Muhammad Hamza Baig, Abdul Waheed, Irfan Ahmad Rana and Kulsoom Abbas
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers halting the usage of sustainable modes of transportation in a university campus.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers halting the usage of sustainable modes of transportation in a university campus.
Design/methodology/approach
Two large-scale universities, namely, Quaid-i-Azam University and the National University of Sciences and Technology, in Islamabad have been taken as case studies with a sample population of 421. The questionnaire data, comprising 30 different barriers, were analysed by principal component analysis and mean value method.
Findings
The findings indicate that safety and infrastructural factors are the most influential ones affecting sustainable mobility within the campus. The provision of user-friendly and safe infrastructure and more frequent shuttle buses are recommended to promote the culture of sustainable transportation.
Research limitations/implications
Inclusion of other large-scale universities of the country might give more generalized results. The sustainability of other areas associating with transportation can also be evaluated to explore other unfamiliar dimensions.
Practical implications
The outcome of this research expects to highlight important policy recommendations for the promotion of sustainable mobility inside the campus and also serves as a guiding principle for campus developers and policymakers for planning new campuses in other parts of the country.
Originality/value
This research can be considered as a starting point for achieving sustainability in the universities of Pakistan. The same research methodology can be opted in other campuses with the possibility of the addition of other related factors with different statistical analysis techniques as well.
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Muhammad Shoaib, Shengzhong Zhang, Hassan Ali, Muhammad Azeem Akbar, Muhammad Hamza and Waheed Ur Rehman
This study aims to identify and prioritize the challenges to adopting blockchain in supply chain management and to make its taxonomic model. Moreover, validate whether these…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify and prioritize the challenges to adopting blockchain in supply chain management and to make its taxonomic model. Moreover, validate whether these challenging factors exist in the real world and, if they exist, then in what percentage.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopted the fuzzy best-worst method (F-BWM), which integrates fuzzy set theory with the best-worst method to identify and prioritize the prominent challenges of the blockchain-based supply chain by developing a weighted multi-criteria model.
Findings
A total of 20 challenges (CH's) were identified. Lack of storage capacity/scalability and lack of data privacy challenges were found as key challenges. The findings of this study will provide a robust framework of the challenges that will assist academic researchers and industry practitioners in considering the most significant category concerning their working area.
Practical implications
Blockchain provides the best solution for tracing and tracking where RFID has not succeeded. It can improve quality management in a supply chain network by improving standards and speeding up operations. For inventory management, blockchain provides transparency of documentation for both parties within no time.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous research has adopted the fuzzy best-worst method to prioritize the identified challenges of blockchain implementation in the supply chain. Moreover, no study provides a taxonomic model for the challenges of implementing a blockchain-based supply chain.
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Muhammad Shahzeb Fayyaz, Amir Zaib Abbasi, Rehan Ahmad, Muhammad Hamza Qummar, Rodoula H. Tsiotsou and Saqib Mahmood
This study aims to investigate the relationship between different hedonic (e.g. enjoyment and escapism) and utilitarian (e.g. achievement and challenge) gratifications and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between different hedonic (e.g. enjoyment and escapism) and utilitarian (e.g. achievement and challenge) gratifications and continuous intention to play eSports, considering the mediating role of gamer’s satisfaction. Uses and Gratification theory (U&G) has been employed as the study’s theoretical framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study used a survey research method and a self-administered questionnaire to collect the data. The data was gathered on-site from students of three universities in Pakistan’s Islamabad and Rawalpindi regions. Study respondents involved people from Gen Z and Gen Y aged between 18 to 25 and 26 to 40. A total of 401 responses were evaluated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA).
Findings
The PLS-SEM findings evidence that eSports players’ hedonic (e.g. enjoyment and escapism) and utilitarian (e.g. challenge) gratification positively impact gamers’ satisfaction, which subsequently drives eSports gamers’ continuance intention behavior. Furthermore, gamers’ satisfaction positively mediated the relationship between gratifications (e.g. enjoyment and escapism refer to hedonic, whereas achievement and challenge represent utilitarian) and continuance intentions. NCA on eSports gamers’ satisfaction and continuance intention identified critical predictive factors. The analysis revealed that only enjoyment is necessary for predicting satisfaction. Interestingly, NCA results also indicated that enjoyment, achievement, escapism, challenge and satisfaction are all necessary for predicting eSports gamers’ continuance intention.
