Search results

The ever-widening competitive global markets demand food business to demonstrate safe food supplies across the world. The causes of food borne illness are complex to determine and require a careful evaluation of all stages of food supply chain and food safety practices. The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the factors responsible for the assessment of food supply chain and evaluation of food safety system in India.

The study utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative approach by exploring expert’s opinion systematically using a semi-structured interview followed by careful grouping of responses using the grounded theory approach to build the research theme. The prioritization of the critical factors is carried out using Pareto analysis. The methodological review was carried out to identify factors and categorize them based on their impact on hierarchical logical relationship using total interpretive structural modeling approach to determine the enablers.

This paper attempts to deliver an inimitable list of seven vital factors for the effective design of evaluation system for food safety practices. The study provides a careful insight on the issue pertaining to designing of assessment system including competence building for assessor and availability of well-defined technical protocol. The recommendation for developing a robust food safety inspection system by implementing stricter regulation, enhancing competence and design initiatives is provided.

The study provides a unique list of factors for the assessment of food safety practices and develops the relationship. Food safety assessment is an integral part of food safety study which is systematically explored and conceptualized in this paper. The study is carried out using the opinion of Indian experts.

India is in the process to achieve an important place in $2,000bn global food trade. In order to achieve this goal, there is a need to develop a food safety system which is well written down in line with international practices that are highly coordinated based on self-compliance to assure consumer protection. Accordingly, many organizations undergo assessment of their food safety system to verify compliance internally as well as externally. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on the critical factors and benefits by evaluating the food safety assessment practices.

A questionnaire-based survey is conducted among 96 Indian food business operators and regulators involved in assessment practices to obtain critical factors for the assessment of food safety practices. The questionnaire captures indicators for motivations or challenges and benefits of food safety assessment to identify critical factors using exploratory factor analysis. Model for the food safety assessment practices was developed based on multiple regression analysis by determining the impact of factors on the benefits of food safety assessment.

This paper identifies four factors responsible for assessing food safety practices, namely, business-centric approach, legislative needs, technical practices and organization resentment as a combination of reasons and challenges along with two benefits risk: protection and organization reinforcement. The regression analysis indicates that the organization reinforcement gets positively impacted by business and technical practices and negatively by organization resentment. Risk protection has a significant relationship with legislative needs.

This is the first attempt to systematically explore the factors around the assessment of food safety practices in India. This study provides inputs for the practical application of managers and regulators.

This study aims to understand the socio-cultural context of Indian women's high-tech entrepreneurial experience. Despite a small proportion of women entrepreneurs, and the traditional gender dynamics among the educated middle-classes that appears to be antithetical to female entrepreneurship; women-led high-tech start-ups are on the rise.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women founders at an academic incubator in an elite Indian Institute of Technology. The study was based on the post-structural feminist approach that women entrepreneurs are embedded in their socio-cultural and institutional context. During data collection, the Coronavirus lockdown provided a natural experiment, highlighting entrepreneurial response to unforeseen obstacles.

It finds that the context is significant in constructing opportunity, and in navigating challenges of gender and entrepreneurship. Further, in the process of construction of an entrepreneurial identity, women innovators not only reproduce, but also modify their context. Also, the experiences with academic incubator indicate positive results both for gender dynamics and enhancing an emergent entrepreneurial culture.

The study highlights that women's high-tech entrepreneurship has considerable potential for enhancing women's status in society through the support of academic incubator. This has certain implications for policy.

It provides an insight in to the hitherto neglected issue of women's high-tech entrepreneurship in India, and argues that a study of “social embeddedness” not only highlights constraints for women entrepreneurs unique to that context, but also the potential of women's entrepreneurship in advancing women's agency and gender equality.

This paper aims to identify specific corporate governance determinants of asset quality in the Indian banking system and suggest a future course of action for research in the Indian banking industry. The results will guide other developing nations to handle poor asset quality in banks. Nations with economic interest in India can take cognisance from the results.

The authors identify the determinants of asset quality for the Indian banks using novel data from 2010 to 2019 through a dynamic panel data approach. The authors analyse 45 public and private sector banks using general method of moments.

The results indicate that intensity of board activities, board functioning and ownership concentration are significant determinants of asset quality. Furthermore, the study hypotheses on board independence and board size are rejected as they do not significantly impact the asset quality. The authors also call for further research on the qualitative aspects of gender diversity, board independence and special committee activity for better insights.

This is the first study to identify specific corporate governance determinants of asset quality for the Indian banking system using a dynamic panel data approach with data spanning over ten years from 45 banks. Unlike all other studies, the authors have used both bank-specific and macroeconomic variables as control variables, making the results accurate and reliable. The authors also recognise the persistent nature of asset quality.

The consumption of organic wine has witnessed exponential growth, mainly because of changing lifestyles, rising disposable income, modernity aspects and claimed health benefits. Understanding the motivations and attributes affecting organic wine consumption (OWC) provides a limited perspective on consumption and behavioral patterns.

This study used a set of screening criteria to arrive at the final choice of fine-dining restaurants and bars that serve wine in their outlets. Based on the selected locations, we gathered responses from 558 consumers aged 18 years and above with prior experience of buying organic and non-organic wine. The hypothesized model was validated using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). From the perspective of organic wine consumption, the research findings exhibit significant links between the drivers.

