Industries In Punjab Research Articles

INVESTIGATING THE PREVALENCE OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME IN OFFICE WORKERS

The widespread use of advanced technology and gadgets has led to numerous health problems, including wrist pain due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). CTS is a common and costly issue among office workers. Although research indicates that CTS is not inherently related to work, it is a work-related neuropathy resulting from the compression of the median nerve due to repetitive stressful wrist postures, such as hyperextension or hyperflexion. Objective: This study aims to measure the prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) among office workers, considering computer usage and typing as risk factors, and to assess how job demands contribute to CTS at the workplace. Methods: A quantitative research model using a prospective survey design was employed. The study was conducted among office workers from the manufacturing and services industries in Punjab, Pakistan. A convenient sample of 280 office workers participated. Data were collected using the standardized Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire to evaluate the impact of CTS on activities of daily living (ADLs) and socioeconomic life. The study duration was six months. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23.0. Results: The study found a comparatively high prevalence of work-related wrist and hand complaints, including clinically proven CTS, among youthful office employees in Pakistan. Regular discomfort while working significantly increased the likelihood of developing CTS. Extended periods of computer use without breaks also heightened the risk of wrist and hand symptoms. Conclusion: There is a significant prevalence of CTS among office workers in Pakistan linked to prolonged computer use and repetitive wrist postures. Effective interventions and ergonomic practices are essential to reduce the incidence and impact of CTS in the workplace.

Determinants of Brand Equity (Consumer Base Brand Equity): A Verification Approach on Mobile Sector

Brand equity is an essential concept in marketing, representing the intangible value of an organization's brand. This study focuses on the mobile industry in Punjab, Pakistan, analyzing four determinants of brand equity: brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. Conveniently sampling 350 respondents from major cities in Punjab, with a response rate of 94%, the research establishes four hypotheses. Data analysis, based on 34 items and utilizing Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .854, reveals that brand awareness and brand association have a positive and significant impact on brand equity. However, perceived quality has a negative and significant impact, while brand loyalty has a negative and insignificant impact. Notably, brand awareness emerges as the most influential determinant of brand equity in the mobile sector.

DO HUMBLE LEADERS AFFECT THE SUCCESS OF A PROJECT, OR DOES COMPLEXITY PLAY ITS ROLE? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM PUNJAB

The existing study aims to assess the association between humble leadership and project success by analysing the moderating effect of the project. Cross-sectional data was extracted from 231 project managers, nominated by convenience sampling, working in project organisations in the construction industry in Punjab, Pakistan. By using SPSS and AMOS, the results are verified. The outcome exhibited that humble leadership assists in achieving the project's success, and project complexity plays its role as a moderator. This research shows how the chosen leadership style (humble leadership) deals with the project complexities and helps in the smooth implementation of projects that help achieve a successful project. For the construction projects to be completed successfully, it is essential to identify a leadership style that helps to identify and resolve the complexities of the project. The investigation yields favourable results for the project managers in Pakistan's construction industry. Since a project's success depends on the roles and perspectives of its leader and his leadership style, the recognition and participation of the leader play a part in its achievement. This study also encourages academics to focus on project management by connecting the leadership style and outcomes that should be understood and implemented from the project's initial planning stages.

Identification and Characterization of Aluminium Tolerant Bacteria Isolated from Soil Contaminated by Electroplating and Automobile Waste

Due to anthropogenic activities and the advancement of industries, metal contamination is growing globally. Aluminum toxicity is seriously endangering plants, animals, and humans by rapidly rising in soil and water. Even though some fungi can tolerate aluminum, researchers are interested in finding bacteria that are resistant to aluminum. The current state of knowledge on bacteria resistant to aluminum is extremely limited. In the present study, bacterial isolates from soil near a metal electroplating and automobile industry in Punjab, India, were isolated and then screened for high aluminum metal tolerance. The aluminum tolerant bacterial isolate was identified as Cedecea davisae M1, a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family, using morphological, biochemical, and 16srRNA gene sequence analyses. The spectroscopic results indicate that the strain may tolerate up to 150 ppm of aluminum. Antibiotic resistance of Cedecea davisae M1 was determined using disks on Luria agar plates, and the bacteria were found to be resistant to vancomycin, ampicillin, carbenicillin, and rifampicin. The findings of the study indicated that the strain might be able to remove aluminum toxicity from the environment, which needs to be further explored.

