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|Game Information
|Lehigh Mountain Hawks
|Saturday, January 11, 2014
|4:00 p.m.
|Baltimore, Md. | Reitz Arena
Quick Hits About The 'Hounds
- Loyola plays its fourth Patriot League game of the season on Saturday, January 11, when it hosts Lehigh University at 4 o'clock in Reitz Arena.
- The Greyhounds head into the second weekend of League competition tied for fifth in the conference at 1-2 with losses to two of the three teams tied for first at 3-0 (American and Army).
- Loyola has 38 steals in its first three conference games, logging 11 or more in each of the contests.
- At 9.36 steals per game this season, the Greyhounds lead the Patriot League and are 12th in Division I.
- R.J. Williams leads the League and is tied for sixth in NCAA Division I in steals per game (2.83).
Last Time Out
- Loyola led American University, 26-22, at halftime, but the Eagles scored the first 11 points of the second half and shot 81 percent from the field in the stanza to defeat the Greyhounds, 65-51, on Wednesday night.
- American scored on five of its first seven possessions in the second half before the Greyhounds logged a basket.
- Loyola then cut the deficit to two, 35-33, but it could draw no closer.
- Dylon Cormier scored 13 to lead Loyola, while Eric Laster had 11.
- Four Eagles starters scored 10 or more, led by 16 each from Kyle Kager and Darius Gardner.
Patriot League Network
- Saturday's game against Lehigh will air live on the Patriot League Network.
- The contest, and all of Loyola's remaining, non-televised home and road games will be streamed, free of charge, in high definition and can be accessed at www.patriotleague.tv.
- Gary Lambrecht will call the play-by-play, and Jim Chivers '05 will provide color analysis.
Series History Versus Lehigh
- Lehigh and Loyola will meet for the ninth time on the basketball court and first time as Patriot League opponents. The teams have evenly split the first eight meetings.
- The Greyhounds first played the Mountain Hawks in 1912-1913, the fifth year of varsity basketball on the Evergreen campus. Lehigh won that game, 41-19, and the Mountain Hawks were again victorious the following year. Loyola's first win in the series came during the 1915-1916 season.
- Following that game, the programs did not meet again until January 21, 1978, when Loyola scored a 79-64 win in Bethlehem, Pa.
- Most recently, the teams met in the consolation game of the 1988 Lobo Classic at The Pit in Albuquerque, a game that the Mountain Hawks won, 86-72.
Start Of A New Era
- Loyola's January 2 game against Navy marked the start of a new era for Loyola basketball, the Greyhounds' first game as a member of the Patriot League.
- Loyola announced in August 2012 it would join the 10-school League, and it officially became a member on July 1, 2013.
- The Greyhounds had been members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) since 1989-1990.
Sticky Fingers
- The Greyhounds have posted 11 or more steals in each of their first three Patriot League games.
- The 38 steals in its last three games have raised Loyola's Patriot League-leading average to 9.4 per game. Through games of January 8, the Greyhounds are ranked ninth nationally in steals per game.
- Loyola has had 11 or more steals in seven games – also 12 at UMBC and 11 at Connecticut – through 13 contests.
- R.J. Williams leads the Patriot League,and is sixth nationally in steals per game (2.8), while Dylon Cormier is fourth (2.1) and tied for 50th.
- Williams posted a career-high six, tied for fifth-most in school single-game history, at Army.
- Cormier now has 168 in his career and one shy of moving into a tie for third place at Loyola. With 99 in his career, Williams is tied for 18th on the career chart.
Converting Turnovers To Points
- While Loyola has forced an average of 15.1 opponent turnovers per game, a total of 212, this season, the Greyhounds have not converted those miscues into a high number of points.
- Loyola is averaging just 15.9 points off turnovers per game, a total of 222, or nearly statistically even to the ratio of opponent turnovers.
- For comparison, Loyola's opponents are averaging 14.2 points from the Greyhounds' 12.0 turnovers per game this season.
Offensive Improvement At Army
- Loyola's 82 points in its loss Sunday at Army were its most since scoring 87 in a December 4 win over Catholic University.
- In the five games in between, the Greyhounds averaged just 63 points per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from 3-point range.
- Against the Black Knights, Loyola was better from the field, knocking down 44.8 percent of its shots.
Williams' Career Day
- R.J. Williams had the best statistical game of his three-year Loyola career on Sunday at Army, logging highs in points (14), field goals made and attempted (5-of-9) and steals (6).
- Williams raised his 2013-14 scoring average to 7.8 per game. He has scored in double figures four times this year, one more than the number he logged in his first two seasons with the Greyhounds.
On The Offensive Glass
- After recording a season-low three offensive rebounds in last Thursday night's win over Navy, the Greyhounds had 16 offensive rebounds at Army.
- Dylon Cormier led the way with a career-high tying seven offensive boards; he leads the Patriot League with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.
- Cormier's 3.4 per game are 1.4 more than the League's next-best guard in terms of offensive rebounds (Army's Dylan Cox).
Back In The Win Column
- Loyola's come-from-behind win over Navy last Thursday night was its first victory since December 4 against Catholic University; it was the Greyhounds' first Division I win since defeating UMBC on November 20.
- The Greyhounds did several things statistically differently in the win that they had not in the four losses. Loyola shot 42.9 percent from the field (38.5 in four losses), held Navy to 37.5 percent (38.5), took 32 free throws (23.5), blocked seven shots (2.5) and allowed 57 points (76.2).
Die Hard Dogs
- Loyola has trailed with five minutes to go in regulation in four of its six victories this season – Binghamton, Cornell, UMBC and Navy – only to come back to win.
- In their Patriot League-opener, the Greyhounds were 10 points back of Navy, 47-37, when the clock hit 5:00 in the second half, but Loyola closed the half on an 15-5 run to force overtime.
- At Binghamton, the Greyhounds were down five at the five-minute mark; Cornell, seven; and UMBC, six. In the game at UMBC, the Retrievers' lead ballooned to 10 with 90 seconds left.
Overcoming Overtime
- Loyola is 3-0 in overtime games this season and has won its last seven games that have extended past regulation.
- Since the 2004-2005 season, Loyola is 12-1 in overtime games.
- This season, the Greyhounds have outscored Cornell, UMBC and Navy by an average of 12.3 to 7.3 in the extra frames.
- Loyola's three overtime games this year match the number it played, and won, last year. Prior to 2012-13, the last time Loyola played three or more overtime games in a season was 1990-91.
Last Five Focus
- In Loyola's six victories this season, it has outscored its opponents 21.3-12.5 in the final five minutes of regulation.
- The Greyhounds have shot 61.8 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point range, in the final five minutes of the wins. Their opponents have shot just 35.6 percent from the field and 20 percent from behind the arc.
- In those 30 minutes, Loyola has committed just nine turnovers to its opponents' 22. Fourteen of the opponent turnovers have been from Loyola steals.
- Add in its overtime games, and Loyola has outscored opponents 27.7-16.2 in the final five minutes plus overtime.
Block Party
- Jordan Latham tied his career-high with four blocks last Thursday night against Navy, and Loyola matched its season-best with seven.
- With another block at Army moved Latham's career total to 72. He is seventh in school history, four away from eclipsing Omari Israel's 75 from 2006-08.
Second Half Revivals
- Prior to the game at American, Loyola had outscored its previous seven opponents, 290-242, in the second half (and overtime of the Navy game).
- In those final 20 (or 25) minutes, the Greyhounds shot 47.3 percent from the field, but their defense was the difference. The opponents were limited to just 66-of-152 (43.4 percent) from the floor during the second halves, 11-of-40 (27.5 percent) from 3-point range.
- Loyola's opponents committed 62 turnovers to Loyola's 26 after the breaks.
- Offensively, Dylon Cormier averaged 13.6 points in the second halves of the last seven games for Loyola, including a 23-point performance against Saint Joseph's.
- Against Stony Brook, the Greyhounds erased a 17-point first-half deficit to tie the score twice in the second half. Versus Saint Joseph's, Loyola trailed, 60-24, at the half, but it made the contest a three-possession game and lost by 11.
Slow Starts
- The Greyhounds' second half rallies were necessitated by slow starts that have dug first-half holes against Stony Brook, Saint Joseph's, Miami and Navy.
