Development Of Management Programs Research Articles

Exploring a practice theoretical tool-kit approach for studying professional and organisational learning processes: a pragmatist interpretation

ABSTRACT This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical studies of professional and organisational learning processes. Through an ethnographic study of a management development program in Denmark, possibilities and limitations of three different practice-theoretical approaches are considered. Firstly, learning processes are examined as professional identity formation through participation in the community of practice around the development program. Next, Schatzki’s practice-theoretical approach is applied, focusing on management as situated work practice. A third approach focusing on persons’ learning paths in professional and organisational practices is considered: Ole Dreier's concept of person is discussed as a further development of practice theories in line with Schatzki’s thinking. The article explores the epistemological and ontological stances taken by the three practice theories in relation to the study of learning processes. A pragmatist interpretation of a ‘tool-kit’ approach to operationalising different practice theoretical approaches in alliance is developed, considering how this can generate constructive analytical tensions for exploring and understanding learning processes.

Noble Chemical Agency – managing working capital in troubling times

Learning outcomes The primary objectives of the case study are to get the participants exposed to the issues of working capital which even profitable companies face on a day-to-day basis; give the participants an understanding of how to balance the, at times, conflicting objectives of increasing profits and sales through favorable credit terms; and expose them to the impact of increase in inventory levels and average collection period on margins in a period of slow growth. They will also learn about the concept of factoring and its uses. Case overview/synopsis The case study is about a group of companies engaged in education, steel fabrication and oil businesses owned by a single proprietor. The company was based in Fatehnagar which was part of Hyderabad district in the state of Telangana, India, and the case study traces the origins of the group from 1960s to 2021. The group was invested the surplus cash flows from the oil business to initiate and expand other businesses during this period. The economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic had hit the company, particularly its oldest business – Noble Chemical Agency. The oil business was facing issues related to its growth and profitability, and the uncertainty around COVID-19-related restrictions had only augmented the fears of the management. The case study looks at issues and the dilemma which the owner of the company faced. The case study highlights various issues related to working capital management, especially related to receivables management and inventory levels faced by businesses during the slow-growth phase. It demonstrates how working capital management issues, if not resolved in time, can lead to insolvency of even a successful company with a sound business model. Complexity academic level The case study is meant for teaching in postgraduate management programs (Master of Business Administration and Postgraduate Diploma in Management) in the following courses: corporate finance/financial management course in the first year (the case study should be taught towards the end of the course); and management accounting courses in first year (the case study should be positioned in the middle of these courses). The case study can also be used to highlight issues related to working capital and small business management in a Management Development Programme (MDP) course for “Finance fundamentals for non-finance executives”. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and finance.

Molecular based associations of bacterial pathogens with citrus: Implications for toxicology and disease management

The losses associated with the bacterial diseases of citrus leaves and fruits have been reported throughout all of Pakistan's citrus-growing regions and a lot of work was done on the morphological characterization of pre and post-harvest pathogens. However, this issue has not been addressed in Khanpur, which is a major citrus-producing city in Pakistan and can help in the economic growth of the country. The citrus fruits in the area under study exhibit disease symptoms during pre and post-harvesting, but the actual disease agents have not yet been identified. The retrospective object of the current research is to study the pathogenic variation along with the investigation of bacterial disease incidence i.e. citrus canker, bacterial spots, & HLB in citrus fruit. During a survey conducted in November 2019 and 2020, bacterial isolates from symptomatic citrus fruits were obtained from randomly chosen orchards in Khanpur.The disease assessment was estimated by determining prevalence, severity, and disease incidence (DI). The bacterial isolates were identified morphologically and further through 16S rRNA gene amplification. The identified species were Pseudomonas syringae, Pseudomonas viridiflava, Serratia marcescens, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri, and Candidatus liberibacter. In the pathogenicity test, the Xanthomonas strains responsible for the canker disease caused the most severe disease symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first report on pathogens of citrus fruits in Khanpur. Given the significant contribution of citrus fruits to household income and foreign exchange in Pakistan, this study illustrates the molecular-based association of bacterial pathogens of citrus and the toxic behavior of pathogens which helps to provide recommendations on genetic testing and to develop management programs for disease management. The molecular identification of citrus pathogens will empower the citrus growers, researchers, and regulatory agencies to make informed decisions that will protect citrus crops, reduce economic losses, and promote sustainable agriculture. It is also likely to play an increasingly vital role in the future of citrus cultivation..

