Showing papers in "TIJ's Research Journal of Social Science & Management - RJSSM in 2013"

Demand Side Factors Affecting Financial Inclusion

Abstract: Despite banking expansion, improvement in financial performance, greater competition and diversification of ownership of banks leading to both enhanced efficiency and systematic resilience in the banking sector, existing banking practices tend to exclude rather than attract vast sections of population. There are a host of factors contributing to financial exclusion. These factors may be both from supply side and demand side. The government and RBI take several measures to encourage the supply of financial services to the excluded sector. But the demand factors of financial inclusion attract very little focus. The main aim of this paper is to identify the various demand side factors of financial inclusion and to build a model for the same. Choosing a sample size of 500 using simple random sampling method, the study concludes that out of the several factors the most important factors influencing the demand for financial inclusion are Accessibility, Culture, Assets, Literacy and Income. The study will be very useful for the administrative bodies like the government and RBI to frame rules and regulations and also to initiate several measures for boosting the demand factors of financial inclusion.

Analysis of the Strategic Orientation of HRD Practices and Managers’ Awareness towards the Concepts of HRD in Ethiopia

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the strategic orientation of HRD, managers’ awareness of HRD concept, and the strategic role of HRD functions in Ethiopian organizations. The research constructs a conceptual framework to put each constructs under consideration in the whole system. The study results showed that HRD has a strategic nature and it is conclusively strategic oriented in the organization and it showed a strong evidence for nearly all enhanced characteristics of HRD. Managers of the organization have good awareness of HRD concepts since they have excellent understanding of the components of HRD and they recognize that training and development, organization development, career development, and performance appraisal are components of HRD function. HRD is playing a strategic role both by shaping and supporting the overall objectives of the organization. Moreover, HRD is given considerable emphasis by the organization, and it is considered as the first and foremost among the six strategic issues of the organization.

Innovation Capability: A Critical Review of its Role in Determining Firm Performance

Abstract: The recognition of innovation capability as a key success factor in an increasingly competitive, global economy has laid the groundwork to explore new practices of management Innovation capability is the ability of a firm to transform an idea into a something new which carries an economic value The economic value would then increase profit and consequently firm performance However, prior empirical study on innovation capability does not provide conclusive evidence regarding the relationship between innovation capability and firm performance This paper tends to explore the conflicting results that link between the two variables

Integrating Translation into Task-Based Activities - A New Direction for ESL Teachers

Abstract: Integrating Translation into Task-Based Activities – A New Direction for ESL Teachers Translation is an efficient teaching method to facilitate students in the acquisition of foreign languages. Through the process of doing translation, students apply their linguistic knowledge into practical use and raise awareness of the similarities and differences in morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics between the two languages. The incorporation of translation into task-based activities teaches students that translation is not a discrete and useless grammar drill but rather a communicative tool to help them achieve real-life tasks.

A Psychometrics Analysis on Impact of Self Help Group on Members: Core vs. Peripheral Issues

Abstract: Self Help Group is a unique innovation of credit delivery technique to enhance income generating activities. It has produced positive impacts on two vital areas of national development, alleviation of poverty and women’s empowerment. Sixty five variables relating to impact of SHGs on members are identified from survey of literature and relevant perception of direct stakeholders whether the aspects like impact on members of SHG and its involvement in larger social issues should be peripheral or core components of quality indicators of SHG is perceived on five point scale. The study is conducted by using multi-stage random sampling method to collect primary data from the selected Development Blocks of Nagaon districts of Assam (India) comprising promoter, donor, financial institutions and group members. It is observed that there was no significant effect of stakeholders on overall score on impact on members of SHG as Peripheral or Core issue. It is observed that different stakeholders believed that the impact on members of SHG and its involvement in larger social issues should be ‘somewhat core component’ as the mean value lies in between the scale range of 1 & 0 which represents the range of ‘somewhat core component’

