014881   Jitender Kumar;Pal K;Mahapatra S N;Kundu S S (Management Studies and Humanities Dep, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Science and Technology Univ, Murthal) : Altman's model for predicting business failure: case study of hafed. Abhigyan 2011, 29(3), 57-62.

This study analyzed the liquidity, solvency, efficiency and profitability of HAFED, Further, Z-score Altman model has been applied to examine the financial viability and to suggest the policy makers for the further improvement of HAFED. No doubt financial analysis shed light for better understanding and evaluating the results of business operations and explaining how healthy a business is doing. The researchers used the Altman Z-score model with ratio analysis for this purpose. The study results for the period 2004-05 to 2008-09 shows strong financial position of HAFED. According to the results of Altman model HAFED stands in healthy zone in terms of its financial viability throughout the study period. At the same time, results of different ratios also indicating that HAFED is being improving its position year after year with some fluctuations. Finally, HAFED may on a going concern in the future.

19 ref

014880   Jain S K (Water Resources Development and Management Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee-247 667, Email: s_k_jain@yahoo.com) : India's water balance and evapotranspiration. Curr Sci 2012, 102(7), 964-7.

5 tables, 11 ref

014879   Asadullah B;Mohammed Esmail S;Nagarajan M (NO, Mazharul Uloom College, Ambur, Taml Nadu) : Job satisfaction among library professionals in Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. Asian J Inf Sci Technol 2012, 2(2), 60-3.

This study attempts to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and job satisfaction among academic library professionals in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is observed from this study that the experienced library professionals were more satisfied than less experienced. Library professional with higher qualification was more satisfied with job than with less qualification and permanent library professionals were more satisfied with their jobs comparatively management library professionals. The findings of this study are helpful for administration of the concerned regional body for policy formulation regarding human assets.

9 tables, 5 ref

014878   Akhila A (NO, , Flat 2C, 6th Floor, Tower 10, Metrocity, Paper Mill Colony, Nishaqtganj, Lucknow-226 006, Email: akhiladr@hotmail.com) : And now AcSIR. Curr Sci 2012, 102(6), 830.

^ssc1 ref

013719   Soni S;Upadhyaya M;Kautish P (NO, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur, Rajasthan) : Generational differences in work commitment of software professionals: myth or reality?. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 30-42.

Paper explores the generational diversity inherent in the modern organizations. It examines the generational differences between Generation-X (born between 1960-1980) and Generation-Y (born between 1980-2000) professionals working in the software industry. The study attempts to explore whether there are generational differences in work commitment between the two age cohorts or it's only a myth. A total of 250 respondents belonging to Software industries were administered a questionnaire. 125 respondents were typically X-Generation and 125 were Y- Generation employees. 50 percent of the respondents in both the cases were males and 50 percent of the respondents were females. The study examined generational differences for the five types of work commitment -work involvement, job involvement, work group commitment, organizational commitment and professional commitment. Organizational commitment and professional commitment in turn had three components each- affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. Thus, a total of nine factors were examined for the study. The data was analyzed using two-tailed t-tests (pooled variances method). The results reveal that the two generations differed significantly only on three of the nine factors examined. Thus, the generations are more homogenous than heterogeneous in their work values and beliefs. This finding has serious implications for research and practice. It provides the HR managers a useful insight that the observed differences are attributable to other factors (career and stage of life) instead of being an exclusive and true 'generational divide.

2 tables, 54 ref

013718   Sharma R (NO, NIILM Centre for Management Studies, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh) : Investigation into impulse buying behavior among Indian urban adolescents. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 43-9.

This research is an attempt to find the effect of gender, age, income and idolatry behavior on impulse buying in Indian adolescent consumers. In India, young population is one of the most attractive segments. These youth have some personality traits, likings and dislikings, beliefs, attitudes, based on their early age experience. These traits are the valuable tools for marketers to harness this growing segment. This study involved the collection of primary data of about 104 high school respondents, aged between 14to 18 years. The findings indicate that there are significant difference in Impulsive buying tendencies between male and female adolescents. However no significant differences were found in Impulsive buying tendencies based on age, income and idolatory behavior.

3 illus, 2 tables, 19 ref

013717   Goel S (NO, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon) : Capital structure and pecking order dimension and sharholders' interest in media industry- a comparative study of Zee TV and NDTV. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 19-29.

Media industry in India has undergone an experiential phase during the last decade. The changes were evident in their financing pattern as well. The present article is an attempt to analyze the financing structure of two leading units in the sector, viz. Zee TV and NDTV with regard to pecking order dimension. Also, Shareholders' Wealth Maximization aspect of ROE maximization and market performance have been discussed in detail using Du Pont Analysis and Beta analysis respectively. It is found that Zee is going for the pecking order dimension in its capital structure, whereas pecking order analysis fails in case of NDTV. The impact of financial leverage on shareholders' return is more in case of NDTV, verified by high risk-high return, than in Zee TV.

5 tables, 14 ref

013716   Gautam V (IIM-K, First Head-Management Dep, IIT-D, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi) : Longitudinal thinking: an action perspective. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 1-5.

As is being increasingly recognised in the design of policy formulation, strategic thinking or management interventions, the present is a result of the past state and the future state would be the result of the present state,not to over look the choices made today. This phenomena is known as 'longitudinal thinking'. It helps to see the roots and antecedents of the present state of affairs and thereby stengthen the search for better solutions and better forms. In research terms its a phenomena which covers repeated observation of the same items over long periods. The paper astutely takes the discussion forward and talks of the legacy that can be selectively decomposed into those elements which retard growth and those which accelarate growth. This helps in the scientific design of management interventions.

30 ref

013715   Durrani I R (NO, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Gujrat Univ, Pakistan) : Dynamics of human behaviour. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect D 2011, 30(2), 339-80.

Reviewed network aspects of human dynamics that link macrohistorical to micro-sociological and evolutionary processes. The ability to bond in communities of varying spatial scales is a special property of humans that happens through social networks. These networks have greater cohesion through invulnerability to disconnection without removal of k nodes. Menger's (1927) connectivity theorem shows that this property of k -cohesion mutually entails k node-independent paths between every pair of group members. Because of this property, i.e. by redundancy of communication, humans in such communities can utilize language and long-range communication to compensate for diminishing face-to-face interaction as groups grow large. For a given level k of cohesion, the maximally extensive e(k) group size is unbounded and scalable because, for each cohesive intensity' level k, the maximal group size can expand indefinitely without the need to increase the average number of ties per member. Hence, the growth of human community size is scalable at a fixed cost in number of ties per person, unlike those species unable to take advantage of k -connectivity. Strong causal effects, using the cohesion-level measure of empirical groups whose boundaries and extent are defined by e(k) I have been replicated and validated in various sociological and anthropological network studies. This allows to examine the micro-macro linkages between scalable properties of k -cohesive groups and concomitant socio-political processes and how they relate to the social and historical dynamics of socially cohesive networks.

