Awais Ali, Fu Qiang and Sadia Ashraf
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of ownership structure on firm valuation and performance across different geographical regions within mainland China.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of ownership structure on firm valuation and performance across different geographical regions within mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors classify China in six geographical regions and use cross-sectional data of companies with A-shares listed on domestic stock exchanges in China for the year-end 2015. Using data from CSMAR and Wind database, they use multivariate regression technique and analytically compare the consistency of relationship between operational variables of ownership structure with corporate performance and evaluation.
Findings
The authors find that institutional ownership and state ownership negatively affect market valuation throughout various geographical regions of China. Further, in East, Northwest, South Central and Southwestern parts of China, managerial ownership and concentration of shareholding among top ten shareholders positively influence return on equity (ROE). Interestingly, institutional shareholding negatively affects return on assets (ROA), while institutional ownership has a neutral effect on profitability margin in Northeast China. Although in northern part of China, this relationship is slightly positive. In East China region, state ownership and ownership concentration are directly proportional to profitability margin.
Practical implications
As some of the findings exhibit weak state of market efficiency in some regions, the study may also be useful in identifying arbitrage opportunities across different regions. Moreover, this study suggests that regions with the same business environment and conditions anywhere around the globe invite same or similar ownership structure for better firm performance and valuation.
Originality/value
The study provides unique understanding of relationship between ownership structure, market valuation and firm performance in various parts of China and will be an addition to the relevant literature. Given a change in company’s ownership structure and considering its region of incorporation, this study will help investment analysts in assessing performance and market valuation of the firm. It will also assist several classes of investors, financial institutions and international businesses in making their investment decisions.
Details
Keywords
Sadia Aziz, Muhammad Abdullah Khan Niazi and Usman Ghani
This study aims to empirically examine the knowledge, social and religious factors effecting the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination while considering the mediating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the knowledge, social and religious factors effecting the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination while considering the mediating role of attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. The research explores how the Islamic ideologies shape Muslims’ knowledge, social and religious beliefs towards COVID-19 vaccination acceptance or refusal.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretically, the study is based on the functional theory of attitudes. The model of the study is comprised of nine variables explaining the attitude and intention towards COVID-19 vaccination. Among nine variables, perceived Islamic religiosity, perceived behavioural control and Halal consciousness among Muslims are explained through the value-expressive function of attitude. Furthermore, the perceived risk of COVID-19, the perceived side effect of COVID-19 vaccination and the perceived efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination are considered in the model based on the utility function of attitude. Moreover, social influence for COVID vaccination, subjective norms and group conformity are abstracted from the social-adjustive function of attitude. This study used a quantitative survey research method to test the hypotheses. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed to non-vaccinated Muslim respondents from five cities in Pakistan. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was used to test the relationship among the variables in the proposed model. The partial least square-SEM method explained the variances in the dependent variables. Moreover, to test the structure of data, different statistical tests, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), factor loadings and average variance extracted, were used with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and analysis of a moment structures (AMOS) 23.0 version.
Findings
Results for direct effect showed a significant negative effect of Islamic religiosity, perceived behavioural control, halal consciousness, perceived side effect of COVID-19 vaccination, social influence, subjective norm and group conformity on attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. In contrast, insignificant results showed no relationship of perceived risk from COVID-19 infection and perceived efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination with attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Results for mediating effect showed the significant negative mediating effect of attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination between Islamic religiosity, perceived behavioural control, halal consciousness, perceived side effect, social influence, subjective norm, group conformity and intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination. While results showed the insignificant mediation of attitude towards COVID-19 between perceived risk from COVID-19 infection, perceived efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination and intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination.
Research limitations/implications
Further studies are required to compare the attitude and intention among the temporary refusal group (those who will consider vaccination the future) and the permanent refusal group (those who will not consider vaccination the future). Comparing Muslim and non-Muslim groups can also explain differences in attitude and intention towards COVID-19 vaccination.
Originality/value
The area of acceptance and refusal of COVID-19 vaccination has been given limited attention in academic literature. Theoretically, this research has proposed a well-defined model to explain the attitude of Muslims towards COVID-19 vaccination. This model can helpf predict the attitude and intentions of Muslims towards vaccination or medicines. Moreover, this research is a unique contribution for the vaccination brands to consider the discussed factors before launching their brand in Muslim countries.