- In those games, Loyola allowed its foes to shot 56.4 percent (62-of-110) from the field while shooting just 32.6 percent (29-of-89) itself. The opponents made a combined 19-of-37 (.514) shots from behind the arc, as well.
- Loyola has also lost the turnover differentials in the first halves of those games, coughing up the ball 36 times while forcing just 25 turnovers.
- On January 2 against Navy, Loyola made just four first-half field goals.
- Cumulatively, in the Greyhounds' 12 games, Loyola has been outscored, 38.2-28.8, in the first half this season.
Cormier's Start To The Season
- Dylon Cormier has started the season scoring in bunches, averaging 22.3 points per game through 14. Through games of Wednesday, January 8, Cormier was sixth in the nation in scoring.
- Cormier scored 20 or more points in the Greyhounds' first five games, and he had three 30-plus point efforts during that stretch, as well. Overall, he has 10 20+ point games in 14 contests.
- On November 20 at UMBC, Cormier had a career-high 12 field goals and went 9-of-13 from the line to match his career-best with 34 points (also set on November 10 at Cornell).
- No Loyola player in the school's Division I era (since 1981-1982) had started the season with five-straight 20-point games. Andre Collins, who set the school single-season scoring record at 26.1, started the 2005-2006 season with 20 or more points in five of six games, but he scored just 16 in the Greyhounds' third game of the season.
- Collins had eight games with 30 or more points that season, the most by a Loyola player during the Division I era.
- Cormier was the first player in Loyola men's basketball history to post two 30+ point games to start the season.
- He was the first Loyola player to score 30 or more in back-to-back outings since Collins went for 34, 36 and 39 in three-straight games (all on the road at VMI, Delaware and Providence) from December 29, 2005-January 3, 2006.
Passing 1,500
- In the second half at Army, Dylon Cormier became the eighth player in school history, and the sixth at the Division I level, to score 1,500 career points. Cormier now has 1,525 career points, and next up on the all-time scoring list is Mike Powell who scored 1,580 from 1995-98.
- Cormier is the eighth player at Loyola to reach 1,500 points at the Division I level.
Cormier To The Charity Stripe
- Loyola went to the free-throw line a season-high 35 times on December 19 against Stony Brook, and Dylon Cormier took 21 of the attempts.
- His 21 free throw attempts were the second-most in school single-game history, one shy of tying the January 14, 2009, mark set by Jamal Barney against NJIT.
- Cormier made 16 free throws, a career-best, good for a tie for fourth in single-game history. Barney holds that record, as well, with 18.
- He had another game that will be entered on the Loyola charts against Navy when he made 12-of-12 at the line. It was the fifth-best performance in school history (most makes without a miss).
- Through 14 games, Cormier has gone to the free-throw line 138 times (fifth in Division I through games of January 8). His average of 9.9 free throws per game is fourth nationally.
- Loyola is guaranteed at least 30 games this season (29 regular-season, plus at least one Patriot League Tournament), and with that average, Cormier would 297 free throws in 2013-14. The school single-season record for free throws attempted is 255 set in 1997-98 by Mike Powell.
- In his career, Cormier is 429-of-609 from the free-throw line. He is fourth in school history in both free throws made and attempted.
Turnover Battle
- Through 14 games this season, the Greyhounds are averaging 3.1 fewer turnovers per game than their opponents, tops in the Patriot League and tied for 37th in the nation.
- Loyola has committed 168 turnovers to 212 even greater in the second half of games, as opponents have nearly 2:1 more turnovers (118-62).
Telling Stat
- In Loyola's eight losses this season, the Greyhounds are shooting nearly eight percent worse from the floor than they are in their six victories.
- Loyola has made 45.5 percent (152-of-334) shots in six wins versus 37.7 percent (176-of-467) in eight losses. As a consequence, Loyola is averaging 16.1 points less (78.3 versus 62.2) points.
- From behind the 3-point arc, Loyola is eight points better in wins (35.8-27.3).
- As one would expect, opponents are shooting better (50.0-41.7) in the games they've won.
- Winning Combinations
- In the Greyhounds' six wins this season, Dylon Cormier has averaged 27 points per game, and Jarred Jones 13. In the Greyhounds' losses, however, those numbers slip to 18.8 and 5.1.
- Cormier and Jones are also the Greyhounds' top two rebounds in the wins, averaging 6.7 and 5.5. In the Greyhounds' losses, those averages are 5.3 and 3.0.
Doing The Little Things
- Eric Laster has done the stat-sheet filling things in the several games for the Greyhounds.
- On December 19 versus Stony Brook, he blocked a career-best three shots, and earlier this month, he posted a career-high five assists in a win over Catholic.
- Laster has 18 assists this year against just 11 turnovers, and he is averaging 3.7 rebounds per game.
- After averaging just 5.3 minutes in 27 games last season, he has seen his role expand dramatically this season, starting the first 12 games on the wing.
- Laster has averaged 9.5 points in Loyola's first 14 contests, and he is shooting 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from 3-point range. In 27 games last year, he averaged just 0.8 points (22 total) and shot 32.3 percent overall from the field.
From Way Back, Part 1
- Loyola trailed UMBC by 17 points, 58-41, with 9:44 left in regulation on November 20, but the Greyhounds came all the way back to tie the score with 11 ticks left in regulation. They then went on to win, 89-83, in overtime.
- An R.J. Williams layup with 8:37 left started a 10-0 run that would cut the deficit to seven on two Dylon Cormier free throws at 6:29, and Loyola would get within four on three occasions after that.
- UMBC, however, pushed the lead back to double-digits, 73-63, on a Malik Garner free throw with 90 seconds remaining.
- Eric Laster hit a pair of threes, wrapped around a 1-of-2 trip to the line for UMBC's Joey Getz, and Loyola was down 74-69 with 1:14 left after Laster's second triple. Quentin Jones hit a 20-foot jumper form the left corner with 58 seconds left, but Laster answered 11 ticks later to make it a four-point game.
- Garner turned the ball over on a Cormier steal, and Later canned his fourth three in a span of 41 seconds to get the Greyhounds within a point, 76-75, with 42 seconds left. Loyola forced a missed layup by UMBC, and Cormier was fouled with 11 seconds left, and he hit 1-of-2 to tie the score. UMBC's Rodney Elliott drew contact and a foul call with 3.1 seconds showing, but the freshman missed both foul shots, forcing overtime.
- In the extra period, Loyola made 4-of-5 field goals and 5-of-8 free throws to pull away for the victory.
Start Of The Smith Era
- G.G. Smith was named the 20th head coach in Loyola University Maryland men's basketball history on April 12, 2013. Her garnered his first head coaching win on November 8, 2013, in the season-opener against Binghamton.
- The 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola for Jimmy Patsos who took the head coaching position at Siena College in March.
- Loyola amassed a 106-87 record (.549) during Smith's six years as an assistant. The 106 wins and the .549 winning percentage are the best of any six-year stretch during Loyola's Division I history (since 1982-1983).
- As a player, Smith was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1995-1999. Smith helped the Bulldogs advance to the 1996 NCAA Sweet 16 and another tournament appearance in 1997. He left Georgia as the school's career leader in games played (129), wins in a season (24) and 3-pointers in a game (nine).
- Smith is the son of current Texas Tech University Head Coach Tubby Smith. The elder Smith led the University of Kentucky to the 1998 NCAA Championship and is in his 23rd season as a head coach. G.G. Smith played for his father from 1995-1997 at Georgia.
Look Back At 2012-2013
- Loyola finished the 2012-2013 season with a 23-12 record, marking the first time in the school's Division I history (since 1982-1983) that the Greyhounds have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons.
- The Greyhounds finished their final season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 12-6 mark, tying for second place.
- After falling in the first round of the MAAC Championships, Loyola its first-ever bid tot he CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Following the Greyhounds' 2012 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, it was the first consecutive postseason bids in school Division I history and the first since 1953 in any division of competition.
- Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier became the first set of Loyola teammates to be named to the All-MAAC First Team in the same year.
- Five players – Julius Brooks, Etherly, Robert Olson, Luke Wandrusch and Anthony Winbush – graduated after the season, leaving behind combined career totals of 3,413 points, 1,930 rebounds, 575 assists and 395 steals.
