Challenges that arise as a result of high mobile phone penetration in developing countries such as counterfeiting and increasing product complexity, have largely been tackled from the supply side. This study explores this issue from the demand side by investigating the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and levels of Intellectual property vigilance as well as brand and quality awareness among urban mobile technology consumers in Botswana. Implications for both corporate and public policy are discussed at the end of this paper.
This document discusses the threat of OTT bypass fraud to mobile operator revenues from voice calls. It explains that OTT bypass fraud works by intercepting mobile-to-mobile calls and redirecting them to terminate over data networks and OTT applications like WhatsApp and Viber, bypassing the mobile operator's voice network and preventing them from collecting termination fees. The fraud benefits wholesale carriers by lowering termination costs but severely damages mobile operators and governments who lose voice revenues. The fraud also degrades call quality and consumes users' data without their knowledge.
Enabling best practice Web experiences for today's increasingly Mobile world: This white paper explores why a Web Content Management solution that’s not optimized for ‘customers in motion,’ could be the deal breaker for customer engagement. Find out how innovative approaches to WCM can keep your company aligned with customer expectations in a mobile world.
China has over 1 billion mobile subscribers, with the three main carriers (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) dominating the market. 3G adoption is still low, accounting for under 10% of subscribers. SMS and basic feature phones are still widely used, even among youth. The market is fragmented across China's 31 provinces, and most users are prepaid with little subscriber data available. Mobile internet use is growing rapidly along with larger phone screens. Future revenue growth is expected from mobile data and applications, though monetization remains a challenge.
Ericsson Mobility Report Appendix - EuropeEricsson
This document discusses mobile trends in Europe. It finds that while Western Europe has more mature mobile markets, Eastern Europe is developing rapidly. Mobile penetration rates exceed 100% across Europe due to multi-SIM ownership. Smartphone adoption is driving major increases in mobile data usage, especially for video. By 2019, 4G/LTE networks are projected to cover 80% of the European population, with 30% of mobile subscriptions using 4G and mobile data traffic growing 7-fold.
1) The document analyzes smartphone usage data collected by Mobidia to provide new insights into how users access data across cellular and Wi-Fi networks. It finds that Wi-Fi accounts for over 70% of global smartphone data usage and in some countries Wi-Fi traffic is over 4 times that of cellular.
2) Usage varies significantly by country and operator depending on factors like Wi-Fi availability and data pricing plans. Operators need a holistic view of usage to develop new pricing strategies to monetize overall demand.
3) Users make deliberate choices about which applications to use over cellular vs. Wi-Fi based on bandwidth needs and cost. This could inform more targeted roaming and data plans from
The Smartphone as an Economic Development Tool a Preliminary Investigation.PeterHackbert
1) The document discusses the rise of smartphones as an economic development tool. It notes that smartphone usage has grown dramatically in recent years, with over 4 billion mobile phones globally and smartphones projected to account for 25% of mobile phones by 2014.
2) The document then summarizes research conducted by students in economically disadvantaged areas of Central and Eastern Kentucky. As part of the research, students acted as travelers documenting local businesses through blogs, social media posts, and interviews to understand how small businesses could better utilize social media.
3) Finally, the document provides background on the mobile market, noting that smartphones are replacing traditional mobile phones and that smartphone ownership in the US is expected to reach 90% by 2015. The growth
The State of Mobile Communications Presentation for the American Gas Association and the Edison Electric Institute Customer Service Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 12, 2010
South Africa isn't just Africa’s biggest economy, it’s also home to some seriously impressive mobile internet statistics.
Our report looks at everything mobile internet-related - from social media to education, banking to e-commerce. It's hard not to be impressed by how quickly mobile has built new opportunities for locals, and also businesses looking to enter South African market.
This document discusses the threat of OTT bypass fraud to mobile operator revenues from voice calls. It explains that OTT bypass fraud works by intercepting mobile-to-mobile calls and redirecting them to terminate over data networks and OTT applications like WhatsApp and Viber, bypassing the mobile operator's voice network and preventing them from collecting termination fees. The fraud benefits wholesale carriers by lowering termination costs but severely damages mobile operators and governments who lose voice revenues. The fraud also degrades call quality and consumes users' data without their knowledge.
Enabling best practice Web experiences for today's increasingly Mobile world: This white paper explores why a Web Content Management solution that’s not optimized for ‘customers in motion,’ could be the deal breaker for customer engagement. Find out how innovative approaches to WCM can keep your company aligned with customer expectations in a mobile world.
China has over 1 billion mobile subscribers, with the three main carriers (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) dominating the market. 3G adoption is still low, accounting for under 10% of subscribers. SMS and basic feature phones are still widely used, even among youth. The market is fragmented across China's 31 provinces, and most users are prepaid with little subscriber data available. Mobile internet use is growing rapidly along with larger phone screens. Future revenue growth is expected from mobile data and applications, though monetization remains a challenge.
Ericsson Mobility Report Appendix - EuropeEricsson
This document discusses mobile trends in Europe. It finds that while Western Europe has more mature mobile markets, Eastern Europe is developing rapidly. Mobile penetration rates exceed 100% across Europe due to multi-SIM ownership. Smartphone adoption is driving major increases in mobile data usage, especially for video. By 2019, 4G/LTE networks are projected to cover 80% of the European population, with 30% of mobile subscriptions using 4G and mobile data traffic growing 7-fold.
1) The document analyzes smartphone usage data collected by Mobidia to provide new insights into how users access data across cellular and Wi-Fi networks. It finds that Wi-Fi accounts for over 70% of global smartphone data usage and in some countries Wi-Fi traffic is over 4 times that of cellular.
2) Usage varies significantly by country and operator depending on factors like Wi-Fi availability and data pricing plans. Operators need a holistic view of usage to develop new pricing strategies to monetize overall demand.
3) Users make deliberate choices about which applications to use over cellular vs. Wi-Fi based on bandwidth needs and cost. This could inform more targeted roaming and data plans from
The Smartphone as an Economic Development Tool a Preliminary Investigation.PeterHackbert
1) The document discusses the rise of smartphones as an economic development tool. It notes that smartphone usage has grown dramatically in recent years, with over 4 billion mobile phones globally and smartphones projected to account for 25% of mobile phones by 2014.
2) The document then summarizes research conducted by students in economically disadvantaged areas of Central and Eastern Kentucky. As part of the research, students acted as travelers documenting local businesses through blogs, social media posts, and interviews to understand how small businesses could better utilize social media.
3) Finally, the document provides background on the mobile market, noting that smartphones are replacing traditional mobile phones and that smartphone ownership in the US is expected to reach 90% by 2015. The growth
The State of Mobile Communications Presentation for the American Gas Association and the Edison Electric Institute Customer Service Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 12, 2010
South Africa isn't just Africa’s biggest economy, it’s also home to some seriously impressive mobile internet statistics.
Our report looks at everything mobile internet-related - from social media to education, banking to e-commerce. It's hard not to be impressed by how quickly mobile has built new opportunities for locals, and also businesses looking to enter South African market.
Consumer survey findings on mobile number portability experience in Georgia a...Premier Publishers
Since it was first introduced in 1997, mobile number portability (MNP) has largely been considered a success story in fostering market competition and delivering various benefits to relevant stakeholder groups, including in the first place to final consumers. Developed countries were at the forefront of the MNP deployment, with the EU making it a mandatory requirement for all member states in 2003. The developing world has yet been lagging behind with its MNP adoption. Among republics of the former Soviet Union, Georgia and Belarus were the first to implement MNP, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. This article summarises findings of the online consumer survey among mobile users in those two countries, carried out in 2016 in an attempt to reveal their general mobile usage patterns and applicable MNP experiences.
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Keeping smartphone users loyal Ericsson
This document discusses a study on assessing the impact of network performance on consumer loyalty to mobile operators. Some key findings from the study include:
1) Network performance is currently the main driver of loyalty to mobile operators, followed by value for money. Improving satisfaction with network performance also improves perceptions of value.
2) User expectations of network performance are often greater than the reality of the service received. Many users experience problems like slow browsing speeds.
3) While network performance is important, satisfaction with it is lower than other factors like billing and customer support. This suggests there is room for operators to improve performance.
4) Heavy users who are more aware of network issues are also more likely to consider switching
Market research on mobile phone market in Chinakwanghan
The document discusses mobile phone usage trends in China. It provides breakdowns of total users, smartphone vs non-smartphone users, operating systems, phone brands, demographics and internet usage. Key points include: China Mobile has 70% market share; 51% of users are male; usage of SMS, games and web browsing are high. It suggests opportunities for mobile games and ads to promote pharmaceutical brands to doctors and students.
The document discusses the impact of over-the-top (OTT) applications on mobile network operators. It notes that while OTT applications have increased data usage and initially benefited operators, they have also shifted revenues away from operators to OTT providers. Operators still bear the infrastructure investment costs but are losing voice and messaging revenues as users switch to OTT applications like WhatsApp and Skype. This trend will continue as more users adopt smartphones and OTT applications, putting pressure on operator revenues and business models. Regulators face challenges in addressing this issue.
The document provides insights from a global study on mobile consumer trends. It finds that while mobile phone usage has evolved beyond calls and texts, levels of smartphone adoption and mobile integration into daily life varies significantly between mature, developing, and emerging markets. Emerging markets show the strongest reliance on mobile for personal productivity and lifestyle management. The rise of mobile transactions is also explored, finding consumers are most likely to make entertainment, bill payments and music purchases via mobile. However, ease of use remains paramount for encouraging complex mobile activities like retail purchases or mobile wallet usage.
The document discusses opportunities for growth in the mobile sector in the Middle East. It notes that while mobile penetration rates are over 100% in some countries, overall penetration across the region is only 34%. Egypt is identified as having high potential for growth, with penetration expected to reach over 65% by 2012. As deregulation continues in the region and new technologies like 4G emerge, the mobile landscape is expected to change significantly over the next five years.
This document summarizes a study on communications access and usage among low-income populations in Trinidad and Tobago. The study found that mobile phones have become the primary form of communication, with ownership rates among the poor being half of national levels. It also found that mobile penetration exceeds fixed line penetration among the poor. Mobile phones are primarily used for voice calls, averaging over 3 calls per day. Barriers to communications access and future adoption are also examined.
The document provides an overview of the Indian mobile handset industry. It discusses the historical background of the industry and key developments. It outlines the major players in the Indian market and provides future estimates projecting continued growth. The document also analyzes the industry using Porter's Five Forces model, finding moderate supplier and buyer power due to factors such as quality importance, availability of substitutes, and tendency of buyers to switch handsets.
Usages of Mobile Phone in Rural Agricultural Marketing Function: A Study on C...IJSB
This document summarizes a research paper about the usage of mobile phones in rural agricultural marketing in Bangladesh. It finds that mobile phones are increasingly being used by farmers and rural market participants to access agricultural information and markets. Farmers can use mobile phones to get timely information on market prices, weather forecasts, and connect directly with buyers. This improves transparency and allows farmers to get better prices for their produce. However, the document also notes some challenges to mobile phone adoption in rural areas, such as lack of infrastructure, high costs, and low literacy. The study uses surveys and statistical analysis to examine how mobile phone use impacts agricultural marketing linkages and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Revoda: Mobile Election App for Nigeria 2011 ElectionsEmeka Okoye
Revoda was a mobile app created for the 2011 Nigerian elections to allow citizens to monitor the electoral process and report incidents of fraud, violence, or other issues from their polling units via their phones. The app collected reports on elements like election officials, voting materials, and reported results. It aimed to turn citizens into informal election observers and verify results. Over 10,000 people downloaded the app across Nigeria, allowing for increased monitoring of the elections through citizen reporting on the app and social media. However, a challenge was lack of publicity, limiting the ability to spread awareness of the app more widely.
