Muhammad Hamza Baig, Abdul Waheed, Irfan Ahmad Rana and Kulsoom Abbas
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers halting the usage of sustainable modes of transportation in a university campus.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers halting the usage of sustainable modes of transportation in a university campus.
Design/methodology/approach
Two large-scale universities, namely, Quaid-i-Azam University and the National University of Sciences and Technology, in Islamabad have been taken as case studies with a sample population of 421. The questionnaire data, comprising 30 different barriers, were analysed by principal component analysis and mean value method.
Findings
The findings indicate that safety and infrastructural factors are the most influential ones affecting sustainable mobility within the campus. The provision of user-friendly and safe infrastructure and more frequent shuttle buses are recommended to promote the culture of sustainable transportation.
Research limitations/implications
Inclusion of other large-scale universities of the country might give more generalized results. The sustainability of other areas associating with transportation can also be evaluated to explore other unfamiliar dimensions.
Practical implications
The outcome of this research expects to highlight important policy recommendations for the promotion of sustainable mobility inside the campus and also serves as a guiding principle for campus developers and policymakers for planning new campuses in other parts of the country.
Originality/value
This research can be considered as a starting point for achieving sustainability in the universities of Pakistan. The same research methodology can be opted in other campuses with the possibility of the addition of other related factors with different statistical analysis techniques as well.
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Ayman Aslam, Irfan Ahmad Rana and Saad Saleem Bhatti
Urban built-up has been increasing exponentially in the world. Urban population growth and migration are depleting the land resources and creating thermal discomfort. Cities all…
Abstract
Purpose
Urban built-up has been increasing exponentially in the world. Urban population growth and migration are depleting the land resources and creating thermal discomfort. Cities all around the world are facing urban heat island effects and increased temperatures. This study aims to map land cover and formulate local climate zones for enhancing urban resilience against disaster and climate risks.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses exploratory research to identify local climate zones for Lahore, Pakistan. Landsat 8 imagery was used to develop a land use land cover map. For mapping local climate zones, the standard World Urban and Access Portal Tool procedure was used.
Findings
Results have revealed that Lahore has grown exponentially. Compact low rise and open low rise were the two most common local climate zones prevalent in the city. In contrast, the outer regions of the city consisted of LCZ D (low plants) and LCZ F (bare soil).
Practical implications
This study highlights the need to consider local climate zones in future development plans and policies for ensuring sustainable, resilient and climate-friendly cities.
Originality/value
Local climate zone studies are missing in Pakistan. This study has empirically analyzed the ground situation of local climate zones for Lahore metropolitan city. This study will provide baseline support for future studies on urban heat island and climate change adaptation planning.
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Ali Jamshed, Irfan Ahmad Rana, Joanna M. McMillan and Joern Birkmann
The extreme flood event of 2010 in Pakistan led to extensive internal displacement of rural communities, resulting in initiatives to resettle the displaced population in model…
Abstract
Purpose
The extreme flood event of 2010 in Pakistan led to extensive internal displacement of rural communities, resulting in initiatives to resettle the displaced population in model villages (MVs). The MV concept is quite new in the context of post-disaster resettlement and its role in building community resilience and well-being has not been explored. This study aims to assess the role of MVs in building the resilience of relocated communities, particularly looking at the differences between those developed by governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Design/methodology/approach
Four MVs, two developed by government and two by NGOs, were selected as case studies in the severely flood-affected province of Punjab, Pakistan. A sample of 145 households from the four MVs was collected using a structured questionnaire to measure improvements in social, economic, physical and environmental domains and to form a final resilience index. Supplementary tools including expert interviews and personal observations were also used.
Findings
The analysis suggests that NGOs are more successful in improving the overall situation of relocated households than government. Core factors that increase the resilience of communities resettled by NGOs are provision of livelihood opportunities, livelihood skill development based on local market demand, training on maintenance and operation of different facilities of the MV and provision of extensive education opportunities, especially for women.
Practical implications
The results of this study can guide policymakers and development planners to overcome existing deficiencies by including the private sector and considerations of socioeconomic development whenever resettling communities.
Originality/value
In resilience discourse, resettlement of communities has been extensively debated based on qualitative arguments. This paper demonstrates an approach to quantify community resilience in a post-disaster resettlement context.
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Ali Jamshed, Irfan Ahmad Rana, Masood Ali Khan, Nikhil Agarwal, Ahsan Ali and Mayank Ostwal
The purpose of this paper is to propose a practical framework for community participation in post-disaster resettlement.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a practical framework for community participation in post-disaster resettlement.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework has been tested in two model villages (MVs) of Punjab, Pakistan. Primary data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions and expert interviews. A survey with 67 households was conducted for obtaining qualitative data regarding community participation in post-disaster resettlement.
