Contemporary arguments around efficient public management (PM) envisage a limited role of the state for efficiency, effectiveness and austerity. On the contrary, the PM of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Contemporary arguments around efficient public management (PM) envisage a limited role of the state for efficiency, effectiveness and austerity. On the contrary, the PM of the Covid-19 pandemic shows the significant role and depth of administrative state in multi-faceted ways. In this context, the purpose of this article is to examine the administrative role of the Indian state and the extent of its “stateness” in the PM of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This article is a bifocal study of both the national and a single sub-national case. Following mixed qualitative methods, this article draws on government documents, interviews and recent media reports to examine the reemergence of a strong administrative state in India in the context of PM of the pandemic. This methodology allows us to go deep into the cases and provide a robust understanding of the underlying processes within the state that throw open some compelling insights on the PM of the pandemic.
Findings
This article shows the reemergence of a strong administrative state in multiple ways. It demonstrates that state’s administrative capacity is an outcome of both ideas within the state and its rationality that shapes policy strategies and planning. Further, a combination of learning, puzzling and powering plays a critical role in pandemic management. Exploring pandemic-induced state capacity in India sheds light on the administrative state’s emergence, extent and function in an emerging developing country setting.
Research limitations/implications
One of the major challenges of this study is the evolving nature of the pandemic. In this light, the study limits its focus to the earliest stage of the pandemic. Revisiting this paper in future would provide a more comprehensive picture. Furthermore, the study is limited to the national and a single sub-national case. This research will gain from including more sub-national and cross-country comparisons to test some of the conjectures presented in this paper.
Practical implications
This article shows that the state as a conceptual variable needs to be taken seriously to understand and explain the PM strategy, especially in times of crisis. It also persuades us to better understand the political power of “ideas” within the state to explain policy outcomes and evolving PM strategies.
Originality/value
This article seeks to push the frontiers of research on state capacity and PM by exploring how social learning and puzzling come together to consolidate policy paradigms. Through the lens of PM of the current Covid-19 pandemic by the Indian state, this article reflects on the reemergence of the administrative state. It examines the long-term ramifications of such a revival for both practice and theory of state capacity and PM in a large, diverse democracy, such as India.
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Maryam Ziaee, Himanshu Kumar Shee and Amrik Sohal
Drawing on information processing view (IPV) theory, the objective of this study is to explore big data analytics (BDA) in pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) for better business…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on information processing view (IPV) theory, the objective of this study is to explore big data analytics (BDA) in pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) for better business intelligence. Supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model is used to identify and discuss the likely benefits of BDA adoption in five processes: plan, source, make, deliver and return.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with managers in a triad comprising pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers/distributors and public hospital pharmacies were undertaken. NVivo software was used for thematic data analysis.
Findings
The findings revealed that BDA capability would be more practical and helpful in planning, delivery and return processes within PSC. Sourcing and making processes are perceived to be less beneficial.
Practical implications
The study informs managers about the strategic role of BDA capabilities in SCOR processes for improved business intelligence.
Originality/value
Adoption of BDA in SCOR processes within PSC is a step towards resolving the challenges of drug shortages, counterfeiting and inventory optimisation through timely decision. Despite its innumerable benefits of BDA, Australian PSC is far behind in BDA investment. The study advances the IPV theory by illustrating and strengthening the fact that data sharing and analytics can generate real-time business intelligence helping in better health care support through BDA-enabled PSC.
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Srirang Kumar Jha, Shweta Jha and Amiya Kumar Mohapatra
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the need for holistic geriatric health care in rural India. Many older people in Indian villages suffer from chronic ailments without any…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the need for holistic geriatric health care in rural India. Many older people in Indian villages suffer from chronic ailments without any relief or intervention because of inaccessible and unaffordable health-care services. This paper explores how holistic health care can be assured for older people in Indian villages.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on reflections of the authors who have had experiences as caregivers to older persons within their respective families rooted in the Indian villages. Besides, they interacted with 30 older persons (18 males and 12 females in the age group of 60–80 years) living in the villages in three states of India, namely, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to develop a comprehensive viewpoint on the need of geriatric health care in rural India. Relevant reports, newspaper articles and research papers were also reviewed while developing viewpoints on such an important topic.
Findings
Geriatric health-care facilities in rural India are abysmal. The older people in the villages cannot leverage health-care facilities that are generally inaccessible, inadequate and unaffordable. Even the government support for medical treatment is minuscule. Furthermore, there is lack of trained health-care professionals at all levels, namely, doctors, nurses and paramedic personnel. Training opportunities in geriatrics are also negligible. The scenario vis-à-vis geriatric health care in rural India can be upturned by increasing public spending on health-care infrastructure, increasing numbers of health-care professionals and expanding training programmes in geriatrics.
Originality/value
This paper is based on the critical reflections of the authors as well as their informal interactions with some of the older people in the Indian villages.
