Suchergebnisse

Manish K. Jha and Pushpendra (eds), Traversing Bihar: The Politics of Development and Social Justice, New Delhi, Orient Blackswan, 2014, 368 pp., ₹850, ISBN 978-81-250-5567-9.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a nuanced framework for evaluating a channel partner's performance in distribution channel relationships. Given a channel partner's task environment characteristics (high/low munificence, dynamism and complexity), the study examines which performance metrics (output, activity or capability) are most relevant for evaluating its performance levels effectively.


Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts self-administered cross-sectional survey-based research design. Matched data were collected from 252 channel partners – manager relationship dyads. The latent change score (LCS) model within SEM framework provides mean paired-differences of the relevance ratings for each metrics. This was used to assess the empirical validity of the hypothesized relationships.


Findings
The study demonstrates the importance of calibrating performance evaluation metrics to a channel partner's task environment state, made possible by its holistic approach to performance evaluation. Based on an extensive analysis, it shows that no single metric is relevant within all environmental states; rather, it could be dysfunctional, a result that differs from vast majority of the literature.


Research limitations/implications
Investigates individual linkages between task environment dimensions and performance metrics to provide a fuller understanding of these relationships. Also provides a theoretical framework to support further research on the topic.


Practical implications
The study provides managerial guidelines (and extensive graphical analysis) for nuanced and dynamic evaluation of channel partners' performance that can enable firms to identify and promote their most valuable channel partners and prevent the deterioration of others.


Originality/value
First one to develop and empirically validate a nuanced framework for evaluating performance of exchange partners that operate under diverse task environment states.

AbstractAimTo assess changes in oral hygiene status, oral health knowledge and behavior among visually impaired individuals using dental health education material transcribed in Braille and Compressed speech.MethodologyA nonrandomized before and after comparison study was conducted among 4 purposively selected institutes for visually impaired in Indore region, Central India. A stratified random sampling was employed to select 144 visually impaired individuals aged 15–35 years. Oral health education (OHE) material was developed in Braille and compressed speech. Participants were intervened using OHE material. A self‐administered Braille transcribed proforma was used to record participants responses on oral health knowledge and behavior at baseline, 1‐week, 1‐month, and 3‐months followed by clinical examination. Descriptive statistics was used for frequencies, mean, and standard deviation of variables. Bivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of independent variables on self‐reported oral health, knowledge score and oral hygiene status.ResultsThe mean knowledge score of participants in Braille group at 3‐month was significantly higher (11.86 ± 2.41) than in compressed speech group (8.59 ± 2.74). Compressed speech showed significant reduction in mean gingival score (1.02 ± 0.73) at 3‐month (P ≤ 0.001). Bivariate regression indicated Braille education was significantly effective in improving knowledge (OR: 6.02) and oral hygiene status (OR: 8.24) (P ≤ 0.001).ConclusionBraille method of intervention was more effective in improving knowledge scores and oral hygiene status among visually impaired participants.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to model the key influencers or predictors for usage of technology by sales professionals in India.


Design/methodology/approach
This study examines the effect of individual, organizational and social factors on the use of technology. The method used for primary research is survey, and data have been collected from 556 sales professionals from across four industries in India. The empirical analysis consists of confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.


Findings
Confirmatory factor analysis has been used to validate the constructs, namely, peer usage, support service, perceived usefulness, attitude, usage and performance. Based on the results, it has been concluded that attitude and peer usage have a direct effect on the use of technology. Support service affects peer usage and perceived usefulness affects attitude. This model helps us understand the direct and indirect predictors of use of sales technology (ST), and its effect on sales performance.


Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study is that data pertain to India only.


Practical implications
The findings of this paper will help sales managers and organizations develop strategies to increase the acceptance and use of new technologies, and also strengthen their arguments for convincing the various stakeholders about the benefits and relevance of the ST.


Originality/value
The paper attempts to build and validate a parsimonious model taking into account peer usage (social factor) and support service (organizational factor) in addition to perceived usefulness and attitude.