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Leadership’s dark side has been on the rise, negatively affecting organizations. The phenomenon, however, is not as simple as it seems. Based on social exchange and conservation of resource theories, current research aims to explore the impact of psychological entitlement on despotic leadership, ultimately leading to instigated workplace incivility. Moreover, emotional exhaustion was tested as a mediator and Islamic work ethics as a moderator.

This study aims to examine the effect of dark side of leadership and for this, the survey approach was used to collect data from 402 bankers from Pakistan’s twin cities (Islamabad and Rawalpindi).

The results showed that psychological entitlement leads to despotism and despotic leaders become a reason for instigated workplace incivility. Results also showed that emotional exhaustion mediated, and Islamic work ethics moderated the relationship.

Bankers have a demanding job which is further exacerbated by despotic leaders feeling psychologically entitled and instigating employees toward uncivil behaviors as they experience emotional exhaustion. Despotic leaders need to be dealt with to reduce instigated incivility and Islamic work ethics can also aid in improving employee behavior.

Literature available on both antecedents and effects of the leadership’s dark side is limited, and this study strives to contribute by extending the literature available on psychological entitlement, despotic leadership and instigated workplace incivility relationships.

This study examines the effects of risk reduction, seller reputation, eWOM and warranties on consumer confidence and online impulse buying intentions through the lens of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model. It also explores the role of installment options in online impulse buying.

We performed a between-subjects experiment (installment vs. no-installment option). Data were collected from 199 consumers and analyzed using SmartPLS 3.3.9.

The results show that risk reduction, eWOM and warranty positively affect consumer confidence (CC) in online shopping and that CC positively predicts online impulse buying intentions. It was also found that the effect of CC on online impulse buying intentions was stronger when consumers were offered an installment option than a no-installment option.

Findings suggest that online sellers should invest more resources in building consumer confidence, which affects online impulse buying intentions. Moreover, online sellers should offer installment options to consumers, thereby reaping stronger effects of consumer confidence on online impulse buying intentions.

Employing the experimental approach, this study makes a novel attempt to examine the role of the installment option in fostering online impulse buying intentions among Pakistani consumers. Likewise, this is one of the early studies to explore the effects of risk reduction, seller reputation, eWOM and warranties on CC among Pakistani consumers using the SOR model.

The post-pandemic era has shifted most industries, businesses and consumers online, increasing the demand for electronic devices, mainly laptops. Additionally, most non-Western countries inhabit highly religious but cash-strapped individuals, making them a potential market for second-hand laptops. With this in mind, this study aims to explore the effects of lenient return policy (LRP) and religiosity on consumer confidence in retailer (CCR), consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This paper conducted a between-subjects field experiment comparing two return policy conditions (cash return vs. other return) with a sample of 222 participants. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships, and multigroup analysis (MGA) was employed to assess the experimental effects based on the return policy conditions. The moderating effects of religiosity were also examined. All analyses were conducted using SmartPLS software.

The results confirm that an LRP positively predicts consumer confidence in retailer, well-being and purchase intention. Religiosity had a moderating effect on LRP outcomes. Additionally, the experiment confirmed that consumers experienced better well-being and were more likely to purchase if offered full cashback.

Retailers of second-hand shopping products should offer LRP (full cashback) to foster consumer confidence, well-being and purchase intention. Additionally, for highly religious consumers, aligning return policies with religious principles should further enhance consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This study is among the earliest to investigate the impact of LRP on CCR and well-being. Moreover, a novel attempt is made to explore the moderating effects of religiosity on LRP outcomes. Likewise, a field experiment to validate the greater effects of cashback on consumer well-being and purchase intention adds to the novelty of this study.

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the heat transfer phenomena in a dynamically bulging enclosure filled with Cu-water nanofluid. This study examines the convective heat transfer process induced by a bulging area considered a heat source, with the enclosure's side walls having a low temperature and top and bottom walls being treated as adiabatic. Various factors, such as the Rayleigh number (Ra), nanoparticle volume fraction, Darcy effects, Hartmann number (Ha) and effects of magnetic inclination, are analyzed for their impact on the flow behavior and temperature distribution.

The finite element method (FEM) is employed for simulating variations in flow and temperature after validating the results. Solving the non-linear partial differential equations while incorporating the modified Darcy number (10⁻³ ≤ Da ≤ 10⁻¹), Ra (10³ ≤ Ra ≤ 10⁵) and Ha (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 100) as the dimensionless operational parameters.

This study demonstrates that in enclosures with dynamically positioned bulges filled with Cu-water nanofluid, heat transfer is significantly influenced by the bulge location and nanoparticle volume fraction, which alter flow and heat patterns. The varying impact of magnetic fields on heat transfer depends on the Rayleigh and Has.

The geometry configurations employed in this research have broad applications in various engineering disciplines, including heat exchangers, energy storage, biomedical systems and food processing.

This research provides insights into how different shapes of the heated bulging area impact the hydromagnetic convection of Cu-water nanofluid flow in a dynamically bulging-shaped porous system, encompassing curved surfaces and various multi-physical conditions.

