Journal of Management Science Research Review
The Journal of Management Science Research Review (JMSRR) is a double-blind peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes high-quality empirical and theoretical research articles in all areas of management science. The journal is committed to publishing rigorous and relevant research that makes a significant contribution to the field of management science.
AI-DRIVEN PASSIVE HOUSING DESIGN FOR ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN EMERGING ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM PAKISTAN
Sustainability issues in the housing sector of emerging economies like Pakistan are exacerbated by rapid urbanization, rising energy consumption and environmental degradation. To overcome these challenges, passive housing design has been developed, which aims to optimize the orientation and design of buildings, use efficient building materials and improve the insulation and ventilation performance to minimize reliance on traditional energy systems. But, conventional passive design approaches are not always accurate, flexible and scalable in complex environments. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be an important solution as it can optimize the data and improve the performance of passive houses. This study employs a quantitative research method to examine the role of AI driven passive house design for the economic and environmental sustainability in Pakistan. The data was gathered by using a structured questionnaire from 384 construction, architectural and urban planning professionals. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS was used to analyze the relation between integration of AI, passive house efficiency and economical and environmental sustainability. The results show that the adoption of AI technologies has a very positive impact on passive house efficiency and this is the most influential factor for sustainability results. Additionally, the results show that AI's influence on environmental sustainability is more significant than its influence on economic sustainability, especially in terms of energy efficiency, carbon reduction and optimized design processes. The structural model shows moderate to strong explanatory power, supporting the robustness of the proposed model and identifying a mediating mechanism, namely the contribution of Passive House efficiency to the improved sustainability outcomes. The study is an empirical validation of the integration of AI and passive design in a context of a developing country, adding to the literature. The practical implications indicate that it is essential to advocate for the use of AI in design tools, revise building codes, and invest in capacity development for sustainable and climate-smart housing construction, facilitated by AI.
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A Multilevel Model of Organizational Justice and Commitment: The Mediating Role of Team Trust and the Moderating Role of Leadership Style
While we know that organizational justice influences individual commitment, little research has examined how shared perceptions of justice within work teams become individual attitudes. The paper constructs and demonstrates a time-lagged, multilevel model in which organizational justice is treated as a team climate that moderates the relationship between individual affective commitment and team trust. The model is grounded in Social Exchange Theory and Fairness Heuristic Theory. These perspectives imply that when employees perceive fair outcomes, fair processes, and respectful treatment, they use these indicators to assess the organization's reliability and the trustworthiness of other team members. Thus, team justice should enhance team trust, and team trust should, in turn, enhance employees' identification with the organization. Another argument presented in the article is that leadership style acts as a boundary condition. Transformational leadership is expected to enhance the advantage of a just climate on team trust by providing employees with a sense of meaning, reliability, and support. By contrast, transactional leadership might hinder this by focusing on short-term transactions and compliance. The paper presents a three-wave quantitative test design and a sample three-level structural equation analysis, with employees nested within work teams across various organizations, to demonstrate how this model can be tested. The illustrative analyses find partial mediation by team trust and stronger justice-trust links under high (transformational) leadership and weaker links under high (transactional) leadership. The work adds to the body of research on justice by integrating climate, trust, leadership, and time into a single framework. It provides practical advice to managers aiming to establish committed teams by being just and trusting.
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES & PERCEPTIONS (KAP) OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN AUDITING: A CASE OF PAKISTAN
Evolution of emerging technologies is reshaping auditing and financial reporting. Blockchain Technology (BCT) is one of these technologies and is considered capable of affecting the auditing. It is increasingly recognized as a transformative innovation with the potential to reshape auditing practices. Nevertheless its adoption in auditing is affected not only by its technical capabilities but also by auditors’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. In the context of Pakistan the present study examines these factors, as the auditing profession continues to face challenges related to efficiency and transparency. Qualitative research design was used based on semi structured interviews with thirty (30) auditing professionals including Chartered Accountants (CAs), trainee students, and experts affiliated with professional bodies. Data was analyzed through thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in interviewees’ responses. The results indicate that while auditors generally demonstrate a reasonable level of awareness of BCT, their understanding of its practical application in auditing remains limited. Attitudes toward the technology are cautiously optimistic. The participants acknowledged its potential to enhance audit quality, reliability and reduce dependence on intermediaries. At the same time some concerns related to lack of technical expertise, data privacy, implementation costs and regulatory uncertainty considerably affect their perceptions and willingness to adopt BCT. Although the auditing professionals in Pakistan recognize the strategic importance of BCT but its broader adoption depends on targeted professional training, greater institutional willingness and development of supportive regulatory frameworks. By offering empirical insights from the audit professionals, this study contributes to the limited literature on BCT adoption in developing economies and provides practical implications for professional bodies, regulators and audit firms seeking to support digital transformation in the auditing.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Creative Quality in Advertisement Filmmaking in Pakistan
Generative Artificial Intelligence has initiated a fundamental reorganization of innovative and operational efficiency for media production. This research studies the recent insertion of AI-supported storyboarding tools like Midjourney into the advertising industry of Pakistan. Although industry Veterans appreciate the rapid development of AI in creating quality content, concerns remain about AI’s placement of subtleties of the unique individual and nuances of culture. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research collects data using semi-structured interviews of professional directors and storyboard artists, and conducts a comparative analysis of the AI-and-non-AI-supported workflows. The research analyzes non-AI and AI-supported workflows in terms of production turnaround, visual integrity, and creative anxiety. AI supports and accelerates the other designer’s ideation and preproduction by automating lower-order tasks, reducing creative fatigue, and allowing higher-order tasks to be performed at the designer’s peak cognitive capacity. The data also show several huge disadvantages, notably a decline in aesthetic quality and narrative originality. The data show that inadequate control of AI’s output resulted in inferior culturally grounded elements, in this specific case within the context of Pakistan. AI can further accelerate productivity. In this research, the authors argue that a combination of higher-order tasks grounded in culture and control of AI in the advertising industry of Pakistan is warranted, and propose options for balancing the human and the technological in professional advertising in advertising of Pakistan to preserve narrative integrity.
Project Cognition and Strategic Failure: How Cognitive Biases Shape Decision-Making in Complex Projects
Cognitive biases significantly influence strategic decision-making in complex projects, often leading to systematic errors and project failure. This study investigates how cognitive biases—such as overconfidence, confirmation bias, anchoring, and escalation of commitment—shape decision-making processes in project environments. Drawing upon behavioral economics and project management literature, the study employs a mixed-method approach combining survey data and case-based analysis. Findings indicate that cognitive biases distort risk assessment, planning accuracy, and stakeholder judgment, ultimately contributing to cost overruns, delays, and strategic misalignment. The research highlights the need for structured decision frameworks and debiasing techniques to enhance project success rates. This paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on behavioral project management and offers practical recommendations for mitigating cognitive distortions in strategic decision-making.
DIGITAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: PANEL EVIDENCE FROM 24 EMERGING ECONOMIES, 2010–2023
In increasingly competitive global markets, branding has become a pivotal strategic tool for firms seeking to move beyond commodity-based competition and achieve sustainable value creation. This study explores the impact of brand ownership on firm-level sales in Pakistan's textile industry. A balanced panel dataset comprising 1,177 firm-year observations of all textile companies listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange during 2014-2023 is analyzed using a fixed effect panel regression with year fixed effects to control for unobserved firm heterogeneity and macroeconomic shocks. The results show a positive correlation between brand ownership and firm sales. This connection becomes quite strong when year fixed effects are also considered. The coefficient for brands goes up from 0.844 in the baseline model to 1.255 in the model with year fixed effects. This significant rise is a strong indication that branding provides a sustainable competitive advantage that remains, even when all common macroeconomic and industry-level factors are filtered out. Overall, the study gives strong evidence that owning a brand is not just a marketing tool but a very important strategic asset that can lead to increased revenue and better market position. The findings strongly support a strategic shift toward brand creation as a sustainable pathway for growth and value addition in Pakistan’s textile industry. Keywords: Textile Industry, Brand Ownership, Sales, Fixed-Effect Regression
DEPARTMENTAL HUMAN CAPITAL CAPACITY IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT; A TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF DIRECTORATE OF YOUTH AFFAIRS, GOVERNMENT OF BALOCHISTAN
Training Needs Assessment (TNA) is a critical tool for enhancing institutional capacity and staff performance in public sector organizations. In Balochistan, the Directorate of Youth Affairs (DoYA) faces significant challenges in implementing youth development policies due to gaps in technical, managerial, and attitudinal competencies among its staff. This study provides evidence-based insights into the specific training needs of youth-focused institutions in Balochistan, guiding targeted capacity-building interventions. This study aims to identify these capacity gaps and prioritize training interventions to strengthen the Directorate’s ability to deliver effective youth programs. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining a structured questionnaire with 27 respondents and 10 key informant interviews (KIIs), complemented by secondary data from departmental reports and policy documents. The assessment focused on knowledge, skills, and attitudes across multiple functional areas. Findings indicate that the highest training needs were in Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation Skills (73.1%), Self-Accountability & Integrity (65.4%), and Attitude to Adopt New Methods, Tools & Technologies (61.6%), while Proactive Attitude for Learning & Self-Development ranked lowest at 34.6%. Preferred training methods included in-house workshops (41%), exposure visits (29%), online training (19%), and mentoring/coaching (11%). The study recommends a phased capacity-building approach, integrating technical skills, leadership development, and digital literacy, supported by multi-year training strategies, mentorship programs, and succession planning to ensure sustainability. Systematic TNA and structured professional development are essential to enhance institutional performance, policy implementation, and long-term youth development outcomes in Balochistan. Keywords: Training Need Assessment, Youth, Directorate Of Youth Affairs, Balochistan
Reimagining Archaeological Tourism in Pakistan: An Inclusive Approach to Sustainable Heritage Development
Tourism is considered to be one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, and tourism has played an important role in economic growth, employment, and cultural interactions. In the tourism industry, archaeological tourism has also been considered an important part of tourism, particularly because of its potential to create a link with cultural and historical legacies. However, despite being a country with a strong archaeological history, Pakistan has not been able to utilize its tourism potential to a great extent. This paper aims to explore the limitations of the current archaeological tourism system in Pakistan and propose an inclusive approach to archaeological tourism for sustainable growth in the country. This paper has been conducted with a qualitative approach, and secondary data has been used as a data collection tool. Thematic analysis has also been conducted to explore some of the key issues affecting archaeological tourism in Pakistan. The findings suggest that tourism in Pakistan is currently facing limitations such as a lack of diversification, a lack of representation of historical periods such as the Hindu Shahi Empire, and a lack of infrastructure. The paper has also shown that an inclusive approach to archaeological tourism, considering various historical legacies, has a strong potential to improve tourism in Pakistan.
