Abbas Ali Gillani and Khadija M. Bari
The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of conflict witnessed in Pakistan on the enrolment rates of boys and girls. Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of conflict witnessed in Pakistan on the enrolment rates of boys and girls. Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children, with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5–16 years not attending school.
Design/methodology/approach
By merging data on violence with the data on enrolment rates, this paper finds that exposure to violence is correlated with a decline in overall district-level enrolment rates in the short run at primary-level schools and middle-level schools.
Findings
However, for boys, violence is also negatively correlated with enrolment rates at middle-level schools in the medium run. One possible mechanism tested in this paper is the potential substitution of boys into the labour market during a period of conflict.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper adds to the existing literature in several ways. Firstly, the effect of conflict on the labour market by impacting schooling for boys and girls is examined for the first time in Pakistan. Secondly, the district-level data set on enrolment rates used for this study is novel and has not been used before for this type of analysis. Thirdly, while this study strengthens the evidence that the short run effects of conflict are stronger than the long-run effects, it also confirms the negative effects of conflict do not fade away immediately. Fourthly, this study emphasizes that each conflict is unique in terms of its heterogeneous effects across different cohorts, such as gender, as these effects are dependent on the mechanism through which conflict impacts each individual.
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Mohsin Shahzad, Ying Qu, Abaid Ullah Zafar, Saif Ur Rehman and Tahir Islam
Enhancing green innovation for corporate sustainability is one of the recent issues globally. Knowledge management has been determined as a core factor that hamstrings green…
Abstract
Purpose
Enhancing green innovation for corporate sustainability is one of the recent issues globally. Knowledge management has been determined as a core factor that hamstrings green innovation. The existing literature was limited to expose the importance of the knowledge management process for corporate sustainable performance. Thus, this paper aims to examine the role of the knowledge management process for corporate sustainable performance with the integration of green innovation and organizational agility following the resource-based view theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional design was used in this study. Data were gathered through convenience sampling from 475 respondents of multinational manufacturing corporations of Pakistan, analyzed by using structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study revealed that the knowledge management process and its all constructs (acquisition, dissemination and application) lead toward green innovation; further, green innovation influences corporate sustainable performance and its all constructs (environment, economic and social). Green innovation partially mediates the association between the knowledge management process and corporate sustainable performance. Besides, organizational agility has a positive effect on green innovation and corporate sustainable performance but was not found moderating these relations. The study educates that organizations investing in innovative technologies and adopting greener strategies are not only adequate for achieving sustainable performance, soft issues such as knowledge management and organizational agility but also important factors in the current knowledge base economy.
Originality/value
This study is an attempt to examine the previously undiscovered multi-dimensional relationships among the knowledge management process, green innovation, organizational agility and corporate sustainable performance. The presence of a positive correlation among these constructs was observed, proving the conceptual framework for this study.
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Ihsan Effendi, Miftahuddin Murad, Ahmad Rafiki and Mitra Musika Lubis
The Islamic rural banks have the potential to grow in Indonesia. It is important to learn and study the consumer behaviors toward the Islamic rural banks’ services to plan for…
Abstract
Purpose
The Islamic rural banks have the potential to grow in Indonesia. It is important to learn and study the consumer behaviors toward the Islamic rural banks’ services to plan for future strategies. The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the theory of reasoned action in predicting the customers’ decision to use the Islamic rural banks’ services.
Design/methodology/approach
The descriptive and structural equation model analyses were used to analyze the data. A random sampling technique is adopted with a sample size of 180 consumers of the Islamic rural banks. There are variables to be tested such as Sharia system compliance, product knowledge on Sharia, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms, intention and customer decisions to use the Islamic rural banks’ services.
Findings
The results found that the Sharia system compliance, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms and intention variables have a significant effect on the use of services at Islamic rural banks. Only product knowledge on Sharia variable has been found to be insignificant.
Originality/value
The model can be used to prepare better strategies to attract more customers as well as increase public awareness toward Islamic rural banks’ products and services. The results are useful as a benchmark for policymakers to improve the establishment of Islamic rural banks particularly in Indonesia.
