INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Prospects and Challenges of Asian Economic Integration: Lessons From European Union

The History of the formation on the European Union takes us back around 1951, with the formation of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) between France, West Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states. This treaty was signed at Paris. This was a fulfillment of a plan developed by a French economist Jean Monnet, publicized by the French foreign minister Robert Schuman, which was also strongly supported by the United States. The "Treaty of Pars" entered in force by 1952 and was time limited to 50 years. This coalition was very important because steel had played an important part in arms production in World War II and was a fundamental resource of the western European states.

pradeepoxford@yahoo.co.in

ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS

Economic Development and Climate Change - An Indian Perspective

Indian Economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The five years spanning 2003-04 and 2007-08 was an outstanding period of rapid growth. In this relatively short span of five years, average GDP growth was 8.8 per cent and per capital GDP increased by 7.2 per cent annually . GDP originating from the manufacturing sector averaged a creditable growth of 9 per cent. The industrial sector (including mining, electricity and utilities and construction) grew even faster, by 9.5 per cent.However, as economies grow richer, they demand more power and also pollute more. Increase in pollution levels over a period of time have lead to serious environmental hazards such as global warming, droughts, floods, extinction of species etc. The countries expected to experience the fastest growth in emissions are also those who are expected to have the most economic growth. The Stern report on climate change explains that developing countries, especially in the tropical and sub-tropical regions are expected to suffer most and soonest from climate change.
 

Awareness & Preference Towards Carbon Credits - An Initiative to Go For Green

"What's the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" This Astonishing statement of Henry David Thoreau has become a grass root reality of the earth. Now, man has the power to send rockets to Mars; Man created the wheel and rotated the whole world on it, Man has discovered life on moon but he only failed to understand a simple fact that, “The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives”. Man’s strong greed has created a threat for the environment, which has transformed the feeling, “Pride of mother earth to crime on mother earth” and has forcefully shortened the aim of human beings from “Betterment of life to just Survival of life”.

pranetishah@gmail.com

 

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Recruitment Through Social Computing : A Review

Since 1990s, the internet has been growingly empowered with different innovative tools and applications that made the world smaller, closer by bringing people, ideas and information together. From simple mail to complex online content management tools, collaboration tools have evolved continuously. Several hi-tech collaborating tools have emerged, leveraging on the ever evolving and improving internet and related technologies that facilitate collaboration. India is no exception to this phenomenon. According to the “Indian media forecasts” report released by Group M (June, 2008), expenditure on internet media has been growing at a phenomenal rate. This report revealed that during 2006, total expenditure on internet media in India was Rs. 204 crore (70% above previous year), which increased to Rs. 390 crore (91% higher than 2006) in 2007. As in 2008, this amount rose to Rs.624 crore (60% higher than 2007). Internet usage in India continues to grow at a slow but steady pace, both in breadth and depth, with the overall internet-using population in urban India reaching 30.32 million - a growth of 28% from April 2006 to April 2007 - according to the “India Online 2007″ study from Juxt Consult. Of the 30.32 million urban internet users, 25.17 million (83%) log on at least once to twice a week; the balance of 5.15 million (17%) are occasional users, according to the study. The penetration of the internet among urban Indians stands at 9% now, assuming the total urban population at 336 million, Juxt Consult said.

Indrajit Bandyopadhyay
Senior Faculty Member and Head Academics
Magnus School of Business
Kolkata
indra69jit@gmail.com
 

Employees' Perception On Teleworking In Sri Lankan Software Industry

Teleworking is an alternative way to organize work that integrates two sources of competitive advantage: a company’s Human Resources and the new Information and Telecommunication Technologies. There is no agreement in literature about teleworking definition and its different meanings. Sometimes, terms such as telecommuting, remote working, and home working are used to explain its different meanings.Teleworking occurs when employees perform all or a substantial part of their work physically separated from the location of their employer, using IT for operation and communication (Baruch, 2001). Davenport and Pearlson (1998) introduce teleworking as an alternative mode of work, enabled by technological improvements and increase in use of information technology (IT) on the one hand, and on the other hand, by an unconventional managerial approach, which takes it that work is what you do, not a place where you go.

Dr.H.S.C.Perera
Senior Lecturer
Department of Management & Technology
University of Moratuwa
Sri Lanka

hscp@mot.mrt.ac.lk

FUTURES MARKET

Efficiency of Agro Commodity Futures Market

India is an agricultural country and one third of its population still depends on the sector directly or indirectly. With a share of about 20% in the national GDP as compared with the level of 50% in 1947, agriculture continues to the mainstay of the Indian economy. Agriculture sector is an important factor in achieving a GDP growth of 8-10%. All this indicate that India can be promoted as a major centre for trading of commodity derivatives.Commodity derivatives are contracts which do not have value of their own but derive their value from the underlying commodity like wheat, rice, sugar, oil, gold, silver etc. Commodity derivatives have a crucial role to play in price risk management process especially in any agriculture denominated economy. Instability of commodity prices has always been a major concern of the producers as well as the consumers in agriculture denominated country like India. Farmers’ direct exposure to price fluctuations, for instance, makes it too risky for many farmers to invest in otherwise profitable activities. Commodity derivatives market is a place where these farmers and traders can reduce their price risk. These contracts enable them to lock in the prices of the products well in advance. Moreover, futures prices give necessary indicators to producers and consumers about the likely future ready (spot) price and demand and supply conditions traded.

singhnp_26@yahoo.com