Journals of Forman Christian College
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Assessing the Demand Suitability of Investment in Education in Pakistan: A Comparison of Returns to Different Levels of Education
Full text linkIn the context of rising graduate-level unemployment and severe economic constraints facing the education sector in Pakistan, this paper evaluates the suitability of educational investment demand by comparing the rates of return across different levels of education, including primary, secondary, higher secondary, undergraduate, and tertiary education. The latest data from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) 2020-21 is used to estimate a dummy variable regression equation for various education categories. The rates of return for different education levels are further segregated by gender and provincial status. The estimates indicate that the return rates for lower levels of education below the secondary level are low, while the highest rate, 23 percent, is observed at the undergraduate level; however, the rate of return decreases at the tertiary or postgraduate level. The results, categorized by province and gender, show a higher rate of return for females at higher education levels. Furthermore, province-wise results reveal that educational attainment from Baluchistan benefits from higher returns. Overall, education adds an average of 10 percent to earnings. It is suggested that more funds should be allocated to undergraduate education, and investment in education should be prioritized for women and individuals in underdeveloped provinces
Easing Distress through Music: Music as Reducing Psychological Distress in University Students: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
No full textHealing through music is an established practice throughout history and even remains relevant in various cultures and religions across the globe. The focus on the music for its restorative and therapeutic effect has increased significantly in recent decades. The present study aimed to explore the impact of music in reducing psychological distress among university students. The sample comprised of university students (N=8), including four men and four women, all with the same level of education. A phenomenological approach to qualitative study was employed along with a purposive sampling strategy. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the results. The study used the semi-structured interview guide as a research tool to collect data from the selected participants, aiming to investigate the perception of the university students regarding the role of music as a therapeutic modality for managing psychological distress. The findings of the study identified the superordinate themes of Physical Relaxation, Emotional Healing, and Social Connectivity. It was concluded that music plays a significant role in improving emotional health, social connectedness and physical ease among university students. The findings of the study recommend that music-based therapeutic interventions may be introduced at university level to improve the psychological well-being of the students. In addition, there is a need to conduct further studies to explore the different genres of music to enhance the therapeutic impact of music-based intervention.
Green Banking Practices: Enhancing the Environmental Performance of Banks
Full text linkGreen banking practices are essential for the financial sector to promote environmental sustainability. This study investigates the green banking practices and environmental performance of the banking sector, aiming to identify the key determinants of the perception of green banking practices related to environmental sustainability in the financial sector. To do this, a comprehensive survey was conducted to gather data from banks located in Faisalabad and their customers. The analysis revealed that bank employees generally have positive perceptions of their institutions\u27 green banking practices, with a majority rating these practices highly. Customer and employee-related practices also positively impacted environmental performance, although operational practices had a lesser effect. The findings indicate that strategic improvements in bank policies, customer, and employee-related practices significantly enhance the environmental performance of banks, with policy-related practices having the most substantial impact. Longitudinal studies can enhance the understanding of green banking practices\u27 effectiveness through stakeholders’ engagement to attain environmental sustainability in the financial sector
Collective Efficacy as a Moderator Between Emotional Dysregulation and Mental Health Problems Among Rescue Workers
Full text linkRescue workers in a society are considered to be the first responders in a multitude of emergency situations including, but not limited to, human sufferings in accidents, earthquake, floods etc. In short, they are expected to rescue the victims in any manmade or natural calamity providing them with symptomatic first aid. Being exposed to constant secondhand trauma, the risk of developing co-morbid depressive and post traumatic symptoms is higher in the said group. However, a group\u27s shared belief in its ability to achieve common goals and maintain social order through mutual trust and cooperation, known as collective efficacy, has been found to assist in shaping the coping mechanisms of those who work usually as a group, more cohesively and less individually. The study hypothesized that collective efficacy would moderate the relationship between emotional dysregulation experienced by the rescue workers and their perceived mental health problems. The research design applied in this study is correlational and the sample comprises 150 Rescue 1122 workers. Sampling technique was convenient sampling. The results showed that: (1) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (DERS) were strongly and positively associated with mental health problems (b = .545, p < .001), (2) Perceived Collective Self-efficacy (PCS) was negatively associated with mental health problems (b = -1.324, p < .001), and (3) The interaction term of DERS × PCS was significant (b = -.054, p = .045). These results indicate that the relationship between emotion-dysregulation and mental health problems becomes weaker when collective self-efficacy is higher. This study can prove to be beneficial in therapeutic programs specifically designed to help rescue workers. Therapists can take collective efficacy into account and recommend employers to encourage group cohesion to develop higher resilience and lower incidence of mental health issues
Trade Integration in South Asia and Export Performance of Pakistan: What Does the Gravity Model Tell Us?
