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The online purchasing behaviour of consumers has recently become a topic of increased interest and attention for marketers, policymakers, and researchers. However, due to its complex nature, this phenomenon is still in its infancy in many developing countries and needs to be paid more attention. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM), the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations, as well as the trust and privacy concerns of consumers in their online purchasing intentions, in a developing South Asian country: Pakistan.

Data were collected from 859 respondents through a self-administrated questionnaire using the non-probability convenience sampling technique and were analysed using the structural equation modelling.

The results of this study demonstrate that, more than hedonic values, trust, and privacy concerns, utilitarian values positively influence consumers’ attitudes to online purchasing. Consequently, consumers’ attitudes positively influence their online purchasing intentions. The findings indicate that Pakistani consumers buy online for goal-oriented reasons. Not surprisingly, they feel unsafe buying online due to concerns over trust and data privacy.

The findings of this study have various practical and managerial implications for electronic businesses in developing countries. This study serves as a guide for the development of effective online marketing and selling strategies.

This paper contributes to the existing literature on business to consumer e-commerce by identifying and empirically validating motivational factors and factors of concern using the TAM model. The extended TAM model, which integrates shopping motivations, trust, and privacy factors, can provide a solid theoretical foundation for consumers’ online purchasing behaviour in a developing country.

The purpose of this study is to examine the link between knowledge-oriented leadership (KOL) and organizational performance (OP) at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) both directly and indirectly through service innovation and knowledge-sharing quality.

This research used Smart PLS 4.0 to model structural equations using a sample comprising 237 academic staff from HEIs in China.

According to the study data, KOL has a negligible direct influence on organizational performance. The link between KOL and OP, on the other hand, is entirely mediated by the quality of knowledge sharing quality and service innovation.

The study results validate universities' experience with KOL and propose ways for academics at higher education institutions to prioritize the quality of knowledge sharing and service innovation, which in turn helps organizations function better in a volatile environment.

Despite the growing relevance of knowledge-oriented leadership in higher education, little research has been conducted to examine the mediating impact of numerous factors in the link between KOL and OP. The present research examines the link between knowledge-oriented leadership, the quality of knowledge sharing, service innovation and the performance of higher education institutions. The current study scientifically investigates the link between KOL and OP and offers insight into the existing literature by examining the mediating role of KSQ and SI.

Mobile learning has emerged as one of the main methods for training and academic activities in the present era. It is, also, highly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic whereupon digitization of mobile learning has made it possible for many students to continue with their education. This study investigated attitudes and intentions towards the adoption of mobile learning in vocational education.

This is a quantitative study based on cross-sectional empirical data. In targeting vocational students throughout Pakistan, the study used a survey questionnaire with a convenience sampling method. From the responses to the questionnaire, 320 samples were used to obtain the study outcomes.

The structural equation modeling’s (SEM) findings reveal that learning autonomy (LA), mobile device self-efficacy (MDSE), task-technology fit (TTF), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PUS) and perceived enjoyment (PE) have a positive and significant effect on mobile usage attitudes (MUA) and intentions to adopt mobile learning (ITAML). Moreover, this study’s findings confirm, also, MUA’s predictive power on ITAML.

Further, this study’s findings encourage individuals to use mobile devices to properly promote knowledge in society. In addition, this study’s findings support vocational institutions’ operators’ and policymakers’ development of online education and training strategies to resist the complications arising from the transmission of COVID-19. Moreover, this study’s findings open new doors when conducting similar research studies on students’ perceptions and learning behaviors.

The empirical investigation of attitudes and intentions to adopt mobile learning in the context of COVID-19 helps potential adopters to test the likely behaviors.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss positive spillovers of this project, especially for Pakistan because the majority of the literature discusses challenges associated with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

This study reviews the available literature to assess the role of CPEC in the sustainable economic development of Pakistan.

