Md. Jahangir Alam and Muhammad Mezbah-ul-Islam
The study aims to appraise the impact of service quality dimensions on user satisfaction in Bangladeshi public university libraries using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to appraise the impact of service quality dimensions on user satisfaction in Bangladeshi public university libraries using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Design/methodology/approach
This study developed an SEM method based on SERVQUAL, LibQUAL+ and SERVPERF instruments, including 30 items under five service quality dimensions and eight satisfaction items with the 7-point Likert scale to appraise the impact of library service quality dimensions on user satisfaction. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among 437 students, 52 MPhil/PhD researchers and 32 teachers of the nine selected public university libraries of Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire. The SEM approach included path analysis, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, as well as construct reliability and validity where user satisfaction was used as the dependent variable, and five service quality dimensions were applied as independent variables.
Findings
This model was identified as significant and clarified 58% of the total variation in user satisfaction. The study findings indicated that resources of the libraries, staff competence, demeanor approach and tangible facilities of the public university libraries have a significant impact on user satisfaction.
Originality/value
An initiative has been taken for the first time to ascertain the impact of library service quality on user satisfaction applying the SEM approach in Bangladesh. Moreover, it creates an avenue to prompt future studies on the structural relationship between user satisfaction and service quality dimensions in academic libraries globally.
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Md Jahangir Alam, Md Abul Hafaz and Firuz Humayra Methe
This study aims to investigate the importance of lifelong learning in cultivating competent human capital, fostering long-term career sustainability and promoting gender equality…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the importance of lifelong learning in cultivating competent human capital, fostering long-term career sustainability and promoting gender equality in Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has used a qualitative research methodology with inductive reasoning. The researchers used purposive sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with 34 male and female students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, in addition to six stakeholders. This research is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of human capital development theory and gender and development theory.
Findings
The results suggest that there exists a positive correlation between lifelong learning, sustainable career development and gender equality in the context of Bangladesh. Successfully executing strategies might also play a significant role in attaining Bangladesh’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Practical implications
Educational curriculum reform within institutions is urgently needed, necessitating the active involvement and influential contributions of actors and stakeholders. Implementing lifelong learning must also align with gender equality and SDGs.
Originality/value
This study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature by offering insights into the relationship between lifelong learning, career sustainability and gender equality within the specific context of Bangladesh. This study provides valuable contributions to scholars, stakeholders and policymakers while establishing a foundation for future research endeavors.
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Md Jahangir Alam, Keiichi Ogawa and Abu Hossain Muhammad Ahsan
This study aims to report the quality of Bangladesh's science and technology universities (STUs) in ensuring sustainable employment of graduates during the Fourth Industrial…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to report the quality of Bangladesh's science and technology universities (STUs) in ensuring sustainable employment of graduates during the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) by assessing their vigilance in skill development activities and exploring students’ perspectives on the university.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used mixed methods: a close-ended five-point Likert scale questionnaire to understand students’ perspectives and a thematic analysis of the interviews of students, faculties, policymakers and relevant stakeholders. The data was collected through a random sampling method where 1,000 university students took part in the quantitative analysis along with other respondents for the qualitative portion. The analysis was done with a 99% confidence level and a 4.5% margin of error.
Findings
Bangladesh's STUs still have a long way to go to ensure quality education and generate sustainable employment for their graduates. The universities' preparation to comprehend the 4IR is not at the expected level. In addition, despite students' favourable perception of universities as providers of qualified labour, there is a significant mismatch between supply and demand.
Research limitations/implications
This research has some limitations regarding time and resources. Due to the limited number of responses from a few universities, this study's findings might only apply to some of the STUs of other countries. This study provided several recommendations for providing quality education to the STUs of Bangladesh.
Practical implications
The findings of this study indicate that there is still a crucial gap between the initiatives of STUs and the employment market, which prevents graduates from offering the necessary skills to achieve sustainable employment. The findings also support the idea of significant changes in the approach of these universities to address the mentioned issues.
