Islamic Finance Thesis Topics

Islamic Finance Thesis Topics






Internalization of Islamic banks

Performance Islamic bank and conventional bank in a selected country

Cross boarder mergers and acquisition of Islamic banks

Do mergers or acquisition will affect the efficiency of Islamic banks

Risk management in Islamic banks

Islamic bank and corporate social responsibility

Islamic banks entry – from a country perspective

Investigating the Customer Relationship Management in Islamic banks – (case can be

taken from any bank or Pakistan perspective)

Investigating the customer loyalty in Islamic banks

Developing a model for customer loyalty in Islamic banks

Islamic banking and poverty alleviation

Measuring the productivity of Islamic banking

Development or establishment of issues of Islamic banking – in Pakistan

Islamic banking and knowledge management

Islamic finance system and economical growth

Customer loyalty for Islamic banks

Islamic Banks performance in industrial lending

Islamic mortgage system as a solution for current credit crises

Investigating the CRM activities in Islamic Banks

Switching behavior of Conventional banks to Islamic Banks – An international
perspective

Brand management of Islamic Financial institutions

Knowledge Management in Islamic banks

Customer perception of Islamic banking windows in Conventional Banks

Islamic Banking in (country) – Development, perspectives and evolution

Islamic banks in poverty alleviations

Skill gap and recruitment gap for islamic financial institution

Identifying the competitive strategy of Islamic banks : a comparison with conventional banks

Influence of religious boards or sharia councils in Islamic banks

Consumer behavior for Islamic credit cards

Corporate Social Responsibility of Islamic Banks

Economical functions of Islamic Financial Market

Measuring the performance of Islamic Banks

How Islamic financial markets works

Fiscal policy Islamic economy

Inflation in Islamic economy

How Islamic economy can reduce the inflation

Contribution of Islamic economy in infrastructure development of developing country

How the choices made by human race in Islamic economic system with scare resources

Is resource scare in Islamic Economy?

Opportunity cost from Islamic Economics perspectives

Reducing the effects of climate change

Development of SME in Islamic based economies

Islamic economy and Adams Smith a comparative study

Labor migration in Islamic economy

Unemployment and Islamic economic system

How Islamic economic system can reduce the unemployment

Solution for unemployment under the Islamic economy

Poverty alleviation in Islamic economy

Islamic economic model as solution for global economic crises

International trade under Islamic economic model

Foreign exchange depreciation and appreciation in Islamic economic model

Micro finance in Islamic economy

How Market equilibrium decided in Islamic economy

Comparative analysis of socio-economic development of Islamic economy and socialist economy

Comparative analysis of socio-economic development of Islamic economy and capitalistic economy

How the Islamic economic models contribute to the productivity increase

Contribution of Islamic economy for financial stability and macro economic gains

Capital mobility in Islamic economic system

10 fun and diverse industries to work in as a marketer

10 fun and diverse industries to work in as a marketer

From MarketingHub.me

Who said work had to be boring? Just because you’re in this business doesn’t mean you necessarily have to stick to a routinely boring office job. More companies in the region from a variety of industries are realizing the need for great in-house marketing departments.




If you’re ready to try something different, consider some of the following industries for a more diverse marketing career.


1. Sports

This is one of the industries in the region that’s suffering from a lack of accessibility and organization. It’s disturbing how much help sports and recreation still need today.



2. Travel & Tourism

Sure, airlines and travel agencies are common sectors to consider, but don’t forget about local tour operators, eco- travel, and cultural preservation. Talk about an interesting job.



3. Entertainment

Think beyond events and events management. You have a growing comedy scene in the Middle East for example. It’s also easy to be a freelancer in this industry if you wish.



4. Non-profit

There are an endless list of options to consider here, including environmental campaigns, charity programs, and community development. Most marketers find this industry emotionally satisfying.



5. Healthcare

You don’t see many marketing efforts in healthcare from the region but it’s definitely on the verge of growth. And this applies to public healthcare as well.



6. Arts

The Middle East is already seeing great marketing efforts in art galleries but also try to consider other art forms. There are possibilities in the film, performance arts and street art industries to name a few.



7. Fashion

This is no walk in the park but it’s definitely a glamorous and exciting industry for marketers who enjoy the pressure rush and seek an intensely fast-paced career.



