Nahed T. Zeini and Ahmed E. Okasha
This paper aims to investigate the implementation of good governance (GG) principles in Egypt’s public health sector and assess their impact on overall GG and their…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the implementation of good governance (GG) principles in Egypt’s public health sector and assess their impact on overall GG and their interrelationships.
Design/methodology/approach
About 21 indicators under six principles were chosen to investigate the following principles: rule of law, legislation and institutions’ regulations, self-governance, transparency and accountability, equity and efficiency and e-services. Using secondary survey data, this paper employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the impact of chosen GG principles on the overall GG and their interrelationship.
Findings
The findings showed the significant impact of the principles on GG, but with different weights. They confirmed the complex interrelation among GG principles toward implementing GG effectively and efficiently. The findings recommend the importance of diagnosing the organization’s structure and functions and how this can carry out governance in a good manner. Investigating the success of implementing GG at the micro-level is also suggested, using a bottom-up approach, to assure that the organization’s units/subunits perform efficiently toward enhancing the goodness of governance.
Originality/value
This study provides empirical evidence on the complex nature of GG principles through their implementation in Egypt’s public health sector as a case study, aiming to investigate the direct and indirect interrelation between GG principles.
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Nahed T. Zeini, Ahmed E. Okasha and Amal S. Soliman
Using bibliometrics, this study aims to explore the intellectual structure of social segregation research, key contributors, thematic areas and hotspot topics.
Abstract
Purpose
Using bibliometrics, this study aims to explore the intellectual structure of social segregation research, key contributors, thematic areas and hotspot topics.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was performed for more than 15,000 research papers listed in one of the famous, rich and widely used scientific databases: Web of Science (WoS). This review approach was used to identify social research hotspots on segregation, intellectual structure, borders and development trends. VOSviewer and Gephi software were employed for mapping and analysis.
Findings
The study indicates a marked increase in segregation research, particularly from a spatial/urban perspective. The study reveals the interrelationship between segregation and many other social concepts, such as social equality, cohesion, integration and inclusion. In conclusion, addressing the ramifications resulting from the multiple forms of segregation will help in implementing social policies and evaluating their impact on achieving inclusive social development in general and the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in specific.
Research limitations/implications
This study remains limited to the precision and thoroughness of the bibliographic data gained from WoS.
Originality/value
This study is valuable for readers to gain rich insights into the state of research on social segregation. It also provides ideas for future research that prospective authors and interested research and academic institutions can investigate.
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Hussam Al Halbusi, Khalid Al-Sulaiti, Fadi Abdelfattah, Ahmad Bayiz Ahmad and Salah Hassan
This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of online pharmacies in Qatar using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology-2 (UTAUT-2…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of online pharmacies in Qatar using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology-2 (UTAUT-2) framework. Specifically, this study examines the impact of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, habit, technology trust, perceived risk and users’ level of awareness of behavioral intention, which in turn affects the adoption of online pharmacies. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating role of word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations on the relationship between behavioral intention and online pharmacy adaptation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a descriptive, quantitative approach to investigate the UTAUT-2 model in the context of consumers’ adoption of e-pharmacy in Qatar. Through convenience sampling, 455 responses were collected from regular customers accessing online pharmacy services. The data were analyzed using Smart-PLS 3.2 software to examine the hypothesized relationships.
Findings
The results showed that WOM recommendations significantly enhanced the relationship between behavioral intention and adopting online pharmacies in Qatar. This study identified the factors that may hinder or enable the adoption of online pharmacies, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, habit, technology trust, perceived risk and users’ level of awareness.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the existing literature on technology acceptance by extending the UTAUT-2 model and recognizing three additional variables (perceived risk, technology trust and technology awareness). These need to be investigated against UTAUT-2 variables to detect the significance of their impact on adapting the e-health concept in Qatar. The potential for cultural change to accelerate the adoption of online pharmacies is highlighted. Future research should explore the role of moral and cultural factors in technology adoption.
Practical implications
The results underscore the economic and social significance of e-pharmacy adoption, particularly within the context of a developing country. Considering the positive intentions expressed by individuals toward e-pharmacy, it becomes crucial for managers and decision-makers to make strategic choices to address any challenges that may arise. Policymakers are encouraged to enhance their services and implement various development initiatives to expand e-pharmacy accessibility and availability.
Originality/value
This study builds upon previous research on e-commerce in the pharmaceutical industry and provides a comprehensive understanding of customers in developing countries. Extending the UTAUT-2 model and identifying additional variables contributes to the knowledge of e-health concepts in Qatar. The findings have practical implications for developing strategies to promote online pharmacy adoption in Qatar and other countries.
