Market entry using country-of-origin intelligence in an emerging market.

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore country of origin (COO) effects among Pakistani elite consumers and to use that knowledge as an intelligence base for SMEs considering entry into Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The literature concerning COO effects is presented and a principle component analysis is conducted with an elite Pakistani sample using a COO Likert type style scale that was previously used by Lascu and Babb in Uzbekistan and Poland. Findings – Four components were identified that correspond with consumers perceptions of produce attributes. The elite segment of Pakistan perceives COO image, product quality and luxurious image of product and price as distinct attributes when making a purchasing decision. This study provides a basis for SMEs to gather further detailed intelligence with regards to consumer perceptions of products and potential demand in Pakistan. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to predict which other foreign market these results will be applicable to because of different market structures, buying power, cultures and attitudes toward the product and lifestyle. Practical implications – The paper indicates a strategy that SMEs could adopt to enter the emerging market of Pakistan. Targeting the niche market of elite consumers who have strong buying power could prime the economy for future growth. Both SMEs within and outside Pakistan could take up strategies that use appropriate COO image, provided that appropriate marketing research is undertaken which produces intelligence both regarding COO image of the SMEs products and perceptions of those products' attributes in the target market. Originality/value – The study explores components within a COO Likert type questionnaire with reference to an elite managerial and professional consumer group in the under researched market of Pakistan. It is argued that SMEs can use the knowledge gained as a basis for entry to new country markets

A Social Accounting Matrix for Pakistan, 2001-02: Methodology and Results

This paper describes the structure and construction of a social accounting matrix (SAM) for Pakistan for 2001-02. A SAM is an internally consistent extended set of national accounts that disaggregates value-added in each production activity into payments to various factors (e.g., land, labour, capital), and disaggregates household incomes and expenditures according to various household types. Because this Pakistan SAM is designed for analysis of the links between growth and rural poverty, agricultural activities, agricultural factors of production, and rural household accounts are more disaggregated than are those for urban activities and households. Rural household groups in the SAM are split according to three regions (Punjab, Sindh, and Other Pakistan) to capture the large differences in the structure of agricultural production and incomes across Pakistan. On average, household incomes in the SAM are 2.1 times greater than household expenditures in the HIES Survey, reflecting the apparent substantial under-reporting of expenditures (particularly on services) and informal sector incomes in the HIES and other household surveys. Agricultural factor incomes as calculated in the SAM account for only 23 percent of total factor incomes in Pakistan, but 60 percent of total factor incomes for agricultural households. 91 percent of agricultural incomes derive from land, water, own-farm labour, or livestock; earnings of hired labour and (nonlivestock) agricultural capital account for only 9 percent of agricultural incomes. Incomes of large- and medium-farm rural households, calculated using land area cultivated, data from the Agricultural Census, and other data, are significantly higher than indicated in household surveysNational accounts, Social accounting matrix

Distributional Impacts of Agricultural Growth in Pakistan: A Multiplier Analysis

In spite of substantial growth in agricultural GDP in the 1990s, rural poverty rates in Pakistan did not decline. This paper explores the reasons for this lack of correlation between increases in agricultural production and poverty reduction through an analysis of growth linkages using a 2001-02 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM)-based semi-inputoutput model. Model simulations indicate that expansion of traditional crop agriculture can significantly benefit rural poor farmers. However, because of skewed distribution of land and earnings from land, landless agricultural labourers and the rural non-farm poor (who, together, account for 61 percent of the rural poor) do not benefit directly from growth in the crop sector. In the absence of a change in the structure of rural incomes and employment, further measures will likely be needed for rapid poverty reduction in Pakistan, including greater efforts to boost the livestock sector, expansion of the rural non-farm economy (in addition to agricultural growth-induced linkage effects), and targeted interventions to the poorest rural households.

