Research & Innovation Initiative Journals
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Determinants and Sustainability of Remittances in Bangladesh: Do Skilled or Unskilled Labor Migrants Matter?
Get PDFPurpose: Remittances from overseas workers constitute a significant contribution to Bangladesh\u27s foreign exchange earnings. This study aims to investigate the primary determinants of remittance, with a focus on the skill composition of labor migrants and the sustainability of remittance inflows in Bangladesh.
Methods: This paper employed the ARDL Bound testing approach for estimation because of several advantages. To verify the consistency of the ARDL method\u27s results, this study also employed the Dynamic OLS and Fully Modified OLS methods. This study used annual time series data from 1976 to 2021. Data are collected from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training, World Development Indicators, and International Financial Statistics.
Results: This paper found that unskilled labor migrants are a significant determinant of remittance inflows in Bangladesh. This is a new finding, differing from previous empirical findings for Bangladesh. Moreover, a domestic country’s GDP, petroleum price, and exchange rate also significantly influence the inflows of remittances in Bangladesh. Besides, it was found that inflows of remittances followed an upward trajectory, with a sharp increase since 2001 and sustained over the period. By employing the ARIMA (12,1,11) forecasting model using monthly data, it is also found that, given the current policies and existing migration trends, remittance flows are expected to increase in the years to come.
Implications: The findings of this study suggest that the inflow of remittances can be influenced by implementing proper policies in Bangladesh. As unskilled labor migrants are one of the significant determinants of remittances inflow in Bangladesh, it is necessary to explore new countries, except the GCC, based on those countries\u27 needs and willingness to hire migrant workers from Bangladesh. Moreover, allowing the depreciation of exchange rates consistent with economic fundamentals will increase the inflow of remittances in Bangladesh.
Originality: This paper focuses on skill composition of labor migrants as a determinant of remittance inflows and analyzes the sustainability and near-term outlook of remittance inflows in Bangladesh.
Limitations: This paper utilizes annual data from 1976 to 2021 and can’t expand the sample period beyond 2021 due to the unavailability of GDP data for certain GCC countries
Exploring the Virtual Reality in Tourism Marketing for Improving Efficiency and Better Consumer Experience
Get PDFPurpose: This study examines the transformative potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in tourism marketing, emphasizing its role in enhancing efficiency and sustainability. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements and practical applications of VR in tourism.
Methods: A PRISMA-based systematic literature review was conducted, analyzing studies from 2021 onwards. The study explores various VR applications in tourism marketing, such as dynamic pricing, customer segmentation, and real-time personalization, while addressing challenges like data privacy and algorithmic bias.
Results and Discussion: Findings indicate that VR enhances consumer engagement, improves travel decision-making, and fosters immersive destination branding. VR-driven marketing strategies, including virtual tours, interactive campaigns, and personalized experiences, have significantly influenced consumer behavior and increased booking conversion rates. However, challenges remain, such as accessibility barriers, high implementation costs, and potential discrepancies between virtual and real-world experiences.
Implications: VR presents a strategic advantage for tourism marketers by offering immersive previews, enhancing customer trust, and supporting sustainability initiatives. Policymakers and industry leaders must address infrastructure and ethical concerns to maximize VR’s potential.
Originality: This study provides a comprehensive overview of VR’s role in tourism marketing, integrating insights into its technological applications and market impact, which remain underexplored in current literature
In-Store Social Cues and Impulse Purchasing Behavior at Supermarkets: The Moderating Effects of Customer Demographics
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to evaluate the association between impulse buying behavior and in-store social cues (salespeople, presence of other customers, and in-store events) at supermarkets in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The moderating influences of gender and age on this association are also examined.
Methods: Based on Leon Festinger\u27s social comparison theory (1954), the study used a quantitative design and a model comprising three exogenous factors, two moderating variables, and one endogenous variable to direct the investigation. A total of 429 customers from four selected supermarkets participated in the surveys, which were conducted both in-person and online. Indexes for product placement, signage, point-of-sale displays, and store layouts were created using multiple correspondence analyses. The study\u27s hypotheses were tested using the ordinary least squares estimation approach. By combining the two moderating variables with the elements of in-store design cues, the moderating effects of age and gender were examined.
Results: The findings revealed that the behavior of sales associates and the presence of other shoppers significantly stimulated impulse buying in Yaoundé supermarkets, consistent with established theories and empirical studies. While in-store events showed a negative and insignificant effect, this suggests context-specific factors may influence their effectiveness. Gender did not significantly moderate these relationships, but age played a crucial role, with older customers being more responsive to environmental and social cues. The overall significant influence of social cues suggests that shoppers perceived the in-store social elements as both exciting and appealing.
