iRepository (Institute of Business Administration)
Not a member yet
6878 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring the Impact of Family Communication on Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Well-Being
No full textEmerging adulthood is considered a transitional period in an individual’s life that is marked by distinct sets of challenges and transformations at the personal, relational and environmental level. Hence, an important task during this dynamic stage of life becomes to effectively deal and cope with life stressors that present themselves when one becomes an emerging adult. Since communication within families serves as the primary method through which socialization occurs, it has proved to play a significant role in the development of various emotion regulation skills. A prominent theory that is used to understand the role of communication within families is the Family Communication Patterns Theory (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2002a). Hence, this study explores the role of family communication as an integral aspect of the family that shapes an individual’s choice of emotion regulation strategies as well as their overall well-being. Additionally, the current study specifically explored the role of family communication in the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, as previous studies in this field have only assessed the impact on cognitive reappraisal while other cognitive emotion regulation strategies remain overlooked. Therefore, standard multiple regression was used to explore the impact of family communication patterns on four different kinds of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, namely, positive reappraisal, positive refocusing, rumination and catastrophizing. Pearson Correlation was tested to assess the relationship between family communication patterns and well-being in the cultural context of Pakistan. The study was conducted on 281 Pakistani emerging adults aged between 18-29, including 169 females and 112 males. Three of the multiple regression models produced significant results. Additionally, significant relationships were also observed in variables related through Pearson Correlation Coefficient. As hypothesized, conversation orientation positively and significantly predicted the use of positive refocusing while conformity orientation significantly and positively predicted the use of rumination and catastrophizing in this sample. Moreover, conversation orientation was positively and significantly related to well-being while conformity orientation showed a significant, negative relation with well-being. All key findings were interpreted in the broader context of culture and the stage of emerging adulthood. The study’s implications and recommendations for future research were also discussed at the end
Grad School Insights: Zoha Latif
No full textIBA Career Development Center hosted a GradSchool Insight Webinar Session featuring Zoha Latif, BSAF 2022, a distinguished alumna who pursued graduate studies abroad in her field. The session provided invaluable insights, advice, and firsthand experiences from those who have successfully navigated the path to graduate school
Crafting Celebrity: The Impact of Social Media Affordances on Celebrity Culture
No full textThis thesis explores the evolution and impact of social media on celebrity culture, focusing on the dynamics of celebrity-fan interactions and the evolving ways of self-presentation in the digital age. Social media platforms have become an essential tool for celebrities to manage their public personas, engage with fans, and curate content. Through a thematic analysis of social media\u27s role in shaping modern celebrity culture, this study examines how social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter facilitate new celebrity-fan engagement, fan culture, and identity construction. Using Taylor Swift as a case study, the thesis investigates the strategic use of social media in building her personal brand, managing her public persona, and engaging with her fan base. This research also looks at the psychological impact of social media engagement on fans, highlighting both the positive and negative outcomes of strong association with celebrity idols. The study applies mainly Erving Goffman’s Theory of Self and Social Identity Theory to analyse how celebrities construct their identities online and how fan communities develop collective identities and behaviours. By critically assessing these dynamics, the thesis provides insights into how social media has reshaped the relationship between celebrities and fans, turning it into both a marketing tool and a space for interaction, ultimately influencing the broader landscape of music celebrity culture
Offline Issues, Online Lives: Exploring Privacy Mechanisms and Practices of Female Social Media Users
No full textThis research explores the gendered digital divide in South Asia, where patriarchal norms, accessibility issues, and socio-cultural factors affect women\u27s online participation. This qualitative research explores the privacy mechanisms and practices of female social media users in Karachi, Pakistan, with a specific focus on Facebook and Instagram. The study aims to understand how patriarchal norms, socio-cultural contexts and digital literacy skills influence privacy behaviors among women on social networking sites. The study addresses the question of how women navigate privacy in the face of socio-cultural challenges and digital risks. By utilizing focus groups with 26 female participants from various socio-economic backgrounds, the research examines patterns of usage, self-disclosure, privacy strategies and awareness of privacy features on Meta platforms. The study adopts Helen Nissenbaum\u27s concept of contextual integrity and Irwin Altman\u27s Privacy Regulation Theory to analyze how cultural norms shape online privacy practices. Usage patterns reveal that women employ diverse privacy strategies, including selective self-disclosure and the use of non-facial profile pictures, to navigate the risks of online harassment and adhere to gender norms and familial values. Significant disparities in privacy awareness are evident across various socioeconomic levels, as willingness to disclose information varies, with some users more comfortable sharing due to better awareness of privacy features, while others are cautious and rely on alternative mechanisms. Privacy practices, including strict friending habits and high levels of anonymity, highlight the complex interaction between technology, socio-economic status, and cultural expectations. Emphasizing the need for culturally nuanced privacy regulations, this research highlights the challenges SNS users face in balancing publicness with privacy. It provides insights into how global privacy guidelines often neglect cultural realities, resulting in varied alternative privacy practices. The research enhances understanding of digital privacy in patriarchal societies and emphasizes the need to address gendered issues to create safer online spaces for women
UNDERSTANDING PAKISTAN\u27S GOOD TALIBAN/BAD TALIBAN POLICY: ITS ROLE IN TTP RESURGENCE AND THE IMPACT OF THIS RESURGENCE ON PAKISTAN’S RELATIONS WITH THE AFGHAN TALIBAN REGIME IN KABUL
No full textPakistan’s Good Taliban/Bad Taliban approach in the post-9/11 era allowed it to deal with various pro-state and anti-state militant elements in the country, particularly the Afghan Taliban (TTA) and Pakistani Taliban (TTP). This policy assisted Islamabad in addressing TTP terrorism by conducting counterterrorism operations that eventually led to the decline of the organisation in 2017. Similarly, it allowed Pakistan to support the TTA and provide them with political and economic aid to build them into a useful strategic partner that would meet Islamabad’s strategic concerns regarding Afghanistan. However, contrary to Pakistan’s expectations, the re-emergence of the TTA as the rulers of Afghanistan in 2021 has led to the rise of TTP and an increase in terrorism in Pakistan. Thus, this thesis aims to understand why Pakistani civil-military bureaucracy considered this policy as an appropriate strategy to deal with the TTP and their ideological brothers, the TTA. The neoclassical realism and bureaucratic politics assessment of Pakistan’s good Taliban/ bad Taliban policy elaborates on the role of different systemic and domestic factors that compelled the policymakers to embrace this policy. It also explains how some policies while considered appropriate for managing the prevailing threats and opportunities may also create strategic miscalculations, like the resurgence of TTP. In addition, it discusses the effects of TTP resurgence on relations between Pakistan and TTA and how to restore these strained relations. To conclude, this paper fills the existing gap in Pakistani literature by analysing this unofficial policy through neoclassical realism and bureaucratic politics for the first time
Disparity in Governance and Socio-Political Treatment: A Comparative Study of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir within Pakistan’s Federal/Political Framework.