IMPACT OF INTERPERSONAL JUSTICE ON ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR, TURNOVER AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT WITH MODERATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

Abstract This paper aims at investigating the causal as well as correlational relationship between interpersonal justice (independent variable) and organizational citizenship behavior, turnover and organizational commitment (criterion variables). It also examines the moderating role of perceived organizational support. To do this data was collected from a large public healthcare organization having 3000 employees. 180 close ended questionnaires were administered to randomly selected employees and 103 questionnaire perfectly filled in from all respects were selected for analysis. Apart from descriptive statistics, correlational and regression analysis were made using SPSS.Data substantiated the existence of significant positive relationship of interpersonal justice with perceived organizational support, organizational citizenship behavior and turnover. However, its’ relationship with organizational commitment appeared insignificant. The results of this study are quite consistent with the literature.Key words: interpersonal justice perceived organizational support (POS), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), turnover and organizational commitment.Â

Frequency of Genital Tuberculosis in Patients Undergoing Diagnostic Laparoscopy for Infertility

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of genital tuberculosis in patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for infertility. METHODOLOGY: It is a descriptive (cross-sectional) prospective study. The study was performed within the duration of six months i.e., February 12th, 2020 to August 12th, 2020 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. A total of 196 patients were observed by using 47.1% proportion of genital tuberculosis in infertility, 95% confidence interval with margin of error 7%, using software of WHO for sample size calculation. Further, sample collection was performed using non-probability (consecutive) sampling techniques. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in our study was 30 years (SD+3.92). Fifty seven percent of cases were having primary infertility and 43% of patients were having secondary infertility. The incidence of genital tuberculosis undergoing infertility was 45%. CONCLUSION: Our study concludes that the incidence of genital TB in infertility in our setup was 45%

Implementing service excellence in higher education

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the importance of service excellence in higher education. The research upon which this paper is based employed a phenomenological approach. This method was selected for its focus on respondent perceptions and experiences. Both structured and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect relevant data on service excellence. The focus of the research study was on achieving and implementing service excellence in higher education. Findings are analysed and results are grounded in relevant theories and the principle of service excellence. Preliminary results suggest that implementing service excellence establishes a direct link between a workforce and successful competitive strategies. In order to compete efficiently and effectively in their niche market, higher education institutions need to implement service excellence to ensure both internal and external customer satisfaction. A strong institutional culture that values internal customers can help achieve a motivated workforce, loyalty, high performance, innovation and a distinctive institutional competitive advantage. The qualitative data collected for this study reflect respondent perceptions and opinions. Individuals perceive and experience things differently. Although the service excellence approach is applicable to service organisations, its transferability to other sectors might affect its validity. The paper investigates how service excellence is achieved in industry and how it could be applied to promote competitive advantage in higher education

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in detecting retained products of conception: A study from a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction Retained products of conception (RPOC) are a known complication after abortion or childbirth. To improve clinical evaluation and avoid unnecessary surgery, transvaginal scan is performed in suspected cases. However, both RPOC and blood clots appear isoechoic on ultrasound, and false positives can lead to unnecessary intervention. In this study, the ultrasound findings have been correlated with the histopathology (as a gold standard) to determine the diagnostic value of sonography in the detection of RPOC in postpartum or post-abortion patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in the detection of the retained products of conception in relation with the histopathological findings at the Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi. A total of 193 patients with suspicion of RPOC undergoing a transvaginal scan in the Department of Radiology, AKUH, were enrolled. The study was conducted for a period of 12 months from October 2014 to October 2015. Results Our results yielded that out of 193 cases, 113 cases (87.05%) had histopathology positive for RPOC, while 107 (55.44%) RPOC cases were identified by ultrasound as having RPOC. The mean endometrial thickness of the patients included in the study was 13.5 mm. According to our results, ultrasound has a sensitivity of 75.22%, specificity of 72.50%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 79.44%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 67.44%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 74.09%. Conclusion Transvaginal ultrasound is a modality that can be used for early diagnosis of the retained products of conception including fetal parts and could prove to be lifesaving. However, the operator and equipment variables need to be looked at, and a uniform criterion needs to be agreed on