Originality/value
This study investigates the mediating role of eSports gamers’ satisfaction between gamers’ perceived gratifications (i.e. enjoyment, escapism, achievement, challenge) and their continuous intention to play in the Pakistani context. More importantly, we employ a multi-method approach (e.g. a combined approach of PLS-SEM with NCA) to determine the sufficient and necessary conditions of the outcome variable comprising satisfaction and continuous intention.
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Syed Imran Zaman, Angappa Gunasekaran, Sharfuddin Ahmed Khan and Hamza Muhammad Dawood
This research examines the influence of the digital voice of consumers (DVoC) on the resilience of supply chains (SCR) within the renewable energy sector. The main goal is to…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the influence of the digital voice of consumers (DVoC) on the resilience of supply chains (SCR) within the renewable energy sector. The main goal is to identify and highlight the crucial aspects that enable the examination of this impact.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature analysis was performed utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to ascertain pertinent factors. This research utilizes a comprehensive methodology that merges interpretive structural modeling (ISM) with Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis to assess the discovered variables.
Findings
The study identified 16 factors that contribute to both DVoC and SCR. Key influential factors include top management support, collaboration, feedback influence and flexibility. These factors play a significant role in enhancing SCR by facilitating better adaptation and response to disruptions.
Research limitations/implications
The study is confined to the renewable energy sector and may lack generalizability to other businesses without additional validation. Subsequent studies ought to investigate the implementation of these findings across various industrial contexts to enhance comprehension of DVoC’s influence on SCR.
Originality/value
This study presents a new integrated framework for comprehending the function of DVoC in improving SCR. It presents significant practical consequences for stakeholders in the renewable energy sector, such as researchers, regulators, manufacturers and consumers, highlighting the necessity for a resilient and flexible supply chain.
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Project conflicts are inevitable. Megaproject conflicts need to be managed across different levels. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of individual-level…
Abstract
Purpose
Project conflicts are inevitable. Megaproject conflicts need to be managed across different levels. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of individual-level regulatory focus and organization-level team mindfulness in managing megaproject conflicts.
Design/methodology/approach
By combining the individual motivation basis and organizational background of conflict resolution, this study constructed a multi-level structural equation model. The hypothesis is tested based on data collected from 182 respondents.
Findings
The findings of this study show that project manager's promotion focus has a direct positive effect on task conflict and a negative effect on relationship conflict. Prevention focus has a positive effect on relationship conflict and a negative effect on task conflict and process conflict. Team mindfulness has a negative effect on relationship conflict and process conflict and a positive effect on task conflict. Task conflict was negatively affected by the interaction between team mindfulness and promotion focus. The interaction between team mindfulness and prevention focus had a positive effect on relationship conflict.
Originality/value
This study verifies the positive role of project manager's promotion focus and prevention focus in conflict management and clarifies the strengthening role of team mindfulness in constructive conflict and the prevention role in destructive conflict. This study also confirms that team mindfulness can act as a reinforcement and complementary factor of regulatory focus in megaproject conflict, contributing to the current understanding of the project manager's role in megaproject mindfulness contexts.
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Muhammad Ameer Usman, Rehan Muhammad, Taimoor Shabbir, Mohsin Islam Tiwana, Amir Hamza and Muhammad Mubasher Saleem
This paper aims to introduce a sensorized surgical grasper with a novel flexible capacitive tactile force sensor integrated within the surgical grasper for minimally invasive…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a sensorized surgical grasper with a novel flexible capacitive tactile force sensor integrated within the surgical grasper for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and robot-assisted MIS (RMIS) procedures.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed sensor offers a unique configuration of sensing electrodes with one top excitation electrode and three bottom electrodes enabling the measurement of normal and shear forces without incorporating any complex decoupling algorithms. The design of the sensor is optimized using finite-element method simulations, ensuring efficiency and reliability.
Findings
Experimental validation, real-time sensor response and application in lump detection through stiffness assessment demonstrate the decoupled force response (0–5 N normal range and 0–2 N shear range) with high sensitivity 0.0124/N, repeatability and hysteresis response with 5.65% and 4.7% errors respectively.
