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This paper analyses the impact of Lean Six Sigma and a firm's quality management capabilities in developing its organisational learning capability (OLC), especially in the business process outsourcing (BPO) environment of a developing country.

Using a multiple case study incorporating embedded design, findings from four Indian BPO firms are analysed.

Findings confirm the critical and relatively unexplored role that firms' Lean Six Sigma and quality management capabilities play in developing OLCs.

Owing to its qualitative case study design, findings from this study are not able to be generalised to the wider population, instead, the findings are generalised to relevant theory for future development.

The above relationship is examined in a novel research setting and the study also looks at which elements of Six Sigma and TQM content, if not well developed, hinder the development of OLCs.

Offshore outsourcing offers competitive advantages when goods and services are produced economically and with acceptable or superior quality by suppliers located outside a firm's home country. The purpose of this paper is to focus on India as a destination for offshore outsourcing of services and the challenges it faces in maintaining its leadership in this area. The paper discusses the growth of services outsourcing and the economic and environmental forces that have contributed to the outsourcing of high‐end services, also known as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO).

This article surveys the literature of offshore outsourcing and identifies strategic drivers and options that can help India to grow and consolidate its position as an exporter of services and build long‐term competitive advantages in its relationships with global partners. To understand why nations gain competitive advantage in certain industries, Porter's “diamond” model is utilized as a broad framework for examining policies and national strategies that can sustain India's competitive advantage in outsourcing of knowledge‐based services. The paper discusses India's current and prospective assets and liabilities that correspond to the model's four components.

The article discusses India's competitive edge as a leading supplier of knowledge‐based services and proposes a model for sustaining this edge. The model proposes key policy steps to move from the current position (e.g. supplier of business process outsourcing services) to a role of knowledge leader by providing advanced value added services to global clients. This model suggests ways in which a supplier nation can gain leverage in the value chain.

The article is conceptual, not empirical. Public and corporate policy implications are presented to strengthen India's competitive advantages in outsourced services.

The article presents a strategic roadmap with policy implications that can help move India up the value chain from being primarily a destination for low‐end business process outsourcing (BPO) to that of a co‐equal, high value‐adding partner or principal who offers knowledge leadership in the design and delivery of services for global markets.

The article discusses a nation's technical strengths, as well as cultural and infrastructure weaknesses, that can contribute to volatility as a global outsourcing leader. The article also presents strategies that can reduce a nation's vulnerabilities to competitive actions.

Currently, the design, technological features of voices, and their analysis of various applications are being simulated with the requirement to communicate at a greater distance or more discreetly. The purpose of this study is to explore how voices and their analyses are used in modern literature to generate a variety of solutions, of which only a few successful models exist.

The mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC), average magnitude difference function, cepstrum analysis and other voice characteristics are effectively modeled and implemented using mathematical modeling with variable weights parametric for each algorithm, which can be used with or without noises. Improvising the design characteristics and their weights with different supervised algorithms that regulate the design model simulation.

Different data models have been influenced by the parametric range and solution analysis in different space parameters, such as frequency or time model, with features such as without, with and after noise reduction. The frequency response of the current design can be analyzed through the Windowing techniques.

A new model and its implementation scenario with pervasive computational algorithms’ (PCA) (such as the hybrid PCA with AdaBoost (HPCA), PCA with bag of features and improved PCA with bag of features) relating the different features such as MFCC, power spectrum, pitch, Window techniques, etc. are calculated using the HPCA. The features are accumulated on the matrix formulations and govern the design feature comparison and its feature classification for improved performance parameters, as mentioned in the results.

Knowledge‐based services range from accounting, engineering, and management consulting to educational services. This paper seeks to explore the nature of management education services and to discuss how business schools can employ cross‐cultural product‐market strategies to enter and serve foreign markets with programs that match the needs of the targeted markets.

A framework is presented for delivering management education services across borders. Hofstede's cultural dimensions are integrated in recognizing the cultural characteristics of a target country and differing learning styles of students in making market entry decisions and the pedagogical styles that might apply to specific target markets.

In seeking new globally diverse markets, providers of knowledge‐intensive services such as management education must craft marketing strategies that recognize consumer demand and consumption characteristics as well as service design and delivery options that fit market needs.