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Himanshu Seth and Akanksha Saxena
To scrutinize the role of audit committee characteristics (i.e. audit committee independence, audit committee expertise and audit committee tenure) in attaining sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
To scrutinize the role of audit committee characteristics (i.e. audit committee independence, audit committee expertise and audit committee tenure) in attaining sustainability performance (i.e. environmental, social and governance performance).
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample comprising 1,304 firm-year observations from Indian listed firms from 2018 to 2024, the current study performs baseline, robustness, additional and heterogeneity tests to examine the effect of audit committee characteristics on the environmental, social and governance performance.
Findings
Our findings reveal that audit committee independence and expertise are vital for achieving sustainability performance. Also, our results indicate that independence and expertise in audit committees reflect more inclination for environmental performance and governance performance than social performance. The outcomes further state that the audit committee tenure does not impact sustainability performance. Our results remain robust even after using different estimators. Additionally, the above findings are similar for industry-wise outcomes as well as during the COVID-19 phase and post-phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
Our study makes a practical contribution by pioneering the attributes of audit committees in achieving sustainability performance from an emerging country perspective, such as India, which has not yet been done. The study holds great importance for managers, environmental activists, regulators and policymakers, reinforcing the belief that audit committee characteristics can be utilized in formulating policies for sustainability initiatives.
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Deval Ajmera, Manjeet Kharub, Aparna Krishna and Himanshu Gupta
The pressing issues of climate change and environmental degradation call for a reevaluation of how we approach economic activities. Both leaders and corporations are now shifting…
Abstract
Purpose
The pressing issues of climate change and environmental degradation call for a reevaluation of how we approach economic activities. Both leaders and corporations are now shifting their focus, toward adopting practices and embracing the concept of circular economy (CE). Within this context, the Food and Beverage (F&B) sector, which significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, holds the potential for undergoing transformations. This study aims to explore the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in facilitating the adoption of CE principles, within the F&B sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This research employs the Best Worst Method, a technique in multi-criteria decision-making. It focuses on identifying and ranking the challenges in implementing AI-driven CE in the F&B sector, with expert insights enhancing the ranking’s credibility and precision.
Findings
The study reveals and prioritizes barriers to AI-supported CE in the F&B sector and offers actionable insights. It also outlines strategies to overcome these barriers, providing a targeted roadmap for businesses seeking sustainable practices.
Social implications
This research is socially significant as it supports the F&B industry’s shift to sustainable practices. It identifies key barriers and solutions, contributing to global climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
Originality/value
The research addresses a gap in literature at the intersection of AI and CE in the F&B sector. It introduces a system to rank challenges and strategies, offering distinct insights for academia and industry stakeholders.
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Manjit Singh, Manju Mittal, Pooja Mehta and Himanshu Singla
The present study attempts to analyze if personal values, namely collectivism, materialism and environment attitude, have an impact on attitude to invest in socially responsible…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study attempts to analyze if personal values, namely collectivism, materialism and environment attitude, have an impact on attitude to invest in socially responsible investments (SRIs). Second, it examines the impact of attitude on SRI intention which may further be moderated by religiosity beliefs. Third, the moderated relation is further tested separately for two groups of gender.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses cross-sectional data collected from 534 north Indian retail investors. PLS–SEM has been applied in this study using the latest version of SmartPLS (v. 3.2.9) software to examine the complex model of moderation analysis.
Findings
The results of PLS–SEM suggested that collectivism, materialism and environment attitude significantly influenced attitude which further led to SRI intention. The moderating role of religiosity was found to be significant on the attitude–intention relationship. Further, a significantly higher moderation of religiosity was found in females as compared to males.
Research limitations/implications
Besides collectivism, materialism and environmental attitude, there could be other facets of an investor's personality that were not considered in the study. The present research was conducted in India, and Hofstede (1980) calls Indian culture to be collectivistic in nature, where the influence of pro-social and environmental concern on SRI intention is bound to be high; thus, findings need to be tested further at the global level.
Practical implications
Companies and financial institutions can enlarge their investor base for socially responsible products by propagating tailor-made financial products that can keep the personal values of investors intact in addition to providing satisfactory financial returns. Female investors can be encouraged to invest in SRI by promulgating the aspects of morality and ethics in their marketing and promotion strategies; eventually, this will lead to an upsurge in the proportion of female investors in financial markets.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to the growing body of research in the area of sustainable investments. This research has contributed to building and testing a moderation analysis of attitude–intention relationship with respect to SRI by adding investor's religiosity beliefs and his/her gender as moderating variables to better comprehend the relationships under study.
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Himanshu Goel and Bhupender Kumar Som
This study aims to predict the Indian stock market (Nifty 50) by employing macroeconomic variables as input variables identified from the literature for two sub periods, i.e. the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to predict the Indian stock market (Nifty 50) by employing macroeconomic variables as input variables identified from the literature for two sub periods, i.e. the pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (June 2011–February 2020) and during the COVID-19 (March 2020–June 2021).