Findings
The first MV (Ittehad MV) was resettled by the local NGO, and the second (Basti Meera Mullan) by the provincial government. Results indicate that community participation significantly varied in selected MVs. NGOs have achieved positive realizations due to effective community involvement in resettlement efforts, whereas the governmental approach lacked in proactive community participation.
Practical implications
This framework can be used for other disasters, by refining and incorporating disaster relevant components. This research will be highly useful for disaster managers, private developers and NGOs engaged in resettling disaster-affected population.
Social implications
The proposed framework can help disaster-affected communities to resettle according to their terms. This can only be attained if affected communities will proactively participate in resettlement planning process.
Originality/value
This original framework is exclusively designed to attain sustainability for post-disaster settlement through community participation.
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Shahab E. Saqib, John K.M. Kuwornu, Mokbul Morshed Ahmad and Sanaullah Panezai
The Government of Pakistan has allocated a substantial proportion of agricultural credit to subsistence farmers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze farmers’ access to credit…
Abstract
Purpose
The Government of Pakistan has allocated a substantial proportion of agricultural credit to subsistence farmers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze farmers’ access to credit and its adequacy in the light of current agricultural credit policy of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has used both secondary and primary data for analysis. Secondary data were collected from the annual reports of Pakistan Economic Survey and State Bank of Pakistan. Primary data were collected from 168 subsistence farmers through households’ survey. Farmers’ credit access and credit adequacy were measured using credit access ratio and credit adequacy ratio, respectively. The Student’s t-test and analysis of variance were used to assess the differences in credit access and adequacy among farmers’ groups (i.e. upper, medium and lower subsistence farmers). Tobit regression model was employed to determine the factors influencing credit adequacy among farmers.
Findings
The empirical results revealed that the amount of credit provided to subsistence farmers was less than stated in the national agricultural credit policy. Upper subsistence farmers had more access to credit than lower and medium subsistence farmers. Lower subsistence farmers had above average access to informal sources of credit, and had below average access to formal sources. The findings also revealed that lower subsistence and medium subsistence farmers had the highest credit inadequacy of funds for investment in agriculture. The results of the Tobit regression revealed that age, education, experience, household size, total landholding of farmer and proportion of own land influenced the agricultural credit adequacy.
Practical implications
Most of the credit was distributed among the upper subsistence farmers. Lower subsistence farmers were still largely dependent on informal credit for farm production activities. The Government of Pakistan performed poor in the implementation of agricultural credit policy, and has failed to help subsistence farmers in their access to formal credit. It is needed to revamp the agricultural credit policy and facilitate credit acquisition by subsistence farmers, particularly for tenant farmers. It is important that the Government may classify the subsistence farmers into subgroups, and reallocate the funds accordingly. This study has lessons and implications for agricultural finance initiatives in developing countries.
Originality/value
Previous studies have focused primarily on access to agricultural credit. However, this study has adopted a holistic approach by using secondary and primary data to assess the farmers’ access to credit and adequacy. In addition, limited literature is available to explore the farmers’ accessibility and adequacy of agricultural credit. Furthermore, this study has focused exclusively on the farmers who are living in the flood-prone areas of Pakistan.
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Saira Naeem, Rana Muhammad Ayyub, Irfan Ishaq, Sobia Sadiq and Tahir Mahmood
In view of increasing demand of halal foods and to properly address the needs of various types of consumers, the literary inquiries have sprung in this area since start of…
Abstract
Purpose
In view of increasing demand of halal foods and to properly address the needs of various types of consumers, the literary inquiries have sprung in this area since start of twenty-first century. However, the number of papers published in reputed journals is still pegged to the lowest ebb. This paper aims to systematically review all qualitative research papers, published in reputed journals, and to give specific directions to future researchers to move on and explore some other required areas.
Design/methodology/approach
The Campbell collaboration systematic literature review technique was adopted as methodology to screen out relevant studies. A total of 11 qualitative studies qualified the set criteria which have used various qualitative methodologies like interviews, focus groups, observations and netnography. The qualitative data were analyzed through nVivo software by adopting Spiggle’s steps of data analysis.
Findings
In these selected qualitative studies, around 24 main themes were extracted in total, out of which four themes were repeatedly discussed in most of these studies. Likewise, the details of geographical location of authors, type of methodology used, religious affiliation of respondents, type of journals, most prolific journals and citations of each paper were worked out and given in the form of result tables. Based on the importance of this fastest-growing global food market, it has been concluded that the qualitative research inquiries are still in infancy in this area, and more papers need to be published in reputed journals.