Does service recovery matter? Relationships among perceived recovery justice, recovery satisfaction and customer affection and repurchase intentions: the moderating role of gender

PurposeThe purpose of this study/paper is first to determine the impact of perceived recovery justice (PRJ) (as a second-order construct) on recovery satisfaction and repurchase intentions; secondly, to investigate the mediating impact of customer affection and recovery satisfaction (on the relationship between PRJ and repurchase intentions and satisfaction and repurchase intentions, respectively); and thirdly, to examine the moderating effect of gender on the relationships between PRJ–recovery satisfaction–repurchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a self-administrated survey technique for data collection. Afterwards, partial least square structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the data from 300 respondents (the automotive insurance industry in Punjab, Pakistan).FindingsThe findings show that PRJ, recovery satisfaction and customer affection positively predict repurchase intentions. PRJ also indirectly predicts repurchase intentions through the mediating effect of recovery satisfaction. Gender has a contingent effect on the PRJ–customer satisfaction–repurchase intentions relationship, such that the effect is higher for females than males. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications. To counter service failure, this study helps to draft effective strategies and policies for the insurance industry to make customers loyal patrons.Practical implicationsThese findings have important theoretical and practical implications. To counter service failure, this study helps to draft effective strategies and policies for the insurance industry to make customers loyal patrons.Originality/valueThis study also tested a novel relationship, in that the authors used customer affection as a mediating factor between the satisfaction and repurchase intentions relationship. Moreover, the authors also tested the moderating role of gender in PRJ–recovery satisfaction–repurchase intentions associations.

Risk factors for outbreaks caused by variant strain of Newcastle disease on environmentally controlled broiler chicken farms in Lahore, Pakistan

Newcastle disease (ND) is a frequently reported disease in poultry among both vaccinated and non-vaccinated flocks in Pakistan. During 2011-2012 poultry industry in Punjab, mainly in Lahore region, faced fatal outbreaks of ND caused by a variant strain. An analytical study was conducted during outbreak period in Lahore region. A total of 114 environmentally controlled farms were selected with the help of convenient sampling method. A questionnaire was designed about the potential risk factors associated with the spread of ND outbreak. The bivariate relationships between ND status and independent variables were investigated by applying the Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Multivariable logistic model was used to estimate the effect of each studied variable on the outcome by adjusting the other variables in the model. The variables which showed an association with ND outbreaks at commercial poultry farms were improper method for dead birds disposal (OR=4.96; 95% CI 1.63-15.12), use of same feed transporting vehicle at multiple poultry farms (OR=4.92; 95% CI 1.58-15.33), farm to farm distance of less than 1 km (OR=9.32; 95% CI(1.19-73.12), number of sheds at one farm (OR=2.31; 95% CI 0.93-5.69), labor type (OR=2.72; 95% CI 0.83-8.88) and biosecurity (OR= 4.47; 95% CI 0.56-35.66).

An empirical study on remedial measures to overcome the challenges faced by plastic processing industry

Indian plastic industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country and maintained a CAGR of more than 10 per cent in the last five years. The industry has even bigger potential to perform provided their challenges are addressed appropriately. Indian plastic processing units are mostly tiny units and classified under micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The plastic processing industry is undergoing a challenging phase that has been restricting its growth. The growth of the plastic processing industry is not uniform across the country and is mostly dependent upon various factors including geographical factors. Plastic is a versatile material but still considered an environmental pollutant and at the same time, heavy environmental costs are associated with its production and disposal. This has exerted an additional burden on the plastic processing industry. An empirical study was undertaken in the state of Punjab, India to suggest the remedial measures to overcome the challenges faced by the plastic processing industry. Literature review suggests that no such study was carried out in Punjab, India.The survey technique was adopted as the research strategy to collect the primary responses using a structured questionnaire. Quantitative data were gathered to attain statistical conclusions. A total of 207 valid responses were obtained mostly from the owner’s perspective. Secondary data were collected from various resources such as reliable websites, published literature, research papers, reference books, internet articles, industry bulletins and journals.The study has identified a total of 24 possible remedial measures to overcome the challenges faced by the plastic processing industry in Punjab. The current research has practical implications that are noteworthy to the professionals, industry people and policymakers as they can translate the research findings into practice that leads to improvement in business efficiency, social life and the environment.

Constraints and Prospects of Small Scale Industries in Punjab: An Analytical Study

Constraints and Prospects of Small Scale Industries in Punjab: An Analytical Study

The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Textile Industry: An Empirical Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the economy to immense distress, ruptured multiple systems and left the economy out of breath. The present study has made an exploratory attempt to unleash the business-related issues faced by the textile entrepreneurs of India (Punjab) due to COVID-19. The data were collected from 123 entrepreneurs from the textile industry in Punjab. Factor analysis and regression analysis have been used for the purpose of analysis. It was found that the major business-related issues faced by entrepreneurs due to COVID-19 include the radical effect on the working capital of the business and on future marketing campaigns to seek new orders. However, the majority of them were found to be digitally equipped to accept digital know-how instantly and grabbed opportunities by manufacturing N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE). The present study is a maiden attempt to unleash the early impact of COVID-19 on the textile industry in Punjab. JEL Codes: E30, E32, L26

