International Journal of Social Science & Entrepreneurship

Does Servant Leadership Induce Organizational Commitment Through Job Satisfaction? Evidence from the Telecom Sector

2024-03-25T09:03:10+00:00

This research aims at explaining if the job satisfaction mediates relationship between servant leadership dimensions and organizational commitment dimensions. A set of three separate questionnaires were developed. Furthermore, respondents were selected using judgmental sampling and 450 sets of instruments were distributed among people working for the telecom sector in three waves, each wave being apart from the other with a time lag of one month. However, not all the respondents filled the set of three instruments, consequently, 397 useable sets were used as the final sample. Upon collecting the data, data were analyzed by employing three separate structural equation models. Results indicate job satisfaction partially mediates servant leadership and organizational commitment dimensions with exception of only two cases; persuasive mapping and normative commitment where mediation is full in nature, and wisdom and continuance commitment where no mediation is found. After analyzing the results, it is recommended that telecom sector must understand the importance of leadership and its importance in enhancing organizational commitment among employees. It is further recommended that future researchers should conduct similar studies in other industries as well.

Federalism and Democracy: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda

2024-04-03T13:05:35+00:00

This study aims to explore the complex relationship between federalism and democracy through bibliometric review through Scopus database from 1962 to 2024. Based on 522 articles extracted on “Federalism and Democracy” from Scopus database, highlights how these two political concepts interact across countries including United States, Ethiopia, and Nigeria and historical contexts, emphasizing the complementary yet potentially conflicting nature of their relationship. The paper points out the critical role of federalism in enhancing democratic principles such as accountable governments, increased political participation, and protection against majority tyranny. It also acknowledges the challenges and tensions arising from intergovernmental coordination and democratic governance within federal systems. Authors have done a comprehensive analysis, exploring the dynamics of fiscal policy, legal and constitutional frameworks, and the influence of federalism within the European Union. It further examines the application of federalism and democracy in specific national contexts, including the United States, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, to illustrate the diverse ways these concepts evolve and impact societies. Through this exploration, the paper provides insights into how federalism can either strengthen or weaken democracy based on factors such as party politics, fiscal decentralization, and the legal-institutional setup. This study sets a future research agenda by exploring 20 research questions spread across ten thematic clusters. These clusters cover a wide range of topics, from fiscal policy and party politics in federal systems to the role of political parties, elections, legal aspects of federalism, and new developments in European federalism. By outlining these future research directions, the paper aims to guide further scholarly exploration and understanding of the complex relationship between federalism and democracy.

Appraisal System and Employee Performance: A Qualitative Study in The Education Sector

2023-12-31T08:23:33+00:00

Higher education institutions offer the advanced training required for a wide range of professions, including educators, physicians, nurses, engineers, humanists, business owners, and social scientists. In addition, HEIs also provide the high-level skills required for every labor market. Faculty members in HEIs are the source of delivering better education. Hence, the study aims to increase faculty members' performance in HEIs. This study uses the qualitative research approach to investigate the relationship between performance appraisal and faculty members' performance in higher education institutions (HEIs). The research data is collected from the faculty members of the HEIs, and the content analysis of the interviews is utilized as the primary data analysis method. The study's findings indicate the positive effects of the performance appraisal system in universities on the performance of faculty members and universities. The research highlights the importance of implementing an effective performance appraisal system that promotes faculty members' professional growth and contributes to the institution's overall success.

