Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

About: Indian Institute of Management Calcutta is a education organization based out in Kolkata, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Supply chain & Context (language use). The organization has 415 authors who have published 1354 publications receiving 21725 citations. The organization is also known as: IIMC & IIM Calcutta.

Redundancy Optimization Through Simplex Pattern Search

Abstract: Optimal allocation of redundancy in a series system with separately maintained repairable subsystems subject to multiple constraints is investigated for maximizing system reliability using simplex pattern search and separable programming. The constraints, besides the usual ones, include one based on s-expected busy periods of the maintenance facilities. A numerical example illustrates the method.

Viewing Hotel Industry through Customer Oriented Bureaucracy

Abstract: Introduction Services industries which have been increasingly contributing to all the advanced economies call for further research and analysis on the employment relationship because of its unique characteristic i.e. "direct contact with the customer" (Korczynski, 2002:2). One may argue that not every employee in a service industry is directly interacting with the customer. However, the frontline worker in a service interaction faces challenges which are in stark contrast with the ones an assembly-line worker confronts in a manufacturing set-up. These challenges arise because of the variability in customer demands and expectations, simultaneity in production and consumption and the intangibility in the service delivered whose quality cannot be tested before consumption and can only be perceived by the customer. Challenges for Organizations The challenges are not limited to the front-line workers but also impact the organizations. Organizations in the face of heightened competition and globalization need to reduce costs, enhance productivity, improve customer-service delivery and become more customer-oriented. Due to the greater extent of inseparability and simultaneity in production and consumption in front-line customer service work, production jobs cannot be relocated to countries with lower labor costs (Korczynski, 2002). Even if service organizations use Levitt's (1976) production-line approach to reduce costs and improve service delivery quality and subsequently replace human labor with machines and enhanced technology, competitors will erode the competitive advantage by utilizing superior machines and better technology (Schlesinger & Heskett, 1991). To create competitive advantage, service organizations need to satisfy and delight the customer. Satisfying the needs of the customer by characteristics like price or utility appeals to the formally rational aspect of the customer. On the other hand, delighting the customer by the fulfillment of desires or by pleasurable experiences enchants the formally irrational aspect of the customer (Korczynski, 2002). Achieving both the objectives in any service interaction requires the organization to create an environment where the customer feels he is in charge and is enchanted by his sovereignty, however in reality, his behavior is being directed or influenced by the organization. The dual purpose of achieving efficiency and being customer-oriented in a service interaction are contradictory in nature and delineates the customer-oriented bureaucracy model (Korczynski, 2002). The contradictory goals of achieving efficiency and delivering high-quality services can be attained by acquiring a committed workforce with customer-oriented attitudes and values, equipping them with support systems to effectively complete their tasks (without alienating customers), safeguarding the front-line workers from abusive customers and empowering them to exercise discretion. Challenges for Front-line Service Workers Front-line service workers are the face of a service organization for the customer, and the dual contradictory goals of customer-oriented bureaucracy are realized through their efforts and behaviors. In organizations where service work is designed on the principles of production-line, tasks tend to be routine; jobs are deskilled and tightly controlled through the usage of pre-defined service interaction scripts (Ritzer, 1998). Employees in such jobs tend to get dissatisfied and develop a poor service attitude or leave the firm (Schlesinger & Heskett, 1991). In such companies, front-line workers are trained minimally, paid at minimum wage levels and provided very limited opportunities for career growth. Because of the standardized procedures and variability in customer demands and expectations, front-line workers often find themselves unable to accommodate customer requests or achieve service recovery in case of failure. In such instances, the enchanting myth of customer sovereignty is shattered, and the disillusioned customer becomes irate and abusive creating a lot of stress and pain for the frontline workers (Korczysnki, 2002). …

On the stability of solutions under recursive programming

Abstract: Recursive linear programming is defined by a sequence of linear programming problems in which a recursive relation is built into the system through either the coefficients of the objective function, the constraint matrix, or the right-hand side parameters. Here we consider the case where the right-hand side parameters are subject to a recursive time relation indicating how current period plans are related to past expectations and performance. Our object here is twofold: first, to analyze the stability properties of a linear recursive programming (LRP) model and second, to indicate some basic extensions of the LRP in the light of what is generally called ‘the active approach’ of stochastic linear programming (SLP). Some simple theorems are developed in this connection and this is followed by a brief discussion of the possible lines of empirical applications.

Co-Existence of Network and Terminal Mobility in the Context of TCP Performance

Abstract: Both the network mobility and the terminal mobility are likely to co-exist in the future. These two mobile communication paradigms have different wireless connectivity models and likely to deploy different schemes to address the wireless related performance issues for TCP. In this paper, we con-sider TCP Snoop, which allows a mobile terminal to efficiently recover from wireless-related losses. For the network mobil-ity, we consider on-board TCP (obTCP), which improves snooping performance when the mobile terminal is located inside a moving network. We investigate the performance of obTCP and Snoop when they operate over a common cellular base station. We evaluate their end-to-end throughput, and also their fairness in using cellular resources. Our study re-veals that obTCP achieves higher throughput than Snoop. We have further analyzed the results to show that the differences in the retransmission mechanisms of Snoop and obTCP are responsible for the higher throughput attained by obTCP. We have also observed that, obTCP does not bring any significant unfair to Snoop, allowing network mobility to co-exist with terminal mobility.

An exploratory investigation into the hierarchical linkages between salespersons' sales call activities and customers' psychosocial benefits and terminal values

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to extend the current understanding in consumer behavior about plausible theoretical linkages between salespersons' activities, and the psychosocial benefits derived, and terminal values achieved by customers.Design/methodology/approach – The study carries out in‐depth interviews with 49 customers, and apply means‐end chain (MEC) theory to unravel hierarchical linkages between sales call activities and customers' attainment of functional and psychosocial benefits, and terminal values.Findings – The results suggest that a few significant sales call activities are hierarchically associated with customers' perceived benefits and terminal values.Research limitations/implications – The study has a limitation in terms of generalizability of the results, since only a few sales call activities have been studied. Moreover, the methodology followed is exploratory, rather than confirmatory.Practical implications – The managerial implications include designing salespersons' sales call activi...