S.No ISBN TITLE Buy From Nbcindia Series CE1 CE2 Rel_Dt Pages PB (US$) PB (Rs) HB (US$) HB (Rs) Snapshot
1 978-81-314-1561-0 Lean Transformation – Perspectives and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Jaya Krishna S 18-Oct-08 344 20 500 0 0 Today, ‘lean’ is an enterprise-wide concept although it has originated and evolved in the manufacturing plants and factory floors. It has become pervasive throughout the organization and an overriding principle that guides every activity in the organization. On the other hand, it has evolved as a vital tool to become competitive. Broad insights into success factors, nitty-gritty’s, prerequisites and capabilities for transforming an organization or function into lean can make the difference between lean winners and losers. Hence, organizations and their people need to know what it requires and how one should approach to successfully transform into lean. This book can act as a potential resource for those forward-looking firms and professionals in such critical situations. This book, while introducing the concept of ‘lean transformation’, highlights the potential of transforming into ‘lean’ at large and offer guidance in transforming certain critical functions or organizations into ‘lean’. It is an attempt to address what, why, where and how of lean transformation to empower the concerned. It tries to enlighten the concerned with the lessons learnt from previous experiences of transforming into lean. Further, the lean transformation initiatives and/or experiences of some organizations (predominantly the manufacturing firms) are being included with an aim to offer practical insights to prospective readers. The book is targeted at various interest groups, including practising professionals/executives in the areas of Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean Management, production and operations, which are the primary audience for this book. It can be of use for academicians and students of operations, and process management.
2 978-81-314-1536-8 Ecosystem Management: Issues And Trends www.nbcindia.com Simantee Sen 18-Oct-08 252 17 425 0 0 Today, we are undergoing a fundamental shift in our attitude to natural resources and the environment from the focus on the production of commodities to the focus on the ecological conditions of the land. Scientists, land managers, and others are increasingly proposing the ecosystem management as the best way to manage our planet’s resources. It is a management philosophy that depends as much on understanding political and social factors as it does on understanding biological information. Further, ecosystem management calls for a shift in the way humans approach the natural world; it requires an explicit examination of the relationship between humans and nature, our patterns of politics, and methods of scientific inquiry. Humanity has always depended on the services provided by the biosphere and its ecosystems. Further, the biosphere is itself the product of life on Earth. The composition of the atmosphere and soil, the cycling of elements through air and waterways, and many other ecological assets are all the results of living processes—and all are maintained and replenished by living ecosystems. The human species, while buffered against environmental immediacies by culture and technology, is ultimately fully dependent on the flow of ecosystem services. Patterns of politics suggested by ecosystem management include public deliberation of values toward the environment, cooperative solutions, and dispersion of power and authority. These are all avenues to lessen social hierarchy and domination. The significance lies in the fact that ecosystem management maintains the flow and balance between environment, economic as well as social goods and services. Institutions as well as every global citizen must, therefore, cooperate towards this end.
3 978-81-314-1548-1 Urban Water Supply and Sanitation: A Management Perspective www.nbcindia.com Mallikarjun Janardan Iyyer 18-Oct-08 244 16.5 425 0 0 Access to water is a human right as declared by UNESCO. Civilizations have developed at the proximity of rivers and other fresh water sources. Water is a basic human need and its availability has governed the survival of human existence and, therefore, the civilizations. The provision of water supply and sanitation services in the urban areas continues to be one of the core functions of the urban local bodies. Rapid urbanization in the last few decades has brought the sector providing these services under stress. Improved investment in water sector infrastructure, which is accorded high priority, needs to be supported by efficient management of the day-to-day operation and maintenance. This poses a major challenge with fresher elements contributing to its efficacy. Training personnel in water management and bringing about awareness of the scarcity of water to public attention are the need of the hour. The book has tried to bring to the fore some of the challenges in water management. It provides the reader with various perspectives on the issues posed by water management and discusses the best practices being evolved by the local governments in consultation with their country’s Governments to overcome them.
4 978-81-314-1957-1 Medical Ethics: Issues and Implications www.nbcindia.com Ethics and Corporate Governance Asis Kumar Pain 18-Oct-08 232 16 400 0 0 “Medical ethics is a field of applied ethics that deals with the study of moral values and judgments in the area of healthcare and medicine. It encompasses its practical application in clinical settings apart from that in history, philosophy, theology and sociology. Looked at from a historical perspective, Western medical ethics can be traced from the Hippocratic Oath apart from early rabbinic and Christian teachings. During the Medieval and early modern period, the field was indebted to Islamic physicians such as Ishaq bin Ali Rahawi and al-Razi, Jewish thinkers, Roman Catholic scholastic thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, medical ethics emerged as a more self-conscious discourse, enriched with the writings of such authors as the British doctor Thomas Percival (1740-1804) of Manchester. Based on his thought, the American Medical Association instituted its first code of ethics in 1847. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, medical ethics went through a dramatic shift by confining itself into bioethics through appropriate development of liberal theory and procedural justice. Medical ethics tends to be understood narrowly as an applied professional ethics, whereas bioethics appears to have more expansive concerns, touching upon the philosophy of science and the critique of biotechnology. Still, the two fields often overlap and the distinction is more a matter of style than professional consensus. The aforesaid discussion sets the tone of the proposed book wherein the concept and development of medical ethics along with its implications are perused upon. Also, the practical aspects of medical ethics reflected in its practice in different countries of the world are taken a look.
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5 978-81-314-1460-6 Economic Sovereignty and Global Capital Flows www.nbcindia.com Economy Fikret Causevic 17-Oct-08 276 18 450 20.5 525 This book Economic Sovereignty and Global Capital Flows has three parts. The first part treats financial liberalization, analysing its development, the opportunities and risks involved in financial globalization, fundamental problems within the international financial system, and the consequences of financial liberalization and globalization, drawing on standard studies in the field. The second part addresses the theoretical basis of contemporary monetary policy, how financial asset prices affect economic policy implementation, basic controversies regarding exchange rate policy, and the interdependence of exchange rate, monetary, and fiscal policy under conditions of free capital movement. The third part presents a review of the results of economic development in a sample of 122 countries, between 1980 and 2004. The methodological basis for the analysis is a national Wealth Coefficient, which expresses the ratio of a country’s share in world GDP to its share in world population. As GDP growth does not necessarily have a sound economic basis, the data from the 20 countries with the highest rates of Wealth Coefficient growth was supplemented by data on GDP, foreign debt, foreign reserves, and import-export ratios to allow conclusions to be drawn regarding the sustainability of relative prosperity growth in high-growth economies. Finally, growth rate data was compared to the speed of financial liberalization and openness to international capital flows. Comparison of Wealth Coefficient growth rates with the dynamics and degree of financial liberalization allowed conclusions to be drawn regarding financial liberalization’s impact on economic policy’s real results.
6 978-81-314-1550-4 Cisco s Growth and Business Strategy www.nbcindia.com Business Strategy Kalai Selvan N 17-Oct-08 252 17 425 0 0 Cisco system, Inc was founded by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University in 1984. It has now become a multinational corporation and a leader in networking for the Internet employing 61,000 people all over the world, with an annual turnover of US$ 35 billion. In 2007, it ranked 74th in the Fortune 500 list of companies. With a unique networking system and solution, Cisco has created a big revolution in the Internet networking industry. Its growth strategy has focused on three market segments such as, Core technologies based market like routing and switching; the Service provider based market segment; and Advanced Technology market segment. Cisco’s product development has evolved based on customer needs and wants. It has successfully implemented their customer friendly strategies which have enabled it to become the market leader. Cisco Systems have used acquisition as a strategic business weapon. It has made more than126 acquisitions since 1993 to broaden its product offerings and secure talent pool in the extremely competitive networking industry. It has transformed its business through strong business strategy, focusing on the technology and dotcom boom in the last decade to become a market leader in the field of computer software, hardware, and networking and communication industry. This book discusses how Cisco gained its competitiveness in the market place through its innovative business model, technology innovation, product innovation, and customer management.
7 978-81-314-1565-8 Audit Committees – An Insight www.nbcindia.com General Books Padmavathi C Aparna Bellur 17-Oct-08 212 15.5 400 0 0 Audit Committees today face the onerous task of overseeing the dynamics, and metamorphosed corporate reporting process resulting in increased responsibilities and accountabilities. An Audit Committee is viewed as the cornerstone of the shareholder’s protection. This new facet can be attributed to changes in regulatory reforms, corporate governance environment, dynamic business environment and heightened expectations of market players. Its functions, role and responsibilities vary from company to company, even though, in essence, its objectives of overseeing the company’s processes related to risk and control environment, financial reporting and evaluation of internal controls and audit process remain same. This book, ‘Audit Committees – An Insight,’ is an effort to bring together Audit Committee practices and responsibilities, as also the worldwide practices in various sectors. To be effective, Audit Committees must have the right structure and process in place. But in the absence of strong leadership and good group dynamics to promote a culture of challenge and engagement, they may not be able to fulfil their role effectively. Audit Committees, in general, are to meet the expectations of the committee members themselves, the board, the shareholders, the regulators and capital markets. The maximization of their contribution to corporate governance and capital market calls for an efficient and appropriate design of Audit Committee practices. Independence is the cornerstone for effectiveness. The success of their functioning depends on the skills, knowledge and ability of their members, committee’s mission, which is tailor-made to company, and the tone set at the top. To be effective, Audit Committee members should be dynamic, proactive and should possess a wide range of knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to take up challenges.
8 978-81-314-1556-6 Management Control Systems in Competitive Environment www.nbcindia.com Satyanarayana Y 17-Oct-08 188 14.5 375 17 425 Having winning strategies is very important for a company. Executing these strategies is the key to business. Studies have shown that most companies fail more on account of their inability to implement strategies than, perhaps, their not being able to have the right strategies. Here comes the role of management control. Under the management control system, managers play a key role in implementing the company’s strategies. In fact, they influence other members of the organisation/company in executing this task. Imperfect design or inadequate implementation can even result in failure to achieve the objectives of the organisation. This keeps the managers on tenterhooks. They should have a clear understanding of the management control system. According to studies, though many organizations have been making efforts for improving their performance through conventional methods, like lower-cost, improved quality, etc., they have not identified any strategic processes. Many of them do not link their performance management systems to strategy. Current trend is that most innovative companies implement management control more effectively than their lesser innovative counterparts. This shows the need for management control and innovation. This book makes a study of the issues pertaining to management control, which will be useful for both practicing managers and students of management.
9 81-314-1287-8 Case Studies on Strategies for Foreign Markets – An Anthology www.nbcindia.com Business and Finance Specials Bharathi S.Gopal 17-Oct-08 360 0 0 50 1250 Companies that aim to extend their operations to other countries face unique challenges. Entering into a foreign country market requires a clear mindset as to what the company wants to achieve. This determines the mode of entry that the business wants to adopt. The mode of market entry chosen will also have implications in the marketing strategies that the company wants to implement in the foreign market. If the company intends to enter indirectly, like exporting, its control over marketing is limited. On the contrary, if a company wants to control marketing of its products or services, it needs to have a foresight of how the business will develop in the future. Equally daunting is the task of developing a foreign market. It is important that companies understand the local business environment before formulating strategies for the foreign market. Companies that have shown greater commitment at the early stage of market entry, made long-term plans and focused on localizing their marketing programs have succeeded in foreign countries. This book “Case Studies on Strategies for Foreign Markets – An Anthology” is a compilation of case studies that chronicle the strategies in foreign markets of various companies across industries. The book is divided into two sections. The first section comprises case studies that deal with strategies pertaining to entry or re-entry into foreign markets, while the second section consists of case studies on strategies to develop foreign markets.
10 978-81-314-1491-0 India and Japan: Economic and Strategic Partnership www.nbcindia.com Economy Sukhvinder Kaur Multani 4-Oct-08 268 17 425 0 0 The Indo-Japanese relationship has witnessed a major transformation since the end of cold war. The bipolar system resulted in greater interdependence among nations. The concept of security became more comprehensive and included non-military elements. Above all, globalization created new opportunities and united the whole world by integrating and breaking barriers. All these transformed the Indo-Japanese relations which hitherto seemed stagnated. India’s economic liberalization also played its role by throwing new opportunities. Since liberalization, both the countries have reaffirmed to continue to promote commonalities and identify areas of convergence for mutual cooperation between them in a constructive manner. With common values and broad convergence of our interests, India-Japan partnership has the potential to create a ripple effect, leading to positive developments – not just for them but for Asia as a whole and, in turn, the world as well. Of late, the Indo-Japanese relations have broadened and included security along with economic aspects. One important lesson that both the countries have learnt from their past experiences is that they should improve the quality of their relationship. In future, it would be interesting to see how the bilateral relationship between the two countries would have an impact on Asia. Focusing on the Indo-Japanese relations, the book is designed in two sections. The first section delves into economic relations between India and Japan and focuses on Trade, business, investments, etc. The second section exclusively deals with the strategic aspect of their relationship.
11 978-81-314-1506-1 Shareholder Value – Concepts and Cases www.nbcindia.com Finance Keerti Mallela 4-Oct-08 248 16.5 425 0 0 It is often said in the world of finance and management that the role of the CEO of an enterprise encompasses something more than just delivering profits. It stretches to the intention of creating and maximizing shareholder value. In this context, value-based management has come a long way in helping enterprises and managers create, measure and enhance shareholder value. It has prescribed many an antidote to overcome major hindrances in processes, operations and systems inside an organization and at the same time pay singular attention to processes that enhance shareholder value. Adhering to and establishing organizational goals by understanding the ultimate goals and objectives of the enterprise may come a long way, according to experts. This involves many inter-related and mutually dependent functions like managing risk, strategy initiation and development, earnings improvement and most importantly focusing and capitalizing on growth opportunities. Things that help goals fall in line with maximizing shareholder value may be some reference points like review of historical performance, comprehending competitors’ strategies, taking note of stock market expectations, due diligence towards ensuring that the current risk factors are all met with realistic and executable measures and preparing for future economic and value-based performance. This book covers some very vital aspects of shareholder value creation at enterprises, what enterprises ought to do in order to create shareholder value and maximize it. Firms that have undertaken shareholder value creation and enhancement on a serious measure are illustrated in the form of cases.
12 978-81-314-2073-7 Customer Service in Hotel Industry www.nbcindia.com Marketing Amitabha Ghose Ishita Mukherjee 4-Oct-08 200 15 375 0 0 The rapid pace of globalization has caused increasing consciousness among customers. Due to growing competition and improved job opportunities, especially in the private sector, coupled with improved buying power (which is a direct impact of regular employment generation), consumers have become more demanding. Therefore, to attract and retain customers, cost and quality control continues to be the keywords as hospitality remains primarily a service catering to the business as well as leisure customers. It is, therefore, vital to focus on the planning and delivery aspects related to effective customer service in the hotel industry. Associations of hotel and restaurant owners have been established by those who create and enforce quality standards, and many of those associations are honored as corporations, that embody the philosophies of effective quality management. As per the principles of total quality management, accomplishment of service quality is a continuous process. It extends throughout every stage of the client’s lifecycle. This is applicable for all in business, and the delivery of service that meets or exceeds customers’ expectations becomes an increasingly significant differentiating factor in business development. Therefore, continuous efforts have to be made to reassess the gap between expectations and delivery of service. What constitutes service quality is a matter of concern as it is a relative concept, referring to the demand and expectation fulfilment of customers. Reduced price coupled with a tailor-made service is one strategy to attract and retain customers by service provider.
13 978-81-314-1897-0 Addressing Health Issues: Financial Perspectives www.nbcindia.com General Azmal Hussain 4-Oct-08 216 15 375 0 0 “As applicable to any other development paradigm, finance often forms the lifeline of health intervention and therefore, merits prudent considerations. But, government commitment allegedly falls short in healthcare funding in resource poor countries for several reasons, the most conspicuous of them being modest tax revenues limiting spending on healthcare services. This leads to a gap between ideal and affordable investments. Another factor which often escapes the attention of the authorities concerned is the seemingly sub-standard quality of public services and the low motivation of public servants dealing with those services grossly undermining and compromising the value of public investments. The erstwhile evidences are suggestive of manifold issues hinging around the financial aspects of health interventions. This book provides a practical know-how of the issues and dimensions in healthcare financing through suitable examples.
