Developing Country Perspective Research Articles

High school teachers’ perception of AR and VR in English language teaching and learning activities: A developing country perspective

High school teachers’ perception of AR and VR in English language teaching and learning activities: A developing country perspective

RETRACTED: Sustainable financial dimensions of managing poverty in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic: A developing country perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic is dangerous to people’s lives and livelihoods, creating immediate obstacles for organizations that support impacted populations. This research concentrates on the consequences for local microfinance institutions in Pakistan, which is a well-developed sector that has pulled many households out of the poverty trap. Microfinance programs in Pakistan provide financial resources to vulnerable and deprived people to engage in income-generating practices on more favorable terms. As a result, this study addressed and assessed the financial dimensions of managing poverty reduction in rural Pakistan through the microfinance segment and its effectiveness on poverty-reduction programs in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey to determine the views of the households, beneficiaries, and non-beneficiaries on the outcome and efficacy of poverty-reduction programs during the pandemic to meet the study objectives. The Mann-Whitney U test of the non-parametric method and Cronbach’s alpha of the data reliability test have been applied for the empirical analysis. According to the non-parametric findings, programs, marital status, working women members, and resources such as land, livestock, business assets, shares, and loans have all been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education, wages, gender, size, child dependency, and district variables are significant factors related to poverty, but they fell into second position during COVID-19. These findings suggests that the small loan system must be improved and made efficient during the pandemic. This could be a practical tool to maintain poor people’s current economic and poverty position.

The Mediating Role of Benefit Management for Sustaining the Performance of Infrastructure Projects

Benefit management is a valuable approach, promoted and supported by strategic management for maximizing organizational benefits. It has also been recognized as a means of improving project performance, though more research is needed to understand how it works. This research adds to the contemporary literature on public sector project management by studying the links between project governance, benefit management, and project performance from a developing country perspective. This study provides insights for project professionals who are working in government organizations for optimizing the benefits of investment. The study provides a reference to formulate strategies for managing and governing the performance of government-funded projects in developing countries like Pakistan. The research uses a positivist approach and quantitative design. The quantitative technique is employed to address all the aspects of the study. The structural equation modeling revealed that benefit management acted as a mediating factor in the relationship between project governance dimensions and public sector project performance. This study highlights the importance of incorporating a comprehensive benefit management approach to streamline the benefit management process by aligning projects with the organizational strategy for sustaining project performance. These findings stress the need for a comprehensive benefit management approach in improving the project performance of government-sponsored projects. The study attempts to improve the understanding of project professionals about the role and significance of benefit management, which will be helpful to get organizational support for the employees who are striving to improve the project performance in Pakistan.

Exploring the Nexus among Internet Banking Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Age, and Gender : A Developing Country Perspective during COVID-19

During COVID-19, the banking industry saw a paradigm shift of customers from “traditional” to “online” platforms. This research explored the moderation effect of age and gender in the relationship between online banking service quality and customer satisfaction during COVID-19. The study used explanatory and accurate novel methods to study the relationship between online banking service quality and customer satisfaction in the Indian banking industry. Structural equation modeling was used for testing the relationship. Multi-group moderation technique was employed to explain the moderation effect. The study highlighted that age significantly moderated the relationship between responsiveness, competence, and customer satisfaction. Gender significantly moderated the relationship between competence and customer satisfaction. The study’s novelty lies in finding the critical determinant of customer satisfaction in online banking during COVID - 19 and explaining the moderation effect of age and gender. Moreover, this study addressed feedback and complaint management, which has not been studied widely in the context of quality and satisfaction.

Corrigendum

Business Strategy & DevelopmentVolume 5, Issue 3 p. 303-303 CORRIGENDUMFree Access Corrigendum This article corrects the following: The management of corporate social responsibility through projects: A more economically developed country perspective Meera Al-Marri, Ashly H. Pinnington, Mine Karatas-Ozkan, Katerina Nicolopoulou, Volume 2Issue 4Business Strategy & Development pages: 358-371 First Published online: July 2, 2019 First published: 05 September 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.220AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat In the paper “The management of corporate social responsibility through projects: A more economically developed country perspective”, there is an error in the corresponding author's name. The correct name is Meera Al-Marri. REFERENCE Al-Marri M, Pinnington AH, Karatas-Ozkan M, Nicolopoulou K. The management of corporate social responsibility through projects: A more economically developed country perspective. Bus Strat Dev. 2019; 2: 358– 371. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.68 Volume5, Issue3September 2022Pages 303-303 ReferencesRelatedInformation