Human Capital and Organizational Performance Nexus: A Case Study of Private Universities in Peshawar
This study examines correlation between human capital and university performance in private sector universities in Peshawar, Pakistan via faculty knowledge, skills, and competencies on research output, academic performance, institutional reputation and student employability. Intellectual Capital literature suggests that intangibles, especially human capital, plays a pivotal role in universities performance however, most of the studies have considered a limited perspective of human capital or its outcomes. Similarly, there is dearth of such research in the regional context and in private sector higher educational institutions. Using quantitative methodology, data was collected from 286 faculty members across six universities. The statistical analysis indicates a substantial positive correlation between human capital and university performance (r = 0.658, p < 0.01), with regression analysis demonstrating that human capital accounts for 43.3% of performance variance. Hypotheses testing suggests that human capital has a positive effect on all four performance dimensions. The findings highlight the critical importance of human capital in enhancing organizational performance in universities. This study contributes to the literature by offering a holistic framework for evaluating university performance through developing human capital and addresses a contextual and sector gap in the evolving body of intellectual capital research.
Influence of Digital Marketing on the Consume Behavior
The digital marketing play a vital role in shaping the consumer behaviour. The use of digital marketing became the popular tool for effective marketing technique. Technology has created new opportunities for consumer Business interactions across various digital platforms such as social media networks and mobiles applications.It not also increase the sales but it helps to maintained the long term customer relationship. Through digital marketing the loyalty of consumer towards specific brand increase. The digital marketing is also effective way of communication with consumers. The digital marketing influence the consumer behaviour towards the specific product. The digital marketing helps the consumers to take the right decision on right time that not only save their times but it may be cost effective for the consumer. Before the use of digital marketing it is difficult to advertise the product to their target customers. The billboards, Brochure , TV channels, News paper, Seminars, Radios ads are the most commonly used medium for the digital marketing. Through use of electronic media for digital marketing plays its vital role to create the positive impact on consumer behavior. Now a days every needs has a solutions on yours tips because the use of social media. The social media particularly You Tube and Tik Tok is a power full tools in digital marketing that is quick and cost effective. Print Media has its own impact on consumer behaviour other then You Tube and Tik Tok. The purpose of my research to to elaborate the impact of digital marketing on consumer behaviour. This Article may explore the relationship between the digital marketing and consumer Behaviour. The purpose of this research is to examines how digital marketing activities and social media influence affect the consumer behaviour. The aim of this study is also to contribute to the literature on consumer behaviour and impact of digital marketing on Consumer behaviour.
The Impact of Stress Management Strategies on Students’ Academic Performance: Perceptions, Practices, and Recommendations
This qualitative research investigated the effects of stress management techniques on undergraduate students' academic performance and their understanding, coping strategies and suggestions to reduce academic stress. Ten undergraduate students of the University of Malakand, Pakistan, were purposely selected and interviewed using semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results showed financial problems, academic workload, fear of failure, time management problems and high parental and personal expectations were the primary sources of academic stress. Students reported that chronic stress interfered with their learning and academic performance, including memory, attention, problem solving, motivation and academic achievement (e.g. lowered their marks and the quality of their academic assignments). Students used a range of stress management strategies including time management, setting academic and life goals, taking care of themselves, and seeking support from friends and family, but some felt they could not manage their stress well. The research concludes that academic stress that goes unchecked has a negative impact on students' cognitive performance and academic achievement, and stress management and social support can alleviate these effects. Students suggested practical strategies of effective time management, relaxation, healthy living, and personal efforts combined with faith in God. This research suggests that universities need to provide culturally relevant stress management interventions that consider both academic and financial stressors, as well as encourage healthy coping mechanisms and social support.
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF TRADE OPENNESS AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTH ASIA: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS
The study analyzes the impact of trade openness and foreign direct investment on economic growth in South Asia. The research uses a balanced panel dataset covering the time period from 2000 to 2023. The main determinants include population growth, gross fixed capital formation, human capital, and institutional quality. The fixed-effects models are estimated using the Hausman test. For a robustness check, the control variables like inflation, globalization, and income inequality are analyzed. Driscoll-Kraay standard errors are used to account for heteroscedasticity and cross-sectional dependence. The baseline results indicate that the major drivers of growth are foreign direct investment, capital formation, human capital, and institutional quality, whereas trade openness and population growth indicate an adverse impact on economic growth. The results suggest that sustainable development depends more on reinforcing the country's core structural fundamentals than on trade liberalization in South Asia. The study recommends that governments may seek to attract productive foreign direct investment, build human capital, and improve institutional quality to sustain long-term economic growth.
Effect Of Non-Monetry Rewards On Employees’ Retention With Mediating Role Of Motivation: A Study Of Banking Sector
The research examines how non-monetary incentives affect employee retention through motivation as a mediator in Peshawar Pakistan's banking sector. The research examines two types of non-monetary rewards which are recognition and development opportunities because these elements matter most in the banking sector of Peshawar Pakistan. The study employed a survey-based quantitative approach to gather data from 200 participants who worked in six major banks and received 180 valid responses which were analyzed through SmartPLS SEM. The study demonstrates that development opportunities lead to higher employee motivation and retention rates which makes them essential for successful retention practices. The research results indicated that recognition had no substantial impact on motivation or retention because symbolic appreciation might not be enough to motivate employees in demanding banking roles. The study revealed that motivation served as a leading factor for employee retention and it linked development opportunities to employee retention but failed to establish a connection between recognition and retention. The research supports Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory by demonstrating that career development acts as a stronger intrinsic motivator than recognition for maintaining long-term employee commitment. The study demonstrates that banks in Peshawar should establish development-focused HR policies and professional growth initiatives because these strategies will boost employee motivation and decrease employee turnover rates.
From Entry to Embeddedness: A Case Study of Haier’s Strategic Localization and Cross-Cultural Management in Pakistan
As multinational corporations increasingly seek growth in the Global South, the South-South expansion model presents unique strategic and cultural challenges. This research investigates the international management strategies and cross-cultural dynamics of the Haier Group in Pakistan. The purpose of this study is to analyze how Haier navigated a volatile emerging market to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by balancing global strategic coherence with local cultural responsiveness. Adopting a qualitative case study methodology, the paper is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Dunning’s Eclectic Paradigm and Bartlett and Ghoshal’s Transnational Strategy. These models provide the analytical lens to evaluate Haier’s entry motives and its transition from a foreign exporter to a locally embedded institution. The findings indicate that Haier’s success is predicated on an aggressive localization of manufacturing and human resources, which effectively minimized the liability of foreignness. However, the analysis also identifies significant "managerial friction" at the intersection of Chinese efficiency-driven corporate culture and the relational, hierarchical workplace norms of Pakistan. Specifically, applying Hofstede’s (2011) Cultural Dimensions reveals a tension between Haier’s decentralized Rendanheyi model and local employee expectations for paternalistic leadership. The study finds that Haier mitigated these challenges through "cultural translation" and the deployment of expatriates with high cultural intelligence (CQ), resulting in a hybridized operational model. The research concludes that success in diverse emerging markets requires moving beyond a transactional entry mindset toward a "two-way knowledge loop" that respects local institutional and human factors. This study provides valuable insights for global firms navigating the complexities of cross-border management, emphasizing that true organizational synergy is achieved through the delicate alignment of global capabilities with host-country socio-economic fabrics.
Optimizing Investment Decision-Making Through Ai-Augmented Financial Analysis
Financial markets are becoming more complicated, rendering old forecasting techniques inadequate for making authentic decisions due to globalization, technological development, and massive data expansion. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the financial decision process with unparalleled accuracy, efficiency and predictive capabilities. Despite the advantages of including AI in financial decision-making, it draws important issues such as data security,algorithmic biases, ethical issues, transparency hurdles, and regulatory problems. Gaining user trust and adhering to new international rules require AI-driven financial systems to be fair and explainable. The paper examines the optimization of investment decision making through augmented financial analysis. The independent variables used in the paper were augmented analytic and fintech integration. The paper employed a purposive sampling technique. The findings showed that rules, the quality of the data and how willing businesses are to use AI all affect how accurate AI augmentation is. It also showed that fintech analysts showed more confidence and concern towards the adoption of AI augmentation for the investment decision making process.
From Compliance to Capability: Reframing Financial Due Diligence in Global Health Partnerships
Financial due diligence is a central component of global health financing, primarily designed to ensure accountability and mitigate financial risk. However, in practice, it is often applied as a compliance-driven, pass/fail mechanism, which may limit the participation of high-potential partners, particularly in low-resource settings. This paper argues for a reframing of financial due diligence from a risk-screening tool to a strategic enabler of partner capability and programme effectiveness. Drawing on existing literature and practice-based insights, the paper proposes a capability-oriented due diligence approach that integrates risk management with structured capacity building. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions on global health financing by outlining a conceptual framework that balances accountability with the need to support innovation and strengthen institutional capacity.
Blue Economy Development in Pakistan: Employment Potential and Policy Readiness
Pakistan's blue-economy is strategically important but immensely underutilized. The country possesses a major Arabian Sea coastline, three commercial ports, significant fisheries resources, globally important mangroves and a long underused Makran coast, yet policy rhetoric has moved faster than implementation. The study focuses on the sectors most likely to produce real jobs rather than speculative headlines: fisheries and post-harvest value chains, aquaculture and mariculture, coastal tourism, ports and logistics, shipping support services, ship recycling and repair, blue carbon and coastal ecosystem restoration. It uses comparative policy analysis, legal framework, sector diagnostics and official statistical evidence to test not only where employment may emerge along-with capacity whether the legal and institutional architecture is ready to support . Pakistan is not starting from zero, but it is not governing the blue economy at an internationally credible standard either. Ports and maritime security institutions are relatively stronger; fisheries governance remains only partly effective; aquaculture, tourism management and ship-recycling compliance remain underprepared; and climate adaptation is still insufficiently integrated into economic planning. Recent federal and provincial policy moves in 2025-26 show greater seriousness than before, especially in Balochistan, but implementation remains uneven. The country can make the most realistic employment gains from disciplined upgrading of existing value chains through traceability, harbour modernization, better cold chain, skills, environmental compliance, coastal service systems and community inclusion. Pakistan does not lack maritime assets. It lacks coordinated execution, investable project pipelines and credible federal-provincial delivery arrangements.
