Shamsul Huq Bin Shahriar, Sayed Arafat, Intijamul Islam, J. M. Ekram Hossain Nur, Saifur Rahman, Syful Islam Khan and M. Sayeed Alam
The extreme measures that have been taken by governments across the globe to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have had significant impacts on almost all…
Abstract
Purpose
The extreme measures that have been taken by governments across the globe to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have had significant impacts on almost all the public sectors, especially on the economy and education. This study aims to address the approaches and prospective of online-based training and e-learning for employee learning and development during this COVID-19 crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
With an emphasis on the qualitative approach and considering the complex COVID-19 emergency, required data were collected from in-depth interviews to interpret the experiences of the respondents.
Findings
The findings suggested that the digital learning ecosystem offered flexibility of time, place and pace, which provided essential convenience during the COVID-19 crisis. From the human resource (HR) perspective, the e-learning culture has enabled the organizations to quickly adopt the new normal, secure sustainable continuity of organizational development and ensure decent work and growth within and across organizations. The adoption of e-learning and flexible working conditions following the setback has enabled the organizations to quickly cope up with the new normal, causing a significant paradigm shift in the organizational culture and corporate sector of Bangladesh.
Research limitations/implications
The study will assist the HR of any organization to contemplate e-learning systems as effective alternative training methods. Also, the study will be suggestive to traverse new dimensions and skillsets for the pedagogues.
Originality/value
This study offers new evidential scenarios regarding the emergence of effective e-learning initiatives and online-based learning programs for developing the workforce to be efficient and productive even in distressful and inconvenient COVID-19 situations.
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Significance of Knowledge The functional name of the Holy Quran is ‘huda’, the guiding light. It focuses divine light on each and every object separating thereby the right from…
Abstract
Significance of Knowledge The functional name of the Holy Quran is ‘huda’, the guiding light. It focuses divine light on each and every object separating thereby the right from the wrong' (al‐furqan). As this is accomplished by dint of knowledge (al‐ 'ilm). All these three guiding elements namely huda, furqan and ilm, are lined‐up by Allah, the Lord Providence (Rabb‐ulalamin), for earthly welfare (hasanah) and other‐worldly salvation (falah) of human beings. In Quranic context, knowledge, therefore, carries a great significance.
Nur Shafiyah Mohamad Shafi, Mariam-Aisha Fatima and Normaziana Hassan
This paper aims to develop a new method of protein detection in fabric using purified henna extract targeted to be used as a precautionary step by protein contact dermatitis (PCD…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a new method of protein detection in fabric using purified henna extract targeted to be used as a precautionary step by protein contact dermatitis (PCD) patients.
Design/methodology/approach
Henna contains lawsone, which is known for its reaction with amino acid, resulting in the formation of a highly coloured compound. Dye exhaustion test of 2 per cent purified henna extract was done on both protein and non-protein fabric, and the results were analysed using independent samples t-test to assess the significant differences of the comparison. Then, protein fabric indicator was developed by incorporating purified henna extract. It was tested for its dye ability and stability.
Findings
Protein fabrics showed a significant higher dye exhaustion (p = 0.001) in which pure silk came in first with 21.70 per cent ± 2.53, silk/rayon, 13.96 per cent ± 0.55, viscose/wool, 9.57 per cent ± 1.36, cotton/spandex, 5.89 per cent ± 0.86, linen/cotton, 5.26 per cent ± 1.29, cotton, 4.87 per cent ± 1.51, polyester/viscose, 4.69 per cent ± 1.09, linen, 4.56 per cent ± 0.86, polyester/cotton, 3.90 per cent ± 0.29 and polyester and 3.88 per cent ± 0.66. Two different forms of protein fabric indicator were developed: capsule and tablet. Both indicators showed good observable dye exhaustion and fixation results. Orange henna dye was fixed on protein fabric while non-protein fabric returned to its original colour after washing procedure. However, the tablet form showed better performance in terms of functionality and stability.
