Reading and Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing a Foreign Subsidiary

Diagram 1. Presentation The goal of the examination is to deal with the auxiliary of Metersbonwe in Brazil and Russia. Metersbonwe is a Chinese neighborhood apparel brand. Metersbonwe was established in 1994, and it represents considerable authority in easygoing wear. The reasons why I pick this brand is that I’m a youngster, and I think the plan of Metersbonwe is truly appropriate for the youngsters. Additionally, Metersbonwe is a well known brand with low cost, along these lines, the creating nation like Russia and Brazil could adjust the price.However, to deal with an auxiliary in an outside nation is brimming with challenge, and the one of the significant factor to make it achievement is The Five Dimensions of National Culture. Force Distance (PDI): the degree to the force conveyance is inconsistent in the less ground-breaking part. Independence versus Collectivism (IDV): the degree to the people incorporates into the gathering. Manliness Femininity (MAS): the level of the sexism in the way of life. Vulnerability Avoidance (UAI): how this culture treat the vulnerability and ambiguity.Long-Term Orientation (LTO): the Long-term societies esteem frugality and persistence, however, the momentary societies esteem convention, the satisfaction of social commitments and securing praises. The other factor is the initiative style. There 3 distinctive initiative styles is Authoritarian Style, Democratic Style, Laissez-Faire Style separately. I think my administration style is Democratic Style, since I won't be tyrant to cause the organization all to hear me out, A man's intelligence is restricted, along these lines, I need group’s shrewdness to enable the organization to become stronger.I will likewise not be Laissez-Faire Style, as an auxiliary company’s pioneer, I have a duty to convey the organization. The exploration is foreseen to oversee Metersbonwe in Russia and Brazil. The most significant components to deal with the auxiliary in Russia an d Brazil are nearby culture, people’s material wearing propensity and the climate. 2. Techniques The main information assortment strategy utilized in the examination is Internet investigate, in light of the fact that, it’s constrained by the source around.But the measure of the data on the web was bounty, likewise, is anything but difficult to get the valuable data on the web, despite the fact that the information gather by web research may have less validness and exactness, it is sufficient for this exploration. The web explore gave part foundation information, generally official data about the organization, many culture shows in the Russia and Brazil and the Unilever’s plan of action in Russia and Brazil to find the exploration, the web investigate technique helps a great deal in this examination. . Discoveries 2. 1. Look at the social shows impacting business In Russia and Brazil Russia: Normal business hours are 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. Mondays to Fridays, and It isn't uncommon for Russians to renegotiate an agreement. Brazil: Schedule the conference at any rate fourteen days. Utilize easygoing discussion to begin a conference or arrangement. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 4. 2. Decide Unilever’s plan of action in Russia and Brazil Russia: * Focused on uncommon improvement program * Building authority in enormous classes Using representatives from 11 unique nationalities Brazil: * have a neighborhood structure * first rate framework * 10 significant classifications to supported market initiative 2. Conversation 3. 2. Decipher the discoveries considering theory proclamation 3. 3. 1. Favorable position for Metersbowe in Russia Diversity staff to develop the company’s culture trade 3. 3. 2. Burden for Metersbonwe in Russia Need long time to accommodate the cross culture staff 3. 3. 3. Bit of leeway for Metersbonwe in Brazil Is not underscore the way of life show . 3. 4. Inconvenience for Metersbonwe in Brazil 3. 3. Survey the adequacy of the exam ination * insufficient data to find the Unilever’s plan of action in Russia and Brazil * Only web research to satisfy the report, no other solid wellspring of information 3. Ends 4. 4. Recognize and legitimize the Metersbonwe in Brazil * the nation I decide to oversee Metersbonwe is Brazil * Metersbonwe as another brand access in Brazil garments advertise 4. 5. Proposal * More wellspring of information give * Confirm the precision of the information

The Book Riot Podcast, #45 Guns That Shoot Novellas

The Book Riot Podcast, #45 Guns That Shoot Novellas The Book Riot Podcast, Episode #45: Guns That Shoot Novellas This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about diversity (and lack thereof) in childrens books, a bunch of new book news, critical subjectivity, the future of ebooks, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Oyster and Audible. You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (click here) or via RSS (link here). You can also download a free dedicated app for iOS or for Android. Links discussed in the show: The Independent will no longer review gender-specific children’s books Silent Reading parties come to Brooklyn Study on representation of people of color in children’s books Shout-out: Diversity in YA tumblr Should Critics Publish a “Statement of Position?”   Ebooks to grow “only slowly” after 2016 JRR Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf to be published Why so few 20th Century ebooks are available Meg Wolitzer on writing YA inspired by Sylvia Plath Book deal news: Oprah to write collection of essays, “What I Know For Sure” New Anne Rice Lestat book Goldfinch movie adaptation New books discussed in the show: The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature by Ben Tarnoff The Thing With Feathers by Noah Strycker ____________________________ Browse previous episodes of The Book Riot Podcast. ____________________________

Essay on The Special Olympics - 2686 Words

Abstract: The Special Olympics not only give special athletes athletic skills, they offer more opportunity, encouragement, and dexterity to survive in society than the public school system alone. To understand the differences and similarities between handicapped athletes and their non-handicap peers is the first step in creating a program that best meets the childs needs. There were no community programs that catered to the mentally and physically challenged, so Eunice Kennedy-Shriver created special games in her back yard for her handicapped child. Shriver established the Special Olympics in 1968. Today there are more than one million special athletes competing in 140 countries. There are some problems with relying on the†¦show more content†¦Before 1968 there was no hope for the mentally and physically challenged to use their full potential to live a successful life, except within the boundaries of an institution. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of the late John F. Kennedy, was determined to not allow experts to cast out challenged children into institutions and warehouses. She told an audience at the White House that children with mental retardations could be exceptional athletes, and that sports could help them realize their potential for growth. In 1963 Mrs. Kennedy Shriver organized a day camp in her back yard for the handicapped children in Rockville, Maryland. Five years later she brought the first Special Olympics to Soldier Field in Chicago. Around one thousand enthusiastic athletes participated in the event. There are now 143 countries involved, and 16,000 sports events every year with over one million athletes (Anniversary). Through the Special Olympics thousands of handicapped people have conquered their fears and struggles, learned communication skills and trades for employment. Because of the underlying lessons taught through sports they can lead active, exciting, and courageous lives within their own communities. After learning about these incredible athletes, the drawbacks of special education programs in public schools, Athletes for Outreach (AFO), true success stories, and the rewards forShow MoreRelatedSpecial Olympics Response Paper : Special Olympic1074 Words   |  5 PagesSpecial Olympics Response Paper I don’t think Eunice Kennedy Shriver had any idea, when she first created Special Olympics, that it would grow and blossom into the profound, successful organization it is today. After witnessing how poorly individuals with intellectual disabilities were being treated, she knew something had to be done. She decided that these individuals needed a place to play and compete in sports, just like all other individuals. From this, Special Olympics was created. This organizationRead MoreSpecial Olympics Essay764 Words   |  4 PagesThe Special Olympics gives out opportunities to those who are considered different and pushed you the side by reality, but thanks to Sarget and Eunice Kennedy Shiver, they’ve supplied more than enough opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities for 45 years. In the 1990’s, the first international summer games was held at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Thousands of people with intellectual disabilities from 26 different states and Canada competed in Track and Field, Swimming andRead MoreThe Importance Of The Special Olympics991 Words   |  4 Pagesthe greatest sum of money. I never really thought about getting a job that actually meant something special to me, until I attended an event that changed my whole life, the Special Olympics. At my school, I am in the Gifted and Talented Program, and every year the students in the program can choose whether or not to work at the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics is an event where all the special needs kids in the parish get together and compete in different athletic events and participate inRead MoreSpecial Olympics: Olympic-Like Competition for People with Disabilities1396 Words   |  6 Pages Have you ever dreamed of going to the Olympics? What about people with intellectual disabilities though? For many years, they never even had the chance to dream about participating in an Olympic-like competition. With a history that has moved the hearts of many, the Special Olympics is an international organization that continues to thrive in helping individuals with intellectual disabilities to understand and accomplish basic everyday tasks, to fulfill their full