American Journal of Trade and Policy
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Workplace Safety: A Necessity or a Luxury in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of Bangladesh?
Get PDFFollowing the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history, Bangladesh Government has been getting external pressure to amend and properly implement its “Workplace Safety Laws”. Garment factories like the ones in Rana Plaza (the collapsed building in Savar) are large organizations. Along with the large companies, there are a significant number of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Bangladesh which are employing more than 31 million people. Obviously, workplace safety should be a matter of concern for their employers, or is it? Why are they reluctant about it? What is being done to ensure safety? Are they getting pressures or motivated by externalities? Safety measures if taken, is it enough? What else can be done to improve workplace safety? The purpose of this research paper is to find out and analyze the answers to the above questions concerning workplace safety in the MSMEs of Bangladesh. A blend of secondary sources and primary sources (survey amongst a significant number of owners of various MSMEs and observation of a few organizations) of data were used from which both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out for the purpose of exploring the unknown. The results show a rather reluctant approach by the owners regarding this issue. However, it was also found that the government has taken a lot of initiatives to minimize workplace safety hazards and is on the verge of implementing them. Thus, a few alternatives that involve lobbying and use of marketing activities to create greater awareness were recommended.
JEL Classifications Code: J81, J8
The Prospect of the Readymade Garments Sector in Bangladesh: Result from Trend Analysis
Get PDFPurpose: In Bangladesh readymade garments (RMG) sector, the backbone of the national economy is not the major sources of foreign revenue but a significant role player of the socio-economic development by creating employment opportunities, empowering women and alleviating poverty. In this regard, this paper tries to understand and analyze current situation and structure of the both knitted and woven sectors. After then, this paper predicts the future of both the export and export growth for the next five years.
Methodology: In this study, data on the export and export growth had been collected from the BGMEA. Then the Least Square Method as a trend analysis had been applied to identify forecast export trend and the export growth trend of the both knitwear and woven sector separately. Microsoft excel program had been used for the estimation of the trend analysis alongside with providing predictions for the next five years.
Results: The study found that the trend of both knitwear and woven export was upward. But the study also explored the downward trend of those two knitwear and woven sectors in terms of the growth rate. Moreover, the study showed that after the phasing out of MFA within 2004 and the withdrawal of quota protection, the knitwear export did not face any impediments accorded by the projection.
Implication: This paper will be effective not for understanding the present structure of the RMG sector but helpful to take appropriate policies for the prosperity of the country, especially of this sector.
 
Media, Business Education and E-Learning: An Insinuative Overview
Get PDFMedia, education, and e-language are interrelated. Media is the right medium to make profitable business activities. Education enlightens the heart of people and business education can make the people learn about the proper ways of business. So, these three are correlated. Mass media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions on a variety of important issues in business education. They also function in influencing modern business culture and education by selecting and portraying a particular set of beliefs, values, and traditions as reality. Mass media plays an important role in business education. Business has a noble position as an ideal occupation. Mass media helps to enhance the range of business education for the development of the country as well as the world. This descriptive and analytic research work finds out the insinuative and synchronic synopsis of media, education and e-language.
JEL Classifications Code: M1
NGO\u27s Financial Reporting and Human Capital Development
No full textThe purpose of the study was to find out whether human capital development influences the quality of financial reporting of NGOs. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the relationship between human capital development and the quality of financial reporting, examine the relationship between human resource practices and the quality of financial reporting, examine the relationship between human capital development and human resource policy and examine if human resource practices moderate/ mediate the relationship between human capital development and the quality of financial reporting. The study adopted a cross-sectional parallel survey design with quantitative techniques and employed self-administered questionnaires to 60 respondents. The research data was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 to establish the statistical inferences. The Pearson correlation test reported that human capital development has a positive significant relationship with the quality of financial reporting (r = .551, p< .01; two tailed). The study concluded that education, skills, knowledge, experience, interest and values were significantly positively related with financial reporting quality (r = .503, p < .01; r = .407, p < .01; r = .518, p < .01; r = .213, p < .10 and r = .476, p < .01 respectively). Furthermore, personality positively relates to financial reporting quality (r = .165, p>0.10). Some recommendations were then formulated thus: Organizations should encourage and support their accounting staff to attain professional qualifications. The staff should strive to attain membership of professional accounting bodies. The staff should also be motivated as well as regularly trained on job. Management should observe strict adherence to accounting and financial manuals. Organizations should also reinforce workplace policies as well as review their current accounting systems to identify gaps and then put in place steps to fill those gaps.
 
Organizational Commitment among the Employees of NGOs in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study
Get PDFCommitted human resource is one of the most valuable and effective assets of an organization. Meyer and Allen (1993) have documented that organizational commitment as a leading factor impacting the level of achievement in many organizations. Commitment-based organizations believe that staff’s organizational commitment contributes to workforce stability and better customer service, hence increase business performance. This study investigates the organizational commitment of NGOs employees’ in Bangladesh. It focuses on the relative importance of organizational commitment and their impact on the overall organizational success. A total number of 120 employees from three selected NGOs located at different districts in Bangladesh have been interviewed for this study purpose. Data have been collected through structured questionnaire. While tackling the issue addressed in the study relevant statistical tools and techniques were applied at appropriate places. The researchers have tried to measure the organizational commitment through recognized three major elements like-affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. The study revealed that the level of organizational commitment relating to above mentioned elements is not satisfactory. It is also exposed that demographic variables like age, gender, education and working experiences seemed to affect the commitment of employees. Another noticeable outcome of the study is that the organizational commitment has a significant impact on selected NGOs operations in Bangladesh.
 
