23 research outputs found
Usage of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan
Get PDFThe purpose of this empirical study is to examine the usage of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPS) in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). Recently, rapid growth in information technology services compels developing countries to emerge as an information-based society. This emergence corresponds with the calls of researchers to address ERPS (Abbas, 2011). However, there is a scarcity of efforts by researchers to identify the factors contributing to the usage of ERPS at the organisational, departmental and end-user layer in HEIs. To fill this gap, this research develops a Multi-Layer Usage Model (MLUM) to determine the factors of ERPS usage across the organisational, departmental and individual levels of HEIs. The theoretical foundation of this study is adapted from unified theory of acceptance and use of technology developed by Venkatesh et al (2003). The study is unique in many respects. Firstly, it offers a newly developed multi-level conceptual model that is tested empirically using three distinct questionnaires; one for each layer. A large primary dataset, 1317 responses, is collected through three questionnaire from 18 higher education institutions in Pakistan; 86 responses from the organisational layer, 143 from the departmental layer and 1088 from the end-user layer. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the effect of factors at three layers contributing to the usage of ERPS. Furthermore, the models are refined by applying extensions of structural equation modelling. Results suggest that at the organisational layer human resource availability, tolerance for risks and conflicts, collegial support and collaboration and decision making and control are significant and contributed towards ERPS usage while at the end-user layer behavioural intentions and motivation were insignificant and were therefore, removed from the model. This study contributes to theory development regarding usage of innovations in the under-researched context of HEIs. It also provides indigenous manifestations of ERPS usage that may be used by policy-makers
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG JOB INSECURITY, INCIVILITY, INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS AND SOMATIC SYMPTOMS: A MODEL TOWARDS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Get PDFOne of the major consequents of the stressful job is poor physical health, a neglecting area among the police workforce. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the associations among job insecurity, interpersonal conflicts, workplace incivility and somatic symptoms as these relate to job content and context of the Police workforce. The data for this study was collected from 343 low ranked police employees through a questionnaire-based survey between March-May 2019. Avoiding the issue of common method biases the data were collected at two times. The study used structural equation modeling technique to test the hypotheses. The results revealed interpersonal conflicts, workplace incivility and somatic symptoms as the consequence of perceptions of job insecurity. However, positive and negative emotions were noted to moderate the association between job insecurity and workplace incivility. Physical health is a worldwide issue among police, however, the data for this study was collected from a single province which may limit the generalizability to South Asian countries. The study has implications for the government and policymakers. This study is the first of its kind to examine the issues of police employee’s poor physical health with the help of social power theory and the broaden-and-build theory
How Product Quality and Price Influence Customer Retention: Exploring the role of Customer Satisfaction as Mediator in Pakistan\u27s Footwear Industry
No full textCustomer retention is a core topic of consideration in this competitive environment. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of product quality and price on customer retention with a mediation of customer satisfactionin the footwear industry of Pakistan. The sample size of this study was 396 taken by simple random sampling. The respondents were the users of different shoe brands of Pakistan. This research study used a quantitative tool i.e., questionnaire for the collection of data. Different types of analyses were performed i.e., data normality check, correlation analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, structural equation modelling, construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses testing using AMOS (simple and mediation path analysis). The results of this study have showed that the product quality and price have positive and strong association with customer retention. They both have shown strong association/effect on customer retention and customer satisfaction plays an imperative role in these relationships by mediating them. This study contains many implications which have been discussed. They are beneficial for marketing managers, policy-makers, strategists and future researcher
Viscous flows: stretching and shrinking of surfaces
No full textThis authored monograph provides a detailed discussion of the boundary layer flow due to a moving plate. The topical focus lies on the 2- and 3-dimensional case, considering axially symmetric and unsteady flows. The author derives a criterion for the self-similar and non-similar flow, and the turbulent flow due to a stretching or shrinking sheet is also discussed. The target audience primarily comprises research experts in the field of boundary layer flow, but the book will also be beneficial for graduate students