potential, and to be acceptedRead MoreInformative Speech About Special Olympics991 Words   |  4 Pagestoo, but seeing Adrian go through that made me feel even worse. That was when I decided to join Special Olympics with Adrian and my other classmates who similarly to him, were left out for unfair reasons. IV. I will explain to you today what Special Olympics are, why it started, how it started in Indiana, and the impact it has made on the athletes and other people close to them. BODY I. Special Olympics raises awareness using the power of sports to help people with intellectual disabilities findRead MoreSpecial Olympics1008 Words   |  5 PagesI begin my paper I wanted to give a little history on the background of the Special Olympics. The first International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago 1968. It was originally started by a woman named Anne McGlone Burke, who was a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park school district. She began with the idea for a one-time Olympic-style athletic competition for people with special needs. Burke then contacted Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who was the head of theRead MoreThe Olympics : A Special World Tradition1247 Words   |  5 PagesThe Olympic Savior The Olympics have always been a special world tradition. More than just sports, its an event with such influence and spirit that it can unify an entire world of contrasting people. In its beginnings, the event was regarded so holy that even military threats and ongoing wars would be suspended for its duration. However, the cancellation of three (including 2 consecutive) Games demonstrated that as international politics and dispute increased, the importance and significance ofRead MoreA Very Enjoyable Experience At Special Olympics882 Words   |  4 PagesOver the span of three months I was able to acquire various amounts of information from the individuals with the Raleigh County Special Olympics. I was able to collaborate with the coaches, parents, and athletes to find out what technique worked best for each child with special needs. Upon my arrival, I had no idea how much fun I would have volunteering for Special Olympics basketball skills. Throughout the time I was there, I w as able to see different diagnoses previously discussed in class. ThisRead MoreThe Athletes Should Support The Special Olympics1556 Words   |  7 Pagesis silence- just because her intellectual disability makes her feel inadequate. The Special Olympics is not only about winning a race or declaring victory when passing the finish line- this charity is dedicated to raising awareness for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who have been ignored their entire lives. There are as many as 4.5 million athletes in the Special Olympics worldwide, and Special Olympics plans to reach out to 200 million people by providing them with efficient care throughRead MoreThe Special Education System On Those With Disabilities1427 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract: The special education system in the United states has drastically changed, but some are questioning where it stands; is it for the better, or for the worse? Many can agree that improvements have helped shape education Acts and school environments which, were proposed in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, but others questioned if it had, at all, started with distinguishing the purpose of inclusion, and if so, is it key in understanding the impact of the special education system

Gun Control Persuasive Essay - 755 Words

â€Å"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.† says NRA vice president Wayne Lapierre on gun control. Most know that gun control is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. These policies, in fact, don’t solve most problems as intended, but can even cause more. Guns are not the problem; putting laws on guns doesn’t resolve the fact that killers will kill regardless. The right to bear arms is a constitutional right. Taking control of guns would be extremely unconstitutional. Guns are a functional part of society. The United States should never be able to take our guns. Guns are not the problem when comes to mass shooting†¦show more content†¦Say guns did get banned, how most Americans would be protected. Guns are a great use to society. As mentioned before â€Å"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.† - Wayne Lapierre. Guns are safe and affordable protect, that can stop many crimes. A national survey done February 2013 finds that nearly half of gun owners (48%) volunteer that the main reason they own a gun is for protection. As well as hunting is accomplished with guns. Some families rely on hunting for food or just as a hobby to bring the family together. The same national survey held in February 2013 found 32% say they have a gun primarily for hunting. On top of hunting and self-protection, guns are used widely for target/competitive shooting. In 2014, the number of participants (aged six years and older) in shooting sport amounted to approximately 8.48 million. Shooting sports help teach gun safety and can help get more people involved with their community. Most will argue that guns indeed are the cause of the shootings and that outlaw them will decrease the rate. The thought is that these shootings are done because of the easy access to guns. This is a very weak argument and many examples can be seen. First example going on today is the war on drugs. As said by the Hufftonpost, the war on drugs has received over $1 trillion in funding since its inception. During that time, the population of Americans incarceratedShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay : Gun Control798 Words   |  4 PagesPersuasive Essay Did you know that in the United States almost 100,000 people are shot or killed with a gun in one year? 10,527 people die a year in handgun related incidents in the United States. This number, by far, outweighs the number of gun related deaths in countries such as Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan, which number 13, 22, and 87, respectively. What is the reason for such drastic differences in numbers? Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan are all countries that have stricter gun controlRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1753 Words   |  8 PagesPersuasive Essay Rough Draft The United States of America has a problem that is growing worse every day. American laws are not protecting its citizens from injury or death. You may think the mass shootings in America the guns used were bought illegally, but â€Å"since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shooter carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Of the 139 guns possessed by the killers, more than three quarters wereRead More Persuasive Articles on Gun Control Essays607 Words   |  3 PagesPersuasive Articles on Gun Control Persuading an audience can be done in several different fashions, one of which is Hugh Rank’s Model of Persuasion. Rank’s model states that two major strategies are used to achieve the particular goal of persuasion. These strategies are nicely set into two main schemas; the first method is to exaggerate an aspect of something, known as â€Å"intensify.† While the second is to discredit it, which is referred to as â€Å"downplay.† Al Franken, Jeffrey SnyderRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1018 Words   |  5 PagesImagine, an America where no citizen, law abiding or not, has the legal ability to own guns. Three gunmen with fully automatic rifles walk into a crowded city and begin firing. No law abiding citizen can defend themselves. It’s hopeless. This future can only be prevented if Americans continue to keep the second amendment. We should keep the current gun control laws, but revise them to make them even better. Most gun own ers are responsible under the current laws, however, I think some laws need to beRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1245 Words   |  5 Pagesand time again. Due to recent tragedies involving firearms, the view of guns and peoples rights to own and operate firearms have been frowned upon and viewed in a bad light due to Media. News sources have cherrypicked pictures of tragedies and stories about bad instances of gun usage in order to fight for Gun Control and the suppression of Americans rights. Due to the recent Vegas shooting, the argument for Gun Control has never been more intense, and Media outlets are having a field day onRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control915 Words   |  4 PagesHistorically guns haven’t been a national issue. It is not until relatively recently that an overwhelming amount of people have been in favor of placing stricter laws on the owning of a fire arm. The call for gun control has become more prevalent in the eyes of the government and the people; the gun laws that are also often proposed are irrational and ineffective. One could not simply ban guns, it is comparable to banning a certain genre of music; it’s unachievable and would be a fruitless pursuitRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1745 Words   |  7 Pagescruelty to animals, and yet he was able to buy four guns legally (Rosenberg). That is the most recent example of why Americans need more gun control laws. Guns are not cool or makes you look good, they are a da ngerous piece of machinery that Americans take advantage of. The average American in the right mindset should not want to own anything more than one handgun or rifle for hunting or protecting their household. Gun control reform that limits gun ownership, enforces mandatory background checks, andRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1439 Words   |  6 Pagesreason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, which states, â€Å"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for interpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversialRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control967 Words   |  4 Pagessaid gun violence has gotten out of hand. This do esn’t mean that the second amendment is the cause of it. Gun Violence has become such a big part of the Second Amendment since they both play a major part of the gun industry. Guns have become such a powerful source to many individuals. With the second amendment placed, this means we have gun control, which are rules that regulate, the manufacture, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. There should be a stricter law on gun controlRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1634 Words   |  7 PagesOver the recents years, there have been many arguments about the issue of gun control at the state and national level. In California, there have been a variety of enacted laws within recent years to address the issue of growing gun violence around the country and ways to prevent terrorist attacks. California s new enacted laws about gun control in the state range from abolishing certain features on weapons to restricting certain handguns or other firearms a person might buy. The legislative branch