013714   Durrani I R (NO, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Gujrat Univ, Pakistan) : Theory of money. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect D 2011, 30(2), 319-37.

The basic role of fiat money in a dynamic economy is considered. Its role as a virtual asset whose store of value properties are the outcome of the dynamics is explored and the role of the limits on the money supply and the bankruptcy laws in bounding prices are considered. The actions of the government may serve to bound individual expectations.

013713   Chawla D;Joshi H (NO, International Management Institute, New Delhi) : Knowledge management across various hierarchical levels in Indian organizations-a comparative study. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 6-18.

For effective Knowledge Management (KM) implementation, an organizational structure that facilitates knowledge creation and sharing is crucial. In a typical organization, the structure is divided into three levels, i.e., top, middle and lower level. Each level has defined roles, responsibilities and decisions to make. Often it is observed that employees at different levels in an organization perceive KM differently. The paper attempts to understand the differences in KM implementation at top and middle level employees by studying dimensions as given by Knowledge Management Assessment Tool (KMAT), viz.. Process, Leadership, Culture, Technology and Metrics. This comparison is done for two organization types, Public and private sector. A sample of 57 top and middle level executives of 16 private and public sector companies from India participated in the study. The results show that top level private sector mean scores are statistically higher on all dimensions as compared to top level public sector. Further, on comparing the mean scores of top and middle level employees of private sector, no significant difference is found. Similar results are found while comparing top and middle level of public sector. For the last combination, middle level private sector and middle level public sector employees, the former fares statistically better on all dimensions. The findings of the study can serve as input to both public and private sector organizations in India to develop best practices as part of a coherent KM strategy across hierarchies.

2 tables, 13 ref

013712   Ashok Kumar N;Manohar V (NO, V.H.N.S.N. College, Virudhunagar) : Evaluation of the size in the management of inventory in Tamil Nadu cement industry. Abhigyan 2011, 28(4), 50-8.

Effective management of the inventory is crucial to the performance of many organisations. Inventory is one of the key determinants of the productivity of cement industry. Inventory management plays an important role in the cement industry both in production of new assets and operational maintenance of existing assets. Therefore, the continuous availability of inventory is a prime requirement for the uninterrupted working and better capacity utilization. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficiency of inventory management in the select five cement manufacturing companies in Tamilnadu. The study also highlights the correlation between the size of inventory and sales and output of cement manufacturing units of the state.

3 tables, 10 ref

013711   Anandharaja E;Geetha S N (NO, Anna Univ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: anand_elind@yahoo.com) : Development of resilient workplace relationship among human resource climate. J Innovative Res Solut 2012, 1A(1), 102-9.

Stress is an inherent part of life and can arise from everyday hassles, negative events, and chronic life strains. Mental health problems among young people are an increasing problem in India and world wide. The World Health Organisation has predicted that depression will be the number one health issue in the world in 2020. Coping is the ongoing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional process of managing stress and the negative effects - biological, psychological, and social - it can have on people's lives. Successful coping depends on a variety of factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Coping efforts can focus directly on avoiding, reducing, or eliminating the stressor itself, or they can help people feel better about the situation or themselves in general. Because exposure to stress is unavoidable, the ability to cope effectively is critical for maintaining health and well-being. Inspite the ubiquity of the phenomenon of workplace friendships the antecedents to the development of such relationships as manifested in an organisation's human resource management climate remain relatively unexplored. Indeed a great deal of investment has been made to evaluate perceptual and behavioural responses of job incumbents in work arrangements, but the notion of HRM climate dimensions providing the platform for the opportunity and development of workplace friendship has yet to be entertained. This paper explores the concept of HRM climate dimensions which includes employee welfare, job autonomy, interdepartmental and cross hierarchical integration. It also includes the concept of resilience, factors,process and building resilience. It has been explored the role of relationships in achieving organizational work force resilience in the face of both crisis and to understand how relationships interact with other factors to produce resilience in the face of crisis. We found that layoffs after the crisis, while intended to foster recovery, which themselves were influenced by positive employee relations. A new study explores more explicitly the networks through which resilience work force among human resource climate can be improved.

14 ref

012690   Patjoshi P K (Management Studies Dep, Regional College of Management, Chandrasekharpur) : Impact of inflation on gross value added and net value added: an investigative study impact of inflation on corporate profitability. J Innovative Res Solut 2013, 1(1), 83-94.

Financial statements prepared on the historical cost basis do not essentially lead to a true and fair appearance of an entity's performance or future potential if capital is not being maintained. Price tends to change due to various factors like economical, social, political etc. This paper aims to demonstrate the disfiguring effects of inflation on the corporate profitability on Manufacturing Industry in India. The financial performances of 42 manufacturing companies covering 7 industrial sectors have been restated in current purchasing power for a period of 5 years (2004-05 to 2008-09). The Current Purchasing Power method has been employed for study the impact of inflation on financial performance. It is observed that after inflation adjustment, corporate profitability in Indian manufacturing industry have understated with respect to that measures calculated using historical cost based on financial statements. The study provides the financial information in a better way and it is very much useful to judge the performance of firms under inflationary condition for managerial decision making.

5 tables, 24 ref

012689   Norouzi S;Sepasi H;Nourbakhsh P (NO, College of Physical Education, Islamic Azad Univ, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran) : Relationships of human resources management, motivational skill and turnover. Ann Biol Res 2013, 4(2), 282-7.

Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of human resources management performance, job motivational skill and turnover. The population of this study was 140 staff and managers that working for a sport organization and randomly selected as subjects for this study. The effective management barriers on human resource management (Kane and Crawford,1999), Job motivational skills (Lawrence and Jordan, 2009) and factors reducing turnover (Ferris, 2004) questionnaires served as three instruments for measuring the intended variables. The results showed that the relationships between affecting barriers on human resources management and reduce staff turnover were significant at p <60> 0.05. But the relationship between affecting barriers on human resources management and job motivation was not reported to be significant. The results of regression analysis showed that neither affecting barriers on human resources management nor job motivation could not predict reduce staff turnover as a criterion variable.

26 ref

012688   Mehta G S;Kaur G;Khanchi M S (MBA Dep, Modern Institute of Engineering & Technology, Mohri, Kurukshetra) : Empirical study on: "price & consumer behavior of global depository receipts". Arya Bhatta J Math Inf 2012, 4(1), 49-54.

Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) have come into prominence recently as being the favored instrument by which companies from emerging markets such as Russia, India and China raise capital on western stock exchanges. Portfolio flows often referred to as h ot- money' are notoriously volatile capital flows. They have also responsible for spreading financial crisis causing contagion in international market. The explosive portfolio flow by FII brings with them great advantages as they are engine of growth, lowering cost of capital in many emering market. One of the outstanding features of globalization in the financial services industry is the increased access provided to non-local investors in several major stock markets of the world. Increasingly, stock markets from energing markets permit institutional investors to trade iin their domestic markets. This opening up of capital markets in emerging market countries has been perceived as beneficial by some researchers while others are concerned about possible adverse consequences. The purpose of the study is to examine the behavior of sample stock prices in weak, semi-strong and strong from of market efficiency in the GDR markets as well as in domestic markets. This study is essentially empirical and exploratory in nature.

7 ref

012687   Long C S;Ismail W K W;Rasid S Z A;Hwee K B; Jiun L Y (NO, Faculty of Management, Teknologi Malaysia Univ, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malayisa, Email: slchoi@utm.my) : Sustaining customers' loyalty: a survey of a coating resins manufacturer. J scient ind Res 2013, 72(12), 731-4.

This paper examines factors that can give impact to customer loyalty. Service and product quality are emphasized in this study. The quantitative survey type of research design was employed. Regression analysis has been used to measure the impact of customer satisfaction factors on customers' loyalty. This is a case study on a manufacturing that produce and sell coating resin to plastic component manufacturers. The results of this research show that there is a positive relationship among the dimension of product quality and service quality with customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Service quality also found to have bigger influence over customer loyalty compare to product quality.

3 tables, 12 ref

012686   Durrani I R (NO, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Gujrat Univ, Pakistan) : Angst and the stock market. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect D 2011, 30(1), 113-6.

Values of stocks, indices and other assets are examples of stochastic processes with unpredictable dynamics, this paper discusses asymmetries in short-term price movement that cannot be associated with a long-term positive trend. These empirical asymmetries predict that stock index drops are more common on a relatively short time scale than the corresponding rises. Furthermore, a simple model featuring occasional short periods of synchronized dropping prices for all stocks constituting the index is introduced with the aim of explaining these facts. The collective negative price movements are imagined, triggered by factors external to our society, as well as internal to the economy, that create fear of the future among investors. This is parameterized by a fear factor defined by the frequency of synchronized events. It is demonstrated that such a simple fear factor model can reproduce several empirical facts concerning index asymmetries. It is also pointed out that in its simplest form the model has certain shortcomings.

012685   Christain D R;Sheikh S (NO, Hislop College, Nagpur) : Diffusion style of conflict management among public sector and private sector employees. J Innovative Res Solut 2013, 1(1), 55-8.

Main aim of the study was to measure diffusion style of conflict management among public and private sector. The sample of the study consist of 60 samples which 50% from private sector and 50% from public sector from different of Nagpur. Two Independent Group Research Design was used. For collection of data Opinion Survey of Organizational Conflict style questionnaire by udai pareek was administered. Result shows that the diffusion style of conflict management is used significantly more by public sector employees than by private sector employees.

1 table, 12 ref

012684   Christain D R;Nagle J (NO, Hislop College, Nagpur) : Effect of work schedule and gender on organizational commitment of the employees. J Innovative Res Solut 2013, 1(1), 37-43.

Organizational commitment is most often defined as (l)a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organization; (2) A willingness to exert high levels of effort on behalf of the organization; a definite belief in; (3) and acceptance of, values and goals of the organization. It is an attitude which is determined by a number of personal (age, tenure in the organization, and dispositions such as positive or negative affectivity, or internal or external control attributions) and organizational (the job design and leadership style of one's supervisor) variables.

1 table, 16 ref

010527   Sonia (NO, Institute of Management Studies and Research, Maharishi Dayananda Univ, Rohtak, Haryana) : To know the awareness level among the customers towards brands of consumer's goods: a study carried out at Bhiwani district. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 198-201.

The Indian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry began to shape during the last fifty odd years. The FMCG sector is a corner stone of the Indian economy. This sector touches every aspect of human life. Indian FMCG market has been divided for a long time between the organized sector and the unorganized sector. Unlike the US market for FMCG which is dominated by a handful of global players, India's Rs. 460 billion FMCG market remains highly fragmented with roughly half the market going to unbranded, unpackaged home-made products. This presents a tremendous opportunity for makers of branded products who can persuade consumers to buy branded products. Globally, the FMCG sector has been successful in selling products to the lower and middle income groups, and the same is true in India. Over 70 percent of sales are made to middle class households today and over 50 percent is in rural India. The sector is excited about a burgeoning rural population whose income is rising and which is willing to spend on goods designed to improve lifestyle. Also with a near saturation and cut throat competition in urban India, many producers of FMCGs are driven to chalk out bold new strategies for targeting the rural consumer in a big way. Moreover, the arrival or existence of these goods must be known to consumer so that they can take interest and if found suitable to their needs and wants, they may go for ultimate purchase. The only way to reach this objective advertising is the dire need because; advertising is a mirror of society, reflecting people tastes habits and desires. Advertising is used for commercial purposes. Advertising today is used by everyone whether he is an individual, group, a company, a service organization, government and or social, non-commercial organization. It is advertising that keeps media independence align. Ad money pumps life into newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations. Without this money, the media would depend upon government or on political parties having vested interests for survival and would lose its freedom. Advertising gives the public the right to choose between many options, many brands.

8 tables, 25 ref

010526   Singh J;Chatterjee C;Sahai A (AIPS, Amity Univ, Uttar Pradesh) : Effect of social, psychological and physical factors on the quality of life among rural female afflicted with HIV in India. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 252-6.

Women are at increasing risk of the HIV pandemic and face high rates of morbidity and mortality. Adverse associated factors are also playing an important role in their QOL. Present research aimed to examine the physical, psychological and social factors associated with quality of life among a sample of 120 HIV Afflicted rural women from Eastern Districts of Uttar Pradesh. Structured instrument were used to assess socio-demographic profile of women living with HIV. It is found prominently in results that socio-demographical variables like age, race, economic status, marital status, education level and time of HIV diagnosis were significantly associated with QOL of HIV Afflicted Women. It is also clear that HIV symptoms, perceived stigma, depression, adjustment problems were significantly and negatively associated with QOL whereas social support, problem focused coping strategies, perceived control on situations and healthy life-styles were significantly and positively associated with QOL (all p<60>0.001) of HIV Afflicted Women. HIV symptoms frequency, depression, problem-focused coping, perceived situational control, perceived stigma, healthy life-styles and race remained significant predictors of QOL and explained 55% of the variance among the study participants. These findings promote the need for support and resources in rural Indian Women Living with HIV. Intervention components that enhance spiritual peace, perceived QOL, may potentially be effective strategies for helping rural women living with HIV positive to cope with HIV stigma.

