32 research outputs found
Foreign Debt, Dependency, and Economic Growth in South Asia
No full textMany developing countries are following a policy to attract foreign capital through loans and other means to enhance investment. The inflow of these resources is seen as an addition to investment for accelerating economic growth. However, there are only a few success stories where such resources have made any significant contribution to improve the economic conditions of recipient country. Pakistan and other South Asian countries have received significant amount of foreign loans2 but its role is critical [Chaudhary and Ali (1993, 1996)]. In spite of increasing foreign aid, South Asia has emerged one of the poorest and illiterate regions of the world, having more than 500 million poor living below poverty line and about 46 percent of the world’s illiterate live in the South Asia [UNDP/MHHDC*(1997)]. This is the region, which has 22 percent of the world’s population, while having only 3 percent of the world’s income. It also appears one of the most indebted regions of the world [Anwar (1995)]. In spite of a significant inflow of foreign aid, the economic conditions remained poor in this region. Such a situation calls for an in depth analysis of the contribution of foreign aid. Therefore, this paper is focused to analyse the role and implications of international debt in South Asia. Besides, South Asia’s dependency upon foreign debt is also analysed. In addition, tendency of resources outflow from South Asia to other countries, in terms of debt services, is also identified.
Does Corruption Increase Financial Development? A Time Series Analysis in Pakistan
No full textThe aim of present paper is to investigate the effect of corruption on financial development in Pakistan by using ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration. The direction of causal relationship between the variables is examined by using VECM granger causality approach. Our empirical findings indicate that corruption promotes financial development. Causality analysis reveals that corruption and financial development are complementary.Financial Development, Corruption, Cointegration
Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Performance: Mediating Role of Innovation
No full textStrategic flexibility is deemed to be an important organizational capability for enhancing innovation and improving organizational performance (OP) in uncertain, turbulent, and ever-changing business environments. Many studies have investigated the impact of strategic flexibility on innovation and OP in various contexts and found that strategic flexibility enhances innovation and improves OP. Other studies have found negative association or no association between strategic flexibility and OP. Therefore, it is not much clear whether strategic flexibility improves OP directly or through innovation. Especially, the mediating role of innovation in the association between strategic flexibility and OP in engineering project-based organizations has not been fully grabbed in prior literature and Pakistan remained unexplored. This study has strived to examine the mediating role of innovation in the association between strategic flexibility and OP in this context. Drawing upon resource based and dynamic capability views, an explanatory model was developed and tested by applying PLS-SEM higher order component modeling approach using sample data from 184 organizations in Pakistan. The results revealed that strategic flexibility is positively associated with innovation and OP. Innovation is positively associated with OP. The association between strategic flexibility and OP is partially mediated by innovation. The study promotes academic rigor and provides a new theoretical model. Mangers, decision-makers, and policy-makers can utilize the results to update their plans to achieve sustainable OP. The other organizations in various countries operating under similar conditions can also take the advantage of this study
Green supply chain management practices and sustainable organizational performance in construction organizations
No full textThe study aimed to analyze the association between green supply chain management practices (GSCM) practices and sustainable organizational performance (OP) in construction organizations of Pakistan. A quantitative survey-based design was adopted to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected from 118 respondents. The PLS-SEM-based approach was applied for data analysis. The results revealed that eco-design is positively associated with economic, social, and environmental performance. Green purchasing is positively associated with social and environmental performance. Green production and green logistics are positively associated with environmental performance. Cooperation with customers is positively associated with social performance. The study