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Ramin Rostamkhani and Thurasamy Ramayah
This chapter of the book seeks to use famous mathematical functions (statistical distribution functions) in evaluating and analyzing supply chain network data related to supply…
Abstract
This chapter of the book seeks to use famous mathematical functions (statistical distribution functions) in evaluating and analyzing supply chain network data related to supply chain management (SCM) elements in organizations. In other words, the main purpose of this chapter is to find the best-fitted statistical distribution functions for SCM data. Explaining how to best fit the statistical distribution function along with the explanation of all possible aspects of a function for selected components of SCM from this chapter will make a significant attraction for production and services experts who will lead their organization to the path of competitive excellence. The main core of the chapter is the reliability values related to the reliability function calculated by the relevant chart and extracting other information based on other aspects of statistical distribution functions such as probability density, cumulative distribution, and failure function. This chapter of the book will turn readers into professional users of statistical distribution functions in mathematics for analyzing supply chain element data.
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Marian H. Amin, Heba Ali and Ehab K. A. Mohamed
This paper scrutinizes the nexus between firms’ board characteristics; environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and industry sensitivity, with the aim of examining…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper scrutinizes the nexus between firms’ board characteristics; environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and industry sensitivity, with the aim of examining how the impact of board diversity on ESG performance would vary among sensitive versus non-sensitive industries and identify which board characteristics are more influential on ESG performance in these industries.
Design/methodology/approach
A large sample of 31,255 firm-year observations in 5,471 companies listed in the G-7 countries from 2010 to 2022 is examined using a Heckman two-stage least squares (2SLS) approach to address the potential endogeneity concerns within our proposed relationships.
Findings
The findings show that the positive influence of diverse boards on a firm’s ESG performance is particularly amplified in sensitive industries and may be attributed to the greater need of these industries to address stakeholder concerns (as posited by the stakeholder and resource-dependence theories) and mitigate agency conflicts (supporting agency theory). Interestingly, the impact of diversity in board gender and education qualifications appears to be particularly influential and remains robust across a series of regression analyses.
Research limitations/implications
This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries. For practitioners and firms, the results allow for better understanding of firms’ tendency towards sustainability practices, particularly in the context of sensitive industries.
Practical implications
This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the increasingly growing literature that investigates the nexus between industry sensitivity, board characteristics and ESG performance.
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S.M. Sohel Rana, Sheikh Mohammad Fauzul Azim, Arifur Rahman Khan Arif, Mohammed Sohel Islam Sohel and Farhana Newaz Priya
The tech savvy generation Z consumers constitute a significant market of online shopping. Understanding their shopping behavior is thus a pressing need to expand the e-commerce…
Abstract
Purpose
The tech savvy generation Z consumers constitute a significant market of online shopping. Understanding their shopping behavior is thus a pressing need to expand the e-commerce business. Under this backdrop, the study aims to predict the online shopping behavior of generation Z customers in Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the theory of consumption values (TCV) along with shopping enjoyment to understand the online shopping behavior of generation Z. A structured set of questionnaire was used to gather the responses on a five point Likert scale. A total of 411 valid responses were considered after discarding incomplete responses. The collected data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach with the help of smart PLS 4.0 software.
Findings
The statistical findings reveal that functional value is the most significant determinant of online shopping behavior among generation Z followed by social value, conditional value and epistemic value. The study also reveals that relationship between emotional value and online shopping behavior and relationship between conditional value and online shopping behavior is moderated by shopping enjoyment.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the consumer behavior literature as the findings provide a comprehensive model from values perspectives to understand online shopping behavior among Gen Z customers in a developing country like Bangladesh. The findings of this study offer important insights to the marketers also since it reveals the values consumers consider while shopping online. The findings might help practitioners develop their online strategies to expand the business.
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Anu Mohta and V. Shunmugasundaram
This study aims to assess the risk profile of millennial investors residing in the Delhi NCR region. In addition, the relationship between the risk profile and demographic traits…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the risk profile of millennial investors residing in the Delhi NCR region. In addition, the relationship between the risk profile and demographic traits of millennial investors was also analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected using a structured questionnaire segregated into two sections. In the first section, millennials were asked questions on socio-demographic factors, and the second section contained ten Likert-type statements to cover the multidimensionality of financial risk. Factor analysis and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the primary data collected for this study.
Findings
The findings indicate that the risk profile of millennials is mainly affected by three factors: risk-taking capacity, risk attitude and risk propensity. Except for educational qualification and occupation, all other demographic features, such as age, gender, marital status, income and family size, seem to significantly influence the factors defining millennials' risk profile.
Originality/value
Uncertainty is inherent in any financial decision, and an investor’s willingness to deal with these variations determines their investment risk profile. To make sound financial decisions, it is mandatory to understand one’s risk profile. The awareness of millennials' distinctive risk profile will come in handy to financial stakeholders because they account for one-third of India’s population, and their financial decisions will shape the financial world for the decades to come.