Preseason Patriot League Picks
- As a team, the Greyhounds were slated to finish fifth in the Patriot League Preseason poll, just six points out of third place. Boston University was the unanimous pick to win the league, followed by Lafayette, Army, Bucknell, Loyola, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Colgate, American and Navy.
- Dylon Cormier was one of five players on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
Brito, Laster Spend Summer Overseas
- Two Loyola players, – Denzel Brito and Eric Laster – gained valuable experience playing overseas during the summer of 2013.
- Brito trained with the Cape Verdean National Team prior to their play in the FIBA African Championships. However, due to a FIBA exclusion, he was not able to participate in the event itself.
- Laster played in five games on a tour that visited Belgium, England and The Netherlands. He was lauded for his wing play by writers who covered the events against professional teams in those countries.
Cormier On The Charts
- Dylon Cormier enters his senior season at Loyola with a chance to climb many of the Greyhounds' career statistical charts. Here is a look at where he stands:
8th 1,525 points
Next Mike Powell, 1,580
Field Goals Made
15th 501 field goals made
Next Tom Caraher, 507
3-Pointers Made
13th 94 3-Pt. Made
Next B.J. Davis, 104
Free Throws Made
5th 429 free throws made
Next Kevin Green, 438
21st 194 assists
Next R.J. Williams (active), 196
4th 168 steals
Next Damien Jenifer, 169
Into The Fold
- Loyola signed three high school seniors in the early signing period to comprise its Class of 2018.
- Forward Cam Gregory (Waldorf, Md./St. Stephen's & St. Agnes) and guards Chancellor Barnard (Columbia, Md./Glenelg Country School) and Colton Bishop (Winston-Salem, N.C./Forsyth County Day School) will join the program in the fall.
- For more on the trio, visit http://loyo.la/MBB-NLIs-13.
High Marks
- The Loyola men's basketball team scored the highest amongst squads in the State of Maryland in the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate report. The Greyhounds checked in with a 91-percent GSR, tops among the state's nine Division I schools, for players who entered the school between 2003-2006.
Up Next
- Loyola continues its two-game homestand with its first-ever appearance on CBS Sports Network. The Greyhounds host Lafayette College on Monday, January 13, at 7:30 p.m.


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Blunder and Win
Patzer vs. Patzer
Kids, take note: Just because you make mistakes, it doesn't mean you lose. I made plenty of blunders and weak moves in this online blitz game (like not playing 11. Bxb7 - ?), but my opponent made more of them.
To err is human, so whenever you're playing one you can expect some errors. When you make one yourself, just take a deep breath, move on, and wait for your adversary to make the next one. (Oh, yes, and don't make any more of them yourself.)
Comments on the game welcome, though please don't be too unkind.

subset: commoncrawl


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As the year of 1934 was nearing its close, the Messenger of death once more summoned away from our midst a well known and highly respected member of
Left to mourn her sudden departure from our midst, is her bereaved husband, Robert Creeden and son to whom she gave birth November 21st, 1934, her parents Mr. and Mrs. George F. Pulskamp, her brothers Andrew, Hugo and George and her sisters Mrs. Bernard Rapien, Mrs. Robert English and Mrs. Clarence Art and a large number of relatives and friends.
Her funeral took place in the Immaculate Conception church, December the fifth, Reverend Geo. Hindelang offered the Mass for the departed, Rev. Albert Gerhardstein was deacon, Rev. Augustine Halter, subdeacon, and Rev. Joseph Biegler was master of ceremonies. The pastor delivered a short, consoling sermon. Father Augustine performed the last rites at the cemetery.
While she was taken away from our midst, she will long be remembered by all who knew her, and we kindly ask all to pray for the repose of her soul.
Mr. Robert Creeden and little son are now making their home with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Charles Creeden where the child is being taken care of by Mrs. Creeden.


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Our constructive, nation- building media are promoting Reits as "safe" investments, so maybe it's time to read or reread "Initially, I wanted to title this post "The Disastrous Singapore REITs Model" but decided otherwise", written late last year?
It analyses what went wrong in the S-Reit sector in the period up to massive rights issues in 2009.
In a report issued last Thurday, CIMB identified K-Reit Asia, Frasers Commercial Trust (FCOT), Ascott Residence Trust (ART) and Suntec Reit as those likely to engage in equity fundraising in the near future. "The first signs of more cash calls to come have surface."
The Reit industry is stronger than it was three years ago, CIMB said. Across the sector, the proportion of short-term debt to total debt stood at 8% in September, much lower than the 38% in June 2008. With reduced pressure from short term liabilities, Reits are less likely to make cash calls, even if the industry's average gearing did climb to 36% (from 34% in 2008). But some Reits -(especially those in the office sector) could be vulnerable to asset devaluation as a downturn looms. Lower property values push up gearing ratios.
According to CIMB K-Reit, ART and Suntec Reit had gearings of 42%, 41% and% respectively at end-Sept, higher than the average of 36%.
The risk of a cash call is greatest for K-Reit. Its aggregate leverage remains high despite a massive rights issue (17 for 20) now underway to fund the purchase of Ocean Financial Centre from parent Keppel Land, and 20% of its debt is due for refinancing next year.
ART not only has high leverage but its European assets could see a devaluation, raising its leverage- a vicious cycle. But if it divests Somerset Grand Cairnhill, which has provisional approval for redevelopment into a residential and hotel project, a near-term cash call could be avoided.
Suntec Reit may not need a cash call until it is ready to acquire Phase 2 of Marina Bay Financial Centre and its capital expenditure needs could be partly met by proceeds from selling Chijmes.
FCOT is a potential candidate for a rights issue because of its relatively high leverage of 37% and low interest coverage ratio. Also, all of its debt is maturing next year. But it could divest KeyPoint. Given F&N as its "big brother", it could refinance its debt at lower interest rates.
But CIMB believes that Reits are still safe, maintaining its 'overweight' call on the sector.


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In case you're not a regular visitor to the Marathon's Story Page or the Marathon's Story Forums, let me bring you up to speed on what the 'Tour of Duty' is about.
Beginning in mid-2012, I had an idea, inspired by the classic Volunteers series, for a new series of posts on the Story Forums called 'Tour of Duty'. It was probably one of the better ideas I've ever had, and easily the most successful so far. Initial plans changed a bit, and the series became increasingly detailed in its discussions of each and every level, but it has been a very good series. I was initially the first and only writer, but around July 2013, I was joined by Martin, who helped do the write-ups for Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones and Try Again, and with whom I then shared the work for the Marathon 2 series. I left the write-up scene at the end of Marathon 2, and Infinity was covered instead by a combination of Martin and VikingBoyBilly (with the exception of the write-up for By Committee, which I wrote, and a number of dream levels that were covered by Hokuto). You can find a complete list of all of the write-ups for the original Marathon trilogy here (just scroll to the bottom of the page).
After finishing Infinity, Martin and VikingBoyBilly went on to cover Tempus Irae, a series which just finished 5 days ago, with Billy's coverage of the level 'For Your Eyes Only'. Now, we (meaning me, Martin and Billy) intend to continue the Tour of Duty through another fan-made scenario, but the problem is, we can't decide which one we want to cover. So, my idea was, how about we put the decision out there for the Marathon community to vote on? Martin and Billy agreed, and we settled on seven options we would put out there for you to vote on, which you can see in the poll at the top of this post.
Now the choice is in your hands: which scenario do you want us to write about, you citizens of the Marathon community?
Some notes to take account of before you vote or comment on this post:
The reason you don't see 'Marathon: Evil' on this list is because that scenario was already covered by the Rampancy duo of Narcogen and Blackstar, who were simultaneously putting up their Let's Plays of the Marathon series while we worked on the Tour of Duty series. You can see their playthrough of Evil here. Likewise, since we're not going to be covering Evil, we did not include the scenario "Siege of Nor'Korh", which was the prequel to Marathon: Evil.
'Tempus Irae 2: The Lost Levels' was included because, well, it is the "sequel" to Tempus Irae, which is the scenario we just completed. It would seem natural to continue with that, but many people might not feel the same way or might just want to change to an entirely different environment.
The reason we're doing this as a poll here, rather than initiating a discussion over on the Story Forums, is because:
1) It's easier for people to vote by selecting a poll option, instead of having to write a new post just so they can say "I want you guys to do scenario ____."
2) It's easier to tally up results through a poll, rather than have to sort through a whole list of posts just to get a sense of the results.