Prime Bank Free Essays

1. 1 Introduction of the Report In the modern competitive environment, the pursuit of service quality is now considered to be an essential strategy. Offering a superior product is no longer sufficient, as firms in the 21st century economy compete on a much broader platform. We will write a custom essay sample on Prime Bank or any similar topic only for you Order Now In terms of the banking sector, service quality has become an increasingly important factor for success and survival (Cui, Lewis, Park, 2003). Provision of high quality service aids in meeting several requirements such as customer satisfaction and its consequent loyalty and market share, soliciting new customers, improved productivity, financial performance and profitability (Collet, Lancier, Olliver, 1990; Julian Ramaseshan, 1994; Lewis, 1989, 1993; Llosa, Chandon, Orsingher, 1998). It has also become an important research topic because of its important relationship to corporate marketing and financial performance. In the current study the researcher intends to find out the customer service performance of Prime Bank Limited and also compare the performance with other private sector banks. The Prime Bank Limited is a national banking group that is incorporated on the 12th February, 1995 as a consequence of relentless and decided efforts of a group of entrepreneurs having excellence of experience exposure in the different fields of industry, trade and commerce of Bangladesh. To prepare a specific and precise analysis on service quality performance, the researcher will consider the SURVQUAL model proposed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) which consists of five key dimensions like reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. 1. 2 Origin of the Study This report has been prepared as a requirement of the internship program of School of Business, North South University (NSU). The organization attachment started on 24 January 2010 and ended on 24th April 2010. This project on â€Å"Comparative Analysis of Customer Service Quality of Prime Bank Limited with other Private Commercial Banks† is assigned by Kazi Tozammel Huq, Assistant Vice President, Motijheel Branch, Prime Bank Limited (PBL) and it was approved by institution supervisor Mr. Muntasir Alam, Lecturer, School of Business, North South University (NSU). 1. 3 Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to make a comparative analysis of customer service quality of Prime Bank Limited with other private commercial banks. This study attempted to understand the customer perceptions on different service quality dimensions while dealing with these banks. The purpose is also to make recommendations for improving the quality and soundness of different services provided to the customers by Prime bank Limited. 1. 4 Statement of the problem In the current study, the researcher will use five important dimensions like reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles to find out the customer service quality of Prime bank Limited and thus compare the service quality with other private commercial banks in Bangladesh. The problem statement, then, is stated as follows: The current study will identify the customer service quality of Prime bank Limited considering key dimensions such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles and compare the performance with other private commercial banks in Bangladesh. 1. 5 Research Methodology 1. 5. 1 Research design As the purpose of this study is to make a comparative analysis of customer service quality of different private commercial banks, therefore descriptive research was undertaken to fulfill the main purpose of the study. The current study will compare the customer perceptions of service quality of Prime Bank Limited with the private commercial banks such as Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd under five key dimensions like tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. This research will use a descriptive study to discover the ideas and insights of these different service quality dimensions. Therefore, the current study will be characterized as a descriptive study. 1. 5. 2 Sampling method For the current study, the researcher will use the customers of four ifferent private commercial banks such as Prime Bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd as the sample for the study. For this proposed study, the population will be the customers of different private commercial banks in Bangladesh. The researcher will use stratified random sampling to collect the sample for this study. In a recent study Sureshchandar, Rajendran, and Anantharam an (2003) have also utilized this sampling method to make a comparative analysis of customer perceptions of service quality in the banking sector. The stratification will be done based on the four different banks. From each of the banks, about 20 customers will be randomly selected and thus the sample size will be 80. Data have been collected using the â€Å"personal-contact† approach, i. e. the respondents have been approached personally and given a detailed explanation about the survey. 1. 5. 3 Survey Instrument In the current study, the researcher will use a questionnaire to collect the data from the sample. Structured questionnaire will be used in this research. The questionnaire used in this study is comprised of two parts. The first part contains questions about personal profiles of the respondents including age, occupation and types of accounts currently holding. Then the next and final part includes expectations of respondents according to five dimensions. These dimensions are reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. A seven-point Likert scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree = 1† to â€Å"strongly agree = 7† was used to measure the 21 items. This 21-item SURVQUAL scale is developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988). Since Parasuraman et al. 1988) introduced the SERVQUAL instrument, many researchers have also used, extended and developed this scale to study service quality in different sectors of the services industry (Fick Ritchie, 1991; Babakus Mangold, 1992; Coyle Dale, 1993; Cronin Taylor, 1992; Lewis Pescetto, 1996; Smith, 1995; Buttle, 1996; Lam, Wong, Yeung, 1997; Lim Tang, 2000; Oldfield Baron, 2000; Gounaris, Stathakopoulos, Athanass opoulos, 2003). 1. 5. 4 Data Collection The study was conducted on the basis of both the primary and secondary ources of information. Primary data Primary data were collected through questionnaire from the customers of Prime Bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd. Secondary data Annual reports of PBL, Instruction circular of Head Office, Brochures of different Banks, online articles. 1. 5. 5 Data analysis procedure In the current situation, the proposed study is a comparative study which intends to analyze the customer service quality of Prime Bank Limited with other Private Commercial Banks. As a result, after collecting the data the researcher will use Mean value to make the comparison among the banks considering the five dimensions of service quality measurement. Several studies have utilized the mean value to analyze the service quality dimensions (Joseph Stone, 2003; Dotchin Oakland, 1994; Cuthbert, 1996; Allred Addams 2000). In this study, the researcher will also use factor analysis to analyze the data for the proposed study. The researcher intends to check if the scale items included in the questionnaire constituted a single dimension in the specific context of the different private commercial banks and then make a comparison between the banks. Some previous studies have also utilized factor analysis to study service quality of different service organizations (Cui, Lewis, Park, 2003; Cuthbert, 1996; Arasli, Mehtap-Smadi, Katircioglu, 2005). To analyze the data gathered from the survey Microsoft Excel 2003 and SPSS 12. 0 is utilized. 1. 5. 6 Survey Time The survey time for the current study is April, 2010. 1. 6 Limitations of the Study The major limitations of this study are given as follows a. There were some restrictions to have access to the information confidential by concern authority. b. For the comparative analysis only the branches of the four private commercial banks which are located in Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali areas are selected to collect data for the research. c. In the current study only the perceptions of the customers regarding the service quality is measured. The expectations of the customers regarding the five dimensions of service quality could be measured in such study to evaluate the gap score between perceptions and expectations. . Sufficient records, publications regarding customer service were not available as per requirement. e. Non-cooperative behavior of some officials from few branches. 2. 