4 tables, 50 ref

010525   Rathore N S;Choudhary M K (Psychology Dep, Rajasthan Univ, Jaipur) : Technical analysis of Indian stock market. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 226-32.

In India securities market have a very long history. The first stock exchange was set up in Bombay in 1875. Since then the number of stock exchanges in the country has grown to 23 including the Over the Counter Exchange of India (OTCEI), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). In NSE there are about 2000 companies are listed with a market capitalization of around Rs.5466750 Crore (December 2011) and is expected to become the biggest stock exchange in India in terms of market capitalization. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was set up in 1988 as an administrative arrangement.Among the major stock exchanges the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) dominate the Indian Capital Market. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is a value weighted index composed of 30 stocks with the base April 1979=100. It consist of the 30 largest and the most actively traded stocks. SENSEX touched 21,078 points on January 8, 2008.National Stock Exchange (NSE) was incorporated in November 1992 and in October 1995 it became the largest stock exchange of the country. It consists of a well diversified 50 stock index, nicknamed as S&P CNX Nifty or Nifty 50 or simply Nifty, accounting for 22 sectors of the Indian economy.

2 tables, 8 ref

010524   Katyal S (Human Development and Family Relations Dep, Government Home Science College, Chandigarh) : Correlates of burnout among female employees of non-nationalized banks. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 217-20.

The present investigation was conducted to get an insight into burnout as related to general health and social support among female employees working in non-nationalized banks. The study was carried out in Chandigarh and its satellite towns-Panchkula and S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, on a sample of 100 female employees having minimum of lyear of job experience from 5 non-nationalized banks (20 from each bank). Standardized tools were used to measure various variables of the study. The findings revealed that majority of the subjects worked daily for 9-10 hours; frequently did overtime work with no payment and felt pressurized due to weekly targets. They were moderately satisfied with their job. They had moderate followed by high level of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but high level of personal accomplishment. There existed a highly significant negative correlation between number of social support and burnout. General health was found to have significant positive correlation with number of social support.

4 tables, 31 ref

010523   Kamarubian N (Nonformal Education Dep, Faculty of Education Science, Pendidikan Univ, Indonesia) : Competency-based training as a program for human resource development: a case study at Nalendra hotel, Bandung. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 182-7.

This is a research about the implementation of a competency-based training as a human resources development program. It aims to establish the procedures for the implementation of competency-based training which consist of three steps, planning, implementation, and evaluation, in Nalendra Hotel Bandung. The supporting theories used in this research are: the theories of human resources development proposed by Soekidjo Notoatmodjo (1992), the theories of training proposed by Robert L. Craig (1989) and Nedler (1984), and the theories of competency and competency-based training by Kevin Lohan (1995) and William E. Blank (1982). The methodology used in this research is qualitative approach using the case study method. The data was obtained from observation, interview, and documentation of the study. The subjects of this research consist of instructors, training participants and the organizers of the training program. There were three steps used when conducting this research: pre-field activities, field activities and intensive analysis. The research results can be concluded as follows: The procedures for the implementation of employees' training program in Nalendra Hotel Bandung with a competency based-approach as an attempt to develop human resources are: a) Planning: being the study of identification process towards the training need, training curriculum design, recruitment process of training participants, selection of learning and funding sources, elaboration of training materials, procurement of learning facilities, selection of training method and the techniques, and arrangement of evaluation tools; b) Implementation: this is the condition of the learning atmosphere and pre-test, delivery of learning materials, application of learning materials and the techniques, practice; and c) Evaluation: The pre-test, process test and post-test, so that this competency-based training program can run effectively and efficiently when those three components are done carefully, considering the principles of competency-based training. In relation to what the researcher found, there are some recommendations that can be considered: a) To optimize research results, Nalendra Hotel should show appreciation directly to the employees who have passed and awarded a certificate for their competent mastery so that it can improve their motivation to follow other training programs seriously, b) It is necessary to conduct an in-depth study to know the effectiveness and usefulness of this kind of training for a company, considering that this competency-based training program was conducted for the first time, and c) Organizers should be able to develop and increase the cooperation among training participants, instructors, and all parties related to the training program, because the success of this training program is not the responsibility of only one aspect, but it requires good co-operation from all the parties.

1 illus, 10 ref

010522   Jyoti Rani;Kathpalia J;Tyagi R (NO, D.N. College, Hisar, Haryana) : Empowering women through agriculture. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 265-7.

Empowerment of women would mean equipping women to be economically independent and personally self-reliant with a positive self-esteem to enable them to face any difficult situation. Moreover, they should be able to contribute to the development activities of the country. For empowering women economically, we need to enlarge her choices and access to various opportunities and also build her capacity for taking up successfully income generating activities and compete favourably in the market. Women's role in agriculture is significant as more than 80 per cent of the economically active women are engaged in agriculture and allied activities. This trend still continues. It is fact that women grow half of the world's food but own hardly any land. The need of empowering women for rural development can hardly be under-estimated. Rural women should be empowered in all respects. That is why it requires a specific study to know the status of rural women at macro level. Women's share in various segments during census might be showing a low degree participation, however, in practice, women hold substantial share in the work force of various sectors viz. 90 per cent in informal sector, 70 per cent in agriculture sector, 35.33 per cent in allied sector, 46.1 per cent in the khadi village industries, 65.5 per cent in handloom and sericulture.

7 ref

010521   Imam M A (Psychology Dep, Aligarh Muslim Univ, Aligarh) : Job satisfaction as a function of psychological well being of engineers of Barauni thermal power. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 246-8.

Current study was conducted to study the influence of psychological well-being among the Engineers of Barauni Thermal Power. Sample of the study comprised of 300 subjects. The sample consists of 300 employees (200 male and 100 female) (age range from 22 to 58 years). The job satisfaction questionnaire was developed by Singh (1989) was used to measure levels of job-satisfaction among the subjects. There are 20 items and each items to be rated from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. Psychological well-being was measured by scale developed by Verma and Verma (1959). This is a 20 item scale.

5 tables, 15 ref

010520   Hou R;Yang J;Yao C (NO, School of Management, Guangdong Technology Univ, Guangzhou-510 520, China, Email: hour@gdut.edu.cn) : Dynamic mergers drive industrial competition evolution: a network analysis perspective. J scient ind Res 2013, 72(11), 635-47.

