7,423 research outputs found
Islamic financial innovation: tools and trends / viewpoints by guest author Humayon A. Dar.
No full textIn a business context, innovation is of two types: model innovation and process innovation. Model innovation involves developing new instruments and methods (inputs) to achieve new objectives (outputs), which must bring new business and hence improve profitability. Process innovation is, in general, an incremental process that utilises existing instruments and methods in new formats and permutations to achieve desired objectives, goals and outcomes in a more efficient and cost effective way. In a business context, it will still be considered as an innovation if a desired outcome is achieved by utilising the same existing instruments and methods with no increased efficiency or cost effectiveness, as long as the new format and permutation result in increased profits
Sosyal sorumluluk ilkelerinin islami yatırımlarla ilişkilendirilmesi: deneysel analiz
No full textRIZWAN MALIK, MOHAMED NURULLAH, AND HUMAYON DAR / Kingston UniversityThe paper examines the compatibility of United Nations (UN) Global Compact’s principles with Islam and proposes a new “social screen” to be added in addition to existing Shari’a complaint equity screening methodologies. The paper then empirically analyzes the performance of SRI portfolios with portfolios that are both socially responsible and Shari’a compliant using risk adjusted return tools and Carhart 4 factor model. The paper further investigates the performance of seven Islamic indices with equivalent socially responsible indices. It was found that the Islamic principles not only endorse the principles of UN Global Compact but also enforce them and make an individual accountable. The empirical results show that SRI and Shari’a compliant combined portfolio performs better than the SRI portfolio, and hence Sharia compliant investments bring value to the SRI portfolio. The paper also found that Shari’a compliant portfolio generates better returns than the SRI portfolio in a bearish market while the latter performs better in a bullish market. It is concluded that during market downturn Shari’a compliant portfolios can be used to limit risk.Bu araştırma Birleşmiş Milletler (BM) Küresel İlkeler Sözleşmesi ilkelerinin İslam ile uyumluluğunu incelemekte ve mevcut İslam Hukuku inceleme metodolojilerine ilave olarak yeni bir “toplumsal ekran” eklenmesini önermektedir. Araştırma, SRI portföyleri ile hem sosyal sorumlu hem de İslam Hukukuna uyumlu portföylerin performansını, riske göre ayarlanmış kazanç araçları ve Carhart 4 faktör modelini kullanarak, deneysel olarak analiz etmektedir. Bu araştırma ayrıca yedi İslam indeksi ile eşdeğer sosyal sorumlu indekslerin performansını incelemektedir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, İslami ilkelerin BM Küresel İlkeler Sözleşmesi ilkelerini desteklediği, aynı zamanda da onları mecbur ettiği ve bireyi sorumlu tuttuğu bulunmuştur. Uygulama sonuçları SRI ve İslam Hukukuna uyumlu birleşik portföyün SRI portföyünden daha iyi performans gösterdiğini ve dolayısıyla İslam Hukukuna uyumlu yatırımların SRI portföyüne değer kattığını göstermiştir. Aynı zamanda bu araştırma İslam Hukukuna uyumlu portföyün ayı piyasasında SRI portföyünden daha iyi gelir getirmesine karşın ikincisinin boğa piyasasında daha iyi performans sağladığı bulunmuştur. İslam Hukukuna uyumlu portföylerin piyasanın gerileme döneminde riskleri sınırlamak için kullanılabilir olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.Türkiye Katılım Bankaları Birliğ
Microbial larvicide application by a large-scale, community-based program reduces malaria infection prevalence in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
No full textBACKGROUND\ud
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Malaria control in Africa is most tractable in urban settlements yet most research has focused on rural settings. Elimination of malaria transmission from urban areas may require larval control strategies that complement adult mosquito control using insecticide-treated nets or houses, particularly where vectors feed outdoors.\ud
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METHODS AND FINDINGS\ud
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Microbial larvicide (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti)) was applied weekly through programmatic, non-randomized community-based, but vertically managed, delivery systems in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Continuous, randomized cluster sampling of malaria infection prevalence and non-random programmatic surveillance of entomological inoculation rate (EIR) respectively constituted the primary and secondary outcomes surveyed within a population of approximately 612,000 residents in 15 fully urban wards covering 55 km(2). Bti application for one year in 3 of those wards (17 km(2) with 128,000 residents) reduced crude annual transmission estimates (Relative EIR [95% Confidence Interval] = 0.683 [0.491-0.952], P = 0.024) but program effectiveness peaked between July and September (Relative EIR [CI] = 0.354 [0.193 to 0.650], P = 0.001) when 45% (9/20) of directly observed transmission events occurred. Larviciding reduced malaria infection risk among children < or =5 years of age (OR [CI] = 0.284 [0.101 to 0.801], P = 0.017) and provided protection at least as good as personal use of an insecticide treated net (OR [CI] = 0.764 [0.614-0.951], P = 0.016).\ud
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CONCLUSIONS\ud
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In this context, larviciding reduced malaria prevalence and complemented existing protection provided by insecticide-treated nets. Larviciding may represent a useful option for integrated vector management in Africa, particularly in its rapidly growing urban centres
Demand for Islamic Financial Services in the UK: chasing a mirage?