1 Introduction of the Organization The Prime Bank Limited (PBL) is a national banking group that is incorporated on the 12th February, 1995 as a consequence of relentless and decided efforts of a group of entrepreneurs having excellence of experience exposure in the different fields of industry, trade and commerce of the country. It started operation as a commercial bank on the 17th April 1995 with a branch at Motijheel. At present the bank has 36 branches spread all over the country. It renders all types of commercial banking services to the customers of all strata in the society within the stipulations laid down the bank company act 1991 and rules and regulations formed by Bangladesh from time to time. Diversification of products and services and innovation of products suited to the needs of the customers in keeping with relevant rules and laws have made it different from other commercial banks of the country. PBL’s national business in personal banking, corporate banking and its markets are its special strengths. It maintains correspondent relationship with all over the banks in countries. Prime Bank Limited is a forward looking and modern local bank with a record of sound performance. It is discarding its erstwhile conservative mould and in response to the current dynamic trends in locally financial activities, adopting an aggressive customer focused system. The effort that Prime Bank makes in order to portray the bank as a brand image is very strong and successful. The general image is that it is â€Å"trustworthy, efficient, helpful and committed†. The logo of the bank depicts the merger of confidence. Prime Bank Ltd. has already made significant progress within a very short period of its existences. The bank has been graded as a top class bank in the country through internationally accepted CAMEL rating. The Bank made satisfactory progress in all areas of business operation in 2004. Prime Bank offers all kinds of commercial corporate and personal banking services covering all segments of society within the framework of banking company Act and rules and regulations laid down by our central bank. Diversification of products and services include Corporate Banking, Retail Banking and Consumer Banking. Prime Bank Ltd. was designed to provide commercial and investment banking services to all types of customer ranging from small entrepreneur to big business firms. Besides investment in trade and commerce, the Bank participates in the socioeconomic development through the participation in priority sectors like agriculture, Industry, housing and self-employment. Prime Bank Ltd. want to establish, maintain, carry on transact Undertake and conduct all types of banking, financial all investment and trust business in Bangladesh and abroad. 2. 2 Mission of PBL To build Prime Bank Limited into an efficient, market driven, customer focused institution with good corporate governance structure. Continuous improvement in our business policies, procedures and efficiency through integration of technology at all levels. 2. 3 Goals and Objectives of PBL Maximization of Profit through customer satisfaction is the main objective of the Bank. In addition, the others relevant objectives are: ? To be market leaders in high quality banking products and services. ? Active excellence in customer service through providing the most modern and advance technology in the different spheres of banking. To participate in the industrial development of the country to encourage the new and educated young entrepreneurs to under take productive venture and demonstrate their creativity and there by participate in the national development ? To provide credit facilities to the small and medium size entrepreneur located in urban sub-Urban area and easily accessible by our branches. ? To develop saving attitude and making acquaintance with modern banking facilities. ? To inspire for undertaking small projects for creation employment through income generating activities. To play a significant role in the economic development of the country. 2. 4 Organogram of Prime Bank Limited 2. 5 Hierarchy of Prime Bank Limited 2. 6 Business Activities of PBL Prime Bank Limited provides a full range of products and services to its customers, some of which are mentioned below with a brief overview of the major business activities. Consumer Finance There are branches and finance centers under this division with a qualitative workforce of employees. Some of the services provided by this division are unsecured personal loans, credit cards, and vehicle related lease etc. Personal Banking There are branches with highly qualified workforce provide various kinds of loans, various types of accounts, cheques, card money etc. Corporate Banking institutional Banking There are some branches under this division. The services provided by this division are International Trade Management, Institutional Banking, Custody and Cash Management. Custodial Service PBL equator fulfills its strategic commitment to provide custody and clearing services. Equator’s main focus is on the following: ? Commitment to quality ? Dedication to customer needs Sustained investment in people and systems International Trade Management This division is operational throughout the group and PBL’s core strength is trade finance and services. With an experience Prime Bank has developed knowledge of trade finance, which is world class. Principle services to importers include imports letter of credit, import bills for collection and back to back letters of credit facilities. Se rvices provide to exporters include export letters of credit, direct export bills for collection, bulk letter of credit collection, bonds, and guarantees. Cash Management Prime Bank recognizes the importance of cash management to corporate and financial institutional customers, and offers a comprehensive range of services and liquidity management. Institutional Banking Through Prime Bank it is very well positioned to provide a wide range of services to institutional clients, commercial, merchant and central banks; brokers and dealers; insurance companies; funds and managers, and others. It provides relationship managers who are close to their customers and speak local language. This wide network of institutional banking facilities includes transaction, introduction, problem solving and renders advice and guidelines on local trading condition. Treasury Treasury operations had been consideration as an important avenue for income generation purpose within Head Office. In fact, in the past, income from treasury operation was quite sizable and significant to the total income generated by the bank. The treasury division publishes daily and weekly currency news letters, which provide analyses of currency trends and related issues. Seminars and workshops are conducted for customers from time to time on foreign exchange related topics. Customers can also have access to bank’s information database round the clock through phone banking. Prime Bank is one of the first local banks in Bangladesh to integrate treasury dealings of local money market and foreign currency under one Treasury umbrella. The bank has handled significant volumes of treasury over the last several years. Prime Bank’s Dealing Room is connected with automated Reuters Terminal facility thus enabling the bank to provide forward/future facilities to its corporate clients at a very competitive rate. In 2004 the treasury operation recorded an income of TK 180. 12 million excluding money market income of TK 72. 25 million. Electronic Banking Electronic Banking provides various types of support through a wide range of operating systems, sweeping transactions accessions with the provisions of reporting features or other special functions. Foreign Exchange Business Over the years, foreign trade operations of the bank played a pivotal role in the overall business development of the bank. The bank has established relationship with as many as 110 new foreign correspondents abroad thereby raising the total number of correspondents to 350. The total import business handled by the bank during the year 2004 was tk 19564 million against taka 13428 million of the year 2003. The growth rate was 46%. The bank has also entered into remittance arrangements with several banks and exchange houses and expects to handle increased volume of remittance business over the near future. Online Branch Banking The bank has set up a Wide Area Network (WAN) across the country to provide online branch banking facility to its valued clients. Under the scheme clients of any branch shall be able to do banking transaction at other branches of the bank. Under this system a client will be able to do following type of transactions: ? Cash withdrawal from his/her account at any branch of the bank irrespective of the location. ? Cash deposit in his/her account at any branch of the bank irrespective of the location. ? Cash deposit in other’s account at any branch of the bank irrespective of the location. ? Transfer of money from his/her account with any branch of the bank. SWIFT Prime Bank limited is one of the first few Bangladeshi banks, which have become member of SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) in 1999. SWIFT is a member-owned co-operative, which provides a fast and accurate communication network for financial transactions such as Letters of Credit, Fund Transfer etc. By becoming a member of SWIFT, the bank has opened up possibilities for uninterrupted connectivity with over 5,700 user institutions in 150 countries around the world. Information Technology in Banking Operation Prime Bank limited adopted automation in banking operation from the first day of its operation. The main objective of this automation is to provide efficient and prompt services to the bank’s clients. At present all the branches of the bank are computerized. At branch level, the bank is using server-based multi-user software under UNIX operating system to provide best security of automation. Profitability and Shareholder Satisfaction The bank had been one of the most profitable in the banking sector. The bank’s return on assets (ROA) crossed 3. 75 percent in the year 2004. Even though the capital market of the country has been suffering over the last few years, the good performance of Prime Bank made sure that the banks share price remained in a respectable position. 2. 7 Products and Services of Prime Bank Limited Prime bank Limited offers various kinds of deposit products and loan schemes. The bank also has highly qualified professional staff members who have the capability to manage and meet all the requirements of the bank. Every account is assigned to an account manager who personally takes care of it and is available for discussion and inquiries, whether one writes, telephones or calls. Deposit Products ? Monthly Contributory Savings Schemes(CSS) ? Monthly Benefit Deposit Receipt(MBDR) ? Special Deposit Receipt Scheme(SDR) ? Education Savings Scheme(ESS) ? Fixed Deposit Receipt Scheme(FDR) ? Current Account ? Savings account ? Short Term Deposit ? Multi Currency Account Loan Schemes: ? General Loan Scheme Consumer Credit Scheme ? Lease Finance ? House Building Loan Apartment Loan Scheme ? Advance against Shares ? Custodial Services for investors (both individual institutional) investing in through Stock exchange ? One stop services for payment of utility bills. ? Credit card 2. 8 Financial Position of Prime Bank Limited The financial position for the last three y ears of Prime Bank Limited is given below: (Taka in million) |Particulars |2007 |2008 |2009 | |Total Deposits |16481. 