This document provides an overview and analysis of m-commerce trends in Sub-Saharan Africa based on consumer research conducted in Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania. The key findings are:
1) Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa are ready to expand their use of m-commerce for services beyond airtime purchases and money transfers based on existing behaviors and needs.
2) Mobile network operators have significant trust from consumers due to reliable networks and services, but consumers often use multiple SIM cards from different providers.
3) Consumers have ambitions to improve their lives and support extended families, but cash remains the primary method of exchange and most lack access to formal banking. Education is needed to increase
Report on Consumption of Smartphone in Pakistan | Microeconomics Project Repo...Mark Bourne
This document discusses the consumption of smartphones in Pakistan. It begins by listing the group members who submitted the document. It then provides contents, acknowledgements, and an abstract. The main sections discuss demand and supply of smartphones, important components of a digital economy, the importance of mobile technology for national growth, the smartphone marketplace structure in Pakistan, user migration to mobile broadband, import of leading devices, domestic manufacturing, the commercial climate, Pakistan's position in the digital world, and improving the mobile sector taxation policy. Key findings are that domestic manufacturers could meet 80% of smartphone demand in 2-3 years, boosting the economy and reducing imports.
This document is a thesis submitted by Adedamola A. Layade to the University of Ibadan in partial fulfillment of a Masters of Business Administration degree. It examines how mobile commerce (m-commerce) can drive future business growth in Nigeria. The thesis provides background on m-commerce and the mobile technology sector in Nigeria. It aims to understand characteristics of potential m-commerce users and factors influencing m-commerce usage. The thesis will also analyze how m-commerce can aid economic growth in Nigeria through improved marketing, advertising and sales on mobile devices.
Digital possibilities in international development_SoundbiteFreddy Bob-Jones
The document discusses the potential benefits of digital technologies in international development as well as challenges to realizing that potential. Key benefits include mobile phones improving access to markets and services for farmers, reducing travel needs through e-government services, and delivering education and health information via mobile apps. However, affordability, literacy, lack of local content, and limited physical access continue to constrain digital's impact. Moving forward, focus is needed on expanding connectivity, developing relevant local content, increasing affordability, and strengthening real-world foundations to support digital growth.
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Liberation from locationEricsson
Ericsson ConsumerLab releases report showing consumers are increasingly performing tasks across multiple locations, such as shopping online at work or performing work tasks at home. People spend most of their time indoors and they therefore want to invest more in improving their indoor connectivity experience. Globally, consumers use internet services in a similar manner, although the devices used differ
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Connected lifestyles’ expectations identifiedEricsson
This Ericsson ConsumerLab report analyzes evolving consumer needs related to connected lifestyles across the US, Brazil, and Indonesia. Data was collected through online research, focus groups, and surveys totaling 150 million smartphone owners. Key findings include:
1) Seven emerging consumer need areas were identified: instant access everywhere, customizing experiences, switching off, assisted productivity, enhanced togetherness, feeling in control, and location-based services.
2) Consumers want simplified management of content, payments, and usage in one place to reduce complexity.
3) New services need to offer real-time customized solutions based on location to fit mobile lifestyles.
4) Evolving consumer needs open new
The document discusses how mobile phones are transforming Africa. It describes how mobile phones have become essential devices across the continent, improving financial inclusion and helping work around infrastructure problems. Innovations like mobile money services have disrupted banking by allowing digital financial transactions without bank accounts. Mobile phones are also transforming agriculture, healthcare, and increasing transparency in politics. Entrepreneurs have created mobile applications that help farmers access market information, verify authenticity of medicines, and monitor political violence.
Asia Mobile Telecom Innovations Solidiance MMASolidiance
Special focus on the Asia mobile healthcare and Asia mobile music markets in this paper. Solidiance and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) team up to review technology and application changes in the Asia mobile industry.
Mobile technology is transforming Africa by addressing longstanding issues like poverty, food insecurity, and lack of access to information and financial services. Mobile phones have seen unprecedented growth in Africa, with over 600 million subscribers compared to just 4 million in 1998. This has led to innovative mobile applications that provide farmers with agricultural information, enable peer-to-peer payments and money transfers through mobile banking, and allow civic engagement through open data and crowdsourcing. Mobile technology is empowering citizens, boosting economic growth, and helping lift people out of poverty in Africa.
Mobile Payment System Adoption among Informal Sector in Anambra StateYogeshIJTSRD
Advancements in mobile technologies have led to an increased uptake of smart phones. This has led to a growing trend in mobile payment m payment activities. However, Mobile payment system have not taken off as fast as expected. The slow adoption rate of mobile payment system raise many questions about what influences consumer behavioural intention to adopt. The main objective of this study was to ascertain the extent of Mobile Payment adoption among informal sector in Anambra State of Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design because this design allowed the researcher to collect data from the respondents and make inferences from this information. The study examined the constructs developed from the literature reviewed, which are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived cost, Perceived Trust and Perceived Risk as regards adoption of mobile payment system, which is supported by the extended Technology Acceptance Model TAM . The data for this study was collected using a structured questionnaire and out of the 246 questionnaire distributed to the mobile phone users, operating under the informal sector of the three major cities Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi in Anambra state, 236 questionnaires were returned. The findings showed that Perceived risk and Perceived cost have a negative influence on Behavioural Intention to adopt mobile payment among the informal sector. While Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and Perceived trust do not significantly influence Behavioural Intention to adopt mobile payment among the informal sector. The researcher therefore recommends that Mobile payment parties should ensure that they offer mobile payment service at cheap cost so that informal sector will feel convenient to use it as they are mostly price conscious. Anyaeneh Vivian Kamsoluchi | Rev. Prof. A. D. Nkamnebe "Mobile Payment System Adoption among Informal Sector in Anambra State" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd43892.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/other/43892/mobile-payment-system-adoption-among-informal-sector-in-anambra-state/anyaeneh-vivian-kamsoluchi
Mobile Technology - Tablets and Workplace Integration (Whitepaper)Fuji Xerox Australia
Smart phones keep getting smarter. Applications for tablet computers are emerging at dizzying speeds. And the cloud that links them all is limitless in scope. Mobile computing is no longer a technology trend, but rather, an integral component of our business and social lives.
As a result, businesses need to be aware of the benefits this might bring, how these technologies are being used, and who is using them. It is important to deliver solutions that make the process of using documentation on these platforms as streamlined as possible.
For more information on improving business process with better document management, visit www.fujixerox.com.au/mobileprint or call us at 13 14 12.
Consumer survey findings on mobile number portability experience in Georgia a...Premier Publishers
Since it was first introduced in 1997, mobile number portability (MNP) has largely been considered a success story in fostering market competition and delivering various benefits to relevant stakeholder groups, including in the first place to final consumers. Developed countries were at the forefront of the MNP deployment, with the EU making it a mandatory requirement for all member states in 2003. The developing world has yet been lagging behind with its MNP adoption. Among republics of the former Soviet Union, Georgia and Belarus were the first to implement MNP, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. This article summarises findings of the online consumer survey among mobile users in those two countries, carried out in 2016 in an attempt to reveal their general mobile usage patterns and applicable MNP experiences.
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Keeping smartphone users loyal Ericsson
This document discusses a study on assessing the impact of network performance on consumer loyalty to mobile operators. Some key findings from the study include:
1) Network performance is currently the main driver of loyalty to mobile operators, followed by value for money. Improving satisfaction with network performance also improves perceptions of value.
2) User expectations of network performance are often greater than the reality of the service received. Many users experience problems like slow browsing speeds.
3) While network performance is important, satisfaction with it is lower than other factors like billing and customer support. This suggests there is room for operators to improve performance.
4) Heavy users who are more aware of network issues are also more likely to consider switching
Market research on mobile phone market in Chinakwanghan
The document discusses mobile phone usage trends in China. It provides breakdowns of total users, smartphone vs non-smartphone users, operating systems, phone brands, demographics and internet usage. Key points include: China Mobile has 70% market share; 51% of users are male; usage of SMS, games and web browsing are high. It suggests opportunities for mobile games and ads to promote pharmaceutical brands to doctors and students.
The document discusses the impact of over-the-top (OTT) applications on mobile network operators. It notes that while OTT applications have increased data usage and initially benefited operators, they have also shifted revenues away from operators to OTT providers. Operators still bear the infrastructure investment costs but are losing voice and messaging revenues as users switch to OTT applications like WhatsApp and Skype. This trend will continue as more users adopt smartphones and OTT applications, putting pressure on operator revenues and business models. Regulators face challenges in addressing this issue.
The document provides insights from a global study on mobile consumer trends. It finds that while mobile phone usage has evolved beyond calls and texts, levels of smartphone adoption and mobile integration into daily life varies significantly between mature, developing, and emerging markets. Emerging markets show the strongest reliance on mobile for personal productivity and lifestyle management. The rise of mobile transactions is also explored, finding consumers are most likely to make entertainment, bill payments and music purchases via mobile. However, ease of use remains paramount for encouraging complex mobile activities like retail purchases or mobile wallet usage.
The document discusses opportunities for growth in the mobile sector in the Middle East. It notes that while mobile penetration rates are over 100% in some countries, overall penetration across the region is only 34%. Egypt is identified as having high potential for growth, with penetration expected to reach over 65% by 2012. As deregulation continues in the region and new technologies like 4G emerge, the mobile landscape is expected to change significantly over the next five years.
This document summarizes a study on communications access and usage among low-income populations in Trinidad and Tobago. The study found that mobile phones have become the primary form of communication, with ownership rates among the poor being half of national levels. It also found that mobile penetration exceeds fixed line penetration among the poor. Mobile phones are primarily used for voice calls, averaging over 3 calls per day. Barriers to communications access and future adoption are also examined.
The document provides an overview of the Indian mobile handset industry. It discusses the historical background of the industry and key developments. It outlines the major players in the Indian market and provides future estimates projecting continued growth. The document also analyzes the industry using Porter's Five Forces model, finding moderate supplier and buyer power due to factors such as quality importance, availability of substitutes, and tendency of buyers to switch handsets.
Usages of Mobile Phone in Rural Agricultural Marketing Function: A Study on C...IJSB
This document summarizes a research paper about the usage of mobile phones in rural agricultural marketing in Bangladesh. It finds that mobile phones are increasingly being used by farmers and rural market participants to access agricultural information and markets. Farmers can use mobile phones to get timely information on market prices, weather forecasts, and connect directly with buyers. This improves transparency and allows farmers to get better prices for their produce. However, the document also notes some challenges to mobile phone adoption in rural areas, such as lack of infrastructure, high costs, and low literacy. The study uses surveys and statistical analysis to examine how mobile phone use impacts agricultural marketing linkages and rural livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Revoda: Mobile Election App for Nigeria 2011 ElectionsEmeka Okoye
Revoda was a mobile app created for the 2011 Nigerian elections to allow citizens to monitor the electoral process and report incidents of fraud, violence, or other issues from their polling units via their phones. The app collected reports on elements like election officials, voting materials, and reported results. It aimed to turn citizens into informal election observers and verify results. Over 10,000 people downloaded the app across Nigeria, allowing for increased monitoring of the elections through citizen reporting on the app and social media. However, a challenge was lack of publicity, limiting the ability to spread awareness of the app more widely.
This document provides an overview and analysis of m-commerce trends in Sub-Saharan Africa based on consumer research conducted in Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania. The key findings are:
1) Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa are ready to expand their use of m-commerce for services beyond airtime purchases and money transfers based on existing behaviors and needs.
2) Mobile network operators have significant trust from consumers due to reliable networks and services, but consumers often use multiple SIM cards from different providers.
