Iqra Masroor and Jamshed Aslam Ansari
Compact and wideband antennas are the need of modern wireless systems that preferably work with compact, low-profile and easy-to-install devices that provide a wider coverage of…
Abstract
Purpose
Compact and wideband antennas are the need of modern wireless systems that preferably work with compact, low-profile and easy-to-install devices that provide a wider coverage of operating frequencies. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel compact and ultrawideband (UWB) microstrip patch antenna intended for high frequency wireless applications.
Design/methodology/approach
A square microstrip patch antenna was initially modeled on finite element method-based electromagnetic simulation tool high frequency structure simulator. It was then loaded with a rectangular slit and Koch snowflake-shaped fractal notches for bandwidth enhancement. The fabricated prototype was tested by using vector network analyzer from Agilent Technologies, N5247A, Santa Clara, California, United States (US).
Findings
The designed Koch fractal patch antenna is highly compact with dimensions of 10 × 10 mm only and possesses UWB characteristics with multiple resonances in the operating band. The −10 dB measured impedance bandwidth was observed to be approximately 13.65 GHz in the frequency range (23.20–36.85 GHz).
Originality/value
Owing to its simple and compact structure, positive and substantial gain values, high radiation efficiency and stable radiation patterns throughout the frequency band of interest, the proposed antenna is a suitable candidate for high frequency wireless applications in the K (18–27 GHz) and Ka (26.5–40 GHz) microwave bands.
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Abdul Mannan Khan and Aslam Ansari
– This study aims to examine the effective and efficiency account of social networking (SN) tools and how it affects communication with others and anticipatory awareness.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effective and efficiency account of social networking (SN) tools and how it affects communication with others and anticipatory awareness.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purpose of the study, a set of questionnaires was prepared by the authors and furnished to information professionals.
Findings
The findings disclose that some SN tools are gaining popularity among Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals in India. The most active professionals are aged 26-35 years; the habits of using SN are different from traditional searches for research purposes. The professionals provide opinion that SN is very effective to deliver LIS.
Research limitations
The present study assesses the role of SN in LIS from information professionals of Indian science and technology institutions.
Originality/value
SN is growing rapidly as a medium of communication between individuals to share their experiences and information regarding interests, and also helps to build ongoing relationships. In the field of LIS services, it may help to develop technology literacy and proficiency.
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Junaid Ansari and Syed Irfan Hyder
This paper aims to understand the religio-spiritual insights of the consumers and investigate their relationship with the consumers’ attitude towards advertising and its…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the religio-spiritual insights of the consumers and investigate their relationship with the consumers’ attitude towards advertising and its antecedents. Religious festivals, such as Ramadan, are celebrated with high religio-spiritual contemplations, which are often targeted by intensive marketing campaigns. During these religious festivals, consumers’ attitude toward advertising is influenced when television commercials contain “unnecessary” entertainment, “inappropriate casting” of celebrities with less credibility, “cluttered” information, “phony claims” related to good for economy and “annoying content” increasing consumers’ irritation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study developed a higher-order construct of religio-spiritual insights and used “Theory of Reasoned Action” for measuring the effect of religio-spiritual insights on consumers’ attitude toward advertising. Exploratory sequential mixed methods research design was used to develop and validate the instrument. A total of 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted during i-depth analysis phase to generate themes and questionnaire. During instrument validation phase, 839 Muslim consumers were surveyed by using the questionnaire, and instrument was validated by using the co-variance-based structural equation modeling approach.
Findings
This study develops and validates the instrument of religio-spiritual insights and identifies its significant direct and mediating effects between the consumer’s attitude toward advertising and its determinants.
Originality/value
The newly developed instrument of religio-spiritual insights is based on six dimensions, namely, “beliefs and practices,” “association with higher power,” “interconnectedness,” “self-actualization,” “heart and mind involvement,” “knowledge and meanings.” This instrument of religio-spiritual insights was validated and then tested by using a conceptual framework based on the several variables, such as attitude toward advertising, irritation, good for economy, entertainment, credibility and information.