The Effect Of HR Management And Career Development On Employee Performance With Job Satisfaction As An Intervening Variable In The Education Office And The Culture Of Padang Panjang City

The Education and Culture Office of Padang Panjang City is a government agency responsible for all matters related to education in its area, tasked with carrying out government affairs in the field of education based on the principle of autonomy and assistance duties, and carrying out other tasks related to education. To improve service and employee satisfaction, agencies must have good management, which includes improved HR management and better career development programs. Effective HR management is needed in encouraging employee performance improvement but also needs to be supported by paying attention to employee job satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out how the influence of HR management and career development on employee performance through job satisfaction as an intervening variable, the number of samples in this study was 41 respondents using the Smart PLS 3 analysis tool and data collection techniques in this study with the distribution of questionnaires using the Likert scale. The results of this study show that the most dominant variable, namely HR management, affects job satisfaction positively and significantly, if human resource management is done correctly, job satisfaction will also increase. In addition, job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, this shows that if employees feel happy and satisfied in carrying out their work, then employees can perform better. The most dominant indirect influence is that HR management has a positive and significant effect on employee performance through job satisfaction.

The curious case of Hotel King’s Cross

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this study are to recall the fundamental concept of revenue management in the hotel industry (remembering); explain the various performance measures used to evaluate room revenue in hotels (understanding); use revenue management strategies to improve room revenue in hotel operations (applying); and examine and evaluate the optimal solution for revenue enhancement, considering factors such as capacity management, duration control and differential pricing (analyzing). Case overview/synopsis This case study delves into the challenges faced by Hotel King’s Cross, a business hotel located in Pune, Maharashtra, in the year 2022. A week before Christmas Eve, Soham Dande, the hotel’s revenue manager, sought a meeting with Rohan Chopra, the director of sales and marketing, to discuss “revenue optimization for the hotel.” During their meeting, Dande mentioned that the hotel had fallen behind its budgeted room sales targets for 2022 across various metrics, such as room booking nights, occupancy percentage, average room rate and revenue per available room. Furthermore, the hotel was trailing behind its competitors. The situation was compounded by the management’s decision to raise the targets for 2023 by 5%–7%, factoring in upcoming events, competitive performance and pandemic-related losses over the past two years. Chopra faced the dilemma of formulating an action plan to achieve the ambitious 2023 targets and establish Hotel King’s Cross as a market leader. Complexity academic level Students undertaking executive development programs and graduate-level courses in non-profit hospitality and tourism management, as well as revenue management courses in the executive MBA, management development and graduate MBA programs, may all benefit from this case study. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS12: Tourism and hospitality.

Workplace Leadership Development Practices: An Environmental Scan

Effective workplace leadership development programs are considered critical to organizational adaptive capacity and sustainability. The purpose of this exploratory study is to conduct an environmental scan of contemporary practices and approaches to leadership and management development programs in Australian workplaces. An online survey was distributed to a sample of Australian human resource professionals given the field’s strong practitioner orientation. The survey sample includes members of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), the professional body for human resource professionals and practitioners in Australia. The findings indicate a substantial majority of the current practice is not informed by evidence-based theory or practice. The most commonly used model is 70:20:10, which lacks a coherent evidence base and has been widely criticized for that reason. The findings point to the frequent application of bespoke leadership frameworks and significant theory–practice gaps. While organizations cite “ensuring delivery of business results”, as the main driver for instigating leadership development programs, with support from top management being crucial to the effectiveness and success of leadership development programs/interventions, evaluation and measurement of impact and return on investment remains problematic. Based on these insights, we present a future research agenda for monitoring and evaluating leadership development programs that will build a stronger theoretical foundation to inform evidence-based practice.