No full textThis final year research paper aims to highlight different aspects of disparity in state’s administrative and governance attitude towards Gilgit-Baltistan while comparing it with the administrative and governance approach of Pakistan with Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir both fall under one Political/Administrative set-up i.e., the ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan (Mo KA&GB) in the federal structure of Pakistan. Though the two regions’ legal status is undefined and have equal statuses yet when it comes to constitutional provisions and other privileges from the federal government, there appears disparity in state’s governance approach treating Gilgit-Baltistan differentially. As the two regions are connected with each other and have same status and identity in this state, therefore the two regions under one political set-up should be treated equally in terms of constitutional provisions and governance setup, but the case is not that way. This research paper aims to explore why there exists disparity between the two regions governance and socio-political set-up within the federal system of Pakistan and what the people of Gilgit-Baltistan expects from the federal government. What are the structural hurdles facing the state in treating them equally and the reasons of such dual approach of governance in the federal political set-up of Pakistan. Moreover, in the context of border management and governance, I am specifically highlighting the concerns of the border dwellers at the Ladakh-Baltistan border, how they are affected/affecting by the dual standard governance approach of the state, and what are their concerns to the governing authorities of this state.
The study examines the issues in the administrative set-up and relies on data from scholarly articles and semi structured/open-ended interviews of border dwellers, political leaders, and experts from the region who have good understandings on the affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir
Automated Verification of Security Events Using RPA
No full textIn the realm of cybersecurity operations, the timeliness and efficiency of incident response are critical to mitigating potential threats and minimizing damage. The rapid identification, analysis, and resolution of security incidents can significantly reduce the impact of cyber-attacks. This necessitates a structured approach where time-based actions are prioritized to ensure prompt responses. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) emerges as a powerful tool in enhancing these operations. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, RPA enables security teams to focus on more strategic decision-making processes. The integration of RPA into cybersecurity workflows can lead to faster log analysis, streamlined data extraction, and efficient handling of alerts. This report explores the importance of time-based actions in incident response and demonstrates how RPA can assist in optimizing these processes. This report highlights using UIPath to implement an automation process. This project underscores the potential of RPA to transform cybersecurity operations, making them more resilient and responsive in the face of evolving threats
Assessing the capacity of LLMS in Shariah Advisory in complex financing scenarios: an exploratory study
No full textAbstract Background It is mandatory for Islamic banks to adhere strictly with Shariah principles in all their operations, and offerings raising the demand for experts which have proficiency in banking and financing related Shariah knowledge. In this regards, the capability of Large Language Models (LLMs) have been explored in complex financing scenarios. Objective This exploratory study evaluates the capacity of LLMs, specifically ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta AI in Shariah advisory for complex financing scenarios within Islamic banking. The capability of these models were investigated against three benchmarks; identification of Shariah compliance issues, providing Shariah basis/references, and offer Shariah guidance on handling the issue. Methodology Qualitative approach is used in this study by complex realistic financing scenario creation, expert consultation, and LLM evaluation. Ten different Islamic banking financing scenarios were developed, and LLMs were tasked with analyzing these scenarios across three benchmarks listed above. Then the LLMs’ solution was evaluated by the author using Shariah scholar response as a reference point for authenticity. Findings ChatGPT and Gemini scored 70% in identification of Shariah compliance issues, providing Shariah basis/references which show proficiency. However, they scored relatively low 50% against third benchmark demonstrating limitations in offering Shariah guidance. Meta AI, scored 60% which shows relatively good performance only in referencing Shariah principles (60%) but struggled in issue identification and completely failed to provide Shariah guidance 40% and 0% respectively. Conclusion This study is conducted to investigate the capacity of Large Language Models (LLMs) in providing Shariah advisory services in complex Islamic financing scenarios. The results reveals that LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini can be proved as valuable tools in initial evaluation of Islamic banking transactions for identification and referencing from Shariah point of view of issues. However, their ability to offer practical guidance from Shariah perspective on executed transactions is limited