Peter Stokes, Mitch Larson, S. Balasubrahmanyam and Sanjay Kumar Singh
Sanjay Bhattacharya, K. Chandrasekhar Iyer and Kirankumar Momaya
The purpose of this paper is to determine the enablers of growth that need to be deployed in construction companies in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the enablers of growth that need to be deployed in construction companies in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a case‐based approach which attempts to compare the enablers of growth amongst the selected companies, based on interviews of the top management, secondary published literature review and analysis based on strategy diamond framework. The companies are selected on the basis of theoretical sampling of polar performances.
Findings
The study explores a cross‐section of construction companies having diverse growth performance on the basis of several parameters and assesses them in terms of enablers of growth. It attempts to record the reasons behind the success and failures of the select companies.
Research limitations/implications
The lessons derived can be utilized to orient aspiring construction companies in India towards growth and enhancing their chances of successfully competing with the large and international players.
Originality/value
This paper offers growth perspectives to strategy literature in terms of enablers, related to construction companies.
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Reimara Valk, Mandy van der Velde, Marloes van Engen and Betina Szkudlarek
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of cultural identity change, organizational and social support and cultural distance on repatriation experiences of Indian…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of cultural identity change, organizational and social support and cultural distance on repatriation experiences of Indian international assignees.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi‐structured interviews were held with 19 Indians on international assignment in The Netherlands and 11 Indians repatriated from The Netherlands. Respondents were asked to reflect on their cultural identity changes and the effects of social support, organizational support and cultural distance between the host and the home country on their international assignment and repatriation experiences. Iterative thematic analyses revealed five central themes: cultural identity independence; knowledge utilization and organizational learning; social network support; global career prospects in the Indian economy; work‐life balance.
Findings
Cultural identity changes ranged from low adaptation to Dutch culture and happiness on return to India through to high cultural flexibility and readiness to move to another sojourn. The majority of respondents reported great appreciation by their supervisors and co‐workers and utilization of their knowledge gained in The Netherlands. These factors, in addition to good career prospects and social support from their informal networks, contributed positively to their repatriation experiences.
Originality/value
This study challenges the frequently reported negative repatriation experiences of sojourners from the West.
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This paper aims to review the higher education system in India and to examine the challenges and opportunities for cross border higher education.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the higher education system in India and to examine the challenges and opportunities for cross border higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a review of published statistics and extant literature on Indian higher education provision, regulatory mechanisms and cross border higher education.
Findings
The higher education system in India is long established, has many strengths and has significant potential for growth. Whilst the regulatory system is largely onerous and could be simplified, there is significant scope for growth of cross border higher education.
Originality/value
Within the context of the current developments taking place in the higher education sector in India, this paper addresses issues related to growth and the challenges and opportunities for cross border higher education.
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Biju Varkkey and Randhir Kumar
The Indian diamond cutting and polishing (CPD) industry enjoys a global leadership position, but at the same time is vulnerable to economic shifts in the global market…
Abstract
Purpose
The Indian diamond cutting and polishing (CPD) industry enjoys a global leadership position, but at the same time is vulnerable to economic shifts in the global market. Historically, such shocks have resulted in shake down of the industry, including closures, bankruptcies, job losses and labour unrest. Most recently, the vulnerability was experienced during the economic recession of 2008, which impacted both entrepreneurs and diamond workers alike. The shock elicited different adaptation strategies from individual firms. The paper aims to understand the adaptation strategies of large and formally organized diamond enterprises in Surat, India, with particular reference to “labour hoarding” as a strategy for workforce management.
Design/methodology/approach
Using case studies of four large CPD firms, the paper investigates patterns in managerial decision making pertaining to workforce management and adaptation strategies taken during recession. The authors also traced the subject companies' performance post‐recession. The tool used for data collection was semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with entrepreneurs and human resource managers. For additional inputs and triangulation of findings, content analysis of news reports, along with interactions with several knowledgeable persons from both industry and government, were conducted.
Findings
The authors' study of the sample firms neither supports the popular notion of “workforce retention by large diamond enterprises, in spite of recession” nor the generalized statements about “massive lay‐offs by all”, as reported in popular media. The authors found that, due to recessionary pressure, there was a deep managerial dilemma in the companies about how to strike the right trade‐off between workforce retention (labour hoarding) and downsizing. The paper argues that, post‐recession, the companies whose decisions were pro‐labour retention (hoarding) oriented were able to come back in business stronger and perform better.
Originality/value
The diamond industry of India is ethno‐bound in its functioning, where community and regional/linguistic affiliations of both workers and entrepreneurs traditionally played a vital role. Therefore, the employee management practices adopted do not strictly fall within the general realm of western management practices or popular HRM frameworks. The study shows that context‐dependent employee management strategies, suiting the need for maintaining the traditional ethno‐bound values even during recessionary pressure, created long‐term positive effects for the firm.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyse a women entrepreneurial model that promotes inclusive strategy and organizational structure for sustainable outcomes in a masculine society.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse a women entrepreneurial model that promotes inclusive strategy and organizational structure for sustainable outcomes in a masculine society.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts qualitative research methods, such as case study and in‐depth interviews, to analyse possible factors that promote sustainable outcomes among rural women entrepreneurs, such as purpose, processes and products of the strategy and stakeholders. The paper reviews existing literature on women entrepreneurship, especially in a masculine society.