3) This seemed like a good excuse to reach out to the Pfhorums community and introduce a whole bunch of new people to the Tour of Duty series.
If you want to list your reasons why you think a certain scenario makes more sense, either to convince others why they should do the same (that is an important part of a democracy, you know), or just to initiate conversation, feel free to reply to this thread.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This poll will close in two weeks, so make sure to get your vote in by April 10!


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Controller combines motion control, safety and standard tasks
Siemens' Simatic CPU 317TF-2DP controller combines motion control, safety and standard tasks in a single device; integrated automation portfolio that integrates and combines devices for the plant floor environment.
Siemens has announced the release of the new Simatic CPU 317TF-2DP controller that combines motion control, safety and standard tasks in a single device. This device is the latest solution in its totally integrated automation portfolio that integrates and combines devices for the plant floor environment, further reducing footprints and improving overall efficiencies.
The Simatic CPU 317TF-2DP controller unites a series of important features that all go together in one device to reduce the wiring, coding and the implementation times. It also benefits users by saving space on the shop floor and reducing overall total cost of ownership.
Possible applications for the new device range from controlled single-axis positioning to complex, synchronized sequences of motion, such as geared synchronous motion, curve synchronization or print mark correction. The synchronous axes can be coupled to a virtual master or a real master. For safety-oriented applications, the controller fulfills the rigorous requirements of all the relevant standards, including EN 954-1 up to Cat. 4, IEC 62061 up to SIL 3 and EN ISO 13849-1 up to PL e.
For Siemens PLC users, the Step 7 option package S7-Technology is available to simplify engineering and commissioning. The Step 7 option package, supporting simultaneous processing of up to 64 technology objects, is available to meet engineering requirements for programming and commissioning of all functions. For specific fail-safe applications, the Step 7 option package Distributed Safety offers a set of pre-configured library blocks, including emergency stop, two-hand control, muting and door monitoring. No external safety hardware is required for costly safety precautions at the machine, saving valuable space in the control cabinet.
Centralized and distributed fail-safe I/O and fail-safe drives according to PROFIsafe, the fail-safe communication standard, can be connected to the Simatic CPU 317TF-2DP. The drive safety functions SBC, SLS, SSM, SOS, SS1, SS2 and STO according to PROFIsafe can be used in addition to the familiar safety functions.
– Edited by Amanda McLeman, Control Engineering, CFE Media, www.controleng.com


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Selection of an ascent abort mode may become necessary if there
is a failure that affects vehicle performance, such as the failure
of a Space Shuttle main engine or an orbital maneuvering system.
Other failures requiring early termination of a flight, such as
a cabin leak, might require the selection of an abort mode.
There are two basic types of ascent abort modes for Space Shuttle
missions: intact aborts and contingency
aborts. Intact aborts are designed to provide a safe return
of the orbiter to a planned landing site. Contingency aborts are
designed to permit flight crew survival following more severe failures
when an intact abort is not possible. A contingency abort would
generally result in a ditch operation.
Intact Aborts
There are four types of intact aborts:
There is a definite order of preference for the various abort modes.
The type of failure and the time of the failure determine which
type of abort is selected. In cases where performance loss is the
only factor, the preferred modes would be ATO, AOA, TAL and RTLS,
in that order. The mode chosen is the highest one that can be completed
with the remaining vehicle performance. In the case of some support
system failures, such as cabin leaks or vehicle cooling problems,
the preferred mode might be the one that will end the mission most
quickly. In these cases, TAL or RTLS might be preferable to AOA
or ATO. A contingency abort is never chosen if another abort option
The Mission Control Center-Houston is prime for calling these aborts
because it has a more precise knowledge of the orbiter's position
than the crew can obtain from onboard systems. Before main engine
cutoff, Mission Control makes periodic calls to the crew to tell
them which abort mode is (or is not) available. If ground communications
are lost, the flight crew has onboard methods, such as cue cards,
dedicated displays and display information, to determine the current
abort region.
Which abort mode is selected depends on the cause and timing of
the failure causing the abort and which mode is safest or improves
mission success. If the problem is a Space Shuttle main engine failure,
the flight crew and Mission Control Center select the best option
available at the time a space shuttle main engine fails.
If the problem is a system failure that jeopardizes the vehicle,
the fastest abort mode that results in the earliest vehicle landing
is chosen. RTLS and TAL are the quickest options (35 minutes), whereas
an AOA requires approximately 90 minutes. Which of these is elected
depends on the time of the failure with three good Space Shuttle
main engines.
The flight crew selects the abort mode by positioning an abort
mode switch and depressing an abort push button.
Contingency Abort.
Contingency aborts are caused by loss of more than one main engine
or failures in other systems. Loss of one main engine while another
is stuck at a low thrust setting may also necessitate a contingency
abort. Such an abort would maintain orbiter integrity for in-flight
crew escape if a landing cannot be achieved at a suitable landing
Contingency aborts due to system failures other than those involving
the main engines would normally result in an intact recovery of
vehicle and crew. Loss of more than one main engine may, depending
on engine failure times, result in a safe runway landing. However,
in most three-engine-out cases during ascent, the orbiter would
have to be ditched. The in-flight crew escape system would be used
before ditching the orbiter.
Curator: Kim
Dismukes | Responsible NASA Official: John Ira Petty | Updated: 04/07/2002Web Accessibility and Policy Notices


text:
The Carolina Panthers want to keep Cam Newton, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, as wholesome as possible.
Owner Jerry Richardson told interviewer Charlie Rose of PBS the talented quarterback can't get tattoos or piercings, even though such body decorations are increasingly commonplace in sports.
"I said, 'Do you have any tattoos?'" Richardson recalled of his first meeting with the Auburn product. "He said, 'No, sir. I don't have any.' I said, 'Do you have any piercings?' He said, 'No, sir. I don't have any.' I said, 'We want to keep it that way.'
"We want to keep no tattoos, no piercings, and I think you've got a very nice haircut," he added.
NBC Sports pointed out that Richardson has drafted and signed players who have tattoos and piercings, including tight end Jeremy Shockey. But it is widely known that the team is hoping the handsome Newton will become the face of its franchise.
Richardson did not imply that such restrictions were in Newton's contract, and it's doubtful the team could enforce the edict. Newton signed a four-year contract in July worth nearly $6 million per year. He is competing for the starting job, a relatively rare feat for a rookie signal caller.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Newton courted controversy in college, leaving University of Florida under threat of expulsion over academic cheating. He resurfaced at Auburn after a stint at junior college. The NCAA investigated charges Newton's father had tried to get as much as $180,000 to steer his son to Mississippi State, but no evidence the player or his family took money to play for Auburn ever emerged.
Newton won the Heisman Trophy last year, as college football's top player.


text:
Printed Electronics
Printed Electronics bring together the industries of microelectronics, electronics assembly and printing. This fast-growing technology makes it possible to print circuits, sensors, memory, batteries and displays, all onto thin, lightweight, flexible substrates.
The potential uses for Printed Electronics are endless: custom electronics for smart packaging, smart wearable devices in conformal shapes, and sensors incorporated in the design of buildings, cities, cars, airplanes and just about any other device.
Printed Electronics will give people a low-cost, efficient way to embed intelligence into all products and objects surrounding us. That's why Printed Electronics are paving the way for the "Internet of Everything," and are capturing the hearts and minds of our Innovation researchers and scientists.
Innovation in Action
Xerox Printed Memory labels can measure and count. These printed micro-circuits can tell you when a water filter must be changed, or if a medical device part is being used incorrectly. They can also help protect your brand by keeping counterfeiters at bay.
Because Xerox Printed Memory is manufactured through a printing process, it costs much less than technologies based on RFID or silicon chips.
Smart packaging can store, sense, compute and wirelessly communicate information — acting as if the package has a mind of its own. Our portfolio of customisable smart packaging solutions add low-cost intelligence that integrates with, and protects, your packaging.


