Blog
PLS-SEM for Management Research in the era of AI/ML
By
Dr. K N Amarnath, Adjunct Professor, Dayananda Sagar University
Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) has become an increasingly valuable tool in management research, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). As organizations face heightened complexity and vast, unstructured datasets, PLS-SEM offers a robust method for modelling intricate relationships between latent constructs. Unlike traditional covariance-based SEM, PLS-SEM is variance-based and more flexible with distributional assumptions, making it well-suited to exploratory research and data-driven environments where AI and ML are often applied. This adaptability is crucial when developing and testing theories that reflect the dynamic, non-linear nature of modern managerial processes.
In the context of AI and ML, PLS-SEM provides a bridge between theoretical modelling and empirical validation. While ML algorithms excel at prediction and pattern recognition, they often function as “black boxes” with limited explanatory power. PLS-SEM complements these approaches by enabling researchers to test theoretically grounded models and assess relationships among constructs with statistical rigor. This synergy allows for richer insights into organizational phenomena such as decision-making processes, innovation adoption, and customer behaviour—areas where AI and ML tools generate data, but where interpretation still relies on theoretical understanding.
Furthermore, PLS-SEM is especially useful in research involving new technologies or emergent phenomena, where measurement models are evolving and sample sizes may be constrained. Its ability to handle formative indicators and complex model structures without stringent assumptions aligns with the exploratory and iterative nature of AI/ML-infused management research. As a result, PLS-SEM enhances the methodological toolkit for scholars and practitioners, ensuring that insights derived from AI and ML applications are both statistically valid and theoretically meaningful. This positions PLS-SEM as a critical methodology for advancing theory-driven, data-informed management science in the digital age.
Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) has gained traction in management research, particularly as businesses increasingly adopt AI and ML technologies. For example, in digital transformation research, firms often investigate how AI readiness, organizational culture, and technological infrastructure influence successful AI implementation. These constructs are inherently abstract and interrelated, making PLS-SEM ideal for modelling. PLS-SEM allows researchers to assess both measurement models (how well observed variables represent latent constructs like “AI readiness”) and structural models (how these constructs influence one another), even when data is non-normal or samples are modest—conditions common in early-stage AI adoption studies.
In areas like customer relationship management (CRM), where ML algorithms are used to predict customer churn or segment customers, PLS-SEM can offer deeper theoretical insights. For instance, researchers might explore how ML-driven customer insights influence marketing decision-making quality, customer satisfaction, and firm performance. These relationships can be modelled using PLS-SEM to test hypotheses grounded in relationship marketing or resource-based theory. ML may generate predictive features from customer data, but PLS-SEM helps explain how and why these features impact strategic decisions—offering an interpretative complement to the predictive power of ML.
Additionally, in human resource management, AI tools are increasingly used for recruitment, performance evaluation, and employee engagement analysis. PLS-SEM has been used to model how perceptions of AI fairness, trust in AI systems, and ethical climate influence employee acceptance of AI technologies. For instance, a study might assess whether perceived transparency of AI-driven performance reviews leads to greater employee engagement, mediated by trust in AI systems. Here, PLS-SEM enables complex, multi-layered modelling of behavioural responses to AI, enriching our understanding of technology adoption beyond what ML algorithms alone can provide. Through these examples, it becomes clear that PLS-SEM plays a crucial role in linking data-driven insights with theory-driven inquiry in modern management research.
The Use and Abuse of AI Tools in Teaching and Learning
By
Prof Sridharan Narayan , Adjunct Professor
Not too long ago, students at a US university demanded a refund of their tuition fee, having caught some Chat GPT prompts in their professor’s lecture notes that were distributed to the class. Their grouse? If the professors are using AI as a teaching aid, why do we need them? We could learn on our own.
Professors, on the other hand, are struggling to cope with having to grade student assignments that are clearly the work of an AI tool. This is apparent as several students from the same class, submit the same introduction and conclusion on a discussion topic, with no personal input or independent thinking that would lead to better understanding of the subject being taught.
In order to bring in some thinking discipline, professors are requesting audio files from the students, where students are expected to summarise their submission and provide key insights on the topic under consideration. In addition, where time permits, a quick VIVA has become de rigueur, taxing the professors and students alike.
While AI is not a panacea for learning, Grammarly can help students improve their grammar and presentation, Otter.ai helps with note taking, Canva (Magic Studio) with spruced up presentations, ChatGPT with basic research, CoPilot enhances the Microsoft 365 ecosystem including Teams, with data insights and suggestions. AI tools by themselves are not a menace and when used judiciously, can vastly improve both productivity and learning.
Professors are beginning to use AI for lesson planning and creating more meaningful course structures as well as for creating better grading rubrics. And why not? Professors can productively utilize freed-up time, in creating better student – teacher interaction and personalised tutoring, which is ultimately, the most important facet of helping students learn, through understanding and doing.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) are now able to automatically grade students and display results of an online exam (created offline) in real time. This eliminates drudgery, bias and human error and is a more transparent method for ongoing internal assessments. AI powered platforms are also helping professors identify areas where individual students may need extra support and also provides recommendations on resources – these suggestions are invaluable in making the classroom more inclusive without making some students feel vulnerable among their peers.
On the flip side, AI is slowly taking over the role of critical thinking, on both sides of the lectern, in a classroom. This is the real danger of using AI in teaching. At best, by misusing AI tools, students can master the basic levels of Blooms Revised Taxonomy for learning (Remembering and Understanding) but application, analysing and creating require intense interaction and debate to fully comprehend the context of a subject and be able to interpret the theory across various practical situations.
AI should not de-humanize the learning process. It should at best, augment the teaching and learning experience.
Serious thought to be given by educators to creating policies around the use of AI tools at universities that lay down the rules of what is possible and ethical and what is possible but unethical and untenable.
In addition, it should be mandated that students go through an introductory session on AI and its use and abuse at the campus. Teaching staff should also be provided guidelines on what is permissible and what is not, while using AI as a teaching aide. Teachers should also be provided with legal subscriptions to proscribed AI tools to address data privacy issues.
