Naveed Ul Haq, Ammar Aftab Raja, Safia Nosheen and Muhammad Faisal Sajjad
The purpose of this paper is to identify the major factors of client satisfaction (CS) that are critical for web development projects in freelance marketplaces. This quantitative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the major factors of client satisfaction (CS) that are critical for web development projects in freelance marketplaces. This quantitative study is done from the point of view of the web development services clients. Five major dimensions were proposed as determinants of CS from the literature review: ease of use, user interface, information, security and privacy.
Design/methodology/approach
A web-based survey methodology is used as the main data collection instrument. Statistical techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regressions are used to analyze 162 responses of questionnaires.
Findings
The findings suggest that all factors do influence CS. In terms of strength, security had the highest level of impact on CS, so it is the strongest determinant among all factors. After security, ease of use and information are considered as strong determinants. So, this study concludes that the five major determinates do affect CS in web development projects from freelance marketplaces.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited only to the top freelance marketplaces, such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, Guru, Envato Studio, etc. The sample size is relatively small and this study is focused on web development projects only. Moreover, this research is focused only on the characteristics or attributes of the projects final outcome, i.e. website.
Practical implications
This study attempts to identify the important factors that have a relation with CS, thus giving freelancers an indication of what to look for when working on any web development project posted by any client in a freelance marketplace. Understanding the determinants of CS will also help Pakistani information technology freelancers involved in web development projects and services to increase their project performance, improve their CS rate and increment client following.
Originality/value
This presents the first study on the determinants of CS in web development projects from freelance marketplaces.
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The textile sector is moving towards new technologies, where the application of nanotechnology is offering fabrics with multifunctional properties making fabric odourless…
Abstract
Purpose
The textile sector is moving towards new technologies, where the application of nanotechnology is offering fabrics with multifunctional properties making fabric odourless, hydrophobic, durable and self-cleaning. This aim of this research is to investigate self-cleaning ability of denim fabric with the application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) synthesized naturally. The primary focus of this investigation is achieving sustainability mark through green synthesis of ZnO NPs.
Design/methodology/approach
In this analysis, ZnO NPs being one of the metal oxides exhibiting self-cleaning, UV-protective and anti-microbial properties were synthesized naturally using Azadirachta Indica leaves. The prepared NPs were characterized by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses confirming their size and crystalline structure. Different formulations were investigated with varying concentration of zinc oxide and auxiliaries onto the denim fabric using pad-dry-cure application technique.
Findings
XRD analysis confirmed the successful green synthesis of ZnO NPs. SEM analysis revealed the homogeneous and hexagonal wurtzite NPs deposition on the denim fabric. It was ascertained that with 5% ZnO NPs and 7% Binder concentrations, the formulation resulted in a smooth and even layer on the denim fabric maintaining the appearance and feel at the same time offers appreciable grading (Grade 4) against the stringent stains of Ketchup, Coffee, Grape and Orange Juice with insignificant change in tensile strength.
Originality/value
In this study, self-cleaning attributes of denim fabric with zinc oxide nano formulations of different composition was studied to achieve promising functional properties in a single step not studied earlier.
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Bekinew Kitaw Dejene and Tsige Mamo Geletaw
The textile industry is evolving toward nanotechnology, which provides materials with self-cleaning properties. This paper aims to provide a thorough explanation of the green…
Abstract
Purpose
The textile industry is evolving toward nanotechnology, which provides materials with self-cleaning properties. This paper aims to provide a thorough explanation of the green synthesis and mechanism of ZnO nanoparticles, with prospective applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in self-cleaning textiles.
Design/methodology/approach
This review introduces a green mechanism for the synthesis of ZnO NPs using plant extracts, their self-cleaning properties and the mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological self-cleaning actions for textile applications.
Findings
ZnO NPs are among the several nanoparticles that are beneficial for self-cleaning textiles because of their exceptional physical and chemical properties, although review publications addressing the use of ZnO NPs in textiles for self-cleaning are uncommon. These results indicate that the plant-synthesized ZnO NPs display excellent biological, physical and chemical self-cleaning properties, the mechanism of which involves photocatalysis, surface roughness and interactions between ZnO NPs and bacterial surfaces.
Originality/value
Nanoformulations of plant-synthesized ZnO have been reviewed to achieve promising self-cleaning textile properties and have not been reviewed earlier.
