MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321 – 7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321 – 7286 (Online) Volume 1, Issue 1, July – 2013 (Abstract) Full Text Available At: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html Management Education & Research Consortium Global (MERC Global), India Email: mercglobal@rediffmail.com and info@mercglobal.org Web: www.mercglobal.org © MERC Global MERCGlobal's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321 – 7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321 – 7286 (Online) Volume 1, Issue 1, July – 2013 Table of Contents Students' Perception About Management Education in India and USA Bhavna R. Shetty Rajashree Gujarathi 01-14 Socioeconomic Impact of Employment Generation Program on Poor Urban Women Sangita Kamdar 15-35 Socioeconomic Status of Scheduled Tribes D. Pulla Rao 36-50 CONQUAS Systems for High Quality Project Management Amit Kamath R. Jayaraman 51-67 Gap Analysis of Stakeholders' Perception in Tourism Industry Rajashri Ramesh Chavan Sarang Shankar Bhola 68-77 Buying Practices and Consumer Rights Awareness Amongst Management Students Manoj S. Kulkarni M. B. Mehta 78-85 ~ 1 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 01-14 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global Students' Perception About Management Education in India and USA Bhavna R. Shetty 1 and Rajashree Gujarathi 2 1 Assistant Professor, Shri. S. P. Kothari & Smt. G. S. Kothari Institute of Computer Science & Technology Management, Nashik, Maharashtra, India. 2 Professor, Sinhgad Institute of Business Management, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to gain an insight into students' perception about the quality of management education especially the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program; as structured and taught in India and USA. Specific objectives were comparing students' perception regarding the quality parameters input, process and output of the two MBA programs. The study covered students who had successfully completed MBA in India and those Indians who had pursued an MBA in USA. The hypothetical associations of students' perception of high quality education with input, process and output of management schools were tested. Findings indicated that students perceived high quality of education if processes and outputs were satisfactory. Indians completing MBA from USA, perceived good quality of all parameters, with the only problem of finding a good job in America after completion of an MBA. KEYWORDS: Perception, Students, Management Education, Quality, MBA, India, USA ARTICLE TYPE: Research paper ~ 2 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 15-35 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global Socioeconomic Impact of Employment Generation Program on Poor Urban Women Sangita Kamdar Professor of Economics, School of Business Management, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Deemed University), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT With the growing urbanization in India, removal of poverty in cities through specified government programs has assumed importance. The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) aims at poverty alleviation through the strategy of encouraging self-employment by building capabilities for undertaking entrepreneurial activities. The strategy of the program is to impart skills through training and provide financial assistance to start micro enterprises (business). The program has focused on women especially. This research paper is an empirical study of this program as implemented in Mumbai city. The impact of this program in Mumbai has been evaluated through fieldwork. 100 beneficiaries were selected from the municipal wards where the program was being implemented. The study has ascertained that on an average the augmented income is in the range of ₹ 1000 to ₹ 3000 per month. 30 percent of the families did not undertake any entrepreneurial activity despite being trained under the program. It was also found that 51 percent of those who started entrepreneurial activity were not formally trained under the program. While nearly one-third of those who started enterprises did so in an area other than the one in which training was taken. This highlights the need to strengthen training for skill development. It was also found that a significant number of beneficiaries had assumed some kind of leadership role in the neighbourhood and improved decision making in the household. Acknowledgement: This study has been funded by NMIMS (deemed university). KEYWORDS: Micro Enterprises, Self-Employment, Women's Empowerment, Urban Poverty, Mumbai ARTICLE TYPE: Research paper ~ 3 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 36-50 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global Socioeconomic Status of Scheduled Tribes D. Pulla Rao Professor of Economics, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. ABSTRACT Social and economic justice, equality of status and opportunities, assurance of the individual's dignity are insured by the Constitution of India for all the citizens among other things. The constitution of India is enriched with several provisions for schedule castes and schedule tribes to safeguard and promote their cultural, social, educational, and economic interests in order to bring them in the mainstream of the nation. This paper addresses the socioeconomic status of the scheduled tribes in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh State (India). In the sample, the majority of the households is the tribe of Konda Dora. The majority of the sample households in the study area are Hindus and more than 70 percent of the sample population are illiterate. Cultivation is the primary occupation participated by the most heads of the sample households. Income from cultivation supports the majority of the sample population. More than 53 percent of the cultivators have farm income around ₹ 2,000.00 to ₹ 5,000.00. Even though the wage labourers are more in the sample population, the share of income derived from that is less when compared to cultivation. There is a need to put more attention on educational aspects of scheduled tribes, where this only can motivate them for future life. KEYWORDS: Social & Economic Status, Schedule Tribes, Indian Government, Visakhapatnam ARTICLE TYPE: Research paper ~ 4 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 51-67 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global CONQUAS Systems Standard for High Quality Project Management Amit Kamath 1 and R. Jayaraman 2 1 Manager (QA & QC), L&T Construction, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. 