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In the presence of informal sector in the country, designing an energy policy and the pursuit of higher economic growth become challenging for emerging economies. These economies are usually resource starved, and the presence of underground economy leads to faulty estimates of energy demand. The authors explore the energy–growth nexus in the presence of underground economy for Pakistan, an emerging economy host to large informal sector and facing recurring energy crises.

The authors evaluate the impact of underground economy on energy demand in the presence of explanatory variables, including official gross domestic product (GDP), foreign direct investment and financial development. The authors first assess the influence of official economy on the consumption of energy. The authors investigate how energy consumption is influenced solely by underground economy. Finally, the authors evaluate the impact of true GDP on the energy consumption. The authors employ combined cointegration method of Bayer and Hanck (2013) and then apply vector error correction model.

The results reveal that official GDP, underground economy and true GDP positively and significantly affect energy consumption in both short and long run. Similarly, financial development as well as foreign direct investment enhance energy consumption. The authors find unidirectional causality between energy consumption and official GDP variables (OGDP → EC), underground economy (UE → EC) and true GDP variables (TGDP → EC) in the long run. The authors observe bidirectional causality in the short run between energy consumption and official GDP (OGDP ↔ EC) and true GDP (TGDP ↔ EC).

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study examines the causal relationship of energy consumption and underground economy. Overall, the findings assist policymakers to consider and implement different energy-related policies considering the significant role of underground economy for energy consumption in Pakistan.

Continuous advances in digital technology and business models digitalization have decisively altered the entrepreneurial landscape redefining the aims and the requirements of entrepreneurial education to suit the new digital reality in entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study is to shed light in a neglected niche in the intersection between digital entrepreneurship (DE) and entrepreneurship education and outline DE education as field of research. Given that the interdisciplinary growth of DE research outpaces instructional designs in terms of required knowledge and skills, it is important to document how entrepreneurship education responds to the ongoing integration of emerging digital technologies with the entrepreneurial process. Moreover, the introduction of a DE education conceptual framework would facilitate the discussion on theoretical and practical implications and promote new conceptualizations in future research, new educational approaches and new curriculum designs.

A concept-driven, semi-structured developmental literature review methodology, based on grounded theory and reinforced with increased systemization, was used for the identification and analysis of peer-reviewed articles. Previous literature reviews were used to define the search keywords. The articles from three databases were carefully selected, based on protocol and strict eligibility criteria. The papers in the final set were classified in four primary dimensions, synthesized from several sub-streams of research. Each sub-stream highlighting a different view of DE education emerged through open, axial and selective coding of articles. The combined perspectives of these dimensions resulted in a new DE conceptual framework.

Thematic interrelation between the studies examined, revealed an ample view of the various schools of thought in the research field, offering also a better understanding on how entrepreneurial education addresses the practical requirements of digital entrepreneurship. A four dimensional conceptual framework produced highlights pedagogy and learning, success factors and barriers, behavioral approach and ecosystems as the current trends of research. Also, directions for future research are proposed.

The classification framework proposed can serve as a roadmap for entrepreneurship educators seeking efficient pedagogical practices focused on the transfer of knowledge and training on the new skills required by DE and motivate future researchers aiming to propose novel educational interventions.

Although digital entrepreneurship research has gained significant momentum in recent years, little attention is paid to its increased educational requirements. The body of knowledge develops in an uncontrolled and fragmented manner, and the systematic study of the field from an educational perspective was missing. This study offers a representative picture of the topic, highlights current trends of research, synthesizes literature from different disciplinary origins, provides linkages between unconnected streams of research and points out research gaps. Finally, it proposes a conceptual framework to circumscribe DE education as a field of study and serve as a basis to help future research move forward.

The Takāful (Islamic insurance) industry operates on the principles of Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah, and of late, the industry has witnessed significant market growth. The purpose of this study is to develop a performance measurement model based on Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms.

A mixed-method research approach was adopted to conduct the present study. Priorities were assigned to various dimensions of the Maqāṣid model using analytic hierarchy process and by taking inputs from 18 Takāful experts. On the contrary, six experts were involved in identifying the elements and measures for the operationalization of the Maqāṣid dimensions.

Maṣlaḥa (0.359) was found to possess the highest priority, followed by Justice (0.345) and Educating Individuals (0.295). Furthermore, under Necessity, protection of religion (0.398) and protection of life (0.388) are assigned almost similar priorities. These two are followed by the protection of progeny (0.107), protection of wealth (0.058) and protection of intellect (0.047). The final outcome of this study is a hierarchical model for the evaluation of performance of Takāful firms.

The application of the performance evaluation model will provide information to the management of Takāful firms on where they stand in terms of fulfilling Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah principles. If any firms are found to have a deficiency in a certain part of Maqāṣid components, then proper and adequate measures can be taken to ameliorate the situation.

It is necessary to have a performance evaluation model based upon Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms as these firms operate on the principles of Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah. Because there does not exist any such model, this study fills up this gap. Details of the measures that can be used to evaluate the performance of Takāful firms are also provided.

The deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in travel and tourism has received much attention in the wake of the pandemic. While societal adoption of AI has accelerated, it also raises some trust challenges. Literature on trust in AI is scant, especially regarding the vulnerabilities faced by different stakeholders to inform policy and practice. This work proposes a framework to understand the use of AI technologies from the perspectives of institutional and the self to understand the formation of trust in the mandated use of AI-based technologies in travelers.

An empirical investigation using partial least squares-structural equation modeling was employed on responses from 209 users. This paper considered factors related to the self (perceptions of self-threat, privacy empowerment, trust propensity) and institution (regulatory protection, corporate privacy responsibility) to understand the formation of trust in AI use for travelers.

Results showed that self-threat, trust propensity and regulatory protection influence trust in users on AI use. Privacy empowerment and corporate responsibility do not.

Insights from the past studies on AI in travel and tourism are limited. This study advances current literature on affordance and reactance theories to provide a better understanding of what makes travelers trust the mandated use of AI technologies. This work also demonstrates the paradoxical effects of self and institution on technologies and their relationship to trust. For practice, this study offers insights for enhancing adoption via developing trust.