The Role of Social Entrepreneurship in Shaping Architects’ Behavioral Response toward AI-Based Taxation and Sustainable Hospitality Construction: A Serial Mediation Analysis
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into taxation systems has emerged as a critical mechanism for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and economic sustainability, particularly within the hospitality construction sector of emerging economies. However, architects’ behavioural responses toward AI-based taxation remain inconsistent due to underlying socio-entrepreneurial and technological factors. This study examines the role of social entrepreneurship in shaping architects’ behavioural responses toward AI-based taxation and its subsequent impact on sustainable hospitality construction through a serial mediation framework. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from architects involved in hospitality construction projects using a structured questionnaire. The proposed model was analysed using SmartPLS software (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling). The findings reveal that social entrepreneurship significantly and positively influences both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of AI-based taxation systems. Perceived ease of use further enhances perceived usefulness, which in turn strengthens trust in the system. Trust was found to have a strong positive effect on behavioural response, which significantly contributes to sustainable hospitality construction. Moreover, the results confirm a statistically significant serial mediation effect, demonstrating that social entrepreneurship indirectly influences sustainability outcomes through the sequential pathway of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust, and behavioural response. The model exhibits substantial explanatory power with significant path coefficients. This study contributes to technology adoption and sustainability literature by integrating social entrepreneurship into the TAM framework and offers practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to promote AI-driven sustainable development in emerging economies.
Exploring the Dynamics of Financial Markets and Corporate Financial Decisions
Background: The financial markets and corporate financial decisions are closely intertwined and have an important influence on economic results. The way in which market, in terms of stock prices, interest rates, and volatility affect corporate decisions, and vice versa, is a significant research topic. These aspects have been studied independently in previous studies, yet the mutual relationship has not been investigated to the full extent. The purpose of the research is the following: the investigation of the dynamic relationship between a financial market and corporate financial decisions and how the variables of the market translate into corporate strategies and vice versa. Method: It was a mixed-method study involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the secondary data (financial markets stocks prices, interest rates, market volatility), and qualitative data (interviews with corporate managers). The data were analyzed using regression analysis, correlation tests and thematic analysis. Findings: The findings indicate that the financial market conditions, including the changes in stock prices and interest rates, play a major role in the decision-making process of corporate investment, capital structure, and risk management. Conversely, these are corporate decisions which include capital expenditure and dividend policy of the company and are felt in the behavior of the market. Conclusion: The paper shows how the financial markets and corporate financial decisions are mutually dependent on each other. It points to the necessity of a complex solution to realize how they influence each other, which can be helpful to managers in corporations and investors.
Riding the Trade Waves: Gender-Differentiated Employment Dynamics in Asia
International trade plays a critical role in shaping labour market dynamics across economies around the world. However, instability or fluctuations in trade flows, referred as the trade volatility, can influence employment patterns across genders. This study examines how trade fluctuations effect gender-differentiated employment among Asian economies. Using data from the World Bank database for the period from 2011 to 2023, covering 11 Asian countries, this study implies panel-data estimation techniques, including fixed and random effects models to control for unobserved heterogeneity. Two separate models are estimated in the empirical analysis for male and female employment shares. The findings reveal that trade volatility has a statistically significant impact on female employment as compared to male employment across Asian region. The empirical findings show that females are more vulnerable to external trade shocks in Asian labour markets. Overall, the study underscores the importance of implementing gender-targeted policies to mitigate the negative impacts of uncertainty in trade flows and for the promotion of more inclusive employment outcomes. Keywords: Trade volatility, Asian economies, panel data, gender-disaggregated employment
Privatization-Induced Job Insecurity and Its Multilevel Consequences: A Qualitative Study of Psychological, Performance, Health, and Social Outcomes in Pakistan’s State-Owned Financial Institutions
Present study aims to explore the role of privatization-induced insecurity of job among employees of Pakistan’s public sector financial institutions and to examine the multidimensional consequences related to physical health, family, work-life imbalances, and psychological related domains. 125 semi-structured in-depth interviews taken under qualitative study by utilizing the interpretivist approach among state-owned five financial institutions which are undergoing privatization or anticipating privatization. Interviews were analysed through thematic analysis to know the patterns in lived experiences of employees. Results of the study indicate that perceived job insecurity due to privatization functions as persistent and chronic stressor factor rather than temporary change is the organization. Emotional exhaustion, stress, and anxiety are the main psychological strains that emerges as mechanism which link to perceived job insecurity and be a reason for multiple outcomes like reduce contextual and task performance, physical health deterioration, work-life imbalances, and negative spill-over into social relationships and family. Coping strategies at individual level provides relief up to limited level but organizational support plays crucial role in mitigating adverse effects of perceived job insecurity due to privatization among employees. The study contributes theoretically and methodologically by utilizing the in-depth semi-structured interviews. Policymakers and leaders of organizations must incorporate the well-being of employees while considering privatization of state-owned institutions by effective strategies of communication, stress-reduction interventions, and supportive management practices.
Social media Based Destination Brand Community Engagement (SMBDBCE): a mediated analysis for the social-media marketing strategies of destination brands in Pakistan
With the advancements in the technology, social media has gained a significant importance in the tourism sector, markedly for destination branding. Literature has ample work available on the branding but scant literature is available on the social media marketing strategies and its impact on branding specifically the branding of northern destinations of Pakistan. To fill the mentioned gap in the literature, this study has conceptualized the framework of social media engagement and its impact on the destination brand visit intention of the tourists as a consequent of positive engagement on the social media-based destination brand platforms. The study has analyzed the impact of social media Based Destination Brand Community Engagement (SMBDBCE) on Intention to Visit (ITV) and the mediated impact of Destination Brand Customer Engagement (DBCE) in this relationship. The study has used a quantitative approach and has collected a sample of 351 visitors of northern destinations of Pakistan i.e. Naltar Valley and Fairy Meadows in this study, via purposive sampling: a non-probability sampling technique and the analysis has been done by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on Smart PLS 4. The results have revealed that there is a positive and significant relation between the Social Media Based Destination Brand Community Engagement (SMBDBCE) and Intention to Visit (ITV) and the Destination Brand Customer Engagement (DBCE) significantly and positively mediates this relationship. The results have shed light on the notable need for the northern destination brands of Pakistan to develop such marketing strategies for their social media based destination brand platforms that engage the tourists and visitors in those platforms by the provision of adequate information and lucrative user friendly pertained facilities that enable them to share the positive and worthwhile experiences to facilitate the social media based destination brand community.
The Role of Green Supply Chain Management and Environmental Management Practices in Enhancing Enviropreneurship Performance of Pakistani FMCG SMEs
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that make up most of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector in Pakistan are at the intersection between major environmental problem and economic demands. The research paper examines ways in which such companies can move beyond this supposed trade-off between the playing fields of ecological responsibility and business performance by exploring synergistic functions of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and Environmental Management Practices (EMP) in the achievement of Enviropreneurship Performance (EP), which is a cross-dimensional construct used to describe environmental stewardship and business performance. The research suggests a contingent mediation model; it is based on a combined theoretical framework that includes the Dynamic Capabilities View, the Institutional Theory, and the Stakeholder Theory. The research used a structured questionnaire to collect data on 146 FMCG SME in Pakistan and the questionnaire was to be analyzed with the help of Partial Least Squares Stheoreticaltructural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The research finds that the best solution to ensuring high-quality enviropreneurship performance of Pakistani FMCG SMEs is a two-pronged integrated approach: to gain operational and market benefits in the context of GSCM, and at the same time, to establish formal EMP as the driving force of sustainable innovation and competitiveness.
Nexus Among Financial Stability and Financial Performance
The study finds how Pakistani commercial banks' financial performance is impacted by financial stability, specifically non-performing loans (NPL). It employs economic value-added (EVA) and return on assets (ROA) as performance measurements, taking into account macroeconomic data like gross domestic product (GDP), inflation, and monetary policy rates in addition to internal aspects like bank age and size. NPL and both financial performance metrics are negatively correlated, according to an analysis of panel data from 15 banks between 2020 and 2025. Furthermore, although the monetary policy rate has a negative impact on performance, its effect on EVA is considered negligible. On the other hand, variables like GDP, bank age, and size have a strong positive impact, especially on ROA. The study suggests that banks adopt more stringent financial stability guidelines, update these guidelines frequently to improve loan procedures, and evaluate the depreciated asset values used as collateral on an annual basis in order to improve financial performance. Notably, this study creatively uses EVA to investigate the relationship between financial stability and financial performance—a metric that was frequently disregarded in earlier research.
Public Funding and Public Benefit: Balancing Commercialization and Equity in Health Innovation
Public funding plays a critical role in advancing health innovation, particularly in high-risk areas such as vaccine development and pandemic preparedness. However, the relationship between public investment and public benefit remains contested, especially when commercialization processes prioritize private returns over equitable access. This paper examines the tension between public funding, commercial incentives, and public health outcomes, arguing that public benefit is not an automatic outcome of public investment but must be actively negotiated. Drawing on existing literature and recent global health experiences, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the study identifies key limitations in current funding models, particularly their emphasis on risk minimization and insufficient mechanisms for ensuring equitable access. The paper proposes a “Balanced Public Return Framework” that integrates risk-sharing, access conditions, commercial incentives, and accountability mechanisms to better align financial structures with public health goals. The findings highlight the importance of structured negotiation strategies and adaptive financing models to ensure that public investments generate meaningful and equitable health outcomes while sustaining innovation.
