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The purpose of the study is to assess the familiarity and utilization of open access resources among library users of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, and Pondicherry University (PU), Puducherry.

Data for the study were collected via a well-structured questionnaire. For this study, 250 questionnaires were administered among library users of each CUSAT and PU through incidental sampling. From CUSAT and PU, 180 and 160 questionnaires, respectively, were considered for data analysis.

The study reveals that majority of the respondents, i.e. 77.78 and 80 per cent of CUSAT and PU, respectively, believe that they are familiar with the concept of open access (OA). 70.56 per cent respondents from CUSAT and 71.88 per cent users from PU are aware that their library has an OA repository. However, majority of the respondents, i.e. 65 and 70.63 per cent users from CUSAT and PU, respectively, use OA resources. Among OA resources, electronic theses and dissertations are the most preferred ones consulted by 56.67 and 62.50 per cent respondents, respectively, from CUSAT and PU. 60.56 per cent respondents from CUSAT followed by PU (52.50 per cent) cited “screen reading” as a main barrier in accessing OA resources.

Both the universities under study have created and maintained the OA institutional repository for disseminating their institutional intellectual output. This study explores awareness and use of OA resources among library users of CUSAT and PU. The study concludes with some suggestions for utmost utilization of OA resources among library users.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of automation on library management services of four selected management institutes at Aligarh.

The investigators used a fashioned questionnaire and informal interviews. They chose samples on the basis of a stratified sampling method and administered the questionnaire according to a random method for collecting the data.

The study revealed that 3 of 4 libraries are partially automated, with the exception of Al-Barkaat which is completely automated. Seventy per cent of librarians believe that automation has improved their library’s services, while 85 per cent of users believe that an automated library system is better than the traditional manual system. Of the four libraries, three have a shortage of general staff and three also lack qualified specialized staff to deal with automation.

The investigators could only select four management institutes because of time and logistic constraints, despite Aligarh being the educational hub of western Uttar Pradesh.

Although many studies of the same kind have already been conducted on library automation in different areas of world, this paper revealed the current status of automation in libraries of selected management institutes at Aligarh.

The disruptive pandemic has badly affected supply chain operations across the globe and implementing green supply chain strategies is challenging for manufacturing firms, especially in emerging countries. Therefore, this study aims to identify the significant challenges hindering the green supply chain as a pathway towards sustainability in the post-COVID-19 era.

Fuzzy Delphi Methodology (FDM), Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC were applied. FDM was applied to select the most relevant challenges and later ISM and Matrices d'Impacts cross-multiplication appliqúe a classmate MICMAC were used for modeling and classifying critical challenges.

Lack of trust between firms and supply chain partners, and difficulty in transforming positive environmental attitudes into action are the significant challenges to implementing green supply chain management. Lack of communication between government and Chinese firms is the least important factor which shows that the government is trying to support firms and reduce the negative effects after the drastic impacts of COVID-19. However, COVID-19 left a draconian effect on organization’s green supply chain and it’s not easy to overcome.

None of the previous studies applied mixed methodologies of FDM, ISM and MICMAC to evaluate Green supply chain as a pathway to sustainable operations in the post-COVID-19 era. Challenging factors of green supply chain operations in COVID-19 are different from earlier studies and contribute to the literature of emerging countries.

This research paper aims to conceptually explain the dark side of the metaverse from customers’ perspective in the hospitality and tourism industry.

A comprehensive analysis of the existing academic and practice-based literature on the metaverse, including its related concepts such as social media and e-commerce, was undertaken to conceptualise the metaverse dark side.

This research posits a theoretical framework highlighting five pivotal dark sides of the metaverse that is physiological, psychological, legal, security and privacy and societal issues. Each identified concern is examined to unveil various potential consequences, providing a comprehensive understanding of the challenges posed by the metaverse for customers in tourism and hospitality.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study stands out as the first of its kind to illuminate the adverse aspects of the metaverse from the viewpoint of tourism and hospitality customers. The arguments offered herein not only serve to raise awareness but also facilitate understanding of the darkverse among policymakers, government and metaverse business organisations. This awareness is crucial for the efficient and effective implementation of this novel innovative technology to enhance the customer experience in tourism and hospitality.

Iran has significant potential for an international tourism industry based on culture and heritage. However, the rich fusion of Persian and Islamic cultures that distinguishes Iran from the rest of the Middle East is not easily promoted for tourism internationally, mainly as a result of successive American and European attempts at forcing Iran's isolation since 1979. Given that Japan was a significant inbound and outbound market for Iranian tourism in the 1980s and is a close trading partner of the group of countries aligned against Iran at present, this chapter focuses on the recent development of the Iranian inbound tourism industry with the history and current status of the Japan–Iran tourism connection.