The Effect of Unethical practices in Pharmaceutical Personal Selling on Physicians Prescription Decision: A Comparative Analysis based on Medical Representatives’ and Physicians’ Perspectives

2024-05-01T08:17:16+00:00

Malpractices in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in Pakistan, are lamentably prevalent, as they involve the deployment of unethical marketing techniques aimed at persuading physicians to prescribe their medicines. The primary objective of this research is to uncover the ethically questionable aspects of personal selling practices in the Pakistani pharmaceutical sector. Data was gathered through the utilization of adopted questionnaires from a total of 391 MRs and physicians who are employed in the bustling city of Karachi. The hypotheses were tested using PLS Path Modelling (CFA) and Multi Group Analysis (MGA). The findings suggest that the choice to prescribe the medication could be influenced by certain unethical practices observed in the personal selling process. The MGA findings also highlight the impact of disparaging remarks about competitors on physicians' decision-making within their group. Additionally, providing incentives has been found to significantly influence the decisions of physicians in the MRs group. Furthermore, physicians have a greater understanding of the impact of making disparaging remarks about competitors compared to MRs. Similarly, MRs are more conscious of the effects of providing incentives than physicians. In addition, this study found that there is a notable distinction in the impact of certain unethical practices on the prescribing decisions of medical representatives and physicians. The findings may not be universally applicable, for the intricacies of the topic matter are manifold. Identifying dimensions of unethical practices and their drivers can potentially aid PI stakeholders in mitigating their impact, enhancing professional awareness, and elevating public image. This study, a rarity indeed, examines the perspectives of multiple players on malpractices sub-dimensions.

The Relationship between Green Hiring Process and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Banking Sector

2024-02-04T09:37:47+00:00

The objective of this research is to determine the effects of adopting eco-friendly hiring processes on Organizational Citizenship Behavior. The study was carried out on nine bank head offices situated in Karachi, Pakistan's financial capital. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 355 participants who were selected via the snowball sampling technique. The study had one dependent variable and four independent variables. The results of all the hypotheses confirmed that there is a positive correlation between Green Advertisement (GA), Green Screening/Shortlisting (GSL), Green Interviews (GI), Green Selection (GS), and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (GSB). This implies that incorporating eco-friendly practices in hiring procedures can help cultivate organizational citizenship behaviors in the workforce.

Impact Of Hofstede Cultural Dimensions on Online Impulse Buying Behavior Through Moderating Role Of E-WOM

2024-05-03T06:40:04+00:00

The role of culture in shaping online impulse buying behavior has been stressed in the literature of consumer behavior. This study has attempted to explore the impact of cultural dimensions of masculinity, power distance, long-term orientation and restraint on online impulse buying behavior with moderating role of e-WOM in the context of e-retailing in Pakistan. The results of the data collected from 200 samples suggest that masculinity and restraint dimensions of culture have significant impact on online impulse buying behavior. However, the results for power distance and long-term orientation have not been found significant. Moreover, the relationship for masculinity with online impulse buying behavior is positively moderated by e-WOM. Further, the relationship for long-term with online impulse buying behavior is negatively moderated by e-WOM. However, the relationships of cultural dimensions of power distance and long-term with online impulse buying behavior is insignificantly moderated by e-WOM. The study recommends that relevant stakeholders particularly e-retailers may design the product and adopt strategies in the context of cultural background of the target consumers.

Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures & Delegated Investment Decisions: The Role of Religiosity

2024-04-21T12:58:30+00:00

This study is intended to test the conditional effect of corporate social responsibility disclosures on the performance of investment professionals in Pakistan with the intervening effects of religiosity and decisions of investment professionals. The proposed relationship has been tested over a sample of 248 investment professionals analyzed through the application of structured equation modelling by using Smart PLS 4. The study discovered the significant mediating effects of religiosity and investment decisions in between the causal relationship of CSR disclosures and the performance of investment professionals in Pakistan. Moreover all direct effects developed in the conceptual model have been found to be significant. This means that the extent of religiosity of investment professionals affects their investment decisions being made for their clients on the basis of the CSR disclosures. The positive direction of mediation reveal that CSR disclosures of religious investment professionals positively affect their decisions and performance related to the investments they make for their clients. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that both direct and indirect/conditional effects of corporate social responsibility disclosures on the performance of investment professionals have been tested in the perspective of delegated investments.

