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Khadi fabrics are known for their unique comfort properties which are attributed to their unique structural and functional properties. For getting optimal comfort from a collection of available Khadi fabrics, further exploration is needed. Ranking the Khadi fabrics from a competitive lot for optimal comfort is a challenging job, which has not been addressed so far by any researcher. The purpose of this study is to present one such selection problem using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, a popular branch of operations research, which can handle almost any decision problem involving a finite number of alternatives and multiple decision criteria.

Two widely popular methods/exponents of MCDM, namely, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (MAHP) have been deployed in this study for ranking a competitive lot of 15 Khadi fabrics and selecting the best alternative for optimal summer comfort based on three comfort attributes, namely, drape coefficient, thermal insulation value and air permeability.

Both the approaches yield a similar ranking pattern with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.9857, Khadi fabric K1 achieving Rank 1 (best in terms of optimal comfort) and sample K6 acquiring Rank 15 (worst choice). Two-phase sensitivity analyses were performed subsequently to demonstrate the stability of the two approaches: sensitivity analysis by changing weightage levels of the criteria and sensitivity analysis in dynamic decision conditions by changing the elements of the initial decision matrix. During sensitivity analyses, no occurrence of rank reversal is observed for the best and worst alternatives in either of the two approaches. This corroborates the robustness of the two models.

Khadi fabrics are widely acclaimed for their intrinsic comfort properties for both summer and winter. Although the popularity of Khadi fabrics is increasing day by day, this domain is under-researched, and hence, needs to be explored further. The present approach demonstrates how the MCDM technique can serve as a useful tool for ranking the available Khadi fabrics in terms of optimal comfort in summer. The same approach can be extended to other domains of the textile industry, in general, as well.

This study is the first-ever theoretical approach/research on the selection of Khadi fabrics for optimal summer comfort using the MCDM tool. Another novelty of the present study is that the efficacy of AHP and MAHP approaches, in this study, has been validated through a two-phase sensitivity analysis. This validation part has been ignored in most of the hitherto published applications of AHP and MAHP in other domains.

This paper aims to provide an understanding of how brands acquire meanings in a historical context. It examines the politico-economic environment that led to emergence of khadi in India.

The paper uses historical data to examine political economy of khadi. The author uses both written text and visuals for data collection and analysis.

It elucidates how the significance of khadi changed from being a mere cloth to a product of self-sufficiency and national importance in India’s freedom movement. This work is based on the analysis of Gandhian activities, especially consumption of khadi and usage of spinning wheel, during Indian freedom movement. The work analyzes the evolution of khadi in its historical, social and political context in colonial India. This paper reveals how and why brands acquire certain historical meanings.

The paper is developed in colonial India.

This paper examines the role of institutions, social and political movements in the creation, development and nurturing of a brand and its meanings.

This paper aims to explain the theory of stakeholder, value chain analysis and triple bottom line sustainability approach.

The present case was developed from both primary and secondary data sources. The primary sources included visits to Global Enterprises and collected data through a structured interview. The secondary sources included enterprise annual reports and websites.

This case presents the innovative approach adopted by a for-profit social enterprise, utilizing locally available resources, changed products and an improved business model to deliver the desired social impact. It highlights the challenges social entrepreneurs face and how the people at the grass-root level are uplifted through the success of a social entrepreneurial venture. The case study is based on an interview conducted with the founder and managing director of Global Enterprises and other stakeholders (farmers, women artisans and employees). An interview schedule was used for conducting the interviews. The researchers tried to understand the business model deployed, stakeholders involved, challenges faced, competencies needed and strategic decisions made by the social entrepreneur that helped the enterprise become sustainable. The social problems identified by the entrepreneur include unavailability of quality raw material at a reasonable price on time; financial scarcity and massive dependence on non-institutional financial sources; lack of product development, market research and production; and the high price of handmade products compared to factory-made products. The case explains how the entrepreneur addressed the problems of cotton farmers, women artisans and local youths through his enterprise. The case also explains how he could make a social venture sustainable in the long run.

