Snigdha Rai

Land use mapping of kandi belt of jammu region

Digital image processing on IRS-1C-LISS-III data acquired on October 13, 1998 has been carried out to map the land use classes in part of the Kandi belt, the submontane tract lying in the Outer Himalaya of Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. Supervised classification has been combined with rule-based classification to delineate various land use classes. The various categories of land use in the area recognized are forest, agriculture, riverbed, urban, fallow, wasteland and water. Forest is dominant along the upper boundary of the Kandi belt (along Siwalik) and on ridges, whereas, agriculture land is mainly along the lower boundary (along Sirowal) of the study area.

Water Quantity and Quality of Mansar Lake Located in the Himalayan Foothills, India

Abstract Bathymetric survey and physico-chemical analysis of Mansar Lake, located in the Himalayan foothills in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India, were carried out to assess water quantity and quality. The bathymetric survey indicated that Mansar Lake, with a surface area of 0.59 × 106 m2 at present outflow level, has a maximum depth, length and width of 38.25 m, 1204 m and 645 m, respectively. The lake mean width is 490 m, mean depth is 21 m, and mean slope of the lake floor is 0.14 m·m−1. The storage capacity of the lake up to present outflow level is 11.57 × 106 m3. Vertical variation of temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, hardness and alkalinity suggest that Mansar Lake undergoes complete mixing during January and February and is stratified in other months. Calcium, magnesium and sodium are the dominant cations, and bicarbonate the dominant anion. Analysis of chemical parameters shows that the lake water is of Ca-Mg-HCO3-CO3 type. Phosphate concentration >0.03 mg·L−1 in the Mansar Lake water indicated that the lake is eutrophic. Suitable measures have been suggested for sustainable management of Mansar Lake.

Sedimentation rate and pattern of a Himalayan foothill lake using 137Cs and 210Pb

Abstract An attempt has been made to determine the sedimentation rate and pattern of Mansar Lake, a natural lake located in the Himalayan Foothills of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Five core samples were collected from different locations in the lake and analysed for 137Cs and 210Pb. The results show that the rate of sedimentation in the lake varies between 1.4 and 3.7 mm year−1 with the mean rate of 2.3 ± 0.02 mm year−1. The spatial variation of sedimentation rate provides evidence on the existence of three depositional zones in the lake. The higher sedimentation rates at two sites located near the periphery of the lake show the effects of human activities in the catchment area, such as agriculture and construction. The sediment accumulation rate of Mansar Lake is compared with that of four Lesser Himalayan lakes and it is found that Mansar Lake is receiving sediment at the rate of 892.8 m3 km−2 year−1, which is higher than for all the Lesser Himalayan lakes. This higher rate reveals that the Siwalik terrain of the Himalayan Foothills, consisting of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and clay, is eroding out at a faster rate than the Lesser Himalaya terrain.

Positive transformational leadership: case study of an Indian public sector bank

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the leadership style of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) and perceived organizational climate of an Indian public sector bank. Design/methodology/approach – For the present study data were collected using mixed-method approach including both semi-structured interview and inventories. Sample included the top, middle, and senior-middle level officials of the bank. Findings – Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that: the perceived leadership style of CMD is a combination of transformational leadership and positive leadership; there is a positive organizational climate prevalent in the bank; and positive transformational leadership style of CMD has played a considerable role in the development of positive organizational climate in the bank. Originality/value – Present study provides valuable insights regarding contemporary leadership style in an Indian organization which is the combination of both positi...

Organizational Commitment as a Measure of Managerial Motivation: Search for its Predictors in a Multinational Organization

The study on which this article is based was carried out in a multinational manufacturing organization operating in India. The study was aimed at ascertaining the level of motivation of the managerial employees as well as to identify the predictors thereof. Organizational commitment was used as a proxy measure of managerial motivation. Guided by the review of literature, certain personal attributes of the employees, a measure of job characteristics and several dimensions of organizational climate were used as the potential predictors of organizational commitment. The study obtains the data from 507 managers working in a multinational manufacturing organization. Data was collected online with the help of structured questionnaire. The study has found that (a) the level of managerial motivation is quite high, (b) the employees are endowed with a positive work ethic and governed by internal locus of control, but (c) there is considerable variation in the ratings given to various dimensions of organizational climate. The result of step-wise regression analysis has revealed six factors as the critical predictors of organizational commitment.

Multigenerational Differences in Career Preferences, Reward Preferences and Work Engagement among Indian Employees

The purpose of the present study is to empirically examine the multigenerational differences in career preferences, reward preferences and work engagement among three generations (senior generation, generation X and generation Y). Data were collected with the help of an online questionnaire from 653 working executives working in different Indian public and private organizations. Significance of differences in career preference, reward preference and work engagement among generations was analyzed with the help of analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post hoc Tukey test. Findings of the present study indicate that there is a significant difference in career preferences and work engagement among the three studied generations. Additionally, there is no significant difference in reward preferences among the three studied generations. The present article describes and discusses these findings and the global implications of the same for managers.

Role of human resource flexibility in organisational performance: a study of Indian IT firms

Present study examines the direct relationship between HR flexibility and organisational performance. Also this study explores the moderating role of ethical culture in the relationship of HR flexibility and organisational performance. Data was collected via a questionnaire survey of 126 employees working in 65 major IT companies of Bangalore. The results indicate that all three dimensions of HR flexibility (skill flexibility, behavioural flexibility and HR practice flexibility) were significantly positively correlated with organisational performance (HR-related performance and financial performance). Results of moderated regression analysis reveal the significant moderating role of ethical culture in HR flexibility and HR performance relationship. Limitations of the study and implications of the results are also discussed.

A Study to Develop an Instrument to Measure Work Ethic

Work ethic is one of the most notable constructs that has endured over a long period of time. Among other things, it indicates the extent to which a person considers work as his central life interest. The purpose of the study on which this article is based is to develop an instrument to measure work ethic. Surprisingly, the role of ethical behaviour has not been adequately studied in India in spite of the widespread clamour in the country against corruption! The instrument to be developed through this study, it is hoped, will enable social and behavioural scientists to study this neglected aspect of employee attitude and behaviour. Data for the study was collected from a sample of 507 managerial employees working in the Indian wing of a multinational organization. The 10-item scale developed through this study is uni-dimensional and its psychometric properties were established with the help of appropriate statistical tools and techniques.

Book Review: Organisational Schizophrenia: Impact on Customer Service Quality

Gopal K. Gureja, Organisational Schizophrenia: Impact on Customer Service Quality. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, 2013, 346 pp., ₹ 550 (ISBN: 978-81-321-0956-3 [Paperback])