Alejandra Marin, Jason Cordier and Tahir Hameed
The purpose of this paper is to look at the actions autonomous knowledge workers perform to implement formalized knowledge strategies as part of an accreditation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at the actions autonomous knowledge workers perform to implement formalized knowledge strategies as part of an accreditation.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a strategy-as-practice framework, this paper follows a qualitative approach to study the implementation of a standard in a business school. The data collection was carried out over a 14-month period, with access to interviews, observations, meetings minutes and other institutional information.
Findings
Even though faculty members received similar information, the standard was implemented in different and conflicting ways. Three themes explain these differences: different approaches to ambiguous knowledge management practices, enablers and inhibitors of knowledge sharing and different conceptions of continuous improvement.
Research limitations/implications
As this was a single case, findings are not broadly generalizable. The research is based on rich data over a prolonged period, albeit in a very specific setting where unique actor and structural characteristics are not generally representative of the wider business and organizational environment. The nature of the university setting is quite unique. Although possible links to other fields which share some specific similarities with universities are provided, the contextual limitations are acknowledged. Accordingly, the work is presented as a basis for future enquiry when investigating implementation, especially activity-based research within knowledge-intensive organizations.
Practical implications
This paper provides a deep analysis of the actions knowledge workers perform when implementing standards promoted by organizational directives. It exposes tensions and conflicts among knowledge workers when implementing a standard. Our model is the basis for insights on how managers can balance the tensions of creative change and stable structure.
Originality/value
This paper describes how ambiguity and human interactions can reveal a deeper understanding of the different stages of standards implementation. It provides a model that uses the level of ambiguity and structure to explain how knowledge workers interacted in groups and as a whole can implement Assurance of Learning.
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Zaryab Sheikh, Liu Yezheng, Tahir Islam, Zahid Hameed and Ikram Ullah Khan
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of social commerce constructs (SCCs), social support and relationship quality on social commerce intentions, which lead…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of social commerce constructs (SCCs), social support and relationship quality on social commerce intentions, which lead to use behaviour of social networking sites for social commerce.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 343 users of social networking sites in Pakistan. The data analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM.
Findings
The results show that SCCs have empowered consumers through the existence of virtual groups, ratings and reviews and recommendations and referrals, thereby having a significant impact on social commerce intentions. The relationship quality with social networking sites, measured through commitment, satisfaction and trust, also proved to be a leading forecaster of social commerce intentions. The impact of social support could not positively influence the relationship quality with the social networking site. However, social support influences the social commerce intentions significantly.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should enrich model with some moderating variables and data may be collected from actual online shoppers only.
Practical implications
This study provides valuable insights to retailers to formulate their social commerce strategies as per decision factors results to have maximum engagement of consumers in social commerce.
Originality/value
The study proposes the unique model for finding the social commerce intentions and use behaviour using social support theory, relationship marketing theory and information systems literature.
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Tahir Islam, Zaryab Sheikh, Zahid Hameed, Ikram Ullah Khan and Rauf I. Azam
The purpose of this paper is to provide the overview of factors responsible for materialism and compulsive buying among adolescents and young adults. In today’s world, materialism…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide the overview of factors responsible for materialism and compulsive buying among adolescents and young adults. In today’s world, materialism is a crucial phenomenon of the modern age. According to social comparison theory, comparisons are a significant factor affecting the behavioral intentions of adolescents and young adults. Thus, this study develops a framework based on the stimulus–organism–response model and uses the framework to examine the impact of interpersonal communication and marketing factors on social comparison, materialism and compulsive buying, with social media acting as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey method, data were collected in Study 1 from adolescents (n = 298) and in Study 2 from young adults (n = 345). Structural equation modeling analysis using partial least squares technique was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results show that social comparison plays a significant role in developing materialistic values and compulsive buying among adolescents and young adults. Through these two studies, it was found that young adults are more socially comparative, materialistic and compulsive in buying as compared to adolescents. Moreover, social media use moderated the relationship between social comparison with peers and media celebrities, which means that rapid increase of social media use leads adolescents and young adults to create high social comparison and materialistic values.
