Investigating a framework for providing mobile banking opportunities to rural SMEs in Bangladesh

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.The purpose of this thesis is to develop an m-banking (mobile banking) framework for rural SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Bangladesh. This research is significant as there is relatively little known about the use of m-banking by SMEs in Bangladesh, despite their importance as the second largest source of income in the country. The research, as well as adopting a business focus rather than a consumer focus, as most studies to date have done, also pinpoints several factors that have been largely overlooked in the literature. In seeking to identify a comprehensive range of both micro- and macro-level determinants of m-banking, the resulting framework includes customer perspectives, organisational perspectives and country-level factors that impact on the adoption of m-banking by rural SMEs. In developing the framework, the research employed a mixed methods approach, consisting of a survey of SME owners and managers, followed by interviews and a focus group study with banks and MTOs (Mobile telecommunication organisations). The research found that poor banking facility, cost, credibility, gender, education and SME business type are the main customer perspective factors that significantly influence the intention of SME owners and managers to adopt m-banking. The findings suggest that the most important advantages of m-banking for rural SMEs comprise improved banking facility, easy settlement of trade, and an improved SME business environment due to faster transactions and better cash management. On the other hand, for banks and MTOs, m-banking can generate profits, improve customer service and management, decrease operating costs, increase brand image and create employment in rural areas. The findings with respect to organizational factors suggest that having an m-banking project within the bank’s/MTO’s objectives, their level of engagement with SMEs, the technology and human resource capabilities of the banks, the development of mobile infrastructure, and top-level management’s support are important in m-banking development. However, barriers to providing m-banking to the rural SMEs include lack of banks’ effective leadership, limited vision regarding m-banking by the stakeholders, MTOs’ reluctance to make partnerships with new banks, and m-banking providers’ competencies and security. Country-wide factors identified included concern over lack of proper policy and regulation in Bangladesh. The framework will be of value to the government, banks and MTOs in accelerating the development of m-banking in Bangladesh. The research recommends that, in order to support rural SMEs, government intervention in m-banking projects and policy and regulations development is needed. This research is expected to support national policies, such as the Millennium Development Goal 2015 and the National IT Policy of Bangladesh. Furthermore, it has implications for other developing countries in improving their banking provision to SMEs and realizing their own development goals through mobile technologies

Types of neural guides and using nanotechnology for peripheral nerve reconstruction

Peripheral nerve injuries can lead to lifetime loss of function and permanent disfigurement. Different methods, such as conventional allograft procedures and use of biologic tubes present problems when used for damaged peripheral nerve reconstruction. Designed scaffolds comprised of natural and synthetic materials are now widely used in the reconstruction of damaged tissues. Utilization of absorbable and nonabsorbable synthetic and natural polymers with unique characteristics can be an appropriate solution to repair damaged nerve tissues. Polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds with properties similar to neural structures can be more effective in the reconstruction process. Better cell adhesion and migration, more guiding of axons, and structural features, such as porosity, provide a clearer role for nanofibers in the restoration of neural tissues. In this paper, basic concepts of peripheral nerve injury, types of artificial and natural guides, and methods to improve the performance of tubes, such as orientation, nanotechnology applications for nerve reconstruction, fibers and nanofibers, electrospinning methods, and their application in peripheral nerve reconstruction are reviewed

An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing the SME's Intention to Adopt m-Banking in Rural Bangladesh

This research empirically studies the factors that influence the intention of SME owners and managers to adopt m-banking in rural Bangladesh. The study specifically focuses on business oriented m-banking, such as paying suppliers or receiving payments from customers, and on person-to-person use of m-banking. Although over the last ten years a wide spectrum of mbanking frameworks has emerged in various countries, very few research have focused on SMEs m-banking adoption and acceptance of the service. Another rationale for undertaking such a study is that m-banking has not yet been extended to rural Bangladesh. To fill the gap this research surveyed 550 SMEs owners/managers in four (4) rural villages. The survey indicates that poor banking facilities, cost, credibility, gender, education and SME business type are the main factors that significantly influence the intention to adopt m-banking. The analysis focuses on the three factors that have been largely overlooked in prior literature, that are banking satisfaction, m-banking advantages for SMEs, and SME business type. The study broadens our understanding of m-banking and provides insights into developing m-banking strategies in Bangladesh. This research will be of potential value in accelerating the development of m-banking in Bangladesh

Exploring m-banking for rural SMES from the bank's perspective: A focus group study in Bangladesh

There is relatively little known about the m-banking use by the rural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh. This research fills the gap by presenting the Key advantages of using m-banking by the rural SMEs that a bank can offer in Bangladesh. The research also reports on the critical country level-factors, organizational success factors and obstacles in m-banking adoption for rural SMEs. A focus group was interviewed and the data were analysed using NVivo9.The findings indicate that improved banking facility, an opportunity to create employment in rural area, easy settlement of trade between SMEs, better cash management are some important advantages of m-banking for the rural SMEs. Technology and human resource capabilities of the banks together with the development of mobile infrastructure are some influential factors in m-banking development in Bangladesh. This paper also identifies engagement with the SMEs as an important organizational factor in m-banking diffusion for rural SME that have been rarely identified in prior literature. However, the major constraints are the operational constraints such as cash management, policy and regulation and administrative obstacles. Recommendation for a business version m-banking, joint advertisement by the banks and mobile telecom organisations and a regional m-banking platform are also new knowledge in m-banking research. This is one of the few papers from the perspective of a bank, since most of the literature approaches the matter from the consumer standpoint. The outcomes and results of this research will be of potential value to the government, banks and mobile telecommunications in accelerating the development of m-banking in Bangladesh and in other developing countries

Investigation of 2DOF PID Controller for Physio-Therapeutic Application for Elbow Rehabilitation

The aim of this work is to evaluate the output of a two-degree of freedom (DOF) proportional integral derivative (PID) controller for controlling elbow flexion and extension on an upper limb rehabilitation robot of an existing model. Since the usage of upper limb rehabilitation is increasing dramatically because of human impairment, 2DOF has been proposed in this work as a suitable controller. The 2DOF PID controller offers set-point-weight features and, hence, is fast in removing disturbance from the system and ensuring system stability. Importantly, as the system parameters are unknown in this work, the black-box model approach has been taken into consideration, using the MATLAB System identification toolbox to estimate a model. The best-fitted estimated model is then coupled with the proposed controller in the MATLAB/Simulink environment that, upon successful simulation works, leads, finally, to the hardware implementation. Three different amplitudes of sinusoidal current signals, such as 0.3 amps, 0.2 amps, and 0.1 amps, are applied for hardware measurements. Considering patients’ physical conditions. In this work, the 2DOF controller offers a fast transient response, settling time, negligible tracking error and 0% overshoot and undershoo