Yasser Assem, Heba A. Mohamed, Rana Said and Ahmed El-Masry
The purpose of this paper is to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers polyethylene adipate-block-polyethylene glycol (PEA-b-PEG)s and study their performance as plasticizers in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers polyethylene adipate-block-polyethylene glycol (PEA-b-PEG)s and study their performance as plasticizers in rotogravure ink formulations.
Design/methodology/approach
Series of amphiphilic block copolymers (PEA-b-PEG1), (PEA-b-PEG2), (PEA-b-PEG3), (PEA-b-PEG4) and (PEA-b-PEG5) were prepared by the reaction of adipic acid, ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol of different molecular weights (300, 1,000, 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000 g/mol), respectively. Full characterization of the prepared copolymers was achieved using Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H NMR, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The performance of the prepared copolymers as plasticizers for neat nitrocellulose resin were studied in different formulations, namely, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 containing copolymers (PEA-b-PEG1), (PEA-b-PEG2), (PEA-b-PEG3), (PEA-b-PEG4) and (PEA-b-PEG5), respectively. In addition to formula R0 that contains acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) as a commercial plasticizer. The mechanical properties, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA) and optical properties of the prepared formulations films were investigated. Theses amphiphilic block copolymers were then applied as plasticizers in different rotogravure ink formulations (F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5) and compared with commercial rotogravure ink formula (F0). The color measurements and optical properties of all formulations were achieved.
Findings
It was found that the performance of the prepared copolymers as plasticizers in different formulations based on nitro cellulose resin gives better gloss, adhesion for R1 compared with the other samples and color strength for F1 compared with F0. Finally, all the samples gave excellent plasticizing effect.
Research limitations/implications
The authors believe that type of these materials open the way for a new class of plasticizers that upon application or even degradation gives small ecofriendly molecules (adipic acid and or ethylene glycol moieties) taking into consideration the simplicity of the rout of the synthesis process.
Practical implications
The prepared ecofriendly (PEA-b-PEG)s could be successfully used as plasticizers instead of commercial plasticizer ATBC.
Originality/value
The research provides that the prepared (PEA-b-PEG)s with different molecular weights can act as plasticizers in rotogravure ink formulations, and their performance was acceptable and available.
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Hafeez Idowu Agbabiaka, Oluwole Philip Daramola and Abiola Aminat Adesanya
The purpose of this study is to examine crime characteristics and its causation in Mushin Lagos Nigeria. The incidence of urban crime in Nigeria has been associated with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine crime characteristics and its causation in Mushin Lagos Nigeria. The incidence of urban crime in Nigeria has been associated with increasing urbanization, high poverty level, congestion, unemployment, deprivation, income inequality, poor physical planning and design, political democratization, disorganization and moral decadence and breakdown in infrastructure. Hence, tackling urban crimes in selected communities within Lagos state will address several issues, creating inclusiveness and safer communities.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were collected through questionnaire administration on three income groups, cutting across 14 communities in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were adopted to select six communities (Idi Araba, Idi Oro, Fadeyi, Ilasamaja Papa Ajao and Ilupeju), 60 streets and 144 respondents for this study. Respondents selected for this study are individuals who have stayed in the communities for more than five years.
Findings
This study reports no statistically significant variation in the crime occurrence by type across the selected communities. However, residents experienced a high occurrence of crime against a person in robbery, assault and pocket-picking, especially among the low-income earners. The same trend was observed in crimes against property such as theft, burglary and store breaking in the low- and middle-income areas, whereas burglary, theft and car theft have high occurrence in the high-income areas. In addition, crimes against morality inform of gambling, prostitution and offences against public peace were high in the low- and high-income areas, whereas gambling, prostitution and bribery are common in the middle-income areas.
Practical implications
This study identifies appropriate policies for combating crime. Collective values promote citizen participation and encourage Do It Yourself in the communities. Stakeholders’ crime prevention mechanism will create safer communities. Social crime prevention and environmental design is an instrument for creating safer cities.
