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This study aims to investigate the direct impact of knowledge sharing (KS) and functional flexibility (FF) on innovative work behavior (IWB) of small medium enterprises (SME’s) employees. This study also observes the mediating role of FF in the connection between KS and IWB.

This study adapted a quantitative methodology and used the cross-sectional data. Data were collected from the 751 workers of SMEs to validate the mediation model.

Results reveal that KS and FF significantly affect IWB in SME’s workers. The findings also reveal that FF acts as a mediator between KS and IWB link.

The live experience of currently working employees shows that IWB is dependent of employees' KS and FF. Moreover, this study contributed to the streams of knowledge management and organizational innovation perspective by emphasizing upon the mediating mechanism of FF.

Islamic finance and Halal product sectors are thriving successfully. This chapter is a general review of the perception of Asian consumers on Islamic finance and Halal sectors in the global Halal economy.

The first section will briefly describe the Halal concept in both Islamic finance and Halal industries, and the growth of both sectors in Asian countries. The second part highlights the review of Asian consumers’ perception towards Islamic finance products and Halal products.

The review found that the consumers’ perception towards the Islamic finance products and Halal products is distinctive. This is due to the diversity of Asian countries in terms of geography, religion, culture, ethnic, school of thoughts (madzahib), income per capita and government’s involvement.

The third part of the chapter concentrates on planning towards Halal marketing, which involves the move and future challenges in different layers of industries to gear up and strengthen the Halal economy.

This paper explores the motivations and challenges faced by Muslim women ‘mumpreneurs,’ in Northern Nigeria, a region with a predominantly Muslim population. The unique socio-religious and cultural context of Northern Nigeria serves as a key driver for this research, prompting a deeper understanding of the experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in the area.

The study employed a qualitative approach, by utilizing semi-structured interviews with 12 Muslim mumpreneurs residing in various states across Northern Nigeria. Accordingly, thematic analysis was used to explore the influence of their motherly roles on their entrepreneurial experiences.

Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: Motivations: Mumpreneurs were driven by desires for financial independence, positive societal impact and increased flexibility to manage work-family balance. Challenges: Lack of capital, skills, knowledge and sociocultural constraints (e.g. gender norms) impeded their progress. Push and pull factors: Their entrepreneurial journeys were shaped by both internal aspirations and external societal influences.

The findings of this study provide further understanding of the distinct experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in Northern Nigeria, contributing significantly to our knowledge of the dynamics of Muslim women mumpreneurs in a specific, understudied Muslim society. By implication, it highlights the need for targeted support for this under-researched population, informing policymakers, support organizations, and future research endeavors.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the period of uncertainty created by the referendum. The focus is the UK real effective exchange rate (REER). The authors set out to measure the additional impact of the uncertainty surrounding the referendum. The authors distinguish this from the longer trend value of Sterling.

The study applies a reduced form exchange rate model, first introduced by Edwards (1994), and makes use of Bank of England daily data for the period November 2015–July 2016.

The results indicate a sharp depreciation of Sterling with reference to its long-term trend. The authors set out some of the possible context which may account for fluctuations during the referendum campaigning period. This can be distinguished from other longer-term factors likely to be previously responsible for trend depreciation, and also from the further sharp depreciation effects triggered by the referendum outcome. The principal finding is that during the week of the referendum, up to the declaration of the result, exchange rate depreciation deviated from the long-run trend by approximately 3.5 per cent, but the actual immediate effect on the exchange rate was an 8 per cent depreciation. Over the period from the announcement of the referendum, the exchange rate fluctuated markedly around its trend and one can also identify a larger effect based on the “wrong-footing” of markets at the point when the outcome was announced.

The research has important implications, as one might further infer that this marks a step change in attitudes to Sterling as Brexit became a real issue rather than a notional concern. One can thus consider the exchange rate as both symptom of and indicator for determinations of the underlying economic strength or weakness of the economy. In essence, it has acted as a litmus test.

The research has important practical implications in understanding the dynamics of the exchange rate market and the role of uncertainty in its dynamics.

