Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers

The management of cultural heritage is crucial for optimizing natural, archaeological and cultural resources for tourism development. This study focuses on evaluating Uchuraccay (a village in Peru) residents’ perceptions of this relationship. A survey of 520 respondents examined tangible and intangible heritage aspects, alongside tourism’s environmental, social and economic dimensions. Findings reveal challenges: 38.65% feel that tangible heritage lacks appreciation due to limited public awareness, insufficient conservation funding and limited promotion. Additionally, 40.96% believe that intangible heritage suffers from inadequate management and preservation policies. These insights underscore the necessity for cultural heritage assessments to enhance economic growth through targeted tourism strategies.

The effective management of cultural heritage plays a critical role in optimizing natural, archaeological and cultural resources for sustainable tourism development. This study examines residents’ perceptions in Uchuraccay, a rural village in Peru, regarding the relationship between cultural heritage management and tourism outcomes. Understanding local perspectives is particularly relevant for designing inclusive and context-sensitive tourism strategies that contribute to regional development. A quantitative approach was adopted through a structured survey administered to 520 residents. The instrument evaluated perceptions of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as tourism’s environmental, social and economic impacts. The analysis reveals significant perceived gaps in heritage management. Specifically, 38.65% of respondents indicated that tangible heritage is insufficiently valued, mainly due to limited public awareness, inadequate conservation funding and weak promotional efforts. Likewise, 40.96% of participants expressed concern that intangible heritage suffers from deficient management frameworks and the absence of robust preservation policies. These findings highlight structural and institutional challenges that may hinder the effective use of cultural heritage as a driver of sustainable tourism. The results suggest the urgent need for comprehensive cultural heritage assessment mechanisms that integrate community participation, strengthen conservation investment and improve heritage promotion strategies. From a managerial perspective, aligning heritage management with tourism planning can enhance local economic opportunities while safeguarding cultural identity. The study contributes to the tourism and heritage management literature by providing empirical evidence from a rural Latin American context, emphasizing the importance of resident-centred approaches. It also offers practical implications for policymakers and tourism planners seeking to leverage cultural assets responsibly. Future research may explore longitudinal impacts and comparative cases to deepen understanding of heritage-driven tourism development in similar communities.

Rooted in the congruity theory perspective, this study investigates the role of value congruity and self-image congruity in moderating the relationship between the perceived opportunity to craft and job crafting behaviour and, concomitantly, thriving at work. Data gathered from 426 employees of the Indian retail banking sector formed the basis of empirical testing. The results indicated that perceived opportunity to craft significantly ameliorates job crafting, which, in turn, enhances thriving at work. Additionally, value congruity and self-image congruity intensify the positive impact of perceived opportunity to craft on job crafting.

Thriving reflects the psychological state of progress, momentum and growth embedded in a collective experience of vitality and learning (Spreitzer et al., 2005). A thriving workforce is critical for organizations to achieve competitive advantage and sustainable performance (Prem et al., 2017). Organizations derive several benefits from a thriving workforce. For instance, thriving alleviates problems such as exhaustion, burnout and absenteeism (Porath et al., 2012) and improves job satisfaction, job performance, organizational commitment (Gerbasi et al., 2015), health (Walumbwa et al., 2018) and well-being. Against this background, this study deploys congruity theory to investigate the role of value congruity (VC) and self-image congruity (SIC) in moderating the relationship between the perceived opportunity to craft (POC) and job crafting (JC) behaviour and, concomitantly, thriving at work (TW). Primary data from a sample of 426 employees formed the basis of empirical testing. The data were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Appropriate statistical procedures, consisting of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, were used to analyse the data. The validity of the research instrument was examined using factor analysis, and the hypothesized relationships were tested through structural equation modelling. The results indicated that perceived opportunities to craft significantly improve job crafting behaviour and thriving at work. Additionally, value congruity and self-image congruity intensify the positive impact of POC on JC. These results offer a novel insight into the job crafting dynamics and its role in nurturing thriving at work. In light of the results, it is advised that a broader framework must be established instead of devising narrow and rigid boundaries of desired employee behaviour. Within that framework, employees should be offered a generous leeway to express themselves by modifying their tasks, relations and cognitions.

The study focuses on the empowerment of the digital platform users in India under the influence of the Digital India initiative. The study measures the perceived competence of the population from rural and urban areas of Gujarat. About 400 respondents were surveyed using a stratified sampling technique. The study finds that the perceived competence of the users is increased by the antecedents namely self-determination, perceived control, goal internalization and meaning, whereas impact showed a negative relationship with the perceived competence. The study provides theoretical and policy implications for academic researchers and policymakers.

