Jyoti Jyoti, S.P. Singh and Manzoor Ahmad Malik
The social capital theory is increasingly being looked at as a valuable paradigm to understand if community socioeconomic factors influence health behaviours and outcomes. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The social capital theory is increasingly being looked at as a valuable paradigm to understand if community socioeconomic factors influence health behaviours and outcomes. This requires an understanding of the forms in which social capital manifests and the levels at which it operates.
Design/methodology/approach
Thus, the purpose of this paper is to study if social capital is associated with health outcomes among older adults in India and providing an estimate of the extent to which the neighbourhood differences in health outcomes among the older adults can be attributed to social capital.
Findings
The authors find several forms of social capital to be associated with health outcomes among older adults. The results show that community-level social capital variables collectively explain 12.81% unexplained neighbourhood variation in self-rated health, 2.5% variation in psychological well-being and 11.32% variation in the ability to perform activities of daily living, respectively.
Originality/value
The findings highlight the role social capital plays in serving as a coping mechanism for older adults to survive deteriorating health and social exclusion and call for conscious investment in building social capital.
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Niharika Singh and Aditi Mishra
The Abdur Razzaque Ansari Memorial Weavers Hospital (ARAM) came into effect on 7 April 1996, and is dedicated to the people of Jharkhand and weavers. To deal with the issues of…
Abstract
The Abdur Razzaque Ansari Memorial Weavers Hospital (ARAM) came into effect on 7 April 1996, and is dedicated to the people of Jharkhand and weavers. To deal with the issues of inequity in healthcare services, ARAM was founded for the extension of affordable healthcare services to the needy in and around the area of Jharkhand. Visualised by a great social worker and legend Abdur Razzaque Ansari, it has been successfully run by his eldest son Mr Sayeed Ahmad Ansari for 28 years. This research uses mainly a case-study approach through secondary data from the hospital website and other websites citing ARAM and its functions. Consent to use data for the study was obtained from Mr. Sayeed Ahmad Ansari. Primary information was collected through the patients who availed facilities from the hospital. They were interviewed through a semi-structured questionnaire each taking 30-40 minutes. Taken over by Medanta Group on 8 July 2015 (earlier being managed by Apollo Hospitals Group for 20 years), it is the first super speciality community hospital in Eastern India. Treating over 50,000 patients yearly with state-of-the-art medical equipment and providing discounts to lower-income groups, people from the weaver’s community, freedom fighters and members of ICSI have intrigued people from these sections for affordable treatment and facilities in and near Jharkhand. With a 200 bed-capacity, nine different disciplines and 12 departments spread across the city of Ranchi, the hospital caters to a massive population at a much-subsidised rate. Reaching out to rural villages through free medical camps and awareness campaigns, the hospital showcases how a successful model of healthcare cooperative can be replicated accordingly in similar developing and underdeveloped regions.
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Suehail Aijaz Shah, Manzoor Ahmad Tantray and Jan Mohammad Banday
Durability of concrete can be enhanced by reducing the pore size/volume of pores or by entrapping the pores. This can be achieved by adding concrete admixtures that have particle…
Abstract
Purpose
Durability of concrete can be enhanced by reducing the pore size/volume of pores or by entrapping the pores. This can be achieved by adding concrete admixtures that have particle size finer than cement. In this study, GNP, having particle size much smaller than cement, has been introduced/added to concrete mix to control the pore size in concrete to tape out the contribution of GNP in the durability enhancement of concrete.
Design/methodology/approach
Different concrete mixes, at various water–cement ratios and amounts of graphene, have been manufactured to produce concrete containing three different %ages of GNP, i.e. 0%, 0.05% and 0.1%. To demonstrate the effect on durability of the concrete through the addition of GNP, these concrete samples have been subjected to repeated Freeze-Thaw cycles. Followed by testing after 28 days of curing, including weight loss, water absorption and strength, which are directly related to the durability aspect of concrete.