AI can be a wonderful tool or a dreaded weapon in education, depending on how it is woven into the teaching fabric of the university. It should balance the need for transparency, efficiency and analytics with human values, social norms and inclusivity.
While I am all for embracing innovation, a more prudent approach to their adoption is necessary. AI must integrate itself with the teaching ethos of the college. It must make learning more fun, more uplifting, while enhancing the social and professional interactions with one’s peers, staff, and industry.
The ultimate test of how well a student has grown from the time he or she steps into a college campus till the time they leave, is not how well they have learnt to prompt an AI tool, but how well they have learnt to think for themselves and enhance their thinking through the use of AI tools.
Understanding HR Analytics: Quantifying the Human Element
By
Prof Rajat Rashmi, Adjunct Professor
What if managers could predict, with surprising accuracy, which employees are likely to leave, and more importantly, why—even before those employees start actively looking for a new job?
In a real-world case cited by the Wall Street Journal, Credit Suisse used people analytics to do just that. Armed with this insight, managers were able to address the root causes—turning potential attrition into retention.
Sounds like science fiction? If you’ve watched Minority Report, you might recall the futuristic “Department of Pre-Crime” that stopped crimes before they occurred. But unlike the flawed intuition-driven system in the movie, HR Analytics relies on data, not psychic guesses—and as they say, numbers don’t lie (well, almost).
Among the four classical factors of production—land, labour, capital, and enterprise—it's the human elements, labour and enterprise, that are the most dynamic and the least predictable. While land and capital can be measured and controlled with relative ease, human capital remains a challenge: it is highly effective, but notoriously difficult to quantify.
This is where HR Analytics enters the picture.
What is HR Analytics?
HR Analytics is the process of using available information about people within an organisation to gain insights into workforce performance and make evidence-based decisions. It seeks to bridge the gap between subjective intuition and objective metrics—giving leaders the tools to manage people not just based on perception, but on proof.
Why Measuring People Has Always Been Hard
Human capital is not just dynamic—it’s complex. For example:
- How do you compare the impact of a new hire versus a seasoned veteran?
- Can the performance of a team be directly linked to revenue?
- How do you measure the marginal productivity of an individual contributor?
- What is the optimal training investment needed to achieve top performance?
- How many people does a project actually need?
These are critical, high-stakes questions;yet they rarely have simple or standardised answers.
Numbers: The First Step to Insight
The beauty of analytics lies in its ability to turn abstract human behaviours into measurable data points. When something can be converted into numbers, it can be analysed for patterns, trends, and predictions.
This is exactly what HR Analytics aims to do—convert qualitative factors into quantitative insights.
The Rise of HR Analytics
The field began gaining momentum with the rise of powerful computing and data visualisation tools. As data collection and reporting became easier and more accessible, HR departments could begin moving away from spreadsheets and gut instinct—and toward dashboards, algorithms, and predictive models.
Today, forward-thinking organisations are using HR Analytics to:
- Forecast attrition
- Optimize recruitment pipelines
- Benchmark compensation
- Design better training programs
- Build diverse and inclusive cultures
Final Thought
HR Analytics is not about reducing people to numbers—it’s about empowering people through insight. By understanding what drives performance, engagement, and potential, organisations can build better teams, stronger leaders, and more resilient cultures.
In a world where talent is your greatest asset, HR Analytics is your most strategic tool.
From Electric Dreams to Ethical Nightmares: The BluSmart-Gensol Saga
By
Prof Jitendranath Patri / Adjunct Faculty & Head of COPE Entrepreneurship
In the glittering world of Indian startups, where bold visions, untapped markets, and unstoppable ambition fuel dreams, few stories have shaken the ecosystem as much as the spectacular rise and stunning fall of BluSmart Mobility and its financial backer, Gensol Engineering. BluSmart once stood as the poster child for India’s electric vehicle revolution, promising a new way to travel and a cleaner, greener, more responsible future. However, behind the polished surface, a deeply troubling narrative was taking shape that would expose the catastrophic consequences of placing growth above ethics.
At the heart of the collapse were the Jaggi brothers — Anmol and Puneet — who controlled BluSmart and Gensol. Entrusted with nearly ₹978 crore from institutions like IREDA and PFC, funds intended to build a fleet of 6,400 electric vehicles, the reality was a gaping void: only 4,704 cars were ever purchased. Investigations later revealed that ₹262 crore had been misappropriated for personal luxuries — from lavish apartments in Gurgaon to spa bills, golf sets, and elaborate financial diversions through shell companies. What was meant to power India’s green dreams instead fuelled personal extravagance.
Where Did It All Go Wrong?
The SEBI investigation exposed a culture of deception: fabricated loan clearances, false financial disclosures, and rampant stock manipulation. The stunning revelations shattered BluSmart’s reputation overnight, leaving thousands of drivers unemployed, customers stranded, and stakeholders betrayed. But the real damage was deeper—it cracked the public’s faith in an ecosystem struggling with fragile trust.
The BluSmart-Gensol saga underscores an urgent truth: entrepreneurship without ethics can be a disaster. Innovation and ambition are powerful forces, but they can turn dangerously destructive without an unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity. When founders blur the lines between personal ambition and corporate responsibility, the very foundations of their ventures begin to crumble.
The Ripple Effects
This case offers a chilling but vital lesson for today's student entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship journey is not just about great ideas, market gaps, or speed to scale—it is fundamentally about character. Young founders must be critically self-aware of their value systems, questioning what they want and how they intend to achieve it. In a world where success is often measured in valuations and headlines, the accurate measure of an entrepreneur must be the strength of their ethics.
The BluSmart collapse also exposed systemic failures: poor governance, lack of financial scrutiny, and weak accountability among lenders and investors. But ultimately, it was a failure of personal integrity. The electric dream they sold to the world was absolute, but dreams are built on trust, and trust is nearly impossible to rebuild once broken.
Lessons for the Future
India’s startup ecosystem continues to be a beacon for innovation and transformation. However, the BluSmart case is a stark reminder that entrepreneurship is not just about disruption — it’s about building enduring value with honesty, humility, and respect for all stakeholders. Brilliance without integrity will inevitably collapse under its deceit.
