CSRC Publishing: Open Journal Systems (Center for Sustainability Research and Consultancy)
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1354 research outputs found
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Assessment of Food Security and Its Implication on Urban Poor People in District Peshawar
No full textPurpose: This study was carried out to address the issue of food security and the factors affecting it in the semi-urban area of district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. More specifically the study reviewed the food security situation among urban poor households using their food expenditures patterns and further investigated its various dynamics.
Methodology: Data were collected with the help of interviewing techniques from randomly sampled 100 households in the Peshawar suburb. Household food security was assessed using the food security index adopted from Omonona (2007). Using the Omonona index, the threshold which differentiated the food secure from the food-insecure households in the study area was Rs. 1500 per month (i.e., 2/3 of mean food expenditure).
Findings: The result legitimized using the Omonona food security index as a smart indicator in determining food security status at the household level.
Implications: To help the urban poor in improving the situation of food security efforts are needed to enhance awareness of food security by promoting education regarding livelihood strategies, self-sustainability programs, and the importance of a proper diet.  
Impact of Political Skill on Employee Outcomes with the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Politics
No full textPurpose: Political skill has been attracting immense research attention in recent years. However, majority of the researches showed positive outcomes of political skill for employees. This research will provide new insights to literature through investigating the role of political skill in reducing negative behavioral outcomes of employees by developing job satisfaction to ultimately reduce turnover intention. Moreover, harmonizing effect of political skill in perceived organizational politics may enable employees to maintain job satisfaction and reduce turnover intention.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were collected from 186 employees representing different sectors of Pakistani industry. Hayes (2013) moderated mediation analysis is used to analyze results.
Findings: Study findings depict a significant relation between political skill and job satisfaction, which ultimately affect turnover intention. Furthermore, perceived organizational politics played a significant moderating role between political skill and job satisfaction.
Implications/Originality/Value: The study is undertaken in a developing country which provides relevant conditions to investigate such a relationship. This study fills up a significant gap in the literature as there is scarce literature available that investigates the relationship between political skill and its outcomes, specifically in Pakistan
Forecasting Inflation, Exchange Rate, and GDP using ANN and ARIMA Models: Evidence from Pakistan
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study is to specify an efficient forecast model for the accurate prediction of macroeconomic variables in the context of Pakistan.
Design/Methodology/Approach: We particularly investigate the comparative accuracy of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models-based predictions using monthly data of inflation, exchange rate, and GDP from 1990 to 2014.
Findings: According to our findings, the ANN-based forecasted inflation series is more precise as compared to ARIMA-based estimates. On the contrary, the ARIMA model outperforms the ANN model for exchange rate forecasts with the forecasted values being very close to the actual values. Further, ARIMA performs comparatively better in forecasting GDP with relatively smaller forecast error. On the whole, our findings suggest the ARIMA model provides appropriate results for forecasting exchange rates and GDP, while the ANN model offers precise estimates of inflation.
Implications/Originality/Value: Our findings have important implications for the analysts and policymakers highlighting the need to use appropriate forecasting models that are well aligned with the structure of an economy.  
Not Without You: Role of Shopping Pal and Store Atmospherics in Impulse Buying
No full textPurpose: Retailers acknowledge the importance of the retail store environment as a tool for differentiation and valuable for positioning the retail store. It makes the buyer's decision to visit the store easier. Further, a pleasing retail environment improves the customer's purchasing experience and satisfaction. This paper aims to; investigate the influence of store atmospherics and marketing stimuli on impulse buying behavior among females. Shopping pal provides a boundary condition between the influence of store environment, emotional response, and impulse buying.
Methodology: This is a quantitative study and data was collected using surveys. The investigation was conducted using Amos and SPSS version 21, and the results were within an acceptable range.
Findings: The findings of the study suggest that an impressive store environment with marketing stimuli such as price discount leads to positive emotions and impulse purchase behavior. Further, a shopping pal provides boundary conditions between the influence.
Implications: Retailers must focus on creating a retail experience that is clean, relaxing pleasant, and has an excellent interior design, and they must encourage to group shopping. They might concentrate on promotional activities that encourage group shopping, such as group purchasing coupons and family prizes
Gendered Departmental Analysis: a Case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Civil Secretariat, Pakistan
No full textPurpose: The Govt. of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan formulated Women Empowerment Policy-2017. The goal of WEP-2017 was to empower women in all spheres of life with a particular focus on social, cultural, political-economic, legal, and personal life. This study conducted a gendered departmental analysis focusing on workplace analysis, human resource capacity analysis, and training need assessment. Data from 332 officials representing 13 civil secretariat departments were collected using a self-administered questionnaire.
Methodology: A proportionate sampling technique was used to select the subjects. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.
Findings: All the departments scored ‘very low’ or ‘low’ on the HR capacity analysis and previously received training experience. However, the demand for training was either ‘High’ or ‘Moderate’ in all departments.
Implications: Fully paid maternity leaves, flexible working hours, and functional harassment committees were the highlights of workplace analysis whereas pick and drop facilities, separate prayer rooms, and female-only spaces were the areas that require attentio
Theoretical Analysis of a Multi-Tier Supply Chain Management Process Integration: A Case Study Method
No full textPurpose: - Case studies of 12 automotive supply chains are used to build a theory of multi-tier supply chain management (SCM) processes integration which links patterns of multi-tier process integration with cost and differentiation strategies of the focal firms.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The cases build on previous researches by examining the rationales and extents in which a focal firm integrates the key supply chain management processes across first, second and third-tier suppliers, logistics service providers and authorized dealers. Data was collected in two rounds, followed by codification and analysis.
