Oussama Saoula, Amjad Shamim, Norazah Mohd Suki, Munawar Javed Ahmad, Muhammad Farrukh Abid, Ataul Karim Patwary and Amir Zaib Abbasi
This study aims to examine the impact of website design, reliability and perceived ease of use as an engagement motivational factors on customer e-trust and e-retention in online…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of website design, reliability and perceived ease of use as an engagement motivational factors on customer e-trust and e-retention in online shopping.
Design/methodology/approach
By using deductive approach, quantitative methods and purposive sampling technique, this study has collected the data from 295 young online customers to enhance an understanding of website design, reliability and perceived ease of use in an online shopping context.
Findings
The findings revealed interesting insights where reliability is the most significant predictor of customer e-trust in online shopping, followed by perceived ease of use and website design. In addition, a significant mediating effect of e-trust is found between customer e-retention, website design, reliability and perceived ease of use.
Research limitations/implications
Future research is recommended to predict the antecedents of online engagement motivational factors with value co-creation and co-creation experience in online shopping context.
Originality/value
This study offers fresh insights about driving elements and impediments of online customer retention. Customer engagement comprising of website design, reliability and perceived ease of use appear to influence the online customer retention through direct and indirect effect.
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Kanza Abid, Zafar Iqbal Shams, Muhammad Suleman Tahir and Arif Zubair
The presence of heavy metals in milk causes many acute and chronic physiological dysfunctions in human organs. The present study aims to investigate the heavy metals in cow's and…
Abstract
Purpose
The presence of heavy metals in milk causes many acute and chronic physiological dysfunctions in human organs. The present study aims to investigate the heavy metals in cow's and buffalo's milk of two major cities, Karachi and Gujranwala, Pakistan to estimate metal intake by humans from this source.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 48 milk samples from 2 cities were drawn from animals' udder to avoid contamination. Each sample was digested with nitric acid at 105 oC (degree Celsius) on a pre-heated electric hot plate to investigate the metals by atomic absorption spectroscopy (flame type). Air-acetylene technique analyzed chromium, cadmium and lead, and the hydride method analyzed arsenic in the milk samples.
Findings
The results revealed the highest mean lead concentration (19.65 ± 43.86 ppb) in the milk samples, followed by chromium (2.10 ± 2.33 ppb) and arsenic (0.48 ± 0.73 ppb). Cadmium was not detected in any sample, assuming cadmium's occurrence was below the detection level. The concentrations of all the metals in the samples of the two cities do not differ statistically. Lead concentrations in the buffalo's milk were higher than in cow's milk (p < 0.05). However, the concentrations of arsenic and chromium between buffalo's and cow's milk do not differ statistically. The present study reveals a lower level of metals in the milk than those conducted elsewhere. The mean concentrations of all the metals met the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety guidelines (1993).
Research limitations/implications
Although cadmium causes toxicity in the human body, cadmium could not be measured because cadmium's concentration was below the detection level, which is 1 ppb.
Practical implications
This study will help reduce the toxic metals in our environment, and the sources of heavy metals, particularly from the industrial sector could be identified. The feed and water consumed by the milking animals could be carefully used for feeding them.
Social implications
This study will help reduce the diseases and malfunction of human organs and organ systems since these heavy metals cause toxicity and carcinogenicity in humans. Arsenic and chromium cause cancer while lead causes encephalopathy (a brain disease).
Originality/value
The study reports heavy metal concentrations in the two attributes of four independent variables of raw milk samples that were scarcely reported from Pakistan.
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Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej and Qaisar Iqbal
Based on the social exchange theory, the aim of the present study is to examine the effects, both direct and indirect (through sustainability-oriented innovative behaviors…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the social exchange theory, the aim of the present study is to examine the effects, both direct and indirect (through sustainability-oriented innovative behaviors [SIBs]), of sustainable project leadership (SPL) on sustainable project performance (SPP). Project management approaches (PMAs) (traditional, hybrid and agile) were examined as conditional factors in the “SPL–SIBs” relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs structural equation modeling based on data collected from 197 software engineering project team members working in the financial industry in Poland.
Findings
The study revealed that SPL significantly, positively affected SPP. It also provided evidence for the significant mediating impact of SIBs in the relationship between SPL and SPP and the conditional effect of agile and hybrid PMAs on the “SPL–SIBs” relationship.
Originality/value
The novelty of this work lies in introducing sustainable leadership into project management research, proposing and testing a unique and complex research framework, designing valid scales for measuring SPL and SPP, and suggesting many theoretical and empirical implications.
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Razia Fakir Mohammad, Preeta Hinduja and Sohni Siddiqui
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology to replace or integrate face-to-face learning with online learning has become a necessary requirement for promoting and continuing learning processes. Furthermore, integrating technology is a goal of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to make teaching and learning more innovative and sophisticated. This paper is based on a systematic review grounded in a synthesis of research papers and documents analyzing the current status of teachers' pedagogy through online learning modes in the context of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Through content analyses of academic studies in higher education and reflection on the online teaching experiences, this study discusses how students' learning is associated with teachers' teaching approaches in the modern era of digitalization and innovation.