8. Food & beverage

It may seem like a painfully traditional industry to go into as a marketer but there are interesting variations. Try, for example, to get into fine cuisine, or family-owned establishments rather than the dreadful hotel dining business.



9. Sciences

Who knows if there’s a great amount of scientific research in the region? Maybe if better marketing efforts existed, we might know more about this sector in the Middle East.



10. Publishing

Forget magazines. More books and literature are coming out of the region today but unfortunately we don’t get to see their full potential for success. Be the one to bring this industry to life.



Can you think of other exciting industries for marketers? In which industry would you like to work?

Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5bn in its biggest purchase and gamble yet

Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5bn in its biggest purchase and gamble yet

The once-dominant software company has agreed to pay more than three times Skype's valuation just 18 months ago

* Charles Arthur, technology editor
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 May 2011 20.32 BST





Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Skype's Tony Bates
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and Skype's Tony Bates announce the deal. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Microsoft's acquisition of Skype, its biggest ever, is an $8.5bn (£5bn) gamble to try to catch up with Apple and Google.

The software company, once so dominant, has been left behind by its more fleet-footed competitors as the pace of technological change – especially in mobile telecoms – has outstripped its ability to innovate.

Analysts saw the deal, which edges out the $6bn it paid for online advertising company aQuantive in 2007, as a sign of Microsoft's ambition to become a bigger force in the consumer and smartphone market. They also interpreted it as a sign that Microsoft intends to broaden its appeal to businesses by using Skype to offer cheaper services than existing phone companies.

Skype, which has 663m people across the world registered to use its Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) communications, is available on personal computers and mobile phones – though not yet on Microsoft's new Windows Phone operating system. That is expected to be remedied soon.

The deal will see it established as a separate business inside Microsoft, dubbed Microsoft Skype. Tony Bates, the Skype chief executive, will become president of Microsoft Skype and report directly to Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer, who tried to buy Yahoo three years ago for $45bn, spelled out his vision: "Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world. Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

Others were less enthusiastic and highlighted the difficulty Microsoft faces in monetising Skype, whose telephony service is free between users. "It doesn't make sense at all as a financial investment," said Forrester Research analyst Andrew Bartels. "There's no way Microsoft is going to generate enough revenue and profit from Skype to compensate."

Another, Shanghai-based Michael Clendenin, managing director of consulting firm RedTech, said: "If you consider Skype was just valued at about $2.5bn 18 months ago when a chunk was sold off, then $8.5bn seems generous and means Microsoft has a high wall to climb to prove to investors that Skype is a necessary linchpin for the company's online and mobile strategy."

But despite Skype never having turned a profit, analysts were mostly enthusiastic. "For me, this actually looks like a near-perfect fit for Skype," said Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis. "A substantial part of Skype's current user base is from PCs. Although mobile devices get all the glory at the moment, Skype epitomises what's best about desktop VoIP."
Next frontier

Horace Dediu, a former Nokia business development executive who now runs the Asymco consultancy, said: "I see this as a pattern of consolidation of voice business models. I don't think it's coincidental that Apple, Microsoft and Google are all trying to secure assets, intellectual property, experts and businesses in VoIP and in voice control.

"Voice is the next frontier both in IP-based communications and in user interfaces. Skype happens to have a very large pool of users who can be engaged with multiple services besides voice. These additional services can be the root of new business models. Microsoft has plenty of degrees of freedom to experiment with: Windows Live, [search engine] Bing, Windows Phone etc."

Google and Facebook were last week rumoured to be in the running for Skype but Microsoft emerged as prime bidder.

The company already has three other VoIP offerings, via MSN Messenger, Xbox Live and Lync, used in its Office division. It is not clear how usernames will be integrated among them.

Ballmer confirmed that Skype will continue to be developed for non-Windows platforms.

Skype's principal source of revenue is international calls made by people unwilling to pay standard voice rates, which can be far higher. The analysis company Telegeography noted that Skype's international traffic volume grew by 39bn minutes in 2010 – twice the amount of all phone companies in the world combined.

"Demand for international communications is probably limitless," said Stephen Beckert, a Telegeography analyst. "Skype has taught millions of callers they no longer need a telco to talk to friends, family and business partners abroad."