0 |20483. 23 |28069. 24 | |Loans and Advances |12686. 85 |16492. 22 |23219. 67 | |Investment |1996. 23 |2749. 71 |3083. 81 | |Foreign Exchange Business |31753. 70 |41930. 80 |56248. 80 | |Operating Income |1196. 20 |1593. 9 |1970. 37 | |Operating Expenditure |448. 36 |592. 28 |824. 23 | |Operating Profit |747. 84 |1001. 41 |1146. 14 | |Total Assets |19358. 93 |24249. 13 |32361. 62 | |Market value per share |307. 51 |374. 25 |879. 0 | |No of Branches |27 |30 |36 | |No of Employees |730 |777 |894 | |No of Shareholders |1727 |1993 |2620 | |No of Foreign Correspondences |422 |441 |501 | 3. 1 Literature Review . 1. 1 Service Quality Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) defined service quality in terms of physical quality, interactive quality and corporate (image) quality. Physical quality relates to the tangible aspects of the service. Interactive quality involves the interactive nature of services and refers to the two-way flow that occurs between the customer and the service provider, or his/her representative, including both automated and animated interactions. Corporate quality refers to the image attributed to a service provider by its current and potential customers, as well as other publics. Lewis and Booms’ (1983) definition clearly states that service is a measure of how well the service level delivered matches customer expectations and delivering quality service means conforming to customer expectation on a consistent basis. In some earlier studies, researchers define service quality as the extent to which a service meets customers’ needs or expectations (Lewis Mitchell, 1990; Dotchin Oakland, 1994; Asubonteng, McCleary, Swan, 1996; Wisniewski and Donnelly, 1996). Zeithaml (1987) defined that service quality is the consumer’s judgment about an entity’s overall excellence or superiority. It is a form of attitude, and results from a comparison of expectations to perceptions of performance received. Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman (1990) on the other hand, have chosen to define service quality â€Å"as the extent of the discrepancy between customers’ expectations or desires and their perceptions†. Service quality has been also defined as the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organization and services (Zeithaml et al. 1990; Taylor Baker, 1994). Christopher, Payne, and Ballantyne (1993) have defined service quality as the ability of the organization to meet or exceed customer expectations. Service quality is believed to depend on the gap between expected and perceived performance (Anderson, Fornell, Lehmann, 1994). Gitlow, Oppenheim, and Oppenheim (1989) also stated that se rvice quality is the extent to which the customer or users believe the service surpasses their needs and expectations. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) proposed that service quality is a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions. Service quality has been also defined as a consumer attitude reflecting the perceived overall superiority and excellence in the process and outcome of a service provider (Parasuraman et al. , 1988). Gronroos (2001) recently defined service quality as a mixture of three elements: quality of the consumption process itself, the quality of the outcome of the process; and image of the provider of the service. Service quality has become an increasingly important factor for success and survival in the banking sector. Provision of high quality service aids in meeting several requirements such as customer satisfaction and its consequent loyalty and market share, soliciting new customers, improved productivity, financial performance and profitability (Collet et al. , 1990; Julian and Ramaseshan, 1994; Lewis, 1989, 1993; Llosa et al. , 1998). Bank Service quality has become an important factor in determining market shares and profitability (Andereson et al. , 1994; Spathis, Kosmidou, Doumpous, 2002). . 1. 2 Service Quality Dimensions Since a conceptual model concerning perceived service quality was proposed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985), service quality dimensions have become an area of interest in marketing research (Bolton Drew, 1991b; Brown Swartz, 1989; Carman, 1990; Cronin Taylor, 1992, 1994; Parasuraman et al. , 1988, 1994; Teas, 1993, 1994; Zeithaml et al. , 1996). One o f the important issues related to service quality is the dimensions of service quality, and the measurement tool, SERVQUAL developed by Parasuraman et al. 1988) has been the starting point of the controversy in this area. Parasuraman et al. (1988) identify five quality dimensions which link specific service characteristics to consumer expectations of quality. These five basic dimensions are: (1) Reliability: Reliability is defined as the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasuraman et al. , 1988). Reliability involves consistency of performance and dependability. It means that the firm performs the service right first time. It also means that the firm honors its promises. Specifically it involves: accuracy in billing; keeping records correctly; performing the service at the designated time. (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, Berry, 1985) Reliability basically refers to the extent to which the retail service provides what was promised when it was promised (Dabholkar, Thorpe, Rentz, 1996). Zeithaml et al. (1990) defined reliability as the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. (2) Responsiveness: It is defined as the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service (Parasuraman et al. , 1988). It Concerns the willingness or readiness of employees to provide services. Responsiveness involves timeliness of service like: posting a transaction slip immediately; returning a phone call quickly; giving prompt service; setting up appointments quickly. According to Zeithaml et al. (1990) responsiveness refers to the motivation to help (internal) customers and provide prompt service to them. (3) Assurance: Parasuraman et al. , (1988) defined assurance as the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Assurance involves trustworthiness, believability, honesty. It involves having the customer’s best interests at heart. Contributing to credibility includes company name; company reputation; personal characteristics of the contact personnel; how much a hard sell is employed in interactions with the customer (Parasuraman et al. , 1985). Zeithaml et al. (1990) defined assurance as the awareness and good manners of the employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence to the customers. 4) Empathy: According to Parasuraman et al. , (1988) empathy is defined as caring and individualized attention provided to customers. Empathy refers to graciousness, respect, consideration and friendliness of contact personnel including receptionists, telephone operators, etc. It includes: consideration for the consumers’ property; clean and neat appearance of the contact personnel. (5) Tangibles: Tangibles are the physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel in servic es (Parasuraman et al. , 1988). It includes all the physical evidence of the service: facilities; appearance of personnel; tools or equipment used to provide the service; physical representations of the services (e. g. statements); other customers. Zeithaml et al. (1990) stated that tangibles are the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials. Tangibles of service are the tangible facets of the service facility (equipment, machinery, signage, employee appearance, etc. ) or the man-made physical environment, popularly known as the â€Å"servicescapes† (Sureshchandar, Rajendran, Anantharaman, 2003). . 1 Comparative Analysis on Service Quality For comparative analysis, the data retrieved from the perception score given by the customers of Prime Bank Limited, Dhaka Bank ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd are analyzed in the current study. By analyzing the mean value of the results the researcher intends to find which Bank’s customer service quality i s more appreciable to the customers. The comparative analysis is based on the mean score of the actual score given by the customers on the items of each of the service quality dimensions. 4. 1. Comparative Analysis on Reliability dimension: In reliability dimension the customers were asked to give score about their perception on the basis of five scale items. The following Table 1 shows the comparative results in the reliability dimension for Prime Bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd. The result shows that Prime Bank receives maximum scores in four scale items except the one which asks whether the bank provides its services at the time it promises to do so. For that particular scale item Prime Bank receives a mean score of 4. 95 whereas the mean score for Dhaka Bank is 5. . Table 1: Mean Quality Scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd for Reliability dimension |Perception Statements in Reliability Dimension |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |1. When your bank promises to do something by a |5. 7 |5. 3 |4. 75 |5. 3 | |certain time, it does so. | | | | |2. When you have a problem, your bank shows a |5. 2 |4. 95 |4. 3 |4. 45 | |sincere interest in solving it. | | | | | |3. Your bank performs the right service at first |5. 2 |4. 45 |4. 7 |4. 80 | |time. | | | | | |4. Your bank provides its services at the time it |4. 95 |5. |4. 55 |4. 6 | |promises to do so. | | | | | |5. Your bank keeps you informed about when services |5. 2 |4. 4 |4. 45 |4. 6 | |will be performed. | | | | | In terms of scale item 1 the customers of Prime Bank have relatively high perception than the customers of other banks as the bank does the work within the promised time. Prime Bank receives a mean score of 5. in this aspect while Dhaka Bank, Southeast Bank, and Mercantile Bank receive 5. 3, 4. 75, and 5. 3 respectively. Prime Bank also receives a mean score of 5. 2 as the b ank shows sincere interest to solve the problems of the customers than the other banks do. Prime Bank also receives a comparatively high mean score in the aspect of that the bank keeps customers informed about when services will be performed. 4. 1. 