Business Administration

Financial integration is the process that has been occurring in the European Union for many years and that intensified after adoption of the common currency in 1999. This paper discusses the theoretical framework of financial integration, particularly the definition, typology, benefits and drawbacks. More opportunities for risk sharing and diversification, better allocation of capital among investment opportunities, and potential for higher economic growth were identified as the crucial benefits of financial integration. By contrast, we consider increased vulnerability to external macroeconomic shocks and financial crises transmitted to higher output and consumption volatility as the most serious drawbacks of financial integration. The paper also summarizes the progress in financial integration that has been achieved in individual segments of the European Union financial sector. It is evident that the most integrated are the euro area money market and the government bonds markets. The remaining financial markets are still rather fragmented.

Financial integration is the process that has been occurring in the European Union for many years and that intensified after adoption of the common currency in 1999. This paper discusses the theoretical framework of financial integration, particularly the definition, typology, benefits and drawbacks. More opportunities for risk sharing and diversification, better allocation of capital among investment opportunities, and potential for higher economic growth were identified as the crucial benefits of financial integration. By contrast, we consider increased vulnerability to external macroeconomic shocks and financial crises transmitted to higher output and consumption volatility as the most serious drawbacks of financial integration. The paper also summarizes the progress in financial integration that has been achieved in individual segments of the European Union financial sector. It is evident that the most integrated are the euro area money market and the government bonds markets. The remaining financial markets are still rather fragmented.

In the terms of financial services, there is a growing trend of offering new kinds of products to the customers. One of the new products, which were developed regarding to the investors' demand changes, is socially responsible investment (SRI). According to the market development, the needs of investors have been extended with the new extra-financial investment criteria, so called environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. By these criteria is SRI closely related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and these two concepts are encouraging each other. Both, institutional and individual investors are considering ESG criteria within their investment decisions more and more often. This is the clear sign that SRI is rising from the niche investment service and it is becoming fast growing, dynamic and highly demanded service. The main goal of our study is to provide comprehensive overview of SRI in the selected European countries. There is a development of this new approach in investment services investigated. The growth of SRI in the developing Central European (CE) countries is compared with the developed ones. As far as the level of financial integration is growing among the European countries, there is an expectation of similar conditions for European investors even in the field of SRI. Among the selected countries, there is a difference in the maturity of the SRI approach. Our paper provides great contribution to the literature on SRI among the European countries, especially on the comprehensive overview, when there is an obvious lack of literature on this topic. Our paper shows up those countries like UK, The Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium have more developed SRI financial services than the countries like Spain and some of the CE countries.

Financial integration is the process that has been occurring in the European Union for many years and that intensified after adoption of the common currency in 1999. This paper discusses the theoretical framework of financial integration, particularly the definition, typology, benefits and drawbacks. More opportunities for risk sharing and diversification, better allocation of capital among investment opportunities, and potential for higher economic growth were identified as the crucial benefits of financial integration. By contrast, we consider increased vulnerability to external macroeconomic shocks and financial crises transmitted to higher output and consumption volatility as the most serious drawbacks of financial integration. The paper also summarizes the progress in financial integration that has been achieved in individual segments of the European Union financial sector. It is evident that the most integrated are the euro area money market and the government bonds markets. T...

In the terms of financial services, there is a growing trend of offering new kinds of products to the customers. One of the new products, which were developed regarding to the investors' demand changes, is socially responsible investment (SRI). According to the market development, the needs of investors have been extended with the new extra-financial investment criteria, so called environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. By these criteria is SRI closely related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and these two concepts are encouraging each other. Both, institutional and individual investors are considering ESG criteria within their investment decisions more and more often. This is the clear sign that SRI is rising from the niche investment service and it is becoming fast growing, dynamic and highly demanded service. The main goal of our study is to provide comprehensive overview of SRI in the selected European countries. There is a development of this new approach in investment services investigated. The growth of SRI in the developing Central European (CE) countries is compared with the developed ones. As far as the level of financial integration is growing among the European countries, there is an expectation of similar conditions for European investors even in the field of SRI. Among the selected countries, there is a difference in the maturity of the SRI approach. Our paper provides great contribution to the literature on SRI among the European countries, especially on the comprehensive overview, when there is an obvious lack of literature on this topic. Our paper shows up those countries like UK, The Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium have more developed SRI financial services than the countries like Spain and some of the CE countries.

