Atul Kumar, Jaiprakash Paliwal, Mahesh Singh, Vishwas Pendse, Rajesh Gade, Manesh Palav and Shirish Raibagkar
Accreditation, a proven quality strategy, can help educational institutions at all levels in attaining Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). The purpose of this study, therefore…
Abstract
Purpose
Accreditation, a proven quality strategy, can help educational institutions at all levels in attaining Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). The purpose of this study, therefore, is to gain insights from the literature on accreditation and quality assurance and understand the focus areas of existing research. The study also aims at finding out research gaps that would serve as future research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
A focused literature review methodology was adopted. Based on the search terms “accreditation and quality assurance”, 54 literature items were finally selected for review from standard databases like Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar.
Findings
Five overarching focus dimensions emerged from the focused review. These were overview studies, accreditation system-based studies, the role of accreditation in quality assurance, the impact of accreditation on quality assurance and other studies. Major gaps in reviews were also found.
Originality/value
The study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights about accreditation and quality assurance and also lays the road map for future research to address the research gaps.
Details
Keywords
Mahesh Singh, Jaiprakash Paliwal, Manoj Kumar Rao and Shirish Raibagkar
In India, national accreditation agencies stipulate that internal quality control in higher education institutions (HEIs) is to be institutionalized through internal quality…
Abstract
Purpose
In India, national accreditation agencies stipulate that internal quality control in higher education institutions (HEIs) is to be institutionalized through internal quality assurance cells that are responsible for implementing and controlling quality systems. As the concept of goal congruence is central to a control process, this study aims to examine whether goal congruence is observed in such institutions. The impact of the absence of goal congruence on the quality of performance in higher education was also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study measured the impact of goal congruence or the lack thereof on the performance quality of HEIs as defined in the evaluation criteria of the apex accreditation agency, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. Two hypotheses were tested using t-tests and regression analysis. Focus group discussions were conducted to elicit participants’ suggestions.
Findings
The results showed a lack of goal congruence between HEIs’ quality goals and their faculty’s personal goals, which adversely impacts the quality of their performance, as indicated by an average disagreement of 81% on a ten-statement scale. Goal congruence as an independent variable explained 63% of the variability in HEIs’ performance quality, and the results were statistically significant, indicating that lack of goal congruence is an important contributor to poor performance among HEIs.
Originality/value
Accreditation of HEIs is a global practice; hence, the findings of this study and the importance of goal congruence apply not only to India but also to HEIs globally.
Details
Keywords
Sumeer Gul, Shazia Bashir and Shabir Ahmad Ganaie
The purpose of this paper is to explore the status of institutional repositories (IRs) in the South Asian region. The various characteristic features of IRs are studied.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the status of institutional repositories (IRs) in the South Asian region. The various characteristic features of IRs are studied.
Design/methodology/approach
Open directory of open access repositories (DOAR) as a data-gathering tool was consulted for extracting the desired data.
Findings
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh lead other South Asian nations in terms of IRs count. Majority of the IRs are operational in nature with higher number of operational IRs from India. In terms of record count, India leads the list. “Journal articles” outscore other content type and majority of the IRs have OAI-PMH as their base URL. DSpace stays a prioritized software for content management in IRs. Majority of the IRs have not defined their content management policies. English stays a prioritized language of the content dotting the South Asian IRs and majority of the IRs not providing usage statistics. A good score of IRs has incorporated Web 2.0 tools in them with RSS as the preferred Web 2.0 tool. A good count of the IRs has not customized their interface. Majority of the IRs have interface in two languages.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of the study is that the findings of the research are based on the data collected through the repositories indexed by Open DOAR.
Originality/value
The study tries to explore the characteristic features of IRs from the South Asian region.
Details
Keywords
Arindam Datta, Ved Prakash Sharma, Tanushree Gaine and Meena Sehgal
Different pollutants emission due to the conventional energy consumption process is of major concern owed to its significant effect on human health vis-à-vis regional climate. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Different pollutants emission due to the conventional energy consumption process is of major concern owed to its significant effect on human health vis-à-vis regional climate. The purpose of this paper is to develop mitigation strategies to reduce the pollutant concentrations in the rural households conducted in a pristine rural village of Indian Sunderban area.
Design/methodology/approach
During winter, 2014, 20 households which were using traditional biomass cookstove for cooking and kerosene-lamp for lighting (KIT-TRD) were randomly selected. Specific type of improved forced draft biomass cookstove and solar lantern were used in ten of the selected households (KIT-IMP). Real time concentrations of particulate matter (PM) (PM2.5, PM10) and carbon monoxide (CO) during day and evening time cooking period were measured in KIT-IMP and KIT-TRD. A simulation model was established to evaluate most potential factor to control the level of pollutants inside the kitchen.
