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Working Papers | 1998

A Model of Consumer Evaluation of Brand Extensions

Abraham Koshy, Bibek Banerjee, and Ganapathy Shobha

Current research has shown that consumers' attitudes towards brand extensions is a function of brand affect, and similarity between parent and extension product categories. Research has also stressed on the importance of the brand specific association in the evaluation of the extension. We develop a model of evaluation of brand extensions with the variables of relevance of the brand's specific association in the extension category and typicality of the brand in its original category. We find that consumers' attitudes are mainly a function of brand affect, relevance of parent brand specific association in extension, and similarity of parent and extension categories by physical features. Relevance of association is found to be more important than similarity between parent and extension categories in the evaluation of extensions by consumers. However, we find no evidence that the presence of a relevant association helps a brand to extend to dissimilar categories. Brand affect is moderated by similarity between parent and extension categories and typicality of the parent brand. Similarity between parent and extension categories helps in transfer of affect from parent brand to extension. However high typicality of brands seem to deter transfer of affect to extensions.

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Working Papers | 1998

Operating Characteristics of Empty Solar Cooker Under Climatic Conditions of Ahmedabad

Pilare Vasant R and Girja Sharan

In this report we present some of the operating characteristics of an empty box solar cooker, under climatic conditions of Ahmedabad. Simulations indicate that cooker will perform satisfactorily during only six out of twelve months.

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Working Papers | 1998

Paradigms of Organizational Leadership Self Organized Criticality: The Avalanche Effect

Parikh Indira J

This paper proposes to state some new paradigms of Organizational Leadership which will facilitate the leaders a well as collective leadership of senior managers to respond to the flux and dramatic shifts occurring within the internal dynamics of the organization. An internal study of a part of the system or the total system reflects Self Organized Critically (SOC). SOC is that state in the organization which is a sudden transformation in the state of the system through its own internal dynamics. This process of transformation generates a critical state within the system such that the change begins to occur. The internal dynamics is the change initiated at the top, going down the line and through all the levels of the organization. The concept of SCO is that for the change to occur in the organization the leadership will initiate those processes of change which will not trickle down but the transformation processes will have an avalanche effect at each stage or level of the system. The state of the internal system becomes critical so that the change begins to occur and there is a release of the momentum and energy of an avalanche. This paper then explores the process of transformation at the unit and level of organization. This study attempts to discover, identify and initiate those organisational processes which would release energy like an avalanche and mobilise the organisation to perform. Individuals, groups, structure and culture of organisation interface with the tasks, functions, organisation and the institution to create internal organisational dynamics which move the organisation in many directions. A comprehensive focus at this stage leads to an experience of self similar processes leading eventually to the avalanche effect. This paper identifies the critical issues that the CEO needs tot address and then appraise the internal dynamics vested in the human resources and potentials.

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Working Papers | 1998

Paradigms of Gender Issues in Indian Organizations

Parikh Indira J

In this century of women's emancipation, the socio-cultural world is called upon to address the issues of gender. The culture, society, religion and family, the four core coordinates of human existence have located women and men in specific social contexts, defined their roles, designed their activities and created processes of centrality-marginalisation, visibility-invisibility and rooting-uprooting and rerooting. This location of women, men and institution in the context of structural, critical and role hierarchy is so deeply embedded in the psyche that any redefining, redesigning, realignment and recaliberations have been most difficult. This frozen and deeply embedded state of role psyche in the collective psyche of the socio-cultural context meant that finding autonomy is a very difficult task for women, men and the insitution. This paper is based on the discussions with women, men and senior managers of ten organisations. The scope of this paper is to: 1. To assess how women experience their entry in various organisation. 2. How women visualise their career path in their expectations, ambitions and aspirations in organisations. 3. Women's interface with both women and men superiors, colleagues and subordinates. 4. Appraisal of women's managerial roles, tasks and performance by seniors in the organisations. 5. Organisational policies and facilities to address specific issues of women such as motherhood and break in career. 6. Women's management of work and hope space. 7. Women's long term role and career path in organisations. This paper explores woman's entry into organizations, task allocation, task relationships, organizational culture, men managers and working wives, organization policies regarding women and dilemmas confronted by women. This paper is also talks about the directions and choices for women, men and organisations to create a new organization culture and new paradigms of work and relationships at work.

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Working Papers | 1998

Professionalism in Co-operatives for Rural Credit

Desai B M

This paper deals with professionalism required in rural credit cooperative as business enterprise and also as an institution of its members in addition to that in formulation and implementation of macro rural cooperative credit policies. It begins with defining professionalism for each of these three. It then goes on to discuss changes required in cooperatives internal structure, role and approach of their leadership and management, and HRD to accomplish both enterprise goals (such as business growth, loan recovery, and financial viability), and institutional objectives (such as member participation, self-regulation, and prosperity). Harnessing potential created by these changes would also require changes in Cooperative Law, Banking Regulation Act, Interest Rates and Institutional Development related macro-policies. The restructuring proposals in all of these aim at making rural credit cooperatives to be "member-friendly and driven" rather than "government/NABARD/RBI driven" with better governance, accountability, and services.

