Influence of E-Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction & Word of Mouth in App-based Service Industry: A Case on Pathao, Bangladesh

This study aims to recognize the influence of electronic service (e-service) quality on satisfaction and word of mouth. The existing literature was reviewed to discover the e-service dimensions that have a positive influence on customer satisfaction. Multiple studies also indicate a strong link between satisfaction & word of mouth. Surveys were conducted by distributing the structured questionnaires to gather data for this study. The sample size is 186 and is chosen on a convenient basis and indicators were generated based on prior literature review. Data has been analyzed by using PLS software. SPSS software package was also used to present the data demographically and to convert the data for SmartPLS (version 3). The result shows that there is a significant positive relationship between e-service quality dimensions and satisfaction followed by significant positive association with word of mouth as well. This study contributes to getting an insight into growing technology & its adaptability

The Influence of CSR Practices on Hotel Images and Hotel Benefits in Bangladesh

This study investigates how hotel Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices influence hotel image and hotel benefits based on the tourist perception of Bangladesh using Elkington's (1998) Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as a study framework. Data were collected by conducting survey using a structured questionnaire. A total of 295 tourist responses were accumulated using a convenient sampling technique in the 4 and 5-stars hotels from two major tourism-based cities in Bangladesh, namely Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. The results revealed that hotel CSR practices (economic, social, and environmental) positively influence both the hotel image and hotel benefits in the Bangladesh hotel industry context. Finally, the findings of this study will aid in the planning and development of Bangladesh's hotel industry and its long-term development

CardiacNET: Segmentation of Left Atrium and Proximal Pulmonary Veins from MRI Using Multi-View CNN

Anatomical and biophysical modeling of left atrium (LA) and proximal pulmonary veins (PPVs) is important for clinical management of several cardiac diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows qualitative assessment of LA and PPVs through visualization. However, there is a strong need for an advanced image segmentation method to be applied to cardiac MRI for quantitative analysis of LA and PPVs. In this study, we address this unmet clinical need by exploring a new deep learning-based segmentation strategy for quantification of LA and PPVs with high accuracy and heightened efficiency. Our approach is based on a multi-view convolutional neural network (CNN) with an adaptive fusion strategy and a new loss function that allows fast and more accurate convergence of the backpropagation based optimization. After training our network from scratch by using more than 60K 2D MRI images (slices), we have evaluated our segmentation strategy to the STACOM 2013 cardiac segmentation challenge benchmark. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations, obtained from the segmentation challenge, indicate that the proposed method achieved the state-of-the-art sensitivity (90%), specificity (99%), precision (94%), and efficiency levels (10 seconds in GPU, and 7.5 minutes in CPU).Comment: The paper is accepted by MICCAI 2017 for publicatio

Mediating Role of Brand Image in the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility & Brand Equity: An Investigation on Unilever Bangladesh

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), is one of the most discussed topics when it comes to operationalising a unique approach to do marketing and as such, create a competitive advantage for the company. Despite its popularity, CSR is not properly addressed by many Bangladeshi companies. This study sheds light upon the concept of CSR in the perspective of a multinational company, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, which has been active with their CSR initiatives for years now. This research explains the concept of CSR and discusses the dimensions of CSR (economic, social and environmental) and their benefits through the TBL paradigm. Literature has been added based on previous researches defining brand image and brand equity and addressing the relationships between CSR dimensions and brand image and brand equity. Hypotheses were then proposed to reach the research objectives of this study. Data were collected from 124 respondents through convenience sampling technique. An online-based survey was conducted due to lockdown order due to Covid-19 outbreak. The outcomes of this study confirm a significant and positive mediating effect of brand image between the relationships of economic CSR and the social CSR activities with brand equity, while the mediating effect of brand image does not exist in between the relationship of environmental CSR activities and brand equity. Finally, findings of the study may help to create a positive mindset of customers regarding the good intents of Unilever Bangladesh Limited towards Sustainable Living Plan

Drivers and barriers of CSR implementation in a less develop country: the case of Bangladesh’s hotel sector

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a business approach that has grown in acceptance by many corporations in developed and developing countries. Through CSR, business organisations could strike a balance between economic, social and environmental goals, using resources in a rational manner to responsibly address social and environmental needs. Though many past studies have highlighted the drivers and barriers of implementing CSR at country level, not much is yet known about this issue within the context of a Least Developed Country (LDC) like Bangladesh. As evident from the literature review, an LDC struggles with so many economic, social and environmental problems. Hence it is important to understand whether CSR can still be an important agenda to businesses operating in such condition. Thus, this study explored the drivers and barriers of CSR implementation in Bangladesh context with special focus on the hotel sector. The stakeholder theory has been used as a theoretical framework of this study. To attain the study objectives, a mix method research design was employed where data were collected through in-depth interviews and the survey questionnaire from the hotel top managements, non-governmental organisation’s executives, government regulatory officials, and from domestic and international tourists across the three major cities (Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar) of Bangladesh. The data have been analysed through NVIVO-11 and SmratPLS 3.0 software. From the findings, this study finds a total of sixteen drivers and barriers under the economic dimension of CSR, ten drivers and barriers under the social dimension of CSR, and ten drivers and barriers under the environmental dimension of CSR regarding the implementation of CSR practices in hotel sector. Moreover, from the outcome of the study hypothesis, it has been found that the tourist demand (TD) and the social dimension of CSR (SCSR) are positively related but not significant. Conversely, tourist demand (TD) and the environmental dimension of CSR (ECSR) have a positive and significant relationship. Based on the findings, this study proposes two types of implications, i.e. theoretical and practical, where the latter includes governmental and managerial implications