Research limitations/implications
This research is based on the cross-sectional method, which limits the research findings.
Practical implications
This research helps corporate managers understand the interpersonal communication role in creating social comparison among individuals. The study found that peer communication plays a more important role in enhancing the social comparative values among young adults than among adolescents, which provides clear implications for the practitioner.
Originality/value
This study makes a significant contribution to extant literature by discussing the above issue and presenting quantitative data. The study extends the literature by examining and validating a theoretical model of how interpersonal communication among socializing agents affects social comparison among young adults and adolescents. This research examines outcomes of the social comparison with parents, peers and social media, based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model.
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Tahir Islam, Saman Attiq, Zahid Hameed, Munnawar Naz Khokhar and Zaryab Sheikh
The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of symbolic and functional incongruity on brand hate. According to self-congruity theory, symbolic and functional congruence are a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of symbolic and functional incongruity on brand hate. According to self-congruity theory, symbolic and functional congruence are a critical phenomenon in consumer buying decisions. Therefore, the present study develops a theoretical framework based on self-congruity theory to examine the key determinants of brand hate.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected only in fast-food chain franchises in the capital city territory of Pakistan. Therefore, it is hard to generalize the findings of this research for customers from different cultural backgrounds.
Findings
The results of the study reveal that symbolic and functional incongruence are the primary factors responsible for brand hate among Pakistani fast-food customers. Customers carefully consider both self-image and product attributes when purchasing products.
Research limitations/implications
The research uses the cross-sectional method, which limits the findings’ usefulness in other sectors.
Practical implications
The current research helps policymakers understand the key determinants of brand hate, showing that symbolic incongruence is the primary antecedent. Therefore, policymakers and corporate leaders should consider that Pakistan is an Islamic country where consumer choices of food are not only derived from food quality, food hygiene and service quality, but also the symbolic image (i.e. halal food) is a vital determinant of consumption.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by discussing the above issue and presenting quantitative data. This research extends the literature by testing and validating a conceptual model that includes two types of congruence (symbolic and functional) to study brand hate. The proposed conceptual model provides a novel, theoretical, self-congruity point of view on brand hate.
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Zahid Hameed, Ikram Ullah Khan, Tahir Islam, Zaryab Sheikh and Rana Muhammad Naeem
Recent research has demonstrated an increasing awareness among business communities about the importance of environmental concerns. Green human resource management (GHRM) has…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent research has demonstrated an increasing awareness among business communities about the importance of environmental concerns. Green human resource management (GHRM) has become a crucial business strategy for organizations because the human resource department can play a key role in going “green.” This study tests an integrative model incorporating the indirect effects of GHRM practices on employee organizational citizenship behavior toward environment (OCBE), through green employee empowerment. Moreover, this study investigates the moderating effect of individual green values on OCBE.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a paper–pencil survey, we collected multisource data from 365 employees and their immediate supervisors from Pakistan.
Findings
The results of structural regression revealed that GHRM has a significant indirect effect on OCBE through green employee empowerment. The results also indicated that individual green values moderated the positive relationship between green employee empowerment and OCBE.
Practical implications
Organizations should appropriately appraise workers’ green behavior and align their behavior to pay and promotion. Organizations should also encourage and motivate employees to be engaged in green activities and contribute to environmental management.
Originality/value
This study suggests that green employee empowerment and individual green values are important factors that influence the relationship between GHRM and employees' OCBE, and it empirically analyzes these proposed relationships in a developing country context.
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Zahid Hameed, Ikram Ullah Khan, Tahir Islam, Zaryab Sheikh and Safeer Ullah Khan
The purpose of this paper is to extend the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature by examining the influence of a firm’s external CSR activities (efforts directed toward…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature by examining the influence of a firm’s external CSR activities (efforts directed toward external stakeholders of the firm) and internal CSR activities (efforts directed toward employees) on employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors toward the environment (OCBE) via organizational pride. The authors also examine the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) between CSR and organizational pride.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 324 questionnaires were collected from the hospitality industry of Pakistan.
