Iram Khalid, Tooba Ahmad and Sami Ullah
Human-induced changes in climate have affected the environment to the extent that any more economic development at the cost of the environment will be too costly. Thus…
Abstract
Purpose
Human-induced changes in climate have affected the environment to the extent that any more economic development at the cost of the environment will be too costly. Thus, sustainable development options posing no additional harm to the environment are the only viable option. This study aims to examine the likely environmental impacts of infrastructural developments through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Design/methodology/approach
There is a scarcity of academic debate and discussion on the environmental impact of CPEC developments in laws and policies on the environment. The qualitative approach is followed in this study and official documents and reports are used to investigate the environmental challenges posed by CPEC.
Findings
The findings show three possible environmental concerns which could increase the climate change vulnerability of Pakistan. The coal-fired power plants are the most prominent threat based on their CO2 contributions and smog. Second, cutting more than 54,000 trees for roads infrastructure will increase CO2 concentration along the CPEC route. Third, increasing vehicle trafficking by up to 7,000 trucks per day on Karakorum Highway alone will release 36.5 million tons of additional CO2.
Originality/value
It is essential to rethink the environmental cost of CPEC. The study suggests economic and legal cooperation between Pakistan and China as a way forward to deal with climate change issues. Environmental laws should be a vital part of CPEC projects to ensure their safety, security and sustainability.
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Tahira Iram, Ahmad Raza Bilal, Rida Khan, Saqib Mehmood and Harish Kumar
This paper investigates the mediating role of employee awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) in the relationship between technological turbulence and knowledge hiding, with a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the mediating role of employee awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) in the relationship between technological turbulence and knowledge hiding, with a focus on the moderating impact of change leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey study adopted a quantitative approach to propose and test a model based on predictors of knowledge hidings. The survey approach received 320 respondent firms in the hotel management sector. The structural and measurement model was calculated using SmartPLS.
Findings
Employee AI awareness mediates the relationship between technological turbulence and knowledge hiding. Change leadership significantly moderates this relationship, reducing knowledge hiding by promoting innovative discussions and collaboration. High employee AI awareness can lead to knowledge hiding due to perceived threats to job security, but effective leadership mitigates this by fostering a collaborative environment.
Originality/value
The study highlights the importance of effective leadership in reducing knowledge hiding and emphasizes the need for a collaborative environment where employees view external partnerships as opportunities for learning and acquiring AI knowledge.
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Khalid Arar and Kussai Haj-Yehia
The chapter looks at policies regarding access to higher education (HE) for the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel (PAMI). Recently, HE among PAMI has expanded compared to…
Abstract
The chapter looks at policies regarding access to higher education (HE) for the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel (PAMI). Recently, HE among PAMI has expanded compared to previous years, but the proportion of PAMI students in Israeli institutions of HE (14%) is still not equal to the percentage of PAMI (20%). The Council for Higher Education (CHE) in Israel has been trying to increase the accessibility of PAMI students in institutions of HE through the implementation of several projects and academic programs and the expectation of reaching 17% in 2021. The chapter has three main aims: (1) to describe the decisions and recommendations of CHE for increasing the rate of peripheral students in HE, (2) to trace their implementation in HE institutions, and (3) to investigate the influences of these policies in schools through interviews with secondary school principals and secondary students in PAMI schools to understand how they act to improve students’ awareness of these initiatives and to improve access to HE for their graduates. A qualitative-phenomenological study analyzes policy guidelines regarding HE for PAMI as set out by the two main committees established by the Israeli CHE. The findings may have international significance since similar difficulties are encountered in access to HE among underprivileged or peripheral populations in other world states.
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Muhammad Qamar Zia, Muhammad Sufyan Ramish, Iram Mushtaq, Syeda Tayyaba Fasih and Muhammad Naveed
This study aims to theoretically discuss and empirically test the mediating mechanism of psychological distress and the moderating effects of Islamic work ethics (IWE) in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to theoretically discuss and empirically test the mediating mechanism of psychological distress and the moderating effects of Islamic work ethics (IWE) in the relationship between despotic leadership and adaptive performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-wave survey was used to gather the data from middle managers and their supervisors of construction firms in Pakistan. The final sample consisted of 304 respondents and data analysis was performed through SEM analysis.
Findings
Despotic leadership enhances employees’ psychological distress which results in a negative impact on adaptive performance. In addition, IWE played a buffering role in mitigating the harmful impacts of despotic leadership on adaptive performance.
