9 research outputs found
Enhancing digital innovation in developing countries: Organizational improvisation and resource constraints in digital entrepreneurial firms
No full textBy integrating theories of organizational dynamic capabilities and knowledge worker productivity, we explore the linkages between organizational improvisation and digital innovation performance via knowledge worker productivity, with boundary conditions of a firm’s resource constraints in the context of a developing country. We collected data from 308 managers of digital entrepreneurial information technology (IT) firms in Pakistan, a developing country. We found that organizational improvisation positively influences digital innovation performance. This relationship is weaker in firms with high resource constraints. Furthermore, knowledge worker productivity mediates the relationship between organizational improvisation and digital innovation performance. The distinctive characteristics of knowledge workers in the IT sector enable them to maintain productivity by relying on improvisation despite any resource constraints, thereby, enhancing digital innovation performance. This research contributes to the intersection of dynamic capabilities and Drucker’s knowledge worker productivity theories. It explores how organizational improvisation can facilitate improved digital innovation performance despite resource constraints and can build on the productivity level of knowledge workers in developing countries. Our research suggests that investing in knowledge workers facilitates the translation of organizational improvisation to improved digital innovation and mitigates resource constraints’ impact on digital innovation performance in the context of developing economies.Publishers versio
Scholarly Productivity in Physiotherapy from 1992 to 2022 in Pakistan: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on the Web of Science Database
No full textThe best way to communicate and disseminate knowledge in a profession is through publications and research activities. Maintaining and developing the body of knowledge specific to physiotherapy is crucial for enhancing the current knowledge and supporting the idea of evidence-based physiotherapy practice. This study aimed to investigate the research output of physiotherapy professionals in Pakistan during the last three decades (1992-2022). The bibliometric analysis technique was adopted to conduct this study. Data from the Web of Science (core collection) was extracted in November 2022 via electronic searching using the query: ALL= (Physical therapy AND Pakistan OR physiotherapy AND Pakistan OR manual therapy AND Pakistan OR physical rehabilitation AND Pakistan OR Exercise therapy AND Pakistan. The search yielded 2, 390 articles that were published between 1992 and 2022. 508 relevant publications were finally selected for further analysis based on the study's inclusion criteria. The bibliometric analysis results highlighted that there has been a consistent rise in the number of published articles over the past 30 years, with the peak publication trend seen in 2020. The analysis also revealed the most productive authors, journals, and their co-authors' networking in this domain. The most frequently used author keywords and the most collaborative country in research with Pakistan were also identified. However, it was observed that there were specific clusters of research work; certain institutions and authors were very active in research, highlighting a somewhat non-diversified research activity in the profession. Furthermore, the articles were primarily published in Pakistan-based journals, indicating a limited spread of knowledge.</p
Can contracted out health facilities improve access, equity, and quality of maternal and newborn health services? evidence from Pakistan.
No full textBACKGROUND:
The case of contracting out government health services to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been weak for maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services, with documented gains being mainly in curative services. We present an in-depth assessment of the comparative advantages of contracting out on MNCH access, quality, and equity, using a case study from Pakistan. METHODS:
An end-line, cross-sectional assessment was conducted of government facilities contracted out to a large national NGO and government-managed centres serving as controls, in two remote rural districts of Pakistan. Contracting out was specific for augmenting MNCH services but without contractual performance incentives. A household survey, a health facility survey, and focus group discussions with client and spouses were used for assessment. RESULTS:
Contracted out facilities had a significantly higher utilization as compared to control facilities for antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, emergency obstetric care, and neonatal illness. Contracted facilities had comparatively better quality of MNCH services but not in all aspects. Better household practices were also seen in the district where contracting involved administrative control over outreach programs. Contracting was also faced with certain drawbacks. Facility utilization was inequitably higher amongst more educated and affluent clients. Contracted out catchments had higher out-of-pocket expenses on MNCH services, driven by steeper transport costs and user charges for additional diagnostics. Contracting out did not influence higher MNCH service coverage rates across the catchment. Physical distances, inadequate transport, and low demand for facility-based care in non-emergency settings were key client-reported barriers. CONCLUSION:
Contracting out MNCH services at government health facilities can improve facility utilization and bring some improvement in quality of services. However, contracting out of health facilities is insufficient to increase service access across the catchment in remote rural contexts and requires accompanying measures for demand enhancement, transportation access, and targeting of the more disadvantaged clientele
DO THE HUMOUR SKILLS OF AN EMPLOYEE HELP? ROLE OF EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION AT THE WORKPLACE