Details
Keywords
Dirk De Clercq, Tasneem Fatima and Sadia Jahanzeb
This study seeks to unpack the relationship between employees' exposure to workplace bullying and their turnover intentions, with a particular focus on the possible mediating role…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to unpack the relationship between employees' exposure to workplace bullying and their turnover intentions, with a particular focus on the possible mediating role of perceived organizational politics and moderating role of creativity.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses are tested with multi-source, multi-wave data collected from employees and their peers in various organizations.
Findings
Workplace bullying spurs turnover intentions because employees believe they operate in strongly politicized organizational environments. This mediating role of perceived organizational politics is mitigated to the extent that employees can draw from their creative skills though.
Practical implications
For managers, this study pinpoints a critical reason – employees perceive that they operate in an organizational climate that endorses dysfunctional politics – by which bullying behaviors stimulate desires to leave the organization. It also reveals how this process might be contained by spurring employees' creativity.
Originality/value
This study provides novel insights into the process that underlies the connection between workplace bullying and quitting intentions by revealing the hitherto overlooked roles of employees' beliefs about dysfunctional politics and their own creativity levels.
Details
Keywords
Bahadur Ali Soomro, Abdul Wahid Zehri, Sadia Anwar, Nadia A. Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed and Naimatullah Shah
In this study, the researchers explored the predictive powers of corporate cultural factors and self-efficacy on Pakistan's public sector bank employees' organizational commitment.
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the researchers explored the predictive powers of corporate cultural factors and self-efficacy on Pakistan's public sector bank employees' organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers designed a co-relational study based on cross-sectional data using a questionnaire to collect the data from the Pakistan public sector banks' managers, assistant managers and operational managers. Consequently, the researchers based this study's findings on the 270 valid responses to the questionnaire.
Findings
This study's findings reveal that, except for teamwork, together with self-efficacy, the corporate cultural factors comprising organizational communication, training and development and reward and recognition have positive and significant impacts on organizational commitment. More specifically, self-efficacy plays a mediating role in terms of the relationships between organizational commitment and organizational communication, training and development and reward and recognition.
Practical implications
From establishing the most relevant corporate cultural factors, the researchers consider that this study's findings are helpful to policymakers and organizations in developing organizational commitment among employees. More practically in the case of Pakistan's public sector banks, the employees can improve employees' performance by recognizing the significance of the corporate cultural factors on employees' organizational commitment. In addition, the researchers consider that this study's findings can improve managerial efficiency which, in turn, can lead to the organizations becoming more successful.
Originality/value
In the context of Pakistan's public sector banks, this study's findings provide empirical insights to the relationships between the corporate cultural factors and organizational commitment. In addition, the findings provide insights to the role played by self-efficacy in mediating these relationships.
Details
Keywords
Sadia Mehfooz Khan, Muhammad Ali, Chin-Hong Puah, Hanudin Amin and Muhammad Shujaat Mubarak
This study aims to investigate two primary objectives. First, this study examines the influence of modified service quality dimensions on Islamic bank customer satisfaction using…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate two primary objectives. First, this study examines the influence of modified service quality dimensions on Islamic bank customer satisfaction using a compliance, reliability, empathy, assurance, tangible, operational efficiency, responsiveness (CREATOR) model. Second, the study explores the relationship between customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty and word of mouth (WOM) in Islamic banking of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed model was analyzed using PLS-SEM-based approach. A total of 312 usable responses were used for data analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that all CREATOR dimensions have a significant positive impact on Islamic banks’ customer satisfaction. Similarly, this study also found a significant positive relationship between customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty and WOM. Overall, this study modified a well-established service quality framework by successfully implementing the CREATOR model in Islamic banking.
Originality/value
This study will provide helpful policy guidelines for Islamic bank managers improve their service quality and strengthen their relationships with existing and new customers. The authors are also sure that their proposed model will add value to the ongoing service quality literature by indicating the role of operational effectiveness in increasing customer satisfaction and promoting positive WOM.