This paper presents a novel method to explore the relationship between dynamic mergers and evolution of industrial competition by introducing complex network tool. Taking the beer industry of China as an example, we establish Markets-Firms bipartite time series networks, weighted Markets-Firms time series networks and industrial competition time series networks by using the data from 1992 to 2009 respectively. Through analyzing the changes of topology index on these networks, we find that dynamic mergers play a key important role in the evolution process of industrial competition. The results show that dynamic mergers promote the local fragmented submarkets to be consolidated into a global market for this industry, and they also show the evolution process that competitive relationship among rivals turns from local segmented markets to a global cross-market gradually. In this paper, we provide a new view to observe the changes of industrial competition relationship driven by dynamic mergers.

6 illus, 29 ref

010519   Dalal G (NO, Institute of Management Studies and Research, Maharishi Dayananda Univ, Rohtak, Haryana) : Optimal capital structure. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 233-8.

The study is an attempt to determine an optimal capital structure in an imperfect market. The objective of the study was to determine whether an optimal capital structure exists both at micro level and macro level. Two hypothesis that there is no significant relation between cost of debt, cost of equity, cost of overall capital, debt to equity ratio and debt to capital ratio and market price of shares at micro level and macro level were framed and tested. So, in the absence of a well defined model on optimal capital structure, bivariate correlation technique was used. Then, t-test was applied to test the significance of coefficient of correlation. 30 companies listed on BSE Index were selected in the sample. The data for a 10 year period (2001 -02 to 2010-11) are used. The main source of secondary data is Capitaline plus database. Seven companies have been excluded. Four of them are banks and three are excluded due to non-availability of data for the last 10 years. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire, mailed to the sample companies through post and e-mail. The questionnaires were sent to all 30 companies but since their response was poor, so the officials were contacted personally. In this manner, the data could be collected for a total 12 companies. At micro level, no significant and definite relationship was found between capital structure and value of the firm. This is because of the fact value of a firm is affected by a multiplicity of causes. At macro level, the relationship between capital structure and value of the firm was found to be highly positive. The external factors may result in overvaluation or undervaluation of shares at micro level, but at macro level their positive and negative effects neutralize each other. So the share prices are closely approximate to true indices of the aggregate financial and operating results. Thus we get a high degree of positive correlation between the two. Thus the results advocate that at macro level an optimal capital structure, i.e., D/C ratio do exist which is definitely higher than 0.25 because up to this level the value of 'r' was found to be 0.79 which is statistically significant. So issuance of additional debt will increase the value of the firm.

5 illus, 5 tables, 23 ref

010518   Chaudhary R (NO, , Bhiwani, Haryana) : Effect of sales promotion as a tool on customer attention to purchase: a case study of LMJ services LTD. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 257-61.

The study examines the effect of sales promotion as a tool on customer attention to purchase in LMJ Service Ltd. Sales promotion consists of all activities other than advertising, personal selling and publicity, which help in promoting sales of the product. Such activities are non-repetitive and one time offers. According to American Marketing Association, sales promotion include, "those marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising and publicity that stimulate consumer purchasing and dealer effectiveness, such as point of purchase displays, shows and exhibitions, demonstrations and various non-recurring selling efforts not in the ordinary routine."

12 tables, 13 ref

010517   Babu A S (Psychology Dep, S.V. Univ, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh) : Impact of type-A behavior on job performance among executives. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 239-42.

The sales executives play an important role in the growth and development of pharmaceutical industry. They sell their company's products, which include medicines, prescription drugs and medical equipment to a variety of customers including general practitioners, primary care trusts, hospitals and pharmacies. They also work strategically to increase the awareness and use of their company's pharmaceutical and medical products. The core characteristics of these executives are highly competitive, achievement-driven and target oriented. Theories of personality explains that Type-A individuals are ambitious, aggressive, business-like, controlling, impatient, preoccupied with his/her status, time-conscious and tightly-wound. People with type-A personalities are "workaholics" who multitask, push themselves with deadlines and hate both delays and ambivalence. Type-B individuals are perfect contrast to those with type-A personalities. People with type-B personalities are generally patient, relaxed, easy-going, and at times lacking an overriding sense of urgency. In view of the above, the present study was aimed at investigating the impact of type-A and type-B personality on performance of the sales executives. The sample for the present study consisted of 480 sales executives attached to different pharmaceutical companies in both national and multinational companies were selected randomly. A well developed and used in Indian and western context, the job performance scale and type-A personality scale were used in the present study. The study reveals that the executives working in MNCs have shown better performance than the executives working in National companies. Further, the study reveals that the sales executives in the middle level have better performance than other two groups. The data were analyzed by using appropriate statistical methods.

2 tables, 22 ref

010516   Anju Kumari;Garg M C (NO, Haryana School of Business, Guru Jambheshwar Science & Technology Univ, Hisar) : Gender diversity anmd employees' attitude towards women managers. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 249-51.

The paper discusses the studies done so far on attitude towards women managers. During the 1940's and 1950's, the number of women in high-ranking business positions was small. Women were not admitted on an equal basis with men to the Harvard MBA program until 1963. In fact gender bias results from the 'male norm' perspective wherein the traditional research tended to focus itself on the male experience and point of view. The paper includes the observations and findings from the related studies and also states its future implications.

^iia13 ref

010515   Ananto P (Politeknik Negeri Media Kreatif, Jl. Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia) : Reconstruction of life skills education views in relation to character education for human resource development in Indonesia's creative industry. Int J Educ Mgmt Stud 2013, 3(2), 188-93.

The main focus of this study was to examine the researcher's reconstructed views about Life Skills Education approach in Civic Education for the development of Human Resource in Indonesia's creative industry. It has been based on the existing gap between the real situation and the conceptual framework (Das Sein and Das Solen) about human resource and the required life skills to operate in the industry. In the context of this study, the problem being referred to is the issue of globalization and the limited employment opportunities for the increasing numbers of the working age group in the country. The research employed a qualitative approach. This approach helped in the reconstruction of life skills education views and character education (Constructivism) for the field of civic education through a phenomenological approach. I relied on the respondents' views to explore and to establish appropriate views for the study. The data was gathered through: (1) the review of literature; (2) in-depth interview of the participants, practitioners and the students taking courses on creative industry, as well as the participants from the creative industries; (3) observation of respondents. The data, was processed through a reduction process, analysis and presentation were done qualitatively. Conclusion: (1) the transmission of national values or the reconstruction of a social system in the educational institutions can be conducted through civic education, the transmission can cover character education and civic skills; (2) as a holistic framework in shaping citizens skills for a positive contribution to the social system, civic education should be able to shape people's character and life skills, needed for human performance; (3) the education soft skills within civic education have become the basic foundation for the establishment of good character, smart citizens and a creative nation. This makes this form of education a very important component in the teaching and learning process, which in turn helps to generate human resource that is able to adapt to the demands of the rapidly changing era in the creative industries.