3) Consumers have ambitions to improve their lives and support extended families, but cash remains the primary method of exchange and most lack access to formal banking. Education is needed to increase
Report on Consumption of Smartphone in Pakistan | Microeconomics Project Repo...Mark Bourne
This document discusses the consumption of smartphones in Pakistan. It begins by listing the group members who submitted the document. It then provides contents, acknowledgements, and an abstract. The main sections discuss demand and supply of smartphones, important components of a digital economy, the importance of mobile technology for national growth, the smartphone marketplace structure in Pakistan, user migration to mobile broadband, import of leading devices, domestic manufacturing, the commercial climate, Pakistan's position in the digital world, and improving the mobile sector taxation policy. Key findings are that domestic manufacturers could meet 80% of smartphone demand in 2-3 years, boosting the economy and reducing imports.
This document is a thesis submitted by Adedamola A. Layade to the University of Ibadan in partial fulfillment of a Masters of Business Administration degree. It examines how mobile commerce (m-commerce) can drive future business growth in Nigeria. The thesis provides background on m-commerce and the mobile technology sector in Nigeria. It aims to understand characteristics of potential m-commerce users and factors influencing m-commerce usage. The thesis will also analyze how m-commerce can aid economic growth in Nigeria through improved marketing, advertising and sales on mobile devices.
Digital possibilities in international development_SoundbiteFreddy Bob-Jones
The document discusses the potential benefits of digital technologies in international development as well as challenges to realizing that potential. Key benefits include mobile phones improving access to markets and services for farmers, reducing travel needs through e-government services, and delivering education and health information via mobile apps. However, affordability, literacy, lack of local content, and limited physical access continue to constrain digital's impact. Moving forward, focus is needed on expanding connectivity, developing relevant local content, increasing affordability, and strengthening real-world foundations to support digital growth.
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Liberation from locationEricsson
Ericsson ConsumerLab releases report showing consumers are increasingly performing tasks across multiple locations, such as shopping online at work or performing work tasks at home. People spend most of their time indoors and they therefore want to invest more in improving their indoor connectivity experience. Globally, consumers use internet services in a similar manner, although the devices used differ
Ericsson ConsumerLab: Connected lifestyles’ expectations identifiedEricsson
This Ericsson ConsumerLab report analyzes evolving consumer needs related to connected lifestyles across the US, Brazil, and Indonesia. Data was collected through online research, focus groups, and surveys totaling 150 million smartphone owners. Key findings include:
1) Seven emerging consumer need areas were identified: instant access everywhere, customizing experiences, switching off, assisted productivity, enhanced togetherness, feeling in control, and location-based services.
2) Consumers want simplified management of content, payments, and usage in one place to reduce complexity.
3) New services need to offer real-time customized solutions based on location to fit mobile lifestyles.
4) Evolving consumer needs open new
The document discusses how mobile phones are transforming Africa. It describes how mobile phones have become essential devices across the continent, improving financial inclusion and helping work around infrastructure problems. Innovations like mobile money services have disrupted banking by allowing digital financial transactions without bank accounts. Mobile phones are also transforming agriculture, healthcare, and increasing transparency in politics. Entrepreneurs have created mobile applications that help farmers access market information, verify authenticity of medicines, and monitor political violence.
Asia Mobile Telecom Innovations Solidiance MMASolidiance
Special focus on the Asia mobile healthcare and Asia mobile music markets in this paper. Solidiance and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) team up to review technology and application changes in the Asia mobile industry.
Mobile technology is transforming Africa by addressing longstanding issues like poverty, food insecurity, and lack of access to information and financial services. Mobile phones have seen unprecedented growth in Africa, with over 600 million subscribers compared to just 4 million in 1998. This has led to innovative mobile applications that provide farmers with agricultural information, enable peer-to-peer payments and money transfers through mobile banking, and allow civic engagement through open data and crowdsourcing. Mobile technology is empowering citizens, boosting economic growth, and helping lift people out of poverty in Africa.
Mobile Payment System Adoption among Informal Sector in Anambra StateYogeshIJTSRD
Advancements in mobile technologies have led to an increased uptake of smart phones. This has led to a growing trend in mobile payment m payment activities. However, Mobile payment system have not taken off as fast as expected. The slow adoption rate of mobile payment system raise many questions about what influences consumer behavioural intention to adopt. The main objective of this study was to ascertain the extent of Mobile Payment adoption among informal sector in Anambra State of Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design because this design allowed the researcher to collect data from the respondents and make inferences from this information. The study examined the constructs developed from the literature reviewed, which are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived cost, Perceived Trust and Perceived Risk as regards adoption of mobile payment system, which is supported by the extended Technology Acceptance Model TAM . The data for this study was collected using a structured questionnaire and out of the 246 questionnaire distributed to the mobile phone users, operating under the informal sector of the three major cities Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi in Anambra state, 236 questionnaires were returned. The findings showed that Perceived risk and Perceived cost have a negative influence on Behavioural Intention to adopt mobile payment among the informal sector. While Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and Perceived trust do not significantly influence Behavioural Intention to adopt mobile payment among the informal sector. The researcher therefore recommends that Mobile payment parties should ensure that they offer mobile payment service at cheap cost so that informal sector will feel convenient to use it as they are mostly price conscious. Anyaeneh Vivian Kamsoluchi | Rev. Prof. A. D. Nkamnebe "Mobile Payment System Adoption among Informal Sector in Anambra State" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd43892.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/other/43892/mobile-payment-system-adoption-among-informal-sector-in-anambra-state/anyaeneh-vivian-kamsoluchi
Mobile Technology - Tablets and Workplace Integration (Whitepaper)Fuji Xerox Australia
Smart phones keep getting smarter. Applications for tablet computers are emerging at dizzying speeds. And the cloud that links them all is limitless in scope. Mobile computing is no longer a technology trend, but rather, an integral component of our business and social lives.
As a result, businesses need to be aware of the benefits this might bring, how these technologies are being used, and who is using them. It is important to deliver solutions that make the process of using documentation on these platforms as streamlined as possible.
For more information on improving business process with better document management, visit www.fujixerox.com.au/mobileprint or call us at 13 14 12.
Mobile computing application risks in ZimbabweIOSR Journals
Abstract: Mobile technology has now become the order of the day. Everyone seems to own one or more mobile
devices. Everyone is so excited because this has made life easier for a lot of people. Though mobile technology
has brought many benefits to people’s lives, its application has some risks that come with it. This paper
therefore looked at mobile computing application areas in Zimbabwe, the risks brought about by mobile
computing application in Zimbabwe and how mobile computing application risks are mitigated in a developing
country like Zimbabwe where the technology level seems to be behind. The study findings showed that mobile
application areas in Zimbabwe include paying bills, social networking and playing games. Most Zimbabweans
revealed that they do not know how to mitigate mobile computing application risks. The study finally
recommended that mobile computing application risks should be taught in schools as well as in televisions and
radios so that everyone is aware of them.
Keywords: application risks, mobile computing, mobile device,mobile technology
This document discusses cybersecurity challenges in Africa. It notes that while Africa has experienced strong economic growth in recent decades, increased technology and internet usage has also increased vulnerabilities to cybercrime. Cybercrime is growing rapidly in Africa and costs economies millions annually. The document recommends that African countries strengthen policy and legal frameworks around cybersecurity, harmonize laws and standards across countries, increase coordination and cooperation between governments and organizations, and invest in cybersecurity infrastructure to help address these challenges.
The aim of this paper is to assess the mobile industry‟s current state and develop a business rationale and framework for sustainability that fits the unique needs of the mobile services industry. In addition, recommendations are given that can further the mobile industry‟s sustainability agenda.
The 2016 Accenture Digital Consumer Survey for communications, media and technology companies polled 28,000 consumers in 28 countries on their use of consumer technology.
The primary objective of this study is to investigate the impact that the coronavirus known as Covid-19 has had on the e-commerce in Asia. Coronavirus, one of the most lethal viruses currently known, is responsible for the deaths of many people. This indicates that the rate of economic growth in the nation has slowed down. On a very large scale, it has nearly completely disrupted all other kinds of businesses, including the e-commerce company. Most outlets owned by major merchants had been closed indefinitely. Aside from that, the situation is difficult for medium and small-sized enterprises (SMEs) since there are less customers shopping at their stores. Additionally, e-commerce companies should not be excluded from consideration. Additionally, Asia has a significant negative impact on them. China is the primary source of more than half of the goods items sold by many online retailers. As a result, it is presumable that this lethal virus will have a significant influence on the internet commerce conducted across Asia, particularly about the sale of Chinese goods. A survey was carried out as part of this study, and primary research was carried out as well, to get a more fruitful conclusion. The findings showed that most goods originate in China, and most industries are under lockdown, which implies that no items are imported or exported. This was shown by the fact that most industries are closed.
The document summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-commerce in Asia. Some key points:
- E-commerce saw a large boost in Asia due to lockdowns and social distancing measures during the pandemic. Online sales increased significantly across countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and China.
- Certain product categories like food, hygiene products, and vitamins saw spikes in demand as people prepared for the pandemic. Luxury goods and other categories declined.
- The supply chain was disrupted as many factories and businesses in China shut down. This led to shortages and difficulties importing goods for online retailers.
- Long term, the pandemic is expected to further shift consumers to online shopping even after
Mobiles reinforce unequal gender relations in ZambiaKutoma Wakunuma
This document summarizes a photograph showing a man making a call at a phone booth in Funyula, Kenya that has been modified to function as a GSM wireless phone. The area recently gained mobile phone coverage, so telecommunications companies are competing for customers. The phone booth is operated by Douglas Oduori and allows people to make calls using a handset modified to connect to the mobile network. This provides telecom access to an area that did not previously have coverage.
An alarming signal in mobile telecommunication industry a study in malaysiaijmnct
The use of products and services of the mobile telecommunication industry becomes a part and parcel of
each human being around the globe irrespective of the age. It is hardly visible to see people without the use
of telecommunication technology in today’s world. The present research article examines the alarming
signal of market saturation of telecommunication companies in Malaysia as internal competitors is
increasing in number and age restriction of 18 years and above for legally registered owners of mobiles.
The saturation in the mobile telecommunication market is due to the relative low birth rate in Malaysia, the
eligible population to register a mobile phone is not proportional to telecommunication service providers.
In addition, there is also new Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) which magnifies the problem
further. Otherwise the local service providers have efficient and effective networking with other countries;
the sustainability of the telecommunication company's performance is at stake.
A review recent trends in world and indian telecom marketIAEME Publication
The world market has changed almost beyond recognition over the last twenty years.
The recent trends in the world telecom market are: increase in private ownership,
competition, data based mobile and global communication, trade and finance oriented
operators, and rapid increase in subscribers from the developing nations. Several of these
trends (such as increase in privatization, competition, mobile communication, digital
divide) also exist in the Indian submarket. The submarkets of the world telecom market
are mainly classified according to geographical location, and according to the technology
used. India comes under the Asia Pacific geographical submarket. India had a traditional
telecom market, which was dominated by public sector monopoly till 1990. Later, it was
privatized by bits and pieces and now allows private sector participation in almost all the
sectors of telecom in the nation. It has a rapidly increasing subscriber base. It allows investor
friendly environment and has set up regulatory bodies to ensure justice to all players. In brief,
the present Indian telecom sector is marked by choice, competition, subscriber growth,
improvement in quality and service, and a shift from monopoly to oligopoly to true
competition.
This document discusses cybercrime and its economic impacts. It reports that the global cost of cybercrime is estimated to be $445 billion annually, and that over 800 million people were affected by cyber espionage and theft in 2013. Financial losses from cybertheft could cause up to 150,000 job losses in Europe. Cybercrime damages trade, competitiveness, innovation and global economic growth by slowing the pace of innovation. Governments are called on to systematically collect and publish cybercrime data to help countries and companies assess risks and policies.