Originality/value
The outcome of this study addresses goal 11 of the SDGs if properly managed.
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Abstract
Research methodology
None.
Case overview/synopsis
The case study follows Ann’s journey towards entrepreneurship, focusing on the challenges she faced and how early educational interventions influenced her life decisions. Despite numerous obstacles, Ann’s perseverance, bolstered by her family’s support and her passion, led to her successful reintegration into academia and the launch of an entrepreneurial venture in the UK. Her story highlights the dilemma of balancing educational attainment with entrepreneurial aspirations, especially for at-risk students. Ann’s experience prompts critical discussions about the intersection of education and entrepreneurship, the importance of experiential learning and the role of mentorship in realizing business ideas. The nurturing environment of her business school, through guest lectures and real-world success stories, played a significant role in shaping her academic and professional outlook. This case raises essential questions about the role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurial skills and integrating experiential learning within academic curricula. Ann’s journey exemplifies the power of resilience and determination in overcoming systemic and entrepreneurial challenges, particularly for women facing similar struggles. Her story illuminates the multifaceted process of turning a personal experience into an entrepreneurial opportunity, emphasizing the critical role of mentorship and support networks in developing a viable business idea.
Complexity academic level
This case study is best suited to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in management and business-related courses that focus on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. The case study is relevant in various business disciplines as it informs students of the process and challenges related to business start-ups and acquiring related capabilities. Instructors are encouraged to have students read the extensive reference list provided at the end to broaden their understanding and knowledge of entrepreneurship, including its processes, context and practices.
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Karim M. Fahmy, Heba Essam Safey Eldeen and Mona A. Abdelwahab
Intergroup contact is crucial for social cohesion, especially in metropolitan cities. However, in segregated cities, public spaces are challenged by the division between different…
Abstract
Purpose
Intergroup contact is crucial for social cohesion, especially in metropolitan cities. However, in segregated cities, public spaces are challenged by the division between different social groups and the tension associated with their mutual presence. While several studies assure the value of intergroup contact, very few inform urban designers on how to create spaces that overcome segregation and allow positive encounters. This paper investigates one of the public spaces of intergroup contact: Digla Square, in Cairo, Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper first develops an interpretive framework to investigate intergroup contact in segregated cities. Afterwards, it uses that framework to approach Digla Square for the case study. The methods used to collect data from the field included unstructured observations and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with representatives from all social groups encountering the square.
Findings
Coding the collected data relying on constructivist grounded theory identified three themes: Digla Square as a place to live, work and play; to appropriate and personalize and to build a common community character. Discussion of the findings reveals an explanation of the phenomenon and draws on connecting the identified themes to existing urban theories.
Originality/value
The paper affords an innovative approach to studying intergroup contact in segregated cities. It also provides a practical framework for empirical and/or field study and the analysis of the results. Moreover, the paper proposes a new perspective towards understanding the phenomenon of intergroup contact in public spaces in metropolitan cities. Lastly, it specifies more human-centred insights for urbanists towards better place-making for their public spaces.
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Heba Ali, Hala M.G. Amin, Diana Mostafa and Ehab K.A. Mohamed
The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter-relations among the strength of investor protection institutions, earnings management (EM) and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter-relations among the strength of investor protection institutions, earnings management (EM) and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
As a proxy for EM, the authors use discretionary accruals measure, estimated using the modified Jones model (1991). As a proxy for the strength of investor protection institutions, the study uses the Investor Protection Index, extracted from the Global Competitiveness Reports. The sample consists of 5,519 firms listed in the Group of Twelve countries during 2015–2020.
Findings
The study shows that firms tend to engage less in EM during the pandemic period. The authors also find a significantly negative relation between the strength of investor protection institutions and EM practices, and interestingly, this negative relation was found to be more pronounced during the pandemic period.
Research limitations/implications
For investors and practitioners, the findings help get insights into the behavior of firms in response of the pandemic shock in countries with solid institutional and legal protection. For policymakers, the findings reaffirm the critical role that institutional incentives and reforms can play, in influencing firms to exert more efforts to promote their financial reporting quality.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, the study is one of the first attempts to examine the link between EM practices and investor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings extend both the literature on the role of institutional factors in promoting the earnings quality and the literature on COVID-19’s effect on firm performance and practices.