Structural Change and Growth of Manufacturing Industries in Punjab: Post-Reforms Analysis

After the economic reforms of July 1991, the process of structural change led to jumping from the primary sector of the economy to tertiary by surpassing the secondary sector in India and Punjab in particular. Indeed, this process led to a rapid decline in the capacity of the manufacturing sector to offer jobs and the limited scope of the modern services sector to absorb relatively unskilled labour that was displaced from agriculture, which resulted in uneven growth of the economy, and increased unemployment. The study analysed these structural changes and its implications on the growth of production and employment of the manufacturing sector in Punjab. It was found that since the 1990s, the growth of manufacturing sector in Punjab was stagnant, whereas the trends in production and employment were declining. So, to achieve the optimum level of employment opportunities and mitigate the current crisis looming in the state of Punjab, there is a need to design a mechanism for encouraging investments in manufacturing sector particularly, in small scale industries as these industries have a greater advantage over medium/large scale units, because it uses local inputs, creates more employment opportunities and needs less start-up capital than the latter.

Comparative study of agro-based small scale industries in Punjab

About 70% population of Punjab is earning from agriculture. In Punjab there is unemployment, and agro-based small scale industries can help to control the problem. Secondary data which is collected from the statistical department Punjab are used. An attempt is made to compare the agro-based small scale industries in Punjab with the small scale industries in Punjab. The results show that the trend of growth in both industries are the same. Correlation analysis shows that there is a positive correlation of production with the fixed investment, production and employment in both the industries. Results show that production is growing in both the industries. Number of units in the agro-based small scale industries has decline in small numbers whereas in small scale industries it has increase in small numbers.

An Empirical Study of the Economic Status of Punjab Concerning India

Industrial growth is one of the essential drivers for the economic growth of any economy. In this paper, an attempt made to measure the growth rate of the Punjab industry in India during the period of post-liberalization era-spanning 2003 -2004 to 2017-2018. The study measures the magnitude and nature of the relationship among different components such as numbers of factories, fixed capital, investment, and profits, Net Value Added. Growth parameters of the manufacturing sector have used for the study. Econometric models, namely, Unit root test and Granger Causality applied in the existing research for analysis. The study shows that there is a strong positive relationship between the growth of the industry in Punjab and growth in India. Economic Reforms and liberalization process fail to bring significant improvements in the performance of the industry in terms of the factors, namely, number of units, employment, production, and fixed investment in Punjab. Finally, the paper also provided recommendations to boost the development of industries in Punjab.

Towards a Region-Specific Impact Assessment of Water Degradation In Water Footprinting

Water footprint evaluates impacts associated with the water use along a product’s life cycle. In order to quantify impacts resulting from water pollution in a comprehensive manner, impact categories, such as human toxicity, were developed in the context of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Nevertheless, methods addressing human health impacts often have a low spatial resolution and, thus, are not able to model impacts on a local scale. To address this issue, we develop a region-specific model for the human toxicity impacts for the cotton-textile industry in Punjab, Pakistan. We analysed local cause-effect chains and created a region “Punjab” in the USEtox model using local climate, landscape, and population data. Finally, we calculated human health impacts for the emissions of pesticides from the cotton cultivation and heavy metals from the textile production. The results were compared to that obtained for the region India+ (where Pakistan belongs) provided by USEtox. The overall result obtained for Punjab is higher than that for India+. In Punjab, the dominant pathway is ingestion via drinking water, which contributes to two-thirds of the total impacts. Nevertheless, the USEtox model does not reflect the local cause-effect chains completely due to absence of the groundwater compartment. Since groundwater is the main source for drinking in Punjab, a more detailed analysis of the fate of and exposure to the pollutants is needed. This study demonstrates that a region-specific assessment of the water quality aspects is essential to provide a more robust evaluation of the human health impacts within water footprinting.

Growth, Nature, and Scope of Food Processing Industries in Punjab

Punjab is a landlocked state that used to perform reasonably well in terms of agriculture and industrialization until a few years back. It is today facing numerous problems in both these sectors. Researchers have already raised apprehensions about the sustainability of agriculture in the state. Economic benefits offered by other states remained successful in getting the industries shifted from Punjab. At this juncture, policy makers are increasingly focusing on the development of food processing industries that can be a catalyst in reviving the lost glory of the state. This study attempted to empirically find out the performance and prospects of food processing industries in the state. Specifically, I endeavored to find out the dominance, growth, and competitiveness of food processing industries in Punjab since 1980 - 81 besides identifying the nature of food processing industries. Three - digit level data which is issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, New Delhi for different industries throughout India is used for the purpose of analysis after working out the concordance to facilitate comparison. On the basis of results, appropriate conclusions were drawn and recommendations were extended for the development of food processing industries in the state.

