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1 – 9 of 9Muhammad Farrukh, Yazan Alzubi, Imran Ahmad Shahzad, Abdul Waheed and Nagina Kanwal
This study aims to inculcate personality traits in theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and analyze mediation of perceived behavior control (PBC) and attitude toward entrepreneurship.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to inculcate personality traits in theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and analyze mediation of perceived behavior control (PBC) and attitude toward entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected with the help of a structured questionnaire from students at four universities located in capital city of Pakistan. SmartPLS has been used to run structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
Findings of PLS analysis revealed that the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and personality traits was mediated by PBC and attitude toward entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
This study contributes toward the understanding of EI of students in Pakistan – a developing economy. More specifically, it sheds light on the vitality of personality traits in determining the antecedents of EI. Leaning on TPB and intention models, the study incorporated personality traits to unveil a unique and testable multidimensional model of EI, which supports the notion that external factors such as personality characteristics can indirectly affect EI. This research also supports the incorporation of personality traits in TPB and suggests that these socio cognitive theories should concede the indirect effect of personality on intention and behavior.
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Muhammad Imran Malik, Faisal Nawaz Mir, Saddam Hussain, Shabir Hyder, Asim Anwar, Zia Ullah Khan, Noman Nawab, Syed Farjad Ali Shah and Muhammad Waseem
This paper aims to examine the mediating role of environmental concern in the relationship of green purchase awareness and purchasing behavior of fast food consumers keeping in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the mediating role of environmental concern in the relationship of green purchase awareness and purchasing behavior of fast food consumers keeping in view the theory of planned behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative, cross-sectional design is used by collecting primary responses through a validated questionnaire. In all, 1,008 male and female buyers of fast food were sampled. Structural equation modeling is applied.
Findings
The results revealed that green purchase awareness has a positive relationship with green purchase behavior, and environmental concern has no mediation in the relationship. Upon having awareness, the respondents adopted green or pro-environmental behavior, but at the same time, they were found having least concern for the protection of environment.
Research limitations/implications
This is a cross-sectional study with questionnaire. Multiple sources of data collection results in weakening self-reporting bias.
Practical implications
Implications count toward individuals, enterprises and society at general.
Originality/value
The study highlights the issue of not having concern for the protection of the environment even after having green purchase awareness. This is the first time the environmental concern is examined as a mediator in the selected relationship. The contradictory results of having no environmental concern differentiate this study from others.
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Razia Fakir Mohammad, Preeta Hinduja and Sohni Siddiqui
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic's health and social issues have significantly altered the character and manner of teaching and learning in higher education across the country. The use of technology to replace or integrate face-to-face learning with online learning has become a necessary requirement for promoting and continuing learning processes. Furthermore, integrating technology is a goal of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to make teaching and learning more innovative and sophisticated. This paper is based on a systematic review grounded in a synthesis of research papers and documents analyzing the current status of teachers' pedagogy through online learning modes in the context of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Through content analyses of academic studies in higher education and reflection on the online teaching experiences, this study discusses how students' learning is associated with teachers' teaching approaches in the modern era of digitalization and innovation.
Findings
The review and analysis suggest that online teaching is not viewed as an innovative phenomenon; rather, teachers simply teach their traditionally designed face-to-face courses through the use of technology. The paper suggests that transforming teachers' pedagogical insight to make online learning sustainable is an urgent need for higher education.
Originality/value
The analysis provides a basis for consideration of teacher learning and quality education (SDG #4) to fulfill the nation’s agenda for sustainable development. The analysis helps educators and administrators in higher education institutions reflect on their policies and practices that have short- and long-term effects on students' learning outcomes.
