Assessment of CSR based supply chain performance system using an integrated fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS approach

The objective of this research was to identify Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) criteria as well as propose and prioritise the alternatives to improve the supply chain performance system of an organisation. To meet the objective, firstly, CSR-based criteria, sub-criteria and alternatives were identified based on the literature review and discussion with the field experts, taken from automobile industries located at the Delhi region of India. Then, kappa statistics has been applied to check the internal consistency between identified criteria and sub-criteria. After finding the evidence of internal consistency, a hierarchical-type model has been developed and analysed using a multi-criteria decision-making as an integrated fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and a fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach. To make the results more robust and feasible, a sensitivity analysis has also been performed.     

Extended Framework for Modeling Choice Behavior

We review the case against the standard model of rational behavior and discuss the consequences of various anomalies of preference elicitation. A general theoretical framework that attempts to disentangle the various psychological elements in the decision-making process is presented. We then present a rigorous and general methodology to model the theoretical framework, explicitly incorporating psychological factors and their influences on choices. This theme has long been deemed necessary by behavioral researchers, but is often ignored in demand models. The methodology requires the estimation of an integrated multi-equation model consisting of a discrete choice model and the latent variable model system. We conclude with a research agenda to bring the theoretical framework into fruition.     

Navigating the New Normal: Political Affinity and Multinationals’ Post-Acquisition Performance

The New Normal in the international business landscape reflects a world challenged by economic volatility and political hostilities. This suggests increased political risk, even for MNEs operating in developed markets. We use the legitimacy-based view of political risk to examine how political affinity between host and home markets may contribute to an MNE’s post-acquisition performance in a developed market. A high degree of political affinity signifies aligned national interests thus reducing legitimacy concerns faced by MNEs during post-acquisition integration. Based on cross-border M&A deals focused on U.S. targets completed by MNEs representing 45 countries between 2004 and 2012, we find that MNEs from countries with greater political affinity to the U.S. experience better post-acquisition performance. We also investigate two country-level factors that intensify the threat to legitimacy; the MNEs’ home market economic status and the presence of a financial crisis in the host market. Our findings indicate that political affinity mitigates risk for MNEs originated from emerging economies much more than for MNEs originated from developed economies, whereas a financial crisis reduces the benefit of political affinity.     

Global integration strategies of small and medium multinationals: Evidence from Taiwan

This study replicates and extends Birkinshaw et al.’s (1995) model of the predictors of business unit integration of large Western multinational corporations (MNCs). Our study investigates the global integration strategies of Taiwanese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) competing in the global information technology (IT) industry. It confirms the importance of some structural forces (i.e. economies of scale and standard market demands) in the global integration strategies of Taiwanese SMEs thereby expanding the applicability of existent internationalization theories developed primarily in the context of large Western MNCs to non-Western SMEs. This study finds three results that add new knowledge to the current SME literature and provides managerial implications. First, it finds a negative relationship between competitive actions and business unit integration. Second, it finds that in the optimally globalized IT industry there is no direct effect of business unit integration on performance. Third, it finds a direct effect of differential comparative advantage on performance.     

What can we learn from the historic road safety performance of high-income countries?

Abstract

Road traffic deaths in high-income countries (HICs) have been steadily declining for five decades, but are rising or stable in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We use time-series cross-sectional methods to assess how age- and sex- specific death rates evolved in 20 HICs during 1955–2015, controlling for income, population density and urbanization. Past work has attributed improvements in safety in HICs to income growth, suggesting that countries intervene when they become richer (Kuznets hypothesis). In contrast, we show that HICs had statistically significant declines in road traffic injuries starting in the late 1960s that persist after controlling for income effects, and inclusion of a lagged dependent variable. These findings are consistent for all age-sex groups but the effects are strongest for the elderly and young children. We argue that the reversal in the traffic injury trend did not occur because HICs reached an income threshold. Instead, the 1960s were a period of paradigmatic change in thinking about road safety. Subsequent, safety improvements occurred because countries at different income levels established regulatory institutions that had a legislative mandate and financial resources to conduct large-scale safety interventions.     

Dealing with existing theory: national fatality rates,vehicle standards and personal safety

Abstract

In this paper we discuss some of the weaknesses in exiting theories and understandings behind road safety interventions and policy making. The paper deals with four main issues: road traffic fatality rates and per capita income of countries, vehicle crashworthiness standards, role of pedestrian and powered two-wheeler share in traffic on fatalities, and safety standards for vehicles other than cars. Recent data indicate that there may not be a strong relationship between income and road safety performance and it is possible for low and middle-income countries (LMIC) to decrease death rates at present income levels. Safer cars have had a major role in reducing fatality rates, but, gains in traffic safety in high income countries may be partly due to reducing exposure of vulnerable road users. Small lightweight vehicles (like tuk-tuks, three-wheeled scooter taxis) operating in many LMIC appear to have low fatality rates though they do not follow any crashworthiness standards. Very different crashworthiness standards need to be developed for low mass vehicles incapable of operating speeds greater than 50?km/h. LMIC may not be able to reduce fatality rates below about 7 per 100,000 population unless there are innovative developments in road design and all vehicle safety standards.     

Hierarchical effects of product attributes on actualized innovativeness in the context of high-tech products

This paper examines the influence of product attributes in high-tech products on consumers' actualized innovativeness. In Stage 1, product attributes are identified based on interviews with consumers. In Stage 2, a survey is conducted with a different set of consumers in order to classify the product attributes into primary, secondary or tertiary attributes and to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that primary, secondary and tertiary attributes have a reverse hierarchical influence on actualized innovativeness. That is, tertiary attributes influence the actualized innovativeness most, followed by secondary, and then by primary attributes. However, only primary attributes positively moderate the relationship between inherent and actualized innovativeness. These results can help marketing researchers and practitioners understand the influence of product attributes on behavioral aspects of consumer innovativeness.     

Personality and pay satisfaction: exploring the influence of organizational justice and gender in South Africa

This study contributes to the limited established empirical research on the impact and relevance of individual-level personality variables, specifically the broad dispositional trait, core self-evaluations, on the pay satisfaction of historically disadvantaged individuals. In light of recent inquiries which document the important causal role of personality attributes in the emergence of fairness perceptions, this study examines the mediating role of justice perceptions on the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction. Using a sample of historically disadvantaged individuals from South Africa, our results show that organizational justice perceptions fully mediate the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction. Furthermore, this study finds that gender moderates the relationship between core self-evaluations and pay satisfaction such that self-confident historically disadvantaged females are more satisfied with their pay than their male counterparts.     

Transforming rural lives through decentralized green power

India has been pursuing non-conventional sources of energy for various applications for a long time now. Several technologies—solar heating, solar photovoltaic, biomass, wind—have been demonstrated over the years. Currently, renewable sources of energy make up for about 5% of grid electricity produced in the country. This is impressive growth compared to 2.7% that is contributed by nuclear energy despite huge investments made in that sector. Despite the growing contribution of renewables to the national power kitty, about 125,000 or 21% villages remain in dark and not all households have power in the villages electrified. While the government efforts continue to spread solar and biomass based lighting, heating and power systems in villages, efforts in the non-governmental sector have shown that decentralized, off-grid power generation through biomass-based gasifiers and solar photovoltaics offers a viable, long-term solution to rural electrification. Though government policies now recognize decentralized power generation, they do not see it as a preferred mode of rural electrification nor do they foresee a major role for voluntary agencies and people's organizations in decentralized power generation through renewable sources. While technology has shown the way, right policy initiatives and enabling environment are lacking to use decentralized power generation through renewables as an input in overall development process.