Disclosure of Financial Statements: A Study on Mobile Telecommunication Companies in Bangladesh
Get PDFAccounting information produced by AIS through preparing the different financial statements of the selected mobile telecommunication companies is used to meet the needs of interested stakeholders for taking effective decision to serve the different purpose. The selected mobile telecommunication companies follow the provision of IASs/BASs and IFRSs/BFRSs for preparing and presenting the different financial statements. The selected mobile telecommunication companies also follow the Companies Act, 1994, the Securities and Exchange Rules 1987 and other applicable laws in Bangladesh. Accounting Information Systems of the selected mobile telecommunication companies collects stores and disseminates data for the purpose of providing meaningful information to the interested users that assist planning, controlling, coordinating, analyzing and taking effective decision. The general purpose of preparing the different financial statements of the selected mobile telecommunication companies is to provide accounting information to the interested users for taking every effective decision making process. Accurate judgments are impossible unless financial statements are clear and understandable by the interested parties. The study focuses the extent of disclosure scores of the income statement and balance sheet items of the selected mobile telecommunication companies over five years from 2008 to 2012. The results show that the average disclosure scores of income statement and balance sheet items are satisfactory and there is significant difference in disclosure scores of income statement and balance sheet items of the selected mobile telecommunication companies during the period under study. The results also show that most of the respondents reveal that the accounting information produced by AIS of the selected mobile telecommunication companies is moderately adequate and informative and there was significant and non significant difference of opinions among the respondents regarding the adequacy and informativeness of accounting information produced by AIS of the selected mobile telecommunication companies.
JEL Classifications Code: M41, F3
Economic Sanctions: Astute Policy or Just another Barrier to Free Trade?
Get PDFWhen mentioning free trade the topic of economic sanctions is seldom mentioned. However, governments of the developed world, especially the United States, have used economic sanctions as a foreign policy tool to compel other countries to change their behavior. The increasing use of economic sanctions as a form of foreign policy is not without cost, however, and that cost is borne by citizens of sanctioned countries and businesses who find international markets closed to them, either entirely or in part. In addition, consumers pay a price through less choice and higher prices. Economic sanctions are barriers to free trade and interfere with the free flow of goods and services. This case examines the current state of economic sanctions imposed by the United States and explores sanctions imposed on Cuba, Myanmar and Iran; three heavily sanctioned countries which recently have experienced a change in U.S. foreign policy action, yet still suffer from trade restrictions
Gender Perceptions: Employer Branding Through Attractiveness, Job Characteristics and Organizational Attributes
Get PDFThe novelty of employer branding is undeniable in HR practices. However, the pair studies are also found in employer branding with the perception of gender. A gender difference is said to occur when male and female react differently in perceptions. In Pakistan, human capital is an inadequacy in bank jobs and female less appearance in the sector creates more shortage of skilled employees. However, the results reported have given an insignificant difference between male and female in the perception of employer branding. Moreover, the gender disparity has no borders, so re-justification is an admirable in another region. Hence, a significant relationship exists between employer branding and intention to apply. Intention to apply is a central dealing with recruitment as appears with the wish for of submitting a job application. Furthermore, the wider applicant pool can achieve with employer branding. Employers can persuade to potential employees through attractiveness, unique organizational attributes and job characteristics. Concluded, banks in Pakistan can increase a wider applicant pool with the implementation of employer branding. Data Analysis was done by using SPSS and smart PLS. Future recommendations and implications are at the end.
 
American Tire Tariffs against China: What We can Learn from Poor Policy
No full textFacing a significant decline in domestic tire manufacturing jobs, President Obama imposed tariffs on tires made in China for a three year period beginning in 2009. With domestic employment in the tire manufacturing industry in decline and Chinese tire imports rapidly rising, President Obama yielded to industry pressure. The tariffs significantly decreased the sale of Chinese made tires, however, tires made in other countries such as Mexico, Indonesia and Thailand rose as Chinese tires became more expensive. This paper explores the effectiveness of this trade policy and proposes there are lessons to be learned when pondering further such protectionist trade policies.
JEL Classifications Code: F1
Blockchain Technology Use on Transactions of Crypto Currency with Machinery & Electronic Goods
Get PDFBlockchain technology used in transactions of cryptocurrency with machinery & electronic goods deals with keeping the transactions secure by using blockchain technology so that machinery and electronic goods can be bought by cryptocurrencies. Currently, there are transactions from cryptocurrency based on blockchain networks that can be done securely. The name is coined from the arrangement of records. Single records are referred to as blocks. They are also connected in a list known as chains. Transactions on the blockchain network can be kept secure. Cryptocurrencies can be used just like the normal centralized currencies for any kind of transaction on the blockchain network