Impact of demographic variables on job satisfaction

Abstract: The success of a corporation depends very much on customer satisfaction. A high level of customer service leads to customer retention, thus offering growth and profit opportunities to the organization. There is a strong relationship between customer satisfaction and job satisfaction.A major problem faced by Insurance sector today in increasing job dissatisfaction among its Sales Managers .In this study the researcher has tried to find out the reasons that lower the satisfaction level amongst employees by linking the demographic factors like Age, Tenure and Gender. It was surprisingly found that Job satisfaction level in the insurance industry is quite high with a total of 59.3% of the total respondents agreeing that they were satisfied with their jobs in contrast to only 26% of those who were dissatisfies. There were 14.7% of respondents who remain neutral on the issue The analysis also revealed that Women were comparatively more satisfied (74% were satisfied) with their job in contrast to their male counterparts (only 44% were satisfied) .Job satisfaction and age has a U-shaped curve i.e. it increases from the age of 22-26 years of age and declines between 26-30, slightly rises between 30-35 and then rises from there on till above 40 years.It revealed that satisfaction increases with increase in the tenure of a person and maximum job satisfaction occur in the tenure range of 4 years to 6 years but then dips for people with tenure of 7 to 10years but then again rises for employees with tenure of more than 10 years.

Demographic Differences, Causes and Impact of Workplace Production Deviance On Organizations: An Empirical Study On Non-Punctuality Of Employees In Service Cluster

Abstract: - Production deviance such as employee non-punctuality, taking excessive breaks, absenteeism etc., is considered as less severe than other types of deviances. Though it would not be wrong to say that may be production deviance is one of the most ubiquitous kinds of deviance present in almost every type of organizations irrespective of its size, operations and location. Therefore, its impact is much more severe than what is generally perceived by the researchers. Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the various related causes and impact on organizations of workplace production deviance- especially related to lateness of arrival at work by employees. The reasons why people engage in such behaviors are explored and possible recommendations to overcome this problem are proposed herewith. Design/Methodology/Approach – A literature review on current and earlier researches on same and similar areas was conducted followed by the designing of a self-report questionnaire and its empirical analysis. Result – Tests employed in current research suggested that there is not much of the significant difference between the type of gender, age-group and other demographic variables on employee non-punctuality. Conclusion – Findings of this research suggests that frequent late arrival or absenteeism is an indicator that the employee may be losing the interest in the current job/position and may/will eventually quit the job in future. Hence measures as suggested in this research shall be taken to solve this grave issue of non-punctuality which constitutes the part of production deviance. Keywords – Workplace deviance, Production deviance, Employee Non-punctuality, Unethical behaviour.

Impacting factors on individual investors’ behaviour towards commodity market in india

Abstract: Under the concept of behavioral finance, it is presumed that information structure and characteristics of capital market participants systematically influence their own decisions as well as market outcomes. As the investor’s investment decisions in any one particular market tend to rely more on their behaviour derived from psychological principles of decision making, a better understanding of behavioural processes and outcomes is important for financial planners. Further, identifying the factors that play an important role in determining the behaviour of investors would affect the future policies and strategies of the financial planners and market brokers as well as the government. Hence, the present article is focused on exploring the factors influencing the behavior of investors towards commodity market in India. This study, based on primary data, adopted survey approach to measure the investors’ behavior. The sample respondents are individual / retail investors selected randomly in Trichy district. Questionnaire comprising a scale with 15 items for measuring the behavior were distributed and the total number of respondents was 525. Cronbach alpha method was applied to check reliability and validity of the collected data. The main components underlying the scale that have greater influence on the investors’ behavior were ascertained by multivariate analysis called Principal component method of Factor analysis with varimax rotation. The descriptive analysis was also used to explore the degree of influence of main components on the behavior of investors. The results of analysis exposed four major factors that have greater influence on the behavior of investors, viz., low risk, informational asymmetry, high return and objective knowledge.