Dimensions of Islamic Entrepreneurship Model: Evaluating the Elements of Entrepreneurial Ventures and Entrepreneurs from Islamic Perspective

2024-05-12T16:44:31+00:00

The concept of Islamic entrepreneurship has gained popularity in recent past with the involvement of religion and ethics to business practices. In relation to the developing interest in the domain of Islamic entrepreneurship, various theorists and scholars have offered their insights and varied postulations regarding the different forms and frameworks of Islamic entrepreneurship model as well. This paper offers a fresh perspective by proposing an Islamic entrepreneurship model with a dual set of pertinent factors. These elements are dissected into two major dimensions referred to as eemaan (faith) and asbaab (means) to encompass the essential factors pertinent to the proposed model in order to offer a comprehensive theoretical underpinning to the concept of Islamic entrepreneurship. The factors in “eemaan” category include Islamic attributes of business and entrepreneurs like taqwa, tawakkal, abidance to halal and haraam, and interest-free dealings among others; whereas the factors discussed under the category of “asbaab” factors include contemporary business essentials and generic qualities of entrepreneurs including creativity, innovation, business structure, objectives, and operations to name a few. The model expounded in this study is actually hinged upon the premise that Islam is a complete code of life and hence provides a concrete and clear pathway to success not only in this world but also in the world-hereafter. The Islamic ideology which in fact transcends beyond the attainment of business profits focuses on the attainment of “falah” implying ultimate success. The paper endeavors to offer a renewed perspective to the theory of Islamic entrepreneurship by presenting a holistic approach to understand various aspects of Islamic entrepreneurship by consolidating both the dimensions of deen and dunya in order to successfully achieve falah which is the basis of dual motive of attaining goodness and prosperity in both worlds in the context of Islamic entrepreneurial perspective.

The Attitude of Pakistani Undergraduates towards Speaking English

2024-05-12T16:49:24+00:00

The fluency in speaking skills is one of the important skills that determines professional and academic success. Students in Pakistan are eager to learn how to speak better English for many social benefits. To become fluent speakers of English, it is mandatory for the teachers to provide a good number of opportunities to students for improving their English-speaking skills. This study aims to explore the reasons with which students prefer to speak English in different contexts. The factors that encourage or discourage students for adopting English to communicate are also examined. For this purpose, interviews of undergraduate students at a public sector university were conducted. The findings that emerge from this study are that students are motivated to learn English and speak English because it promises several social gains. Additionally, students receive its advantages during studies as it provides them better grades and improved impression in front of teachers and peers. It was concluded that while keeping, strong hold to one’s culture, speaking English for better understanding of the world is necessary.

Sustainability Education in English Textbook Grade VIII Based On SNC (2022)

2024-05-16T08:41:33+00:00

The primary objective of the study was to analyze the depiction of sustainability in the English textbook of grade eight based on Single National Curriculum (SNC), 2022. The study employed the Sustainability Framework of Marco Tavanti (2010) and qualitative content analysis through NVivo 12 with purposive sampling of the textbook. The findings reveal that sustainability is not the central theme of the textbook content, however, various dimensions of environmental, social, cultural, and values sustainability are being promoted through lessons, narratives, and activities. It was revealed that the environmental dimension is promoted through responsible use of resources by tree plantation, conservation of wild animals and birds, and responsible use of water and electricity. The social dimension is reflected through empathy, kindness, and respect for all professions. The economic dimension is indirectly reflected through the promotion of education, and the facilitation of agriculture to improve productivity. The cultural dimension is promoted through the cultural diversity and cultural heritage of Pakistan. Values-based dimension of sustainability at school is primarily based on moral values, spirituality, and personal development. There is no explicit attention to the institutional one, but responsible citizens are being promoted, which is a component of the institutional dimension. Even though sustainability is not the central theme of the textbook, it contributes towards providing a holistic and comprehensive understanding of sustainable development to the students.

