The South Asian Phillips Curve: Assessing the Gordon Triangle

One of the key drivers for the policy makers is the tie-up between price inflation and unemployment. In relevance to the economic theories in yester years, Phillips Curve has witnessed negative relationship between inflation and unemployment in many economies. This has an implication that if government seeks to reduce the unemployment then the inflation goes up means if it wants to relish the lower unemployment then it has to bear the burden and consequences of inflation. This paper in distinction investigates the Phillips Curve in connection with the Gordon Triangle for the South Asian Countries i.e. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The systematic investigation is based on historical thirty years of the rates of inflation and unemployment for the countries outlined. The split analysis of each country highlights the relationship between inflation and unemployment, which is positive for Pakistan and negative for Bangladesh, while no relationship has been observed between the two variables (no Phillips curve) for India and Sri Lanka. The negative impact of unemployment on inflation is actually the confirmation of Phillips Curve, which is indentified for Bangladesh while the positive association between the unemployment and inflation (Stagflation) is also observed, which is the confirmation of Gordon triangle empirically observed and identified for Pakistan.Inflation, Unemployment, Phillips Curve, Gordon Triangle

Factors affecting the decision making of out-sourcing in textile in Pakistan

This research provided the study of importance of factors affecting the decision making of out-sourcing & supplier performance in Textiles domain. The textile market of USA is the scope of this research. The basis of this study allowed comprehending the importance / weight of factors of out-sourcing (including Delivery, Flexibility, Cost, Quality & Reliability) varied according to the buyers needs. Buyer’s needs some factors were high weight / importance for one buyer and at the same time the same factors were low weight / for another buyer. It delineated the root to supply chain managers and experts for textiles industry for taking the right strategic decision for out-sourcing in today’s competitive market.Decision Making of Out-Sourcing, Out-Sourcing, Supply Chain Management.

The Essence of Enterprise Risk Management in Today’s Business Enterprises in Developed and Developing Nations

Risk as expected is not that fearsome matter, although it may keep management awake at night; revenue would not be possible without it. Enterprise Risk Management at basics is broadly portrayed as structure of handling and managing risk across an organization. The key concern of this research is to investigate the ERM. The findings highlight that there are very few enterprises from developing nations which are into ERM while the developed nations’ enterprises are huskily and vigorously involved in it and this gap is due to the lack of awareness and serious concerns for value maximization of enterprise share holders in developing nations.Risk, Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Institutions, Developed Nations, Developing Nations

A study on the association between brand awareness and consumer/brand loyalty for the packaged milk industry in Pakistan

Brand awareness remains fundamental to consumer life as the interaction initiation point to the brands. This paper put forwards the relationship of brand awareness on consumer/brand loyalty in the packaged milk brands in the urban Pakistan. There is evidence of brand awareness and consumer/brand loyalty on brand equity. The approach takes into account sources of brand equity-brand awareness, consumer/brand loyalty and image (perceptions / associations) on the sample of consumer households. This paper suggests that in Pakistan among the packaged milk brands there is no relationship between brand awareness and consumer/brand loyalty. In addition, testing relationship by setting perceptions as the mediating variable between brand awareness and consumer/brand loyalty results the same. For practicing managers and marketers it is important to note that there is a need to update their understanding of the nature and role of brand awareness on convenience products which has random switch purchase behavior and low-involvement. In the current era, marketers must develop branding strategies for commodity-products such as milk packaged brands by investing and strengthening its supply chain system, to create and increase brand awareness for the milk brands in-turn to build consumer/brand loyalty than trying to directly build consumer/brand loyalty by heavy spending on promotional tools.brand awareness; consumer/brand loyalty; brand equity; brand perception

Determinants and barriers to bilateral trade A study on developing economies

World trade has grown rapidly. Several factors are highlighted by literature as a driving force behind the growth of world trade. Reduction in barriers to trade is one of them. A comprehensive empirical investigation is carried to ascertain the trade reducing and increasing effect of barriers to trade which are also known determinants of trade. The modified gravity model developed in this study analyses the effect of GDP, distance,remittances, FDI, transportation cost, exchange rate, inflation, population, import and export on trade flows. The study revealed that the population, import and transportation cost, distance, Tariff imposed by trading partner, FDI and Population of trading country are the determinants and significantly affect exports of developing economies. The study also ascertain that transportation cost, distance, population of trading partner, FDI of both trading countries and remittances of trading partner are the determinants that have major impact on import of developing nations.International Trade, Exports, Imports, Gravity Model, Trade barriers

