Presentation one - Dr Charu Bhurat

Brics Nations and Financial Inclusion: a Comparative Study of the BRICS Nations Using Various Financial Inclusion Indicators

Abstract: Financial inclusion means providing access to financial services at affordable cost to all individuals and businesses especially to the vulnerable and weaker income groups. This paper aims to examine the concept of financial inclusion and its relevance with respect to the world’s emerging economies Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The BRICS nations have been the growth drivers of the world economy and higher financial inclusion means a better level of socio-economic development. Various financial inclusion indicators from The Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) have been used to compare data of these countries. With the help of this paper, an attempt has been made to analyse the state of financial inclusion and digital financial services amongst BRICS nations. Also, the BRICS nations have been compared in terms of income as well as gender disparity for various financial inclusion indicators.

Working paper link

 

Presentation two - Dr Anindo Bhattacharjee

Cross-Cultural Research on Employee Silence and its role in Sense-making / Sense-giving in Healthcare

Abstract: Employee silence, the withholding of work-related ideas, questions, or concerns from someone who could effect change, has been proposed to hamper individual and collective learning as well as the detection of errors and unethical behaviours in many areas of the world. To facilitate cross-cultural research in employee silence, we validated an instrument measuring four employee silence motives (i.e., silence based on fear, resignation, prosocial, and selfish motives) in 21 languages and 33 countries.  To explore the role of culture for silence, we examined relationships of silence motives with the societal practices cultural dimensions from the GLOBE Program. We found relationships between silence motives and power distance, institutional collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance. Employee Silence is an especially tricky issue in the context of heath care. Health care management is faced with a basic conundrum about organizational behaviour; why do professionals who are highly dedicated to their work choose to remain silent on critical issues that they recognize as being professionally and organizationally significant? Speaking-up interventions in health care achieve disappointing outcomes because of a professional and organizational culture that is not supportive.

Working paper link - APA PsychNet

Working paper link - Health Care Management Review