AUDIT QUALITY AND ITS IMPACT ON EARNING QUALITY AND CAPITAL COSTS DURING FINANCIAL CRISIS. EVIDENCE FROM PAKISTAN
This study investigates the impact of audit quality on earnings quality and the cost of capital, with particular attention to the mediating role of earnings quality and the moderating effect of financial crises in Pakistan. Using panel data from non financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the study employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, panel regressions and mediation moderation analysis to examine these relationships. Audit quality is proxies by auditor type, earnings quality is measured through discretionary accruals and the cost of capital is computed using the weighted average of equity and debt costs. The results reveal that high audit quality significantly improves earnings quality (β = 0.087, t = 4.21, p < 0.01), indicating that reputable auditors constrain managerial opportunism and enhance the reliability of financial reporting. Audit quality is also associated with a lower cost of capital (β = -0.021, t = -3.76, p < 0.01), while higher earnings quality independently reduces financing costs (β = -0.039, t = -4.11, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis shows that earnings quality partially transmits the effect of audit quality on the cost of capital (indirect effect β = -0.012, t = 3.58, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the interaction between audit quality and financial crisis periods is significant (β = -0.018, t = -2.95, p < 0.01), indicating that audit quality plays a more pronounced role in lowering financing costs during economic uncertainty. These findings highlight the importance of high quality auditing and reliable financial reporting in reducing information asymmetry and improving capital market efficiency in emerging markets. The study provides practical implications for regulators, corporate managers and investors in strengthening governance and enhancing investor confidence, particularly during periods of financial distress. Keywords: Audit quality, Earnings quality, Cost of capital, Financial crisis, Pakistan, Panel data, Discretionary accruals.
EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORK PRACTICES AND INNOVATIVE WORK PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
Background: High-Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) are widely recognized as strategic human resource practices that enhance employee capabilities, motivation, and organizational performance. However, limited research has examined how HPWPs influence employees’ innovative work performance, particularly in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector. Moreover, the underlying psychological mechanisms explaining this relationship remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the impact of HPWPs on innovative work performance, focusing on the mediating role of employee motivation in selected sugar manufacturing companies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and a quantitative survey design. Data were collected from employees working in various departments and job levels in selected sugar mills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure proportional representation of employee categories. Five High-Performance Work Practices were examined: recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, training and development, employee involvement, and compensation system. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data, and the responses were analyzed using Statistical Package for the service solutions (SPSS) version 21. Results: The findings revealed that all five High-Performance Work Practices had a significant positive relationship with employees’ innovative work performance. The analysis further indicated that employee motivation significantly mediated the relationship between HPWPs and innovative work performance. This suggests that effective implementation of HR practices enhances innovation primarily by improving employees’ motivation. Conclusion: The study concludes that High-Performance Work Practices play a crucial role in promoting innovative work performance through enhanced employee motivation. The findings contribute to the limited empirical literature on HRM practices and innovation in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector, particularly the sugar industry, and provide practical implications for managers seeking to improve innovation through effective human resource strategies. Keywords: High-Performance Work Practices, Employee Motivation, Innovative Work Performance, Human Resource Management, Sugar Industry, Pakistan.
Measuring and Mitigating Inequality in AI-Driven Labor Markets
The quick integration of AI into labor markets have fueled concerns of economic inequality with respect to wage polarization, job displacement, and unequitable distribution of technological dividends. While these problems are already established through various researches, lack of measures and policies for AI induced inequality is evident. This paper tries to build a comprehensive measurement system for inequality with the focus of AI influenced labor markets and policy and technology that can tackle it. It will be theorized that AI has a disproportionate benefit on high-skill labor and has made low-skill and routine labor vulnerable. Based on the mixture of methods (econometric estimation on labor markets, simulation to model potential adoption of AI) inequality metrics such as Gini coefficients, wage dispersion indices, task based measures are being considered. Policy and case study can also be adopted to compare policy and technology such as reskilling and taxation, and algorithmic fairness solutions. The findings of this study would argue that adoption of AI exacerbated current inequality, through increasing demand on high-skill and mechanization on routine labor. But well-designed policy of reskilling workforce, inclusive design of AI and redistributive policy can effectively mitigate these impacts. Early policy and action have a larger effect than reactive measures. In conclusion, this research is an effort to illustrate both the potential to worsen economic inequality and solutions by AI and contribute to the design of effective AI policy for equitable future.
The Analysis of Obstical For Small and Medium Enterprises: A Case Study of Site Area Kotri
There is huge significant role of Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in perspective of country's economic, social and industrial development. Despite their importance, these businesses face a number of challenges that have an impact on their success. The goal of this study is to critically explore the considerable restrictions that SMEs face in the Kotri industrial complex. Issues such as the inability to develop high-value products, a lack of effective strategy, insufficient financial understanding, a lack of enthusiasm, insufficient human resource capabilities, and bad banking services will be addressed. The data utilized in this study was collected from the firm's management and employees to examine the impact and incidence of these obstacles. The study found that the highlighted restrictions limit firms' ability to adapt with upcoming changes in the global economy.
THE IMPACT OF NON ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING ON GREEN BRAND EQUITY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF GREENWASHING & ECO-LABEL CONFUSION & THE MODERATING ROLE OF BRAND TRUST & GREEN BRAND
The research aims to determine the antecedents of green brand equity in Pakistan’s FMCG market through green branding, eco-label credibility, perceived greenwashing, and their interactive effects. The need for environmental friendliness is proposed as a moderator on the effects of green branding and brand trust toward green brand equity while examining the mediating roles of eco-label credibility and perceived greenwashing in the relationship between environmental friendliness and green brand equity. This positivist quantitative research employs a cross-sectional survey method. Primary data were collected from 409 respondents among FMCG consumers in Pakistan using a structured questionnaire comprising closed-ended questions based on five-point Likert scales ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree with statements related to different constructs under study. Data analysis involved the PLS-SEM (SmartPLS) application for assessing both measurement model validity/reliability aspects, together with testing direct/moderating/mediating paths’ significance levels within the proposed conceptual framework model structure. The results show that the need for environmental friendliness significantly increases both perceptions towards eco-label credibility as well as perceivedgreenwashing. The moderating effects of environmental friendliness on the relationship between brand trust and green brand equity, and green branding and green brand equity, are not supported. The study also finds no support for the indirect effects of environmental friendliness on green brand equity through eco-label credibility and perceived greenwashing. Therefore, Pakistani FMCG firms should focus on a consistent evidence-based green branding rather than only labels. Environmentally oriented consumers seem to be more vigilant and at the same time more skeptical; hence, firms should enhance the credibility of green claims through transparent, verifiable communication to avoid skepticism without assuming that consumers will automatically reward labels or punish perceived greenwashing. This paper adds to existing works on green branding by showing that in Pakistan’s FMCG sector, green brand equity is mainly driven by green branding itself and not so much by eco-label credibility or consumers’ perception of greenwashing. The findings exhibit the “aware-but-constrained” consumer pattern typical for emerging markets and provide context-specific evidence on why certain green cues do not convert into brand equity. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19605191
Sustainable Hospitality Architecture: A Socio-Economic and Environmental Assessment of Green Building Practices with Managerial Insights
The growing demand for environmentally responsible infrastructure has positioned sustainable hospitality architecture as a critical area of research, particularly in emerging economies. This study examines the socio-economic and environmental implications of green building practices in the hospitality sector, while also providing practical managerial insights for effective implementation. The research aims to evaluate how sustainable architectural design influences operational efficiency, cost management, environmental performance, and customer satisfaction in hospitality facilities. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire distributed to hotel managers, architects, and facility supervisors in major urban areas. A sample of 120 respondents was selected through convenience sampling to ensure ease of data collection. Key variables included green building practices, perceived cost efficiency, environmental performance, and service quality outcomes. Data were analyzed SmartPLS software. The findings indicate that green building practices have a significant positive impact on environmental performance and moderate improvements in operational cost efficiency and customer satisfaction. Additionally, managerial awareness and strategic planning were found to play a crucial role in the successful adoption of sustainable practices. The study concludes that integrating sustainability into hospitality architecture not only enhances environmental outcomes but also contributes to long-term economic benefits. It is recommended that hospitality managers adopt cost-effective green design strategies, invest in staff training, and align sustainability goals with operational planning to maximize overall performance. This research provides a practical and easily replicable framework for future studies in similar contexts.
Does FinTech Accelerate ESG Performance? Evidence from Digital Banks
The rapid growth of financial technology (FinTech) has transformed banking operations, particularly through digital banks that leverage data analytics, automation, and platform-based services. While FinTech is often associated with efficiency and innovation, its role in advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance remains underexplored. This study investigates whether FinTech adoption accelerates ESG performance in digital banks. It aims to assess the relationship between technological innovation and sustainability outcomes, testing the hypothesis that higher levels of digitalization are positively associated with improved ESG metrics. The study likely employs a quantitative panel-data approach using a sample of digital banks across multiple jurisdictions. FinTech intensity is measured through digital infrastructure investment, platform integration, and AI utilization, while ESG performance is evaluated using standardized ESG scores. Regression analysis, controlling for bank size, profitability, capital adequacy, and macroeconomic factors, is used to identify causal relationships. Robustness checks, including fixed-effects models and endogeneity controls, strengthen empirical validity. The findings suggest that greater FinTech integration is positively associated with enhanced ESG performance, particularly in environmental efficiency and governance transparency. Digital banks demonstrate improved risk monitoring, reduced operational carbon footprints, and stronger compliance mechanisms through automated reporting systems. However, social impact outcomes vary depending on regulatory frameworks and financial inclusion strategies. FinTech appears to function as a catalyst for ESG advancement in digital banking by improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability. Strategic alignment between technological innovation and sustainability objectives is critical to maximizing long-term value creation and responsible financial development.
Modeling International Tourism Demand: Evidence from European Arrivals to Pakistan Using Panel Data Techniques
This study investigates the determinants of international tourism demand in Pakistan using annual panel data from ten European source countries — the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, and Turkey — spanning the period 1990 to 2019. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration is applied to each country individually to identify both long-run and short-run relationships between tourist arrivals to Pakistan and four key explanatory variables: real gross domestic product (RGDP), relative price of tourism (RPT), unemployment rate (UNR), and population growth rate (PGR). The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test confirms that the series are integrated at mixed orders — I(0) and I(1) — which justifies the use of the ARDL framework. The bound test results reveal statistically significant long-run cointegrating relationships for the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Turkey, while France, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway exhibit no such long-run associations. The long-run coefficients indicate that real income is the dominant and most consistent driver of tourist arrivals, with elasticities ranging from 5.70% for Spain to 13.21% for the United Kingdom. Relative tourism prices exert a negative influence on demand, reflecting the price sensitivity of European visitors, while population growth in the source country and unemployment rates produce mixed and country-specific effects. Error Correction Model (ECM) estimates confirm relatively rapid adjustment to equilibrium, with correction speeds ranging from 52.2% per annum for the UK to 214% for Germany. Structural stability of all estimated models is confirmed by CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests. The findings carry important implications for Pakistan's tourism policy, suggesting that marketing efforts in high-income European markets, competitive pricing strategies, and improvements in destination infrastructure are essential for sustainable growth in inbound tourism.