The relationship between investor tax preferences and the payout methods of JSE listed companies

Background: Investor tax preference parameters have been included as an explanatory variable for changes in payout methods in developed countries. There is, however, a lack of research in this area in developing countries. Tax reform in South Africa – comprising a change in the tax regime and successive increases in tax rates – offers a unique setting to examine investor tax preference parameters as a contribution to literature.Aim: This study investigated the relationship between investor tax preference parameters (of individuals, corporates, and institutions) and payout methods (namely dividends, capital distributions, additional shares, and share repurchases).Setting: The study used data collected in respect of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa for the financial reporting periods ranging from 2012 to 2019.Method: A regression analysis of panel data was employed to relate the changes in payout methods to changes in profits, investor tax preference parameters, the lagged levels of variables, and ownership concentration dummy variables.Findings: The empirical evidence of this study revealed that investor tax preferences affected dividends as a payout method. This accordingly suggests that the tax differential of dividends and capital gains affect the supply of dividends in South Africa.Conclusion: The study contributes empirical evidence in support of the taxes and tax clienteles theory from a developing country perspective. This could suggest that tax reform in a developing country, in this case, South Africa, has a more pronounced effect on payout methods than in developed countries.

Corporate social responsibility disclosures and profitability of Islamic banks: an empirical study

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and financial performance (FP) of Islamic banking sector from a developing country perspective. It also explores the present status of CSR activities performing by the listed Islamic banks (IBs) of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThe secondary data from seven IBs’ annual reports for the years 2009–2018 are taken to obtain substantial measures of CSR activities. A corporate social responsibility disclosure index is constructed based on disclosure status on nine dimensions and 75 items as per the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions standards. To find the association between CSR disclosures and profitability, panel regression analysis has been performed.FindingsThe result indicates that CSR disclosures have a significant and negative relation with FP (return on assets) of IBs. It also suggests the expansion of CSR practices and the communicative CSR reporting of IBs, as an ethical identity, toward the stakeholders and society.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the samples used in this study are limited to IBs as ethical identities in Bangladesh. Second, the length of a time frame as the practice of CSR activities and its reporting is still ineffective following the enforcement of the central bank directive in 2008. Another limitation is that the study used a subjective measure, content analysis, of CSR activities that was self-reported disclosures, which may creep some biasness.Practical implicationsThe practical involvement of this research includes the assistance for policy development regarding better understanding of expansion of CSR practices and trustworthiness of CSR reporting by the Islamic banking segments in developing country context. Future researchers can get a glimpse of what reputational impact CSR initiatives really have on consumers and investors, considering CSR activities as an indicator of greater transparency and honesty in operations and financial reporting.Originality/valueThis study makes an important contribution to the academic literature on CSR communication from developing country context where CSR activities are supported under Islamic banking system. In addition, its examination of the legitimacy of CSR disclosures elaborates the social obligations of corporate entities to their stakeholders and society.

A conceptual competencies-based framework to enhance the innovation capacity of fourth industrial revolution entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship scholars have focused their research on compiling a list of competencies that enhance entrepreneurial behaviour. Yet, these efforts might be redundant as new competencies are necessary in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Furthermore, previous research investigated entrepreneurial competencies (ECs) from a developed country perspective. This paper follows two phases in identifying ECs for the 4IR in a developing country context. During phase 1, a Delphi study is employed, whereby 12 participants provide 108 ECs (round 1) and 87 ECs (round 2) required for the 4IR. Based on an extensive literature review, a concept matrix is conducted in phase 2, in which 136 competencies are listed. After phase 2 has been conducted, 87 ECs are identified, of which 33 have resulted as the most cited in the literature. By utilizing this multi-dimensional holistic approach, we can distinguish the ECs necessary to increase entrepreneurs’ capacity to innovate. The final analyses indicate 12 ECs, presented in a conceptual framework and categorized into four domains: cognitive (knowledge), functional (skills), social (attitudes and behaviours) and meta (facilitating learning). The findings illustrate the demand for specific ECs, although no additional ECs such as technology skills are identified for the 4IR within a developing country context.