Compliance as a determinant for property tax revenue generation in local governments in malaysia

Abstract: Property taxation is a system created to ameliorate the less privileged. This is achieved through levying properties for maintenance, provision of services and development of infrastructure, within the jurisdiction of a local authority. However, taxpayer’s compliance behavior significantly determines the success of property tax collection. Contemporaneously, one of the major challenges facing the local authorities is the issue of property tax arrears, which is predominantly due to non-compliance behavior. The aim of this paper is to analyze through evaluation, how compliance behavior of a taxpayer affects property tax revenue generation at (PGMC) Pasir Gudang Municipal Council, Malaysia. The study discovered that compliance behavior of a taxpayer significantly affects the revenue mobilization capacity with respect to property taxation in local governments. The issue of non-compliance behavior resulted in accrued tax arrears and inevitably low-income generation. However, transparency, commitment to service delivery, development of infrastructure and mass mobilization sensitization may erase doubts in the minds of the taxpayers given room for a positive compliance. This research may provide option for improvement in revenue generation and positively more service delivery by the local governments.

Financial performance in the banking sector: a study with special refference to kenyan commercial banks using data envelopment analysis (dea)

Abstract: The commercial banks deals with most liquid asset, of people and helps them for stability and growth of a country’s economy. Kenya is one of the East African Countries. It has a population of 40 million people. The policy frame work of Kenya combines socialistic and capitalistic features with a heavy bias towards private sector investment. However, the last couple of decades in Kenya have witnessed continuous change in regulation, technology and competition in all sectors including financial services industry. The rising cost-income ratios and declining profitability reflect increased competitive pressure. To assess the stability of the banking system, it is therefore crucial to benchmark the performance of banks operating in Kenya. An efficient banking system contributes in an extensive way to higher economic growth in Kenya. This study investigates the performance analysis of some selected Kenyan Commercial Banks. It was found that private banks performed well relatively compared to public banks sector and foreign sector banks in Kenya. Keywords: Performance, Commercial Banks of Kenya, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) JEL Classification codes : E44, G2, G21

The Effect of Land Conflicts on the Livelihoods of Refugees: Implications for Refugee Protection in Uganda

Abstract: The study that was carried out in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, South Western Uganda sought to establish the causes of land conflicts, assess the effect of land conflicts on the livelihoods of refugees and the implications for refugee protection in Uganda. The research design was case study and largely qualitative although a small amount of quantitative data was included. Primary and secondary data were collected from a representative sample of 124 respondents. The study found out that competition for land between refugees themselves and host communities coupled with unclear land boundaries among other factors are responsible for the land conflicts in Nakivale settlement. Results show the prevalence of negative effects of land conflicts on the livelihoods of refugees. Land conflicts in refugee hosting areas have serious implications for refugee protection in Uganda.

Violence against women in tv fictional world : exploring the hierarchy of violence effects (hove) on youth behavior

Abstract: The hierarchy of violence effects (HOVE) on youth behavior is investigated. The studies explore the relationship between exposure of violence verbal ,symbolic, physical and psychological violence being depicted through Pakistan Television (PTV) fictional world and its impact on youth cognitive, affective and conative levels of behavior. A survey research design had been planned to carry out the quantitative study. A stratified sample of 532 was collected out of the total population of youth community studying at various educational institutions of Dera Ismail Khan City. The data was tested by multiple regression using SPSS version 12.0.The findings reveal that cognition of violence have been determine significant positive impact on affective level (attitude) of respondents .Affective level of violence have positive impact on conation (behavior) of respondents. Findings of multiple regression reveals high beta values of physical and verbal violence indicating that the physical and verbal violence have more impact on affective level of respondent,s behavior than other variables .A linear relationship is also found between cognition of violence, affective of violence and conation of violence.

Audit Delay and Audit Quality: The Nigerian experience.