This study explores the adoption of crowdfunding in Pakistan, focusing on the challenges and opportunities within its unique entrepreneurial ecosystem. The research aims to provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms, stakeholder engagement and institutional factors influencing crowdfunding adoption.

Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted using a purposive sampling technique. Data was collected from diverse stakeholders involved in the crowdfunding process including investors, entrepreneurs, platform owners and regulators.

The study identifies various challenges, including regulatory gaps, investor concerns, platform-related issues and systemic challenges such as political instability and weak institutions. These challenges hinder the effective implementation of crowdfunding in Pakistan. Moreover, the study highlights opportunities for financial inclusion, bridging the gap between investors and entrepreneurs, and leveraging Pakistan’s entrepreneurial landscape for crowdfunding growth. While several challenges were common to both developed and developing countries, the study also identified distinct challenges such as digital literacy, reliance on the undocumented economy, insufficient regulatory frameworks and investor mindset specific to developing countries.

Since crowdfunding is an emerging phenomenon in Pakistan, this study had limitations as no official crowdfunding platform other than the Pakistan National Investor Portal had started operations. Therefore, this study involved only those stakeholders who were involved in designing regulatory sandbox suggestions. The sample size could be increased to include stakeholders from other developing countries in the future. This article, however, provides significant strategic guidance for policymakers in developing a framework to improve financial inclusion in development.

The study provides critical areas of concern for regulatory authorities for developing appropriate legislation to help overcome the challenges to the institutionalization of crowdfunding. This study also encourages stakeholders like investors and entrepreneurs to participate in crowdfunding while looking at the perspective of other parties.

This research highlights the need for the Pakistani society to be well-informed about alternative investment opportunities, like crowdfunding. The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, along with the government, can also explore the benefits of crowdfunding to address their lack of access to capital and enable the inclusion of an informal economy to reduce poverty in a developing country.

Crowdfunding is a new phenomenon in Pakistan, and the scope of its application in the MSME sector has not been thoroughly investigated. This study reveals how micro and small firms can use crowdfunding to boost their economic operations by overcoming challenges and taking advantage of fintech (financial technology) to achieve financial inclusion, leading to economic sustainability.

This study addresses tourists' post-consumption perspectives on the impact of online destination experiences and animosity on travel decisions. Developing a framework based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory, we examine the previously unexplored relationship between post-negative events, online destination brand experience (ODBE), tourists' animosity and destination boycott intentions within the domestic tourism context.

Data from 355 actively engaged domestic travelers in Pakistan who follow destination social media pages (i.e. Instagram and Facebook) was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings reveal that post-negative events ODBE significantly stimulate tourists' animosity, which in turn drives destination boycott intentions. The ODBE indirectly affects boycott intentions through animosity, acting as a partial mediator. The analysis highlights the significance of the users' prior experience levels (novice vs experienced). Multigroup analysis shows that novice visitors are more sensitive to negative online experiences, resulting in stronger animosity than experienced visitors. Animosity significantly drives boycott intentions, particularly among experienced visitors.

This study’s novelty lies in its comprehensive examination of post-negative events, focusing on how the ODBE influences tourists' negative emotions and boycott intentions. These findings offer valuable insights for tourism researchers and destination marketers, underscoring the importance of optimizing post-service failure ODBE strategies for brand repair, online reputation management, digital marketing innovation and customized service recovery to mitigate the impact of negative events.

In today’s business landscape, drawing upon the critical role of environmental sustainability, this study investigates the intricate relationship between green human resource management practices (GHRMP), big data analytics capability (BDAC), green competitive advantage (GCA) and environmental performance (EP), further moderated by managerial environmental concern (MEC).

This study employs a quantitative approach using the latest version of SmartPLS 4 version 4.0.9.6 on a data sample of 467 participants representing a diverse range of manufacturing SMEs. Data were collected from managers and directors using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). This study contributes to the existing knowledge by integrating GHRMP and BDAC within the GCA framework, providing a comprehensive understanding of how these practices enhance SME`s sustainability.

The findings provide valuable insights into the manufacturing sector, aiming to enhance SMEs' green competitive advantage. Implementing GHRMP fosters environmental awareness within the workforce, and building BDAC allows for effectively translating that GHRMP into actionable insights, maximizing the potential for achieving GCA. Furthermore, recognizing MEC’s moderating role strengthens positive environmental outcomes associated with GCA. The findings confirm that GHRMP and BDAC are valuable resources and key drivers contributing to competitive advantage in sustainability of enterprises.

For SMEs, our findings suggest that strategically integrating GHRMP with BDAC not only boosts environmental stewardship but also improves operational efficiency and market positioning. This research outlines actionable steps for SMEs aiming to achieve sustainability targets while enhancing profitability. This research provides actionable insights for SMEs in strategic decision-making and policy formulation, aiding SMEs in navigating the complexities of sustainable development effectively.