2 Comparative Analysis on Responsiveness dimension: The responsiveness dimension consists of three items. The following Table 2 shows the comparative results in the responsiveness dimensions for the banks. The result shows that Prime Bank receives comparatively low scores in all three items of the dimension. The mean score of Prime Bank for scale item 6 is 4. 65 which is lower than Dhaka Bank and Southeast Bank. Table 2: Mean Quality Scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd for Responsiveness dimension |Perception Statements in Responsiveness Dimension |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |6. The employees in your bank give you prompt service. |4. 65 |5. 1 |4. 95 |4. 45 | |7. The employees in your bank always willing to help |4. 8 |5. 15 |4. 05 |4. 55 | |you. | | | | | |8. The employees in your bank are never too busy to |4. 5 |4. 9 |5. 05 |4. 3 | |respond to your request. | | | | The customers of Dhaka Bank perceive more about the willingness of the employees to help them than the customers of Prime Bank do. For the item 8 Prime Bank again receives a mean score of 4. 5 whereas the mean score for Southeast Bank is 5. 05 and Dhaka Bank is 4. 9. 4. 1. 3 Comparative Analysis on Assurance dimension: According to the SERVQUAL scale developed by Parasuraman et al. (1988) the assurance dimension of service quality consists of three items. The following Table 3 shows the comparative results in the assurance dimensions for the preferred banks. The result shows that the customers of Prime Bank have given low score in aspect of employees’ behavior and employees’ courteousness than the score given by the customers of other banks. The customers of Prime Bank perceive that the behavior of the employees does not inspire enough confidence in them. Thus the mean score of Prime Bank for item 9 is 4. 6 which is lower than all other banks. In terms of employees courteousness Prime bank again receives a mean score of 4. which lower than Dhaka Bank and Southeast bank. Table 3: Mean Quality Scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd for Assurance dimension |Perception Statements in Assurance Dimension |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |9. The behavior of the employees of the bank inspires|4. 6 |5. 35 |5. 25 |4. 8 | |confidence in you. | | | | |10. You feel safe in your transactions with your |5. 35 |5. 25 |4. 25 |4. 25 | |bank. | | | | | |11. The employees in your bank consistently courteous|4. 7 |5. 25 |4. 9 |4. 65 | |with you. | | | | | |12. The employees in your bank have the knowledge to |4. |4. 8 |4. 3 |4. 4 | |answer your questions. | | | | | The customers also perceive that the employees of Dhaka Bank are more knowledgeable (Mean score 4. 7) than that of Prime Bank (Mean score 4. 8). However, in this dimension Prime Bank receives a high score than other banks in terms of safe transactions with the bank. The customers of Prime Bank perceived that they feel safer while transacting with the bank than that of other banks. 4. 1. Comparative Analysis on Empathy dimension: The following table 3 shows the customers’ perception on empathy dimension of service quality which consists of four items. This comparative analysis evaluates that the customers of Prime Bank perceives high individual attention from their b ank. In this aspect Prime Bank receives a mean score of 5. 0 whereas Dhaka Bank, Southeast bank, and Mercantile Bank receive 4. 7, 4. 2, and 4. 2 respectively. Table 4: Mean Quality Scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd for Empathy dimension |Perception Statements in Empathy Dimension |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |13. Your bank gives you individual attention. |5. 0 |4. 7 |4. 2 |4. 2 | |14. Your bank has employees who give you individual |4. 75 |4. 9 |4. 35 |3. 65 | |attention. | | | | |15. Your bank has your best interests at heart. |4. 9 |4. 35 |4. 15 |4. 55 | |16. The employees in your bank understand your |4. 65 |4. 8 |4. 75 |4. 45 | |specific needs. | | | | | However when it comes to the aspect of employees’ individual attention towards the customers, Prime Bank receives a relatively low mean score of 4. 5 whereas Dhaka Bank receives 4. 9. The customers of Prime bank also perceive more in the aspect that the bank has their best interests at heart than the customers of other banks do. Prime Bank receives a mean score of 4. 9 in this item. On the other hand, Prime Bank receives a relatively low mean score in case of employees’ understanding of customer’s specific needs. Prime Bank receives a mean score of 4. 65 whereas Dhaka Bank and Southeast Bank receive mean scores of 4. 8 and 4. 75. 4. 1. 5 Comparative Analysis on Tangible dimension: The tangible dimension of service quality consists of five items. The subsequent Table 5 shows the comparative results in the tangible dimension for the private commercial banks that is based on the perceptions of the customers. The result explains that the physical facilities of Prime Bank are more visually appealing than other banks. In this aspect Prime Bank receives a mean score of 5. 35, which is higher than the scores of other banks. The customers of Prime Bank also perceive more that materials associated with the service are visually appealing at the bank than the customers of other banks do. Table 5: Mean Quality Scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and Mercantile Bank Ltd for Tangibles dimension |Perception Statements in Tangible Dimension |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |17. The bank has modern-looking and hi-tech |5. 2 |5. 4 |5. 0 |4. 4 | |equipments. | | | | |18. The bank’s physical facilities are visually |5. 35 |4. 6 |4. 25 |3. 85 | |appealing. | | | | | |19. The employees of the bank appear neat. |4. 8 |5. 1 |4. 65 |4. 5 | |20. Materials associated with the service are |5. 45 |5. 35 |4. 8 |4. 5 | |visually appealing at the bank. | | | | | |21. Your bank has convenient business hours. |5. 5 |5. 6 |5. 1 |5. 3 | However Dhaka Bank receives a mean score of 5. 4 in the scale item which refers that the bank has modern-looking and hi-tech equipments whereas Prime bank receives a mean score of 5. 2 in this scale item. The customers of Prime Bank also perceive less about the employees’ appearanc e than the customers of Dhaka Bank do. In this aspect Prime bank receives a mean score of 4. 8 while Dhaka Bank receives a mean score of 5. 1. 4. 2 The five SERVQUAL dimensions: An overall comparison of bank customers’ perception and grand mean scores The following table (Table 6) represents the Grand Mean scores of Prime bank Limited, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd, and Mercantile Bank Ltd for the five service quality dimensions. In the reliability dimension Prime Bank obtained the highest grand mean score of 5. 25 as the customers of Prime bank think the bank is highly reliable than the customers of other banks do. However, in responsiveness dimension which refers to the willingness of the employees to help customers and provide prompt service, Prime Bank obtained a relatively low grand mean score of 4. 65. In this dimension Dhaka Bank and Southeast Bank receive 5. 05 and 4. 83 respectively. This result evaluates that the customers of Prime Bank are not getting adequate and prompt response from the employees of the bank. Again in terms of assurance Prime Bank obtained a grand mean score of 4. 82 whereas Dhaka Bank receives a grand mean score of 5. 16. This dimension is defined as the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. The customers of Prime Bank perceive less about the employees’ courteousness than the customers of Dhaka Bank do. The next service quality dimension is empathy which is defined as caring and individualized attention provided to customers (Parasuraman et al. , 1988). Prime Bank obtained a grand mean score of 4. 91 which is relatively higher than the other banks. The customers of Prime Bank also think that the bank has adequate modern looking and hi-tech equipments and the physical facilities are visually appealing. So the bank obtained a grand mean score of 5. 26 in tangibles dimension while in the same service quality dimension Dhaka Bank, Southeast Bank, and Mercantile Bank receive 5. 21, 4. 76, and 4. 54 respectively. Table 6: Grand Mean Quality Scores for five SERVQUAL dimensions |Five Dimensions of Service Quality |Prime |Dhaka |Southeast Bank |Mercantile Bank | | |Bank |Bank | | | |Reliability |5. 5 |4. 82 |4. 55 |4. 75 | |Responsiveness |4. 65 |5. 05 |4. 83 |4. 43 | |Assurance |4. 83 |5. 16 |4. 67 |4. 52 | |Empathy |4. 82 |4. 68 |4. 36 |4. 21 | |Tangibles |5. 26 |5. 1 |4. 76 |4. 54 | According to results of the Grand Mean scores, Table 7 represents the rankings of the banks in five different dimensions and which is prepared on the basis of customers’ evaluation. The result shows that Prime Bank is ranked first in reliability, empathy and tangibles dimensions. However in terms of responsiveness Prime Bank is ranked as third while Dhaka Bank is ranked first. Again in case of assura nce Prime Bank is ranked second whereas Southeast Bank is ranked first. Table 7: Ranking of the Private Commercial Banks on the basis of the perception of the customers on five SERVQUAL dimensions |Name of the Private Commercial Banks |Reliability |Responsiveness |Assurance |Empathy |Tangibles | | Prime Bank Limited |1 |3 |2 |1 |1 | | Dhaka Bank Ltd |2 |1 |1 |2 |2 | | Southeast Bank Ltd |4 |2 |3 |3 |3 | | Mercantile Bank Ltd |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 | 4. Factor Analysis on SERVQUAL dimensions The study also includes a factor analysis of the five SERVQUAL dimensions for four different banks using varimax rotation. The factor analysis of five service quality dimensions will help the researcher to check whether the scale items included in the questionnaire constituted a single dimension in the specific context of the different private commercial banks or not. Factor 1: Reliability The data gathered on the scale items for the service quality questionnaire developed by Parasuraman et al. (1988) are factor analyzed to check the component structure of the reliability dim ension for four different commercial banks. Appendix 1 summarises the scale items used for the dependent and independent variables used for the study. Appendix 2 represents the total variance for the five service quality dimensions. In case of Prime Bank, two scale items out of five of the reliability dimension appeared to be too generalized in terms of explaining reliability and could be remove from the factor. Scale Items 1, 2, and 3 could be retained for the final factor structure (Table 8), which resulted in a single factor and explained 30. 