Search results
21 – 30 of 239Waqar Ahmed Khan, S.H. Chung, Muhammad Usman Awan and Xin Wen
The purpose of this paper is three-fold: to review the categories explaining mainly optimization algorithms (techniques) in that needed to improve the generalization performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is three-fold: to review the categories explaining mainly optimization algorithms (techniques) in that needed to improve the generalization performance and learning speed of the Feedforward Neural Network (FNN); to discover the change in research trends by analyzing all six categories (i.e. gradient learning algorithms for network training, gradient free learning algorithms, optimization algorithms for learning rate, bias and variance (underfitting and overfitting) minimization algorithms, constructive topology neural networks, metaheuristic search algorithms) collectively; and recommend new research directions for researchers and facilitate users to understand algorithms real-world applications in solving complex management, engineering and health sciences problems.
Design/methodology/approach
The FNN has gained much attention from researchers to make a more informed decision in the last few decades. The literature survey is focused on the learning algorithms and the optimization techniques proposed in the last three decades. This paper (Part II) is an extension of Part I. For the sake of simplicity, the paper entitled “Machine learning facilitated business intelligence (Part I): Neural networks learning algorithms and applications” is referred to as Part I. To make the study consistent with Part I, the approach and survey methodology in this paper are kept similar to those in Part I.
Findings
Combining the work performed in Part I, the authors studied a total of 80 articles through popular keywords searching. The FNN learning algorithms and optimization techniques identified in the selected literature are classified into six categories based on their problem identification, mathematical model, technical reasoning and proposed solution. Previously, in Part I, the two categories focusing on the learning algorithms (i.e. gradient learning algorithms for network training, gradient free learning algorithms) are reviewed with their real-world applications in management, engineering, and health sciences. Therefore, in the current paper, Part II, the remaining four categories, exploring optimization techniques (i.e. optimization algorithms for learning rate, bias and variance (underfitting and overfitting) minimization algorithms, constructive topology neural networks, metaheuristic search algorithms) are studied in detail. The algorithm explanation is made enriched by discussing their technical merits, limitations, and applications in their respective categories. Finally, the authors recommend future new research directions which can contribute to strengthening the literature.
Research limitations/implications
The FNN contributions are rapidly increasing because of its ability to make reliably informed decisions. Like learning algorithms, reviewed in Part I, the focus is to enrich the comprehensive study by reviewing remaining categories focusing on the optimization techniques. However, future efforts may be needed to incorporate other algorithms into identified six categories or suggest new category to continuously monitor the shift in the research trends.
Practical implications
The authors studied the shift in research trend for three decades by collectively analyzing the learning algorithms and optimization techniques with their applications. This may help researchers to identify future research gaps to improve the generalization performance and learning speed, and user to understand the applications areas of the FNN. For instance, research contribution in FNN in the last three decades has changed from complex gradient-based algorithms to gradient free algorithms, trial and error hidden units fixed topology approach to cascade topology, hyperparameters initial guess to analytically calculation and converging algorithms at a global minimum rather than the local minimum.
Originality/value
The existing literature surveys include comparative study of the algorithms, identifying algorithms application areas and focusing on specific techniques in that it may not be able to identify algorithms categories, a shift in research trends over time, application area frequently analyzed, common research gaps and collective future directions. Part I and II attempts to overcome the existing literature surveys limitations by classifying articles into six categories covering a wide range of algorithm proposed to improve the FNN generalization performance and convergence rate. The classification of algorithms into six categories helps to analyze the shift in research trend which makes the classification scheme significant and innovative.
Details
Keywords
Rami Ibrahim A. Salem, Ernest Ezeani, Ali M. Gerged, Muhammad Usman and Rateb Mohammmad Alqatamin
This study aims to examine the influence of the quality of voluntary disclosure (QVD) on earnings management (EM) amongst a sample of commercial banks in the Middle East and North…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the influence of the quality of voluntary disclosure (QVD) on earnings management (EM) amongst a sample of commercial banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 1,060 bank-year observations for the period 2006–2015, this paper developed a three-dimensional framework to measure the QVD, which considers the quantity, spread and usefulness of the information. Furthermore, this study examines the QVD-EM nexus using an ordinary least squares regression model. This technique is supplemented with conducting an instrumental variable regression model and a two-stage least squares model to overcome the potential occurrence of endogeneity problems.
