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This paper aims to validates a framework using the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to study the effect of values, i.e. Functional Value (FV), Social Value (SV), Emotional Value (EV) and Monetary Value (MV), on the Patronage Intention (PI) of Social Network Users (SNU’s) with mediating role of Perceived Usefulness (PU).

A survey method was used to collect responses from 302 SNUs, and the variance-based structural equation method was used to understand the relationships among the constructs.

The results found a significant positive effect of FV and EV on Perceived Usefulness (PU) and MV and PU on Patronage intention (PI) of SNUs. Further, PU partially mediated the relationship of EV with PI.

This study used the UGT to understand the effect of values on the PI of SNUs. This research study contributes to the existing social networks/social media literature.

Vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of “reasonable adjustment”, in which practices are modified to ensure equitable access and participation by disadvantaged students. However, the growing marketization of VET has instead encouraged the use of more flexible approaches to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds. They have thus paralleled and confounded reasonable adjustment practices for inclusive development. This study sought to identify the moral dilemmas experienced by VET teachers arising from implementing reasonable adjustment practices.

This phenomenological research project used in-depth conversational interviews with 19 experienced VET teachers from a diversity of teaching fields to identify moral dilemmas experienced as arising from changes in their workplace contexts.

One of the identified dilemmas was responding flexibly to heightened student diversity, to which study participants largely responded by prioritising the economic imperative over social inclusion. Well-intended actions thus led to unintentionally damaging outcomes, raising important ethical questions about the relative value of economic and social development outcomes and the role of reasonable adjustment in their attainment. The study also highlights the lack of appropriate VET teacher training in managing ethical conflicts to minimise risks to themselves and their employing organizations.

As a case study of inclusive development policies in practice, this research may be seen as a cautionary tale for inclusive development policies in other countries with similarly strong VET economic and socially inclusive development policies for sustainability. The paper thus opens a dialogue for critical reflection on the current problems in a reasonable development approach in the field of comparative and international education. Those two parallel agendas have presented VET teachers and trainers with ethically challenging situations in which the economic and social development imperatives are experienced as being conflict with each other.

Shopping motivations are considered the primary stimuli for shoppers in the prepurchase stage of the customer journey. This study contributes to the understanding of how cultural factors affect shopping motivation. This study aims to understand the effect of cultural factors on shopping motivations in Eastern culture with Islam religion.

This study is based on the approach of phenomenology, and multiple methods were performed to interpret the phenomenon of shopping motivations. To this aim, 16 observations and 18 in-depth interviews were performed for data collection, and after that, data interpretation was done.

In this study, the motivations fall into product-related and hedonic motivations which are related to shopper psychology, while environmental motivations are culturally dependent. The influence of cultural factors on the individual concept of shopping motivations was identified in this study. Nine subthemes including product selection, product quality, functional, in-store service, convenience, store environment, value shopping, self-gratifications and role-playing were identified in the categories of product-related, environmental and hedonic motivations.

In non-Western countries, the store environment profoundly influences shoppers’ experience. This study clearly illustrates relationships between theory and practice in grocery shopping motivations in a non-Western context. Retailers who are active in eastern Islamic countries should pay attention to the fact that cultural and contextual factors play a significant impact on the shopping motivation and behavior of these shoppers.

In this study, shopping motivations are not fixed in different societies, and cultural and contextual factors play a significant impact in this regard. In other words, shopping motivations are fluid, and cultural factors play a significant role in their formation. This study makes two important contributions: First, cultural motivations are prominent among Muslim shoppers. Among these motivations, shopping environment motivations, including relationships with others and cleanliness, and staff behavior are very significant. These motivations are highly influenced by the culture of the context and we discover which motivations are not related to psychology alone and that the context has a significant influence on their formation. Second, hedonic motivations are also highlighted in the purchase of utilitarian products. In addition to direct effects, such as Islamic regulations on halal foods, Muslims’ religious tenets also have significant indirect effects on their behaviors and motivations.

In this study, we aim to investigate entrepreneurial intention (EI) among potential entrepreneurs who were students at Pakistan’s higher education institutes (HEIs) of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

We used a quantitative and correlational method in this study, and we based its theoretical framework on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the entrepreneurial event model (EEM). We based this study’s findings on 367 samples collected from Pakistan’s HEI TVET students who were potential entrepreneurs.

By employing path analysis, the findings reveal that TPB constructs, such as personal attitudes (PA), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), have a positive and significant effect on EI. The findings show, also, that EEM constructs, such as perceived desirability (PD), perceived feasibility (PF) and propensity to act (PT) are positive and significant predictors of EI. Moreover, self-efficacy (SE) and the quality of TVET (QTT) positively and significantly affect EI.

This study’s findings support the improvement of Pakistan’s HEIs in developing TVET to enhance individuals’ skills and, ultimately, to create employment and socioeconomic circumstances. They also assist Pakistan’s HEIs in developing EI among their TVET potential entrepreneurs to ensure that they are sufficiently equipped for the job markets.

This study’s findings empirically confirm that TPB, EEM, SE and the QTT provide an integrated path for Pakistan’s entrepreneurs.