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Heba Mohamed Adel and Raghda Abulsaoud Ahmed Younis
To empirically study the direct and mediating relationships between blockchain technology adoption strategy (BCTAS), electronic supply chain management diffusion (eSCMD)…
Abstract
Purpose
To empirically study the direct and mediating relationships between blockchain technology adoption strategy (BCTAS), electronic supply chain management diffusion (eSCMD), entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and human resources information system (HRIS) in Egyptian banks. This paper aims to connect the dots and show the relationships linking these related constructs after the emergence of this breakthrough blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have undertaken a thematic review of relevant multidisciplinary business management literature and then developed a conceptual model. This model was examined through adopting a mixed-methods approach, through which 300 quantitative questionnaires were filled by information technology (IT) staff at 12 banks in Egypt utilising a snowball sample. Besides, 20 qualitative interviews were carried out with international and Egyptian blockchain experts for exploratory and explanatory purposes. The suggested hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results revealed that EO affects positively and significantly BCTAS and HRIS. BCTAS affects positively and significantly both HRIS and eSCMD. Concerning the linkage between external/supply chain and internal/organisational information diffusion, HRIS has a positive and significant effect on eSCMD. The direct EO–eSCMD relationship is not supported. Yet, indirectly, BCTAS mediates significantly EO–eSCMD and EO–HRIS relationships. Further, HRIS mediates significantly the indirect BCTAS–eSCMD relationship.
Practical implications
The findings of this research shed light on the benefits and challenges of adopting BCTAS within emerging markets in general and Egyptian banking in specific, which can support an effective and efficient decision-making process undertaken by strategic and functional banking managers with EO in similar emerging economies.
Originality/value
Conceptually and empirically, it is the first article that investigated direct and mediating EO–BCTAS–HRIS–eSCMD relationships in a promising banking industry of an emerging market. It solved an interdisciplinary research puzzle by piecing together the relevant contemporary literature on production, operations and SC management, entrepreneurship, HR management and strategic technology adoption.
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Mohamed Marzouk, Heba Elsaay and Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman
This research is built up upon exploring the concepts of building information modeling (BIM) adoption and strategy formulation with the aim to develop a strategy for implementing…
Abstract
Purpose
This research is built up upon exploring the concepts of building information modeling (BIM) adoption and strategy formulation with the aim to develop a strategy for implementing BIM in the Egyptian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The development of the BIM implementation strategy was based on two pillars, namely the literature review and results of the survey questionnaire and interviews. First, the review of literature helped investigating the BIM challenges and international strategies developed to implement BIM worldwide.
Findings
The research presented recommendations to assist policymakers in Egypt to facilitate BIM implementation.
Originality/value
Although multiple frameworks have been proposed to aid in BIM implementation, a practical strategy to implement BIM in Egypt is still lacking. Moreover, current market scale studies neglect nonsoftware aspects of BIM adoption, do not identify market gaps or reflect market-specific criteria. As such, it cannot be used by policymakers to facilitate BIM diffusion.
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Marian H. Amin, Heba Ali and Ehab K. A. Mohamed
This paper scrutinizes the nexus between firms’ board characteristics; environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and industry sensitivity, with the aim of examining…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper scrutinizes the nexus between firms’ board characteristics; environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and industry sensitivity, with the aim of examining how the impact of board diversity on ESG performance would vary among sensitive versus non-sensitive industries and identify which board characteristics are more influential on ESG performance in these industries.
Design/methodology/approach
A large sample of 31,255 firm-year observations in 5,471 companies listed in the G-7 countries from 2010 to 2022 is examined using a Heckman two-stage least squares (2SLS) approach to address the potential endogeneity concerns within our proposed relationships.
