Sabeen Hussain Bhatti, Farida Saleem, Ramsha Zakariya and Amna Ahmad
Every year a huge amount of food is wasted from food production till its consumption. The activity of food wastage has become a daily routine practice and a huge portion of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Every year a huge amount of food is wasted from food production till its consumption. The activity of food wastage has become a daily routine practice and a huge portion of this loss is contributed by the consumers all around the world. With a total estimated population of 207.7m, 64 percent of the population of Pakistan is below the age of 30. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect young consumer’s food waste behavior in a developing country context.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in the month of Ramadan and Eid primarily by means of a web-based questionnaire. A two-step approach of structural equation modeling was used as a data analysis technique.
Findings
The findings of this research confirm the hypothesis that environmental concern and time pressure influence the attitude toward food waste reduction. The results further reveal that although attitude and injunctive norms lead toward higher intentions to reduce food waste, moral norms and perceived behavioral control do not significantly impact this intent.
Practical implications
This study contributes toward understanding the behavior of consumers in order to ensure the provision and execution of food waste prevention campaigns. This study has implications for policy makers and decision makers, and other stakeholders responsible for food waste reduction and environmental protection. Besides, social campaigns can be developed based on the results of this study, so as to improve the habits related to food wastage in consumers. Finally, the findings are beneficial to academics and scholars that are presently working on factors related to consumer behavior toward food waste.
Originality/value
Food waste behavior in young consumers from developing countries in general and from Pakistan in particular has not been analyzed before. The present study aims at analyzing some of the important predecessors of food waste behavior and thus it significantly adds to the existing body of knowledge of consumer behavior toward food waste.
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Hina Haram, Madiha Gohar and Ayesha Abrar
The current research study aims to explore the rising appeal of creative industry for institutionally embedded women entrepreneurs of rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Abstract
Purpose
The current research study aims to explore the rising appeal of creative industry for institutionally embedded women entrepreneurs of rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research methodology is adopted to conduct the research study. Primary data is collected through in-depth interviews with 38 women entrepreneurs working in two sectors of creative industry in rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Findings
The research study explored creative industry as the most informal, non-traditional, low cost, flexible and convenient business sector for institutionally embedded Pukhtoon women entrepreneurs of rural KP.
Practical implications
The study draws the attention of policymakers and government to consider the informal norms in which women entrepreneurship is deeply embedded, while making entrepreneurship development policies and programs. The research study drives the attention of government toward making entrepreneurial education and training facilities easily available so that the skill and talent of women entrepreneurs can be more polished and enhanced. It further suggests that if the policymakers and Government of Pakistan take positive initiations and recognize the paramount importance, the creative industry of Pakistan has the potential of contributing toward uplifting of the economy.
Originality/value
The study helps in identifying the prevailing social and cultural norms in KP that shapes the choice of women entrepreneurs toward entrepreneurship in creative industry. It emphasizes to understand the reasons, for which women in KP, opt to open their entrepreneurial ventures in creative industry.
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Sameera Mohamed Al Zaidi and Syed Zamberi Ahmad
By reading and understanding the case study, Students will be able to link the importance of healthy life style and the physical exercise to the fitness industry in the UAE…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
By reading and understanding the case study, Students will be able to link the importance of healthy life style and the physical exercise to the fitness industry in the UAE society, to reduce the growing percentage of obesity and related diseases; identify the main challenges of Tone Fitness Ladies’ Studio (Tone); explore the market segmentation of fitness centers in UAE based on a benefits segmentation of fitness industry; identify the demographic segmentation of Tone Fitness studio and the effects of considering gender and age; and develop individual perspectives of how Tone Fitness ladies’ studio may overcome the challenges to compete in the UAE fitness market.
