Research Publications

Academic theses and dissertations are regularly published and widely disseminated in YUOE Journal, Monographs, Universities Research Journal (URJ), Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science (MAAS) Journal, AsTEN Research Journal and International online Journals for sharing knowledge and contributing to the development of our education.

Myanmar Academy of Art & Science List of Research

No. Researcher Title Abstract Year
511 Phway Phway Aung THE DETERMINANTS OF GROWTH ON RICE MILLS IN SHWEBO DISTRICT* The objectives of this study are to identify the external and internal factors influencing the growth of the rice mills in Shwebo District, and to explore the main determinants on this growth. The growth is measured by the output (tons) and assets value. In external factors, government policy, competition, access to finance, financial support and irrigation support influence the growth of rice mills. With regards to internal factors, management experience, location, business plan and employee training are main influencing factors. It is found that the role of government is crucial for setting policy and providing supports for the development of rice mills. Government should use financial transparency to improve information asymmetry between millers and commercial banks and should initiate to provide supporting programs like modern technologies, better water management and road connectivity, access to electricity and affordable credit. For financial institutions, collateral restrictions should be relieved for rice millers. They should expand the type of assets as collateral, including movable and non-movable assets. They should promote financial services to these firms. The owners/managers should attempt to obtain the relevant knowledge and management competency and should also consider importance of demographic characteristics, supply chain, competition and local tax rate in setting up their mills. They need to apply niche differentiation strategy relevant with the nature of firms. They should keep and use financial data to make business decisions and take advice from experts for the survival of their business. 2019
512 Sandar Aye CUSTOMER RETENTION OF SUPERMARKETS IN MANDALAY The research paper analyze the customer retention of supermarkets in Mandalay by using behaviour perspective models (BPM). The required data for this study were collected from the consumers who shop at 3 year-old supermarkets in Mandalay by using 1 in 10 systematic sampling methods. The data is analyzed by using simple and multiple regression measurements to test BPM model. According to the results, there exist significant and positive relationships between customer retention and other variables. The main influential factor in customer retention is social factor in behaviour settings. Moreover, customer retention is influenced by regulatory, temporal and physical appearance of the supermarket and the convenience of the store locations, efficiency of customer service such as right price, right quality and convenience opening and closing times. Behaviour settings and learning factors also effect consumer response, and consumer responses effect reinforcement and punishment. Finally reinforcement effect customer retention. The results of the research also indicate that Supermarkets need to consider consumers' behaviour by providing different types of product and services to retain customers. They need to apply differentiation customer retention strategy in relevant with the nature of consumer shopping behaviour. The study also recommends that supermarkets should conduct continuing research to monitor and address issues contributing to customer switching and retention. 2019
513 Myint Myint Naing RELATIONSHIP MARKETING TACTICS AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY OF RESTAURANTS IN MANDALAY This research paper identifies the relationship marketing tactics (RMTs) of restaurants in Mandalay and to analyze the impact of relationship marketing tactics on customer satisfaction and trust, which in turn, affect customer loyalty. In this research, both descriptive and exploratory research methods are applied based on surveyed restaurants. To conduct this research, 34 owners or managers are randomly selected and 452 customers are selected by using systematic sampling method from the scope of 34 restaurants. The results show that the surveyed restaurants used RM tactics such as customer orientation, service quality and interpersonal communication. Tangible rewards are less used by the surveyed restaurants. The findings of the research revealed that relationship marketing tactics (customer orientation, service quality and interpersonal communication) have significant and positive impact on the customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customer satisfaction impacts positively on customer trust, which in turn, impacts positively on customer loyalty. After that, trust impacts positively on customer loyalty. In addition, this research has revealed that in comparing the effect of customer satisfaction, trust and RMTs on customer loyalty, trust has a stronger and more positive impact on customer loyalty. According to the findings, this research recommends owners and managers to emphasize more on customer orientation, service quality and interpersonal communication in order to achieve their RM efforts. In addition, the findings of this research provide important implications for owners and managers to highlight the essential role of relationship marketing in achievement of sustained competitive advantage through customer loyalty by adopting RM tactics. Therefore, owners and managers should commit to the implementation of RM tactics. 2019
