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The impact of digitalisation on smaller firms remains sparsely studied across emerging economies. The paper aims to examine the relationship between digital adoption and multiple performance parameters of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in a prominent emerging economy.

The study employs data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) 2022, capturing 9,024 Indian MSME firms spread across the country. Performance indicators are derived from growth in sales, employment and labour productivity (LPROD). Multiple regression estimates are derived that also correct for sample selection bias using Heckman’s two-step process.

Digital proliferation is found to increase as firms mature up in terms of age, size and constitution. A significant difference could also be observed in business performance across digital and non-digital businesses, with sales growth (SG) and productivity higher for digital firms. Digital financial variables are found to have a significant impact on SG but not as much in the case of employment growth and LPROD. The results are robust to correction for sample selection bias in digital adoption using inverse mills ratio (IMR).

The study highlights digital adoption gaps across various strata of MSMEs, highlighting lower adoption when firms are younger, smaller and lacking formal constitutional setup. Digital variables indicating positive association with SG highlight the need for concerted efforts at the public policy level for building appropriate skills and infrastructure for micro and small enterprises to boost their digital adoption to promote growth.

There is a lack of micro-level empirical evidence measuring the impact of advanced digital technology usage on multiple aspects of enterprise performance amongst micro and small firms. The study deploys unique digital variables including TReDS and use of online credit applications to assess the impact on business performance. The findings provide insights for practice and public policy, besides making the case for a higher focus on launching digital initiatives for smaller enterprises.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as one of the most promising technology in our day-to-day life. Limited network lifetime and higher energy consumption are two most critical issues in WSNs. The purpose of this paper is to propose an energy-efficient load balanced cluster-based routing protocol using ant colony optimization (LB-CR-ACO) which ultimately results in enhancement of the network lifetime of WSNs.

The proposed protocol performs optimal clustering based on cluster head selection weighing function which leads to novel cluster head selection. The cluster formation uses various parameters which are remaining energy of the nodes, received signal strength indicator (RSSI), node density and number of load-balanced node connections. Priority weights are also assigned among these metrics. The cluster head with the highest probability will be selected as an optimal cluster head for a particular round. LB-CR-ACO also performs a dynamic selection of optimal cluster head periodically which conserves energy, thereby using network resources in an efficient and balanced manner. ACO is used in steady state phase for multi-hop data transfer.

It has been observed through simulation that LB-CR-ACO protocol exhibits better performance for network lifetime in sparse, medium and dense WSN deployments than its peer protocols.

The proposed paper provides a unique energy-efficient LB-CR-ACO for WSNs. LB-CR-ACO performs novel cluster head selection using optimal clustering and multi-hop routing which utilizes ACO. The proposed work results in achieving higher network lifetime than its peer protocols.

The purpose of this paper is to give an insight in to the routing protocols in Vehicular ad hoc Network (VANET). In this direction, for the efficient data dissemination in VANETs, a street-based forwarding protocol (SBFP) has been proposed.

The interferences among different street segments are considered and a unique street-based forwarding concept is introduced to reduce the local maximum problem. In this protocol, the greedy forwarding concept along with the broadcasting mechanism and suppression technique is implemented to minimize the overhead created in the regular beacons forwarding processes. QualNet simulator is used to implement and simulate SBFP. SUMO and MOVE tools are used to create the vehicle’s movement pattern and network topology.

The simulated results demonstrated improved packet delivery ratio (PDR) with a minimum average number of broadcast by each individual vehicle in the proposed SBFP than in its peer protocols.

This paper will be discussing a unique street-based forwarding technique exploring the advantages of global positioning system to obtain the location of vehicles and streets. This technique results in higher PDR and reduced network overhead.

Epidemics not only affect the public health but also are a threat to a nation's growth and economy as well. Early prediction of epidemic can be beneficial to take preventive measures and to reduce the impact of epidemic in an area.

A deep neural network (DNN) based context aware smart epidemic system has been proposed to prevent and monitor epidemic spread in a geographical area. Various neural networks (NNs) have been used: LSTM, RNN, BPNN to detect the level of disease, direction of spread of disease in a geographical area and marking the high-risk areas. Multiple DNNs collect and process various data points and these DNNs are decided based on type of data points. Output of one DNN is used by another DNN to reach to final prediction.

The experimental evaluation of the proposed framework achieved the accuracy of 87% for the synthetic dataset generated for Zika epidemic in Brazil in 2016.

The proposed framework is designed in a way that every data point is carefully processed and contributes to the final decision. These multiple DNNs will act as a single DNN for the end user.