36% of the cumulative variation. On the other hand, all the items are grouped into one single factor in terms of Dhaka Bank (Table 9). Table 8: Factor Analysis: Prime Bank Table 9: Factor Analysis: Dhaka Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Component Matrix (a, b) | |Dhaka Bank | | |Component | | |1 | |ITEM 3 |. 834 | |ITEM 2 |. 810 | |ITEM 5 |. 758 | |ITEM 4 |. 742 | |ITEM 1 |. 729 | | |Prime Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 3 |. 860 |. 186 | |ITEM 1 |. 769 |-. 050 | ITEM 2 |. 428 |-. 153 | |ITEM 4 |-. 024 |. 852 | |ITEM 5 |-. 047 |. 817 | Table 10: Factor Analysis: Southeast Bank Table 11: Factor Analysis: Mercantile Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Southeast Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 1 |. 893 |-. 005 | |ITEM 3 |. 827 |-. 237 | |ITEM 5 |. 753 |. 138 | |ITEM 2 |-. 58 |. 881 | |ITEM 4 |. 017 |. 784 | | |Mercantile Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 2 |. 850 |. 119 | |ITEM 4 |. 568 |-. 129 | |ITEM 5 |-. 084 |. 857 | |ITEM 3 |. 537 |. 607 | |ITEM 1 |. 533 |-. 534 | However, in case of Southeast Bank two out of three items again seemed too general and thus they could be eliminated from the reliability factor. Table 10 shows that Scale Items 1, 3, and 5 could be retained in a single factor for Southeast Bank and explained 41. 04% of the cumulative variation. For Mercantile Bank, Item 1, 2, 3, and 4 could be retained to construct a single factor, which explained 32. 51% of the variation. Factor 2: Responsiveness The scale items of responsiveness dimension are factor analyzed, which confirmed that the items were grouped into one factor. For Prime Bank the result in Table 12 shows that all the scale items on responsiveness dimension constitute a single factor and explained 45. 21% of cumulative variance. Also for Dhaka Bank all three of the items constituted a single factor however it explained 48. 65% of the variance. Table 12: Factor Analysis: Prime Bank Table 13: Factor Analysis: Dhaka Bank Component Matrix (a, b) Component Matrix (a, b) | |Prime Bank | | |Component | | |1 | |ITEM 6 |. 722 | |ITEM 7 |. 706 | |ITEM 8 |. 580 | | |Dhaka Bank | | |Component | | |1 | |ITEM 7 |. 853 | |ITEM 6 |. 839 | |ITEM 8 |. 170 | Table 14: Factor Analysis: Southeast Bank Table 15: Factor Analysis: Mercantile Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Component Matrix (a, b) | |Mercantile Bank | | |Component | | |1 | |ITEM 8 |. 903 | |ITEM 6 |. 810 | |ITEM 7 |. 493 | | |Southeast Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 6 |. 779 |. 287 | |ITEM 8 |. 772 |-. 296 | ITEM 7 |. 000 |. 937 | In terms of Southeast Bank, two out of three scale items constituted a single factor and thus Item 7 could be removed. The single factor explained 40. 10% of the cumulative variation. However, all the three initial items constituted again a single factor and resulted in 57. 14% of the variance for Mercantile Bank. Factor 3: Assurance Four scale items are initialized to constitute a single factor for assurance dimension. Table 16 shows that two scale items such as Item 10 and Item 12 have shown the possibility to represent a single factor with a variance of 41. 10% for Prime Bank Limited. Item 9 and Item 11 which represent the behavior of the employees and the courteousness of the employees, seemed weak to fit in the single factor for Prime Bank as they represent only 29. 12% of the cumulative variance. Table 16: Factor Analysis: Prime Bank Table 17: Factor Analysis: Dhaka Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b)Component Matrix (a, b) | |Prime Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 12 |. 892 |. 171 | |ITEM 10 |. 889 |-. 154 | |ITEM 9 |. 77 |. 750 | |ITEM 11 |-. 159 |. 741 | | |Dhaka Bank | | |Component | | |1 | |ITEM 12 |. 854 | |ITEM 10 |. 711 | |ITEM 9 |. 618 | |ITEM 11 |. 539 | Table 14: Factor Analysis: Southeast Bank Table 15: Factor Analysis: Mercantile Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Southeast Bank | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 9 |. 811 |. 129 | |ITEM 12 |. 781 |-. 054 | |ITEM 10 |. 163 |-. 830 | |ITEM 11 |. 270 |. 783 | | |Mercantile Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 11 |. 910 |. 178 | |ITEM 9 |. 841 |-. 094 | |ITEM 12 |-. 152 |. 871 | |ITEM 10 |. 477 |. 01 | In assurance dimension, three out of four scale items constituted a single factor for Southeast Bank Ltd. Item 9, 10, and 12 represents that single factor and explained 34. 15% of the cumulative variance. Item 11 that represents employees’ consistent courteousness could be removed from the scale of assurance dimension for Southeast Bank Ltd. In terms of Mercantile Bank Ltd, three items could be retained to constitute a single factor and explained 44. 66% of the cumulative variance. Factor 4: Empathy The factor analysis on empathy dimension shows that Item 17 and Item 18 are more likely to constitute a single factor for Prime Bank (Table 16). This single factor represents 37. 52% of the variance. On the other hand, three out of four scale items appeared to constitute a single factor for Dhaka Bank with 42. 08% of the variance. Table 16: Factor Analysis: Prime Bank Table 17: Factor Analysis: Dhaka Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Dhaka Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 13 |. 836 |-. 226 | |ITEM 16 |. 828 |. 285 | |ITEM 14 |. 163 |. 875 | ITEM 15 |. 522 |-. 660 | | |Prime Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 17 |. 857 |. 312 | |ITEM 18 |. 820 |-. 323 | |ITEM 16 |. 252 |. 830 | |ITEM 15 |. 177 |-. 558 | Table 14: Factor Analysis: Southeast Bank Table 15: Factor Analysis: Mercantile Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Mercantile Bank | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 16 |. 894 |. 083 | |ITEM 14 |. 878 |. 004 | |ITEM 15 |-. 133 |. 830 | |ITEM 13 |. 237 |. 773 | | |Southeast Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 15 |. 883 |-. 135 | |ITEM 13 |. 776 |. 4 15 | |ITEM 14 |-. 108 |. 891 | |ITEM 16 |. 473 |. 725 | In terms of Southeast Bank, three out of four scale items constituted a single factor and thus Item 14 could be removed. The single factor explained 40. 43 % of the cumulative variance. Again, for Mercantile Bank Item 16 and Item 14 appeared to constitute a single factor and explained 41. 08% of the variance. Factor 5: Tangibles The tangible initially contains five scale items. After factor analysis for Prime Bank Limited, the result shows that two items are too generalized and thus could be removed. Thus Item 17, 18 and 21 constituted a single factor which explained 33. 94% of the variance. Three items also constituted a single factor structure for Dhaka Bank although here the items are 18, 19, and 20 with 32. 3% of the variance. Table 16: Factor Analysis: Prime Bank Table 17: Factor Analysis: Dhaka Bank Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Prime Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 17 |. 778 |. 137 | |ITEM 21 |. 772 |-. 499 | |ITEM 18 |. 691 |. 291 | |ITEM 20 |. 048 |. 774 | |ITEM 19 |. 124 |. 736 | | |Dhaka Bank | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 18 |. 859 |. 048 | |ITEM 19 |. 853 |. 258 | |ITEM 21 |-. 082 |. 776 | |ITEM 20 |. 300 |. 657 | |ITEM 17 |. 224 |. 612 | Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) Rotated Component Matrix (a, b) | |Mercantile Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 | |ITEM 21 |-. 768 |. 029 | |ITEM 19 |. 687 |. 142 | |ITEM 20 |. 25 |-. 409 | |ITEM 17 |. 269 |. 881 | |ITEM 18 |. 345 |-. 490 | | |Southeast Bank | | |Component | | |1 |2 |3 | |ITEM 18 |. 902 |-. 223 |-. 074 | |ITEM 20 |. 689 |. 427 |. 177 | |ITEM 17 |-. 059 |. 936 |. 067 | |ITEM 19 |. 458 |. 491 |-. 488 | |ITEM 21 |. 069 |. 092 |. 917 | The factor analysis for Southeast Bank in tangible dimension shows that three out of five scale items constituted a single factor which represented 30. 13% of the variance. In terms of Mercantile Bank four items constituted a single factor with 32. 88% of variance. 5. 1 Findings of the Research On the base of survey, theoretical analysis and practical experience of 3 months internship program the following findings are identified during the research period: ? The customer service quality of Prime Bank Limited is not satisfactory enough in terms of responsiveness and assurance of the employees in comparison with the studied private commercial banks. Customers perceived a relatively low quality in these dimensions than the customers of other private commercial Banks. The courteousness, promptness, and attitude of the employees towards their work are the critical issues and need to improve significantly to provide better quality service to the customers. ? The Bank has no segmentation t o handle different type of customers. They are equally treating of all the customers to provide service. Nevertheless high status clients seek on extra honor from Bank or institution. ? It is found that the recruitment policy of the bank is not always fair. Intelligence and capability are not always the criteria for selection. People who have good relation with influential persons have the chance to enter through backdoor. Most of the times these people do not have the ability to compete with other banks’ workforce in terms of performance. As a result the service quality and innovativeness of the bank is deteriorating day by day whereas the other private commercial banks that have a good recruitment policy are doing well and are also enhancing their reputation among talented job seekers. ? PBL has a very long hierarchy than other Bank. In some of the bank there are only 9-10 posts before Managing Director but in PBL this number is 15, which might be a cause of demotivation to the employees. ? Most of the customers of the bank ask for more quality service especially quick, accurate service and good behavior from bankers as they think a private bank should provide such quality sufficiently. Lack of Good Cooperation is identified among the work procedures and also among the employees of the bank which results in lengthiness and ineffective service. Recommendations As per earnest observation some suggestions for the improvements of the situation are given below: ? Bank is a service-oriented financial organization. Its busi ness profit depends on its service quality. That’s why the authority always should be aware about their service quality and thus should take initiative to measure the service quality of the bank periodically on different dimensions. ? Management should carefully handle the different departments of general banking in regard to provide better quality service. ? The quality of customer service should be considered as absolutely indispensable. In general banking department it is necessary to implement modern banking process instead of traditional system. It should be more computerized to. ? As Prime Bank Limited is the financial institution and one depends to another to complete a process fully. So lack of cooperation should be minimized to provide prompt service How to cite Prime Bank, Papers