Structured into two sections, this book covers the conceptual and generic aspects of healthcare financing, besides providing a close look at the issues and dimensions in healthcare financing through suitable country experiences. This book will be useful for development professionals, policy planners, grass-root level organizations including NGOs devoted to health issues (especially the implementing organizations), administrators and social activists.
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14 978-81-314-2034-8 Case Studies on Retail Store Strategies: A Repertoire www.nbcindia.com Supply Chain Management Menaka Rao 4-Oct-08 376 0 0 50 1250 Unlike never before, companies have to constantly watch out to maintain that edge over competition, which sometimes is essentially a break or make situation that a company finds itself in. As Cases occupy a prominent place among pedagogical tools for teaching, this book with a repository of 19 case studies extends over 3 sections showcasing the technical segmentation and in-store strategies used by retailers to drive growth, increase profit margins, beat competition and grab market share. The cases chosen in this book serve as excellent vehicles to project an integrated view of retailers, to blend theory with practice, and sharpen the analytical skills of the readers. Compared to the large number and wide range of marketing topics covered in marketing books, this book focuses on the “Store Strategy” in retailing and in tune with the current needs of the industry. Rich in pedagogic content, the book navigates through case studies to provide a deep understanding of the retail industry and the challenges faced by retailers like 7-Eleven stores, Wal-Mart, Metro cash and carry, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Amazon, to name a few. The book helps in discussing retail strategy, customer centricity, in-store facelifts and makeovers, the shift to virtual shopping, the advantages of on-line shopping and the fortitude borne by companies during challenges. With real time people and happenings, each case study comes alive before the reader. What, perhaps, is a significant take away from the book, apart from its intrinsic pedagogic objectives are the thoughts and opinions of great retailers like Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, Bezos, founder of Amazon, Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy Inc., Kishore Biyani, the Indian retail pioneer and others.
15 978-81-314-1435-4 Case Studies on Business Ethics and CSR Initiatives www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Krishna Kumar Lekha Ravi 4-Oct-08 224 0 0 50 1250 Business Ethics relates to value-based and ethical business practices. Business ethics defines “how a company integrates core values – such as honesty, trust, respect, and fairness ¬- into its policies, practices, and decision making. Business ethics also involves a company’s compliance with legal standards and adherence to internal rules and regulations”. The last decade has witnessed extensive awareness among companies of their responsibilities toward the communities they impact on, which has evolved into the concept of CSR and allied notions such as ‘corporate sustainability’. Many companies have grown globally and are adopting ethical practices to preserve a sustainable business. If a company’s main purpose is to maximize the returns to its shareholders, is it unethical for a company to consider the interests and rights of anyone else? The book attempts to be an eye-opener to the business firms’ sensitivity to the society and environment. It analyses the issues faced in this dilemma of business vs. ethics. This case book discusses opportunities and constraints in engaging the private sector in demand-driven community development programs. The book aims to provide readers with a critical analysis of CSR to question the underlying assumption that companies, as currently constituted, can be part of a shift to a more sustainable and socially just society. The book hopes to provide a meaningful edge to the debate around CSR. As such, while it does not claim to have all the answers, it hopes to serve as an eye-opener to these issues.
16 978-81-314-1449-1 Global Scenario on HIV and AIDS: Is there a way out? www.nbcindia.com General Naveen Kumar Agarwal Ramani V V 30-Sep-08 340 20 500 0 0 AIDS is the new epidemic of 80s, which destroyed many families and communities and posed a threat to the modern world. Most of the countries hit by this epidemic suffered from mortality search and drop in life expectancy. This epidemic is causing harm to the productive citizens that too between ages of 15 and 35. Kids are becoming orphans because of the untimely death of their parents and families are losing their talented young lot, who are the key earning members of the family. AIDS ranks fourth among the leading causes of death worldwide and first in sub-Saharan Africa. The most affected countries are located in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Asia. The key challenges of the epidemic are how to control the epidemic, arrest the spread among infants and adults, provide low cost treatment facility, obtain support from the society for the infected and check impact on poor countries. Collective effort should focus on the prevention of HIV and also provide access to Antiretroviral Treatment for the affected people. The civil society and the government together have to combat HIV and AIDS in developing and under developed countries. With this background, the book has been divided into two sections. Section-I consists of Global Perspectives of HIV and AIDS and Section-II covers Mitigation Strategies. The book attempts to give an overview of the status of HIV and AIDS in regions like Africa, Asia, America and Europe. Efforts have also been made to include the experiences from these regions to know how far they have been able to treat their HIV infected people and mitigate this chronic and intimidating syndrome.
17 978-81-314-2065-2 Economic Downturns – Lessons from Country Experiences www.nbcindia.com Economy: World Jayshree Bose Keerti Mallela 30-Sep-08 244 16.5 425 0 0 An economy’s prosperity is generally measured by specific indicators like international prices, costs of external financing, capital flows and trade flows. Rise in interest rates, tightening monetary conditions, nevertheless, natural calamities and disasters like the 9/11 and the resultant global imbalances in recent times have led economists worldwide to think of an impending recession. The year 2006 saw the US stating a Current Account Deficit of more than US$800 billion and, on the other hand, the oil-exporting countries reaped surpluses. In 2008, the world at large is expected to watch out for continuing stock market falls, less of foreign direct investment in both developing and developed economies, oil price shocks, further fall in house prices and, therefore, gloomier credit markets. Erosion of investor confidence is on the way given the huge losses reported by Banks, given the shattering aftermath of the subprime crisis. It is widely opined that even if the Fed keeps cutting interest rates, these cuts may not really be able to offset the rate cuts in the previous recessions, since consumers and businesses may not be able to borrow enough to keep up their spending. A long-standing view point is that a flexible economy, with maximum competition as its driving force is the most sought after method to withstand recession. In that continuum, flexible market-driven economies have been cited to be more resilient towards recessions. This book on Economic Downturns focuses more on some vital concepts of economic recessions, policy changes brought about by nations that ran into profound recessions and some country-experiences. In its various segments, it covers some important preventive measures prescribed by leading economists and experts.
18 978-81-314-2014-0 Globalization: Latin American Experience www.nbcindia.com Globalization Asis Kumar Pain 30-Sep-08 236 16 400 0 0 After the “lost decade” of the 1980s, the 1990s were a distinct improvement for Latin America with the continent embracing the structural reform process. GDP growth rose as high as 4 percent in 1997 prior to the outbreak of the crisis in Asia and in the emerging markets. On a country basis, 17 countries were found to have raised their average annual growth rate in the 1990s (average per capita income in the region grew 1.5 percent per annum in the 1990s) compared to the 1980s. Besides, 24 countries showed a reduction in the volatility of their growth performance while 13 countries achieved both higher growth and greater stability of growth. Inflation was also brought down to single-digit-level after decades of double-digit inflation. These enhanced economic performance had its reflection in the various parameters of social progress. Between the period 1975 and 1997, the gap in the UNDP’s Human Development Index was reduced by more than 20 percent, reflecting a substantial improvement in social indicators. Despite these positive directions of economic development, the extent of poverty still affected 36 percent of Latin Americans. Income distribution across quintiles or deciles continued, thus presenting a discouraging picture. The aforementioned portrayal brings up the Latin American development initiated with the globalization process. The present volume is a modest effort at capturing some essence of this process wherein the basic idea of the circumstances for embracing globalization and economic development ushered thereon, supplemented with individualistic experiences, are examined.
19 81-314-1292-4 Case Studies on Business Ethics and Corporate Governance- Promoting Social Responsibility www.nbcindia.com Ethics and Corporate Governance Harish R 30-Sep-08 332 0 0 50 1250 There is a growing awareness and realization about the need for industry to be more ethical and responsible in its actions, whether towards its employees, suppliers or customers; or towards the environment and the society at large. Adhering to appropriate norms and regulations pertaining to corporate governance and maintaining financial and fiscal integrity are also gaining importance. Shareholder groups too have become more active and are raising their voices whenever they observe that companies may not have been adequately ethical and fair in their behavior and dealings. Several movements aimed at ethical and fairtrade practices have gained ground, and products with fairtrade and/or environment friendly/organic labels are beginning to command significant market demand and price premiums. Given this background, Business Ethics and Corporate Governance have become important subjects of study in many business schools across the world. It is, therefore, felt that a book of cases pertaining to the concepts and issues typically dealt with in such a course would be of immense help to both faculty and students. This book attempts to fill this need by presenting a bouquet of cases on a cross-section of topics that may be covered in a course on Business Ethics and Corporate Governance. The cases are selected from different industries and geographic regions of the world, thereby adding to the diversity and richness of content.
20 978-81-314-1459-0 The Icfai Handbook Of Behavioral Sciences www.nbcindia.com General Anamika Sharma 27-Sep-08 356 21 525 0 0 The Icfai Handbook of Behavioral Sciences is addressed to the undergraduate & postgraduate students of behavioral sciences and its allied disciplines. They include psychology, social psychology, psychobiology, social neuroscience, cognitive organization theory, consumer psychology, management science & operations research besides ethology, anthropology, organizational studies & psycho-economics, memetics, organizational behavior, social networks, and organizational ecology. Psychologists, behavioral scientists, management consultants, sociologists, anthropologists, OD consultants and the faculties in the concerned areas and general readers whose daily work demands some familiarity with terminology of Behavioral Sciences like history and meaning of Behavioral Sciences and its allied areas are expected to benefit by this handbook. The handbook also addresses terms from the conceptual level to the advanced level. It aims to provide a comprehensive companion to support other readings in a discipline, which employs remarkably similar terminology. This handbook is an authentic, accessible and alphabetical reference resource for the main ideas and teaching connected to the basics of and advances in Behavioral Sciences. The book is designed to cover the salient facts and features of various terms of Behavioral Sciences and its allied areas. It also explores conceptual development in various sciences from professional perspective. Over 3000 entries define and explain clearly the salient facts within the context of Behavioral Sciences. It incorporates up-to-date information which is sure to appeal to active psychologists, behavioral scientists, management consultants, and the faculty and students of Behavioral Sciences.
21 978-81-314-1527-6 Perspectives on Inclusive Growth in India www.nbcindia.com Economy: Issues in Economic De Dholakia J R 27-Sep-08 356 21 525 0 0 Inclusive growth is a major concern for human development in India with rising inequalities. Despite tremendous growth of economy, failure on distributive front has aggravated the progressive journey towards collective well-being. Inclusive growth has become the buzzword in policy-spheres with recent phenomenon of rapid growth with characteristic patterns of exclusion. The sectoral, social and spatial inequalities have raised questions about welfare approaches of Government planning, and emphasized the role of the private sector in addressing development issues in the country. Employment generation, social and developmental infrastructure, health-care and rural diversification are some of the major suggestions from experts. Due to faulty approaches and often politically motivated policies, growth has generated inequalities. It is imperative for the planners and policy-makers to make growth inclusive through adoption of pragmatic policies. The journey towards balancing the outcome of economic growth involves many challenges. The dominant challenges include the imperative of maintaining the acceleration of economic growth without compromising on human development and sustainability. The book analyses various policy and programming issues about inclusive growth in India. With indepth overview of human development issues surfaced by various researches, the book outlines certain policy issues pertinent to inclusive growth. This book specifically looks at the issue in broader framework of sectoral, social and regional inequalities which form the macro framework for inclusive growth.
22 978-81-314-1529-0 Addressing Health Issues: Role of Participatory Research and Action www.nbcindia.com General Azmal Hussain Nirbachita Karmakar 27-Sep-08 308 19 475 0 0 It is clear for all to see that in the attainment of sustainable growth and development, health plays a crucial role. The question of accessibility of the health benefits by the poor brings to the fore the role of participatory research and action. This book attempts to show how different participatory approaches are useful in improving mass health, and document practices in health intervention through participatory action and research. Approaches like Participatory Action Research (PAR), Community Participation (CP) and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) are discussed in possible detail wherever deemed necessary. CBPR is particularly viewed as consistent with the goals of “result-oriented philanthropy” of various national as well as international funding agencies who often become discouraged by the modest or even disappointing results of more traditional research and intervention efforts in many low income communities. Supporters of participatory approaches, however, face challenging issues in the areas of partnership capacity and readiness, time requirements, funding flexibility, evaluation and so on. The book intends to identify strategies for addressing such issues through documentation of desirable practices justifying participation as an important tool for effectively addressing health issues. It is expected to be of use for development professionals, policy planners, public administrators, applied anthropologists, social work professionals and other social scientists.
23 978-81-314-1542-9 Community Investing www.nbcindia.com Economy: World Swapna Gopalan 27-Sep-08 316 19 475 0 0 Community investing refers to financing that creates resources and opportunities for economically disadvantaged people and people under-served by traditional financial institutions. Capital generated through community investing initiatives enable local organizations to generate jobs, fund small businesses, create affordable housing and provide financial and other vital community services to financially disadvantaged people. Community investments are known to make a greater impact in helping communities in need than charitable giving. It is perhaps for this reason that community investing has become an attractive investment option for wealthy individuals, interested in making a social impact, even earn monetary gains. Corporates have also found a good avenue in community investing to fulfil their social missions. Today, community investors are playing a crucial role in alleviating poverty in many countries like the US, the UK, South Africa and India. In fact, community investors have been at the forefront of rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the disastrous tsunami, hurricane Katrina and after the war in Afghanistan. This book captures the recent developments in the area of community investing across the globe. It is divided into three sections: the first section titled “Introduction” introduces and explains the concept of ‘Community Investing’, the second section “Experiences” showcases a few country experiences and the third section “Corporate Community Investments” is devoted to studying the progress of corporate community investing initiatives.
24 978-81-314-1545-0 Dubai Economy: Insights www.nbcindia.com Economy: World Radha Krishna G 27-Sep-08 276 18 450 0 0 Dubai, with its geographical location and modernized port facilities, created an advantage in the Asian region. Its resources made it a cynosure for various business propositions of different countries to operate and vie with Dubai economy. The success story of Dubai Inc. can be ascribed to various factors such as Monarch rulers and their vision to see Dubai among top economies of the world. Polity, designed as Federal National Council (FNC), plays a catalytic role in making decisions of policies for creating business opportunities and a platform for Dubai’s economy to progress at a fast pace. The shopping habits and consumption patterns of people from different nations and cultures create different business opportunities to serve these consumer markets. The emerging service sectors such as financial services, banking, stock exchange, insurance and hospitality services, consultancy and advertising are in nascent stage. At present, tourism contributes a major portion to the GDP. Dubai is a benchmark for a successful economy in spite of recent formation as an independent federal state. The Sheikh’s vision of making Dubai ‘first in first’ (FIF), emergence of sectors ranging from infrastructure to port modernization, airport with millions of passengers boarding and alighting, constructing large malls make Dubai a happening economy.
25 978-81-314-1458-3 The Icfai Dictionary Of Business Process Re-engineering Terms www.nbcindia.com BPO Pradeep Kumar 27-Sep-08 268 17 425 0 0 The Icfai Dictionary of Business Process Re-engineering Terms is addressed to students, teachers, practitioners and general readers who want to follow Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)/Business Process Improvement (BPI)/Business Process Management (BPM) discussions in the class and elsewhere, or whose daily work demands some familiarity with terminology of BPR/BPI/BPM. The dictionary also addresses terms from the conceptual level to the advanced level in a precise manner. It aims to provide a comprehensive companion to support other reading in a discipline which employs remarkably similar terminology. It also assists students from the examination point of view. It is quite handy for students and professionals engaged in this area. This dictionary is a guide to the main ideas and teaching connected to the basics of and advances in BPR/BPI/BPM. The book is designed in such a way that it covers the salient facts and features of various points of BPR/BPI/BPM and also explores BPR/BPI/BPM development from technology and business perspectives. More than 2000 entries define and explain clearly the salient facts within the context of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)/Business Process Improvement (BPI)/Business Process Management (BPM). Its store of up-to-date information is expected to appeal to active managers, teachers and students of information technology and operations.
