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The aim of the current study is to empirically assess the effects of organizational flexibility on project portfolio (PP) performance, with the mediating role of innovation and moderating effects of environmental dynamism (ED) and absorptive capability (AC).

Data were collected from 173 manufacturing firms and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the help of a partial least squares (PLS) approach.

Results show that innovation partially mediates the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Furthermore, the moderating effect of ED between organizational flexibility and innovation was analyzed. Additionally, AC also observed as a moderator between innovation and PP performance.

Based on the resource-based view, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the roles of innovation, ED and AC in the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Implications for managers also discussed in the end; for example, to be more competitive, they should incorporate flexibility into the firm to encourage innovation. It also emphasizes to select new innovative opportunities that correspondingly have effects on the PP performance.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between knowledge sharing and project portfolio success in Chinese construction firms. It also examines how and under what conditions knowledge sharing contributes to project portfolio success.

The authors collected questionnaire survey from 178 construction enterprises in China that manage project portfolio as a main form of their business. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the proposed framework.

The empirical results indicate that all three types of knowledge sharing (knowledge sharing within the project, knowledge sharing among projects and knowledge sharing within the organization) are positively related to project portfolio success. Portfolio management quality (PMQ) conduits the impact of knowledge sharing on project portfolio success. Furthermore, portfolio interdependency moderates the main effect.

This research is among the first to explicitly differentiate three types of knowledge sharing existing in project portfolios. Also, this research contributes to the literature on the antecedents of project portfolio success by showing the effect of knowledge sharing. Furthermore, this study empirically contributes to portfolio management research by clarifying the critical role of PMQ and portfolio interdependency in the mechanism of knowledge sharing and project portfolio success.

The aim of this case study‐based paper is to study the application of Six Sigma, a breakthrough improvement strategy in the field of cell site construction of a telecom company.

This research provides action research of a Six Sigma project using DMAIC methodology carried out in cell site construction function of a telecom company. The research illustrates how the various Six Sigma tools and techniques were applied in a mutually inclusive manner in one project. The infrastructure department of the company had constructed 900 cell sites last year, out of which 150 were not according to standards and were either disapproved by the operations department or underwent maintenance soon after their use. In 2010, the company spent US$ 0.5 million on rework and maintenance at these sites, thus highlighting the urgency of the problem.

The paper shows how, after the implementation of the Six Sigma project, the company made savings worth US$ 0.45 million.

Six Sigma as a means of waste reduction has gained popularity among researchers and practitioners. The literature on the methodology of Six Sigma and the management approach towards Six Sigma is burgeoning. While various Six Sigma tools and techniques and their application are discussed in literature independent of each other, the need has arisen to observe their systematic application as they apply in a project; every company can use this breakthrough improvement strategy to improve its processes by reducing waste and deriving the financial benefits.

This study examines the impact of five dimensions of decent work on the faculty engagement in Pakistan’s higher education institutions. Furthermore, it examines the moderating influence of intrinsic religiosity on the associations above.

This research employed a cross-sectional approach to collect data from 542 faculty members working with higher education institutions through electronic and in-person questionnaire administration.

The findings indicate that safe interpersonal working conditions, opportunities for free time and rest, adequate compensation, and the availability of healthcare services significantly positively impact the level of work engagement among faculty members. Additionally, the research revealed that intrinsic religiosity reinforces the previously established significant associations.

The research acknowledges specific constraints that could impact the applicability of its findings, including the utilization of a cross-sectional methodology, the dependence on self-reported information, and the possibility of sample biases. Subsequent investigations may rectify these constraints to provide a more all-encompassing comprehension of the subject matter.

The findings possess practical significance for the management of HEIs in cultivating an ideal working atmosphere for faculty members. Ensuring adequate compensation, secure working environments and healthcare accessibility is underscored to enhance faculty engagement. Furthermore, acknowledging the significance of intrinsic religiosity can improve faculty engagement.