The study has important social implications as the changes to exchange rates are a perennial cause for concern. Exchange rates sit as one among many problems for the contemporary UK economy. Brexit has resulted in a significant subsequent depreciation of Sterling. Inter alia, though the immediate effect of Brexit on growth was muted due to unexpected sustained consumer spending, throughout the latter half of 2016 and the first two quarters of 2017, business investment slowed, the rate of deficit reduction slowed (but without any concomitant meaningfully rise in government investment in infrastructure, etc.) and both main measures of inflation began to rise.

The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by exploring the period of uncertainty created by the referendum and its implications for the UK REER. The study differentiates and reflects on the weakness of Sterling due to the weak external position of UK’s economy and the further role played by the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. In this sense, it important contribution to theory as well as practice.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the implications of exchange rate depreciation for inflation targeting and trade balance of UK in the context of the Brexit epoch.

The study employed a time-varying structural vector auto-regression (TVSVAR) model framework in which the sources of time variation were both the coefficients and variance-covariance matrix of the innovations on the data from January 1989 to September 2016.

The findings suggest that the depreciation of the Stirling has significant effects on inflation and trade balance in UK in context of Brexit epoch. It also showed that such a depreciation can be helpful in the improvement of external balance as well as steering the inflation to its statutory target. Despite, the inflation targeting, there is strong evidence of a pass-through.

Research has profound implications in terms of the sharp depreciation of GBP associated with the Brexit outcome. The study is very topical and could be very interesting to the readership of JES as well as wider audience. The study has limitations in a context that the significance of the results and association of the under analysis entities is contingent on the future trade relationships and Channel between UK and EU. Therefore, although there is a lot of uncertainty about the future of Britain trade relationships, this study provides guidance on the importance of exchange rate channel if the similar trade arrangements prevails in the post-Brexit era.

The research has profound practical implications, using a TVSVAR model in which the relationship among the entities varies over time; it has shown the importance of exchange rate in terms of external balance and inflation targeting. Hence, it has appeal for the practitioners as well as academics.

The research has great social implications. The Brexit is the biggest political and economic event of this era for UK and EU. There are big questions about the relationship between UK and EU in the post-Brexit epoch as well as questions about the future of the European integration. In this context, this study has shown that how the exchange rate could play an important role for the UK economy when its contemporary trade channels prevail. Concomitantly, it has social implications particularly for the European society.

The research is an original piece of work. It has contributed to the debate on the exchange rate deprecation, external balance and inflation targeting in context of the Brexit associated sharp depreciation of Stirling. It has used a framework, i.e. TVSVAR, which also have unique features in terms of testing the associations among under analysis entities against time.

Since the appearance of COVID-19 social distancing and staying home have been recommended repeatedly by the governments for disease prevention. As the challenge continues to remain the current study seeks to examine the factors affecting social distancing through space planning and management. More specifically the current study aims to examine the appropriateness of the spatial organization and space configuration of a clubhouse with a linear plan layout in the mitigation of the spread of infections due to serious pandemic COVID-19.

For an enhanced understanding of the impact of spatial arrangements of public spaces plan on the effective implementation of social distancing this study has used the space syntax analysis method. The MPSP clubhouse building in Penang, Malaysia was selected as the case study. The level of permeability and wayfinding were determined in the building plan and were illustrated using photoshop software to depict the interrelation between the indoor spaces and building circulation. Graphs of the depth of space were used to analyze the level of permeability and wayfinding to illustrate the possibility of social distancing in the plan.

The result of the study shows the significant role of proper plan layout design on social distancing. While clear and direct wayfinding can positively be associated with more effective social distancing, the inefficient design of user access, inappropriate locations of multiple entry and exit and indefinite directions of users' inside buildings can impose slight limitations. The average level of permeability might suggest ineffective spatial arrangement, ignoring the needs of spatial segregation. The study further found that the linear plan layouts with proper zoning and effective management strategies can be considered a proper layout to facilitate social distancing and the spread of COVID-19.