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Firoz khan Fasuludeen Kunju, Nida Naveed, Muhammad Naveed Anwar and Mir Irfan Ul Haq
Production industries are undergoing a digital transition, referred to as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, as a result of rapidly expanding advances in…
Abstract
Purpose
Production industries are undergoing a digital transition, referred to as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, as a result of rapidly expanding advances in information and communication technology. The purpose of this research is to provide a conceptual insight into the impact of unique capabilities from the fourth industrial revolution on production and maintenance tasks in terms of providing the existing production companies a boost by making recommendations on areas and tasks of great potential.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey and a literature review are among the research methods used in the research. The survey collected empirical data using a semi-structured questionnaire, which provided a broad overview of the company's present condition in terms of production and maintenance, resulting in more comprehensive and specific information regarding the study topics.
Findings
The study points out that, the implementation of I4.0-technology leads to an increase in production, asset utilization, quality, reduced machine down time in industries, and maintenance. Sensor technology, big data analysis, cloud technologies, mobile end devices, and real-time location systems are now being implemented to improve production processes and boost organizational competitiveness. Moreover, the study highlights that data acquired throughout the production process is utilized for quality control, predictive maintenance, and automatic production control. Furthermore, I4.0 solutions help companies to be more efficient with assets at each stage of the process, allowing them to have a stronger control on inventories and operational-optimization potential.
Originality/value
The findings of the study was supported by empirical data collected through survey that provides an intangible understanding of the importance of distinctive capabilities from the I4.0 revolution on production and maintenance tasks. In this study, some recommendations and guidelines to enhance these tasks are provided that are vital for existing production companies.
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Saquib Rouf, Ankush Raina, Mir Irfan Ul Haq and Nida Naveed
The involvement of wear, friction and lubrication in engineering systems and industrial applications makes it imperative to study the various aspects of tribology in relation with…
Abstract
Purpose
The involvement of wear, friction and lubrication in engineering systems and industrial applications makes it imperative to study the various aspects of tribology in relation with advanced technologies and concepts. The concept of Industry 4.0 and its implementation further faces a lot of barriers, particularly in developing economies. Real-time and reliable data is an important enabler for the implementation of the concept of Industry 4.0. For availability of reliable and real-time data about various tribological systems is crucial in applying the various concepts of Industry 4.0. This paper aims to attempt to highlight the role of sensors related to friction, wear and lubrication in implementing Industry 4.0 in various tribology-related industries and equipment.
Design/methodology/approach
A through literature review has been done to study the interrelationships between the availability of tribology-related data and implementation of Industry 4.0 are also discussed. Relevant and recent research papers from prominent databases have been included. A detailed overview about the various types of sensors used in generating tribological data is also presented. Some studies related to the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are also included in the paper. A discussion on fault diagnosis and cyber physical systems in connection with tribology has also been included.
Findings
Industry 4.0 and tribology are interconnected through various means and the various pillars of Industry 4.0 such as big data, AI can effectively be implemented in various tribological systems. Data is an important parameter in the effective application of concepts of Industry 4.0 in the tribological environment. Sensors have a vital role to play in the implementation of Industry 4.0 in tribological systems. Determining the machine health, carrying out maintenance in off-shore and remote mechanical systems is possible by applying online-real-time data acquisition.
Originality/value
The paper tries to relate the pillars of Industry 4.0 with various aspects of tribology. The paper is a first of its kind wherein the interdisciplinary field of tribology has been linked with Industry 4.0. The paper also highlights the role of sensors in generating tribological data related to the critical parameters, such as wear rate, coefficient of friction, surface roughness which is critical in implementing the various pillars of Industry 4.0.
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Sehrish Naz, Muhammad Asrar-ul-Haq, Anam Iqbal and Misbah Ahmed
This paper aims to examine the impact of innovativeness on customer satisfaction through mediation of perceived quality and also examines the effect of consumer involvement and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the impact of innovativeness on customer satisfaction through mediation of perceived quality and also examines the effect of consumer involvement and communication strategy as moderating variables to validate relationship between innovativeness and perceived quality from the perspective of Generation M.
Design/methodology/approach
Cluster sampling method is used and data is collected from 451 graduates studying in different universities of Sahiwal division to know their perception regarding mobile phones brands. Structural equation modelling technique is used, and all analyses are performed using SPSS 23.0 and SmartPLS 2.0 to know the findings of the study.
Findings
This study finds positive significant nexus between innovativeness-satisfaction, innovativeness-perceived quality and perceived quality-customer satisfaction at brand level. This study also finds that perceived quality is a significant mediator between brand innovativeness and customer satisfaction. However, moderating variables do not help to boost the relationship among brand innovativeness and perceived quality to transmit their impact on customer satisfaction.
Practical implications
This study may help to understand the preferences of different generations. Findings of the study can also benefit the firms in investment decisions, brand management and formulation of innovative strategies for future.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is one of the first studies to investigate the integrated model of BI-CS through mediating and moderating variables to know the perception of Generation M regarding smartphone brands in developing economies like Pakistan.