Analysis of the Role of Pantai Panjang Bengkulu Tourism Objects in Increasing Community Income from an Islamic Economic Perspective

The tourism sector is one of the people's economic potentials that needs to be developed in order to improve community welfare and regional development. Panjang Beach is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Bengkulu. One of the factors is that the Panjang Beach tourist attraction is able to open up employment opportunities for the local community by becoming auxiliary workers and opening micro, small and medium businesses run by the community around the area. So there is management and many regional development programs on the grounds that the Panjang Beach tourist attraction is able to produce economic benefits for the community. This research aims to analyze the role of the Bengkulu Panjang Beach tourist attraction in increasing people's income according to an Islamic economic perspective. The types of research used in this thesis are field research and library research . The methods used to collect data in this research are observation, documentation, interviews and questionnaires. The results of the research can be concluded that the role of the Bengkulu Panjang Beach tourist attraction is able to make a very big contribution as a place that is able to absorb labor as well as providing employment opportunities for the surrounding community in particular and based on data obtained both practically through observation and theory, it can be concluded it is said that the business activities that occur in the Panjang Beach tourist area of Bengkulu and those carried out by the community around the Panjang Beach tourist attraction are in accordance with the Ijarah principles. Keywords: Tourist Attractions, Long Beach, Income, Islamic Economy

Building Stronger Health Systems: The Role of Leadership Training-Insights from International Public Health Management Development Program (IPHMDP).

Building Stronger Health Systems: The Role of Leadership Training-Insights from International Public Health Management Development Program (IPHMDP).

REFORMULATION OF ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOLS IN ATTRACTING THE SYMPATHY OF THE RELIGIOUS LEARNING COMMUNITY

This research aimed to describe the results obtained from the reformulation of the Ngalah Islamic Boarding School to attract the sympathy of the community to learn Islamic religious knowledge. This research used a qualitative approach that emphasizes the social processes that occur at the Ngalah Islamic Boarding School. In the data collection process that will be carried out, several data collection techniques are used (in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation. Data analysis used interactive analysis, namely data collection, data simplification, data presentation and conclusion submission. The results of the research showed that the reformulation used by The Ngalah Islamic Boarding School included: 1) kyai figures; implementation of Kyai's dawuh as the basis of Islamic boarding schools, 2) Holding regular recitations for the general public, 3) preparing books and distributing them for free or for a fee, 4) Islamic boarding school alumni forming the IKSAN organization, 5) complete educational facilities through development activities, improvements and management programs, maintenance and development of facilities. 6) pluralism and multiculturalism by instilling these values, whether written in the curriculum or not, and in real practice.

A life cycle perspective of startup accelerators

AbstractAccelerators are broadly seen as platforms that government, non-profit, and for-profit organizations use to fast-track the development of entrepreneurial and SME business capabilities. Typically, this occurs as competitive, time-constrained, cohort-centered, authentic learning experiences supported by mentoring and access to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, management development programs, and financial resources. Interest in how the ventures in the development programs evolve and contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem is increasing (Cantner et al. in Small Business Economics, 57, 407–423, 2021), but how the accelerators evolve has yet to be adequately researched. To better understand how accelerators evolve, we adapt Churchill and Lewis (Harvard Business Review, 61(3), 30–50, 1983) conceptual framework of the stages of small business development. This study investigated the life cycle of Australian accelerators from 2013 to 2020. The accelerators ranged from short-term “pop-up” programs to permanent programs. We found through a series of four selected exemplar case studies that these accelerators exhibited a similar four-stage life cycle to their participants, including (1) gestation, (2) survival, (3) viability, and (4) decline or renewal. We also found that external support was a critical issue that determined viability. Our findings support the development of accelerator management to be more agile, resilient, and entrepreneurial, which can confront those adopting a more standardized franchise model. In addition, we adapt Kohler (Business Horizons, 59(3), 347–357, 2016) work on corporate accelerators into an inclusive framework for all forms of accelerators, including considering their geographic context or Place, the actors involved with the accelerator or its People, the accelerator’s value Proposition to participants, the accelerator’s Processes and most fundamentally, its Purpose that will contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem practice and literature. This research provides practical considerations on positioning, suitable business models, and maximized operations.