This research contributes to the current body of literature by investigating the complex relationship among decent work, faculty engagement, and intrinsic religiosity in the specific context of higher education institutions in Pakistan.

Using the conservation of resources (COR) theory, the present study aims to examine the role of participative leadership in frontline service employees (FLEs)’ service recovery performance. The present study also tests FLEs’ role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) as a theoretically relevant mediator and FLE trait mindfulness as an important moderator.

Data were collected using time-lagged (three rounds, two weeks apart) from two sources (193 FLEs and 772 customers, who experienced a service failure). Structural equation modeling (Mplus, 8.6) was employed to analyze the data.

The results revealed that participative leadership was positively associated with FLEs service recovery performance, both directly and indirectly, via RBSE. The results also showed that FLE trait mindfulness moderated the link of participative leadership with RBSE and the indirect association of participative leadership with service recovery performance, via RBSE.

This study suggests that organizational leaders who exhibit participative leadership behavior are valuable for organizations. By demonstrating such behaviors, they boost FLEs' RBSE, which in turn improves their service recovery performance.

The present work makes important contributions to the literature on service recovery performance by foregrounding two important yet overlooked antecedents (participative leadership and RBSE) of FLE service recovery performance. The present work also contributes to the nascent literature on the antecedents and outcomes of RBSE in service contexts.

This paper aims to enhance the existing literature on adaptive market hypothesis (AMH) as this study first time links the month of Ramadan with AMH that permits the performance of well-known Ramadan effect to fluctuate over time.

To fulfill the purpose, the authors inspect the daily returns of 107 individual firms listed at Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period of 20 years. To explore the varying degree of return predictability during Ramadan, the authors use four different subsamples comprising equal length of observations of five years each. The authors use a GARCH (1,1) regression model which facilitates for time varying nature of volatility in equity returns. To facilitate the non-normal nature of stock return data, the authors use Kruskal–Wallis test statistic.

The authors find that behavior of Ramadan effect evolves over time, as performance of this effect varies from time to time and consistent with AMH. Finally, the paper proposes that AMH is well elucidation of behavior of Ramadan effect than traditional efficient market hypothesis.

First limitation is related to the choice of sub-sample as the study uses a sub-sample of five years. Second, the authors ignore transection cost (commissions, fee and taxes) as it is freely negotiated and varies between 4 and 10% (Khan, 2013). Due to such varying information we ignore the transaction cost. It is suggested that a sub-sample analysis of long period may be a more appropriate method to elucidate the idea of AMH in future research and suggest the current method could be adapted and helpful to examine other calendar and market anomalies in different equity markets.

The paper includes implications for investors to choose a better model for investment. Investors can exploit greater returns in future month of Ramadan periods. Furthermore, the researchers can easily extend the methodology used in the study to address multiple issues like adaptive behavior of returns from bonds, real estate investment trusts, cryptocurrencies and trading rules of strategies.

Study confirms from sample t-test and GARCH (1,1) model that Ramadan effect is present in the full and in certain sub-samples; therefore, based on these discrepancies investors can earn abnormal returns by developing specific investment strategies as investors usually make investments in share according to the religious context of Islamic Calendar. The results provide good references for suitable time of investment in stock market. The findings of this study will be helpful to investors and brokers as well as portfolio managers to capture favorable returns across the Islamic calendar.

The paper identified need to study why behavior of Ramadan effect varies over time. The data set comprises daily returns of 107 individual companies over the period of 20 years to better investigate the varying nature of anomalous effect of month of Ramadan. The findings are valuable for international investors and portfolio managers.

Islamic marketing ethics focus on the principles of equity, justice and value maximization for the welfare of society. These ethics play a vital role in elevating the standards of customer behavior. The strategy of focusing customer is now considered as important element because of rapidly changing marketing trends in Islamic banks. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out the important features of Islamic marketing ethics and identify their effect on customer’s satisfaction in Islamic banking.

This study is descriptive and quantitative. Data were collected from 1000 customers of Islamic banks by applying convenient sampling technique. Smart PLS was used to check the scale validation by confirmatory factor analysis. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling technique was used.