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Shahid Ali, Fazli Rabbi, Umar Hayat and Naveed Ali
– This study is an attempt to examine the role of sub categories of government expenditures under democratic and military regimes in Pakistan for the period of 1972-2009.
Abstract
Purpose
This study is an attempt to examine the role of sub categories of government expenditures under democratic and military regimes in Pakistan for the period of 1972-2009.
Design/methodology/approach
This study exercised autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model.
Findings
The results show that contractionary fiscal expansion occurs in Pakistan. Moreover, the coefficient of development expenditure positively affects economic growth. It supports the public capital hypothesis that states that public and private investments are complements to each other. The results also show that current expenditure does not contribute to economic growth.
Practical implications
The study recommends that for the purpose of macroeconomic stability, government should reduce its unproductive expenditure and should enhance its resource mobilization.
Originality/value
This study is an attempt to examine the dynamic relationship between the composition of government expenditures and economic growth for Pakistan over the period of 1972-2009. The work is different from already existing literature in Pakistan. The authors' investigated the impact of different categories of government expenditures on economic growth, which has not been studied previously. Moreover, this study included a set of control variables by performing sensitivity analysis which is a significant contribution to the existing literature.
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Naveed Ahmed, Umar Khan and Syed Tauseef Mohyud-din
The aim of this manuscript is to study the flow of a nanofluid through a porous channel under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. Permeability of the walls is…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this manuscript is to study the flow of a nanofluid through a porous channel under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. Permeability of the walls is considered to be different, which results in an asymmetric nature of the flow. The height of the channel is variable, and it dilates or squeezes at a uniform rate.
Design/methodology/approach
A numerical solution (Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg) has been obtained after reducing the governing equations to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations using some suitable similarity transforms, both in time and space.
Findings
An increase in absolute values of the permeability parameter results in an enhanced mass transfer rate at both the walls, while the rate of heat transfer also increases at the lower wall. Few graphs are also dedicated to see the behavior of Nusselt and Sherwood numbers following the variations in flow parameters.
Originality/value
A pictorial description of the flow and effects of emerging parameters on the temperature and nanoparticle concentration profiles is presented to analyze the flow behavior. It is established that the asymmetry of the channel affects the flow quite significantly.
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Keywords
Amjad Naveed, Nisar Ahmad, Aribah Aslam, Misbah Tanveer Choudhry and Hania Bekdash-Muellers
The objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to investigate whether the increase in FLFP enriches women's inclusive rights (economic, social, and political), (2) whether the…
Abstract
Purpose
The objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to investigate whether the increase in FLFP enriches women's inclusive rights (economic, social, and political), (2) whether the effect of FLFP on inclusive rights is different across different economics (developed vs developing).
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilizes panel data encompassing 188 countries spanning the years 1981–2011. Discrete choice models, namely ordered probit and ordered logit, are employed, while also controlling for observable heterogeneity across countries, including factors such as inflation, income inequality, education, and human rights.
Findings
We find a positive association between FLFP and all aspects of women's rights (economic, social, and political). The results related to developed and underdeveloped countries are robust for women's political rights; however, the effect of FLFP on women's social and economic rights is insignificant for developing countries.
Originality/value
The need for continuous policy commitment to gender equality may be needed to bring about equality of inclusive rights (economic, social, and political rights) and to fulfill the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Therefore, the current study particularly adds value in existing research by investigating (empirically) the link between FLFP and different dimensions of women's inclusive rights.
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Carolyn Caffrey, Hannah Lee, Tessa Withorn, Maggie Clarke, Amalia Castañeda, Kendra Macomber, Kimberly M. Jackson, Jillian Eslami, Aric Haas, Thomas Philo, Elizabeth Galoozis, Wendolyn Vermeer, Anthony Andora and Katie Paris Kohn
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy. It provides an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts. The selected bibliography is useful to efficiently keep up with trends in library instruction for busy practitioners, library science students and those wishing to learn about information literacy in other contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This article annotates 424 English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, theses and reports on library instruction and information literacy published in 2021. The sources were selected from the EBSCO platform for Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and WorldCat, published in 2021 that included the terms “information literacy,” “library instruction,” or “information fluency” in the title, abstract or keywords. The sources were organized in Zotero. Annotations summarize the source, focusing on the findings or implications. Each source was categorized into one of seven pre-determined categories: K-12 Education, Children and Adolescents; Academic and Professional Programs; Everyday Life, Community, and the Workplace; Libraries and Health Information Literacy; Multiple Library Types; and Other Information Literacy Research and Theory.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of 424 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested as a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy within 2021.