IMPACT : International Journal of Research in Business Management

1-10

Authors: JOB P A

Popy Umbrella Mart, a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), is a success story for creativity and innovation and organizational change. By bringing hundreds of innovative products in Indian umbrella market it stands first to bag ISO 9001:2000 in umbrella manufacturing. Popy bagged the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award in the year 1999 for its efforts for bringing out quality products and for achieving excellence of operations in the field of umbrella manufacturing. Popy’s quality standard became the benchmark for ISI specifications for umbrellas in India. Popy is an inspiration to those who are reluctant to start business in Kerala, for fear of organizational culture and industrial climate, and an example of correct blending of experience with modern management for bringing excellence in performance. Popy has gone through a growth period and reached a critical mass – its “moment of truth”. With the chairman and managing director having different views on the company’s future, getting them to agree on the choice of growth strategy might perhaps depend as much on developing the right automation technology as on agreeing to expand production beyond the state. Which route should Popy take on its northward march? That is a question awaiting an answer

23-34

Authors: K. K. MISHRA

India, being an agrarian economy, where agriculture sector makes its significant contribution of about 18% to the national Gross Domestic Product, has been divided into two: Urban India and Rural India. The gap between the two is getting widened due to high concentration of services’ sector in Urban India. The urban India has resultantly raised its living standard in the presence of various urban facilities, which are not easily available to and accessible by the rural counter part of the country. No organized efforts have been made by the services’ companies in supplying the various services like - medical facilities, vaccination, fast foods, matrimonial services, retailing, e-commerce, telephone and telecommunication, banking, postal and courier services, employment agencies, computer programming, information relating to higher and professional education, career counselors, advertising and marketing, research, consultancy, accountancy, hotels, restaurants, wholesaling, telecasting, share and stock broking, healthcare and health clubs, beauty parlors, beauticians, tourism, business process outsourcing etc. in rural India. This creates a big social gap between the urban and the rural. In view of the existing dichotomy in availability of the services in urban and rural areas creating a yawning gap between rural and urban masses of the society, the study aims at analyzing the marketing prospects of the services especially- courier services, beauty parlors and computer education, which are easily available to, and accessible by urban people and not by rural and suburban people, in the rural and suburban areas of Uttar Pradesh

47-56

Authors: HARUNI JEREMIA MAPESA

This paper presents results on the investigation on the extent to which rural finance programmes influence the saving behaviour of rural poor households in Tanzania context. The study also aimed at understanding the determinants of savings/investments in financial assets offered by microfinance. The study was survey conducted in Iringa Region of Tanzania, and involved 210 small holder farmers. Several microfinance institutions operating in rural areas of Tanzania were involves; namely Mufindi Community Bank, National Microfinance Bank, SIDO, and SACCOS. Results show that rural finance programs have significantly managed to mobilize savings of rural farm households. Results further show that saving of rural poor are significantly influenced by MFIs specific characteristics. SACCOS members have more propensity to save than the rest of households with membership elsewhere. Location (geographical) specific characteristics also determines the savings of rural farm households. Policy perspective should focus on improvements of rural physical infrastructure and innovations in the savings products among MFIs