Many applications on smart Phones can use various sensors embedded in the mobiles to provide users’ private information. This can result in a variety of privacy issues that may lessening level of mobile apps usage. To understand this issue better the researcher identified the root causes of privacy concerns. The study proposed a model identifies the root causes of privacy concerns and perceived benefits based on our interpretation for information boundary theory. The proposed model also addresses the usage behavior and behavioral intention toward using mobile apps by using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The result shows that “Cultural values” alone explains 70% of “Perceived privacy concerns” followed by “Self-defense” which explains around 23% of “Perceived privacy concerns”, and then “Context of the situation” with 5%. Whereas, the findings show that “Perceived effectiveness of privacy policy” and “Perceived effectiveness of industry self-regulation” both are factors which have the ability to reduce individuals “Perceived privacy concerns” by 9% and 8% respectively.
Product tracking and tracing with Blockchain and Internet of ThingsMurali Venkatesh
Infosys and Oracle published a white paper regarding our Blockchain and IoT solution
URL: https://www.infosys.com/Oracle/insights/Documents/product-tracking-tracing.pdf
In light of the staggering evolution of mobile technologies, the concept of mobility is gaining more attention worldwide. Recent statistics demonstrate mobile channels’ increasing significance in outreach and service delivery. However, governments and businesses face a challenge in reaping the benefits of mobile platforms: how to confirm the authenticity of mobile users and transactions. Mobile devices, by design, are well suited for enabling authentication and digital signing services, similar to traditional PC and laptop environments. But although various implementations support different authentication schemes, they still do not instill sufficient levels of trust and confidence. In this article we explore the practice of mobile identity management. We provide an overview of how EU countries tackle mobile identity. The main part of the article sheds light on the solution framework adopted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address, recently launched mobile government transformation initiatives. Taking into account the newness of the topic, the content of this article should fuel the current limited knowledge base and trigger debate around the presented approaches.
Reach Your Target Audiences, Strategies and Technologies in Mobile AdvertisingVivastream
The document discusses mobile marketing trends based on research from AT&T AdWorks. Some of the key findings include:
- Nearly half of mobile phone users now own a smartphone, and smartphone ownership is projected to continue rising significantly. Tablet ownership is also growing rapidly.
- Multi-screen usage is common, with many consumers using additional devices like smartphones and tablets while watching TV.
- Mobile devices are frequently used in-store by consumers to research products, check prices, read reviews and use coupons.
- QR codes have seen limited adoption by consumers and marketers feel it was overused, while NFC shows more promise if barriers to usage can be lowered.
- Banner ads
Big data from mobile phone use has potential to help international development by providing insights into people's needs, behaviors, and crisis responses. However, privacy concerns, lack of data sharing incentives, and limited human capital for advanced analysis pose challenges. Some organizations are working to address these issues through data sharing partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit sectors and by creating incentives for individuals and companies to contribute anonymized data for social good. If these obstacles can be overcome, mobile data analysis could help governments and aid groups improve services, target resources more efficiently, and respond faster to trends and emergencies.
IRJET- Awareness and Knowledge about Android Smartphones Security among Ghana...IRJET Journal
The document summarizes a study that assessed awareness and knowledge of Android smartphone security among Ghanaians. The study surveyed 1240 adult smartphone users in Ghana. It found that most respondents had previously owned an Android smartphone, which they either still had or gave away. While photos, contacts, and documents were seen as private, many accessed email, finances, health and academic info on their phones. The study also found gender and age predicted knowledge of encryption and data recovery. Overall, respondents' vulnerability to attacks after disposing of phones was deemed high. The study recommends awareness campaigns to help users better protect sensitive data and reduce risks of cybercrime if phones are lost, stolen or damaged.
Similar to The Threat of Counterfeit Devices: Complicity vs Vigilance (20)
The Use of Java Swing’s Components to Develop a WidgetWaqas Tariq
Widget is a kind of application provides a single service such as a map, news feed, simple clock, battery-life indicators, etc. This kind of interactive software object has been developed to facilitate user interface (UI) design. A user interface (UI) function may be implemented using different widgets with the same function. In this article, we present the widget as a platform that is generally used in various applications, such as in desktop, web browser, and mobile phone. We also describe a visual menu of Java Swing’s components that will be used to establish widget. It will assume that we have successfully compiled and run a program that uses Swing components.
3D Human Hand Posture Reconstruction Using a Single 2D ImageWaqas Tariq
Passive sensing of the 3D geometric posture of the human hand has been studied extensively over the past decade. However, these research efforts have been hampered by the computational complexity caused by inverse kinematics and 3D reconstruction. In this paper, our objective focuses on 3D hand posture estimation based on a single 2D image with aim of robotic applications. We introduce the human hand model with 27 degrees of freedom (DOFs) and analyze some of its constraints to reduce the DOFs without any significant degradation of performance. A novel algorithm to estimate the 3D hand posture from eight 2D projected feature points is proposed. Experimental results using real images confirm that our algorithm gives good estimates of the 3D hand pose. Keywords: 3D hand posture estimation; Model-based approach; Gesture recognition; human- computer interface; machine vision.
Camera as Mouse and Keyboard for Handicap Person with Troubleshooting Ability...Waqas Tariq
Camera mouse has been widely used for handicap person to interact with computer. The utmost important of the use of camera mouse is must be able to replace all roles of typical mouse and keyboard. It must be able to provide all mouse click events and keyboard functions (include all shortcut keys) when it is used by handicap person. Also, the use of camera mouse must allow users troubleshooting by themselves. Moreover, it must be able to eliminate neck fatigue effect when it is used during long period. In this paper, we propose camera mouse system with timer as left click event and blinking as right click event. Also, we modify original screen keyboard layout by add two additional buttons (button “drag/ drop” is used to do drag and drop of mouse events and another button is used to call task manager (for troubleshooting)) and change behavior of CTRL, ALT, SHIFT, and CAPS LOCK keys in order to provide shortcut keys of keyboard. Also, we develop recovery method which allows users go from camera and then come back again in order to eliminate neck fatigue effect. The experiments which involve several users have been done in our laboratory. The results show that the use of our camera mouse able to allow users do typing, left and right click events, drag and drop events, and troubleshooting without hand. By implement this system, handicap person can use computer more comfortable and reduce the dryness of eyes.
A Proposed Web Accessibility Framework for the Arab DisabledWaqas Tariq
The Web is providing unprecedented access to information and interaction for people with disabilities. This paper presents a Web accessibility framework which offers the ease of the Web accessing for the disabled Arab users and facilitates their lifelong learning as well. The proposed framework system provides the disabled Arab user with an easy means of access using their mother language so they don’t have to overcome the barrier of learning the target-spoken language. This framework is based on analyzing the web page meta-language, extracting its content and reformulating it in a suitable format for the disabled users. The basic objective of this framework is supporting the equal rights of the Arab disabled people for their access to the education and training with non disabled people. Key Words : Arabic Moon code, Arabic Sign Language, Deaf, Deaf-blind, E-learning Interactivity, Moon code, Web accessibility , Web framework , Web System, WWW.
Real Time Blinking Detection Based on Gabor FilterWaqas Tariq
The document proposes a new method for real-time blinking detection based on Gabor filters. It begins by reviewing existing methods and their limitations in dealing with noise, variations in eye shape, and blinking speed. The proposed method uses a Gabor filter to extract the top and bottom arcs of the eye from an image. It then measures the distance between these arcs and compares it to a threshold: a distance below the threshold indicates a closed eye, while a distance above indicates an open eye. The document claims this Gabor filter-based approach is robust to noise, variations in eye shape and blinking speed. It presents experimental results showing the method can accurately detect blinking across different users.
Computer Input with Human Eyes-Only Using Two Purkinje Images Which Works in ...Waqas Tariq
A method for computer input with human eyes-only using two Purkinje images which works in a real time basis without calibration is proposed. Experimental results shows that cornea curvature can be estimated by using two light sources derived Purkinje images so that no calibration for reducing person-to-person difference of cornea curvature. It is found that the proposed system allows usersf movements of 30 degrees in roll direction and 15 degrees in pitch direction utilizing detected face attitude which is derived from the face plane consisting three feature points on the face, two eyes and nose or mouth. Also it is found that the proposed system does work in a real time basis.
Toward a More Robust Usability concept with Perceived Enjoyment in the contex...Waqas Tariq
Mobile multimedia service is relatively new but has quickly dominated people¡¯s lives, especially among young people. To explain this popularity, this study applies and modifies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to propose a research model and conduct an empirical study. The goal of study is to examine the role of Perceived Enjoyment (PE) and what determinants can contribute to PE in the context of using mobile multimedia service. The result indicates that PE is influencing on Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and directly Behavior Intention (BI). Aesthetics and flow are key determinants to explain Perceived Enjoyment (PE) in mobile multimedia usage.
Collaborative Learning of Organisational KnolwedgeWaqas Tariq
This paper presents recent research into methods used in Australian Indigenous Knowledge sharing and looks at how these can support the creation of suitable collaborative envi- ronments for timely organisational learning. The protocols and practices as used today and in the past by Indigenous communities are presented and discussed in relation to their relevance to a personalised system of knowledge sharing in modern organisational cultures. This research focuses on user models, knowledge acquisition and integration of data for constructivist learning in a networked repository of or- ganisational knowledge. The data collected in the repository is searched to provide collections of up-to-date and relevant material for training in a work environment. The aim is to improve knowledge collection and sharing in a team envi- ronment. This knowledge can then be collated into a story or workflow that represents the present knowledge in the organisation.
Our research aims to propose a global approach for specification, design and verification of context awareness Human Computer Interface (HCI). This is a Model Based Design approach (MBD). This methodology describes the ubiquitous environment by ontologies. OWL is the standard used for this purpose. The specification and modeling of Human-Computer Interaction are based on Petri nets (PN). This raises the question of representation of Petri nets with XML. We use for this purpose, the standard of modeling PNML. In this paper, we propose an extension of this standard for specification, generation and verification of HCI. This extension is a methodological approach for the construction of PNML with Petri nets. The design principle uses the concept of composition of elementary structures of Petri nets as PNML Modular. The objective is to obtain a valid interface through verification of properties of elementary Petri nets represented with PNML.
Development of Sign Signal Translation System Based on Altera’s FPGA DE2 BoardWaqas Tariq
The main aim of this paper is to build a system that is capable of detecting and recognizing the hand gesture in an image captured by using a camera. The system is built based on Altera’s FPGA DE2 board, which contains a Nios II soft core processor. Image processing techniques and a simple but effective algorithm are implemented to achieve this purpose. Image processing techniques are used to smooth the image in order to ease the subsequent processes in translating the hand sign signal. The algorithm is built for translating the numerical hand sign signal and the result are displayed on the seven segment display. Altera’s Quartus II, SOPC Builder and Nios II EDS software are used to construct the system. By using SOPC Builder, the related components on the DE2 board can be interconnected easily and orderly compared to traditional method that requires lengthy source code and time consuming. Quartus II is used to compile and download the design to the DE2 board. Then, under Nios II EDS, C programming language is used to code the hand sign translation algorithm. Being able to recognize the hand sign signal from images can helps human in controlling a robot and other applications which require only a simple set of instructions provided a CMOS sensor is included in the system.
An overview on Advanced Research Works on Brain-Computer InterfaceWaqas Tariq
A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a proficient result in the research field of human- computer synergy, where direct articulation between brain and an external device occurs resulting in augmenting, assisting and repairing human cognitive. Advanced works like generating brain-computer interface switch technologies for intermittent (or asynchronous) control in natural environments or developing brain-computer interface by Fuzzy logic Systems or by implementing wavelet theory to drive its efficacies are still going on and some useful results has also been found out. The requirements to develop this brain machine interface is also growing day by day i.e. like neuropsychological rehabilitation, emotion control, etc. An overview on the control theory and some advanced works on the field of brain machine interface are shown in this paper.