Usage of enterprise resource planning systems in higher education institutions in Pakistan
Get PDFThe main objective of the study was to identify the factors contributing to the usage of enterprise resource planning systems at the organisational layer, the departmental layer and the end-user layer in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. The conceptual framework of this study is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) developed by Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis (2003). The multi-level conceptual model developed for the study was tested empirically using three distinct questionnaires for analytical layers. Primary data was collected from 18 higher education institutions in Pakistan; 86 responses from the organisational layer, 143 from the departmental layer and 1088 from the end-user layer. Structural equations were formulated to investigate the effect of factors at three layers contributing to the usage of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPS). Organisational training was found to be the only factor not making a significant contribution to the usage of enterprise resource planning systems while all other factors included in the conceptual framework were proved to be significant. The model formulation and application of SEM techniques to investigate the determinants of usage of ERPS in HEIs in Pakistan is the unique contribution of this stud
Mechanism Between Organizational Support Factors and Motivation to Transfer: Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy
No full textTransfer of training has turned out to be a major issue for the banking industry and the desire of successful transferability of training content can be actualized by motivating the trainees to transfer their learned skills. Therefore, this study highlighted the less studied variables from organizational factors (i.e. organizational and supervisor support) and trainee’s characteristics (i.e. self-efficacy) to develop a model for motivation to transfer. For the purpose, data were collected from 388 banking employees and the hypotheses were investigated by means of structural equation modeling using AMOS. The study found both organizational and supervisor support as contributing factors towards motivation to transfer through self-efficacy. The study has implications for the banking sector to cope with this emerging issue
Behaviour and design of prestressed columns
No full textThe load-carrying capacity of slender columns is limited by global instability. However,
through the addition of strategically placed cross-arms and external prestressed cables,
buckling displacements can be inhibited and the load-carrying capacity considerably enhanced.
Such systems, known as prestressed stayed columns offer efficient and lightweight
structural solutions.
Previous research on prestressed stayed columns has been largely analytical and numerical
studies. To the knowledge of the author, experimental investigations into the antisymmetric
and interactive modes of buckling in stayed columns have not been attempted hitherto.
In addition, although some previous studies have attempted to investigate the optimum
prestressing configuration of stayed columns for design purposes, generic design guidance
for this type of structural component has been lacking. Therefore, the primary aim of the
current study is to conduct experimental and numerical investigations into the possible
buckling and post-buckling behaviour and to develop an efficient design method for these
structural components.
A full scale experimental investigation has been conducted with a total of 18 test specimens
to demonstrate the critical modes of buckling (symmetric and antisymmetric) with
interactive post-buckling. This has also investigated the imperfection sensitivity of the
stayed columns. Nonlinear finite element (FE) modelling was conducted in parallel with
the experiments. These models were utilized, after successful validation against the experimental
results, to investigate the sensitivity of the stayed system to the variation of key
parameters.
Subsequently, an efficient design method for prestressed stayed columns has been developed,
including design charts and equations relating the resistance of the stayed column
system to the level of the initial prestress in the cables for varying cross-arm lengths and
global imperfection levels. Structural reliability analysis, using the procedures in Annex
D of EN 1990, was conducted to evaluate the design safety factor. Worked examples of
the proposed design method are also presented to demonstrate the developed procedure
for diiferent key cases. It is shown that a straightforward yet rational design method has
been formulated
Lie Algebroids in the Loday-Pirashvili Category
No full textWe describe Lie-Rinehart algebras in the tensor category LM of linear maps in the sense of Loday and Pirashvili and construct a functor from Lie-Rinehart algebras in LM to Leibniz algebroids.This paper is a contribution to the Special Issue on Poisson Geometry in Mathematics and Physics. The full
collection is available at http://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA/Poisson2014.html.
The author wishes to thank Uli Kr¨ahmer for helpful comments and suggestions. It is also
a pleasure to thank Stuart White for his time, Jos´e Figueroa O’Farrill for conversations, and
the anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions. This research was funded by an
EPSRC DTA grant
