Mohsen Sajadnia, Sajjad Dehghani, Zahra Noraeepoor and Mohammad Hossein Sheikhi
The purpose of this study is to design and optimize copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to design and optimize copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells.
Design/methodology/approach
A novel bi-layer CIGS thin film solar cell based on SnS is designed. To improve the performance of the CIGS based thin film solar cell a tin sulfide (SnS) layer is added to the structure, as back surface field and second absorbing layer. Defect recombination centers have a significant effect on the performance of CIGS solar cells by changing recombination rate and charge density. Therefore, performance of the proposed structure is investigated in two stages successively, considering typical and maximum reported trap density for both CIGS and SnS. To achieve valid results, the authors use previously reported experimental parameters in the simulations.
Findings
First by considering the typical reported trap density for both SnS and CIGS, high efficiency of 36%, was obtained. Afterward maximum reported trap densities of 1 × 1019 and 5.6 × 1015 cm−3 were considered for SnS and CIGS, respectively. The efficiency of the optimized cell is 27.17% which is achieved in CIGS and SnS thicknesses of cell are 0.3 and 0.1 µm, respectively. Therefore, even in this case, the obtained efficiency is well greater than previous structures while the absorbing layer thickness is low.
Originality/value
Having results similar to practical CIGS solar cells, the impact of the defects of SnS and CIGS layers was investigated. It was found that affixing SnS between CIGS and Mo layers causes a significant improvement in the efficiency of CIGS thin-film solar cell.
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Muhammad Mustafa Raziq, Qazi Mohammed Ahmed, Mansoor Ahmad, Saquib Yusaf, Aymen Sajjad and Salman Waheed
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of advertising skepticism and need for cognition with consumers’ attitudes toward brand. There is currently limited…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of advertising skepticism and need for cognition with consumers’ attitudes toward brand. There is currently limited understanding on how advertising skepticism and need for cognition relate to the consumers’ attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a “within-brand-comparison” strategy, a mock print advertisement of a telecom brand is shown to 204 cellular services users in Pakistan. This is followed by a survey. Data are analyzed using a variance-based structural equation modeling.
Findings
The relationship of advertising skepticism with attitude toward brand is negative and partially mediated by the sequence of brand image, advertisement believability and attitudes toward advertisement. In contrast, the relationship between need for cognition and attitude toward brand is positive and fully mediated by the sequence of brand image, advertisement believability and attitudes toward advertisement.
Originality/value
The paper fills some theoretical as well as empirical gaps by showing how (in a within-brand comparative advertisement context) advertising skepticism and need for cognition relate to the consumers’ attitudes toward brand.
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Mohitul Ameen Ahmed Mustafi and Md Sajjad Hosain
The paper aims at identifying the role of online advertising on the purchase intention (PI) of smartphones of Bangladeshi customers. The independent variable (online advertising…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims at identifying the role of online advertising on the purchase intention (PI) of smartphones of Bangladeshi customers. The independent variable (online advertising) has been divided into five dimensional segregations: informativeness (INFO), irritation (IRR), entertainment (ENT), incentives (INC) and credibility (CRD). For increasing the value of investigation to further extent, the authors included two mediators termed as flow experience (FE) and advertising value (ADD).
Design/methodology/approach
The study has been conducted on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire received from a valid sample of 281 smartphone users selected on a random basis. SPSS (Version 24) has been used for descriptive statistical analysis, while structural equation modeling technique (utilizing AMOS 24) has been used to test the hypothetical relationships among the variables.
Findings
After a careful and bias-free statistical analysis, the results indicate that purchase intention is positively and significantly affected by all the independent components INFO, IRR, ENT, INC and CRD. Regarding the mediating effect, FE can partially mediate the relationships between IRR and PI and ENT and PI as both the direct and indirect effects are significant. On the other hand, ADD can partially mediate the relationships between IRR and PI and INC and PI, respectively, since both the direct and indirect effects are significant.
Research limitations/implications
This empirical study is expected to be beneficial for the academicians in finding some unique dimensional aspects regarding online advertising and purchase intentions.
Practical implications
The policymakers can formulate some unique online advertising policies with a view to identifying customer psychology and increase sales volume based on the findings.
