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This study aims to find out the current state of cloud-based library services in selected academic and special libraries of Bangladesh. The study also explored some pertinent problems faced by librarians in implementing this new technology in library services and activities.

The study used a mixed-method approach with a range of exploratory research questions. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the libraries. A set of structured questionnaires was designed to address the objectives of the study. For in-depth analysis, short interviews with the library professionals were also conducted.

Only four libraries made use of cloud computing services, and they maintained a partial cloud environment. Most responding librarians treated cloud computing as a dynamically scalable infrastructure for applications, data and file storage with charges imposed. Most of the respondents (90%) preferred cloud computing for “Software-as-a-Service”. Due to the high subscription rate (70%), unreliable online payment system (60%) and trading system (60%), librarians treated cloud computing as a burden in providing library services and activities. Respondent librarians were also interviewed for exploring their views on cloud computing in library services. For adopting cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh, “sufficient financial allocation” and “organizations’ positive decision over cloud computing” were mentioned as challenging tasks by the respondents. Finally, the study suggested some solutions to the problem and proposed a model for a cloud-based library system that can be replicated in libraries and information centres of other developing countries too.

This paper encapsulates the overall scenario of cloud-based library activities and services in Bangladesh. Based on the available secondary sources, no empirical study on librarians’ perceptions of cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh has been carried out before this study. Thus, this is perhaps the first attempt to quantitatively measure cloud-based services in Bangladeshi libraries.

The purpose of the study is to explore the factors associated with the extent of security/cybersecurity audit by the internal audit function (IAF) of the firm. Specifically, the authors focused on whether IAF/CAE (certified audit executive [CAE]) characteristics, board involvement related to governance, role of the audit committee (or equivalent) and the chief risk officer (CRO) and IAF tasked with enterprise risk management (ERM) are associated with the extent to which the firm engages in security/cybersecurity audit.

For analysis, the paper uses responses of 970 CAEs as compiled in the Common Body of Knowledge database (CBOK, 2015) developed by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation (IIARF).

The results of the study suggest that the extent of security/cybersecurity audit by IAF is significantly and positively associated with IAF competence related to governance, risk and control. Board support regarding governance is also significant and positive. However, the Audit Committee (AC) or equivalent and the CRO role are not significant across the regions studied. Comprehensive risk assessment done by IAF and IAF quality have a significant and positive effect on security/cybersecurity audit. Unexpectedly, CAEs with security certification and IAFs tasked with ERM do not have a significant effect on security/cybersecurity audit; however, other certifications such as CISA or CPA have a marginal or mixed effect on the extent of security/cybersecurity audit.

This study is the first to describe IAF involvement in security/cybersecurity audit. It provides insights into the specific IAF/CAE characteristics and corporate governance characteristics that can lead IAF to contribute significantly to security/cybersecurity audit. The findings add to the results of prior studies on the IAF involvement in different IT-related aspects such as IT audit and XBRL implementation and on the role of the board and the audit committee (or its equivalent) in ERM and the detection and correction of security breaches.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of Members of Parliament (MPs) in Bangladesh. It aimed at determining the information sources, preferred information format, frequency of seeking information and access to information and communication technology and online information services by the MPs. The study also intended to assess the role of parliament library for satisfying the information needs of the MPs.

A survey method was adopted for data collection; the respondents were interviewed by the researchers with the guidance of a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was read out for the respondents and filled up by the interviewers based on the answers they received. Fifty MPs were selected for the study using simple random sampling. The data were analysed with the help of weighted mean.

The study found that the MPs mainly seek information to make a parliamentary request/inquiry, to make a speech and to make a decision. The most important sources of information were minutes of sessions, mass media, personal letters and information networks; and they preferred printed formats rather than online documents. The result also showed that only a few MPs were aware of the information services provided by the parliament library and were satisfied with the services they received.

There has been no study carried out on the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of MPs in Bangladesh prior to this research. The study will help the policymakers to improve the library services for MPs in Bangladesh.

