Ronjini Ray and Jamshed Ahmad Siddiqui
This paper aims to highlight the lacunae in international trade law concerning unilateral economic sanctions that impact food security.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to highlight the lacunae in international trade law concerning unilateral economic sanctions that impact food security.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a literature review to establish that unilateral economic sanctions impact food security and a descriptive assessment of a few such sanctions. Thereafter, it adopts doctrinal analysis of such sanctions under World Trade Organization law and identifies the gaps to address the specific situation of unilateral economic sanctions that impact food security.
Findings
Unilateral economic sanctions are not effectively regulated under international law. Unilateral economic sanctions are known to impact food security not just in the targeted country but also in third countries. Under international trade law, the security exception under Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) does not currently require an assessment of necessity and proportionality of measure. However, there is scope for such an assessment in the future depending on the circumstances, particularly if a measure impacts the rights and interests of third countries by impacting global food security.
Originality/value
The paper conducts a literature review of the impact of unilateral economic sanctions on food security. It highlights the gap in the interpretation of GATT Article XXI when assessing such sanctions that adversely impact the food security of third countries. The paper may be helpful for academics, policymakers, international organizations, non-governmental organisations, etc.
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Suby Khanam, Faisal Talib and Jamshed Siddiqui
The purpose of this study is to identify and rank total quality management (TQM) enablers and information technology (IT) resources to provide a reliable and valid measurement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify and rank total quality management (TQM) enablers and information technology (IT) resources to provide a reliable and valid measurement instrument for evaluation in Indian information and communications technology (ICT) organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a literature review of TQM enablers and IT resources, 17 factors are identified, of which, 9 are TQM enablers and 8 are IT resources. The empirical data, retrieved from 801 ICT organizations, is tested by descriptive analysis and factor analysis (FA). FA is used to ensure that items in each scale sufficiently reflect the scope of each factor.
Findings
This paper has developed an instrument that can be used to evaluate items to implement TQM enablers and IT resources. The instrument identifies 17 reliable and valid factors, out of which 16 are input factors, while 1 is an outcome factor.
Practical implications
This instrument will provide a practical understanding to enable the monitoring of TQM enabler and IT resource activities in ICT organizations. Along with this, these instruments will help to build models related to constructs that will further achievement of customer satisfaction (CS).
Originality/value
This paper presents an instrument which validates the different items of TQM enablers and IT resources. It also shows the relationship between the two in terms of CS.
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Jamshed Siddiqui and Zillur Rahman
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study conducted in Indian companies to evaluate the role of total quality management (TQM) of information systems (IS) in pragmatically…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study conducted in Indian companies to evaluate the role of total quality management (TQM) of information systems (IS) in pragmatically realizing organizational goals. As the Indian customer becomes more and more brand savvy – largely owing to the globalization and advertising boom, quality consciousness is doomed to increase and if quality issues in the Indian industry are not addressed in time, competition might lead to its elimination.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper explains TQM philosophy on the basis of principles of top management commitment, customer centric advancements of processes, benchmarking for problem solving, relentless improvement and strengthening the employee base. Data were collected through a questionnaire‐based survey of managers. Results were interpreted by multivariate analysis of qualitative responses.
Findings
The paper argues that TQM and IS can be quite fruitful in improving the quality of products and services offered to the end customer. Further it quantifies the extent of top management support for TQM in IS, the extent of benefits realized by TQM, relationship between IS‐TQM realized benefits and top management support and relationship between the IS‐TQM realized benefits and TQM principles implemented.
Research limitations/implications
Data are opinion‐based, hence respondents' bias could not be eliminated and difference of opinion within a firm has not been entertained. Research in the area may build upon these findings to further investigate the implementation of TQM principles specific to conditions of IS in Indian firms.
Originality/value
The paper adds to the knowledge on business in India as the nation invites foreign investment. The paper findings may help management of firms in the process of introducing TQM for IS as a measure to enhanced awareness for quality.
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Jamshed A. Halepota and Naimatullah Shah
Increasing dynamic technological and communication net working environment today reflects to employee attitudes and behaviours with respect of their inputs. Employee motivation is…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasing dynamic technological and communication net working environment today reflects to employee attitudes and behaviours with respect of their inputs. Employee motivation is an important and critical issue specifically for health organisation where they relate to patients. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the employee perception regarding procedural justices, on job training, esprit de corps, and job clarity variables towards job satisfaction in a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a cross‐sectional study which applied a self‐administered survey questionnaire for data collection. By using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) 15.0 version for Windows, analytical techniques were used to the results of descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations. The hypotheses were tested using the hierarchical regression analysis techniques.
Findings
The findings showed significant and positive impact of procedural justices, on job training, esprit de corps for job satisfaction. However, employees reported less job satisfaction with their jobs due to lack of job clarity in a developing country.
Research limitations/implications
This study has three limitations such as single source of data, examined limited factors, and small sample of population.
Practical implications
With few limitations this study contributes to literature in the field of human resource management and organisational behaviour and can support public sector management to design policies that may help to enhance employee job satisfaction in the context of developing countries.
Originality/value
The paper provides empirical evidence of employee job satisfaction in a developing country.
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The investigation of fluid flow over a rotating disk has been increasing due to the spread of machine technology. Because of this development, we scrutinized the…
Abstract
Purpose
The investigation of fluid flow over a rotating disk has been increasing due to the spread of machine technology. Because of this development, we scrutinized the Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of hybrid nanofluid caused by a decelerating rotating disk with Ohmic heating, Soret and Dufour effects. The disk's angular velocity is taken to be an inversely time-dependent linear function. Moreover, the temperature-dependent viscosity of hybrid nanofluid is incorporated in the present investigation. Methanol is considered as base fluid, while copper oxide (CuO) and magnesium oxide (MgO) are nanoparticles.
