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The purpose of this study was to determine how environmentally specific transformational leadership (ETFL), green training (GT) and psychological green climate (PGC) affect environmental passion (EP) of employees which leads to pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs).

The context of the study was set in textile industry of Pakistan which holds a promising future in the international markets as an emerging export-based industry. Using purposive sampling technique, cross-sectional self-report data were collected from the employees of textile exporting firms (n = 239) of Pakistan. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM.

The findings revealed that ETFL and PGC act as important predictors of EP, whereas GT plays no role in influencing EP. EP predicts green behavioral intention (GBI) of employees, in turn, GBI predicts employees' PEBs. Further, mediation analyses revealed that EP and GBI sequentially mediated the link between PGC and PEBs.

The present study is not free from its limitations. First, the study adopted cross-sectional design that prevents the causal inferences which the researcher can make from the population. Second, the present study adopted purposive sampling technique which is a non-probability sampling technique. Third, the constructs of this study were assessed with self-report measures which are associated with social desirability bias (Podsakoff and Organ, 1986) or common-method variance (Podsakoff et al., 2003). Hence, this research suggests on the future direction of research based on these limitations.

As per the results of this study, it is also suggested that managers may focus more on the overall organizational and psychological climate rather than on leadership styles alone. While conducting training, the leaders must pay close attention to training objectives to ensure that they do not lead to counterproductive behaviors.

This research adds to the literature in the area of PEBs at micro-level by focusing on how and why employees engage in PEBs.

Research on the relationship between high-performance workplace practices (HPWPs) and organizational performance has largely focussed on western settings, limiting the knowledge of how these systems influence performance in other countries, including Pakistan. Universalistic assumptions underpin the HPWP paradigm; to examine the validity of these assumptions, the purpose of this paper is to study the links between HPWP and performance in Pakistan, a country with different cultural norms and institutional settings to those in which most research has been conducted.

The authors draw on a unique survey of 392 establishment managers in the banking, pharmaceutical and information technology sectors. The authors include managers of foreign-owned multinational subsidiaries and domestic firms to ensure the sample represents firms in Pakistan.

The authors find that some individual HPWPs (recruitment and training) are associated in a statistically significant way with lower labour turnover, higher productivity and higher financial performance. Employee involvement is associated with lower labour turnover and higher labour productivity. Compensation is associated with higher financial performance. None is linked to higher labour turnover, lower productivity or lower financial performance in a statistically significant way. Performance appraisal was not statistically significantly associated with any of the three outcome variables.

The results provide some relatively strong support for universalistic assumptions, but also highlight the need for future research to examine the variable links of some HPWPs and the lack of any association for the performance appraisal measure.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration of multiple slips and temperature dependent thermal conductivity effects on the flow of nano Williamson fluid over a slendering stretching plate in the presence of Joule and viscous heating aspects. The effectiveness of nanoparticles is deliberated by considering Brownian moment and thermophoresis slip mechanisms. The effects of magnetism and radiative heat are also deployed.

The governing partial differential equations are non-dimensionalized and reduced to multi-degree ordinary differential equations via suitable similarity variables. The subsequent non-linear problem treated for numerical results. To measure the amount of increase/decrease in skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number, the slope of linear regression line through the data points are calculated. Statistical approach is implemented to analyze the heat transfer rate.

The results show that temperature distribution across the flow decreases with thermal conductivity parameter. The maximum friction factor is ascertained at stronger magnetic field.

In the current paper, the magneto-nano Williamson fluid flow inspired by a stretching sheet of variable thickness is examined numerically. The rationale of the present study is to generalize the studies of Mebarek-Oudina and Makinde (2018) and Williamson (1929).

The purpose of this paper is to address the entropy analysis of the 3D flow of Maxwell nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganism in the presence of homogeneous–heterogeneous reactions with improved heat conduction and mass diffusion models over a stretched surface. Improved models are supported out by utilizing Cattaneo–Christov heat flux and generalized Fick’s law, respectively.

Governing equations which present the given flow phenomenon are modeled in the form of PDEs by applying boundary layer analysis and then suitable makeovers are engaged to transfigure prevailing partial differential equations into a set of ordinary differential equations. Transformed equations are handled via optimal homotopy analysis process in computational tool Mathematica and also a special case of already published work is substantiated and found to be in excellent settlement.

The bearing of innumerable convoluted physical parameters on velocity, temperature, concentration, reaction rate, the concentration of motile microorganism and entropy generation are presented and deliberated through graphs. Moreover, the convergence of the homotopic solution is presented in tabular form which confirms the reliability of the proposed scheme. It is perceived that mounting values of the magnetic parameter and Brinkman number boosts the irreversibility analysis and Bejan number diminishes for these parameters. Moreover, the growing values of Prandtl and Schmidt numbers reduce the temperature and concentration fields, respectively.

The work contained in this paper has applications in a different industry.

The work contained in this paper is original work and it is good for the researcher in the field of applied mathematics.

This study aims to investigate risks associated with climate change vulnerability and in response the adaptation methods used by farming communities to reduce its negative impacts on agriculture in Pakistan.

The study used household survey method of data collection in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, involving 116 randomly selected respondents.

Prevalent crops diseases, water scarcity, soil fertility loss and poor socio-economic conditions were main contributing factors of climate change vulnerability. The results further showed that changing crops type and cultivation pattern, improved seed varieties, planting shaded trees and the provision of excessive fertilizers are the measures adapted to improve agricultural productivity, which may reduce the climate change vulnerability at a household level.

The major limitation of this study was the exclusion of women from the survey due to religious and cultural barriers of in Pashtun society, wherein women and men do not mingle.