Findings
The findings suggest that QVD is negatively attributed to EM in the context of MENA banks. The findings also confirm that the quality of financial reporting is enhanced by QVD dimensions that were considered in the framework, leading banks to less engagement in EM practices. In contrast, the influence of the quantity dimension (level) of the disclosed information has an insignificant impact on EM, while the spread and usefulness dimensions of VD are negatively and significantly associated with EM in the region.
Research limitations/implications
Although the results are robust to various measurements and to the possible occurrence of endogeneity problems, there are a few limitations should be acknowledged, which provides opportunities for future research. For example, the sample size is relatively small due to data accessibility issues. Likewise, the findings of the research might not be appropriate for non-financial sectors. These limitations provide a good opportunity for future studies to expand on the research by covering other developing economies and, thereby, enriching the understanding offered by this study.
Practical implications
This study offers several implications for bank managers, academics and policymakers. Firstly, it may help managers to appreciate the function and the importance of QVD in mitigating EM. Secondly, for academics, the study provides suggestive evidence on the impact of QVD on EM; however, future research may need to consider the role of morality and ethical behaviour across different environments in reducing excessive risk-taking and constraining earnings manipulation. Finally, it provides insights for policymakers and regulators to develop a framework or guidance that can help banks in providing high-QVD in the context of developing economies.
Originality/value
The study distinctively develops an innovative measurement for QVD using a new multi-dimensional model. This paper also bring new evidence on QVD complexity and its impact on EM practice from an under-researched developing context, namely, the MENA region.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Usman, Qaiser Mehmood, Usman Ghani and Zulqurnain Ali
This study aims to examine how positive supervisory support plays a role in attenuating employees’ knowledge-hiding behavior via the underlying mechanism of psychological…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how positive supervisory support plays a role in attenuating employees’ knowledge-hiding behavior via the underlying mechanism of psychological ownership and workplace thriving. Integrating the social information processing perspective and conservation of resource theory, this study suggests that due to the mediating role of employee psychological ownership and workplace thriving, positive supervisor support may negatively affect knowledge-hiding behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypotheses were tested with multiwave three-round survey data collected among 432 individuals in various Pakistani hotels.
Findings
This study found that supervisory support attenuated knowledge-hiding behavior by enhancing psychological ownership and workplace thriving serially. As expected, the supportive conduct of the supervisor positively influenced psychological ownership which, in turn, helped workplace thriving and eventually influenced employees’ knowledge hiding.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the extant body of knowledge on knowledge hiding by highlighting a significant antecedent that supervisory support may be instrumental in discouraging knowledge hiding. Furthermore, this study detailed an underlying serial mediating mechanism in the shape of psychological ownership and workplace thriving that connects supervisory support with reduced knowledge hiding.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Hussnain Siddique, Muhammad Usman Qamar, Sumreen Hayat, Bilal Aslam, Habibullah Nadeem, Sabir Hussain, Muhammad Saqalein, Javeria Saeed and Saima Muzammil
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prevalence and antibiograms of bacteria isolated from various fresh fruit juices at a local market in Faisalabad.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prevalence and antibiograms of bacteria isolated from various fresh fruit juices at a local market in Faisalabad.
Design/methodology/approach
Fresh fruit juice samples (n=125) were randomly collected using aseptic technique. Each sample (10 mL) was serially diluted with 90 mL of sterile peptone water, from 1×10−1 to 1×10−5. Each dilution was then used to inoculate nutrient agar by surface spread plating. Aerobic colony counts (ACCs) were determined by colony counting. The isolates were sub-cultured on blood and MacConkey agar. Preliminary identification was achieved on the basis of colony morphology and culture characteristic, and confirmed by API® 20E, 20NE, and API® Staph testing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay, per CLSI 2015 guidelines.
Findings
The mean ACC ranged from 2.0×106 CFU/mL to 4.93×106 CFU/mL, with the highest ACC determined for orange juice. Overall, 153 polymicrobial were identified in 125 samples; 103 of these were Gram-negative rods (GNR) and 28 were Gram-positive cocci (GPC). Escherichia coli (n=38), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=32) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=24) were the predominant GNR; Staphylococcus aureus (n=28) was the predominant GPC. Antibiogram analysis revealed that all GNR were resistant to ampicillin. However, most E. coli isolates were resistant to ceftazidime (72.4 percent of isolates), and ceftriaxone and cefepime (68.9 percent), while most K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to cefepime (72 percent) and ceftriaxone (64 percent). All S. aureus isolates were resistant to penicillin, while most (64 percent) were resistant to piperacillin; the most effective drugs against bacteria were vancomycin and imipenem.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that the local government regulatory food and public health authorities should take immediate emergency measures. Appropriate surveillance studies and periodic monitoring of food items should be regularly performed to safeguard public health.
Originality/value
The current study revealed the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in freshly prepared fruit juices sold by local street vendors.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Asim, Zhiying Liu, Usman Ghani, Muhammad Athar Nadeem, Umme Farva Hashmi and Yi Xu
This study, based on social exchange theory, aims to explore the association between appreciative leadership and employees' helping behaviors by investigating the mediation role…
Abstract
Purpose
This study, based on social exchange theory, aims to explore the association between appreciative leadership and employees' helping behaviors by investigating the mediation role of emotional reactions (pride, anxiety), and choosing organizational trust as a boundary condition between appreciative leadership and helping behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
A total sample of 285 reliable questionnaires were collected in three time lags from employees working in the Pakistani education and banking sectors. PROCESS macro using SPSS and AMOS are employed for data analyses of the proposed model.
Findings
The findings reveal that appreciative leadership has positive impacts on employees' helping behaviors and emotional reactions (pride, anxiety) mediate the relationship of appreciative leadership and employees' helping behaviors. In addition, the results show that high organizational trust strengthens the positive relationship between appreciative leadership and employees' helping behaviors.
Practical implications
This research has provided empirical proof between the relationship of appreciative leadership and helping behaviors and the findings are of great significance for managers, employees, and organizations. The study proposes that leaders should have appreciative behavior while treating their subordinates. Moreover, it is revealed that the role of organizational trust should be given more attention and importance because it is a factor moderating the employees' helping behaviors.
Originality/value
The present study, among the first empirical efforts investigating the relationship between appreciative leadership and helping behaviors, organizational trust as a moderator, enriches the existing academic literature of and provides worthy insight into the research on appreciative leadership and helping behaviors.
Details
Keywords
Zia Ul Islam, Qingxiong (Derek) Weng, Ahmed Ali, Usman Ghani and Rana Muhammad Naeem
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of job seekers' perceived incivility during job search on their job search intensity via job search-specific self-esteem, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of job seekers' perceived incivility during job search on their job search intensity via job search-specific self-esteem, and to explore how the job seekers' level of dispositional mindfulness buffers these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Using self-report measures, time-lagged data were obtained from 242 graduating students of a Chinese university.
Findings
Results showed that perceived incivility during job search was negatively related to job search-specific self-esteem, and that job search-specific self-esteem was positively related to job search intensity. Further, dispositional mindfulness mitigated the direct link between perceived incivility and job search-specific self-esteem and the indirect link between job seekers' perception of incivility and job search intensity through job search-specific self-esteem.
Originality/value
By integrating the recruitment and job search literature, we investigated how negative experiences (perceived incivility during recruitment) stemming from the context of job search influence the motivation of job seekers to continue their job search via the mediating role of job search-specific self-esteem. Further, for the first time, we explored the moderating role of dispositional mindfulness in the job search literature by utilizing the framework of positive psychology.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Qamar Zia, Muhammad Naveed, Syeda Tayyaba Fasih, Muhammad Usman Aleem and Muhammad Sufyan Ramish
Drawing upon conservation of theory, this study aims to extend the scant literature on the effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) on workplace deviance behaviour (WDB) and…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon conservation of theory, this study aims to extend the scant literature on the effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) on workplace deviance behaviour (WDB) and adaptive performance by investigating the role of Islamic work ethics as moderators.
Design/methodology/approach
A time-lagged and multi-source data of (269 paired responses) of employees working in Islamic banks were used for hypotheses testing.
Findings
Taken together, the findings revealed that Leader Member Exchange (LMX) has a positive and significant impact on adaptive performance and is negatively related to employees’ WDB. The results of the moderation effect showed the positive relationship of LMX with adaptive performance and the negative relationship with WDB is stronger for high Islamic work ethics (IWE).
Practical implications
This study provides practical insight that Islamic business ethics plays a significant role in fostering adaptive performance and reducing the deviance behaviour of employees.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examined the moderating role of IWE between LMX-adaptive performance and LMX-WDB. This study has also filled the gap of scant literature about the impact of LMX on adaptive performance and WDB.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad S. Tahir, Ahmad Usman Shahid and Daniel W. Richards
This paper explores the direct and indirect associations between financial resilience and life satisfaction, using the moderation of non-impulsive behavior and mediation of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the direct and indirect associations between financial resilience and life satisfaction, using the moderation of non-impulsive behavior and mediation of financial satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze the Australian household dataset, named the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, to meet the objectives of this paper. Furthermore, the authors use the PROCESS Models 4 and 7 to test the mediation and the combined moderated mediation relationships, respectively.