The barriers to adapting accounting practices to circular economy implementation: an evidence from Ghana

PurposeThe rapid development in the circular economy phenomenon raises the prospects of potential tension between the existing accounting practices and the principles of circular economy. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the barriers to adapting the current accounting practices to circular economy implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses exploratory qualitative study design, and semi-structured interviews were conducted among professional accountants in Ghana. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit respondents, and data saturation was achieved with 45 respondents. Data collection and analysis were undertaken concurrently and emerging themes were investigated as the study progressed.FindingsThe results indicate that there are several barriers to adapting the current accounting practices to circular economy implementation. The specific barriers as revealed in the data analysis are: accounting reporting barriers, financial/economic barriers, technological barriers, managerial/behavioral barriers, organizational barriers and institutional barriers.Originality/valueThe study responded to a global call by coalition circular accounting to identify and potentially over accounting related challenges that impedes the transition to circular economy. The study’s originality stems from the fact that it explores the issue from a developing country perspective, which has received limited attention in the extant literature.

Can Energy Efficiency Help in Achieving Carbon-Neutrality Pledges? A Developing Country Perspective Using Dynamic ARDL Simulations

The current research sheds light on the nexus between environmental degradation as proxied by carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), energy efficiency (EE), economic growth, manufacturing value-added (MVA), and the interaction effect of EE and MVA in India. Using yearly data from 1980 to 2019, the current study employs dynamic auto-regressive distribution lag (DARDL) simulations and Fourier Toda and Yamamoto causality techniques. The findings of DARDL reveal that as income and MVA rise, environmental quality decreases, while EE improves environmental conditions in both the long and short run. Surprisingly, the interaction term of EE and MVA has a detrimental influence on environmental quality, meaning that India remains unable to provide energy savings technologies to the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is well-founded for India, as the long-run income coefficient is smaller than the short-run coefficient, implying that India is in its scale stage of economy, where economic growth is prioritized over environmental quality. The results of the causality technique reveal that CO2 emissions and EE have a bidirectional association. Therefore, policymakers in India should embrace realistic industrialization strategies combined with moderate decarbonization and energy efficiency initiatives under the umbrella of sustainable industrial and economic growth.

E-records management practices in public universities: a developing country perspective

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the management of electronic records (e-records) in public universities in Malawi.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a case study research design that made use of predominantly qualitative research methods. Data was collected at three study sites, namely, Mzuzu University, Malawi University of Science and Technology and the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences. A purposive sample of three officers per institution (and nine in total) comprising executive officers, deputy university registrar, records clerk, information and communication technology (ICT) directors and ICT manager was attained. The researcher personally conducted the interviews with the research subjects with the aid of interview guides. Observations were also done, whose findings were recorded in the observation protocols. The data collected was transcribed in MS Word, coded and analysed thematically.FindingsThis study concluded that e-records are at high risk in public universities in Malawi. Irrespective of this situation, this study found that there were some areas for e-records to potentially thrive in public universities in Malawi.Research limitations/implicationsThis study covers three of the six public universities in Malawi. Although public universities in Malawi have similar governance structures, there are some noticeable differences that distinguish one institution from the other. It is, therefore, possible that findings made in this study may not completely represent the prevailing situation in all public universities.Originality/valueStudies of this nature have not been done before in public universities in Malawi. It is, therefore, hoped that besides filling the existing knowledge gap, its findings will contribute to policy and practical interventions that will lead to efficiency of the universities involved.

Modeling teachers acceptance of learning management system in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic: A developing country perspective.

The ubiquity of the World Wide Web has provided massive opportunities to teachers and learners around the globe to share knowledge anytime anywhere via learning management system. Hence, considering the needs of the students; universities have arranged the facilities of the learning management system. This study is an empirical evaluation of university faculty members' intention to use a learning management system. We extended Davis's (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to evaluate faculty members' intention to use learning management system amid COVID‐19. Data were obtained from the faculty members of Pakistani universities through the convenience sampling technique and analyzed using PLS‐SEM. The outcomes of the study revealed that perceived ease of using a learning management system, user‐interface design, and faculty members' innovativeness have a favorable impact on their intention to use learning management system. Facilitating conditions positively influenced intention to use learning management system. However, the positive relationship between facilitating conditions and perceived ease of using the learning management system was insignificant. The results indicate that the extended TAM model has effectively predicted faculty members' intention to use the learning management system. The findings of the current study can be used for the training and development of faculty members by institutions and regulatory bodies in developing countries.