Findings
Conventional processes of energy consumption in the households, along with the outdoor concentration of pollutants influence the indoor concentration of measured pollutants. The concentration of PM and CO was significantly lower in the KIT-IMP than the other. In the KIT-TRD households, the daytime concentration of PM and CO was significantly higher compared to the evening. The simulated output overestimated the concentration of PM10 and CO in the KIT-TRD.
Originality/value
The concentration of PM2.5, PM10 and CO significantly reduces in the indoor environment with the introduction of improved cookstove and solar lantern; however, further research is required to develop optimum sizes of window and door in the rural households to reduce the concentrations of different pollutants inside the kitchen.
Details
Keywords
Amanpreet Kaur, Mahesh Joshi and GaganDeep Singh
The study aims to examine the relation between corporate reputation and a firm’s systematic risk for top performing Indian companies.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine the relation between corporate reputation and a firm’s systematic risk for top performing Indian companies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses Panel regression analysis of the data from the top 500 listed Indian companies constituting the BSE500 index over a 15-year period from 1 April 2002–31 March 2017. Firm age and shareholders’ return have been used as proxy of firm reputation. This paper use signalling theory to explain the impact of corporate reputation on market risk where proxy for the corporate reputation is seen as an information available to the market.
Findings
The findings show a significant positive impact of corporate reputation on systematic risk, indicating that a firm’s systematic risk increases with its reputation. Specifically, the findings suggest that reputed firms experience increased levels of market risk and scrutiny from stakeholders.
Practical implications
The results will help corporate managers from developing economies where corporate reputation plays an important role in determining the investment behaviour.
Originality/value
This study deploys two broad approaches to measure reputation and discern its impact on risk, such as reputation among financial stakeholders and reputation among public stakeholders on market risk, specifically on fast emerging Indian market.
Details
Keywords
Rajesh Kumar Singh, Pravin Kumar and Mahesh Chand
Today, most of the manufacturing systems are changing very fast in terms of the adoption of new technologies. New technologies being implemented are Internet of Things, cyber…
Abstract
Purpose
Today, most of the manufacturing systems are changing very fast in terms of the adoption of new technologies. New technologies being implemented are Internet of Things, cyber physical systems, cloud computing, Big Data analytics and information and communication technologies. Most of the organizations in the value chain are implementing these technologies at the individual level rather than across the whole supply chain. It makes the supply chain less coordinated and causes suboptimal utilization of resources. For efficient and optimal use of modern technologies, supply chains should be highly coordinated. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an approach for determining the index to quantify coordination in the supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
From the literature review, total 32 factors have been identified. These factors are further clubbed into six clusters for evaluation of the coordination index. The graph theoretic approach has been used for evaluating the coordination index of a supply chain of an Indian organization.
Findings
This study has illustrated a comprehensive approach to quantify coordination of a supply chains for effective benchmarking of the supply chain performance in the Industry 4.0 era. Presently, it is observed that top management is giving more focus on organizational issues such as lean organization structure, organization culture and responsiveness factors for improving coordination in the supply chain rather than on Industry 4.0 technologies.
Originality/value
This framework can also be used for comparison, ranking and analysis of coordination issues in different supply chains in the era of Industry 4.0. Organizations can use this approach for benchmarking purpose also to improve different supply chain processes for meeting dynamic market requirements.
Details
Keywords
Sunith Hebbar, Mahesh Prabhu H., Sakshi Laddha and Adithi Udupa
Intense competition in every sector has put administrators under tremendous pressure to develop strategies for survival, and the educational sector is no exception. This paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Intense competition in every sector has put administrators under tremendous pressure to develop strategies for survival, and the educational sector is no exception. This paper aims to explore the dynamics between the factors that affect the quality of engineering institutes by developing an interpretive model.
Design/methodology/approach
The factors that affect the quality of engineering institutes are identified through a thorough review of extant literature, and the dynamics between them are studied using the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique. The developed model has also been statistically validated.
Findings
Results indicate that top management leadership, location and infrastructure drive academics, research and consultancy, industry collaboration and placements, resulting in accreditation from global agencies, thereby improving the institute’s quality.
Research limitations/implications
The TISM framework was developed based on the suggestions of the majority of respondents rather than using a fuzzy one, which requires a much larger data set. Nevertheless, the bias of the majority approach can be removed by multiple conversations with respondents. Secondly, the model development and validation are based on the perceptions of faculty members working at engineering institutes in India. Scholars can extend the work in the future by identifying additional factors and considering administrators’ perceptions.
Originality/value
The study integrates the factors that impact the quality of engineering institutes in a unique way to understand their combined impact. The developed framework will assist policymakers in identifying and dedicating adequate resources to essential factors that drive the other factors, thereby enhancing the institute’s ranking.
Details
Keywords
Amanpreet Kaur, Mahesh Joshi, Sharad Sharma and Gagandeep Singh
This study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance, in particular board diversity, and corporate social performance (CSP) amongst the top 500 listed…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance, in particular board diversity, and corporate social performance (CSP) amongst the top 500 listed companies in India.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from the top 500 listed Indian companies constituting the BSE500 index for a five-year period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2019 are used to test the impact of the proportion of women directors, proportion of women independent directors, female CEOs and other corporate governance variables on CSP.
