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1 – 10 of 101Muhamad Sharul Nizam Awang, Nurin Wahidah Mohd Zulkifli, Muhammad Mujtaba Abbas, Muhammad Syahir Amzar Zulkifli, Md Abul Kalam, Mohd Nur Ashraf Mohd Yusoff, Muhammad Hazwan Ahmad and Wan Mohd Ashri Wan Daud
The purpose of this paper was to investigate the lubricity of palm biodiesel (PB)–diesel fuel with plastic pyrolysis oil (PPO) and waste cooking biodiesel (WCB).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to investigate the lubricity of palm biodiesel (PB)–diesel fuel with plastic pyrolysis oil (PPO) and waste cooking biodiesel (WCB).
Design/methodology/approach
Three quaternary fuels were prepared by mechanical stirring. B10 (10% PB in diesel) fuel was blended with 5%, 10% and 15% of both PPO and WCB. The results were compared to B30 (30% PB in diesel) and B10. The lubricity of fuel samples was determined using high-frequency reciprocating rig in accordance with ASTM D6079. The tribological behavior of all fuels was assessed by using scanning electron microscopy on worn steel plates to determine wear scar diameter (WSD) and surface morphology. The reported WSD is the average of the major and minor axis of the wear scar.
Findings
The addition of PPO and WCB to B10 had improved its lubricity while lowering wear and friction coefficients. Among the quaternary fuels, B40 showed the greatest reduction in coefficient of friction and WSD, with 7.63% and 44.5%, respectively, when compared to B10. When compared to B30a, the quaternary fuel mixes (B40, B30b and B20) exhibited significant reduction in WSD by 49.66%, 42.84% and 40.24%, respectively. Among the quaternary fuels, B40 exhibited the best overall lubricating performance, which was supported by surface morphology analysis. The evaluation of B40 indicated a reduced adhesive wear and tribo-oxidation, as well as a smoother metal surface, as compared to B20 and B30b.
Originality/value
Incorporation of PPO and WCB in PB–diesel blend as a quaternary fuel blend in diesel engines has not been reported. Only a few researchers looked into the impact of PPO and WCB on the lubricity of the fuel.
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Amir A. Abdulmuhsin, Rabee Ali Zaker and Muhammad Mujtaba Asad
Drawing on knowledge-based view, social exchange theory and leader-member exchange, this study examines how exploitative leadership (EL) influences knowledge management (KM), its…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on knowledge-based view, social exchange theory and leader-member exchange, this study examines how exploitative leadership (EL) influences knowledge management (KM), its processes, and further investigates the moderating role of organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB) on the relationship between EL and KM.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative approach, survey data were collected from 356 faculty members in Iraqi public universities, and the direct and moderating relationships were assessed through Hierarchical regression by PROCESS v.3.3 macros in SPSS.
Findings
The study found a significant negative impact of EL on KM, including its processes, especially on knowledge utilisation. The assessment also revealed that OCB has a significant moderating impact on EL, particularly its effect on knowledge creation.
Practical implications
The empirical insights of the study are valuable and precious for policymakers, managers and academics in education sectors of developing countries, to enrich their managerial and scientific performance through addressing EL behaviours while considering the moderating effect of OCB.
Originality/value
The relevance of the study stems from the scarcity of research on EL, while studies on the negative behaviours of leaders as a predictor of KM process failures are significantly limited. Additionally, studies on the moderating impact of OCB on the linkage between EL and KM processes remain limited. This study is one of the earliest studies that investigate these inter-relationships amongst EL, OCB and KM processes.
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Aisha Naz Ansari and Muhammad Mujtaba Asad
The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate the role of School Leaders (SLs) in building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in schools, as well as to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate the role of School Leaders (SLs) in building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in schools, as well as to expand a literature-driven PLC model within the Pakistani context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study involved the purposive selection of two schools affiliated with a university. The sample comprised one school leader, one academic coordinator and five teachers from each school, altogether 14 participants. The participants shared similar demographic characteristics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, which were analysed thematically.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that both schools have created PLCs to some extent and that school goals and culture were contributing factors in building these communities. Additionally, the SLs played a key role in promoting PLCs by encouraging teacher collaboration. The study concludes that SLs have the potential to strategize their actions to foster positive professional relations among teachers and ensure their well-being.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to the literature on professional communities in Pakistan by validating a literature-driven PLC model. The model emphasizes collaboration among teachers, which can be facilitated by SLs. As such, the study implicates SLs in prioritizing the professional development of teachers to enhance student learning and achieve school success.