Impediments of realizing sustainable youth and women entrepreneurship from a developing country perspective

Impediments of realizing sustainable youth and women entrepreneurship from a developing country perspective

The moderating role of perceived behavioral control in predicting Muslim tourists’ halal tourism intention: a developing country perspective

PurposeHalal tourism despite its increasing contributions toward the global tourism industry, remains a nascent field of research, in particular, investigations that explore the drivers of halal tourism purchase intention of Muslim tourists are insufficient. To contribute to this end, this study aims to examine the moderating role of perceived behavioral control (PBC) on attitude, subjective norms (SN) and behavioral intention by applying the theory of planned behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model is tested by using structural equation modeling based on the data collected from 306 Muslim tourists of Bangladesh.FindingsThe results reveal that PBC moderates the relationship between attitude and halal tourism intention. Halal tourism intention is also influenced by attitude and PBC but not by SN.Research limitations/implicationsFindings of the study contributed to halal tourism literature by identifying the role of perceived autonomy and capacity on halal tourism intention and by offering an understanding of the underlying psychological drivers of halal tourism choice.Practical implicationsThis would help the marketer to design suitable halal tourism offerings to fulfill the unique needs of this less explored tourism market.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is perhaps the first study in the context of the Bangladesh tourism sector that focuses on customers’ halal tourism intention. The study’s findings are crucial in Islamic marketing and halal tourism.

Modelling Barriers for Smart Grid Technology Acceptance in India

The numerous challenges faced by the power sector in India, like high transmission and distribution loss, power theft, frequent power outages and under billing, have impelled to adopt new technologies like smart grid to make the power grid more efficient and secure, leading to the need for interdisciplinary research in the area of power systems and management. An ambitious target of the Government of India to produce 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 has created a drive towards implementing smart grid technology in India. Though the smart grid seems to be a promising solution, it requires considerable investment, infrastructure development and social acceptance by the consumers. Investigation of smart grid pilot projects in India clearly indicates a lack of consumer involvement and poor infrastructure development. This research aims to identify factors that can be considered barriers to smart grid technology acceptance in India and develop a hierarchical model. The present work has implemented a systematic and scientific approach that includes content analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and Matrice d'impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) to develop a hierarchical model for smart grid technology acceptance. The result highlights the importance of consumer awareness and various factors affecting the consumer’s participation in the successful delivery of smart grid technology. It will undoubtedly help policymakers frame the long-term strategies for implementing smart grid technology, especially in a developing country like India. This paper’s contribution from a developing country perspective, made by findings on prioritising barriers, can help managers and policymakers plan a strategy for implementing the smart grid. The findings will undoubtedly help understand the significant factors for smart grid development. They can also be used as a reference for other developing countries with similar economic and social conditions that are planning to promote smart grids.

Understanding the determinants of consumers' reverse exchange intention as an approach to e-waste recycling: a developing country perspective

PurposeEnd-of-life electronic products exchange (EEPE) program could be an effective approach to e-waste recycling that requires consumers' participation. Thus, it is highly recommended to study factors stirring consumer behavior with regard to EEPE programs, which is largely under-explored in the existing literature. Hence, grounding on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Attitude-Behavior-Context (A-B-C) model, this study attempts to understand the determinants of consumers' EEPE intention by adding contextual and non-cognitive factors to the proposed research model.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a purposive sampling technique, respondents were drawn from university students and general consumers of electronic products in a developing country. Factor analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) and SPSS PROCESS were used to analyze the collected data.FindingsEmpirical results confirm that subjective norm has the strongest positive impact on EEPE intention. Following this, attitude toward EEPE and perceived behavioral control play positive mediating roles in determining EEPE intention. Moreover, government initiatives moderate the unsolicited “attitude–intention gap”.Practical implicationsDrawing on this study's outcomes, the study urges to form comprehensive awareness-building campaigns, rules and regulations regarding proper e-waste management, promote “exchange offer” programs and educational programs to encourage EEPE.Originality/valueThis study makes two fresh contributions to the extant literature. First, by coupling the TPB and A-B-C theory, this study showed that both attitude (i.e. attitude toward EEPE) and context (i.e. government initiatives) are essential in eliciting individual-level post-consumption pro-environmental behavior (PEB) (i.e. EEPE). Second, government initiatives elucidate the attitude–intention gap in the reverse logistics context, especially in developing countries.