This study contributes to the existing knowledge by integrating GHRMP and BDAC within the GCA framework, providing a robust theoretical explanation of how HRM practices and BDAC help SMEs gain green competitiveness. The implication of this study reveals that SMEs implementing and integrating green HRM practices with advanced data analytics are more likely to gain competitive advantage. This study draws theoretical support from the resource-based view (RBV) theory, positing that a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage stems from its unique and valuable resources and capabilities that are difficult for competitors to imitate or substitute.

This study aims to investigate the market reaction to dividend announcements and sharia compliance based on the Islamic stock indexes of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan by scrutinising investors’ interpretations, behaviour (traditional, rational, religious or ethical) and preferences.

Event study methodology (ESM) was used to analyse 31 days around the event date. The research period spanned 2011–2018, during which 282 observed dividend announcements were tested using a t-test, and there were 4,960 cases of sharia compliance in the data panel.

Indonesian investors react to earnings surprises as bad news while bypassing dividend announcements, thus classifying their behaviour as rational. Meanwhile, investors in Malaysia and Pakistan respond to dividend announcements as bad news while bypassing earnings surprises, thus classifying their behaviour as traditional. Surprisingly, sharia compliance does not affect abnormal returns. These results imply that investors prefer a profit motive rather than sharia compliance.

To perpetrate positive reactions, companies need to increase earnings (Indonesia), nominal dividends (Malaysia) and delay dividend announcements (Pakistan). Also, tax regulators need to evaluate dividend tax and capital gains tax.

Investors cannot solely rely on Islamic stock lists, while regulators and firms must be transparent and accountable regarding sharia compliance ratio.

There is a dearth of research on market reaction in Islamic stock indexes. This study adheres to critical assumptions of ESM: controlling the confounding effects and ensuring market efficiency. These assumptions lead to the proposal of mandatory and advisory sharia compliance, evaluation of ratios using a staple scale and examination of differences in dividend tax rates. An extended tax preference theory is also proposed to contribute to the body of knowledge.

Despite its devastating nature, the COVID-19 pandemic has also catalyzed a substantial surge in the adoption and integration of technological tools within economies, exerting a profound influence on the dissemination of information among participants in stock markets. Consequently, this present study delves into the ramifications of post-pandemic dynamics on stock market behavior. It also examines the relationship between investors' sentiments, underlying behavioral drivers and their collective impact on global stock markets.

Drawing upon data spanning from 2012 to 2023 and encompassing major world indices classified by Morgan Stanley Capital International’s (MSCI) market and regional taxonomy, this study employs a threshold regression model. This model effectively distinguishes the thresholds within these influential factors. To evaluate the statistical significance of variances across these thresholds, a Wald coefficient analysis was applied.

The empirical results highlighted the substantive role that investors' sentiments and behavioral determinants play in shaping the predictability of returns on a global scale. However, their influence on developed economies and the continents of America appears comparatively lower compared with the Asia–Pacific markets. Similarly, the regions characterized by a more pronounced influence of behavioral factors seem to reduce their reliance on these factors in the post-pandemic landscape and vice versa. Interestingly, the post COVID-19 technological advancements also appear to exert a lesser impact on developed nations.

This study pioneers the investigation of these contextual dissimilarities, thereby charting new avenues for subsequent research studies. These insights shed valuable light on the contextualized nexus between technology, societal dynamics, behavioral biases and their collective impact on stock markets. Furthermore, the study's revelations offer a unique vantage point for addressing market inefficiencies by pinpointing the pivotal factors driving such behavioral patterns.

This study addresses the question of whether Islamic epistemology and ethics advance the understanding and promotion of sustainable development (SD) in the field of Islamic management, economics and finance (IMEF). This study also aims to understand how contemporary ethical theories explain and harmonise Islamic ethics in the context of SD.

This study adopts the PRISMA protocol and conducts a systematic literature review of 62 articles published from 2015 to 2023 to provide answers to four research questions. The selected publications were taken from the Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, using the purposive sampling technique, and taking into account the selection criteria of quality, relevance and timeliness of the publications.

Four key findings emerged from the review. Firstly, Islamic epistemology and ethics, drawn from the Qur’an and Hadith, guide practices toward SD. Secondly, Islamic epistemology and ethics promote SD through various initiatives, including ethical behaviour, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, Islamic banking and financing ethics and Islamic social financing principles among others. Third, contemporary ethical theories such as virtue ethics, intentionalism, consequentialism and deontological ethics enrich the application of Islamic ethical foundations in the context of SD. Finally, the theoretical connection between Islamic epistemology, ethics and SD lies in their alignment toward promoting ethical behaviour, social responsibility and holistic ecosystem well-being.

The insights provided by this review offer practical implications for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in IMEF. The insights also underscore the importance of integrating Islamic ethical principles into SD initiatives and policy frameworks.

This novel study offers unique perspectives by integrating contemporary ethical theories with Islamic ethics and epistemology to justify SD in ways that are both theoretically and practically significant. In addition, six novel propositions are suggested for future research in IMEF.