Review of Economics and Development Studies (READS) (E-Journal)
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Explaining Survival and Growth of Women Entrepreneurship: Organizational Ecology Perspective
Get PDFSociological perspectives about organizational founding, survival and growth under organizational ecology theory offer research avenues to look into their implications for new organizational forms. Women entrepreneurship or female run businesses in developing countries risk the liability of newness due to lack of their presence in commercial business activities. Though the presence and role of women in rural economy of these developing countries is more than significant yet the urban sector still lacks the luster of new social values to accept and value this new organizational form. There is need to explore into sociological processes involved in the growth of women entrepreneurship. The present study, using qualitative exploratory research design, elaborates the key sociological processes postulated by ecology theory by which female run businesses make their way to create inclusive markets and shared growth in a socially constrained business environment. The organizational ecology framework is postulated to study the women entrepreneurship process i.e. birth, survival, and growth of female run businesses through change in the social value structure of the society. This perspective treats women entrepreneurship as a distinct organizational form and depicts it as a social process involving the population of organizations than the individual process targeting the women entrepreneurs themselves. The propositions resulting from the postulated linkages can be tested using quantitative methods. The theoretical framework developed here nonetheless offers fresh insights into the women entrepreneurship, its process and outcomes
The Moderating Role of Supervisory Support in the Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives
Get PDFThe objective of this research paper is to find out the relationship of Job Performance (JP) with Emotional Intelligence (EI) of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives (PSRs) of various pharmaceutical companies operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan). Another objective of this research investigation is to check the moderating role of Supervisory Support (SS) in the EI-JP link. Data was collected from 400 PSRs of companies operating in Pakistan through convenience sampling technique. Structural equation model (SEM) was utilized for data analysis. The results of the study revealed that those PSRs having high EI had high performance. Furthermore, SS does not moderate the EI-JP link
Implementation of School Improvement Plan through Results Based Management: A Framework to Practice
Get PDFA school improvement plan is a “road map” that sets out the changes a school needs to make to improve the level of student achievement, and shows how and when these changes will be made. The objectives of the study were remained as, to identify the practices of Results Based Management (RBM) in relation with the implementation of School Improvement Plan (SIP) on the basis of performance, to explore the perceptions of the heads of schools and Secondary School Teachers (SSTs) about implementation of School Improvement Plan (SIP), to analyze the physical and educational facilitates in school improvement plan. A set of research questions was used to achieve the objectives of the study. The collected data was analyzed by using inferential and deferential techniques of data analysis. The findings and conclusions of the study show that School Improvement Plan is being carried out at secondary schools of Punjab through Result Base Management. It is also revealed that the whole process of school management is revolving around school improvement plan; administration has less training about result base management. Some recommendations are given to synchronize the process to achieve desired objectives of school improvement Plan.  
Investigating Pakistan’s Revealed Comparative Advantage and competitiveness in Cotton Sector
Get PDFCotton sector, one of the most important sectors of agriculture, plays a pivot role in the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan as its contribution to agriculture value addition is 5.5 % and to GDP is 1 %. It along with low wage cost also ensures the massive availability of raw material for textile industry which enables Pakistan to attain competitiveness in the world market. The aim of present study is ,therefore, to measure the export competitiveness in cotton sector of Pakistan by utilizing a set of Revealed competitive advantage and Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indices such as RCA, RCA#, Symmetric Comparative index (RSCA), Revealed Import Advantage index (RMA), Net export index (NEI)and Revealed Trade Advantage index (RTA) vis-a-vis world trade. The data was taken from International Trade Center (ITC) UN-COMTRADE Statistics for Pakistani cotton from 2003-17. The results of the study explored that Pakistan had a comparative and competitive advantage in cotton exports, while comparative disadvantage in cotton imports. Moreover, Pakistan had net competitive advantage in cotton sector.The study suggests that there should be more emphasis on Infrastructure, reduction in the cost of production, utilities and finance, use of modern technology, investment in agricultural sector and marketing in international market to boost the exports volume of cotton. Net export index (NEI), Revealed, Symmetric Comparative index (RSCA) (Larsen 1998), Vollrath index (1991) (RCA#), Revealed Import Advantage index (RMA) and Revealed Trade Advantage index (RTA)
Developing English Speaking Skill Indigenously among the Prospective Teachers
Get PDFPresent research experimentally studied the effectiveness of indigenously developed Content and Language Integrated Modular Approach (CLIMA) especially designed for developing English language ability among university students. CLIMA is a blend of Content and Language Integrated Approach and the Modular Approach. Two equated groups of total 52 students from Bachelor of Education Programme (semester-I) participated in this randomised pre-test post-test control group experiment. The content used herein comprised a purposefully designed module of 5 units. Both groups were taught by the same specifically trained teacher on same days with an interval of one hour between the sessions with the two groups. Experiment was completed in 30 sessions (1.5 hour each) during 10 weeks. For both pre- and post-testing, the researchers used the Analytic Rubric of Fairfax County Public Schools (Virginia, USA). This Analytic Rubric has been termed as the Performance Assessment for Language Students (PALS). The experimental group witnessed (pre-testing = 31.6%, post-testing = 80.8%) a value addition of 49.2%; and the control group witnessed (pre-testing = 31.2%, post-testing = 66.2%) a value addition of 35.0%. Compared with TOEFL and IELTS, conclusively, CLIMA was found highly effective. Results are discussed in detail in the paper
A Proposed Language Policy for Education in Pakistan