corroborates the use of GSCM practices for improving sustainable OP. The results are vital for theory and practice.The aim of industrial development in a developing country is to improve the economy by enhancing organizational image and goodwill while minimizing adverse impact on the environmental. Green supply chain management (GSCM) practices are environmental-friendly practices which help organizations to reduce energy and logistics cost, customer satisfaction and loyalty, reputation and goodwill, and social responsibility and resultantly improve sustainable organizational performance (OP). The findings of this study revealed that GSCM practices are positively associated with sustainable OP in the construction organizations of Pakistan. The ‘eco-design’ is positively associated with economic, social, and environmental performance. The ‘green purchasing’ is positively associated with social and environmental performance. The ‘green production’ and ‘green logistics’ are positively associated with environmental performance. The ‘cooperation with customers’ is positively associated with social performance. The findings are useful for theory and practice
Moderating Role of Sustainable Leadership on the Relationship Between Sustainable Project Management and Success: An Empirical Test in Public Sector Development Program
No full textSustainable project management (SPM) is pivotal for enhancing sustainable project success (SPS) and transforming organizations into sustainable practices. Many prior studies empirically found that SPM is positively associated with SPS. This association can be further enhanced through sustainable leadership. However, the role of sustainable leadership as a moderator on the association between SPM and SPS has not been fully grabbed in the prior studies, especially the public sector development program (PSDP) in Pakistan remained unexplored. The study aimed to investigate the moderating role of sustainable leadership on the association between SPM and SPS in the PSDP projects in Pakistan. Using a quantitative survey-based design and the data from 285 completed PSDP projects collected through a single informant strategy, the hypothesized relationships were tested with the PLS-SEM-based hierarchical component modeling approach. The results revealed that SPM is positively associated with SPS and sustainable leadership moderates the association between SPM and SPS in this context. The study provides important insights into the emerging trend of SPM and SPS and evocatively contributes to the existing literature. The study also contributes to the practice and assists project managers, decision-makers, and policy-makers in planning and developing PSDP projects more effectively to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). The findings are also beneficial for other countries operating in similar circumstances
Industrial Sector Input Demand Responsiveness and Policy Interventions
No full textIn Pakistan, government intervention in the input market of the industrial sector is considerable. It regulates prices of virtually all energy and certain other non-labour inputs. To stimulate industrial production and output growth, it also encourages the provision of extended credit facilities to the industrial producers. Further, it has also often announced adjustments/reductions in duties and tariffs on products used in industrial production. Conversely, government also imposes taxes on outputs. It may desire to levy new taxes on the industrial inputs. All interventions have profound implications for producers, consumers and the government alike. Therefore, it is important to know how they may affect the industrial input demand. Further, it is equally important to know how effective they may be for the government in the realisation of its objectives. The most pertinent approach to ascertain the industrial input demand responsiveness to government interventions is to obtain valid estimates of price elasticities. In fact, competent elasticity estimates of the producer input demand derived with a sound methodology can serve as a solid basis to predict producer responsiveness to market changes and thereby the effectiveness and desirability of government interventions. While the price elasticities of products over the years have been estimated for Pakistan, renewed interest on estimating responsiveness of producer input demand with modern estimation procedures has recently surged. Idrees (1997) and Khan (1998) have determined elasticities for the domestic large-scale manufacturing sector from a demand system. Although these research studies make a good addition to the literature, their scope is extremely limited because they have combined industrial inputs into large aggregates. At present, there is no study that has investigated the input demand elasticities of the domestic industrial sector at the dis-aggregated level.