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Allah Karam Salehi and Elham Soleimanizadeh
The abnormality of the month-of-the-year and Ramadan effects has extensively existed in the stock and other markets. The commercial strategy pattern and the computation of such…
Abstract
Purpose
The abnormality of the month-of-the-year and Ramadan effects has extensively existed in the stock and other markets. The commercial strategy pattern and the computation of such predictable patterns in the market allow investors to make money. By using anomalies such as the month-of-the-year and the Ramadan effects on earnings management (EM), it is possible to achieve such a goal. This study aims to investigate the month-of-the-year effect and the Ramadan effect on the relationship between accrual earnings management and real earnings management (AEM and REM, respectively) and liquidity in the Iranian capital market.
Design/methodology/approach
This empirical analysis comprises a panel data set of 80 listed firms (400 observations) on the Tehran Stock Exchange from 2016 to 2020.
Findings
The findings exhibit that when AEM and REM increase, information asymmetry also increases. The simultaneous increase of these variables leads to a decrease in stock liquidity. Furthermore, the results indicate that the month-of-the-year and Ramadan effects intensify the negative relationship between AEM and REM with stock liquidity. Therefore, EM is affected by the investor’s behavior in specific months.
Practical implications
Anomalies caused by the Ramadan effect and the month-of-the-year effect on reducing liquidity in the Iranian stock market were confirmed. Investors can use these anomalies to identify predictable patterns, exchange securities according to those patterns and earn abnormal returns.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that empirically examined the simultaneous effect of Gregorian and Islamic calendar anomalies on the relationship between EM and liquidity, and while helping managers and other readers, it can be the basis for future research.
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The purpose of this paper is to reflect on major issues and trends of academic libraries and leadership in the changing nature of higher education. Changing environment of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on major issues and trends of academic libraries and leadership in the changing nature of higher education. Changing environment of academic libraries has impacted significantly on the knowledge, skills requirement and role of the library leaders, and how organizations can maintain and manage the changing nature of academic libraries as well as leadership while effective leadership is extremely required for the library leaders and organizations are concern about future scenarios. The primary objective is to identify the key challenges in libraries, leadership skills and approaches of the leaders, their effective leadership traits and future perceptions are discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of this paper is to facilitate as how to develop effective and successful leadership for the academic libraries during the changing nature of higher education. The findings and recommendations in the paper are based on personal experience of leadership positions in an academic library as well as experience of library leaders across the world.
Findings
Academic libraries are facing similar challenges and issues across the world. This paper identifies that library leaders need to be effective communicators, strategic thinkers, visionary, and able to examine the new ways of working.
Originality/value
This paper discusses why academic library leaders need a set of new skills and how can they develop leadership skills and competencies in the changing nature of academic libraries.
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Faouzi Ghallabi, Khemaies Bougatef and Othman Mnari
This study aims to identify calendar anomalies that can affect stock returns and asymmetric volatility. Thus, the objective of this study is twofold: on the one hand, it examines…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify calendar anomalies that can affect stock returns and asymmetric volatility. Thus, the objective of this study is twofold: on the one hand, it examines the impact of calendar anomalies on the returns of both conventional and Islamic indices in Indonesia, and on the other hand, it analyzes the impact of these anomalies on return volatility and whether this impact differs between the two indices.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply the GJR-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model to daily data of the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) and the Jakarta Islamic Index for the period ranging from October 6, 2000 to March 4, 2022.
Findings
The authors provide evidence that the turn-of-the-month (TOM) effect is present in both conventional and Islamic indices, whereas the January effect is present only for the conventional index and the Monday effect is present only for the Islamic index. The month of Ramadan exhibits a positive effect for the Islamic index and a negative effect for the conventional index. Conversely, the crisis effect seems to be the same for the two indices. Overall, the results suggest that the impact of market anomalies on returns and volatility differs significantly between conventional and Islamic indices.