Findings
It has been observed that the addition of GNP to concrete mixes reduces the weight loss and pore size distribution and enhances tensile and compressive strength of concrete, thereby increasing the durability of concrete in unfavorable circumstances like freeze-thaw i.e. alternate hot and cold weather conditions.
Originality/value
This investigation presents original piece of experimental work conducted on modified concrete (GNP-based concrete). The aim is to construct the civil infrastructure in deep-cold region with increased life span and better performance.
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Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Wondimagegnehu Alemu
Research has found a strong correlation between maternal healthcare and health insurance coverage. But, despite having one of the best health coverage systems in the developing…
Abstract
Purpose
Research has found a strong correlation between maternal healthcare and health insurance coverage. But, despite having one of the best health coverage systems in the developing world, Rwanda still faces formidable challenges in provision certain key maternal health services, leading to higher levels of maternal morbidity and mortality. To understand this paradox, this study will examine the association between maternal health services and insurance coverage, utilizing the latest data from the Rwanda Demographic Health Survey.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 6,167 childbearing women aged 15–49 years, a bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the paradoxical relationship between health insurance and maternal health services, such as antenatal care, in Rwanda.
Findings
The results reveal significant differences in ANC4+ and the timing of the first ANC, which remain low in Rwanda. Despite significant improvements in delivery factors and skilled ANC providers, ANC4+ rates in the country remain the lowest. However, this study found a positive and significant association between ANC4+ and insurance coverage (AOR = 1.64, p < 0.001).
Originality/value
Rwanda has implemented an effective health insurance policy, but there has been minimal progress in the utilization of maternal health services. Therefore, there is a strong need for policy interventions to reduce barriers to healthcare utilization. Additionally, supply-side factors such as transportation, socio-cultural factors and other logistic barriers should be examined in greater detail. These factors may overshadow the impact of health insurance on the utilization of healthcare services in Rwanda.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0059
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Manzoor Ahmad, J. Luo, Dheraj Singh and Mohsen Miraftab
Fibers and fabrics are often used to reinforce shape memory polymers (SMPs) to improve their mechanical strength and properties, and the composites have been widely used in…
Abstract
Fibers and fabrics are often used to reinforce shape memory polymers (SMPs) to improve their mechanical strength and properties, and the composites have been widely used in engineering. However incorporation of fibers and fabrics in SMPs are often accompanied with the degradation of thermal mechanical properties and shape memory effect. The thermomechanical properties and degradation mechanisms of a shape-memory polymer composite (SMPC) were investigated. Up to 100% extension, the SMPCs showed good shape memory effect with excellent recovery ratio, recovery stress and mechanical properties; while beyond that the recovery ratio and stress of the composites deteriorate rapidly due to the significant delamination and debonding of fibers and fabrics from the SMP resin and accumulation of broken fibers.
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Manzoor Ahmad, J. Luo, Ben Xu, Hendra Purnawali, Peter King, Paul Chalker, Yongqing Fu, Weimin Huang and Moshen Miraftab
Shape memory polyurethanes (SMPUs) are typically synthesized using polyols of low molecular weight, Mw, and high hydroxyl number as it is believed that high density of cross-links…
Abstract
Shape memory polyurethanes (SMPUs) are typically synthesized using polyols of low molecular weight, Mw, and high hydroxyl number as it is believed that high density of cross-links in these polyols are essential for high performance shape memory polymers. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) with Mw ~ 6000 g/mol and low hydroxyl number (OH ~ 18 mg K OH/g) as the soft segment and diisocyanate as the hard segment were used to synthesize SMPUs. It revealed that although the PEG-6000 based SMPUs have lower maximum elongation at break (425%) and recovery stress than those of PCL-2000 polyol based SMPUs, they have much better shape recovery ratio (98%) and shape fixity (95%). Furthermore, these SMPUs showed a much shorter actuation time of <10sec for up to 85% shape recovery, much shorter than those low Mw SMPUs, clearly demonstrated their great potential for applications.