A PPMC Study on Management Development Programs and Employee Job Performance

The study examined management development programs on employee job performance. The specific objectives were to; examine the impact of training programs on employee job performance, investigate the impact of seminar programs on employee job performance, assess the impact of conference programs on employee job performance and to determine the impact of workshop programs on employee job performance. The study adopted descriptive design and primary data were sourced from questionnaire. The study employed Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis to measure the relationship between variables tested in the study. Based on the analysis, the following findings were made thus; there was a significant relationship between training programs and employee satisfaction, there was a significant relationship between seminar programs and the employee satisfaction, there was a significant relationship between conference programs and employee satisfaction and there was a significant relationship between workshop programs and employee satisfaction. The study recommended that training program is effective, but the organization should also consider enabling employees to further their studies to improve their qualifications. Also recommended that management should be involved in planning employee development programmes.

Attrition problems at food delivery app companies: is there a way out?

Learning outcomes After analysing this case study, students will be able to understand the relationship between compensation, reward management and gig workers’ behaviour; apply the theory of organizational behaviour related to compensation management to address the motivational issues; analyse the challenges in managing the gig workers’ expectations related to compensation; and design innovative ways of retaining gig workers, especially delivery partners among the gig workers. Case overview/synopsis In April 2022, Riya, who worked as a business development manager at a newly established food delivery app company named “Our Kitchen” (located in Hyderabad, India), attended a meeting where the chief executive officer expressed concern about the difficulty in retaining their delivery partners. The company provided food delivery services to the customers by procuring ordered food from partner restaurants in select Indian cities. The delivery partners of the company worked part-time and received a commission for the hours they worked. With the rising fuel cost, minimal career growth and negligible social security benefits, it was hard for them to continue in their jobs. As a result, there were high attrition rates in the food delivery company. This case study is about the attrition issue being faced by the company and explores various strategies through which Riya could think of retaining the delivery partners so that there was a win-win situation for both parties. The dilemma given in the case study would help in understanding the motivational theories and factors that encouraged delivery partners to work for these jobs. Complexity academic level The case study is ideally suited for discussing human resources concepts, especially problems related to the retention of delivery partners without reducing the profit of the organization. It will help in understanding the motivational factors leading to job satisfaction and how that will help in the retention of delivery partners. The case study can also be used to teach the executives in a management development programme. This will help them to understand the gig workers’ motivational factors and the causes of their attrition. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human resource management.

ENHANCING MINING COMMUNITY SERVICES THROUGH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 mandated mining companies to contribute to the development of host and neighboring communities through Social Development Management Programs (SDMP). The subsequent CSR Act of 2011 and 2013 further institutionalized Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) nationwide. This research examines the implementation of CSR and SDMP by two mining companies in Benguet, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company and Philex Mining Corporation. It explores the strategies employed, their effectiveness, challenges encountered, and their association with project implementation. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews, supported by primary and secondary sources. Findings show that programs related to education, livelihood, and infrastructure development were more extensively and effectively implemented, with integrated planning and a mix of top-down and bottom-up strategies contributing to success. The impact on host communities was particularly positive in social and economic aspects, with minimal effects on technological, political, and environmental aspects. Challenges ranged from resource limitations to community ambivalence, natural events, and legal complications. The study concludes that a dual standard exists due to the prioritization of mandatory SDMP programs over non-mandatory CSR initiatives, despite communities perceiving them as nearly identical. Recommendations include making CSR mandatory and complementary to SDMP, enhancing monitoring, and securing support from local governments and NGOs. Strategic implementation and effective strategies are crucial for realizing responsible mining in Benguet.

