Ratnesh Kumar, K. Chandrashekhar Iyer and Surya Prakash Singh
In construction management, risks and claims are treated separately, but several studies tacitly acknowledge a strong link between the two. In this context, this research intends…
Abstract
Purpose
In construction management, risks and claims are treated separately, but several studies tacitly acknowledge a strong link between the two. In this context, this research intends to investigate whether risks and claims have a causal relationship? Based on this causal relationship, a claim-based risk assessment model (C-RAM) is developed to quantify occurrences and cost implications of risks using project data.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the causal relationship between risks and claims is established through a conceptual framework for content analysis of the literature on risk management (RM) and claim management (CM). Then, a C-RAM is developed based on the content analysis of 234 claims from 24 settled arbitration awards.
Findings
Risks and claims are found to be two stages in the same chain of uncertain events that affect projects, subsequently revealing a causal relationship between risks and claims. Due to this causal relationship, claim documents become a potential source of risk information from past projects. Proposed C-RAM quantifies occurrences of risks with three parameters: number of projects in which a risk occurs, number of ways in which a risk occurs, and number of claims a risk causes if it occurs. Also, cost implications of risks are quantified as percentage of contract sums for interpretation as tangible values.
Research limitations/implications
Though C-RAM is applicable to all types of claims, the results in this paper are based on impacts of risks in past projects that caused claims and reached to arbitration stage.
Practical implications
The causal relationship between risks and claims will encourage integration of knowledge on RM and CM which is currently treated separately. Practitioners can now visualize claims as cost implications of risks that occurred in projects. Further, C-RAM makes risk assessment (RA) more objective by quantifying the cost implications of risks as percentage of contract sums which can be readily used for contingency estimation.
Originality/value
The relationship between risks and claims, and the potential of claim documents as a source of project risk information, can initiate a new paradigm in RM research based on project data.
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Lakshmi Shankar Iyer and Subba Rao R.N.
It is the responsibility of any government to ensure efficient, transparent and reliable services to the common man through telecentres. The purpose of this study is to take into…
Abstract
Purpose
It is the responsibility of any government to ensure efficient, transparent and reliable services to the common man through telecentres. The purpose of this study is to take into account the influence of people and process on transparency that leads to effective e-governance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study involved collecting data through questionnaire method from 400 citizens who visited the telecentres. Data were analysed by conducting chi-square test and independent sample t-test, and it was found that there exists significant influence of location on transparency.
Findings
The current study reiterates the fact from literature that transparency in transactions enables effective e-governance. Beneficiaries perceive that people and processes have influence on transparency.
Research limitations/implications
The research adds up to the literature in establishing that there exist differentials among the rural and urban population with respect to transparency. Results could be skewed, as there could be an impact of population density across urban and rural areas.
Practical implications
This study brings out a framework and an action plan for the government to implement and ensure transparency in processes leading to effective e-governance.
Social implications
The action plan ensures transparency in service delivery leading to effective e-governance. Increased transparency empowers citizens with increased trustworthiness towards services delivered through telecentres.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils the need for an action plan to assure citizens to use deliveries through telecentres with better transparency. The aspect of transparency is not being studied in the present context of service delivery by the government authorities in India. Moreover, the influence of transparency on e-governance is also under-explored.
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Chandra Shekhar Bhatnagar, Dyal Bhatnagar and Pritpal Singh Bhullar
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure and business responsibility report (BRR) on a firm’s financial performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure and business responsibility report (BRR) on a firm’s financial performance. Additionally, the study explores whether CSR expenditure and firm performance are related linearly or otherwise. The study also assesses the influence of mandating CSR expenditure on a firm’s performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is set in India and uses a nine-year data set from 165 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Data compilation and analysis are done by using content analysis and panel data regressions.
Findings
The main findings of the study are that the effect of CSR expenditure on firm performance in India is non-linear and can be characterized as parabolic for investigated firms. While some performance indicators suggest a U-shaped relationship, others show an inverted U-type pattern, making a definitive conclusion elusive in either direction. BRR scores themselves have a positive impact on firm performance. Mandatory CSR expenditure affects the financial performance negatively, but the market performance improves in general.
Originality/value
The study provides new insights on the relationship between CSR expenditure, BRR scores and firm performance from India, which is not only a notable emerging market but also has other gripping characteristics. It has a prolific history of philanthropy, and yet, it is the first country in the world to mandate CSR expenditure in recent times. The equation between reported economic progress and general quality of life remains intriguing, and yet the number of studies on the effects of CSR expenditure on firm performance are no match to the volume of ongoing and completed works in more developed markets. This study attempts to trim the gap and provide some useful insights for managers, policymakers and stakeholders, apart from prompting further research.