This case targets graduate-level students and is designed to be taught in Entrepreneurship, Social entrepreneurship, Rural entrepreneurship, Business administration and Entrepreneurship development. It can also be used for other programmes, where problem identification, opportunity recognition, stakeholder analysis and porter's value chain analysis are taught.

Cellulases and swelling agents are known to be effective in improving the colour strength of cotton. Nowadays, handloom fabrics, such as khadi cotton, are much more preferred due to the development of innovative designs with their use and their comfort in wearing. Also, due to increased environmental awareness, the use of natural dyes are much more preferred in the dyeing of handloom fabrics. However, khadi cotton has some major shortcomings, such as less dyeability. The present study is carried out by keeping in mind that the pretreatment of khadi cotton with cellulases, swelling agents and a combination of cellulases and swelling agents before dyeing improves the colour strength properties. Khadi cotton samples are treated with optimized conditions of the enzymes and swelling agents. The optimum pH, concentration, treatment time and temperature selected for treatment of the samples with acid cellulase enzymes are 5.5, 1.5% (owf), 45 minutes and 50°C, respectively, whereas in the case of neutral cellulase enzymes, 7.5, 2.0% (owf), 70 minutes and 70°C, respectively. The optimum concentration, treatment time and temperature selected for the treatment of the samples with sodium hydroxide, ethylenediamine and zinc chloride are 20% w/v, 60 minutes and 60°C; 80% w/v, 60 minutes and 70°C, and 80% w/v, 60 minutes and 70°C respectively. Butea frondosa dye (5 g) extracted for 75 minutes provides the best results on khadi cotton when dyeing is carried out for 90 minutes. It is observed that out of the various concentrations of mordants used with the Butea frondosa dye, the best shades of colour are obtained by using 0.04 g of alum, 0.01 g of copper sulphate, and 5 g of Babool bark. In terms of optimizing the mordanting, the best results are obtained with Butea frondosa dye when the samples are simultaneously mordanted and dyed with alum, Babool bark and alum. Pre-mordanting is selected for the copper sulphate. It is found that for all the enzyme treated (acid and neutral cellulase) as well as swelling agent treated (sodium hydroxide, ethylenediamine and zinc chloride) samples, the colour strength and colourfastness increase in comparison to the untreated samples.

Replacing conventional mordants by benign mordants, rare earth (RE) salts have been used in the process of natural dyeing with annatto seed extract. The purpose was threefold – first, to increase the dye uptake through these new mordants; second, to have better fastness properties of dyed swatches and third, to have lesser effluent pollution, as the new RE mordants are used in one-tenth quantities only.

Sustainable natural dyeing was attained by using RE salts as mordant in one-tenth quantity, for natural dyeing, replacing the conventional mordants such as alum and ferrous sulphate. Annatto extract has been used as natural dye.

Through the study, it was inferred that the natural dyeing using annatto seed extract gives very good colour depth on the dyed swatches and also shows marked improvement in fastness properties.

Research implication is that often it is expected that any new chemical used in the textile processing adds on to the effluent load; however, contrary to that, this study found that the use of RE salt is very beneficial as it is used in smaller quantities, but gives far better dyeing results.

RE salts can be used in natural dyeing without causing any harm to the environment and dyers.

Use of RE salts in natural dyeing is a new concept. It is a very safe technology and can be used without causing any harm to the environment and the dyers.

This study is unique as it focuses on the use of RE salts in natural dyeing replacing the conventional mordants, which are used ten times more in quantity.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated qualitative and quantitative approach to the development of a balanced scorecard (BSC) for a real life case company KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission, organic food sector, India).

In this paper the semi‐structured interviews with director, managers, professional consultant, review of published reports and observations made during research work are considered as basis.