Impact of Digital Payment Systems (Easypaisa and JazzCash) on Customer Satisfaction in Sindh, Pakistan
This paper will look at how the digital payment systems, Easypaisa and JazzCash, affect customer satisfaction in Sindh province of Pakistan. Primary data were gathered in 384 respondents in the urban, semi-urban, and rural Sindh using a cross-sectional survey methodology. A structured questionnaire with a five point Likert scale was used to elicit satisfaction on six dimensions, namely ease of use, speed of transaction, security and trust, cost affordability, reliability of the network and customer service. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. The results show that transaction speed ( β= 0.297 and p = 0.001) and security ( β= 0.284 and p = 0.001) have the highest predictors of overall satisfaction. The overall satisfaction scores at Easypaisa were slightly higher than those at JazzCash, but only the security perception and overall satisfaction (p < 0.05) have statistically significant differences. Urban respondents score much higher on satisfaction scores compared to rural respondents and network reliability and digital literacy are the most important barriers in rural Sindh. The research is relevant to the literature on the adoption of fintech in developing nations and puts forward practical suggestions to policymakers and digital financial service providers. These results are in line with the national trends and the State Bank of Pakistan reported that by FY202425, over three quarters of retail transactions were made via digital channels. Keywords: Digital payments, easy paisa, Jazz cash, Financial institutions, technology acceptance
ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI: ETHICAL AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
Abstract The accelerated development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming the entrepreneurial landscape by providing an opportunity to be innovative, automate, and make decisions based on data. This paper explores the ethical and strategic issues of GenAI in entrepreneurship by employing the systematic literature review (SLR) method Based on recent academic literature (2023-2025 PRISMA-guided, n=180 empirical studies). the research determines the way GenAI can be used to increase opportunity recognition, speed up business model innovation, and increase efficiency in operations. Nevertheless, it also demonstrates some severe ethical issues, such as the problem of data privacy, algorithmic bias, the ambiguity of intellectual property, and the threats of misinformation. The results indicate that GenAI has meaningful competitive benefits, but the sustainable implementation of the technology will demand strong ethical governance systems. The research adds to the literature as it suggests a new techno-ethical entrepreneurial concept that incorporates innovation and responsibility. Keywords: Generative AI, Entrepreneurship, Ethical AI, Strategy, Innovation, Digital Transformation. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19492392
The Effect of Regulatory Frameworks on the Growth of Cryptocurrency Markets
The rate of the emergence of cryptocurrency economies as a small-scale technological experiment to a multi-trillion-dollar type of assets has been matched by extensive variations in regulatory approaches by jurisdictions. This article assesses the impact of regulatory frameworks on the development of cryptocurrency markets, which summarizes the recent empirical research on regulatory clarity, regulatory enforcement, institutional acceptance, and cross-jurisdictional comparisons. The discussion shows that regulatory regimes affect the development of the market immensely and unequally in the diverse aspects of market capitalization, trading volume, initial coin offering activity and institutional participation. The experience of the European Union with its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation shows that effective regulatory frameworks are able to minimize uncertainty and result in institutional capital inflow and fragmented or antagonistic regulatory frameworks are able to push trading to offshore markets. United States studies have indicated that, where enforcement strategies are heavy and there has not been explicit rulemaking then the regulatory arbitrage strategies exist and there is no reduction of the underlying demand. The article concludes that the conditions of a stable cryptocurrency market development are regulatory clarity, global coordination, balanced frameworks that offer the protection of consumers and financial stability without suffocating innovation. Keywords: Institutional adoption, cryptocurrency markets, regulatory frameworks, financial regulation, market growth, regulatory arbitrage.
Performance Pressure and Work Meaningfulness: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion and Emotional Labour.
This study examines the relationships among performance pressure, emotional exhaustion, and work meaningfulness, with emotional labour as a moderating variable. Grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework and a self-regulatory capacity perspective, the study proposes that performance pressure contributes to emotional exhaustion, which in turn relates to work meaningfulness. Data were collected from 308 employees working in private banks in Pakistan. The hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The results show that performance pressure is positively related to emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion is also positively associated with work meaningfulness, contrary to the hypothesized negative relationship. Further analysis indicates that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between performance pressure and work meaningfulness. In addition, emotional labour moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work meaningfulness, such that the relationship becomes stronger at higher levels of emotional labour. Overall, the findings indicate that emotional exhaustion functions as an intervening mechanism linking performance pressure to work meaningfulness, while emotional labour conditions this relationship
Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Financial Performance: The Mediating Role of Internal Control Effectiveness under COSO and SOX Frameworks — Evidence from Pakistan
This study explores the association between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and firm financial performance (FFP) by examining the mediating role of internal control efficacy within the COSO and Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) structures. Representing upon Stakeholder Theory, Legitimacy Theory, Agency Theory, and the Resource-Based View, the study hypothesized CSR as a multidimensional paradigm encompassing economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic, environmental, stakeholder, and governance responsibilities. A mixed-method methodology is engaged using primary assessment data to quantify CSR observes and internal control efficiency, supplemented by five-year averaged secondary financial data (ROA, ROE, and Tobin’s Q) from firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Using multivariate regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis, the study tests whether internal control serves as a governance technique that transforms CSR creativities into outstanding financial results. The conclusions are projected to contribute to the developing literature on sustainable finance and corporate governance by clarifying the internal managerial mechanisms through which CSR enriches firm value in developing markets. The study offers theoretical, managerial, and regulatory suggestions for solidification governance driven CSR in developing economies.
Board Diversity and Firm Value: Beyond Gender to Cognitive and Experiential Heterogeneity in Corporate Boards
Purpose – This article disputes the existing emphasis on demographic diversity (and especially gender) in corporate board studies by suggesting that cognitive and experiential heterogeneity- differences in the manner in which directors think, what they know, and in what ways they have encountered the business world- are more likely to affect firm value. Although gender and ethnic diversity are still a factor in the equity and legitimacy, the empirical findings to associate the demographic diversity with the financial performance is at best inconsistent. This paper summarizes current meta-analytic data indicating that cognitive diversity (expertise, experience, industry background) is a stronger predictor of innovation and governance performance as compared to more superficial demographic factors. Methodology and Approach- This theoretical paper is a synthesis of research findings of various meta-analyses (including more than 500 studies) and recent empirical studies in board diversity, cognitive heterogeneity and firm performance. It introduces a model that differentiates between the dimensions of demographic, cognitive, and experiential diversity. Findings - The synthesis has found three important insights: (1) demographic diversity is weak and inconsistent in direct impact on firm financial performance; (2) cognitive diversity, as measured through director dissent, expertise variety, and industry experience heterogeneity, is consistently predictive of board effectiveness and innovation; (3) demographic diversity could facilitate cognitive diversity, but only when board processes (psychological safety, constructive debate) are appropriately nurtured. Originality and Value – This article takes the discussion of diversity beyond check-the-box demographic measures of diversity to a more complex appreciation of what constitutes boards being intellectually resource-rich. It gives practical guidelines of nominating committees to construct cognitively heterogeneous boards.
The Impact of Digital Relationship Marketing Capabilities towards One-to-One Customer Relationship Quality in Online Platform: The Mediating Role of Customer Perceived Relevance
This empirical study investigates the structural mechanisms governing how digital relationship marketing capabilities influence individualized customer relationship quality within the modern e-commerce ecosystem. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) paradigm, the research challenges the prevailing assumption that advanced technological interventions automatically generate relational bonds. The researchers deployed a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology, utilizing purposive sampling to collect primary data from 250 university students in Selangor, Malaysia, who actively engage with platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop. The researchers analyzed the dataset utilizing IBM SPSS Statistics and the Hayes PROCESS macro to evaluate both direct and mediated pathways. The mathematical results reveal a compelling state of full mediation. While digital capabilities strongly predict customer perceived relevance, the direct impact of technological stimuli on relationship quality collapses to absolute statistical insignificance upon introducing the cognitive mediator. The study definitively proves that algorithms, data-driven insights, and omnichannel infrastructures completely fail to foster trust, commitment, or satisfaction unless the consumer explicitly interprets those interventions as contextually relevant. These findings compel e-commerce executives to abandon exploitative, volume-driven data extraction and adopt sustainable, value-centric personalization strategies that respect the human cognitive load. Keywords: Digital Relationship Marketing, Customer Perceived Relevance, S-O-R Paradigm, Customer Relationship Quality, E-commerce Algorithms, Mediation Analysis.
Audit Quality as a Moderating Mechanism between Earnings Management and Firm Valuation
This study examines the effect of earnings management on firm valuation and the moderating role of audit quality using panel data from publicly listed non-financial firms over 2019-2024. The empirical results reveal that earnings management has a significant negative impact on firm valuation, with regression estimates showing a coefficient of β = -0.42 (p < 0.01) in the baseline model and β = -0.30 (p < 0.05) after including interaction effects. This indicates that increased managerial manipulation leads to a measurable decline in market value, confirming that investors penalize firms with lower earnings quality. Audit quality demonstrates a strong positive association with firm valuation, with coefficients of β = 0.35 (p < 0.01) and β = 0.31 (p < 0.01) across models. This suggests that firms audited by high quality auditors benefit from enhanced credibility and higher market valuation. Most importantly, the moderating effect of audit quality is confirmed by the positive and significant interaction term (β = 0.28, p < 0.05), indicating that audit quality weakens the negative impact of earnings management on firm valuation. The overall model exhibits solid explanatory power, with an adjusted R² of 0.39 and F statistic of 26.32, highlighting the robustness of the findings. Descriptive statistics show that the mean firm valuation (Tobin’s Q) is 1.42, while average earnings management is relatively low (mean = 0.021) and approximately 65% of firms are audited by high quality auditors. Control variables behave consistently with theory: firm size (β = 0.09) and profitability (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) positively affect valuation, whereas leverage has a negative effect (β = -0.12, p < 0.05). Growth opportunities remain statistically insignificant (β = 0.06, p > 0.10). Overall, the results confirm that earnings management significantly reduces firm value, but high audit quality mitigates this adverse effect, reinforcing its role as effective governance and signaling mechanism in enhancing market confidence.