26 978-81-314-1524-5 Combating Water Borne Diseases : A Global Perspective www.nbcindia.com General Azmal Hussain 27-Sep-08 244 16.5 425 0 0 Water is the most indispensable natural resource in the world for every living being. The entire life-support system is dependent upon this vital resource. it has been observed by scientists that 97.5 percent of water contained by the earth’s hydrosphere is basically saline in nature and hence not usable. Hence, only 2.5 percent is usable fresh water and within this 2.5 percent, 68.7 percent can be available in the form of permanent snow cover and ice caps in the polar and high mountainous regions and therefore, unusable. The remaining 31.3 percent of that tiny 2.5 percent of available fresh water can only be usable. Within this 31.3 percent of usable fresh water 29.9 percent is held by the underground aquifers and the rest 1.4 percent is captured in the lakes, river systems and reservoirs. It is most important to all as it is directly consumed by all living entities. From that point of view, water is particularly related with health. Though drinking water and its health significance is much talked about over the decades, this issue happens to have a weak point of the present regulatory approaches meant for defining the quality of drinking water. There comes the question of provision of safe drinking water. Among them, contamination takes place from synthetic materials, pesticide infiltration, through presence of different by-products resulting from disinfection, elevation of sodium levels from natural resources and so on. It has been pointed out that globally, diarrhoeal diseases account for a considerable share of the total disease burden. At the same time, in about ninety percent cases, this burden is reportedly attributable to the supply of unsafe drinking water coupled with improper sanitation, and poor hygiene. This book is a sincere attempt to demarcate the magnitude of health challenge posed by unsafe drinking water and identify the strategies those are currently underway to minimize the health challenges by ensuring drinking water safety in different ecological settings. The book has been divided into two broad sections. Section I discusses the issues and perspectives related to drinking water and health. The second section discusses the country experiences related to drinking water and health.
27 978-81-314-1533-7 Changing Face Of Footwear Industry www.nbcindia.com General Management Anil Varma 27-Sep-08 248 16.5 425 0 0 Footwear is no longer viewed as a commodity that just offers protection for feet. What was hitherto considered a ‘want’ is today a basic ‘need’. Today, the footwear trade is a vast and dynamic operation involving huge economies of scale. The low-cost countries are gaining foothold in international markets leading developed countries to import and outsource so as to meet their requirements. The footwear product has proliferated into many brands and now caters to the needs of disparate customers. Footwear is something that has always been taken for granted. But today footwear, being considered a ‘need’ is also considered by many to be an ornament or a fashion statement. On the other hand, the major players are getting aggressive on their marketing, expansion and turnaround strategies and also producing innovative products in line with their social obligations. The footwear industry is vast, dynamic and yet rarely noticed. The effort here is to cover the changing face of the commerce of footwear. Emphasis is laid on the fact that the major economies now face a threat from the emerging economies as a location of production for international markets. The ‘low-cost’ countries are now gaining a strong foothold in the international market and the major economies are either importing or outsourcing which leads to the view that strong measures should be adopted against these ‘low-cost’ countries. The marketing, expansion and turnaround strategies used by the major players are significant to help us understand the dynamics of this unnoticed industry.
28 978-81-314-1547-4 Shared Services Management: A Global Perspective www.nbcindia.com Management Padma Srinivasan B 27-Sep-08 244 16.5 425 0 0 The present state of globalization is creating a greater level of economic interdependence than the world has ever seen. The global economic power is now more distributed among the global companies which were once centered in a few industrialized nations. Now, companies are looking to achieve and sustain success in different ways, like serving customers, attracting talent, running operations and driving innovation. Shared Services is a notable option to companies in the new era of globalization. Both the private and public sector organizations are scaling up using the shared services that can deliver efficiencies and improve both effectiveness and the employee or customer experience by regulating, simplifying and merging service position. Shared services often begin with corporate services, e.g., IT, HR, Finance, etc; however, possibilities exist across all operational support and front line services. This book attributes significance to the paradigms in evolving shared service systems across the globe. The MNCs and global organizations are realizing seamless benefits of adopting shared services organizations support to strengthen their non-core activities as well as centralize HR activities. The book focuses on the emerging shared services organizations/centers and their relevance to public and private organizations. The latest method being adopted by the companies to cut the business costs, improve quality and maintain flexibility of products and services is to avail the service of shared service providers. It also emphasizes the key factors which shall be taken into account by companies before adopting services of shared service organizations.
29 978-81-314-1543-6 E-Voting: Perspectives and Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Jaya Krishna S Naveen Kumar Agarwal 27-Sep-08 232 16 400 0 0 From time immemorial, ‘by the people’ in a democratic set-up has been facilitated through a mechanism called ‘Election.’ Electoral process involves ‘voting’ by the eligible electorate and the voting system should facilitate people’s true verdict. Till recent times, ‘paper ballot’ method continued as a widely practised voting system across the world. But in today’s changing political situation, ballot box is no more a valid approach. In view of the limitations of paper ballot method, many countries across the world are exploring the potential of Electronic voting. Today, ‘E-voting’ has emerged as the major driving force of democracy, that has come to the attention of many countries in their movement to reform elections. The book unleashes the concept and potential of ‘e-voting’, while highlighting the growing significance of electronic voting route. Broadly, it covers various country experiences and also highlights the status and overview of E-voting across the world. Keeping in view that E-voting has both potential advantages and associated risks, the book also attempts to look into the negative effects of E-voting. While offering an immense learning value to the academicians, researchers and students of public administration and public policy, this book, it is hoped, will help administrators, bureaucrats, Election Commissions (ECs), Government executives, policy-makers and the society to better understand far-reaching applications and implementation insights of E-voting. Various nations across the world can greatly benefit from the thoughtful insights provided in this book.
30 978-81-314-2060-7 Consolidation in the Banking Industry: Global Perspective www.nbcindia.com Banking Santap Sanhari Mishra 26-Sep-08 300 19 475 0 0 Consolidation of banks is the means for growing economies towards improving the efficiency and reforming the structure of the banking industry in accordance to the contemporary requirements of corporate culture, ownership patterns, profitability and diversifications. Deregulation measures as a result of liberalization and globalization have resulted in increasing competition. This forced the banking industry to go for restructuring and reframing. Profit maximization is the major motivating force for private bank mergers. The rationale of acquisition of weaker banks by the public sector banks lies in increasing efficiency and competitiveness and safeguarding the interests of depositors and other stakeholders. Bank mergers have reduced the number of banks and increased the size of the banks enhancing the volume of business. However mergers should be planned and strategic. Technological and cultural aspects along with human resource management are areas that need to be handled carefully. The book is a modest effort at capturing the essence of this process of consolidation of banks. It explains the circumstances for embracing the policy of consolidation and also highlights the impact on the economy. The book brings into focus some country’s specific cases where consolidation of banks has taken place. The positive and negative impact of bank consolidation in various countries is evaluated and hence various ways for a balanced move are captured in this book.
31 978-81-314-1496-5 Rebranding: Concepts, Cases and Applications www.nbcindia.com Branding Kunal Gaurav 26-Sep-08 260 17 425 0 0 Nowadays, we are living in the epoch of globalization where companies are free to move anywhere across the globe. Competition has become an inevitable part of our life. At the same time, customers’ needs and preferences are changing endlessly and companies are expected to deliver enhanced value to their customers that should be striking, faster and at lower price; otherwise customers can usually find someone else who will do the same. Modern marketers understand very well that the unique brand image can offer sustainable competitive advantage to companies over their competitors operating in the same market with similar products and services. With this backdrop, rebranding has emerged as one of the strong marketing tools that believe in changing corporate identity, logo, punchline and advertising in order to give a fresh image to the companies. The first section of the book is committed to elucidating the concept of rebranding, reasons for rebranding, various mistakes marketers commit at the time of rebranding their companies. Finally, it offers a conceptual framework to help companies make their rebranding victorious. The second section of the book is intended to facilitate the understanding of readers on various issues viz. what, when, why and how of effective rebranding through discussing contemporary applications and cases. This section also highlights as to how companies are rebranding themselves to build and maintain strong and unique brands in order to occupy a specific place in the minds of the stakeholders.
32 978-81-314-1993-9 Containerization – Indian and Global Perspectives www.nbcindia.com Infrastructure Padmanabhan Nair Ramani V V 26-Sep-08 220 17 425 0 0 Containerization is a system of intermodal cargo transport using standard ISO containers that can be loaded on container ships, railroad cars and trucks. It has revolutionized cargo shipping. Today, nearly 90% of non-bulk cargo moves by containers put on transport ships. Containerization is an important cargo-moving technique developed in the 20th century. It has formed an integral part of logistics the world over, India is no exception too. The idea of containerization and its reaping benefits in handling freight transport in both developing and developed economies will help open ways for global trade practices. The major objectives, the successful cases of container ports, products and models of containers, infrastructure, capacity challenges, economic aspects, increased customer value through containerization and the private sector involvement in handling containers will form the outline of the book. The Indian Railway Minister, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav has taken the initiative for Private-Public Partnership between the Indian Railways and 14 private container train operators to look up various issues because containerization is treated as a sunrise industry. This is aimed at not only increasing the rail share of container traffic but also introducing competition in the intermodal rail freight market leading to service improvements. It also contains enabling provisions to meet the future requirements in terms of infrastructure and technological developments. This book will help the emerging economies in reducing time and costs in freight transport either through rail, road, container ships or planes. It will also help increase the volume of international trade possible and more happening through complex supply chains in India.
33 978-81-314-1534-4 Attrition in IT and IT Enabled Services Sectors: Concepts and Cases www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Anil Varma 26-Sep-08 232 16 400 0 0 In the best of worlds, employees would love their jobs, like their coworkers, work hard for their employers, get paid well for their work, have ample chances for advancement, and flexible schedules, so that they could attend to personal or family needs when necessary, and never leave the company, but then, there s the real world. And in the real world, employees do leave either because they want more money, hate the working conditions, hate their co-workers, want a change, or because their spouses get a dream job in another state. So, what does that entire turnover cost? And what type of employees are likely to have the highest turnover? Who is likely to stay the longest? Attrition is a universal phenomenon and no industry is devoid of it, but the degree fluctuates from industry to industry on the basis of their capacity to manage low attrition rate. Attrition not only affects the quality of service; it also leads to increased expenditure on training and development, thereby affecting the overall organizational performance. Several companies are trying out different ways to manage low attrition rate. Be it an IT sector, or BPO, they are trying out their ways to manage lower rate of attrition by creating a healthy work environment, work-life balance, corporate brand building and so on. Attrition seems to be one of the areas in which HR can make a difference – one that can be measured in quantifiable, financial terms against targets.
34 978-81-314-1530-6 Apparel Industry and Retailing in India: Insights and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Marketing Tripat Kaur Smitha Ramachandran 26-Sep-08 220 15.5 400 0 0 India is a country with diversified customs and cultures; so diverse that Indians differ in their dressing too. Right from the salwaar-kameez to the sari and from lungi to dhoti, our own Indian wear has been vivid and varied. The market of branded garments is growing up. With favorable events like end of multifiber agreement, entry of foreign retailers and textile companies into the country and the growth and acknowledgement of the Indian fashion industry throughout the world, apparel marketing has become one of the interesting and tough jobs in the arena of marketing. The study emphasizes as to how over the last several decades the face of retail and the distribution of apparel have changed dramatically. India ranks among the top target countries for any company sourcing textiles and apparel. Indeed, apart from China, no other country can match the size, spread, depth and competitiveness of the Indian textile and apparel industry. Moreover, with the global elimination of quotas at the end of 2004, entry of foreign retailers and textile companies into the country and the growth and acknowledgement of the Indian fashion industry throughout the world, a thorough study of apparel retailing has become necessary. This book will focus on examining the recent trends of apparel retailing in India, including role of shopping malls, private brands marketing, impact of fashion and movies and other related areas. The book will help readers know about the retail scenario of apparel, the importance of the merchandising philosophy, outlines devising merchandise assortment plans, the atmospherics and visual merchandising and investigation of the promotional process
35 978-81-314-1544-3 Marketing of Insurance Services in India www.nbcindia.com Marketing Radha Krishna G 26-Sep-08 220 15.5 400 0 0 Insurance industry is emerging competitive in the Indian context particularly after floodgates of secured monopoly markets are opened up to private players. Marketing insurance services in the Indian context has become a different ball game altogether as various companies are adopting different marketing strategies and there has been a shift from selling orientation to marketing orientation – agents becoming advisors and relative role shift of seller to marketer. This changed scenario has made the industry adopt different marketing strategies. Customizing the products, pricing, channel strategies as direct selling, E channel, company advisors, company agency channels, cross-selling and Bancassurance are becoming contemporary strategic tools for present Indian insurance scenario. The latest competition among different players such as ICICI Prudential, LIC, AVIVA, TATA AIG, MAX NEWYORK etc., has made the insurance industry move towards better service deliverers. The positioning of themselves with a USP, using advertising as a tool to communicate the same and building brands have become an inevitable marketing exercise in Indian insurance industry. This promotion is a fight not only for market share, but also for mind share. The combination of channel and the promotion has become a dominant strategic tool for Indian insurance companies. India’s liberalized economy has solicited all private players to serve the Insurance market. Now the challenge and success for the insurance marketer lie in exploring the market with a balancing marketing strategy among consumers, competitors and the IRDA.
36 978-81-314-1532-0 Counseling for Different Phases of Life www.nbcindia.com General Sangeetha K Devi R J and Vasuki Mathivanan 26-Sep-08 212 15.5 400 0 0 In the present modern and competitive world, the need for counseling people in various fields for different purposes is on the rise. In the current fast-paced competitive world, technology, globalization and the 24x 7 work-life stress has changed people’s life style – the way one works, communicates and maintains relationships during one’s lifecycle from childhood to old age. The surmounting pressure, turmoil and tension at work and in personal life negatively impact upon the personal efficacy and behavior of the person, which can also be a cause for social stigma. This has made counseling an impeccable tool that renders help to an individual to overcome one’s difficulties and problems; it guides one to overcome the turmoil, maintain relations, and to emerge as an optimistic, confident person. Counseling and guidance that is given to a person for the betterment of his life are child counseling, career counseling, sexual abuse counseling, trauma counseling, marriage counseling etc. An effective counseling helps the counselee understand the holistic nature of life that encompasses psychological, physical and social characteristics. Besides, the success of counseling (by a counselor) lies in bringing about an affirmative behavioral change in the counselee and ensuring that he/she becomes autonomous in solving her/his problem. This has a significant impact upon the person’s behavior, performance and productivity. The benefits reaped by people by investing comparatively less amount of time, money and energy are so significant that it is hardly surprising that counseling is being increasingly sought by a large number of people around the world to save their lives and relations. This book is designed to capture the concept and significance of counseling, the techniques and various types of counseling offered to a person during his/her lifecycle in order to help him/her lead a positive and happier life.
37 978-81-314-2079-9 Demographic Dividend: Concepts and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Economy: Issues in Economic De Rajagopalan S 26-Sep-08 224 15.5 400 0 0 Every society undergoes a ‘demographic transition’, which is characterized by a decline initially in the mortality rates followed by a decline in the fertility rate, albeit after a time-interval. The decline in the mortality and the fertility rates bring about changes in the age-distribution of the population, gradually leading to a bulge in the working-age population (15 – 64 years) for a significant period of time, thus creating an opportunity for higher economic growth. This economic opportunity arising from a large working-age population is referred to as the ‘demographic dividend’. The demographic dividend represents the phase in the demographic transition when the growth rate of the labour force is significantly higher than the overall population growth rate. The dependency ratio, that is, the ratio of the non-working age population to the working age population, is low during the demographic dividend phase. The economic benefits during the demographic dividend phase include increased labour supply, savings and human capital, and therefore, increased resources for investment and welfare. The enhanced economic growth is reflected in the higher per capita income. This book examines the concept of the demographic dividend, and presents experiences of different countries in reaping the demographic dividend.
