Sehrish Huma, Danish Ahmed Siddiqui and Waqar Ahmed
The purpose of this research is twofold: first, to investigate the impact of the adoption of green supply chain practices (GSCPs) on various parameters of competitive operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is twofold: first, to investigate the impact of the adoption of green supply chain practices (GSCPs) on various parameters of competitive operational capabilities; second, to investigate the parameters that influence the market performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling analysis was done based on the collected data through a self-administrated questionnaire from managers of 120 manufacturing firms.
Findings
In this study, we suggest that the relationship of GSCPs is positively related to all competitive operational capabilities. Further, we recommend that operational capabilities are directly related to market performance.
Originality/value
This paper investigates the relationship between GSCPs, Operational Competitive Capabilities and market performance, a relatively unexplored area in the developing economy. Moreover, it also adds value to the nascent literature on GSCPs in developing countries.
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Wardah Irfan, Danish Ahmed Siddiqui and Waqar Ahmed
Nowadays customers want to enjoy their shopping experience with convenience and maximum value for their money. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of in-store…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays customers want to enjoy their shopping experience with convenience and maximum value for their money. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of in-store logistics in crafting store image and perceived value to customers, thus creating satisfied and loyal customers.
Design/methodology/approach
A research framework was developed based on the review of relevant past research in the area of retail store service quality, perceived value, store image, customer loyalty and satisfaction. Valid data were gathered through a survey from 200 respondents who have shopping experience of small- and medium-sized retail store. Data are analysed through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLSSEM) using Smart PLS 3.2.4.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that in-store logistics play a major role in developing customers’ satisfaction followed by store image and perceived value. Further, satisfied customers are expected to return to the same retail store, thus showing loyalty.
Practical implications
This research provides insight into retail decisions makers regarding the factors which enhance customer satisfaction and retention. This study also helps marketers and operations managers to develop strategies for retail stores based on the findings of this research.
Originality/value
From a retailer’s perspective the paper explains the factors empirically that impact shoppers in the retail store environment.
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Wahaj Ahmed Khan, Syed Tehseen Jawaid and Danish Ahmed Siddiqui
This study examines the new venue of moving illegal wealth from Pakistan under the umbrella of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The study first discussed the features of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the new venue of moving illegal wealth from Pakistan under the umbrella of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The study first discussed the features of CPEC in short and how it may bring stability and a new phase of development in the region and also in Pakistan. The review of related literature has suggested that previous studies are more focused on the advantages of CPEC and are almost neglecting the cons of the said project. Later, the research puts light on the problem of money laundering from Pakistan through CPEC and related trade transactions; Walker’s Gravity model has been used to calculate the attractiveness of money laundering. It has highlighted that China’s attractiveness for moving illegal wealth from Pakistan is increased in recent years; the risk of an increase in the amount of money laundered is also analyzed through the Fan Chart technique. Attributes which are making China more attractive for Pakistani wrongdoers are also discussed. The study aims to conclude that if the problem of money laundering will be addressed properly, the CPEC will play a vital role in bringing stability in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a descriptive and quantitative approach. This study uses the Walker’s Gravity Model updated by Unger et al. (2006) to measure money laundering in Pakistan. A newly developed technique for forecasting that is Fan Chart has been used to predict the trend of China’s attractiveness for money laundering as a preferred destination from Pakistan.
Findings
The study finds out that China is already increasing its ranking as a favorite destination for money laundering from Pakistan. Fan Chart analysis suggests that the attractiveness score will be increased.
Practical implications
The study helps in highlighting the problem of increase in money laundering from Pakistan through China under the umbrella of CPEC.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no study found on the topic of the problem of money laundering linked with CPEC, and this is the first effort to point out the problem.
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Danish Ahmed, Yuantao Xie and Khelfaoui Issam
Life insurance is bought with a prior belief that promise stipulated in policy will be honored when due. Discernibly, this belief is backed by the confidence that financial…
Abstract
Purpose
Life insurance is bought with a prior belief that promise stipulated in policy will be honored when due. Discernibly, this belief is backed by the confidence that financial markets and economy will demonstrate satisfactory performance. However, individuals' confidence levels may get shaken through naïve reinforcement learning if they witness negative market or economic condition. Considering this the authors investigate the relationship between investor confidence and life insurance demand.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used bias corrected bootstrapped sample of OECD economies to examine the link between investor confidence and life insurance demand when two possible economic conditions were witnessed: 1) normal/economic expansion and 2) economic/debt impairment. The findings are robust to alternate estimation techniques and endogeneity.
Findings
The authors found that lower investor confidence, sovereign debt impairment and negative market condition will have negative repercussion on life insurance demand. On the other hand, investor confidence-life insurance demand nexus is merely influenced by market and economic condition.