Enhancing Academic Integrity and Efficiency through E-Marking: A Case Study of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU)
E-marking or electronic marking is a promising alternative to traditional paper marking in the digitalisation of higher education, offering efficiency, transparency and integrity. This study evaluated e-marking at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU); its effects on examiner job satisfaction, speed and efficiency, and administrative workflows. This mixed methods research comprised a questionnaire for 128 e-examiners and system turnaround time data. The results showed 82% of examiners rated the system user-friendly, 70% indicated increased speed in marking, and 79% marked scripts primarily on laptops. Volume of scripts marked per semester was 1,000-1,500 (37%), with 2,500 scripts (10%) for those with higher workloads, suggesting scalability of the system. Issues included slow speed (40%), system downtime (20%) and lack of training (50%). Regarding academic integrity, 60% found plagiarism detection effective for verbatim copying, and 55% requested clearer institutional guidelines. Overall, 80% were keen to use e-marking again. E-marking has improved efficiency, accuracy and sustainability at AIOU, it is concluded. Capacity-building, infrastructure improvements, integration of advanced plagiarism detection tools and institutional guidelines are recommended to enhance scalability.
Fostering Sustainable Workplace Wellbeing through Responsible Leadership via lens of Signalling Theory: Mediating Effect of Employee Oriented HRM in Banking Sector of Pakistan
The well-being of employees should not be considered solely an HR issue but rather an important ethical and strategic priority for businesses in order to achieve long-lasting organizational resilience and legitimacy. Over the last decade, there has been a movement away from viewing employee well-being as an independent responsibility of the employee to being an organizational responsibility that is tied to corporate ethics, stakeholder expectations and the creation of sustainable value (Bocean et al., 2022). The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (in particular, Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth) indicate that organizational practices should promote employee well-being and dignity in the workplace as part of the higher goal of achieving global sustainability.
Fear Of Being Offline: Nomophobia As A Predictor Of Anxiety Among Students
The current research paper was meant to investigate the connection between nomophobia and anxiety in university students. Two hundred and sixty students were chosen, and nomophobia and anxiety levels were measured with the help of standardized tests, such as the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). A regression analysis was performed to estimate the predictive relationship between the variables, whereas independent samples t-test were used to study differences based on gender. The results indicated that nomophobia was a significant predictor of anxiety in university students which means that there was significant correlation between the variables. Also, significant gender differences in the scores of nomophobia and anxiety were found in both male and female students. The results indicated that the differences in means were significant although there were higher scores in males in terms of anxiety, the findings indicate that nomophobia is not a major predictor of anxiety in this sample. Such results indicate that more studies are required to understand additional psychological and situational variables that could contribute to anxiety in students of universities.
The Impact of Emotional Labor and Transformational Leadership on Burnout and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and the Moderating Role of Social Support in the Tourism Industry
The current study focuses on the effects of emotional labor and transformational leadership on employee’s life burnouts and turnover intentions in the tourism industry. It also examines mediating role of emotional intelligence, as well as moderating role of social support, in a combined structural framework. Quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used and 398 tourism employees were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used as a method of data analysis. The results point to the fact that emotional labor contributes to the considerable increase in burnout and turnover intentions, and transformational leadership decreases these negative consequences. EI has been a mediating factor, as it conveys the influence of both emotional labor and transformational leadership into burnout and turnover intentions. Similarly, social support helps significantly reduce the negative effect of emotional work. The model is shown to be very explanatory, specifically on the emotional intelligence as well as turnover intentions. These findings highlight the role of leadership development and improvement of emotional abilities, as well as the promotion of favorable working environments in promoting the well-being and retention of employees in tourism organizations.
Empowering the Workforce: Mediating Role of AI Acceptance in Transformational Leadership and Employee Outcomes
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into organizational processes has transformed contemporary workplaces, necessitating leadership approaches that facilitate employee acceptance of AI-driven systems. The purpose of this research is to examines influence of transformational leadership on job satisfaction, employee engagement, and quality of work life through AI acceptance as a mediating variable. Further, this study evaluate moderating role of training and development in relationship of transformational leadership and AI acceptance. The population of the study is employees from manufacturing and service sector. Convenience sampling technique is used to draw sample from the population. The sample size of the study is 511 employees. Results showed that transformational leadership positively influence the AI acceptance. Results also revealed that AI acceptance positively influence the job satisfaction, employee engagement, and quality of work life. It is further revealed that AI acceptance mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction, employee engagement and quality of work life. At last, result showed that training and development moderate the relationship between transformational leadership and AI acceptance. This means training and development strengthen the relation between transformational leadership and AI acceptance. Training and development help the organizations to accept AI technology with transformational leadership. This research provides valuable guidance for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and policymakers in large-scale Pakistani enterprises across manufacturing, technology, and service sectors. By highlighting the role of transformational leadership in fostering AI acceptance, the study emphasizes the importance of leadership development programs designed to enhance employees’ readiness for technological change.
The Impact of Green Transformational Leadership and Green Human Resource Management on Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Mediating Role of Green Innovation Performance
With the increasing environmental challenges and the competition becoming tougher, companies are increasingly considering sustainability as a part of their overall strategies. This study looked at how green transformational leadership and Green Human resource management affect sustainable competitive advantage. It further verified the role of green innovation performance as an intermediate. The study relied on the figures of 220 employees in firms that emphasize on sustainability. They checked their ideas with the help of a method known as structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that green transformational leadership Green human resource management is useful in turn enhances sustainable competitive advantage. Green innovation also relates green human resource management to sustainable competitive advantage to some degree. The study found that GIP partially connects GTL, GHRM, and SCA, showing that innovation is key in turning green efforts into competitive benefits. This research adds to what is already known by bringing together ideas about leadership, human resources, and innovation within a sustainability context. The findings offer useful advice for business leaders and policy makers. They suggest that companies should encourage green leadership and use HRM that support the environment to drive innovation and gain a sustainable edge. The study also talks about future research areas and the limitations of the current work.
ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AGE OF AGENTIC AI: A CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVE ON AGILITY, AUTONOMY, AND GOVERNANCE
The emergence of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the foundations of organizational agility by introducing systems capable of autonomous decision-making, adaptive learning, and coordinated action across complex environments. This article develops a conceptual perspective on how agentic AI transforms agile organizations, moving them from flexible, human-centered structures toward adaptive, hybrid systems characterized by continuous learning and distributed intelligence. Building on the dynamic capabilities view and socio-technical systems theory, the paper conceptualizes agility as an evolving capability that is increasingly co-produced by human and artificial agents. The study identifies three core dimensions—agility, autonomy, and governance—and examines their interdependencies in the context of agentic AI adoption. It argues that while agentic AI enhances organizational responsiveness, speed, and innovation, it simultaneously introduces new challenges related to control, accountability, and ethical alignment. To address these tensions, the article proposes a multi-layered framework that integrates agentic AI capabilities with organizational structures, governance mechanisms, and human–AI collaboration practices. The framework highlights the role of adaptive governance in balancing autonomy with oversight, ensuring that AI-driven decisions remain aligned with organizational and societal objectives. By synthesizing insights from artificial intelligence, management, and information systems literature, this conceptual study contributes to theory by reframing organizational agility in the age of autonomous systems. It further provides practical guidance for organizations seeking to leverage agentic AI to enhance adaptability while maintaining trust, transparency, and control. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions on hybrid intelligence, AI governance, and the evolution of agile organizational forms. Keywords: Agentic Artificial Intelligence; Organizational Agility; Adaptive Organizations; Autonomous Systems; AI Governance; Human–AI Collaboration; Dynamic Capabilities; Digital Transformation; Organizational Adaptation; Agile Management. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19920155
Effect of Social Media Marketing on Customer Product Loyalty
This study investigates the mediated pathways through which social media marketing fosters brand loyalty among Pakistani consumers in the burgeoning e-commerce landscape, focusing on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), perceived usefulness, trust, and social satisfaction as key mediators. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and uses-and-gratifications theory, a conceptual framework posits a sequential chain: social media marketing → e-WOM → perceived usefulness/trust → social satisfaction → loyalty. The result is derived from the 120 respondents from the city of Karachi, using Smart PLS-SEM to verify the positive relationships with e-word of mouth being the strongest prediction with path coefficient. and validating hypotheses H5 (reviews/influencer endorsements boost loyalty, p<0.01) while rejecting H6 due to context-specific mediation needs in Pakistan's collectivist culture. Findings align with Kumar Singh et al. (2021), Bilgies et al. (2023), and Daud et al. (2018), emphasizing authentic peer endorsements over ads for repeat purchases and recommendations. Practical implications guide brands to allocate 60% budgets to micro-influencers and user-generated content for higher retention (25-40%). Recommendations include multilingual surveys for demographic generalizability, A/B testing of e-WOM authenticity, crisis-response analyses, and AI vs. human endorsement comparisons. This research equips Pakistani SMEs with evidence-based strategies to convert digital buzz into sustainable loyalty, bridging global trends with local realities. Keywords: Social Media Marketing; Brand Loyalty; Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM); Perceived Usefulness; Trust; Social Satisfaction; Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); Uses and Gratifications Theory; E-commerce; Consumer Behavior; Micro-Influencers; User-Generated Content; PLS-SEM; Pakistani Consumers; Digital Marketing Strategy
The Role of Microfinance in Improving Financial Stability of Rural Households in Hyderabad Region, Sindh, Pakistan
This research investigates since microfinance is helping rural households in Hyderabad, Sindh, gain financial stability. Microcredit, savings behavior, financial literacy, and women's empowerment are the focus areas. The study used a quantitative methodology. Primary data was obtained from 420 respondents using a survey with a five point Likert scale. The data was analyzed using PLS SEM. Findings of the study show that microcredit has a positive impact on financial stability (β = 0.29), that savings behavior has the highest positive impact (β = 0.34), financial literacy contributes positively (β = 0.21), and that women empowerment has a positive impact (β = 0.25). The model accounts for 68 percent of the financial stability variance (R² = 0.68). This shows that the model has good explanatory power. This study demonstrates that credit alone is insufficient. For long term stability, financial literacy, saving behavior, and women participation are necessary. This study only provides a one region and cross sectional data. For future studies, it is recommended that a cross region and longitudinal data collection approach be undertaken. Exploring digital finance and Islamic microfinance methods is also recommended. Keywords: Microfinance, Financial Stability, Microcredit, Savings Behavior, Financial Literacy, Women Empowerment, Rural Households, PLS SEM.
