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Industrial sector is the largest user of energy in India and many parts of the world. More than half of the total energy is used in industries to operate various energy-using machineries. Energy conservation is a cost-effective approach in any energy optimization program that can be implemented in industrial activities. Energy-intensive industries in developing economies offer significant energy-saving potential owing to the technology gap as well as lower operating efficiency. A detailed energy flow analysis was conducted in a paper carton manufacturing unit in India to quantify the energy-saving potential. The study revealed that the compressed air leakage is responsible for about 50% of the total energy loss. The specific electrical and thermal energy consumption was estimated and found to be 91.85 kWh/ton and 1,619 MJ/ton of biomass, respectively. Annual energy saving potential was found to be 5.9% of the total annual energy consumption. The cost of DG power is found to be 389% higher than the grid power. The share of self-generated DG power is estimated to be 41% of the total power consumed. Electrical energy intensity of the plant could be reduced by 6.36% implementing energy conservation measures proposed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural transformation in most currently developing countries takes the form of a rapid rise in services but limited industrialization. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to structurally estimate productivity growth in service industries that circumvents the notorious difficulties in measuring quality improvements. In our theory, the expansion of the service sector is both a consequence—due to income effects—and a cause—due to productivity growth—of the development process. We estimate the model using Indian household data. We find that productivity growth in nontradable consumer services such as retail, restaurants, or residential real estate was an important driver of structural transformation and rising living standards between 1987 and 2011. However, the welfare gains were heavily skewed toward high‐income urban dwellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory article makes a critical estimation of the impact of pandemics on the Global South consumer's well‐being. Our paper moves beyond the concerns of the other papers of this Special Issue. Instead, we focus on the issues of the vulnerable, marginal, and subaltern consumers of the Global South—experiences and anxieties, distinct from those of more "modern," capitalized, industrialized, democratized, and economically liberated Global North consumers. We offer the North–South comparisons across national lines or from block to block that bring in a series of promising directions and new currents in the critical, interdisciplinary studies of consumer affairs. Primary perspectives and associated topics for future agenda impacting TCR highlighted are (i) socio‐economic inequalities and injustices, (ii) environmental injustice and sustainable future. We finally suggest an innovative research paradigm, "altruistic‐activist consumer research," to address the concerns and impact the well‐being of marginal consumers from the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth in dairy consumption and food scandals in India in the 2000s increased awareness of food safety issues among consumers and policymakers. This led to the introduction of new standards. However, there is li ttle information about how they affected farm-level activities and whether value chains played any role. Our paper addresses these questions using a two-round panel survey of dairy farms in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. We find significant improvements in adoption of farm-level hygienic practices, especially in Punjab. Value chain innovations do not play a significant role in stimulating safety and quality improvements among dairy smallholders in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood and time constitute key sites of regulation for nationalist authoritarian regimes. However, the influence of time on contemporary nationalist discourses of childhood located in the Global South remains an underresearched area. This paper critically analyzes two spectacles involving Hindu nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and secondary school students on the occasions of Teachers Day 2014 and 2015. Temporal language, markers, and symbols rooted in discourses of colonialism/Orientalism, Brahminical Hinduism, and capitalist development are deconstructed to show how nationalist constructions of childhood can penetrate deep into the everyday lives of particular children who are deemed worthy to serve their nation. The paper concludes by highlighting specific ways in which time and temporality are weaponized to reproduce and legitimize a social hierarchy of childhoods that is necessary to sustain Hindu ethno-religious nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out some findings of a research project carried out in private unaided schools in low-income areas of Hyderabad, India. The part of the research project documented here was designed to examine the question: ‘Is the regulatory regime conducive to entrepreneurial action and market discovery’ with particular reference to the low-income schools in Hyderabad. This paper is narrowly focused, setting out the results of pattern matching empirical data with the Austrian economic concepts of entrepreneurship, rivalry, and market discovery. The research discovered that two regulatory regimes exist, one that is set out ‘on paper’ in the Education Acts and associated rules, and another that operates ‘in practice’. That is, there is a combination of regulations ‘on paper’ and regulations existing in an ‘extra-legal’ sector. Generally it was found that the regulations ‘in practice’ are consistent with market principles. Conversely the regulations set out ‘on paper’ are not conducive to entrepreneurial innovation and market discovery. Recommendations for potential policy initiatives include the possibility of legitimising the ‘extra-legal’ sector by introducing self-regulation possibly via self-evaluation systems for the private unaided schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to explore local-specific sustainability facets of pro-poor tourism initiated in India's Protected Area (PA). Mixed methodology, i.e., interview and structured questionnaire adopted for data collection and followed by the factor analysis for testing hypothesis. The result indicates that the sustainability facets of pro-poor tourism have five distinct facets: monetary, environmental, societal, cultural heritage, and governance. The study assumes significance in the pro-poor approach in tourism development for addressing various Sustainable Development Goals and in understating the ground-level reality of sustainability in the context of tourism-led development in developing countries. It also throws light on setting standards for approach-based tourism programs that cater to various segments of society and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, community health governance structures have been established in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) as part of decentralization policies aimed at strengthening primary healthcare systems. So far, most studies on these local structures either focus on measuring their impact on health outcome or on identifying the factors that affect their performance. In this paper we offer an alternative contribution that draws on a sociological interpretation of community health governance to improve understanding of how the government's policy vision and instrumentation translate to interactions that take place within local spaces at field level. We study 13 Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) in Karnataka, India, from 2016 to 2018 focusing on sanitation, nutrition and hygiene which remain impediments to improving primary healthcare amongst poor and marginalized communities. Three local governance mechanisms