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The handicraft sector is unorganized with huge potential for the economic upliftment of the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) craft producers. To ensure the sustainable livelihood of the artisans living in BOP, it is essential to identify the hurdles being faced by them so that they can be worked upon. This paper aims to look at the existing handicraft value chain in an integrated way to identify these hurdles and suggest probable solutions to mitigate them.

A two-stage study involving quantitative and qualitative approaches is used. Empirical observations from 218 artisans were analyzed using the relative to an identified distribution to rank the different variables affecting the functioning of the handicraft value chain. Next, 17 handicraft entrepreneurs were interviewed to identify solutions for the hurdles.

A two-stage study examining the perspectives of artisans and handicraft entrepreneurs identified five significant challenges affecting the handicraft sector and viable solutions to address them. While presenting an operational model, a comprehensive picture of the handicraft business ecosystem was studied, from the procurement of raw materials to the marketing and sale of finished products. This can assist handicraft producers in sustaining their livelihoods and expanding the industry.

Studies on the handicraft value chain at BOP are rare, and none have tried to look at the sector holistically to find solutions and propose an operational framework. The study has captured the voices of the artisans and handicraft entrepreneurs and, through a mixed-method approach, identified the main pain points of the BOP artisans to arrive at a workable solution for better business outcomes.

Crafts embody the history and heritage of their country of origin and can play an essential role in the country's socioeconomic development by providing significant job opportunities for the rural population. This article investigates the significant challenges that artisan entrepreneurs face when creating, communicating and selling handcrafted goods to potential customers in emerging economies. This study attempted to rate the impediments based on their severity using the voices of artisan entrepreneurs.

A mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative data analysis was followed to identify the leading causes of the artisans' pain points. In the first phase, empirical observations were gathered through focus group discussions with artisan entrepreneurs, and the identified factors were quantitatively ranked using the analytic hierarchy process in the second phase.

The mixed-method research assisted in identifying the primary constraints affecting the efficient and effective operation of the artisan-driven small handicraft business. This study identified six factors that were ranked based on the voices of artisan entrepreneurs during the survey, as barriers to effective handicraft marketing.

Few studies on the handcraft industry have sought to explore the issues faced by artisan businesses holistically. The voices of artisan entrepreneurs were gathered for this study to identify and rate the present obstacles influencing the functioning of small handicraft firms in emerging nations. Handicraft marketing will become more effective and efficient if these barriers are removed.

The handicraft sector is unorganized, with tremendous opportunities for generating employment, particularly for the non-urban and bottom of the pyramid (BOP) population. The aim of this paper is to revisit the existing supply chain of the handicraft sector to identify the gaps that can help generate better marketing outcomes for the sector when addressed.

A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research has been used. Empirical observations from artisans have been collected to identify different variables impacting the functioning of the handicraft value chain.

Different variables were identified and grouped into six important dimensions through the mixed-method research. The components were ranked based on importance, which can help in developing a robust supply chain at BOP for the handicraft sector.

Studies on the supply chain of the handicraft sector are rare, and none has tried to understand issues in an integrated way directly from the artisans. This study has captured the voices of the artisans, and through qualitative and quantitative data analyses, the main reasons for the artisans' pain points were identified. This can give directions to a viable business model for the handicraft sector.

The various learning outcomes of the case include the following: to provide information and help the students to understand how a start-up business succeeds with the proper branding and marketing; to help understand different marketing theories related to segmentation, targeting, positioning, branding, distribution and marketing process and the frameworks of understanding start-up business marketing with a practical example; to improve analytical skills and help evaluate marketing strategies related to segmentation, targeting, positioning, branding, distribution and marketing in the Indian quick-service restaurant (QSR) business; and to encourage learners to think differently towards solution generation and strategy decisions.

The case portrays the dilemmas related to segmentation, targeting, brand positioning, distribution and start-up business marketing in the context of an Indian QSR. The present case strives to portray the journey of WoW! Momo is a QSR brand in India and highlights the company's branding and marketing challenges. Based on the challenges faced by the company and the decision dilemma pointed out in the case, the readers can get sufficient motivation to generate probable solutions. This was early 2007; Binod Kumar Homagai and Sagar Daryani, bosom friends, were on the verge of finishing their graduate studies in commerce from St. Xavier's College Kolkata. Pursuing Chartered Accountancy or MBA was the common trend as the career option among most commerce graduates then. Still, both Homagai and Daryani thought to be innovative and different in their career options. After a series of discussions, they determined to start with their favorite dish, momos, as an alternative brand proposition that would be opening off from the City of Joy, Kolkata. They managed to arrange a seed capital of INR 30,000 in 2008 and started their venture WoW! Momo. In the financial year 2018–2019, the company's revenue had already crossed INR 1170m, achieved its presence in 11 cities in India, and reached more than 243 outlets. This case has followed the qualitative research methods where in-depth interviews of the founders and stakeholders along with the observation method were used. The case unfolds a systematic solution of dilemmas related to segmentation, targeting, brand positioning, distribution and start-up business marketing in the context of Indian QSR business. This case can also be seen as one of the youth entrepreneurial success stories of Indians.