Practical implications
This study provides useful information for understanding the characteristics of the Indonesian stock market and can help investors to make their choice between Islamic and conventional equities. Given the presence of some calendar anomalies in the Indonesia stock market, investors could obtain abnormal returns by optimizing an investment strategy based on seasonal return patterns. Regarding the day-of-the-week effect, it is found that Friday’s mean returns are the highest among the weekdays for both indices which implies that investors in the Indonesian stock market should trade more on Fridays. Similarly, the TOM effect is significantly positive for both indices, suggesting that for investors are called to concentrate their transactions from the last day of the month to the fourth day of the following month. The January effect is positive and statistically significant only for the conventional index (JCI) which implies that it is more beneficial for investors to invest only in conventional assets. In contrast, it seems that it is more advantageous for investors to invest only in Islamic assets during Ramadan. In addition, the findings reveal that the two indices exhibit lower returns and higher volatility, which implies that it is recommended for investors to find other assets that can serve as a safe refuge during turbulent periods. Overall, the existence of these calendar anomalies implies that policymakers are called to implement the required measures to increase market efficiency.
Originality/value
The existing literature on calendar anomalies is abundant, but it is mostly focused on conventional stocks and has not been sufficiently extended to address the presence of these anomalies in Shariah-compliant stocks. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study to date has examined the presence of calendar anomalies and asymmetric volatility in both Islamic and conventional stock indices in Indonesia.
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Washington Macias, Katia Rodriguez and Holger Barriga
This paper aims to analyze the spillover effects between online food delivery providers’ (OFDs) performance and restaurant brands. It proposed a model of three determinants for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the spillover effects between online food delivery providers’ (OFDs) performance and restaurant brands. It proposed a model of three determinants for e-satisfaction with OFDs and related these variables to restaurants’ brand satisfaction, image and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was designed, and 332 responses from delivery apps users in Ecuador were collected. A partial least squares structural equations model was applied.
Findings
The three proposed determinants of OFD satisfaction were significant: e-service quality, personal aspects of delivery workers and perceived food quality. Regarding the spillover effects, e-service quality and personal aspects had an influence on perceived food quality, mediating a chain of effects on restaurants’ brand satisfaction, image and loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected before COVID-19. Further studies will need to be undertaken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic because minimal contact between delivery workers and customers is expected. In addition, food quality perceptions may include new concerns about biosafety norms.
Practical implications
Practices aiming to improve the service experience with OFDs are suggested, including proper training, supervision and improvement of delivery workers’ conditions. On the other hand, because restaurants do not control OFD’s performance, their contractual agreements should focus on avoiding service failures that erode restaurants’ brand equity.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills the need to study the spillover effects in the context of the collaborative economy, where delivery companies, delivery workers and restaurants work together to provide a service, and the performance of one of the parties impacts the consumers’ perceptions of the other party.
研究目的
本调查旨在分析在线食品配送提供商 (OFD) 绩效与餐厅品牌之间的溢出效应。 它提出了 OFD 电子满意度的三个决定因素模型, 并将这些变量与餐厅的品牌满意度、形象和忠诚度相关联。
研究设计/方法/途径
本研究设计了一项调查, 并收集了来自厄瓜多尔交付应用程序用户的 332 份回复。 应用PLS结构方程模型。
研究发现
OFD 满意度的三个拟议决定因素非常重要:电子服务质量、送货员的个人方面和感知的食品质量。 关于溢出效应, 电子服务质量和个人方面对感知食品质量有影响, 调节对餐厅品牌满意度、形象和忠诚度的连锁影响。
研究研究局限性/影响
本研究数据是在 COVID-19 之前收集。 由于预计送货员和顾客之间的接触最少, 因此需要在 COVID-19 大流行的背景下进行进一步研究。 此外, 食品质量认知可能包括生物安全规范的新担忧。
实践意义
本研究建议采取旨在改善 OFD 服务体验的做法, 包括适当的培训、监督和改善送货工人的条件。 另一方面, 由于餐厅不控制 OFD 的绩效, 因此他们的合同协议应着重于避免服务失败而损害餐厅的品牌资产。
研究原创性/价值
本文满足了研究协作经济背景下溢出效应的需要, 在这种情况下, 送货公司、送货工人和餐馆共同提供服务, 其中一方的表现会影响消费者的 对方的看法。
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Zaina Nakabuye, Jamiah Mayanja, Sarah Bimbona and Micheal Wassermann
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was adopted for this study. The paper formulates hypotheses from the literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 231 SMEs in Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and AMOS.
