Kipling’s Depiction of the Great Game Between British India and Czarist Russia

This article provides valuable information about the living conditions of Muslims of the Pak-Afghan Region in the context of revisiting Rudyard Kipling’s view of the Great Game of the 19th century between Great Britain and Russia that roughly continued for about a century beginning in the second decade of the 19th century to the signing of the Anglo Russian convention in 1907. In this respect his famous novel, Kim (1901) has been critically examined to establish the political content of his creative work. Coupled with the appreciation of the novel as a great work of art with its many facets and themes, views of Edward Said have been juxtaposed to arrive at a conclusion that the novel is also a celebration of imperialism. In today’s scenario in Central Asia particularly Afghanistan, a revisit of Kipling is an interesting revelation. The discussion also reveals the similarities of the tussle of two centuries back to the realities in the region today. This insight as we appreciate Kipling’s masterpiece novel proves even more eye-catching and real. This paper also examines Peter Hopkirk’s works on the Great Game to historically asses the dialectics of the imperial struggle between the two super powers of the time. In this connection, a brief discussion is available on the three Anglo-Afghan Wars as well as the conflict in Kashgharia. This article presents an overview of the view head by Russians on the conflict which they call Tournament of Shadows or Bolshya Igra involving spies and military personnel. A fresh look at Kipling’s works in general and his novel Kim, in particular, helps explore the very essentials of the working of Imperialism and empire-building, which is the main stay of this paper. A deeper look would understandably unfurl big powers rivalry in general, and the present day security situation in Asia in particular, by going through the works of a great writer; the first Englishman and the youngest recipient for Nobel Prize in Literature (1907).  

Effect of Service Quality on Customer?S Behavioral Intention in Group Life Insurance

A new trend in insurance sector is focusing more on customer rather than product so it is very hard to differentiate among insurance products in rapidly growing competitive market.In Pakistan, insurance sector is increasingly more concerned about customer satisfaction by improving service quality. Today, it is highly desirable for insurance sector to focus on customer driven approach to become market leader. The trend for group life insurance is growing rapidly merely because employer is becoming more concerned about the lives of their employees. Due to commercialization and Globalization in insurance sector, service quality and its dimensions have prime importance to influence consumer?s behavioral intentions in this sector. Based on service Quality such intentions can be an important factor either to ?Survive? in the market or to ?Exit?. This study highlights that customers of both public and private insurance companies are vigilant and showing the concern about quality of service in group life insurance for their employees. The major objective of this research is to examine the services quality dimensions and their effect on behavioral intentions of customers. This study has three major folds e.g., first is to determine customers? perceptions regarding service quality for group life insurance. Second is to examine the key dimensions of service quality in group life insurance. Third is to determine the degree to which behavioral intention can be assessed by service quality dimensions. Data has been collected from 218 insurance sector respondents by using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis and regression have been used to analyze the data. The study reveals that there is medium positive impact of competence and technology (dimensions of Service quality) on customer loyalty (Behavioral Intention). In addition, weak positive impact of assurance, tangibility and corporate image on loyalty. On other hand, personalized financial planning has failed to support the proposed hypothesis. Moderate impact of Corporate image on customer switching has been determined as highest. Moreover, competence and tangibility has moderate influence on customer switching, assurance and Technology have weak effect on the customer switching. On contrary, personalized financial planning has insignificant influence on customer switching, therefore both the proposed hypothesis is not supported. This research has been conducted initially in Pakistan group life insurance sector; therefore business entities can achieve the key determinants (e.g., competence, Corporate image) and its positive effect on customer loyalty.