As the next generation of entrepreneurs emerges from campuses and incubators, the most significant asset they must nurture is not just an idea or a business model, but an unshakable moral compass. "Brilliance without integrity will eventually collapse under its own deceit."
SEO Mastery in the AI Revolution Navigating Trends for Optimal Visibility
By
Prof. V. V. Rajan, Adjunct Professor, Dayananda Sagar University
In the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is not just a competitive advantage—it's a necessity. As we delve into the AI era, search engine optimization (SEO) has taken center stage in the quest for online visibility and user engagement. In this post, let’s explore the latest trends and strategies that businesses need to embrace to thrive in the AI-driven landscape.
Understanding the AI Revolution
Artificial Intelligence has disrupted traditional SEO practices, ushering in a new era where algorithms are smarter, user intent is paramount, and content quality reigns supreme. Google's BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) update, for instance, has significantly improved the search engine's understanding of context and nuance, making it crucial for businesses to align their SEO strategies with these advancements.
User Intent Optimization
In the AI era, catering to user intent is not just an option—it's a necessity. Search engines are becoming adept at deciphering user queries, and businesses must tailor their content to align with the intent behind these searches. Long-tail keywords and natural language processing (NLP) are becoming more critical than ever, ensuring that content directly addresses the questions users are asking.
Content Quality Over Quantity
The age-old adage "content is king" holds even more weight in the AI era. Search engines, driven by AI algorithms, prioritise high-quality, relevant content. Businesses need to focus on creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that not only satisfies user queries but also keeps them on the page. Long-form content such as blogs that thoroughly covers a topic tend to perform better in search rankings.
Voice Search Optimization
With the proliferation of virtual assistants and smart speakers, voice search has become a dominant force in the AI era. Optimising for conversational queries and understanding how users phrase voice searches is imperative. Businesses must quickly learn to adapt their content to mirror natural language and provide succinct, yet comprehensive, answers to voice queries.
Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-first indexing has become a standard practice for search engines, emphasising the importance of mobile-friendly websites. In the AI era, a seamless mobile experience is not just about responsive design—it's about creating a user-centric interface that enhances engagement. Google's algorithms now prioritise mobile versions of websites, making it crucial for businesses to prioritise mobile optimization in their SEO strategies.
Personalization and User Experience
AI-driven personalization is transforming the way users interact with online content. Tailoring user experiences based on preferences, behaviour, and demographics is a key aspect of modern SEO. Businesses should leverage AI tools to analyse user data and deliver personalised content, ensuring a more engaging and relevant experience for each visitor.
Video Content Optimization
The rise of video content is a trend that continues to gain momentum in the AI era. Search engines are placing greater emphasis on video results, and businesses need to optimise their video content for better visibility. This includes creating compelling video descriptions, using relevant keywords, and ensuring that videos are mobile-friendly.
Featured Snippets and Zero-Click Searches
Featured snippets have become prime real estate in search engine results pages. These concise, information-packed snippets often appear at the top of the page, providing users with quick answers. Businesses can leverage this and optimise for featured snippets by structuring content in a way that directly answers common queries, increasing the chances of being showcased in this coveted position.
AI-Powered Analytics
In the AI era, the role of analytics in SEO cannot be overstated. AI-powered analytics tools provide businesses with deeper insights into user behaviour, allowing for more informed decision-making. By leveraging these tools, businesses can refine their SEO strategies based on real-time data, identify trends, and adapt to changing consumer preferences.
As we navigate the complexities of the AI era, mastering SEO is no longer just about appeasing the algorithms—it's about understanding and meeting the evolving needs of users. User intent, content quality, and adaptability are the cornerstones of successful SEO in the AI-driven landscape. By embracing these trends and leveraging the power of AI tools, businesses can not only survive but thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape. The key is to stay agile, stay informed, and stay ahead of the curve in this exciting new era of SEO.
The Workplace Paradox!
By
Capt A Nagaraj Subbarao, PhD / Professor & Dean
Management, like life, is riddled with paradoxes! Sample this, people like stability but change is a constant. Paradox is a fundamental fact that needs to be understood by both managers and leaders. If you ask young workers what kind of organisations they would like to work with, the general answer is as follows: organisations that are flat, non-hierarchical, innovative, and with a great deal of autonomy, fun, and enthusiasm. Do these organisations exist? Well, the answer is that they do, but with caveats. Organisations that drive a culture of innovation are generally ready to accept failure as collateral. Alphabet's Google is a great example of such an organisation. With a culture of adhocracy, it's always on the move, dynamic and innovative, developing one new product after another that defines its market leadership. What's the caveat here? While failure is acceptable, incompetence is not. It is abhorred. The recruitment process is so tight that only folk with high degrees of competence and expertise make it past the finish line. (Each year, the company gets more than 2 million applications for about 5,000 positions.) They set exceptionally high performance standards for their people. They recruit the best talent they can. Exploring risky ideas that ultimately fail is fine, but mediocre technical skills, sloppy thinking, bad work habits, and poor management are not.
Organisations that embrace experimentation are comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. They experiment, but with a clear caveat that experimentation needs robust discipline. Accountability at all levels is important. Without discipline, almost anything can be justified as an experiment. Discipline-oriented cultures select experiments carefully on the basis of their potential learning value, and they design them rigorously to yield as much information as possible relative to the costs. Organisations push hard for collaboration, but with a caveat that individuals are accountable for their contributions. Likewise, everybody enjoys autonomy, but that calls for individual leadership and great discipline. Lack of hierarchy, though, does not mean lack of leadership. Paradoxically, flat organizations require stronger leadership than hierarchical ones. Flat organizations often devolve into chaos when leadership fails to set clear strategic priorities and directions! The paradox is striking. Young people like to give candid feedback and celebrate the opportunity, but are they ready to receive constructive criticism? Many a time they sulk!
Workplaces have become stressors for many because expectations are awry. Eventually, great organisations are built by great people, with imaginative leadership who intrinsically understand how the paradoxes work and are ready to ride with them. It's not a walk in the park!
TOP 5 GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURS AND FEW INTRAPRENEURS WE MUST KNOW ABOUT !