No full textThe research analyzes the effect of Psychological Contract Breach (PCB) on Organization Citizenship Behavior (OCB) with the help of Emotional Exhaustion (EE) taken as a mediating variable. Humour Skills has been taken as the moderator between the relationship of PCB with EE, and EE with OCB. The Snowball sampling method has been opted in this research. The results highlighted that PCB effected OCB both directly and indirectly through EE, which has been found to be partially mediating the relationship. Through moderation, the impact of Humor Skills on the association between PCB and EE has not been found. This effect might not have been established as several local, and multi-national companies in Pakistan are downsizing due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. Hence, it has become increasingly difficult for employees to deal with the extra pressure on the job using humour skills. However, humour skills were acting as a moderator, weakening the relationship between EE and employee's citizenship behaviour which tells us that humour skills help the employee counter the harmful effects of emotional exhaustion. Key words: Psychological Contract Breach; Organizational Citizenship Behavior; Emotional Exhaustion; Humor Skills; COVID-1
Improvement in access and equity for maternal and neonatal health services: comparative advantages of contracted-out versus non-contracted-out facilities
No full textAssociative effects of activated carbon biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on wheat for reducing nickel food chain bioavailability
No full textHeavy metal stress and less nutrient availability are some of the major concerns in agriculture. Both abiotic stresses have potential to decrease the crops productivity. On the other hand, organic fertilizers i.e., activated carbon biochar (ACB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase nutritional and heavy metal like Nickel (Ni) stress tolerance and provide immunity to plants for their survival in unfavorable environments. Previous studies have only looked at single applications of either ACB or AMF thus far. There is limited evidence of their synergistic effects, especially in plants growing in soil contaminated with nickel (Ni). To cover the knowledge gap of combined use of AMF inoculation (Glomus intraradices) and/or wheat straw biochar amendments on wheat growth, antioxidant activities and osmolytes concentration, present study is conducted. The use of either the AMF inoculant or the ACB alone resulted in improved wheat growth and decreased Ni uptake. Furthermore, sole AMF or ACB also reduced Ni stress effectively, allowing wheat to grow faster and reducing soil Ni transfer into plant tissue. In comparison to a control, adding ACB with AMF inoculant considerably increased fungal populations. The most significant increase in wheat growth and decrease in tissue Ni contents came from amending soil with AMF inoculant and biochar. Inducing soil alkalinization and causing Ni immobilization, as well as decreasing Ni phyto-availability, the combination treatment had a synergistic impact. These findings imply that AMF inoculation in ACB treatment could be used not only for wheat production but also for Ni-contaminated soil phyto-stabilization. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe
Yield and yield components of common bean as influenced by wheat residue and nitrogen rates under water deficit conditions
No full textIncorporation of crop residues into agricultural system has become a worldwide efficient practice for enhancing crop production. The main objectives of this experiment was to investigate the major role of incorporating wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residues and nitrogen (N) fertilizers rates under different water requirements (WR) on growth, seed yield and yield components of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The results showed that seed yield under 80% WR in retained crop residue plots was & SIM;11% higher than WR treatment with no residue incorporation. Seed yield was not significantly different between residue retention and removal treatments in 2016, whereas it was higher (12% and 17%) under residue retained plots compared to removed ones in subsequent years. Seed yields responded to N up to 170 and 225 kg ha(-1) in removed and retained residue treatments, respectively in 2017 and 2018. Annual increment of seed yield in residue retained plots (36%) was 2.11 times higher than the residue removed ones (17%). There was higher soil N content in 50% residue retention with 225 kg N ha(-1) under both water deficit treatments in all years. The highest soil organic carbon (SOC) was achieved with normal irrigation in retained residue plots with 225 kg N ha(-1) in all years. Overall, wheat residue incorporation into the soil and N-supply substantially contributed to counteracting yield declines of common bean under water deficit conditions.& nbsp;(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer reviewe
Exogenously applied ZnO nanoparticles induced salt tolerance in potentially high yielding modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars
No full textSalinity stress is one of the potential threats that adversely affect the productivity of many cereal crops worldwide. Spraying plants with nano-Zn particles may lessen effectively such negative impacts on plants; yet its mode of action is still not well explored. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of spraying nano-Zn particles with varying concentrations (0, 20, 50 and 80 mg L-1) on two wheat cultivars irrigated with saline water (EC = 6.3 dS m-1) versus a non-saline one. The key results revealed that root and shoot weights decreased significantly under salinity stress conditions, while improved considerably with nano-Zn-particles foliar application up to 50 mg nanoZn L-1; thereafter significant reductions occurred. Also, shoot and root lengths as well as plant leaf area index improved considerably owing to this foliar application. Clearly, roots and shoots weights of wheat plants sprayed with nano-Zn particles under salinity stress conditions exhibited higher values than the corresponding ones that was grown under non-saline conditions without nano-Zn-particles applications. Unexpectedly, this foliar spray led to significant reductions in plant pigments and also in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in plants. Yet, this foliar spray enhanced formation of total soluble sugars and proline, and raised significantly Ca contents in wheat roots and shoots, and to some extent K contents. In conclusion, the foliar application of nano-Zn particles increased plant growth under salty stress conditions via two parallel processes, i.e., stimulating formation of osmolytes and stimulating nutrient uptake which may, in turn, increase plant metabolism. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CCPeer reviewe