Exploring the Relationship Between Mobile Phone and Senior Citizens: A Malays...Waqas Tariq
There is growing ageing phenomena with the rise of ageing population throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization (2002), the growing ageing population indicates 694 million, or 223% is expected for people aged 60 and over, since 1970 and 2025.The growth is especially significant in some advanced countries such as North America, Japan, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and so forth. This growing older adult population has significantly impact the social-culture, lifestyle, healthcare system, economy, infrastructure and government policy of a nation. However, there are limited research studies on the perception and usage of a mobile phone and its service for senior citizens in a developing nation like Malaysia. This paper explores the relationship between mobile phones and senior citizens in Malaysia from the perspective of a developing country. We conducted an exploratory study using contextual interviews with 5 senior citizens of how they perceive their mobile phones. This paper reveals 4 interesting themes from this preliminary study, in addition to the findings of the desirable mobile requirements for local senior citizens with respect of health, safety and communication purposes. The findings of this study bring interesting insight to local telecommunication industries as a whole, and will also serve as groundwork for more in-depth study in the future.
Principles of Good Screen Design in WebsitesWaqas Tariq
Visual techniques for proper arrangement of the elements on the user screen have helped the designers to make the screen look good and attractive. Several visual techniques emphasize the arrangement and ordering of the screen elements based on particular criteria for best appearance of the screen. This paper investigates few significant visual techniques in various web user interfaces and showcases the results for better understanding and their presence.
This document discusses the progress of virtual teams in Albania. It provides context on virtual teams and how they differ from traditional teams in their reliance on technology for communication across distances. The document then examines the use of virtual teams in Albania, noting the growing infrastructure and technology usage that enables virtual collaboration. It highlights some virtual team examples in Albanian government and academic projects.
Cognitive Approach Towards the Maintenance of Web-Sites Through Quality Evalu...Waqas Tariq
It is a well established fact that the Web-Applications require frequent maintenance because of cutting– edge business competitions. The authors have worked on quality evaluation of web-site of Indian ecommerce domain. As a result of that work they have made a quality-wise ranking of these sites. According to their work and also the survey done by various other groups Futurebazaar web-site is considered to be one of the best Indian e-shopping sites. In this research paper the authors are assessing the maintenance of the same site by incorporating the problems incurred during this evaluation. This exercise gives a real world maintainability problem of web-sites. This work will give a clear picture of all the quality metrics which are directly or indirectly related with the maintainability of the web-site.
USEFul: A Framework to Mainstream Web Site Usability through Automated Evalua...Waqas Tariq
A paradox has been observed whereby web site usability is proven to be an essential element in a web site, yet at the same time there exist an abundance of web pages with poor usability. This discrepancy is the result of limitations that are currently preventing web developers in the commercial sector from producing usable web sites. In this paper we propose a framework whose objective is to alleviate this problem by automating certain aspects of the usability evaluation process. Mainstreaming comes as a result of automation, therefore enabling a non-expert in the field of usability to conduct the evaluation. This results in reducing the costs associated with such evaluation. Additionally, the framework allows the flexibility of adding, modifying or deleting guidelines without altering the code that references them since the guidelines and the code are two separate components. A comparison of the evaluation results carried out using the framework against published evaluations of web sites carried out by web site usability professionals reveals that the framework is able to automatically identify the majority of usability violations. Due to the consistency with which it evaluates, it identified additional guideline-related violations that were not identified by the human evaluators.
Robot Arm Utilized Having Meal Support System Based on Computer Input by Huma...Waqas Tariq
A robot arm utilized having meal support system based on computer input by human eyes only is proposed. The proposed system is developed for handicap/disabled persons as well as elderly persons and tested with able persons with several shapes and size of eyes under a variety of illumination conditions. The test results with normal persons show the proposed system does work well for selection of the desired foods and for retrieve the foods as appropriate as usersf requirements. It is found that the proposed system is 21% much faster than the manually controlled robotics.
Dynamic Construction of Telugu Speech Corpus for Voice Enabled Text EditorWaqas Tariq
In recent decades speech interactive systems have gained increasing importance. Performance of an ASR system mainly depends on the availability of large corpus of speech. The conventional method of building a large vocabulary speech recognizer for any language uses a top-down approach to speech. This approach requires large speech corpus with sentence or phoneme level transcription of the speech utterances. The transcriptions must also include different speech order so that the recognizer can build models for all the sounds present. But, for Telugu language, because of its complex nature, a very large, well annotated speech database is very difficult to build. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to cover all the words of any Indian language, where each word may have thousands and millions of word forms. A significant part of grammar that is handled by syntax in English (and other similar languages) is handled within morphology in Telugu. Phrases including several words (that is, tokens) in English would be mapped on to a single word in Telugu.Telugu language is phonetic in nature in addition to rich in morphology. That is why the speech technology developed for English cannot be applied to Telugu language. This paper highlights the work carried out in an attempt to build a voice enabled text editor with capability of automatic term suggestion. Main claim of the paper is the recognition enhancement process developed by us for suitability of highly inflecting, rich morphological languages. This method results in increased speech recognition accuracy with very much reduction in corpus size. It also adapts Telugu words to the database dynamically, resulting in growth of the corpus.
An Improved Approach for Word Ambiguity RemovalWaqas Tariq
Word ambiguity removal is a task of removing ambiguity from a word, i.e. correct sense of word is identified from ambiguous sentences. This paper describes a model that uses Part of Speech tagger and three categories for word sense disambiguation (WSD). Human Computer Interaction is very needful to improve interactions between users and computers. For this, the Supervised and Unsupervised methods are combined. The WSD algorithm is used to find the efficient and accurate sense of a word based on domain information. The accuracy of this work is evaluated with the aim of finding best suitable domain of word. Keywords: Human Computer Interaction, Supervised Training, Unsupervised Learning, Word Ambiguity, Word sense disambiguation
Parameters Optimization for Improving ASR Performance in Adverse Real World N...Waqas Tariq
From the existing research it has been observed that many techniques and methodologies are available for performing every step of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system, but the performance (Minimization of Word Error Recognition-WER and Maximization of Word Accuracy Rate- WAR) of the methodology is not dependent on the only technique applied in that method. The research work indicates that, performance mainly depends on the category of the noise, the level of the noise and the variable size of the window, frame, frame overlap etc is considered in the existing methods. The main aim of the work presented in this paper is to use variable size of parameters like window size, frame size and frame overlap percentage to observe the performance of algorithms for various categories of noise with different levels and also train the system for all size of parameters and category of real world noisy environment to improve the performance of the speech recognition system. This paper presents the results of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Accuracy test by applying variable size of parameters. It is observed that, it is really very hard to evaluate test results and decide parameter size for ASR performance improvement for its resultant optimization. Hence, this study further suggests the feasible and optimum parameter size using Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) for enhancing resultant accuracy in adverse real world noisy environmental conditions. This work will be helpful to give discriminative training of ubiquitous ASR system for better Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Keywords: ASR Performance, ASR Parameters Optimization, Multi-Environmental Training, Fuzzy Inference System for ASR, ubiquitous ASR system, Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
LAND USE LAND COVER AND NDVI OF MIRZAPUR DISTRICT, UPRAHUL
This Dissertation explores the particular circumstances of Mirzapur, a region located in the
core of India. Mirzapur, with its varied terrains and abundant biodiversity, offers an optimal
environment for investigating the changes in vegetation cover dynamics. Our study utilizes
advanced technologies such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Remote sensing to
analyze the transformations that have taken place over the course of a decade.
The complex relationship between human activities and the environment has been the focus
of extensive research and worry. As the global community grapples with swift urbanization,
population expansion, and economic progress, the effects on natural ecosystems are becoming
more evident. A crucial element of this impact is the alteration of vegetation cover, which plays a
significant role in maintaining the ecological equilibrium of our planet.Land serves as the foundation for all human activities and provides the necessary materials for
these activities. As the most crucial natural resource, its utilization by humans results in different
'Land uses,' which are determined by both human activities and the physical characteristics of the
land.
The utilization of land is impacted by human needs and environmental factors. In countries
like India, rapid population growth and the emphasis on extensive resource exploitation can lead
to significant land degradation, adversely affecting the region's land cover.
Therefore, human intervention has significantly influenced land use patterns over many
centuries, evolving its structure over time and space. In the present era, these changes have
accelerated due to factors such as agriculture and urbanization. Information regarding land use and
cover is essential for various planning and management tasks related to the Earth's surface,
providing crucial environmental data for scientific, resource management, policy purposes, and
diverse human activities.
Accurate understanding of land use and cover is imperative for the development planning
of any area. Consequently, a wide range of professionals, including earth system scientists, land
and water managers, and urban planners, are interested in obtaining data on land use and cover
changes, conversion trends, and other related patterns. The spatial dimensions of land use and
cover support policymakers and scientists in making well-informed decisions, as alterations in
these patterns indicate shifts in economic and social conditions. Monitoring such changes with the
help of Advanced technologies like Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems is
crucial for coordinated efforts across different administrative levels. Advanced technologies like
Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
9
Changes in vegetation cover refer to variations in the distribution, composition, and overall
structure of plant communities across different temporal and spatial scales. These changes can
occur natural.
ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, and GDPR: Best Practices for Implementation and...PECB
Denis is a dynamic and results-driven Chief Information Officer (CIO) with a distinguished career spanning information systems analysis and technical project management. With a proven track record of spearheading the design and delivery of cutting-edge Information Management solutions, he has consistently elevated business operations, streamlined reporting functions, and maximized process efficiency.
Certified as an ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Lead Implementer, Data Protection Officer, and Cyber Risks Analyst, Denis brings a heightened focus on data security, privacy, and cyber resilience to every endeavor.
His expertise extends across a diverse spectrum of reporting, database, and web development applications, underpinned by an exceptional grasp of data storage and virtualization technologies. His proficiency in application testing, database administration, and data cleansing ensures seamless execution of complex projects.
What sets Denis apart is his comprehensive understanding of Business and Systems Analysis technologies, honed through involvement in all phases of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). From meticulous requirements gathering to precise analysis, innovative design, rigorous development, thorough testing, and successful implementation, he has consistently delivered exceptional results.
Throughout his career, he has taken on multifaceted roles, from leading technical project management teams to owning solutions that drive operational excellence. His conscientious and proactive approach is unwavering, whether he is working independently or collaboratively within a team. His ability to connect with colleagues on a personal level underscores his commitment to fostering a harmonious and productive workplace environment.
Date: May 29, 2024
Tags: Information Security, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, Artificial Intelligence, GDPR
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How to Make a Field Mandatory in Odoo 17Celine George
In Odoo, making a field required can be done through both Python code and XML views. When you set the required attribute to True in Python code, it makes the field required across all views where it's used. Conversely, when you set the required attribute in XML views, it makes the field required only in the context of that particular view.
Reimagining Your Library Space: How to Increase the Vibes in Your Library No ...Diana Rendina
Librarians are leading the way in creating future-ready citizens – now we need to update our spaces to match. In this session, attendees will get inspiration for transforming their library spaces. You’ll learn how to survey students and patrons, create a focus group, and use design thinking to brainstorm ideas for your space. We’ll discuss budget friendly ways to change your space as well as how to find funding. No matter where you’re at, you’ll find ideas for reimagining your space in this session.
How to Fix the Import Error in the Odoo 17Celine George
An import error occurs when a program fails to import a module or library, disrupting its execution. In languages like Python, this issue arises when the specified module cannot be found or accessed, hindering the program's functionality. Resolving import errors is crucial for maintaining smooth software operation and uninterrupted development processes.