An Extended UTAUT Model to Explain Factors Affecting Online Learning System Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of a Developing Economy.

From a developing country perspective, this study explains the factors affecting online learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper empirically tests the proposed extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (e-UTAUT) model in the students' intention and use behavior toward the online learning system. Understanding the acceptance of online learning technology is crucial, especially among developing countries caught off-guard by the abrupt transition of face-to-face classes to pure online learning. The enjoyment, interactivity, flexibility, and quality of online learning systems were added as antecedent variables to the UTAUT model. Eight hundred eighty valid responses from selected college students in the Visayas regions, Philippines, were collected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to verify the research hypotheses. The results supported the proposed model with acceptable fit measures and substantial explanatory power. The extended constructs provide different views on online learning based on the significant cluster of antecedents to explain technology acceptance through behavioral intentions and actual system usage. The paper implies that despite the challenges of connectivity in developing countries, the variations still conform with emerging literature about the topic. Insights for higher education institutions and policy directions are recommended.

Accessing the Influence of Community Experience on Brand Loyalty Toward Virtual Brand Community: Developing Country Perspective.

With the development of information technology, more and more companies have taken the initiative to build virtual brand communities to strengthen the connection between brands and customers and create brand loyalty, but existing research lacks a clear explanation of how the customer community experience of virtual brand communities affects brand loyalty. In response to this question, this paper investigates the role and mechanism of different types of community experiences, namely information experience, entertainment experience and interactive experience, generated by customers’ participation in community activities on brand loyalty based on the customer experience perspective. The findings show that different types of community experiences have a significant impact on brand loyalty, and which community identity is partially mediated in all of them. Further analysis for segmented populations in virtual communities revealed significant differences in the above mechanisms for members of different genders. The findings of this paper are important guidance for companies to manage virtual brand communities and create brand loyalty.

Interactive Effects of entrepreneurial and Learning Orientation on Firms’ Performance: Evidence from Malaysian Exporters

Building on the resource-based view (RBV), this paper articulates an integrative approach to explicate the interactive effects of two strategic orientations, i.e. entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and learning orientation (LO), to offer nuanced explanations of firms’ export performance from a developing country perspective. Adopting a quantitative approach, the proposed relationships are explored via partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in a sample of 69 exporters from the state of Sabah in Malaysia. The results indicate that EO has a significant positive effect on the firms’ export performance. Further, the results reveal that the positive association of EO on export performance is enhanced when moderated by a high level of LO. The data was collected using a single key informant, i.e. exporter from a single country, Malaysia; therefore, some limitations might present in terms of generalisability and response bias. The findings contribute to the extant literature on the relationship between strategic orientations and internationalisation. Notably, the study articulates an integrative approach to explain the EO’s interaction effects with LO, creating a synergistic and complementary effect on export performance. It further elucidates the need to embrace an integrative approach in understanding exporters from a developing economy context. Practical implications of this study to managers and policymakers are discussed.

Economy, Commerce, and Energy: How Do the Factors Influence Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Japan? An Application of ARDL Model

Abstract Carbon dioxide (CO2) traps heat from the sun, and thereby prevents oceans from becoming frozen solid to keep the earth habitable. CO2 emission also stimulates global warming and increases the pace of climate change. For such contradictory influences, researchers across the globe have shown interest in examining the relationship among energy, emission, trade and commerce, focusing on different regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Investigation from a developed country perspective is understudied. Hence, this research aims at analysing how trade and commerce, urbanisation, energy consumption, and economy affect the volume of CO2 emission in Japan. The World Bank database was used to collect data for 1960–2010. The findings suggest that the inverted U-shaped relationship between economic progress and carbon emissions follows the Environmental Kuznets Curve theorem. However, per capita energy consumption has no significant impact on emission in the long run; the trade volume does not directly affect the emission of CO2 in Japan. Besides, the ratio of the urban population shows a negative impact on carbon emission in the long run.