Findings: The analyses suggest that firms with lower scope and span of process integration prioritized cost efficiency and firms with larger scope and span of process integration prioritized both cost efficiency and customer service differentiation. As a result, propositions for explaining strategic priorities driving multi-tier SCM process integration are developed.
Implications/Originality/Value: This study provides managerial accounts and theoretical foundation to explain the needs for different levels, scopes and span of SCM process integration and the extent to which the span of integration (tiers) should be extended
Understanding the Impact of E-Wom on Purchase behavior Using Information Acceptance Model
No full textPurpose: This study determines the influence of information gained from electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on the purchase behavior of customers.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The conceptual model developed has been derived from the Information Acceptance Model (IAM) and the work of other researchers. The pre-existing model has been modified by increasing the factors which augment the information usefulness of e-WOM. The factor of trust inclination towards information received through online forums has also been incorporated in the model to further develop an understanding regarding the variables in the purchase decision process. This study also highlights some aspects of theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behavior as a base for this work. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been used to analyze the relationship between all existing variables in the linear model.
Findings: The results show how usefulness of information obtained through social networking sites and other online media influence the adoption of this information, eventually leading to developing intention and terminal purchase behavior. However, the relationship of credibility of information, perceived risk and argument quality with information usefulness, as its antecedents, has been found insignificant, one of the primary reason for which is the unawareness of e-WOM among the general public.
Implications/Originality/Value: The practical implications of this paper include guidance to manufacturers and service providers to understand the factors involved in influencing consumer purchase behavior when subjected to e-WOM.  
Use of Islamic Brand Slogans: Is it Necessary for Attracting Consumers?
No full textPurpose: The study examines their responses to questions about confidence in purchasing products, product-slogan suitability and product purity from the perspective of Muslims.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The present quantitative study was conducted based on the data collected from 100 young Muslim consumers recruited from the population of undergraduate students at a university in Malaysia to investigate their perception towards Islamic brand slogans.
Findings: The results show that Islamic slogans can influence Muslim customers’ trust in purchasing goods in the market for a variety of reasons and this includes religious piety, a product’s conformity to religious doctrine, and the slogan’s use of semantically acceptable words. Furthermore, the Islamic brand slogans written in the Jawi letters are also found to be an appealing factor for the Muslims since Jawi resembles Arabic script. The data overall seem to suggest that Islamic brand slogans can influence Muslims in making decisions with regard to product purchases.
Implications/Originality/Value: The study could help people gain a better understanding of how Islamic branding is used and how Islamic slogans can affect consumers' purchasing decisions and perceptions of product purity
Impacts of Covid-19 on Global Inflation and Unemployment
No full textObjective: The COVID-19 virus disrupted the international system and trade patterns, resulting in panic and public health crises throughout the globe. The COVID-19 epidemic sparked a financial catastrophe with far-reaching consequences that outstripped the global financial crisis. The goal of this research is to see how the changes brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic affect global inflation and the jobs of individuals causing unemployment. This article is divided into two sections, considering inflation and unemployment the COVID-19 globally. Methodology: The methodology adopted for this study is empirical documentary research selecting first-hand research produced by international governmental and non-governmental organizations, newspapers, research articles of all categories as well as research published in scholarly journals available at online databases such as Taylor and Francis and JSTOR. The analysis has been done by applying the technique of content analysis.
Findings: According to estimates, the virus slowed global economic growth in 2020 to roughly -3.2 percent on an annualised basis, with a recovery of 5.9 percent expected in 2021.
Implications: According to consensus projections, the economic slump in 2020 will be less severe than previously anticipated, thanks in part to the fiscal and monetary policies implemented by governments in 2020
Critical Discourse Analysis of Trauma Bonding in Female Victims of Intimate Partner Abuse: A Phenomenological Constructivist Approach
No full textPurpose: Intimate partner abuse is a socially prevalent issue across cultures. Despite establishing survivor institutes and anti-domestic violence NGOs, the voices of battered women have not yet reached the legal governmental policies. Recent research on IPA indicates that women remain chained to the dangerously controlled and maintained relationship despite its social and psychological repercussions. Exitance of Intimate Partner Abuse has been seen through the lens of criminal activity. Therefore, the perpetuation of IPA is linked to the psychotic and criminal intentions of the perpetrator (Gibbs et al., 2018). Empirical evidence suggests that there is a dearth of data to highlight the female voice on the domestic violence issue.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research design focuses of critically deconstructing the labels, reinforces identities and professed believes mentioned in the article to identify the meaning and motive behind them. This study is built on the socio-cognitive approach to understand the cognitive link between the societal ideals and the way they shape the thought process of the victim in choosing their reaction towards abuse.
Findings: The findings suggest that the co-existence of these contributing factors create trauma bonding in victims that forces them to stay in abusive relationships.
Implications/Originality/Value: This study explores recently published newspaper articles on Domestic Violence portraying Intimate partner abuse to analyses discursive elements used to discuss the issue in the light of varying psychological, emotional and socioeconomical backgrounds