This study indicates that CPEC is an ambitious development project because it needs a larger restructuring of the economy of Pakistan and it will be productive with the successful blend of policy changes and participation of the business community in Pakistan. This project primarily creates a huge amount of foreign direct investment for Pakistan, at the same time, it will also create greater trade opportunities to China by giving access to a new market for its trading goods.

This study established that CPEC will improve the economic growth and trade, enhance regional connectivity, overcome energy crises, develop infrastructure and establish people-to-people contacts in both the countries, which will further help to improve the tourism sector.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of short-term loan (STL) vs long-term loan (LTL) on wheat productivity of small farms in Sindh, Pakistan.

The econometric estimation is based on cross-sectional data collected in 2016 from 18 villages in three districts, i.e. Shikarpur, Sukkur and Shaheed Benazirabad, Sindh, Pakistan. The sample data set consist of 180 wheat farmers. The collected data were analyzed through different econometric techniques like Cobb–Douglas production function and Instrumental variables (two-stage least squares) approach.

This study reconfirmed that agricultural credit has a positive and highly significant effect on wheat productivity, while the short-term loan has a stronger effect on wheat productivity than the long-term loan. The reasons behind the phenomenon may be the significantly higher usage of agricultural inputs like seeds of improved variety and fertilizers which can be transformed into the wheat yield in the same year. However, the LTL users have significantly higher investments in land preparation, irrigation and plant protection, which may lead to higher wheat production in the coming years.

In the present study, only those wheat farmers were considered who obtained agricultural loans from formal financial institutions like Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited and Khushhali Bank. However, in the rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan, a considerable proportion of small-scale farmers take credit from informal financial channels. Therefore future researchers should consider the informal credits as well.

This is the first paper to examine the effects of agricultural credit on wheat productivity of small farms in Sindh, Pakistan. This paper will be an important addition to the emerging literature regarding effects of credit studies.

This paper presents comparative studies of modern transportation systems in the Bengal Delta and British Borneo. To meet the demands of the new modes of resource extraction, the British colonial rulers introduced a new transportation system in both regions and built roads, railways, and navigational routes connecting major commercial and political centers. There has been little research into the historical connections between modern transportation and environmental changes in colonial South Asia and Malaysia. When modern transportation was introduced, environmental consequences were rarely considered. As a result, significant ecological changes and declines were unintentionally caused. The environmental changes brought about by these transportation systems in these two regions were not the same one from the other. For example, railroad construction harmed the plains and waterways in the Bengal Delta, whereas, in British Borneo, rubber plantations for the global market harmed the rainforests.

In this research, we investigate the effect of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) on medical professionals' work outcomes through the mediating effect of perceived organizational support (POS).

The study analyzes the opinions of 218 medical doctors from private hospitals in Bangladesh, employing Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).

We find that HPWPs enhance employee performance and POS and minimize turnover intention. POS also has a substantial influence on both employee performance and turnover intention. Moreover, POS finds a significant mediating effect on HPWPs and performance as well as HPWPs and turnover intention relations.

The current research focuses on medical doctors who are presently working in private hospitals in Bangladesh.

First, the hospital would recognize the role of employee perceived HPWPs. Second, they might understand how HPWPs would utilize and maintain employees effectively via POS that might further improve the healthcare industry. Suggestions for future research indicate the models potential to provide optimal workplace environments that can benefit organizations as well as improve employee performance.

The study would provide a unique insight into the higher-order HPWPs system and its effects on the health care organizations in developing country contexts like Bangladesh. This study also extends the research on POS as a mediator between higher-order HPWPs and employee outcomes in the organization.

The purpose of this paper is a study designed to utilize Vigna mungo L. (black gram) flour to improve the protein quality of wheat through supplementation. Wheat is utilized as a cereal crop all over the world, but its protein quality is inferior owing to the deficiency of amino acids like lysine.

Black gram seeds were roasted and germinated and then incorporated at 10, 15 and 20 per cent level in wheat flour. The composite flour was evaluated for its chemical composition, physiochemical properties and rheological characteristics, and cookies were developed from the composite flour.

