Working Capital Management: The Case of Listed Retail Domestic Companies in Botswana

- - C R Sathyamoorthi and L B Wally-Dima

The paper analyzes the working capital management of retail domestic companies that are listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange. Working capital management is very important because a company that neglects its working capital management will soon run out of cash and may even have to close down. Data was collected from companies that are listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange. The reason for choosing the listed companies is because the financial statements for these companies are readily available and often more reliable than those of unlisted companies. The research findings reveal that the listed companies adopted a conservative approach in the management of their working capital and suggest that working capital policy is not static overtime, but varies with the changes in the state of the economy.

© 2008 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

The Relationship Between Organizational Role Stress and Life Satisfaction Levels Among Women Employees: An Empirical Study

- - Madhuri Modekurti and Rachana Chattopadhyay

It is widely believed that service-oriented jobs, which involve a direct interaction with customers, are prone to create relatively greater stress levels for employees. These stress levels are more overwhelming in the case of women employees due to the greater need among them to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives. Recent years have seen a shift in the role played by women, wherein they are no longer handling the expectations of the family and society alone. In addition to the traditional family and societal expectations, they are also required to meet their more demanding professional tasks. Hence, caught in the midst of such an array of expectations, they experience severe stress, which is taking a toll on their life satisfaction levels. Given this background, this study captures the relationship between organizational role stress and life satisfaction levels among nurses who are involved in intense organizational work climates such as hospitals. In order to corroborate these findings and to draw an appropriate comparison, the study also measures the stress and life satisfaction levels of women under relatively less intense organizational work climates. In line with the existing literature, the results reveal that intense work climates contribute to higher stress and lower life satisfaction levels.

© 2008 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Identifying the Relationship Between Behavioral Motives and Entrepreneurial Intentions: An Empirical Study Based on the Perceptions of Business Management Students

- - Soumya Gaddam

Entrepreneurship is a multidisciplinary subject. It is not related to a single discipline, but to many disciplines such as psychology, sociology, culture, and environmental studies. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of any country depends on its industrial performance and employment generation. Naturally, the nurturing of entrepreneur culture has become important for any B-school, where the focus is slowly changing from winning placements to creating ventures and entrepreneurs. In this study, the underlying dimensions of the same were identified through a factor analysis, and factors which are perceived to be of entrepreneurial importance by MBA students were created. The eight identified factors were analyzed to know their degree of influence on the students' career choice as entrepreneurs.

© 2008 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

People Orientation in Indian Chemical Industry: A Qualitative Investigation

- - Kunal Gaurav

Indian chemical industry possesses a well-built and diversified base with its operations in many areas such as pharmaceuticals, insecticides and pesticides, and paints. The growth rate of this industry is comparatively higher than all other manufacturing sectors in India. This industry is labor-intensive and therefore human resource is a vital aspect of this industry. This study basically aims at understanding the focus of top level management towards people orientation in Indian chemical industry. A computerized content analysis of the annual reports of top 20 companies from Indian chemical industry has been done in order to generate codes, categories, and finally themes which bring out the focus of top level management towards people orientation.

© 2008 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Indian Hotel Industry - Strategy Building for Utilizing Unparalleled Growth Potential

- - Subhasis Ray and Amit Teckchandani

The Indian hospitality sector is witnessing one of its rare sustained growth trends. Demand has outpaced supply leading to a hike in the Occupancy Rate (OR) as well as average room rates (ARRs). Revenue per available room has increased by 29 percent over 2001-02 within a span of three years and ARR is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 13 to 14 percent over the next few years. Due to the spurt in tourist inflows, occupancy rates are expected to reach 83 percent by 2008-09, up from the present 72 percent. This paper evaluates the Indian hotel industry's current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. First, the study identifies the key factors driving the growth and major hindrances, and then suggests the formulation of strategies at the government level as well as private players' level, keeping in view the growth potential and competition from international players such as Amanda, Satinwoods, Banana Tree, Hampton Inns, Hilton, and Mandarin Oriental.

© 2008 IUP . All Rights Reserved.