Innovative Aquaculture for Entrepreneurship Growth: Insights from RAS Adoption in Pakistan
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) have emerged as a transformative technology in aquaculture, offering sustainable production through water recycling, biofiltration, and controlled environmental management. This study investigates the impact of RAS adoption on entrepreneurship development in Pakistan, focusing on provincial case studies, SME growth, value chain enhancement, employment generation, and innovation promotion. Using a qualitative exploratory design with secondary data sources, including peer-reviewed articles and government reports, thematic analysis was conducted to assess entrepreneurial outcomes. The findings indicate that RAS facilitates technology-driven startups, urban and peri-urban aquaculture enterprises, and high-value niche markets, while strengthening linkages across the aquaculture value chain. However, adoption is constrained by technical and energy-related challenges. The study applies Rogers'Diffusion of Innovations Theory to explain the adoption patterns of RAS among early and late entrepreneurial adopters, and Barney's Resource-Based View (RBV) to highlight how technological and knowledge resources provide a competitive advantage to entrepreneurs. The integration of these theories demonstrates that strategic resource deployment and innovation diffusion are critical for scaling RAS-based entrepreneurship in Pakistan. Policy support, training, and renewable energy integration are recommended to overcome adoption barriers, ensuring sustainable economic growth, enhanced food security, and the development of a technology-driven aquaculture entrepreneurial ecosystem.
IMPACT OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOR: MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AND MODERATING ROLE OF PROACTIVE PERSONALITY
Purpose - This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and employee innovative work behavior (IWB) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research explores psychological empowerment (PE) as a mediator and proactive personality (PP) as a moderator to understand their collective influence on fostering innovation.Design/Methods/Approach- A quantitative research design was employed, involving a structured survey of 400 employees from SMEs using simple random sampling. The sample size was determined via G-Power, with an effect size of 0.25. SPSS v25 was used for descriptive and inferential analysis, while Hayes’ Process Models 1 and 7 were applied to examine mediation and moderated mediation effects. Validity and reliability were established through confirmatory factor analysis, ensuring a robust research framework. Findings- The results reveal that TL significantly and positively impacts IWB by fostering creativity and innovation. Psychological empowerment plays a critical mediating role, enabling employees to take initiative and propose innovative solutions. Proactive personality strengthens the positive relationship between TL and IWB, with proactive individuals exhibiting greater creativity and adaptability. These findings emphasize the importance of transformational leadership in empowering employees and cultivating innovation, especially within SMEs. Practical Implications- This study makes a practical contribution to the existing body of literature about the interaction between leaders and employees. The present research makes a contribution to the expanding body of literature that demonstrates how enterprises may encourage innovative in their workers and how motivate individuals to engage in activities that include innovative behavior that might potentially improve the performance of the business. Originality/Value- The research shows how psychological empowerment and proactive personality traits work together with social cognitive theory and social exchange theory to drive innovation in small and medium enterprises. The study demonstrates how leadership and empowerment together with personality traits interact to provide managers with methods to boost their organizations' innovative capabilities. Keywords Transformational leadership, proactive personality, innovative behavior, Psychological empowerment, Small medium enterprises
POST PURCHASE SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR IN CROSS- BORDER E-COMMERCE: A PAKISTANI CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE
The rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) has transformed global retail by enabling consumers to access international markets through digital platforms. While prior research has largely focused on pre-purchase and logistical aspects, the post-purchase phase remains underexplored despite its critical role in shaping customer satisfaction and behavior. This study investigates the impact of Post-Purchase Service Quality (PPSQ) on customer behavior from a Pakistani consumer perspective. Specifically, it examines five dimensions of PPSQ—Order Tracking (OT), Easy Exchange and Return (EER), Responsive Customer Support (RCS), Product Usage Instructions (PUI), and Loyalty and Reward Programs (LRP)—and their influence on Customer Satisfaction (CS), which subsequently affects Repurchase Intention (RPI) and Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM). A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed using a structured online questionnaire distributed among Pakistani consumers with CBEC experience. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that Order Tracking, Easy Exchange and Return, and Responsive Customer Support significantly and positively influence customer satisfaction, whereas Product Usage Instructions and Loyalty and Reward Programs do not show a significant impact. Furthermore, customer satisfaction is found to be a strong predictor of both repurchase intention and electronic word-of-mouth. The study highlights that operational reliability and effective post-purchase support are the key drivers of customer satisfaction in CBEC, particularly in emerging markets like Pakistan where perceived risk is high. These findings provide valuable theoretical contributions by extending service quality literature to the post-purchase phase and offer practical insights for e-commerce platforms to prioritize resources effectively. Overall, the research underscores the importance of enhancing post-purchase experiences to foster customer loyalty and sustainable growth in cross-border e-commerce . Keywords: Cross-Border E-Commerce, Post-Purchase Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Repurchase Intention, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, Pakistan https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19603686
A Critical Examination of Unemployment and Its Socioeconomic Effects in Emerging Markets
Unemployment is a long-standing issue in developing economies, which has a considerable impact on economic conditions and social welfare. The socioeconomic impacts of unemployment are critically evaluated in this paper by studying the effects of unemployment on income distribution, poverty levels and social inequality. The paper examines structural and cyclical forms of unemployment including the rise in population, the skills gap, and the lack of industrial growth. Based on secondary data and comparative analysis of selected emerging economies, the study identifies the impacts of long-term unemployment in lowering income levels in households, consumer spending, and reliance on informal sectors. Moreover, the paper examines the social implications of joblessness, including the increased crime rate, mental health problems, and decreased access to education and healthcare. The results indicate that unemployment not only undermines economic development but also increases social inequalities, which undermines sustainable development. The paper highlights the importance of specific policy responses, such as skill training, labor market policies, and investment in job generating sectors, to reduce the negative impacts of unemployment and ensure inclusive economic growth in emerging markets.
Resistance to AI Adoption in HRM: A Qualitative Study of Pakistani Organizations
The fast integration process of artificial intelligence into human resource management (HRM) practices has led to strong discussions about the ability of organizations in developing countries to accept these new changes. Pakistani organizations display strong refusal to adopt AI-driven HRM tools which organizations recognize have potential to enhance their recruitment process and performance evaluation and employee engagement and workforce analytics. This qualitative study investigates the nature and sources and organizational consequences of this resistance which exists within Pakistani firms across multiple industries. The study followed an interpretivist research paradigm through its semi-structured interviews which included fifteen HR professionals and senior managers and organizational decision-makers from organizations based in Lahore and Karachi and Islamabad. Thematic analysis was applied to uncover recurring patterns and deeper contextual explanations for adoption resistance. The research identified that resistance arises primarily from HR personnel who fear losing their jobs and employees and executives who lack AI skills and digital abilities and people who distrust algorithmic systems and organizations that maintain static hierarchical structures and companies that lack basic technological infrastructure and organizations that view AI technology as unsuitable for their HR methods. The study concludes the multi-pronged strategy which includes targeted digital upskilling and transparent communication about AI’s complementary role and leadership-driven change advocacy and culturally-sensitive implementation frameworks serves as the required solution to overcome AI adoption resistance which exists within Pakistani HRM. Theoretical contributions include a context-specific model of AI-HRM adoption resistance while practical implications guide HR practitioners and policymakers who seek to prepare their organizations for AI-driven transformation.
The Moderating Role of Artificial Intelligence Literacy in Sustainable Tourism Development
Sustainable tourism development has become a global priority, particularly in environmentally vulnerable regions such as Pakistan, where ecological degradation and resource mismanagement threaten long-term sectoral growth. Despite increasing scholarly attention, the underlying mechanisms linking environmental-specific leadership, employee motivation, and technological capability remain fragmented. Addressing this gap, the present study employs a PRISMA 2020-based systematic literature review to synthesize contemporary research published between 2020 and 2026. A total of 52 peer-reviewed studies were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Grit Theory, and emerging perspectives on Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy, the study develops an integrated conceptual framework explaining sustainable tourism development. The findings reveal that environmental-specific leadership—encompassing Environmental-Specific Servant Leadership, Green Transformational Leadership, and Green Inclusive Leadership—significantly fosters a green psychological climate, which enhances employees’ green harmonious passion and subsequently shapes positive green attitudes. These attitudes are identified as critical drivers of sustainable tourism outcomes. Importantly, the study highlights AI literacy as a key moderating factor that strengthens the relationship between employee green attitude and sustainable tourism development by enabling effective implementation of sustainability practices through digital tools. The review contributes to the literature by integrating leadership, motivational, and technological perspectives into a unified framework, offering a micro-foundational understanding of sustainability in tourism. The study provides practical implications for policymakers and practitioners by emphasizing leadership development, digital capability enhancement, and sustainability-oriented human resource practices as essential drivers of long-term sustainable tourism growth.
The Mediating Role of Employee Competence Between Training and Performance Evaluation.
This study investigates the mediating role of employee competence between training and performance evaluation in the banking sector of Sindh, Pakistan. In highly competitive service environments, banks increasingly invest in employee training programs to enhance knowledge, develop skills, improve performance and achieve organizational goals. However, the effectiveness of training in translating knowledge into measurable performance outcomes largely depends on employees’ ability to apply acquired skills effectively. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 350 employees across six major banks, including HBL, UBL, MCB, Standard Chartered, Bank Alfalah and Faisal Bank, employing a stratified random sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping methods were utilized to test the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that training has a significant positive effect on employee competence (β = 0.45, p < 0.001), confirming that well designed and competency focused training programs enhance employees’ technical, behavioral and problem solving skills. Employee competence was found to have a strong positive impact on performance evaluation outcomes (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), highlighting the critical role of competence in achieving high performance ratings. While training also has a direct effect on performance evaluation (β = 0.18, p = 0.011), the mediation analysis revealed that competence partially mediates the relationship between training and performance evaluation (indirect effect β = 0.23, p = 0.001), suggesting that the application of acquired skills is key to translating training into improved performance. The total effect of training on performance evaluation was substantial (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of competency-oriented training programs, aligned performance appraisal systems and continuous skill development initiatives to optimize employee performance. This study contributes theoretically to Human Capital Theory, Social Cognitive Theory and the broader field of human resource development by demonstrating that employee competence serves as a critical mechanism linking training to performance outcomes. Practically, the results provide insights for bank management, HR professionals and policymakers to enhance training effectiveness, design competency based evaluation systems, and foster organizational productivity in the banking sector.