By
Anusha Machado (MBA Student)
Bill Gates:
Born on Oct 28, 1955[Washington], Bill gates developed his first software at the age of 13 & was always fascinated by the machine. Bullied as a child , his family encouraged him for competition. He is a Harvard dropout & Co-Founder of Microsoft Corporation[1975].He got his MA and PhD in Law and has an IQ of 160 & was named the richest person in 1995. In 1986 the MS Issued shares in public 21USD/ Share. He pays the highest house tax of $1036409.He is the Co-Chairman & Co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Chairman & Founder of BEN, Cascade Investment, bgC3 &Terra power.
Jeff Bezos:
Jeffery Preston Bezos[Jan 12,1964] is a Founder & CEO of Amazon.com Inc. He graduated from Princeton University. A financial analyst at D.E.Shaw who became Senior VP within 4 years. He started Amazon in 1994 in a garage with his wife & 2 programmers with an investment of $10000 as he knew that internet was growing 2300% annually. He went public at $18/share in 1997. He estimated his earn $74 million by 2000 but in reality it was $1.64 billion by 1999.Inital name planned for his company was Cadabra which was a part of abracadabra .
Warren Buffet:
Known as ‘Oracle of Omaha’ he was born on Aug 30, 1930.He was 11 when he first bought stock and 13 when he filed tax. He started his career as salesperson & then formed Buffet Associations in 1956 & Control of Berkshire in 1965. A economics graduate Buffet follows the Benjamin Graham School of Value investing. He follows the method where he finds low priced value & after his analysis he briefs a summary of what he looks for in his investment approach.
Mark Zuckerberg:
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984, is a Harvard dropout who began to write software’s in his middle school. He was thought Atari BASIC Programming by his father in 1990 & then was given private training by hiring a tutor named David Newman a software developer. He started Zucker that would allow the computers between his house & dental office of his father to communicate with each other which was the primary version of AOL's Instant Messenger, which was created the next year. He also built a music player called Synapse media player. At 19, he started Facebook in 2004 with the purpose of students to match the photos with the name of his classmates. Facebook was launched as thefacebook.com [remained Facebook] that went public in 2012.
5 INTRAPRENEURS:
Ken Kutaragi:
The CEO & President of Sony Computer Entertainment was born on Aug 2, 1950 was a straight A student who did part-time job in his family’s printing business after his school. He enjoyed enjoyed tinkering, building things like amplifiers and gocarts during those times. He got his heads up in 1989 for his proposal in collaboration with Nintendo. After Nintendo pulled out the partnership Ken insisted that the project was still carried out. Because of this the PlayStation was introduced in 1994 which immediately became the bestselling game. After PlayStation 2 was introduced in 2002, the sales were 40 units in first 30 months. The success led Sony Business week to call Ken "Sony's indispensable samurai" & is most often referred as Brash to describe him.
Nithin Paranjpe:
Born in 1963, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Unilever is Mechanical Engineer with MBA in Marketing .He came in and lead HUL which was shifting towards intrapreneurial culture. Under his leadership HUL became the market leader with more than a million points of sales that happened in India with expansion of distribution networks to nearly 15000 retail outlets. He set up a target to add 5 lakh sales points a year. His efforts of expanding the networks to remotest corner of the country faced a serious problems with regards transportation cost. He resolved this by a genius partnership with TATA Docomo where in entrepreneurship team created a model to distribute TATA Docomo’s sim to reduce their own cost.
Doug Martin:
Doug Martin was inspired by the reading about a Billboard that converted the moisture in the air into drinking water in Lima, Peru that led him to use this in automobiles. He wanted the water that was going waste to be recovered to serve a purpose. He & his colleague John Rollinger used the existing A/c components & a system to collect condensation, filter and clean water distribution to a faucet in the cabin was designed as water the by-product of condensation was expelled into the ground. The Purpose of this initiative was to help people in remote area who do not have access to water.
Kelly Johnson:
Born on Feb 27, 1910 ,Clarence Leonard Johnson was an aeronautical and systems engineer was a prize winner of an aircraft design at the age of 13. He joined Lockheed in 1933 as a tool designer & then went on to correct the instability of Model 10 by making various changes to the wind tunnel model and introduced ‘H’ tail to correct the problem for which he was promoted as an aeronautical engineer. He is known to design a new aircraft in 72 hours that the British Air ministry needed to prepare for a war in 1938.Kelly was said to be an organising Genius & one of the most talented and prolific aircraft design engineers in the history of aviation.
Hemanth S M & Joao Sousa:
They are the Senior Engineers who founded Bezirk along with colleagues Ragavendra Prabhakar and Pavan Govindan, including the team from USA which one pilots with retail and consumer facing companies in North America after Joao spoke about the big opportunity that could build a system targeting the consumers on real time basis in home environment. With Vijay Ratnaparkhe, the MD of RBEI along with the Global Management of Bosch their plan was reviewed and got a heads-up in 2016 and they went on with a team of 30 data engineers and scientists.Bezirk is embedded in the app of the retailer, which triggers a personalized advert whenever the customer walks into the store.
Top 4 Web app development trends in 2021
By
Dr.Shweta Tewari
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Our life is dominated by technology. From simple applications to highly innovative products we are indebted to Science and technology. The web developers behind web technology not only build the software but also maintain it to ensure an uninterrupted tech service. Every website or piece of software we come across is designed by a web developer.
What is web development?
Web development is the work that develops Websites for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network).
Web development mainly includes Web engineering, Web design, Web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, Web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development.
A web developer is a programmer who specializes in World Wide Web applications using a client-server model. A web content management system is often used to develop and maintain web applications.
Future of web development
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hiring web developers is expected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029. As the Market Data Forecast predicts, the technology industry will grow from $131 billion by 2020 to $ 295 billion by 2025.
The top 4 web development trends are:
-
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
A progressive web app offers an app-like experience by making use of the latest web capabilities. For mobile web users, progressive web apps are considered to be the next big trend that we will witness in 2021 and beyond. The main features of the apps are, they are safe, responsive, re-engageable, linkable, independent of any connectivity, and offer a web experience more like an app. -
Single Page Applications (SPAs)
SPAs are web apps that load as a single page dynamically. The user here has a smooth and uninterrupted experience when using SPAs.
