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Understanding a lack of strategy execution research, especially a lack of execution frameworks, the purpose of this paper is to focus on building a model of one of the most classic aspects of effective strategy execution, i.e. alignment. The proposed framework of alignment demonstrates linkages among different factors of alignment and suggests a managerial action plan to successfully convert strategic goals into execution performance.

This study develops an empirically tested framework of “alignment” that can be used to plan effective strategy execution. The research context of the study is the firms operating in the infrastructure sector of India. A multi-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, has been adopted with emphasis on the interpretation of the framework to suggest managerial actions.

This study shows that structure-strategy linkage is the most fundamental task of strategy execution. However, there are other aspects of alignment also that are critical. Also, there exist hierarchical relationships among different alignments. The structural understanding of alignment is required to set strong foundation for execution process.

This study is limited to firms in the infrastructure sector of India. A questionnaire survey approach may invite some bias in response. Also, a large sample size could have been more useful to generalize findings. The proposed framework in this study suggest that the alignment of structure with strategy is important but not sufficient for effective strategy execution. There exist hierarchical relationships, among the factors of alignment, showing a dependence-driving relationship.

Strategy execution is one of the biggest challenges that corporations have been facing. The existing literature has identified many issues leading to effective strategy execution. The “alignment” aspect of execution has been the most talked about. There are different levels of alignment required for successful strategy execution. Literature suggests some of the key areas of alignment. However, there has been a lack of frameworks demonstrating linkages among different alignments to facilitate effective strategy execution.

There is a lack of strategy execution frameworks, especially reflecting on the alignment aspect of strategy execution. This study focuses not only on “how” of the framework development but also on the “why” aspect of the same. The interpretation approach also helps in pondering on the contextual realities.

The present study aims to demonstrate the performance assessment of flexible pavement structure in probabilistic framework with due consideration of spatial variability modeling of input parameter.

The analysis incorporates mechanistic–empirical approach in which numerical analysis with spatial variability modeling of input parameters, Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) and First Order Reliability Method (FORM) are combined together for the reliability analysis of the flexible pavement. Random field concept along with Cholesky decomposition technique is used for the spatial variability modeling of the input parameter and implemented in commercially available finite difference code FLAC for the numerical analysis of pavement structure.

Results of the reliability analysis, with spatial variability modeling of input parameter, are compared with the corresponding results obtained without considering spatial variability of parameters. Analyzing a particular three-layered flexible pavement structure, it is demonstrated that spatial variability modeling of input parameter provides more realistic treatment to property variations in space and influences the response of the pavement structure, as well as its performance assessment.

Research is based on reliability analysis approach, which can also be used in decision-making for quality control and flexible pavement design in a given environment of uncertainty and extent of spatially varying input parameters in a space.

The purpose of this paper is to explain the variation in the relationship between governance mechanisms and the effect of the relationship on contract performance, especially in controlling partner opportunism.

This study conducts a comparative case analysis of contract governance of “National Health Insurance Program” in India. The data are collected using field research through in-depth interviews and direct observation across three states in India.

The authors find that the governance mechanisms continue to complement and substitute, both in a dynamic manner, but until aligned with the nature of transaction, they are ineffective to mitigate opportunism, a critical dimension of contract performance. Inappropriate governance mechanisms inflate the gaps in incomplete contracts, resulting in partner opportunism.

The study draws findings from healthcare context and service-based contracting; therefore, the applicability of this study may vary in other contexts.

The paper highlights the need for building flexibility in the governance structure while designing contracts. Further, managers need to combine both governance mechanisms dynamically to align with the nature of the transaction to control partner opportunism.

The authors contribute to the existing debate on the conundrum of the relationship between governance mechanisms and provide a new explanation. The authors propose that it is not the specific governance mechanisms but the alignment of the governance mix with the nature of the transaction that determines the contract performance, especially control of partner opportunism.

The competitive rivalry, rapid change and high business volatility necessitate inter-organizational collaboration, including the supply chain (SC). This paper develops an interpretive model of the effect of the chief executive officers’ (CEO's) transformational leadership (TL) style on SC collaboration and, consequently, on the firm's performance.