38 81-314-1385-3 Case Studies on Brand Management www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Menaka Rao Brinda G 26-Sep-08 276 0 0 35 875 Brand Management connotes different meanings to companies and to different people within the company. It could be a technique to maintain or improve market shares, creating awareness, building on the image of a brand or a combination of all the above. Brand Management in actuality is efficiently managing a brand. It is the art of creating and maintaining a product or service by characterizing it with a specific image or personality called a “Brand”. And with more savvy and generic players in the market, companies recognise the importance of strategies. Recognition comes in a variety of ways- like the name, logo or slogan, to get the product registered in the customer’s mind. In a real market scenario, managing a brand has the task of managing the tentacles of the brand extending both to and from the product or service that the brand represents. A few of the tentacles are quality, price, image, uniqueness and so on. Creating a mind space for a brand facilitates a circle of associations and expectations. This has led organisations to invest more of their mind, manpower, money and time in brand building and maintenance. The case studies cascaded in this book comprehend the different brand building and maintenance strategies, like launching, positioning, cannibalisation and extension. The cases featured in the book conceptualise the risks, challenges, prospects and success factors.
39 978-81-314-2074-4 Microfranchising – Perspectives and Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Management Jaya Krishna S Naveen Kumar Agarwal 25-Sep-08 204 15 375 0 0 ‘Microfranchising’ is relatively a new term, currently used to describe income-generating opportunities for the poor through franchising that can be easily replicated. This practice takes the existing products and services and bundles them as stand-alone microfranchises that serve as easily managed business opportunities for citizens of poverty-stricken countries. It involves the principles and practices of traditional business franchising model (where there is a franchisor and a franchisee and the franchisor provides training, marketing and branding that lead to success). The obvious distinction is that microfranchising model works on a ‘no-profit’ motto with an intention to provide economic self-reliance to the poor. The impetus behind the idea of “Microfranchising” is to provide sound business opportunities and services to the poor by introducing scaled-down business concepts found in successful franchise organizations. With the awarding of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Peace to Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, for their efforts to create economic and social development from below, attention has increased on this remarkable concept around the world. This book, while introducing ‘microfranchising’, focuses on its concepts, significance, applications and perspectives. It presents the overview and status of microfranchising across the world and further includes the experiences of social institutions and corporates across different regions/countries. The book is targeted at various interest groups, including international and national non-governmental organizations/ agencies, corporate houses, individual entrepreneurs and social consultants. Researchers, academicians, policymakers, institutions and organizations involved in poverty reduction globally can also be benefited with the insights provided in this book.
40 978-81-314-1502-3 Social Innovations – Concepts and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Society and Development Sujatha B 24-Sep-08 376 22 550 0 0 Social innovations are new responses or new solutions to social and economic problems. Social innovation as a concept has figured in the writings of several reformers from the 19th century such as Robert Owen, Karl Marx and Max Weber. However, it gained prominence only in the 20th century and was part of the discussions of eminent personalities like Peter Drucker and Michael Young. It has further grown to become a sustainability tool in the 21st century, blending with corporate activity. Companies are increasingly investing in social intent to reach new client groups. It is also supported by growing academic interest in the subject. This book on social innovations is about new ideas that have worked in rendering economic and social justice, with a large-scale impact, bringing about sustainable changes in society. The book endeavors to signify the need for catalyzing social change, trace how new ways of thinking have led to a great social change, identify and analyze the role of social enterprises and the non-profit sector in bringing about social inclusion and cohesion. Mahatma Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This book underlines the theme of the quotation, and reaffirms that a change in cultural consciousness from one of unmet needs and inability to a proactive culture of contribution and participation has the power to make the world a better place.
41 978-81-314-1511-5 Co-operative Banking – Indian and Global Perspectives www.nbcindia.com Banking Ramakumar T N 24-Sep-08 288 18 450 0 0 “If co-operation fails there will fail the best hope of rural India”- Royal Commission on Agriculture in India 1928 These brave words uttered almost eight decades ago still carry a prophetic ring. So much so that when the Vaidyanathan Committee, which studied this problem of rural credit, said rural credit was skewed in favor of the rural rich and this observation was reinforced by many other such studies, the Reserve Bank of India had to think of reinventing the institution of village money lender by lending him a measure of legitimacy. India has a chequered history of co-operative movement and this book is a journey into this exciting area of banking which accounts in volume for about a tenth of Indian banking. It tries to look at the genesis of the co-operative bank movement and its typical operational problems as perceived by practitioners, academicians and regulators. Co-operative bank failures have been a recurring problem in the 1990s and these problems are discussed and solutions offered in this book. Various studies as well as the economic history of co-operative banking in Canada and a host of European nations also prove that given the will, co-operative banking can be resilient, vibrant and yet fulfilling their historical role. Their unique contributions to green finance, triple bottomline financing, sustainable development, community development and SME financing are all captured in this book. The book leaves the reader wondering if Indian Co-operative banks can be made equally vibrant.
42 978-81-314-2027-0 Marketing to Children : Issues and Concerns www.nbcindia.com Marketing Amitabha Ghose Mookherjee S N 24-Sep-08 252 17 425 0 0 In the present era of consumerism and continuous fight for market shares, an ever growing number of business organizations are indulging in overt and covert child-directed marketing activities, in myriad ways, to get higher and higher levels of children attention. In what is known today as ‘the commercialization of childhood’, children are getting coaxed than ever before in shopping, product placement, media, celebrity, brand and other consumer practices. At the core of all these attempts is children’s growing role as both independent consumers and influencers in family buying decisions. The situation is not vastly different in developing countries such as India. Such rampant and indiscriminate marketing efforts to influence the tender minds at their early ages have raised serious concerns at various quarters. Different voluntary and self-regulatory mechanisms should be adopted to reorient the marketing practices to reach a holistic solution to build a generation of healthy and well-informed future citizens of the world. This book discusses current marketing practices and their impact on various overt and covert marketing programs that have targeted children. The fact that marketing exploits children’s developmental vulnerabilities is highlighted. This book also draws attention to the regulations and solutions adopted by the marketers in the face of mounting criticism and help readers to form well-informed viewpoints on a contemporary issue, which affects various segments of business and also the ethical issues involved, to help the marketers.
43 978-81-314-2089-8 Telemedicine: Concepts and Applications www.nbcindia.com General Management Michael Vimal Pillai 24-Sep-08 252 17 425 0 0 Telemedicine is the use of information technologies and electronic communications to provide clinical services when participants are based at different locations. Telemedicine involves the amalgamation of computer and telecommunication technology with medical knowledge and makes it possible to transfer information for providing diagnostic and consulting services to patients who are based at different locations from their physicians. Telemedicine enables the provisions of healthcare to remote areas throughout the world. It enables health professionals to examine patients by viewing their medical images and records that have been electronically transmitted from one location to another. The application of telemedicine has extended to a variety of medical specialties such as dermatology, surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics and many other areas. Telemedicine enables doctors to diagnose and monitor their patients from remote locations. Apart from establishing communication with their patients, who may be located at far-off places, telemedicine enables doctors to assess patients’ health status for the necessary care and treatment. Remote consultations and home monitoring are two major approaches of telemedicine. The book contains two sections. The first section includes articles on the concept of telemedicine and various aspects relevant to it. The second section comprises articles on some applications and experiences of telemedicine.
44 978-81-314-2077-5 Asset Liability Management-Contemporary Perspectives and Practices www.nbcindia.com Finance Sohani AK Nageswara Rao Katuri 24-Sep-08 232 16 400 0 0 Several financial institutions have realized that to gain competitive advantage they have to resort to better management practices. Financial institutions, facing newer challenges and regulators throughout the world, are adopting and prescribing more stringent rules and procedures than before. There are macro-level shifts such as changes in consumer dynamics, change in and workforce demographics and advances in technology that threaten to make whole business models obsolete. And added to it are the everyday micro-level dynamics of industry and market forces operations which organizations need a look to gain market share. Facing increasing competitive pressures, they need to innovate and adapt to the new changing scenario. New or differentiated products and services are being offered to deliver the expected growth. ALM as a tool of management is one such mechanism to stay in business; financial institutions today are facing challenges not only from competitors but also from their stakeholders. In order to compete with rivals, institutions need market intervention, remaining competitive. Market intervention is not only for their survival but also to know the latest practices and procedures. A new insight into(ALM) brings out new thought process in management and therefore, this book can act as ready reference on the subject. Hence, this book about ALM and the latest insights can be a potential knowledge resource for the practitioners. The book confines not only to the introductory insights, but also, at large, takes through various contemporary issues on the subject to the prospective readers while throwing light on the related and emerging practices.
45 978-81-314-2078-2 ICT in Rural India: e-Governance www.nbcindia.com Information Technology Meetali Saxena 24-Sep-08 224 15.5 400 0 0 E-Governance as a concept defines and assesses the impact of technologies on the practices and administration of governments and the relationships between public servants and society. E-government solutions have the ability to reduce the costs of providing government solutions while also improving their quality and extending their reach. E-governance in rural India is a major focus area as it can steer India towards an inclusive growth. Effective governance is now synonymous with E-Governance. It is the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that enables better communication and interaction between various dimensions of governmental operations vis-à-vis citizens, business and within different government agencies, and provides better services. This book explores how e-governance initiatives of Government of India transformed the rural masses. The changing face of Rural India with the help of application of Information technology is brought out. The open and transparent approach of government is easily understood by its people. The e-governance not only focuses on the governance but also on the improved and efficient public services and the management of right information. The book focuses on the implementation and benefits of e-governance for the rural sector. It looks at the different initiatives taken by various state and central governments across the country. It also focuses on offering insights into the challenges faced in the implementation and measures for sustenance and enhancement of these e-governance projects.
46 978-81-314-2095-9 Ethnomedicine: Global Perspectives www.nbcindia.com General Azmal Hussain 24-Sep-08 216 15.5 400 0 0 Ethnomedicine encompasses the aspects of anthropology, sociology, biology and medicine, and is embraced by a cultural, sectoral or regional frame. Primarily it deals with the study and practice of traditional medicines, not only the written sources. In countries where the leading health care system is based on allopathic medicine, or where traditional medicine (TM) has not been incorporated into the national health care system, TM is often termed “complementary”, “alternative” or “non-conventional” medicine. Against this backdrop, the present book has been conceived with the objective of providing a practical know-how of the global perspectives in Ethnomedicine. The focus of this book is the perception and context of use of traditional medicines, and their main aspects of interest, according to the countries or regions where they originate from and are being practiced. Traditional systems of treatment, based on medicinal plants, are playing an important role in providing health care to a large section of population, especially in the developing countries. Interest in them and utilization of herbal products based on them are increasing in developed countries also. To obtain optimum benefit and to understand the way these systems function, it is necessary to have a minimum basic information on their different aspects. The book is expected to be of use for development professionals, especially those dealing with the development issues pertinent to indigenous communities, over and above healthcare administrators, researchers including economists, applied anthropologists and other social scientists.
47 978-81-314-1507-8 Rural Tourism www.nbcindia.com General Subir Ghosh 24-Sep-08 208 15 375 0 0 Throughout the world the rural economies are facing economic crisis. Since 1990s, with the transformation in the socio-economic culture through globalization, various countries in the world experienced decollectivisation, privatization, and reestablishment of free market economy in their rural territories. As a result, the global economy and other factors have negatively affected the viability of traditionally rural activities such as mining, forestry, agriculture, and manufacturing. In response, many rural towns have turned to the service sector, investing in retirement, recreation, and leisure industries. Almost all rural societies in the world are suffering from economic crisis. Challenges facing in rural areas are numerous and have interconnected nature. Ageing, depopulation, decline in agricultural employment are just few to mention. So, the promise of a reinvigorated economy through tourism is certainly a strong lure to come across the economic slump faced by the rural communities throughout the world. Tourism, in particular, is often proposed as a relatively benign development strategy that can offer rural regions a new foothold in the broader economy. Therefore, rural tourism is considered one of the activities to be supported to ensure rural development. It can develop a win-win situation among rural communities. Rural tourism is experience oriented and location specific and solely dependent upon natural environment. With this background, this book tries to highlight the improvement of living standard of rural masses through the provision of tourism facilities. The experiences of rural tourism in multifarious country perspectives have also been focused in this book.
48 978-81-314-1971-7 Case studies on Corporate Transformation & Turnaround Strategies - Managing in Difficult Times www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Harish R 24-Sep-08 328 0 0 40 1000 “Difficult and hostile external environmental circumstances, as well as internal weaknesses and failures some times tend to push companies into adverse situations. Even the largest, the most well-established and world renowned corporate giants are not immune to this. However, those which can garner the necessary resources and managerial capabilities manage to come out of the dumps, through appropriate and effective response to the situation on hand. The process by which such reversal of fortunes is achieved is referred to as – corporate transformation and turnaround, which forms the common thread that links the cases included in this book.
Corporate Transformation can be defined as a strategy by which a company manages under difficult circumstances, often through business or financial restructuring. This action may be prompted by challenging conditions posed by external and internal environments. Turnaround Management is the process of moving from deterioration in performance to enduring success. However, there are also situations when companies do not succeed in emerging out of their difficulties, in spite of diligent efforts.
This book provides a powerful compendium of sixteen cases on corporate transformation and turnaround strategies from diverse industries and business environments, so as to facilitate a clear understanding of the subject through real life examples. The cases narrate the struggles and tribulations faced by globally renowned, successful corporate giants such as Volkswagen, Sony, Gucci, Levi Strauss, Du Pont, Motorola, Ford, Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart among others, and would be of particular help in supporting the study of Business Strategy, as part of the management curriculum.
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49 978-81-314-1485-9 Case Studies on Collaboration www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Devi Rajnikanth 24-Sep-08 128 0 0 40 1000 “Collaboration is the new competitive edge. It’s no longer a choice. Rather, it’s now or never. It’s an operational necessity in industry after industry. The reasons are not rocket science. It’s all about resources. Many organisations in today’s global world are unable to compete with their own resources and they look for other alternatives to manage the competition. When you can’t beat them, join them!
The corporate world is replete with illustrious examples of collaboration. Competitors are turning into collaborators. When viewed with business logic, companies benefit immensely from fruitful collaboration. Andrew Carnegie said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision; the ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Why should companies collaborate? When to collaborate? What precautions to be taken while venturing into a collaborative arrangement? In what kind of industries and at what stage of the industry life cycle, is collaboration desirable and meaningful?
The articles, interviews and case studies included in this book address these very issues. Covering a wide area of the collaboration canvas, this book would be of great help for you to become an effective collaborator.
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50 978-81-314-2050-8 Case Studies on India Inc. : The Competitiveness www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection K Ramanathan 24-Sep-08 240 0 0 50 1250 “The opening of Indian economy in the early 1990s not only made many multinational companies enter the Indian soil but also had many Indian companies explore the global opportunities. Today, apart from posing a tough competition to the multinational companies within the domestic boundary, the Indian companies are proving their feat in the international arena too.
Indian companies which were once considered by the multinationals as a boon for low cost production, have advanced in the learning curve. Indian companies are highly innovative. At the global level, many breakthrough innovations – ranging from automobiles to pharmaceuticals – are from the Indian companies. Besides, many Indian companies are making their presence felt in mergers and acquisitions at the global level. Many multinational giants are acquired by the Indian companies leading to cross-pollination of skill and giving access to larger economy of scale.
This book recounts the journey of many Indian companies that are soaring high in the global arena. It reflects the confidence of the Indian companies and their ability to compete with the global giants.
