A continuous model for supply planning of assembly systems with stochastic component procurement times

This paper studies a customized product assembly scenario where some components cannot be stocked due to high component cost and risk. We consider the case where these key components are ordered after a demand has been registered with a promised delivery date. Component lead-times are stochastic and associated distribution function is known in advance. The objective is to determine the ordering time for each component such as to minimize the sum of expected holding and backlogging costs. An approach to solve this problem is proposed and the algorithm is tested on a randomly generated data set.     

Stock pledging and firm risk: Evidence from India

Pledging of personally held common stock is widespread in India, where pledging often serves as lender collateral for large shareholder and promoter personal debt acquisitions. This practice is exacerbated by high ownership concentrations in India, as promoters, often firm founders, control, on average, 51% of their firms’ equity. We examine promoter stock pledging impacts on stock volatility, capital investment decisions, and firm performance, using a sample of 1,452 Indian firms. We find that pledging relatively large proportions of outstanding shares and substantial proportions of shares held by promoters exacerbates stock volatility, fosters lower risk capital investments, adversely affects firm values, and impedes longer‐term performance.     

Optimal nested row-column designs for blocks of size 2×2 under dependence

This paper examines nested 2 ×2 row-column designs when within-block observations are assumed to be dependent. The model considered has fixed block effects, which may also include row and/or column effects. Optimal binary and non-binary designs, constructed from semi-balanced arrays, are given under both generalised and ordinary least squares estimation. It is shown that binary designs are optimal when dependence is low. In general, however, the optimal designs are highly specific to the correlation values. Received: October 1999     

Performance attribution of mutual funds in India: outperformance or mis‐representation?

We conduct a novel holdings‐based performance attribution, particularly suited to emerging markets, for equity‐oriented active mutual funds in India. Although, we find significantly positive alphas for an average fund, the stated benchmarks are grossly mis‐specified. A style‐adjusted benchmark could beat the stated benchmarks by greater margins than the funds themselves. While funds’ trading activity consistently adds value, cash drag and market timing usually diminish value. Although, the best‐performing funds exhibit superior security selection abilities, their outperformance does not persist. However, despite the lack of persistence winner funds continue to generate significantly higher alphas than loser funds for quite some time.     

The impact of support at the workplace on transfer of training: a study of an Indian manufacturing unit

This study aims to assess the individual impacts of two components of support at the workplace, namely, support from peers and supervisor, on transfer of training in a post‐training environment. Mediation by motivation to transfer in the relationship of supervisor and peer support with transfer of training has also been examined. Data on 149 respondent employees working in a manufacturing unit owned by a leading player in the power transmission business in India has been subject to hierarchical regression analysis. Results confirm the key role of supervisor support in transfer of learned skills. However, the impact of peers on transfer is found to be greater than that of supervisors. The findings prompt us to recommend that peers should be involved in publicizing post‐training experiences and benefits. Organizations and supervisors should encourage peers to motivate employees in applying training skills to the job by means of rewards and recognition. Overall the results contribute to a better understanding of support at workplace as a predictor of transfer.     

Does advertising strategy matter in influencing mutual fund purchase?

This study explores the role of advertising strategies (informational versus transformational) in consumers’ purchase intentions related to mutual funds. Moreover, this study investigates the possible moderating role of gender and financial literacy in advertising strategy. Findings of the experimental approach applied in this study suggest that advertisement strategy does influence investment intention related to the mutual funds. We also found that females are less likely to purchase mutual funds when exposed to transformational advertisements. Moreover, investors with higher financial literacy prefer informational advertisements. The results also indicate that the informational advertisements are more useful and increase awareness levels among investors.     

Greenhouse gas emission reduction potentials in air transport: a structural equation modelling-based multi-group analysis

In this study, we used a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to identify the key factors that influence greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction potentials in air transport (ERPAT). We explored the correlations among constructs from the perspectives of aviation GHG emission reduction. Organisation type is one of the contextual factors that may change the nature of these correlations. Person- and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 249 aviation experts. The results obtained using SEM showed that aircraft technology and design, aviation operations and infrastructure, socio-economic and policy measures, and alternative fuels and fuel properties are the key factors for reducing GHG emission. Conclusively, organisation type can help in controlling the relationship among the constructs. Thus, organisation type acts as a moderator in the research model. The outputs can be used to measure the level of knowledge and understanding regarding ERPAT and can provide policy-makers, government organisations, and airlines with valuable information for designing appropriate air transport policies for emission reduction.     

Adoption of electronic banking services in India: an extension of UTAUT2 model

Indian banks have paid sufficient attention to recent innovations in banking services delivery such as e-banking, mobile banking, mobile payment, e-wallet, and e-money services, still the acceptance of these services among consumers is sluggish. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the intention of consumers to adopt various e-banking services. The study adopted the UTAUT2 model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) and extended it with constructs such as consumer innovativeness, perceived risk, and security information availability. The extended research model was tested using a questionnaire-based response collected from 721 consumers. CB-SEM (Covariance-based structural equation modeling) was used to examine the hypotheses. An empirical examination of the model helped explain the impact of the UTAUT2 model's constructs in predicting adoption intention toward e-banking services. The study also revealed the importance and impact of newly incorporated variables in explaining consumers' adoption intention toward e-banking services. The study has provided some useful insight into the factors influencing consumers' intention to adopt e-banking services to shed new light.

     

Blockchain application in consumer services: A review and future research agenda

The potential of blockchain technology (BCT) to modify and innovates established business structures and frameworks has received widespread attention. Academia and businesses are becoming increasingly curious about how this technology could be used to improve and refine consumer services and operations. Despite the growing popularity of blockchain research in consumer services, there remains a dearth of detailed summaries in the literature. Hence, this bibliometric analysis, combined with a systematic literature review (SLR) using SPAR-4-SLR protocol with the theories, characteristics, contexts, and methods framework (A hybrid review), aims to convey qualitative and quantitative knowledge on the ever-evolving subject of blockchain application in consumer services in an organized manner. Specifically, this article analyses: (1) the current publication trends in studies devoted to blockchain-based applications for consumers, (2) the most important publications and themes of research in this field, (3) the evolution of blockchain in consumer service over the years, and the most current trends in this field, (4) the advantages and challenges of incorporating BCT into consumer services, (5) gaps in the existing literature that future researchers should investigate. In addition, this review also describes the widely used theories, characteristics, and methods in the application of blockchain in consumer service research by examining the most applied theories, methods, constructs, and study contexts and paving the way for new research directions. The review includes 417 documents after searching for scholarly publications in two databases (Web of Science and Scopus) and choosing documents based on their relevance to the stated goals.