Mahesh Foundation – care for the uncared

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case study are to identify the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in social upliftment of developing countries, understand the functioning of NGOs, understand the challenges faced by the NGOs in day-to-day operations and discuss the probable solutions for the same, appreciate the role of leader and leadership in an NGO, study the working style of NGO leaders, appreciate the importance of having a formal organizational structure for these informal organizations (NGOs) to ensure the sustainability of their ventures and design a sustainable organization structure having a proper succession plan for the NGOs. Case overview/synopsis The case study is about one NGO – Mahesh Foundation – located in a small town named Belagavi, nestled in the state of Karnataka, India. Mahesh Foundation worked towards the upliftment of poor children infected with HIV. Today, fighting against all odds, Mahesh Foundation is a safe shelter home for 45 HIV-infected children in the age group of 6–18 years and has reached more than 2,000 beneficiaries from the time of its inception (2008). In addition, Mahesh Foundation also provides skill-based education to the HIV-infected, slum and underprivileged children. The foundation also supported the livelihood of underprivileged women and till date has supported more than 1,500 needy women. Mr Mahesh Jadhav, the founder member of Mahesh Foundation, has been successful in overcoming different challenges faced by the NGO, may it be the requirement for funds or shelters or social agitation. However, Jadhav was worried about the succession planning of his organisation. Mahesh Foundation, being run as a one-man show, Jadhav was bothered about its sustainability after him. The case study therefore highlights and discusses the importance of having a formal organization structure for such informal organizations, thereby having a proper succession plan to ensure their perpetual existence. Complexity academic level This case study is best taught as part of a graduate and postgraduate Business Administration (BBA/MBA) programme, Management Development Programme or Executive MBA Programme. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Indore: the cleanliness turnaround

Learning outcomes After completion of this case study, the students will be able to comprehend the importance of communication in managing change, examine the role of processes and systems in implementing change management initiatives at a large scale, assess the effectiveness of various strategies in mitigating resistance to change and recognise optimal strategies for communication processes and messages with respect to different audience and contexts. Case overview/synopsis This case study discusses decisions and strategies that led to Indore (a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India) becoming India’s cleanest city for the sixth time in a row. The case explores if the various strategies used by the commissioner of Indore Municipal Corporation would continue to succeed in mitigating resistance to change from the citizens of Indore or if the change management strategies needed to be revised. Amidst intensely rising competition from other cities, especially Surat (a city in the state of Gujarat, India), the case delves into the commissioner’s efforts to defend Indore’s claim of being India’s cleanest city for the sixth consecutive time. Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for use in executive modules and management development programs. It can be used for the following courses: ■ In change management course, this case study can cover critical aspects of strategies to mitigate resistance to change and bring about lasting behavioural changes in followers.■ In communication courses, this case study can cover key aspects of communicating the change vision of a leader to a large audience. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management science

Pengaruh Karakteristik Sistem Akuntansi Manajemen (SAM), Komitmen Organisasi, Dan Ketidakpastian Lingkungan Terhadap Kinerja Manajerial

Managerial performance is a measure of the effective and efficient performance of each organization. The importance of managerial performance in the hospitality industry is to evaluate, analyze and develop management programs. This study aims to determine the characteristics of the Management Accounting System, Organizational Commitment, and Environmental Uncertainty on Managerial Performance at 4-star Hotels in Ubud District.The number of samples used was 99 people with purposive sampling. Data collection using a questionnaire. Data analysis techniques using multiple linear regression tests. The hypothesis test used is the t test. The results showed that the characteristics of the management accounting system (SAM) had a positive and significant effect on managerial performance. Organizational commitment has a positive and significant effect on managerial performance. Environmental uncertainty has a positive and significant effect on managerial performance. It is expected that the Company can increase the relevance of information presented by the management accounting system by improving the data collection and information processing processes. Companies can increase the reliability of information by improving their internal controls. To increase employee satisfaction, managers must have flexibility in carrying out business operations.