Implications: These findings underscore the importance of retail strategies that harness social influence, tailored to demographic variations. Cameroonian supermarkets should prioritize empowering and training their sales staff to ensure a positive customer experience. Creating a friendly and engaging environment through strategic staff placement and in-store activities can boost impulsive buying. Understanding customer interactions can also improve advertising and store design. Continuous monitoring of staff performance and customer feedback is crucial for optimizing these strategies.
Mobile Money and the Dynamics of Income Inequality: Evidence from Arua City, Uganda
Get PDFPurpose: This article examines the relationship between mobile money adoption and income inequality in Arua City, Uganda. Although mobile money is often promoted as a tool for financial inclusion, its distributional outcomes remain underexplored.
Methods: The study uses a mixed qualitative approach, combining household surveys, econometric analysis, and interviews to examine how mobile money affects income disparities. This methodology provides a comprehensive quantitative insight into usage patterns, household income distribution, and individual experiences.
Results: Results indicate that mobile money facilitates financial participation, enhances household resilience, and expands economic opportunities, particularly for marginalized groups. However, unequal uptake driven by differences in education, digital literacy, and access to complementary financial services creates a paradox: while mobile money reduces some barriers to inclusion, it simultaneously risks amplifying socioeconomic divides.
Implications: The study advances the literature on digital finance by highlighting the context-specific mechanisms through which mobile money influences income inequality. Policy implications point to the need for targeted interventions that strengthen digital capabilities, expand access across income groups, and ensure that financial innovation contributes to equitable development.
Effect of Internally Generated Income and Government Subvention on the Financial Sustainability in State Universities in Cameroon
Get PDFThis paper investigates the effects of Internally Generated Income (IGI) and government subsidies on the financial sustainability of state universities in Cameroon. The study adopted a mixed research design. The study employed a quantitative research design, utilizing survey data collected through a structured questionnaire. The target population comprised representatives of schools and faculties in state universities. A random sampling technique was adopted to ensure that every school or faculty had an equal chance of being selected, thereby enhancing the representativeness of the sample. The sample size was conveniently determined based on the number of institutions to ensure statistical reliability and validity. The collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings from ordinary least squares revealed a significant role of government subvention in promoting the university\u27s financial sustainability, as evidenced by the positive significant relationship and government funding in this model. Conversely, Internally Generated Income (IGI) showed a statistically insignificant and negative relationship with financial sustainability. From a policy perspective, given the significant impact of government subsidies on financial sustainability, the university should prioritize advocacy efforts to secure stable and predictable government funding. The insignificant role of IGI in the current model suggested the need for a reassessment of income-generating activities. Universities should diversify their IGI sources by exploring innovative revenue streams such as short-term certificate programs, research commercialization, partnerships with industry, and leasing university assets
Implications of Brand Awareness on Repeat Purchases in the Refined Palm Oil Sector in Cameroon
Get PDFPurpose: In highly competitive commodity markets like Cameroon’s refined palm oil industry, brand awareness is often assumed to drive customer retention. However, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. This study investigates whether brand awareness significantly influences repeat purchases in such homogeneous markets, addressing a critical gap in the literature while offering practical insights for marketers.
Methods: Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected via an online survey from 423 consumers, selected through convenience sampling. Brand awareness was measured through recall, image, association, and trust, while repeat purchases were assessed via frequency, loyalty intention, switching resistance, and advocacy. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Maximum Likelihood Structural Equation Modeling (ML-SEM) were employed to analyze the relationships, controlling for demographic variables like age, income, and education.
Results: The study reveals a strong positive relationship (β = 0.649, p < 0.001) between brand awareness and repeat purchases, with brand association and image emerging as the most influential drivers. Price sensitivity also significantly impacted repeat purchase behavior, while demographic factors showed negligible effects.
Implications: The findings validate the role of brand awareness in commoditized markets, suggesting that marketers should prioritize cognitive brand awareness, particularly through consistent messaging and trust-building, despite product homogeneity. Policymakers can leverage these insights to support local brands through quality certifications and consumer education.
Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and convenience sampling may affect generalizability. Future longitudinal or experimental studies could strengthen these findings
The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Brand Loyalty: A Study on Telecommunication and Brewery Industries, Bamenda, Cameroon
Get PDFPurpose: This study seeks to investigate the relationship between celebrity endorsement (celebrity similarity, celebrity attractiveness, and celebrity popularity) and brand loyalty in the city of Bamenda, Cameroon. It also examined the comparative analysis between the telecommunication and brewery industries in Bamenda, Cameroon.