Findings
The findings of this study showed technology orientation has a positive and significant relationship with the performance of Ugandan SMEs and that supply chain agility moderates technology orientation and export performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study discusses the findings, advances limitations and managerial implications. It also suggests future research avenues. It proposes some recommendations to help Ugandan SMEs to form flexible supply chains, use the latest technology and create strong relationship ties with their partners in the supply chain.
Practical implications
The study suggests that managers of Ugandan SMEs should use the latest technology in production, marketing, logistics and supply chain management which will enable them to respond quickly to customer tastes and preferences leading to higher levels of export performance.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on strategic management showing the reliability of scales used and the confirmatory of the factor structure. This study shows that in strategic management technology, orientation is critical in increasing export performance. This study has extended the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theories.
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Md Aslam Mia, Md Imran Hossain and Sunil Sangwan
Digitalization is one of the major factors that fosters economic growth across the world. However, the level of digitalization varies significantly between developed and…
Abstract
Purpose
Digitalization is one of the major factors that fosters economic growth across the world. However, the level of digitalization varies significantly between developed and developing countries, with the latter often lagging behind. To bridge this gap, it is crucial to pinpoint the drivers of digitalization, specifically from the macroeconomic and country-level governance dimensions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the determinants of digitalization, particularly for countries in Asia and the Pacific region.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study utilizes unbalanced panel data from 46 Asian and Pacific countries for the period of 2001–2021. Initially, we analyzed the data using conventional econometric methods, such as pooled ordinary least squares (POLS), random-effects model (REM) and fixed-effects model (FEM). Moreover, we employed endogeneity-corrected techniques and alternative proxies to enhance the robustness and reliability of our findings.
Findings
Our findings reveal that economic development progress, government expenditure relative to country size and political stability are key drivers of digitalization. In contrast, corruption at the country level emerges as a significant impediment. Notably, our results remain robust to endogeneity-corrected techniques and alternative proxies of digitalization. Overall, these insights can inform policymakers, helping them to understand the macroeconomic and governance factors shaping digitalization and guide their decision-making toward effective policy interventions.
Originality/value
This study’s empirical findings add significant value to the existing literature by quantifying the impact of macroeconomic and governance factors on digitalization in selected countries. This offers valuable insights for policymakers, particularly in nations with lower levels of digitalization.
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Key performance indicators (KPIs) play a pivotal role in evaluating the level of success of an organization in achieving its business objectives. The objective of the current…
Abstract
Purpose
Key performance indicators (KPIs) play a pivotal role in evaluating the level of success of an organization in achieving its business objectives. The objective of the current research is to identify and prioritize effective KPIs in branding products and construction projects, which contribute to the success of construction companies in a competitive environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The present research is of an inferential, descriptive and survey nature. In this study, we identified the influential key performance indicators of construction companies in branding products and construction projects for success in a competitive environment through a literature review and expert opinions. The data were collected using a questionnaire, and a combination of the one-sample t-test method with a 95% confidence level and the fuzzy multiple attribute decision-making (FMADM) method was employed for analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that the most influential key performance indicators for construction companies in branding products and construction projects for success in a competitive environment are, in order of significance, the following indices: “Marketing and Advertising,” “Financial,” “Creativity,” “Technical and Operational” and “Social and Political.”
Originality/value
The present research examines the importance of branding construction products and projects for the success of construction companies by improving their business objectives and utilizing key performance indicators throughout the product lifecycle (production and construction). This study provides solutions on how construction companies can increase their competitive advantage through branding and achieve long-term success in the global construction industry.