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This study aims to investigate the effect of the copresence of ferrous (Fe²⁺) ions and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the activity of an amylase enzyme during the desizing of greige viscose fabric for potential industrial applications. The removal of starches is an essential step before processing the fabric for dyeing and finishing operations. The authors tend to accomplish it in eco-friendly and sustainable ways.

The experiments were designed under the Taguchi approach, and the results were analyzed using grey relational analysis to optimize the process. The textile properties of absorbency, reducing sugars, bending length, weight loss, Tegawa rating and tensile strength were assessed using the standard protocols. The control and optimized viscose specimens were investigated for certain surface chemical properties using advanced analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).

The results demonstrate that the Fe²⁺ concentration and process time were the main influencing factors in the amylolytic desizing of viscose fabric. The optimized process conditions were found to be 0.1 mm Fe²⁺ ions, 3 mm SDS, 80°C, 7 pH and 30 min process time. The copresence of Fe²⁺ ions and SDS promoted the biodesizing of viscose fabric. The SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, XRD and TGA results demonstrated that the sizing agent has efficiently been removed from the fabric surface.

The amylase desizing of viscose fabric in the presence of certain metal ions and surfactants is a significant subject as the enzyme may face them due to their prevalence in the water systems. This could also support the biodesizing and bioscouring operations to be done in one bath, thus making the textile pretreatment process both economical and environmentally sustainable.

The authors found no report on the biodesizing of viscose fabric in the copresence of Fe²⁺ ions and the SDS surfactant under statistical multiresponse optimization. The biodesized viscose fabric has been investigated using both conventional and analytical approaches.

Purpose: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the most significant contributors to maximum employment generation, the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries, and the overall global economy. It is also evident that cyber threats are becoming a big challenge for SMEs, which is directly impacting global economy.

Methodology: Existing research inputs were accessed to understand current cyber threats for SMEs and their cybersecurity posture. Additionally, this research has collected the latest insights by taking direct inputs from SMEs and conducting a well-designed research survey. It has provided a few direct inputs to designing solutions for the SME segment. For analysis and recommendations, cybersecurity best practices and core cybersecurity concepts are considered at the centre of the solution.

Findings: Implementing existing cybersecurity standards or frameworks is not easy for SMEs, as they generally have limited resources and different priorities for their business when it comes to the implementation of any cybersecurity controls. Currently, many cybersecurity standards are not able to support the implementation of business domain-specific controls.

Practical implications: Along with the research findings shared in this chapter, as a resolution to the problems faced by SMEs, the authors will propose a new framework as a solution. This framework is designed using core concepts of cybersecurity such as confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad) as well as defence in depth (DiD) mechanisms in each layer of organisation. The authors will also share a high-level idea about how reliable artificial intelligence-based software can help identify recommended controls for particular SMEs.

This paper seeks to determine the relationship among school size, school culture and students' achievement at secondary level in Pakistan.

The study was descriptive (survey type). It was conducted on a sample of 90 secondary school head teachers and 540 primary, elementary and high school teachers working in the government boys secondary schools of Punjab province. Data was collected through three sources: first, statistics on education from Education Management Information System (EMIS) Punjab; second, annual results of grade 9 and 10 students of Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) Punjab; and third, a questionnaire which contained 39 items at five‐point rating scale and ten items in yes/no form. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were ensured through experts' opinions and pilot testing in early 2006; the overall reliability was established at 0.967.

There was a significant correlation between school size and school culture, and school size and students' achievement. Small schools revealed positive school culture and performed better than medium and large schools.

The policy makers, administrators and managers, and teachers at secondary level may improve school culture by bringing schools to a reasonable size, which may improve the students' achievement in Pakistan. The findings may be useful for other countries of almost similar socio‐economic status to improve the quality of teaching‐learning at secondary level.

The main purpose of this study is to identify the successful leadership practices of head teachers for school improvement at secondary level in Pakistan.

The study was descriptive (survey type) in nature. It was conducted on a sample of 351 secondary school head teachers, 702 elementary and secondary school teachers working in the government secondary schools of Punjab province. Data were collected using a mixed‐methods research design that included: review of related literature, documents indicating school achievements and student attainment, questionnaires and in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with different stakeholders including the head teachers, teachers, parents and students. The validity and reliability of the instruments was ensured through experts' opinions and pilot testing in mid‐2007; the overall reliability was established at 0.923 alpha level.