text:
Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
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South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
versão On-line ISSN 2222-3436
versão impressa ISSN 1015-8812
S. Afr. j. econ. manag. sci. vol.14 no.3 Pretoria Jan. 2011
Consumer awareness and usage of islamic banking products in South Africa
Yvonne Saini; Geoff Bick; Loonat Abdulla
Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand
This paper investigates the level of consumer awareness and use of Islamic banking products in South Africa. A non-probability sampling method was used whereby a questionnaire was administered to 250 respondents and statistically analysed to determine the factors that are important in the choice between Islamic or conventional banks. It was found that Muslims are aware of Islamic banks, but their rate of use is low, as Muslim customers regard efficiency, lower bank charges, the availability of automatic teller machines and an extensive branch network as important factors when it comes to choosing a bank, rather than religious motivations for compliance with Islamic conventions. It was concluded that, if Islamic banks wanted to attract and retain customers and remain relevant in the South African context, they would have to develop relevant strategies designed to meet customers' needs. Religion as the sole motivation for choosing Islamic banks is inadequate.
Keywords: banking, Islam, consumer awareness, consumer usage
1 Introduction
The value of the Islamic banking and finance market was estimated to be between US$200 billion to US$500 billion worldwide in 2006 (Ibrahim & Seoweng, 2006). Islamic banking is growing at an average rate of 15 per cent a year, which makes it the fastest-growing sector in the financial markets of the contemporary world (Saidi, 2007; Chong & Liu, 2008). According to banking statistics, the growth rate of Islamic banking has outpaced traditional banking during the past decade (Ghannadian & Goswam, 2004). Islamic banks have grown in size and number around the world and are generally the product of private initiatives (Aggarwal & Yof, 2000).
Researchers are seeking to assess both the extent to which customers use Islamic banking products and services (Naser & Al-Khatib, 1999) and the behaviour, attitudes and perceptions of the target markets (Metawa, 1998). This paper attempts to estimate consumer awareness and use of Islamic banking products in South Africa. If Islamic banks are to achieve their mission and objectives, they will have to understand their customers' perceptions (Metawa, 1998; Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). Despite the popular claim that Islamic banks are true reflections of Muslim lifestyles and practices, and that clients respect and believe in their principles, studies indicate that religious motivation is not the sole criterion for the selection of Islamic banking institutions or services (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). Studies have identified other factors, such as costs, benefits, service delivery (fast and efficient), the size and reputation of the bank, convenience (location and ample parking) and the friendliness of bank personnel as important criteria for selecting particular Islamic banks (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). If Islamic banking is to be accepted and used by the target market, the banks will have to understand their customers and make their services and products easily available.
It is estimated that there are currently about 1 million Muslims in South Africa, while in 1970 there were only about 270,000 (History of Muslims in South Africa, 2007). Muslims of Malay origin are found mainly in the Western Cape, while those of Indian origin are resident mainly in Kwazulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Formalised Islamic banking, finance and investment products in South Africa are in their infancy, having been established in 1989. Islamic banks that offer products according to Shariah law include the Albaraka Bank and Oasis Asset Management. Wesbank has established an Islamic subsidiary known as the Islamic Finance Bank, while ABSA and the FNB have opened Islamic banking departments. The fully-fledged Islamic banks operating in South Africa are Albaraka, HBZ and the Habib Bank (Saidi, 2007).
The Albaraka Bank pioneered Islamic banking and finance in South Africa in 1989 in response to the need for a system of banking in line with Islamic economic principles. Albaraka offers only Shariahcompliant products and services. The head office is situated in Durban, with branches in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Albaraka Bank offers investment and financing products, and, at the time of the study, did not offer any transactional products and services. Products and services offered to Muslims and non-Muslims include residential property, motor vehicle, trade, savings, investment accounts, equity participation accounts, equity share portfolio funds and estate planning finance.
In addition to Islamic banking institutions in South Africa, Oasis Crescent Capital was established in 2002 and offers Shariahcompliant equity funds. The Oasis group offers conventional equity funds and unit trusts. In 2004, WesBank, in partnership with Pure Capital, began offering a Shariah-compliant vehicle finance product in response to consumers wishing to finance vehicles in a manner which is compliant with Shariah Law. The Habib Overseas Bank and Habib Bank Zurich have local branches in South Africa. Islamic banking in South Africa was tainted by the downfall of the Islamic Bank Ltd, which was liquidated in 1997. Total deposits and assets at the time of liquidation were estimated to be worth about R150 million and R190 million respectively.
In order to understand Islamic banking practices and target markets, this study focused on South Africa, which has a fully-fledged onventional banking sector and the presence of Islamic banks. South Africa has a sophisticated, well-developed banking industry (Saunders, Bendixen & Abratt, 2007). There are about 33 South African banks and 14 foreign banks, with the largest five banks holding 83 per cent of the total assets. In 2006 there were about 30.2 million accounts (Saunders et al., 2007). In recent years, there has been increased competition from new entrants into the banking industry (Saunders et al., 2007), and Islamic banking is posing a serious challenge (Saidi, 2007).
There are gaps in the understanding of customers' needs when it comes to the provision of adequate services and products (Funfgeld & Wang, 2009). In countries like Indonesia, consumers have been waiting for proper Shariah banking facilities, and some keep their money in drawers and closets, under the bed or even in the care of a local Islamic teacher, as they think that the conventional banks will use the money improperly (McCawley, 2004). Little is known about the use of Islamic banking in South Africa. The remaining text of this paper is organised as follows: section 2 is a review of the relevant literature, and section 3 describes the methodology employed. Section 4 presents the analysis and discussion of the findings. Finally, section 5 provides conclusions and recommendations.
2 Literature review
It is estimated that there are about 1.8 billion Muslims in the world and, after Christianity, Islam is the next largest religion. Islam is the predominant religion in the Middle East and parts of Asia, Africa and in countries such as Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Iran, Pakistan and Sudan, only Islamic banking is allowed (Chong & Liu, 2008). Apart from these areas, there are migrant Muslims all over the world, including South Africa and the United States of America. Owing to the presence of Muslims, international banks such as Citibank have created wings to cater for Muslim clients, offering diverse products, mainly financing businesses (Citibank, 2009). In the USA, Devon Bank offers Islamic financing services which are Shariahcompliant, and provides construction and home loan financing following Murabuha guidance (Devon Bank, 2009).
Islamic banks have enjoyed phenomenal growth, from an asset base of barely US$ 1 billion in 1975 and fewer than 10 Islamic banks (Martin, 1997). There are more than 180 Islamic banks and financial institutions operating more than 8000 branches in different countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America. It is expected that by 2010 Islamic Banks and financial institutions will comprise 50 per cent-60 per cent of the total private savings of Muslims worldwide (Gainor, 1999).
The major determinant for the future of banking is the customers, as their preferences must be the main focus of attention. This is because the customers' mode of living comprises the needs that the banks have to match (Eriksson, 2008). In today's competitive environment, it is imperative that bank managers develop the ability to determine the critical bank selection factors for the segments of the market they wish to attract and serve (Har&Ta, 2000).
2.1 Differences between Islamic and conventional banking
Islamic banking is based on the prohibition of interest, which is founded not on the principles of economics but on religious beliefs (Ghannadian & Goswami, 2004). The basic principle of Islamic banking is the prohibition of interest or "riba" where banks are not expected to charge interest for lending money to customers, money lending should be interest free. Not charging interest requires the Islamic banks to finance investment projects through profit and loss sharing. According to Islamic banking principles, the prevailing practice of charging interest in the conventional banking system is an injustice to borrowers, as the interest on loans has to be paid irrespective of the outcomes of their business (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). In other words, Islamic banking deals with the creation of equity (through profit and loss sharing schemes) and rental income, whereas the pillar of conventional banking is debt through interest (Patel, 2006). Islamic banking is constructed upon the principle of brotherhood and cooperation, which stands for a system of equity and risksharing (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). Initially, Islamic banks targeted only Muslims, but this has changed, and non-Muslim clients are welcomed. Islamic banking and financing are similar to conventional banking (El-Gamal, 2000). However, Islamic banking strictly prohibits interest, but it does permit profit from a trading activity. The major difference between Islamic banking principles and traditional practices resides in the fact that the banker and the borrower are both at risk in a project. Islamic banking does not espouse profiting that violates religious law in any way or is harmful to the stakeholders inherent in the business or economic activity (Patel, 2006). Islam regards interest financing as immoral, as well as socially and economically harmful, for a number of reasons. The extension of credit increases the money supply, which stimulates demand, but does not always result in real, tangible economic activity. In fact, it often results in a variety of economic ills, such as inflation, continued unemployment and widening income gaps (Patel, 2006). Further, in Islamic banking practice, investment funds are not used in the production of armaments, alcohol and tobacco, in offensive advertising or cruelty to animals (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007).