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Chandra Shekhar Bhatnagar, Dyal Bhatnagar, Vineeta Kumari and Pritpal Singh Bhullar
Increasing focus on socially responsible investments (SRIs) and green projects in recent times, coupled with the arrival of COVID pandemic, are the main drivers of this study. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasing focus on socially responsible investments (SRIs) and green projects in recent times, coupled with the arrival of COVID pandemic, are the main drivers of this study. The authors conduct a post-factum analysis of investor choice between sin and green investments before and through the COVID outbreak.
Design/methodology/approach
A passive investor is introduced who seeks maximum risk-adjusted return and/or investment variance. When presented an opportunity to add sin and/or green investments to her initial one-asset market-only investment position, she views and handles this issue as a portfolio problem (MPT). She estimates value-at-risk (VaR) and conditional-value-at-risk (CVaR) for portfolios to account for downside risk.
Findings
Green investments offer better overall risk-return optimization in spite of major inter-period differences in return-risk dynamics and substantial downside risk. Portfolios optimized for minimum variance perform just as well as the ones optimized for minimum downside risk. Return and risk have settled at higher levels since the onset of COVID, resulting in shifting the efficient frontier towards north-east in the return-risk space.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature in two ways: One, it examines investor choice between sin and green investments during a global health emergency and views this choice against the one made during normal times. Two, instead of using the principles of modern portfolio theory (MPT) explicitly for diversification, the study uses them to identify investor preference for one over the other investment type. This has not been widely done thus far.
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Debabrata Ghosh, Peeyush Mehta and Balram Avittathur
The purpose of this paper is to understand the practices and policies unique to high-tech manufacturing start-ups in emerging economies, such as India. The study analyzes the main…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the practices and policies unique to high-tech manufacturing start-ups in emerging economies, such as India. The study analyzes the main features and challenges of the high-tech manufacturing sector, and the way in which enabling environment including policy making, supply chain capability and related technologies through Industry 4.0 could be leveraged to foster growth.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper undertakes an exploratory approach through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with high-tech manufacturing firms in various stages of their growth. The paper provides evidence of the challenges that high-tech manufacturing firms face in India, the strategies they adopt and highlights the role of institutional structures and policies.
Findings
Findings show that high-tech manufacturing start-ups in India face various challenges in the upstream, production and downstream supply chain processes. Further, issues related to availability of quality material, quality suppliers, contracts, funding and access to markets remain. Results also show that enabling operational and financial levers could be created by policy makers and other stakeholders to help the high-tech manufacturing start-ups scale faster and create value.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the R&D intensive industry and high-tech manufacturing literature in the context of emerging economies, such as India, and provides a rigorous overview of the start-up ecosystem in high-tech manufacturing.
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The purpose of this paper is to review state-of-the-art literature on product/brand positioning to re-examine the positioning concept and developing a more comprehensive…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review state-of-the-art literature on product/brand positioning to re-examine the positioning concept and developing a more comprehensive definition from a theoretical viewpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of positioning was conducted. The review conformed to a rigorous set of core principles: it was systematic (organized according to a method designed to address the review questions), transparent (explicitly stated), reproducible and updatable and synthesized (summarized the evidence relating to the review question).
Findings
The literature review reveals that there is lack of coherent definition for positioning, and there is no mutual agreement among marketing scholars and practitioners about the exact meaning of the concept. Therefore, comprehensive definition of positioning encompassing the five underlying positioning perspectives (competition; empty slot/mind; consumers’ perception, differentiation and competitive advantage) is suggested.
Research limitations/implications
This paper will be useful for academicians to analyze the current nature of academic research in this area and will provide an added advantage to managers to design and implement positioning strategies for their product/brands that will allow their organizations to gain competitive advantage. This study acknowledges limitations with respect to its exclusive search criteria, which might affect its generalizability.
Social implications
Position and positioning is of relevance in society in broad terms, e.g. in sports, politics and culture. Positioning strategy is discussed and implemented in different industries (business-to-business and consumer), for all kinds of brands (including, for instance, corporate brands) and for “brands” in the very widest sense (such as places or people).
Originality/value
This is the first systematic review of positioning that provides a detailed understanding of the current state of positioning research on a single platform and also draws a comprehensive positioning conceptualization.