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51 978-81-314-2002-7 Joint Forest Management: Issues and Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Management Meenu Bhatnagar 20-Sep-08 232 16 400 0 0 Joint Forest Management is one of the most important initiatives for protection and regeneration of forests in India. It involves a partnership with the local forest-dependent communities based on mutual sharing of benefits accruing from the forests. It focuses on the decentralized approach of participatory forest management based on the principle of ‘Care and Share’. It supports the socio-economic development of tribals and other forest-dependent communities. The book covers Joint Forest Management and its relevance, challenges, performance, emerging practices and state experiences. It highlights the concept of JFM being used for conservation, sustenance and regeneration of degenerated forest resources. It examines the National Forest Policy and guidelines for Joint Forest Management. It gives details about benefit-sharing and livelihood generation issues of the forest-dependent population. The role of institutions, communities and NGOs in organizing and implementing JFM has been discussed across different states. The book would prove immensely useful for scholars, researchers of forest management, policymakers, planners, Government agencies, NGOs, journalists and general readers interested in the conservation and regeneration of India’s forest wealth. It is hoped that the articles would provide an in-depth understanding of Joint Forest Management, leading to better implementation and success of the programme.
52 978-81-314-1429-3 Total Quality Management – Contemporary Perspectives and Cases www.nbcindia.com Management Rajmanohar T P 19-Sep-08 308 19 475 0 0 Total Quality Management (TQM) the world over is a management philosophy which is increasingly being adopted by companies. TQM ensures that the customer’s requirements are satisfied. A number of western thinkers, including Deming and Juran, were responsible for developing it. During the 1960s, a number of Japanese companies adopted TQM and got a competitive edge over western companies. By the 1980s, some Indian companies had adopted TQM philosophy and a number of Indian companies won the Deming award. Initially, most companies used total quality control to implement TQM. These included hard tools like statistical process control, Pareto analysis, histograms and fishbone diagram. However, this has changed and a lot of companies are using concepts based on soft tools. Some of the newer tools used include total employee involvement, continuous improvement, teamwork and empowerment. In India, among the critical success factors for successfully implementing TQM are customer focus, process management, training, top management leadership, quality planning, supplier management, employee management and information availability and usage. Adoption of TQM by companies will enable them to become more competitive. As world trade becomes globalized, only the most competitive companies will be able to survive. Hence, adoption of TQM will enable a company to increase its market share. Currently, TQM has been adopted by most of the major Japanese and Korean companies.
53 978-81-314-1510-8 Brand Building: New Dimensions www.nbcindia.com Brand Management Bala Krishna A V 19-Sep-08 324 19 475 0 0 Brand building embodies well-defined positioning and repositioning strategies. The current changing competitive landscape is witnessing intense brand-building campaigns undertaken by the corporate world. The proliferating competition coupled with fragmenting markets and media are making it difficult for corporates to brand without innovating. Advertising, sales promotion, publicity, celebrity endorsements, sponsorships, events, corporate social responsibility, cause-related marketing and charities are increasingly used by the corporate world to build and reinforce their brands. While advertising has always occupied a prominent position in brand-building efforts of the corporate world, Corporate Social Responsibility and Cause-Related Marketing and below-the-line advertising methods have gained new prominence. The advent of Internet and Web technologies have revolutionized the brand-building activities of many companies. Many corporates are emphasizing on building and reinforcing identities based on deep-rooted customer relationships. Many brand-building campaigns are also moving beyond functional benefits and are focusing on emotional benefits. Drawing from the experiences of an entire gamut of corporate world, the book focuses on approaches, applications and case studies.
54 978-81-314-1411-8 Microsoft Way: A Growth Strategy www.nbcindia.com Business Strategy Kalai Selvan N 19-Sep-08 292 18 450 0 0 With a unique operating system and software solution, Microsoft has created a big revolution in the software industry. Microsoft has invented Microsoft Window allowing the company to gain market share. Today, Bill Gates has become the role model for many entrepreneurs across the world for his leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Under Gates’ leadership, Microsoft s mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. Microsoft’s business strategy has mainly focused on development of a broad line of software products for information technology (IT) professionals, knowledge workers, developers and consumers, marketed through multiple channels of distribution. Microsoft also involves various business activities, including licensing consumer software programs, selling hardware devices, providing consulting services and researches, and develops advanced technologies for future software products. Microsoft was attempting integrating everything from software to hardware to services in a particular market with the expansion into various new businesses like video gaming and music industry. After experiencing the video game industry, Microsoft wanted to leverage its competencies and resources in the portable music industry. Microsoft has footholds in other markets besides operating systems and office suites, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse and home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune and MSN TV. The book highlights the Microsoft evolution, various business strategies successfully implemented by Microsoft & issues and challenges on the road to success.
55 978-81-314-2070-6 Flexible Working – Concepts and Practices www.nbcindia.com General Management Sujatha B 19-Sep-08 272 17 425 0 0 “Adopting sound Equal Opportunity and flexible work policies are more than just a wise move, it is critical, especially for large professional organizations who wish to attract and retain the best people.” … John Colvin, CEO, Blake Dawson Waldron One of the modern revolutions that has transformed workplaces and the way we work is ‘Flexible Working’. Flexible Working is a comprehensive term that includes various non-traditional work practices brought about by changes in the nature of employment and development in technology. These practices have added variety and flexibility to working arrangements in the form of flexi-time; part-time work, job sharing, fixed-term contracts, subcontracting, and career/employment break schemes. Flexibility at work is a major tool in enhancing economic performance by improving productivity, increasing job satisfaction and competitiveness. Employees value flexible work option as one of the best perks to come their way. Companies are amending their HR policies to offer various flexi-work options in a bid to attract and retain the best of talents. Interestingly, what began as a concession aimed at wooing the women workforce is now attracting a lot of men. This book will briefly relate what is flexible working and the reasons for introducing new ways of working. It discusses the components of flexible working and various flexible work tools and assesses the various flexible work options. It identifies the challenges and issues in implementing flexible working practices. It also draws examples of flexible working arrangements and policies followed in universities, organizations, supermarkets, etc. Thus it highlights how the work environment is getting transformed and how flexibility is becoming the defining dimension in determining the employer of choice.
56 978-81-314-1910-6 Case Studies on Corporate Transformation www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Priti Krishnan 19-Sep-08 208 0 0 25 625 “Corporate transformation echoes in our ears the word – ‘problem’. Whenever a company is transformed, it must have been to resolve a problem. But is it so? Many companies in the past were transformed as it was the need of the hour. However, as troubled businesses are multiplying by the day, reinvention has become the norm. To stay on the top and grow further, companies have to constantly improve ways to run the show, be it strategic, operational, organisational or financial. However, how easy is it to transform a company that has been running in a particular way for years? History records many corporates that have been victims of failed transformations. If resistance from employees is common, costs involved in restructuring are also sometimes humongous. Experience suggests that successful transformation requires long term rather than quick fix solutions and a sensible vision. Above all, successful transformation calls for a leader who can indentify the key problems, strengths, weaknesses and resources of the company. It requires a leader who knows the science and art of corporate transformation.
In this book, fourteen case studies reveal the art of corporate transformation. The book especially focuses on the cultural challenges that corporates face while restructuring. Providing a short theoretical framework, this book provides insights on how companies have successfully repositioned themselves amidst problems and obstacles. Corporate transformation is a must read for all those executives desiring and managing transformations.
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57 978-81-314-2045-4 Case Studies on Retailing Industry – Vol. I www.nbcindia.com Case Study Collection Sushma T 19-Sep-08 280 0 0 50 1250 “Since 1990s, the global retail industry was padded by radical changes – mainly because of the transforming global economy and changing consumer behaviour. New retail formats and offerings were invented, upsetting traditional retailing. As the wealthiest markets saturated, retailers foraged for new growth zones. So, there was consolidation and in turn globalisation – two things that continue to define and shape the global retail industry.
With a huge customer base and vast untapped potential in the developing markets, these retailers started foraying into these markets. Flexibility, detailed analysis of its consumer base, getting the right retail format and product mix are the key success factors for the retailers in these markets. Some retailers imported their traditional business model while others customised it to suit the local environment. And for their saturated home markets, they identified innovation as the key differentiator.
But retailers, in the coming years, would have to tackle an altogether different setting where there would be limited growth opportunities and more demanding consumers. This book compiles case studies that help us understand how retail industry is evolving, the challenges it is facing and how the retailers are addressing these issues.
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58 978-81-314-1986-1 The Agronomy and The Economy of Cardamom:The Queen of Spices www.nbcindia.com Agriculture Prabhakaran Nair K P 16-Sep-08 404 23 575 25.5 650 The Agronomy and Economy of Cardamom – The “Queen of Spices” Cardamom, popularly known as the “Queen of Spices”, has a checkered history, dating back to the Vedic times (ca. 3000 BC) and is among the ingredients poured into the sacrificial fire during the Hindu marriage. Today, cardamom commands a leading position among the spices of immense commercial importance and is finding its way into the dietary habits of millions around the world, even among people in the European and the North American continents. As a spice of global importance, it comes next to Black pepper, which is known as “The King of Spices”. The book is a unique compilation of several aspects relating to cardamom production, cardamom plantation establishment and management, processing, world markets, its industrial uses, its medicinal value etc with the latest researched data. In short, the fifteen chapters, which are catalogued in the book are the A to Z of cardamom and would be an invaluable resource book to students of agriculture, entrepreneurs planning to go into cardamom production and its related value-added products, economists, policy planners in the ministries of agriculture and commerce, and end users across the world.
59 978-81-314-2090-4 Clinical Research Environment In INDIA www.nbcindia.com IT Umakanta Sahoo Faiz Kermani 16-Sep-08 280 20 500 22.5 575 This Book “Clinical Research Environment in India” is an eye opener for those who are new in this business as it gives an understanding of the key business segments and discusses key factors in the environment surrounding the business. In today’s scenario, there are many entrepreneurs who are looking at venturing into this business and they are unaware of the status of clinical trials conducted in India, the regulatory environment, the competitors in the market, and other support service providers in the country. This book will help them understand the logistics of the clinical research business in India. It will also help the practicing entry level professionals such as monitors, Clinical Research Associates, medical research associates and data entry associates to gain an overall insight into the clinical research industry, which will facilitate their career growth. This book can be a student’s guide and a trainers’ reference book in the classroom and teaching set-up. It will be of benefit for those wanting to hone their knowledge and skills in clinical research. This book is likely to be of interest to: 1.Corporate pharmaceutical companies and medical colleges/hospitals conducting clinical research, both in the private and the public sectors 2.Academics 3.Students and Researchers in clinical research 4.Students pursuing pharmaceutical management and hospital management courses 5.Persons working in regulatory bodies in Government both at state and central levels 6.Non Government organisations dealing with experimental studies in India This book should be an asset to those working in pharmaceutical, CRO, biotechnology, device, and study site and SMO organisations.
60 978-81-314-1501-6 Changing Dynamics of Human Relationships in Workplaces www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Laurainne Theogaraj 16-Sep-08 252 17 425 0 0 People need people. Such is the human condition. And yet, there are workplaces where employers are concerned only about the bottom line and not about their employees, where employees are in conflict with their peers, where inequity, politics and disengagement make the workplace a toxic space to be in. If the underlying assumption is that business is only a matter of making profit, then what about the value of work relationships? The book briefly dwells upon the evolution of human relations approach to management and how highly successful companies have discovered the human side of their enterprise. They see the value of making relationships the new bottom line. Positive, caring and respectful relationships translate to performance and productivity. In the 21st century workplace with its emphasis on teams, flexibility, workforce diversity, virtual teams and business competition, stress, conflict and problems in relationships are inevitable. How can corporate leaders and managements create an organizational climate that nurtures human relationships as the foundation for business success? Skill in handling human relationships will greatly influence one’s success in satisfying personal needs and achieving organizational goals. The aim of the book is to create an awareness of the very foundations upon which human relationships are built. This is the starting point to developing relationship skills. In this regard, the book explores the dynamic interplay among psychological and social dimensions such as personality, perception, emotions, groups, communication etc. that underlie relationships, and highlights the key ingredients of the human relationships recipe, viz. emotional, social and spiritual intelligence as well as trust, sensitivity and empathy in communications which form the bedrock of positive human relationships. The topic is not just contemporary in nature but transcends time and cuts across all borders. It would be of immense relevance as it deals with concepts that offer value for individual and organizational success at all times and in all settings.
61 978-81-314-2091-1 Social Networking – Trends and Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Management Sangeetha K 16-Sep-08 228 16 400 0 0 Social networking is a concept that is based on shared learning through mutual support, exchange and advice. It helps an individual find new opportunities and be distinct; this is more so for young business entrepreneurs for whom establishing and amplifying their contact base globally is of prime importance for a winning future. The rapidly changing scenario of social networks for seeking and building relationships and the gamut of technological inventions have changed the scenes of people in collaboration and community formation. It has been overwhelmingly used by people as a medium of communication where networking relationships and membership are sought from likeminded people around the globe for various reasons – to maintain contact with their friends, colleagues or with anyone to be connected globally, for sharing information, to build online communities and to have a discussion of matters of general concern. Now, with new inventions in mobile technology, the future of social networking is moving towards mobile social networking. Such being the benefits sought, its increased usage among teenagers, business entrepreneurs and also academicians does not come as a surprise. An effective ongoing social networking process positively yields huge returns for the time and energy that is invested in the networking process. The net workers’ base can further be increased on properly addressing the networking issues of security, privacy and online identity. In a nutshell, social networking enables one to find and retrieve anything from lost friends to finding your soul mates or your business partners; to get referrals and be connected with people with whom you like or love to have an enduring relationship for personal or business reasons. This book is designed to capture the significance of social networking and its benefit and to analyze various tools and strategies for building and maintaining network for social and business reasons.
62 978-81-314-1423-1 Issues in National and International Agriculture www.nbcindia.com Agriculture Prabhakaran Nair K P 16-Sep-08 216 15.5 400 18 450 The 47 articles of the book cover a range of topics from food crisis, wheat import, global warming, R&D in agriculture and GM technology, with specific reference to Bt Cotton, Bt Rice and Bt Brinjal. Indian agriculture is at a cross-road. The most worrying aspect is the crisis on the food front. Post reform period food grains production has plummeted to 1.6 per cent per annum, while population growth is now at 1.9 per cent per annum, which has clearly set in the “Malthusian Phenomenon” of population growth outstripping food production growth. The author, through his writings, which have been captured in this book, has been warning the nation on the impending food crisis. The wheat import for the second year in succession vindicates his warning. Industrial agriculture, euphemistically called the “green revolution”, though produced food in plenty in the initial phase of its launch, has run into a road block with irremediable problems on the soil front. Degraded soils, drying aquifers and vanishing bio diversity due to continuous monoculture of rice-wheat, have all been too big a price to pay. The GM technology is no panacea for the ills of Indian agriculture. Instead of “targeting” the farmer through a “package of practices” which the agricultural fraternity develops on the experiment stations, which is nothing but an artefact, and which is relied upon since decades, the farmer has to be at the center of developing any innovative system of cropping. As clearly pointed out in the latest report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, “Economic Outlook for 2007-08”, which puts India in poor light compared to China, the “traditional excuses” for India’s “sub standard performance in the farm sector”, are not only “tired”, but “inadequate”. The book is a critical analysis of where India’s agriculture went wrong and where it ought to go from now on.
63 978-81-314-2028-7 National Happiness-Thinking Beyond Gdp www.nbcindia.com Economy Ravikant S Wawge 16-Sep-08 208 15 375 0 0 GDP and GNP are some of the standard economic measures widely used all over the world. However, the emerging scenario has compelled economists and policymakers to think beyond GDP and other well-established quantitative measures. An obvious question comes to our mind: What is the ultimate goal of human life? Everyone wants to be happy, and happiness is certainly a missing factor in the economic measures like GDP and GNP. These well established economic measures are unable to define the level of happiness we attain through our economic growth and development. Thus, there is a need to have an alternative measure of our economic activities. Many measures have been taken by various organizations in this regard. But a tiny kingdom, Bhutan, has come up with a more holistic approach called “Gross National Happiness” (GNH). Bhutan is following economic policies based on the philosophies enshrined in Buddhist culture. This trend has led its people towards holistic well-being. In 1972, His Majesty the King of Bhutan conceptualized the idea of GNH as an alternative to GDP. Earlier, Bhutan was not open to discuss its initiative, but as the concept has begun delivering the desired results, Bhutan wants to make this a global movement. Bhutan’s experiment with this concept has invited the attention of the world to this small kingdom. This book is an attempt to understand Bhutan’s initiatives, and it critically examines the concept of Gross National Happiness in light of the current global scenario and developments.
