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Impact of Self-Construal on Ethically Minded Consumer Behavior in the Purchase of Apparel
No full textPurpose – Purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between self-construal and ethically minded consumer behavior in the purchase of apparel.
Study Design/Methodology/Approach – The research employs a quantitative approach. Survey responses were received from 163 participants. This is a work-in-progress paper; once 300 responses are received, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) will be done to validate the hypothesis.
Findings – Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was done through principal component analysis with varimax rotation. KMO = 0.863; Bartlett\u27s Test p \u3c 0.001, which shows sample adequacy and suitability for factor analysis. All communalities were above 0.50, and five factors accounted for 63.41% variance, which indicates a strong and meaningful factor structure.
Research Limitations/Implications – This is a work-in-progress study; hence only Exploratory Factor Analysis is done.
Practical Implications – Findings from this study can be used to make marketing strategies for ethically minded consumers, while taking into account self-construal, attitude, and social norms.
Social Implications – By identifying the psychological drivers of ethical buying behavior, this study can help guide sustainable consumption patterns in the apparel industry
Yardsticks of life
No full textThe 16th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) featured thought-provoking keynote speeches by F.S. Aijazuddin and Asghar Nadeem Syed, setting the stage for critical discussions on culture, history, politics, and economics. The event included book launches and talks by prominent intellectuals. Dr. Haider Nizamani and Dr. Taimoor Shahid, visiting academics, reflected on Pakistani society’s overwhelming focus on politics at the expense of arts and literature. The article also highlights Yardstick of Life: And Other Poems by M. Shahid Alam, a poetry collection blending sorrow and wisdom. Alam, primarily known for his work in economics, emerges as a notable poet, with his verses exploring themes of time, loss, and human existence
Intelligent Chatbot for IBA
No full textThis report presents the development and completion of an intelligent chatbot for IBA. The chatbot leverages Microsoft Copilot technology to assist various stakeholders, including students, faculty, alumni, administrative staff, and prospective students, by providing instant and accurate responses to their queries.
The primary aim of the project was to enhance user experience and streamline information dissemination processes. The project successfully addressed the initial challenges and delivered a robust solution, meeting all functional and non-functional requirements as outlined in the mid-semester progress report
IBA Karachi hosted the Archery Championship
No full textآئی بی اے یونیورسٹی میں آل پاکستان انٹریونیورسٹی آرچری چیمپئن شپ All Pakistan Inter-University Archery Championship 2025 to be held at IB
IBA, Pakistan Airports Authority sign MoU
No full textThe Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and the Pakistan Airports Authority’s Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI) have signed an MoU to launch a Diploma Program in Aviation Leadership and Management. The agreement, signed by IBA Executive Director Dr. S Akbar Zaidi and PAA’s Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed, focuses on equipping aviation professionals with leadership and strategic management skills. The collaboration aims to address the growing need for skilled personnel in Pakistan\u27s evolving aviation sector. Key stakeholders attended the ceremony, underlining the initiative’s importance for leadership development and professional training nationwide
HDV
No full textHDV aims to enhance low-quality videos into higher resolution and quality content. Existing solutions often require professional expertise or offer limited features, making them unsuitable for amateurs or those seeking comprehensive solutions. The primary objective is to provide a one-stop, intelligent video processing solution to improve footage with poor production value, allowing users to enhance digital content without complex settings. The methodology involves exploring multiple avenues to balance quality and performance, employing a layered architecture and deep learning models for key enhancements such as upscaling, sharpening, noise reduction, and frame interpolation. The system processes files through a validation, enhancement, and export pipeline managed by dedicated subsystems
Sales Progression Framework (#997)
No full textThis ELP report presents a comprehensive Experiential Learning Project (ELP) undertaken in collaboration with J. (Junaid Jamshed Pvt Ltd), a leading Pakistani fashion retail brand. The project analyzes two key generational consumer segments – Generation Z and Millennials – with a further split by gender (male and female) to develop tailored marketing strategies for each. A mixed-method approach was employed, including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews/focus groups, to investigate the shopping behaviors, digital engagement, brand perceptions, and preferences of these segments. The findings reveal distinct patterns: Gen Z consumers are highly digital-native with a strong presence on social media and a desire for authenticity and inclusivity, whereas Millennial consumers exhibit relatively higher brand loyalty and value-driven purchasing, balancing online and offline influences. Industry and academic literature are integrated to contextualize these findings – drawing on marketing theory, digital behavior trends, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) considerations – to formulate strategies aligned with both consumer expectations and broader sustainability and social impact goals. Recommendations are presented for four target sub-segments: Gen Z Male, Gen Z Female, Millennial Male, and Millennial Female. These strategies encompass tailored digital 7 marketing tactics, product and shopping experience adaptations, and engagement initiatives (such as influencer collaborations, personalized content, and omnichannel enhancements) designed to resonate with each segment’s unique needs and values
