Benefits and challenges of Enterprise Resource Planning for Pakistani SMEs

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is used to combine all the functions happening inside the organization with the help of one software. All the data is centralized which makes it easy to manage information for all participants. The literature on ERP is studied thoroughly the whole process of adoption till the implementation and final evaluations. But studies that focus on small and medium sized enterprises are limited in number when compared to the large scale enterprises. In case of Pakistan, research is very limited. In this thesis, the author tries to analyze the current status of SMEs usage of ERP system. The benefits obtained and challenges faced by SMEs of Pakistan are studied. Framework presented by Shang and Seddon (2000) is used to understand the benefits obtained by the SMEs in Pakistan. This is a comprehensive framework that classifies the benefits obtained by the ERP adoption, into five categories: operational benefits, managerial benefits, Strategic benefits, IT benefits, and Organizational benefits. The results show that SMEs of Pakistan are also getting many benefits after adoption of ERP. Most of the firms had implemented SAP software. Operational benefits were mentioned by all the firms. The most important benefits were report generation, quick access to critical information, better product and cost planning. Respondents also mentioned that they had reduced corruption as a result of ERP implementation. It is also an important benefit considering high corruption rate in Pakistan. Along with benefits, challenges faced by Pakistani SMEs included infrastructure problems like electricity, difficulties with integration of one module with other module, costs of adoption and lack of skilled ERP consultants. Further studies in this regard can be conducted on cloud based ERP which is fast growing all around the world

Measurement Techniques for Impulse Puncture Testing in Air

Impulse voltage puncture testing (IPT) in air, as per IEC-61211, is used to assess the withstand strength of class B ceramic/glass insulators primarily against very fast front voltage transients (VFFTs) in power systems. This method uses short HV impulses of front times as low as 100 ns, therefore, adequate execution and reproducible results are not ensured because no standard impulse shape exists for VFFTs, no calibration service exists for such systems below 0.84 μs and the measurement system gets affected by many factors e.g. proximity effects, interferences, clearances and stray capacitances and inductances. This study focuses on investigating the testing practices and measurement techniques, for IPT in air as per IEC-61211, to find suitable testing methodologies. Based on the results of a research survey done to know practices and capabilities of HV labs in this regard, testing was performed on a cap and pin insulator, mounted on a metal plate using ball-socket and stressed with steep front HV impulses. A 500 mm wide copper sheet was used for grounding. Measurement system comprised of a fast resistive divider, a 50 tri-axial cable, a 10:1 attenuator of 50 input resistance and a 200 MHz, 8 bit, 2.5G S/s digitizer. The dependency of results on factors like divider-insulator distances, extra cable shielding, various target test voltages, HV damping resistor and different generation circuits was studied. No puncture of insulation happened. The divider showed high overshoot in step response and low bandwidth in impulse results. Due to these reasons, along with its damage during testing, a new divider design is proposed for 500-600 kV that is modular in structure and aims to solve the problem of low bandwidth by allowing its HV arm to be placed in direct contact with insulator. A novel algorithm is also proposed to analyse the linearity of front chopped impulses. It also revealed that following exact definition of Tc in IEC-60060-1 could result in it’s wrong determination from measurement software

Impact of Personal Identity Management in E-Government on Corruption and Government-Citizens Relationships

E-Government initiatives like Personal Identity Management (PIM) promises great prospects in many developing countries including Pakistan. However, there are many significant challenges to be faced yet. It has been observed that many e-government initiatives like establishment of e-government directorate, Computer training courses to government employees and IT wing at Establishment Division failed because of unsatisfactory preparation and political shakiness. At governmental level, there is realization that e-Government initiatives like PIM at National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) may provide customer-focused, cost effective and easy to use services for citizens and businesses, and have potential to bring betterment in the internal workings of government. This quantitative research was conducted using a structured questionnaire amongst 200 respondents and explores the perceived role of e-Government initiative like that of PIM in determining government-citizens’ relationship and reducing corruption. The results of the study support the hypothesis that e-Government initiative is positively related to improved government–citizen relationships and corruption reduction. The research also proposes that while e-Government initiatives (NADRA-PIM) can make notable contributions in bringing improvement in public services but they can best do in enhancing by and large relationships between governments and citizens