Incorporating Skype into Windows Phone – which will be used by the Finnish phone-maker Nokia in forthcoming smartphones – could also have advantages in countries such as Latin America, where people find voice calls too expensive and prefer to use data services, said Stela Bokun of Pyramid Research. "At the end of 2011, 40% of handset users in Latin America and Mexico will be using handsets that are 3G+ enabled," she told the Guardian.

That could offer a route for Skype. Other possibilities in emerging markets include using Skype credits as payment for internet access, she said.

Skype has never made a profit: in 2010 it recorded a loss of $7m on revenues of $860m – $1.30 per registered user a year, or $5 per "connected" user a year. While revenues have been growing it has been able to negotiate better call termination rates around the world with telephone companies.

The acquisition is the second in Skype's eight-year history. In October 2005 it was bought by eBay for $2.5bn, but was 70% sold in October 2009 to a consortium of private equity and venture capitalists.

The purchase is subject to US regulatory approval, which the companies hope to secure later this year.

Thesis Topics for MBA(MIS)

•Topics on the Effects of globalisation on the IT industry

o Ireland’s shifting position in relation to software exports from the Celtic Tiger to Europe’s Singapore

o The emerging Eastern European competitors in outsourcing/offshoring, current position, strategies and statistics on exports of services and products

o Insights into China’s bid to compete with India in outsourcing and offshoring, critical success factors, major areas of competition, barriers

o Effects of global outsourcing on IT skills market and university enrolments, e.g. in Ireland or Europe

o Effects of globalisation on US hegemony in IT industry, offshoring of Research and Development work, Intellectual property issues, deskilling of technical IS professionals


• Topics on The socio-political influences of the globalisation of the IT industry

o Historical analyses of the growth of offshoring/global sourcing, its geographic spread, its effects on developing economies, its political fallout in more developed countries


• Topics on E-business topics

o Evaluation of E-government initiatives, critical success factors, emergence of citizen-centred modes of electronic interaction

o Internet governance – social, political & legal implications

o Other areas covered in the Fundamentals of E-business course

Brandbuilding With Taglines

Brandbuilding With Taglines

By Shira Linden
Expert Author
Article Date: 2006-09-28

When it comes to building your brand, you want to take advantage of every possible shortcut to help your target market know you�and remember you.

Taglines provide that path through the woods. A tagline consists of a few short words that communicate to your target market what your company does and how you're different from competitors. A good tagline should position your brand in your audience's mind and sum up its essence or benefit in a way that your audience can relate to. A great tagline uses memorable phrasing and creates a personality. Taglines are typically simple phrases that telegraph a message. They normally accompany company logos and are written to stand the test of time. Most taglines have a fairly long shelf life. Taglines can also help change the perception of a company.

Should you develop a tagline?

The simple answer is yes. All companies should consider using a tagline in their marketing materials and company advertising because taglines deliver the following benefits:

1. Clearly states what your company stands for.

2. Simplifies buying decisions because customers know who you are and what you offer.

3. Differentiates you from competition.

4. Raises brand awareness because taglines are relevant, remembered and often repeated.

5. Provides a shorthand version of your brand promise. How do you develop an effective tagline?

Your tagline should evolve from your branding strategy to ensure consistency in your overall brand message. According to Paul Quinn, www.quinntessentialmarketing.com, "Dancing the Tagline Tango," here are ten ideas you can use to help develop a tagline:

1. Ask a question.

Does she or doesn't she? - Clairol

2. Show your unique commitment.

We try harder - Avis

3. Explain product superiority.

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking - Timex

4. Evoke a benefit in a fresh way.

Let your fingers do the walking - Yellow Pages

5. Use an emotive call to action.

Reach out and touch someone - AT&T

6. Use a two-fold delivery with a twist.

Common sense. Uncommon results - David Ingram and Associates

7. Address a specific need.

They come in but they don't go out - Roach Motel

8. Be abstract but client-centered.

After all, it is your information - Authentex Software

9. Describe your product in a novel way.

The quicker picker upper - Bounty

10. Link company name to product benefit.

Solid as Sears - Kenmore

Five steps to a new tagline

1. Begin by thinking about what you want to communicate with your tagline. Write down your positioning statement or unique selling proposition. Your tag line should reinforce them.

Ask these questions:

� Who are your customers?

� What benefits do you offer your customers?