of horizontal coordination, demand for accountability and self-help help to explain improvements that have taken place at village level and contribute to the creation of a new theory of community health governance as evolving phenomenon that requires a constant process of learning from the field to strengthen policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In instances where the "youth bulge" in developing nations is aggravating the unemployment crisis and contributing to a detrimental cycle of events, inclusive growth (IG) has emerged as a cutting-edge development model. The academic interest in inclusive growth and unemployment-related research is plentiful, but the exclusive search into youth employment for inclusive growth is sparse. Based on a conceptual framework that offers an overview of the topic, this paper examines studies on youth unemployment concerning inclusive growth. It specifically explores the concept of inclusive growth, the financial and socio-psychological aspects of youth unemployment, and ways of tackling unemployment, such as youth entrepreneurship and skill development in pursuit of inclusive growth. By addressing these challenges, the assessment reveals ways to achieve SDGs such as SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 10 (reduced disparities). The relevant literature was extracted using qualitative content analysis and recursive content abstraction approaches. The study adds to the multidisciplinary literature on youth studies, entrepreneurship, and development economics. This study summarises the current level of knowledge on these topics, identifies research gaps, and offers interesting future research directions that will benefit academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report three main findings. First, the paper reports why local organizations in developing countries would demand self-initiated expatriates (SIEs); second, the paper reports why SIEs accept employment with such organizations; and third, the paper reports the factors that seem to govern the role allocation to SIEs. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used semi-structured interviews to elicit and collect data. The authors followed the procedures of grounded theory for data analysis. Findings: Local organizations in developing countries seem increasingly willing to employ SIEs. Emergence of hitherto nonexistent businesses, rapid expansion, global ambition and organizational maturity seem to drive the demand for SIEs. Industrial decline elsewhere, attractiveness of emerging economies, challenging role, prior experience within similar countries and non-working spouse are factors that enable the SIEs' acceptance of employment with such organizations. Required boundary spanning and repatriation status determine the role allocation for SIEs. Research limitations/implications: The findings may be idiosyncratic as they result from a qualitative research design. External validity could, therefore, be low. Practical implications: Managers can benefit by comprehending the factors motivating SIEs to work for local organizations in developing countries. SIEs can benefit by understanding why such organizations need them, and the roles they are likely to get therein. Originality/value: Unlike the typical SIEs studied in literature, the authors theorize about SIEs who move from developed countries to work in developing countries and occupy senior positions. Additionally, unlike a typical SIE study, the authors gathered the perspectives of both SIEs and organizations. Lastly, the paper is about an emerging trend: SIEs' employment in the local organizations of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast-growing developing countries have emerged as an important destination and source of trade, investments and technology. Furthermore, trade between developing countries has grown rapidly over the last decades, and is becoming more diversified, where exchange includes from primary commodities to manufactures and high-end services. The aim of the special issue is to look at these dynamics and how the leading developing countries have turn into growth engines and technology drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the trends in the allocation of capital in an emerging economy, India, during the post-financial liberalization regime. In contrast to the conventional wisdom that financial liberalization leads to better allocation of funds, the study could not find any obvious evidence of increase in efficiency over the reform period, especially during the early years of reform. Further, the study highlights the disturbing trend of convergence of efficiencies across various strata of firms towards a lower level over the reform period. This paper rationalizes the decline as a result of excessive capacity creation in certain industries, financed by cheap external sources of finance, without any consideration of return or demand conditions. This paper, as a policy recommendation, highlights the importance of creating appropriate institutions prior to pursuing financial liberalization in developing countries like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the consumption of goods and services has led to a detrimental effect on the environment, and there is a need to understand green purchase behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to study the role of connectedness to nature and perceived environmental responsibility on the green purchase behaviour of consumers. The sample comprised of individuals above the age of 20 years from urban parts of India. Data analysis consisted of structural equation modelling and AMOS. The mediation effect of perceived environmental responsibility was assessed using Hayes Process test and Sobel test. The results show that perceived environmental responsibility mediates the relationship between connectedness to nature and green purchase behaviour. Marketing managers can effectively target consumers by triggering a stronger connection to nature and highlighting their responsibility to protect the environment. The study provides insights into consumer psychology and marketing theory and adds to the emergent literature related to consumer green purchasing behaviour in a developing nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: does a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) lead to an improvement in the security of a member country and greater peace between two member countries in the developing world? Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews existing literature and uses the idea of non-economic gains from regional trading agreements to explain how Sri Lanka managed to use FTAs to neutralise India and obtain military assistance from Pakistan using its FTAs with two countries during the recently concluded war. Findings – Even though political objectives were not explicitly outlined in Sri Lanka's two FTAs with its big rival neighbours (India and Pakistan), the FTAs helped Sri Lanka to successfully execute the war against the LTTE (the Tamil Tigers) by neutralising India on the one hand and gaining military assistance from Pakistan on the other. Research limitations/implications – The research approach is basically qualitative. However, there is need to develop a comprehensive theoretical model to capture non-economics gains from FTAs. Originality/value – Although there is a growing body of literature on the underlying political and strategic motivations of countries forming regional and bilateral trading arrangements, this paper adds to understanding of what motivates small developing countries to form trade agreements with big neighbours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing need to study urban food security in the global South. This is because of the monetization of food in urban areas and compounding vulnerability from other deprivations such as lack of access to infrastructure. We assess these claims in this paper, based on a city-wide household survey in Bengaluru (Bangalore) carried out in 2016 that used experiential measures of food security like