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Usman Ahmad Qadri, Mazuri Binti Abd Ghani, Ulfat Abbas and Abdul Rauf Kashif
This paper aims to systematically review the constructive effects of digital transformation (DT) on social sustainability, examining its impact across democracy and governance…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to systematically review the constructive effects of digital transformation (DT) on social sustainability, examining its impact across democracy and governance, social cohesion, quality of life, equality and diversity. It emphasizes the need for appropriate frameworks that incorporate DT strategies in organizational practices to improve social sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was carried out through Web of Science and Scopus databases to identify the distinctive papers that explored the impact of DT on social sustainability. It analyzes how various digital technologies, like Internet of Things, cloud computing and mobile computing, can be strategically embedded in organizational practices to optimize social sustainability outcomes.
Findings
This study reveals that although DT significantly enhances operational capabilities and consumer experiences, its integration into social sustainability practices is often overlooked. It proposes a novel framework that aligns digital capabilities with sustainability goals, aiming to enrich organizational performance and societal welfare. This paper identifies dynamic capabilities as crucial for sustaining competitive advantage in a digitally transformed business landscape.
Research limitations/implications
The primary limitation is the reliance on secondary data, which may not fully capture the rapid advancements in DT. Future research should focus on empirical studies to validate the proposed framework and explore the dynamic capabilities required for integrating DT in social sustainability practices.
Originality/value
This study extends the discourse on DT by linking it explicitly with social sustainability, presenting a structured analysis that highlights the need for strategic integration of digital technologies within organizational sustainability practices. It fills a gap in the literature by proposing a comprehensive framework for organizations to follow, thereby contributing to the theoretical and practical understanding of DT’s role in enhancing social sustainability.
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Salman Iqbal, Sami Ullah, Amina Rizwan, Naima Nazeer, Mamoona Rasheed and Ahmad Faisal Imtiaz Siddiqi
The strict regulations and reporting requirements in microfinance institutions require a high level of knowledge and expertise in finance, accounting and risk management…
Abstract
Purpose
The strict regulations and reporting requirements in microfinance institutions require a high level of knowledge and expertise in finance, accounting and risk management. Therefore, microfinance institutions (MFIs) must possess a high absorptive capacity to understand their customers’ needs and develop appropriate products and services to meet them. This study explains how organizational culture influences absorptive capacity in MFIs, with a particular focus on the mediating role of knowledge sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 450 randomly selected employees of microfinance banking institutions in Pakistan. The data were tested for reliability and validity, and hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling in WarpPLS 8.0.
Findings
The findings show that knowledge! sharing mediates the relationship between organizational culture and absorptive capacity. Thus, MFIs should promote knowledge sharing as a cultural value to improve their ability to acquire and utilize new knowledge, enhance absorptive capacity to drive innovation and facilitate the development of new products and services.
Practical implications
MFIs with higher absorptive capacity are more likely to be able to respond to changes in the market, such as new technologies or shifting customer demands. Therefore, managers should promote a culture of sharing knowledge and expertise to ensure adaptability in dynamic market conditions.
Originality/value
This research provides a framework for organizations to better understand the role of knowledge sharing in their success and how to leverage it to enhance their absorptive capacity. It is valuable for academics and practitioners seeking to improve organizational performance and competitiveness.
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Salman Iqbal, Sami Ullah, Amina Rizwan, Naima Nazeer, Mamoona Rasheed and Ahmed Faisal Imtiaz Siddiqi
Microfinance institutions (MFI) must adapt to rapidly changing market conditions, including stringent regulations and diverse customer demands, necessitating a high absorptive…
Abstract
Purpose
Microfinance institutions (MFI) must adapt to rapidly changing market conditions, including stringent regulations and diverse customer demands, necessitating a high absorptive capacity. This research elucidates how organizational culture promotes knowledge sharing, thereby enhancing an organization’s ability to absorb and utilize new knowledge, with particular attention to the moderating role of MFI size.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 450 randomly selected employees of MFIs in Pakistan. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling in WarpPLS 8.0.
Findings
The findings show that knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between organizational culture and absorptive capacity. The impact is more pronounced in larger MFIs, while smaller MFIs exhibit greater agility in adapting to new knowledge.
Practical implications
MFIs, particularly in dynamic markets like Pakistan, should enhance their absorptive capacity by fostering an organizational culture that promotes knowledge sharing. While larger MFIs benefit from structured knowledge-sharing practices, they should address potential bureaucratic impediments to maintain agility.
Social implications
By improving absorptive capacity, MFIs can better innovate and tailor their services to underserved communities, contributing to financial inclusion and poverty alleviation in Pakistan. This research provides insights for policymakers and practitioners on fostering sustainable development through strategic organizational practices in MFIs.