Developing economies across the globe are aspiring to become digital economies by increasing digital literacy among their population. In India, one of the key initiatives boosting literacy is the Digital India initiative. This initiative focuses on the dissemination of tools and information that increase digital literacy across the population and aspires to deliver last-mile connectivity. However, in India, digital literacy is unevenly distributed between rural and urban populations, making it difficult to measure the effectiveness of such initiatives across the country. This study measures the initiative’s effectiveness using theories of psychological empowerment (Menon, 2001; Spreitzer, 1995), which conceptualize it as a reflective construct. The study analyses the effect of five antecedents, namely goal internalization, self-determination, perceived control, impact and meaning on the perceived competence of individuals from rural and urban areas. The study used a structured questionnaire and stratified sampling technique to collect data from 400 respondents who use/have used various government schemes (e.g., Aadhar, Ayushman Bharat, UPI, MyGov and other digital portals) from rural and urban areas of Gujarat, India. Furthermore, the data analysis was done in a two-step process. First, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to extract factors using principal component analysis. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure was 0.850, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was found significant. Second, the main hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis. The model collectively explained 42.4% of the variance in the dependent variable, with an adjusted R² value of 0.416. The results showed that, except for impact (which had a negative effect), all the other antecedents significantly increased the perceived competence of the sample population. The findings of the study contribute significantly to the literature and have theoretical and policy implications for academics, practitioners and policymakers.

Insolvency professionals play key roles, such as resolution professionals, bankruptcy trustees and liquidators. They facilitate the implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), ensuring efficiency, transparency and credibility. The core objectives of IBC—resolution and maximization of value—are realized through corporate restructuring and asset recovery, led by insolvency professionals. However, limited academic attention has been given to the practical challenges, which this article examines through a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with insolvency professionals and analysed. Key challenges include regulatory complexity, information gaps, valuation issues, creditor negotiations, structural ambiguity and reputation risks. The findings suggest areas for policy improvement.

Insolvency professionals (IPs) play a pivotal role in implementing the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), ensuring the effortless exit of distressed firms and the reallocation of resources. They serve as agents of ‘creative destruction’, achieving resolution and value maximization largely through corporate restructuring and asset recovery. However, academic attention rarely focuses on the challenges faced by the IPs in facilitating these processes. Thus, the article investigates these professional challenges faced by insolvency practitioners in India. Interviews were conducted with 20 IPs who have over 20 years of restructuring experience in the pre-IBC era and have managed more than 15 corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) cases in the post-IBC regime. Semi-structured questions were used to ensure consistency while allowing flexibility in the research process. The key findings were then coded and analysed using NVivo version 12. Information gaps, regulatory deficiencies and complexities, non-cooperation from stakeholders and lack of awareness about the IP profession emerged as the major challenges in the profession. Moreover, integrity issues, technological deficiencies, filing complications and a lack of interim finance also contributed to the hurdles in the profession. In contrast to studies that primarily examine the outcomes of the IBC, the present study focuses on the practical challenges faced by IPs in insolvency processes. The study also provides actionable, experience-based recommendations to policymakers and regulators to strengthen the insolvency ecosystem. It calls for improved information recovery from suspended management, enhanced powers and manpower of the NCLT, faster regulatory approvals, clearer statutory rights and obligations of stakeholders, better-trained judges and professionals and robust digital and procedural standardization. The study had also demanded a systematic code of conduct for the Committee of Creditors and a forum for the IPs to raise their concerns.

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Being an Insolvency professional means, you are placed in a pressure position. With great power comes great responsibilities. But such powers can be exercised and responsibilities can be discharged only with the cooperation of all the stakeholders involved in the reorganization process. But, in reality, we are targeted, arrested, blackmailed, and even put behind bars without due reasons that arise from sheer ignorance about this profession. It’s woeful. (A quote from Respondent 16)

This case describes a delay in the procurement of crawler dozers, a type of heavy earth-moving machinery, by a public sector undertaking of the Government of India in the mining sector. The chronology of events over 6 years highlights the underlying factors, including procrastination in initiating the procurement process, the time taken to prepare technical specifications, complaints from bidders and multiple-tiered queries. The most important learning outcome is that while arbitrary decisions are discouraged in any procurement, procrastination in decision-making should be equally discouraged. The case underlines the necessity of extensive, all-embracing standard operating procedures or definite guidelines.