Research & Consulting

 Research interests

• Corporate Responses to Climate Change           
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy       
• Environmental Management & Business Sustainability
• Operations Management & Supply Chain          
• Services Marketing & Consumer Behaviour

Consulting & Applied Research

Independent Consulting Engagement: Balaramapuram Handloom Producer Company Ltd., Trivandrum (2026)

Commissioned by the company to conduct a market research study, ‘Balaramapuram Handloom Products: Consumer Perception & Market Assessment’, to support a NABARD loan application. Delivered a formal Market Research Report covering consumer perception, buying behaviour, competitive positioning, and strategic recommendations for market development of a GI-tagged heritage textile tradition.

Commissioned by: Balaramapuram Handloom Producer Company Ltd., Trivandrum. Prepared by: Dr. Lekshmi R. Kumar, Asian School of Business, Trivandrum.

Applied Research — Supervised Student Projects

Research design, analytical framework, and interpretation by L.R. Kumar; data collection by supervised MBA students.

• Supervised 60+ MBA applied research projects over 9 years spanning consumer goods, healthcare, retail, hospitality, and service operations—including 11 active internship research projects currently in progress. Directly responsible for faculty allocation across all student internship projects at ASB.
• Methods deployed across supervised projects: SERVQUAL, DMAIC, OEE/TEEP, AHP, TOPSIS, NPS, Garrett Ranking, Business Process Modelling, Importance-Performance Matrix, Lean TIMWOODS, Selective Control of Inventory (ABC, XYZ, FSN analyses), Root Cause Analysis, Service Blueprinting.

Consumer & Market Research — Birla White Products, Thrissur
Multi-method study on consumer awareness and buying behaviour: NPS, Garrett Ranking, AHP, TOPSIS, ANOVA. Findings informed brand positioning and semi-urban market entry strategy.

Community Health Needs Assessment — KIMSHEALTH, Trivandrum
Mixed-methods study (n=80, four constituencies) assessing community health needs and outreach programme effectiveness. Recommendations covered mental health integration, digital communication, and affordability barriers.

Hospital Discharge Process Optimization — KIMSHEALTH, Trivandrum
DMAIC-based process efficiency study (n=100): SIPOC, process flow mapping, fishbone, control charts, ANOVA. Identified statistically significant discharge time differential between cash and insurance patients; delivered structured process improvement recommendations.

Service Quality & Operations Audit — Lulu Funtura, Trivandrum

Two linked studies: SERVQUAL gap analysis on service quality dimensions; OEE/TEEP analysis on gaming equipment utilization. Delivered integrated recommendations on service responsiveness and operational efficiency.