In SPA s new pages are not loaded and so no extra time is experienced by the user. SPAs come with their benefits which include simplified development, faster loading, reusability of backend code, ease of debugging, offline functioning, and caching local data if present. -
WebAssembly (Wasm)
WebAssembly is a portable binary instruction format that has been developed by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WebAssembly is used for the compilation of high-level languages. It builds web applications with high performance. Wasm offers the code compiled into bytecode and that can be done in any programming language. -
AI-powered Chatbots
This is one of the most demanding Websites of 2021. Chatbots are convenient and can instantly engage users once they land on the web page. They provide users with fast responses. Bots are trained on data collected from users through a series of engagements. They use natural language programming to create interactions with humans. Speech recognition techniques and cognitive intelligence are combined to make chatbots more reliable. Global industries which rely heavily on chatbots are eCommerce, travel and tourism, healthcare.
Why Quality of Work-life Still Matters
Prof. Yadav is a professor of Human Resource Management and Organization Behaviour. She has a PhD from the prestigious IIT-R, Roorkee (UK), India.
Work life quality is influenced by wages, working hours and conducive working conditions. The concept of “Quality of work life” has emerged only in the 1970’s. J. Richard and J. Loy define this concept as the degree to which employees will be able to satisfy organizational personnel needs through experience.
The Desirable quality of work life is classified under 8 broad conditions which include adequate work life quality, adequate and fair compensation, safe plus healthy work conditions.
Due to enlightened self-interest, there are multiple opportunities which are used to enhance human capacities. This is opposite to traditional assumptions which improves QWL. It does so to the extent that workers can exercise control over work and embrace meaningful work. It provides multiple growth opportunities like work autonomy. Human capabilities help in QWL to a great extent. QWL helps in work autonomy, participation and human capabilities.
Work life quality, a study by Saraji and Dargahi (2006) highlights how employees respond and develop mechanisms to be able to fully share their work life.The quality of work life helps expedite accomplishments and goals of the organization. It helps develop employee commitment and enhance organization growth. QWL is the most essential asset as they are reliable, mindful and fit for making commitments.
Subsequently, it is important to be treated with regard. QWL plays an important role in any organization. It covers multiple concepts like job security, career growth, rewards and recognition. It also includes superior and peer relations. There is a methodological approach to everything which includes a grievance handling process, participative management etc. QWL is the sum total of values, materials and non-materials. This is done by the worker throughout his work life.QWL has distinctive elements like: –
•Work impact on people and organizational effectiveness.• Participation idea in the organizational problem solving and decision making - Nadler and Lawler.
Work life quality has been iterative and has been evolving since 1998 till today. It has become an obligation in every organization. It is applicable to most sectors like IT, Education, banking, etc. QWL is manifested by both monetary and non- monetary services. Organization can fulfill critical individual needs through their involvement. Work environment needs to be both favorable and unfavorable.
A high QWL is important for attracting and retaining employees. The revised policies and programs like performance appraisal, career growth, work life. This has created a very positive impact on employee morale.
The organizations’ main role is to get a strong establishment in profit making. Employees can focus on the needs and demands of people in terms of QWL. Organizational commitment of employees’ leading to higher organizational performance.This study helps managers understand sentiments. It can also incorporate employee feelings while constructing work life balance. It is important to manage the work life of employees.
Exxon Valdez – The largest man-made environmental disasters and it’s implications.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. As significant as the Exxon Valdez spill was, it ranks well down on the list of the world's largest oil spills in terms of volume released.
The region was a habitat for salmon, sea otters, seals, and seabirds. According to official reports, the ship was carrying 53.1 million U.S. gallons of oil, of which 10.8 million U.S. gallons were spilled into the Prince William Sound. This figure has become the consensus estimate of the spill's volume, as it has been accepted by the State of Alaska's Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee.
The accident
The oil tanker Exxon Valdez departed the Valdez oil terminal in Alaska at 9:12 pm on March 23, 1989, bound for Washington. A harbor pilot guided the ship through the Valdez Narrows before departing the ship and returning control to Joseph Hazelwood, the ship's master. The ship maneuvered out of the shipping lane to avoid icebergs.
Following the maneuver and sometime after 11 pm, Hazelwood departed the wheelhouse and was in his stateroom at the time of the accident. Earlier that year he had been found guilty of being an alcohol abuser and was forced to attend counseling provided by Exxon Valdez.
Post his rehabilitation process, he was denied a “shore job”, but was however allotted an oil tanker commander role against the federal mandate. He left Third Mate Gregory Cousins in charge of the wheelhouse and Able Seaman Robert Kagan at the helm, both of whom were not given their mandatory 6 hours off duty before their 12-hour duty began.
The ship was on autopilot, using the navigation system installed by the company that constructed the ship. The outbound shipping lane was covered with icebergs so the ship captain, Hazelwood got permission from the coast guard to go out through the inbound lane. The coast guard was given the task of ensuring safe passage but failed to keep watch over the Valdez, subsequently, the ship struck Bligh Reef at around 12:04 am, March 24, 1989.
Captain Joseph Hazelwood:
Causes of the accident –
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the cause. This investigation further identified the four following factors as contributing to the grounding of the vessel. Firstly, the third mate failed to properly maneuver the vessel, possibly due to fatigue and excessive workload. The master failed to provide a navigation watch, possibly due to impairment under the influence of alcohol. Further, Exxon Shipping Company failed to supervise the master and provide a well-rested and sufficient crew for the Exxon Valdez. The United States Coast Guard failed to provide an effective vessel traffic system.
Economic impact - Replacement costs of birds and mammals:
These costs included the relocation, replacement, and rehabilitation for some of the shorebirds, seabirds, and the marine plus terrestrial mammals that may have suffered an injury or were destroyed in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The values ranged from $20,000 to $300,000 per marine mammal (sea otters, whales, sea lions, seals), $125 to $500 per terrestrial animal (bears, river otters, mink, deer), and $170 to $6,000 for seabirds and eagles.
Existence values:
Economists estimated existence value using the contingent valuation, a survey approach designed to create the missing market for public goods by determining what people would be willing to pay (WTP) for specified changes in the quantity or quality of such goods. The results suggest an aggregate loss of $4.9 to $7.2 billion.