Originality/value
This is a premier research explaining the nexus between investor confidence and life insurance demand in the context of life-cycle hypothesis, sovereign ratings channel and experience-confidence-belief framework. The finding will help economic policy-makers in developing pre-emptive measures to protect life insurance businesses from negative repercussions of lower confidence and negative market conditions.
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Wajeeha Aslam, Danish Ahmed Siddiqui, Imtiaz Arif and Kashif Farhat
By extending the service robot acceptance model (sRAM), this study aims to explore and enhance the acceptance of chatbots. The study considered functional, relational, social…
Abstract
Purpose
By extending the service robot acceptance model (sRAM), this study aims to explore and enhance the acceptance of chatbots. The study considered functional, relational, social, user and gratification elements in determining the acceptance of chatbots.
Design/methodology/approach
By using the purposive sampling technique, data of 321 service customers, gathered from millennials through a questionnaire and subsequent PLS-SEM modeling, was applied for hypotheses testing.
Findings
Findings revealed that the functional elements, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use affect acceptance of chatbots. However, in social elements, only perceived social interactivity affects the acceptance of chatbots. Moreover, both user and gratification elements (hedonic motivation and symbolic motivation) significantly influence the acceptance of chatbots. Lastly, trust is the only contributing factor for the acceptance of chatbots in the relational elements.
Practical implications
The study extends the literature related to chatbots and offers several guidelines to the service industry to effectively employ chatbots.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies that used newly developed sRAM in determining chatbot acceptance. Moreover, the study extended the sRAM by adding user and gratification elements and privacy concerns as originally sRAM model was limited to functional, relational and social elements.
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Sehrish Huma and Danish Ahmed Siddiqui
The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of potential absorptive capacity (PACAP) and realized absorptive capacity (RACAP) in driving different types of innovation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of potential absorptive capacity (PACAP) and realized absorptive capacity (RACAP) in driving different types of innovation practices, including process, product, marketing and organizational innovation with in the supply chain (SC). Furthermore, this study also seeks to examine the previously unexplored relationship between these SC innovation practices and supply chain risk management (SCRM).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 267 SC professionals working in the export manufacturing industry for hypotheses testing via structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results have found that both PACAP and RACAP positively and significantly impact on each practice of SC innovation. The results also show that each SC innovation practices such as product innovation, process innovation and marketing innovation have a positive and significant impact on SCRM except organizational innovation.
Originality/value
This study makes a notable contribution to the broader SC management literature, with a specific focus on absorptive capacity, innovation management and SCRM, areas where empirical research is still emerging. This study reveals that organizations trying to manage SC risk must implement sufficient SC innovation practices by enhancing their PACAP and RACAP for quick response and recovery from SC disruptions.
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Danish Ahmed, Xie Yuantao and Umair Saeed Bhutta
Insurance companies exist to manage the risk of others, which is why they are perceived to be competitive in risk management (RM). Considering this, we investigate how different…
Abstract
Purpose
Insurance companies exist to manage the risk of others, which is why they are perceived to be competitive in risk management (RM). Considering this, we investigate how different RM capabilities make insurers effective in RM. These capabilities include understanding risk and risk management (URRM), risk identification (RI), risk assessment and analysis (RAA) and risk monitoring (RMON) activities in insurance companies. In addition, the authors probe how these capabilities can jointly yield a competitive advantage for the insurance industry under the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities perspective (DCP).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a latent variable RM model for the insurance industry and employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. Furthermore, the authors also conduct confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and convergent and discriminant validity analysis for model fit and invariance testing, respectively.
Findings
The results show that insurers who investigated RM-related capabilities directly influence their risk management practices (RMPs). Moreover, improving these capabilities will make insurers more effective in managing the risks of others. Thus, RM as a business process will yield a competitive advantage for the insurance sector. The findings are supported by the theoretical insights presented by the RBV and DCP. Furthermore, the model also adheres to the convergent and discriminant validity cut-off values.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining insurers' RM practices as a source of a competitive advantage.