Abstract: AUDIT DELAY AND AUDIT QUALITY: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE DR ENOFE, A.O EDIAE, O.O OKUNEGA, E. C Abstract This study empirically examines the effect of audit delay on audit quality. Data were collected from a sample of 50 companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Information was gathered from audited financial reports of these companies for the period ending 2011. The study revealed that audit delay and total delay are positively related to audit quality while board size is negatively related to audit quality, it therefore recommends that future research should extend these tests to other settings and periods in order to determine if this effect is to particular industry or firms, or to the period examined, and whether there is a significant effect over longer periods than one year. Keywords: Audit delay, Total delay, Boardsize, Timeliness

Talent management strategy and absorptive capacity as antecedences of innovation capability: A conceptual framework

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine how the strategy of talent management (TM) and absorptive capacity can affect innovation capability. This paper reviewed related literature with these concepts and then submits a proposed theoretical framework to manifest the relationship between these variable. Innovation has so far constantly considered from a Knowledge management (KM) perspective; this paper examines the innovation and innovation capability from absorptive capacity and TM strategy perspective as a critical success factors and concluded how organizations can benefit from the integration of TM strategy and absorptive capacity principles to develop innovation capability and achieve a high level of performance.

Corporate attributes and environmental disclosures of nigerian quoted firms: an empirical analysis

Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate attributes on environmental disclosure among quoted firms in Nigeria The study reports the result from an empirical investigation using a sample of one hundred randomly selected firms on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Data were extracted from the financial statements of the company and Nigerian Stock Exchange Factbook The data was analyzed out using descriptive statistics, and Binary probit regression analysis It was observed that performance of the firm and the industry type had a significant influence on environmental disclosure Hence it is recommended that companies should disclose environmental reporting in line with the international trend as these make them more competitive globally

Spiritual events and its impact on customers attitude

Abstract: Spirituality is generally an alleged immaterial reality. Many people say many things about this. Some say spirituality is the inner power of consciousness which links with the God and some say this process and path of evolution of human attitudes, behaviour and satisfaction. The increasing rate of worship of Goddess Santoshi Maa, the Goddess of satisfaction in north India has left the devotional mark in south India including the state of Odisha. Brahmapur, the famous trade centre of southern Odisha is a very much spiritual place where we see many spiritual festivals throughout the year. These bring out pleasant human behaviour and increasing rate of trade fares are seen based on the customer satisfaction. Impact of worship of Goddess Santoshi has also fallen in the daily life of Brahmapur leaving the footprints of Shakti worship in the district of Ganjam. However the name of the supreme Goddess of the city, “Maa Buddhi Saantani”, is derived from the twenty seventh name of Goddess Santoshi out of her one hundred and eight names. Bi-annual festival of the Goddess is celebrated here as per public interest giving the growth rate of satisfaction to both businessmen and customers. Starting from small and retail business men to wholesale business men including the industrialists wait for this festive session and starting from the people of below poverty line to middleclass and aristocrats enjoy the festive business with a great feeling of satisfaction. Business, people’s attitudes and customer satisfaction are closely associated for successful business. Here we have discussed about the influence of spirituality on people of Brahmapur which has brought up a fresh mind of new business era along with the development of city. This article of ours contains Introduction, objectives, literature review, importance of the study discussion, and conclusion and finally references are included at last as end notes. We hope this article will benifit many and will be informative to others.

An overview of human hair business in chennai

Abstract: In Today’s business world every things should be make it as profitable manner. In any manufacturing concern there should be waste and scrap from its main products. This scrap has processed and further the same can be converted in to utilizable product through effective techniques. INDIA” is one of the heritage country among the world. India is crammed by Hindus. They have manners of giving vital to god and sacrificing their belongings as a gift to the god. They believe the god, when they are facing thorny situation. After the recovery they have a practice of thanks giving by sacrificing, donate, gift and so on the temple. Here Chennai is one of the hub for exporting of human hair. The business people who engaged in export of human hair are very less in number compare to other business like exporting of leather, cosmetics, textile, chemicals, etc,. here the business peoples are collected the tonsure hair from the various temples authorities through auction and processed it in a separate place some times in its home itself they doing the process and market the hair and hair products to all over the world.