Users’ Perception of Internet Banking Service: An Evaluative Study of Private Commercial Banks in Bangladesh.

The development of electronic banking, especially internet banking has changed the relationship between the banks and its customers and has made the banks efficient which includes savings, improved marketing and communications, offer services regardless of geographic area, time and increased customer base. This empirical research study mainly focuses on investigating the major factors that influence users’ perception towards internet banking service in Bangladesh. The existing literature was reviewed to discover reasons that would influence customers positively or negatively towards internet banking service. A structured questionnaire with 5-point Likert scale has been used to collect the data by conducting survey. The sample size is 170, chosen on a convenient basis. Data has been analyzed by using SPSS software (version: 17). From the findings, it was found that respondents use internet banking because they believe it is conveniently accessible to them and the conveniently accessible term includes elements such as webpage loading, ease of navigation, easy login process, website information, product features, transaction information, easy access and 24/7 internet banking. In contrast, along with the mind-sets of respondents, trustworthiness of internet banking, customer data privacy, reliability of internet banking service, integrated security elements, secure communication, latest encryption technology and freedom from danger/fraud are the foremost barriers of internet banking in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the result of hypotheses established that even though internet banking is conveniently accessible to all consumers in the present ICT environment, trust and security anxieties have significant impact on internet banking. Finally, some recommendations have been offered for higher authority of banks to take initiatives for making internet banking more admirable and trustworthy

Interrelationships Among Marketing Mix Strategies, Service Quality and Firms’ Business Performance in Readymade Garments Sector, Bangladesh

The garment industry in Bangladesh has experienced substantial growth over the past three decades. The sector plays a crucial role in the nation's economic development by providing employment opportunities to a significant number of individuals, particularly women and those with limited skills. Although significant, the contribution of this factor to the country's GDP remains relatively modest. To maintain competitiveness in the marketplace, it is crucial to adopt a suitable marketing mix strategy. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of marketing mix strategies on the business performance of Bangladeshi garment organisations. This investigation further assesses the role of service quality as a mediator between marketing mix strategies and firm business performance. McCarthy's (1964) four P's—product, place, price, and promotion—serve as the basis for this study's marketing mix components. This study's data were collected using a self-administered survey questionnaire. A total of 327 employees from various garment factories in CEPZ were conveniently chosen for this investigation. The data was analysed using SPSS 24.0 and Smart PLS 3.0. The study's findings indicate that the strategies related to product, place, price, and promotion had a substantial linkage with the service quality of firms. Furthermore, the service quality significantly mediates the correlation between marketing mix strategies and the business performance of the garments industry. The findings suggest that companies can gain a competitive edge by prioritising their marketing strategies and improving the quality of their related services.

Fabrication of a Low-cost Drum Seeder for Paddy

Rice is a staple food crop. Bangladesh produces it extensively which raised the nation into the fourth-largest rice-grower in the world. Transplanting or direct seeding is a major task in rice cultivation where the manual transplanting method requires a huge labor cost which is beyond control in a peak season. Although mechanical rice transplanters become popularization land preparation and seedling rising as a pre transplanting task is costly and labor-intensive. On the other hand, manual broadcasting and machine seeding direct method still exist due to the above method’s problem. Considering spacing accuracies for intercultural operation, drum seeders are an easy and convenient method for Bangladeshi farmers. This research was carried out to design and develop a drum seeder considering existing problems related to the spacing accuracies and cost optimization. It was tested for paddy seeds under laboratory setup. The developed drum seeder has double-rows with 20 cm row spacing which has a 2.4 m working width and weighs only 15 kg. The calibration test of the seeder reveals that the seed rate increased with the decrease in amount of seeds filled with hopper. Filling with one-fourth of drum’s full capacity results in the optimum seed rate (86.33 kg ha-1). On the other hand, an unacceptable seed rate was found (26.68 kg ha-1) when the drum was filled of its full capacity. The performance of the seeder in the laboratory setup was satisfactory and the overall cost to fabricate the drum seeder was found 18.15 USD which is acceptable for farmers. An extension is needed to adopt the drum seeder to the Bangladeshi farmers