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Working Papers | 1992

Middle Management Motivation: A State of Choked Potential

Ramanarayan S

Middle managers are expected to play a critical role in translating organisational policies and strategies into practice and action. They have an important role in providing information/input to strategy formulation, and in motivating and energising employees at lower levels but studies in some large Indian organisation in both the public and the private sector show that these managers themselves feel like "victims" and experience a sense of powerlessness in their organisations; they are the ones who express the most negative emotions about any organisational change effort; they feel a sense of stagnation in terms of real personal and professional growth inspite of receiving promotions at fairly predictable intervals; they assume a 'spectator' rather than an 'actor' stance in the organisation; and they do not see themselves as a part of the "real" management. As a result, the middle and senior management performance remains far below the potential. This paper presents the results of a study which was aimed at understanding the world of middle and senior managers. The paper traces the managerial domotivation to (a) organisational Resource Management, (b) Scant attention to structuring issues which cause role fragmentation and segmentation, and a failure to distinguish between specialist roles and truly managerial roles, (c) development of certain skills at middle and senior levels, such as the ability to accomplish work through alliances, reciprocity and exchange, rather than expecting to operate only through formal authority. While several individuals within the organisation intellectually understand the nature of changes required to move towards greater motivation in the long term, organisations persist with pseudo-solutions and practices that compound the problem. The paper examines the dynamics which lead to such perpetuation of the middle management motivation problems. Finally, the paper outlines a set of factors that can contribute to the creation of an enabling work environment.

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Working Papers | 1992

The Guru-Shishya Relationship: Some Implications for Educational Institutions

Sastry Trilochan

In this paper we trace the historical basis of the Gurushishya relationship and explore its implications for modern education. Our hypothesis is that this relationship is rooted in a religious and spiritual basis and that this has influenced the nature of various relationships including the ruler-ruled, employer-employee and teacher-taught relationships in post independence India. We analyse the conflicts arising out of holding on to a deeply ingrained cultural value in our contemporary secular society. We also suggest how to start the process of resolving these conflicts in out educational institutions.

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Working Papers | 1992

A Multiple Objective Model for Sustainable Micro-Watershed Planning with Application

P. R. Shukla

A watershed is a hydrological unit of space composed of interrelated drainage area with a common movement of water including all the consequential implications for land and water use. A micro-watershed is a coherent ecosystem at the smallest viable geographical area. It is administratively as well as operationally the most meaningful planning unit. Micro-watershed planning contributes to sustainable to sustainable development of the area by integrating varied development programmes through the efficient use, equitable access and decentralised control of water resources. This paper presents a planning model for micro-watershed development. Three objectives are considered as adequate to represent the sustainable development ethos. These are economic benefits esentially accruing to land and cattle owners, employment benefits accruing to labouring sections and soil conservation which contributes to long-term sustainability of land. Project options available to a planner are check dams, gully checks, contour bunds, pond development pasture development and afforestation. Constraints include investment budget, lower limit on benefit-cost ration, availability of land for pasture development, afforestation and pond construction. Besides these there are constraints to ensure system relationship logic. The model formulation results in a multiple objective mixed-integer linear formulation wherein objectives and constraints are linear functions of decision variables. A real-life application of the model is presented. A representative group of community is considered as a decision maker (DM). DM's preferences are modelled as a value function which is encoded through a series of questions and answers. We have termed the value function as "Sustainability Index" as it evaluates in a single measure the efficacy of the plan in terms of sustainable development. The decision problem is to select a development plan that maximises Sustainability Index. For the present application, the planning problem results in a concave objective function with eighteen linear constraints, twenty five zero-one and five continuous variables. An algorithm that uses a branch and bound procedure together with an mplicit enumeration logic is developed to solve the problem. The algorithm solves a continuous non-linear problem at each node of the branch and bound tree. Compared to a plan developed by a local agency, the optimal plan improves achievement of each objective by twenty five percent. Sensitivity analysis with varying budget limits is carried out which recommends additional investment beyond the current budget. Improvement of the model through integration of energy and environment options and some features of suitable database to aid the planner are presented.

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Working Papers | 1992

Joint Ventures and Technology Trade

Bhatt M C

The fundamental task which all developing countries are facing is that of economic growth. To achieve this objective, developing countries have to generate huge resources both financial and managerial as well as technology and marketing skills both internally as well as externally. Because of the present shrinkage of availability of external resources through official development agencies, joint ventures particularly those bringing foreign investment play an important role. Joint ventures have been recognised by the United Nations, World Bank as well as the countries of the World as technical cooperation is the sine-qua-non of economic and industrial growth of any country. There is also recognition of the need for greater inter-dependence and collective self-reliance among developing countries themselves. The LIMA declaration of UNIDO envisages that 25% of the manufacturing production of the world should come from developing countries by 2000 A.D. A number of developing countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, some countries of Latin America and Africa are making increasing efforts in this direction. Joint ventures are the most significant means to achieve international economic cooperation and economic growth for both the home and host countries. Indian Government has formulated liberal policies for establishment of joint ventures in the country as well as for establishment of overseas ventures and technology transfer to other developing countries. The guidelines governing Indian participation in Joint ventures abroad which were formulated announced in 1970s have been constantly reviewed and have been progressively liberalised giving encouragement to establishment of such ventures. The concept of single-window clearance and streamlining of the of joint ventures abroad. Various studies conducted also reveal that there is very good return on such investments. The contribution which a joint venture makes in export of spares and components is also very significant. Recent statistical data also indicates that the Indian joint ventures abroad have been steadily improving their performance in the last few years. This paper tries to establish premises that South-South joint ventures have a sound economic base. As regards the transfer of technology, it is recognised at international levels that the transfer and development of technology is an important component of successful strategy on sustainable development. Technology should be considered as a "commodity" for export just as agricultural commodity which is exported from the country. The present concept of globalisation envisages international economic relations by way of joint ventures and technology trade.

