Abstract

We examined cultural values and preferences for compromising among 948 university students from Bulgaria, China, Iran, Mexico, and US.  Our purpose was to test hypotheses that individual-level cultural values and conflict management preferences varied by country, and that certain cultural values were predictive of a preference for compromising.Our results show significant differences between respondents from the five different countries on three of five conflict management preferences: compromising, collaborating, and accommodating; we did not find significant differences in competing or avoiding.  As hypothesized, we found that females preferred compromising more (and competing less) than males did, and that age had no association with any preference.  Results also indicated significant country differences on four out of five cultural values: being — doing orientation, determinism — free will, uncertainty acceptance — uncertainty avoidance, and individualism — collectivism, but not power distance.  Finally, we tested the hypothesis that being orientation, determinism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism would negatively predict a preference for compromising when controlling for gender.  While overall results did not support this hypothesis, when we examined each country group individually, we did find that one or more of the values being orientation, uncertainty avoidance, determinism, and power distance were significant, negative predictors of compromising preference for four of the five country samples.

Abstract

Failure rates for new small business can be high. One potential step that new business owners can take to reduce failure is to ensure they acquire the appropriate skills and knowledge to succeed at this critical growth stage. Developing training programs and support processes based on a competency model will enhance training effectiveness. Competency models for small business owners are available, but do not specifically identify competencies or behavioral factors that apply to small business owners who have never started or run their own business before. The purpose of this study is to complete a competency model and associated behaviors targeted to the needs of first time small business owners.

This study will answer the following questions;

• What competencies are required for first time small business owners to be successful?
• What specific behaviors within each competency are required for first time small business owners to be successful?
• How can competency models as seen in the literature be revised, if appropriate, to reflect the changes needed to support the needs of first time small business owners?
• How can the revised models be used as a foundation for creating or enhancing training and development programs?

Abstract

The concept of organization loyalty as been of great relevance to employees and organization since time immemorial. In spite of immense opportunities and availability of talent in service industry field, in order to secure best efficiency out of the workforce it is essential to make employees loyal towards work and organization .Amongst the multi-facet reason leading to attrition lack of loyalty in workforce is the major cause.The role of service industry in development of economy is imperative. With the rapid expansion in this field followed by LPG the sector demands talented, loyal and committed workforce to sustain development .Thus the role of understanding and evaluating loyalty and ways and means of sustaining the same in hearts, minds and behavior of employees reflecting in form of high productivity and benefits in retaining the intellectual and knowledge capital in its different sub-sectors is worth noting.This paper attempts to identify  different segments /category of employee on the basis of  loyalty , further an attempt is made to identify the intensity of loyalty amongst different segments .Also association between different segments, age, and association between affective commitment and organization loyalty is been determined with the help of chi-square test.Results reveal that there is a significant association between age, different segments and affective commitment with organization loyalty. An important finding was that in spite of different level of loyalty among employees, employees do not promote their organization outside which shows that there is a need to rejuvenate the strategies to promote loyalty. The finding suggests that management of such institutions should design such strategies that would help in keeping stability among different categories/segments of employees to keep overall loyalty towards organization high.

Abstract

Companies face a price risk between when they manufacture a product and when the product is made available for selling. Similarly companies also face a price risk from the time lag between purchase of raw materials and its final selling. Hedging (using commodity derivatives) is one of the tools that can be used to minimize the risk arising from price volatility. But hedging in futures is not always a very straight forward process.The study involves understanding a corporate’s requirements — the commodity they are exposed to, their grade / quality, their delivery requirement dates and the type of payout cycle experienced by them.  Only then can an appropriate hedging strategy be formulated for them. But even best of hedging solutions can fail if they need to be suddenly squared off due to insufficient MTM funds. Hence when taking a futures position, one needs to get an idea of the approximate maximum MTM margin money that one might be required to pay. VaR margin can be used in this regard.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to present a critical analysis on the effect of Online Share Trading (OST) benefits by Indian Web Communities. Online share trading mechanisms at the exchanges are often a hybrid of traditional share trading and recent share trading techniques. The traditional share trading is carried out through Stock Brokers, Face To Face , through telephones , through Agencies which often provide time mismatches , location constraints, busy phone lines, miss communication whereas in Online Share Trading (OST), enormous OST techniques are made possible through Internet and Web Technology.The critical success factor highly depends on the OST Websites associated with Web Communities. Different aspects of trading execution, which is the identification of special activities and desires of the web Community, are analyzed. This leads to analyze the factors as 1) Customer Satisfaction 2) Need to interact with share trading.On analyzing the research among the users and service providers, the web communities are benefited relative to the best, efficient, durable, and profitable, less time consuming, dynamic and user friendly which bring forth both satisfied services and customers.

Abstract

A breakthrough in the Indian life insurance sector witnessed after the liberalization process which is nearly a decade old. The first major milestone paved after long discussions by political parties, conferences and other key contributors were came into  reality through the passing of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act by Government of India in 1999 thereby opening its doors for private players with foreign collaboration. Hence the monopolistic spell of the public giant Life Insurance Corporation of India had been swiped away to a diminishing percent. As a result of this growth phase, new range of products, better and competent customer service, tremendous employment opportunities and acceleration in insurance penetration and density were ameliorated in Indian life insurance sector. A serious concern on the 80 percent of the untapped population of India, a cogitate step has taken to consider ‘God’s own country’- Kerala - the land of latex, lakes and literacy into the prime limelight for this study as it is the one of the  key emerging market in India out of the 28 States and 7 Union Territories. Au contraire, keeping in mind the fact whether the insurer is old or new, private or public, expanding the market and increasing the magnitude of sales will provide enormous challenges and opportunities. This paper sheds light on the significance of different factors that influence the sales promotion efforts in Kerala.

Abstract

E-Commerce presents new challenges for Leadership and Organizational scholars as the foundations for research perspectives are based in a physical not digital reality.  Nevertheless leadership and organizational lessons can be learned and best practices developed as Case Studies report leadership and organizational learning in the digital environment.  This research is a Case Study of a ten year old E-Commerce firm, Zshoes (a pseudonym) and examines key events in leadership and organizational learning which contributed to Zshoes E-Retail success.  Leadership and organizational lessons learned from this firm present an instructive platform on which to build E-Commerce Best Practices.