Global expansion of management education services and the strategic and tactical considerations that are introduced in the framework can provide a fertile field for empirical research.

The paper develops cross‐cultural “product‐market” strategies that business schools can consider in serving international markets, with product defined as the curriculum, instructional style, and all of the ancillary services that constitute the educational service experience. Generalizability of the findings to other knowledge‐based services is also discussed.

The conceptual framework recognizes a dominant theme in international business, suggesting that internationalization potential depends on service industry characteristics and on specific host country internationalization drivers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating influence of attitude toward offshore call centers (OCCs) and brand image of the service provider firm on the relationships among perceived service quality (SQ), customer satisfaction (CS), complaint (CI) and repeat purchase (RP) intentions.

A total of 285 adult shoppers with prior experience with OCCs were recruited using mall‐intercept approach in a large mid‐Western city in the USA. A structured questionnaire was used to record their perceptions about their service provider using OCCs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the measurement and basic structural model, along with multi‐group analysis to test the moderating effects. Multiple moderated regression analysis was also used to verify the moderating effects.

As expected, SQ was found positively associated with CS, and CS was negatively associated with CI but positively with RP. Moreover, attitude toward OCC positively moderated the link between SQ and CS; brand image negatively moderated the link between CS and CI and positively moderated the link between CS and RP. All the hypotheses were supported.

It was found that negative attitudes towards OCC result in feelings of dissatisfaction, increase in complaints and decrease in repeat purchases. However, customers are likely to complain less and continue to patronize for a more reputed service firm compared to a less reputed firm. This finding contradicts recent market reports, hence future research should investigate actual customer complaints and repeat purchases to confirm the moderating role of brand image.

Services firms using OCC should be aware that their customers have varying attitudes toward OCC. They should track these attitudes and their impact on customer complaint and repeat purchase behavior. They should also track and benchmark the service levels of their OCC with their own local call centers and those of the competitors. They could improve customer attitudes toward OCC by customer relationship management and improve the service standards through more training and empowerment of their OCC representatives.

This study is one of the first few empirical investigations of customer reactions to OCCs exploring the moderating influence of “Attitude toward OCC” and “Brand image” on the relationships among perceived service quality, customer satisfaction, complaint and repeat purchases. The findings provide useful insights to managers and researchers alike.

Globalisation accompanied by the rapid development of the information and communication technology (ICT) has largely boosted international trade in services over the past decade or so. Because services account for a higher proportion of production costs, firms are taking every opportunity to go for lower-cost solutions for the provision of business process services. International sourcing of business support services has, therefore, been a preferred solution to the ongoing cost pressures and related skill shortages experienced in many developed countries.

The aim of this chapter is to explore the marginal dimensions of disability, gender and caste in the context of Indian economy in recent globalizing times.

Using an intersectional approach it is argued that caste, gender and disability implicate and impact the opportunities available to persons as these account for the marginalities in a developing economy. The chapter is based on ethnographic and empirical data and it critically analyses the trends.

This study shows how social and cultural frames on one hand and the nature of diverse occupational pursuits on the other set the context within which a person with dalit ¹ status, with impairments and also a woman is likely to suffer the most. Social contexts are diverse and situation of persons within different groups varies. The chapter also examines state and NGO initiatives in this regard and suggests the limitations and possibilities of dalits with disabilities having access to resources within neo-liberal economy.

The findings expand the scope of disability research having policy implications.

In the wake of COVID-19, most of the countries at present, are in a dilemma whether to extend lockdown at the cost of economy or to improve the hard-hit economy by lifting the lockdown. It is indicated by the reputed organizations and medical fraternity that corona will stay here for a longer period contrary to the earlier assumptions. Hence the purpose of this study is to suggest a strategy which balances both preventive measures and economic losses to control the pandemic.

There is a need for the identification of the critical success factors (CSFs) for developing COVID-19 preventive strategies to control the pandemic with an economy-centric approach.

The six CSFs identified are “Effective communication”, “Social distancing”, “Adopting new technology”, “Modify the rules and regulation at workplace”, “Sealing the borders of the territory” and “Strong leadership and government control”.

The study has a vital contribution to literature as no previous study has identified CSFs for developing COVID-19 preventive strategies while focusing on the economy.