This is the second article focusing on rural library services in Bangladesh. The main aim of this paper is to empirically measure the performance and impact of rural library activities in northern districts of Bangladesh.

The study was carried out separately in ten rural communities with library facilities. Background data about library collections were collected. Point‐of‐exit interviews with library users were carried out to gather their opinion on library collections, performance and impact.

The point‐of‐exit interview highlights the users' demographic characteristics, their library use and information needs, and their opinion on library collections, performance and impact. The constraints faced by users in using these libraries are also identified. The results show that most users are generally satisfied with the performance and impact of these libraries.

This paper is the first attempt to measure empirically the performance and impact of rural library activities in Bangladesh. The authors expect more research on impact assessment of rural library activities in other developing countries.

This paper aims to describe the library services available to rural dwellers and a summary of focus groups discussions (FGD) conducted in northern districts of Bangladesh.

This paper is divided into two sections. The first section describes rural library services in Bangladesh. The second section discusses the results of FGDs carried out separately in ten rural communities in northern areas of Bangladesh.

The results of FGDs highlight the general information needs of rural communities, their reading, listening and viewing habits and awareness of rural library activities. The findings suggest that the rural libraries largely meet the informational needs of the local community and play a crucial role in the educational advancement of local people.

This is the first time an effort has been made to assess the impact of rural library activities using FGDs in Bangladesh. This paper shows that FGDs could be an effective way to assess the impact of rural library activities.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss multipurpose community information and knowledge centres (MCTs) and then describes and assesses the telecommunication facilities (and hence information access and provision) of such telecentres in Bangladesh including radio, television, telephone and internet facilities. The paper then highlights problems and prospects, in rural areas of Bangladesh, of information access through the telecentres.

The paper is based on a review of literature collected through the internet, personal visits and other secondary sources such as research reports and articles.

The paper highlights the existing MCT initiatives in rural Bangladesh and discusses their problems and prospects.

The paper is one of the very few studies which focuses on the prospects of MCTs for rural Bangladesh, particularly as regards information and knowledge access and provision, and proposes future directions for the development of MCTs in Bangladesh.

Researchers have shown increasing interest, in recent times, in organizational politics and how it affects employees and organizations. This paper aims to investigate how perceived organizational politics (POPS) impact employee behaviors such as task performance, organizational citizenship and turnover intention, by affecting work-family conflict.

A sample of 287 full-time frontline hotel employees in Bangladesh was collected. A hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test the hypotheses. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software.

The results show that work–family conflict plays a mediating role in the indirect effect of POPS on task performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and turnover intention. The findings of the study also suggest that POPS has a positive association with work–family conflict and turnover intention, and negative association with task performance and OCB.

This study cannot confirm causal inference, which can be the scope for future studies.

Managers may design the work environment in ways that ensure work and family interface and employee retention. Training programs can help employees deal with organizational politics and potential impact on work and nonwork problems. Managers should provide employees with the necessary support to sustain in-role and extra-role behavior in the political environment.

To the best of our knowledge, no prior studies have been carried out with this scope in the South Asian context.

The purpose of this paper is to facilitate the production of cotton spandex woven fabric with some user-friendly properties like wearer comfort, super stretch and elasticity. The findings could contribute to ease spandex production and to optimize its property of elasticity. Stretch or a super stretch property is generally desirable, as it can increase the comfort level of those who wear it. In this experiment, the difficulties which were identified while manufacturing cotton spandex woven fabric resolved after identification.

In this experiment, three types of cotton spandex woven fabrics, with different composition and constructions, were used to find out their elastic properties. Temperature ranging from 160°C to 200°C with the machine speed of 20 to 26 MPM (meter per minute) was applied with an adjusted industrial setting with the facilities of a stenter machine to optimize the properties of cotton spandex woven fabric.