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Reema Khaled AlRowais and Duaa Alsaeed
Automatically extracting stance information from natural language texts is a significant research problem with various applications, particularly after the recent explosion of…
Abstract
Purpose
Automatically extracting stance information from natural language texts is a significant research problem with various applications, particularly after the recent explosion of data on the internet via platforms like social media sites. Stance detection system helps determine whether the author agree, against or has a neutral opinion with the given target. Most of the research in stance detection focuses on the English language, while few research was conducted on the Arabic language.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper aimed to address stance detection on Arabic tweets by building and comparing different stance detection models using four transformers, namely: Araelectra, MARBERT, AraBERT and Qarib. Using different weights for these transformers, the authors performed extensive experiments fine-tuning the task of stance detection Arabic tweets with the four different transformers.
Findings
The results showed that the AraBERT model learned better than the other three models with a 70% F1 score followed by the Qarib model with a 68% F1 score.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study is the imbalanced dataset and the limited availability of annotated datasets of SD in Arabic.
Originality/value
Provide comprehensive overview of the current resources for stance detection in the literature, including datasets and machine learning methods used. Therefore, the authors examined the models to analyze and comprehend the obtained findings in order to make recommendations for the best performance models for the stance detection task.
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The purpose of this paper was to assess and determine the impact of the five core technologies of Industry 4.0 (3D Printing, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to assess and determine the impact of the five core technologies of Industry 4.0 (3D Printing, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics) on the organizational performance of the retail industry in the context of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Pakistan's retail industry was chosen as the target sector, and the target population was composed of senior-level employees, including managers from first-level positions to top-level positions, as well as subordinate employees working under the supervision of first-level managers, possessing the technological know-how of Industry 4.0. The data were collected through a matrix-based survey questionnaire that was based on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The process of data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics.
Findings
The findings obtained by this research work showed a significant relationship among the five core pillars of Industry 4.0 and the organizational performance of Pakistan's retail industry. Besides, the obtained findings provided preliminary evidence that Industry 4.0's disruptive technologies, particularly, 3D printing, big data analytics, cloud computing, IoT and robotics, could help Pakistan's retail industry solve various problems and challenges, such as meager revenues, increased expenses and unorganized systems.
Originality/value
The present study extended the theoretical body of knowledge through studying and examining Industry 4.0's five crucial factors that significantly contribute to the service sector, particularly, the retail industry, of the big emerging markets (BEM) economies, including Pakistan.
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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.
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Boshra Ahmed Halo, Rashid Al-Yahyai, Abdullah Al-Sadi and Asma Al-Sibani
Crops are increasingly affected by drought; hence, the current study explored the potential role of three desert endophytic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and…
Abstract
Purpose
Crops are increasingly affected by drought; hence, the current study explored the potential role of three desert endophytic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Talaromyces variabilis, in conferring drought tolerance in tomato plants.
Design/methodology/approach
Preserved endophytic fungi from a Rhazya stricta desert plant were adopted to obtain the required fungal treatment; tomatoes received fungal treatments directly in plastic trays and subsequently in pots. Drought was applied using 15% of PEG-6000 at two stages: flowering and fruiting. The following parameters were measured: pollen sterility, growth characteristics, morphological analysis and biochemical analysis, including proline, gibberellic acid (GA3) and chlorophyll measurements; thus, the data were analyzed statistically using SPSS software.
Findings
All applied endophytes significantly promoted pollen viability and tomato yield under stressed and nonstressed conditions. Interestingly, these endophytes significantly enhanced the number of trichomes under drought stress and promoted tomato fruit quality. The colonized tomato plants accumulated a high proline level under drought stress but lower than un-inoculated stressed plants. Also, a significant rise in growth characteristics was observed by A. fumigatus and A. terreus under normal conditions. Moreover, both raised GA3 levels under drought-stressed and nonstressed conditions. Also these two endophytes enhanced chlorophyll and carotenoid contents under drought stress. Fruit characteristics were enhanced by nonstressed T. variabilis and stressed A. fumigatus.
Originality/value
The present endophytic fungi provide impressive benefits to their host in normal and drought-stressed conditions. Consequently, they represent valuable sources as sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to mitigate drought stress.
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