Reducing climate change vulnerability and developing more effective adaptation techniques require assistance from the government. This help can be in the form of providing basic resources, such as access to good quality agricultural inputs, access to information and extension services on climate change adaptation and modern technologies. Consultation with other key stakeholder is also required to create awareness and to build the capacity of the locals toward reducing climate change vulnerability and facilitating timely and effective adaptation.

This original research work provides evidence about farm-level vulnerability, adaptation strategies and risk perceptions on dealing with climate-change-induced natural disasters in Pakistan. This paper enriches existing knowledge of climate change vulnerability and adaptation in this resource-limited country so that effective measures can be taken to reduce vulnerability of farming communities, and enhance their adaptive capability.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that will demonstrate how the integration of Salam (exclusive agricultural commodity trade) with Takaful (micro-Takaful – a subdivision of Islamic insurance) and value chain can address major challenges facing the agricultural sector in Kano State, Nigeria.

The study conducted a thorough and critical analysis of relevant literature and existing models of financing agriculture in Nigeria to come up with the proposed model.

The findings indicate that measures undertaken to address the major challenges fail. In view of this, this study proposed Bay-Salam with Takaful and value chain model to solve a number of challenges such as poor access to financing, poor marketing and pricing, delay, collateral requirement and risk issues in order to avail farmers with easy access to finance and provide effective security to financial institutions.

The paper is limited to using secondary data. Therefore, empirical investigation can be carried out to strengthen the validation of the model.

The study outcome seeks to improve the productivity of the farmers through enhancing their access to finance. This will increase their level of production and provide more employment opportunities. In addition, it will boost financial inclusion, income generation, poverty alleviation, standard of living, food security and overall economic growth and development.

The novelty of this study lies in the integration of classical Bay-Salam with Takaful and value chain and create a unique model structure which the researchers do not come across in any research that presented it in Nigeria.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interaction effects of a transverse magnetic field and slip effects of Casson fluid with suspended nanoparticles over a nonlinear stretching surface. Mathematical modeling for the law of conservation of mass, momentum, heat and concentration of nanoparticles is executed.

Governing nonlinear partial differential equations are reduced into nonlinear ordinary differential equations and then shooting method is employed for its solution. The slope of the linear regression line of the data points is calculated to measure the rate of increase/decrease in the reduced Nusselt number.

The effects of magnetic parameter (0=M=4), Casson parameter (0.1=β<8), nonlinear stretching parameter (0=n=3) and porosity parameter (0=P=6) on axial velocity are shown graphically. Numerical results were compared with another numerical approach and an excellent agreement was observed. This study reveals the fact that the Brownian motion parameter and boundary layer thickness have a direct relationship with temperature. Also, Brownian motion and thermophoresis contribute to an increase in the thermal boundary layer thickness.

Despite the immense significance and repeated employment of non-Newtonian fluids in industry and science, no attempt has been made up till now to inspect the Casson nanofluid flow with a permeable nonlinear stretching surface.

This study aims at analyzing the detrimental cross-level serial effects of leaders' Machiavellianism and abusive supervision on subordinates' burnout and task performance. The general aggression model and conservation of resources theory guide our research model.

The authors developed a multilevel design and used multisource data. The authors collected data from 50 bank branches located in Pakistan. A total of 50 branch supervisors participated, which yielded 200 supervisor-subordinate dyads. Machiavellianism was self-assessed by the supervisors who further rated the specific task performance of each of their respective subordinates. Burnout and abusive supervision ratings were provided by the subordinates. Abusive supervision scores were aggregated at the group level.

Machiavellianism has an indirect negative effect on individual-level task performance through the serial cross-level mediating effects of abusive supervision at the group level and attendant individual-level burnout.

Findings provide practical implications for the management of task performance and human resources.

This study offers a comprehensive cross-level model to analyze the effect of Machiavellianism on group-level and individual-level outcomes known to affect the effectiveness of leaders.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of the revised Code of Corporate Governance 2017 (CCG-2017) clauses pertaining to board independence, mandatory inclusion of female directors, audit committee (AC) chair independence and directors’ expertise on earnings manipulation.

Using an unbalanced panel of 323 listed companies from 2015 to 2019, this study uses panel data regression models with a robust methodology called difference-in-differences to tackle the potential endogeneity.

This study’s findings show that, as compared to the pre-CCG-2017 period, board- and AC-related variables increased significantly in the post-CCG-2017 period. Furthermore, financial experts on the board and board independence have a negative effect on discretionary accruals (DAs), whereas female directors and DAs are positively related, as is real activity manipulation. The AC-related variables, such as AC independence, expertise in AC, and AC chair independence, are significantly different from the preperiod to the postperiod, whereas their relationship is not according to the hypotheses of the study. Moreover, these results are robust to additional analysis of the alternative proxies for female directorship and the endogeneity problem.

The findings of this study have implications for regulators and practitioners who are concerned with the functions of the board of directors (BOD). The findings of this research study show that earnings management (EM) may be reduced by independent and expert directors. However, board gender diversity is not reducing the EM. Therefore, the decision to appoint female directors to the board should be based on their business and professional attributes rather than simply filling quotas or blindly adhering to regulations. Moreover, the findings of this research may assist the regulator in encouraging listed firms to enhance board governance via independence, diversity and competency, which are useful for effective monitoring.

This study fills a gap in the literature by providing the first evidence of country-specific regulation (CCG-2017), concerning the BOD and AC-related clauses on EM in Pakistan, which is missing in the relevant literature general and in Pakistan in particular.