This case is primarily meant for second-year students in a postgraduate program in business management. The case could also be discussed in an executive development program on marketing/brand management/business strategy.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of turbulence on the stability characteristics of finite hydrodynamic journal bearing lubricated with micropolar fluid.

The non-dimensional transient Reynolds equation has been solved to obtain the non-dimensional pressure field which in turn used to obtain the load carrying capacity of the bearing. The second-order equations of motion applicable for journal bearing system have been solved using fourth-order Runge–Kutta method to obtain the stability characteristics.

It has been observed that turbulence has adverse effect on stability and the whirl ratio at laminar flow condition has the lowest value.

The paper provides the stability characteristics of the finite journal bearing lubricated with micropolar fluid operating in turbulent regime which is very common in practical applications.

Non-linear stability analysis of micropolar fluid lubricated journal bearing operating in turbulent regime has not been reported in literatures so far. This paper is an effort to address the problem of non-linear stability of journal bearings under micropolar lubrication with turbulent effect. The results obtained provide useful information for designing the journal bearing system for high speed applications.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of working capital efficiency (WCE) and its components on the composite financial performance of a sample of Indian firms.

Our sample includes 796 non-financial listed firms from 2015–16 to 2021–22. Sample firms’ profitability, liquidity, solvency, cash flow management, and financial and operational leverage have been used to classify them into companies with high composite financial performance (HCFP) and with low composite financial performance (LCFP) by using K-Means Clustering technique. A composite financial performance score (CFPS) of 1 has been assigned to HCFP and 0 to LCFP. We have used logistic regression models with fixed effect to estimate the effect of cash conversion cycle (CCC) and its components, i.e. inventory days, accounts receivable days and accounts payable days on CFPS in the presence of control variables such as growth, leverage, firm size, and age.

The study finds that CCC and inventory days are inversely associated with CFPS. This finding shows that the firms’ WCE leads to superior financial performance on a composite basis.

The research findings are based on samples drawn from the population of the listed Indian non-financial companies. Since the operation, financial practices, working capital policies, and management styles of firms vary greatly among nations, the results of this study should be extended to firms in other countries after taking into account the degree of resemblance to the sample firms.

The findings of this study hold significant value for industry practitioners, as they provide guidance in determining the optimal allocation of funds for working capital and devising strategies for effectively managing inventory levels, credit sales, and vendor payments in order to increase the overall value of the company. This study aims to help investors in building their investment portfolios by identifying companies with superior composite financial performance. Investors can enhance the construction of their investment portfolios by strategically selecting companies that demonstrate superior overall performance.

The results of our study will help companies improve their WCM strategies to enhance their overall value, and their significance increases manifold during economic downturns. Business firms that perform well by efficiently managing their working capital have a multiplier effect on the economy and society at large in the form of GDP contribution, labor income, taxes to the government, investment in capital assets, and payments to suppliers.

To understand the impact of WCE on firms’ performance, the extant working capital literature focuses on some specific characteristics such as profitability, valuation, solvency, and liquidity. The limitation of employing a single parameter is its inability to present the comprehensive performance evaluation of firms. This study is among the earliest studies that focus on the holistic evaluation of WCE's impact on the composite performance of a company.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting decision-making at the BoP and propose a framework of the consumer decision-making process at the base of the pyramid (BoP).

The qualitative research design was adopted to collect primary data. Data collected through the in-depth semi-structured interviews of the 48 BoP consumers in Kolkata and Kharagpur (India) were subjected to grounded theory analysis for theory development.

This study reveals that consumer vulnerability affects the decision-making process and the transaction cost at BoP level. It was observed that the consumers at the BoP make constrained choices due to their vulnerability and try to minimise transaction cost while selecting the retails. The constrained retail choice leads to a limited selection of products and brands.

This study, for the first time, has investigated the decision-making process for BoP consumers in detail. As a pioneering attempt, it sheds light on some new factors including consumer vulnerability and transaction cost that have an impact on the consumer decision-making process.