1 illus, 3 tables, 47 ref

009558   Singh S;Tak P (NO, Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Professional Studies, Plot No-9, Sector-11, Dwarka, New Delhi-110 075, Email: shamsher_1965@rediffmail.com) : Psychological motivations and compulsive buying: a study of consumers in Delhi. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 47-56.

Compulsive buying behavior is an important area of research in consumer behavior research. The importance of studying this behavior lies in its nature as a negative aspect of consumer behavior. Negative aspects of consumer behavior are necessary to study since they may provide guidelines to policy makers to combat and reduce their impact. Such studies can also contribute to the society's well being. The study examines the psychological motivations that lead to consumers' compulsive buying behavior. Responses of 200 respondents from Delhi were collected by using a structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to reach out to the respondents. Both primary and secondary sources were used to achieve the objectives of the study. ANOVA, factor analysis, and correlation analysis were applied on the collected data to draw significant results. The present study confirms that consumers are strongly influenced by their role models and indulged in compulsive buying behaviour. Individuals who are high in public self-consciousness are quite aware about their public image and use luxury goods to enhance their stature in the society. Materialistic individuals often relate possessions of goods to happiness and thus indulge in compulsive buying behavior. It was also found that there is no relationship between gender and compulsive buying.

11 tables, 26 ref

009557   Sharma V;Singh H;Malhotra J (NO, Shaheed Bhagat Singh State Technical Campus, Ferozepur, Punjab, Email: er_vishusharma@yahoo.com) : Performance analysis of IEEE 802.11e (EDCF) and IEEE 802.11(DCF) WLAN incorporating different physical layer standards. J Instn Engrs : Ser B 2012, 93(4), 247-53.

Medium access coordination function basically implements the distributed coordination function (DCF) which provides support to best effort services but limited to QoS services. Subsequently, a new standard, namely enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) is reported. The IEEE 802. 11e (EDCA) defines MAC procedures to support QoS requirements which specifies distributed contention based access scheme to access the shared wireless media. This paper evaluates the performance of EDCA based IEEE 802.11 WLAN for various access categories (ACs) using OPNET^TM Modeller 14.5. Further, the computed results are compared with DCF protocols in terms of QoS parameters. Furthermore, the simulative observation is reported at data rate of 54 Mbps using different physical layer protocols such as IEEE 802.11 a/b/g to stumble on the best one to be implemented with EDCF to achieve improved QoS.

11 illus, 1 table, 8 ref

009556   Shalini S;Kamalaveni D (MBA Dep, Dr. SNS Rajalakshmi College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Email: shaliniganeshkumar@gmail.com) : Online buying behaviour of netizens: a study with reference to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Indian J Market 2013, 43(8), 35-45.

Latest generation of commerce is one that can be done over the Internet. The Internet provides a virtual platform where sellers and buyers can come in contact for sale and purchase of goods and services. They can be thousands of miles apart, may belong to different parts of the world, and might speak different languages. E-Commerce has emerged as the boundary-less trade medium in the era of globalization. Since, the Internet has the ability to reach the customer's home, the distribution channels have started to assume new meaning for the B2C E-commerce. The physical delivery got converted to electronic delivery; physical products are now electronic products displayed on a website. With options of paying online through debit and credit cards, the transaction is purely electronic. For the present study, the data was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire from 226 respondents. The study brought to fore that online shoppers are young, highly educated, active, intensive, and expert users of the Internet; they have a strong positive perception towards online shopping and generally spend a very low amount on online shopping. Significant differences in shopping behavior could be ascribed to gender, occupation, and the Internet expertise of the online shoppers. The detailed findings and implications are discussed in the paper.

2 illus, 5 tables, 16 ref

009555   Saurabh;Mahajan A (NO, College of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Univ, Katra-182 320, Jammu & Kashmir, Email: saurabh.sri@smvdu.ac.in) : Consumers perception towards miraculous claims of brands with aesthetic appeal. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 32-40.

Often, consumers are targeted with large claims of various brands that boast of miraculous results for products with an aesthetic appeal. This paper uses the exploratory design with mixed methodology to explore the ranks of miraculous claims out of the inventory of products and then uses the factor loading method to gauge the perception of the consumers. The key factors were identified after conducting a review of literature, and then the factor loadings were applied to derive the ranking and obtain the variance of the factors of perception. The results of this study provide a framework to work upon the marketing aspect of miraculous claims made by brands that may be in congruence to the aesthetic appeal for the brand managers and researchers. The study shows that Technical Product Specifications and Evidence were the most effective in enhancing consumers' beliefs, and this factor leads to a positive perception in the minds of the consumers about products with an aesthetic appeal. Statement of Contribution: The paper empirically gauges the factors influencing respondents' perception of the products with miraculous claims with an aesthetic appeal. This study would help product managers and researchers in designing marketing communication strategies that would lead to the creation of a positive perception about the brands in the minds of the consumers, which might positively influence their purchase decision of such products.

2 tables, 16 ref

009554   Poonam;Shukla C (Family Resource Management Dep, College of Home Science G.B. Pant Agriculture and Technology Univ, Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand, Email: poonam.singh0111@gmail.com) : Working women perspective regarding role of advertisement as a mode of communication. Asian J Home Sci 2012, 7(2), 564-19.

Advertisements are useful and the best way to communicate for the consumer as it makes them aware of the various choices that are available in the market. Women are more exposed to current market scenario and prevailing fashion. Such women consumers are technologically empowered and search for information through advertisements. They mainly search for time saving, energy saving, ergonomically sound, and eco-friendly economic products. In all such functions advertisements play significant role and affect consumer behaviour. On line purchasing was a new concept getting acceleration among technically empowered women. Working women expressed that advertising persuades, informs, instructs and educates target audiences about a particular brand or service and influences the purchasing behaviour or thought pattern of the audience. The data revealed that afternoon and evening time was preferred over morning and noon time to view the advertisements. More than half of the women reported to spend nearly half an hour time in viewing advertisements. More than half of the women were of opinion that television advertisement should hold specific timings. Time span of advertisements should be 2-3 minutes only. According to nearly sixty per cent of women, the information displayed in advertisement was insufficient. Authentic and detailed information concerned with benefits as well as limitations should be displayed to make advertisement more useful for consumers. Adolescent audience were most attracted by the advertisement. More than half of the women reported that they do not totally rely on advertisement for new product. Women do believe that advertisement has an impact on social, cultural and ethical values. It was also reported that advertisement for adults are hampering the values of children.