Social implications
This study suggests collaboration among social actors, relevant stakeholders, STU authorities, education experts and government officials to ensure a demand-based curriculum for the students. The relevant stakeholders should come forward to ensure advanced technologies and internet connectivity in the STUs.
Originality/value
The data set used in this study is significantly large and varies in the number of institutions, departments and socioeconomic backgrounds of the students, faculties, policymakers and various stakeholders. Furthermore, the capacity of scientific and technology institutions to guarantee sustainable employment through quality assurance in education has also not been recently evaluated in Bangladesh.
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Md Jahangir Alam, Keiichi Ogawa, Lubaba Basharat and Abu Hossain Muhammad Ahsan
This research has been conducted to determine the core reasons for gender inequality and to evaluate the effectiveness of higher education as a sole solution to ensure gender…
Abstract
Purpose
This research has been conducted to determine the core reasons for gender inequality and to evaluate the effectiveness of higher education as a sole solution to ensure gender equality.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative case study research explores the causes behind gender inequality, and interviews were conducted with 20 male and female graduates and five stakeholders. Liberal feminism theory has been employed to understand the phenomena.
Findings
The findings show that receiving a university degree cannot ensure gender equality and empowerment of women in Bangladesh. The key factors contributing to gender disparity are societal and a general deficiency of technical knowledge.
Practical implications
More policies should support women in every aspect of life, and the existing policies should be carefully followed. The government must ensure high-quality education, and people must show more significant concern by acquiring knowledge from quality education seeking gender equality.
Originality/value
This research fills the gap in the current literature by providing knowledge about the practical effectiveness of quality higher education in solving the problem of gender inequality, its core reasons and possible solutions in Bangladesh's context.
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Md. Jahangir Alam and Muhammad Mezbah-ul-Islam
The purpose of this paper is to develop a service quality assessment model for academic libraries using SERVQUAL and validate the model surveying teachers, students and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a service quality assessment model for academic libraries using SERVQUAL and validate the model surveying teachers, students and researchers.
Design/methodology/approach
A model was developed, including 28 statements of five dimensions using the SERVQUAL instrument. It incorporated three segments, i.e. minimum service expectation, desired service expectation and actual service performance with a seven-point Likert scale. The minimum service expectation and desired service expectation appear at both ends of the tolerance zone, which represents the range of satisfactory service performance. A performance level upper tolerance zone could delight users, or service performance below the tolerance zone would cause dissatisfaction. A survey was conducted among 552 respondents from ten private university libraries of Bangladesh to validate the model.
Findings
Several statistical methods like Cronbach’s alpha (0.986), Bartlett’s test (0.001), rotation sums of squared loadings (74.26) in factor analysis, item loading (0.671‐0.839), commonalities (0.579‐0.859), Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value (0.971), construct reliability (0.862‐0.910) and AVE value (0.510‐0.660) supported reliability and validity of the model. The actual service performance of all dimensions existed within the tolerance zone of the respective dimensions. Besides, the overall service performance (5.11) resided within the tolerance zone (4.73‐5.84), indicating the users were satisfied with the service provided by their libraries.
Originality/value
The model was developed in the current context of university libraries, which produced appropriate results. It will prompt further research on service quality assessment in academic libraries globally.
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Abul Kalam, Md Jahangir Alam, Lubaba Basharat, Golam Faruk Sarker, M. Abdullah Al Mamun and Abu Hossain Muhammad Ahsan
This study aims to evaluate the current educational opportunities available to hermaphrodite (Hijra) students, analyze their difficulties while pursuing academic degrees and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the current educational opportunities available to hermaphrodite (Hijra) students, analyze their difficulties while pursuing academic degrees and suggest potential approaches to address these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used a qualitative method to analyze the challenges Hijra individuals face in pursuing education. A total of 20 interviews were conducted with two Hijra groups those who are pursuing an education and those who have abandoned it to collect primary data. The purposive sampling technique was used to identify and choose diverse sources of information. Moreover, the phenomena have been comprehended using the Access Theory and the Gender Stratification Theory.