The current study is unique in terms of examination of the spatial configuration of linear public spaces plan layout for possible temporary adaptability to curb disease spread during the unexpected advent of a pandemic. Based on researchers' best of knowledge it is the first time that the impact of recreational space design on social distancing has been examined. The study also originally sheds light on the fact that the commonly used guideline for the social distancing of 1–2 m between 2 persons, in reality, is practically inadequate given the nature of the sports activities.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how digital platforms capability, improvisational capability and organizational readiness directly affect innovation performance. This study also explores how organizational readiness acts as mediator.

This empirical study is based on quantitative research design. Data were collected from 647 managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) working in Pakistan. Correlations and regression techniques were used for analyses. The Preacher and Hayes technique, the Sobel test and Bootstrap techniques were used to test mediation effect.

The results reveal a significant and positive relationship of digital platforms capability, improvisational capability and organizational readiness with innovation performance. Organizational readiness fully mediates the relationships between digital platforms capability and innovation performance link as well as between improvisational capability and innovation performance link.

In the age of digital economy the achievement of innovation performance is very important for SMEs. Businesses are shifting from traditional operational activities to digitalization. This study is imperative to offer new realm of modern technologies by exploring the role of digital platform capability, improvisational capability and organizational readiness for achieving innovation performance in digital economy.

This study aims to investigate the effects of three dimensions of ChatGPT strategic value – organization support (OS), managerial productivity (IM) and decision aids (DA) – on the business sustainability (BS) of Malaysian public universities.

A quantitative methodology was adopted for this study to examine the relationships between ChatGPT strategic value and the BS of Malaysian public universities.

The study found that two dimensions of ChatGPT strategic value, namely, OS and IM, influence BS, whereas DA do not.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to address the relationship between ChatGPT strategic value and BS in a specific context – Malaysian public universities – providing new contributions to theory by extending the literature on the topic.

The findings are expected to guide universities in Malaysia in leveraging ChatGPT strategic value for enhancing BS.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this empirical study is the first in the literature to examine the relationships between ChatGPT strategic value and BS in the education sector. Supported by an original conceptual model, the insights provided should extend the literature dedicated to ChatGPT strategic value and BS in the context of a South Asian economy.

This study examines the connection between investor sentiment and corporate innovation in the United States, considering the magnitude of corporate information asymmetry, the implied cost of capital and the financial constraints.

The authors employ a two-step GMM framework to examine the hypotheses of this study by utilizing annual data from 2001 to 2021 for US corporations.

The empirical evidence demonstrates a significant impact of investor sentiment on corporate innovation for firms with a lower information asymmetry and implied cost of capital than those with a higher information asymmetry and cost of capital. Although the financial constraint channel remained positive, it had little impact on the innovations of US corporations. Overall, the study's results show that companies make more valuable and high-quality patents when investors are optimistic.

This research has policy implications for all managers, investors, analysts and state officers, particularly in the USA and other developed countries. Managers and investors of all types should predict the role of corporate innovation in increasing shareholder wealth.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between investor sentiment and corporate innovation in the United States, considering the extent of corporate information asymmetry, the implied cost of capital and the financial limitations. The study's empirical findings uniquely contribute to the existing literature on corporate innovation and investor sentiment in the current context.

The study's main objective is to evaluate the morphological developments in the characteristics of the spatial configurations of the residential layouts in Kerman, Iran, in examining the impact on the level of visual privacy through the spectrum of permeability and wayfinding in space syntax analysis.

In this paper, plan graph analysis is used to measure the syntactic properties of seven topological residential architecture plans in Kerman, Iran, built from the 1970s to 2010s. The methodology involves the development of mathematical measurements to signify permeability and simulation of visibility graph analysis (VGA) to indicate wayfinding.

The findings reveal the residential layouts of Iranian houses tend to be less integrated over decades of design development from the 1970s to 2010s. Reduction in spatial integration corresponds to increase segregation allowing for enhanced visual privacy. The study underpins that, even with the constraints in the scale of the house and reduction in the number of nodes, as evident in the design of the modern residential layout, the efficient level of visual privacy is still achievable with regards to the standards demanded by the local culture.

The study examines the development in residential spatial configuration and building scale on visual privacy through a proposed methodology based on the level of permeability and wayfinding measured as a combined effect using the space syntax analysis and visual accessibility.