriety traffic checkpoints and did not rely on middle managers. Linking good performance with the promise of a transfer from the reserve barracks to a desirable police station posting, these incentives worked within existing organizational constraints and had very large effects on performance.

Soft computing based imputation and hybrid data and text mining: The case of predicting the severity of phishing alerts

Abstract: In this paper, we employ a novel two-stage soft computing approach for data imputation to assess the severity of phishing attacks. The imputation method involves K-means algorithm and multilayer perceptron (MLP) working in tandem. The hybrid is applied to replace the missing values of financial data which is used for predicting the severity of phishing attacks in financial firms. After imputing the missing values, we mine the financial data related to the firms along with the structured form of the textual data using multilayer perceptron (MLP), probabilistic neural network (PNN) and decision trees (DT) separately. Of particular significance is the overall classification accuracy of 81.80%, 82.58%, and 82.19% obtained using MLP, PNN, and DT respectively. It is observed that the present results outperform those of prior research. The overall classification accuracies for the three risk levels of phishing attacks using the classifiers MLP, PNN, and DT are also superior.

Can Institutions Be Reformed from within? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment with the Rajasthan Police

Abstract: Institutions in developing countries, particularly those inherited from the colonial period, are often thought to be subject to strong inertia. This study presents the results of a unique randomized trial testing whether these institutions can be reformed through incremental administrative change. The police department of the state of Rajasthan, India collaborated with researchers at US and Indian universities to design and implement four interventions to improve police performance and the public’s perception of the police in 162 police stations (covering over one-fifth of the State’s police stations and personnel): (1) placing community observers in police stations; (2) a freeze on transfers of police staff; (3) in-service training to update skills; and (4) weekly duty rotation with a guaranteed day off per week. These reforms were evaluated using data collected through two rounds of surveys including police interviews, decoy visits to police stations, and a large-scale public opinion and crime victimization survey -- the first of its kind in India. The results illustrate that two of the reform interventions, the freeze on transfers and the training, improved police effectiveness and public and crime victims’ satisfaction. The decoy visits also led to an improvement in police performance. The other reforms showed no robust effects. This may be due to constraints on local implementation: The three successful interventions did not require the sustained cooperation of the communities or the local authorities (the station heads) and they were robustly implemented throughout the project. In contrast, the two unsuccessful interventions, which required local implementation, were not systematically implemented.

Market development at the bottom of the pyramid: examining the role of information and communication technologies

Abstract: This paper addresses the research question, “How can the use of information and communication technology ICT enable development of markets at the bottom of the pyramid BOP?” Integrating ideas centered on the threefold role of ICT automate–informate–transform, market mechanisms, and agency freedom aspects of ICT-enabled development, we examine how 1 ICT facilitate development of market mechanisms at the BOP, 2 market mechanisms enable economic and social benefit outcomes for BOP markets and members, and 3 complementary conditions facilitate or hinder ICT-enabled market development. The findings are based on qualitative primary data from interviews with 27 BOP individuals from India, and from published and secondary examples. Theoretical contributions and implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Jugaad—From ‘Making Do’ and ‘Quick Fix’ to an Innovative, Sustainable and Low-Cost Survival Strategy at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Abstract: Until recent times, Indian jugaad was commonly constructed to be a frugal form of innovation engendered from the lack of resources and unhealthy financial conditions, and has been recently imported...

Tabu Search Implementation on Traveling Salesman Problem and Its Variations: A Literature Survey

Abstract: The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and its allied problems like Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) are one of the most widely studied problems in combinatorial optimization. It has long been known to be NP-hard and hence research on developing algorithms for the TSP has focused on approximate methods in addition to exact methods. Tabu search is one of the most widely applied metaheuristic for solving the TSP. In this paper, we review the tabu search literature on the TSP and its variations, point out trends in it, and bring out some interesting research gaps in this literature.