No full textThis paper attempts to quantify demand for Islamic financial services in the UK. Using a sample of over 500 respondents, it develops a demand index that incorporates information on religious belief, economic factors and bank selection criteria. The main finding is that while there is no huge demand for Islamic finance at present, it is certainly growing and is expected to further increase if correct marketing measures are adopted. The paper also employs Logit regressions to determine the factors affecting such a demand. South-north divide, income, educational attainment and occupation are found to affect demand for Islamic finance in the UK
Institutional evolution of a community-based programme for malaria control through larval source management in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
No full textCommunity-based service delivery is vital to the effectiveness, affordability and sustainability of vector control generally, and to labour-intensive larval source management (LSM) programmes in particular.; The institutional evolution of a city-level, community-based LSM programme over 14 years in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, illustrates how operational research projects can contribute to public health governance and to the establishment of sustainable service delivery programmes. Implementation, management and governance of this LSM programme is framed within a nested set of spatially-defined relationships between mosquitoes, residents, government and research institutions that build upward from neighbourhood to city and national scales.; The clear hierarchical structure associated with vertical, centralized management of decentralized, community-based service delivery, as well as increasingly clear differentiation of partner roles and responsibilities across several spatial scales, contributed to the evolution and subsequent growth of the programme.; The UMCP was based on the principle of an integrated operational research project that evolved over time as the City Council gradually took more responsibility for management. The central role of Dar es Salaam's City Council in coordinating LSM implementation enabled that flexibility; the institutionalization of management and planning in local administrative structures enhanced community-mobilization and funding possibilities at national and international levels. Ultimately, the high degree of program ownership by the City Council and three municipalities, coupled with catalytic donor funding and technical support from expert overseas partners have enabled establishment of a sustainable, internally-funded programme implemented by the National Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and supported by national research and training institutes
On making human development more humane
No full textIt is widely recognised that the human development index (HDI) does not totally capture the rich content of the human development concept, necessitating a more adequate measure of human development. This paper introduces an ethics-augmented human development index (E-HDI) as a new indicator of socio-economic change and development. The E-HDI incorporates freedom, faith, environmental concerns and the institution of family in the HDI and ranks countries of the world accordingly. It is envisaged to be of practical use in national policy making and may also be related to agenda of the bilateral and international development agencies. Just as the HDI has managed to shift discussions beyond gross national product, the E-HDI is expected to inject ethical concerns more explicitly into policy making in the contexts in which the human development reports are used.Economic growth, Ethics, Islam
Participatory mapping of target areas to enable operational larval source management to suppress malaria vector mosquitoes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
No full textBACKGROUND\ud
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Half of the population of Africa will soon live in towns and cities where it can be protected from malaria by controlling aquatic stages of mosquitoes. Rigorous but affordable and scaleable methods for mapping and managing mosquito habitats are required to enable effective larval control in urban Africa.\ud
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METHODS\ud
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A simple community-based mapping procedure that requires no electronic devices in the field was developed to facilitate routine larval surveillance in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mapping procedure included (1) community-based development of sketch maps and (2) verification of sketch maps through technical teams using laminated aerial photographs in the field which were later digitized and analysed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS).\ud
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RESULTS\ud
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Three urban wards of Dar es Salaam were comprehensively mapped, covering an area of 16.8 km2. Over thirty percent of this area were not included in preliminary community-based sketch mapping, mostly because they were areas that do not appear on local government residential lists. The use of aerial photographs and basic GIS allowed rapid identification and inclusion of these key areas, as well as more equal distribution of the workload of malaria control field staff.\ud
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CONCLUSION\ud
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The procedure developed enables complete coverage of targeted areas with larval control through comprehensive spatial coverage with community-derived sketch maps. The procedure is practical, affordable, and requires minimal technical skills. This approach can be readily integrated into malaria vector control programmes, scaled up to towns and cities all over Tanzania and adapted to urban settings elsewhere in Africa
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