Findings
The results of panel regression analysis suggest that firms characterised by high proportions of women directors, independent women directors or a female CEO spend more on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Furthermore, CEO duality, board size and board independence are positively related to social performance. These findings are of relevance to the policymakers and board of directors who are engaged in meeting corporate governance requirements.
Practical implications
This is one of the initial studies to document the impact of executive-level female representation on CSP following India's 2013 regulations on mandatory women representation on boards and CSR expenditure. The study reveals that greater gender diversity on corporate boards significantly boosts CSP, offering strategic advantages in governance and CSR. The study offers practical benefits for various stakeholders including corporate regulators, policymakers and corporate managers.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the corporate governance and CSR literature by showing that good governance practices and high women representation on boards promote social performance. Our study is one of the preliminary efforts to document the level and impact of female representation at the executive level on CSP after the regulation of minimum women representation on corporate boards and mandatory CSR expenditure requirement introduced in India in 2013.
Details
Keywords
Pritpal Singh Bhullar, Mahesh Joshi, Sharad Sharma, Duc Hong Thi Phan and Anh Lan Nguyen
The purpose of the current study is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by understanding the rationale, benefits and consequences of taxing cryptocurrency…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the current study is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by understanding the rationale, benefits and consequences of taxing cryptocurrency transactions. This study investigates where taxation and cryptocurrencies meet from an investment standpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive bibliometric study was conducted to offer a thorough examination of the published literature in the last decade pertaining to the intersection of cryptocurrencies and taxation across nations. This study provides an analysis of citation patterns, prominent authors, publication trends and thematic clusters by applying VOSviewer and R-studio.
Findings
The results indicate a tendency in the existing literature to address the taxes concerns associated with cryptocurrency transactions. The findings demonstrate that cryptocurrency taxation discrepancies across countries create tax evasion, transaction risks and market uncertainties.
Practical implications
The report provides a theoretical framework for policymakers and financial experts to create a global cryptocurrency tax regime. The study emphasizes the need to incorporate technology start-ups to mitigate public safety and security risks, strengthen financial systems and provide regulators with necessary supervision.
Originality/value
The study provides an extensive on taxation issues such as tax evasion and money laundering in the context of cryptocurrency. There has been no prior effort to explore this research domain so deeply and provide comprehensive details on cryptocurrency.
Details
Keywords
Mahesh Gaikwad, Suvir Singh, N. Gopalakrishnan, Pradeep Bhargava and Ajay Chourasia
This study investigates the impact of the fire decay phase on structural damage using the sectional analysis method. The primary objective of this work is to forecast the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impact of the fire decay phase on structural damage using the sectional analysis method. The primary objective of this work is to forecast the non-dimensional capacity parameters for the axial and flexural load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) sections for heating and the subsequent post-heating phase (decay phase) of the fire.
Design/methodology/approach
The sectional analysis method is used to determine the moment and axial capacities. The findings of sectional analysis and heat transfer for the heating stage are initially validated, and the analysis subsequently proceeds to determine the load capacity during the fire’s heating and decay phases by appropriately incorporating non-dimensional sectional and material parameters. The numerical analysis includes four fire curves with different cooling rates and steel percentages.
Findings
The study’s findings indicate that the rate at which the cooling process occurs after undergoing heating substantially impacts the axial and flexural capacity. The maximum degradation in axial and flexural capacity occurred in the range of 15–20% for cooling rates of 3 °C/min and 5 °C/min as compared to the capacity obtained at 120 min of heating for all steel percentages. As the fire cooling rate reduced to 1 °C/min, the highest deterioration in axial and flexural capacity reached 48–50% and 42–46%, respectively, in the post-heating stage.
Research limitations/implications
The established non-dimensional parameters for axial and flexural capacity are limited to the analysed section in the study owing to the thermal profile, however, this can be modified depending on the section geometry and fire scenario.
Practical implications
The study primarily focusses on the degradation of axial and flexural capacity at various time intervals during the entire fire exposure, including heating and cooling. The findings obtained showed that following the completion of the fire’s heating phase, the structural capacity continued to decrease over the subsequent post-heating period. It is recommended that structural members' fire resistance designs encompass both the heating and cooling phases of a fire. Since the capacity degradation varies with fire duration, the conventional method is inadequate to design the load capacity for appropriate fire safety. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a performance-based approach while designing structural elements' capacity for the desired fire resistance rating. The proposed technique of using non-dimensional parameters will effectively support predicting the load capacity for required fire resistance.
Originality/value
The fire-resistant requirements for reinforced concrete structures are generally established based on standard fire exposure conditions, which account for the fire growth phase. However, it is important to note that concrete structures can experience internal damage over time during the decay phase of fires, which can be quantitatively determined using the proposed non-dimensional parameter approach.