Recreational support fishing losses:
This loss was estimated based on the impacts of the spill on sport fishing activity. For 1989, the loss was estimated to be between $0 and $580 million; for 1990 the range was $3.6 million $50.5 million.
Tourism losses:
The major negative effects were prevalent like - Decreased resident and non-resident vacation/pleasure visitor traffic in the spill-affected areas due to lack of available visitor services (accommodations, charter boats, air taxis). Moreover, there was a severe labor shortage in the visitor industry throughout the state due to traditional service industry workers seeking high-paying spill clean-up jobs. Fifty-nine percent of businesses in the most affected areas reported spill-related cancellations and 16% reported business was less than expected due to the spill
How much oil remains?
In 2015, an assessment was conducted by the Lindeberg team. The team pointed that there was persistent sub-surface oil with no change in the chemical composition of the oil. A model for future use was developed to figure out how much oil remains in Prince William Sound. They concluded that 0.6% of the original oil remains.
Though over 11,000 personnel, 58 air crafts, and 1,400 vessels were used to clear up the spill,
It is estimated by the Federal scientists between 16,000 and 21,000 US gallons (61 to 79 m3) of oil remains on beaches in Prince William Sound and up to 450 miles (725 km) away.
A 2001 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study surveyed 96 sites along 8,000 miles of coastline.
The Survey indicated a total area of approximately 20 acres of shoreline in Prince William Sound is still contaminated with oil. Oil was found at 58 percent of the 91 sites assessed and is estimated to have the linear equivalent of 5.8 km of contaminated shoreline.
Other crucial shreds of evidence were further traced like -Twenty subsurface pits were classified as heavily oiled. Oil saturated all of the interstitial spaces and was extremely repugnant. These “worst-case” pits exhibited an oil mixture that resembled oil encountered in 1989 a few weeks after the spill—highly odiferous, lightly weathered, and very fluid. Subsurface oil was also found at a lower tide height than expected (between 0 and 6 feet), in contrast to the surface oil, which was found mostly at the highest levels of the beach.
Ecosystem response to the spill
Oil persisted beyond a decade in surprising amounts and toxic forms had long-term impacts at the population level.
Three major pathways of long-term impacts emerge. Chronic persistence of oil, biological exposures, and population impacts to species closely associated with shallow sediments. There were delayed population impacts of sub-lethal doses compromising health, growth, and reproduction. Moreover, Indirect effects of tropic and interaction cascades, all of which transmit impacts well beyond the acute-phase mortality.
This is a classic case of mismanagement and its looping long-term effects. The lingering problem is that recovery time always scales in terms of decades or more when it comes to environmental construction. Chronic exposure to pollutants or oil elevated morality and delayed recovery.
Depleted marine life:
Scientists estimated mass mortalities of 1000 to 2800 sea otters, 302 harbor seals, and unprecedented numbers of seabird deaths estimated at 250,000 in the days immediately after the oil spill. Mass mortality also occurred among macroalgae and benthic invertebrates on oiled shores from a combination of chemical toxicity, smothering, and physical displacement from the habitat by pressurized wash-water applied after the spill.
Recovery status
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council published a study in 2004 to assess the state of the resources injured by the spill. The Trustee Council recognizes 30 resources or species as injured by the spill. Depending on their status as of 2002, these have been placed in the following categories:
o Not recovering
Common loon Cormorants (3 species), Harbour seal, Harlequin duck, Pacific herring, Pigeon guillemot.
o Recovery unknown
Cutthroat trout, Dolly Virden, Kittlitz’s murrelet, Rockfish Subtidal communities.
o Recovered
Archaeological resources, Bald eagle, Black oystercatcher, Common more, Pink salmon, River otter, Sockeye salmon.
o Recovering
Clams, Wilderness Areas, Intertidal communities, Killer whales (AB pod), Marbled morale, Mussels, Sea otter, Sediments.
The Strange Case of Survivors Guilt!
Professor Nagaraj Subbarao Dean - Post Graduate Management Programs at Dayananda Sagar University
The end of World War II, signalled great relief in Germany, as the Reich surrendered to the invading and victorious Americans and British in the West and the Russian army in the East of Germany; even most people across the rest of the world were thrilled that the accursed war and subsequent slaughter had ceased and they could return to their normal lives.
The Jews in Europe and particularly Germany had watched with increasing unease the restrictive laws that were enacted in curbing their livelihood and which culminated in the Kristallnacht, the night of November 9 and 10, 1938 where synagogues and Jewish property across Germany was destroyed and the streets were full of people shouting: 'Juden Raus! Auf Nach Palästina!'" ("Jews out, out to Palestine!"). Soon WW II was ushered in and Jews were corralled into concentration camps across Germany and Poland killed in the most macabre of ways, including poison gas and execution by firing squad. Few escaped the concentration camps, but for those who did, the trauma was tinged with guilt; strange but true. Guilt that they had survived the holocaust but their friends and families had not. Many suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a few suffered mental collapse and others committed suicide. This was also the case with many Allied servicemen returning home at the end of the war. The feeling of guilt seems to have been profound!
The incumbent COVID-19, pandemic seems to have unleashed a new wave of survivors’ guilt, where many healthy individuals are unable to accept the fact that they have survived, while their friends have not. Once again this seems to be a phenomenon prevalent in the United States and Europe. In India, the story is muted. An explanation could be that most people in the United States and Europe have a strong internal locus of control and hold themselves accountable for their fortunes and failures, while in India, the general populace believe in the concept of karma and the price that people pay for past misdeeds. Some people are more likely to internalize blame. When explaining events, they tend to attribute causation to personal characteristics rather than outside forces. In India, this is generally precluded due to belief in fate and the understanding that events are not within the full control of individuals.
Interestingly is seems to be evident amongst those who suffer from a low self-esteem and have survived an organization restructuring where colleagues’ have gone down to a putsch. Eventually, survivors’ guilt is a psychological phenomenon that has neither been well researched nor understood!