Method: This study employed a quantitative research design, incorporating surveys and causal research approaches. A total of 450 questionnaires were administered for each industry, including subscribers of telecommunication companies and consumers of brewery products in Bamenda, both in-person and online. 429 questionnaires were retained for telecommunication companies and 424 for brewery products. The multiple correspondence analysis was used to construct indices of celebrity endorsement and brand loyalty. The ordinary least squares (OLS) were used to test hypotheses.
Results: Data analysis indicates that all three indicators of celebrity endorsement have a significant positive effect on consumer brand loyalty. Results for both the telecommunication and brewery industries are statistically significant at the 1% level. However, the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer brand loyalty is significantly more pronounced in the telecommunications sector than in the brewery sector. The study concluded that enhancing celebrity endorsement features will substantially increase brand loyalty among consumers.
Implications: This study has significant practical and theoretical implications for consumer behavior in developing countries, particularly Cameroon
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Efficiency of the Banking Sector: A Study in the Context of Bangladesh
Get PDFPurpose: The banking sector plays a significant role in strengthening a nation\u27s economic growth. However, it faced special challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected banks\u27 efficiency. Thus, this study aims to measure the effects of COVID-19 on banks\u27 efficiency during and after the pandemic in Bangladesh.
Methods: The banking sector\u27s technical efficiency was evaluated using the meta frontier Data Envelopment Analysis approach, based on secondary data from 23 commercial banks listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Banks were selected based on the percentage of market share in the Banking industry. The data covering 2020-2024 were obtained from publicly available annual reports and financial statements.
Results: Findings indicate that banks in Bangladesh were significantly more efficient after COVID-19 and that their performance has recovered. They have an average technical efficiency score of 0.63, compared to 0.51 during the pandemic.
Implications: These findings have the potential to help policymakers find opportunities for profit increase and help develop early preventive measures during crises.
Originality: This pioneering study in Bangladesh assessed banking efficiency after COVID-19
Human Capital, Material Capital, and Social Capital as the Factors of Socioeconomic Status: A Theoretical Review
Get PDFTraditionally, social behavior has been explained separately in terms of human capital, material capital, and social capital as components of Socioeconomic Status (SES). However, these simple linear regression models very often show negligible or weak explanatory power. Recent studies suggest that integrating human capital, material capital, and social capital within SES (the CAPSES model) offers more explanatory power in predicting social behavior. This study aims to apply the integrated CAPSES model, which underpins sociological perspectives, empirical evidence, and explanatory power, in the context of social scientific research. For this purpose, the study examines whether the triangulation of the CAPSES model, based on three sociological perspectives, can contribute to increased explanatory power in the context of the poverty reduction index among the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The study findings, based on 385 respondents, reveal that the explanatory power of the model based solely on human capital (R² = 0.493) or the model based on human capital and material capital (R² = 0.673) is less than that of the integrated CAPSES model (R² = 0.754). The study hence recommends that social researchers apply the integrated CAPSES model for a better understanding of social phenomena (e.g., poverty reduction index, health-seeking behavior)
Does Corporate Governance Influence Auditor Choice in an Emerging Economy? An Empirical Evidence
Get PDFPurpose: This study examines how corporate governance mechanisms influence the selection of Big 4 auditors, with a particular focus on the moderating role of ownership structure. Specifically, it compares family and non-family firms to determine whether governance characteristics affect auditor choice differently across these two types of firms.
Method: Using panel data from 109 manufacturing firms listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange between 2013 and 2019 (681 firm-year observations), the study employs logistic regression analysis to investigate the determinants of Big4 auditor selection.
Result: The findings reveal that board size is positively associated with the likelihood of engaging a Big4 auditor. In contrast, the frequency of board meetings shows a consistent negative association across both family and non-family firms. Sub-sample analyses reveal that in non-family firms, board size, audit committee size, and audit committee meeting frequency are positively associated with the choice of a Big 4 auditor. In contrast, for family firms, board gender diversity has a positive effect, whereas audit committee size and meeting frequency are negatively associated with the likelihood of selecting a Big 4 auditor.
Implications: These results suggest that ownership structure significantly moderates the relationship between governance variables and auditor choice. The study provides novel evidence from an emerging economy, offering insights for policymakers, regulators, and corporate stakeholders aiming to enhance audit quality and corporate transparency through tailored governance reforms