Originality/value
This study is unique in expanding a literature-driven PLC model within the Pakistani context, with a focus on teacher collaboration as facilitated by SLs. The model has the potential for replication in other contexts and can serve as a useful tool for future research.
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Muhammad Mujtaba Asad and Syeda Sabika Fatima
Cyber violence is a global emerging issue which is growing with technology or online spaces, having a great influence on individual’s development. The purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Cyber violence is a global emerging issue which is growing with technology or online spaces, having a great influence on individual’s development. The purpose of this study is to identify the dominant factors of cyber violence and its influence on the cognitive development of female undergraduate students.
Design/methodology/approach
In this quantitative study, a questionnaire is used as a data collection tool. Moreover, this research is conducted on female undergraduate students (n = 300). Whereas, the purposive sampling technique is used and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 27.0) software is used to analyze the data.
Findings
The findings of this study show that cyber bullying is the dominant factor of cyber violence, whereas cyber doxxing has high influence on cognitive development of female undergraduate students. In addition, the value of correlational coefficient is 0.683, which indicates a strong positive correlation. Therefore, it supports that the null hypothesis is rejected and alternative hypothesis is accepted.
Practical implications
The findings of this study are of great importance for policymakers to update the regulations for cyber violence and provide the protection laws for victims whereas it is helpful for the investigation agencies and cybercrime units to be more active and needs to take immediate actions on reported incidents to minimize its further spread and support victims of it. Also, it helps society to understand the influence of it on cognitive health, which helps them to create a safer environment. Similarly, parents and teachers need to make a safe and comfortable environment around children and keep an eye on them. Further, it is beneficial for companies or online platforms to keep their sites or apps more secure for the users. Moreover, future research studies could expand the topic by involving different genders and age group peoples by using different methodologies to explore in depth.
Originality/value
This study is unique as there are limited studies, which identify the factor of cyber violence and its influence on cognitive development. Also, fewer studies can be seen in the context of Pakistan.
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Muhammad Adnan Hasnain, Hassaan Malik, Muhammad Mujtaba Asad and Fahad Sherwani
The purpose of the study is to classify the radiographic images into three categories such as fillings, cavity and implant to identify dental diseases because dental disease is a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to classify the radiographic images into three categories such as fillings, cavity and implant to identify dental diseases because dental disease is a very common dental health problem for all people. The detection of dental issues and the selection of the most suitable method of treatment are both determined by the results of a radiological examination. Dental x-rays provide important information about the insides of teeth and their surrounding cells, which helps dentists detect dental issues that are not immediately visible. The analysis of dental x-rays, which is typically done by dentists, is a time-consuming process that can become an error-prone technique due to the wide variations in the structure of teeth and the dentist's lack of expertise. The workload of a dental professional and the chance of misinterpretation can be decreased by the availability of such a system, which can interpret the result of an x-ray automatically.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses deep learning (DL) models to identify dental diseases in order to tackle this issue. Four different DL models, such as ResNet-101, Xception, DenseNet-201 and EfficientNet-B0, were evaluated in order to determine which one would be the most useful for the detection of dental diseases (such as fillings, cavity and implant).
Findings
Loss and accuracy curves have been used to analyze the model. However, the EfficientNet-B0 model performed better compared to Xception, DenseNet-201 and ResNet-101. The accuracy, recall, F1-score and AUC values for this model were 98.91, 98.91, 98.74 and 99.98%, respectively. The accuracy rates for the Xception, ResNet-101 and DenseNet-201 are 96.74, 93.48 and 95.65%, respectively.
Practical implications
The present study can benefit dentists from using the DL model to more accurately diagnose dental problems.
Originality/value
This study is conducted to evaluate dental diseases using Convolutional neural network (CNN) techniques to assist dentists in selecting the most effective technique for a particular clinical condition.