Originality/value
The study is among the pioneers that have investigated how despotic leadership impacts employees’ adaptive performance via the underlying mechanism of psychological distress through the conservation of resources and social exchange theory lens.
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Khadeeja Munawar, Iram Zehra Bokharey and Fahad Riaz Choudhry
Problems related to sexual functioning have been reported in patients with anxiety disorders in general and panic disorder in particular. The past literature has shown the…
Abstract
Purpose
Problems related to sexual functioning have been reported in patients with anxiety disorders in general and panic disorder in particular. The past literature has shown the association of sexual conflicts of panic disorder patients with sadomasochism, and revealed the themes of: guilt, self-punishment, role of unconscious conflicts about sexuality, anger and separation. The purpose of this paper is to explore sexual conflicts in patients with panic disorder and their beliefs regarding guilt around sexual fantasies and dreams.
Design/methodology/approach
Interpretative paradigm and case study method was employed. For collecting data, semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to within and cross-case analyses. Clarifying researcher’s bias and rich thick description were used for verification of data.
Findings
Cross-case analyses revealed themes of negative emotions, positive emotions and ambivalence. Negative emotions (i.e. guilt and anger) were experienced as threatening and harmful and caused distress to participants. Positive emotions, such as, satisfaction, pleasure and happiness were revealed in response to questions related to sexual fantasies, thoughts dreams, emotional attachment and sexual relations. Ambivalence was shown in response to questions related with reactions toward sexual fantasies, masturbatory practices, sexual relations and/or emotional attachment.
Research limitations/implications
The participants of this study consisted of two self-selected individuals who had diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia. The main limitation of the study is a small sample size comprising of men only. This research can provide grounds for more Asian studies in future especially by including females.
Practical implications
The findings point toward addressing sexual conflict in therapeutic intervention of panic disorder.
Social implications
The findings have implications in society in expanding the awareness and knowledge about sexual conflicts in clinical population and general population suffering from anxiety symptoms.
Originality/value
This research study adds understanding of psychological issues in Pakistan’s socio-cultural context.
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Tahira Iram, Ahmad Raza Bilal, Tariq Saeed and Faiza Liaquat
In 2016, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) initiated Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to lessen the country's dependency on fossil fuels and increase economic diversification. The…
Abstract
Purpose
In 2016, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) initiated Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to lessen the country's dependency on fossil fuels and increase economic diversification. The Vision 2030 framework strives to establish a thriving economy, a vibrant society and an ambitious nation. This study aims to investigate the role of green service innovation (SI) and green work engagement (WE) in mediating the nexus between green human resource management (HRM) and green creativity (GC) under conditional role of spiritual leadership (SL).
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was done of 300 female intrapreneurs working in the organization within Saudi Arabia. This study has collected data via stratified random sampling technique. The framework was tested using PLS-SEM software.
Findings
The findings reveal that WE fully intervenes the nexus between green HRM and GC. Moreover, SL positively moderates the nexus between green HRM and SI.
Originality/value
Thus, based on findings, it is recommended that female intrapreneurs prioritize environmentally responsible operations to gain and sustain competitive edge over rivals in Saudi competitive market.
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Talat Islam, Iram Zahra, Saif Ur Rehman and Saqib Jamil
Innovation has become a necessity for the information technology (IT) sector, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how knowledge sharing…
Abstract
Purpose
Innovation has become a necessity for the information technology (IT) sector, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how knowledge sharing affects employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB). Specifically, the study examined occupational self-efficacy (as mediating mechanism) and entrepreneurial leadership (as boundary condition) to encourage IWB.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used social media platforms to collect data from 270 employees working in the IT sector through “google forms” on convenience basis between March and August, 2021. The study applied structural equation modeling in two stages to examine the measurement model (for uni-dimensionality) and the structural model (for hypotheses testing).
Findings
The study noted that knowledge sharing positively affects employees’ IWB and occupational self-efficacy positively explains this association. In addition, employees’ perception of entrepreneurial leadership strengthens the association between knowledge sharing and IWB.
Research limitations/implications
The study collected data from a developing country during COVID-19 by using a cross-sectional design that may restrict causality. However, the findings suggest the management not only encourages knowledge sharing environment but also engages employees in various training that motivate them to experiment with new ideas and techniques.