Determinants of Credit Risk in the Commercial Banking Sector of Belize

Abstract: An empirical study was carried out to predict the determinants of the credit risk in the commercial banking sector of Belize by using an econometric model. The model by utilizing a panel data from 2006 to 2012 at bank level for the 5 private sector banks has shown some unique determinants of the credit risk in the Belizean commercial banking sector. The model used in the study has a high R square which is a reflection of the fitness of the model and its predictability. The results showed that the lagged nonperforming assets had a strong and statistically significant positive influence on the current non-performing assets. There is a significant inverse relationship between the current GDP and the credit risk. Lagged Inflation showed a positive and significant influence on the NPL. The study reveals that both macroeconomic and bank specific factors play crucial role in determining the credit risk of the commercial banking sector.

Water disclosure practices in indian companies : a road less travelled

Abstract: Present era marks the beginning of addressing the issues of all the stakeholders associated with the company profile, environment, societal change and governance. All these concerns including the climate change, carbon emissions, water usage and significant changes in demographics and society have become the mainstream in corporate reporting. The shrinking per capita accessibility of water in India force that all the Corporates must have a formal plan for water management that includes formal disclosures and reporting mechanisms. The per capita water availability in India, which is currently at 1544 cubic meters in 2011 vis-a-vis the international benchmark 1,700 cubic meters, is proposed to further shrink to 1,140 cubic meters by 2050. Statistics clearly signify that India has already acquired the prominence of a water-stressed nation. So far only 39 Indian companies have released sustainability reports in adherence to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Increasing awareness about this issue has been prompting investors to seek water-related disclosures from companies. In response to the growing importance to businesses of both water use and disclosure, a proliferation of initiatives are seeking to provide guidance on how companies can measure their water performance, understand their water-related challenges and opportunities, develop effective water management strategies, and communicate these issues to stakeholders. Companies are adopting variety of incomparable metrics thereby weakening the value of disclosure offerings. The objective of the present paper is to highlight the present trends in Indian corporate sector relating to water related policies. The present policies of Indian corporate sector do not adequately capture the incredible complex and location –specific nature of water resource dynamics and corporate action. Monitoring of water usage/waste water discharge, through proper accounting and reporting to the stakeholders/general public, must form the core of business strategy towards sustainable growth as water continues to emerge as a critical corporate sustainability challenge. There is an urgent need to develop a common tool to map the water foot prints to achieve sustainable growth.

Living conditions of irula tribes of gingee taluk, villupuram district, tamil nadu

Abstract: The largest tribal population is found in India and they constitute nearly 8% of the Indian total population One of the Largest Tribes in Tamil Nadu is Irulas and it has been facing several psycho-social-economic problems during last two decades Earlier they were traditionally snake trappers, with the ban on trading snake and its skins without any alternative rehabilitative measures their living conditions of their life has been affected It is in this context, the researcher made an attempt to study the living conditions of the Irular tribal Community Findings revealed that 66% illiteracy, negative attitude towards education and girl children education, (84%)inadequate housing conditions, majority were involved in farming, have job insecurity, low income, indebtedness, 81% live under below poverty line, none of them were having banking facilities, toilet facility at home, most of them do not have community certificate to avail govt welfare measures, alcohol dependence is seen among men folk, poor quality of life, poor health care facility and overall poor living condition The study also revealed that they live in joint family, do not promote dowry, inter-caste marriage, men and women enjoy equal social status, live in harmony and actively participate in self-help group, temple festivals along with other community

Community Participation, Management and Sustainability of Public Projects: A Case of Water and Sanitation Project in Kabwohe Itendero Town Council, South Western Uganda