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Muhammad Mujtaba, Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik and Kamran Ahmed Soomro
The study aims to develop a construct to measure talent management (TM) in an organization.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to develop a construct to measure talent management (TM) in an organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a fourfold approach to develop the construct. Data were collected through close-ended questionnaires by conducting surveys from human resource professionals. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis techniques were employed to analyze the data and develop the construct.
Findings
Results of the study indicate that TM practices are crucial in changing business dynamics. A final 26 items under 5 factors (identification of critical positions, talent acquisition, talent development, talent engagement, and talent retention) were found significant and integrated TM strategies in uncertain economic environments.
Practical implications
This research focuses on the entire process of the TM cycle and develops an integrated construct of TM; thus, the study will provide an in-depth understanding of TM strategies to practitioners and researchers, facilitate researchers for the effective conduct of empirical research work on TM, whereas, for practitioners, this work will support in designing of TM strategies leading to organizational performance.
Originality/value
This is the first research study that has been done in the context of South Asia. It will help build up TM strategies to the necessity of a business environment.
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Kamran Akhtar Siddiqui, Muhammad Mujtaba Asad and Amjad Ali Rind
English is the language of global communication, worldwide mobility, job progress, and access to new information and research. Given the numerous roles that English plays in…
Abstract
Purpose
English is the language of global communication, worldwide mobility, job progress, and access to new information and research. Given the numerous roles that English plays in today's society, higher education institutes (HEIs) all over the world are pursuing English-medium education. For Pakistan, however, English-medium education is a colonial legacy rather than a deliberate choice. Research suggests that English-medium education is not devoid of controversy in higher education in Pakistan; nonetheless, students have to seek English-medium education in universities to compete with the world. In fact, being committed to SDG 4.7 Education for sustainable development and global citizenship, Pakistan is supposed to educate its citizens to become global citizens, for which English-medium education is essential. Given the fact that each of the five provinces of Pakistan has a distinct culture and sub-cultures, it is important to see how Pakistani students’ attitudes to English-medium education to become global citizens are different based on their cultural identities. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze undergraduates’ attitudes toward English-medium education based on their cultural identities to become global citizens.
Design/methodology/approach
Under the quantitative research paradigm, the present research adopted a comparative design. One hundred and fifty undergraduates participated in the study. The data were collected using a 15-item questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, and it was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27.0.
Findings
The results of the study revealed that participants regardless of their cultural identities have positive attitudes towards English-medium education as they believe it to be a source of career development, and improvement of their language, communication, and interpersonal skills. The participants also did not see English-medium education posing any threat to traditional culture and local languages. The findings of the present study also revealed that there is no statistical difference across the different categories of cultural identity.
Practical implications
The findings of the present study regarding students’ attitudes toward English-medium education will have implications for policymakers and university administration. Since cultural identity does not hinder acceptance of English-medium education, students’ positive attitudes can help policymakers promote multilingualism and English-medium education for career development. However, high-quality English language programs are crucial for maximizing the benefits. Likewise, positive attitudes of students towards English-medium education in Pakistan suggest students’ openness to intercultural dialogue. Therefore, university administration can further enhance student exchange programs for transnational research and development. Likewise, the study implies that cultural identity may not hinder English-medium education implementation in developing countries provided that practical benefits like career advancement and communication skill are emphasized.
Originality/value
The study is unique in the sense that it analyses undergraduates’ attitudes towards English-medium education concerning students’ cultural identities and global citizenship which have not been studied previously.
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Muhammad Mujtaba Asad, Abdul Basit, Prathamesh Churi and Norah Almusharraf
Inspired by the neoclassical economic theory and endogenous growth theories, where former studies suggest that the economic growth of a country can be observed through the…
Abstract
Purpose
Inspired by the neoclassical economic theory and endogenous growth theories, where former studies suggest that the economic growth of a country can be observed through the combination of three factors. Those three factors include capital, the number of labour forces (human capital) and technology. This research was initiated to study the impact of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector on the socioeconomic and employment growth of TVET trainers in Pakistan, which is also supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, quantitative research methods and survey research design have been used. Data were collected using an adapted survey questionnaire from 520 participants. The participants of this study were TVET trainers from different skill-based organizations. Whereas, the collected data was analysed using SPSS 27.0, and the Spearman correlation was used to analyse the relationship and strength of association between the constructs.