Total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) is adopted to develop a hierarchical model to delineate the association between the elements of TL, SC collaboration and firm performance. Furthermore, the model has been validated statistically.

The TISM analysis results suggest that the TL style elements require maximum attention and are strategic. These elements drive factors of SC collaboration leading to improved firm performance. Therefore, CEO leadership is critical for SC collaboration to effectively affect firm performance.

The TISM framework in this paper preferred the majority approach over the fuzzy one, which requires a much larger data set. However, the bias of the majority approach can be eliminated by having multiple consultations with participants. Further, the development and validation of the paper was limited to manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. The model can also be tested in large organizations to garner additional insights.

This study uniquely integrates TL and SC collaboration elements to explain firm performance. The TISM framework explains not only the “what” and “how” but also the “why” of theory building. This study also adds methodological value by combining triangulation with the interpretive tool.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of presence of buried flexible pipe on the bearing capacity of shallow footing. First, a model study is performed where shallow footing model is tested for its load settlement behavior, with and without the existence of buried PVC pipe lying vertically below the base of the footing.

The experimental set-up consisted of a steel box filled with sand at two different relative density values [RD = 50 per cent (medium dense) and RD = 80 per cent (dense sand)] and vertical load was applied on the model footing through hydraulic jack and reaction frame arrangement connected with a proving ring. Test results are verified numerically using commercially available finite element code PLAXIS 2D. With due verification, a parametric study has been conducted, numerically, by varying the range of input parameters, such as unit weight, angle of internal friction, diameter of buried conduit and the Elastic modulus of the soil to assess the pre cent reduction in the capacity of the foundation soil because of the presence of underlying buried flexible pipe.

Results show that for each footing, there exists a critical depth below which the presence of the buried conduit has negligible influence on the footing performance. When the conduit is located above the critical depth, the bearing capacity of the footing varies with various factors, such as geotechnical parameters of soil and location and diameter of the buried conduit.

It is an original paper performed to assess the presence of buried flexible pipe on the bearing capacity of the shallow footing.

The dynamic business environment and intense competition have mandated agility in operations for manufacturing firms. Effective inter-organizational collaboration can make operations more agile. This paper develops an interpretive model to explore the effect of supply chain collaboration (SCC) on supply chain agility (SCA) and, subsequently, on business performance.

A hierarchical model that illustrates the relationship between SCC, SCA and firm performance components is developed using total interpretative structural modeling (TISM). Also, statistical validation of the model has been performed.

The results indicate that the vision and alertness of the firm on the strategic front promote collaboration between supply chain partners. This creates operational agility, helping the firm to absorb fluctuations in demand, thereby enhancing business performance.

The opinion of most respondents was considered to develop the TISM framework over the fuzzy one, which necessitates a significantly more extensive data set. However, multiple discussions with participants can eliminate the prejudice of the majority approach. Also, the paper's development and validation were restricted to Indian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The model can potentially be evaluated in large organizations to provide further insights.

The study blends the factors of SCC and SCA in a novel way to explain their combined impact on business performance. The TISM model addresses the “why” of theory development in addition to the “what” and “how” of it. Using triangulation in combination with the interpretative tool, this study additionally offers methodological value.

This study aims to analyze the state of knowledge on the relationship between leadership and the firm’s supply chain. The study identifies and examines the existing literature, unveils research gaps and suggests future research directions.

Adopting a systematic review process, a total of 110 articles published in top-ranked academic journals (A* and A category as per ABDC-2019 list) were analyzed. Descriptive, cluster, thematic and regression analyses of citations were performed to garner insights.

The review outcome shows an upward trend of articles studying the influence of leadership in the supply chain. With the highest number of articles, developed countries and manufacturing companies have been the research contexts of the research studies. Clustering reveals eight significant areas where the leader’s involvement in the supply chain is discussed, with several sub-themes emerging within each cluster. Finally, the regression analysis of citations shows that only the journal’s quality matters the most in receiving the highest citation for the articles.

As this study considered only A* and A-ranked journals of the ABDC-2019 list, there is a risk of excluding some relevant articles.