Islamic banking is different from conventional banking because interest (Riba) is prohibited in Islam, seeing that banks are not allowed either to offer a fixed rate of return on deposits or to charge interest on loans (Chong & Liu, 2008). Shariah law prohibits Riba (interest or usury). The etymology of the term Riba can be traced back to the Arabic verb Raba, the literal meaning of which is 'to increase'. The official definition of Riba, according to the four major Muslim Jurist schools, is "trading two goods ofthe same kind in different quantities, where the increase is not a proper compensation" (El-Gamal, 1997: 3). Another definition of Riba is "the unjustified earning or receiving of any monetary advantage in a business transaction without giving a just counter value" (Abdel-Haq & Al-Oma, 1996:7). There is consensus among Muslim scholars that this prohibition of interest income extends to all forms of interest, and there is no difference between interestbearing funds for the purposes of consumption or investment (Abdel-Haq & Al-Oma, 1996). Islam permits loans on an interest-free basis for charitable purposes, and trading and investment based on profit-and-loss and risksharing. The main differences between conventional and Islamic banks are highlighted in Table 1. While Islam strictly prohibits interest, it strongly encourages profit and loss and risksharing investments. While both trading and interest generate an increase in capital, the increase generated by trading is welcomed, and only the increase generated by interest is prohibited. Shariah does not consider money to be the sort of commodity that sets a price on its use. Instead, it views money as a medium of exchange in an asset-oriented economy and a store of value (Abdel-Haq & Al-Oma, 1996).
Islamic banking also prohibits economic activities that are morally and socially injurious. This prohibition arises from the Islamic principles that advocate for the establishment of an economic system in which all forms of exploitation are eliminated. It is believed that injustice is perpetuated in that the financier is assured of a positive return without doing any work or sharing in the risk, while the entrepreneur, in spite of his management and hard work, is not assured of a positive return. In other words, Islamic banking promotes the establishment of justice between the financier and the entrepreneur (Chapra, 1986; Ali, 1993). The prohibition of interest does not mean that capital is costless. Islam recognises capital as a factor of production rather than a commodity and permits the earning of profit from a trading activity (AlOmar & Abdel-Haq, 1996). In the profit-andloss sharing paradigm, Islamic banks are required to put in more effort to distinguish good customers from bad ones, because they have more to lose than do conventional banks, as they have to monitor their investments and borrowers closely (Chong & Liu, 2008).
In Iran and Pakistan, the Islamic banking system has been adopted at the macro level of the economy. Many Muslim countries, such as Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, have adopted a dual interest-based and interest-free banking system. In countries where Muslims are a minority, such as the UK, Denmark, the USA, Australia, Singapore and South Africa, some interest-free banks or investment institutions have been established and some interest-based banks have begun offering interest-free banking products.
2.2 Consumer behaviour in bank decision-making criteria
Consumer behaviour comprises the activities undertaken when obtaining, consuming and disposing of products and services (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). At the level of marketing theory and practice, the consumer is central to all activity (Hollywood, Armstrong & Durkin, 2007). The consumer decisionmaking process is the sequence of mental and physical steps taken by consumers from the point of realising that they want a certain product or service to the time when it becomes surplus to their requirements and is disposed of (Vrontis & Thrassou, 2007). Consumer behaviour and consumer decision-making processes are the results of a combination of consumer environment factors like culture, social context and family, and specific individual factors like personality, values, attitudes, motivation and lifestyle (Vrontis & Thrassou, 2007). Researchers have identified "significant variables" which influence consumer behaviour, a multitude of decision strategies and a vast reservoir of knowledge about consumer decisions. The consumer decision-making model stipulates that consumers move in stages from need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase evaluation (Hawkins, Best & Coney, 2004; Blackwell et al., 2006; Schiffman & Kanuk, 2007). As consumers move through these stages, they experience internal and external influences ranging through culture, social class, personality and motivation.
Empirical research using different methodologies and approaches has been carried out in various parts of the world to examine the criteria for influencing consumers in selecting their bank (Wel & Nor, 2003; Haron, Ahmed & Planisek, 1994). The issue of understanding how customers select banks is important, assisting banks in identifying the appropriate marketing strategies needed to attract and retain customers (Almossawi, 2001). One of the major influences on Islamic banking is religion, as consumers want to deal with Shariah-compliant banks. In a study conducted in Jordan, however, it was found that religious motivation was not a primary criterion for selecting Islamic banking services (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007).
Consumer decision-making on the choice of a bank is influenced by personal, psychological, external or social factors. Individual decision-making always occurs in a social, cultural, environmental or class context, as human beings interact and need to consider other people's responses (Blythe, 2008). External factors include culture, age, reference by friends, family, social class and subculture, and marketing activities (Hawkins et al., 2004). Social factors include family, social groups, reference groups and word-of-mouth communication. Other external factors include the reputation and image of a bank, its prestige, name and social class, and recommendations by relatives and friends (Wel & Nor, 2003). Social institutions and groups have a powerful influence on consumers in terms of what they purchase and consume (Wel & Nor, 2003). Internal influences deal with selfconcept and the subsequent lifestyle, based on psychological and physical influences like personality, values, emotions, memory, perception and motives (Hawkins et al, 2004). Personal factors or influences are the consumer's internal inclinations as to whether or not to engage in the relationship with the banks. This includes factors such as convenience, the availability of ATMs and the safety of personal funds (Wel & Nor, 2003). Banking is a service, so word-of-mouth communication, past experiences and personal needs play an important role in both the choice of a bank and the evaluation of its performance. The service quality model indicates that reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles are brought into consideration by consumers when assessing the service quality (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Table 2 below highlights some of the factors that influence consumers in their choice of a bank.
In a study conducted in Bahrain, the youth segment indicated that the five most influential factors for bank selection were in the following order: convenient ATM locations, the availability of ATMs in several locations, bank reputation, 24-hour availability of ATM services, and the availability of nearby parking space (Almossawi, 2001). The least influential factors were: the employer using the same bank, and recommendations by friends and relations. In contrast with the study conducted among students in the UK, recommendation by friends and family was the most important criterion, followed by reputation and the image of the financial institution (Tank & Tyler, 2005). This shows that in some environments non-commercial sources like word-of-mouth, family and friends have greater influence than the bank's marketing strategies (Tank & Tyler, 2005). Bank customers have diverse needs and display different attitudes towards risk and saving behaviours (Funfgeld & Wang, 2009). Muslims lack understanding of Islamic banking and its requirements. In Singapore, only 20.7 per cent of those surveyed knew the meaning of riba, 31 per cent knew the meaning of Shariah, and no respondent could explain accurately the meaning of Murabaha, Ijarah and Musharakah (Hamid & Nordin, 1998).
Literature shows that the main factors influencing the choice of bank are: the pricing structure of services, friends' referrals on banks, switching costs and service quality (Abratt & Russell, 1999). In a South African study by Abratt and Russell (1999) on the criteria used by consumers in the selection ofa private bank, it was found that price was an important criterion, modified by trust, service quality and the availability ofthe bank.
In a study conducted in Singapore among undergraduate students, the most important factors in their bank selection were feeling secure, a strong desire for a bank to have an available electronic service, and the provision of wider services (Gerrard & Cunningham, 1997). Convenience was the fourth factor, while social or personal influences were the least important. This is in contrast with findings in a study conducted in the USA, in which convenience was shown to be the most important factor (Blackson et al., 2007).
In another study conducted on the urban informal lower income sector in South Africa, it was found that the important factors in the patronage of banks were the friendliness of bank personnel, location near home, the speed of transaction, fast and efficient service, communication with the bank manager, and low service charges; recommendations by family and friends was rated lowest in the patronage factors (Saunders et al., 2007).
Research conducted among students in the UK revealed that they chose a retail bank mainly owing to recommendations by friends and family; other factors included the reputation or image of the financial institution (Tank & Tyler, 2005). The results ofthis study revealed that the bank's Internet websites played an important role in influencing the choice of bank (Tank & Tyler, 2005).