Originality/value
This study will help general community to better understand fibre and its constituents, especially protein where clothing is an integral part of human life because it comes in direct contact with the human skin. As PCD caused by clothing and textile is an uncommon disease, it may also help in creating awareness on how some people may develop contact dermatitis through fabric. This is because the fabric’s protein content is a causative allergen, which most people tend to overlook. For the researcher, this study helps to elucidate some critical areas in PCD for clothing and textile as this topic can be considered an understudy. There is no standard method to detect protein in fabric, especially blended fabric. Thus, a portable kit to detect protein in fabric will be developed in this study. This kit will benefit PCD patients to ease them in finding the right fabric for their skin.
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Mohima Akther, Mohammad Nurul Hassan Reza, Abdullah Al Mamun, Norzalita Abd Aziz and Marvello Yang
The increasing demand for fashion-augmented reality (FAR) in online fast fashion shopping has the potential to reduce soil and water pollution. Hence, it is vital to understand…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing demand for fashion-augmented reality (FAR) in online fast fashion shopping has the potential to reduce soil and water pollution. Hence, it is vital to understand the success factors that influence consumers’ intention to use FAR (IAR) and actual usage of FAR (UAR) to enhance its adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
By incorporating the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study examined the influence of success factors on IAR, the effect of IAR on UAR and the mediating role of IAR in the relationship between success factors and UAR. In total, 803 responses were collected from Indonesia using a cross-sectional approach. Data were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
Their findings revealed that perceived enjoyment, perceived service value and facilitating conditions significantly influenced IAR and UAR. However, the impacts of perceived functional benefits, lifestyle compatibility and perceived trust were insignificant. Nevertheless, the IAR has a significant influence on UAR. Finally, the IAR mediates the relationships among perceived enjoyment, perceived service value, facilitating conditions and UAR.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides valuable insights for practitioners to develop marketing strategies and improve consumer perceptions of FAR, particularly in emerging economies. One limitation of this study is that it exclusively examined young consumers and restricted the examination to specific aspects of consumer behaviour.
Originality/value
Integrating the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and partial least squares structural equation modelling provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying dynamics and sheds light on the success factors that drive consumer IAR into UAR and contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 by reducing soil and water pollution.
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Mohammad Ali Ashraf, Tanzila Amir and Abu Zafar Md. Rashed Osman
This study broadly intends to explore the impact of perceived consumer experience in branchless Islamic banking on consumer satisfaction, which may enhance financial inclusion of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study broadly intends to explore the impact of perceived consumer experience in branchless Islamic banking on consumer satisfaction, which may enhance financial inclusion of rural people in Islamic banking activities. Specifically, this study sets three objectives: first, to explore the effects of Islamic bank consumers’ experience on disconfirmation and satisfaction; second, to investigate the impact of expectations on service performance, disconfirmation and consumer-perceived experience; and third, to examine consumer satisfaction in Islamic branchless banking to broadly examine the status of overall financial inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from selected consumers of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) using a random sampling procedure. The selected consumers of eight remote branchless locations of the Islamic bank were interviewed face-to-face. Data were processed using PLS-SEM.
Findings
The results of the study show that all hypotheses were supported, indicating consumers’ experience, expectations and performance significantly influence their branchless Islamic banking satisfaction. This indicates that branchless Islamic banking can enhance consumer satisfaction and ensure the wider financial inclusion of remotely located rural people in banking activities.
Research limitations/implications
From a theoretical perspective, the study findings show the robustness of the expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT) for aiding to predict customer satisfaction in branchless Islamic banking activities. Other studies have also fruitfully used EDT as a theoretical framework from which to explain citizenship satisfaction in local governments of the public domain (Van Ryzen, 2004, 2006, 2013) or to explain customer satisfaction in variety of programs (Oliver, 1980, 1997, 2014). From the same perspective, the model implies that the important role of perceived consumer expectation significantly determines consumer satisfaction in the branchless Islamic banking initiative.
Practical implications
From a practical perspective, it is implied that digitally operated branchless Islamic banking is the most convenient banking process. On the one hand, it entails extensive financial inclusion of rural and remote areas of the country and minimizes operating costs of banking operations; on the other hand, it is opening the door to profit maximization for the banking industry. The findings from this research will practically imply the way for new horizons in the application of branchless banking within the Islamic banking and finance sector. In this regard, policy planners ought to be more careful in formulating banking and financial outlays by which digital or branchless banking facilities may be extensively spread to reach the unbanked populace across the nation within a short-possible time frame.