Analysis of Grammatical Metaphors in "Home Fire" from Hallidayan Perspective: A Novel by Kamila Shamsie

2024-05-17T17:57:46+00:00

This study explores the use of Ideational Grammar consisting of both Stratal Model and Semantic Model Grammatical Metaphors from Kamila Shamsie’s novel ‘Home Fire’. This paper explores grammatical metaphor (GM) from a theoretical perspective. To achieve this, the paper firstly presents two models that theorize GM, namely the stratal model and the semantic model. GM types and instances show differences according to the model that theorizes GM; the paper, therefore, will analyze the types and instances of GM. This will be followed by research studies that investigated the development of GM in language development and language education to present how GM theorization has been applied in literature. Finally, the paper will conclude with a discussion and pedagogical implications for researchers and educators.

Managing The Impact of Changes in Discount Rate, Forex Rate, Exports & GDP on Imports of Pakistan

2024-05-22T05:02:48+00:00

The purpose of this study is to investigate how changes in macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP, exports, discount rate, and Forex rate, affect Pakistani imports. It is widely acknowledged that the world has become a global village, with no state being able to meet its own needs for goods and services. As a result, these states are forced to import goods and services that would be extremely expensive to produce locally due to a lack of raw materials. Imports are crucial to global trade because they enable nations to buy raw materials from other countries, transform them into completed goods, and then export those goods for significant profit. Maintaining a positive balance of payments requires the state to maintain an appropriate balance between its imports and exports. Since importing goods and services from overseas requires paying significant foreign exchange, it is imperative that only necessities be imported and that luxury items be avoided. Using data of independent variables, such as export, GDP, discount rate, and Forex rate, and dependent variable, namely import spread over a period from 1972 to 2020, descriptive statistics and diagnostic tests, such as Unit root test, ARDL tests, Bound test, Multicollinaerity, Heteroscedasticity, Correlation, and Autocorrelation, have been conducted. In order to examine the existence of a long-term balance link between import, GDP, interest rate, export, and foreign exchange rate, we have adopted the bounds analysis method to cointegration, which was developed inside the ARDL structure. The results provide strong evidence that the GDP, interest rate, and exchange rate all have an important impact on determining the long- and short-term responses to our nation's imports.

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The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: A Review of Strategies and Policies for the Economic and Trade Development of Pakistan

2024-05-24T11:43:42+00:00

The aim of this study was to examine the Pakistan's economic growth and regional trade strategies and policies in the CPEC’s perspective, a regional integrated trade and industrial plan, is the aim of this study. It is necessary to manage resources properly, which the policies alone can guarantee. The primary tool for manipulation in the use of these resources is policy. The objective of this research project is to examine the competence and inadequacy of relevant government institutions in designing policies, considering their appropriate implications and impact on exports, as well as their direct involvement in the trade flow process. For a long time, Pakistan has been pursuing sustainable development and trade. Different policies may exist in different nations and areas. The government is heavily involved in the formulation and execution of trade policies, which is why trade organizations also have an impact on them. Pakistan has the chance to embrace a new development paradigm thanks to the flagship project of the One Belt One Road initiative, CPEC. Only when society and the economy are freed via gradual changes in policy can CPEC be fully realized. In this study, the qualitative research method was used. Interviews with industrialists, exporters, and trade experts located in Karachi, Pakistan were conducted in order to collect the information. Cross-analysis of government agencies and organizations was made possible by the availability of television interviews with industrialists and trade association representatives. This study examines the policies and initiatives that the Pakistani government has chosen. The results obtained indicate that the policy makers in Pakistan have taken inconsistent, random, and misguided actions.