Academic leaders navigating change: a comprehensive bibliometric review paper of crucial leadership capabilities and managerial competencies

ABSTRACT This paper explores the intertwined yet distinct roles and responsibilities of leadership and management within higher education institutions. The study underscores the importance of identifying key differentiating indicators of academic leadership and management while emphasizing the need to enhance leadership and management development programs to align with the ever-evolving higher education landscape. Our focus centers on crucial leadership capabilities and managerial competencies exhibited by academic leaders, placing particular emphasis on the value of the academic leadership capability framework as a facilitative tool for academic leadership and management development. After establishing the context of the study, we conduct a selective review of relevant research aimed at identifying effective academic leadership qualities. Next, we delve into the academic leadership capability framework, offering comprehensive insights into its applicability. The paper proceeds to introduce the bibliometric methodology employed, explaining how 610 Scopus-indexed publications on academic leadership and management development, spanning 53 years (1970 to mid-July 2023), were systematically analyzed. Presenting the bibliometric results, we engage in a comprehensive discussion concerning the theoretical and practical/societal implications derived from our findings. Finally, the paper concludes by providing recommendations for future research in this vital domain.

Chef Junction: serving food from home to home

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case study are as follows: It presents an opportunity for the instructors to introduce the concept of decision-making on matters involving risk (like scaling the business) using in-depth market research techniques. The case’s central idea is to make the students understand the growth of the online service delivery model, with a specific example of home-cooked food that also improves social welfare. It is expected to provide the participants with an opportunity to understand the decision-making by the leaders in newly established companies. It enables future managers to analyze a venture’s pros and cons before deciding to expand. Case overview/synopsis Chef Junction is an online food delivery platform that allows customers to order hygienic home-cooked food prepared by handpicked home chefs in Bhubaneswar. This city in eastern India is one of the fastest-growing metros, is regarded as a study hub, and provides ample employment opportunities making it one of the sought-after destinations for the migrant youth population. The idea behind Chef Junction is to cater to the healthy food needs of the young by utilizing the culinary productivity of the home cooks, empowering the latter by opening up an extra source of income. These chefs prepare delicious healthy food, usually not listed for sale with online food delivery apps. Chef Junction earned revenues by adding an order-dependent commission on the price quoted by chefs and accepting a flat delivery charge from the customers. This offer was very lucrative for home chefs who could join the platform with zero investment and flexible working hours. The customer’s pockets were also handled when several offers and discounts were rolled out through an attractive pricing strategy. Chef Junction expected to improve its patrons’ health quotient by ensuring the nutrition of the home-cooked food, thus contributing to social welfare. With food being delivered from home to home amalgamated with social welfare and empowerment of home chefs, especially women, this case study is an apt example of a sustainable work-from-home model that has proved effective in crisis times. The pertinent question is: “How feasibly can CJ’s business model grow towards an expansion as the demand increases?” Complexity academic level This case study has been prepared keeping in mind the teaching pedagogy for graduate and postgraduate management programs in strategic management, operations research, entrepreneurship and marketing management. It is also expected to be useful for training courses such as management development programs, faculty development programs and executive programs, in discussing service operations in general and online delivery logistics, in particular for working executives and industry practitioners. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Turn it around – NBFC-IFC