64 978-81-314-2058-4 The Icfai Dictionary of Human Resource Management Terms www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Pradeep Kumar Anupama D Raina 6-Sep-08 360 21 525 0 0 “The Icfai Dictionary of Human Resource Management Terms is addressed to students, teachers, practitioners and general readers who want to follow HRM discussions in the class and elsewhere, or whose daily work demands some familiarity with terminology of Human Resource Management, HRM and its related subjects, Development of HRM, HR Implementation, HRM Market Place, Strategic Human Resource Management, International HRM, HRM Present and future and Emerging Trends in HRM etc. The dictionary also addresses terms from the conceptual level to the advanced level in a precise manner. It aims to provide a comprehensive companion to support other reading in a discipline, which employs remarkably similar terminology.
This dictionary is a guide to the main ideas and teaching connected to the basics of and advances in HRM. The book is designed in such a way that it will cover the salient facts and features of various points of HRM and, also explore HRM development from business perspective. Around 3400 entries define and explain clearly the salient facts within the context of Human Resource Management. Its store of up-to-date information will certainly appeal to active managers, teachers and students of General Management.
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65 978-81-314-2009-6 Migration – Health – Linkage: Emerging Issues www.nbcindia.com Anthropology Azmal Hussain 6-Sep-08 284 18 450 0 0 In the present-day world, migrants and other mobile individuals like migrant workers, asylum seekers etc. form an ever-expanding global population with growing socio-demographic as well as political importance. Disparities are found very often between a migrant population s place of origin and its destination, especially with relation to health determinants. The effects of such disparities are observable at individual as well as population levels. Epidemiology of certain diseases is amply influenced by migration, both globally and in nations receiving migrants. Though the outcomes may vary with specific morbidities peculiar to certain migrant groups and their geographical origin and distribution, general epidemiological principles may have a much wider applicability. Another issue that very often faces the present-day world is the mobility of health professionals across different geographical locations thereby exerting influence on human health and allied aspects. The book is expected to provide an overview of the above issues having relevance to the contemporary global demographic dynamics. It is a serious attempt to elucidate the issue of population mobility with the focus on migration-health interaction, which has been accommodating a range of sub-themes such as theoretical issues in migration-induced health outcomes, migration of health professionals and the corresponding health policy implications and development of program strategies linking migration and health, particularly migration and HIV/AIDS.
66 978-81-314-2072-0 HR In Knowledge Era www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Devi R J 6-Sep-08 276 18 450 0 0 Knowledge, Knowledge workers and Knowledge Management have created a lot of interest among the corporate leaders in the recent past. The changes in the present industrial scenario with increased emphasis on knowledge management have resulted in significant shifts in the working environment and HR policies pursued by organizations. The primary focus of Human Resources Management is to match the job profile with the skill set of people in order to achieve the organization’s goals. There is understandably a considerable overlap between human resources and knowledge management, since knowledge creation is a human activity and managing humans is a HR activity. Knowledge Management and Human Resources Management initiatives are focused on harnessing the available knowledge assets and to prevent knowledge from walking out of the door. Hence, there is a need for integration between the Knowledge Management initiatives and the HR policies of the organization. The function of the HR department is to select and recruit individuals who would subscribe to the culture of sharing information and knowledge dissemination. An Organization’s HR policies and practices must be aligned to fortify the Knowledge Management practices to maximize the organization’s intellectual asset. HRM should provide a platform for the employees to realize the “Ultimate Experience” by transforming all their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge through educating them and building their skills and competencies.
67 978-81-314-2098-0 Central banks – Roles, Functions and Challenges www.nbcindia.com Finance Ravi Kumar Jain B Sohani AK 6-Sep-08 296 18 450 0 0 Central banking system (of any country) has an indelible impact on the micro and macro economy factors of a country. The strategies implemented by central banks form the basis for analyzing the significant contributors of economic welfare. It ensures smooth functioning of the economy by protecting the economic interest of a country. As an apex institution a central bank is responsible for streamlining the flows of capital, trade, investment and currencies across GDPs (Gross Domestic Products) and broad moneys and establishing a balance among these factors, which largely influence economic prosperity of a country. On the whole, a country’s economic system is largely dependent on the functioning of its central banking system. Central bank performs several functions – as a regulator, as a facilitator, as an advisor and so on. It is important to understand the nature and objectives of a nation’s apex financial institution and its contribution to the welfare of nation. This book is significant in its contribution as it proposes to offer insights into the importance of a central banking as a concept, the significance of central bank and various roles that it performs, issues and challenges it addresses in furthering national economic objectives. This book brings out various issues and challenges that a central bank (of any country) faces while delivering its functions, especially in the changing business and economic environment. The objective of the book is to make the reader understand the need and importance of central banking in an economic system.
68 978-81-314-2026-3 Common Property Resources: Concepts and Country Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Books Sridhar Krishna Sumitra Acharya 6-Sep-08 272 17 425 0 0 Property has become the most longed possession one would dream of. The property regime has passed through open access system to that of highly controlled access/ownership system. The possession and ownership of property varies from place to place depending upon its nature. That which is used collectively by a community gets the identity of common property. It could be the river, pond, well, forest, land etc. Such properties cannot be exclusively owned by any individual or even by State. State can only be the trustee of those properties, but not the owner. Community-used property remains part and parcel of theirs and any development may not result in privatizing these resources. In the present era, apart from tribal communities, forest dwellers, village pasture grounds, ponds, river users and the urban communities are considered to be equally enabled to represent their claim against privatization or misuse of these community-used natural resources. The book gives rich information regarding the common property resources as well as the modes of community management of common property resources nationally and internationally, highlighting lack of decentralization of power and financial support to these communities. The book also deals with the issues related to international management of common property resources. The relevance of this property regime in the present urban space and public (community) responsibilities are also discussed. So, the book will be of great benefit to those who deal with property issues, whether in the private sector or the public sector, Academicians, students, industrialists, environmentalists, natural resource-based research centers, organizations working on development issues, state town and country development authorities so on and so forth.
69 978-81-314-2082-9 Inventory Optimization – Introduction www.nbcindia.com Operations Management Rajmanohar T P 6-Sep-08 264 17 425 0 0 Inventory has been a hotly debated subject for the last fifty years. There were a lot of models, including ABC analysis and EOQ models. However, the first real breakthrough was JIT purchasing which was practised in Japan in the 1960s but was known in the western world only in the 1970s. A lot of US and European companies adopted JIT as they felt that it would reduce their inventories drastically. However, very few companies enjoyed the benefit which was achieved by the Japanese companies. The reasons given for this were that the corporate culture in western companies was not amenable for implementing JIT. In the 1980s and 90s some Indian companies also implemented JIT with limited success. In the 1990s a new technique called inventory optimization was developed in western countries. Inventory optimization was a technique which was developed for reducing the inventory across the entire supply chain. This included suppliers, all manufacturing plants, distributor points and retailing points. Along with inventory optimization, the science of network design of the supply chain became popular. In addition to inventory optimization other methods of reducing inventory include vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and consignment inventory model. Over a period of time, a number of software companies have developed packages to implement inventory optimization. Most of these packages use the data from an existing ERP system or other systems, and fix the inventory levels across the supply chain. The main approach of inventory optimization is to minimize investment in inventory for a given service level.
70 978-81-314-2080-5 Urbanization – Insights and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Economics Amit Singh Sisodiya Janardhan Rao N 2-Sep-08 304 19 475 0 0 Formulating an effective urban planning on account of urbanization is a major issue facing India, today. Rising population coupled with growing migration from rural areas is putting an enormous burden on the country’s cities, already faced with poor and deteriorating infrastructure; according to the latest census data, the urban population at 286 million constitutes about 28% of the country’s total population of 1028 millions. The problem is further worsened by rising growing income levels in the country that have also pushed the demand for housing, transportation, water, sanitation and other basic amenities. The unprecedented urbanization is thus posing a challenge to build and augment cities’ infrastructures that include mass of affordable housing, water, transportation, power, and sanitation among other basic amenities. With several reports forecasting growing significance of cities as the engines of growth and emergence of several what UN Habitat Report 2006-07 calls mega-cities in the future, it poses a significant challenge to the cities which are ill-equipped and lack funds to tackle the issue effectively. All this calls for a huge effort on the part of the government, the policymakers and the private sector. Against this backdrop, the book aims to explore the concepts and trends in urbanization, related issues, and possible solutions such as increased thrust on public-private partnerships to effectively deal with the challenges of urbanization. The book also offers important lessons drawn from some success stories within the country as well as abroad.
71 978-81-314-2088-1 Ethics in Organ Transplantation: Perspectives and Challenges www.nbcindia.com General Books Nirmala Rao Khadpekar 2-Sep-08 288 18 450 0 0 This book examines the ethical issues related to organ transplants from the points of view of bioethicists, anthropological researchers and legislative issues. Altruism, as is still a primary player in blood donation, is increasingly losing its hallowed place, where solid organs are concerned. The human body is increasingly being viewed as a repository of organs available for harvesting, governed by principles or commerce or reward by the body owners, agents and beneficiaries. Pro-health and pro-choice issues are discussed, along with the role of preventive medicine. The fact is that immunosuppressant pharmaceutical interventions have made this double edged choice a real possibility. Illicit trade in human organs is considered to be a result of global capitalism that tempts the impoverished and disenfranchised populations of the third world for whom a body organ is one thing that requires no labour to produce in order to fetch a monetary value. Market dynamics is changing the rules of the game and all of us need to cope with the dilemma whether to opt for what was heretofore seen as graceful, dignified death as against offering up the mortal body for organ harvest or medical research.
72 978-81-314-1932-8 Small and Medium Enterprises - Global Experiences and Cases www.nbcindia.com Management Amit Singh Sisodiya Janardhan Rao N 2-Sep-08 280 18 450 0 0 The small-scale industries are viewed as an important vehicle for meeting both growth and equity objectives of developing economies. The last two decades have witnessed the steady re-emergence of small-scale industries in both industrialized and industrializing countries, reducing the importance of economies of scale in mass production. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to continually innovate and seek competitive advantages in order to exist, sustain and grow. They are faced with pressures to slash production costs, increase productivity and have to be necessarily more knowledge-driven. Globalisation has created more pressures on the one hand while on the other, greater incentives and opportunities have opened up giving access to overseas markets and knowledge sources. This enables leveraging of these multifarious options to build lasting competitive advantages and to support continuous innovation. In most developing countries SMEs constitute the bulk of the industrial base and contribute significantly to their exports as well as their GDP and GNP. For instance, India has nearly three million SMEs which account for almost 50% of industrial output and 42% of India’s total exports. SMEs play a crucial role in the development of all developing economies. SMEs are considered to be the base of every national economy, generating about 50 percent of the countries’ gross national product. The main reasons are that they are capable of quickly adapting to exacting customer demands as also they are capable of generating large employment potential.
73 978-81-314-1521-4 Payment for Environmental Services:Some Concepts and Experiences www.nbcindia.com General Meenu Bhatnagar 2-Sep-08 284 18 450 0 0 Payment for Environmental Services (PES) is the latest policy innovation that is attracting a lot of attention in both developed and developing countries. Collectively, the value of global environmental services has been estimated at US$ 33 trillion, higher than the entire world’s gross national product. The services which currently stand out are Carbon Sequestration and storage; Bio-diversity protection; Watershed protection and Landscape beauty. PES is a voluntary conditional transaction where there is at least one seller, one buyer and a well-defined environmental service. PES is an emerging concept and tool for achieving conservation of ecosystem and improving livelihoods of environmental service providers. Expansive assessments have praised the absolute advantages of PES over traditional conservation approaches. The basic principle of PES is that those who ‘provide’ environmental services should be rewarded by the beneficiaries. Markets for environmental services differ in geographic scope, strength and structure of demand, the competitiveness, nature and price of commodities sold and the number of transactions. Having an enormous potential to encourage and fund conservation efforts, the PES may succeed where other conservation approaches have failed. It could increase the appeal of conservation practices to landowners and farmers through provision of monetary incentives. This book introduces the concept of payment for environmental services. It highlights the subject by examining the basic principles of the payment for environmental services while addressing the livelihood issues for the poor, conservation of resources, preservation of flora and fauna etc. The book richly draws on the environmental service schemes being implemented in different countries across the world.
74 978-81-314-1522-1 Glocalisation of Brands www.nbcindia.com Marketing Amitabha Ghose Ishita Mukherjee 2-Sep-08 276 18 450 0 0 Organizations across the world are constantly striving to achieve boundaryless branding in order to attain top recall value. This refers to a situation where companies internationalize their image and global companies localize theirs to match the local market conditions. Thus companies have realized the importance of getting international flavors in their brands as it reflects the values of the enterprise. “Think global, act local” is a critical strategy for most global companies and modifying one’s core business culture and practices to suit a new market is the key to survival. A global company with a local strategy but adapting locally is known as “glocalisation”. Global brand management has assumed greater importance with increased globalization. Therefore, global brand building needs to be carefully managed by taking into account the brand’s salience, performance and imagery. The strategy should be modified to suit local needs and expectations for appropriate judgment and feelings for the brand among local consumers. This book deals with the nitty-gritty of glocal branding which is important in today’s globally competitive market place. It outlines the concept and evolution of the term glocalisation, essence of glocalisation of foreign brands for succeeding in the local market. The new wave of glocalisation and strategies to be adopted for succeeding in glocalisation of brands in the globally competitive market have been comprehensively discussed in the book through relevant case studies. This book will serve as a valuable reference for Brand Managers, Marketing Managers, Advertising Agencies, Marketing Consultants, Media Managers, Marketing Management Teachers and Students.
75 978-81-314-2075-1 Health Economics: Concepts and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Economy Asis Kumar Pain Somnath Hazra 2-Sep-08 260 17 425 0 0 Health economics focuses on the efficiency (maximizing possible outputs from given inputs) and effectiveness (benefit from treatment or care) of resource allocation in the provisioning of health services infrastructure to meet health needs of individuals and society. Embodied in its domain is health care, which is multi-dimensional in character having such elements as public good with externalities, social merit want, private consumption good, human capital good, altruistic mind-set, etc as its components. Understanding health economics entails viewing it as a dependent variable based on such factors as (i) income (ii) education (iii) changes in the age structure (iv) improvement in medical technology (v) degree of illness of a patient and (vi) availability as well as accessibility of health care institutions etc. In such a framework, demand for or quantity of health care depends on the quality of medical care. Greater the quality of care, greater is the willingness to pay for the services received. The aforesaid discussion sets the tone of the present volume wherein different facets of health economics as well as its implications in different countries are delved upon through a bi-sectional approach. While the first section details the domain and scope of health economics apart from prescribing policies to ward off the lacunae, the other section portrays the economic impact as a result of differential health status in different parts of the globe.
76 978-81-314-1995-3 Employee Morale: Concepts and Cases www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Sangeetha K 2-Sep-08 252 17 425 0 0 The rapidly increasing fierce competition and employee attrition levels across various industries globally have made businesses take care of their employees as never before to boost their morale and enthusiasm in order to retain them. Companies that have high workplace morale have accomplished wonders in terms of innovation, superior talent pool, good quality products, increased productivity and soaring revenues. Building and sustaining morale in an organization is concerned with raising a strong business through its positive-minded people who always look forward to going to work every day; producing better products and services and creating an environment that attracts talented workforce to emerge as ‘employer of choice’. The management must be aware that transmitting optimism, security and appreciation down the line can work wonders for the company – it surpasses the competition in the stock market with high market gains and increased employee satisfaction levels in comparison with firms having medium-to-low morale workforce. An organization’s interest in knowing what the employees expect from their leaders, their work, the workplace and implementing those desired needs and expectations create an infinite energy, interest and zeal among the workforce, which is repaid to the organization via loyalty and commitment towards their job and the management. The more the leaders or the managements invest their time and money on good people practices that provide equity, accomplishment and comradeship in their organizations, the more definite are the chances of employees being retained and being productive. In a nutshell, companies that invest more in morale-building exercises will earn enduring and successful leadership positions and are winners in the competitive business market. This book is designed to capture the essence of employee morale, its significance and to analyze various strategies for building and maintaining employee morale in an organization.