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Working Papers | 1998

Chernoff and a new Congruence Axiom Implies Full Rationality

Lahiri Somdeb

Rationality in choice theory has been an abiding concern of decision theorists. A rationality postulate of considerable significance in the literature is the weak congruence axiom of Richter (1971) and Sen (1971). It is well known that in discrete choice contexts of the classical type (i.e. all nonempty finite subsets of a given set comprise the set of choice problems), this axiom is equivalent to full rationality. The question is: whether a (considerable?) weakening of the weak congruence axiom would suffice to imply full rationality? This is the question we take up in this paper. We propose a weaker new congruence axiom which along with the (mother of all axiomsJ Chernoff Axiom implies full rationality. The two axioms are independent. We also study interesting properties of these axioms and their interconnections through examples. Rationality in choice theory has been an abiding concern of decision theorists. A rationality postulate of considerable significance in the literature is the weak congruence axiom of Richter (1971) and Sen (1971). It is well known that in discrete choice contexts of the classical type (i.e. all nonempty finite subsets of a given set comprise the set of choice problems), this axiom is equivalent to full rationality. The question is: whether a (considerable?) weakening of the weak congruence axiom would suffice to imply full rationality? This is the question we take up in this paper. We propose a weaker new congruence axiom which along with the (mother of all axiomsJ Chernoff Axiom implies full rationality. The two axioms are independent. We also study interesting properties of these axioms and their interconnections through examples.

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Working Papers | 1998

Shareholder Value Creation: A Strategic Financial Goal

Pandey I M

Recently some corporate managers in India have started emphasising the need of the shareholder value creation (SVC). A few of them have explicitly stated SVC as their most important goal. Companies such as the Hindustan Lever Limited, Infosys or Balrampur Chini have reported information on the economic value added (EVA)-considered to be equivalent to SVC-in their annual reports. HLL has implemented the system of subjecting their investments, business performance and planning EVA evaluation. In this paper we argue that EVA used by HLL is not same as SVC. The focus on SVC is expected to increase in India as the capital markets are maturing, shareholders are assuming greater power, investment regulations are being oriented towards shareholders and the threat of mergers and take-overs is increasing. The traditional financial goals pursued by companies have flaws since they are based on accounting numbers, and do not necessarily lead to value creation. If corporate management is an agent of shareholders, then they should accord highest priority to the shareholder value creation. On the basis of the available theoretical literature, we show how SVC works. SVC has the potential of being a strategic goal not only in project and business evaluation but in the overall strategic planning.

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Working Papers | 1998

Strategic Options for Entry into International Markets

Chaudhari Shekhar

Working Papers | 1998

Econometric Modelling of the Indian Cotton Sector: Regional Perspective

Naik Gopal and Jain S K

Since cotton is grown under different agroclimatic and local conditions of the northern, central and southern regions of the country, the performance of cotton production is influenced by the agroclimatic and region-specific factors. In this study, an econometric model has been developed for understanding and quantifying the magnitude of influence of major variables of this industry with the regional perspective of cotton production. This model explains interlinkages among the major variables of cotton farming, spinning and weaving sub-sectors through 16 equations. The estimated model performs satisfactorily in terms of goodness of fit, signs, significance of the coefficients, specifications and short and long term predictability of the model. The system is of oscillating convergence nature. The short and long term multipliers of the exogenous variables of the model have theoretically consistent signs and magnitudes. Forecasts have been made for the period 1995-96 to 2000-2001. The baseline forecasts indicate that the domestic consumption of cotton will increase at a rate higher than the total supply and the total production of cotton. Region-wise forecasts of cotton production show that the production of cotton in the central region will increase at a rate lower (1.5 per cent per annum) than those in other cotton growing regions. The growth rates of the production of cotton in other regions are also not very high. Weather variables, technology, lagged prices of cotton and competing crops, prices of pesticides and fertilizers have been identified as important variables in determining the production of cotton in different regions. In the spinning sector, the export of cotton yarn will increase at a substantially high rate. Therefore, the total demand for cotton yarn is expected to increase at a rate higher than its supply. As a result, the deflated price of cotton yarn will increase substantially during this period. The total consumption and the total production of cotton fabrics will remain almost stagnant. However, the export of the total cotton fabrics will increase at 4.36 per cent per annum.

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Working Papers | 1998

Global Airline Competition under Open Skies Policies and Cabotage

Balakrishnan K and Thomas P S

Given the criticality of civil aviation policy for developing countries such as India and China and developed countries such as Japan, Britain and the United States, we review global airline competition to shed light on the seemingly varied approaches adopted by different countries. What are the forces operating in the global airline business? What are the sources of protectionism in aviation? What are the implications of the above for public policy? In this paper we review growth/share factors, regulatory evolution and sources of protectionism to chart global trends in foreign investment and strategic alliances in aviation. Bermuda 1 and Bermuda 2 seem to have given way to Open Skies I and Open Skies II. In order to access the funds which airlines acutely need and improve customer welfare, we foresee relaxation on foreign investment in domestic airlines and even cabotage i.e. foreign airlines on domestic routes. Will EU-style cabotage prove a prelude to lifting of cabotage elsewhere especially in the US? Policy-makers should prepare for this eventuality in their planning and decision making for civil aviation.

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