This presentation includes basic of PCOS their pathology and treatment and also Ayurveda correlation of PCOS and Ayurvedic line of treatment mentioned in classics.
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
In this webinar, participants learned how to utilize Generative AI to streamline operations and elevate member engagement. Amazon Web Service experts provided a customer specific use cases and dived into low/no-code tools that are quick and easy to deploy through Amazon Web Service (AWS.)
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
Strategies for Effective Upskilling is a presentation by Chinwendu Peace in a Your Skill Boost Masterclass organisation by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan on 08th and 09th June 2024 from 1 PM to 3 PM on each day.
Your Skill Boost Masterclass: Strategies for Effective Upskilling
The Threat of Counterfeit Devices: Complicity vs Vigilance
1. Tirelo Modise Moepswa
The International Journal of Business Research & Management (IJBRM), Volume (7) : Issue (1) : 2016 1
The Threat of Counterfeit Devices: Complicity vs Vigilance
Tirelo Modise Moepswa kbk1052@mail3.doshisha.ac.jp
Graduate School of Policy and Management
Department of Technology and Innovative Management
Doshisha University
Kyoto, 602-8580, Japan
Abstract
Challenges that arise as a result of high mobile phone penetration in developing countries such
as counterfeiting and increasing product complexity, have largely been tackled from the supply
side. This study explores this issue from the demand side by investigating the relationship
between socio-demographic characteristics and levels of Intellectual property vigilance as well as
brand and quality awareness among urban mobile technology consumers in Botswana.
Implications for both corporate and public policy are discussed at the end of this paper.
Keywords: Consumer Sophistication, Mobile technology, Counterfeiting, Botswana.
1. INTRODUCTION
The increasing ubiquity of mobile phone devices around the world brings with it a great number of
innovative solutions to everyday predicaments. In developing economies, where the fastest
growth is recorded, mobile phones have been a welcome opportunity for the previously
unconnected to now enjoy access to information at the click of a button. The leap from relative
obscurity to connectivity does come with its negatives however. One of the major challenges
facing both developing and developed countries is the continued proliferation of what are known
as counterfeit and/or substandard mobile phone products. The International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) defines counterfeit mobile phones as products which explicitly infringe the trademark
or design of an original or authentic product, whilst substandard mobile phones as those that are
different enough to not be categorized as counterfeit but still resemble existing authentic
products. The cost of this proliferation as this study will explain further, is not only borne by the
manufacturers or service providers, consumers are paying a heavy price too by continuing to use
these devices. With regard to the manufacturers the ITU (2014) estimates the combined annual
losses at about $ 6 billion, to the consumers the costs could be more serious. Apart from financial
loss, the consumers a facing health risks too as this study will further elaborate. Botswana is
home to one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the Southern African region (ITU,
2013), even higher than some of the technologically advanced economies like Japan. The higher
penetration rate therefore brings with it an increased risk of counterfeit device proliferation, thus
indicating a greater cost for both manufacturers and consumers.
As aforementioned, developing economies are almost synonymous with mobile technology
penetration in light of the impact it has had on everyday life and the rate at which it has been
accepted by consumers. One classic example of such countries is Kenya with their runaway
success in mobile money (M-Pesa). However, a report by the Business Day (2013) estimated the
number of counterfeit mobile phones in Kenya at 3 million from a total of about 30.4 million
devices at the time. In Tanzania, the trademark infringements of mobile phone devices are
estimated at between 10% to 20% of market share. In Nigeria, the communications Commission
(Today, 2015) reports that 250 million counterfeit ICT products find their way into the Nigerian
market annually, the majority of which are mobile phone devices. They quote the figure at 15% of
the global counterfeit market. Asia pacific, the region with the highest proliferation of counterfeit
devices stood at 125 million counterfeit mobile phones in 2011 and was expected to rise to 148
million in 2013 For large economies like India the statistics are more profound, with an estimated
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counterfeit industry of about 1.5 billion dollars, direct tax losses estimated at 85 million dollars and
indirect tax losses at 460 million dollars (ITU, 2014).
1.1 What Does Counterfeiting Mean for the Consumer?
One of the major threats posed by counterfeit mobile phones is the fact that they enter the market
through underhand or backdoor strategies and therefore escape the rigour of regulation and
testing that legitimate products are subjected to. Taking Europe as an example, there is what is
called the Restriction of Hazardous Substances or RoHS which restricts the use of Lead,
Cadmium and other hazardous substances in the manufacture of electronic products. Similar
restrictions exist in many regions of the world. Tests conducted by various other regional bodies
of a similar kind in Brazil. China and India have found an alarmingly high presence of Lead and
Cadmium in both the internal and external components of multiple counterfeit mobile phone
devices. In some cases, the values of the lead and Cadmium were thirty to forty times higher than
acceptable levels (ITU, 2014). The impact of such exposure to humans is not receiving much
coverage as more focus is given to increased penetration and ubiquity of mobile devices.
However, there is a clear risk presented by the high level of hazardous substances present in
many of these counterfeit devices, the true cost of which, particularly with regards to increased
disease burden and healthcare costs is presently unknown.
A study by Qualcomm (GSMA, 2014) on behalf of the GSM Association revealed that counterfeit
mobile devices are not only hazardous but are of low quality too. Of the 18 devices that were
tested, 16 failed the transmit performance requirements and 11 of them were 6-13db below
requirements. According to the study, these two performance indicators point to a high level of
degraded performance and therefore these devices carry with them a higher percentage of call
dropouts when used by the consumer. Another negative aspect of counterfeit mobile phones on
the consumer side is the fact that they are sold without warranty. When issues of functionality
start to arise with these devices, it leaves the consumers with no room for recourse. Counterfeit
and substandard mobile devices are also susceptible to malware and other malicious viruses.
This therefore makes consumers using these devices very soft targets for cyber criminals.
Considering the increasing amount of confidential information people carry around in their mobile
devices, it’s safe to say that provides great incentive for cyber criminals. Since there is no
certainty as to the strength and capacity of the software installed in these devices, hackers are
constantly circulating sophisticated malware to detect weak devices and remotely access
important information including banking details, social security numbers, and other data that they
deem useful to their cause.
1.2 Situation in Botswana
With a population of around 2.1 million, the Botswana Communications regulatory authority
(BOCRA) puts the number of active devices on the market at 3.1 million, which translates into
more than 150% penetration. As aforementioned, the high penetration rate carries with it higher
chances of proliferation of counterfeit devices. In 2013, BOCRA was transformed through an Act
(Communications Regulatory Act, 2013) that compelled all licensees, suppliers and distributors of
equipment to register for type approval. The deadline for this exercise was set at August 31
st
, and
if violated the party in question would be liable to a civil penalty amounting to P2 million (US$
200.000) (BOCRA, 2013). The authority further reiterated its prohibition of the use of any
equipment which had not been type approved in either telecommunications, broadcasting or
postal services. The type approval was said to be done with the intention to ensure that all
communications equipment in the country was electrically safe, electromagnetically compatible
and capable of interworking with other devices without causing interference (Africa business,
2013).
No reliable statistics have been availed in terms of the number of counterfeit mobile devices in
the Botswana market. However, reports and communication from the authority (BOCRA) still
indicate existing, continuous retailing and consumption of counterfeit mobile devices. In fact, both
retailers and consumers hold differing views about the initiative to stem the flow of counterfeit
devices (Mmegi, 2013). A retailer interviewed said they would “lose a number of customers who
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prefer cheaper phones” (ibid). Another retailer expressed more enthusiasm about the act, “I’m
happy with it. It means our customers will only get quality equipment” (ibid). As far as the
consumers are concerned the counterfeit devices are cheaper and still look stylish. Some of the
devices receive positive reviews for their ability to accommodate four sim cards, carry internet
platforms and all the other high tech specifications found in genuine brands like IPhone, Nokia
and Samsung.
What the aforementioned reveals is the fact that marketers and government agencies are more
favourable to the idea of clamping down on manufacturers, distributers and retailers in an attempt
to stem the flow of counterfeit devices. As previous studies have demonstrated (Albers-Miller
1999, Hart et al, 2004; Wilcox et al 2009; Gamble, 2011), as long as there is demand and
consumption of these products, there will be continued illicit manufacturing, distribution and
retailing of them. Counterfeiting is often referred to as a victimless crime (Hart et al, 2004) and the
consumers remain somewhat of a mystery. On that note, the central objective of this research is
to identify those within the consumer base who are likely to support proliferation of illicit goods
either knowingly or otherwise. Using demographic and psychographic variables, this study
attempts to profile mobile technology consumers in urban Botswana on the basis of their
Vigilance to intellectual property infringements when making their purchases. The study also
attempts to establish the extent to which the environment, especially the marketing mix plays a
role in these purchases. Understanding the consumer subgroups, their levels of vigilance, their
complicity to counterfeiting, and factors that influence their behaviour is a good starting point to
formulate strategies to combat counterfeiting from the demand side, for both marketers and policy
makers.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW & HYPOTHESES
2.1 Consumer Sophistication
Two major schools of thought have emerged over the years in this area of study. Sproles,
Geistfeld and Badenhop (1978) as well as Barnes and McTavish refer to consumer sophistication
as the relevant knowledge, education and experience which facilitate efficient decision making.
Hirchman (1980) prefers to highlight the problem solving capability of consumers, referring to it as
consumer creativity; a factor he considers key in increasing the probability of selecting superior
products.
Wu and Titus (2000) as well as Titus and Bradford (1996) however posit that alternatively there is
a need to expand the focus of the concept beyond the mere possession of knowledge and
experience (i.e. potential) in wise purchase practices. In a more recent study (Wu, Titus, Newell
and Petroshius, 2011) they further argued that; although it is interesting and beneficial to identify
sophistication potential, it may be argued that it is the actual practice which impacts consumers
wellbeing and that policy should be behaviour driven rather than ability driven.
The core of sophistication is related to the information search orientation of the consumer.
Sophisticated consumers are more proactive in seeking information on products before actual
consumption. According to Beatty and smith (1987) consumers who are more active show a great
level of involvement than those that are passive. Higher search effort is associated with higher
purchase involvement. Further to that, Sproles (1980) associates extensive information search as
a behaviour exhibited by consumers with higher product involvement and motivation. In summary,
one could say that sophisticated consumers display a higher level of external information search
than just relying on the internal.
Based on previous studies (Lambert, 1972; Dychtwald and Gable, 1990; Rice, 1990), the
assumption is that increased consumer sophistication should mean an increased ability to
accurately judge product quality. That being said however, marketplace developments can
aggravate consumer sensory limitations and leave the consumer with lesser ability to make
accurate judgement of product quality. Lambert (1972) posited that consumers with higher levels
of sophistication are more likely to select products with high quality rather than low price.
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Quality and Brand are sub-factors of knowledge and experience. Knowledge as a factor
influences the consumer as to the type of brand to search for and what features to examine (Alba
and Hutchinson, 1986; Brucks, 1985; Biehal and Chakravarti, 1986; Holbrook and Maier, 1978).
Due to the high level of investment by companies in advertising and brand building, a lot of choice
is availed to the consumer. Liu (2010) makes an interesting contribution that even though
investment influences consumers, it’s difficult to gauge how many of them can be regarded as
sophisticated. It is complicated to clearly define the relationship between values and product use
when it comes to sophisticated consumers. While Amaldos and Jain (2005) demonstrated a
certain degree of sophistication in relation to conspicuous consumption, there is largely no
evidence to suggest that brand consumption is a characteristic of consumer sophistication. Based
on the IPS consumer sophistication index (2008), this is basically the level of reluctance by the
consumer to accept illegally copied products. The argument is that sophisticated consumers will
always opt for authentic products rather than counterfeit. However, there is no study to establish
whether that is driven by the potential quality concerns or the knowledge and reluctance of
violation with regards to intellectual property.