Findings
The findings show that although every Bangladeshi has the right to a decent education, few Hijra youngsters attend schools. Numerous barriers, such as discriminatory views and remarks about third-gender people, physical and mental harassment, a lack of emotional and financial support, family issues, discrimination in the school community and hostility from classmates and teachers, make it difficult for hermaphrodite students to receive a proper education.
Originality/value
This research paper fills a gap in the current body of knowledge by presenting empirical evidence regarding young people’s perceptions of the third-gender, the societal barriers faced by Hijra individuals in their pursuit of quality education, their future opportunities, the root causes of these challenges and possible solutions.
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Lubaba Basharat and Md Jahangir Alam
Despite Bangladesh’s continued attempts, gender disparity in the workplace has long been a concern, and progress has been slow. Studies conducted earlier indicate that working…
Abstract
Despite Bangladesh’s continued attempts, gender disparity in the workplace has long been a concern, and progress has been slow. Studies conducted earlier indicate that working women in Bangladesh experience an unwelcoming work environment, leading to unequal pay and limited opportunities for their career growth. Academic literature focuses little on the connection between gender and the physical work environment. This chapter focuses on the connection between the masculinist culture of organizations, how work is carried out, and workplaces are set up, illuminating the crucial role played by the built environment in maintaining gender equality. Infrastructure, spatial design, safety measures, amenities, and the biased culture often influence the obstacles to women’s long-term success in the workplace. This chapter investigates and comprehends the constraints female employees encounter in Bangladesh during their work by scrutinizing the influence of the physical space and the biased socio-psychological environment. As women’s long-term professional progress depends on how these elements are interrelated, improving the environment is the first step toward a fairer and more empowered work environment. A qualitative approach has been used in this study. Seventy-eight Bangladeshi graduate, working women have participated in this research. The results show that, regardless of efforts, the environment in Bangladeshi workplaces is inhospitable, directly affecting women’s careers. Building a welcoming workspace accommodating all genders is crucial for creating gender parity and promoting long-term professional growth. Therefore, this research suggests that the government should capitalize on successful efforts and investigate alternative techniques to improve this issue.
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Md Jahangir Alam and Reaz Akter Mullick
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects on urban flood from rapidly growing land and housing development projects in flood zones and water bodies in and around Dhaka…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects on urban flood from rapidly growing land and housing development projects in flood zones and water bodies in and around Dhaka. The paper further extends the analysis to generate an insight into Dhaka’s urban flood due to possible climate change effects on top of land and housing development projects effects.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method was applied for this research comprising qualitative techniques for analyzing the date gathered from reviewing the policies including the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan reports, interviews, discussions and maps, whereas quantitative analysis was used to interpret the data gathered from the global positioning system (GPS) survey and questionnaire survey among the resident of the selected housing projects.
Findings
Findings show that a large number of the projects have encroached flood-flow zones and ditches and drainage channels through massive land filling, which resulted in quick changes of land use with wide range of impacts on environment and habitat quality. This study highlighted that the potential climate change impact involves increasing rainfall and subsequent increase flooding. Besides, vast area will be submerged under water and increased warming in the city from high speed built-up area by unauthorized land development.
Originality/value
The results of the research can be taken into consideration when making political decisions concerning adaptation to climate change.
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Marcia Texler Segal and Vasilikie (Vicky) Demos
Environments are gendered and environmental issues have impacts on gender. This introduction highlights some current environmental issues from the ecofeminist perspective that…
Abstract
Environments are gendered and environmental issues have impacts on gender. This introduction highlights some current environmental issues from the ecofeminist perspective that characterizes the contributions and summarizes the chapters in the volume that feature the activities of indigenous women in the Columbian Amazon, urban environments in Athens and Rome, workplace environments in Bangladeshi offices, STEM labs in universities in the United States, and homes used for sex work in Punjab. It ends with a suggestion for a queer spiritual ecofeminist approach to environments.