Contrary to its conspicuous achievement, Japan’s economy has been experiencing a long lasting economic stagnation over the last decade. This can largely be attributed to an organizational inertia clinging to a traditional business model based on growth oriented development trajectory during the course of the high economic growth period in an industrial society while shifting to an information society and also to low economic growth era under mature economy. Thus, switching to new functionality development initiated trajectory from growth oriented development is urgent. Inter–fields technology spillovers leverage co-evolution between core technologies and their application to new fields, and contribute to such a shift. This paper, on the basis of an empirical analysis focusing on Japan’s leading electrical machinery firms over the last quarter century, attempts to demonstrate this postulate. Significant relationship between technological diversification, assimilation of spillover technology and new functionality development is demonstrated both theoretically and empirically. Sources of a virtuous cycle and a vicious cycle between success firms and failed firms are identified, thereby firms’ strategy toward a ubiquitous society characterized by ‘on demand’, ‘all actors participation and cooperation’, and ‘seamless’ community is postulated.
 

The objective of this paper is to examine the strategic implication of electronic commerce for small and medium sized enterprises. This paper explores how electronic commerce has the potential to transform the marketplace by changing firms’ business models, by shaping relationships, and by contributing to changes in the market structure. Thus, by changing firms’ competitive advantages and the nature of the firms’ competition, electronic commerce may have strategic implications for small and medium sized enterprises. From the research undertaken, the paper draws conclusions on the interviewees understanding of how electronic commerce fits into the broader context of their business and its strategy.
 

Internet banking is a new delivery channel for banks in India. The Internet banking channel is both an informative and a transactional medium. However, Internet banking has not been popularly adopted in India as expected. The objective of this paper is to find the profiles of Internet banking users as well as non-users using intelligent techniques. This study investigates and identifies potential customers based on profiles of existing users. The profiles may be used to target and attract potential customers to adopt Internet banking. Significant determining variables that influence adoption of Internet banking were identified from the literature especially from the theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, technology acceptance model and diffusion of innovations theory. Likert scale responses were collected from a sample of users and non-users of Internet Banking using a questionnaire. The resultant data set was analyzed using statistical and intelligent techniques like Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Neural Networks and Logistic Regression and classification models were built. This paper compares these four predictive models for their accuracy and usefulness. CART turns out to be a good predictive model since it also provides rules for identifying potential Internet banking users, apart from performing feature selection.
 

Banking Sector Reforms have changed the face of Indian banking industry. The reforms have led to the increase in resource productivity, increasing level of deposits, credits and profitability and decrease in non-performing assets. However, the profitability, which is an important criteria to measure the performance of banks in addition to productivity, financial and operational efficiency, has come under pressure because of changing environment of banking. An efficient management of banking operations aimed at ensuring growth in profits and efficiency requires up-to-date knowledge of all those factors on which the bank’s profit depends. Accordingly, in this paper we have made an attempt to identify the key determinants of profitability of Public Sector Banks in India. The analysis is based on step-wise multivariate regression model used on temporal data from 1991-92 to 2003-04. The study has indicated that the variables such as non-interest income, operating expenses, provision and contingencies and spread have significant relationship with net profits.
 

This study provides empirical evidence on the dynamic connection of BSC and we demonstrate strategy maps that linked measures and performance drivers together in a cause-and-effect diagram. We expand the relationship of framework from, two perspectives, developed by Banker et al. (2000) into four perspectives. The results indicate that a number of key hypotheses are consistent with the work of Heskett et al. (1997) and represent an important extension of conceptualization of service to profit. The financial outcomes can be achieved only if customers are satisfied. We did not find obvious evidence to support the hypotheses that employee’s development that are related to price effect or volume effect, indirectly impact on contribution margins through the behavioral variables of customer satisfaction.
 

In many industries the concept of full-service is on a rapid decline. Self service either aided by technology or otherwise is dramatically altering the way many services are created and delivered. While Banking and Financial Service Industries (BFSI) continue to invest heavily in technology, use of technology mediated self service is spreading rapidly to other industries also. Increasing number of self service bill payment technology (SSBPT) applications can be found in both private and public sector. Credit & debit card companies, insurance companies, utilities like water, power, telecom etc., are in the forefront of SSBPT applications. However, available literature reveals over-emphasis on BFSI sector skewed towards a few types of Self Service Technologies (SSTs). Past studies have investigated both active and passive SSTs as well as demand based & supply based issues in adoption of SSTs. However, as SSTs spread to new services, to new cultural and organizational settings, further research is required. Based on a critical review of literature, this paper presents a number of research propositions which can be operationalised and tested empirically.
 

Lately there has been a focus on consolidation of banks operating in India. It is felt that larger banks will be able to benefit from the economies of scale and will benefit in terms of profitability by taking on larger projects. As the size increases, efficiency becomes a matter of increasing concern. This study has evaluated the efficiency of the public sector banks operating in India for a period of five years (1997-2001) using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Further, it is has investigated if there exists any relationship between the efficiency and size of the banks. The results of the study suggest that no conclusive relationship can be established between the efficiency and size of the banks.
 

While it is strongly expected that firms are switching from manufacturing technology (MT) driven growth-oriented trajectory to information technology (IT) driven functionality- initiated trajectory in a service oriented economy, substance of the mechanism in this switching has still remained a black box. Innovation of high quality materials is the basis of the next generation industry and fine ceramics are expected to lead a way for this innovation as they are invented by innovative manufacturing process. Consequently, fine ceramics have accomplished a rapid development through substituting for a broad range of materials, both high-performance materials and structural materials. However, contrary to a remarkable development of the fine ceramics as high performance materials, structural materials have experienced stagnating trends. This contrast can be attributed to the differences of functionality between two materials which is quite similar to the contrasting development trajectories between IT and MT. Careful observation of the certain fine ceramics which shifted from structural materials to high-performance materials recently demonstrates technology spillover carried by researchers through their active interactions between two fields of R&D. This finding leads to additional finding that such active interactions of researchers explore cross-products technology spillover leading to a self-propagating development typically observed in IT development dynamism. These observations could provide a significant insight to an elucidation of a mechanism in facilitating a switching from MT driven growth-oriented trajectory to IT driven functionality-initiated trajectory for a service oriented economy. This paper, on the basis of the empirical analysis of the development trajectories of fine ceramics over the last quarter century, demonstrates this hypothetical view.
 

Indian Express industry has undergone large changes in recent past. Industry which was once dominated by Indian Postal Department is now dominated not only by a few large national players but also comprise large multinational players and small regional and local players. Indian industry is led by Blue Dart Express Ltd which has been maintaining its number one position with largest network. However, with the entry of large international players and plans of expansion in Indian market, lot of upheaval has happened. Thus, the future face of the Indian industry is in a flux. This case presents the current situation of the Indian express industry and provides an overview of the strategies adopted by Blue Dart Express Ltd enabling it to maintain the position of leader in the industry.