Originality/value
This study extends the existing literature on knowledge sharing and IWB by exploring occupational self-efficacy as mediating mechanism and entrepreneurial leadership as a boundary condition.
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Suhail H. Serbaya, Ali Rizwan, Manuel Sánchez-Chero, Iram Mushtaq, Mahender Singh Kaswan and Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes
The main objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of the advance organizer model (AOM) versus the conventional teaching method (CTM) in teaching high school math…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of the advance organizer model (AOM) versus the conventional teaching method (CTM) in teaching high school math using game-based learning (GBL) for improved student learning performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from 480 students, covering sociodemographics, educational identifiers and actions, were collected across two semesters. The research analyzed factors like interest, motivation, and problem-solving abilities to assess the impact of teaching methods. A quasi-experimental design, due to non-randomized group selection, was used, mitigating differences via analysis of covariance. Students were split into control and test groups, and test scores before and after administering the treatment were calculated. Hypothesis testing was carried out to find the effectiveness of AOM versus CTM. The sample contains a diverse sociodemographic background and educational setting. 175 students in the sample were female and 305 were male. The sample was made up of 14 nationalities, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Peru, Iraq and Lebanon. Parent participation was also incorporated through parental satisfaction surveys.
Findings
Despite unknown group differences, the study found significant differences in Mean Retention Scores between the AOM and CTM groups. This suggests that AOM has considerable advantages in teaching mathematics over CTM.
Originality/value
The study of the first kind that explores the effectiveness of different teaching methods based on gamification perspective for improving student performance.
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Waled Younes E. Alazzabi, Hasri Mustafa and Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff
The purpose of this paper is to explore and provide insights into corruption and the control procedures from an Islamic perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and provide insights into corruption and the control procedures from an Islamic perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts qualitative research approach using the holy Quran as a primary source and hadith of the Prophet Mohammed supported by the anecdotes of his companions as a secondary source and prior literature.
Findings
This paper offers an Islamic taxonomy of corruption that contains economic, managerial, financial, political, environmental, social and ethical corruption which is explicitly prohibited because of their consequence on societies. Islam establishes proactive, preventive, detecting and reactive procedures to control corruption and prescribes how to avoid its harmful consequences. The paper also reveals significant concepts in relation to individuals’ qualities that if taken care of, better chances to reduce corruption and better living conditions can be accomplished.
Research limitations/implications
The paper recommends means to the business community through providing managerial and practical procedures which can be used for limiting corruption effectively. However, this piece of work provides further explanations on corruption to improve our understanding on such a phenomenon and contributes to the literature from the perspective of Islam point of view.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the debate on corruption, human, religion and control from an Islamic point of view, which is lacking. This paper finds evidence that loss of belief is a situational factor that leads to corrupt acts. Also, moral teaching in early ages is necessary for inner and self-control. Moral renovation is an influential factor that keeps individuals motivated and refrain from indulging into corrupt acts.
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Zeshan Ahmad, Belal Mahmoud AlWadi, Harish Kumar, Boon-Kwee Ng and Diep Ngoc Nguyen
The digital transformation of family-owned small businesses (F-OSBs) has become a critical area of research to maintain their economic contribution in today’s rapidly evolving…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital transformation of family-owned small businesses (F-OSBs) has become a critical area of research to maintain their economic contribution in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. This study examines the effect of internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the digital transformation of F-OSBs by mediating strategic agility and moderating artificial intelligence usage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a cross-sectional survey design to collect primary data from 378 descendent entrepreneurs of F-OSBs in Pakistan’s five major cities.
Findings
The study revealed that leadership ability, internet marketing, technology utilization, and artificial intelligence used by the F-OSBs can contribute to their digital transformation, but e-commerce ability does not. The strategic agility of the descendant entrepreneur enhances the abilities of e-commerce, leadership, and technology utilization, leading to the digital transformation of F-OSB. However, strategic agility reduces the role of Internet marketing in digital transformation. Artificial intelligence usage moderates leadership’s ability to improve strategic agility but increases technology utilization for strategic agility and digital transformation of F-OSB.
Practical implications
The digital transformation through a combination of strategic agility and artificial intelligence can increase the F-OSBs' proactive approach to respond to changing market conditions even during economic recessions like COVID-19.
Originality/value
This study broadens the existing literature by examining the effect of descendent entrepreneur’s internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy, strategic agility, artificial intelligence usage, and their interplay on the digital transformation of F-OSB through the unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology.