Piyush Verma

Information systems road map to enhance economic and operational reverse logistics performance

Industry experts have realised the importance of implementing reverse logistics (RL) for gaining competitive advantage. Although not prominent in all kinds of industrial domains, RL is slowly becoming the factor which can lead towards organisational competitive advantage. With organisations constantly looking for greater profit margins and better operational performances, one way through which it can be achieved is through investments in information systems (IS). This study, through a series of regression analysis, makes an effort to create a road map by analysing relationships between selected IS constructs and the corresponding economic and operational performance measures, individually as well as in combination. The findings of the study reveal that IS used for value creating activities and logistical operations play a much greater role in improving overall RL performance, while the impact of each of the constructs individually on the economic and operational performance has been elaborated in the discussion section.

Exploring suitability of cloud computing for small and medium-sized enterprises in India

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of cloud computing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India. Design/methodology/approach Literature review is used to identify benefits, challenges, and factors concerning usage and adoption of cloud computing by SMEs. A conceptual framework was developed based on the existing theoretical models and factors identified from the literature. A survey based on questionnaire method was followed to collect data from 121 manufacturing SMEs in India. The conceptual framework was refined by using factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings Major benefits of cloud computing for SMEs include cost advantage, easy deployment process, easier access to latest information and communication technologies, automatic updates and upgrades, scalability, flexibility, and improved disaster recovery and back-up capabilities. The concern area includes perceived loss of control, vendor lock-in, security issues, reliability and availability issues, and internet connectivity and speed. The factors that are found significant include perceived benefits, top management support, competitive pressure, and perceived concerns. The model explained 73 percent of cloud computing adoption. Research limitations/implications The study is expected to make significant contribution toward body of knowledge pertaining to information technology adoption in SMEs. Practical implications The study is expected to provide SMEs an insight into real benefits and challenges associated with adopting cloud computing. The model can help SMEs in evaluating their readiness for adopting cloud computing and can ensure successful outcome of cloud computing adoption in SMEs. Providers are also going to be benefited through their enhanced understanding of SMEs’ requirements. Originality/value The proposed framework incorporates all the relevant factors including perceived benefits, perceived concerns, and other organizational and environmental factors to improve model’s predictive power.

Mediating role of process simplification in process integration and upstream supply chain flexibility

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration and upstream supply chain flexibility in Indian automotive organizations. Design/methodology/approach The three-step mediation analysis was performed using SPSS macro PROCESS to assess the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration constructs: top management commitment and supplier relationship; and upstream supply chain flexibility. Findings The results indicate a complete mediation effect of process simplification between supplier relationship and upstream supply chain flexibility, while partial mediation effect is noticed between top management commitment and upstream supply chain flexibility. Practical implications For Indian automotive managers, the study suggests that for improving the upstream supply chain flexibility, organizations must have a strategy towards improving the simplification of supply chain processes by upgrading technology and providing training to their suppliers. This understanding will help the automotive managers to simplify their upstream supply chain processes for gaining competitive positioning and maximizing the organizational profit. Originality/value This study has considered the mediating role of process simplification (a relatively less studied variable) specifically in the context of its impact on upstream supply chain flexibility. Also, the presented study explores this role in the Indian automotive domain which further enhances its value for both practitioners and researchers alike.

Moderated influence of return frequency and resource commitment on information systems and reverse logistics strategic performance

Purpose Reverse logistics (RL) is a strategic instrument across industries. The rapid evolution of online marketplaces has led to frequent product returns with variations across diversified businesses. These marketplaces have caused potential losses due to fraudulent returns, hence requiring a commitment of resources to RL. With information systems (IS) playing a role in improved supply chain performance, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of a conceptualized IS framework on achieving RL strategic outcomes, under the individual moderating influence of resource commitment (RC) and return frequency. Design/methodology/approach Data have been collected through a questionnaire from top to middle management executives managing the supply chain, logistics and IS. Moderated regression analysis was conducted on the collected sample using Hayes’ (2013) process modeling. Findings The study depicts that IS capability, IS for logistics, IS partnership quality and IS for value addition lead to RL strategic benefits. Also, return frequency and RC act as relatively strong moderators with a negative impact. When analyzed for the individual IS constructs, RC has a stronger moderating impact than return frequency. Practical implications The IS usage framework can be used effectively by practitioners for enhancing strategic RL performances depending on variations in committed resources and return frequency for individual industries. Originality/value The study proposes an IS usage framework for achieving enhanced RL strategic outcomes and emphasizes on the moderating role played by RC and return frequency for producing the results.

The Anatomy of Sustainable Growth Rate of Indian Manufacturing Firms

An important parameter to gauge the reasons behind success (failure) of a firm in the form of sustainable growth rate provides useful insights to managers and investors. This research analyzes the variations in calculations and suitability of method of calculating this growth rate using two different formulas. It also intends to examine the extent to which these variations in sustainable growth rate are explained by some of its important determinants. Using panel data regression by decomposing return on equity into net profit margin, asset turnover and financial leverage, results suggest that four key ratios are robust in capturing the variations in sustainable growth rate even after introducing industry-specific factors like industrial growth and inflation in the regression equations. Sustainable growth rate calculated only on the basis of percentage change in book value of equity provides an aggregate view depicting that any changes in sustainable growth rate across industries are random. Further analysis provides evidence that net profit margin drives the sustainable growth of firms in the Indian manufacturing sector.

Interpretive structural modeling for integrating quality management in manufacturing and service counterparts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the contextual relationship among the quality management (QM) constructs for manufacturing and its related service organizations providing integrated value bundles, which has got limited research attention. Design/methodology/approach The QM constructs of manufacturing and services are selected by performing the citation analysis. Studies related to manufacturing and service are selected by reviewing their citations index in the three major research databases namely ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar. The subjective responses from both industry and academia are taken in order to gain better understanding of the contextual relationship among the QM constructs. Finally, an integrated model is proposed using Micmac analysis and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Findings The citation analysis lead to identification of 12 QM constructs: top management commitment, supplier relationship management, human resource management, strategic focus, customer focus, quality of information sharing, process management, servicescape, employee involvement, service quality, supply chain flexibility and customer satisfaction. The expert opinions of executives in the automotive industry and academia resulted in the development of contextual relationships among the identified QM constructs for the development of an ISM model, which is a major contribution of this study. Originality/value The unique focus of this study is on analyzing the contextual relationship among QM aspects in manufacturing and services as clubbed offering. The researchers in the existing literature have so far differentiated between manufacturing and services but this study integrates the QM constructs for manufacturing and its associated services through expert feedback and proposes an ISM model.

Value relevance of the degree of leverages

This study empirically investigates the impact of the degree of leverages on the stock returns for the firms operating in an emerging market. We examine this phenomenon on 232 manufacturing firms listed in National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India over a period from 2002 to 2011. The findings of this study indicate that the degrees of operating, financial and total leverage have statistically significant impact on the stock returns of the select listed Indian manufacturing firms over the period under study. This study is limited to the Manufacturing firms in India for a period from 2002 to 2011 including the recessionary period. Our study provides an important insight to the practitioners, the researchers and the investors for the significance of accounting numbers in the context of India, one of fastest growing emerging markets in the world.