Hassan Iftikhar, Salman Asghar and Yan Luximon
Complex environments have a paucity of visual wayfinding information creating a strenuous situation for the new visitors. University campuses situated in the central urban areas…
Abstract
Purpose
Complex environments have a paucity of visual wayfinding information creating a strenuous situation for the new visitors. University campuses situated in the central urban areas with multi-storey structures and complex spatial layouts have poor environmental legibility. International students and visitors with diverse cultural backgrounds feel disoriented during wayfinding in these environments. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cultural and individual differences affecting wayfinding behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
An online wayfinding survey has been conducted through a questionnaire from 170 university students and visitors from Hong Kong and Pakistan. A five-point bipolar Likert scale has been used to evaluate wayfinding problems and ascribed behaviour.
Findings
The results enunciated a substantial influence of culture on the decision-making process and wayfinding behaviour. Critical differences have been documented based on the country of origin and native language. Individual-related differences (age, gender, spatial familiarity, education, etc.) were computed, where age and spatial familiarity being noted as key factors impacting the respondents’ opinion. Future exploration has been discussed for the pivotal elements regarding wayfinding information signage using computer simulations.
Research limitations/implications
The investigation can be further moved towards the other complex environments with fused facilities for a better understanding of wayfinding behaviour.
Practical implications
The findings can be instrumental for improved access to user facilities and can reinforce the user’s trust and dependence on the institutional facility management.
Originality/value
In the wayfinding study, no cross-cultural (individualists vs collectivists) study has been conducted in a university campus to investigate the wayfinding difficulty and ascribed behaviour, especially when the environment is unfamiliar.
Details
Keywords
Stephen Prah, Bright Owusu Asante, Godfred Holaena Dagbatsa, Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa, Seth Etuah and John N. Ng’ombe
This paper examines the nexus between input credit access, farm performance and food nutrition in Ghana.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the nexus between input credit access, farm performance and food nutrition in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a random sample of 239 smallholder rice farmers, we utilized the endogenous switching regression model to address the self-selection issue and estimate the impact of input credit access on farm performance and food nutrition and further analyze the heterogenous impacts.
Findings
The results show that socioeconomic (age, education, sex, off-farm activity and farm size), institutional (extension contact and farmer-based organizations) characteristics and location variable significantly influence the decision to access input credit. After adjusting for both observed and unobserved factors, our findings reveal that access to input credit significantly improves rice yield, net profit and food nutrition of smallholder rice farmers in Ghana. Furthermore, results reveal that the effects of input credit access on rice yield, net profit and food nutrition are heterogeneous and subject to farmers’ propensity to access input credit. Specifically, we find that those with a higher inclination to access input credit experience larger positive impacts, indicating a positive selection process.
Research limitations/implications
Access to agricultural input credit is essential for the adoption of modern and climate-smart technologies in agricultural production. However, the persistent lack of access to input credit hampers agricultural productivity and constrains investment in farm input resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our study calls for proper targeting of input credit interventions to incentivize the uptake of farm input credit such as improved seeds and fertilizers to improve overall crop production and achieve food security.
Originality/value
The study utilized rigorous econometric methods to analyze the impact of input credit access on smallholder rice farmers' farm performance and food nutrition in Ghana. The findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers and future research on agricultural development in Ghana.
Details
Keywords
Affaf Asghar Butt, Sayyid Salman Rizavi, Mian Sajid Nazir and Aamer Shahzad
This study aims to examine the effect of corporate derivatives use on firm value and how the corporate governance index modifies this relationship.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of corporate derivatives use on firm value and how the corporate governance index modifies this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample consists of 219 nonfinancial firms on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) from 2011 to 2019. The study used ordinary least square regression with year and industry dummies for estimations. Multiple estimation models such as fixed/random effect, Fama–MacBeth and two-stage least squares (2SLS) are used for robustness. Finally, the PROCESS macro tool is used to estimate the effect of moderating the role of corporate governance (CG) as robustness.
Findings
The findings show that derivatives use has an inverse influence on firm value. The firms did not use derivatives as a risk management tool but for speculation motives. However, the corporate governance index significantly weakens this relationship. However, strong governance forces the managers to use derivatives for hedging purposes. The firm-specific factors, including size, age, leverage, cash, financial distress cost, dividend and growth opportunities, also significantly influence firm value. The findings are robust to the other estimation models.
Research limitations/implications
The findings indicate that emerging economies like Pakistan are more prone to agency problems. The strong corporate governance structure helps firms turn the speculative motive of derivatives use into hedging purposes and mitigate the agency issues.
Practical implications
This empirical evidence suggests that good governance structures can help improve the impact of derivative usage on firm value.
Originality/value
To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study that examines the conditional role of corporate governance on the derivatives–value relationship from the viewpoint of agency problem/speculative motive.
Details
Keywords
Zahra Shamsizadeh, Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush, Zahra Dehghani Firouzabadi, Tahereh Jasemi Zad, Fereshteh Molavi, Ali Asghar Ebrahimi and Mohammad Kamranifar
The purpose of this study was to the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites and using it as an adsorbent for removal of diazinon from aqueous solutions. Structural characteristics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites and using it as an adsorbent for removal of diazinon from aqueous solutions. Structural characteristics of the synthesized magnetic nanocomposite were described by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of different parameters including pH (2-10), contact time (1-180 min), adsorbent dosage (100-2000 mg L−1) and initial diazinon concentration (0.5–20 mg L−1) on the removal processes were studied. Finally, isotherm and kinetic and of adsorption process of diazinon onto Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites were investigated.
Findings
The maximum removal efficiency of diazinon (96%) was found at 180 min with 1000 mg L−1 adsorbent dosage using 0.5 mg L−1 diazinon concentration at pH = 7. The experimental results revealed that data were best fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.971) and the adsorption capacity was 10.90 mg g−1. The adsorption isotherm was accordant to Langmuir isotherm.
Originality/value
In the present study, the magnetic nanocomposites were synthesized and used as an absorbent for the removal of diazinon. The developed method had advantages such as the good ability of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites to remove diazinon from aqueous solution and the magnetic separation of this absorbent that make it recoverable nanocomposite. The other advantages of these nanocomposites are rapidity, simplicity and relatively low cost.
Details
Keywords
This chapter examines how information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives affect customers’ everyday routines with an emphasis on how electronic word of mouth (eWOM…
Abstract
This chapter examines how information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives affect customers’ everyday routines with an emphasis on how electronic word of mouth (eWOM) affects their purchasing decisions and determines if eWOM might serve as a useful trust factor when making purchasing decisions. This chapter is based on both primary and secondary data and examines how eWOM affects customers’ buying decisions in this era of increasing social media platform usage. One hundred individuals from various regions of Karachi provided the primary data, collected through an online survey. Secondary data are also employed, such as details from business websites, scientific papers, and other related publications of businesses. In Karachi’s developing digital market, it was discovered that eWOM via social media used to have a substantial impact on consumers’ shopping habits. The effectiveness of social media content depends greatly on how appropriate it is for the intended audience. Social media marketing doesn’t quite simply aim to improve consumers’ impressions or directly advertise things. It also entails maintaining and fostering relationships between businesses and prospective customers. According to the research, consumers’ recommendations and ratings of goods and services made on social media, whether through eWOM or another channel, influenced their decisions to buy. Customers consider social media to be trustworthy when making decisions about what to buy. Customers are currently adopting social media as opposed to more conventional means to learn about new products. Most customers believe that eWOM from social media greatly affected their shopping choices, according to the results of the study.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Zaheer Asghar, Elena Barbera, Samma Faiz Rasool, Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen and Hana Mohelská
This research paper aims to explore the influence of social media–based knowledge-sharing intentions (SMKI) on prospective authentic leadership development (ALD) to deal with the…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to explore the influence of social media–based knowledge-sharing intentions (SMKI) on prospective authentic leadership development (ALD) to deal with the future crisis. In the existing literature, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no significant empirical evidence to test the relationship between SMKI and ALD. Thus, this study contributes to the growing literature regarding the role of SMKIs, ALD, social media–based knowledge-sharing behavior (SMKB) and facilitating conditions (FCs). However, in this study, the authors developed a conceptual framework based on technology adoption and leadership theory. It was used to identify preservice educational leaders’ SMKIs and their effect on ALD to deal with an educational crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, SMKIs are strengthening ALD, directly and indirectly, using SMKB and FCs.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the higher education students are considered preservice leaders who were enrolled in educational leadership and management programs. However, this study’s target population and sample are students enrolled in educational leadership and management programs. Therefore, higher education students are considered preservice educational leaders. Therefore, a multilevel questionnaire survey approach was adopted to collect data from preservice educational leaders (n = 451 at Time 1 and n = 398 at Time 2) enrolled in education departments in the selected universities in Pakistan. A total of 398 survey questionnaires were finalized with a return ratio of 89%. The partial least square structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 3.2.8 was used for the data analysis.
Findings
This research found that SMKIs are positively and significantly connected with ALD. This study also confirms that SMKB significantly and positively mediates the relationship between SMKIs and ALD. Therefore, this study concludes that preservice educational leaders were ready to adopt SMKB.
Practical implications
Social media–based knowledge sharing can be helpful to develop authentic leadership among preservice educational leaders during a crisis. Preservice educational leaders as authentic leaders can prove to be an asset in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Originality/value
This research integrated the technology adoption model and leadership theory to provide empirical evidence of SMKIs’ direct and indirect influence on ALD through social media–based knowledge-sharing actual use behavior by preservice educational leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the moderated mediating effect of the FCs was also studied in the relationship between SMKIs and actual user behavior as well as ALD.
Details
Keywords
Amna Salman, Anoop Sattineni, Salman Azhar and Kasia Leousis
The purpose of this study is to conduct a rigorous systematic literature review and present a summary of building systems and technologies that can be used to mitigate the spread…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to conduct a rigorous systematic literature review and present a summary of building systems and technologies that can be used to mitigate the spread of airborne viruses. With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, occupants’ health and indoor air quality (IAQ) have become a critical issue for facility managers to maintain the full functionality of the buildings. An improved understanding of these available systems will help facility managers and building owners to protect the health and safety of building occupants.
Design/methodology/approach
The PRISMA protocol was used for defining the literature search methodology. The concept mapping technique was used for determining the keywords. The keywords were then used to search for relevant articles using the Scopus database and Google Scholar. A thorough bibliometric analysis and qualitative analysis were conducted for the selected publications.
Findings
It was found that sensor technologies, botanical air-filtration systems and artificial intelligence could be used to effectively monitor and improve IAQ. In addition, natural ventilation is one of the low-cost and effective methods of reducing contaminants from the indoor air. Computational fluid dynamic modeling can be used to understand the flow of virus particles within the building through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Several changes to the HVAC system are also discussed.
Originality/value
This study contains a diversity of methods from the existing literature that were systematically selected to present the state-of-the-art building systems and technologies that can effectively improve IAQ. The researchers plan to follow up on the findings of this research and will conduct an empirical study to assess its impact on IAQ.
Details
Keywords
Aisha Rizwan, Shabana Naveed and Yaamina Salman
Based on the service eco-systems perspective, this paper evaluates the strategies and actions adopted by the Government of Pakistan to handle the COVID-19 crisis with the…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the service eco-systems perspective, this paper evaluates the strategies and actions adopted by the Government of Pakistan to handle the COVID-19 crisis with the involvement of multiple actors including public, private, third-sector organizations and civil society.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an in-depth analysis of secondary sources including research articles, policy documents, policy briefs, governmental reports, third party evaluations/reports and media publications.
Findings
A multi-stakeholder approach was evident during the pandemic with an effort to better manage the crisis which has exerted immense social, cultural, economic and political impacts on the lives of the citizens. Collaborative efforts among stakeholders (government, private and third sector) were witnessed, resulting in a coherent response. The successful management of COVID-19 in Pakistan is attributed to multiple factors including the formation of a specialized public organization which effectively and proactively took data-driven informed decisions and aggregated the efforts of the federal and provincial governments for a timely response.
Originality/value
This paper gives insights for policymakers to create a sustainable post-pandemic socio-economic environment by building resilient structures across the government while promoting cooperation and collaboration. It suggests strategies for policymakers responsible for providing sustainable societal solutions to combat the social, economic and administrative challenges under the pandemic. As Pakistan has managed and contained the pandemic in a relatively efficient way, it is hoped that this paper can provide a learning experience for other countries with similar national contexts.
Details
Keywords
Elham Lafzi Ghazi and Miguel Goede
The purpose of this paper is to contribute critically to understanding the structure of creative industries in Isfahan.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute critically to understanding the structure of creative industries in Isfahan.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors first gather needed information about the case study and then analyze the data according to three measures of gross value added, employment and the dynamics of business for each sector of creative industries.
Findings
Results indicate that creative industries are medium-sized domestic enterprises which are comparatively weak in productivity in some sectors.
Originality/value
This paper illustrates the model of creative industries assessment for Isfahan city and, finally, provides a good understanding of the concept of the creative industries as a key element of the creative city.
Details
Keywords
Islam Ali Elhadidy and Yongqiang Gao
Drawing on social information processing theory (SIP), this paper examines whether and how humble leadership affects employees' service improvisation (ESI) in the hospitality…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on social information processing theory (SIP), this paper examines whether and how humble leadership affects employees' service improvisation (ESI) in the hospitality industry. Further, the study investigates the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating role of creative self-efficacy (CSE).
Design/methodology/approach
To test the proposed relationships, the study adopts a cross-sectional design, administering questionnaires to 456 frontline staff in Egypt’s hospitality industry across three main sectors: restaurants, hotels and travel agencies. SPSS 27 and AMOS 22 were used for statistical analysis.
Findings
The study reveals a positive relationship between humble leadership and ESI, partially mediated by psychological safety. Furthermore, CSE not only strengthens the relationship between psychological safety and ESI but also enhances the indirect effect of humble leadership on ESI via psychological safety.
Practical implications
The study offers valuable insights for practitioners in the hospitality industry. To boost ESI, organizations can incorporate humble leadership attributes into their leadership development programs. Fostering a psychologically safe workplace would facilitate the positive impact of humble leadership on ESI. Recognizing CSE as a pivotal moderator underscores the importance of strategically selecting and developing employees with high CSE. These insights aim to cultivate a more service-oriented and effective workforce in the hospitality industry.
Originality/value
This study significantly contributes to leadership research in the hospitality industry by uncovering a previously unexplored link between humble leadership and ESI. Exploring psychological safety as a mediator and CSE as a moderator enhances our comprehension of how and when humble leadership influences ESI.