In a study exploring the determinants of bank selection across the USA, Taiwan and Ghana, the results indicated that, in the USA, convenience was the most important factor, followed by competence, recommendation by peers, and free banking with no bank charges (Blackson et al., 2007). In Taiwan and Ghana, competence was the most important factor; the second factor for the Ghanaians was recommendation by peers, whereas for the Taiwanese it was convenience (Blackson et al., 2007). On the other hand, the provision of fast and efficient services was one of the most important criteria in bank choices (Amin, 2008).
In a study carried out among the new age youth in India, convenience was found to be the most important factor in their bankselection criteria, followed by Internet banking and the availability of ATMs (Srivatsa & Srinivasan, 2008).
In conclusion, personal and social factors influence the choice of bank. Banks need to know which factors are important when developing strategies that would meet the needs ofthe customers.
3 Methodology
Descriptive research design was used, as it is appropriate for answering questions on who, what, where, when, and how, and it was also desirable because the findings could be inferred to a larger population (Malhotra & Birks, 2007). This type of research provides information on understanding consumers as well as insights into factors that influence purchase decisions.
3.1. Population and sample
The population is the entire group under study (Malhotra & Birks, 2007), which is about 1 million Muslims residing in South Africa. The sample is a subset of the population that should represent the entire group (Malhotra & Birks, 2007). For this research, only Muslims aged 18 years and older who had a relationship with a bank were approached. Initially, the researchers had intended to survey both Muslims and non-Muslims, and then to compare the data from each group. The questionnaire for the pilot study was adapted from the study by Gerrard and Cunningham (1997), which was conducted amongst Muslims and non-Muslims in Singapore. The questionnaire was pre-tested to create reliability. However, the pilot study indicated that almost all non-Muslims were unaware of Islamic banking, finance and investment products and their applications. The research was then limited to Muslims only.
A non-probability convenience sampling method was used, which could result in bias and a non-representative sample (Galpin, 2000). Personal interviews were conducted using a questionnaire constructed to aid in the collection of data. A total of 1000 questionnaires were distributed and 272 responses were received, of which 250 were complete and sufficient for statistical analysis. Respondents were either contacted in person outside the four main banks in South Africa (Nedbank, the Standard Bank, the First National Bank and ABSA) and Albaraka bank, at major shopping and business centres, and via e-mail. This was done by the field worker, who was one ofthe researchers.
The measuring instrument was a questionnaire, which was completed by the respondents. The assumption was that the respondents would be competent in reading and understanding English, so they could select answers in the questionnaire.
Demographic data such as age, race, gender, income level, occupation and level of education were collected; nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scaling measurements were used for data analysis. The research instruments asked questions in a manner which enhanced internal validity.
Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the data set and gain insights and understanding of Islamic banking. For further insight, the distribution-fitting algorithmic approach was used, which changes the ordinal level scales into interval level data (Stacey, 2005). This approach is an alternative approach to analysing ordinal level response data, which involves fitting hypothesised distributions of the observed response data by calculating item means and standard deviations of the sample (Stacey, 2005).
4 Findings
The majority of the respondents were men aged between 18 and 35. In terms of education, 75 per cent of the respondents had had tertiary education; 90 per cent were employed, 36 per cent considered themselves to be very religious and 54 per cent somewhat religious. The description of the sample base is given below in Table 3: A question was posed to elicit respondents' understanding of the term Islamic banking. It was found that 58.4 per cent of respondents stated that Islamic banking pertained to interest-free banking. Of these 58.4 per cent, 23.7 per cent stated that, in addition to Islamic banking being interest-free, it was required to be Shariah-compliant. Furthermore, 24.1 per cent of respondents stated that Islamic banking pertained to Shariah compliance, but these respondents did not specifically state that Islamic banking was interest free. The other popular understanding was that Islamic banking was a way of investing in Islamic ethical investments.
The results indicate that 96.6 per cent of respondents were aware of Islamic banks. These findings bear correlation to the findings of studies conducted in countries where Islamic banking is offered. However, the findings of this study suggest that, while the level ofawareness is high, the level ofusage is low for transaction and finance products. In the study conducted in Singapore, the results showed that most Muslims, although aware of fundamental terms in Islam, did not understand the meaning of specific Islamic financial terms like mudaraba, musharaka and ijara (Gerrard & Cunningham, 1997). The comparisons are given in Table 4:
The comparison suggests that, in countries where Islamic banking is offered, the level of awareness of Islamic banking is high (Gerrard & Cunningham, 1997). In South Africa, Bahrain and Malaysia, Muslims are aware of Islamic banking products. Bahrain has a high rate of investment usage, while South Africa has a lower usage rate of 20 per cent for investment products. In Jordan and Malaysia, Islamic banks offer transaction-type products and are used at a higher level than that for financing products. The results suggest that the usage level varies, depending on the type of product. In a study carried out in Jordan, Naser and A-l Khatib (1999) found that the level of awareness of Islamic banking was generally high, but that the usage level was much lower than the level ofawareness.
4.2 Factors influencing the choice of banks
For the South African study on the use of interest-free banking products, the most commonly used of these products were savings/investments accounts and equity funds. The results indicate that only 20 per cent ofthe respondents used these two types of interestfree investment products.
The results indicate that the respondents used more banking products with the conventional banks. Most of the respondents had current and transactional accounts, credit cards, ATM cards and cheque accounts with non-Islamic banks. The results also indicate that few of the respondents were using telephone banking. Overall, the respondents' used minimal products from the Islamic banks. The most popular products used at these banks are savings and investment accounts, and equity funds or unit trusts, where 20 per cent of the respondents use them respectively. 81 per cent of the respondents use conventional banks for current or transaction accounts. Cheque books, ATM cards, credit cards and Internet banking are used mainly at the conventional banks. Usage levels are given in Table 5:
Thirty-eighty percent (38%) of the respondents had no savings or investment accounts, and 59 per cent had no equity or unit trusts. The majority of the respondents did not use business or trade finance, had no overdraft, and did not use telephone banking. In a study conducted in Malaysia on Islamic home financing, the deciding factors in order of importance were Shariah principles, lower monthly payment, transparency practice, interest-free practice and 100 per cent financing (Amin, 2008).
On the number of banks used by the respondents, 50 per cent used more than 1 bank and 50 per cent used only 1 bank. On the use of interest-free Shariah-compliant banks, 79.6 per cent of the respondents used only conventional banks, 19.6 per cent used both conventional and Islamic banks, and 0.8 per cent used an Islamic bank only. A Chi-squared test was used to test the relationship between the religious levels (assessed in the demographics section) and the use of Islamic banking as opposed to conventional banking. The Chi-square test statistic of 5.222 and a p-value of 0.4669 were non-significant, indicating that religious level is not associated with type ofbanking used. The most important reason identified for using more than one bank was that conventional banks are used for transaction purposes and an interest-free bank for Shariah-compliant investment purposes (see Table 6). The results showed that 16.8 per cent used a conventional bank for transactional purposes and another conventional bank for investment purposes, 12 per cent did so in order to have a better and wider range of banking options from which to choose and select. The research indicated that 12 per cent used the Islamic banks because of the lower interest rates and 9.6 per cent did so for better or more credit-card facilities. Another 8.8 per cent did so for convenience. Respondents were asked to assume that they were planning to finance the establishment of a new business: 45 per cent stated that they would attempt to raise the finance through an equity partnership dealing with an interest-free bank. About 25 per cent would attempt to raise the finance through an equity partnership dealing with a venture capitalist or other investor, 14 per cent did not know how they would attempt to raise the finance required, 14 per cent would attempt to raise the finance by means of a loan from an interest-based bank, and 2 per cent would consider other options in an attempt to raise the finance.
In Indonesia, most Muslims use conventional banks and the cash machines because it is easier and more convenient. When it came to car financing, 65 per cent indicated that they would attempt to finance such a purchase using interest-free or Islamic banks, 19 per cent indicated that they would use the interestbased banks, 11 per cent did not know, and 5 per cent gave other reasons. For purchasing a house or property on credit, 60 per cent indicated they would use interest-free banks, 27 per cent would use interest-based loans, 10 per cent did not know, and 3 per cent would use other sources. Respondents were asked why they would use interest-free banking, and 88.4 per cent responded that they would do this for religious reasons, while 5.6 per cent would do it for a higher return on investment.