Case overview/synopsis
Three sisters from the United Arab Emirates (Hind, Mariam and Amna Mohamed Omer) have established a fitness studio for women in Al Maqta’a (formerly known as Bain al Jasrain) on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi. Each of them shared a passion for sport, which led them to realize their business idea of setting up a fitness studio specifically for women. An understanding of Emirati culture and the needs of women in their society inspired them to think of a special place where women could find relief from work and life demands while also exercising pursuant of a healthy lifestyle. They launched Tone Ladies’ Fitness Studio (Tone) in September 2014, the first fitness studio for women in Al Maqta’a. The studio is in the same building as a cooperative hypermarket – a very good location because it is visited by many people and has ample parking spaces. Partly due to growing interest among Abu Dhabi residents in fitness and health, new fitness studios opened nearby in 2016, with competitors offering excellent services at reasonable prices. While the demand for fitness and healthy lifestyle pursuits is high in the region, the market has also expanded greatly to meet this demand, with many high-quality options becoming available. As a result of this, businesses such as Tone are facing serious threats to their sustainability. Thus, first, how can the Omer sisters sustain their business and strategize to maintain customers in their market segment? Second, what could they do to improve the market position of Tone in the UAE fitness market?
Complexity academic level
This case study is suitable for advanced level of diploma certificate in marketing or undergraduate student of marketing field.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 8: Marketing
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Amna Abdullah Mohammed and Syed Zamberi Ahmad
The learning outcomes are as follows: to enable the learners to understand advantages and disadvantages of franchises in the company; to understand the strength and weakness…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes are as follows: to enable the learners to understand advantages and disadvantages of franchises in the company; to understand the strength and weakness points of Café2Go, its underlying strategy and what makes the company a unique outlet; to acquire a better understanding on the key challenges or dilemmas that Café2Go faces and to provide recommendations to address such dilemmas; to evaluate innovative marketing plans that would aid in expanding Café2Go internationally; and to understand cause-effect analysis of project management and the reason for the increase in the operationalization cost on Café2Go.
Case overview/synopsis
This case study presents the story of Jassim Al-Bastaki who was once rejected as a franchisee and later managed to be a pioneering franchiser in the UAE. The case aims to highlight the new coffee products and distribution methods Al-Bastaki used to compete in the over-saturated coffee market in Dubai. Al-Bastaki distinguished the first Café2Go by offering camel products in a mobile truck. It was the first “café-on-wheels” in the UAE, and it marketed the slogan of “wherever you are”. This case study discusses the challenges the project faced while marketing the unpopular, salty drink camel milk and issuing the necessary licenses for the coffee truck. The case study also elaborates on the innovative strategies Al-Bastaki used to convince customers of the health benefits of camel milk, to serve camel milk in appealing forms such as milkshakes and to replace the banned mobile truck with kiosks, cubicles, mobile trolleys and free phone call services. The case study also aims to highlight the obstacles associated with the franchise model and to reveal how Al-Bastaki overcame such challenges, using the franchise model, to expand Café2Go beyond the UAE. What started as a mobile coffee truck in 2009, in Dubai, has changed into an expanding business in Qatar, Libya, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Spain (Masudi, 2013).
Complexity academic level
The case study is relevant for undergraduate and post-graduate management degrees, and specifically business administration, entrepreneurship, small business management courses.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship
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Moin Ahmad Moon, Batish Javaid, Maira Kiran, Hayat Muhammad Awan and Amna Farooq
The purpose of this paper is to test and validate a modified Stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model with the bi-dimensional attitude toward counterfeit apparel products. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test and validate a modified Stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model with the bi-dimensional attitude toward counterfeit apparel products. The study examines the relationship of object and social psychological stimuli with utilitarian and hedonic attitude and intentions to purchase counterfeit apparel products.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from 331 systematically selected university students of the age bracket (18–30) years from Punjab, Pakistan (MLE) via self-administrated questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation via AMOS 23 was used for data analysis.
Findings
The modified S-O-R model explained significant variance in counterfeit purchase intentions. Hedonic attitude proved to be a strong predictor of counterfeit apparel purchase intentions as compared to utilitarian attitude. All attributes of counterfeit apparel products proved to be the significant positive predictors of hedonic and utilitarian attitude except information susceptibility, which did not predict utilitarian attitude.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from university students of the age bracket (18–30) years and apparel products were taken as a product category.