The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the head teachers of successful schools developed a common and shared school vision and promoted a culture of collaboration, support and trust. They empowered others to lead and distributed leadership responsibilities throughout the school; involved different stakeholders in the process of decision making; developed and maintained good relationships among different personnel of school community. They emphasised the professional development of teachers as well as themselves, and involved parents and community in the process of school improvement.

The findings of this article may be useful for other countries of almost similar socio‐economic status, to improve quality of teaching and learning at secondary level.

The paper shows that policy makers, administrators, managers and head teachers at secondary school level may improve school performance by adopting effective strategies for school improvement in Pakistan.

Low glycemic index gluten-free cookies from high amylose rice flour were prepared by modifying baking conditions and ingredient composition.

Baking temperature, baking time, and concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were varied between 170 and 190° C, 12–25 min, and 0.2–1%, respectively, using central composite rotatable design. The developed cookies were packed in metalized polyester pouches and stored under ambient conditions for a period of 90 days.

Width and bulk density of cookies increased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in baking temperature, while thickness, baking loss and yield decreased with an increase in baking temperature. Puffiness increased predominantly with the increase in the concentration of CMC. Design expert predicted baking temperature of 185° C, baking time of 22 min, and 0.8% concentration of CMC as desirable conditions for the development of gluten-free cookies from rice flour. Cookies developed after following optimized conditions recorded dietary fiber of 4.66%, resistant starch (RS) content of 7.20% and predicted glycemic index (pGI) of 44.60. RS, pGI, moisture, water activity, free fatty acids and peroxide value increased significantly, whereas hardness and overall acceptability decreased during storage.

Gluten-free (GF) foods are in high demand globally due to the prevalence of celiac disease. Rice lacks gluten protein, and thus, can serve as a potential raw material for the development of GF cookies. In the present study, the ingredient modification and freezing interventions during baking were found to be crucial if the development of low GI gluten-free cookies having good RS content is targeted. Optimized GF cookies prepared via technological intervention and packed in metalized polyester were shelf stable for up to 3 months under ambient conditions. Furthermore, resistant starch content was enhanced while the predicted glycemic index was decreased during storage. Adoption of baking conditions and CMC level optimized in the present study can help to develop shelf-stable GF bakery products for people suffering from comorbidities like celiac disease and diabetes.

Resistant starch content was enhanced while predicted glycemic index was decreased during storage of gluten-free cookies prepared from high amylose rice flour. The developed cookies can be a complementary diet to people suffering from comorbidities like celiac disease and diabetes.

The current study aims to structure the existing knowledge about organizational agility from the information systems (IS) capabilities view and synthesizes how agility is enabled by big data analytics (BDA).

This study performs a systematic literature review with the lens of IS capabilities view and provides an integrative framework that represents how BDA improves organizational agility through the mediation of IS capabilities.

This systematic literature review synthesizes what is known and identifies what remains to be further studied with a focus on the relationship between BDA competency and organizational agility, which contributes to academic performance in BDA and agility research communities.

Despite a growing body of literature on the relationship between BDA and agility, a consolidated and systematic understanding of how BDA can enable organizational agility is generally missing. Therefore, the current study addresses this gap by proposing an integrative framework that elucidates the processes in which BDA competency leads to agility through the mediation of IS capabilities.

This study aims to propose a cybersecurity framework that prioritizes sustainability in the manufacturing sector by identifying necessary resources and capabilities for effective cybersecurity management. The proposed framework aims to enhance resource protection and safeguard data confidentiality, integrity and accessibility, provide proactive steps for predicting cyber threats and highlight the importance of educating employees at all levels of the organization.

A thorough review of existing literature and analysis was conducted to develop the proposed cybersecurity framework. Several frameworks, including the NIST cybersecurity framework, were reviewed to identify the necessary skills and resources required to combat cyber threats and keep businesses sustainable.

The proposed framework includes proactive steps, such as predicting cyber threats, and emphasizes the importance of educating employees and raising awareness at all levels of the organization. Resilience is also emphasized, which refers to an organization's ability to recover and continue operations following a cyberattack. Implementing this framework may require a significant budget and time investment, and small organizations may face limitations in applying all aspects of the framework.