Results enlightened that Islamic marketing ethics play a significant role in enhancing the customer’s satisfaction. Islamic banks should focus on marketing mix along with Islamic and ethical perspectives to improve the customer’s satisfaction level.

This study highlighted that Islamic marketing ethics have great impact on customer satisfaction. Therefore, Islamic banks need to concentrate on the ethical perspective of Islamic marketing in order to develop long term customer relationships. Islamic banks need to revise their marketing practices, and they should align their marketing tactics with ethical Islamic boundaries. They need to design, communicate and enforce the code of Islamic ethics within organizations.

This paper fulfills an identified need to study how Islamic marketing ethics effect customer satisfaction.

Pakistan has experienced financial liberalization with rapid ups and downs in economic growth due to domestic issues during the last 2 decades. Motivated by inconclusive and conflicting time-driven findings about the performance of the business groups, this study examines the performance of business groups in Pakistan for a relatively long period from 2003 to 2018.

The study uses 3,821 firm-year observations from non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). For the estimation, pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) with industry- and year fixed effects and two-step system generalized methods of moments (GMM) are used.

The study finds that group-affiliated firms outperform independent firms in accounting performance, while underperform in market performance. The outperformance is mainly driven by medium-sized business groups, while underperformance is driven by small and large business groups. Further, the study documents that the underperformance in terms of market performance of firms affiliated with small and large groups is greater before the economic downturn, while outperformance in terms of the accounting measure of firms affiliated with medium-sized groups is greater during the economic downturn. These findings support our time-driven concerns. Overall, the authors' findings are consistent with institutional and transaction cost theories.

Business groups are important channels to reduce market inefficiencies. Business groups may enhance the affiliated firms' resources and resistance capacity through active utilization of the internal capital market, specifically when market conditions are not ideal for affiliates. However, effective utilization of internal capital markets depends on group size. Therefore, investors should deliberate on the size of business groups and diversification within business groups.

The authors extend the literature by providing fresh evidence related to the performance of business groups in the Pakistani context while accounting for the role of the size of business groups.

The study aims to identify the preferred factors among economic, social and governance (ESG) that influence the decisions of Pakistani retail investors.

The researchers collected the required responses through self-administrative comparison questionnaires from a sample of 512 individual investors of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). To test the study’s hypothesis, the researcher applied a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

The findings indicate that the most crucial dimension for an individual investor in Pakistan when making investment decision is environmental criteria. However, investors prioritize governance second and social factors third, according to fuzzy AHP estimations.

The findings are applicable and generalizable to the financial equity market of Pakistan for an individual investors only. Future research may explore ESG priority among institutional investors.

The study enhances the theory of responsible investment by incorporating the ESG dimensions that influence individual investors’ decisions in Pakistan. It holds practical implications for individual investors, investment/financial advisors, companies, regulatory authorities, stockbrokers, investment firms and society.

The study contributes to extending the theory of socially responsible investment and fills a research gap in the domain of ESG dimensions as a priority for investment decisions by individual investors in Pakistan.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2023-0791

This research designed, optimized and tested a context-specific scale to evaluate public sector employees' pension choices.

The authors developed the scale using a comprehensive process of interviews and focus groups with experts across academia and finance. The authors used the refined scale to collect data from 564 faculty members in public sector universities following a multistage systematic cluster sampling technique. The findings revealed diversity in choice across different socio-economic and demographic variables.

The results revealed that items related to the defined benefit pension system explain most of the data variance and are preferred widely. This is followed by a preference for monetizing pension benefits and a defined contribution system. These findings indicated the need for flexible pension plans.

Therefore, the progressive movement towards monetization and the shift from defined benefit to a defined contribution pension system due to economic pressures must be accurately calculated and introduced where it is suitable.

Although the theory of introducing a defined contribution pension system and monetization system is appealing, its practical implementation may not be encouraging for all employees.