Originality/value
The findings offer a practical framework linking theoretical concepts from the resource-based and knowledge-based views to real-world applications, particularly in developing economies. It emphasizes the crucial role of organizational culture in enabling MFIs to adapt and thrive in challenging environments.
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Hafiz Syed Mohsin Abbas, Zahid Hussain Qaisar, Xiaodong Xu and Chunxia Sun
E-government development (EGD) is vital in enhancing the institutional quality and sustainable public service (SPS) delivery by eradicating corruption and cybersecurity crimes.
Abstract
Purpose
E-government development (EGD) is vital in enhancing the institutional quality and sustainable public service (SPS) delivery by eradicating corruption and cybersecurity crimes.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study applied econometric fixed-effect (FE) regression analysis and random forest (RF) algorithm through machine learning for comprehensive estimations in achieving SPS. This study gauges the nexus between the EGD as an independent variable and public service sustainability (PSS) as a proxy of public health services as a dependent variable in the presence of two moderators, corruption and cybersecurity indices from 47 Asian countries economies from 2015 to 2019.
Findings
The computational estimation and econometric findings show that EGD quality has improved with time in Asia and substantially promoted PSS. It further explores that exercising corruption control measures and introducing sound cybersecurity initiatives enhance PSS's quality and support the EDG effect much better.
Practical implications
The study concludes that E-Government has positively impacted PSS (healthcare) in Asia while controlling cybersecurity and institutional malfunctioning made an E-Government system healthier and SPS development in Asia.
Originality/value
This study added a novel contribution to existing E-Government and public services literature by comprehensively applied FE regression and RF algorithm analysis. Moreover, E-Government and cybersecurity improvement also has taken under consideration for PSS in Asian economies.
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The objective of this study was to look closely at how domestic violence is represented in Pakistani drama serials to see if portrayals are reinforcing stereotypical and/or…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study was to look closely at how domestic violence is represented in Pakistani drama serials to see if portrayals are reinforcing stereotypical and/or patriarchal values, or breaking the rigid norms.
Design/methodology/approach
With the help of dispositive analysis within the critical discourse approach, the prominent and non-dominant discourses about domestic violence were identified and discussed. Episodes from two popular drama serials, Kaisa Yeh Naseeban and Khaas, released in 2019, were watched with special focus on texts on domestic violence alongside objects and actions.
Findings
Analysis showed that both drama serials gave importance to socio-systemic and liberal humanist instrumentalism discourses, which describe domestic violence as a result of social structures and that abuse is used to assert control, respectively. However, some instances were noted where patriarchal values were encouraged.
Originality/value
As media has become a powerful tool of influence and awareness in the recent times, it is imperative that the content watched on it by millions of people be studied and analyzed. It is claimed that Pakistani drama serials with wide following and that are made on social issues around women aim to raise awareness and empower them. Domestic violence is a prevalent issue in Pakistan, and no research till date has examined representation of domestic violence on Pakistani popular media, which may influence response to domestic violence, which this paper aims to do.
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Muhammad Mohsin, Mad Nasir Shamsudin, Nasif Raza Jaffri, Muhammad Idrees and Khalid Jamil
The current study focuses on the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and sustainable performance (SP) and examines how TQM practices can facilitate firms'…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study focuses on the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and sustainable performance (SP) and examines how TQM practices can facilitate firms' achievement of sustainable performance. Knowledge management (KM), with its four dimensions, i.e. knowledge creation (KCR), knowledge acquisition (KAC), knowledge sharing (KSH) and knowledge application (KAP), is also an essential factor for organizations. Therefore, this study also focuses on the mediating role of KM in the relationship between TQM and sustainable performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a survey method to collect data from the managers of 485 manufacturing SMEs working in five major industrial cities in Pakistan. Collected data were analyzed through PLS-SEM with the help of smart-PLS.
Findings
The study's findings reveal that TQM practices positively influence the environmental and economic sustainability of the firm. At the same time, there is no evidence that TQM practices positively affect the social sustainability of the firm. Results further elaborate that TQM practices significantly affect all four dimensions of KM. Moreover, KM positively affects the two dimensions of SP, i.e. economic and social sustainability, but surprisingly, the impact of KM on environmental sustainability is not found. Finally, results indicate the significant mediating role of KM between TQM and SP.
Originality/value
This study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances how TQM, directly and indirectly, helps firms improve sustainable performance via the mediating role of KM.