Abstract: The study focused on community participation, management and sustainability of public projects with a case of water and sanitation project in Kabwohe Itendero Town Council, South Western Uganda The study specifically sought to examine how the water and sanitation scheme was examined, assessing the factors affecting community participation in the management of community projects, challenges faced in the management of the water and sanitation scheme and mechanisms put in place to address challenges faced in the management of the scheme A qualitative approach with a case study research design was used to investigate opinions, attitudes and perceptions regarding community participation in the sustainability of water and sanitation facilities Data was collected from 160 respondents The study found out that community participation in the management and sustainability of the scheme was minimal Findings revealed that in the management of the scheme, water and sanitation committees were formed and charged with a duty to coordinate the water and sanitation activities Specifically the committees were found to be engaged in planning, collection of user fees, monitoring and supervision, and community sensitization among others All these roles were performed with limited success Among the challenges hindering the scheme was low education, lack of motivation, poor hygiene and disconnection of taps as important factors affecting sustainability of the water and sanitation project People preferred privately owned and managed water and sanitation facilities reasoning that people do not have interest in running public facilities Government and the local leadership were seen as major players involved in addressing the challenges affecting the water and sanitation scheme in Kabwohe/Itendero Town Council It was revealed that the community appreciated the work done by these actors to address the challenges Collection of user fees was also used as a measure to ensure that funds are always available to carry out repairs and replacement of broken water taps and other facilities

Is Green Marketing only a Brand Differentiation Strategy or Profit Generation Concept too

Abstract: With the rising population, increasing utilization of natural resources and much more concern for the environment, the corporates and the various organizations joined hands to follow the concept of Green Processing in their Business Practices. Going green simply means following the environment friendly practices during the various segments of Business like production, manufacturing, marketing, warehousing, and the likes. Be it service or product, Green practices can be followed anywhere to efficiently utilize the resources. Lot of Companies are using Environment friendly practices these days and getting them involved in their routine work. Doing something green is making them to claim that ethically they are good and this in turn is helping them to attract various customers towards their services and products. But off lately, the Green Marketing, which involves inclusion of Green Practices as the core USP of the companies, has risen too much. Many companies are taking stand to mention Green practices in their various marketing strategies and helping the customers to prefer them over the other similar non-green products. Though the green strategy looks impressive on first account but it involves greater cost of implementation which in turn makes the end product costlier as compared to the other non-green end products. So the customer actually have to pay higher for the green marketed products but gives them better sense of satisfaction that they have done something good for the environment. Now the major question that arises is whether companies which are promoting themselves as followers of Green practices are actually using the Green Marketing i.e. boasting about their product and process to be environment friendly and using it as a brand differentiation strategy OR are they involving such practices in their promotional activities because of good revenue generation under the name of green marketing concept. The current paper tries to answer such question and gives customer and company executive views on the same. There are 8 companies which have been studied which are promoting themselves as followers of Green practices. A sample of 100 customers has been taken who were randomly asked about their views on the Green marketing concept by business houses and involvement of Green practices in business processes. The area of study has been the four major metro cities of India. The research has been exploratory and qualitative in nature primarily. Basic level of quantitative analysis has also been used. The results indicate that the orientation of Green Marketing strategies is more towards Brand differentiation as compared to better revenue generation activity. Based on the data analysis, some recommendations for companies, adopting green marketing practices for the first time, have been included.

Analysis of the Performance of VAR Models as a tool for Market Risk

Abstract: Value at Risk (VAR) is a widely used risk measure for specific portfolio of risky assets Banking organizations employ various VAR models to calculate expected risk with respect to interest rate changes, foreign exchange rates and commodity prices But the question arises which is the best VAR model to measure risk for a portfolio There are mainly four broad categories of VAR models available These are- the Historical Simulation method, the Monte Carlo simulation method, modeling return distribution and methods under Extreme Value Theory (EVT) All these models use classical approach and deal with time series of returns The study finds that all the approaches of VAR are effective risk management tools are able to cover the risk that they are intended to cover The VAR risk measure is able to predict the risk estimate with accuracy in around 90% of the observations and with longer time period, VAR models are able to produce results that are less instable The study also finds that in order to achieve the desired level of coverage in the observation period, Exponentially Weighted Moving Average proved to be a suitable approach Key Words: VAR, EVT, Equally Weighted Moving Average, Exponentially Weighted Moving Average, Historical Simulation