Digital Transformation of Organizational Processes-Procurement to Pay Process (P2P)
No full textThis Experiential Learning Project (ELP) was executed to evaluate and digitally optimize the Procurement-to-Pay (P2P) cycle in Matco Foods Limited, Pakistan\u27s largest Basmati rice exporter. Given Matco\u27s complex supply chain activities and dependence on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, the project intended to realize structural and procedural inefficiencies within the P2P cycle and recommend cost-effective, scalable digital interventions that reflect best industry practices. The overall goal was to enhance the transparency in procurement, reduce delays, eliminate redundant manual processes, and facilitate improved internal controls and supplier relationships. The study employed a qualitative exploratory research strategy based on structured interviews. Stakeholders representing main departments of procurement, finance, IT, audit, and warehousing were interviewed to map the end-to-end P2P process. The research approach focused on interview analysis, process flow mapping, and gap identification in comparison to global and local industry standards such as APQC standards, IBM, Novartis, and local companies like PPL and Chase Up. A major methodological strength was the multi-stakeholder view, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of not just system-level limitations but human-centered challenges in the existing workflow. The outcome showed considerable gaps in all stages of the P2P cycle. Manual processing of Purchase Requisitions (PRs), email-based quotation management, physical Purchase Order (PO) approvals, and isolated invoice and payment tracking systems were some of the key inefficiencies. The lack of real-time status, disjointed workflows between departments, and limited ERP integration were causing delays, and inefficiencies. The new model, which is guided by Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and Lean Thinking, envisions an entirely digitized process utilizing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Its salient features are digital PR generation with automatic routing of approvals, RFQ and vendor assessment through systems, PO approvals integrated with ERP, real-time Material Receipt Note (MRN) generation linked to Gate Pass Inward (GPI) postings, and centralized invoice and payment tracking. The above transformations are suggested for improving the Procurement-to-Pay (P2P) process. Overall, this ELP provides Matco Foods with an operationally realistic, technologically feasible, and culturally aware transformational roadmap. The proposed solutions provide scalable solutions for mid-sized organizations that experience similar ERP challenges. These changes will position Matco for more effective procurement, improve sustained competitive advantage in an increasingly digitized landscape if implemented correctly. Keywords: Procurement to Pay, Gap Analysis, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)
No full textThis report is based on our six-month Experiential Learning Project (ELP) at Arif Habib Limited (AHL), one of Pakistan’s leading investment banks. The main focus of the project was to understand the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process through the example of Barkat Frisian Agro Limited (BFAL), a company that went public in 2025. Since the IPO had already been completed right after the start of our project, most of the work was carried out through guided mock exercises—except for the live observation of the book building process, which was still ongoing during our time at AHL. The purpose of the ELP was to help us experience how investment banks structure IPOs and to give us a chance to apply the theories we had learned in class to real-world processes.
The project methodology was totally practical and sequential. We started by reading the Public Offering Regulations in Pakistan and knowing what a company should be eligible to be listed. We then read through the prospectus of BFAL to determine how the rules were adhered to in the actual deal. We performed simplified exercises in financial analysis to assess the structure of the company and the valuation of the company based on multiples and the discounted cash flow. We also had a look at the structure of the board of directors and governance policies to understand how companies enhance their internal controls prior to going public. Lastly we practiced formal listing preparations like writing of necessary forms, making of refund lists and writing of mock announcements. Key lessons of the ELP are that we have a better understanding of the capital market regulations, IPO pricing systems, and the role of various stakeholders such as regulators, sponsors, advisors and investors. We also got to know how confidence in the market is created using transparency, documentation and good governance. The live book building and the mock simulations gave us a hands on experience of how things are done in the background during a public offering.
