Impact of Technological Innovation Capabilities on the Market Value of Firms

In the era of globalisation and with the advent of knowledge economies, organisational innovation has assumed a critical role in enhancing economic performance of firms. Proponents of the Resource Based View of the firm and its more recent extensions such as the Knowledge Based View and Dynamic Capabilities Theory have suggested that generation, diffusion and application of organisational knowledge could be the source of sustained competitive advantage and superior performance of firms. While there is near unanimity in accepting the vital role of innovation in a firm\u27s performance, consensus on what constitutes organisational innovation and how to measure it has proven to be elusive so far. Most previous research in this area has conceptualised innovation through one or more dimensions of a firm\u27s innovative capability using R&D of a firm only. The measurement of the construct has thus reflected this narrow conceptualisation with a single measure of R&D expenditure being the most often used proxy. This study utilises a broader de¯nition of organisational innovation capabilities that includes the generation, dissemination and strength of innovative activity in a firm. The unique features of this study is that it uses multiple indicators of a firm\u27s innovation pro¯le along with lagged measures of market value using fixed effects panel data analysis

Food and Nutritional Security in Bangladesh: Going beyond Carbohydrate Counts

The progress towards achieving household nutritional food-security in Bangladesh has remained slow. So far the food security is cereal-based (mainly rice) and food basket has not yet diversified towards high nutritive/ quality food. This article has examined the expenditure inequalities in the dietary pattern and incidence of poverty in Bangladesh by using household income, expenditure and food consumption survey data. Results have shown wide-spread inequalities in income and expenditure distribution. Among food items, the inequalities have been found very low for cereals and high for livestock and horticulture commodities and various types of fish species in both rural and urban areas. The analysis of food poverty, its depth and severity has revealed a typical hidden poverty that could not be brought up by analyzing economic poverty. The food poverty has been found high for pulses, horticulture and livestock commodities among both economically rich and poor households. Fish, livestock, horticulture and pulses sectors should be accorded high priority to diversify the dietary pattern towards high quality food and improve the nutritional food-security of households in Bangladesh.Food Security and Poverty,

Aquaculture Productivity Convergence in India: A Spatial Econometric Perspective

This paper provides an illustration of evaluating productivity convergence using spatial econometric modelling framework for the aquaculture sector in India. Productivity has been measured using Total Factor Productivity (TFP). The b- and s-convergence concepts that are used to test the convergence hypothesis have been extended to examine the possible presence of spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity. The results have confirmed the productivity convergence hypothesis, the presence of spillover effects on TFP growth and the presence of spatial regimes in the TFP convergence process which have policy implications. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for further research.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Maternal Mortality in Rural Areas of Dodoma Region, Tanzania: a Qualitative Study

Background: A major public health concern in Tanzania is the high rate of maternal deaths as the estimated Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 454 per 100,000 live births (TDHS, 2010). The main objective of the present study was to find out the contributing factors to maternal mortality in rural areas of Dodoma region ofTanzania.Methodology: The verbal autopsy technique was used to reconstruct “the road to maternal death.” A structured open-ended questionnaire was developed on the basis of the “three delays” model: delay in the decision to seek care, delay in arrival at a health facility and delay in the provision of adequate care. The sample comprised of 20 cases, 4 for each district of Dodoma. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with close relativesof the deceased women and those who accompanied the women (neighbours) during the time the illnessdeveloped to death.Results: There was delay in receiving appropriate medical care and that eventually lead to the death of the pregnant woman, due to underestimation of the severity of the complication, bad experience with the health care system, delay in reaching an appropriate medical facility, lack of transportation, or delay in receivingappropriate care after reaching to the hospital.Conclusion: This study shows that women do try to reach adequate health services when an emergency occurs, but that there are many obstacles that delay this process. Improving accessibility and quality of Emergency obstetric care services in the area is necessary if maternal deaths are to be prevented

A Study on Diet Consciousness of IT Employees

Diet denotes the aggregate of food consumed by a living organism for gaining energy needed for executing the routine activities of life. Diet involves the intake of adequate nutrition which may be oriented towards gaining good health or for managing weight. Human dieting is driven by taste preferences, health consciousness or ethical beliefs. Usually, human beings prefer to take balanced and healthy diet. People in developed nations enjoy the privilege of having adequate wealth to ensure that they get access to healthy diet without any constraint. Limited consumption of processed meat, hot and soft drinks and intake of food originating from plants is healthier. This descriptive study has endeavored to assess the diet consciousness of IT employees in Chennai & Puducherry and the association of such diet consciousness with their nature of weekend food, opinion about outside food, skipping the usual meal pattern and consuming nutritious food. Results reveal that quite a large number of IT employees skip breakfast and prefer home prepared food even during weekends. Green and vegetables are consumed to a better extent than dairy products, eggs, meat and fish by the respondents who enjoy only average level of family support on grounds of them complementing their healthy diet and making them feeling guilty for not consuming healthy diet. Finally, outside food has been rated average by the IT employees on grounds of price, hygiene and quality while they have appreciated its taste

Human Sigma: What, Why and Why Not

The high levels of employee disengagement at the global and national levels, pressures of the rising consumer empowerment, especially, on sales and service organizations, and growing need to ensure the delivery of high quality customer experience—all three, collectively, require a business solution to avoid their negative impact on the financial efficiency of organizations. Human Sigma, such a solution, is a philosophy as well as a strategy that focuses on strengthening the interactions of two most important Human system assets of a sales and service organization, namely, employees and customers. Accordingly, the nature and significance of Human Sigma are explained. A simplified alternative to Human Sigma— Net Promoter Score—is also suggested

ECONOMIC THEORY OF DEEN DAYALJI: A CRITICAL STUDY FROM INDIAN NON-MATERIALISTIC APPROACH

Deendayal Upadhyay aspired for people to be educated with bhartiya mulya or values. Only knowledge of the integral humanism of Hinduism can solve problems. Humans depend on natural resources to survive. Humanism is a fundamental part of how people treat each other and nature. The economic structure that the West has created is governed by constitutional principles that go against the laws of nature and, therefore, encourage unrest and disaster. It can be managed to get rid of it through Deendayal’s integral humanism. He said developing countries should not rush into industrialization as it would lead to poverty and unemployment. Instead, they should focus on farming until all their economic difficulties are resolved. Food grain self-inefficiency can be achieved and is required when a country plans continuously and effectively and the environment is benign. It can sometimes be detrimental to encourage industries while neglecting agriculture. He supported decentralization. This essay examines the economic theories of Deendayal Upadhyay