Pakistan's present war against extremists has many folds and sheds. The country's initial participation in the Afghan War in 1979 later gave birth to different extremist trends in the country. State patronage of the extremist Wahabi Islamists during the Afghan jihad opened another conflict in Pakistan, and things became more complicated. The combination of external and internal factors gave birth to the worst kind of conflict, which now has not only become dangerous for the country's own existence but also a major threat for global peace. The Afghan jihad initially started as a war against Soviet occupation and later became the hub of global jihad-war against infidels.

This chapter analyzes how external factors promoted internal contradictions in Pakistan due to which the country became not only an exporter of jihadis for the world but also the worst kind of sectarian conflicts, including. Shia–Sunni, Deobandi–Wahabi clashes, entered into in the past two decades. Such a strong link exists with Pakistan's official support to global jihad. Draft sectarian groups now head to head with their opponents have killed thousands of members of rival sectors, have strong support from external sympathizers, and have spread in the country. The well planned terrorist activities of these groups reflect the fact that support to these groups in the past is now leading to a severe crisis in Pakistan. The nexuses of these indigenous extremists like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen with external terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan of Tahir Yuldasher Chechen Guerilla War has led to several bloody clashes in the country and outside.

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.

There are many areas of research that are untapped in Islamic banking, and human capital is one of them. This paper aims to systematical review the relevant literature on human capital and Islamic banking.

The review process involved a structured search using well-established academic databases, Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in the selection of relevant articles. The paper has been divided into three major themes, besides other discussions on the literature, including methods of measuring human capital, determinants of human capital and human capital and performance of Islamic banks.

A few pioneering studies have explicitly examined human capital in the Islamic banking domain, while others have encompassed it under the broader umbrella of intellectual capital. The most common method of measuring human capital is accounting based, while few have adopted disclosure and survey methods as well. There are few studies that explored the determinants of human capital having focus on corporate governance, while many of the studies have explored the nexus of human capital and financial performance.

This review strongly highlights the need for more focused research on human capital within the Islamic banking sector. As Islamic banking necessitates unique human capital characteristics, it is essential to delve deeper into this aspect. Furthermore, there is a call to expand the human capital index by incorporating comprehensive aspects relevant to Islamic banking. An important area that requires further exploration is the role of Shariah governance in shaping human capital development within Islamic finance, understanding the reasons behind the observed negative correlation.

Despite its significance, the relationship between human capital and Islamic banking has received limited attention. This review paper not only addresses this gap but also lays the groundwork for future studies in this important and emerging field.

The purpose of this paper is to look into the ethical practices of a profit-driven financial institution that is currently adopting Islamic banking and whether it can actually be ethical from an Islamic perspective. The recent decade has seen an upsurge of the increasingly integration of ethical management into operational strategies by businesses across the globe. Like any other religion, Islam wants its followers to be truthful and honest and to be compliant with its teachings and especially in a business transaction. This research paper explores the ethical factors of Islamic banking and how it is perceived by its stakeholders.

Due to the exploratory nature of the research and the fact that it involves in-depth theoretical analysis, a qualitative research method was adopted to explore the details of ethics in Islamic banking sector. The aim of this research was to explore the ethical options of an Islamic bank. This was done by carrying out in-depth interviews with the managers and executives of Islamic banks having authority over the subject of Islamic banking and Shariah finance. Furthermore, a detailed session of interviews was also carried out with the customers of Islamic banking to take their views on the subject issues. The data are analysed through thematic content analysis and matched with the existing theory with the objective of coming up with detailed findings that would contribute to knowledge on the subject of ethical Islamic banking.

The paper provides empirical insights about ethical management as a vital part of Islamic banking modus operandi. The findings highlight the involvement of ethics in different procedures, operations and approaches of Islamic banking and how it is perceived by its many stakeholders.

The motivation of this thesis comes from literature review to explore the ethics of Islamic banking and how it Islamic banking is perceived by stakeholders at an ethical banking practice. This research aims to aid bankers in identifying what practices they can enhance and what practices should be dropped to bring about a more ethical banking system. This research was prompted as a result of the gaps identified in the literature review followed by the observations made of the market by the researcher. It was evident that further research on this topic was required to aid the subject.

The research is original in its nature, as there have not been many instances where the ethical management theory has been explored within the Islamic banking sector. Given the new literature on corporate branding and customer perception, this research can contribute very positively towards the subject area. This research would pave new research avenues to be explored and enhance academic contribution on the common subjects.