The findings establish that the temperature treatment closely compacted the elastic portions with cotton fibers, giving stability to the spandex yarn, which as a result, influenced cotton spandex woven fabric’s elastic properties, namely, stretch, growth and recovery. The consequences of temperature on cotton spandex yarns were assessed using a microscope, and the results were subsequently analyzed.

Because of the poor facilities in testing laboratory, only few tests with microscopic evaluation were conducted to assess the elastic performances of cotton spandex woven fabric.

It is a practice-based research, and the findings could be beneficial to personnel in the textile industry, who are responsible for the manufacturing of cotton spandex woven fabric.

This research could enhance the wearer’s satisfaction, with some comfort elastic properties, which can have a positive influence over spandex clothing industries.

This research establishes that heat setting had a progressive influence on the production of cotton spandex woven fabric and for the optimization of its elastic performances. This research opens a possible way for scholars to further study in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the acoustic properties of needle-punched nonwovens produced of bamboo, banana and hemp fibers blended with polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) as they are supportive enough to minimize sound transmission inside the automobiles.

Textile materials like bamboo, banana and hemp blended with PET and PP in the ratio of 35:35:30 were applied to make the web. The needle-punching technique was applied to each web for three times to form a full nonwoven textile composite. The concept of PET/PP blend with natural fibers was to enhance the consistency and thermoform propensity of the composites. When nonwoven textile composites were placed in between a sound source and a receiver, they absorbed annoying sound by dissolving sound wave energy. Sound absorption coefficient was measured by the impedance tube method as per ASTM C384 Standard. Bamboo/PET/PP composite showed the highest absorption coefficient in most of the frequencies.

Physical and comfort properties were tested for the composites and it was noticed that bamboo/PET/PP composites with its compressed structure showed a better stiffness value, lesser thermal conductivity, lesser air permeability, better absorption coefficient and highest sound transmission loss compared to other two composites. At 840 Hz, the absorption coefficient of bamboo/PET/PP remained in satisfactory level but it was inferior by 20 percent in banana/PET/PP. Conversely at more frequencies like 1,680 Hz, there was a decrease from the target level in all the nonwovens composites, which could be enhanced by raising the thickness of the nonwovens, and all these properties of bamboo/PET/PP were considered appropriate for controlling noise inside the vehicles.

This research will provide facilities to decrease noise inside the vehicles. It will improve the apparent value of the automobiles to the traveler and also provide a sensible goodwill to the manufacturer.

This research will open several ways for the development of different nonwoven composites, particularly for the sound absorption and will open possible ways for the scholars to further study in this field.

Employee expediency is a ubiquitous, unethical phenomenon in the workplace that is largely underresearched. Based on the tenets of conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study investigates the influence of excessive performance pressure on employees' expedient behaviour via moral disengagement. It further examines the moderating role of employees' moral identity in the relationship between performance pressure and employee expediency.

The data were collected using a multi-wave paper-and-pencil survey amongst 388 sales associates working in pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Bangladesh. A series of hierarchical regression analyses and bootstrapping techniques of the PROCESS macro were conducted to test the hypotheses.

The findings reveal that performance pressure significantly and positively affects employees' expediency. Additionally, moral disengagement partially mediates the positive relationship between performance pressure and employee expediency. Furthermore, moral identity moderates the direct effect of performance pressure on moral disengagement and the indirect effect of performance pressure on employee expediency through moral disengagement.

Managers are advised to consider the compatibility of economic and moral principles when defining performance targets or evaluating staff performance, as immoral behaviours harm organisations in the long run. Additionally, managers should emphasise candidates with high levels of sensitive moral qualities, such as integrity and moral behaviour, and their abilities should be given preference when hiring new employees, e.g. moral reasoning.

This pioneering study investigates the underlying psychological mechanisms and moral characteristics to unravel the association between performance pressure and employee expediency using the lens of COR theory. The study identified the moral consequences of performance pressure and mitigating strategies to reduce employee expedient behaviour.