� What feelings do you want to evoke in your customers?

� What action are you trying to generate from your customers?

� How are you different from your competition?

Try to get one or more of these ideas across in the tag line.

2. Next, prepare to brainstorm.

Gather tag lines from other companies and brands. Look in other categories besides your own, from both large and small firms. You can find taglines anywhere there are advertisements, packaging, or logos. Look in cupboards, around desks, in magazines, on TV/radio commercials, in print advertisements, and on websites. Don't forget to look at your competitors' tag lines - and strive to be better and different.

Write the taglines on index cards or individual slips of paper. You will be mixing and matching them and pairing them with unrelated items as you brainstorm.

Pay attention to the words used, how they are put together, and which of the above questions they address. By doing this, you are more likely to come up with a unique angle for your own tag line.

You are looking at others' tag lines only to spark ideas. Do not plagiarize. Your objective is to come up with your own, original tag line.

3. Brainstorm taglines

Get a small group together if possible. You'd be amazed how much help you can get if you serve lunch. But the job can also be done solo. Set up a place with a lot of writing space - use dry erase boards, easels with big paper pads, note cards, etc.

Gather props that might stimulate your thinking. Rearrange your various props so you can look at them in different ways. Write down everything that comes to mind and all the new ideas each phrase sparks. Your ideas do not have to make sense. You want as many as possible.

4. Consolidate your list

After brainstorming, go through all of your ideas. Pull out those few you think have the best potential. Try to reduce longer ones to fewer words.

5. Choose the one best tagline

You should be left with a short list of possibilities. To pick the single best tag line, poll others. If you have some funds budgeted, work with a market research firm to test the taglines with your customers.

You can also conduct informal research. Yourfocusgroup.com offers a free trial. If you have contact with customers, ask them what they think. Give them an incentive to help, such as a discount or small freebie. Some marketers find making the final selection the most difficult step. Listen to your gut, along with outside opinions you trust, then�

Evaluate your tagline against these 8 criteria

Before you unveil your new tagline, make sure it's as effective as possible by asking:

1. Is your tagline consistent with your brand name and brand positioning?

2. Will your target audience understand the language you've used?

3. Are you communicating one simple idea?

4. Will your tagline stand out in advertising and corporate communications?

5. Have you tried out the tagline with clients and prospects?

6. Does your tagline differentiate your firm from the competition?

7. Have you removed all acronyms and jargon?

8. Are you using specifics rather than vague words or generalizations?

Lastly, check if your tagline communicates your brand promise to your prospects and customers. And helps them choose YOU in a cluttered marketplace.

Marketing Trends To Watch in 2011

Marketing Trends To Watch in 2011
Posted by Jen Williams

Marketing trends change with the industry on a semi-regular basis. Depending on what’s technologically new or improved, marketing tactics adjust with those changes and affect the way businesses interact.

Harris Interactive, an information gathering group for surveys, polls and web marketing analysis applications, recently conducted an in-depth study that gave the following:

* 87% of online adults use social media
* 17% of adults ages 18-34 use social media 6-10 hours per week
* 22% use social media <1 hour per week>

With the landscape of social media quickly changing, the trends to watch in 2011 are an indication of the direction that it is headed.

The 4 major trends include:

1. Direct Marketing
Once considered a defunct mode of marketing, it is set to make a big comeback. Establishing and following up on leads the old-fashioned way but by using newer methods (email, social networking, etc.) is going to change the face of this familiar friend.

2. Tracking Social Metrics
Since businesses need to know if their methods are working, there will be more concentration on utilizing tools and analytical data to determine the success in these areas. Companies are becoming more concerned with how well their efforts are working getting quality results rather than simply performing an application for the sake of it.

3. Shifting Marketing Strategies
Businesses will begin focusing more on the social impact of their businesses. There will be more tactical to strategic marketing methods so as to concentrate more on measuring social media and marketing. With this will come a likely increase in developing customer care teams that focus solely on social networking tasks.

4. Video Marketing
The concept of video marketing will make its debut. Video marketing is believed to be a huge SEO marketing tactic, therefore platforms like YouTube, Flickr and other video or image social sites will get more attention as a marketing method.

Classic Coke Case Study

http://www.scribd.com/doc/50705479/classic-COKE-Case-study