Details
Keywords
Zulqurnain Ali, Sadia Sabir and Aqsa Mehreen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the firm’s internal factors influence employee engagement (EE), which, in turn, enhances the performance of textile employees…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the firm’s internal factors influence employee engagement (EE), which, in turn, enhances the performance of textile employees. Furthermore, the present study pursues to address the indirect effect of EE on the relationship between the firm’s internal factors and employee performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were taken from 355 participants working in textile mills through a survey approach. Structural equation modeling was run to confirm the proposed model and structural relationships.
Findings
Results highlight that internal communication and reward and recognition are significantly related to EE, except for work‒life balance. Furthermore, EE has a significant effect on the performance of textile employees.
Practical implications
The present study helps the textile managers to improve employee performance while focusing on the firm’s internal factors of engagement. Proactive internal communication and reward system will help to bring a competitive edge and achieve the organizational goals. The findings also provide managers the information to reduce the organization interruptions in enhancing EE and performance.
Originality/value
This study covered the hidden gap in the previous literature on EE and performance, especially in the field of the textile sector by employing Kahn’s theory of engagement.
Details
Keywords
Farhan Aadil, Oh-young Song, Mahreen Mushtaq, Muazzam Maqsood, Sadia Ejaz Sheikh and Junaid Baber
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) technology envisions a network in which sensors continuously operate on and obtained critical physical and physiological readings. Sensors…
Abstract
Purpose
Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) technology envisions a network in which sensors continuously operate on and obtained critical physical and physiological readings. Sensors deployed in WBANs have restricted resources such as battery energy, computing power and bandwidth. We can utilize these resources efficiently. By devising a mechanism that is energy efficient with following characteristics, i.e. computational complexity is less, routing overhead is minimized, and throughput will be maximum. A lot of work has been done in this area but still WBAN faces some challenges like mobility, network lifetime, transmission range, heterogeneous environment, and limited resources. In the present years well, contemplative studies have been made through a large body to reach some holistic points pertaining to the energy consumption in WBAN. Thus we/put forward appropriate algorithm for energy efficiency which can vividly corroborate the advances in this specific domain. We have also focused on various aspects and phases of the studies like study computational complexity, routing overhead and throughput type of characteristics. There is still a room for improvement to get the desired energy optimization in WBAN. The network performance mainly relies upon the algorithm used for optimization process. In this work, we intended to develop an energy optimization algorithm for energy consumption in WBAN which is based on evolutionary algorithms for inter-BAN communications using cluster-based routing protocol.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper we propose a meta heuristics algorithm Goa to solve the optimization problem in WBAN. Grasshopper is an insect. Generally, this insect is viewed individually and creating large swarm in nature. Figure 5 shows the individual grasshoppers' primitive patterns in swarm. Figure 7 depicts the pseudo code of Goa. In Goa, experiments are done to view the behavior of grasshoppers in swarm. How they gradually move towards the stationary and mobile target. Through experimentation it is conceived that swarm gradually converge towards their target. Another interesting pattern related to convergence of grasshopper is that it slowly towards its target. This shows that grasshopper does not trapped in local optima. In starting iterations of exploration process Goa, search globally and in last iterations it searches local optima. Goa makes the exploration and exploitation process balanced while solving challenging optimization problems.
Findings
Energy efficiency is achieved in the optimization process of cluster formation process. As the use of proposed algorithm Goa creates the optimal number of clusters. Shorter cluster lifetime means more times clustering procedure is called. It increases the network computational cost and the communication overhead. Experimentation results show that proposed Goa algorithm performs well. We compare the results of Goa with existing optimization Algorithms ACO and MFO. Results are generated using MATLAB.
Originality/value
A lot of work has done for the sake of energy optimization in WBAN. Many algorithms are proposed in past for energy optimization of WBAN. All of them have some strengths and weaknesses. In this paper we propose a nature inspired algorithm Goa. We use the Goa algorithm for the sake of energy optimization in WBAN.
Details
Keywords
Faiza Syed, Malik Shah Zaman Latif, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sadia Bibi, Saif Ullah and Nauman Khalid
The purpose of this paper is to access the present situation of the Pakistani population that suffers from vitamin D deficiency.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to access the present situation of the Pakistani population that suffers from vitamin D deficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
A review-based study was conducted based on publications from Pakistan between the years 2008 and 2018. The publications were archived from Pub Med and Google Scholar databases. A total of 18 publications were shortlisted, based on the cutoff values of vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency and deficiency.
