The role of contextual variables in successful post-merger integration: a review and future directions

This paper attempts to investigate what actually influences a merger and acquisition (M&A) successful implementation and post-merger integration. Despite the significant research interest on this topic, there is much to explore in this area. The paper points to new areas of exploration in the existing domain of action research. Based on the existing body of knowledge, the present study explores the influence of a range of factors including organizational, individual, technological and environmental, with intent to investigate the gaps in the existing body of knowledge. It appears that human behavioural and organizational dynamics have been comparably lesser explored than the technological and strategic dimension in this area. However, looking into the future trends, this paper has come up with research objectives that can affect the interventions process and enhance combination success. Future directions for study and potential linkages with other variables have also been provided. Keywords: Merger and acquisitions, merger syndrome, organizational change, post-merger integratio

Reasons for the Deteriorating Relationship between the Local People of Mumbai and the Bihari Migrants

The paper deals with the ‘reasons’ behind the deteriorating relationship between the Bihari migrants and the local people of Mumbai from a larger project on the topic. The main sample comprised of 307 people (152 Bihari migrants and 155 local people of Mumbai). Additionally, 50 respondents participated into 8 focus group discussions and 17 were interviewed. Both the qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection. Two similar, but not identical versions of the main questionnaire were developed, one for each group whose Part III addressed the ‘reasons’ issue. Qualitative data were generated with the help of an open-ended question, focus group discussions and interviews. Content analysis of the qualitative data helped arrive at some thematic reason categories namely, reduced employment options for the locals; negative attributes of Bihari people; pressure on the basics amenities of the city; politics and political leaders, ethnocentric orientation of the migrants and culture pollution, etc. The forced choice answers against the given reasons presented very high percentage of endorsements and needs to be examined with caution

Host Acculturation Orientation: Some Preliminary Impressions of the French Students on Ethnic Minority Groups in Montpellier, S. France

The objective was to study the host acculturation orientation of a sample of 100 French students of a S. France University. For this purpose a nine-items Host Acculturation Scale was used. Observations gave the impression that the students considered it significantly ‘more important’ that the immigrants maintained their heritage culture in their homes rather than doing so in general or at the workplace. Furthermore, it was considered only ‘partially important’ that the immigrants adopted the French norms, values and customs in general and at the workplace, and ‘not important at all’ that they did so in their homes. Ethnic groups were perceived as threatening to the extent of ‘quite a bit’ and, comparatively speaking, they were more acceptable than liked. The correlational observations suggested that those who liked the immigrant groups were also open to accepting them in their country and did not mind that these groups maintained their heritage culture. A modest degree of negative relationship was observed between the overall acceptance for maintaining the heritage culture by the immigrant groups and the perception that these groups were a threat to the mainstream French population. Regarding prediction of the host acculturation orientation, it appeared that liking the immigrants seemed to significantly facilitate the French hosts’ acceptance for maintenance of the heritage culture at the workplace. Moreover, those who perceived the immigrants as a threat to the French people were also likely to expect that the immigrant groups adopted the French ways and customs

Strategic Human Resource Management: A Choice or Compulsion?

It is anticipated that, as a result of increased competitive pressures, the emphasis is on the search for competitive advantage and strive is to align better personnel policy choice with business strategy. Thus, the purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide an overview of the SHRM literature with the foundation of personnel management (PM) and thereafter of human resource management (HRM) that builds up to our current concern with paradoxes, ambiguities, and balance issues. This paper has addressed the special issue on managing the dualities in SHRM i.e. strategy in HRM practices, whether it is a compulsion or a choice for organizations. After reading this, practitioners might gain more insights in the potential tensions/issues, ambiguities, and conflicts of interest that are characteristic for the field of SHRM in practice and then can take decisions that whether the practice of SHRM should be a compulsion or choice for the organization. Keywords- Personnel management, Human resource management, Strategic management and Strategic HRM, Business strateg

Anticancer Potential of Calotropis procera: An Overview

Medicinal plants have incredible importance because of the presence of many types of components present in it, and they become the source for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Calotropis procera is a xerophytic shrub, with soft, tall; numerous shrubs with small flowering branches or small trees belonging to the family of Asclepiadaceae, distributed globally over the tropical and subtropical region of Asia and Africa. It is well known in traditional medicine to have cleansing and anti-ageing properties as well as used in the mitigation of various ailments as antiulcer, anti-leprotic, cytotoxic, anti-emetic, anti-coagulant and anticancer activities. It contains various chemical constituents like cardiac glycoside, triterpens, flavanoids, steroids and other phenolic components in various parts of plant was well known for its diverse pharmacological and biological activities. Different extracts of plant and parts of plants possess significant in-vitro and in-vivo cytotoxic, anti-tumour and anti-proliferative activity in various cell lines and tumor cells which indicate the considerable potential of Calotropis procera for anticancer adjutants. The objective of the presentr eview is to provide systematic information about the phytochemical and various extracts of Calotropis procera as potential candidate for cancer treatment.Â

Fuzzy Inference System-based Geo Visualization Tool Development for Yamuna River Water Quality Analysis