Practical implications
The retailers and manufacturers of original brands should emphasize humiliation and embarrassment that a consumer may have to face because of counterfeit purchasing. They can also educate consumers on the negative impacts of the counterfeit products not only on consumers but also on the economy as a whole.
Originality/value
S-O-R model was adapted to provide strong theoretical underpinnings to understand counterfeit consumption behavior. This study also incorporated two dimensions of attitude in counterfeit product consumption behavior and analyzed their relative influence on purchase intentions.
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The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) cost of a facility is typically 60–85% of the total life cycle cost of a building whereas its design and construction cost accounts for only…
Abstract
Purpose
The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) cost of a facility is typically 60–85% of the total life cycle cost of a building whereas its design and construction cost accounts for only 5–10%. Therefore, enhancing and optimizing the O&M of a facility is a crucial issue. In addition, with the increasing complexities in a building's operating systems, more technologically advanced solutions are required for proactively maintaining a facility. Thereby, a tool is needed which can optimize and reduce the cost of facility maintenance. One of the solutions is Augmented or Mixed Reality (AR/MR) technologies which can reduce repair time, training time and streamline inspections. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish contextual knowledge of AR/MR application in facilities operation and maintenance and present an implementation framework through the analysis and classification of articles published between 2015 and 2022.
Design/methodology/approach
To effectively understand all AR/MR applications in facilities management (FM), a systematic literature review is performed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol was followed for searching and describing the search strategies. Keywords were identified through the concept mapping technique. The Scopus database and Google Scholar were employed to find relevant articles, books and conference papers. A thorough bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOS Viewer and subsequently, a thematic analysis was performed for the selected publications.
Findings
The use of AR/MR within facilities O&M could be categorized into five different application areas: (1) visualization; (2) maintenance; (3) indoor localization and positioning; (4) information management and (5) indoor environment. After a thematic analysis of the literature, it was found that maintenance and indoor localization were the most frequently used research application domains. The chronological evolution of AR/MR in FM is also presented along with the origin of publications, which showed that the technology is out of its infancy stage and is ready for implementation. However, literature showed many challenges hindering this goal, that is (1) reluctance of the organizational leadership to bear the cost of hardware and trainings for the employees, (2) Lack of BIM use in FM and (3) system lagging, crashing and unable to register the real environment. A preliminary framework is presented to overcome these challenges.
Originality/value
This study accommodates a variety of application domains within facilities O&M. The publications were systematically selected from the existing literature and then reviewed to exhibit various AR/MR applications to support FM. There have been no literature reviews that focus on AR and/or MR in the FM and this paper fills the gap by not only presenting its applications but also developing an implementation framework.
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Talat Islam, Areela Khatoon, Amna Umer Cheema and Yasir Ashraf
Employee work engagement has become a major concern for managers as hardly 21% of employees are engaged in their work. Therefore, this study aims to unveil the association between…
Abstract
Purpose
Employee work engagement has become a major concern for managers as hardly 21% of employees are engaged in their work. Therefore, this study aims to unveil the association between ethical leadership and employee engagement. Specifically, the study explores the mediating role of trust in leader between ethical leadership and employee work engagement and moderating role of harmonious work passion in the association between trust in leader and employee work engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected data from 491 employees and their immediate supervisors working in various organizations (in Pakistan) through “Google Forms”. The data were analyzed through analysis of moment structure (AMOS) and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine measurement model (for unidimensionality) and structural model (for hypotheses testing).
Findings
The study noted that ethical leaders positively influence their subordinates to engage in their work. In addition, employees' trust in leader was noted to mediate the association between ethical leadership and employee work engagement. Finally, employees high in harmonious work passion are more likely to engage in their work when perceived their leaders ethical style.
Practical implications
The study suggests to management that fair dealing and involvement in decision-making (ethical leadership) improve employee work engagement as such practices build employees' level of trust in their leaders. In addition, management is suggested to give freedom to employees while selecting their tasks as it positively contributes to their harmonious work passion which ultimately benefits the organization.
Originality/value
Drawing upon social exchange and self-determination theory, this study is the first of its kind that explored the moderating role of harmonious work passion and mediating role of trust in leader between ethical leadership and employee work engagement.