Full text linkThis study examines trade integration in South Asia and the export performance of Pakistan. Using a panel dataset of Pakistan\u27s exports to SAARC countries, gravity models have been estimated with the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) technique covering the period from 1990 to 2023 to identify the main barriers in the way of regional integration. Our findings suggest that economic size, common language, infrastructure, trade freedom index, and institutional quality support regional integration in South Asia. However, common borders serve as barriers for regional integration, while SAFTA could not, unfortunately, yield the desired results. The possible reasons for low integration in the region include military engagements and restricted regional trade policies. The findings suggest that Pakistan’s intra-regional trade remains limited due to border issues, trade restrictions, sensitive lists, lengthy procedures, and inappropriate application of non-tariff measures. Hence, it is suggested that Pakistan should provide export facilitation and adopt more liberal policies towards South Asian countries. Particularly, some bold initiatives are required on the policy part towards India for deep intra-regional integration. The findings of this study have important implications for policymakers seeking to enhance Pakistan\u27s export performance and deepen regional trade integration in South Asia
The Impact of Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Renewable Energy Deployment on CO₂ Emissions: An Evidence from Developing Economies
Full text linkThis study investigates the role of fossil fuel subsidies and renewable energy deployment in shaping carbon emissions across a panel of 10 developing economies, over a period of 15 years. Preliminary pooled OLS estimation was applied, but the results are insignificant on emissions; however, due to the presence of heteroskedasticity, the model of fixed effects was the preferred specification. Using the fixed effects panel data model study finds that fossil fuel subsidies exhibit a non-linear (inverted-U) relationship with carbon emissions, which initially raises emissions but then leads to reductions after a certain point. Renewable energy shares significantly reduce carbon emissions, but its efficacy diminishes in the presence of high fossil fuel subsidies (negative interaction). GDP growth modestly increases emissions, while population growth shows a positive and significant impact, whereas financial development shows a non-significant impact according to the fixed effect model and robust standard errors model. The study offered recommendations emphasizing transparent, inclusive, and context -sensitive transitions. It also contributes to the literature by highlighting the interactive dynamics and by providing a policy framework aligned with global climate targets
Supplier Development Practices in Gas Sector Supply Chain of Pakistan
Full text linkThis study explores the role of leading suppliers in influencing gas sector buyers to adopt supplier development practices, utilizing institutional theory as a conceptual framework. Through an exploratory case study within Pakistan\u27s oil and gas sector, the research investigates how leading suppliers shape buyer behaviors. Employing in-depth interviews and observational methods, the study identifies institutional pressures—coercive, normative, and mimetic—as key drivers influencing a public gas utility company\u27s adoption of supplier development practices in a developing country context. Findings reveal that suppliers significantly impact the implementation of supplier development initiatives, offering valuable insights into the dynamics between suppliers and buyers. While the study is sector-specific, its implications extend to other organizational contexts, enhancing legitimacy and understanding of supplier-buyer relationships. Practically, the research provides insights into how suppliers influence buyers, enabling organizations to effectively address management challenges. Notably, this study offers a comprehensive perspective on supplier development practices, addressing a gap in existing literature that predominantly focuses on the buyer\u27s viewpoint
Overcoming the Challenges and Obstacles in the Implementation of 4.0 in the Supply Chain of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Full text linkThis qualitative study explores the context-specific challenges influencing the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in pharmaceutical supply chains in Pakistan, a developing economy with a distinct regulatory environment. Building on prior research, the study examines the complex socio-technical dynamics associated with I4.0 adoption, drawing on participants’ experiences and perspectives. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with supply chain professionals from four major pharmaceutical firms and analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo. The findings indicate that human and organizational factors—such as resistance to change among experienced staff and limited middle-management engagement—were perceived as significant challenges, often influencing adoption experiences more strongly than financial or technological considerations. Participants also highlighted a cyclical dependency in which unclear government digital roadmaps and limited public investment hinder corporate adoption, reinforcing skills and infrastructure gaps. Based on these insights, the study proposes a contextsensitive action framework linking identified drivers and multidimensional challenges to targeted interventions. The framework provides practical guidance for managers while offering a nuanced understanding of I4.0 adoption processes in the Pakistani pharmaceutical sector
Unlocking Inclusive Growth: The Role of Public Spending in Developing Nations
Full text linkThe study empirically examines the impact of public spending on economic inclusivity in 65 emerging economies from 2000 to 2022. An economic inclusivity index is constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a two-step system-GMM estimation technique is applied to estimate empirical models. Five empirical models are estimated. The results of the first model, with GDP per capita growth as the dependent variable, show a positive association with public spending allocation. Models two and three, with income inequality and poverty as dependent variables, indicate that both decrease with an increase in public spending. Model four shows that productive employment increases with higher public spending allocation. Model five, with the inclusive growth index as the dependent variable, reveals that growth inclusiveness improves with increased public spending. Overall, the findings suggest that in developing countries, economic growth is positively influenced by higher public spending allocation
Being Disabled and Becoming a Woman: Performing Disabled Femininity in Pakistan: Taskeen Mansoor and Dr. Saadia Abid
Full text linkIn a norm-based culture like Pakistan, the question of how physically disabled women perform gender and femininity is often unaddressed. Moving away from the medicalized narratives around disability that tend to focus on a return to ‘normalcy,’ this study explores how physically disabled women employ ‘disability expertise’ to negotiate with ableism, disablism, and the performance of femininity. Purposive and snowball sampling was employed to recruit physically disabled women from urban middle-class families in central and southern Punjab, Pakistan, who self-identified as disability activists and either launched or were employed by a Disabled Persons Organization (DPO). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 disabled women. Thematic analyses revealed three prominent themes: (1) navigating visibility as a disabled female body, (2) asserting femininity through domesticity, and (3) marriageability and motherhood as disabled women. It can be argued that physically disabled women, particularly those involved in disability activism as discussed in this paper, experience a conditional gender socialization owing to perceived physical limitations of disability, and appear to navigate a liminal space to craft and exhibit new forms of ‘disabled’ femininities. The experiences of disabled women as wives and mothers provide a platform to further critique the impossible ideal of naturalized motherhood for all women. Moreover, future studies can further explore how disability activism contributes to the conceptualization of alternative femininities.