514 Yin Maw Myint THE EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF MYANMAR GARMENT INDUSTRY This research intends to analyze firm, managerial and environmental factors affecting the garment industry and to explore the impact of these factors on the firm’s export performance. The descriptive and exploratory research methods are used. The results show that firm size, firm technology, export marketing strategy, management commitment, management attitude and perceptions and international experience, insufficient electricity, port difficulties, bureaucratic requirements, financial assistance and technical assistance had substantial impact on the firm export performance. This study makes important theoretical contributions to export performance, suggesting that the resource-based view incorporating some environmental characteristics is a valid framework within which to study the export performance of garment industry in Myanmar. The garment manufacturers should attempt to expand firm size and adopt advanced manufacturing technology, apply better export marketing strategies under the proper management systems with the technical assistance from the Myanmar Garment Manufacturer Association and finance assistance from the government. With regard to the export barriers, the garment manufacturers should reassign the resources of the firm in order to overcome the barriers such as insufficient electricity and port difficulties. 2019
515 Kyaing Kyaing Thet HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ASEAN COUNTRIES In this paper, the effect of health on development of ASEAN Countries is studied by using health indicators and economic indicators. The secondary data published by World Bank Lending for Health Nutrition and Population Statistics are used in this study. Descriptive analysis is used to conduct the comparative analysis of health status of ASEAN countries. It is found that health status of Brunei, Singapore and Philippines are good and health status of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are not as good as these countries. Vector Autoregressive Regression (VAR) model is used to analyze the effect of health on development of ASEAN countries. To measure the health of the countries, life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate are used. Gross domestic product is used as a proxy of development of the countries. According to VAR results, it is found that there is positive effect of life expectancy at birth on gross domestic product at lag one of ASEAN countries and there is negative effect of infant mortality rate on gross domestic product of some ASEAN countries. 2019
516 Khin Thida Nyein GENDER INEQUALITIES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF SELECTED COUNTRIES This study analyzes the relationship between gender inequalities and economic growth of selected countries including the ones with both high and medium human development. Employing longitudinal data on gender inequality index, gross domestic product per capita of 43 countries during the period of 2005 and 2015, and this study examines whether economic growth has an effect on gender inequalities. In order to satisfy this objective, descriptive analysis is firstly employed to portray the trend of gender inequalities and economic growth of countries. Gross domestic product per capita is also employed to measure economic growth of countries. In addition, regression analysis is used for deeper exploring of how economic growth influences gender inequalities. Gender inequality index is used as dependent variable, and natural logarithm of gross domestic product per capita is used as independent variable in this study. According to the findings of this study, it can be said that countries with high economic growth have low gender inequality index on average. Based on the regression result, it is found that the coefficient of natural logarithm of gross domestic product per capita is at one percent level of significance. The economic growth is higher, the gender equality is better. Having employed regression analysis, there is no doubt that this study gives the considerable information to policy makers regarding the gender equality. 2019
517 Aye Thu Htun SERVICE QUALITY OF PRIVATE HOTELS IN MANDALAY* This study attempts to identify the service quality of private hotels in Mandalay. Descriptive method and analytical method are used in this study. Two stage sampling method is also employed. As a first stage, 20 percents of private hotels are selected and then, as a second stage, 30 guests who were over 18 years old and stayed at least two night from each sample hotel are selected by using one in three systematic sampling method to get the primary data. Secondary data are obtained from relevant text books, articles, journals, and internet websites. This survey was conducted in October, 2017. SURVQUAL model that includes reliability, empathy, assurance, responsiveness and tangibility dimensions is used to assess the guest perceptions and their expectations of service provided by selected private hotels. The study observed that the average ratings for expectation were higher than the average perception ratings in all five dimensions of service quality except empathy and reliability dimensions. Therefore, guests of the selected private hotels in Mandalay are satisfied in empathy and reliability dimensions. In addition, the findings revealed that tangibility dimension has the largest gap score when compared with the other gap scores. This implied that guests attached high expectations to the tangible elements of the hotels in Mandalay. 2019