Findings
The analysis reveals that women face three primary challenges: ability to take financial risk, ability to mitigate organisational risk, and ability to empower as a social collective. It also highlights that there are different phases of enterprise development and each phase requires a dedicated strategy. Lastly it identifies several social, political and economic advantages that are embedded in a social enterprise, if a social entrepreneurial sustainable model is adopted.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is confined to qualitative methods applied to key resource persons and case study. The paper does not include a survey of all the beneficiaries.
Practical implications
The outcome of this paper shall be useful for the government, funding agencies, and non‐government organisations to formulate an inclusive and sustainable policy that enables women to become successful entrepreneurs.
Social implications
This paper will influence across South Asia that faces similar socio‐economic challenges of women marginalization.
Originality/value
The paper is unique in providing a social entrepreneurship sustainable model for promoting inclusive outcomes in a masculine society.
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This paper aims to draw attention to the responsibility of CSR in SMEs.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to draw attention to the responsibility of CSR in SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
Examining the emergence of the global and Indian CSR discourse and India's industrial and SME domain in particular in the context of global value chains and SME policy, this conceptual paper looks at the deficiencies in the present approaches. Drawing upon existing literature on global value chains, codes of conduct and multi‐stakeholder initiatives, it articulates the special challenge posed by the issues of labour rights and humane working conditions.
Findings
This paper suggests that SMEs by themselves cannot take up this responsibility and that the codes of conduct of transnational corporations would also be of limited utility and an active governmental role is necessary.
Originality/value
The paper calls for a change in political culture that looks at humane labour practices as a necessary condition for work and not as a liability in the pursuit of investments to provide a counterweight to the race to the bottom that has been triggered through export‐oriented growth in SMEs.
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Ajay K. Jain, Sabir I. Giga and Cary L. Cooper
The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of organizational stressors on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and how perceived organizational support (POS) will…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of organizational stressors on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and how perceived organizational support (POS) will moderate in the relationship between stressors and citizenship behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample for this research involves operators from call center organizations located around the national capital of India. A questionnaire survey was carried out involving 402 operator level employees from five different organizations.
Findings
The results highlight a significant negative relationship between organizational stressors and OCB, a significant positive relationship between POS and OCB, and confirmation that POS moderates in the relationship between organizational stressors and OCB.
Research limitations/implications
This research has been carried out in an emerging economy and in a sector which is seen as an attractive area of work. However, as this study is limited to the BPO sector in India, these results may not be generalized to other areas such as the public and manufacturing sectors and in other national contexts. Future research in this area should also consider using different data collection approaches to maximize participation and enrich findings.
Practical implications
The analysis suggests that change management initiatives in organizations may not be implemented as effectively as they can under high stressor conditions because employee extra‐role work behavior and commitment may not be at full capacity.
Originality/value
There is limited research examining the relationship between organizational stressors and OCB in the presence of POS, especially within high demand environments such as the Indian BPO sector.
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Neeti Leekha Chhabra and Sanjeev Sharma
Contrary to the expectations, most of the corporate entities fail to provide the much sought after results for development and engagement of their employees. However, since…
Abstract
Purpose
Contrary to the expectations, most of the corporate entities fail to provide the much sought after results for development and engagement of their employees. However, since National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is a preferred employer, the authors conducted an in‐depth study. The main objective of the research was to study and identify the unique HR practices of NTPC towards training, development and performance management that make it a preferred employer.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in two phases with a focus on the employees at Power Management Institute (PMI) of NTPC at Noida, UP. In the first phase, an in‐depth study of the company's literature was undertaken. For this, human resource (HR) related literature and manuals were studied and analysed. In the second phase, informal structured interviews and focus interviews were conducted with 50 middle level employees and 20 senior level executives across functions, out of a total of 150 employees, in order to achieve the above mentioned purpose of the study.
Findings
The company aims at becoming a learning organization and offers many unique features to its employees such as sponsoring a Masters in Technology (M.Tech.) degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi amongst others, making it an employer of choice.
Practical implications
Retention and attraction is one of the biggest challenges facing the corporate world today. The study of NTPC's HR practices will facilitate understanding of strategies that supplement engagement and development.
Originality/value
It would help corporate entities and professionals who are charged with the responsibility to engage and develop employees.
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Managerial success as an academic concept has not been researched and explored adequately in the management literature. The purpose of this research paper is to identify and…
Abstract
Purpose
Managerial success as an academic concept has not been researched and explored adequately in the management literature. The purpose of this research paper is to identify and analyze a set of success indicators that the working managers value most in their professional life. Further, these selective managerial success indicators were prioritized for different managerial hierarchies in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The data analysis was carried out using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique as the basis for the comparisons of the success indicators for various levels of managerial hierarchy as well as for the representing variables under each success indicator.
Findings
The results established the prioritization of the managerial success indicators for the senior, middle, and junior levels of managerial hierarchy. The aggregative analyses for the entire data set also prioritized the variables under each success indicator studied in this research.
Research limitations/implications
The study has practical implications for the top management in terms of providing them with the definitive success indicators of the working professionals, hence helping them achieve success by suitably facilitating these factors. The recruitment specialists can select the incumbent managers with the individualized characteristics identified in this study that facilitate professional success.
Originality/value
This research has addressed a relatively unexplored area of managerial success in the Indian context and outlined a framework for the prioritization of success factors by the Indian managerial community.