Addresses the two important trends of the 1990s: workforce diversity and growing competitive challenge as a result of globalization. Considers the social, economic and political issues involved. Asks whether the trends are compatible, and whether solutions to one trend are creating problems in dealing with the other. Looks at each trend, and summarizes policy responses using Canadian data. Discusses implications for research and policy.

Although different facets of managerial third‐party intervention in organizations have been explored, we know little about how managers should intervene in different disputes for resolving them successfully. In this study, a prescriptive model of intervention strategy selection proposed by Elangovan (1995) is tested. Data on successful and unsuccessful interventions were collected from senior managers in different organizations. The results show that following the prescriptions of the model leads to a significant increase in the likelihood that an intervention would be successful as well as in the degree of success of the intervention, thereby supporting a contingency view of dispute intervention.

Increased worker autonomy and participation are being proclaimed as the foundation for economic competitiveness in the 1990s (Reich, 1991). Management has been generally favorable towards such strategies and surveys of workers also indicate widespread support (Hackman, 1990). However, trade unionists fear that these new organizations of work are, at least in part, being sponsored by management in an attempt to undermine unions and manipulate workers (Grenier, 1988; Parker, 1985). More cautious forms of this argument propose that participation schemes are initiated to extract from workers the important “working knowledge” (Kusterer, 1978) and “tricks of the trade” (Thomas, 1991; Hodson, 1991) that are often workers' resource in bargaining with management over wages and conditions. Participation schemes may also lead to the unraveling of “informal agreements” between workers and front line supervisors concerning work effort and work procedures that both labor and management would prefer to keep hidden (Thomas, 1991:8).

Discrimination matters Volume 22 Number 2 of Health Manpower Management contains an article with this title by Catherine M. Prest, which outlines the changes in legal restrictions on the eligibility of dismissed employees to pursue unfair dismissal claims. Includes a discussion of recent decisions in this area and assesses the impact of these decisions on personnel practice and disciplinary procedures.

This study aims to investigate accounting practices within a non-Western (Indigenous) context and provide insights into alternative accounting approaches and perspectives.

This study adopts an interpretive research approach to gain an in-depth insight into the functioning of accounting in Solomon Islands’ unique cultural and social-political context. In-depth interviews were conducted to gain insights into the perceptions and meanings held by participants concerning Western accounting practices and their limitations.

The findings provide unique insights into different interpretations of accounting and accountability through two distinct cultural lenses – Western and non-Western. The complementary and rival explanations on what accounting and accountability are doing and what accounting and accountability should be doing will help close the gap in knowledge and contribute to shaping a better world for Indigenous people.

Implications for practice involve fostering collaborative efforts among individuals, communities, leaders and institutions to harness cultural strengths through accounting. Additionally, continuous capacity building and education are essential to develop accounting skills, enhance financial literacy, promote professional expertise and build a pool of skilled accountants with local knowledge to support Indigenous communities.

This study is original and provides novel insights supporting the need for accounting to recognise the importance of Indigenous perspectives, adapt to cultural sensitivity and integrate cultural norms and values into accounting practices to make an impact and achieve greater social and moral accountability.

The primary learning objectives/outcome of case discussion is to apply design thinking principles to design innovative and socially responsible strategies that promote financial sustainability for organizations serving unique societal needs. The secondary learning objectives/outcome of case discussion is to gain a deeper appreciation for the potential social impact of their innovative ideas and understand the complexities and ethical considerations in social entrepreneurship, especially when working with individuals with special needs.

The case study describes the challenge facing Anil Kumar Kundra, the founder and trustee of Autism Ashram and Autism Guardian Village in Hyderabad and Gujarat, an organization that provides shelter and care for individuals with autism and residential facilities for their parents. Autistic individuals often lack social skills and may face challenges in reading, writing and communicating. In addition, they may experience behavioral issues, making it difficult for them to obtain employment or run their own ventures, resulting in a lifetime financial dependency on their guardians. In August 2023, Kundra, in pursuit of sustainability, aims to empower autistic individuals in the ashram to attain financial independence. He envisions Autism Ashrama as a self-sustaining entity, no longer dependent on contributions from parents. The dilemma facing Kundra is the need to identify innovative ideas that will enable these autistic individuals to contribute to revenue generation. The challenges faced by autistic individuals in their day-to-day lives make Kundra’s decision-making complex. While he acknowledges the challenge, he firmly believes that a handful of transformative ideas can bring about a revolutionary shift in the ecosystem for autistic individuals, rendering this business model truly sustainable. The case study invites students to help Kundra identify innovative ideas using design idea techniques, such as the Stanford d.school model.

This take-home assignment is suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and is designed to explore the integration of sustainable business practices and design thinking in a real-world context.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management science.