The findings underscore the moderating impact of ethnocentrism toward shaping consumers’ attitudes and brand love. Additionally, gender and consumption frequency indicated significant variations among consumers of organic wine. Female consumers strongly believe that consumption of organic wine provides health benefits, societal acceptance and moments of joy. Additionally, men usually associate wine consumption with enhanced their affective, convivial and sensory pleasure.

This study examines the drivers and marketing outcomes of organic wine consumption using Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) and the Theory of Hedonic Asymmetry (THA).

Economists and governments worldwide are largely concerned about sustainability, CO₂ footprint and climate change, which are mostly caused by fossil fuel emissions. This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the significant role played by renewable energy (RE) sources in generating clean energy for achieving sustainable net-zero standards and mitigating climate change.

A thorough review of literature was conducted on the topic to provide insights into the existing state about the adoption of RE sources to achieve the net-zero goals.

As a result of the extensive review, it is found that all forms of RE, such as hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy and geothermal power, are currently being used in many countries. Also, application of these sources across various sectors and their environmental consequences also vary for each RE source.

This chapter emphasises that adoption of RE sources is crucial to reduce the usage of limited fossil-based natural resources, which have significant negative effects on the environment. The adoption of RE at large scale requires the implementation of new regulations and policies along with technological progress for enhancing the affordability and effectiveness of these sources.

This chapter provides compelling evidence to support the acceleration of the transition from a vulnerable fossil fuel–dependent economy to a sustainable low-carbon one, with RE sources playing a central role.

The paper explores the managerial perceptions in Indian apparel manufacturing firms related to production performance, challenges faced, causes of low efficiency and the government support needed.

A structured survey of Indian apparel manufacturing firms was undertaken in person and through the online mode; the questionnaire was designed to collect data on demographic profile of a firm using categorical questions and perceptions of its top managers using a five-point Likert scale.

The survey findings reveal that most apparel manufacturing firms believe that exporting promotes efficiency and adopt output orientation to production, which may not be suitable in a competitive and uncertain environment. Machines are not used much for value-addition and labour related issues are most pressing challenges. Government support is expected for several aspects such as power supply and skill development.

The paper is limited by the nature of the sampling method and sample size; perceptions should be explored without bias and with good judgement.

The survey findings suggest that government policy should have a firm-specific approach to support improved production performance along with generic policies to build infrastructure and logistical facilities.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, there has been no such exercise to study managerial perceptions related to production performance in Indian apparel manufacturing in the past decade.

The purpose of this review was to examine Indian research on help-seeking for mental health problems in adults.

Original Indian research studies on help-seeking for mental health, published from the year 2001−2019 were searched on PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest and OVID using a set of relevant keywords. After applying exclusion criteria, 52 relevant research studies were identified.

The reviewed studies spanned a variety of themes such as barriers and facilitators to help-seeking, sources of help-seeking, causal attributions as well as other correlates of help-seeking, process of help-seeking and interventions to increase help-seeking. The majority of these studies were carried out in general community samples or treatment-seeking samples. Very few studies incorporated non-treatment seeking distressed samples. There is a severe dearth of studies on interventions to improve help-seeking. Studies indicate multiple barriers to seeking professional help and highlight that mere knowledge about illness and availability of professional services may be insufficient to minimize delays in professional help-seeking.

Help-seeking in the Indian context is often a family-based decision-making process. Multi-pronged help-seeking interventions that include components aimed at reducing barriers experienced by non-treatment seeking distressed persons and empowering informal support providers with knowledge and skills for encouraging professional help-seeking in their significant others may be useful.

The study intends to evaluate first the performance of Indian institutions ranked in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2019. Second, it compares the performance of Indian institutions with international rankings. Third, it spotlights a model for predicting the criteria that will improve these institutions' national and international rankings.

The cluster analysis has been undertaken to group the sample of 100 institutions into three groups. Further, discriminant analysis has been performed to uncover the criteria that cause significant variations in the ranking. Third, a comparative study is conducted on the international ranking parameters to explore the factors responsible for their lower rank in the global ranking.

The results reveal that most institutions are low-performing for “research and professional practice” and “peer perception” criteria. Meanwhile, the performance of top-ranked institutions is unsatisfactory on the “outreach and inclusivity” criterion. The study also finds that the national ranking of Indian institutions is significantly affected by the “research and professional practice” and “peer perception” scores, which also results in their low rank in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking.

This study can be an exemplary model for any developing nation to upgrade its higher education institutions' (HEIs’) performance in international tables

The government can develop policies to better low-performing universities and initiate policy changes in the incapacitated spheres for building a globally distinctive image for the Indian universities. The policymakers can recognise the institutions showcasing excellent research and teaching performance and encourage them accordingly to be the best research or teaching universities as it is not possible for every university to be the best in teaching and research aspect both.

The policymakers can also focus more on developing research collaboration form other countries and industry for research universities and professional staff from leading industries for teaching collaborations for the rest. The HPIs should focus on creating a global image for themselves and MPIs and LPIs should be encouraged to raise their national ranking.

The study is a novel attempt to present the present state of Indian institutions grounded on all the national ranking criteria. It further compares the performance of sample NIRF institutions with international rankings criterion to suggest policy changes for improving their performance at the global level.