Social implications
The findings from this research will pave the way for new horizons in the application FinTech within the Islamic banking and finance sector. Such studies should also take into account the emerging phenomenon of combining Shari’ah and FinTech, referred to as Shari’ah FinTech, to fully explore its potential and implications for the industry. Thus, the banking industry as a whole ought to be attentive to extending this type of digital transformation in the banking industry to provide win-win situations for both the client and agent in the financial and banking operations in the country.
Originality/value
This research is based on primary data and provides significant results in terms of digital customer satisfaction.
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A.M.M. Maruf Hossain, Hasibur Rahman and Kihong Park
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate change effects on the socio‐economy in Bangladesh, focusing on the framework of sustainable development and assisting in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate change effects on the socio‐economy in Bangladesh, focusing on the framework of sustainable development and assisting in “policy and integration” innovation. The paper also aims to project the importance of translation of physical parameter changes in climate change models into effects on natural productive systems and the socio‐economy in the future. This should be regarded as one of the most important prerequisites for “policy and integration” innovation towards sustainable development.
Design/methodology/approach
The most tangible climate change effects linked with the socio‐economy in Bangladesh are described and used to construct a single schematic that starts with susceptibility to climate change and ends into sustainable development. Further focus is given into the framework of sustainable development.
Findings
Bangladesh is highly susceptible to increase in floods, moisture stress and salinity intrusion in a changed climatic scenario. All major user sectors of water will be affected despite of the country's very high per capita quanta water availability. This will adversely effect the overall socio‐economy and will be disproportionate to the poor. Adaptation and coping strategies must be addressed with development initiatives, thus “policy and integration” innovation are greatly required for sustainable development.
Originality/value
The paper describes the most tangible climate change effects linked with the socio‐economy in Bangladesh resulting in the construction of a single schematic starting with susceptibility to climate change and ending into sustainable development.
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The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that granting general amnesty to thousands of black-money holders in Bangladesh has failed to make any positive impact on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that granting general amnesty to thousands of black-money holders in Bangladesh has failed to make any positive impact on the development of its securities market. Rather, such a move or mercy by the successive governments over the years has basically increased corruption in the country.
Design/methodology/approach
The article relies on both primary and secondary materials. An archival analysis of the materials has been carried out in this research.
Findings
The major findings are that whitening black money is legally flawed, morally indefensible and economically unsound; the ultimate outcome of the whitening opportunity appears to be the protection of corruption, the prevention of which is imperative for the sustainable development of the national economy of Bangladesh; and no credible evidence has been found to support the underlying assumption that this immunity offered over the past four decades has benefited the economy.
Originality/value
Its originality is evident in the analysis of the materials in a cohesive way to prove a hypothesis that the immunity granted to the black-money holders has been a flawed initiative of the successive governments of Bangladesh to increase investment.
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Md. Mofakkharul Islam, Md. Ibrahim H. Mondal and Firoz Ahmed
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize chitosan, N-octyl chitosan (NOCh) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) derivative from prawn shell wastes and identify their applications…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize chitosan, N-octyl chitosan (NOCh) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) derivative from prawn shell wastes and identify their applications as modifiers on cellulosic fibres, jute and cotton, to develop quality textile fibres.
Design/methodology/approach
Chitosan was obtained by deacetylation of chitin. NOCh was obtained by reductive amination of chitosan. Water-soluble CMCh was prepared by reacting chitosan with monochloroacetic acid in aqueous alkaline media at ambient conditions. Chitosan, NOCh and CMCh were applied on cellulosic fibres, and structure and physico-chemical characteristics of chitosan derivatives and modified fibres were investigated and analysed.
