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The purpose of the paper is to empirically investigate the relationships between advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), absorptive capacity, mass customization (MC) capability, competitive advantage, and organizational performance measures.

Based on a literature review, a theoretical framework is derived. Structural equation modeling was chosen for the empirical analysis based on the focus of the research. Data collection was conducted from 232 Indian manufacturing managers.

The findings indicate that absorptive capacity has a positive impact on MC capability. Also, MC capability mediated the relationship between AMT and the financial and market performance. Furthermore, AMT positively impacted MC capability, and MC capability positively impacted both time to market and financial and market performance. AMT was not found to have a significant impact on financial and market performance.

The current study is meaningful and unique in that no study has investigated the linkages between AMT, absorptive capacity, MC capability and organization performance and competitive advantage measures in a unified context. Such investigations are important because the results will encourage managers to invest in developing these mechanisms, which in turn will influence firm’s ability to implement MC practices and yield benefits such as improved performance and competitive advantage.

The purpose of this paper is to document the transformation of developing Asia's manufacturing sector during the last three decades.

The paper briefly discusses the transformation during the last 30 years and benchmarks the sector by estimating a regression based on the logistic pattern of growth. It then summarizes the main findings.

It is found that: the share of developing Asia in world manufacturing output has increased significantly since the 1970s; the increase is concentrated in a number a countries, mostly the NIES, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand; and there has been an important technological upgrading as the share of more technologically advanced manufacturers has increased. However, the increase is also concentrated in a reduced group of countries.

The findings in the paper should be of value to both other researchers and policy makers trying to understand industrialization.

Biotech companies stand as key actors in pharmaceutical innovation. The high risk and long timelines inherent with their R&D investments might hinder their access to funding, potentially stifling innovation. This study aims to explore into the appeal of biotech companies to capital market investors, whose financial backing could bolster the growth of the biotechnology sector.

This paper uses a dataset of 774 US publicly listed biotech firms to investigate their risk and return characteristics by comparing them to pharmaceutical firms and a sample of matched non-biotech R&D-intensive firms over the sample period 1980–2021. Tests show that the conclusions remain consistent across diverse methodological approaches.

The paper shows that biotech companies are riskier than the average firm in the market index but outperform on a risk-adjusted basis both the market and a matched group of R&D-intensive firms. This is particularly true for large capitalization biotech, which is also shown to provide a diversification benefit by reducing the downside risk in past crisis periods.

This paper provides insight relevant to the current debate about the overall performance of the biotech industry in terms of policy changes and their impact on small, early-stage biotech firms. While small and early-stage biotech firms are playing an increasing role in scientific innovation, this study confirms their greater vulnerability to financial risks and the importance of access to capital markets in enabling those companies to survive and evolve into larger biotech.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of caste identity in applied settings. The authors do this within the larger framework of affirmative action programs (AAPs) or “reservations” in India. The paper explores the interplay of a primordial identity like caste with the modern institutions representing equality – a context unique to India.

The paper reports the findings of two experimental studies collecting data using Mechanical Turk.

The first study finds that an individual hired under the AAP is perceived poorly on his/her competence and reward worthiness. The second study finds support for the influence of an individual’s conception of modern casteism and his/her caste identity as factors in shaping attitudes toward AAP.

The paper lays the groundwork but does not explore the contours of casteism in contemporary India. Understanding of this construct as well as the impact of factors as region, education, urbanization, religion, nature of employment, etc. on caste dynamics should be considered by future research.

The paper uncovers some similarities between Indian and Western findings, but it also demonstrates key differences between findings related to race-based AAPs in the West and the caste-based AAP in India. This understanding will guide discourses on diversity management in under-researched countries like India. The findings can sensitize organizations to the need for addressing unconscious biases related to caste.

The paper underscores the continuing relevance of caste in modern India and the negative perceptions of lower castes. The paper finds that individuals with an appreciation of the subtle forms of casteism are sympathetic to programs that promote social equality. In modern social contexts this nuanced operationalization of casteism can be a relevant indicator of caste dynamics.

This is the first empirical study to examine caste-based AAP in India in an applied study and unpacks the psychological underpinnings of the attitudes toward AAP.

This study aims to propose a cybersecurity framework that prioritizes sustainability in the manufacturing sector by identifying necessary resources and capabilities for effective cybersecurity management. The proposed framework aims to enhance resource protection and safeguard data confidentiality, integrity and accessibility, provide proactive steps for predicting cyber threats and highlight the importance of educating employees at all levels of the organization.

A thorough review of existing literature and analysis was conducted to develop the proposed cybersecurity framework. Several frameworks, including the NIST cybersecurity framework, were reviewed to identify the necessary skills and resources required to combat cyber threats and keep businesses sustainable.

The proposed framework includes proactive steps, such as predicting cyber threats, and emphasizes the importance of educating employees and raising awareness at all levels of the organization. Resilience is also emphasized, which refers to an organization's ability to recover and continue operations following a cyberattack. Implementing this framework may require a significant budget and time investment, and small organizations may face limitations in applying all aspects of the framework.

This study proposes a cybersecurity framework that prioritizes sustainability in the manufacturing sector, which provides added protection for organizations. The framework's key functions can be adopted partially or fully, making it suitable for organizations of varying sizes. Future research can focus on addressing the framework's limitations and shortcomings to further reduce cyber risks for sustainable manufacturing, establishing the scale of an industry based on its economy and extending the framework to non-manufacturing businesses.