Evaluating the Performance of Sector Mutual Funds

The growth in the US mutual fund industry has remained slow, despite the recent upside blow in the overall market attributed to the global pandemic. The mutual fund industry is still observing a fee crisis and slower yearly growth, but the compression occurs short-term with more drastic results. Mutual funds that would serve these “new normal” requirements need to be future-fit. In this dissertation, I focus on the following questions: Do sector mutual funds add value to investors` portfolios by contributing a better risk-adjusted rate of return? Is there evidence of performance consistency? Do portfolio managers require different skills in portfolio management mutual funds? Should mutual fund portfolio managers opt for interactive planning as compared to predictive modeling for managing the mutual fund? The study found that the benchmarked index outperformed the sector mutual fund and provided a better risk-adjusted return. This suggests that investors would be better off using a benchmarked index rather than a sector mutual fund. Additionally, the manager\u27s experience does not seem to impact the return from a sector mutual fund, indicating that investors do not need to worry about who is managing their mutual fund. Finally, collective aspects of sector mutual funds (e.g., portfolio returns and performance) are two different scenarios, so investors should be careful when comparing these metrics

The Impact of Leader-Member Mutual Tenure on Employee Level Outcomes - The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange Quality

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From Spirits to God: Stories of the Kalash Converts from Before and After their Conversion

Conversion to Islam is an ongoing phenomenon in the minority Kalash community in Pakistan. This article covers conversion incidents and their narration. The introduction of Islam alters the lives of the “kafir” [i.e., unbelievers in Islam] Kalash. The researcher’s intention was to discover the motivational factors behind the decision to convert as depicted through conversion narratives. Are converts under pressure from the social sphere to change religion, or it is an independent decision? How does the Islamic faith reach them? What differences do they find in their new faith as compared to the old one? Moreover, how do they adjust in the community? The data was collected from randomly selected converts whose personal narratives were recorded and transcribed. Later, the researcher analyzed the data. In this study, narrative is presented as a framework for understanding the individual converts. In the analysis, the commonalities and differences in converts’ perceptions of their new religion are discussed, as well as the trajectory of their faith alteration, their efforts of adjustment, and socio-economic development around the Kalash and its impact on the conversions

Real Private Consumption Expenditure Modeling: An Empirical Study on Pakistan

This paper presents a model for Pakistan’s real private consumption expenditure, with the aim of generating a better understanding of the factors that determine private consumption in Pakistan and for the purpose of forecasting consumption expenditure growth. The model is estimated over period 1971 to 2012 as an (ARDL), allowing for lagged terms so as to capture dynamic adjustment effects. The results suggest that Pakistan’s real private consumption adjusts fast to equilibrium levels in the current period (t), from a disequilibrium experienced in the previous period (t-1). In the short run, real private consumption growth is significantly affected by changes in wealth and unemployment rate. The relationship between consumption, wealth income, rate of interest and unemployment rate. Both the wealth variable and unemployment are significant in determining long run consumption growth, moreover, results of the forecast evolution indicate that the parsimonious short run model has the potential to provide reliable consumption forecasts in the medium term

Investigating The Jack The Ripper Case: Engaging Students In A Criminal Investigations Class Through Active Learning

The present study examines the utilization of a class project involving the Jack the Ripper murders. Students enrolled in a criminal investigations class were required to investigate the five canonical murders associated with the infamous serial killer known as Jack the Ripper and the murders that occurred in London during 1888. This paper explains the project and how students perceived the project. A brief survey of student perceptions regarding the project indicate that overall students thought the project was an excellent active learning experience. The project has excellent potential for active learning applications in others courses as well such as criminology, a special topics course about violent offenders or perhaps a forensic psychology class

Perceived Barriers to Youth entrepreneurship in Pakistan and Hungary

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