77 978-81-314-1519-1 IUP Series on Investing in Mutual Funds: Emerging Avenues www.nbcindia.com Finance Dhandapani Alagiri 2-Sep-08 256 17 425 0 0 Mutual funds, over the years, have evolved into various schemes that reflect the risk-return profile of investors. These have further turned into schemes that concentrate on different sectors of the economy. The schemes also invest in such a mix that reflects the attitude of investors. These schemes provide investors with a wide range of opportunities and avenues to invest their money in. Some of the schemes that have been introduced in recent years include real estate schemes, exchange traded funds, infrastructure funds, money market mutual funds, arbitrage funds, gold schemes; socially responsible investments etc. From the late 1980s and early1990s, as the financial reforms set in, an increasing number of banks and financial institutions set up mutual funds. The rules and regulations for operating a mutual fund are formulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Industry has been growing steadily and has achieved good volume in recent years. The assets under management have crossed the 5 lakh crore mark. The growth of mutual funds and the introduction of new schemes and specialized funds have been on the rise and this has drawn a lot of attention in financial circles In this context, this book, The Icfai University Press on Investing in Mutual Funds: Emerging Avenues will make useful reading as it captures recent developments and practices of mutual funds in the market place. The book presents a series of well-written articles that bring out the essence of the happenings in the field.
78 978-81-314-1525-2 Fragile States: Global Perspectives www.nbcindia.com Governance Sudha V Menon 2-Sep-08 264 17 425 0 0 ‘Fragile States’ is the term used for countries facing serious development challenges such as weak institutional capacity, poor governance, political instability and frequently on-going violence or the legacy effects of past conflict. Fragile states contain 14% of the world’s population but account for nearly 30% of people living on less than $1 a day. One person in three is undernourished. This is twice as high as in other poor countries. Fragile states cannot or will not deliver what citizens need to live decent, secure lives. They cannot or will not tackle poverty. As such, they significantly reduce the likelihood of the world meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Fragile states are the hardest countries in the world to help develop. Working with them is difficult and costly and carries significant risks. Aid programmes in fragile states pose difficult policy dilemmas. Since the mid-1990s, a stronger donor emphasis on rewarding countries with relatively effective governments and stable macroeconomic policies has led to further neglect of fragile states. Even taking account of their poor performance, fragile states have received 43% less aid than what would have been appropriate, given the extent of poverty within them. Against this context, this book attempts to explain the basic concept of fragile states, diverse perspectives and approaches towards them and the main factors which cause fragility. The book is divided into two sections. The first section discusses major theoretical and conceptual issues related to fragile states. Section two presents country experiences of Liberia, Sudan, Cambodia, Haiti Somalia etc.
79 978-81-314-2067-6 Tyre Industry in India – Issues and Outlook www.nbcindia.com Industry Rajmanohar T P Gowri Shankar K 2-Sep-08 248 16.5 425 0 0 The Indian tyre industry is around eighty years old. One of the first companies to set up manufacturing facilities in India was Dunlop. In the pre-Independence period, the tyre manufacturers were mainly foreign companies. Raw material in the form of natural rubber was easily available and labour was cheap. Sometime in 1956, based on the recommendations of the Tariff Commission, the Government encouraged domestic companies to set up their manufacturing facilities. A number of companies set up their plants in India, usually with technical support from foreign companies. Over a period of time the tyre industry was dominated by Indian players. After the onset of liberalization a few foreign companies entered India. However, they were not able to make a dent in the market share of Indian companies. Some foreign companies like Michelin, Continental Tyres and Pirelli are planning to enter India in the near future. Over the last few years, import of tyres into India from countries like China, South Korea and Thailand has been on the rise. The tyre manufacturers feel that due to the inverted duty structure foreign tyre manufacturers have an unfair advantage. The Indian tyre industry has grown over the last ten years. The reasons for growth are the robust growth of the economy and the automobile industry. Besides domestic growth, there has been a smart growth in the export of tyres also. The future is likely to see more growth in exports as the supply of natural rubber goes down. It is expected that the Indian tyre industry will have a very bright future.
80 978-81-314-1499-6 Agribusiness – Transforming Indian Agriculture www.nbcindia.com Agriculture Janardhan Rao N Amit Singh Sisodiya 2-Sep-08 240 16.5 425 0 0 Agribusiness promises to be the next sunrise sector for India. Agribusiness sector consists of businesses that either supply farm inputs or are involved in the marketing of farm products through warehousing, processing, wholesaling and retailing. It can hence be thought of as consisting of economic activities relating to the supply chain of agricultural inputs and the supply chain of agricultural products. The sector can play a major role in linking farmers to global supply chains in agriculture. Though the concept of agribusiness is not new to India, there were hardly any takers for it until recently. However, thanks to the retail revolution and entry of big corporate houses like Reliance, Bharti, ITC, and PepsiCo, it has galvanized the agribusiness landscape in the country, literally. This vindicates the huge untapped potential of the country’s farm sector. But on the other side the sector also faces several challenges. For instance, the cultivable land for foodgrains has remained stagnant at 120 million hectares and there has been no improvement of this land either in terms of profitability or size of land holdings. Also, it is estimated that a third of perishable produce like fruits and vegetables is lost in the absence of food-processing facilities, storage and transportation. Against this backdrop, the book attempts to provide insights into agribusiness in India, its prospects and major challenges. Besides, the book covers some major trends such as contract farming, food retailing, e-agribusiness, agri-clinics, role of technology in agribusiness and glocalization and the measures needed to boost agribusiness in the country.
81 978-81-314-1492-7 Watershed Management:case Studies www.nbcindia.com General Management Sudha V Menon 2-Sep-08 248 16.5 425 0 0 Watershed is the area of land from which water drains into a body of water such as river, lake, stream or bay. Watershed Management refers to the conservation, regeneration and the judicious use of all the resources – natural (land, water, plants, and animals) and human – within a particular watershed. It tries to bring about the best possible balance in the environment between natural resources on the one side, and human and other living beings on the other. It is also envisaged as the strategy for protecting the livelihood of the people inhabiting the fragile ecosystems experiencing soil erosion and moisture stress. Experiments with watershed management have so far yielded rich dividends and provided valuable insights into the aspects of management of natural resource base, particularly land and water. Strategies in management range from purely technical approaches to those that emphasize participation of social organizations. Little systematic analysis exists, however, on the success of the different approaches. Against the context of increasing water scarcity, this book brings to the fore emerging issues and innovative methods in watershed management. The book attempts to focus on case studies of watershed management projects, country experiences and innovative models across the world that would provide an insight into the sustainable practices of watershed management. While taking case studies from Asia, Africa and Latin America, the book indeed makes a modest effort to sensitize the readers to the need for sustainable watershed management programmes in an era of water scarcity and desertification.
82 978-81-314-1417-0 Online Networking – Connecting People www.nbcindia.com General Management Sangeetha K 2-Sep-08 244 16.5 425 0 0 In the constantly changing scenario of globalization, Internet inventions have made online networking a hot trend among people. Online networking is no more a teenage phenomenon; it has become a fundamental aspect of life for all segments in the society globally, for communication, getting information and cultivating relationships. It is an art of meeting and knowing people or collaborating, striking a rapport and finally establishing a long-lasting relationship with them for both social and business reasons. It encourages individuals or entities to share a common interest and offers an opportunity to stay connected. Relationship and membership are sought from like-minded people across the globe and enable one to reap escalating reward in terms of new contacts, information, job or advice to solve a problem or crisis. Online networking not only helps a person to socialize but also aids business entrepreneurs in creating a competitive advantage. It serves as a prime strategic resource to explore new avenues for businesses. A networking individual’s growth, at both personal and professional levels depends upon one’s situation, goals for networking, a right proportion of attitude and behavior; and following proper net etiquettes and optimal use of online networking tools. Success at networking also depends upon the strong practice that ‘networking should be carried on a continuous process’. On the flipside, there exist problems in terms of privacy; security and a hub for malevolent activities, such as cyber crime, cybersex, vandalism and loss of intellectual property too. On properly addressing these issues socially, technologically and legally, it is certain that online networking will become a centrality to all for interacting and building relationships. This book is designed to capture the significance of online networking and analyze the various tools and strategies for building networks and the way to handle the issues faced during online networking.
83 978-81-314-1535-1 Changing role of top management in the era of globalization www.nbcindia.com General Management Simantee Sen 2-Sep-08 236 16 400 0 0 Today, effective leadership is commonly viewed as central to organizational success, and more importance is placed on the role expansion of the “Top-chair” leaders than ever before. This top-management role expands horizontally, vertically and also diagonally. Increasingly, leadership is defined not as what the leader does but rather as a process that engenders and is the result of relationships—relationships that focus on the interactions of both leaders and collaborators, instead of focusing on only the competencies of leaders. It is also more about the role expansion and enrichment, especially for the top chairs. The theme of the book is how the role of top level managers in an organization, namely the CXOs (CEO, CMO, CIO, CFO), has been undergoing significant changes in recent times. With the implementation of new legislations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to avoid frauds and malpractices, and with the increased demands of stakeholders, the job of top management is becoming more tedious and enormous. As Top Leaders are expected to be omnipresent throughout the company, they tend to implement many control techniques in the workplace, especially in decision-making areas. Today’s top management are ‘business’ leaders, not merely of their own domain (marketing, IT, finance, etc). The objective of this book is to trace the role of top level “Leadership” over the years, increasingly occurring within the context of work; and also to obtain critical expression about the role and competencies in the new age top organizational positions. The significance of this book holds true for business leaders in every function within the organization.
84 978-81-314-1418-7 Agrofuels: A New Frontier www.nbcindia.com General Books Subir Ghosh 2-Sep-08 228 16 400 0 0 Biofuels seems to be a very good option in the face of climate change and declining fossil fuel reserves, but it is raising environmental concerns. Far from being sustainable, the spread of what is more accurately called ‘agrofuels’ – liquid fuel produced from biomass grown in large-scale monocultures – is compromising biodiversity and fuelling the issue of human rights violations. As industry expands, it is encouraging intensified, industrial agriculture, providing a new promotional vehicle for GM crops, and posing a serious threat to food sovereignty. The argument that the ‘biofuels’ will mitigate climate change is unproven – indeed, the destruction of rainforests, peat lands and other ecosystems to make way for agrofuels plantations may well accelerate global warming. It is discovered that the stampede into biofuels is causing enormous environmental and social damage, much more than what is realized earlier. Because of massive use of biofuels, ecological balance is being destroyed and thousands of indigenous and peasant communities are being thrown off their land. Therefore, biofuels is no more considered to be a viable solution in Latin America. Agrofuels is a much better option in this scenario. The Government of India is taking initiatives to plant jatropha in over 14 million hectares of land. With this background, the book tries to examine the positive and negative aspects of agrofuels throughout the globe in terms of opportunities and challenges.
85 978-81-314-1419-4 Understanding Multiculturalism www.nbcindia.com General Nirmala Rao Khadpekar 2-Sep-08 232 16 400 0 0 This book on multiculturalism is a collection of valuable readings presented in perspectives and experiences. It examines multiculturalism and diversity in the modern nation state as economic and political pressures put a lot of stress on noble ideas, inclusive schools of thought and celebration of diversity. Increasing flux and subsequent movements of people across the world in search of pursuing better opportunity is causing all sorts of grouping and regrouping to assert separateness within the chosen lands of opportunities. Moral values of cultures need to be taken into account as these values cause complexities in multicultural societies. The need to establish superiorities of culture and feeling threatened by the number and proliferation of ‘others’ across the world is creating feelings of vulnerability, leading to hardening of stances. Newly settled people need to understand that some assimilation within the residence of choice is required for acceptance and harmony. Indigenous people also need to see this influx as an opportunity while retaining their own intrinsic cultures and even familiar landscapes. Cultural differences, instead of being a source of conflict, can be a path leading to creative change and cross-cultural stimulation. We need to create a common cultural ground without one ‘civilization’ biases and reach what is universal and become aware of the shared ‘humanness’ of human beings. There is a particular ‘Us’ against ‘Them’ syndrome that is leading to deformations in thinking which become complex due to shades that colour it from the point of view of civilizations and races. Multiculturalism is looked for its value and relevance today.
86 978-81-314-2018-8 Micronutrient Interventions: Perspectives and Country Experiences www.nbcindia.com Anthropology Azmal Hussain 2-Sep-08 212 15.5 400 0 0 Micronutrient deficiencies represent a formidable health challenge for people of developing countries. Deficiencies of vitamin A, iodine and iron are known to be especially prevalent and are associated with a range of mild (and often reversible) to severe (and often irreversible) health consequences. Known clinical outcomes of micronutrient deficiencies include impaired growth and cognitive development, poor birth outcomes, anemia, cretinism, and blindness. On the other hand, reducing micronutrient deficiencies can reduce the rate of maternal and child mortality, morbidity, and disability and increase adult physical work capacity and productivity. Particularly in school age children, micronutrient deficiencies have been shown to reduce a child’s ability to attend school and pay attention to studies. Besides, micronutrient supplements are valuable for meeting acute cases of deficiency diseases. Cultural, economic, geographic, climatic and political conditions can influence the suitability of particular interventions or combinations of interventions. The book is focused on micronutrient intervention as an important global health issue that deserves serious attention from a range of stakeholders including Government, aid agencies and communities to name a few, along with highlighting the avenues to address the same as a major component of human health. It is expected to be of interest to policy planners and health administrators, researchers, development professionals, including community-level health workers, and applied anthropologists over and above general readers.
87 978-81-314-1497-2 Globalization and Developing Countries – Economic Implications www.nbcindia.com Globalization Preeti Phuskele 2-Sep-08 224 15.5 400 0 0 Globalization has been dominating the world economies since the latter half of the nineteenth century. It has brought in new opportunities to developing countries. Greater access to developed country markets and technology transfer hold out promise and higher living standard. But globalization has also thrown up new challenges like growing inequality across and within nations, volatility in financial market and environmental deteriorations. The pace of globalization is taking speed with lower barriers to competition. The precise definition of globalization is still unavailable. A few economists define it as the reduction of cost for trans-border movement of goods. A few say that the process has opened up world trade, developed advanced means of communication and increased the movement of people, goods, capital and ideas. The book highlights several positive and negative implications of globalization for developing economies. In true sense globalization has intensified inter-dependence and competition between economies. Developing countries can no longer so easily play the protectionist card and ensure their development in the globalized regime. The captioned book attempts to analyse the issues and challenges faced by developing countries to catch-up with globalization. Globalization of world economies faces two contradictory trends. While a globalized market opens the prospects of unimagined wealth, it also creates new vulnerabilities to political turmoil and the danger of a new gap. The author tries to find the gap between the rich and the poor caused by globalization. Articles by a few renowned economists suggest steps developing countries can follow to lessen the impact of growing globalization.
88 978-81-314-1523-8 Millennium Development Goals And Health: A Global Perspective www.nbcindia.com Anthropology Azmal Hussain 2-Sep-08 216 15.5 400 0 0 In the present decade, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have overwhelmingly captured the attention of the health and development community all over the world, as they provide a vision for development that accommodates health and education squarely at the centre. Health plays the key role in determining the human capital. Better health improves the efficiency as well as the productivity of the labor force, thereby contributing to the economic growth and leads to human welfare. To attain better, more skilful, efficient and productive human capital resources, governments subsidize the health care facilities for its people. Health is prominently represented in the MDGs, with three goals directly concerned with three major health parameters. The success of the MDGs needs ample improvements in health systems as well as health outcomes across the developing world. Achieving the Health MDGs by 2015 is a complex and challenging task, which calls for rapid progress. Experts feel it as a demanding agenda even in stable, well-governed low income countries. Though international agencies are instrumental in helping different governments to achieve the health MDGs, the situation is particularly challenging for many low-income countries fraught with precarious economic and social conditions, and ineffective government-donor relationships. The present book is an attempt to provide an insight into all the above issues of utmost contemporary relevance.