Major learnings from the ELP include an improved understanding of capital market rules, IPO pricing mechanisms, and the roles of different stakeholders including regulators, sponsors, advisors, and investors. We also learned how market confidence is built through transparency, proper documentation, and good governance. Through the live book building and mock simulations, we got a practical view of what goes on behind the scenes during a public offering.
In conclusion, this project allowed us to explore investment banking in action, particularly in the area of equity capital markets. Although we did not work on a live deal, the project gave us exposure to every step of the IPO process using real-world examples and documents. This experience not only added to our technical understanding of how IPOs work in Pakistan, but also showed how detailed and regulated the process is. The learning will be useful for any future role in corporate finance or capital markets, and also helped us understand the importance of compliance, documentation, and market readiness when taking a company public
To assess Techno-Commercial Feasibility of K- Electric’s Entrance into Quality Assurance Business in Pakistan
No full textHistory has witnessed two great financial crisis which shocked the roots of the world’s supply chain and financial system, one “The Great Depression of 1932” and other “The Great Recession of 2007”. It wouldn’t be misjudgment to call the Covid’19 as the third biggest crisis of the world. This not only halted the operations worldwide but disrupted the global Supply Chains. Developing countries like Pakistan, suffered the most during the Covid’19 era due to lack of contingencies and risk management system. This caused the major financial strain on both Government and private sectors. Some of the new entrants stepped back as they were unable to sustain their business due to hyper-inflation and suffocating economy. Restrictions were placed on International Trades to save precious national reserves. Energy sector which is considered as the backbone of the economy was affected the most from this situation. Energy sector is heavily regulated sector of Pakistan with regulators looking after almost the complete supply chain from the fuel import destination to price of electricity. This made K-Electric to look for diversification options to mitigate its business risk and ensure long term sustainability in the troubling environment. Diversification is a typical textbook approach for the risk dilution of business and is often adopted by many of the industry giants. This also helps industry to hedge its portfolio and ensure consistent returns all around the year. K-Electric itself is the symbol of diversified industry in Energy sector as there are very few players in the whole world who own the complete supply chain of Power Sector i.e. Generation, Transmission & Distribution. KElectric is the only private vertically integrated power company of Pakistan, dealing in power generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, serving almost 3.4 million customers, and covering roughly 6500 sq. km area that includes residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural areas. In short, K-Electric is already diversified in the energy domain. Thus, to achieve its strategic goal of business sustainability K-Electric first expanded its portfolio by adding K-Solar as its subsidiary, entering the new world of sustainable green energy. Now, KElectric is looking for options which not only increases its business but also increase the effective utilization of machinery & infrastructure. K-Electric Quality Assurance department performs inspection and testing of inbound material and as a result has developed an expert inspection team. It is already generating revenue for K- Electric through inspection and testing of power sector and allied industries material. NEPRA has allowed 2.5% of QA services charge on the purchase of electrical equipment by customers. This is the amount that customers pay for inspection and testing xii services by K-Electric QA department. Hence, KE QA Department is striving to establish itself as the revenue center within the organization. Hence, the QA LAB become the center of attention for K-Electric’s new venture. The proposed venture involves leveraging K-Electric\u27s extensive Quality Assurance expertise and existing testing laboratory infrastructure, to transform QA department into profit center, offering services of material inspection and testing not only to K-Electric but also to other organizations and businesses. These testing and inspection services are being termed as QA services and will cover the scope of energy sector and allied materials. Below are some examples that make this venture a lucrative business opportunity for K-Electric: • Pakistan is a developing country with growing GDP. Apart from Covid crises and current economic crises, Pakistani economy has grown at commendable rate and will continue to do so, although Pakistan is facing acute shortage of foreign exchange. With growth in economy, Pakistan’s electricity need is also expected to increase. As per past trends, Pakistan’s electricity consumption has increased from 77 TWH in 2012 to 116 TWH in 2021 