Abstract
Policy making and development is crucial to many companies. No modern company can succeed without defined personnel policies. It is vital that the aspect of policy making and development be given serious attention in educational institutions, researches and corporate development. The rate of change requires a company to be guided by a certain philosophy. This paper explores all facets of policy making, policy implementation and assesses the applicability of the policy making process and the implementation procedures and practices. The current disagreements have also been highlighted in this discussion.  The scope of disagreements in field of policy making and implementation needs for further researches and discussions.

In order to be a successful entrepreneur a person requires having certain qualities. Some of these qualities can be inborn yet some of these must be learned over time. I have decided to take a survey that shows the qualities that I do have as an individual. The reason why I have taken this survey is that I need to find the good qualities that I have that promote entrepreneurship and to notice the qualities I have to develop to be a successful entrepreneur.

People have various ways in which they look at things. Some think in ways that are good and others in ways that are bad. Some people look at things differently from others. But who really knows what is true and what is real. Some people stay in the darkness for a long time without have the true knowledge. This essay explores how Socrates looked at things and his beliefs and perception as compared to how Voltaire looked at life. This is a summary of what was captured in Apology, allegory of the cave and the Good Brahmin. These stories have good implication on the essence of philosophy in life. What is philosophy and how should we consider it? In short, these essays talk about enlightenment, which is a process whereby a person comes to know the truth as opposed to being ignorant.

GD&TĐ)-Nhóm phương pháp thuyết trình được giảng viên thường xuyên sử dụng nhất, trong khi đó, các phương pháp mới như phương pháp đóng vai, dạy học theo tiếp cận môđun, dạy học bằng grap, dạy học theo dự án, dạy học qua mạng, nghiên cứu điển hình, phần lớn số ý kiến cho rằng giảng viên còn rất hiếm khi sử dụng hoặc chưa sử dụng.

Nigeria is a country of over two hundred million people living in an approximate area of 923,768sq km. Disasters can be natural, man -made or human- man made. The wide range of hazards in Nigeria includes frequent oil spills, floods, desertification and pest infestation, droughts, fire disasters, air crashes, ethno- religious conflicts etc. The country has made a valiant effort to fight disaster occurrence with various programs and agencies but each new disaster shows how far away we are from the ideal goal.
This work proposes the design of a model to minimize disaster response time in Nigeria. The model will take into cognizance the various parameters, variables and constraints involved. The model will be tested by simulating data then applied to an old disaster to test its workability and adaptability. Sensitivity analysis will also be carried out. The work also proposes an adapted framework towards this end.
The work will result in an assessment of Nigeria’s disaster response preparedness, a model minimizing disaster response time, and a 3D modeling of supply chain logistics in disaster containment and relief supply.
Disaster response is a very important factor in a country’s disaster management plan. A model for minimizing disaster response time is very essential.
Key words: Disaster, model, Nigeria, Response time, Management, supply chain, logistics, relief

Tomatoes are important in the agricultural sector as they serve as raw materials for the production of value added products. The aim of this study was to compare bagged tomato (tomato in sealed Ziploc bags storage characteristics using two evaporative pad materials (charcoal and river sand). River sand and charcoal were used as cooling pads with storage under ambient conditions being the third treatment (control). Each treatment had two replicates. Temperature, Relative humidity, Cooling efficiency, Weight, Firmness and Colour assessment were determined throughout the test period and the results were subjected to Analysis of Variance [ANOVA]. Means were separated using DMRT at 5 percent level of significance. Result from storing bagged fresh tomatoes under both media showed that a cooling chamber filled with charcoal as absorbent material with uninterrupted water supply performed best in the storing of tomato fruit when compared to tomatoes stored under ambient conditions or with ri...