Design/methodology/approach
Estimated fundamental partial differential equations of flow problems are altered as a dimensionless system of ordinary differential equations using appropriate similarity transformation and solved using a numerical technique: BVP Midrich scheme in Maple software. The impression of emerging non-dimensional parameters is portrayed graphically. All outcomes are shown in the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles.
Findings
The developed flow problem involves a non-dimensional parameter (A) that reveals the deceleration of the disk. For larger values of A, the disk decelerates faster and for some fixed time, the fluid surrounding the disk revolves more rapidly than the disk itself. The radial velocity of fluid diminishes and axial velocity becomes uniform when the disk is subjected to wall suction velocity (B).
Originality/value
This analysis is significant in biomedical engineering, cancer therapeutic, manufacturing industries and nano-drug suspension in pharmaceuticals. The novelty of the current study is the hybrid nanofluid flow with Ohmic heating, Soret and Dufour effects on a decelerating rotating disk. To the best of the author's knowledge, no such consideration has been published in the literature.
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This study aims to identify specific human resource management (HRM) practices to overcome destructive deviance among public sector employees. Further, this study aims to rank the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify specific human resource management (HRM) practices to overcome destructive deviance among public sector employees. Further, this study aims to rank the identified HRM practices in the order of their impact on destructive deviance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the technique of both inductive and quantitative content analyses to identify specific HRM practices and rank them in the order of their impact on destructive deviance. Data was collected from 30 executives employed in Indian public sector via unstructured interviews. Also, Krippendorff’s alpha reliability estimate was calculated to establish the reliability of the content analysis, which was 0.80.
Findings
This study identified ten HRM practices (human resource planning, job design, training and development, reward system, employment security, career advancement opportunities, performance management, employee participation, monitoring and control, work–life balance) in overcoming destructive deviance among public sector employees. Furthermore, based on their frequency distribution, the HRM practices were classified into three categories, i.e. most significant, significant and least significant.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the categorization of HRM practices into three categories, this study implies that to discourage employees from exhibiting deviant behaviour, organizations should focus on the implementation of most significant HRM practices followed by significant and least significant practices. HRM practices that function as a coherent and synergistic system act as a win-win strategy benefitting both employees and the organization.
Originality/value
In spite of the rising research interest in the deviant behaviour in the literature, still there is a dearth of research pertaining to the association between HRM practices and destructive deviance. Moreover, there is no consensus among researchers concerning the specific HRM practices that should be incorporated in the overall construct. Guided by these gaps in the literature, this study identifies ten HRM practices to overcome destructive deviance among public sector employees using qualitative analysis.
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Muhammad Hasnain Abbas Naqvi, Zhang Hongyu, Mishal Hasnain Naqvi and Li Kun
This study aims to determine whether or not fashion retail brands can maintain their essence by providing personalized care through conventional face-to-face interactions or the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine whether or not fashion retail brands can maintain their essence by providing personalized care through conventional face-to-face interactions or the use of e-services.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory investigation is being conducted to attain this goal. According to the findings of this research, Chatbots have an impact on consumer loyalty. The quality of a Chatbot’s system, service and information are all critical to providing a positive consumer experience.
Findings
The study concluded that Chatbot e-services might potentially enable dynamic and fascinating interactions between firms and their consumers. To personalize a Chatbot, firms might change the tone of the language used. Customers are more likely to use a Chatbot if it resembles a real person, which increases their pleasure and confidence in the product.
Originality/value
More precisely, the emphasis of the inquiry was on Chatbot, a relatively new digital tool that offers user-friendly, personalized and one-of-a-kind support to customers. Using information supplied by consumers, the authors examine a five-dimensional model that gauges how customers feel about Chatbots in terms of their ability to communicate with users, offer amusement, be trendy, personalize interactions and solve problems.
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Faizan Khan Sherwani, Sanaa Zafar Shaikh, Shilpa Behal and Mohd Shuaib Siddiqui
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of financial inclusion among women-owned informal enterprises in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of financial inclusion among women-owned informal enterprises in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a primary survey of 321 informal enterprises. The data has been collected through a structured questionnaire. A chi-square test has been used to examine the significant association between the characteristics of informal enterprises and their owners and financial inclusion. A logistic regression model has been developed to analyse the determinants of financial inclusion among women-owned informal enterprises.
Findings
A significant and negative association has been found between business duration and entrepreneurs’ experiences with financial inclusion. In addition, the chi-square test shows a significant association between resource capability, use of ICT by enterprises and financial inclusion. Further, logistics regression shows that duration of business, entrepreneurial experience, resource capability in terms of machinery and equipment use, and ICT are significant determinants of financial inclusion among women-owned informal enterprises.
Practical implications
There are several practical implications for national policymakers and other stakeholders, such as banks and international bodies working on financial inclusion. It is suggested that while designing the policy for financial inclusion among woman-owned informal enterprises, it should ensure that experience and older woman entrepreneurs are included in financial inclusion schemes.
Originality/value
There has been very few research on financial inclusion in woman-owned businesses. However, no research has been conducted on the financial inclusion of women-owned informal businesses. This study fills a gap by investigating the factors that influence financial inclusion in women-owned informal businesses.