One of the most outstanding features of modern-day research in management that has caught the imagination not only of the boardroom but also of the rank and file of organizational workforce in recent times is about rejuvenating the human talents and creativity in a more productive fashion that adds value to the products and services. Recognizing this vital aspect, the current issue has given prime importance to the human factor and its typical manifestations in the organizational spectrum through empirical and non-empirical papers. Also, realizing the gravity of market situation, attempts are being made by many of the FMCG firms in recent times to focus on the rural marketing arena. Bhutan and its experiences in this direction are captured in one of the papers in this issue. Above all, the most fascinating phenomenon of recent times, i.e., ‘reverse innovation’, which focuses on the efforts made by the firms in third world countries like India, is dealt with in a book review.

In pursuit of business expansion through effective marketing channels, many strategies are enunciated and the prophecy of rural marketing stands paramount in the direction. In countries like Bhutan, the FMCG industry is still in its evolving stage. In the first paper, “Rural Marketing Mix in Bhutan: An FMCG Perspective”, the authors, Dev Narayan Sarkar and Gagan Pareek, have presented the most comprehensive ex post facto qualitative and quantitative study of the 4Ps/4As of rural marketing in Bhutan. The study reveals that any marketer who wants to tap the rural markets of Bhutan should penetrate the district with higher ranking, before going on to the next highest ranked district.

Admittedly, the rise and fall of fortunes for the industry in general and IT firms in particular, popularly called the business cycle, has been well experienced in recent times. In the second paper, “Protecting the Competitive Advantage Derived Through HR: Challenges for IT Industry”, the author, Nagapavan Chintalapati, has discussed the conceptual relevance and business implications of various HR practices in terms of rescuing the firm during troubled times. The author also opines that the credibility of human-centric management practices needs to be studied further in the coming days.

Any attempt to address the growing disability called skill gap and professional incompetence among the contemporary knowledge workers is well appreciated by many of the strategists, and has taken the shape of a comprehensive vocational education and training program. In the third paper, “Enhanced Industrial Employability Through New Vocational Training Framework with Attitude-Skill-Knowledge (ASK) Model”, the authors, K M Nagendra, S Radha and C G Naidu, have promulgated the model of Attitude, Skill and Knowledge (ASK) which encompasses the complexities of modern markets.

The differentiator between successful and unsuccessful business performance of firms in modern times is popularly identified with the workforce agility factor which is a much researched topic by management scholars. As such, most of the studies dealt with the subject from an operations’ perspective that focuses on conventional issues like speed and flexibility of performance. In the last paper, “Workforce Agility: A Review of Literature”, the author, Ashutosh Muduli, has made a significant attempt on the subject through scholarly review of available body of literature that brings to light the neglected shades of research.

Refuting the myth that western corporations are the sole custodians of innovation and creativity, the book, Reverse Innovation: Create Far From Home, Win Everywhere, authored by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, focuses on the commercial mileage held by the path-breaking discoveries and inventions in third world countries like India. The book has been reviewed by Nagendra V Chowdary, who tries to capture the shifting dimensions from West to East with a critical appreciation of the book.

-- Radha Mohan Chebolu
Consulting Editor