Findings
Findings of this study indicate that the skill-based education through the TVET sector has a highly positive impact on TVET trainers’ employment, socioeconomic growth of vocational trainers and quality standards of living of the TVET trainers. Whereas, the findings also revealed that this skill-based education has a relatively weak relationship with the traditional content-based education as compared to other targeted variables in the skill development sector which influence the socioeconomic growth of the TVET trainers in Pakistan and similar contexts.
Practical implications
This study highlights that the TVET has a significant impact on the socioeconomic growth and development of TVET trainers in the context of Pakistan. From the results, international agencies, economists, politicians and policymakers in Pakistan will get some valuable insights to develop policies accordingly which will promote TVET in the country and make a significant contribution to the socioeconomic growth of TVET trainers in particular and the country in general.
Social implications
This study also promotes the economical sustainability and value creation among vocational education trainers in TVET and skill-based organizations to further strengthen their professional development and growth in Pakistan.
Originality/value
This is one of the few studies which specifies the impact of the skilled-based education and training sector on the socioeconomic growth and development of TVET trainers in Pakistan, particularly in rural contexts or less privileged areas.
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Muhammad Mujtaba Asad and Aisha Malik
In today’s world, empowering individuals, promoting social cohesion and advancing economic development all hinge on access to high-quality education, prioritizing diversity…
Abstract
Purpose
In today’s world, empowering individuals, promoting social cohesion and advancing economic development all hinge on access to high-quality education, prioritizing diversity, inclusion and equality. Rethinking current educational strategies using cyber-physical learning assets is necessary to accommodate the learning inclusivity and equity and escalating demands of a globalized world. There is a pressing demand for evidence to support the efficacy of collaborative learning in transforming curriculum and fostering learner inclusion. However, it is recognized as a pedagogical technique within the quality education domain. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating how hybridized cybergogy paradigms facilitate collaborative learning, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, to improve educational quality in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a qualitative approach with an exploratory design guided by an interpretive philosophical perspective. The data was gathered from 60 prospective teachers from the public sector university of Sindh, Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. They were then analyzed using theme analysis to understand their views on the potential of hybridized cybergogy paradigms for collaborative learning to improve the quality of education provided at institutions.
Findings
The study results confirm that learners benefit from increased access to learning resources, improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills and a more diverse and inclusive classroom working together in a collaborative hybridized cybergogy setting. By fostering SDG 4 (Quality Education) and the 21st-century skills necessary for global marketplace engagement and competing in progressive environments, this creative method equips learners with the capabilities to face modern global challenges.
Practical implications
The study offers valuable practical suggestions to stakeholders in higher education, including faculty, policymakers and teacher education programs, for integrating hybridized cybergogy and collaborative learning to align curricula with sustainable development goals. Additionally, it bridges a significant gap in the existing literature, which will aid future researchers interested in exploring this area.
Originality/value
This study stands out as it explores an underexamined area while providing novel educational insights.
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Muhammad Mujtaba Asad and Safdar Hussain
Education 4.0 is one of the major transformations in the field of education to improve the quality of teaching and learning processes and prepare students as 21st-century…
Abstract
Purpose
Education 4.0 is one of the major transformations in the field of education to improve the quality of teaching and learning processes and prepare students as 21st-century learners. This study aims to examine the effect of Educations 4.0 on creative and collaborative learning of students.
Design/methodology/approach
In this correlational research study, a quantitative data collection tool such as a questionnaire is used. This research is conducted on university students (N = 365), and purposive sampling technique is used to achieve the purpose. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 is used to analyze the data.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that there is a strong positive relationship between education 4.0 and the two major 21st-century skills, i.e. collaboration and creativity. The value of correlation coefficient value of the variables is 0.597, which indicates positive and strong relationship; hence, null hypothesis is rejected and an alternative hypothesis is accepted.
Practical implications
The results of the current study are beneficial for the school managers to enhance students' two significant 21st-century skills, i.e. “Creativity” and “Collaboration.” Also, the school managers can make efforts to develop teachers' competence to adapt the technological advancements for improving students' creativity and collaboration to benefit their learning.
Originality/value
This is a unique study because there are only a few recent studies that show a connection between Education 4.0 and 21st-century skills. Also, there is no other study that presents the direct association of Education 4.0 and students' creativity and collaboration specifically in the context of Pakistan.
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