Work and schooling challenges of open distance learning: case study

Abstract: Malaysia had emphasized on human capital development in the 9th and 10th Malaysia Plan, promoting lifelong learning culture. Educational institutions worldwide has always placed great emphasis on the factors governing the performance of students in the Open Distance Learning (ODL) study. A mounting number of universities, as well as colleges, have begun to offer a select set of academic programs via the internet at a wide range of levels and in a wide range of disciplines. While some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, many are delivered completely online, Open Distance Mode of Learning (ODL). With the application of more technology the processes need to be well monitored for the best outcome for continuous improvement. But it is observed that students are finding it difficult to manage their work schedule and schooling. They have lots of worries on learning mechanism in Open Distance Learning. Since the quality of the mode of learning which determine the market acceptance of an institution the quality assurance process of the e-learning mode needs to be more emphasized. This case research examines the significant steps that to be adopted for effective Open Learning Education.

Marketing of life insurance services

Abstract: The decade of 90s, saw the emergence of liberalization. Liberalization means lifting governmental restrictions and allowing competition to play free role in the economy. With respect to insurance business, liberalization means allowing private enterprises to operate in this particular sector. The main private insurance companies which are challenging the monopoly position of LIC are TATA-AIG, SBI Life, Reliance, ICICI Prudential, ING Vysya, Max New York life etc. Andhra Pradesh is well known for its cultivation and people are well educated. The survey attempted to secure the opinion of Insurance policy holders towards LIC of India and Private Insurance Companies in Andhra Pradesh. The data was collected from a sample of 400 policy holders with the help of a structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was adopted. The major findings of the study includes LIC of India is in better position regarding product and price mix variables. The private insurance companies are in better position in the aspects of place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence. The researcher feels responsible to suggest that the Private Insurance Companies should design better insurance policies to cope up the competition with LIC. LIC of India should focus more on promotion and distributional activities and it should also concentrate on improving physical evidence aspects to retain its legendary position in the market. Keywords: Life Insurance, Policy Holder, Perception, Satisfaction

An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Marketing Strategies Employed By Zimbabwean Insurance Companies for Creating Competitive Advantage

Abstract: The Zimbabwean Insurance Industry has continued to see an increase in the number of players entering the market on one hand and a shrinking market at the back of an underperforming economy on the other hand. This has resulted in both old and new players in the insurance industry scrambling for the few clients who still see value in taking up life assurance policies especially after the losses that they suffered when the Zimbabwean economy adopted the multicurrency system. This challenge has been coupled with the influx of many new insurance companies that have joined the industry since the introduction of the multicurrency system. Competition in the industry has therefore been inadvertently on the increase over the years. It is against this background that the researchers sought to investigate into the various strategies that different players within the insurance industry have implemented in creating competitive advantage to attain improved organizational performance and sustainable growth. The objectives of this research were; to identify the different strategies that have been formulated and implemented by various organizations in the insurance industry in creating competitive advantage within the insurance industry; to measure the effectiveness of these strategies in creating competitive advantage; to identify the various challenges in the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies designed to create competitive advantage; an, to identify and recommend possible solutions to challenges faced in strategy implementation as organizations endeavour to continuously create competitive advantage. A cross sectional survey methodology was used to gather data from a sample of organizations within the insurance industry and two instruments were largely used for data gathering; the questionnaire and the depth interview guide. Results were analyzed and the following conclusions were drawn; organizations in the insurance industry largely use differentiation and low cost strategies, their products are intensely distributed using multiple agents and brokers, personal selling and advertising are also used as the main promotional strategies, and the use of human capital to create competitive advantage is becoming more extensively used by most organizations in the industry. It was on the basis of these conclusions that the researchers made the following recommendations; organizations in the insurance industry to regularly carry out comprehensive market researches to identify customers’ ever-changing needs in a dynamic environment, efforts have to be made to satisfy these identified customer needs if insurers are to effectively create competitive advantage, there is need to increase the level of giving customers value for money through enhanced product features and benefits, insurers can aggressively use ICTS to extensively promote their products to their various target markets, the use of physical evidence to create competitive advantage can be further explored and there is need for redefining organizational systems so that they become more robust in facilitating efficient service delivery. These recommendations are envisaged to significantly benefit players in the insurance industry, if they are to continuously create competitive advantage for superior performance and sustainable organizational growth.