2 Professor (Operations Management), SP Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT In spite of the proliferation of the activity, construction management is not a much studied or systematized subject. There are still only pockets of excellence in a sea of seat-of-the-pant and ad-hoc working. Most second level construction firms do not have systematic recording, documenting, planning and quality control procedures. While the tier-1 firms have evolved and practice sophisticated systems based on advances in civil engineering and project management, the others are not yet ready to embrace modern practices. The BCA (Buildings Construction Authority) Singapore made efforts to bring some order into the entropy. They codified a simple construction management process which could be easy to adopt by the second and third tier construction companies too. This system is named as CONQUAS, which has been in vogue since the late eighties. Beginning with Singapore, it has spread to the rest of Asia. Larsen and Toubro is an Asian giant corporation. A division of this company, after a lot of study, thought and discussions, decided to adopt the CONQUAS method of construction management. This paper describes how these efforts have borne fruit and the company is planning to adopt the system in more projects. KEYWORDS: CONQUAS, Project Management, Construction Management, EPC, ISO 9000 ARTICLE TYPE: Review paper ~ 5 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 68-77 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global Gap Analysis of Stakeholders' Perception in Tourism Industry Rajashri Ramesh Chavan 1 and Sarang Shankar Bhola 2 1 Assistant Professor, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Institute of Management Studies and Research, Varye, Satara, Maharashtra, India. 2 Associate Professor, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Institute of Management Studies and Research, Varye, Satara, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT The paper mainly focused to determine the stakeholder profile and establish the perception gap between tourist and service providers mainly hoteliers and tour operators. A research framework is constructed and tested using data produced by three independent surveys of tourists and tourism service providers viz. hoteliers and tour operators from the 10-tourist sites viz. Aundh, Sajjangarh, Kas, Thoseghar, Ajinkyatara, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Pratapgarh, Wai and Koyna of Satara district. The study concluded that there is a difference of opinion amongst stakeholders in case of satisfaction and importance of those 33 available tourist services and amenities in the district. KEYWORDS: Services, Perception, Gap Analysis, Tourism Industry, Maharashtra ARTICLE TYPE: Research paper ~ 6 ~ MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321-7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321-7286 (Online) Vol. 1, Issue 1: July-2013, pp. 78-85 Permanent URL: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html © MERC Global Buying Practices and Consumer Rights Awareness Amongst Management Students Manoj S. Kulkarni 1 and M. B. Mehta 2 1 Assistant Professor, Institute of Management Studies Career Development & Research, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. 2 Director, Institute of Management Studies Career Development & Research, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT It is often said that the consumer is king, but in reality consumer is treated very badly both by public as well as private sector. The consumer is cheated in different ways by middlemen like adulteration, under-weight of goods, selling goods of inferior quality & duplicated goods, charging higher prices, misleading advertisement in the media, etc. The consumer is not sure of getting qualitative goods manufactured & preserved in hygienic condition and at competitive prices. The need for consumer protection arises because of the exploitation of consumer & the denial of consumer' rights in the absence of protective measures. This research focuses on the awareness of consumer rights amongst management students & study of buying patterns of them. Primary data was compiled from students of management institutions from Ahmednagar city. Survey method and the random sampling technique are employed to collect the data. The Major findings of the research are that most of the management students are aware of consumer rights but they never lodge the complaints against traffickers. Therefore they need to be educated by consumer organizations & government more about the procedure of registering complaints and seeking redressal. KEYWORDS: Buying Practices, Consumer Rights, Awareness, Management Students, Ahmednagar ARTICLE TYPE: Research paper MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321 – 7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321 – 7286 (Online) ~ a ~ CALL FOR PAPERS Authors are invited to submit articles, research papers, abstract of doctoral dissertations, book reviews, case studies, short communications & bibliographies for MERC Global's International Journal of Management, which is an international peer-reviewed, open access quarterly journal of management science, being brought out with a view to facilitating effective dissemination of the latest thinking and research with regard to various management issues and problem solving methodology relevant for practicing executives as well as for academicians & researchers working in the field of management around the globe. 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However, a set of references will have to be given at the end alphabetically and so numbered. References to publications must be in Harvard style and carefully checked for completeness, accuracy and consistency. MERC Global's International Journal of Management ISSN 2321 – 7278 (Print) and ISSN 2321 – 7286 (Online) ~ b ~ 10. References should be crossreferenced in the text by using the author's last name and publication date in the style of (Kay, 2010 for single author; Kay and Jay, 2010 for two authors, and Kay et al., 2010 for multiple authors). 11. List of references should appear on a separate page as per the format indicated below: a) Articles in Journals Shetty, Bhavna R. and Gujarathi, Rajashree (2013), "Students' Perception About Management Education in India and USA", MERC Global's International Journal of Management, Vol. 01, Issue: 01, pp. 01-14. b) Books Pradhan, S. (2009), Retailing ManagementText & Cases, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd., New Delhi, India. c) Chapter in Books Bhattacharya, A. K. (2004), "Corporate Financial Reporting" in Reed and Mukherjee, eds, Corporate Governance, Economic Reforms and Development" pp. 94-115. d) Published Conference Proceedings Kumar, A. (2011), "Ascendancy of Store Image on Customer Behaviour: An Empirical Analysis", Recent Trends in Business, Management and IT proceedings of the international conference in Pune, India, 2011, pp. 240-246. e) Working Papers Jack, P. (2011), "Reward System: Does it really works", working paper, University Business School, University of Pune, Pune, 28 June. f) Web Sites Kamdar, Sangita (2013), "Socioeconomic Impact of Employment Generation Program on Poor Urban Women", MERC Global's International Journal of Management, Vol. 01, Issue: 01, pp. 15-35, available at: http://www.mercglobal.org/ijm-vol1-issue1-july2013.html (accessed 1 August, 2013). g) Newspaper Articles (Authored) Chawala, P. (2009), "Economic Development", Indian Express, 21 June, pp. 5-9. h) Newspaper Articles (Non-Authored) The Hindu (2010), "Economic Reforms", 2 April, pp. 5. Please mail your contributions to, The Executive Editor of MERC Global's IJM and send a soft copy to editorijm@rediffmail.com or publication@mercglobal.org with an explicit declaration to the effect that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere and is not being considered by any other journal.. 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