Factor Analysis of Rural Consumers’ Preference Attributes in the Purchase of Two-Wheelers: An Empirical Analysis

-- S G Sureshrajan and M Selvachandra

Two-wheeler industry is growing at the rate of 10-15% year-on-year. A key factor contributing to this growth is the rural consumers’ potential. The socioeconomic changes (lifestyle, habits and tastes, and economic status), literacy level, infrastructure facilities, and increase in the income and expectations of the rural consumers are pushing the rural market ahead at around 25% annually. This study specially focuses on rural consumers’ preference attributes while purchasing a two-wheeler. The study is useful to the corporate world to tap this segment and improve the living standards of the rural folk.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Buying Behavior of Agri Input Customers of Organized Rural Retail Outlets

-- Khushdeep Dharni and Kuljit Singh

Retail revolution is sweeping every sector of India, and rural sector is no exception. Buying behavior of agri input consumers of organized rural retail outlets has been explored in this study. Two top and bottom retail outlets on the basis of sales of Godrej Aadhaar and Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar were included in the study. Using simple random sampling, 15 respondents were selected from each retail outlet, making a sample size of 120. Customer profile of the organized rural retail outlets largely included the persons with large landholdings. Results from the study indicate that major items purchased from rural retail outlets included implements, seed and fertilizer. Quality and trustworthiness were the major reasons for making a purchase from the organized rural retail outlets as compared to other options. Price was the most important consideration at the time of purchasing agri inputs followed by packaging and branding. Fair billing and home delivery were considered relatively less important. Respondents from top and bottom retail outlets were in agreement over the importance given to various factors at the time of purchase. Agri inputs remain a price-sensitive market as factors like quality, brand and packaging were considered relatively less important.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Customers’ Perspectives Regarding e-Banking: An Empirical Investigation

-- Naveen Sharma and Geeta Sharma

Internet technology is rapidly changing the way personal financial services are designed and delivered. Hence, banks have found themselves at the forefront of technology adoption for the past three decades. Banks began to look at electronic banking (e-banking) as a means to replace some of their traditional branch functions. Although e-banking systems provide us with easy access to banking services, they have introduced new business challenges. The study is focused on the perceptions of customers regarding the use of Internet banking (i-banking) services. A structured questionnaire was administered to various target groups. Customers with at least one year of experience in i-banking are identified by visiting retail/ATM branches of different banks in Chandigarh. A total of 145 valid questionnaires were obtained from the respondents. Hypotheses were tested at the level of 0.05 significance. Independent sample t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were undertaken. The findings of this study will be useful for the banking sector in assessing the impact of information technology and in formulating appropriate strategies for building customer loyalty, thereby enabling them to retain customers.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

A Study on the Perceptions of Management Institute Faculty Towards HRD Culture, with Reference to Nagpur City

-- Smruti Patre and Rashmi Gupta

Business organizations are attaching great importance to human resource because it is the biggest source of competitive advantage and has the capability of converting all other resources into product/service. The effective performance of this human resource depends on the type of Human Resource Development (HRD) climate that prevails in the organization. The study of HRD climate is very important for all the organizations, and educational institutes are not an exception. This paper attempts to study the employees’ perception towards HRD climate in management institutes of Nagpur city on the basis of age, gender, experience, qualification and job approval status of the faculty. Data was collected from the employees of select management institutes using a structured HRD climate questionnaire. The data was analyzed using several statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, chi-square test and regression analysis. The results show that the HRD climate in management institutes is average and the perception of employees regarding the HRD climate does not differ significantly on the basis of age, job approval status and, qualification, but it differs significantly on the basis of gender and experience. The paper concludes by offering useful suggestions to the managements involved in the operation of the management institutes.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Stress and Morale of Management Students During the Recession Period

-- Arindam Banerjee

Recession has adversely affected the life of professionals and students. It has decreased the employment opportunities available to management students. Due to financial downturn, unemployment continues to increase, leading to high stress levels and low morale. The present study was undertaken to investigate the stress and morale of management students during the recession period. Data was collected from a sample of 400 subjects from Allahabad, Lucknow and Kanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. Stratified random sampling was done and the stress and morale of management students was measured by an inventory which was constructed and standardized by the researches. Results are discussed with respect to gender (male and female), and locality (urban and rural) of the management students. The collected data was subjected to t-test and the mean of different groups was represented in bar graphs.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Work-Life Balance Issues of Women at Call Centers: A Study

-- T Lata Sujata and Sapna Singh

The present study is an attempt to investigate and identify the factors which affect the work sphere and personal life of women working in call centers. The various health, family and work-related problems and other variables that are encountered by women in call centers are studied.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.