19 illus, 5 ref

009553   Mahadevaswamy G H;Nalini R (MBA Dep, Maharani's Arts, Commerce and Management College for Women, J.L.B. Road, Mysore, Karnataka, Email: ghmpatel@gmail.com) : FDI in multi-brand retailing: a case study of Mysore. Indian J Market 2013, 43(8), 5-13.

Study was conducted in the city of Mysore to analyze the perceptions of the common man about foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retailing (MBR). The review of literature evinced the fact that a number of studies have been conducted in the area of FDI in general, and its impact on single brand retail, in particular. There are only a few studies that are available on the impact of FDI in multi brand retailing in India. The major objectives of this study are: (i) to know the perceptions of the common man about FDI in multi-brand retail in India (as the common man's perceptions on the said topic have been less explored); and (ii) to know the differences in their perceptions. The data required for this study was collected both from primary and secondary sources. Using convenience sampling method, 100 persons were considered as the respondents for the present study. The differences in their perceptions have been analyzed using SPSS to draw meaningful conclusions. The respondents were of the opinion that the impact will be felt on an increase in the general price level supported by an increase in the prices of food products, land, and organized real estate stock prices. However, the respondents were of the opinion that the impact of allowing FDI in MBR will be favorable for the Government and for the producers. To conclude, future studies conducted at the micro level would help policymakers to understand the problems and frame guidelines addressing the critical issues with the major aim of benefiting the society.

13 tables, 16 ref

009552   Kasliwal N;Bansal I (NO, Faculty of Management Studies, Banasthali Vidyapith, C-62, Sarojini Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Email: neetikasliwal@gmail.com) : Influence of pharmaceutical promotional tools on doctors' prescribing behaviour: an exploratory study. Indian J Market 2013, 43(8), 23-34.

Healthcare industry in general, and the prescription drug industry, in particular, employs an unusual combination of marketing and promotional efforts to influence the doctors who write the prescriptions that determine which drugs (brands) will be used by the ultimate consumer (patient). The involvement of doctors as key decision makers is the reason that they are the focus of most promotional efforts of pharmaceutical companies. Thus, influencing the doctor is a key to the pharmaceutical sales, and the pharmaceutical companies are spending a lot of money on marketing their products to the doctors. The present study examines the impact of promotional tools on doctors' prescribing behaviour. A total of 431 respondents were selected through convenience sampling from different cities of Rajasthan. The results show that the promotional factors which were found to be more influencing were the activities of the MR (medical representative), their rapport with the doctors, their personality traits, and the drug samples, leaflets, and brochures given by the MRs to the doctors. The findings are discussed in the light of past studies, and future directions for research are outlined.

8 tables, 48 ref

009551   Joel Gnanapragash T;Sekar P C (Management Studies Dep, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technlogy, Hunasemaranahalli, Yelahanka, International Airport Road, Bangalore-562 157, Email: dr.joelprakash@gmail.com) : Exploratory study of ethical perspectives of celebrity endorsements. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 5-13.

Ethics in business is a much discussed phenomena now, especially after the news about the increasing number of corporate executives indulging in scams. However, it is essential to comprehend the relevance of ethics in each domain of management. The interesting development in the field of marketing communications necessitates an inquiry into how consumers generally feel about ethics in marketing communication. An increasingly notable trend in the advertising industry is" Celebrity Endorsements". Against the background of celebrity endorsement theories and celebrity endorsement strategies, the research paper presents a new term "celebrity ethics" from the consumers' point of view. Essentially, it delineates the "consumer perceived celebrity ethics" as an important dimension of celebrity endorsements. More particularly, it lists celebrities who are perceived as highly ethical. Thus, authors believe that the results may provide valuable inputs to advertisers as well as to socially responsible organizations that are seeking to rope in celebrities who would be ethically fitting to act as endorsers for their products or services.

5 tables, 24 ref

009550   Ghosh A;Sharma A;Ambulkar R (NO, Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Indian Council of Agr, Versova, Mumbai-400 061, Email: amitava.skg@gmail.com) : Seed mahotsav scheme for increasing the scope of indigenous fish marketing in West Bengal: perception and constraint analysis. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 25-31.

Aquaculture is a growing sector with an ability to have a significant impact on the economic development of the country. Out of the total fish production, inland fish production in India contributes 4.930 million metric tonnes, and West Bengal ranks first in the inland fish production in India. Various schemes have been introduced by the Department of Fisheries, West Bengal which have different funding sources,and the recent scheme launched by them is the Seed Mahotsav scheme, which has been started with the objective to conserve indigenous fish species, since there is a growing market demand for them. A study was carried out to review this scheme by studying the beneficiaries' profile and their perception of satisfaction towards this scheme and the constraints faced in the implementation of the Seed Mahotsav scheme. Rank based quotient method revealed that the scarcity of water in the ponds during the summer months was a major constraint in the successful implementation of this scheme. Based on the findings, a model for effective implementation of the Seed Mahotsav scheme has been suggested, and the paper also provides policy implications of the present research.

1 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

009549   Bhattacharyya N;Baruah M;Ali N F;Borah R (Family Resource Management Dep, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural Univ, Jorhat, Assam) : Physiological workload of weeding operation by using existing and improved hoe in tea fieldsof Assam. Asian J Home Sci 2012, 7(2), 571-5.

Weeding is a tiring and time consuming activity. An attempt was made to improve the weeding hoe used in tea fields of Assam. The modified tool was ergonomically compared with the existing hoe. Seven physically fit male workers without having any physical disability and chronic ailments were selected for the study. It was found that quality of work carried out with the help of improved weeding hoe was better than the existing one. There was a significant difference in the heart rate of the workers using existing and improved tool. Energy expenditure was found to be reduced, grip fatigue was decreased. The handle of improved weeding hoe was found to be well suited to the task and workers in terms of length and circumference that helped the workers to adopt a neutral posture and relief them from pain in hands as a result of offering greater leverage.

3 illus, 5 tables, 1 ref

009548   Anand R (NO, KAIST College of Business, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Techn, 85 Hoegiro, Dongdaemum-gu, Seoul Korea-130 722, Email: ranand@kaist.ac.kr) : "Brand India" in Korea: a case study and review of nation branding research. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 14-24.