Chemical composition of composite flour revealed significant results (p < 0.05). The level of crude protein increased from 9.69 to 11.79 per cent, while ash and crude fat content enhanced from 0.33 to 1.80 per cent and 1.13 to 2.40 per cent, respectively. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the sedimentation value by the addition of black gram in wheat flour. Water absorption of composite flour was higher than control (52.21 per cent), as maximum value was observed in flour having 15 per cent germinated black gram flour (69.45 per cent). Dough development time also increased from 2.90 min to 4.80 min. The pasting properties revealed significant results for all the parameters. Cookies were developed from composite flour, and sensory evaluation has shown that addition of pulse flour at 15 per cent yields cookies with better hedonic response.

The black gram is a locally grown legume crop, but there is a lack of systematic approach for its chemical composition and product development. Scientists are in urge to explore such economical and assessable food ingredients to cope with the nutritional deficiencies prevailing in the developing societies. In this regard, black gram has been recognized as a rich source of nutrients, so it can be exploited to improve wheat protein quality.

Earlier most of the research groups have designed and developed hybrid renewable energy system models with technological, scientific and industrial advancement for the energy systems, but slight attention has been paid towards the grid-connected sustainable urban residential energy systems (SUR_eS) for metropolitan cities. The current research wishes to design, model and analyze grid-connected energy system for residential applications for sustainable urban residential energy system. The works aims to explore the potential of the augmented energy system for grid-connected energy system.

The proposed grid-connected SUR_eS are validated for a sample location at New Delhi (India) with a hybrid optimization model for electric renewable (HOMER) software to define and understand the various load profile. It presents the sensitivity analysis approach to validate the design of the proposed energy system.

The obtained results reports the key barriers, proposed model and scenarios for sustainable urban energy system development.

Similar approaches can be replicated to design and develop an independent, self-sustainable cleaner and environmental-friendly energy system in the future scenario for the extension of complex grid infrastructures.

It will assist the stakeholder in solving the complex urban sustainability issues raised due to the shortage of energy.

It will offer a clean and environment friendly sustainable energy resources with reduced carbon emissions. It will benefit sustainable energy resources with a mix of challenges and opportunities, to suggest an approach for implementation of efficient energy policies to optimize the existing and forthcoming energy systems.

The current research offers a design and model to analyze grid-connected energy system sustainable urban residential applications. It explores the potential of the augmented energy system. The proposed model are validated for a sample location with HOMER simulation software to define and understand various scenarios of the multiple load profile. The work presents the sensitivity analysis approach to validate the proposed energy system.

The multitasking phenomenon has been prevailing in the technology-driven information environment. People are engaged in multitasking to process information and deal with personal and professional information tasks. This study aims to explore the external predictors of multitasking information behavior (MIB) of library and information science (LIS) professionals from Pakistan.

This is a quantitative study based on a questionnaire survey, and data was collected through Google Form; the link was shared via e-mail and WhatsApp to get maximum responses. The sampling includes the LIS professionals working in Higher Education Commission-recognized universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A total of 126 responses were received from 41 universities of KPK.

Pearson correlation and regression were applied by using SPSS for data analysis. The findings revealed that time pressure (TP) is a good predictor of multitasking because when professionals got tasks with deadlines, they try to perform multiple activities at a time. Therefore, TP is a predictor of human MIB. This study also revealed that the work environment is a less significant predictor of MIB, and the use of multiple information resources is a weak predictor of MIB. It is noted that individual covariates were not predictors of the multitasking information. However, TP was the most significant predictor among all the contextual and individual factors predicting MIB.

This research line is significant because MIB is a new dimension of human information behavior among LIS professionals. The findings are beneficial for LIS professionals to increase their work productivity and performance by rationalizing the significant predictors.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such study is available that highlighted the MIB among LIS professionals. Therefore, this study will highlight external factors’ effects on LIS professionals’ MIB. This study will contribute to the literature on libraries and information management as this study describes the LIS professionals’ behavior.