This research was carried out to compare cowpea storage characteristics using different storage medium, under different weather conditions. Several technologies reputedly attribute losses of stored cowpea grain to bruchid beetles. Comparison of these different postharvest storage methods can provide the basis for deciding which performs best in terms of weight loss, pest infestation and nutritive losses. Proximate analysis was carried out before, during and after storage with two month intervals, over four months of storage in three storage media: a seed gene bank, modified anthill rhombus, and a covered container (the control). Temperature, humidity, and weight values (for moisture content analysis) were taken during the storage period. Results showed that the cowpea seed sample, stored in the AC section of the seed gene bank, proved to be more tolerant to pest infestation compared to seed samples, stored in the Modified anthill rhombus, and seed samples, stored under ambient condi...

Introduction In many countries of the world, the use of solar thermal systems in the Agricultural sector to conserve vegetables, fruits, coffee and other crops has shown to be a practical, economical and responsible approach to the environment. Energy derived from the sun can be utilized for many purposes, ranging from heating, drying, pumping of water and cooking to production of electricity by solar cells [1]. Using solar energy to dry food and other crops can improve the quality of the product [2]. The purpose of drying an agricultural product is to reduce its moisture content to a level that prevents its deterioration. In drying, two processes take place: one is a heat transfer to the product using energy from the heating source, and the other is a mass transfer of moisture from the interior of the product to its surface and from the surface to the surrounding air [3]. Mechanical drying of agricultural products is an energy consuming operation hence greater emphasis is given to using solar energy sources in this process due to the high prices and shortages of fossil fuels [4]). Mechanical drying of agricultural products is an energy consuming operation in the post-harvesting technology. Greater emphasis is given to using solar energy sources in this process due to the high prices and shortages of fossil fuels. For these purposes, a new natural convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air heater and a drying chamber was developed. This system can be used for drying various agricultural products like fruits and vegetables. The traditional method used throughout the world is open sun drying where diverse crops such as fruits, grains, vegetables, tobacco, etc. are spread on the ground and turned regularly until sufficiently dried. Solar drying is dependent on different parameters, such as weather parameters like ambient air temperature,

The object of this research is the design of an affordable desiccant dryer for local farmers for seed and vegetable drying. The subsequent increase in food production has led to an accompanying need for easy, safe, and affordable preservation methods. This has led to a substantial increase in the number of driers, which are expensive for local farmers to acquire. Seeds and certain vegetables do not do well, under the high heat used in most dryers for drying as the drying process is often used as a final production step before packaging and selling agricultural products. Desiccant drying is hygienic, low energy, low cost, and safe method of drying agricultural products without degrading them or reducing their nutritional quality. A desiccant air dryer for seeds and vegetables was designed and constructed, and its performance was tested using bitter leaves (Vernonia amygdalina). Desiccant dryer materials were carefully sourced and selected based on the cost of the materials, availabil...

The object of this research is the cracking of the nuts of oil palm (Elaesis guineensis). The oil palm tree is one of the greatest economic assets a nation can have, provided its importance is realized and fully harnessed. After the oil extraction of palm oil from the palm fruits, virtually all methods involved in palm kernel nut cracking both in traditional and small-scale exist in scattered or separate units of operations. Hence, this research focused on designing a palm nut kernel cracking unit incorporating a separator in form of a screen to separate cracked palm kernel nut shell from kernel. The result shows that there were significant difference (p≤0.05) among the moisture content of the palm nuts, shaft speed of the machine and weight (feed rate), having a significant difference between: – moisture content of the palm nut and the shaft speed of the cracker; – moisture content and feed rate; – shaft speed and feed rate. There exist interaction between cracked, uncracked shell,...