Performance Assessment Of Sacrificial Anode Cathodic Protection Of Subsea Pipeline

The integrity of subsea pipeline depends mostly on the applied corrosion control. One of the corrosion control methods is using sacrificial anode cathodic protection, SACP. The performance of sacrificial anode cathodic protection is measured by the current supply and the operational life of the anode to protect the pipeline. In order to maintain the integrity of sacrificial anode cathodic protection, frequent inspection has been taken. However, there are no further assessment or analysis towards the performance of anode. The condition protection system only relies on the subjective data provide by the inspector. This study include aluminium and zinc as the sacrificial anode and carbon steel API 5L X65 as the cathode. The Objective of this study is to analyse on the corrosion rate of aluminium and zinc as well as to determine the most effective metal as a function of sacrificial anode metal. In this study, data are gathered from PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd. Peninsular Malaysia Operation, PCSB PMO. Two of their operating pipeline with different type of anode were selected and have been analysed on the corrosion rate of the sacrificial anode cathodic protection. Other than that, this study also includes data from laboratory simulation which are Linear Polarization Resistance test and weight loss test. As a reference, Det Norske Veritas, DNV RP B401 was used in order to design the sacrificial anode cathodic protection. Based on the results, it has been found that the corrosion rate of aluminium is higher than the other metals that are carbon steel API 5L X65 and zinc. To conclude this study, aluminium is found to be the most effective metal as sacrificial anode cathodic protection based on the corrosion rate, operational life and the current supplied by the metal

An appraisal of Malaysia’s continuing membership in the Commonwealth organisation

The Commonwealth has always had a central place in Malaya/Malaysia’s foreign policy, especially in the period immediately after independence and in the first few years of the formation of Malaysia. This was the period when Malaysia needed Commonwealth assistance most, in part, due to its requirement for external defense. Such assistance was not only relevant in the context of constructive cooperation but, more importantly, there was no other organization at that time in the region that could be of assistance to it. Whilst Britain was keen at accommodating Malaya as a member of the organisation upon independence, it were the Prime Ministers of Malaysia who played decisive roles in determining the extent of the relationship with the Commonwealth. The benefits Malaysia derived from such association were also heavily shaped by the styles and perceptions of successive Prime Ministers.Although the emergence of ASEAN, OIC, and other similar bodies in later years of which Malaysia is also a member, has gradually eroded Malaysia’s profound attachment to the Commonwealth, however, it has no intention of leaving the Commonwealth. It has continued to offer some degree of both tangible and intangible support to the organisation in which successive Malaysian Premiers have acknowledged its relevance to the country’s foreign policy as well as it being a useful platform to articulate Malaysia’s views on political and socio-economic matters concerning, not only Commonwealth countries, but also the world at large

Fiscal Deficit cannot be reduced by increasing Taxes (A point to ponder from Pakistan)

In Pakistan the budget deficits have consistently at increasing trend from 1995 to onwards which is being financed by the governments of now and then through external and domestic borrowing which are resulting a high debt levels due to high interest cost associated with it and this all pave the way for an increase in forthcoming taxes levy by the government time to time. This paper is an empirical investigation of the proposition that Fiscal deficit cannot be reduced by increasing taxes. The finding reveals that an increase in taxes is not the better choice for tackling the jinni of fiscal deficit.Fiscal deficit, Tax Collection, Error correction model (ECM), ADF unit root test

Various stages of faith in human psychology

The Faith is the belief which comes from inside of a human or it is the inner state of strength which is similar to confidence while provoking a human to trust within a secular/ non secular context. The purpose of this article is to identify parallels of various stages of faith particularly as suggested by Fowler, from the person who is filled with fantasies first then has the moral rules and attitude, who moves on thereafter towards experiencing the world beyond the family, and then believes on self identity, has prejudices, and finally actualizes the spirit of an inclusive human community.Faith, Stages of Faith, Self-identity, Human Psychology