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This study investigated the influence of students' conceptions of feedback (ScoF) dimensions on academic self-efficacy (SE) and self-regulation (SRG).

The study employed the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach on a sample data of 528 students from ten different universities of Karachi city.

Results indicate that active use of feedback (AUF) and enjoyment (ENJ) has a positive and significant impact on SE, while ignorance showed an adverse and significant effect on SE. Additionally, SE showed its positive and significant influence on self-regulation. However, meet expectation (MEXPT), peers’ help (PHP) and tutor comment (TC) showed a positive but insignificant impact on SE.

The study provides useful insights for academicians and policymakers to develop a comprehensive strategy for university students to improve their academic SE and self-regulation.

Green, lean and six sigma (GLSS) practices are widely used and well accepted techniques that have the capability to improve the economic, social and environmental performance of Pakistani small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, implementation of these practices in an integrated approach has not yet been witnessed in Pakistani SMEs due to a variety of challenges. To overcome the implementation challenges, this study has analyzed the impact of GLSS implementation over the sustainability in Pakistani SMEs.

This study consists of two phases. In phase 1, interviews were conducted to scrutinize the elements of GLSS implementation to simplify the model and in phase 2, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data from the SMEs. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyze the relationships among the latent variables and constructs.

Results showed that, leadership for GLSS, understanding GLSS techniques and technology upgradation are considered the most important elements for GLSS implementation in Pakistani SMEs. The environmental and social perspectives have been given more weightage compared to economical perspective. This inferred that there is a need to focus more on environmental and social perspectives in SMEs as compared to economic perspectives to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, the results of the hypothesis testing revealed that GLSS implementation has a significant positive impact over the sustainability in SMEs considering the Pakistani scenario (β = 0.529, STDEV = 0.078, t = 6.81, p = < 0.001).

This study is the first of its kind for Pakistani SMEs. The structural model developed in this study for Pakistani SMEs will help practitioners to understand the important elements of GLSS implementation and sustainability dimensions.

In the modern manufacturing environment, it is imperative to apply the manufacturing concepts of lean, agile, resilient and green, collectively known as LARG manufacturing, to achieve excellence in which lean manufacturing eliminates wastes; agile manufacturing makes processes fast, efficient and flexible; resilient paradigm deals with countering the uncertainty while green manufacturing improves environmental performance. The objective of this study is to develop an integration framework that synergizes LARG manufacturing with Industry 4.0.

Through a literature review, the authors have explored the possibility of collaboration between constituents of lean, agile, resilient and green manufacturing with the facets of Industry 4.0.

The authors have developed a comprehensive integration framework that has been divided into 11 phases and 31 steps in which the various Industry 4.0 facets have supplemented the lean, agile, resilient and green paradigms.

This investigation and adoption of technologically intensive automation shall provide clarity to practitioners regarding the synergy of LARG manufacturing & Industry 4.0, so that fast and efficient manufacturing processes can be achieved.

The framework provides detailed insight towards implementation of LARG practices in a manufacturing organization in coalescence with Industry 4.0 practices.

Corporate boards monitor managerial decisions as concluded by the monitoring hypothesis. In this scenario, the present study stresses that leverage decisions can be used as a tool to control insolvency risk.

This study aims at investigating the intervention of capital structure and debt maturity on the relationship between corporate board composition and insolvency risk by employing Preacher and Hayes’s (2008) approach. The study sample comprises 284 firms from 2013 to 2017. Structural equation modeling is used to study the direct and indirect relationships among study variables.

Results show that debt maturity is a significant mediator between CEO duality and insolvency risk and between board size and insolvency risk relationships. However, the capital structure did not mediate any of the proposed links.

This study suggests using more long-term debt to tackle insolvency risk in listed non-financial firms of Pakistan. It is also inferred that decisions regarding debt maturity are more crucial than capital structure decisions because insolvency risk is concerned.

This study evaluates the comparative mediating role of the debt maturity and the capital structure. Such role is uncommon in the literature addressing the relationship between governance variables and insolvency risk.

This study aims to explore the synergetic effects of total quality management and supply chain management (TQM–SCM) initiatives and their effects on organizational performance (OP). This research has been conducted in Pakistan’s logistics sector. The research reveals the synergistic effect of TQM and SCM initiatives and their effects on OP.

The constructs of the TQM and SCM were chosen after reviewing the literature that was critical for the logistics sector. The synergetic effect of TQM–SCM on OP has been evaluated. The mediating, direct and indirect effects were also evaluated in different models independently. Structural equation modelling was applied to drive the results via using AMOS.

It was observed during the analysis that both the TQM and SCM have a significant effect on OP. Both TQM initiatives have directly correlated to the improvement in SCM, and both have a positive effect on an organization. This research study has aided logistics firms that are focusing on TQM and SCM planning and implementation. The results can give management a better and more in-depth knowledge of the TQM initiatives and OP.

The data was collected through email and personal visits from different organizations. The data was collected through an adopted questionnaire. It is found in the study that many people at the managerial level have limited knowledge regarding SCM and TQM. The results may vary if the knowledge of the employees is improved.

The current study presents an upscale addition by examining the function of SCM and TQM linkage in OP as well as their relationship. The evaluated model serves as a guideline for firms looking to expand and achieve maximal OP.

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The evaluated model is developed in this study that serves as a guideline for firms looking to expand a new method to reach maximum OP.

The purpose of this paper is to explore broader and dynamic features of talent, talent management, its policies and its impact on academic working environment.