and the demand is expected to increase in coming years. This increasing demand will result in new power infrastructure, capital projects and increased materials for operation sustenance. It will also provide KE QA department with another area of opportunities as it can provide inspection services to the expanding power and energy sector through its existing expertise. • Due to increasing trade regulations worldwide, there is a growing demand for accredited inspection and testing body that can provide reliable QA services to local businesses as per their business requirements. This independent QA body can help businesses in reducing non-tariff barriers for exports, and it will also lead to increased confidence among businesses locally and globally. Therefore, it can play a vital role in growth of K-Electric in specific and ultimately benefiting Pakistan’s Economy. • K-Electric’s business is heavily import oriented. Currently, K-Electric six power plants are RLNG based which is imported. Second, energy and power sector major infrastructure are also imported due to lack of locally available reliable manufacturers and scarcity of latest technology in Pakistan. This causes several business challenges for K-Electric. First, Foreign reserves of Pakistan are limited and are historic low due to economic challenges and to save precious foreign reserves, Government have imposed restriction on imports. Second, as the outcome of these restriction K-Electric have no option but to look for revenue stream which have lesser dependency on imports hence hedging its business risk. xiii • With greater strategic emphasis on localization in Pakistan, there is a growing need for reliable QA body that can provide inspection and testing services for localized material that can help manufacturers in bringing quality at par with international standards. • Distribution companies in Pakistan are expected to be privatized in near future. Currently, the Material Inspection (MI) department of WAPDA performs inspection and testing of material for all the DISCOS. With privatization of DISCOS, there is potential opportunity for KE QA department to provide QA services to the DISCOS. Currently QA department is providing its services to K-Electric which is the only vertically integrated power utility company in Pakistan. • Currently, QA services sector in Pakistan is developing and some big names like SGS, BuVT and TUV Austria are dominating the market. This provides K-Electric with an opportunity to tap this relatively virgin market, considering K-Electrics market repute and strong financial outlook. This study comprises of techno-commercial feasibility of K-Electric’s entry into QA market of Pakistan and consist of primary as well as secondary data related to QA services sector. Mixed research methodology is employed in this study. A survey is conducted to administer mainly through purposive sampling technique. On the other hand, qualitative data is obtained through In-depth interviews with the key industry professionals using purposive sampling to understand the market structure, segmentation, positioning and pain points of industry. A simple three step approach is followed to assess the feasibility. Firstly, commercial analysis has been done to define the market size and potential of Pakistan’s QA services sector. Secondly, Technical Data pertaining to both K-Electric is collected, to assess the requirements of QA service industry and K-Electrics current capabilities. At last, both Commercial and Technical data and feasibility are translated into the financial model. Calculation of Revenue, Operating and CAPEX Costs, Financing Requirement and Net Present Value define the actual financial outcome of this new business venture. Commercial Feasibility portion consists of the demand forecasting of the Quality Inspection & Testing Sector. The data of market of key players is gathered through surveys & interviews. It has been estimated that in power and allied sectors of Pakistan, total Quality Testing & Inspection market for a new player is around 11bn PKR. Further, technical feasibility analyzes technical competencies of K-Electric QA lab and how it bodes in comparison to the existing market players. Lastly, financial feasibility identifies the OPEX and CAPEX requirements, Current market share and future growth forecast of 10 years. xiv In summary, Pakistan is a land of natural resources, developing economy and unsaturated market, which makes Pakistan an attractive place for new entrants. K-Electric has already embedded its roots in the Energy Landscape of Pakistan but for the Testing Sector, it may face the similar risks as of new market entrant. For today, PKR 11 Bn QA market has been estimated for K-Electric in its area of expertise, which is anticipated to grow with the forecasted GDP growth rate. The financial outcome of this study shows that this business venture has the potential to become K-Electric’s successful strategic move, but the decision to enter the QA market solely lies with K-Electric management, considering the lucrativeness of market size, return on investment versus K-Electric’s expectations. Keywords: Feasibility, Lab Testing, Material Inspection, Quality Assurance, KE, Diversification, Market Analysi