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data on macroeconomic variables and Nifty 50 index spanning a period of last ten years starting from 2011 to 2021 have been from various government and regulatory websites. Also, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was trained with the scaled conjugate gradient algorithm for predicting the National Stock exchange's (NSE) flagship index Nifty 50.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG) algorithm achieved 96.99% accuracy in predicting the Indian stock market in the pre-COVID-19 scenario. On the contrary, the proposed ANN model achieved 99.85% accuracy in during the COVID-19 period. The findings of this study have implications for investors, portfolio managers, domestic and foreign institution investors, etc.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in the fact that are hardly any studies that forecasts the Indian stock market using artificial neural networks in the pre and during COVID-19 periods.
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Gopal Goswami and Himanshu Bagdi
This study aims to delve into the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) on the well-being and quality of life of beneficiaries in Surat City of India. Employing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to delve into the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) on the well-being and quality of life of beneficiaries in Surat City of India. Employing correlation and regression analyses, the study uncovers significant correlations between Awareness, Healthcare Utilisation, and Financial Burden Reduction with well-being outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation employs a structured questionnaire to gather data from 250 beneficiaries, exploring the relationships between Awareness, Healthcare Utilisation, Financial Burden Reduction, Well-Being and quality of Life. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire using a survey method.
Findings
The results highlighted the crucial role of Awareness in empowering beneficiaries to make informed healthcare decisions, positively influencing their well-being. Furthermore, the study underscores how active engagement with PMJAY's healthcare services enhances well-being. The mitigation of financial burdens emerges as a pivotal factor, signifying the program's efficacy in improving beneficiaries' quality of life.
Originality/value
The comprehensive model presented in this study reveals that PMJAY's multifaceted approach is pivotal in promoting enhanced well-being and quality of life among beneficiaries. These findings affect public health policies seeking to create holistic interventions that holistically address vulnerable populations' healthcare access, financial burdens, and overall well-being.
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Madhumitha Ezhil Kumar, Shivendra Kumar Pandey, Dheeraj P. Sharma and Himanshu Rathore
This study aims to examine the moderating role of two product-related variables – product type and product involvement on the relationship between shelf-based scarcity (SBS) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the moderating role of two product-related variables – product type and product involvement on the relationship between shelf-based scarcity (SBS) and purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used four 2 × 2 between-subject experiments to test the proposed moderation.
Findings
Results from the four experimental studies provide the following insights. SBS enhances customers’ purchase intentions for utilitarian products and decreases purchase intentions for hedonic products. The positive influence of SBS cues on purchase intentions is more pronounced for low-involvement products than for high-involvement products. Perceived popularity and perceived quality mediate the relationship between SBS and perceived consumption risk for utilitarian products but not hedonic products.
Research limitations/implications
This study builds on prior research on scarcity by investigating the impact of product-related factors on the SBS-purchase intention relationship through the elaboration likelihood model.
Practical implications
The results suggest that retailers benefit from using SBS cues for utilitarian and low-involvement products to increase purchase intention. Retailers can avoid SBS cues for hedonic products to prevent them from seeming commonplace. Furthermore, retailers can boost purchase intentions by highlighting the popularity and quality of utilitarian and low-involvement products.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study to examine the interaction between SBS and product-related attributes, along with the serial mediation of perceived popularity, quality and consumption risk.
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This paper aims to deal with a closer look into the nature and extent of consumer expenditure inequality in India to identify the major contributions those are embedded…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to deal with a closer look into the nature and extent of consumer expenditure inequality in India to identify the major contributions those are embedded, particularly after the economic reforms. Relative contributions of major consumption items/sources to the overall expenditure inequality are quantitatively examined in terms of a decomposition exercise. Eventually, the paper investigates the relative marginal effects of expenditure components/sources on overall inequality.
Design/methodology/approach
Gini index is used to measure the degree of inequality in consumer expenditure. Contribution of each expenditure sources to overall inequality is estimated by using source decomposition technique of Gini index contributed by Lerman and Yitzhaki.
Findings
The study observes that the inequality in consumer expenditure has increased in both the rural and the urban parts of India during the post-reform period. Non-food expenditure is more unevenly distributed, and it has been found to be more pro-rich in nature. Expenditure on cereals and pulses still exhibits higher inequality-reducing effect in rural and urban India. Education and health-care expenses have been inequality-increasing in the country. Contribution of expenditure on miscellaneous consumer services, durable goods, education and health care to the overall expenditure inequality is significantly higher.
Originality/value
The study identifies the capacity of different expenditure sources towards increasing or decreasing the overall inequality which is crucial for better redistributive policies to be adopted to enhance the well-being of the economy in real sense.