Effect of Internet Banking Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction: Evidence from Ghanaian Banking Industry

Abstract: The paper examines the influence of Internet Banking Service Quality (IBSQ) on Customer Satisfaction (CS) in the Ghanaian banking industry. The study was a cross-sectional survey that employed the use self-administered questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 200 respondents through personal contact. Through Structural Equation Modelling approach, the findings indicate that, of the five IBSQ dimensions, web design factors have significantly positive influence on CS, explaining about 79.6% of CS with IBSQ. In spite of the limitations of the study, the findings offer important theoretical and managerial implications. The paper contributes to the literature in area of e-Service quality and customer satisfaction in electronic banking.

Entrepreneurs’ personality traits and their success: an empirical analysis

Abstract: There are various factors responsible for the entrepreneurial success at the grass root level. Academicians and researchers have different opinions regarding the influence of different factors on entrepreneurial success. However, it has been confirmed by many researchers that personality traits play a significant role in attaining entrepreneurial success. This paper aims to determine the level of successful entrepreneurs’ score on trait variables and the entrepreneurs’ level of success. Further it also aims to examine the relationship between level of score on traits and the level of success. A representative sample of 85 entrepreneurs was selected by using multistage and simple random sampling methods. Descriptive statistic was used to summarize the data and the spearman rank correlation was used to establish the relationship between level of scores on trait variables and level of success. The findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between successful entrepreneurs’ score on trait variables and their level of success. This finding will enrich the existing body of knowledge on entrepreneurship and help in the development of entrepreneurship in Assam.

Impact of rapid urbanization on sustainable development of Nyanya , Federal Capital Territory , Abuja , Nigeria

Abstract: The study examined the impact of rapid urbanization on the sustainable development of Nyanya, Abuja. An interesting finding of the study is that the primary factor for the rapid urbanization of Nyanya within a short period of time is migration. The consequence of this rapid urbanization and population rise within a short period is that infrastructural facilities and services are grossly inadequate to cater for the population. The study reveals that there is inadequate good quality housing, poor waste management facilities, inadequate electric power supply, inadequate good quality domestic water supply, inadequate and unaffordable health care facilities, poor environmental health and traffic congestion on the Abuja city-Nyanya-Maraba-Keffi road. These challenges do not commend Nyanya as a satellite town on the path of sustainable urban development. Recommendations were proffered to address these challenges. There is the urgent need for the Abuja Federal Capital Territory Administration to embark on urban renewal of Nyanya. Adequate infrastructural facilities and services should be provided for the residents. Mechanism for periodic review and upgrading should be put in place to ensure a qualitative built urban environment, with adequate resources and facilities to support a sustainable healthy living and economic progress of the residents of Nyanya.

Understanding of Research Culture Levels: A Review of Literature

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to obtain a deeper understanding of the meaning and research culture approaches in educational organizations. Various models of the literature review and the related research on research culture which is used in this review, therefore the definitions and research culture elements described based on organization culture. This study concludes by identifying and providing an overview of the four-phase approaches to the research culture that consists of creating, growing, developing, and nurturing a research culture.