the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. We find that income and consumption do not have a clear relationship with food insecurity. However, socioeconomic dimensions like education level and wage type of the household head, and infrastructural dimensions like housing typology, and water connection are strongly related to food security. Through this work, we attempt to establish the baseline evidence on the current status of food security in Bengaluru, to lay the foundation for a future research agenda on urban food security in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IFLA Journal is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article seeks to provide an improved and more comprehensive understanding of the concept and theories on wasteland. It achieves this by focusing on the Indian context, allowing us to unpack the importance of including multiple perspectives of wasteland narratives; this means including more positive narratives of the potential of wasteland to inform and improve prospects for land policies in the Global South. Wasteland is commonly recognized as an underutilized category of land that may transform into a valuable resource base with proper management measures. The term waste has multiple angles that carry different notions ranging from fallow to agroforestry land in the Global South and brownfield to green space in the Global North. We conduct a narrative review approach to qualitatively analyze the concept of wastelands, which has been studied in the pre-existing literature from 1970 to the present. This unsystematic literature review approach incorporates multiple elements of wasteland discourse, like understanding the meaning of the term on a global scale, setting out the meaning of the term waste into multiple perspectives explicitly in the Indian context, along with different classes and management approaches to wasteland from a national perspective. The multiple perspectives of wasteland not only generate misconceptions of land resources but spawn difficulties in land-use policy, particularly for the Indian scenario. For sustainable land-use policy, reclaiming wasteland would be the best possible way for India and other countries in the Global South, which requires a comprehensive methodological overview on wasteland narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the causality between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is helpful for policymakers to formulate energy, environmental and economic policies. For the first time, based on nonlinear dynamics, this paper employs multispatial convergent cross mapping (CCM) to revisit the energy-carbon-economy causation for China, India and the G7 countries using both aggregate data and per capita data. The findings indicate that there are significant differences between developing countries and developed countries. A bidirectional nexus between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is found in China and India, but various causal relationships are identified in the G7 countries, including bidirectional, unidirectional and neutral nexus. The results confirm that the decoupling phenomenon is common in most G7 countries. By leveraging a variety of samples and a new approach, this study provides new evidence for policy authorities to formulate country-specific policies to obtain better environmental quality while achieving sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of drug launch has been an under-researched area, especially in the context of developing countries, which have diverse disease profiles and weaker forms of regulation compared to developed countries. A limited set of studies, undertaken in recent years, on the diffusion of new drugs in developing countries indeed conjectures the importance of these factors in shaping drug launch dynamics. Taking a survival analysis approach, we investigate the delay of new drug launch in India for drugs launched in the German market during 1990-2004, when, due to weak intellectual property rights (IPR), not only the innovators but also domestic firms could launch new drug molecules in the country. The paper makes an attempt to distinguish between the commercial success of a new drug and its innovativeness. We find little association between these two characteristics of a drug. Also, the influence of global commercial success in shortening delay is much stronger than that of innovativeness. The study also finds interesting results for the threat of imposition of a strong IPR system, market structure and first mover advantages. Policy implications are discussed briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite several research evaluating the connection between sustainability and the bottom line of firms, the existing research is inconclusive. In addition, most studies focus on multinational firms based in the United States or Europe, while research in the context of emerging economies is scant. This paper endeavours to investigate the strength of the association between Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure scores and the financial performance of 272 Indian firms listed on National Stock Exchange for the period 2015 to 2021 by employing panel data regression techniques. The results indicate that organisations having better ESG performance outperform their industry peers financially and are valued more by the market. Moreover, the data indicates that financial markets for lenders consider ESG disclosure when determining creditworthiness. In accordance with this, businesses can examine their operations and become more aligned with eco-friendly methods. Even though ESG disclosure appears to be associated with improved financial success, this is not the case across all industries and during COVID-19 pandemic. This study is relevant due to the growing significance of sustainability and the role of emerging nations in international commerce. It helps managers prioritize resource allocations to ESG-related activities that may affect financial performance differently across industry sectors, thus adding to the literature on the financial effects of ESG disclosures, particularly industry-specific aspects. This research represents a pioneering effort by assessing the impact of ESG disclosure on the profitability, market value, and cost of financing of Indian firms using both aggregation and disaggregation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sustainability in Debate / Sustentabilidade em Debate is the property of University of Brasilia, Center for Sustainable Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to delve into some of the key internal and external factors that led to the choice of specific strategies for union revitalization using the theoretical framework built upon framing perspectives, the strategic action field (SAF), and the strategic choice theory.Design/methodology/approach The authors used a stringent definition and corresponding operationalization of trade union revitalization. The present research has been carried out on a registered industrial union within the context of Global South, specifically in India.Findings Evidence was found for the trade union adopting a mix of strategies for revitalization, namely, union organizing, social movement unionism, and union restructuring. A mix of both internal and external factors identified informed the choice of revitalization strategies.Research limitations/implications Specific limitations include the subjectivity of the inference in spite of taking due precautions, and lack of generalizability of the findings based on a single case study.Practical implications A strong identity, coupled with structural vitality and optimum use of resources enables trade unions to frame the need of a strategy for revival in order to counter the strategic action of employers resulting in union revitalization.Originality/value The theoretical novelty of this research stems from the amalgamation of collective action frames, SAF, and strategic choice framework to understand the union revitalization in the context of Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether a multinational company can transmit its corporate management system and operations management system from its domestic operation to its subsidiary located in a country with very different national culture. Design/methodology/approach – This research proposes that it is possible for a multinational company to override differences in national culture and create a "company citizenship" across the globe, with similar corporate management and operations management system. Another purpose of this research is to show that it is not true that globalization would create just one single culture, originated in the USA and Western Europe, which is called "Jet-Set Culture" by Freedman. Japanese multinational companies are spreading their own unique organizational values of their management system across the world in their subsidiaries. Thus, different multinational companies may create their own unique organizational culture that produces their own company citizenship, which can be spread globally. To prove these hypotheses, this paper has reported the result of a survey conducted in the domestic operations of the Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) and in its operations in India. Findings – Core values of Toyota's management systems are derived from the values that are identified in the mission statement of Toyota. According to the results of the survey based on opinions of Toyota's employees, there are broad similarities in the values composing its management systems, irrespective of national locations. Thus, Toyota has managed to form the "company citizenship" in its headquarters in the host country, Japan, and successfully transmitted it in its subsidiary located in the host country, India, with an alien national culture. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that company citizenships of different companies, based on their unique organizational cultures, but not on their national cultures, are emerging as a new organizational form in this global era. Practical implications – Different multinational companies may create their own unique organizational culture that produces their own company citizenship and which can be spread globally. Originality/value – This paper proposes that there are some specific espoused values in every important multinational company, which form its organizational cultures and create values, which in turn may form commitment of its employees. These commitments are the indicator of successful performance of a company because creation of commitment leads to success of the company; this interrelationship between culture and commitment can be called company citizenship and can be transmitted from one part of the globe to another by a multinational company through the transmission of its corporate management and operations management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to understanding corporate governance issues in emerging economies by examining how blockholders influence firm value. Using a much disaggregated and uniform database from the Indian corporate sector for the year 2001, we examine the interaction between ownership structure and firm value in the following ways. Unlike most existing research, which studies the aggregate level of ownership, we include a wider set of mechanisms, such as identity and ownership concentration of outside blockholders controlling at least 5 percent of total equity of the firm. We analyze the role played by these shareholders with substantial voting power in situations when equity holding is less compared to the more concentrated holdings of promoters. We also attempt to see if these investors coordinate among themselves to constrain insiders from expropriating corporate resources. We find a significant curvilinear relationship between firm value and the fraction of voting rights owned by insiders. The curve slopes downward until insider ownership reaches approximately between 45 percent and 63 percent, then slopes upward. Empirical results on ownership concentration by minority blockholders do not support the monitoring hypothesis of these investors. Furthermore, the coordinated behavior of the largest two minority blockholders has an increasing (decreasing) impact on firm value when the collective control is located in the lower (higher) range. The coordination problem worsens if the largest two are private corporate bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Paper examines and discusses the developments in the field of career management, bringing in the international Perspective. In particular the Paper explores career management practices in 108 Indian organizations. A factor analysis Procedure suggested five groups of Practices: formal Planning, formal active management, developmental, career stages and assessment. These are found to be associated with certain organizations, and cultural characteristics. The research has both theoretical and Practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging economies face a plethora of social, economic and environmental issues. On the one hand, these have adverse effects that negatively impact the overall development of such economies; and on the other, they offer challenges which when addressed, help these economies to chart a course of integrated and inclusive growth, thus providing them with an opportunity for national development. India is no different. It has rural Bharat on one side that is steeped in illiteracy, poverty on the one hand and, a literate, rich, glitzy, corporate, urban India on the other; thereby fortifying the predicaments of an emerging nation. This paper, through an analysis of the socio-economic dilemmas and challenges of an emerging nation like that of India and scrutinizing the roles and responsibilities of Corporations to combat such a quandary through CSR, introduces the 'Chatterjee Model,' that urges, from a policy-maker's point of view, that CSR should contribute to the national agenda of a country, helping it to accelerate its transition from an emerging to a developed nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a textbook horror-story of global capitalism, on December 3, 1984, the U.S owned Union Carbide pesticide factory spewed forty tons of lethal toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) on the city of Bhopal in India. Nearly 10,000 people died and 30,000 people were disabled overnight. Continued exposure to MIC at the factory site has disabled many more in the decades since. Yet, few disability scholars have considered the histories of the survivors of the leak as a key site of crip politics. Drawing on work by Nirmala Erevelles, Jina Kim, Jasbir Puar, and Alison Kafer, this paper explores how the long history of debilitation, disablement, and survivorship since the Bhopal Gas Leak provides essential ground for re-zoning disability studies in the Global South. Braiding the theory of debility with the methodology of critical disability studies, this article posits that it is insufficient to say that the most marginalized in the Global South experience debility. Rather, it is also necessary to focus on their modes of survival in the face of the constant material and intellectual reproduction of said debilitation. The article demonstrates how poor lower-caste and Muslim workers and city-dwellers in Bhopal were subject to the debilitating logics of transnational corporate negotiations, racialized environmental de-regulation, and governmental profit-seeking in the years leading up to the leak. Through crip readings of medical research published between 1985 and 2000, I argue that this debility has been compounded through knowledge production which did not pay heed to the ways in which its victims contended with their vulnerability. In contrast to these sources, this article further examines testimonies and organizational pamphlets to contend that survivors in Bhopal offer their own model of disability justice and crip survival in the face of debilitation. In an era of vibrant disability rights organizing in the United States, the survivors of the leak emerged in global media primarily as victims of a tragedy caught in an endless cycle of injustice. Moving past the stance of pity often deployed in discussions of Bhopal, I highlight efforts of survivance that center disabled futurity, even as these activists use a different vocabulary and thereby strive to channel attention and resources to the myriad forms of crip survival in postcolonial India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is an important frontier for economic growth, investments, and development. The service sector, like the manufacturing industry, in India is booming. Following the trend of their western counterparts, service organizations in India are implementing enterprise-level information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support service processes. In this paper, we used socio-technical systems theory to develop hypotheses about the effects of ICTs on the five job characteristics, i.e., skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback, in the job characteristics model (JCM) in a service organization (a bank) in India. We also tested the entire JCM that relates job characteristics to job satisfaction and job performance via various mediators and moderators. In a 32-month longitudinal field study of 1743 employees, we gathered one wave of data before an ICT implementation and two waves after the implementation. We found that, although the ICT enriched employees' job characteristics, employees reported significantly lower job satisfaction and job performance. To understand this puzzling finding, we conducted a qualitative study and identified four contextual forces that contribute to these results and hinder successful implementation of ICTs in the service sector in India and, possibly, other developing countries: environmental barriers, learning difficulty, culture shock, and employee valuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — An understanding on the linkages between financial development and economic growth in general and the stock market with economic activity in particular is imperative in emerging economies. The objective of this paper is to find out the causal linkages between stock market and economic activity in India. Design/methodology/approach — The paper applies recently developed Granger non-causality tests by Toda-Yamamota, Dolado and Lutkephol (popularly known as the TYDL model) for an empirical exercise. Findings — The notable finding of the paper is that both the stock price (BSE Sensex) and economic activity (IIP) are integrated of order one, i.e. I(1). The Johansen-Juselius co-integration tests suggest the existence of one co-integrating vector. This rules out spurious relations and suggests the presence of at least one direction of causality. The TYDL model suggests that there is bi-directional causality between stock price and economic activity during the post-liberalization period, implying that a well-developed stock market could enhance economic activity and vice-versa. Research limitations/implications — In the broader framework of financial markets, the presence and role of the stock market is minuscule in the context of India. Despite this, it could play a considerable role in the process of the economic development of the country. However, to analyze the cause and effect relationship between stock market and economic activity, it is essential to analyze the issue in greater detail and depth. The main limitation of the paper is the use of IIP as a proxy for economic activity, which neglects the agricultural sector, being the primary sector in India and also the service sector. This is of course due to the non-availability of GDP data on a monthly basis. Further, a detailed study on the issue could be highly appreciable from the perspective of policy implications. Originality/value — The findings of the paper have some valuable implications. It could give some insight for policy makers about the possible linkages between stock market and the economy. Coming to empirical parts, this is perhaps the first paper in the context of India to apply the TYDL model to examine the relationship between stock price and economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The paper seeks to assess the influence and effectiveness of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in targeting and aiding ‘communities’ to reduce their socio-economic vulnerability to infrequent large-scale and common everyday crises in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Design/methodology/approach — Data collection included 342 questionnaires with village inhabitants, local and regional government officials and personnel managing and working for local NGOs. To add qualitative detail to the quantitative data that were collected, 308 ‘everyday’ sociograms, 294 ‘crisis’ sociograms, and 34 semi-structured interviews were also conducted. Findings — The research identifies that NGOs in the study areas do not operate in multi-caste villages, apparently because they prefer to operate in relatively homogeneous single-caste villages. The implications are that some of the most vulnerable members of society, such as the marginalised ‘communities’ that partially constitute multi-caste villages, do not receive the support they need. Research limitations/implications — This study focuses on a specific region of Andhra Pradesh with the consequence that the findings are potentially very context-specific. Nonetheless, the findings highlight a fundamental flaw in the way many NGOs operate in this region, through the targeting of perceived ‘easy cases’, and this is a matter that development agencies should consider and further investigate. Originality/value — This paper will be of value to researchers and practitioners seeking to gain a better understanding of NGOs and the way some of them operate. The paper recommends a number of ways that the observed inefficiencies could be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is based on two 1981 and 1991 general censuses. The measurement of information workers and demarcation theory has been derived from Dordick and Wang. The paper makes comparisons of information workers for different countries from different regions during 1999, and subsequently focuses on the actual scenario on India. All the eleven categories of occupations notified by Government of India have been further refined into four main categories viz, information, production, service, and farms related workers. How information workers are skewed between rural and urban area, their performance on educational level, and place of working according to industry are the main findings of this research. India had approximately 39.4 million information workers during 1991 census, which worked out to be 13.78% of main workers (285.9 million). While most of the developed and few developing countries have achieved quite considerable proportion of the information workers, India's progress in this field is far away from encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public employment programs may affect poverty both directly through the income they provide and indirectly through general equilibrium effects. We estimate both effects, exploiting a reform that improved the implementation of India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and whose rollout was randomized at a large (sub‐district) scale. The reform raised beneficiary households' earnings by 14%, and reduced poverty by 26%. Importantly, 86% of income gains came from non‐program earnings, driven by higher private‐sector (real) wages and employment. This pattern appears to reflect imperfectly competitive labor markets more than productivity gains: worker's reservation wages increased, land returns fell, and employment gains were higher in villages with more concentrated landholdings. Non‐agricultural enterprise counts and employment grew rapidly despite higher wages, consistent with a role for local demand in structural transformation. These results suggest that public employment programs can effectively reduce poverty in developing countries, and may also improve economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a qualitative approach to address limitations and blockages to current plastics reduction via semi-structured interviews with zero waste business practitioners in India. Although they are nascent, India is home to a budding zero waste community that is grappling with how to reduce plastics—via trial and error—and these stakeholders hold insights from lived experience on how plastic reduction can actualize in the Indian subcontinent. This research involved interviewing zero waste businesses and consultants and makers of plastic alternatives in India to understand their experiences with plastic reduction strategies. The key stakeholder interviews reveal key insights for moving forward with plastic reduction initiatives, including challenges faced at government, business, and social levels; considerations regarding plastic waste generation; motivations for starting zero waste businesses and organizations; how it will be possible to operationalize plastic bans in India; appropriate actions for plastic waste reduction; elements that would help India shift into a more circular, regenerative economy; and locally appropriate alternatives to plastics. The discussion further delves into caveats with various alternatives to plastic materials, economic considerations, and characteristics of the zero waste network, and provides next steps for action at the government, business, and civil levels for reducing plastic waste generation in India and minimizing plastic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Rising energy demand and the quest for achieving climate change targets have been pushing emerging markets like India to bolster the natural gas share in their energy mix. The country has set an aggressive target of increasing natural gas share in the energy mix to 15% by 2030. The purpose of this study is to acknowledge the need for adopting and developing strategies for natural gas business market development to ensure a reliable supply at an affordable price. Hence, this study explores the natural gas market business development strategies and assesses them through cause/effect analysis. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposed an integrated framework based on the Grey concept and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique to assess and determine the interdependence among the natural gas business market development strategies by cause-and-effect group analysis. The application of Grey theory reduced the uncertainty and subjectivity involved in the decision-making process. Later, sensitivity analysis is also performed to check the robustness of the framework. Findings: The natural gas business market development strategies are identified through a systematic literature search and contributions from industry experts. The findings of this study highlight the importance of developing pipeline and storage infrastructure facilities, ensuring supply security through long-term imports and overseas investment, implementing free-market-based pricing, simplification and standardization of regulatory processes at state and national levels, etc., for the development of the natural gas market development in India. Research limitations/implications: This study acknowledges the natural gas market development strategies and evaluated them into cause-and-effect groups which are limited to Indian context. All evaluations in the Grey-based DEMATEL method were made in this study based on the decision team inputs which limits the generalization to other geographies. Moreover, the opinions of the experts can be subjective and differ. The selection of the experts is done through non-probability sampling process. Practical implications: This study could support the government and decision-makers in formulating the appropriate strategies to develop the domestic natural gas market. The cause-and-effect relationships are helpful for the companies, management, government, regulators and other stakeholders to understand the criticality of the causal strategies that must be implemented for developing the favorable natural gas business market scenario. Originality/value: This study explores and evaluates the strategies that successfully bolster the natural gas business demand in India using Grey-based DEMATEL framework. By focusing on those critical strategies, relevant stakeholders would ensure a reliable natural gas supply at affordable prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a research study, carried out over the period 1993 to 1995, of the efforts made in India to develop and use geographical information systems (GIS)(n2) to aid district-level administration. We give a detailed description of our research approach, drawing from contextualism as a broad research methodology and using actor-network theory for analytical purposes. The main section of the paper provides an in-depth analysis of a major GIS initiative from a particular Indian government ministry. We conclude that the creation and maintenance of a relatively stable set of key actors with aligned interests related to the GIS technology had not been achieved in any of the districts studied by the end of the research period. Our analysis leads to implications for future action that go beyond traditional prescriptions, such as improved participation or better training, toward the need for higher-level interventions in such areas as educational processes and administrative structures. We then turn to criteria for judging the merits of an intensive research study and illustrate to what extent this study satisfies the criteria. Finally, we draw conclusions on the contribution of this paper to the promotion of intensive research and to the opening up of new fields of IS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a survey on manufacturing practices of Indian companies. The purpose was to get an insight into manufacturing priorities and action programmes. The study was also designed to capture the behaviour of manufacturing in the changing environment Results indicate that manufacturing companies consider cost, quality and delivery as important objectives to be pursued, in that order, with lower priority for the flexibility — preference being for those aspects which can give immediate returns. Action programmes for achieving these objectives emphasise shop-floor activities and also favour adapting softer options like worker training, periodic reviews etc. Companies seem to be reluctant to adopt approaches requiring either substantial investments or major organisation restructuring. Action programmes proposed by these companies for the future show no significant change when compared to the present, indicating no major shift in approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Commercial surrogacy is a highly controversial issue that leads to heated debates in the feminist literature, especially when surrogacy takes place in developing countries and when it is performed by local women for wealthy international individuals. The objective of this article is to confront common assumptions with the narratives and experiences described by Indian surrogates themselves.Methods: This qualitative study included 33 surrogates interviewed in India (Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi) who were at different stages of the surrogacy process. They were recruited through five clinics and agencies. This 2-year field study was conducted before the 2018 surrogacy law.Results: Surrogates met the criteria fixed by the national guidelines in terms of age and marital and family situation. The commitment to surrogacy had generally been decided with the husband. Its aim was above all to improve the socioeconomic condition of the family. Women described surrogacy as offering better conditions than their previous paid activity. They had clear views on the child and their work. However, they declared that they faced difficulties and social condemnation as surrogacy is associated with extra-marital relationships. They also described a medical process in which they had no autonomy although they did not express complaints. Overall, surrogates did not portray themselves as vulnerable women and victims, but rather as mothers and spouses taking control of their destiny.Conclusions: The reality of surrogacy in India embraces antagonistic features that we analyze in this paper as "paradoxes". First, while women have become surrogates in response to gender constraints as mothers and wives, yet in so doing they have gone against gender norms. Secondly, while surrogacy was socially perceived as dirty work undertaken in order to survive, surrogates used surrogacy as a means to upward mobility for themselves and their children. Finally, while surrogacy was organized to counteract accusations of exploitation, surrogates were under constant domination by the medical system and had no decision-making power in the surrogacy process. This echoes their daily life as women. Although the Indian legal framework has changed, surrogacy still challenges gender norms, particularly in other developing countries where the practice is emerging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observed meteorological data demonstrates that temperature has increased by 0.74 °C in the last hundred years with the bulk of the warming occurring in the last 50 years. This paper examines the impact of climate change on five major crops in the former state of Andhra Pradesh using district level panel data for the period 1981–2010. Analysis of data shows that crop yields are significantly impacted by climate for rice, tobacco and groundnut. Crops grown in rabi are more susceptible to changes in climate than those in kharif, while drought crops like jowar are found to withstand changes in climate better than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article helps to reconcile developmental and conservation goals in community forest management. Through a case study design, using the conceptual lenses of governmentality, it unpacks how the regional networks of developmental aspirations in the Hazaribagh region of eastern India shaped people's perception of their forests and their engagement with India's Joint Forest Management programme. The outcome of such an engagement was a hybrid community forest management, comprising elements of both the rationalities of the state and the local community. Thus, the article suggests that the recognition of regionally grounded networks of developmental aspirations becomes a key to achieving socio-ecological justice in regionally meaningful ways in many countries of the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The concepts of showrooming and webrooming have been well researched but majorly from the marketing/economic perspectives. The present study explores the socio-psychological motivations and different types of satisfaction derived from "cross-shopping" behaviour namely, showrooming and webrooming in a developing nation. Design/methodology/approach: The study is exploratory and is conducted using an interpretive approach. The researchers conducted 52 in-depth interviews and the collected data were subjected to open and axial coding to generate the conceptual model. Findings: The findings indicate various motivations of cross-shopping such a habit and the joy of discovery while novel aspects of satisfaction emerge such as process satisfaction and social satisfaction. The findings also revealed contextual moderators of the cross-shopping process. Research limitations/implications: The present study contributes to the domain of cross shopping behaviour by illustrating the social motivators behind the same and novel satisfaction outcomes because of the cross-shopping process. Practical implications: The present study has multiple implications that would enable managers to effectively utilize cross shopping behaviour such understanding of satisfaction beyond those derived from the product only. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to investigate consumer behaviour related to cross shopping based on psycho-social dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computationally simple kernel method is proposed for obtaining drawdowns due to unsteady pumping of large diameter wells. The kernels can be worked out even on a hand-held calculator. The new method can also be used to obtain residual drawdowns. The new method yields results as good as those obtained using earlier methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As a developing country, India initiated several labor measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. This study analyzes the impact of the Covid-19-induced comprehensive labor measures by Indian states on the Case Fatality Ratios and Recovery Rates. Such an analysis will provide deeper insights into the importance of labor measures during a health emergency. It will also be a reality check to the existing National Health Policy. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines the four major aspects of labor measures on migration, social security, state-specific needs and health and human rights. The authors use these to formulate a composite labor measure index to comprehend the Covid-19-induced various labor measures. Additionally, the authors apply pooled ordinary least squares and panel random-effects models with the state-wise monthly data to examine the impact of Covid-19-induced labor measures on the severity of the pandemic. Findings: Covid-19-induced comprehensive labor measures reduce fatalities and increase recovery rates. In particular, the measures on labor migration, state-specific needs and health and human rights adopted by the Indian states successfully reduce the Covid-19 fatalities and improve the recovery rates. However, the measures taken to address social security have been ineffective in reducing the severity of the pandemic. The study results are robust to various other specifications. Research limitations/implications: The time period covered in this research is very brief and does not account for the qualitative impact of labor measures on the severity of the pandemic. This study specifically addresses the number of Covid-19-induced labor measures and not the resources allocated to their implementations or the number of people who benefited from the measures. Practical implications: This study emphasizes the need for subnational comprehensive labor measures to reduce the severity of the pandemic in developing countries. The study confirms the need for effective Covid-19-induced social security measures to cope with the pandemic in India. This study also ascertains the beneficial impact of the measures on migration, state-specific needs and health and human rights. Originality/value: The authors make a composite labor measure index that captures state-level Covid-19-induced labor measures on diverse aspects, namely migration, social security, state-specific need and health and human rights, hitherto unexplored. In addition, the authors analyze the impact of these labor measures on the severity of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Notwithstanding the novelty and importance of wearable fitness devices, few studies have focussed on comparing the drivers of adoption and usage of wearable fitness in the context of developing countries. This study aims to explore factors that drive overall acceptance of wearable fitness devices in developing countries (India and the Philippines) and whether the impact of these factors on the intention to adopt (INT) differs by country and gender. Design/methodology/approach: The study extends the existing body of knowledge by developing a model that integrates the impact of various perceived benefits (health, autonomy, social, hedonic, symbolic), health self-efficacy (HEALTHSE) and individual characteristics (technological innovativeness [TI]) on the INT wearable fitness devices and the moderating impact of country and gender. The analysis was carried out using partial least square and data of 343 respondents. Findings: This study finds that the INT wearable fitness devices by consumers in developing countries are positively impacted by hedonic, health and autonomy, HEALTHSE and TI. Symbolic and social factors do not have any significant impact on the overall INT wearable fitness devices. However, there are country and gender-specific differences that are consequential to the development of marketing strategies. Research limitations/implications: The framework and results are specific to the two countries and limited by convenience sampling. Future research can focus on replication across different countries and extend the model with additional contextual factors such as perceived risks. Originality/value: To the best knowledge of the authors, this is one of the few studies to examine and compare the drivers of adoption of wearable fitness devices in lesser researched developing countries. Also, it is one of the few studies to compare the moderating impact of country and gender in the context of the INT wearable devices. The study provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for future research, as well as practical implications for global companies developing and promoting wearable fitness devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The „soft power" can be brought forward and achieved for any developing country through softer means. Advertising (both direct and indirect approach) is a powerful tool for disseminating information to various stakeholders concerning the MSME sector. To introspect the potentiality of India's MSME's emerging power, the researchers attempted to answer the different components that shaped Indian industrialization over the years and also analyzed the direct and indirect audio-visual advertisements created on MSMEs to encourage entrepreneurial activities throughout the nation. The observation indicates that direct and indirect advertisements that promote and encourage the growth of entrepreneurship have their advantages and disadvantages; however, direct advertisements are proven to be preferred over indirect advertisements, while the reason behind it can be the dilution of concept or the prominence of commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2, which is known for the multiple mutations and forms that have rapidly spread across the world. With the imminent challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries in curbing the public health fallbacks due to limited resources, mucormycosis emerged as a fungal infection associated with high mortality. In this rapid review, we explored MEDLINE, Cochrane, Web of Science, WHO Global Database, and the search engine—Google Scholar for articles listed until July 2021 and presented a narrative synthesis of findings from 39 articles. The epidemiology, causative factors, incidence parameters, pharmacological treatment, and recommendations for low- and middle-income countries are enlisted. This study concludes that a majority of the globally reported COVID-19 associated mucormycosis cases stemmed from India. Individuals receiving systemic corticosteroids or who have a history of diabetes mellitus are more prone to contracting the disease. Public health authorities in LMIC are recommended to strengthen antifungal therapies for COVID-19 associated mucormycosis and to strategize reduction in diabetes mellitus prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain, which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. In India, rapid urbanization, economic growth and changes in lifestyle have led to a tremendous increase in the incidence of ABI, so much so that it is being referred to as a ‘silent epidemic'. Unlike developed countries, there is no well-established system for collecting and managing information on various diseases in India. Thus it is a daunting task to obtain reliable information about acquired brain injury. In the course of conducting a systematic review on the epidemiology of ABI in India, we recognized several challenges which hampered our effort. Inadequate case definition, lack of centralized reporting mechanisms, lack of population based studies, absence of standardized survey protocols and inadequate mortality statistics are some of the major obstacles. Following a standard case definition, linking multiple hospital-based registries, initiating a state or nationwide population-based registry, conducting population-based studies that are methodologically robust and introducing centralized, standard reporting mechanisms for ABI, are some of the strategies that could help facilitate a thorough investigation into the epidemiology and understanding of ABI. This may help improve policies on prevention and management of acquired brain injury in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrates on the academic publishing sector within India, promoting three sites of resistance to historical (colonial) publishing processes identified as deficiencies for India's growing academic publishing market. For a framework, the research draws on postcolonial theory, particularly the body of work assessing the means by which large academic publishers tightly control access to scientific output in many developing countries. It argues that although the historical constraints to academic publishing in India are diminishing, careful socioeconomic planning, recognising the development of a unique digital culture in India, are pivotal for a revitalised, local academic publishing program to grow and succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The co-benefits approach has been proposed as a means for mainstreaming environmental concerns into urban development, especially in developing countries. This paper reviews the Indian situation setting out the urban-environmental challenge. National policies related to urban development, climate change and specific sectors are examined and then, with the aid of cases, analysed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of generating co-benefits in the world's second most populous country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study explores the primary determinants of Indian OFDI in 26 developed and 81 developing countries by integrating a nuanced perspective of institutional distance with conventional location factors (2008–2018). Our findings indicate that asset augmentation and market-seeking motives are the primary OFDI drivers in developed and developing regions, respectively. Overall, the institutional environment demonstrates a positive association between Indian OFDI and the robust governance quality of the host country (excluding RS investments in developing region). However, only robust regulatory quality (RQ) & control of corruption (CC) are the primary IQ determinants significantly attracting OFDI in developed nations. Surprisingly, none of the WGI significantly drives OFDI in developing countries. However, the interaction effect reveals that only market-seeking investors from India are drawn to highly regulated (RQ), rule-based (RL) developing nations. The estimated FDI factors differ significantly depending on the destination, but RQ largely remains the crucial determinant across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore factors affecting consumers’ green purchase behavior in the context of a developing nation, India. We proposed an integrated model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and Social cognitive theory, combining with independent factors the perceived environmental knowledge, personal norm, recycling participation, perceived value, and willingness to pay to predict individuals’ green purchase intention. A total of 466 valid responses were collected from India with the help of a questionnaire survey. Evaluation of the research model was carried out through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation effect. The findings explored three factors of TPB, recycling participation, personal norm, perceived value, and environmental knowledge significantly influenced consumers’ green purchase intention. A positive mediation effect was also found regarding consumers’ green purchase intention. But willingness to pay, negatively influenced consumers’ green purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]