Green supply chain management practices and sustainable organizational performance in construction organizations
No full textThe study aimed to analyze the association between green supply chain management practices (GSCM) practices and sustainable organizational performance (OP) in construction organizations of Pakistan. A quantitative survey-based design was adopted to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected from 118 respondents. The PLS-SEM-based approach was applied for data analysis. The results revealed that eco-design is positively associated with economic, social, and environmental performance. Green purchasing is positively associated with social and environmental performance. Green production and green logistics are positively associated with environmental performance. Cooperation with customers is positively associated with social performance. The study corroborates the use of GSCM practices for improving sustainable OP. The results are vital for theory and practice. The aim of industrial development in a developing country is to improve the economy by enhancing organizational image and goodwill while minimizing adverse impact on the environmental. Green supply chain management (GSCM) practices are environmental-friendly practices which help organizations to reduce energy and logistics cost, customer satisfaction and loyalty, reputation and goodwill, and social responsibility and resultantly improve sustainable organizational performance (OP). The findings of this study revealed that GSCM practices are positively associated with sustainable OP in the construction organizations of Pakistan. The ‘eco-design’ is positively associated with economic, social, and environmental performance. The ‘green purchasing’ is positively associated with social and environmental performance. The ‘green production’ and ‘green logistics’ are positively associated with environmental performance. The ‘cooperation with customers’ is positively associated with social performance. The findings are useful for theory and practice.</p
<i>Syzygium aromaticum</i> Bud Extracted Core–Shell Ag–Fe Bimetallic Nanoparticles: Phytotoxic, Antioxidant, Insecticidal, and Antibacterial Properties
No full textToday, there is the roar of sustainable material development around the globe. Green nanotechnology is one of the extensions of sustainability. Due to its sustainable approach, the green fabrication of nanoparticles has recently surpassed their classical synthesis in popularity. Among metal nanoparticles, contemporary findings have demonstrated that bimetallic nanoparticles possess more potential for different applications than monometallic nanoparticles due to the synergistic effects of the two metals. So, we are presenting facile, one-vessel, and one-step phyto-fabrication of Ag–Fe BMNPs using the bud extract of Syzygiumaromaticum. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-VIS, XRD, EDX, FTIR, and SEM. The synthesized NPs and the extract underwent biological studies. The radical scavenging potential of the NPs and the extract was found to be 64% and 73%, and the insecticidal potential was found to be 80% and 100%, respectively. Similarly, the NPs and the extract both exhibited good antibacterial activity. The zone of inhibition using 100 mg/mL of extract and NPs was found to be 1 cm against all bacterial species, i.e., K. pneumonia, E. coli, and S. aureus. It was 1.5 cm, 1.3 cm, and 1 cm against K. pneumonia, E. coli, and S. aureus, respectively, showing that the antibacterial activity of the extract is higher than that of the NPs. So, this study unlocks the synthesis of Ag–Fe bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-safe, cost-effective, facile, and least-harmful green methodology with potential applications of both NPs and SA extract in medical and agricultural fields, a step towards sustainability
Fullerene-to-MWCNT Structural Evolution Synthesized by Arc Discharge Plasma
No full textThe growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been extensively studied using electron microscopy. The ex situ structural behavior was examined to investigate the growth of the MWCNTs under different environments and pressures using electron microscopy. The arc discharge plasma technique was applied to synthesize the MWCNTs by evaporating carbon through the arc plasma between two cylindrical graphite rods, with a background pressure of 10−2 to 102 mbar, inside a vacuum chamber under different ambient environments. The results showed that long MWCNT structures were successfully grown. We suggest that the mechanism involves: (i) fullerene formation; (ii) the elongation of fullerenes; and (iii) the growth of MWCNTs. Agglomeration with other structures then forms MWCNT bundles. We note that the pressure and environment in the vacuum chamber can affect the structure of the MWCNTs
Correlation studies on nitrogen for sunflower crop across the agroclimatic variability
No full textNitrogen (N) fertilizer is an important yield limiting factor for sunflower production. The correlation between yield components and growth parameters of three sunflower hybrids (Hysun-33, Hysun-38, Pioneer-64A93) were studied with five N rates (0, 60, 120, 180, 240\ua0kg\ua0ha) at three different experimental sites during the two consecutive growing seasons 2008 and 2009. The results revealed that total dry matter (TDM) production and grain yield were positively and linearly associated with leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), and crop growth rate (CGR) at all three sites of the experiments. The significant association of yield with growth components indicated that the humid climate was most suitable for sunflower production. Furthermore, the association of these components can be successfully used to predict the grain yield under diverse climatic conditions. The application of N at increased rate of 180\ua0kg\ua0ha resulted in maximum yield as compared to standard rate (120\ua0kg\ua0ha) at all the experimental sites. In this way, N application rate was significantly correlated with growth and development of sunflower under a variety of climatic conditions. Keeping in view such relationship, the N dose can be optimized for sunflower crop in a particular region to maximize the productivity. Multilocation trails help to predict the input rates precisely while taking climatic variations into account also. In the long run, results of this study provides basis for sustainable sunflower production under changing climate