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Under what conditions do entrepreneurs make the sustainable decisions they need to develop socially and environmentally responsible new businesses? Explanations of sustainable…
Abstract
Purpose
Under what conditions do entrepreneurs make the sustainable decisions they need to develop socially and environmentally responsible new businesses? Explanations of sustainable decision-making have involved various cognitive features; however, it is not yet clear how they play a role in empirical terms and, moreover, how they combine to induce business decisions based on social, environmental and economic considerations. The purpose of this paper is to explore how five cognitive factors combine and causally connect to produce sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the decision-making of 37 sustainable entrepreneurs. It focuses on a substantive conception of entrepreneurial behaviour to uncover the cognitive antecedents underlying entrepreneurial decisions that involve the explicit development and implementation of measures, targets and strategies aimed at improving its impact on people and the environment.
Findings
The configurational analysis reveals a typology comprising five combinations of cognitive factors constituting a comprehensive cognitive map of sustainable decision-making in entrepreneurship, namely: purpose-driven, determined; value-based, vacillating; value-based, unintended; single motive, single solution; and purpose-driven, hesitant.
Research limitations/implications
This study demonstrates that no single condition is necessary nor sufficient for triggering decision-making involving social and environmental concerns, revealing five mental models leading to sustainable decision-making. In doing so, this paper responds to recent calls that stress the need for studies capable of uncovering the complex constellation of cognitive factors underlying entrepreneurial sustainable behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Originality/value
This paper provides a systematic characterization of the cognitive underpinnings of sustainable decision-making and offers a basis for organizing the study of sustainable outcomes and configurations of cognitive antecedents. It reconciles prior efforts aimed at characterizing sustainability decisions in the context of SMEs and new enterprises, challenging current models based on awareness, experience and ethical normative frameworks.
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Rao Qasim Idrees, Rohimi Shapiee and Haniff Ahamat
The phenomena of arbitral forum shopping to resolve a commercial investment dispute is still under development and more complicated in many states. However, for Pakistan, it seems…
Abstract
Purpose
The phenomena of arbitral forum shopping to resolve a commercial investment dispute is still under development and more complicated in many states. However, for Pakistan, it seems in an evolutionary phase, where the country is struggling hard to adopt the best practice of dispute resolution through forum shopping clauses. This struggle is even more inflated with huge Chinese investment through China Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan, which come alongside with commercial investment disputes. For this purpose, the current treaty or contract-based system between China and Pakistan and litigation based domestic civil court structure look obsolete, hence, appear to require reinstatement of forum shopping clauses under concerned treaties or contracts for CPEC investment-related issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors choose a legal research method. The research design is a comparative analysis between CPEC contracts and dispute resolution mechanism between China and Pakistan and also the domestic civil court’s litigation system. This analysis selected by the authors due to inefficient bilateral investment arrangements and efficient resolution of future commercial disputes in CPEC. While the international arbitration system is included in the assessment were particular in the time and space context. The comparison comprises on dispute resolution clauses in free trade agreement (FTA) and bilateral investment treaties (BIT) between China and Pakistan and the system of resolving disputes by CPEC clauses.
Findings
The authors finds that in the absence of CPEC forum shopping clause under dispute resolution system, Pakistan is highly at risk to lose foreign investors, and therefore, set back the goal of long term economic sustainability in the region. However, China has already made its investment policies safer with establishing three international commercial courts (also referred to as Belt and Road courts), one in Xi’an for the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt, one in Shenzhen for the Maritime Silk Road and one in Beijing that will serve as the headquarters. These courts will be offering litigation, arbitration and mediation services. According to one view, China aims to have all belt and road initiative (BRI) disputes resolved by these courts. This makes Pakistan position more awkward and needs proactive measures, as CPEC investment is based on Pakistan foreign direct investment policies and legal structure. Therefore, it will be complicated and less favourable for Pakistan to deal with such cases under Chinese Courts.