Get PDFThe 72-year nascent history of Pakistan reflects a vacillating picture of language planning, policies and practices (for education) at all levels, that can, in turn, potentially pave the way for viable future (in the current context) only if reformed pragmatically. The present position paper attempts to explore and examines the pestilent plight of dated language planning, policies and practices for education in Pakistan. For that matter, strategies outlined and practices espoused have contributed the least to bring about a transformational change in language for the education system of Pakistan in a futuristic milieu. Thereby, resultantly, creating a language hodgepodge in the Pakistani education system. The existing research recommends the Bilingual Method of Comparative Language Learning and Teaching, in which both of the languages (e.g., Urdu and English) are coped with, creatively, so that both develop equally. Translation and Translation Studies would become integral to such an integrated method and approach. For that to happen, Pakistan largely needs English, to be materialized, as an Instrumental International Language (EIIL), rather than Literature or Linguistics. Thus, the said prospective way out may dissipate the existing dilemma of language policy in the education system of Pakistan—that lacks a workable and practicable means of instruction—for disseminating education as enlightenment. The existing study (while examining the aforesaid issue) pursues The Pakistan Futuristic Foundation and Institute (PFI), Islamabad, as an educational role model and mentor. Since the need and importance of language in education is seminal to the holistic-integrative growth and development of overall education system at all levels, that is why the researchers have probed and examined the current language impasse in education while observing, studying and experiencing it, objectively. In this connection, the current study is qualitative, experiential, holistic-integrative, and characteristically futuristic
Utility of Computer Labs in Secondary Schools as Perceived by Students with Diverse Demographics
Get PDFThe accessibility of modern computer technologies in schools is increasing all over the globe. Generally, the presence of a well-equipped and functional computer lab facility in school provides the opportunity not only to modernize educational methods but also to augment students and teachers’ interest towards the efficient use of computer technology along with access to quality education. In line with prevailing global trends, federal and provincial governments in Pakistan especially Government of the Punjab also made concerted efforts to provide computer lab facility in secondary schools in past two decades. In this context, this article mainly focused on examining the usefulness of computer labs for enhancement of secondary school students learning experiences. Descriptive survey design was used to achieve the objectives of this study in which a self-developed questionnaire designed on Likert five-point format was administered to 320 sample students selected from 32 secondary schools using cluster and stratified random sampling techniques. Both the descriptive (i.e., percentage, mean, SD) and/or inferential statistics (i.e., independent-sample t-test) were used to analyze collected data. The results revealed that secondary school students believe, with a higher level of consensus, that computer labs are useful for enhancement of their learning. Some concerns, however, were also highlighted by students regarding the availability of required physical facilities in computer labs. It was recommended for school authorities to provide well-equipped and fully functional computer labs in schools to achieve maximum benefits for students.
 
The Impact of Financial Signaling and Information Asymmetries of Macroeconomic Covariates and Debt vs. Equity
Get PDFPresent study investigates the existence of macroeconomic variables effect on capital structure and to evaluate the behavioral aspects of financial signaling and asymmetry of information on the non-financial sector of Pakistan. Extreme bounds analysis an econometric technique is used to analyze the robustness of financial signaling and information asymmetry covariates of macroeconomic factors on capital structure policies and to compute the empirical findings. The results conclude that interest rate is significantly influencing the decisions of the managers regarding to the composition of long run financing decisions. Hence it is identified that corporate non-financial sector has lesser signaling effect generated by the macroeconomic forces in financial decisions. However the null hypnosis cannot be rejected as this study identified. This study is meaning full and leads toward the practical version of financing decisions by the corporate sectors with the changing policies of the macroeconomic forces in Pakistan. There must be coherence between the macroeconomic policies and corporate sector policies, therefore information asymmetries may overcome
Dynamic Role of Mother Empowerment in reducing malnutrition among children: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFIn Sub-Saharan Africa, two out of five children are malnourished and malnutrition causes almost half of the child deaths (45%). Mothers are the primary caretaker of children's health, but unfortunately, most of the mothers, are not empowered in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the role of mother’s empowerment in the reduction of malnutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) among children under five years of age in twenty-two Sub-Saharan African countries. Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic Health Survey (2011-2016) of twenty-two countries are used to analyze the relationship between mother's empowerment and child malnutrition through the binary logistic regression analysis. Results show that the countries with low empowerment, the prevalence of malnutrition is high. Mother empowerment is found to be a statistically significant predictor in reducing malnutrition. Mother’s education, body mass index, and age at first birth proved to be a strong predictor for reducing malnutrition. Household wealth index and household locality also have a statistically significant impact on the reduction of malnutrition. At the household level, malnutrition of children can be minimized by empowering boosting their self-esteem, self-confidence, economic resources, social resources, awareness and decision making
Cultivation of Fear Through Media: Analysis to Reveal Relationship between Perception about COVID 19 and Socio-economic Background of Media Consumers
Get PDFCOVID-19 is the pandemic that has been experienced by the whole world presently. The present research sought to explore how media is cultivating fear among heavy and light users of upper, middle, and lower socio-economic background. Theoretical support for the present research was taken from the theory of cultivation analysis. Twenty-one residents of Multan belonging to upper, middle and lower socio-economic background were selected through snowball sampling technique and interviewed through WhatsApp by the researchers. The interview data was analyzed through NVIVO 10. Eight themes emerged out of the interview data and it was observed that media was cultivating fear among the users of upper and middle socio-economic backgrounds as they were using media for longer periods of time while media users of lower socio-economic background were not very fearful of this pandemic. The results supported that media has strong cultivation effects regarding COVID-19