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Working Papers | 1992

Eco Institutional Perspective on Maintaining Diversity

Anil K. Gupta

The global dialogue on diversity particularly mediated by global institutions has been biased against the perspectives and philosophies evolved by the cultures in the developing countries. It is a different matter that seeds of change for sustainable development may exist with in these cultures. It is not that this neglect of local knowledge perspectives manifests only in Western writings or UN publications. The neglect is equally strong even in the formal publications of various governments in these countries. In this paper, I argue that biodiversity can not be maintained where it exists and enhanced where it is declining without appreciating the institutional context of the cultural, ecological and religious consciousness. The socio-economic factors explain only partially, why some communities maintain biodiversity and other do not. The earlier argument about close linkage between biodiversity and poverty is extended to suggest that economic poverty need not be co-terminus with institutional and cultural poverty. There may be lessons to be learnt from the communities which have maintained biodiversity by remaining 'poor'. However, it has to be strongly asserted that one can not expect biodiversity to be maintained by keeping people poor or out of the natural habitats as seems to be the strategy in many countries. The paper is organized in three parts. In part one, I discuss the phenomena of ecological diversity and its bearing on our learning, living and exchange systems. In part two, I provide examples of the interactions through which Eco Institutional Perspective can be advanced. Finally, in part three, I suggest some puzzles and dilemma which need to be further understood and analyzed. I would not suggest, resolved, a puzzle resolved is a faith broken. Perhaps diversity cannot be maintained by reason alone.

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Working Papers | 1992

Monotonicity of Solutions with Respect to the Claims Point

Lahiri Somdeb

In this paper we establish that a family of well-known normed compromise solutions for two-person claims problems respond appropriately to changes in the claims point. At the time of writing this paper, it was brought to my notice that Bossert (forthcoming) had independently obtained a similar result for a particular case of this family of solutions for claims problems with a larger number of agents. The extension of the general case to a larger number of agents is not however either immediate or obvious.

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Working Papers | 1992

The Non-Manipulability of the Utilitarian Solution

Lahiri Somdeb

In this paper we model threat bargaining problems as fixed threat bargaining games (with the threat point at the origin) and show that the utilitarian solution to threat bargaining problems is not manipulable.

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Working Papers | 1992

Industrialisation Strategy of Gujarat: Performance and an Agenda for Future

Chhokar J S, M. R. Dixit, and Sarkar Mitali

This paper outlines the salient features of the industrialisation strategy that Gujarat appears to have followed since its inception. The results which this strategy has produced are also discussed. The paper goes on to suggest changes required to be made in the strategy to maintain Gujarat's position as one of the leading industrial states in India in view of the changing business environment in the country.

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Working Papers | 1992

Debate on Biotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights: Protecting the Interests of Third World Farmers and Scientists

Anil K. Gupta

The debate on protection of intellectual property rights of the companies and scientific labs developing technologies through biotechnological means or otherwise has been highly surcharged with the emotions. I have argued in this paper that developing countries like India should negotiate this subject with the position of strength and not weakness. In the case of biotechnology, the technology gap is the shortest to bridge compared to most industrial technologies. By compromising on Industrial front, we could gain a lot on biotechnological front. We should simultanesouly refuse to accept the idea that biodiversity is the global common heritage. We should in fact document and patent various land races and other germ plasm in the name of local communities. The land races do not survive by chance or accident. Conscious effort and attention of local communities makes that possible. We should accept the principle that innovators wherever they are and who so ever they are must be protected and compensated. It is natural that this protection would extend to third world scientists and farmers too. We do not agree with those who think that by extending IPRs to crop varieties we would lose the game to MNCs. On the contrary, by protecting the rights of local communities, we would be able to stake the right of third world farmers to have a share in the global profits of Multinational seed companies. The contentions of those dominating the technological frontiers are given in part one of the paper. The concerns of the developing countries are mentioned in Part Two. The alternative ways in which we can operalionalize the concept of Farmers' Rights and compensate them for their innovations and intellectual property rights are discussed in part three. Issues for further discussion have been listed in part four.

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Working Papers | 1992

Conceptual Framework for MIS for NABARD Operations in Relation to Monitoring and Evaluation Studies

Srivastava Uma Kant

The National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) was established on 12th July 1982 by an Act of Parliament and it has been given the mandate to provide "credit for the promotion of agriculture, small scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts and other allied economic activities in rural areas with a view to promoting integrated rural development and securing prosperity of rural areas". This mandate covers a wide spectrum and brings in its fold an integration of credit activities with other economic activities like processing, marketing, and other post harvest technologies and technical services etc. NABARD is an Apex development bank primarily involved in providing different types of refinance to the eligible institutions and it also performs developmental and regulatory functions. Over the last 10 years of its existence, NABARD has emerged as crucial source of finance disbursed by the banks for agricultural and rural development. Till the end of March 1992, bank has provided a cumulative refinance of the order of Rs.16,394 crores covering about 96,219 schemes to support investments to the tune of Rs.25,000 crores. This amounts to 45% of the ground level credit disbursed by banks for agricultural and rural development. It operates through State Cooperative Banks, State Land Development Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Commercial Banks and provides refinance for short terms, medium term, as well as long term credit. The above mentioned activities require elaborate planning and control tasks to be performed at various levels in the organization. In order to support the planning and control tasks, district oriented monitoring studies as well as expost evaluation studies are undertaken. This note analyses the process of planning and control.

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