Originality/value
Smartphone market in Bangladesh is growing steadily. This empirical paper has shed some lights on the unique role of online advertising on PI of smartphones of Bangladeshi customer base. Since the market scenario in Bangladesh is somewhat unique than those of Western and Eastern countries, the authors hope that the findings will add numerical theoretical and practical values for further investigation in South Asian markets.
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Anubha and Samik Shome
This study aims to examine the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on behavioural intentions of Indian urban millennials to use it when they book travel. The eWOM has been…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on behavioural intentions of Indian urban millennials to use it when they book travel. The eWOM has been measured on the basis of four dimensions, namely, perceived credibility, quality, quantity and completeness. eWOM attitude is studied as a mediator.
Design/methodology/approach
The study first applies a confirmatory factor analysis to gauge validity and reliability. Then structural equation modelling was applied to test the research hypotheses after collecting responses from 288 Indian millennials from six North Indian cities. Mediation has also been examined using the bootstrapping method. The quality of the data was assured by Harman’s single-factor test.
Findings
The study reveals that millennials’ eWOM attitude fully mediates its perceived quality and its usage intentions at the time of booking travel. However, this mediation effect is partial with respect to other components of eWOM, namely, perceived credibility, perceived quantity and perceived completeness.
Practical implications
India has the largest millennial population (440 million) in the world out of which 33% live in urban cities. Hence, it becomes imperative for travel marketers to understand the attitude of millennials’ towards eWOM, shared on social media. They should understand that millennials prefer eWOM in social media over traditional advertising for fulfilling their informational needs. Therefore, by apprehending the impact of recipients’ perception towards various components of eWOM on their behavioural intentions to use it, market practitioners can design superior marketing campaigns that will help them to gain maximum in the changing business landscape.
Originality/value
The study is unique in the sense that to date no study to the limited knowledge of the researchers has investigated the attitude of Indian millennials towards eWOM on social media as a mediator to comprehend their behavioural intentions to use travel reviews when they book travel.
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Fatima Shaukat, Muhammad Shafiq and Atif Hussain
As a little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing users’ intentions to adopt blockchain-based telemedicine (BBT), it is important to investigate BBT…
Abstract
Purpose
As a little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing users’ intentions to adopt blockchain-based telemedicine (BBT), it is important to investigate BBT acceptance as incorporation of blockchain technology can solve telemedicine-related issues. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing behavioral intentions (BI) to adopt BBT.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated model comprising the constructs taken from technology–organization–environment framework, technology acceptance model, unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and theory of planned behavior based on their relevance to the context and the objectives of the study has been used for this research. A quantitative approach has been used to test the hypotheses, for which the data was collected from 324 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling has been used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results of the study show that relative advantage, perceived usefulness, trust and perceived ease of use have a significant impact on BI to adopt BBT, whereas regulatory support, subjective norms and facilitating conditions do not have any significant impact on the same.
Research limitations/implications
As the concept of BCT in Pakistan is at its nascent stage and literature regarding this technology’s adoption is also limited, researchers and scholars can apply it to several other fields in Pakistan. For example, this study can be extended to explore the factors influencing blockchain adoption in areas such as education, logistics, transportation, finances and management. This research only considers the direct effects of constructs on BI to adopt BBT and does not consider any mediation and moderations constructs. Future researchers can also study the influence of mediation and moderation constructs on BI to adopt BCT.
Originality/value
Although studies on the acceptance of telemedicine exist, there is a gap concerning the acceptance of BBT, which the current study helps to bridge. From a practical standpoint, the current study makes a highly valuable contribution toward understanding acceptance factors for BBT projects, leading to help policymakers devise policies to promote telemedicine.
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The study's objectives are to conduct a comprehensive review of existing knowledge, thoroughly understand the present state of green finance, identify emerging research trends…
Abstract
Purpose
The study's objectives are to conduct a comprehensive review of existing knowledge, thoroughly understand the present state of green finance, identify emerging research trends, perform content analysis and offer valuable guidance for advancing this field.