The results are given in Table 7, Using the data in Table 7, the distribution fitting algorithm approach (Stacey, 2005) was applied to analyse the consumers' choice of banks. The results are given in Table 8 below.
The data was further analysed using the distribution fitting algorithm methodology (Stacey, 2005). The factors were analysed and the means and t-values were determined and ranked. The factors with positive means indicated that the factors are important in the choice of banks while those with negative means were deemed to indicate that the factors were either inconclusive or not significantly important. The p-values were in line with the mean results for the rankings of factors, except for the efficient services factor, which had a low mean and high t value.
The results show that lower bank charges, an extensive ATM network, lower administration and efficient services are important factors in the choice of banks. The results indicate that these factors are significantly important. This is consistent with a study conducted in Malaysia, where the most important factor for Muslims when selecting financial institutions was fast and efficient service (Haron et al., 1994). Fast, efficient service had the highest t-value, although its mean was fifth on mean ranking. Other factors, the availability of internet banking, lower interest rates on overdraft and higher profits on investments are inconclusive. On the other hand, financial planning assistance, recommendations, telephone banking and higher interest rates on savings are significantly not important.
From the results of the distribution fitting algorithm approach, the mean indicates that lower bank charges are important in the choice between an Islamic and a conventional bank, which differs from the study done in the USA, which found that fast, efficient service was the most important factor (Blackson et al., 2007). There is consensus that higher interest on savings, Internet banking, higher profits on investments and financial planning assistance are least important in the bank attributes. The results indicate that telephone banking and recommendations by friends or family are negatively related to the choice of banks. Using the p-value results, Internet banking, lower interest rates on overdrafts and higher profits on investment, as well financial planning factors, are not significantly important in the choice of a bank.
4.4 Discussion
The main characteristics of Islamic banking are Shariah-compliance and profit/loss risk sharing between borrower and lender. It was found that 96.6 per cent of the respondents knew of the four major attributes of Islamic banking. The results indicate that only about 20 per cent of the respondents used interest - free investments, which include savings, equity funds, unit trusts, and investments. In addition, only about 4-8 per cent of the respondents used Muslim banks to finance vehicles, house/property and business finance. Only about 2-6 per cent used transaction-type products, which are transaction accounts, chequebook facilities, debit/ATM cards, credit cards, Internet banking, overdraft facility and telephone banking. Furthermore, there is no significant relationship between a religious Muslim person and the use of Islamic banking services.
The main factors influencing the choice of banks identified in this study are fast and efficient service, lower bank charges, the availability of ATMs, lower administrative charges and an extensive branch network. In the study by Naser and A-l Khatib (1999), the important factors in the choice of banks were shown to be convenience (location), friends' recommendations, the reputation of the bank, the availability of credit, competitive interest rates, the friendliness of the bank staff, service charges, adequate banking hours, availability of the ATM, special services and the quality of services on checque accounts (Naser & A-l Khatib, 1999). These important attributes vary from country to country and are dependent on the age, gender, income, marital status, occupation and cultural background of customers, as well as the type of bank, Islamic or conventional (Naser & A-l Khatib, 1999). Other studies indicate that factors such as the bank's reputation, business hours, parking facilities, services offered, recommendations by friends and relatives, fast and efficient service, being able to pay utility bills and financial counselling services were considered more important by male customers than by female customers in Turkey (Naser & A-l Khatib, 1999).
In this South African study, it can be deduced that consumers' choice of a bank depends on fast and efficient service (see Table 9). The other important attributes were lower bank and administration charges, and extensive ATM and branch networks.
One in two Muslim consumers in South Africa conduct multiple banking, of which 38.4 per cent use both an Islamic and a conventional bank, while the remaining 61.6 per cent use multiple conventional banks. The reason for using both conventional and Islamic banks is that conventional banks do not offer Shariah-compliant investment and finance products. The Muslim consumers intend to invest in Islamic investments and raise finance from these banks. There is a discrepancy between the intended behaviour and awareness and actual behaviour in using Islamic banking.
The results of the study conducted in Malaysia indicated that knowledgeable and competent personnel was the most important factor in the choice of Islamic banks, followed by friendly personnel and customer service (fast and efficient services), while the price of products and proximity to home and work were the least important (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007). In Malaysia, Islamic bankers can no longer depend on marketing strategy attracting pious and religious customers (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007), which concurs with the results from this South African study.
5 Conclusion
The paper attempted to establish the customer awareness and use of Islamic banks in South Africa. The study fills an important gap in the literature, that of exploring the awareness of Islamic banking and the attributes customers require from the Islamic banks. Knowing the reasons why customers want to do business with certain banks and not others would save banks money, as they would be able to target their communication at the right factors and market segment (Wel & Nor, 2003).
With a population of over 1 million South African Muslims, it was hypothesised that all Muslims would use Islamic banks, since these banks are in the country. It was found that the majority of Muslims are aware of Muslim banks but do not use them. The usage rate is very low, the main reason being that Muslim customers are looking for efficiency, ATM availability and accessibility. With this information, Islamic banks should not overemphasise and rely on the religious factor as a strategy in their effort to attract more customers (Haron et al., 1994). The study suggests that Muslim banks have to understand their potential customers and develop products that will meet their needs.
The results of this study are in line with the study done in Malaysia in 2007, which indicated that Islamic banks must not rely solely on religious factors as a strategy for securing customer allegiance, but that they should also emphasise the provision of quality and efficient products and services (Dusuki & Abdullah, 2007).
5.1 Limitations of the study
The sample selection technique employed may limit generalisation of the results to the population owing to the use of non-random convenience sampling.
5.2 Managerial implications
Bank marketing departments should ensure that consumers have an understanding of the four main characteristics of Islamic banking, namely the Shariah-compliant, interest-free profit mark-up system, profit and loss risk sharing between the lender and the borrower and Islamic ethical projects and transactions. Potential and current customers must be educated in the principles of Islamic banking. The banks should offer fast, efficient service, as this was a highly-rated customer requirement.
5.3 Recommendations
With the increasing levels of competition in the banking sector, it is important for bank managers to understand the needs and expectations of the market segments served in order to attract, acquire and retain customers. The important attributes identified by this study ought to be addressed ifthe performance by the banks is to meet customer expectations.
5.4 Further studies
Further studies should be carried out to investigate how Islamic banks could provide better services to their target markets without compromising the fundamentals of Shariah law. Other studies could focus on increasing consumer awareness of the services Islamic banks offer, particularly to South Africans. A qualitative study could also be carried out to probe the motivations for using or not using Islamic banks.
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Accepted June 2011


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For Vampire Diaries fans who love Klaus and Caroline together, Candice Accola says you'll be very satisfied by the season's remaining episodes.
"Obviously Klaus [Joseph Morgan] has his hands full in New Orleans ... but there are going to be some great moments in the final three episodes that will leave the fans satisfied, but still wanting more from the two of them," Accola tells us in the video below. "Klaroline fans ... will be intrigued by this week's episode — they're going to have some moments."
Check out Candice Accola as one this season's MVPs
While Caroline is focused on the upcoming graduation, on Thursday's episode (8/7c, CW) she and the rest of the group will try their very hardest to get Elena's humanity back. So when — or if — Elena's emotions return, will she be able to forgive her former bestie who's been short of awful to her recently?
The Vampire Diaries Finale First Look: Has Elena turned her emotions back on?
"What I love about Caroline is that her perspective has grown tenfold as the series has gone on. So, I don't think she's going to hold Elena fully accountable for all those moments when she hasn't been the kindest ... but it will be addressed that Caroline is aware [Elena] hasn't been a very nice friend."
Watch this week's Vampire Diaries Bite for more from Accola and check back for scoop on Caroline's future with Tyler (Michael Trevino), returning familiar faces and graduation!
The Vampire Diaries airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by a joint venture between Lionsgate and CBS.)


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Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went, that lamb was sure to go.
The TARDIS is empty. The Doctor has gone.
Jo Grant steps outside into the darkness and finds the frozen body of her friend, and the ship's log recorder. On it is attached a simple message - 'Use Me'.
As she explores this place, recording her every move, Jo discovers the horror that lies in the shadows.
But by then it is too late.
Written By: Jonathan Morris
Directed By: Louise Jameson
Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Damian Lynch (Benjamin Chikoto)
Producer David Richardson
Script Editor Jacqueline Rayner
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs