Cellular Companies Research Articles

Электромагнитные поля на рабочих местах специалистов компаний сотовой связи

The paper presents the results of instrumental studies by means of hygienic assessment of levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the workplaces in cellular companies. Measurements of EFM were made on workplaces of 2 groups of employees during the studies: office administrative specialists and technical employees. Instrumental measurements of EMF levels were made by Personal Electronic Computers (PCs) and receivingtransmitting equipment of base cellular stations (BCS). Measurements of EMF from the PC´s screens based on electric and magnetic components were performed: a tension of electric fields with a frequency range of 5Hz-2 kHz and 2 kHz-4 kHz; a tension of magnetic fields in the frequency range of 5Hz-2 kHz and 2 kHz-4 kHz. Measurements of flux density of electromagnetic energy were performed at operating platforms of base stations and at control operating equipment rooms of cellular stations. There were about 150 workplaces of office administrative specialists with PCs surveyed and more 500 workplaces of technical specialists. The activities of administrations of cellular companies were estimated to ensure the safety of working conditions of employees under the influence of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Literature data on the impact of EMR on human health and health of employees were presented.

The Effects of Brand Experience, Satisfaction and Trust on Brand Loyalty; an Empirical Research on the Internet Services of Cellular Companies in Pakistan

The Effects of Brand Experience, Satisfaction and Trust on Brand Loyalty; an Empirical Research on the Internet Services of Cellular Companies in Pakistan

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practice of Cellular Phone Companies in Bangladesh

Cellular phone companies have occupied a significant position in the economy of Bangladesh. It has become one of the most profitable sectors as well as a big contributor to the government exchequer of this country. A great deal of economic resources is being utilized in this particular industry. Being an integral part of the society the companies operating within this industry are supposed to contribute towards social welfare through performing corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this backdrop, this study attempts to provide an overview of the CSR practices of the cellular phone companies of Bangladesh with special reference to the nature and impact of those practices. Based on the information provided in the annual reports and websites of respective companies the study has reached a conclusion that all the cellular companies except Airtel are engaged in CSR practices of some sort or other such as education, empowerment & poverty alleviation, environment, health care and others. However, there is still room for expanding CSR related activities to gain the potential benefits. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/iiucs.v8i0.20403 IIUC Studies Vol.8 December 2011: 59-80

Never Lose! Smart Phone based Personal Tracking via Bluetooth

In this paper, we highlight the efficacy and usability of smartphone based tracking through Bluetooth. The studies show that misplaced items adversely impact our lives, whereas tracking technologies are still maturing. Our survey in China, USA and UK reveals that 95% users are ignorant while 94% are in demand to smartphone trackers. An in-depth analysis of tracking schemes formulates the Bluetooth based location estimator to be the optimal candidate. We comprehend a trade-off between ‘platform-independence’, and, a 'location accurate', 'budget-friendly and ‘energy-efficient’ solution. A user can launch the smartphone application which provides the initial crude tracking of a tagged item / personnel, whereas, the exact localization can be assisted by audio-visual aids in close proximity. We foresee our study to invoke public awareness about availability of such facility as well as to work as roadmap for cellular companies to facilitate their users while incorporating such application in their smartphones.

Are we really lagging behind or pacing up? A Comparative Analysis of Branchless Banking in Pakistan & other Countries

Branchless banking or mobile banking is a relatively new approach in our financial, economic and technological perspective. The industry is in the growth stage. According to World Bank, in the introduction stage of this technology, Pakistan was regarded as the fastest growing mobile-banking industry of the world. The progress has declined a bit but a competitive environment is building up in this industry with the entry of Cellular Companies partnering with Microfinance Institutions (MFI's), and a few banks demonstrating a risk-taking strategy by introducing mobile banking initiatives, to capture the unbanked population of the country. According to recent studies by State Bank OF Pakistan (SBP), around 15% of our adult population is using banking services and around 10–15% is using mobile banking. This means that more than 60% of the adult population is unbanked. So, that leaves a wide gap of income that remains unaccounted for, which is affecting the tax-base and the economic efficiency of our country. The reasons behind this gap may be due to economical, social, cultural, religious or educational barriers that exist in our geographical perspectives. The studies show that the other countries in the world like Kenya and India etc are rapidly progressing in this industry, are taking it more seriously. Our purpose in this study is to analyze whether we are lagging behind or not, if yes what are the reasons and what should be done by financial institutions to cover this gap.

English

  The current study was an attempt to investigate the impact of employer brand equity towards effective talent recruitment in telecommunication companies of Pakistan. As suggested by Ting and Paul (2011), the study also sought to test the mediating role of educational institutions. Two types of survey questionnaires, adapted (with slight modifications) from the study of Collins and Stevens, were used to obtain the data from 200 fresh university graduates and 273 employees of the five cellular companies located in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. SPSS 18 and AMOS 18 software were used for data analyses. Data received from the university graduates was used for rating these companies against different parameters, for which cross tabulation was used to statistically test the results. Whereas, the data collected from the employees was used to measure the mediating effect of educational institutions in relationship between employer brand equity and effective talent recruitment. The results of structural equation modelling show that the educational institutions play partially mediating role in hypothesized relationship. The study recommends that the organizations should seek help from the educational institutions to improve effectiveness of their brand equity and talent recruitment. The study has implication for organizations as well as the academicians for further research on the topic, including other variables.   Key words: Employer brand equity, fresh talent, recruitment, universities, Pakistan.

Cellular Services Packages and their Impact on Social Values of Youth

Youth plays a significant role in building of the nation and in the development of a country. Their adoption, aspiration, and objective lead towards change in social value of a culture. Ongoing study investigates the impact of telecom cellular services packages like late night call & unlimited Short Messaging Service (SMS) on the social values of Pakistani youth. In today’s competitive environment cellular companies are mainly targeting youth through their advertisements and would like the youth to get indulge in these activities in order to increase their sales but the point is up to what extent youth showing receptiveness and emotional attachment to these packages. Study was conducted in capital city of Pakistan i.e. Islamabad, mainly considering three famous universities; Iqra University, Bahria University & Foundation University with the sample of 250 respondents; convenient sampling technique is used & results are measured using multiple regression test. Major findings concluded that cellular advertisements of unlimited Short Messaging Service (SMS) and late night call packages have a negative impact on youth but youth is still willing to accept these advertisements as they are negatively attached to the advertisement and use of these packages.

The impact of HR dimensions on organizational performance

This research paper focuses on the importance of most vital of HR dimensions and HR outcome leading to organizational performance. Study was conducted in telecom companies in Pakistan namely; Telenor and Zong with the sample of 300 respondents. Convenient sampling technique was used for the research survey; furthermore, the variables in the model were measured and tested with the help of equation modeling program (AMOS) in order to find relationships among variables. Major findings concluded that there is need of hour to take more steps for employee development as negative relation is observed between employee development and employee commitment, supporting this statement, it was also observed that positive relationship exists between performance of employee and employee commitment, so it means employees are working good in these organizations but further development of employees are lacking in these telecom cellular companies of Pakistan. In short, this research clearly explains that employees’ development is more important as compared to employees’ performance. So, steps should be taken to develop an employee by training, giving him job security and promotion rather than focusing directly on performance of employee. The research will contribute to mark employee performance and development as the main focus for HR department to work extensively on in order to increase employees’ commitment to tasks and achieve overall organizational performance. Furthermore, future research recommendations are presented at the end of research paper. Key words: Employee development, employee performance, organization performance, employee commitment.

Consumer Perception Regarding the Cellular Services - A Case of Indian Cellular Companies

In India cellular service were made available to the public after liberalization of telecom policy way back in1994. Since then ever operator in the cellular services sector has been vying to after of range of a new services. The present research investigated customer perception towards services provided by the cellular companies and checks the satisfaction level of the customers with the service they are using. The sample size used for this research is 100 and the samples are chosen from north India (Chandigarh, Mohali. Kharar, Sirhind and Gobindgarh) region viz. Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, Reliance, Spice and others was taken into consideration. The statistical tools i.e., Standard deviation, Z test are used for the purpose of data evaluation.

A mediation of customer satisfaction relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions for the telecom sector in Pakistan: A case study of university students

Organizations always look forward to long lasting success. For long lasting benefits and greater returns, organizations continuously try to satisfy their customers in order to retain them and get their future repurchase intentions. Future repurchase intentions of customers are outcomes of various organizational efforts. As such, one of the most important determinants of customer repurchase intentions discussed by researchers is offering, competitively, the best service quality to customers. All organizations offer the best possible service to their customers in order to retain them and create positive repurchase intentions in the future. This study aims to study the impact of service quality on customer repurchase intentions. Satisfaction is a variable which is an outcome of better service quality, and in return, it gives customers the zeal to stay with the service provider and creates greater repurchase intentions for the customers. So, satisfaction is considered as a mediating variable in the study. The study is conducted in the telecom sector (only cellular companies) of Pakistan. Service quality is measured using Parasuraman et al. (1988) SERVQUAL model containing 5 dimensions of service quality (tangibles, responsiveness, empathy, assurance and reliability). Nonetheless, the relationship of service quality with customer repurchase intentions is also studied. The data were collected from 331 young mobile users, and as such, correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. However, results and discussion are presented. Key words: Service quality, mediating variable, satisfaction, customer repurchase intentions, telecom sector, cellular companies.

Impact of Service Quality of Short Messaging Service on Customers Retention; An Empirical Study of Cellular Companies of Pakistan

The long term success of organizations depends on many factors. In order to survive service sector organizations need to offer quality in service. These companies try to retain their customers by providing them quality services. The following study examines the service quality of the mobile service providers and retention intentions of the customers’ with this quality. The study focuses only the SMS service provided by telecom organizations. Service quality is measured using 5 dimensions tangibles, empathy, assurance, responsiveness and reliability and relationship is determined with customer satisfaction. The data was collected from 331 university students who use the Short Messaging Service (SMS) of any cellular company. Correlation and regression analysis are used to analyze the data. Results and discussions are presented.

Role of brand equity in building a strong brand: a study of cellular phone industry in India

This research study analyses the key components of brand equity for selected cellular phone companies in India. Various components of brand equity regarding three selected brands were analysed based on Aaker's conceptual model of brand equity. Brand association, brand extension and brand personality were also analysed. The present study used a sample of students from a university in India. Factor analysis was applied and five factors namely satisfaction and leadership, usefulness, brand loyalty, customer value and brand image emerged from the analysis of various components of brand equity. The present study contributes to the understanding of customer-based brand equity approach.

Reasons for Growth and the Future of the Cellular Industry of Pakistan

The report studies the cellular industry of Pakistan and identifies the reasons of the surge and its future potential. The research looks at factors such as the increase in network coverage, increase in number of subscribers, reduction in call charges, improvement in quality of service etc. to determine the growth in the cellular industry. Interviews with personnel of cellular companies have been done to find out the future trends of the cellular companies. Consumer insight has also been taken through primary survey of 300 consumers. The survey was conducted to understand the consumer preferences with respect to cellular services. The research establishes which factors are the most important to consumers amongst price, quality, value added services etc.