Design/methodology/approach
Data has been collected by selecting highly indexed databases, Scopus and Web of Science. These databases are well-known repositories of academic papers, journals and other scholarly publications related to various fields of study. This research uses the PRISMA methodology for conducting a structured literature review and employs a bibliometric approach to summarize the findings of the previous studies. “R” studio and Biblioshiny are used to clean the data and visualize the results. The TCCM framework is utilized to propose potential avenues for future research in the domain of green finance.
Findings
The research uncovers the potential areas in the domain of green finance for future work, encompassing green bonds, the green economy, connectivity, forces, constraints and sustainable development. Furthermore, this process enhances the theoretical underpinnings of scholarly investigations within the discipline by succinctly synthesizing and evaluating preexisting literature. This contribution could facilitate more informed and focused research endeavors in green finance.
Practical implications
The research findings have practical implications for researchers, practitioners, regulators, legislators, issuers and investors involved in green finance. The results can take initiatives to improve practices related to issuing and pricing green financial products and enhance the understanding of interconnectedness within the field.
Originality/value
This ground-breaking research sheds light on various emerging areas by taking a new approach, including the most widely read articles, authors and journals and the broader conceptual and intellectual framework. That includes finding and expanding original research streams, summarizing the most seminal works, and suggesting new research pathways.
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This study aims to identify library service dimensions at the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand, examine the effect of perceived quality on overall satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify library service dimensions at the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand, examine the effect of perceived quality on overall satisfaction and determine the library service's improvement priorities.
Design/methodology/approach
The modified service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire was administered to SUT faculty and students. The perceived quality of service attributes was determined by comparing the perception of the actual service received with the expectation. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to classify the service dimensions, and proportional odds ordinal logistic regression was employed to examine the impact of perceived quality on overall satisfaction. The improvement priorities were determined using the importance–performance analysis (IPA).
Findings
EFA suggested four service dimensions of the SUT library services: collection and access, organizational service, service delivery by staff and library as a place. The perceived quality of all dimensions positively affected overall satisfaction. However, the “library as a place” had a nonsignificant effect on faculty satisfaction, while the “collection and access” had a nonsignificant effect on student satisfaction.
Originality/value
In the context of library services, few studies have examined the effect of perceived quality on satisfaction and investigated improvement priorities using IPA. This study addresses these research gaps and provides deeper insights into the faculty and student perspectives on the university library services.
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Adriana Madya Marampa, Althon K Pongtuluran and Eka Pariyanti
This study aims to explore the distinctive dynamics of knowledge sharing, empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, innovative work behavior, and the moderating impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the distinctive dynamics of knowledge sharing, empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, innovative work behavior, and the moderating impact of kinship employee engagement in the creative industries of SMEs in Tana Toraja, Indonesia.
Design/methodology/approach
Using structural equation modeling, this research analyzes quantitative data collected from 512 employees in creative industry SMEs.
Findings
Knowledge sharing is not found to be associated with psychological empowerment but is positively related to innovative work behavior. Empowering leadership is positively associated with both psychological empowerment and innovative work behavior. Psychological empowerment mediates the relationships between knowledge sharing and innovative work behavior, as well as between empowering leadership and innovative work behavior. Finally, kinship employee engagement moderates the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative work behavior.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional design restricts establishing causal relationships among variables, suggesting the need for longitudinal studies. Contextual factors specific to Tana Toraja, such as cultural nuances and economic conditions, may not have been fully explored, impacting the applicability of findings elsewhere. Future research could mitigate these limitations by using larger and more diverse samples, using mixed-methods approaches and conducting longitudinal studies to track changes over time.
Practical implications
The findings underscore the importance of nurturing empowering leadership and promoting a culture of knowledge sharing to cultivate innovative work behavior. Moreover, leveraging kinship relationships can optimize organizational effectiveness and employee engagement in culturally nuanced settings.
Social implications
Strengthening these organizational practices not only enhances SME performance in creative industries but also fosters community cohesion and contributes positively to societal well-being.
Originality/value
This research uniquely explores the interplay of knowledge sharing, empowering leadership, psychological empowerment and the role of kinship employee engagement in enhancing innovative work behavior within SMEs in culturally distinct contexts like Tana Toraja’s creative industries.