Further, these identified CSFs are helpful in medium and longer-term planning which is required to rebalance and re-energize the economy following this epidemic crisis.

The study has given a model that depicts the cause and influence relationship between the key factors in the system under question. The importance of study increases many fold, as resources are limited and the outcome of the study could be used to channelize the resources effectively.

A raíz del surgimiento de COVID-19, en la actulidad la mayoría de los países se encuentran en un dilema entre extender el confinamiento a costa de la economía o mejorar la afectada economía levantando las cuarentenas. Diversas organizaciones incluyendo la comunidad médica indican que el coronavirus permanecerá por un período más largo, contrario a las suposiciones anteriores. En este contexto, es muy necesaria una estrategia que equilibre tanto las medidas preventivas como las pérdidas económicas.

Existe la necesidad de identificar los factores críticos de éxito (CSF) para desarrollar estrategias preventivas de COVID-19 para controlar la pandemia con un enfoque centrado en la economía.

Los seis CSF identificados son “Comunicación efectiva”, “Distanciamiento social”, “Adopción de nuevas tecnologías”, “Modificar las reglas y regulaciones en el lugar de trabajo”, “Sellar las fronteras del territorio” y “Liderazgo fuerte y control gubernamental”.

Este estudio tiene una contribución relevante para la literatura, ya que ningún estudio anterior ha identificado CSF para desarrollar estrategias preventivas de COVID-19 mientras se enfoca en la economía.

Además, los CSF identificados son útiles en la planificación a mediano y largo plazo que se requiere para reequilibrar y reactivar la economía después de esta crisis epidémica.

El estudio ha proporcionado un modelo que describe la relación de causa-efecto entre los factores clave del sistema analizado. La importancia del estudio se hace más evidente ya que ante recursos limitados, los resultados podría utilizarse para canalizar los recursos de manera eficaz.

Como resultado do surgimento do COVID-19, a maioria dos países está atualmente em um dilema entre estender o confinamento às custas da economia ou melhorar a economia afetada suspendendo as quarentenas. Várias organizações, incluindo a comunidade médica, indicam que o coronavírus permanecerá por um período mais longo, ao contrário das suposições anteriores. Nesse contexto, uma estratégia que equilibre medidas preventivas e perdas econômicas é muito necessária.

É necessário identificar os Fatores Críticos de Sucesso (CSF) para desenvolver estratégias preventivas ao COVID-19 para controlar a pandemia com uma abordagem centrada na economia.

Os seis CSF identificados são “Comunicação eficaz”, “Distanciamento social”, “Adoção de novas tecnologias”, “Modificar regras e regulamentos no local de trabalho”, “Selar as fronteiras do território” e “Liderança forte e controle governamental”.

Este estudo tem uma contribuição relevante para a literatura, uma vez que nenhum estudo anterior identificou a CSF para desenvolver estratégias preventivas ao COVID-19 com foco na economia.

Além disso, os CSF identificados são úteis no planejamento de médio e longo prazo necessário para reequilibrar e reativar a economia após esta crise epidêmica.

O estudo forneceu um modelo que descreve a relação causa-efeito entre os fatores-chave do sistema analisado. A importância do estudo fica mais evidente uma vez que, diante de uma situação de recursos limitados, os resultados poderiam ser usados para canalizar recursos de forma eficaz.

The purpose of this article is to provide a general review of the state of wellness in Asia's growing economies.

The paper looks at wellness issue in a number of Asian countries.

The rising prosperity of Asia's growing economies has drawn adverse consequences on employee wellness and the work‐life balance of many people. Intensified global competition and the expanding wealth gaps in Asia induce stress and create tension. A growing segment of Asia's working population reports being overworked and excessively strained, along with symptoms of fatigue, depression/anxiety, musculo‐skeletal pains, sleeping disorders and a rapid increase in chronic diseases. Long working hours, excessive workload, weekend duties, inadequate physical activity and an unhealthy lifestyle are often cited as the key sources of chronic fatigue and work stress. Mounting incidents of occupational illnesses/accidents, and the growing number of karoshi and suicides among prime‐aged working adults further raise concerns regarding individuals' health awareness and corporate effectiveness in employee wellness management.

The paper provides a valuable overview of the situation of declining wellness in Asia.