This paper illustrates how the use of a mix approach of cause and effect diagram, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) can address some of the shortcomings related to the development of BSC in the light of a real life case company KVIC (Khadi Village and Industry Commission, organic food sector India). The paper delivers a complete framework of BSC for the case company.

The paper outlines the limitations of proposed approach in regard to validity of present logical relationships among various objectives of organization in the futuristic environment and indicates the need for a computer software system, which can improve the efficiency of proposed approach.

In the paper a number of case studies report the fact that companies have attempted to derive measures from strategy, based on cause‐and‐effect reasoning, but the claimed link between strategy and measures appeared weak in analysis (Malmi, 2001). The paper establishes the basis for integrating organization's strategic intent with the identification of performance measures and at large development of BSC.

The paper shows that present work demonstrates the use of an innovative approach to the development of performance measurement system at one end while to deliver a workable framework of balanced scorecard for a real life case company is the objective of the other end. The present work encapsulates the philosophy of strategy maps using a mix of quantitative and qualitative approach for a real life case.

The purpose of this paper is to review the key literature pertaining to consumption during the colonial period in India, broadly covering the time period from the early nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. The review shows the prominent themes and patterns that help us understand colonial Indian consumers’ encounter with Western products and institutions.

The paper is a review of historical research papers and papers pertaining to the colonial period in India.

British colonialism introduced new products, institutions and ways of living into India, which were negotiated with and contested by Indian consumers and intellectuals. These new products and practices were not seamlessly adopted into the Indian context. Rather, they were appropriated into existing social structures determined by caste, gender and religion. The tensions produced by such negotiations and contestations fed Indian resistance to colonialism, culminating in British withdrawal from India.

Historical research pertaining to marketing in the Indian context is scarce. Moreover, there are few reviews which outline the important consumption practices and changes pertaining to the colonial period. The findings of this review will be of use to researchers and students of history, marketing and cultural studies.

The purpose of this paper is to trace the personal and intellectual evolution of the author via an autobiographic approach.

Personal, reflective, interpretive, historical narrative.

For the author, the writing of this paper opened new and reflective windows on personal and intellectual evolution, and similar effects may happen with some of the readers.

Some of the critical directions suggested herein could possibly inspire innovative critical marketing work.

There may be some insights on how to blend observations of the world at large with critical theories gleaned from the literature.

The paper offers reflections of the unequal, unjust state of the world, and this could inspire others to seek innovative ameliorative pathways.

As an autobiographical narrative, this paper – by definition – is original and unique.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique resources that Indian apparel exporting firms claim to have and the key resources that help provide competitive advantage to these firms.

A web-based content analysis of texts available on “About Us” or related sections of the Indian export firms was conducted. Text data were coded and interpreted.

Physical resources seemed to be one of the most critical resources for their competitive advantages for the study samples. The ability to provide affordable and competitive prices for their products and experience in exporting were recognized as important firm resource described by the study samples.

The study results supported the resource-based theory of the firm by showing additional key firm resources, such as ability to maintain domestic operations and to provide competitive prices that Indian apparel exporters claimed to have. Generalizability of the results is cautioned due to the content and analysis mode of the study data.

The results indicate that design capabilities, flexible production systems, and skilled labor are the key resources that provide Indian apparel industry the competitive advantage over its competitors. Therefore, Indian apparel exporters may want to continue to strengthen and emphasize these abilities to foreign buyers to complete in the global marketplace.

Given the importance of Indian apparel industry in the global market place, this study builds a knowledge base of the key resources possessed by the Indian apparel export firms.

This chapter examined how ethnicity and culture affect perceptions and practices of social justice leadership in Jewish and Arab schools. Four female principals’ were interviewed. Key findings revealed that the principals’ background contributed to the shaping of their awareness and commitment to implementing principles of social justice in their schools. Although these female Jewish and Arab principals have grown up and developed in the same life circles as male principals, their experiences were highly influenced by gender, ethnicity, culture, and special circumstances that position them in situations that they see as unjust. Implications are discussed.