A Fuzzy Logic Based Approach to Assess Sustainable Development of the Mining and Minerals Sector

Abstract: Assessing sustainable development, especially of the mining and minerals sector, is a challenge. This paper is an attempt to address this challenge by developing a methodology using fuzzy logic that encompasses the definitions, fundamentals, economic underpinnings and criteria of sustainable development. The paper starts by distinguishing the newly conceptualized ‘assessment for sustainability’ from the generally practiced ‘sustainability assessment’, framework, clarifying that the former looks at the process in question and lays out the path to be followed to assess sustainability, while the latter is just a static report. It then highlights the inherent limitations of the three traditional sustainability assessment tools and attempts to improve upon these limitations by proposing a model using fuzzy logic, weak sustainability criteria and context-dependent sustainability indicators to assess sustainable development of the mining and minerals sector. As an illustration, the paper demonstrates how the proposed methodology can be applied to a reference town, where mining is the primary economic activity. The results derived can be used internally for identification of ‘hot spots’ as well as externally for sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement. Assessment for sustainability also facilitates monitoring, estimating the degree of sustainability and defines a course of action for stakeholders as well as policy-makers to improve a project's degree of sustainability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Supply Chain Finance enabled early pay: unlocking trapped value in B2B logistics

Abstract: Recent breakthroughs in Business-to-Business (B2B) trade have opened new avenues for value creation in the financial supply chains. Based on supply chain event triggers, innovative financing is being provided at different points of the supply chains. This new phenomenon, termed as Supply Chain Finance (SCF), is transforming Working Capital Management (WCM). In this study we focus on payables management of a buying firm in a supply chain with SCF enabled early payment program in place. A stochastic dynamic programming model is developed and the value of SCF enabled early payment program under varying future cash-flows are ascertained through extensive numerical analysis.

Multinationals and Monopolies Pharmaceutical Industry in India after TRIPS

Abstract: Sudip Chaudhuri (sudip@iimcal.ac.in) teaches economics at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. In January 2005, drug product patent protection was reintroduced in India to comply with the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. How are the multinational pharmaceutical companies responding to the new policy environment? Is India likely to see monopolisation of the industry and high prices, which was the pattern before 1972 when India had product patent protection? Will the positive features of the post-1972 process patent era be diluted or negated? This study finds that the MNCS have started marketing new patented drugs in India at exorbitant prices particularly for life-threatening diseases such as cancer. The manufacturing and importing behaviour of the MNCS since the 1990s bear a close resemblance to that before the 1970s. Imports of high-priced finished formulations are expanding rapidly with manufacturing investments lagging far behind. The MNCS are also expanding vigorously in the generic segments and are trying to grow not only organically but through mergers & acquisitions and strategic alliance with Indian generic companies. 1 Background

Optimal fractions of two-level factorials under a baseline parameterization

Abstract: Two-level fractional factorial designs are considered under a baseline parameterization. The criterion of minimum aberration is formulated in this context and optimal designs under this criterion are investigated. The underlying theory and the concept of isomorphism turn out to be significantly different from their counterparts under orthogonal parameterization, and this is reflected in the optimal designs obtained. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.

Metropolitan City Growth and Management in Post-liberalized India

Abstract: A noted Indian urban geographer examines the growth and management of metropolitan cities in India since the country's economic liberalization was introduced in 1991. The author discusses the significant changes in urban policy that have been initiated over the last two decades, with the state diluting its presence in many sectors and inviting private capital participation in the economy. Also covered are metropolitan growth and investment patterns traced to major urban, state, and central government policies. A comparative study of two metropolitan areas, Kolkata and Bangalore, is used to highlight differences in governance patterns in light of local exigencies as well as globalization.

A new conceptualization of salesperson's customer orientation

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide a new conceptualization of a salesperson's customer orientation, as a multi‐dimensional construct. The authors aim to base their new conceptualization on extensive evidence from literature review, and synthesis of the review of literature.Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review of the extant conceptualizations and operationalizations of salesperson's customer orientation is first carried out. Based on the review and synthesis of literature, a salesperson's customer orientation with six domain areas is conceptualized, through several propositions in the paper.Findings – The findings of this study suggest that salesperson's customer orientation has six domain areas, namely, providing information to customers, understanding customer needs, fulfilling customer needs, creating and delivering customer value, sustaining customer satisfaction, and maintaining long‐term relationships with customers.Practical implications – The sales managers ...