Findings
As per the data, 38.5 per cent of the participants were males, 48.7 per cent were females and 12.8 per cent of the studies have not mentioned the genders of the participants. The cumulative results show that 58.17 per cent (95 per cent CI: 52.17, 64.16) of the population is vitamin D-deficient and 26.65 per cent (95 per cent CI: 21.63, 31.66) is insufficient in vitamin D. The highest level of vitamin D deficiency was reported from Sindh (62.15 per cent), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (60.57 per cent), Punjab (51.75 per cent) and the Federal Capital (49.25 per cent). Moreover, Cochran’s Q test indicated considerable heterogeneity (p = >0.001) with regard to Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) prevalence found among samples from the selected studies.
Originality/value
The present analysis suggests that more than half of the Pakistani population suffers from VDD, which, thus, should be considered as an epidemic and treated likewise.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Rakibul Islam Bhuiyan, Most. Sadia Akter and Saiful Islam
After analyzing these uncountable benefits of digital or cashless payment, many European countries like Sweden, Finland and Canada has been trying to convert their payment system…
Abstract
Purpose
After analyzing these uncountable benefits of digital or cashless payment, many European countries like Sweden, Finland and Canada has been trying to convert their payment system into cashless. Following these developed countries, the Bangladesh Government has taken a decision to transfer society as a cashless society by using information technologies for adopting the fourth industrial revolution over the world. Digital payment system is among the various options available for transforming a cashless society. First, this empirical study presents demographic information and digital payment characteristics on the basis of income levels. This study identifies influential factors of adopting digital payment systems. Finally, this study aims to justify how digital payments transform the Bangladeshi economy into a cashless society in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was administered to a sample of 1,000 Bangladeshi customers who had engaged in online banking transactions for the purpose of acquiring items and services through both social media platforms in Google Form format and face-to-face interactions in hard copy format. Among these, 647 questions were deemed usable and were used for data analysis, where the response rate was 68%. The SmartPLS is used to create and validate the structural equation modeling model presented for the research, as well as to evaluate the hypothesized correlations between the different constructs.
Findings
This cross-sectional study conducted the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) with perceived security (PS) and personal innovation (PI) variables to identify the influencing adoption factors of digital payment systems. This study finds that perceived ease of use, PI and perceived usefulness have a favorable impact on individuals’ attitudes toward adopting digital payment methods (DPMs). The study also indicated that PS did not influence negatively the adoption of digital payment system. Besides this, the adoption of digital payment will help to transform society into a cashless society in the future.
Research limitations/implications
Increasingly prevalent across the nation. Several variables are required to facilitate the transition toward a cashless society. This study exclusively focuses on DPMs. Additionally, the data has been obtained exclusively from a single urban area. The adoption of DPMs has become increasingly prevalent across the nation.
Practical implications
This study would help policymakers, marketers and bankers understand which factors affect digital payment infrastructure expansion. So, they can produce digital payment apps that are compatible with different devices, have fast transactions, are user-friendly, easy to use and highly secure to maintain good attitudes toward digital payment systems.
Social implications
Few studies have examined how DPMs affect cashless societies in developing countries like Bangladesh. According to researchers, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore how digital payments affect cashless society in Bangladesh and raise awareness about it.
Originality/value
The study extended the TAM model to PS and PI. This paper is also unique in the conceptual arguments and the subject theme of the research area.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Aqeel and Tasnim Rehna
The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and association among school refusal behavior, self-esteem, parental school involvement and aggression in punctual and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and association among school refusal behavior, self-esteem, parental school involvement and aggression in punctual and truant school-going adolescents.
Design/methodology/approach
A purposive sampling technique and cross-sectional design were used in the current study. Participants comprised three heterogeneous sub-groups: school truant students, park truant students and punctual students.
Findings
This study’s findings indicated that father and mother’s school involvement was related to more elevated level of self-esteem for school truant students. Results also indicated that male truant students had more significant probability to school refusal behavior and physical aggression as compared to female truant students. Moreover, results revealed that physical aggression fully mediated among mother’s school involvement, academic self and school refusal behavior in punctual students and school truant students.
Originality/value
There is more need to develop indigenous school-based preventions and interventions aimed at decreasing school truancy in Pakistani context by tackling the predisposing vulnerable factors and supporting and encouraging the protective family and internal factors.