While the current literature deliberates on recent trends in the supply chain, such as the application of Industry 4.0 practices, this review revolves around the classical theme of leadership and demonstrates its importance in the supply chain. The study is among the first to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles deliberating on leadership and supply chain issues by grouping the articles into clusters and themes. In the end, the clusters and themes were conceptualized into the “House of Supply Chain Leadership,” of which leadership forms the foundation.

The central lesson to be learned from studying the case is to understand the challenges and constraints posed by contextual conditions in designing contracts in public–private partnerships (PPP) for financing and delivering health care in emerging economies such as India.

Perverse incentives, along with contextual conditions, led to extensive opportunistic behaviors among involved agencies, limiting the effectiveness of otherwise highly regarded innovative design of the program.

India’s “Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana” or National Health Insurance Program, launched in 2007 provided free health insurance coverage to protect millions of low-income families from getting pushed into poverty due to catastrophic health-care expenditure. The program was implemented through a PPP using standardized contracts between multiple stakeholders from the public and private sector – insurance companies, hospitals, intermediaries, the provincial and federal government.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS: 10 Public Sector Management.

Controlling partner opportunism in public-private partnership (PPP) requires effective adaptation of governance mechanisms over life-cycle. This paper proposes a process framework of effective governance adaptation for controlling partner opportunism in case of PPP.

Using in-depth interview data and extensive secondary data, a comparative case analysis of governance adaptation for controlling partner opportunism in two provinces in the “National Health Insurance Program” in India was conducted. The study uses contextual analysis and critical incident technique to identify the opportunistic behaviors and use processing tracing to map the adaptation of governance mechanisms for effective control of partner opportunism.

The paper makes several propositions and proposes a three-stage framework for effective governance adaptation for controlling partner opportunism. The study proposes that governance adaptation begins with the iterative process of discovering governance needs, followed by the dynamic interaction between governance mechanisms shaping the adaptation process. The process ends with two-dimensional alignment–alignment of partner's goal and alignment of governance mix with governance needs resulting in effective governance.

The paper contributes to the existing debates on governance mix and its effectiveness in PPP by proposing two-dimensional alignment for optimal governance adaptation leading to effective PPP governance.

Existing research presents contradictory findings about the effectiveness of governance mechanisms to control partner opportunism. The proposed process-view of governance adaptations tries to address this conundrum to some extent.

The case illustrates the challenges of managing JVs in emerging markets. specifically, after going through the case, students should be able to: i.Analyze the contexts in which firms need to form JVs and evaluate this need in the context of emerging markets such as India; ii.Understand how multinational corporations can achieve success in emerging markets, specifically the role of strategic (broader than the product) adaptation in success; iii.Evaluate the impact of conflict between partners on the short-term and long-term performance of a JV; and iv.Create alternatives, evaluate each alternative’s pros and cons, and recommend appropriate decisions to address the situation after a JV unravels and the organization is faced with quality and other challenges.

McDonald’s, the global giant in the quick service industry, entered India in 1993 and formed two JVs in 1995 one with Vikram Bakshi (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Ltd or CPRL) to own and operate stores in the northern and eastern zones, and another with Amit Jatia (Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited or HRPL) to own and operate stores in the western and southern zones. Over the next 12 years, both the JVs made steady progress by opening new stores while also achieving better store-level metrics. Though CPRL was ahead of HRPL in terms of the number of stores and total revenues earned in 2008, the year marked the beginning of a long-running dispute between the two partners in CPRL, Bakshi and McDonald’s. Over the next 11 years, Bakshi and McDonald’s tried to block each other, filed court cases against each other and also exchanged recriminations in media. The feud hurt the performance of CPRL, which fell behind HRPL in terms of growth and other metrics. On May 9, 2019, the feuding partners reached an out-of-court settlement under which McDonald’s would buy out Bakshi’s shares in CPRL, thus making CPRL a subsidiary. Robert Hunghanfoo, who had been appointed head of CPRL after Bakshi’s exit, announced a temporary shutdown of McDonald’s stores to take stock of the current situation. He had to make a number of critical decisions that would impact the company’s performance in the long-term.

MBA, Executive MBA and executive development programs.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.