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The Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) plays a crucial role in the socioeconomic development of a country. Still, it is often stigmatized as a secondary choice in the Global South. This study explored the interrelationships and impacts of factors such as family, school, and society on the perception and reputation of TEVTA.

By employing quantitative methods, the analysis focused on how family, society, and school support influence these perceptions and reputations within TEVTA programs. Social Cognitive Theory is the theoretical underpinning of this study, in which 350 students from 13 TEVTA institutes participated by filling out questionnaires. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and IBM SPSS 28.

This study indicates that family and societal influences significantly shape students' perceptions, confirming their pivotal role in enhancing the reputation of these programs. School support also emerged as a critical factor, significantly impacting students' perceptions but not directly influencing the programs' reputation. The analysis underscores the importance of understanding the sociocultural context to develop effective strategies for the TEVTA sector in Pakistan. This clear understanding is essential for developing effective strategies to improve the reputation of TEVTA programs in this setting. Moreover, this research offers policy suggestions to make vocational education more attractive and accessible to diverse students, ultimately contributing to the country's socioeconomic development.

This study applied Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to explore how individual thoughts, environmental influences (such as family, school, and society), and behaviors interact within the context of TEVTA programs. This approach fills gaps in current research and offers a clearer understanding of what affects TEVTA's perception and reputation.

As a little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing users’ intentions to adopt blockchain-based telemedicine (BBT), it is important to investigate BBT acceptance as incorporation of blockchain technology can solve telemedicine-related issues. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing behavioral intentions (BI) to adopt BBT.

An integrated model comprising the constructs taken from technology–organization–environment framework, technology acceptance model, unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and theory of planned behavior based on their relevance to the context and the objectives of the study has been used for this research. A quantitative approach has been used to test the hypotheses, for which the data was collected from 324 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling has been used to test the hypotheses.

The results of the study show that relative advantage, perceived usefulness, trust and perceived ease of use have a significant impact on BI to adopt BBT, whereas regulatory support, subjective norms and facilitating conditions do not have any significant impact on the same.

As the concept of BCT in Pakistan is at its nascent stage and literature regarding this technology’s adoption is also limited, researchers and scholars can apply it to several other fields in Pakistan. For example, this study can be extended to explore the factors influencing blockchain adoption in areas such as education, logistics, transportation, finances and management. This research only considers the direct effects of constructs on BI to adopt BBT and does not consider any mediation and moderations constructs. Future researchers can also study the influence of mediation and moderation constructs on BI to adopt BCT.

Although studies on the acceptance of telemedicine exist, there is a gap concerning the acceptance of BBT, which the current study helps to bridge. From a practical standpoint, the current study makes a highly valuable contribution toward understanding acceptance factors for BBT projects, leading to help policymakers devise policies to promote telemedicine.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated framework to explore the influences of electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) success factors (process fit, customer information quality and system support) on customer satisfaction, customer trust and customer retention, which, in turn, impact upon the business financial performance of Jordanian commercial banks in Amman city.

Using a sample of 343 branch managers, assistant branch managers and heads of departments in Jordanian commercial banks, who answered a self-administrated questionnaire, data were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling (AMOS 17.0).

The results showed that the ECRM success factors (process fit, customer information quality and system support) positively affected customer satisfaction, customer trust and customer retention. Furthermore, the authors discovered that customer satisfaction and customer trust positively influenced customer retention. It was determined that customer satisfaction, customer trust and customer retention positively impact on a business’s financial performance.

Previous research lacks the link between ECRM success factors and business performance (financial and non-financial).

In 1966, Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani coined the term “literature of resistance” through his seminal work “Resistance Literature in Occupied Palestine 1948–1966” (Harlow, 1987). This genre focuses on depicting experiences of resistance and resilience amidst colonization, often investigating the personal struggles of writers within contexts of injustice and oppression. When created for children and youth, the literature of resistance diverges from that intended for adults due to many reasons. Eventually, this genre aims to engage children with significant societal issues such as patriotism, liberty, disdain for injustice, and the fundamental importance of justice. This chapter explores examples within the realm of children’s literature of resistance, encompassing both stories and novels tailored for young and teenage audiences. The chapter comprises four main sections. Firstly, a comprehensive introduction will elucidate the concept of resistance literature and underscore its scholarly significance. The second part will examine existing literature, highlighting thematic foundations and prevalent discourse within this genre. Subsequently, the third part will outline criteria used to ensure chosen narratives align with the overarching theme of resistance, followed by an examination of selected stories in terms of their literary and narrative aspects. Lastly, the fifth part will detail the dual analytical approach employed to offer a comprehensive understanding of how resistance is conveyed in the chosen narratives and the extent to which these stories fulfill their intended objectives.

During the apartheid era many women, such as Albertina Sisulu and Lilian Ngoyi to name only two, spent time in solitary confinement. Women were punished for taking part in political activities by being issued with banning orders or placed under house arrest. Women placed under banning orders were treated differently to men. At the Special Hearings which were organised by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) women were provided with an opportunity to talk about their experiences as women living under apartheid instead of talking about what had happened to someone in their family. The silencing of women continued even after the new government came to power. This is clearly illustrated in the negligible space allotted to the experiences of women’s oppression and human rights violations in the hearings before the TRC. My concern that an understanding and appreciation of the suffering, oppression, political activism and contribution by South African women during apartheid will be lost to future generations is shared by Annie Coombes’s statement in her book History After Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa (2003).

This study aims to identify the features and characteristics of feminist elites as well as their circulation rate in official political positions. The study questions include the role of a profession, educational level, and class of origin in the recruitment of feminist elites. It stems from the hypothesis that a direct correlation exists between the mechanism of recruiting feminist elites and their characteristics, according to the criterion of class differentiation based on social status and financial wealth. The study used a complex combination of scientific methodologies, including the elite approach, which is especially important as a result of its ability to convert arguments into measurable variables, and a comparative approach was used to compare the features and characteristics of feminist elites in two reigns. From the study, it was observed that feminist elites are characterized by caste and wealth, higher educational degree, and in addition obtaining degrees from Western universities, prevailed. This result demonstrates the higher value of Western universities. The study also found that the circulation rate of political feminist elites dramatically increased in the reign of King Abdullah compared with the appointed feminist elites in the reign of King Hussein.

This study aims to examine the antecedent factors (internal and external) that influence intentions to buy over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in Jordan.

A conceptual framework was developed based on consumer buying behavior theoretical background and a review of the relevant literature. A quantitative approach and a convenience sampling method were used to obtain data from self-administered questionnaires, which were completed by 351 academic staff from selected Jordanian universities.

The results indicate that all antecedent factors (internal, external and combined) have significant positive influences on the intentions to buy OTC medicines. Internal factors are more influential than external factors; however, the combination of internal and external factors resulted in the greatest influence on buying OTC medicines compared to each category separately.

This paper has integrated and examined empirically the antecedent factors that influence intentions to buy OTC medicines (internal, external and combined) in Jordan’s business environment context as a developing country for the first time.