518 San San Myint A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIFIC JOB FACTOR SATISFACTION AND CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY: A CASE STUDY OF MYANMAR PRIVATE BANKING INDUSTRY Employee job satisfaction is a relevant factor in service quality improvement. Employees who feel satisfied with their jobs provide higher level of customer satisfaction. This study contributes to the current body of work in this area by investigating the responses from 351 employees and their 351 customers from private banking industry of Myanmar to determine the relationship between employee job satisfaction factors and customer service quality perceptions. The uniqueness of this study is in its design. Most other studies of this type have analyzed organization-level data, while this study employs employee-level data. This study also includes a limited analysis of the specific effects of job satisfaction factors on customer perceptions of service quality. To this end, correlation and simple regression analysis was used to analyze data. Results suggest that employee “Job contents” satisfaction was correlated with “Responsiveness” dimension of service quality, employee “Supervisor” satisfaction was associated with “Empathy” dimension of service quality, employee “Compensation” satisfaction was linked with “Tangibles” dimension of service quality and employee “Co-workers” satisfaction was correlated with “Empathy” and negatively correlated to “Attractiveness of bank” dimension of service quality. Implications of the findings are discussed in detail. 2019
519 Than Than Soe AN ANALYSIS ON TOWNSHIP DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET IN MANDALAY REGION* This paper analyses on Township Development Organization’s Budget in Mandalay Region and focuses on the expenditures on the public works for Mandalay Region. The objective of this study is to analyse the revenue and expenditure of the Mandalay Region especially capital expenditure on public works programme. Secondary data were collected and descriptive method is used in this study. Township Development Organization spent revenues which were collected from respective Townships on public works, such as roads, bridges, urban water supply, rubbish collection, street lamps, sewerages and drainage system. By studying, It can be seen that the most budget earning Townships are Meikhtilar, Pyin Oo Lwin, Kyaukse, Myingyan and Nyaung-U. Meikhtilar Township is the most revenue source region in Mandalay Region and the second is Pyin Oo Lwin. In fiscal year 2012-2013 to 2016-2017, the Township Development Organization has successfully carried out totally 4469 public works programmes in Mandalay region. These includes 1599 programme for road and road related works, 619 bridges, 94 programmes for canals, 2042 programmes for public utilities and 115 programmes for office expenditures and totally 4469 work programmes in Mandalay region. If Township Development Organization could collect more revenues, it could implement more and better public works for regional development. Although the development organizations rely on their own revenue for development programmes, other than the fiscal year 2012-2013 and rest fiscal years, the budget disparity between the revenues and expenditures for regional development programme of Mandalay region. 2019
520 Nan Kham Mai ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE LEGALITY OF MULTILEVEL-MARKETING* Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) business is a form of direct sales with special characteristics. MLM business was introduced in Myanmar more than two decades. On 16 September 2018, the Ministry of Commerce declared the MLM marketing as essential service and it is banned in Myanmar. Prior to that date, the legality of MLM business is a controversial issue in Myanmar. In fact, MLM business is not totally banned in every. “Can the Order of the Ministry of Commerce totally eliminate the MLM business in Myanmar?” is a key question in this research paper. This paper aimed to analyze the legality of Multi-level Marketing in the context of US and Singapore Regulations as Model Laws to suggest a solution for Myanmar. It stresses the characteristics of the MLM and case study. It is conducted by exploring the ethical issue of MLM business and the countermeasures taken in the US and Singapore. By studying the US and Singapore practices on anti-MLM, it is found that there are different methods to deal with MLM issues. During the period which unable to pass the anti-MLM Law, Myanmar should make sure in enforcing the Prohibition Order which banned MLM business in Myanmar. It is suggested that the Law eliminating the illegal MLM business is urgently needed to pass in Myanmar. 2019