This study explores the estimation of stand structure of Gmelina arborea and three other tree species in two plantations, in Ibadan, South West Nigeria, with the primary objective of estimating plot – level mean tree height, merchantable tree height, and volume of Gmelina arborea, Terminalia montalis, Tectona grandis, and Triplochiton scleroxylon. The number of tree species and the volume of wood in the two selected plantations were determined. Random sampling method was adopted in carrying out the assessment of the stand structure. Each plantation was divided into three plots of dimension 32mx32m. Twenty (20) stands were selected randomly in each plot, hence sixty (60) stands in each plantation. Quantitative data were taken on: Diameter at breast height (DBH), Total tree height (TTH), Basal area (BA) and Total volume (of wood) (TVOL). A total of three species were encountered in the two study area; the family Verbenaceae has the highest tree species (75%) in the two plantations. Du...

The object of this research is the design of an affordable desiccant dryer for local farmers for seed and vegetable drying. The subsequent increase in food production has led to an accompanying need for easy, safe, and affordable preservation methods. This has led to a substantial increase in the number of driers, which are expensive for local farmers to acquire. Seeds and certain vegetables do not do well, under the high heat used in most dryers for drying as the drying process is often used as a final production step before packaging and selling agricultural products. Desiccant drying is hygienic, low energy, low cost, and safe method of drying agricultural products without degrading them or reducing their nutritional quality. A desiccant air dryer for seeds and vegetables was designed and constructed, and its performance was tested using bitter leaves (Vernonia amygdalina). Desiccant dryer materials were carefully sourced and selected based on the cost of the materials, availability, strength, lightness (weight), and resistance to rust. The desiccant dryer chamber has external dimensions of 43 cm by 30 cm and internal dimensions of 28 cm by 25 cm. The drying chamber is divided into five layers; each layer is 48 cm by 44 cm with a total surface area of 0.2112 m 2. Results showed significant moisture loss in the dried sample in 26 hours from 167 g to 54.1 g when compared with ambient air drying values. Proximate analysis of the desiccant dried bitter leaf higher values across all parameters when compared with the sample dried using ambient air. From the results obtained, it was therefore concluded that the desiccant dryer dried the samples faster than the common air-drying method. It was recommended that seed and vegetables should be dried in a desiccant dryer in other to increase shelf life and reduce perishability.

The object of research is a double chamber evaporative cooling system for the storage of vegetables with one chamber filled River sand, the other Sawdust as absorbents and Ambient chamber storage conditions being the third treatment (control). Amaranthus was used as the test crop. The structure was developed both internally and externally using six (6) inches concrete blocks and plastered with cemented mortar. 460 g each of Garden fresh vegetables (Amaranthus) were collected and kept chambers of the evaporative cooling system and ambient chamber conditions (control), then, replicated twice respectively. Change in quality (weight reduction, withering, change in colour), temperature change, relative humility and cooling effectiveness were the parameter assessed during the experiment and were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Duncan's Multiply Test at 5 % level of significance. The experiment was conducted and analyzed at Crop Production Department of the Federal College of Forestry (Jericho Ibadan, Nigeria). The study revealed there were no significant difference between relative humidity (%), absorbent cooling efficiency (%) for absorbent materials in the evaporative cooling chambers were (

This paper discusses the design, construction and assessment of a modified, cost-effective evaporative cooling facility for the preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables for use by the average Nigerian farmer, agri-business entrepreneur or layman. The designed facility makes use of cooling pads and constantly running water. It was designed and constructed with carefully selected inexpensive and readily available materials. The structure was made of internally and externally cemented sliced cement blocks. River sand was used as the cooling pad and product storage values were compared with those stored under ambient air conditions. Tomatoes were the test crop used to assess the structure's cooling efficiency. Findings showed that a cooling chamber filled with river sand as a cooling pad with constant application of water performed better in the storage of tomato fruit (Lycopersicum esculentum) than fruits stored under ambient conditions. It was therefore recommended that tomatoes should be stored under temperatures between 22-23 0 C to increase shelf life and reduce spoilage. There is a need for more work to be done in terms of introduction of fans, other cooling pad materials and constant water to enhance the structure's performance.