2.2 Why do People Consume Counterfeit Goods?
What this study acknowledges, that other previous studies have highlighted (Albers-Miller 1999,
Hart et al, 2004; Wilcox et al 2009) is the fact that the proliferation is driven by demand and
consumption. The demand in other instances is created by the desire to consume existing luxury
brands but due to inability to afford an authentic product the consumer settles for a counterfeit.
According to Wilcox et al (2009), there are two classifications to the consumption of counterfeit
products; Non-deceptive counterfeiting which implies unknowingly consuming a counterfeit
product with the assumption that it is authentic, and then there is deceptive counterfeiting, a
situation whereby a consumer knowingly consumes a counterfeit product. Hart et al (2004) break
it down further by stating that within the deceptive consumption there is active deception and
passive deception; Passive deception is when a consumer acquires a counterfeit product and
allows it to communicate its associated meaning non-verbally. Active deception on the other hand
implies the acquisition of a counterfeit product and then verbally claiming that it is genuine when it
is not or acting in a way that implies it is genuine.
This study draws on principles of consumer sophistication to explore the levels of quality
judgement and IP vigilance among mobile phone consumers in Botswana. The study further uses
demographic variables to identify subgroups within the consumer base. Central to the study is an
aim to establish the relationship between various demographic variables and the levels of quality
judgement and IP vigilance. The independent variables for the study are Age, Gender, Income
and Education. The dependent variables are IPvigilance1, IPvigilance2, Brandquality2 and
Brandquality4. All dependent variables are single-item and measured on a 5-point Likert scale
ranked from 1 = Agree Strongly to 5 = Disagree Strongly.
2.3 Socio-Demographic Factors
2.3.1 Age
Previous studies on counterfeiting have revealed a generally consistent outcome in relation to
age. A study exploring consumer ethics and morality in Japanese society (Erffineyer et al, 1999)
revealed that younger male students among the Japanese population were more likely to
passively benefit from counterfeiting. Gamble (2011) also found a correlation between younger
people and the consideration to purchase counterfeit fashion Items. Swami et al (2009) also
found instances where age displayed a strong correlation with consumption of counterfeit
products. This evidence is also supported by formative work done by Kohlberg (1969, 1984) in
cognitive moral development, which suggests that as people mature and gain experience they
are more likely to exercise reasoning patterns that demonstrate a higher level of morality.
2.3.2 Gender
Using gender as a predictor in counterfeiting research has proven fragmented in many previous
studies. For example, a study in India (Kumar et al, 2015) reported insignificant relationships
between consumer’s gender and their attitude towards counterfeiting. However, earlier studies in
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the United States Beltramini et al 1984; Ferrel and Skinner, 1988) however reported that females
are more concerned with ethics when shopping than their male counterparts. In Japan, the male
consumer is linked with being significantly more receptive of actively benefiting from questionable
consumption including counterfeiting (Erffineyer et al, 1999). DeMente (1994) links this behaviour
to the stereotype of the ‘ruthless’ Japanese businessman.
2.3.3 Income
The general consensus around income and counterfeiting is that genuine brands are relatively
expensive, therefore because of the prohibitive nature of the pricing, people with lower income
attempt to bridge that gap by consuming counterfeit goods (Hart et al, 2004). The IMF points to
the income disparities in developing economies as another factor that contribute to counterfeiting
(Scandizzo, 2001). The emphasis is put on less income variance as encouraging only two types
of consumption; the highest and most expensive by the wealthy and the lowest and cheapest by
the poor. The gulf that is left in between provides incentive for counterfeiting, Juggessur and
Cohen (2009) cite societal factors like identifying with certain lifestyles as motivating factors for
people outside the price range to turn to counterfeit consumption in order to achieve the image
regardless. Pre-existing research (Bian & Moutinnho, 2009) also report that high income levels
have a negative influence on the purchase of counterfeit fashion products.
2.3.4 Education
With regards to education, comparison is primarily between college-educated consumers and
non-college educated consumers (Goolsby and Hun, 1992; Kelley et al, 1990; Erfinneyer et al,
1999). These studies point to a predisposition towards ethical consumption among college-
educated consumers. The general consensus is that those that are older and more educated tend
to make more ethical decisions. Gamble (2011) introduces the concept of ‘enjoyment’ and
concludes on the basis of results that people with higher education are less likely to enjoy
purchasing counterfeit products, which is an implication that they are less likely to engage in the
practice. A study in China by Kramer (2006) reveals a positive correlation between low education
level and unethical behaviour including purchasing counterfeit products.
2.4 Hypotheses
On the basis of the discussion above, the following hypotheses were arrived at.
1. IPvigilance1 – “I can immediately tell the difference between authentic (original) and
counterfeit (fake) mobile phone devices”
H1a: Younger consumers are more likely to tell the difference between authentic and counterfeit
mobile phone devices as compared to older ones
H1b: Male consumers are more likely to tell the difference between authentic and counterfeit
mobile phone devices compared to their female counterparts
H1c: Consumers with higher income levels are more likely to tell the difference between authentic
and counterfeit mobile phone devices as compared to those with lower levels of income
H1d: Consumers with higher levels of education are more likely to tell the difference between
authentic and counterfeit mobile phone devices as compared to those with lesser education
2. IPvigilance2 – “I always go for authentic (original) mobile phone devices rather than
counterfeit (fake).”
H2a: Older consumers are more likely to go for authentic mobile phone devices as compared to
their younger counterparts
H2b: Female consumers are more likely to go for authentic mobile phone devices as compared to
male counterparts
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H2c: Consumers with higher income levels are more likely to go for authentic mobile phone
devices as compared to those with lower levels of income
H2d: Consumers with higher education levels are more likely to go for authentic mobile phone
devices as compared to those with lesser education
3. Brandquality2 – “I use brand to judge the quality of my mobile phone”
H3a: Older consumers are more likely to use brand to judge the quality of their mobile phones as
compared to their younger counterparts
H3b: Female consumers are more likely to use brand to judge the quality of their mobile phones
as compared to their male counterparts
H3c: Consumers with higher income levels are more likely to use brand to judge the quality of
their mobile phones as compared to those with lower income
H3d: Consumers with higher education levels are more likely to use brand to judge the quality of
their mobile phone as compared to those with lesser education
4. Brandqaulity4 – “When I want a certain phone brand I don’t worry much about the price”
H4a: Older consumers are more likely to display lesser regard for mobile phone prices as
compared to their younger counterparts
H4b: Male consumers are more likely to display lesser regard for mobile phone prices as
compared to their female counterparts
H4c: Consumers with higher income levels are likely to display lesser regard for mobile phone
prices as compared to those with lower income
H4d: Consumers with higher levels of education are likely to display lesser regard for mobile
phone prices as compared to those with lesser education
3. METHODOLOGY
This study profiles urban mobile technology consumers in Botswana. In total 307 people
completed the survey. With more than 150% mobile penetration rate in Botswana (ITU, 2014),
this constituency is excellent as a choice not only because it captures a variety of demographic
subgroups but also because they represent a higher likelihood of familiarity with the variables of
interest in the study. Discourse on issues such as health and environment in relation to
consumption start in urban centres, even though such discourse exists simultaneously in rural
areas, an urban centre such as Gaborone represented a good starting point for this study and for
subsequent studies as well. Data was collected both online and offline using a questionnaire
survey tool. The online questionnaire was disseminated via email, whilst the offline survey was
administered via an assigned device (tablet) using the mall intercept approach. The study was
conducted over a four-week period from August 21
st
2014 to 21
st
September 2014.
The survey was completed by 307 individuals. The following provides a basic overview of the
study sample. 55.9% were male while 44.1% were female. 36..9% of the respondents were
between the ages of 16-25, 47.8% were between the ages of 26-35, 10% were between 36-45,
3.4% were between 46-55 and only 1.9% were over the age of 56. 11.5% of the respondents
reported no income while 6.3% said they were unemployed. 42% were regular employees whilst
12% reported as self-employed.
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4. RESULTS
TABLE 1: H1a Descriptive Statistics.
The control statement for IPvigilance1 was “I can immediately tell the difference between
authentic (original) and counterfeit (fake) mobile phone devices”
Table 1 represents descriptive statistics associated with IP vigilance levels in five age groups of
mobile phone consumers in Botswana. What emerges is that the youngest age group (16-25)
was associated with a numerically higher mean of IP vigilance (M= 3.65) and the oldest age
group (Over 55) is associated with numerically the lowest mean of IP vigilance (M= 2.33). To test
the hypothesis that the age group one belongs to had an effect on their level of IP vigilance, a
between the groups ANOVA was performed. Before the ANOVA, an evaluation of the assumption
of normality was undertaken and determined to be satisfied as all five groups displayed a Skew
and Kurtosis less than |2.0| and |9.0| (Schmider, Ziegler, Danay, Beyer, Buhner, 2010; see Table
1). Further to that, a homogeneity of variance test was performed using Levene’s F test, F= (4,
302) = 1.43, p= .229.
The effect yielded from the one way ANOVA proved to be statistically significant, F (4, 302) =
302, P= .018, n
2
= .798. This means the null hypothesis of no difference between the means was
rejected, and 79.8% of the variance was accounted for by age groups. In an attempt to establish
the difference between the five means, ANOVA was followed up by Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests
(Hayter, 1986). The difference between the youngest age group (16-25) and the oldest age group
(Over 55) was statistically significant, t (301) = -3.35, p= .078, d= 1.319. The final conclusion is
that IP vigilance decreases as you go up the age groups.
Education
level
N M SD Skewness Kurtosis
Junior
Secondary
12 3.75 1.36 -1.03 -.047
Senior
Secondary
47 4.13 .924 -1.13 .748
Vocational
School
25 3.84 1.15 -1.48 1.72
Diploma 64 4.27 .859 -1.13 .927
Bachelors 117 4.21 .918 -1.26 1.26
Graduate
School
42 4.45 .832 -1.57 1.98
TABLE 2: H2a Descriptive Statistics.
The statement of measure for IPvigilance2 was “I always go for authentic products rather than
counterfeit products”. This was measured on a 5-point Likert scale.
Age Group N Mean Standard
deviation
Skewness Kurtosis
16-25 115 3.65 1.15 -.77 -.43
26-35 145 3.53 1.23 -.60 -.76
36-45 30 3.27 1.29 -.329 -1.07
46-55 11 2.82 1.54 .17 -1.45
Over 55 6 2.33 1.03 .67 .57
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Table 2, above is a representation of descriptive statistics associated with IPvigilance2 and
education levels of mobile consumers in Botswana. As denoted in Table 3, the least educated
group (junior secondary) was associated with a lower numerical mean of IPvigilance2 (M=3.75)
and the most educated group (Graduate school) was associated with a numerically higher mean
of IPvigilance2 (M = 4.45). In order to test the stated hypothesis that the level of education a
consumer has completed has a statistically significant effect on their level of IPvigilance2, which
is explained above, a one way ANOVA test was performed. All six groups satisfied the
assumption of normality as they displayed skewness and Kurtosis of less than |2| and |9|. A
Levene’s test for assumption of homogeneity was also satisfied with the following F= (5,301) =
2.03 p= .511.
The results from the ANOVA reveal a statistically significant association between the level of
consumers’ education and the variable IPvigilance2, F (5,301) = 2.71, p= 0.74, n²= .676. This
therefore means that we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the variable IPvigilance2
tends to increase as a function of education level. 67.6% of the variance in the variable
IPvigilance2 was accounted for by the level of education.