Findings
The authors find the complete mediation of the relationship between financial resilience and life satisfaction by financial satisfaction. Also, this study finds that both financial resilience and non-impulsive behavior positively contribute to financial satisfaction, which is positively associated with life satisfaction.
Practical implications
This research supports the need for consumers to build emergency funds as financial resilience is related to consumer well-being. This research also recommends that impulsive behavior should be addressed by the personal finance curriculum and financial advisors.
Originality/value
This research contributes by showing that financial satisfaction is an important predictor of consumers’ well-being. The ability to access financial resources, which increases for non-impulsive consumers, is associated with increased life satisfaction but only via financial satisfaction.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Sajid Khattak and Usman Mustafa
The complexity of projects has become a serious issue and obstacle in their successful completion. In order to overcome these complexities, it has become imperative to identify…
Abstract
Purpose
The complexity of projects has become a serious issue and obstacle in their successful completion. In order to overcome these complexities, it has become imperative to identify the relevant management competencies of project managers. The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of cost, time and scope in engineering infrastructure projects due to their complexities through management competencies.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first phase of the study, 32 experts were interviewed through semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire. In this phase, essential elements of complexities were identified initially. This was followed by finding required dimensions of competencies to counter these complexities and to acquire improved performance. In the final stage, required levels of competencies for specific elements of complexity were identified. In the second phase, 85 “project managers” were also approached to get feedback about their recently completed public sector engineering infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Findings
The study identified additional dimensions, i.e. honesty, enthusiasm and dedication, in the case of competencies and adverse law and order situation, political instability, land issues, energy crisis and weak authorization of project managers in the case of complexities. Leadership, management skill, communication skill, effectiveness and result orientation were identified as top quality traits required. The study concluded that there is a significant impact of management competencies and complexities on project performance.
Originality/value
The study contributes to a better understanding of how to improve performance in complex engineering infrastructure projects through adopting management competencies. It also empirically illustrates the relations among project management competencies, complexities and project performance. Although the research is grounded on public sector infrastructure projects, its findings may also be helpful for practices in project management of other sectors.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Kashif Imran, Muhammad Ilyas, Usman Aslam and Tehreem Fatima
In current era, firms are facing difficulties in aligning their capabilities with the hallmarks of the knowledge-intensive economy. Notwithstanding the fact that employees’…
Abstract
Purpose
In current era, firms are facing difficulties in aligning their capabilities with the hallmarks of the knowledge-intensive economy. Notwithstanding the fact that employees’ creativity ensures competitive advantage through innovation, firms are unable to reap the required level of performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage among knowledge processes, employee creativity and firm performance. Moreover, the current quantitative study measures the moderating effect of a knowledge-intensive culture on knowledge processes and employee creativity.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were conducted in eight services sector organizations operating in southern Punjab, Pakistan, and responses were obtained from 197 employees selected at random. To test the exposition using an empirical data analysis approach, three core hypotheses are drawn, and to test these hypotheses, multiple regression analyses, Preacher and Hayes (2004) mediation analysis and Aguinis (2004) guidelines were applied on 197 responses.
Findings
The results explain that knowledge processes have a positive impact on firm performance and employee creativity partially mediates their stated relationship. Moreover, a knowledge-intensive culture has a strengthening effect on the relationship between knowledge processes and employee creativity. In-depth investigation outlines that knowledge acquisition, sharing and application are more influencing processes to enhance firm performance. Furthermore, knowledge conversion and protection do not hold significant relevance with firm performance but are supportive elements for other processes.
Research limitations/implications
In order to have a sustained performance, firms have to initiate steps to promote employees’ creativity by deploying an optimal mix of knowledge processes and flourish a knowledge-intensive culture in routine organizational life. Moreover, knowledge processes are important to promote creative behavior in employees that will lead to incessant innovation and firm performance.
Originality/value
This study gives meaningful thoughts to unexplored areas in the field of knowledge management. First, the indirect effect of knowledge processes on firm performance through employees’ creativity. Second, the importance of knowledge processes to enhance employees’ creativity in the presence of a knowledge-intensive culture. This study gets together the dynamic constructs in the field of knowledge management, such as knowledge-intensive culture and employee creativity, and describes the linkage between knowledge processes and firm performance.
Details