Ambalika Sinha

Location strategy for competitiveness of special economic zones

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the firms located inside special economic zones (SEZs) in India and to assess the effect of location on competitiveness of the firm.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review is done to identify the variables and intermediate variables including sub‐variables which affect the location competitiveness of the firm that leads to superior firm performance. Literature support for all the variables in the framework is discussed to establish a logical sequence.Findings – Hypotheses are formulated in a sequential framework to draw relationships between location of a firm in an SEZ as latent function, intermediate functions, and superior firm performance as a dependent function.Research limitations/implications – This developed framework is yet to be empirically tested. Such a paper can be applied in manufacturing industries located in an SEZ.Practical implications – Location competitiveness is an important strategic decision for industries. ...

Impact of Extrovert-Introvert Personality on Individual’s Level of Creativity: An Empirical Study

Creativity is the buzzword in this era of stiff competition which lends an edge to individuals as well as organizations over others. Human personality is another area which is extensively studied to explore its various facets and managerial implications are drawn from them. The present study is an empirical study which aims at determining the impact of the extraversion-introversion dimension of human personality on an individual’s level of creativity. The study was conducted on one hundred adults in the Allahabad region of Uttar Pradesh; primary data was collected using questionnaires, hypotheses were formulated and tested using correlation analysis. Result of the tests indicated that there is no association between extraversion-introversion dimension of human personality on an individual’s level of creativity. Several significant Managerial implications are drawn from the results obtained. INTRODUCTION Extraversion–introversion dimension forms the core of human personality theories. It was Carl Jung who popularized the terms introversion and extraversion. Extraversion is «the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining gratification from what is outside the self»1 while Introversion is “the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life”2 Extraversion and introversion are part of a single continuum. Thus, a person who is high on extraversion is low on Introversion and vice – versa. “Creativity is constructed as a learned ability that enables us to define new relationships between concepts or events, which seemed apparently unconnected before, and which results in a new entity of knowledge” (European Commission 1998). Researchers have identified many types of creativity, for the purpose of present study we have taken into consideration the creativity from individual perspective. The present study is an empirical study which aims at determining the impact of the extraversion-introversion dimension of human personality on an individual’s level of creativity, and relevant managerial implications are drawn from it. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study were: 1. To gain a deep insight into the extraversion-introversion dimension of individual’s personality. 2. To delve into the concept of creativity. 3. To determine the impact of extraversion-introversion dimension of personality on individual level of creativity. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Work on the field of creativity is based upon the foundations laid by researchers such as J. P. Guilford and E. Paul Torrance. Creativity has been linked with many variables but literatures linking personality, demographic variables and intelligence to creativity are huge.According to Torrance (1988) creative potential exists among all people, and can be improved through learning while research by Aguilar-Alonso, A (1996) concludes that creative abilities are linked to personality dimensions such as extraversion. Jung et al (2011) found that context plays an important role in determining the creativity exhibited by individuals. Researches on creativity and intelligence also exhibit contradictions, Getzels and Jackson (1962) said that creativity and intelligence were independent traits while Hasan and Butcher (1996) found creativity and intelligence, were highly correlated. Many researches have been conducted which link extraversion-introversion dimension of personality to other variables, one such study is of Taylor (1998) who found that introverts preferred computer mediated discussions over to face-to-face ones, while extraverts preferred the face-to-face environment. Researchers such as Argyle and Lu (1990) have found a positive correlation between extraversion and happiness. It was also found that extraverts respond more to positive affect than to negative affect, Larsen and Ketelaar (1991). An extensive review of such relevant literature has been done and research gaps are identified. RESEARCH GAP From the review of relevant literature following gap has been identifiedMany studies on various aspects of personality and its association with creativity have already been studied but studies on introversion-extroversion dimension of personality and its relation to creativity is negligible. Those studies which exist have contradictory findings. According to Torrance (1988) creative potential exists among all people, and can be improved through learning while research by Aguilar-Alonso, A (1996) concludes that different forms of creative behaviour are related to distinct characteristics of personality. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES From the review of relevant literature and identification of research gap, following null hypotheses have been formulatedH1: Extraversion has no correlation with individual level of creativity. H2: Introversion has no correlation with individual level of creativity RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study is an Empirical research based upon Descriptive research design. This study is set in the Area of Allahabad city; the population in this study comprises Adult males & females throughout the world while the sample units consist of adults in the city of Allahabad. The sample size is hundred & the data was collected using Non-probability, convenience sampling. The data used in this study is both primary as well as secondary. The primary data was collected through survey