Gender N M SD SK KUR
Male 171 4.33 .716 -1.63 3.09
Female 136 4.03 1.03 -1.002 .235
TABLE 3: H2b Descriptive Statistics.
H2b the statement used to assess IPvigilance2 in the second set of hypotheses was,” I always go
for authentic than counterfeit mobile phone products” The 5-point Likert scale ranged from
“Disagree strongly” to “Agree strongly”
This hypothesis sought to establish a relationship between the consumer’s gender and the
variable IPvigilance2, whose statement is explained above. Male consumers (N = 171) were
associated with a numerically higher mean of M = 4.33 (SD = .846), while the female consumers
(N = 136) were associated with a numerically lesser mean of M= 4.03 (SD = 1.032). An
independent t-test was employed to test the hypothesis that the gender of the mobile technology
consumer is associated with their IP vigilance in a statistically significant way. The assumption of
normality was satisfied as groups displayed a Skew and Kurtosis less than |2.0| and |9.0|. The
result of Levene’s test satisfied the assumption of the homogeneity of variance with F (305) =
1.87, p = .172. The t-test results then revealed a statistically significant association at t (305) =
2.78 p= 0.06. The result confirms the hypothesis that male consumers are more likely to possess
higher IP vigilance than their female counterparts.
Education
level
N M SD Skewness Kurtosis
Junior
Secondary
12 3.75 1.55 -1.10 -.271
Senior
Secondary
47 3.74 .943 -1.08 .894
Vocational
School
25 4.00 .816 -.998 1.402
Diploma 64 4.09 .988 -1.418 -2.03
Bachelors 117 4.25 .655 -.680 1.05
Graduate
School
42 4.21 .813 -.994
TABLE 4: H3d Descriptive Statistics.
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H3d, the control statement for the variable Brandquality2 was ‘I use brand to judge the quality of
my mobile phone.
Table 4 provides the descriptive statistics related to this question. Consumers who have only
gone as far as junior secondary school (N = 12) and senior secondary school (N = 47) are
associated with the lowest numerical means M= 3.75 and M = 3.74 respectively. On the other
hand, consumers who have completed bachelor’s degree (N = 117) and some form of Graduate
school (N= 42) are associated with the highest numerical means M= 4.25 and M = 4.21
respectively. In an attempt to test the hypothesis that the level of education the consumer has
completed has a statistically significant association with their level of quality judgement
(Brandquality2), a one way ANOVA was performed. All sets of groups satisfied the assumption of
normality because their skewness and Kurtosis fell under |2| and |9| respectively. The
homogeneity of variance assumption was tested using Levene’s test. F (5,301) = 2.92, p = 0.02.
Due to the significance of the p value. The data was adjusted using Welch and Brown-forsythe,
they gave p= .034 and p = .088 respectively, which allows us to proceed with the analysis.
The ANOVA test revealed a statistically significant association with F (5,301) = 2.72, p = 0.014.
Therefore, the null hypothesis of no difference between the means is rejected. The result
confirms a statistically significant association between the variable Brandquality2 and the level of
education.
Gender N M SD SK KUR
Male 171 3.57 .970 -.407 -.534
Female 136 3.43 1.066 -.309 -.745
TABLE 5: H4b Descriptive Statistics.
The control statement for Brandquality4 was ‘When I want a certain phone brand I don’t worry
much about the price.”
The hypothesis sought to establish the relationship between gender and Brandquality4 which was
measured using the statement above. Table 6, above represents the descriptive statistics
associated with this question. The Male consumers (N = 171) were associated with a numerically
higher mean M = 3.57 (SD =.970), whilst the female consumers were associated with a
numerically lesser mean of M = 3.43 (SD = 1.066). An independent samples t-test was
undertaken to test the hypothesis that the variable Brandquality4 is associated in a statistically
significant way to the gender of the consumer. Both groups displayed Skewness and Kurtosis
less than |2| and |9| respectively, which means the assumption of normality was satisfied. The
assumption of homogeneity of variance was tested using Levene’s test. It was satisfied by F
(305) = 4, 34, p = 0.38. The t-test results reflected a statistically significant association by t (305)
= -2.22, p = 0.027. This confirms that male consumers have less regard for mobile phone pricing
than their female counterparts.
5. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
The results of H1a reveal a high level of self-reported IP vigilance (IPvigilance1) from the
youngest age and decreasing as the age increases. This could be due to the familiarity of
younger people with mobile phone brands, their higher level of technological savviness gives
them an edge over their older counterparts. What this also means is that consumers in the higher
age groups are more likely to purchase counterfeit mobile phone devices unaware. This therefore
identifies a subgroup which is likely to engage in what prior studies referred to ‘non-deceptive
counterfeiting”.
As mentioned earlier in this study, counterfeiting is driven by consumption therefore this study
calls for both public and corporate strategies to be formulated on the basis of evidence from the
demand-side. The finding above identifies a subgroup that engages in ‘non-deceptive
counterfeiting’, therefore taking into account the fact that this trend increases with age, what
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would be the best way to sensitise this group of consumers - and enhance their vigilance when it
comes to their purchase decisions? An example of a strategy by retailers of authentic products
could be to give customers from a certain age category, whenever they come for a purchase, a
full explanation of where to locate the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number in
order to authenticate their mobile phone device. A strategy like that would mean they are well
equipped for their next purchase, especially with the continued shortening life span of mobile
phone devices.
Variable IPvigilance2 was measured using the statement, ‘I always go for authentic rather than
counterfeit mobile phone devices’. Hypothesis H2a reveals a statistically significant link between
the level of IP vigilance and the level of education the consumer has completed. People with
lower education demonstrated lower levels of IP vigilance. There are multiple ways of looking at
this outcome. One of the reasons could be that the purchase of counterfeit mobile phone devices
is both deceptive counterfeiting and non-deceptive. People with lower levels of education tend to
belong to the lower income groups as well, therefore the consumption of counterfeit products
could be a result of economic challenges and the inability to afford authentic brands. This counts
as deceptive counterfeiting since they do so knowingly. Another possible explanation behind this
consumption could be a genuine inability to tell the difference between the bogus devices and the
authentic brands, which in turn is a form of non-deceptive counterfeiting.
H3d reveals a statistically significant association between the level of education and the use of
brand to judge quality of mobile phones (Brandquality2). This outcome is linked with the outcome
of H2a that reveals a link between higher IP vigilance and a higher level of education.
Functionality and affordability may be issues that people with lower education levels are primarily
concerned with, especially in a developing country setting. Awareness about branding and brand
value are issues associated with those with a certain level of education. Another interesting
perspective is regarding the authenticity of the said brands. Counterfeit devices are increasingly
appearing more authentic, therefore if judgement of quality is based solely on the brand then that
judgment should be accompanied by the ability to authenticate the brand in the first place. If not,
then it is a case of misplaced brand trust by the consumer. In summary, quality and brand are
sub-factors of knowledge and experience, therefore it does not come as a surprise that people
with a higher level of education are more equipped to judge quality on the basis of brand.
In addressing the outcome of H2a and H3d, a good number of authentic smartphones are starting
to come into the market at around the $50 retail mark, and the pricing is slowly becoming less of
an issue. For public policy, this again is a subgroup within the consumer constituency that is
defined by levels of education. The group readily admits to objective counterfeiting by admitting
they do not always go for authentic products. Strategies formulated should aim to sensitise this
group of consumers about the possible price they are likely to pay in terms of the health risks and
economic losses accruing to them as a result of the objective counterfeiting. Ideally the strategy
should also point them in the direction of alternative solutions in the form of cheaper, type-tested
solutions in the market. The first step however involves identifying them demographically as this
study advocates, and packaging the information to go with the defining demographic variable.
H2b outcome shows a statistically significant association between gender and the commitment to
purchase authentic mobile phones (IPvigilance2). Male consumers are associated with a higher
commitment to purchase authentic mobile phones as compared to their female counterparts. This
is an interesting outcome in that it goes against pre-existing research which had reported male
consumers as the more likely to behave unethically including the purchase of counterfeit
products. This could once again be linked to the income dynamics of a developing economy
setting, where there is an income disparity in favour of males and therefore the purchasing power
lies predominantly with them. Another view of it could be the way the statement was structured. If
one is faced with a control statement like the one used for H2b, and they don’t have total
confidence in their ability to tell apart authentic and counterfeit products, there could be an
apprehension in fully affirming one’s consumption of authentic products. Or it could simply be a
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case of objective counterfeiting from the female segment of consumers in comparison with the
male consumers.
H4b reveals a statistically significant link between disregard for mobile phone pricing and gender.
Male consumers display a higher disregard for pricing in comparison with their female
counterparts. There are several reasons that could explain this outcome, especially in a
developing economy setting such as Botswana. In the income groups, the bottom 12%, which
consist of people who did not report any income, 56% of them were female while 44% of them
were male. In the top 12%, a group which consists of people who earn about US$2000 or more,
38% of them were female whilst 62% of them were male. Therefore, the outcome of H4b is hardly
surprising in light of these statistics. Income disparities between males and females is a global
issue but it is even more of an issue in developing economies. The traditional household roles
could also have played a part in the outcome of this hypothesis in that males as predominantly
the primary income sources in households tend to enjoy a greater freedom in terms of how they
use their money as compared to females. In relation to consumer sophistication in general, this
could be interpreted as women applying due diligence to their purchasing process and looking to
get value for their money, a characteristic associated with higher consumer sophistication.
What the gender based outcomes above reveal is an inability by current strategies to reach the
female population. Existing corporate and public policy strategies are gender blind in that they fail
to recognise the difference in preferences or consumer needs based on gender. This
demonstrates a clear need to formulate strategies geared towards enhancing awareness among
the female consumer group. Particular attention needs to be paid to the female consumers in the
lower income bracket since that is where more demand and consumption is recorded.
Of the remaining hypotheses, only H1c proved marginally significant (p = 0.097) but failed to
satisfy both the assumption of normality and the assumption of homogeneity of variance. H1b,
H1d, H2c, H2d, H3a, H3b, H3c, H4a, H4c and H4d did not prove any statistical significance
despite their numerically varying means. It is interesting that Income as a variable isn’t more
influential despite this being a developing country context. Another interesting outcome that
proved insignificant is the association between age and brand awareness. The expectation on the
basis of past research was that the younger consumers would report a higher level of brand
awareness than their older counterparts.
In summary the study reveals the existence of a counterfeiting problem among consumers in
urban centres in Botswana. The counterfeiting comes across as both deceptive and non-
deceptive. The most influential demographic variables that define the subgroups are education
level and gender of consumers. In light of failing supply-side initiatives to curb counterfeiting, this
study calls for a reverse approach to the issue, evidence from the demand side must be used as
a basis for formulating strategies. Counterfeiting after all is fuelled by demand and consumption.
As long as there is demand for counterfeit products the perpetrators will always find underhand
ways of bringing them into the market. Attempting to curb the supply only heightens the demand
due to the existence of poorly aware and less vigilant consumers.
The study does not take into consideration the role of the family and its specific influence on the
consumer’s level of consumer sophistication. Variables like marital status and number of people
in the household were not incorporated in this study, and they have proven influential in socio-
demographic analyses before. Further to that, this study was only limited to urban mobile phone
consumers and future research can look to incorporate a more holistic sample population in order
to be able to draw differences in consumer sophistication levels on the basis of geographic
location. That is necessary because the household composition of urban dwellers in vastly
different from that of rural dwellers in terms of the economics, education, gender, marital status of
household heads and many other socio-economic factors. Therefore, due to the fact that a select
group of socio-demographic factors utilised in this study have proven to have an effect on the
level of consumer sophistication, it would be interesting to further analyse the effect of more.
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