Findings
The review and analysis suggest that online teaching is not viewed as an innovative phenomenon; rather, teachers simply teach their traditionally designed face-to-face courses through the use of technology. The paper suggests that transforming teachers' pedagogical insight to make online learning sustainable is an urgent need for higher education.
Originality/value
The analysis provides a basis for consideration of teacher learning and quality education (SDG #4) to fulfill the nation’s agenda for sustainable development. The analysis helps educators and administrators in higher education institutions reflect on their policies and practices that have short- and long-term effects on students' learning outcomes.
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Antonio Botti and Giovanni Baldi
This research delves into the realm of Business Model Innovation (BMI), integrating it with the human-centric, sustainable, and resilient principles of Industry 5.0, proposing a…
Abstract
Purpose
This research delves into the realm of Business Model Innovation (BMI), integrating it with the human-centric, sustainable, and resilient principles of Industry 5.0, proposing a new theoretical framework.
Design/methodology/approach
An abductive approach has been chosen to expand existing knowledge developing new ideas based on emerging phenomena. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with directors, managers and curators of public institutions in Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Spain encompassing Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM). These data were subsequently subjected to thematic analysis.
Findings
The findings indicate that the main enablers for Business Model Innovation (BMI) in combination with Industry 5.0 encompassed stakeholder, customer and organizational engagement, collaborative environment, knowledge and innovation management, and sustainability. These drivers were effectively leveraged through three pivotal facilitators-inhibitors: technology, resources, and leadership.
Research limitations/implications
The principal constraints are rooted in the narrow contextual focus and the limited participants number. However, upcoming research efforts may broaden the horizons of this multifaceted and extensive investigation.
Originality/value
This study is groundbreaking as it fills a significant gap in the existing literature by integrating Business Model Innovation (BMI) with the Industry 5.0 paradigm, a novel approach that has not been explored previously. Additionally, the inclusion of GLAM institutions in this research adds a unique dimension, as they have been largely overlooked in both research domains.
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Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the effects of servant leadership and despotic leadership on employees’ happiness at work (HAW…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the effects of servant leadership and despotic leadership on employees’ happiness at work (HAW) through job crafting.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the hypothesized relationships, the data were collected from 309 Pakistani employees. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The findings showed that servant leadership is an optimal leadership style for creating employees’ HAW. In addition, job crafting was found to mediate the effects of servant leadership on employees’ broad-based positive attitudinal outcome (HAW). Moreover, results showed that despotic leadership negatively influences employees’ HAW through job crafting.
Originality/value
This study is novel as it investigates how newer forms of positive (servant) and negative (despotic) leadership styles influence employees’ multidimensional attitudinal outcome (HAW) via job crafting. By doing so, this research extends the nomological network of servant leadership, despotic leadership, job crafting and HAW.
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Ghulam Ayehsa Siddiqua, Ajid ur Rehman and Shahzad Hussain
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs generalized method of moments (GMM) to investigate the adjustment of cash holdings.
Findings
The study found that the firms which hold cash above the optimal level of cash holdings have higher speed of adjustment than the firms which hold cash below the optimal level. Financially constrained (FC) firms also adjust their cash holdings faster than financially unconstrained (FUC) firms but high speed of downward adjustment does not remain persistent after financial constraints are controlled. Findings of this study reveal this asymmetric adjustment in above and below target firms and extend these results in FC and FUC Pakistani listed firms, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The conclusion of this study has been derived under certain limitations. There is a vast space to extend this study in different dimensions. Firms operating in capital-intensive industries may provide different results for financial constraints because their policy designing would be quite different from other firms.
Originality/value
This study contributes to cash holdings research in Pakistan by exploring the adjustment behavior of cash holdings across Pakistani non-financial firms using econometric modeling. Downward adjustment rate is supposed to be higher than upward adjustment rate and this rate is tested using dynamic panel data model. Similarly, it is inferred that this relationship holds for above target firms even after including the financial constraints in the presented model.
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Abdelrahman M. Farouk and Rahimi A. Rahman
Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects offers many benefits. However, the use of BIM in project cost management is still limited. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects offers many benefits. However, the use of BIM in project cost management is still limited. This study aims to review the current trends in the application of BIM in project cost management.
Design/methodology/approach
This study systematically reviews the literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. A total of 46 related articles were identified and analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method.
Findings
Eighteen approaches to applying BIM in project cost management were identified. The approaches can be grouped into cost control and cost estimation. Also, BIM can be applied independently or integrated with other techniques. The integrated approaches for cost control include integration with genetic algorithms, Monte Carlo simulation, lean construction, integrated project delivery, neural network and value engineering. On the contrary, integrated approaches for cost estimation include integration with cost-plus pricing, discrepancy analysis, construction progress curves, estimation standards, algorithms, declarative mappings, life cycle sustainability assessment, ontology, Web-based frameworks and structured query language.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically review prior literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. As a result, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the art and fills the literature gap. Researchers and industry professionals can use the study findings to increase the benefits of implementing BIM in construction projects.