Suppliers selection and development using DEA: a case study

Abstract: Supplier management is one of the key components of supply chain management, as companies have realised that to truly deliver superior customer value they must focus on the entire value chain. As such, companies control only a small part of that. A healthy buyer supplier relationship is then one of the most potent components of superior value delivery and delighting customers. Good supplier management starts with the selection of most effective and efficient suppliers from a given pool. The selection criteria could include price, quality and delivery performance among others. However, companies often grapple with the question of selecting the right supplier. We have presented one approach to tackle this problem using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) that uses an ideal target for each selection criteria and then identifies the best supplier available. We have empirically illustrated this approach using the case of an Indian company.

Karma orientation in boundary spanning sales employees: A conceptual framework and research propositions

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this article, based on the Indian philosophy of Karma that all individual actions have the power to bring joy or sorrow based on the nature of action, is to propose a new construct, salesperson's Karma Orientation, and discuss its antecedents and outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews literature on oriental philosophy of Karma yoga, and on self‐leadership, and self‐control to propose the new construct, its antecedents, and consequences in a sales context.Findings – The paper puts forward four dimensions of Karma orientation of salespersons: work as selfless action, work as duty towards others, detachment from work‐related rewards, and equanimity under environmental influences. Salesperson's Karma orientation is useful for developing relationship with customers, enhances selling effectiveness, ethical behaviors, and spiritual well‐being, by providing the salespersons with a sense of duty, and ownership towards their work.Practical implications – The concept of Kar...

Sustainable Development and Governance: Complex Processes and Unpredictable Outcomes

Abstract: This article tries to demonstrate how the concept of sustainable development is fraught with tensions that are political and ethical in nature. In trying to implement any notion of sustainability the agenda for policy action would be quite different in different contexts. The complex set of problems to be addressed would differ considerably in countries with different levels of economic development. Similarly, on certain issues global governance is called for. In other contexts, local conditions and culture must be understood before any policy intervention can be thought of. This is the first level of complexity with which any governance mechanism for sustainability must come to terms with. Governance itself is also inherently complex. It is an unfolding of a complicated interaction between different participants such as policy-makers, the wide variety of agencies which come together in the process of implementation and the beneficiaries themselves. Policy, and its outcomes, should not be viewed as a line...

Benchmarking Supply Chain Flexibility using Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract: Organisations have been facing several disturbing events, problems and changes affecting overall performance of their Supply Chains (SCs). To be competitive by quickly responding to disruptions, building enough flexibility in SCs is emerging as a new business strategy. However, it is very difficult to identify how much flexibility is required in different functions of the SC, as it depends on the nature and level of uncertainty faced by the process, facility or organization. In this paper, SCF is logically attributed to a business function synonymously with the efficiency of the corresponding business unit, wherein the leveraging factors are treated as the inputs and the benefits as the outputs. Here, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach is used as a benchmarking tool for deriving the advantage of optimisation in many ways.

An Empirical Test of the Arbitrage Pricing Theory—The Case of Indian Stock Market:

Abstract: With increasing doubt about the validity of the one-factor Capital Asset Pricing Model in pricing financial assets, development of newer models or extensions has become the order of the day. This paper applies one of these developments—the multi-factor Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) to explore the relationship between portfolio returns and selected macroeconomic variables. While the chosen model has been extensively tested in developed markets, few such attempts have been made in emerging capital markets. Thus, the purpose of this study is to test the validity of the APT model in India, which has, over the years, gained immense importance in the investors’ minds, the world over. Moreover, the surge in volatility and growth in the Indian capital markets over the past five years makes it an interesting market to study given the rising significance of the risk-return trade-off in such a market.The paper examines ten portfolios, covering 50 stocks, over a five-year period from 1 January 2003 to 1 February 200...

The Many Faces of Green IT

Abstract: The importance of sustainable development has been widely recognized by people, society, governments, and the business world. Green information technology IT has therefore become one of the latest considerations to improve the environmental sustainability of a business. Yet, as important as this term is, it is being used in so many different ways that it might lose meaning altogether. It is important to clarify the different meanings of green IT to understand how to pursue it better as a business, economic and social objective. Four different perspectives on green IT, and the benefits and barriers of green IT strategy adoption are reviewed and discussed in this article.

Arithmetic algorithms for ternary number system

Abstract: The use of multi-valued logic in VLSI circuits can reduce the chip area significantly. Moreover, there are several additional advantages of using multi-valued logic in VLSI over the conventional Binary logic, such as energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness and so on. It has been shown that Base-3 number system is nearly optimal for computation. In this paper we have studied some existing logical operation on ternary number system. We have also discussed some of the existing arithmetic operations using ternary number system. Some new algorithms for arithmetic operations have also been proposed, and shown to be quite efficient in time complexity.

Modelling, detection and diagnosis of multiple faults in cross referencing DMFBs

Abstract: In recent time's digital microfluidics have gained much attention as an emerging technology that provides automation in fluid handling within a miniaturized substrate. Compared to traditional bench-top procedures, microfluidic biochips offer the advantages of low sample and reagent consumption, less likelihood of error due to minimal human intervention, high throughput, and high sensitivity. With the increase in number of bioassays for concurrent operation to be mapped in a single digital microfluidic platform needs for design automation as well as testing and fault diagnosis techniques become highly relevant for better accuracy in results and efficiency in operation. In spite of individual and independent control of electrodes -a new droplet manipulation method based on a “cross-referencing” mode that uses “row” and “columns” to access electrodes has recently come into use. The cross referencing technology largely scales down the control pin number on chip, which not only brings down manufacturing cost but also enables larger number of bioassay integration on a single biochip platform. However, the cross-referencing scheme due to severe electrode interference and other defects can result in faulty operations which in turn cause erroneous results or complete malfunction of the device. In this paper we tried to identify specific types of faults that may occur in cross referencing biochips and developed techniques for detection and location of such faults with the objective of (i) optimum resource utilization and (ii) minimum consumption of time. Testing simulation has been carried out with different size of 2D grids and with different number of test droplets and the corresponding results are found to be encouraging.

Cloud Computing in Indian Higher Education

Abstract: In developing countries, education plays a very important role in maintaining the momentum of economic growth. In a country like India with a population of over a billion, one of the biggest challenges that the government faces in providing education is the provisioning and maintenance of infrastructure. The infrastructural issue can be viewed from two dimensions: on one hand, the lack of investments and on the other hand, the difficulties in maintaining such infrastructures. This article focuses on the lack of investment and suggests the use of cloud computing as a form of possible remedy. This article uses Rogers’ diffusion framework for the penetration of cloud computing in the higher education sector of India and proposes a cloud model for a higher educational institute.

Neighborhood reduction strategy for tabu search implementation in asymmetric traveling salesman problem

Abstract: The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is one of the most widely discussed problems in combinatorial optimization. It has many practical applications in fields of distribution and logistics management, scheduling problems etc. Since these problems are hard, in addition to exact algorithms, research has focused on heuristic techniques to solve TSPs. Computational time is a major concern while solving large TSPs. This problem intensifies further if the graph becomes asymmetric (ATSP). Metaheuristics like tabu search are widely used to find a reasonably good tour fast. Given the practical relevance of ATSPs the lack of literature on it is surprising. The primary objective of our work is to implement tabu search for large ATSPs to obtain good tours in reasonable time. To do that, we make the underlying graph sparse by developing an elite tour based preprocessing scheme. Tabu search is implemented on this reduced graph which results in a reduction of computational time. We also create diversified initial tours suitable for multi-start tabu search in this process. We present our computational experiences both on randomly generated instances and benchmark instances.

Investigation of supply chain flexibility using a forced field analysis – a case study

Abstract: Today’s supply chains are operating in complex, risky, ambiguous and uncertain business environments Managers of supply chain (SC) are therefore under pressure to build high level of flexibility in the SC operations However, supply chain flexibility (SCF) is a complex, dynamic, multifaceted, context specific and application-oriented concept, viewed from a strategic and customer perspective SCF is not easy to comprehend and put into real practice, the foremost reason is the diverse nature of the three forces viz stimuli, enablers and inhibitors and their dynamics in the SC In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate SCF from a company perspective, especially in the viewpoint of making SCF a reality The relevant data collected from the organisation is used to analyse the dynamics among the three forces using force field analysis (FFA) The study appears to be promising in the point of view of developing a decision support system for managing SCF