Corona, Andragogy and a National Learning & Development Exercise
Commander Himanshu Joshi (R) is an Indian navy veteran and Founder Director: Vadamoola Productivity Solutions (P) Ltd. Which specializes in Learning & Development solutions. He is an Adjunct Professor with Dayananda Sagar University and teaches Human Resource Management - 29 March, 2020
Views expressed in this blog are his own.
Malcolm Knowles- an adult learning theorist refers to learning that takes into account the differences between child and adult learners. I have lifted the following words from Alan M Saks’ Managing Performance through Training and Development. "Adult learning should be self-directed and problem-centered and should take into account the learner's existing knowledge and experience".
It ought to be understood that most Learning and Development programs are invariably an investment in terms of human capital and are intended to have strategic objectives. The institution of an L&D program arises from an “Itch”, I.e. a ‘need’ which follows an analysis about who needs to be trained, where and how? What are the intended outcomes and what type of interventions may be required?
I will now try to analyze the initiative of the Government of India (GoI) as a mass L&D program and whether it will reach the intended objectives or not?
The GoI, ever-since the first Corona related case was detected on 30 Jan 2020 in Thrissur, Kerala, started pulling up its already stretched socks issuing travel advisories, recovery of its citizens stranded across the world in nations which were under influence, quarantine efforts, advising voluntary quarantine, etc. This followed travel history analysis of potential suspects and voluntary disclosures (though Indians are always a bit wary of disclosures voluntarily) and subsequent mapping of contact profiles of potential threats. The prime mover, in this case, was the Honourable Prime Minister (some readers may not appreciate due to personal dislike of him) who constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to monitor, review and evaluate the preparedness and suggest/take measures to manage the spread of the virus in the country. The management mechanism was handled by Min. Of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) who advised invoking of Section 2 of ED act 1897 to States and Union Territories to ensure that advisories become enforceable in law. This aspect may be seen as an actor in "Adaptive Expertise and Active Learning" where the learner chooses, takes responsibility, judges, discovers new ways, establishes rules and strategies for task performance.
The wayward human resource was bound into practicing what is practically a humongous task in a country of our size (in numbers). Look at the pre-training interventions which came in the form of a ’Mann ki Baat’ followed by a ‘clapping for those who serve’ exercise. The purpose was to bring about a shift in the focus on the way masses look. The 'Proxima goals' which started with clapping and then motivating a billion-plus to observe a 'Self-imposed or Janata' (people's) curfew' was to my understanding an exercise in assessing how much of rope is needed or how early it can be tightened.
MoHFW, Min of Home, the security establishment in the meanwhile studied the emerging patterns for the next big thing. While future goals were being worked at, there was a degree of acceptance and a degree of anticipation among the masses. In this entire exercise, communication was alive to the situations as they developed.
Now we need to understand where did the motivation for this learning comes from, before we address the barriers and how they were managed. 'Learning Motivation' or determination to acquire and apply comes from the inner motive power that compels a person to pursue, on the face of obstacles, personal or organizational goals. The extrinsic and intrinsic environment plays a major role in achieving this motivation. The creation of the environment is just what the PM did where the satisfaction of 'existential and relatedness needs became primary for the masses. Achievable goals were set with a degree of enforceability in the form of a three-week lock-down as a distal goal but, with a rider that this may not be enough and we may have to travel a longer distance. The reinforcement brought in by the words of caution “if we do not manage the next twenty-one days well, the country will be driven twenty-one years behind. That I believe was enough a trigger in the minds of adult learners to understand the consequences of undesirable behavior.
Any good L&D program is also fraught with resistance and barriers. The Shaheen baghs and political oppositions found newer means to defy government initiative but crackdown where essential was /has been tried successfully. The law enforcement agencies have been given the freedom to act and even if reluctantly, the barriers have started to crumble. Even though vested interests are still trying to instigate people suggesting that if Corona Virus is bad for them, how is it good for so many cops patrolling the streets but, that is an angle which needs to be studied by the designers of a brutally inward-looking education system and the proponents of a culture which has chosen to deliberately keep a certain section unaware and uneducated to suit vested prospects for over seven decades.
I had the opportunity to scale the streets over the last 72 hours. The places, crosses, circles are practically deserted. Yet there is no difficulty in procuring essentials for a respectable living. The air quality is good, one can hear the birds and the insects in nature and most of all people appear to have or are learning to respect resources and minimality. While it is early days to make an announcement, the trend shows that “Learning” has or is taking place. Whether “China Virus" as it is being touted wins or the rest of humanity does, one thing is certain that "Mass Learning and Development" effort has been a success as of now.
Professors of A Different Kind
CAPT. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, Dean – Executive Education & Professor of Strategy - 26 March, 2020
England has been the genesis of a great deal of modern sporting activity ranging from cricket to tennis to squash. However arguably their greatest contribution to the sport has been football, a game that has over 4 billion followers worldwide. Not only is it avidly followed and played from Europe to South America, Africa, and Asia and the United States, the game is a veritable religion and many players have places next to god.
The modern game of association football originated with mid-nineteenth century efforts among local football clubs in England and Scotland to standardize varying sets of rules, culminating in the formation of The Football Association in London, England in 1863. This was a time when England saw serious class differences between the privileged ladies and gentlemen and the more populous working class. The working class produced talented footballers who were paid to play football thus giving rise to the first truly sporting professionals.
When football was gaining popularity during the 1870s and 1880s professionals were banned in England and Scotland. Then in the 1880s, in the north of England, teams started hiring players known as 'professors of football', who were often professionals from Scotland. This was the first-time people were paid to play the sport. The clubs in working-class areas, especially in Northern England and Scotland, wanted professional football to afford to play football besides working. Several clubs were accused of employing professionals against the rules. It was a time of rancour and high drama and the class schism was there for all to see.
The northern clubs made of lower-class paid players started to gain momentum over the amateur 'Gentleman Southerners'. The first northern club to reach the FA Cup final was Blackburn Rovers in 1882, where they lost to Old Etonians, who was the last amateur team to win the trophy. The guard was changing!.