Originality/value
The paper’s primary contribution is finding that comprehensive analysis of alternative dispute resolution mechanism between China and Pakistan over CPEC investment is inevitable. A socio-legal research combine with an examination of Singapore International Commercial Court functions and mechanism and CPEC plans further contributes to ascertain the best model of the settlement of commercial disputes under investments in Pakistan. This research paper anticipates future economic and legal problems, which Pakistan may encounter.
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Muhammad Abbas Ranjah, Amir Ismail, Muhammad Waseem, Saira Tanweer, Baila Ahmad, Tahir Mehmood, Faiz-Ul-Hassan Shah, Zulfiqar Ahmad, Majid Hussain and Tariq Ismail
This study aims to compare the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different parts (tip, mid and base portion) of lemongrass leaves for application as a natural ingredient…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to compare the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different parts (tip, mid and base portion) of lemongrass leaves for application as a natural ingredient in the functional drink.
Design/methodology/approach
Lemongrass leaf powder was prepared from different parts of leaves and evaluated for nutritional composition. Additionally, the extracts of different portions of lemongrass leaves were analyzed for total phenolics, free radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and antimicrobial activities for their application in food products.
Findings
Tip portion of lemongrass leaf anticipated significantly (p < 0.05) higher contents of ash, protein, calcium, potassium and iron i.e. 6.2 mg/100 g, 18 mg/100 g, 340 ppm, 819 ppm and 32 ppm, respectively. Maximum (p < 0.05) phenolics (14.7 mg GAE/100 g), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydroxyl (86.3%) and FRAP (200 mmol/100 g) were observed in lemongrass leaf tip methanolic extracts. Moreover, lemongrass leaf tip hydro-methanolic extracts portrayed maximum zone of inhibition against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus i.e. 16.7 and 18.2 mm, respectively.
Practical implications
This study demonstrated higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the tip of lemongrass leaves as compared with mid and base portions, hence suggesting its role in the improvement of physicochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of food products. Consequently, the application of lemongrass methanolic extract up to 10% remarkably enhanced the nutritional value and sensorial acceptance of the beverages.
Originality/value
The present research draws evidence from laboratory analysis of fresh lemongrass grown in Pakistan. The findings suggest that lemongrass methanolic extracts could be used as a nutritionally rich source of antioxidant activity in functional drinks.
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Hassan Hessari, Fatemeh Daneshmandi, Peter Busch and Stephen Smith
In the evolving digital work landscape, where cyberloafing has become a notable challenge, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which organizations can…
Abstract
Purpose
In the evolving digital work landscape, where cyberloafing has become a notable challenge, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which organizations can effectively reduce such behaviors. Specifically, the research explores the role of employee adaptability in mitigating cyberloafing, taking into account the influences of temporal leadership, teamwork attitudes, and competitive work environments.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing the broaden-and-build theory and the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, we analyzed data from 245 employees through structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate how various factors influence cyberloafing.
Findings
The results indicate that employee adaptability significantly mitigates cyberloafing and serves as a mediating factor between temporal leadership, teamwork attitudes, and the impact of competitive work environments on cyberloafing. Temporal leadership and teamwork attitudes positively correlate with increased adaptability, thereby reducing cyberloafing. Conversely, competitive work environments, while slightly enhancing adaptability, substantially increase cyberloafing.
Originality/value
The study contributes new insights into the dynamics of cyberloafing, emphasizing the critical roles of adaptability, teamwork attitudes, and temporal leadership in reducing such behaviors. It underscores the need for organizations to foster a supportive culture that minimizes competitive pressures and promotes teamwork and leadership strategies conducive to high productivity and minimal cyberloafing. This research offers practical implications for designing workplace strategies aimed at boosting productivity and curbing undesirable online behaviors during work hours.