Saberes e estratégias dos operadores de telemarketing frente às adversidades do trabalho

Pretendemos contribuir para dar visibilidade aos saberes e estratégias desenvolvidos pelos operadores de telemarketing para lidarem com as situações nocivas e adversas no trabalho. Visamos indicar caminhos mais efetivos para as mudanças que são necessárias no processo de trabalho das centrais de atendimento. Como material de análise, optamos por utilizar entrevistas com dois operadores pertencentes a empresas de telefonia celular de grande porte localizadas no Rio de Janeiro, vinculados, porém, a centrais de atendimento diferentes. Nas entrevistas, buscamos nos aproximar da técnica de "instruções ao sósia" proposta por Oddone e Clot. Para análise, recorremos a conceitos da Ergonomia da Atividade, da Clínica da Atividade, da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho, do Modelo de Competências de Zarifian e da perspectiva ergológica. Observamos que, para tornar o trabalho "vivível" frente às adversidades e simultaneamente garantir o resultado esperado, os trabalhadores chegam antes do horário, driblam as "pausas", escolhem entre ficar ou sair do script, criam expressões verbais, conseguem tempos não previstos e se apóiam no coletivo de trabalho.

Economic and technological aspects in the design of a regulatory framework for PCS markets in Colombia

The cellular telephony markets in Colombia started only as recently as 1994. The success of the market outgrew all forecasts: by the end of 1998 each of more than one million eight hundred thousand users were connected to one of six cellular companies raising the density indicator to 4.75%. The new technological possibilities and the increasing demand for mobile services has obliged the Ministry of Communications to begin a process of setting the regulatory and technological framework for PCS services. This paper presents a brief overview of the cellular markets in Colombia and analyzes the main aspects of the topics concerning the definition of the rules for the PCS markets: technology, geographical structure of the future markets and license assignment procedures. At the same time, based on the huge success of auctions for PCS licensing in other countries, the paper is concerned with assessing the expected revenues that the Colombian government would collect should it decide to use simultaneous ascending auctions. Benefits to consumers will be apparent once the new PCS operators start operating their networks since it is concluded that, given the development of new services provided by the current cellular operators and the similar services to be offered by the new PCS players, which can be considered close substitutes, price will be the distinctive issue regarded by consumers.

Communications [Technology 2000 analysis and forecast

The mergers and acquisitions on-going among communications companies around the world fall mostly into two categories. Some deals involve similar companies-two cellular service providers, say, seeking to plug gaps in their coverage footprints and to cut costs by reducing churn, eliminating roaming charges, and coordinating the purchase of handsets and other equipment. Others involve complementary companies-perhaps a long-distance carrier and a local service provider looking to increase revenue by bundling their services, selling them to a larger customer base, and together creating new services. Amidst all the merger frenzy, one thing that the key players and some of their larger customers have discovered is IP telephony-that is, packet-switched telephony running over a network that uses the Internet Protocol. The strategy of running voice and data traffic on the same network could both cut communications costs and make new services possible. But, for the Internet itself, those goals will not be reached without some serious tradeoffs, of which voice quality and privacy loom largest. With all the attention that cellular companies are now getting, wireless communication has also become a hot commodity. Ubiquitous connectivity seems to be envisioned in which people will always be able to communicate with each other and with the Internet, though perhaps not always with high bandwidth.

Value-relevance of nonfinancial information: The wireless communications industry

We examine the value-relevance to investors of financial (accounting) and nonfinancial information of independent cellular companies and find that, on a stand-alone basis, financial information (earnings, book values, and cash flows) are largely irrelevant for security valuation. Nonfinancial indicators, such as POPS (a growth proxy) and Market Penetration (an operating performance measure), are highly value-relevant. However, combined with nonfinancial information, earnings do contribute to the explanation of prices. The complementarity between financial and nonfinancial data is highlighted in this study.

Women Fighting Against War Amnesia

In July 2003, as the Lebanese ministers met for their weekly session to discuss taxes, electricity, and cellular phone companies, two women were standing alone in the scorching heat, at the steps of the cabinet headquarters, desperately trying to get a word with anyone inside. But no one would let them in. The only response they got to their screams and shouts was to be dragged away by the security forces, before any of the ministers even knew they were there. They had walked from around the corner, from where a group of families were holding one of their weekly sit-ins before the National Museum, in one of their many efforts to keep their cause alive - that of the missing - their sons, husbands, and brothers.