An analysis of Yamuna River Water Quality through the use of a Fuzzy Inference System illustrates the capabilities of artificial intelligence in the development of novel Geovisualizer. Numerous Geovisualizer systems exist worldwide, but none can estimate water quality with artificial intelligence instead, relying on statistical data that vary with the scenario and have dubious accuracy. This logic has not been applied to the classification of Water Quality Standards by any designated government agency for water quality monitoring and management. A robust and integrated application program interface is developed by combining MongoDB and JavaScript library utilities Leaflet.js, Node.js, ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, and Fuzzy Algorithm; embellished with HTML and CSS. The Yamuna River is considered for the spatial-temporal aspect of the application. End users can authenticate with JSON web tokens. Spatial and non-spatial data are visualized by Inverse Distance Weighted Interpolation technique of ArcGIS. The Water Quality Index can be calculated using combinations of critically chosen input parameters integrated through frontend and backend functionality that incorporates fuzzy set theory with input from a Geovisualizer database and frontend platforms; not available on the existing geovisualization platform. With its scalability, extensibility, and execution speed, the resultant 121RRwebgis Geovisualizer outperforms conventional applications. Thus, a robust platform for global researchers is developed

(R2028) A Brief Note on Space Time Fractional Order Thermoelastic Response in a Layer

In this study, a one-dimensional layer of a solid is used to investigate the exact analytical solution of the heat conduction equation with space-time fractional order derivatives and to analyze its associated thermoelastic response using a quasi-static approach. The assumed thermoelastic problem was subjected to certain initial and boundary conditions at the initial and final ends of the layer. The memory effects and long-range interaction were discussed with the help of the Caputo-type fractional-order derivative and finite Riesz fractional derivative. Laplace transform and Fourier transform techniques for spatial coordinates were used to investigate the solution of the temperature distribution and stress functions. Numerical investigations are also shown graphically for non-dimensional temperature and stress for different space and time fractional derivative values, respectively. In addition, some applicable limiting cases are discussed for standard equations, such as wave equation, Laplace equation, and diffusion equation

Evaluation of PPIUCD versus interval IUCD (380A) insertion in a teaching hospital of Western U. P.

Background: Comparative evaluation of PPIUCD and interval IUCD in terms of incidence of failure, expulsions, bleeding P/V and other complications.Methods: Total 300 willing women after counselling in antenatal, early labor or postnatal period were inserted PPIUCD after excluding chorioamnionitis, PROM >18hrs, Unresolved PPH, Puerperal sepsis. Another 150 willing women were inserted interval IUCD after excluding contraindications. All were followed up for 6 months.Results: Expulsion rate was significantly higher in PPIUCD as compared to interval insertions (4.3% v/s 2.0%; p value< 0.05). Number of removal of IUCD was almost similar in both groups(5.6% v/s 6.0%) but bleeding as a cause of removal was significantly more in interval group(23.5% v/s 88.5%). Common causes of PPIUCD removal were social.Conclusions: Postpartum insertion of IUCD is safe effective, feasible and reversible method of contraception

Description of six new species of the genus Cornudiscoides Kulkarni, 1969 (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from two catfish, Mystus, Scopoli, 1777 and Sperata Holly, 1939, with a note on its biodiversity

The genus Cornudisoides Kulkarni, 1969 is a specialist monogenoid reported from two fish host, Mystus and Sperata. Despite their ecological importance, Cornudiscoides diversity remains unexplored, and the taxonomic description of nominal species is inadequate. The present study was performed to chart the biodiversity of the genus Cornudiscoides and defined the characters to identify their species quickly and efficiently using unambiguous characters. Examination of fish hosts collected from different localities of Uttar Pradesh revealed 12 known and 6 new species of Cornudiscoides. Since the original description of known species lacked some salient features, the present study has redescribed them and added new host records. The new species are described: C. tripathii sp. nov., C. lucknowensis sp. nov., C. speratai sp. nov., C. indicus sp. nov., C. kulkarnii sp. nov. and C. falcatum sp. nov. They have distinct copulatory complexes and vaginal armatures. A detail of the species diversity of Cornudisoides, their type host, new host record type locality, additional localities and major distinguishable characters would be helpful to understand the diversity of these parasites

Sums of matrix-valued wave packet frames in (L^2(ℝ^d,ℂ^{stimes r}))

The purpose of this paper is to first show relations between wave packet frame bounds and the scalars associated with finite sum of matrix-valued wave packet frames for the matrix-valued function space (L^2(ℝ^d, ℂ^{stimes r}). A sufficient condition with explicit wave packet frame bounds for finite sum of matrix-valued wave packet frames in terms of scalars and frame bounds associated with the finite sum of frames is given. An optimal estimate of wave packet frame bounds for the finite sum of matrix-valued wave packet frames is presented. In the second part, we show that the rate of convergence of the frame algorithm can be increased by using frame bounds and scalars associated with the finite sum of frames. Finally, a necessary and sufficient condition for finite sum of matrix-valued wave packet frames in terms of series associated with wave packet vectors is given