Centering Marginalized Voices: Examining Political and Social Rights in Pakistani Elite School Textbooks

2024-05-27T19:43:46+00:00

The qualitative content analysis examines the incorporation of human rights education (HRE) in Pakistani citizenship education by examining political and social rights narratives in History textbooks of elite private schools. Utilizing Gagnon and Pagé’s ‘effective system of rights’ framework (1999), this study explored the depth and diversity of rights issue coverage in 13 textbooks. Textbooks show considerable gaps in the representation of rights struggles, exclusion of minority perspectives, and normalization of political repression. This study identified significant differences in rights discourses between elite private schools and IB textbooks. The findings underline the need to diversify narratives on bottom-up rights movements, emphasize socio-economic impacts beyond material losses, and balance global examples with contextualized, relatable accounts of local issues to transform citizenship education for justice.

Marital Satisfaction, Social Support and Coping Strategies Among Couple Having Miscarriage

2024-05-29T10:49:42+00:00

Miscarriage is a challenging and emotionally distressing experience for couples, often affecting various aspects of their lives, including marital satisfaction, social support, and coping strategies. This study aims to explore the interplay between these factors to better understand the dynamics within couples facing the aftermath of miscarriage. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 200 couples who had recently experienced a miscarriage. Participants were recruited through hospitals, support groups, and online platforms. Each couple completed a set of structured questionnaires, including the Comprehensive Marital Satisfaction Scale (CMSS) to assess marital satisfaction, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to measure perceived social support, and the Brief COPE inventory to identify coping strategies. Findings revealed a significant negative correlation between miscarriage and marital satisfaction (r = -0.45, p < 0.001). Couples reported lower scores on the marital satisfaction scale, indicating decreased satisfaction within their relationships. Perceived social support played a crucial role, with higher support levels associated with better marital satisfaction (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Coping strategies varied among couples, with active coping, acceptance, and positive re framing positively correlated with marital satisfaction, while avoidant coping strategies showed a negative association. Results indicated that the relationship between coping strategies and marital satisfaction was mediated by perceived social support, and this mediation effect was moderated by the intensity of the miscarriage experience. The findings underscore the importance of addressing these factors in clinical interventions and support services for couples dealing with pregnancy loss.

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Diversity Management Practices and Inclusive Work Environment: A Study of Employees Working in Banking and IT Sectors

2024-06-06T19:53:50+00:00

Diversity management practices are deliberate tactics, guidelines and programs that organizations implement to successfully manage employee diversity and foster inclusive work environments. Inclusive work environment is essential for developing diversity and equality at workplace where employees of different gender, age, race and backgrounds feel valued and respected. In order to better understand how diversity management practices, affect inclusive work climate, this study aims to find association between diversity management practices and inclusive work environment for employees working in IT and banking sectors. Respondents were chosen by convenience sampling and the instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire. The survey was methodical in nature asking participants to select the option that best reflected their response to each of the questions on a 5-point Likert scale. 241 completed questionnaires out of the 350 that were distributed were returned by respondents and included for data analysis. We used PLS-SEM and SPS for the data analysis. The hypothesis was accepted and significant positive association was found between diversity management practices and inclusive work environment. Trainings for enhancing awareness about diversity are essential for fostering an inclusive work environment that will promote equal employment opportunities, career growth and developmental opportunities and recognition and appreciation for employees of different gender, age and backgrounds.

The Influence of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Decision-Making: A Comprehensive SEM Analysis

2024-06-09T12:07:20+00:00

In recent times, social media influencers and their marketing campaigns have gained significant popularity and attention. The aim of this study is to identify the extent to which social media influencers impact consumer decision-making and buying behaviors. The paper examines influencer marketing as a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and how it affects the consumer purchase journey. Framework is developed using existing literature on topics like consumer decision-making, eWOM, opinion leadership, source credibility, and digital interaction. The methodology utilizes a deductive research approach with a cross-sectional quantitative survey. The target population comprises consumers in Karachi who regularly use social media. The study uses Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to identify the relationship between social media word mouth, quality of information, Digital interaction, Digital Attractiveness, and Digital interaction on consumer decision-making with the mediation effect of opinion leaders. Convenience sampling is employed to collect data from over 150 respondents. The results provide empirical evidence that opinion leadership and source credibility significantly influence consumer decision-making when it comes to influencer marketing. This implies that the personality and perceived trustworthiness of the influencer matter more than their attractiveness or expertise. However, digital expertise is not found to have a positive effect. Overall, the findings highlight the need for brands to partner with credible influencers who can leverage their leadership to steer audience opinions and purchases. Future research can build on this by investigating negative eWOM, commercialism, and manipulating tactics used by influencers. The paper contributes to the growing research on social media marketing and how online opinion leaders shape consumer behaviors.

