Abstract: This paper sets out to investigate the impact of energy and electricity consumption on quality of life in Africa using fixed effects and random effects model for the period of 2008 - 2014. We consider twenty three countries from Africa on the basis of availability of data. The Hausman specification test of 1978 was applied to select the appropriate and better model for the estimation where fixed effects estimation was chosen over random effects estimation. The findings revealed that energy consumption had positive and statistically significant impact on quality of life while electricity consumption had negative and statistically significant impact on quality of life. Hence, the study recommended that African countries should devise means of achieving energy efficiency and ensuring sustainability of energy usage in the region through establishing energy research centers that will help in developing new sources of energy as well as retaining the existing energy with a view to improve quality of life.

Keywords: Quality of life, energy consumption, electricity consumption, Africa.
Title: The Impact of Energy and Electricity Consumption on Quality of Life in Africa
Author: Sani Muhammad, Abubakar Sabo
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals

Abstract: In a highly competitive market, enterprises need to maintain positive relationships with their customers. The diversified customer needs, wants and preferences of the salon market demand that the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) salon business acquires and manages individualised customer knowledge to increase customer satisfaction, business competency and profitability in delivering the service. The research noted that the salon industry’s challenges were due to the transforming market focus, from the traditional services defined by local cultures, beliefs and norms about male or female hair style looks, to a global view. The market’s focus shift from local needs to global cultural diversity had individualised service prospects. As global salon brands penetrate the market and raising competition, salons have to handle customer diversity. Individuals from various backgrounds and cultural ethnicities demand for their preferred hair-styles and requirements about the service they expect at a salon. This study aimed to primarily define customer relationship management (CRM) strategies preferable to a salons business and focused on customers to differentiate service quality design and create customer experience. The purpose for acquiring customer knowledge aims at bringing understanding of customer preferences and expectations, in order to design a quality alignment for product/service-mix. The research investigated on the aspects of CRM strategies, activities, channels and models, including execution trends preferred to SME salon businesses. The deliberations about CRM integrations covered the marketing-mix of brand communications by collaborating the components of a CRM system such as people, technology and processes. The pros and cons of CRM models, systems, components and channels were presented as challenges in contrast to all the benefits so that a salon might consider when developing a CRM strategy. The purpose was to help salons understand the effects of CRM within the context of their business industry so that salons might implement the knowledge and survive the turbulent economic conditions. The research applied a positivist quantitative approach, methodologies, strategies and techniques to help expose the facts about the topic and answer the research question through identified objectives. The sampled (n) of one hundred (100) units was drawn from a broader population (N) of one thousand (1000) units; However, the representative list of one hundred and fifty seven (157) units was secured. The structured self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) developed, was used to conduct a pilot study and to validate the tool’s reliability and effectiveness in collecting research data. Applied statistical computations organised, measured and analysed collected data for accurate interpretation of research results in order to state reliable findings. Study findings showed that highly preferred CRM strategies, channels and activities at salons were to create customer experience. Effective leadership management styles were supportive to salon employees such that they took ownership of their customer base to deliver the experience and create customer and business value.

Keywords: Small Medium Enterprise (SME), customer relationship management (CRM).
Title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Customer Relationship Management on Small Medium Enterprise Salon Businesses in Johannesburg Region-A
Author: Nkhumiseni Elsie Magaba, P. Mupambwa
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals

Abstract: The objective of this research is to explore the association between social capital and organizational performance in the context of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The pertinent academic literatures have been reviewed. After the in depth exploration, it was established that there is a positive relationship between social capital and SMEs performance in the both developed as well as in the developing world.

Keywords: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), organizational performance.
Title: Social Capital and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Performance: An Exploratory Study
Author: Dr. Mohammad Ziaul Hoq, Dr. Asan Vernyuy Wirba, Dr. Asif Baig
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals

Abstract: This study examines the factors that influence the attitude of customers’ intention toward the usage Islamic credit cards among students of Kolej Universiti Insaniah. The factors which are included in this study are perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived of trust on the Islamic credit cards. The study adopts the application of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to capture factors which have an impact on the customer acceptance of Islamic credit cards. This study provides evidence that the perceived ease of use ha significant influence on the students’ acceptance to use Islamic credit cards. This study recommends that future studies need to explore other factors which could affect the acceptance of Islamic credit cards.

Keywords: Customers’ Acceptance, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived of Trust.
Title: The Influence of Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived of Trust on Customers’ Acceptance to Use Islamic Credit Cards
Author: Jama Mohamed Sareye Farah, Yusuf Haji-Othman, Mojahid Mohamed Omer
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals
 

Abstract: Stock market and foreign exchange market play an integral role in contributing to the financial development and economic growth in any developing economy. There exists no general consensus on the nature of relationship and direction of causality between stock prices and exchange rate. It is against this backdrop that this study attempts to examine how changes in exchange rate and stock prices are related to each other in Nigeria using monthly data over the period 1993 – 2015. The empirical work is based on unit root test, Johansen cointegration and Granger causality test to examine long run and short run causality. The result suggests that the series are stationery at their first difference and there is a short-run positive relationship between stock prices and exchange rate. There also exists one-way causality between stock prices and exchange rate with causality running from exchange rate to stock prices. The result calls for long-term policy package that should focus on stabilization of the foreign exchange market as an appreciating exchange rate may boost the stock market. Also, since activities of stock market serves as a gauge with the stock prices, we suggest that stock prices should be closely monitored so as to prevent volatility in the prices which could drastically affect the performance of the stock exchange market. More so, institutional and operational reforms in the country’s capital market are inevitable so as to increase the subsector efficiency. This will further curtail the high volatility in both markets.
Keywords: Exchange rate, stock prices and Granger causality.
Title: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STOCK PRICES AND EXCHANGE RATE IN NIGERIA: A TIME SERIES INVESTIGATION
Author: Mika’ilu Abubakar, Jeremiah Sunday Musa
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals

Abstract:This paper focuses on the impact of the U.S. SEC investigation on companies’ financial ratios. The sample is 174 companies, public or private, investigated by SEC from Jan 2009 to Jan 2012. Liquidity, solvency, and profitability of those companies before and after SEC investigation will be calculated and compared in order to find out the changes of trend of financial ratios through SEC investigation. Financial situations of companies outside of investigation are also analyzed for comparison purpose.
Keywords:Liquidity, solvency, profitability, SEC investigation, financial ratio, U.S. Securities markets.
Title: An Examination of the Trend of Financial Ratio before and after the U.S. SEC Investigation
Author: Shuai Xu
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals

Abstract: Despite various studies has been carried out on mobile banking adoption but only a limited number of studies focused on effects of age on consumers' intention to use mobile banking. In point of fact, literatures in relation to effects of consumers’ age on intention use mobile banking are variant. Therefore, there is a need to understand the effects of age on consumers' intention to use mobile banking services. Additionally, stratified sampling method is adopted to collect data in Klang Valley using questionnaires. A simple linear regression analysis is used to quantify the findings. The results revealed that there is no association between Age and Intention to Use Mobile Banking. This helps to clear the air on the inconsistent findings of previous of researches while providing room for improvement.

Keywords: Age, Intention to Use, Mobile Banking, linear model, Demographic Characteristics, Correlations Analysis.
Title: Effects of Age on Consumers' Intention to Use Mobile Banking
Author: Darmesh Krishanan, Kevin Low Lock Teng, Siti Khalidah
ISSN 2394-7322
International Journal of Novel Research in Marketing Management and Economics
Novelty Journals