Originality/value
The compact design of the sensor makes it compliant with surgical graspers and therefore enhances the overall efficiency of robotic surgical procedures. The sensorized surgical grasper is fabricated using conventional machining and rapid prototyping techniques, presenting a cost-effective solution for adoption.
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Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem, Hamza Farooq Gabriel, Muhammad Sohail Anwar Malik and Abdur Rehman Nasir
The purpose of this research is to quantify the effect of stakeholder conflicts on project constraints in the construction industry using ordinal regression analysis. For this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to quantify the effect of stakeholder conflicts on project constraints in the construction industry using ordinal regression analysis. For this purpose, the most significant project constraints and factors that cause stakeholder conflicts found in the literature are measured.
Design/methodology/approach
Factors causing stakeholder conflicts and project constraints are extracted through a content analysis of the published literature. Further, a questionnaire survey is conducted involving 170 professionals to assess the effect of conflicts on project constraints. Finally, to obtain a more objective assessment, a statistical model is developed, and to highlight the most severe factors causing conflict and impacting project constraints, ordinal regression analysis is performed.
Findings
The results show that in the construction industry, all project constraints are affected by stakeholder conflicts. Factors that result in stakeholder conflicts indicated a positive relationship with cost, time and resources. This means that any increase or decrease in the effect of stakeholder conflicts will directly influence these three project constraints. Similarly, a negative relationship was observed between stakeholder conflicts and quality, workforce productivity, protection of environment and safety regulations in the construction industry, indicating that increase in the effect of stakeholder conflicts will decrease these four project constraints and vice versa. The results for cumulative ordinal regression model highlight that lack of communication, poor quality of completed works and change orders and rework have intense effects on project constraints collectively.
Originality/value
A small number of studies have been undertaken to examine the emergence of project constraints in the developing countries. And even more, its relationship with stakeholder conflicts in the construction industry is limited. This research highlights the most significant project constraints and factors that result in stakeholder conflicts in the construction industry. Therefore, this study adds to the existing body of knowledge by developing an ordinal regression model that will help decision-makers and top management control this enigma of stakeholder conflicts in the construction industry.
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Mahnoor Mahmood Bhatti, Kanwar Hamza Shuja, Muhammad Aqeel, Zainab Bokhari, Syeda Nasreen Gulzar, Tabassum Fatima and Manahil Sama
Gaslighting a form of abusive manipulation both emotional and psychological is a growing phenomenon in recent times. However, as of yet, there is a scarcity of a valid and…
Abstract
Purpose
Gaslighting a form of abusive manipulation both emotional and psychological is a growing phenomenon in recent times. However, as of yet, there is a scarcity of a valid and reliable instrument which can measure the severity of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse. The purpose of this study is the development of an instrument which can effectively measure gaslighting in victims and is psychometrically reliable and valid.
Design/methodology/approach
Since the aim of the study was the development of a scale first a sample of eight women who were victims of domestic abuse was taken for the focus group. Afterwards using purposive sampling a sample of 20 women for the pilot study and a sample of 150 women for the main study was taken with age range 18–40 (M = 23.38, S.D = 4.03). For the development of scale theoretical basis along with a focus group was conducted to establish an item pool. Afterwards, subject matter experts helped in establishing contend validity followed by Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) method and maximum likelihood factor analysis (FA) was performed for the establishment of the factorial structure of the instrument.
Findings
Velicer’s MAP method and Maximum Likelihood FA suggested two factor structures including peer disagreement and loss of self-trust. Instrument displayed high alpha reliability of α = 0.934, with α = 0.927 and α = 0.854, for the subscale, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
Though all necessary steps were taken to minimize the limitations of the present study, however, some limitations do exist which needs to be addressed. The foremost limitation of the present scale is that it is being developed with only a female sample, however, the inclusion of a male sample in future studies can help in identifying whether men also are victims of gaslighting from peers and other family members or not. The second limitation is of validity though necessary validities have been established future studies should study on establishing further validities to further refine the instrument. Additionally, the scale has only been validated and tested on female samples future studies should be conducted on other specific groups or samples to develop norms. Moreover, testing the scale on other cultures could also help in establishing cross cultural validation of the instrument. Finally, though the scale assumes a higher level of scores suggests a higher level of victimization, a proper cutoff score can help in further identifying proper victims from the normal level of gaslighting.