89 978-81-314-1420-0 Gender Digital Divide www.nbcindia.com Gender Issues Mannar Indira Srinivasan Ramani V V 28-Aug-08 284 18 450 0 0 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a pivotal role in the socio-economic development. When the world is galloping towards a welfare society, with people centric policies, a vast section of population, particularly women, are unable to participate in the development process due to lack of access to information, communication and its relevant technologies that are empowering the other half of the world in achieving their goals. A book on ‘Gender Digital Divide’ is quite significant at a time when the disparities in gender due to lack of access to ICT are hotly debated across the globe. It is further significant as it is investigating the current challenges of achieving the millennium development goals of equality of gender and universal female literacy and how this can be achieved using ICT. The authors analyze the issues of gender inequalities in the field of ICT and the way it is creating the gender digital divide. They further discuss the current status of women in the field of ICT. The book is aimed at examining the experiences from across the globe that could successfully implement gender sensitive policies with the help of ICT in enhancing opportunities for women in equal participation in every aspect of her uplift. It examines further the ways to bridge this gap while searching for the solutions that can promote gender parity and social justice using ICT. The book is mainly targeting policymakers, researchers, administrators and both genders.
90 978-81-314-1520-7 Development – Induced Displacement: Issues and Implications www.nbcindia.com Anthropology Azmal Hussain 28-Aug-08 256 17 425 0 0 Evidences suggest that for a vast majority of the indigenous people displaced by big development projects, the experience has been extremely negative in cultural, economic, and health terms. They face a range of consequences including loss of assets, unemployment, debt-bondage, hunger, cultural disintegration and so on. It is often alleged that while people pushed away from their homes by war or natural disasters like earthquake may be favorably viewed by the media or international humanitarian aid agencies, the victims of development-induced displacement normally win no such sympathy. This is so, despite the fact that the consequences of development-induced displacement may be in all likelihood as severe as those faced by people who are displaced by conflict or natural disaster. In all instances, displacement should not threaten life, dignity, liberty, or security. Besides, the conditions of adequate shelter, safety, nutrition, and health should be ensured way before, if at all displacement takes place.Development is seen as a right to which all people should have access, but people also have a right to be protected from development’s negative effects, including arbitrary eviction and the loss of economic, political, civil, and human rights. This book has tried to cover these and other aspects which caution us against manifold challenges of development-induced displacement, in addition to minimizing the risks before displacement takes place.
91 978-81-314-1498-9 Multiple Intelligences for Inspired Workplaces www.nbcindia.com General Books Anitha Arunsimha 28-Aug-08 260 17 425 0 0 When we witness a basket ball player’s inexplicable maneuver in the air or a classical singer extracting another shimmering high C from the gristle of the vocal chords, we don’t classify them as being intelligent. These talents seem to be tangential to intelligence than proof of it. But, Dr. Howard Gardner, Father of Multiple Intelligences theory, disagrees. In both the player and the singer, Gardner sees intelligence – kinesthetic intelligence in the case of the basket ball player and musical intelligence in that of the classical singer. Gardner does not limit intelligence to the traditional realms of logical reasoning and the ability to manipulate words and numbers. Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies eight distinct forms of intelligence, which have their own core component processes and end states. MI theory that has greatly influenced the domain of education has now made a foray into the business world as a valuable lens for business leaders to view the inner world of employees. This book “Multiple Intelligences for Inspired Workplaces” showcases the role of MI in the field of business. MI is depicted as a user-friendly tool for the identification of individual skills and uncovering the mosaic of skills needed for various business applications, such as able leadership, better personnel relations, collaborative teams/creative culture, intelligent decisions, excellence, multi-skilling, multi-tasking, feel inside customer’s emotional experience and for an alignment between employee and job profile for the best fit. The book, with its numerous illustrations, anecdotes, MI models and analogies is an earnest, engaging and educative endeavor to create MI-inspired workplaces.
92 978-81-314-1490-3 IUP Series on Investment Strategies for Individual Investors www.nbcindia.com Finance Sujoy Kumar Dhar Arindam Mukherjee 28-Aug-08 268 17 425 0 0 Investment is the surrender of certain present value for some uncertain future reward. Investment decision is a trade-off between risk and return. Investment analysis describes techniques, vehicles and strategies for planning, implementing and overseeing the optimal allocation of the fund of the investor. Despite increasing investments in different financial markets due to rapid progress in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and media, common people suffer from a misconception that investment is a scary activity. They are puzzled by the profusion and proliferation of investment alternatives, rattled by the fluctuation of financial asset prices, overwhelmed by the presence of mighty institutional investors, confounded by exotic instruments and complicated investment strategies, confused by the intricacies of tax system and frustrated by financial scams that periodically rock the market. Fresh Investors are not confident due to their lack of awareness and inadequacy of subject knowledge. There are different forms of investment such as fixed deposits, shares, derivatives, money market instruments, mutual funds, real estate, insurance, gold and bullion etc. This book analyzes in a nutshell, the different investment opportunities available to a retail investor; a layman household investor will get an in-depth knowledge regarding the investment criteria after going through this book. The readers will come to know how they can diversify their portfolio to hedge their risk and how return can be maximized, subject to a certain risk. In a nutshell, an investment strategy must be stress-free and enjoyable. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a popular meditation teacher once said, “Do less and accomplish more”. Being aware of how, where, why and how much to invest, a conscious investor will have the time to enjoy his/her success.
93 978-81-314-1466-8 Marketing Baby Care Products: Issues and Concerns www.nbcindia.com General Books Simantee Sen 28-Aug-08 256 17 425 0 0 “The baby market is jumping; it’s such a huge growth market.” A mother would rather spend some dollars on her baby than herself. Innovation was the key factor behind the unparalleled growth of this sector. With innovative products and lateral ideas, baby food manufacturers were successful in luring customers to buy their products. More than ever, parents are concerned about every aspect of their kids’ well-being, from safety to nutrition to physical fitness. There are so many pollutants in society today that moms are worried about their kids, they are extra careful about the chemicals in baby products. Parents are increasingly turned on by the idea of organic products – food, clothing and creams – made without chemicals that they feel are too harsh to be used on their children. The appeal of organic products, which typically cost more than their non-organic counterparts, comes from the perceived health and environmental benefits, because the produce and clothes are made with little to no pesticides, chemicals or other irritants. Why only organic products? …baby clothes and furniture and toys are all getting trendy and designer. In fact, the BABY has become a prime ‘customer’ for marketers today. Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this trend by offering products and services designed to give parents the ultimate guarantee peace of mind. The objective of this book is to throw light on all these aspects for this ever-growing, fast-emerging market, and to educate consumers on the same.
94 978-81-314-1518-4 Customer Service In Airline Industry www.nbcindia.com Customer Relationship Manageme Amitabha Ghose Ishita Mukherjee 28-Aug-08 248 16.5 425 0 0 The rapid pace of globalization has caused increasing consciousness among customers. Growing competition and improved job opportunities, especially in the private sector, coupled with improved buying power (which is a direct impact of regular employment generation) have made consumers more demanding. Therefore, to attract and retain customers, cost & quality control continues to be the keyword, as airline remains primarily a service catering to the business as well as leisure customers. It is, therefore, vital to focus on the planning and delivery aspects related to effective customer service in the airline industry. This book deals with the importance of customer service, pricing and promotion of customer service, training and development of employees, CRM and customer delight in the airline industry and strategies adopted to achieve them. Further, the airline industry experience and cases for customer service and strategy to attain customer delight for long-term retention have been highlighted. The book is target to the business and marketing managers of the airline industry, marketing consultants, marketing management teachers and students.
95 978-81-314-1422-4 Enjoy IIT-JEE www.nbcindia.com Technical Education Girijesh Pathak 28-Aug-08 248 16.5 425 19 475 This book is mainly for those who aspire for undergraduate studies in IIT. An early reading of some of the chapters will be beneficial in generating strong motivation and fine-tuning the thought process to suit enjoyable preparation style. It is recommended that parents and near by people also read some of the chapters to understand the kind of environment they should provide to the aspirant. This book will benefit other students as well because having a correct strategy and temperament control is important for every one. The entire concept discussed in the book has been practiced by candidates and have been found to be useful. It can help in replicating the success story of many who cleared IIT-JEE in enjoying way. This book provides a motivational reading. It helps in setting the strategies right. It describes a model for self-preparation plan and monitoring the progress. It helps in better temperament control and also provides necessary assistance in taking many important decisions. Exercise on important topics takes the student through the process of detailing the roadmap to the success in JEE.
96 978-81-314-1415-6 Melting Glaciers And Rising Sea Levels: Impacts and Implications www.nbcindia.com General Management Prabha Shastri Ranade 28-Aug-08 232 16 400 0 0 The melting of glaciers has become a major focus of concern in global warming. An overview of retreating glaciers presents an alarming scenario with potentially devastating consequences. Over two third of the earth’s area consists of oceans. Sea level rise due to glacier melting is associated with damage to coastal infrastructure and the likelihood of displacement of coastal communities. Understanding the impacts of retreating glaciers and sea level rise is essential to plan at the local, national and international level. The book focuses on the economic and ecological impacts of melting glaciers and problems associated with rising sea levels. A wide range of adaptations and mitigation measures will be required to assist policy makers to cope with the root cause of the problem. Truly, global effort can save glacier melting. The efforts have to be backed by financial and administrative will. The policy issues arising from these impacts and the response of policy to this challenge are analyzed in this book. It brings out an urgent need for Polar research. The book is divided into two sections. Section 1 presents an overview of melting glaciers and rising sea levels in a global perspective and Section 2 gives impacts and mitigations. The articles cover glacier retreat and subsequent impacts in Nepal, India and China, Tarim basin, European Alps, the shrinking of Kilimanjaro and Antarctic ice, tourism in polar regions, understanding sea level rise and variability, Keeping afloat: A strategy for small island nations.
97 978-81-314-1467-5 Preferential Trade Agreements: Global Experiences www.nbcindia.com Economy Santap Sanhari Mishra 28-Aug-08 236 16 400 0 0 Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are accord among a set of countries involving preferential treatment of trade between any two parties to the agreement relative to their trade with the rest of the world. Preferences, however, need not extend to all trade between the two, and the coverage could depend on the type of PTAs. Customs unions and the so-called free trade areas are common forms of PTAs. PTA is established through trade pact and it is the weakest form of economic integration. Members of most PTAs belong to a well-defined geographical area such as, for example, the European Union (EU), the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). For this reason regional PTAs are called Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). The most common form of RTAs are the euphemistically named Free Trade Areas (FTAs), with a few Customs Unions (CU) which require the partners to maintain a common external trade policy, in addition to free trade with each other. Despite the advantages of PTAs, many economists view it critically; the most important being by Jacob Viner and the famous “Spaghetti Bowl Effect” by Jagdish Bhagwati. Hence, though it is believed that PTAs are useful for trade, they also pose some obstacles for the same. This book is an attempt to illustrate some of PTAs/RTAs in addition to its concepts, developmental implications and changing landscape.
98 978-81-314-1512-2 Whistleblowing: Perspectives and Experiences www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Reena Raj 28-Aug-08 224 15.5 400 0 0 The divulgement and deterrence of fraud and mismanagement is one of the vital challenges that the business conglomerates have constantly been confronting with, from times immemorial. Today’s businesses are also in no way different. And the lines of attack by which this challenge is dealt with irrefutably show the way to either the enhancement or the impairment of the corporate reputation. Whistleblowing, an essential constituent of corporate governance framework, which directs and regulates organizations, plays a significant role in curtailing organizational wrongdoings and promoting a culture of transparency, openness, accountability and corporate fairness. ‘Whistleblowing’, the expression entered in the lexicon of laws, politics, and corporate governance, with diminutive attention towards it, gained the real momentum in the recent past. Society has witnessed a tremendous shift in its approaches towards whistleblowing, specifically in this decade, when whistleblowers are perceived as an essential constituent of society’s self-repair system. The book “Whistle Blowing – Perspectives and Experiences” attempts to examine various aspects such as the need and significance of encouraging whistleblowing, the detrimental actions towards whistleblowers and the imperativeness of establishing codes of conduct as part of the governance system. It purports that whistleblowing may be perceived as a constructive mechanism that sanitizes the businesses environment by straightening out the prevailing as well as the potential organizational misconducts. Case studies portraying the experiences of whistleblowers how they blow the whistle, the repercussions of the act and the whistleblower protection legislation in various countries have been depicted in the book.
99 978-81-314-1495-8 Reality Television: How Real does it get? www.nbcindia.com Media & Entertainment Salonee Priya 28-Aug-08 220 15.5 400 0 0 The current popularity of the compelling and dominating phenomenon called Reality Television has drawn interest from all corners. Reality TV entered a new phase around the turn of the present century and has rapidly come to the forefront of international television today. It is a staple for most of the networks’ primetime line-ups. The shift to this genre in television has a lot of implications – economical, technological, social and cultural. The book captures this relatively quick change in the television landscape and brings out the essence of the reality flavors. Reality TV shows emerge as rich advertising vehicles with a large amount of moolah riding on them. The basic reason for people to watch these shows is also related to the psychosocial aspects of human behavior. Consumptive ideologies as well as neoliberalism and emotional labor are translated into Reality TV shows. Reality TV opens the Pandora’s Box – issues related to Surveillance, Consumerism, TV ratings, Ethics, Voting patterns, Health etc., which are dealt with at length in this book. Global images from countries like America, UK, China and India are captured in order to give a clear picture of such shows across the world. Though the adaptations of these shows are very much in vogue; there is, at the same time, a lot of creativity involved to frame them according to the needs of the country and its culture.
100 978-81-314-1494-1 Diversity in the Workforce: HR Perspective www.nbcindia.com Human Resources Management Pramod Rao Pallavi Kate 28-Aug-08 220 15.5 400 0 0 Workforce diversity has become the order of the day, as more and more organizations cross their domestic barriers and enter the international market arena with their products, services and even building manufacturing facilities, apart from entering into business alliances with foreign companies. Diversity needs to be embraced more as a concept rather than to meet any statutory requirement. Culture sensitive issues and conflicting situations have to be handled very carefully to avoid future complications. Open and transparent communication and easy accessibility of the managerial staff are the essential features that no organization with a diverse workforce can afford to ignore. Managing diversity is a challenge for the HR fraternity. Various processes may have to be customized while not losing the balance of equality. Maintaining a supportive work environment is a critical need of the hour, in addition to attending to culture-specific requirements of the workforce. The HR manager needs to advocate a diverse workforce by making diversity evident at all organizational levels. He/She must also show a high level of commitment and be able to resolve issues of workplace diversity in an ethical and responsible manner. The challenges faced by the HR in managing diversity, effects of diversity on business performance, and the best practices for HR in managing diversity issues, constitute the theme of this book.
101 978-81-314-1503-0 Climate change and its effect on human health www.nbcindia.com General Asis Kumar Pain 28-Aug-08 220 15.5 400 0 0 While the world is nearly unanimous about the adverse effect of climate change, there is difference of opinion between the developing and developed countries about their causes and mitigation policies. Most of the increased human activities are concentrated mainly in the high income industrialized countries of the world. Such a finding is evident from the fact of the per-capita carbon dioxide emission from the consumption and flaring of fossil fuel. Such mercuric rise in global warming had a strong negative impact on health, more so, human health on account of creation of congenial atmosphere for fast propagation of various diseases. Warmer, wetter conditions promote the spread of both the mosquitoes that transmit malaria and the pathogens that cause the most serious forms of diarrhea in developing countries. In line with this trend, the present volume deals with the impact of climate change caused by warm climate on human health. The book also addresses the emission of excessive greenhouse gases and its effect on health. In other words, the volume seeks to describe the context and process of global climate change, its actual or likely impact on health, and how human soc
hilosophy and Perceptions