研究目的
保險公司存在的目的是為其它公司或個人管理其風險;因此,保險公司在風險管理方面、被認為具有競爭能力。故此、我們擬研究不同的風險管理能力是如何能使保險公司有效地管理風險的呢?這些風險管理能力包括對風險及風險管理之了解、風險辨識、風險評估和分析,以及在保險公司內的風險監控活動。再者,我們探究這些風險管理能力如何根據資源基礎觀點及動態能力理論共同為保險業創造競爭優勢。
研究方法
我們為保險業展示一個潛在變項風險管理模型,並使用結構方程模型,來測試我們的假設;而且,我們為模型適配度而進行了驗證性因素分析,又為不變性檢定而進行了驗證輻合及驗證區別效度分析。
研究結果
研究結果顯示、若保險公司審査與風險管理相關之能力,這會直接影響其對風險管理之措施;而且,若保險公司能改善其風險管理之能力,這會使它們更有效地管理其它公司或個人的風險。因此,作為業務過程的一環、風險管理會為保險業創造競爭優勢。我們的研究結果,得到資源基礎理論及動態能力理論提供之理論見解所支持;而且,我們的模型從附驗證輻合及驗證區別效度的截止值。
研究的原創性
據我們所知,本研究為首個研究、去探討保險公司的風險管理措施如何為它們創造競爭優勢。
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The concept of smart city has been adopted by various cities across the world. As urbanization is enlarging at a flying pace, the number of cities that engage the smart city…
Abstract
The concept of smart city has been adopted by various cities across the world. As urbanization is enlarging at a flying pace, the number of cities that engage the smart city concept is to rise, including in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This chapter discusses issues related to the development of (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC countries to create sustainable well-being through ecological and environmental resilience. This issue starts from the conflict between economic and human development on the one hand and ecological and environmental resilience on the other hand as one of the fundamental challenges of sustainable development. The higher the Human Development Index (HDI),, the higher the ecological footprint. Likewise, in the GCC region, all member countries are classified as Very High Human Development; however, all of these countries have a high ecological footprint. Therefore, through a literature study, this chapter focuses on investigating the development of (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC countries in reducing ecological footprints through a circular economy innovation with the support of technology and a digitally-enabled community in creating ecological and environmental resilience. This chapter provides valuable insight into the implementation of the (Islamic) smart cities in the GCC region in taking a global strategic role in green transition through the circular economy to transform their region toward sustainable well-being and become a symbol of sustainable smart global Islamic civilization.
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Lotte Holck and Sara Louise Muhr
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the construction and everyday maintenance of racialized psychological borders in the Greenlandic Police Force reproduce a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the construction and everyday maintenance of racialized psychological borders in the Greenlandic Police Force reproduce a postcolonial hierarchy of knowledge, where Danish knowledge and perceptions of professionalism are constructed as superior to Greenlandic knowledge and perceptions of professionalism.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an ethnographic study comprising 5 days of observation of a training course for Danish police officers going to Greenland on summer assistance, 13 days of observation of police work in Greenland, 2 days of participatory observation of a leadership development seminar in Greenland, 26 interviews conducted in Denmark and Greenland with both Danish and Greenlandic officers and interventions in Denmark and Greenland.
Findings
The racialized borders create strong perceptions of “us” and “them”, which are maintained and reinforced through everyday work practices. The borders have damaging effects on the way police officers collaborate in Greenland and as the borders are maintained through (often implicit) everyday micro-processes, management has difficulty dealing with it. However, the way the racialized borders became visible through this research project created an awareness of – and sparked conversation about – the colonial stereotypes that have constructed and reinforce the borders. This awareness opens up possibilities of collaborative disruption of those borders.
Research limitations/implications
The paper shows how racialized borders limit the way professionalism is understood in the Greenlandic Police Force. But it also shows that, because these borders are socially constructed, they can be contested. Making the implicit everyday discrimination explicit through vignettes, for example, offers the chance to contest and disrupt the colonial hierarchy otherwise deeply embedded in the work practices of the police force.
Originality/value
Thanks to unique access to Greenland’s police force, this paper offers exclusive in-depth insights into current processes of racialization and colonialization in a contemporary colonial relationship.
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Merel T. Feenstra-Verschure, Dorien Kooij, Charissa Freese, Mandy Van der Velde and Evgenia I. Lysova
Many employees experience a “locked at the job” situation and are not satisfied with their current job and at the same time, perceive limited job opportunities. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Many employees experience a “locked at the job” situation and are not satisfied with their current job and at the same time, perceive limited job opportunities. This study examines the process that individuals who experience locked at the job go through and the coping mechanisms individuals use.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted. Of the participants, 12 were locked at the job at the time of the interview and 18 participants experienced locked at the job in the past.
Findings
The authors identified three phases. Regarding the first phase “becoming locked at the job,” various individual and work environmental causes could be identified. In the second phase “being locked at the job,” the authors identified three levels: low-, medium- and high-locked individuals. Emotion-regulated coping strategies were mainly reappraisal, positive distraction and behavioral avoidance. The third phase “ending locked at the job” revealed that a locked at the job situation often comes to an end either by taking control independently or by external force. Especially, the role of the direct supervisor was decisive during the entire locked at the job process.
Practical implications
In the practical implications, the authors suggest to discuss locked at the job throughout the entire workplace and create an open culture acknowledging that individuals may find themselves in such a situation.
Originality/value
To date, no qualitative study has been conducted before from this perspective. Therefore, it is extremely important to look at this relatively unknown phenomenon from this perspective.