• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.11-14
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• 2016

Purpose - Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Bangladesh have been providing savings services to their clients at least for the past 15 years. However, whether an MFI should have institutional requirement(s) to be a deposit-taker generates interest among academics and policy makers. Thus, this short note aims to provide a brief overview of institutional properties of MFIs. Research Design, Data, and Methodology - This study used the existing literature and reports by the Microcredit Regulatory Authority' to investigate institutional properties of MFIs. In doing so, we have used 'institutional theory of saving' as a theoretical ground. Although the 'institutional theory of saving' has several important properties, the existing literature mostly discusses seven features such as information, incentives, facilitation, expectation, access, restrictions and security. Results - It is found that MFIs- in general- should have all the seven important institutional properties to be considered as an ideal savings institution. With regards to the microfinance sector in Bangladesh, this study supports that all the NGO-MFIs have these properties to be considered as an ideal deposit taker. Conclusions - The microfinance sector in Bangladesh needs to design and develop comprehensive and customer friendly savings products to further motivate the poor to save in MFIs.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2015

At present, in the case of small and medium window manufacturers in South Korea, glazing and window frame manufacturers are divided into separate businesses. However, in the fenestration energy consumption efficiency rating system and the energy-saving design criteria for buildings, the coefficient of overall heat transmission standard for windows is defined by window sets, which integrate glazing and window frames. At most construction sites, windows are constructed by installing separately supplied glass and frames. Research that can integrate the reality and the system is therefore necessary. The present study first investigated and analyzed the on-site situation of the fenestration energy consumption efficiency rating system. According to the results, while overall understanding of the fenestration energy consumption efficiency rating system was high, satisfaction with it was low, and the general practice at construction sites was to use windows assembled on site rather than integrated window systems manufactured at factories, thus making it difficult to confirm that the current rating system was well applied on site. Consequently, the reality of industrial sites must be reviewed and a realistic alternative to the fenestration energy consumption efficiency rating system must be presented instead of focusing on theory.