Research limitations/implications
As per set criteria, only papers published in quality journals were included in this review; therefore, the main limitation of this review is that it has not included other qualitative papers published elsewhere.
Practical implications
The future researchers can use the results of this study in setting direction of their research in the area of halal food consumption. These results can be used by academicians to know about the extent of research conducted in this area, whereas marketers can make prudent policies based on these explored areas.
Originality/value
It is claimed to be the first systematic literature review on halal food consumption.
Details
Keywords
Wasim Ahmad, Rana Muhammad Sohail Jafar, Naveed R. Khan, Irfan Hameed and Noshin Fatima
The sources and platforms utilized for environmental communication have been significantly expanded by the emergence of social media. The validity, form, and content of…
Abstract
The sources and platforms utilized for environmental communication have been significantly expanded by the emergence of social media. The validity, form, and content of environmental communication processes are particularly radical departures from conventional media, making personal green blogs important of study as areas of everyday culture politics where people make understanding of environmental challenges. There is currently a lack of research on how social media might encourage green behaviours. This research reveals the impact of social media use and green blogging on green purchasing behaviour, which is supported by the social learning theory. Present study shows that social media use and green blogging have a substantial positive connection, drawing on a sample of 580 respondents from Pakistan examined using structural equation modelling. Both notions have a considerable impact on consumers' intentions to make green purchases, and social media trust plays a moderating role in this relationship. Furthermore, social media trust considerably modifies the connections between green blogging and social media use that is related to green behaviour. The current study is novel and offers important information to understand how social media might promote eco-friendly habits and behaviour.
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Monica Gupta, Rajni Bansal, Jyoti Verma and Kiran Sood
Introduction: Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) have long been viable in the Indian economy. In the case of post-COVID-19, 20–40% of MSMEs in government can be…
Abstract
Introduction: Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) have long been viable in the Indian economy. In the case of post-COVID-19, 20–40% of MSMEs in government can be permanently closed. The state should pay special attention to MSMEs for survival (Min, 2023).
Purpose: This chapter provides a framework for MSMEs to study industry challenges in Punjab and to discuss the conceptual framework and road map for future MSMEs in Punjab.
Need for This Study: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted the variable economic activities within the world. This study is responsible for explaining the different vulnerable sectors related to small- and medium-sized enterprises. On the other hand, this study is an analytical and descriptive research in nature.
Methodology: A mixed method of data collection has been used in this chapter. The data have been collected by floating a questionnaire to the various entrepreneurs of MSMEs. Secondary data have been collected through the Internet.
Findings: Through this research, we could analyse the MSMEs’ conceptual framework, the challenges they face, and the industrial units’ future roadmap.
Practical Implications: This research is mainly considered a clear explanation of current competition and market access challenges that small- and medium-sized enterprises face. This situation is derived due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so many enterprises are trying to find their exit ways. On the other hand, some MSMEs are trying to focus on the online business market to make some profit and to overcome the loss.
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Islamic finance and Halal product sectors are thriving successfully. This chapter is a general review of the perception of Asian consumers on Islamic finance and Halal sectors in…
Abstract
Purpose
Islamic finance and Halal product sectors are thriving successfully. This chapter is a general review of the perception of Asian consumers on Islamic finance and Halal sectors in the global Halal economy.
Methodology/approach
The first section will briefly describe the Halal concept in both Islamic finance and Halal industries, and the growth of both sectors in Asian countries. The second part highlights the review of Asian consumers’ perception towards Islamic finance products and Halal products.
Findings
The review found that the consumers’ perception towards the Islamic finance products and Halal products is distinctive. This is due to the diversity of Asian countries in terms of geography, religion, culture, ethnic, school of thoughts (madzahib), income per capita and government’s involvement.
Originality/value
The third part of the chapter concentrates on planning towards Halal marketing, which involves the move and future challenges in different layers of industries to gear up and strengthen the Halal economy.
Details
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Hasan Evrim Arici and Nagihan Cakmakoglu Arici
This study investigates the influences of social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on brand preference by focussing on the mediation influence of brand recognisability and the…
Abstract
This study investigates the influences of social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on brand preference by focussing on the mediation influence of brand recognisability and the moderator influence of brand signature in higher education institutions in Germany. A total of 257 students were surveyed and the data gathered were tested through partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings demonstrated that higher-education institutions’ SMMAs had a significant effect on both brand recognisability and students’ brand preference. The findings also empirically proved the significant mediator influence of brand recognisability and the moderator influence of brand signature upon the association of higher education institutions’ SMMAs and students’ brand preference. It is anticipated that the findings of this research could be utilised as a significant solution in the improvement of higher education institutions’ SMMAs, specifically focussing on the significance of each component of SMMAs.