Findings
The results of this research revealed that dimensions of CSR (external and internal) have a positive influence on organizational pride. Also, organizational pride is found as an underlying mediating mechanism between the relationship of CSR and OCBE. The results also indicated that a higher level of POS strengthens the relationship between CSR and organizational pride.
Practical implications
The findings are limited to only hospitality industry. Organizations can enhance employees’ sense of pride through CSR activities, which subsequently enhance employees OCBE. The findings also suggested that organizational pride contains intrinsic motivation that can help employees to enhance their OCBE.
Originality/value
This research suggests that organizational pride and POS are important factors which influence the relationship between CSR and OCBE. Further, it also empirically tests this model in a developing country context.
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Zahid Hameed, Ikram Ullah Khan, Zaryab Sheikh, Tahir Islam, Muhammad Imran Rasheed and Rana Muhammad Naeem
Knowledge sharing (KS) has been consistently acknowledged as a critical factor in the organizational development and the betterment of employees. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge sharing (KS) has been consistently acknowledged as a critical factor in the organizational development and the betterment of employees. The purpose of this paper is to extend previous empirical research on KS by testing psychological ownership as an underlying mechanism between the relationship of organizational justice (OJ) and KS behavior in developing country context. The authors also examine the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) between psychological ownership and KS behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey questionnaire, data from 348 employees of multinational corporations in Pakistan were used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results of this research reveal that dimensions of OJ (procedural, distributive and interactional justice) positively influence psychological ownership. In addition, psychological ownership is found as an underlying psychological mechanism between the relationship of OJ and KS behavior. The results also indicate that a higher level of POS strengthens the relationship between psychological ownership and KS behavior.
Practical implications
Organizations can enhance employees’ sense of psychological ownership by providing them fairness in procedures and resources. Moreover, management can create a perception of equality among the employees which subsequently helps employees engage in sharing their valuable knowledge with their team members and other workers in the organization.
Originality/value
This research suggests that psychological ownership and POS are important factors which influence the relationship between OJ and KS behavior and it empirically tests this model in a developing country context.
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Saad Hassan, Fatima Tahir, Zeeshan Ahmed, Saqlain Raza and Muhammad Kashif Nawaz
The study advances research on the high-performance work system (HPWS) and innovation performance (IP) linkage by empirically analyzing the serial mediation of human resource…
Abstract
Purpose
The study advances research on the high-performance work system (HPWS) and innovation performance (IP) linkage by empirically analyzing the serial mediation of human resource flexibility (HRF) and knowledge absorptive capacity (KAC). Previous research on the HPWS–IP linkage underscores the presence of a “black box.” Therefore, the present study aims to unravel the underexplored HPWS–IP relationship through HRF and KAC mediation in the context of the hotel industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey-based time-lagged data were collected from 303 mid-level managers in the hotel industry. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart-PLS 4 was used to test hypothesized relationships.
Findings
The results reveal that HPWS has a significant positive direct relationship with innovation performance, human resource flexibility and knowledge absorptive capacity. Further, both human resource flexibility and knowledge absorptive capacity also serially mediate the HPWS–IP linkage.
Practical implications
The results of the study provide useful insights into the hotel industry in Pakistan by offering empirical evidence that building HPWS in the hotel sector can lead to increased human resource flexibility and enhanced knowledge absorptive capacity, ultimately contributing to improved innovation performance.
Originality/value
Notably, human resource flexibility and knowledge absorptive capacity together as dynamic capabilities represent a novel contribution rarely discussed in the literature, particularly their role as serial mediators between HPWS–IP relationships within the hotel industry.
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Abdul Ghaffar, Syed Shahid Zaheer Zaidi and Tahir Islam
Unsustainable spending patterns of consumers directly contribute to 30–40% of environmental degradation, mainly in waste. Packaging is a vital part of responding to the main…
Abstract
Purpose
Unsustainable spending patterns of consumers directly contribute to 30–40% of environmental degradation, mainly in waste. Packaging is a vital part of responding to the main challenges of sustainable food consumption on the global stage. This study aims to investigate how environmental concern and trust in sustainable producers impact the sustainable consumption behaviors of consumers via the mediation of consumer xenocentrism and the moderation of eco-label and country of origin (COO) of buying sustainable packaged foreign food brands.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a quantitative method. The authors used Smart PLS 3.0 structural equation modeling (SEM) technique for data analysis. Data from the participants were collected through the convenience sampling technique. A total of 343 valid responses were received.
Findings
The results indicate that xenocentrism is an emerging behavior among Pakistani consumers. The authors found that a high degree of environmental concern and trust in sustainable producers are the antecedents of consumer xenocentrism, which leads to sustainable consumption behavior.
Research limitations/implications
This research highlights the importance of customers’ xenocentric attitudes that lead to sustainable consumption behavior. The research findings provide vital information for researchers, policymakers, academics, practitioners, industry professionals, brand managers and top management, especially in designing the environmental sustainability framework. Although the findings support theory of planned behavior (TPB), future studies can contrast different theories’ contributions to sustainable consumption behavior improvement. Also future researchers may analyze the impact of culture on the association between sustainable consumption and consumer attitudes toward environmental concerns and trust in sustainable producers.
Originality/value
This research contributes to practice and theory, as consumer xenocentrism is a relatively unexplored area of research in developing countries. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine consumers’ xenocentric attitudes to sustainable consumption empirically.
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Kanza Abid, Zafar Iqbal Shams, Muhammad Suleman Tahir and Arif Zubair
The presence of heavy metals in milk causes many acute and chronic physiological dysfunctions in human organs. The present study aims to investigate the heavy metals in cow's and…
Abstract
Purpose
The presence of heavy metals in milk causes many acute and chronic physiological dysfunctions in human organs. The present study aims to investigate the heavy metals in cow's and buffalo's milk of two major cities, Karachi and Gujranwala, Pakistan to estimate metal intake by humans from this source.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 48 milk samples from 2 cities were drawn from animals' udder to avoid contamination. Each sample was digested with nitric acid at 105 oC (degree Celsius) on a pre-heated electric hot plate to investigate the metals by atomic absorption spectroscopy (flame type). Air-acetylene technique analyzed chromium, cadmium and lead, and the hydride method analyzed arsenic in the milk samples.
Findings
The results revealed the highest mean lead concentration (19.65 ± 43.86 ppb) in the milk samples, followed by chromium (2.10 ± 2.33 ppb) and arsenic (0.48 ± 0.73 ppb). Cadmium was not detected in any sample, assuming cadmium's occurrence was below the detection level. The concentrations of all the metals in the samples of the two cities do not differ statistically. Lead concentrations in the buffalo's milk were higher than in cow's milk (p < 0.05). However, the concentrations of arsenic and chromium between buffalo's and cow's milk do not differ statistically. The present study reveals a lower level of metals in the milk than those conducted elsewhere. The mean concentrations of all the metals met the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety guidelines (1993).
Research limitations/implications
Although cadmium causes toxicity in the human body, cadmium could not be measured because cadmium's concentration was below the detection level, which is 1 ppb.
Practical implications
This study will help reduce the toxic metals in our environment, and the sources of heavy metals, particularly from the industrial sector could be identified. The feed and water consumed by the milking animals could be carefully used for feeding them.
Social implications
This study will help reduce the diseases and malfunction of human organs and organ systems since these heavy metals cause toxicity and carcinogenicity in humans. Arsenic and chromium cause cancer while lead causes encephalopathy (a brain disease).
Originality/value
The study reports heavy metal concentrations in the two attributes of four independent variables of raw milk samples that were scarcely reported from Pakistan.