Green Ads, Green Hearts: How Ads and Caring for The Planet Boost Your Eco-Friendly Shopping Goals

2024-05-20T22:29:27+00:00

Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this research investigates the relationship between green advertising, green purchase intention, and environmental concern, employing a structural model analysis to explain their complex dynamics. Through careful examination of empirical data, it is established that green advertising exerts a significant positive influence on both green purchase intention and environmental concern. However, contrary to initial hypotheses, environmental concern does not act as a mediator between green advertising and green purchase intention which is unexpected, nor does it directly influence green purchase intention. These findings highlight the complex nature of consumer behavior in the context of sustainability, highlighting the interplay between advertising stimuli, environmental attitudes, and purchasing intentions. By shedding light on these dynamics, this study contributes to the scholarly discourse surrounding environmentally responsible consumption patterns, providing valuable insights for marketers, policymakers, and researchers alike.

Impact of Crimes on Economic Growth of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India using individual and Panel Data

2024-06-16T10:35:45+00:00

The purpose of this research paper is to study the detailed dynamics of economic and financial crimes of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Our econometric modelling focuses on the impact of the vector of financial and economic crime proxies upon economic growth of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India using data of individual country and then Panel data. In accordance with the reviewed literature, for our sample of south Asian countries, Crime (corruption and shadow economy) have a negative effect upon the vector of development proxies (Economic growth). I have estimated the relationship between GRP and CRP, GRB and CRB and GRI and CRI. I have then estimated the relationship between CRP, with, YURP and INFP, Similarly I have estimated the relationship between CRB with INFB, YURB. Similarly, I have estimated the relationship between CRI, with INFRI, YURI. Finally, I have estimated GR with CR using panel data. Then I estimated CR with INFR and YUR. Governmental policies on economic prosperity and societal wellbeing should focus on reducing corruption and shadow economy, in order to favour benefits in the field of economic development. World bank data denotes crime rate as economic and financial crimes.

Global Shocks and Local Impacts: A CGE Analysis on the Impact of COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Pakistan's Wheat Sector

2024-06-04T17:02:46+00:00

Wheat is one of the most important and vital sectors of Pakistan adding around 2% to the country's GDP growth each year. The crop has been in turmoil for the past four years. The primary drivers of this turmoil are the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which have impacted wheat production. The current study employs a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model focusing on the individual and combined effects of these two global shock scenarios. The study initiates by exploring the baseline scenario which assumes that there is no existence of Covid-19 or Russia Ukraine Conflict, then the results are calculated firstly for the productivity loss due to pandemic and then due to the Russian Ukraine conflict. Finally, both the productivity shocks are combined to study the shared effect of both the losses. The results indicate that the sector has experienced a significant loss, with spillover effects on its subsidiaries, including flour mills, bakery and confectionary industries, animal feed industries, and processed food industries. The labor and export markets shocks are also simulated highlighting the loss in both sectors attributing to disrupted supply chains and restrictions in covid nineteen and high dependency on Ukraine and Russia wheat imports. Welfare analysis has also been done for all the four scenarios to capture the welfare losses faced in the previous 4 years and the results are compared to the baseline scenario to compare the damage. To mitigate these losses, two policy scenarios are proposed: an expansionary fiscal policy and increased subsidies, followed by increased tariffs and a shift towards locally produced wheat instead of relying on imports.