Growth of Unorganised Agro-based Industries in Punjab

To relieve the employment pressure from agriculture, the growth of the industrial sector is required and the unorganised sector plays an important role in this context as jobs in the organized sector are shrinking. Within the unorganised sector, it is the manufacturing sector which provides employment opportunities to a large less-skilled section of the labour force and requires less capital and within the manufacturing sector, agro-based industries are major employment providers. Therefore it is important to study the growth of such industries in a state like Punjab where agriculture continues to be a major contributor to the economy. An attempt was made to study the growth pattern of agro-based industries in the unorganised sector of Punjab because agro-based industries accelerate agricultural development by creating backward and forward linkages. For the purpose of study unit level data from various rounds of NSSO was used. It was observed that four agro-based industries namely manufacture of food and beverages, manufacture of textile, manufacture of wearing apparel, manufacture of wood and products of wood were dominating the unorganised manufacturing sector of Punjab economy both in terms of the number of industries and employment. Manufacture of wearing apparel has emerged as a major industry and replaced textile industry in terms of both numbers of units and employment. It was also observed that share of agro-based industries in unorganised manufacturing sector of Punjab was declining and the declining number of agro-based enterprises and employment is a major cause of concern particularly in state like Punjab which is trying to find new employment and income generation opportunities outside agriculture after the growth of agriculture in the states nearly stagnated.

Performance Analysis of Food Processing Industries in Punjab using Data Envelopment Analysis

Food Processing Industries of Punjab have been statistically analysed for finding the dominant industry, growth of different food processing industries of Punjab and competitive analysis of relevant food processing industries at All – India Level. This paper has analysed development and financial performance, with special reference to working capital management, of selected food-processing industries, food grains milling, edible oilseeds processing, sugarcane processing and milk processing all of which produce mass consumption goods. It prioritises these industries for development based on the performance criteria and discusses strategies.

Agglomeration and Firm Turnover in Punjab

The literature on industrial organization shows that geographic and industrial concentration affects firm turnover. This study conducts a firm-level analysis to gauge the impact of agglomeration on firm entry and exit in domestic industries in Punjab, Pakistan. It also illustrates how certain industries exist in clusters while others are highly dispersed. The results suggest that higher rates of firm entry and exit are associated with highly agglomerated industries.

Growth and Prospects of Agro-Processing Industries in Punjab

Present study attempts to examine the growth and prospects of agro-processing industries in Punjab in the post liberalization period. Punjab that used to perform reasonably well in terms of industrialization, few years back, is today facing the industrial crunch owing to obvious reasons. Keeping present trends in mind, the state needs to emulate the growth path adopted by China, explicitly, wherein thrust to development had been on the manufacturing sector. With availability of food grain production round the year, it seems viable also in the state to develop the agro processing industries. In fact, researchers have pointed out that Punjab’s agriculture has reached a stage where its sustainability is in doubt. If such apprehensions turn out to be true, then future of masses will also land in darkness. Development of agro-processing industries at this juncture, are perceived to be the stimulator that can revamp the vanished glory of the state. The study is an attempt made through empirical framework to find out the conditions for the development of agro-processing industries in the state. Keywords. Prospects, Agro-processing, Development. JEL. L52, L66, L67.

Growth of agro and non-agro based village industries in Punjab

The present study was undertaken to examine the growth of production, sale and employment in agro based and non agro based village industries in the pre-liberalization and post-liberalization periodsin Punjab. Time series data regarding production, sale and employment were taken from secondary sources and was analysed with the help of compound annual growth rates and percentages. It was found that agro based as well as nonagro based village industries have not been able to sustain their high growth rate in the post-liberalization period. The compound annual growth rates of production, sale and employment have come down in the postliberalization period in the case of all village industries except in khani oil and non-edible oil and soap. The fall in growth rates has been the highest in terms of employment in the non-agro-based village industries. This shows that despite much expectations from liberalization, the growth of agro and non-agro based industries has not been sustainable. Decreasing rates of growth of production, sale and shrinking employment base indicate a need for revival of village industries in rural Punjab.

Chain Coordination Mechanisms and Concerns in the Sugar Industry in Punjab, India

Based upon primary data, this study carried out for the Punjab state indicated that mutual interdependences of the chain partners coupled with the announcement of SMP/SAP for cane have facilitated chain coordination. This ensures timely cane supplies to sugar mills as well as cane disposal and payments to farmers. Besides the cyclical nature of industry that particularly during its downward phase adversely affects cane supplies, its production has not kept pace with capacity expansion. So a continuous upward revision in SAPs has diverted cane supplies to the industry from the gur industry. And, private mills owing to comparatively greater market orientation have steamed ahead of state owned cooperative mills which are beset with several concerns.