Learning outcomes After studying and analysing this case, students would be able to evaluate and understand the importance and need of an infrastructure sector in a country, its inherent risks and scope of infrastructure investment and financing in India – National Infrastructure Pipeline and the important role of Non-Banking Finance Company’s (NBFC) vis-à-vis banks in infrastructure financing in India; critically analyse and recommend alternative decisions in a business problem situation using multi-criteria decision analysis, which is a tool used for business portfolio analysis; understand and evaluate the corporate portfolio management (CPM) tools used for an optimum portfolio mix to turn around companies; identify and suggest an optimum portfolio mix to turn around a finance company using CPM assessment applied to Pidun matrix; and recommend operational and strategic levers for successful turnaround implementation by using the integrated canvas on turnaround. Case overview/synopsis On 10 May 2020, in New Delhi, India, J. Ray took charge as a full-time director of an Indian Non-Banking Finance Company – Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC). The NBFC-IFC of the Indian Government extended long-term financial assistance to infrastructure projects in India. During the financial year (FY) 2017–2018 till FY 2019–2020, the company suffered substantial losses to the tune of US$13.7bn, with profitability experiencing a notable decline – return on assets at a negligible 0.11% and return on equity of only 0.68%. The NBFC-IFC had a declining yield on advances at 7.05%, net interest margins (NIMs) of 2.08% against a high cost of borrowing at 7.66%, a declining loan book (by 4.35%) of US$336.27bn and a fast-deteriorating asset quality with highest ever non-performing assets (NPAs) at 19.70% of its loan book. Such financial parameters, compared with that of the industry average of banks and finance companies, meant that the NBFC-IFC Ray had taken over was fast bleeding and was on the brink of being declared a sick company. In comparison, private and other government players had profitable and much healthier financials, and Ray felt that there was a need for improvement. To make things worse, Ray got to know that the Indian Government was in the final stages of setting up a new development finance institution focused on long-term infrastructure financing in India. Ray realized the question was not only of the NBFC-IFC remaining relevant but also of its existence in the fast-evolving sector. Ray wondered what could his his integrated canvas be for a turnaround strategy that could include effective management of an optimal portfolio mix. With a healthy capital-to-risk (weighted) assets ratio of 30.85% and a satisfactorily improved net worth of US$103.1bn, in the given Reserve Bank of India regulatory provisions for the NBFC-IFC including restrictive exposure norms and NBFC-IFC’s operational mandate prescribed by the Indian Government, Ray had to shift the product and sectorial investment of the NBFC-IFC to reduce the NPAs, increase loan book size and improve the yield of advances and its NIM to effectively turn around the company’s profitability. Ray realized that he needed his team to evaluate and select a product and sector strategy for this change. Complexity academic level The present case of financing investment in infrastructure is interesting for implementation in developing economies because a lack of infrastructure is a common problem and there is a necessity of achieving a more developed infrastructure system to support accelerated economic growth in these countries. This case can be used in elective courses on corporate finance strategy and corporate portfolio management for infrastructure finance companies. This case can be taught in elective courses in post-graduate and MBA programs. This case can also be included in management development programs (MDP), executive MBA programs and executive-level courses that have subjects such as corporate finance strategy, corporate portfolio management and strategy management that focus on turnaround strategies including portfolio management for banks and finance companies. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Design of intelligent agent on Moodle to automate the learning assessment process

Assessment is a key element in today’s School system, whether face-to-face or distance learning, as it helps students understand their learning and get feedback on their progress. In addition, distance learning assessment is becoming increasingly popular as it is convenient for students with busy schedules who cannot attend face-to-face assessments. In this paper, we focus on the use of intelligent agents on the Moodle platform to improve the assessment process of distance learning. We present three contributions that aim to improve the developed models: firstly, the digitisation of assessment to collect, store and analyse data; secondly, the adoption of a multi-agent skills assessment environment to automate some assessment tasks; thirdly, the adoption of the leadership and management development (LMD) programme to improve the continuous training of learners by offering greater flexibility, adaptability and relevance to their needs.<br /><div align="center"> </div>