The Parents Music Resource Center and Music Today free essay sample

Their mission was to educate parents about alarming trends in popular music (Encyclopedia, 11/22/04. ) Out of all the many styles of music in this particular case only rock music is mentioned. Society is always impacted by music. At the time, rock music was the most popular. This caused the affects to be much stronger. That is also why the MARC directed the most attention toward rock, rather than country, hip-hop, blues, or dance music. The MARC easily became a national movement. All of the women involved had connections to the government, which gave them an added power and access to make the group national. On or about May 31, 1985, the MARC sent a letter to Stanley Sorting, then president of the Recording Industry Association of America (ARIA), accusing the record industry of exposing the youth of America, to sex, violence, and the glorification of drugs and alcohol . .. The letter went on to demand a rating system for rock records similar to the MAMA rating system for films (Kappa, 1989. We will write a custom essay sample on The Parents Music Resource Center and Music Today or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) Frank Kappa was one of the first musicians to speak against the MARC. He began by writing a letter to the music industry. His letter expressed his thoughts and feelings toward the whole situation.Within this open letter Kappa states, A record company has the right to conduct its business and make a profit, but not at the expense of the people who make the product businesswomen still has to write and perform the music (Kappa,1989. ) unfortunately, the letter did not make much of an impact. Kappa, then decided to take the issue a step further and wrote a letter to the president. The letter he wrote influenced a speech President Reagan gave on the situation. Which, later lead to public court hearings discussing the issues the MARC raised. The Senate Hearing on record labeling, held on September 19, 1985, was arguably the best attended and media-covered hearing ever held before any Senate Committee (Defile,1993. ) The ARIA and individual record companies wanted the situations to be dealt with as quickly as possible. They did not want to cause a lot of trouble. There were many musicians involved within the trial process. Some of the most famous witnesses were Frank Kappa, Dee Snider, John Denver, and Jell Bavaria. During the hearing, there was a focus on fifteen different songs. The songs on the list were known as the filthy fifteen. Some artists on the list were Prince, AC/DC, Cindy Lapper, Madonna, Deaf Leopard, and Twisted Sister (Encyclopedia, 11/22/04. ) Frank Kappa, was an interesting witness. His years were never questioned. None of the artists who made it onto the list which became know as The Marcs Filthy Fifteen had anything in their lyrics even close to the stuff in my catalog, and yet, for some reason, was never accused of being a Violator (Kappa, 1989. ) The First Amendment of the Constitution gives citizens the freedoms of religion, press, assembly, petition, and most important to the MARC hearings, speech.Obscenity is not protected by the amendment and that is where a lot of controversy was caused. The line between what is obscene and what isnt obscene is hard to determine. Many proposals were made throughout the hearing, after all the debates, witnesses, and testimonials the case was finally settled. Even before the trial was complete the MARC and ARIA had made a compromise. Following the Hearing, on November 1 of 1985, the MARC, and its ally the National Parents and Teachers Association, reached an agreement with the ARIA on the voluntary record label. The agreement stipulated that the printing of lyrics remained optional and, because of space limitations, cassettes were exempted, bearing only the imprint see LIP for lyrics. Since then, different record companies designed their own label containing the words Parental Guidance Explicit Lyrics or some variation thereof (Defile, 1993. ) Many record stores refused to sell albums containing the label (most notably Wall-Mart) and others limited the sale of those albums to minors. The label became known as the Tipper sticker.Some politicians attempted to criminality the sale of explicit records to minors, and others went so far as to try to ban such records (Encyclopedia, 1 1/22/04. ) The activities of the MARC and the record industrys response on the issue since hen are not very clear. Some, usually smaller, companies have continued to refuse putting labels on records, and generally the response on the part of the musicians was not favorable, feeling that the ARIA had sold outs]The sale s of records, however, do not seem to have been affected (Defile,1 993. ) Today it is common to see advisory stickers on CDC.However, they are not required, but suggested. There are no major consequences currently for not having labels on music. Now the MARC has moved into the world of video, complaining about television, home video and MAT (Kappa,1989. ) Currently here are not many mainstream organizations that have intentions like the MARC. Most of the groups that permute censorship are a much smaller scale. It is not likely for them to gain any national status. These groups are unlikely to gain following because many musicians today make different versions of their record.These records come in a clean version with less Obscenities and the regular version, including all obscenities. This is logical on behalf of the musicians. It is a large step forward in preventing anything like the MARC happening again. Also, the different versions of records please the people ho would be against obscenity. The music industrys self-regulation of lyrics through parental warning labels is drawing a not-so-fine line between black and white, an expert on music censorship says (Adelaide, 1 1/23/04. ) According to this source, in some situations todays music is being used to label more than content. Most of todays CDC that carry the Parental Advisory label are from African-American rap and hip-hop artists (Adelaide, 1 1/23/04. ) Not only does the censorship of music today create a racist atmosphere, but musicians are also blamed as the causes of destructive behaviors. There are many indications of the destructive behaviors caused by music. During the 1999 Columbine High School attacks, the music the students listened to was looked into, as a possible reason why their actions were so violent. Also, in 1999 the pop-punk band Blink 182 released a song called Dams Song. On May 4, Columbine High School student Greg Barnes took his own life at his house Dams Song was set to repeat on the CD player when the student was found hanged. The band sympathizes with the loss, but singer/bassist Mark Whoops told LAUNCH (the interview source) hat people need to sit down and listen to the lyrics to get the inherently positive message in the song. Any intelligent person that listens to that song will know that its an anti-suicide song, and so if you listen to the lyrics its pretty self-explanatory that its about going through a hard time and finding the strength to go on, he said. It was a very unfortunate thing that happened and our heart goes out to the kids family, but the song itself.. Think the message is pretty clear 11/23/04. ) Music is constantly interpreted and misinterpreted. It is up to an individual, or parent n a childs case to pick out what kind of music they want to listen to. Another responsibility of the consumer is to recognize the difference between artist intent and how one perceives the meaning of a song. People tend to be afraid to take responsibility for their own actions, so they go ahead and blame others.Musicians and other celebrities are an easy target. In regards to suicides being blamed on music, that is an unfair statement to make. The artists should not be faulted for another persons decision. Suicide is a bigger issue within itself. Although it may make sense to blame an outside source, suicide should be looked at in a much larger spectrum. History of all kinds is important. It tells the stories of how countries and societies came to be. Music is probably one of the largest reflections of society. Music can express how an individual or groups of people feel about a certain topic.Through the tempo and melody of a song emotions can be described. Lyrics are written about love, hate, politics, friendship, life, death, money, sex, and society. There is not a subject in the world that music has not addressed. Although the sole purpose of music is to entertain, there is no doubt that it does a lot more Han that. MUSIC captivates people, it makes people aware of issues present in the world, music inspires people to say what they think, and music teaches many lessons. The MARC case is a big deal in music history.It was a change of an era. In the sasss and the sasss most people were not concerned with the possibility of negative effects in their music. In the 1 asss that concept changed. The MARC became a large scandal between the musicians expressing their opinions and the conservative adults who wanted to protect children from the negative actions that music could lead them to take part in. The MARC court hearings showed people expressing their thoughts in a powerful way. Without this taking place who knows where music would be today.Frank Kappa, Tipper Gore and all the other people involved within the MARC case made a difference in the music world. The compromise the MARC and the ARIA made was quite simple, but well though out. Complete censorship is unfair and illegal, but warning the consumer about the material is fair and understandable. Although it does not matter who won the case, all that matters is that they were involved. These are the people that shaped how the music industry is run today. The past always affects the future, and the present is always under consideration.