AI-Driven Personalization In Digital Marketing:
Artificial intelligence has transformed the method through brands connect with the consumers. In this competitive landscape personalized marketing has become important tactic for brand connect with consumer. AI-driven marketing techniques are the process of transforming the customer engagement, retention, and conversation by providing the real time personalized, prognostic Promotion. The purpose of this research is to find out how AI powered individualize is remodeling digital promotions, examine benefits and challenges in the modern age. It is also the part of study to identify the challenges that arises as well as highlighting the role in shaping in future consumer brand association,brand loyalty. This research highlights the integration of AI tools such as chat-bots, clouds, notion, engines, canvas and predictive behavioral model. In this study Questionnaire technique is used for data collection. A set of 100 comprehensive questionnaire are asked from digital marketing professionals that found that digital marketing such as AI personalized improved consumer engagement metrics like click through rates, time spend on contents conversation to obtain the opinion of specific segments.
Spillover Effects of Informal Caregiving on Employee Engagement: Evidence from Corporate Employees
The man is a 34-year-old who as his present job role is a Mid-Level Operations Coordinator at ABC company World (Pvt.) Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan. He was directed to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by his line manager because his work performance was noticeably and continuously deteriorating, there were frequent unplanned absences, he became emotionally dysregulated during the team meetings, and had difficulties in meeting the project deadlines. The main precipitating factor for his condition was found to be the critical illness of his mother who had a severe stroke six weeks before the referral. Besides looking after her, the man is also keeping up with his job effectively. It was after a structured intake interview, behavioral observation, and the use of the standardized psychological instruments such as Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), and Work-Life Balance Scale that the client showed signs of strong caregiver burden, anticipatory grief, anxiety, and occupational stress. According to the case formulation the work impairment is a direct result of unresolved emotional distress, role conflict, and insufficient coping skills. A comprehensive plan for managing the situation has been created in accordance with ABC company World's HR counseling protocols and the ethical guidelines of the Pakistan Psychological Association (PPA). The person is willing to participate in the counseling sessions and has signed the informed consent for this report preparation.
Examine The Mediating Effect Of Organizational Justice On Employee Turnover Intention And Appraisal Performance: Perspectives From Manufacturing And Trading Smes
This study investigates the impact of audit quality on earnings quality and the cost of capital, with particular attention to the mediating role of earnings quality and the moderating effect of financial crises in Pakistan. Using panel data from non financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the study employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, panel regressions and mediation moderation analysis to examine these relationships. Audit quality is proxies by auditor type, earnings quality is measured through discretionary accruals and the cost of capital is computed using the weighted average of equity and debt costs. The results reveal that high audit quality significantly improves earnings quality (β = 0.087, t = 4.21, p < 0.01), indicating that reputable auditors constrain managerial opportunism and enhance the reliability of financial reporting. Audit quality is also associated with a lower cost of capital (β = -0.021, t = -3.76, p < 0.01), while higher earnings quality independently reduces financing costs (β = -0.039, t = -4.11, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis shows that earnings quality partially transmits the effect of audit quality on the cost of capital (indirect effect β = -0.012, t = 3.58, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the interaction between audit quality and financial crisis periods is significant (β = -0.018, t = -2.95, p < 0.01), indicating that audit quality plays a more pronounced role in lowering financing costs during economic uncertainty. These findings highlight the importance of high quality auditing and reliable financial reporting in reducing information asymmetry and improving capital market efficiency in emerging markets. The study provides practical implications for regulators, corporate managers and investors in strengthening governance and enhancing investor confidence, particularly during periods of financial distress.
Mental Health Crisis In Pakistan’s Medical Community
This research looks at the current mental health crisis that is happening among physicians in Pakistan and shows how three types of factors i.e. institutional, occupational and socio-cultural, together influence and affect the psychological wellbeing of the medical profession. This is done using a mixed methods approach along with a comprehensive review of the literature on these issues. The most significant results of the research are that high levels of stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among physicians in Pakistan are directly linked to inefficiencies and limitations of the healthcare system along with the persistent presence of cultural barriers. The characteristics that define Pakistan's healthcare infrastructure are limited funding, inadequate staffing, high patient-to-physician ratios and overcrowded facilities that exert intense and extreme stress on physicians. The excessive length of time physicians work each week, the number of patients seen during each work shift and the amount of time spent on non-physician duties contribute to the extreme level of emotional exhaustion experienced by physicians; therefore, limiting their feelings of professional fulfilment. Other structural obstacles that exacerbate these issues include: township-based violence against physicians; the lack of an institutional support system; and insufficient access to mental health services in healthcare organizations. The research revealed the importance of understanding that physician burnout is not only a personal issue, but also a systemic issue with systemic roots embedded within organisational and policy structures in Pakistan. Most hospitals in Pakistan provide no formal ways for doctors to obtain support for their well-being. In addition, a hierarchical culture of work prevents open discussions about mental health within the workplace. Physicians are therefore continuing to work while under extreme psychological distress, whereas some physicians do seek assistance. The socio-cultural context also plays a major role in aggravating the physician burnout crisis. There is a stigma associated with mental health which makes doctors less likely to seek psychological assistance for fear of being perceived negatively by their peers, as well as a fear of loss of reputation due to the associated stigma. Female doctors are also disproportionately affected by socio-cultural issues due to the pressure they experience as a result of having to fulfil both demanding professional responsibilities, and societal expectations of them as caregivers to their families. The research further revealed the problems that physicians have with their own mental health can directly affect the quality of care received by patients. The psychological distress that physicians experience has been associated with decreased clinical efficiency, poor decisions, increased errors in providing care to patients, and decreased satisfaction of patients receiving care. Therefore, when the doctor improves his or her own well-being it is not only important for that individual but is also important for the strength of the overall healthcare system and continued safety of patients.
A Review Of The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence Adoption On Employee Engagement In The Pharmaceutical Sector Of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Industries are rapidly being transformed by the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the pharmaceutical industry is no exception. The review discusses the changes in employee engagement with the introduction of AI, in the pharmaceutical industry of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan. The paper reviews the literature and theories such as the Job Demands Resources (JD R) model and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explain the benefits and challenges of the integration of AI. The review also brings to the surface the moderating effect of technological self-efficacy and mediating role of organisational support. Suggestions for ethical and employee friendly AI implementation are also presented. Keywords: Pharmaceutical Industry, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Employee Engagement, The acceptance Model (TAM), Job Demands Resources (JD R) Model, Organizational Support, Technological SelfEfficacy, Digital Transformation, Human AI Interaction.
Beyond the Hustle: A Systematic Literature Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Generation Z’s Workplace Psychology, Sociology, and Mental Health
Generation Z (born 1995–2010) has increased in numbers in the global workforce, and organisations need to adapt their organisation’s culture and practices. This systematic literature review and conceptual synthesis of 55 peer-reviewed empirical studies from 2020 to 2025 examines the interactions between Gen Z’s expectations for work, psychological well-being, mental health, and organisational culture. Ultimately, the synthesis reveals that Gen Z's needs for autonomy, flexibility, meaningful work, alignment with values, and psychological safety are in contrast to the rigid, transactional organisation they have long known. I introduce the Gen Z Institutional Friction Model as a model of how high intentions for exit, quiet quitting, and deliberate detachment can be rational responses to the fragility of the economy, algorithms, mismatches of values, or lack of support. I provide theoretical contributions and practical implications for human resource management and organisational development.
Supervisor Machiavellianism and Employee Quiet Quitting: The Mediating Role of Psychological Contract Breach and the Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support
The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of supervisor Machiavellianism on employee quiet quitting through the mediating role of psychological contract breach and the moderating role of perceived social support among employees of Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Pakistan. A quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional survey design was adopted to examine the proposed relationships among the study variables. Data were collected from 200 employees through a stratified random sampling technique. Standardized and validated research instruments were used to measure supervisor Machiavellianism, psychological contract breach, perceived social support and employee quiet quitting. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 and SmartPLS software. The findings of the study were revealed that supervisor Machiavellianism significantly predicted psychological contract breach (β = 0.53, p = 0.000), while psychological contract breach significantly influenced employee quiet quitting behavior (β = 0.49, p = 0.000). Perceived social support was shown a significant negative relationship with employee quiet quitting (β = -0.25, p = 0.000). The moderation findings were further indicated that perceived social support weakened the positive relationship between psychological contract breach and employee quiet quitting (β = -0.13, p = 0.002). The mediation analysis was confirmed that psychological contract breach significantly mediated the relationship between supervisor Machiavellianism and employee quiet quitting (Effect = 0.26, CI = 0.17–0.37). The structural model assessment was shown satisfactory model fitness with R² values of 0.31 for psychological contract breach and 0.55 for employee quiet quitting. The study was concluded that manipulative supervisory behaviors indirectly promoted employee disengagement through breach perceptions, whereas strong social support reduced employees’ withdrawal tendencies and protected them from quiet quitting behaviors.
BEYOND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS: REFRAMING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A RELATIONAL ORGANIZING CAPABILITY IN CONTEMPORARY ORGANIZATIONS
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most impactful developments of the modern businesses, management and coordination systems. Previous studies often conceptualize AI as a technological entity that has independent capabilities and impacts on organizational processes. This article proposes an alternative line of thinking that sees AI as a relational organization capacity that is produced from the interaction between human actors, algorithmic systems, data infrastructures, institutional arrangements, and sociotechnical practices. The paper develops a posthumanist perspective on ontology, a sociomaterial approach, a relational organization theory, and digital organizing literature to suggest that AI capacities are not only emergent in computational systems, but also in the continuous processes of human algorithmic interaction. It builds a capability centred framework, focusing on relational connectivity, distributed agency, sociotechnical co-production, performativity and continuous emergence as key dimensions of AI enabled organizing. The article adds to the ongoing discussions in today's organization studies, management and information systems literature by proposing an ontological shift from an entity based understanding of AI to a relational and process oriented understanding. The paper also gives some hints for further research on algorithmic management, organizational intelligence, digital transformation, human AI co-working, governance, ethics, and organizational redesign. Keywords: Artificial intelligence, organizing capability, Sociomateriality, Posthumanism, algorithmic management, human AI collaboration, organizational intelligence, digital transformation