Purpose of the study is to present a literature review on the nation brand concept and to examine "Brand-India" - its image, associations, and the effect of age and education on brand salience of Korean consumers. 100 respondents were interviewed about their association with India, Indian firms, and 'Made in India' products they wished to buy. ANOVA of the number of responses was done to analyze the effect of age and education of the respondents contributing to the brand awareness of India. It was observed that Indians were perceived to be friendly,kind, and good in maths by the Korean respondents. A majority of the respondents expressed a desire to purchase clothes that are 'Made-in-lndia,' followed by Food and IT products. The Tata Group was the most well known Indian firm in Korea, and the study found a significant effect of age and education in brand awareness of Indian companies. This case study adds to the study of Brand India' as well as to the study of nation branding and country image.

7 illus, 2 tables, 47 ref

009547   Ahamad M L;Zafar S M (Management Dep, Aurora's PG College, Ramanthapur, Hyderabad-500 013, Email: mohdlayaqahamad@gmail.com) : Empirical investigation of website deisgn characteristics, consumer trust, and intention to shop online in Hyderabad. Indian J Market 2013, 43(9), 41-6.

The main purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of Website design characteristics and Consumer Trust factors influencing consumers' Intention to shop online with reference to online shopping in Hyderabad. The population of this research consisted of online shoppers from Hyderabad. The sample for the study comprised of 200 online shoppers. Respondents belonged to different age groups and occupations having prior experience in online shopping. A pre-structured questionnaire was used with a 5 point Likert rating scale to measure the factors influencing the respondents' intention to shop online. Snowball sampling was used to collect the data from the sample respondents. Statistical techniques such as mean, standard deviation, correlation, and multiple regression were used for data analysis. The empirical results revealed that Website Design characteristics and Consumer Trust have a strong and positive influence on Consumers' Intention to Shop Online. The study suggests, among other things, that companies must focus on improving their website design characteristics to develop consumers' trust towards online shopping.

4 tables, 12 ref

009546   Adetayo J O;Apollos E A (Management and Accounting Dep, Obafemi Awolowo Univ, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, Email: adetayosegum2002@yahoo.com) : Overview of service delivery and customer satisfaction in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. Indian J Market 2013, 43(8), 14-22.

Study examined service delivery and customer satisfaction in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. The study assessed the level of satisfaction of GSM subscribers and the discrepancies (if any) in the level of satisfaction among them. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire distributed to four hundred respondents in Lagos and Oyo states of Nigeria. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, weighted mean as well as inferential statistics such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for analyzing the variables of interest. The results obtained showed a general mean of 3.66 on a 5 -point Likert scale. This means that the customers were satisfied with the services of the GSM operators operating in the mobile telecommunications industry in Nigeria. It is recommended that players in the mobile telecommunications industry should strive to raise the level of customer satisfaction by focusing on courtesy and upgrading of their operational facilities in order to widen their coverage area. Also, regulatory authorities, especially the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), should step up the level of supervision, while the Government should register and grant licenses to more mobile telecommunication companies to increase competition in the industry.

3 tables, 26 ref

009545   Abraham I P;Issac D A (Commerce Dep, K.G. College, Pampady, Kottayam, Email: isaac_p_abraham@yahoo.com) : Critique on corporate governance practices in the public sector in India. Sci Soc 2012, 10(1), 65-76.

Public sector in India has been in limelight for the past two years mainly on account of their spectacular performance even when private sector giants reeled under the pressure of global financial crisis all over the world. When India started off its reforms in 1991, doubts were expressed about the ability of the public sector to transform itself and compete. But within two decades we are seeing a vibrant public sector that came out with flying colours during the worst phase of the credit crisis on several fronts ranging from financial performance, human capital management to sound risk management. This paper seeks to critically analyze the corporate governance practices initiated in the Public Sector in India, its impact on the current state of public sector and challenges ahead.

1 table, 7 ref

008401   Varughese A (Commerce Research Dep, CMS College, Kottayam, Kerala, Email: ashish_vargis@rediffmail.com) : Problems and prospects of backwater tourism in Kerala with special reference to Alappuzha district. Indian J Market 2013, 43(4), 18-29.

13 tables, 24 ref

008400   Shekhar S K;Raveendran P T (Management Studies Dep, Kannur University, Thalassery Campus, Kannur-670 661, Email: surajkushe@gmail.com) : Chocolate packaging and purchase behaviour: a cluste analysis approach. Indian J Market 2013, 43(6), 5-14.

Packaging is regarded as an important component of our modern lifestyle, and a significant element of the branding process. Changing consumers' lifestyle and increasing self-service has positioned product package as a tool to stimulate impulse buying and increase sales promotion. Chocolate is a product which is consumed irrespective of age barriers. Today, chocolate is marketed in different ways to different consumer segments and hence, packaging of chocolates is ,therefore, critical. This study used a hierarchical cluster analysis approach to organize a group of 240 students into meaning clusters based on a combination of several independent chocolate packaging cues (cluster variables), which maximized the similarity of cases within each cluster while minimizing the dissimilarity between groups that were initially unknown. This was followed by one way ANOVA to ascertain the significant differences between the groups on the classifying variables. Results reflected that cluster variables ("Price and purchase decision") were of paramount importance in purchase of chocolate bars. Cluster variables "Look for expiry dates," "Colour and purchase decision," and "Shape and purchase decision" were significant across all the three clusters. Variables like "Brand name and purchase decision," "Packaging material and purchase decision," "Picture and purchase decision," and "Size and purchase decision" were significant only for Clusters 1 and 2. "Look for ingredients," "Look for manufacturing unit's address," and "Look for nutritional information" were significant for Clusters (1, 3) and (2, 3). Thus, the study scrutinized the key packaging cues influencing 'student clusters'.

2 tables, 47 ref

008399   Sengupta D;Titus R (Alliance School of Business, Alliance University, Chikkahagade Cross, Anekal-Chandapur Main Road, Bangalore-562 106, Email: debashish@alliance.edu.in) : Mapping perceptual value shifts in timepieces through lifestyle associations. Indian J Market 2013, 43(7), 5-20.

Due to an increase in the number of products in the market, as well as owing to the changes in living conditions and lifestyles, there's been an array of products symbolizing and catering to those keen on living and exhibiting certain lifestyles. Amongst others, the increase in spare time, growth in disposable incomes, changes to work structure and greater incidence of stress, and also due to the manipulative adverts of companies as part of an increasingly sophisticated marketing mix, marketing value proposition today induces lifestyle consumption. Marketers have begun to realize that merely catering to functional sensibilities of consumers via products and services is no guarantee to a sale. Aesthetics and sensual sensibilities have taken prime places in the creation of consumer solutions. This means that marketers have had to place greater emphasis on brand building and engaging at an emotional level with the consumers keen on exhibiting their lifestyles.

19 illus, 1 table, 40 ref