This study proposes a cybersecurity framework that prioritizes sustainability in the manufacturing sector, which provides added protection for organizations. The framework's key functions can be adopted partially or fully, making it suitable for organizations of varying sizes. Future research can focus on addressing the framework's limitations and shortcomings to further reduce cyber risks for sustainable manufacturing, establishing the scale of an industry based on its economy and extending the framework to non-manufacturing businesses.

Digital technology is increasingly important in enhancing organizational agility (OA). Institutional theory and resource-based view were harmonized to analyze firms' adoption of digital technologies. However, previous studies on OA have revealed that external pressures imply the imposition of barriers or technological standards that ultimately restrict OA. This study employs this double theoretical lens to investigate the mediation role of business analytics capability (BAC) in the relationship between co-innovation (CO), i.e. open innovation in digital platforms, and OA, as well as the negative moderating effect of external pressure for artificial intelligence adoption (EPAIA) on this mediation.

Structural equation modeling was used to test the moderated mediation with survey data from 229 firms.

The main result indicates that 72% of OA variance is explained by the effect of CO that is transmitted by the mediator (BAC). However, contrary to the authors' expectations, EPAIA only has a positive moderating effect along the path between BAC and OA.

This work contradicts the prevalent notion of the negative consequences of external pressures for artificial intelligence adoption. Specifically, this study's findings refute the notion that institutional pressures are the source of technical problems that disrupt CO and BAC integration and reduce OA. In contrast, the unexpectedly positive effect of EPAIA may indicate that this type of external pressure can be viewed as a significant sign and an opportunity for the company to adopt the industry's most advanced and effective digital transformation practices.

Cyber security has never been more important than it is today in an ever more connected and pervasive digital world. However, frequently reported shortages of suitably skilled and trained information system (IS)/cyber security professionals elevate the importance of delivering effective Security Education,Training and Awareness (SETA) programmes within organisations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the questionable effectiveness of SETA programmes at changing employee behaviour and an absence of empirical studies on the critical success factors (CSFs) for SETA programme effectiveness.

This exploratory study follows a three-stage research design to give voice to practitioners with SETA programme expertise. Data is gathered in Stage 1 using semi-structured interviews with 20 key informants (the emergence of the CSFs), in Stage 2 from 65 respondents to a short online survey (the ranking of the CSFs) and in Stage 3 using semi-structured interviews with nine IS/cyber security practitioners (the emergence of the guiding principles). Using a multi-stage research design allows the authors to propose and evaluate the 11 CSFs for SETA programme effectiveness.

This study conducted a mean score analysis to evaluate the level of importance of each CSF within two independent groups of IS/cyber security professionals. This multi-stage analysis produces a ranked list of 11 CSFs for SETA programme effectiveness, while the difference in the rankings leads to the emergence of five CSF-specific guiding principles (to increase the likelihood of delivering an effective SETA programme within an organisational context). This analysis also reveals that most of the contradictions/differences in CSF rankings between IS/cyber security practitioners are linked to the design phase of the SETA programme life cycle. While two CSFs, “maintain quarterly evaluation of employee performance” (CSF-DS6) and “build security awareness campaigns” (CSF-EV1), represent the most significant contradiction in this study.

The 11 CSFs for SETA programme effectiveness, along with the five CSF-specific guiding principles, provide a greater depth of knowledge contributing to both theory and practice and lays the foundation for future studies. Therefore, the outputs of this study provide valuable insights on the areas that practice needs to get right to deliver effective SETA programmes.

This study aims to investigate individual-related consequences of workplace bullying among the health-care section. Specifically, this study examined the mediating role of burnout between workplace bullying and nurses’ well-being. Moreover, passive avoidant leadership is examined as a conditional variable between workplace bullying and burnout.

This study collected data from 314 nurses working in various hospitals through a questionnaire-based survey using Google Form in two waves.

Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative effect of workplace bullying on nurses’ well-being, whereas burnout mediates this relationship. In addition, passive avoidant leadership was identified as a conditional variable that strengthens the positive association between workplace bullying and burnout.

Although data for the study were collected in two waves, still cross-sectional design limits causality.

This study suggests management to focus on developing and implementing counter-bullying rules to avoid the adverse consequences of workplace bullying (e.g. capital loss, recruitment costs, burnout, well-being, etc.). In addition, leaders/supervisors must be trained to fulfill their responsibilities to reduce negative consequences.

Studies on workplace bullying in high-power distance cultures are scant. Therefore, drawing upon conservation of resource theory, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated the moderating role of passive avoidant leadership on the association between workplace bullying and burnout.