Practical implications
The present instrument has its applicability in several domains the most important being in the criminal justice system as gaslighting comes under gaslighting and even in the UK is considered as a criminal offense. This instrument can help in determining the severity of gaslighting in victims. Likewise, it can be used in clinical settings for psychologists to identify possible cases of gaslighting victims which can enable them to provide specific help and treatment for them. Moreover, researchers can also benefit from the instrument as it can enable them to explore gaslighting with other possible variables which can help them explore the concept of gaslighting even further.
Originality/value
This paper is a novel study and has been completed with the purpose of evaluating the effects of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse as the earlier measures are either not psychometrically valid or cannot be generalized to a wider population. The present established scale is an effort to construct an instrument that can be used worldwide.
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Muhammad Ahmad Raza Tahir, Muhammad Mubasher Saleem, Syed Ali Raza Bukhari, Amir Hamza and Rana Iqtidar Shakoor
This paper aims to present an efficient design approach for the micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers considering design parameters affecting the long-term…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an efficient design approach for the micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers considering design parameters affecting the long-term reliability of these inertial sensors in comparison to traditional iterative microfabrication and experimental characterization approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A dual-axis capacitive MEMS accelerometer design is presented considering the microfabrication process constraints of the foundry process. The performance of the MEMS accelerometer is analyzed through finite element method– based simulations considering main design parameters affecting the long-term reliability. The effect of microfabrication process induced residual stress, operating pressure variations in the range of 10 mTorr to atmospheric pressure, thermal variations in the operating temperature range of −40°C to 100°C and impulsive input acceleration at different input frequency values is presented in detail.
Findings
The effect of residual stress is negligible on performance of the MEMS accelerometer due to efficient design of mechanical suspension beams. The effect of operating temperature and pressure variations is negligible on energy loss factor. The thermal strain at high temperature causes the sensing plates to deform out of plane. The input dynamic acceleration range is 34 g at room temperature, which decreases with operating temperature variations. At low frequency input acceleration, the input acts as a quasi-static load, whereas at high frequency, it acts as a dynamic load for the MEMS accelerometer.
Originality/value
In comparison with the traditional MEMS accelerometer design approaches, the proposed design approach focuses on the analysis of critical design parameters that affect the long-term reliability of MEMS accelerometer.
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Kanwar Hamza Shuja, Muhammad Aqeel and Rimsha Sarfaraz
Chronic pain is a global community health and human rights issue. Proper health care is an important necessity for every human being and access for treatment is every human’s…
Abstract
Purpose
Chronic pain is a global community health and human rights issue. Proper health care is an important necessity for every human being and access for treatment is every human’s right. Likewise, it is significant that proper instruments should be administered to assess these clinical issues. It is equally necessary to reassess these tools accordingly to diverse cultures, especially subjective tools to check their validity and cultural specification. The purpose of this study is to adapt and examine the factorial structure of 20 items and three-factor structure, pain anxiety symptoms scale (McCracken and Dhingra, 2002). As literature evidence suggested of a three-factor structure (Cho, 2010).
Design/methodology/approach
Primarily, the scale was translated into Urdu language using the forward-backward method. Afterward, a reliability assessment and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for construct validity, on an osteoporosis patients’ sample (N = 250) was performed. Subsequently, an Obliman method exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on an osteoporosis sample (N = 500) for factor structuring followed by validity and reliability analysis.
Findings
The initial findings demonstrated a high internal consistency of the translated version of the scale (α = 0.85) and an acceptable test-retest reliability (r = 0.69). CFA displayed a high inter-correlation between scale and its subscales. However, CFA suggested a three-factor model. Consequently, EFA proposed a three-factor, 19 item scale, namely, behavioral; cognitive; and physical subscale, which demonstrated high alpha reliability (α.= 0.86). Other results indicated the scale to have a significant predictive and convergent validity for depression and positive and negative affect.
Originality/value
The present study is novel in its approach as the present study not only tried to adapt the original Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale to Pakistani culture but has also checked the factorial structure of the original scale. The results achieved in the process suggested a three-factor structure scale with 19 items in opposition to the original four structured, 20 items scale.