Findings
The findings show that the positive influence of diverse boards on a firm’s ESG performance is particularly amplified in sensitive industries and may be attributed to the greater need of these industries to address stakeholder concerns (as posited by the stakeholder and resource-dependence theories) and mitigate agency conflicts (supporting agency theory). Interestingly, the impact of diversity in board gender and education qualifications appears to be particularly influential and remains robust across a series of regression analyses.
Research limitations/implications
This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries. For practitioners and firms, the results allow for better understanding of firms’ tendency towards sustainability practices, particularly in the context of sensitive industries.
Practical implications
This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the increasingly growing literature that investigates the nexus between industry sensitivity, board characteristics and ESG performance.
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Heba Nassar, Marwa Biltagy and Aya Mohamed Safwat
Egypt has set plans to transform into a green economy which requires major reforms in the waste sector as one of the most vital sectors crucial for this transformation. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Egypt has set plans to transform into a green economy which requires major reforms in the waste sector as one of the most vital sectors crucial for this transformation. This study aims at inspecting the current status of the Egyptian waste sector to highlight the major policy reforms needed. Furthermore, it assesses the economic viability of establishing waste-to-energy (WtE) projects under the current regulations that govern the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed an inductive analytical approach to scrutinize the institutional and regulatory framework of the waste and WtE sectors. Furthermore, a novel techno-economic analysis was conducted to assess the profitability of a WtE plant that employs moving grate incineration technology.
Findings
The analysis of the waste sector revealed its deteriorating state and the dire need for immediate restructuring through more stringent regulations to establish an integrated waste management system (IWMS) that incorporates WtE technologies as well as a number of corrective actions that would help enhance the sector. Additionally, the techno-economic analysis revealed the need to amend the current WtE regulation to comprise a gate fee as an indispensable revenue stream for WtE projects.
Originality/value
This study is one of a few studies that uses a new technique of analysis to explore the potential role that WtE projects can play in Egypt as a part of an IWMS that aims at transforming the waste sector into a resource sector while providing a renewable and sustainable source of energy.
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Heba Mohamed Adel, Ghada Aly Zeinhom and Raghda Abulsaoud Ahmed Younis
The purpose of this study is to investigate conceptually and empirically the direct and indirect relationships between university social responsibility (USR), university social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate conceptually and empirically the direct and indirect relationships between university social responsibility (USR), university social innovation strategy (USIS) in terms of social awareness (SA), intention for social innovation (ISI), organisational structure for social innovation (SSI) and innovativeness in social value creation (ISVC) and gaining a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) at quality-accredited faculties of an emerging market.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model was presented and a mixed-methods approach was exploited to fill a research gap detected in strategic corporate social innovation literature. The authors formed a data collection team that contacted all the quality-accredited public and private/international faculties, of which 109 faculties in 11 Egyptian governorates responded and their quality units filled questionnaires that were analysed by structural equation modelling. For comprehensive understanding, qualitative interviews were set to gather data from managers/leaders and teaching staff working at those faculties in quality management and community engagement practices as well as students.
Findings
Results demonstrated that USR positively and significantly influenced SCA and USIS. Further, USIS (in terms of ISI, SSI and ISVC) positively and significantly influenced SCA. However, USIS (in terms of SA) had a positive yet insignificant influence on SCA. Indirectly, USIS was found to be partially mediating USR–SCA relationship.
Practical implications
University leaders/staff can gain insights on how to adopt differentiation strategies, which enable their institutions to shift from being just socially responsible to becoming socially innovative by presenting solutions to social, economic, cultural, environmental and health-care problems/challenges within their communities in general and during pandemics. This can be sustained through developing innovative quality-based processes/programmes/services related to education, research and community outreach that better serve social needs to be quality-accredited and unique over their rivals.
Social implications
Satisfying social needs through promoting innovative processes/services can reinforce a favourable social change.
Originality/value
From a cross-disciplinary perspective, the authors interwove conceptually sparse literature of strategic, operations, knowledge capacity and innovation management that studied university social innovation research area. Also, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that examined empirically USR–USIS–SCA relationships of quality-accredited faculties in an emerging economy during Covid-19 pandemic.