This research was based on qualitative research in the form of unstructured interviews containing open-ended questions. Data were collected from the university management, deans, heads of departments (HoDs), assistant professors, associate professors and lecturers. The research was conducted in the form of interviews and the participants were asked to define talent, talent management (TM) policies, its usefulness and its impact on the working environment within the university. This study was conducted into two parts. In the first part, all deans, HoDs and human resource management (HRM) (stakeholders) were interviewed, and in the second part, all professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers (talents) were interviewed.

The present study investigated that talent and TM are very important in any academic organization. The impact of HRM on TM is very important, as it defines how an academic organization works to retain its talent and improve working conditions within the organization. In addition, this paper details the barriers that the human resource department faces with regard to TM and vice versa. Further, the authors attempted to ascertain the academic staff’s perspectives, their needs and the difficulties they face within the university.

This research paper shows the difficulties faced by the government institutions in China and Pakistan and how they cope with the current situation of TM within the available resources, polices and the impact of these on the working environment.

This paper aims to construct a conceptual framework which explains the relationship between governance of zakat institutions and zakat payment compliance by using the organisational legitimacy theory.

This paper adopts content analysis and a review of multidisciplinary literature that primarily relate to zakat institutions, public governance and compliance behaviour.

The paper has developed a model, adapted from Abioye et al. (2013), concerning the influence of governance mechanisms on zakat payers’ compliance using trust as a moderator. The model comprises four governance mechanisms which influence zakat payment compliance. The four mechanisms include the board and leadership attributes, transparency and disclosure practices, stakeholder management practices and procedural justice. Trust has a moderating effect on the relationship between governance and zakat compliance.

This model is applicable to regulated zakat systems, where the state has established zakat institutions and regulations for the collection and distribution of zakat, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan and Malaysia.

This paper proposes a model, based on Abioye et al. (2013), to explain the influence of governance on zakat payment compliance. The novelty of the study is the addition of one new critical variable, procedural justice, to the Abioye et al.’s (2013) framework. Secondly, the model is proposed for regulated zakat jurisdictions.

Muslims in Nigeria, like in many Muslim-majority countries, are striving to have a functional Zakat system in search of solutions to the perennial problem of poverty and its damning consequences. Nevertheless, there are still unsettled concerns arising from the current and widespread implementation of dissimilar (diverse) approaches to the Zakat system in various parts of the country. The purpose of this paper is to review comprehensively what are the hindrances of a vibrant Zakat system and how far the identified impediments may affect the system in the Nigerian context.

The methodology adopted is the review of extant relevant literature in the field of scholarly publications.

The findings of this study revealed that the fragmented implementation of the Zakat system within the context of the Nigerian democratic system of government lead to the weak governance with respect to law, administration and management; lack of a generally accepted fatwa from the Muslims scholars (Ulamas); absence of Zakat accounting standard; and low compliance behavior are the major barriers that require the attention of government and other stakeholders such as the traditional leaders, the accounting regulatory bodies, the Ulamas, as well as the economic and accounting researchers.

It was recommended that the stakeholders should make concerted efforts toward ensuring success of the Zakat system for attaining salvation in the hereafter and for social security, as well as economic prosperity.

The paper is the first paper that comprehensively reviews previous literature in the Zakat environment on factors that become barriers to implement a comprehensive Zakat system in Nigeria.

This paper aims to fill the noticeably fragmented zakat literature repertoire by empirically exploring stakeholders’ views toward zakat management performance issues based on a selected zakat institution (ZI) operating on a corporatized platform with corporate administrative style.

A quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey distributed to Muslims in the State which ZI is operating was adopted. A total of 448 usable responses are used in the analysis covering descriptive and mean difference.

The results indicate that managerial reform configuration in terms of corporatization has been viewed positively by stakeholders, translated into a comforting agreement score toward ZI’s improved management performance (collection, disbursement and reporting). Such perceptions are, however, observably sensitive to demographic factors of gender and employment type. The survey also document evidence that the corporatization exercise itself had improved respondents’ confidence toward ZI being the zakat administrator in the State.

The research contributes to the public policy debate with respect to corporatized ZI’s management performance from the stakeholders’ perspective. The results are arguably informative at various levels, forming a basis for reality check and policy inputs for various stakeholders, including (but not limited to) the ZI itself, zakat payers and asnafs, particularly in designing relevant and necessary administrative strategies and relevant policy formulation in addressing the performance and accountability issues in ZIs.

Zakat is an important Islamic economic instrument that plays significant role in Sustainable Development Goals. Accordingly, Zakat Institutions must manage zakat in a proper and efficient manner. This study aims to examine the efficiency of Zakat Institutions based on their clusters which are government, business and social organizations.

This study uses three quantitative methods: data envelopment analysis (DEA), free disposal hull and super-efficiency DEA. The analytical method is based on production approach, variable return to scale assumption and output orientation. The sample consists of 14 Zakat Institutions from three clusters: Zakat Institutions managed by government, Zakat Institutions managed by corporation and Zakat Institution managed by social organizations.

The results revealed that all of three techniques culminate the same ranking order of efficiency. Zakat Institution managed by the government is the most efficient Zakat Institution, with the average value of 0.87 by using three approaches combined. Meanwhile, Zakat Institutions owned by company and social institutions cluster are in second and third position, with the average value of 0.65 and 0.4, respectively, based on the results of the three approaches. This study contends that the level of efficiency of Zakat Institutions may be supported by clusters (affiliations) in their management.

This study’s limitation is the inadequacy of the required data. Nonetheless, this study provides insights to improve the efficiency of Zakat Institutions based on their clusters. Zakat Institutions in each cluster can improve their efficiency by optimizing inputs to produce multiple outputs.

This study enhances research on the efficiency of Zakat Institutions using three methods to assess the consistency and strength of Zakat Institutions’ efficiency values. In addition, this study examines the efficiency level of Zakat Institutions based on their clusters.