During the summer of 1885, there was pressure put on the Football Association to accept professionalism in English football, after which it was announced that it was "in the interests of Association Football, to legalize the employment of professional football players. The prime-mover in this movement was Lord Arthur Kinnaird, a gentleman, decorated footballer and captain of the Old Etonian FC while being an extremely wealthy banker who later went on to become a senior director at Barclays Bank. It is interesting that Lord Kinnaird saw the writing on the wall and stood up to his friends and fellow gentlemen in changing the rules in favour of the less privileged masses of England and Scotland. A game that began with having a few riotous spectators has gone on to become a phenomenon attracting viewership in the millions.
Arthur Kinnaird was a true visionary, an ethical man who had a mission and possessed the fortitude, network, negotiating skills and perseverance to press for achieving change for the larger good. He went on to serve as the President of the Football Association for over thirty years and has had a lasting impact on the game. That is called leadership and as we can see the definition has not changed much over the last one hundred and fifty years.
Open to Experience & Changing Business Process
Prof. H.N. Shankar - 19 March, 2020
Prof.Shankar is an Adjunct Professor with Executive Education at Dayananda Sagar University. He is a management consultant and consults widely in the areas of business development, customer service, analytics and project management. He is an engineer by profession and has held senior leadership positions in industry, before turning to consulting.
I make it a point to interact and learn from encounters I have with every human, be it a PhD Oran agricultural worker. What I find is that there is knowledge worth capturing from most other people, after due diligence is applied to the inputs I gather. All knowledge is not immediately useful. But the process of understanding leaves deep imprints in one’s memory and serves to recall that piece of knowledge when in situations that need it. The capability of the human mind is amazing. As we assimilate knowledge, it gets indexed in ways that is not easy to grasp but it happens. When in situations where there is pressing need to understand and to grasp the current context, the knowledge store or layered memory is accessed from the unconscious to conscious levels and all those stored pieces of information and knowledge that would help deal with the current context become critical. This is my understanding of what happens and hence it is important to learn all the time.
Being open to experience and getting to learn a little more everyday has become a way of life for me. Tapping into others has become a way of learning beyond the formal stream of knowledge and education. This habit of mine helps me interact in ways with people to grasp to the best of my ability, something new that I did not know earlier. This approach helps me learn something even when I interact with the students in the class.
A recent experience:
I was recently with my family doctor, a general practitioner of good standing in South Bengaluru. Whenever we meet, we have something new to share with each other. With time and several interactions, we seem to have gauged each other’s interests without expressly indicating our mutual interests.
After giving me a general checkup and advise, thedoctor showed me his pathology lab that he has set up as part of his clinic. World class instruments from Sweden, Germany and, Japan populates his lab. He could test blood accurately and comprehensively, and various other medical tests could be conducted. He talked about accuracy, how he ensures that instruments stay calibrated, data, patient unique code, medical records stored in Adobe cloud. He was quite conversant about medical electronics, about electrical and electronic terms such as impedance, need for calibration, self-calibrating instruments. Also gave me some demonstration of how the lab ensures prevention of moisture ingress.
To me he looked thorough and extremely professional. He looked very job involved and came across as a person who wanted to control the diagnostic process to a large extent and so invested in the best diagnostic instrumentation to serve his practice.
He was cognizant of the importance if data, use of cloud storage, analytics, bigdata and right diagnostics using analytics. He was aware of the immense possibilities that data science offered and said that it would use analytics to improve his business processes.
He told me that he thought that I would be interested in seeing what he has done. I appreciated his present status and future roadmap. He was probably strategizing without fully comprehending the process. To me the doctor looked totally involved in his job and there was a burning desire to improve from his incumbent position. He was passionate.
The key take away from this interaction for me is:
- There is a movement towards use of technology as technology gets affordable and accessible.
- Passionate people bring about change in their own ways no matter where they are and what they are doing.
- Job involvement and investment in one’s own profession is crucial to improve quality of delivery.
- The lay user in India has caught on to the fact that data science can be a huge business enabler, right from gathering, processing and then analyzing data to reveal business insights.
CREATIVITY
CAPT. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, Dean – Executive Education & Professor of Strategy - 11 March, 2020
In the present age innovation is probably the only strategy that allows organizations to stay afloat and thrive. Intense competition and thin margins are driving managers to innovate all the time. Encouraging creativity is an important element to successful innovation. Creativity is a process of expressing novel ideas to solve problems and satisfy needs. Managers need to identify this process of being creative and drive their subordinates in achieving creative solutions. This is critical, as without creativity innovation stagnates and eventually perishes. Many people believe that creative people are born, which is a myth. Creative people can be crafted and driven to achieve creative solutions. (Amabile, 1998)
The components of creativity are:
- Expertise: The knowledge that a person possesses. Expertise encompasses everything that a person knows and can do in the broad domain of his or her work.
- Creative thinking skills: How imaginative and flexible is a person in approaching and solving problems
- Motivation: The extent to which a person is driven by an inner passion to stretch himself or herself in solving a problem and the tenacity that he or she displays.
A manager is tasked with creating creative groups. A manager can enhance creativity by doing the following and making necessary changes to the job design:
- Provide the right fit: The right person must be at the right job.
- Provide freedom: Provide adequate freedom and autonomy for the person to express his creativity. Creativity thrives when managers let people decide how to climb a mountain; they needn’t, however, let employees choose which one.
- Provide resources: More often than not, the requirement of resources is underestimated. Resources are fundamental in fostering an eco-system of creativity. Deciding how much time and money to give to a team or project is a judgment call that can either support or kill creativity.
Organizations' can foster creativity and attempt to create groups that are innovative by pursuing a diverse workforce. Diversity allows different perspectives and thought processes to flow which allows for ideation. Hence it is not surprising that many organizations have diversity as an important metric and a staffing strategy. Diversity has a direct bearing on creativity and innovation. Diversity, however, is only a starting point. Managers must also make sure that the teams they put together have three other important facets. First, the members must share excitement over the team’s goal and that goal is clearly defined. Second, members must display a willingness to help their teammates through difficult periods and setbacks – team bonding needs to be robust. And third, every member must recognize the unique knowledge and perspective that other members bring to the table – skills must be complementary. These factors enhance not only intrinsic motivation but also expertise and creative-thinking skills.
Reference:
Amabile, T. (1998, September). How to Kill Creativity. HBR.