Findings
The molecular weight, degree of deacetylation and ash content of prepared chitosan were 1,39,958 Da, 85 and 2.33 per cent, respectively. The moisture content, water holding capacity and total nitrogen content were above 10, 450 and 6.5 per cent, respectively. Average degree of substitution of CMCh was 0.82 as determined by titrimetric analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed characteristic peaks of carbonyl group at 1,659 cm−1, –NH2 at 1,600 cm−1, symmetric stretching of C-H in the methyl group at 1,520 cm−1 and carboxylic group at 1,737 cm−1. Thermograms showed moderate thermal stability in treated fibres compared to untreated fibres. Surface morphology of the modified fibres exhibited smoother surface due to the absorption of chitosan, NOCh and CMCh.
Originality/value
Modification of jute and cotton by sorption of NOCh and CMCh introduced new functional groups on the fibre surface with chemical bonding, which was confirmed by FTIR. Surface morphology of the fibres was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. As the modified fibres also showed good dyeability and colour fastness as well as other properties, the chitosan derivatives as a textile modifier would be helpful to avoid synthetic petroleum-based chemical modifiers as well as to manage the environmental pollution from prawn shell waste and other toxic chemicals.
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Hung Nguyen and Norma Harrison
Nowadays, companies compete and win based on the capabilities they can leverage across their supply chains. With unpredictable and turbulent business environment, supply chains…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays, companies compete and win based on the capabilities they can leverage across their supply chains. With unpredictable and turbulent business environment, supply chains are seeking to customer knowledge as sources of competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to empirically test a conceptual framework to investigate the roles of customer leverage (CL) on process innovation and the relationships to performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon the knowledge-based view, this study argues that CL is the sources of firms’ process innovation. This study also posits that process innovation mediates the relationship between CL and performance based on transaction cost economics. This empirical study employed 650 manufacturers across different regions.
Findings
This study showed that strong association exists between a manufacturing firm’s CL capability and its process innovation and performances. Process innovation play critical mediating roles in absorbing and transforming customer knowledge in supply chains. In a more dynamic market, CL strengthens the positive impacts on process innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This study further highlights the need to emphasize both strategic and CL capability in dynamic environments as these may be needed to enable the firm to seize market niches that may open up in such environments. Similarly, managers should emphasize CL capability and process changes in competitive environments as they are more difficult to imitate from competitors in regards of new product or services.
Practical implications
These results extend the limited existing research on global manufacturing context that the customer knowledge are effective sources for increasing innovative processes. The higher the market turbulence, the stronger the pressures for CL demanded by process innovation. The findings also confirm that process innovation plays a mediating role in absorbing and transforming customer knowledge in improving costs and financial measures. This is an important result that highlights the mechanism by which customer knowledge can influence a firm’s bottom line.
Originality/value
This study examined the linkages between a marketing concept and operations and supply chain management.
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Nannan Xi, Juan Chen, Filipe Gama, Henry Korkeila and Juho Hamari
In recent years, there has been significant interest in adopting XR (extended reality) technologies such as VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), particularly in…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, there has been significant interest in adopting XR (extended reality) technologies such as VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), particularly in retail. However, extending activities through reality-mediation is still mostly believed to offer an inferior experience due to their shortcomings in usability, wearability, graphical fidelity, etc. This study aims to address the research gap by experimentally examining the acceptance of metaverse shopping.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducts a 2 (VR: with vs. without) × 2 (AR: with vs. without) between-subjects laboratory experiment involving 157 participants in simulated daily shopping environments. This study builds a physical brick-and-mortar store at the campus and stocked it with approximately 600 products with accompanying product information and pricing. The XR devices and a 3D laser scanner were used in constructing the three XR shopping conditions.
Findings
Results indicate that XR can offer an experience comparable to, or even surpassing, traditional shopping in terms of its instrumental and hedonic aspects, regardless of a slightly reduced perception of usability. AR negatively affected perceived ease of use, while VR significantly increased perceived enjoyment. It is surprising that the lower perceived ease of use appeared to be disconnected from the attitude toward metaverse shopping.
Originality/value
This study provides important experimental evidence on the acceptance of XR shopping, and the finding that low perceived ease of use may not always be detrimental adds to the theory of technology adoption as a whole. Additionally, it provides an important reference point for future randomized controlled studies exploring the effects of technology on adoption.