Significant Positive Impact Research Articles

Fostering excellence: Unraveling the nexus of organizational culture, employee optimization, and employee retention in higher education

This study aims to investigate the organization’s cultural aspects and their impact on employee retention. The main focus of the study is to embed the role of employee optimization between the cultural dimensions and employee retention constructs to study the level of influence. Higher education institutes were approached to collect data. The institutes were selected from private and public sectors using convenience sampling techniques. The questionnaire was constructed using various items on a 5-point Likert scale. These items were adopted from previous studies for the measurement of variables. Partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling technique was employed to statistically analyze and test the proposed hypothesis using SmartPLS. The findings elucidated that employee optimization has a positive significant impact on employee retention, whereas not all cultural dimensions of an institute contribute to employee optimization. The study implies that an institute’s HR should practice employee optimization to exercise healthy relations with employees, thus supporting a high level of employee retention. Future research and limitations are also explicated in the study.

Indirect tax and the economy: Evidence from Nigeria (2000 to 2019)

The study examined the impact of indirect tax on the Nigerian economy. In line with these objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted the ex post facto research design. The Data for the study were collected from Central Bank of Nigeria Bulletin and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statistics for the period of 2000–2019. The study adopted the ordinary Least – Square Regression Analysis to analyse the data. Descriptive Statistics were used to describe the characteristics of the Variables, augmented Dickey – Fuller unit root test was used for the stationary test of the data. Johansen co-integration test was used for the long-run relationship of the variables. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) was used to test the hypotheses at a 5% level of significance. Our findings revealed that Value Added Tax (VAT) has an insignificant positive impact on GDP in the Country. Import Duty IMD has a significant positive impact on GDP in Nigeria while the Export Duty (EXD) has an insignificant impact on the GDP. The study recommended that the Nigeria government can grow its economy through VAT if the revenue from the tax is not invaded, avoided and is properly administered. Secondly the government should concentrate on growing strategically with the import tax productivity since it shows a positive significant impact on GDP, Similarly the government of Nigeria should equally put in concerted efforts to improve Export Duty Tax revenue. Keywords: Economy, Export Duty, Import Duty, Nigeria, Value Added Tax.

Investigating Productivity of Microfinance Institutions in Nepal: Evidence from Panel Data Approach

The objective of the study is to analyze the factor affecting productivity of microfinance institutions in Nepal. The institutional characteristics (such as age, number of branches and number of staffs), outreach (such as number of active borrowers and average loan size), and efficiency (cost per loan) are taken as independent variables and productivity is taken as dependent variable. The productivity is measured by number of borrowers per staff. The microfinance institutions (established before 2016 AD) operating in Nepal are selected as sample through the convenience sampling method. Taking panel data from 21 microfinance institutions from 2016/17 AD to 2023/24 AD with 168 observations, Fixed Effect regression model is used. The study found that number of operation year, number of branch and number of active borrowers has positive significant impact on borrower per staff but number of staff, average loan size, and cost per loan has negative significant impact on productivity of Nepalese microfinance institutions. The study has important implications for the policy makers of Nepalese microfinance institutions to improve their productivity by utilizing their resources and making sound policy towards staff and borrower.

The Impact of Working Capital, Leverage and Liquidity on Profitability: Evidence from Manufacturing Firms in Pakistan

The research aimed to assess the impact of working capital turnover, liquidity, and leverage on the profitability of the firms. This study used secondary data from the financial statements of 25 manufacturing firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) 100 index. The data period consists of 2014 to 2024, and the total number of samples obtained was 275. This study employed causal associative research. Therefore, constructed the panel data technique approach. The regression analytical approach is utilized for hypothesis testing. The Shapiro-Wilk test results demonstrate that all variable distributions are normal. Regression analysis findings show that working capital turnover shows no significant impact on the profitability of the firms. Whereas leverage shows a negative impact on profitability, and liquidity shows a positive significant impact on the profitability of the firms.

The Influence of Product Quality and Brand Image on Buying Interest in Wardah Lipstick Products (Case Study in Kebomas Sub-district, Gresik)

Purpose: Is to analyze the influence of Product Quality and Brand Image on the Purchase Intention of Wardah lipstick products in Kebomas District, Gresik. Patients and methods: Data has been obtained from the answer of questionnaire testing on 85 respodents who were used as samples in research using techniques purposive sampling. Results: The results of the study show that product quality has a significant pos itive impact on consumer buying interest in Wardah Lipstick in Kebomas District, Gresik, brand /lk7image has a significant positive impact on buying interest in Wardah Lipstick products in Kebomas District, Gresik. Conclusion: The better the Product Quality of Wardah Lipstick, the higher the Purchase Intention for Wardah Lipstick products. Similarly, the better the Brand Image of Wardah Lipstick, the higher the Purchase Intention for Wardah Lipstick products.

RAZVOJ TRGOVINE IZMEĐU NR KINE I CIE : ANALIZA UTICAJA INICIJATIVE „16+1“

The development of trade relations between the PRC of China and the 16 countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) from 2000-2022 are the subject of this research. Through the application of a gravity model, the factors that directly contribute to increased trade are examined, specifically examining the impact of CEE countries' participation in the “16+1” initiative. Empirical results show economic growth in the PRC and CEE, including CEE member-state status in the EU, has had a positive significant impact on developing bilateral trade between the PRC and CEE for all total trade (TT) (when viewed as dependent variables), as well as CEE imports to the PRC (IM) and CEE exports the PRC (EX). Participation in the "16+1" initiative is found to have contributed to increased trade only when CEE exports to the PRC were the dependent variable. However, when compared to EU membership, participation in “16+1” was found to be less significant.

Impact of Economic Growth and Exchange Rate Volatility on FDI Inflows: Cointegration and Causality Tests for the BRICS Countries

This paper examines impact of economic growth, exchange rate volatility, and the real exchange rate on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to BRICS economies. We employed the cointegration testing to investigate the long-term relationship between the selected regressors and Granger Non-Causality test to analyze the direction of causality between variables. Diagnostic tests were conducted to check serial correlation in our model and to detect model misspecification. The stability of parameters at a 5% significance is graphically presented. The results indicate that economic growth is a positive significant determinant of FDI inflows in both the short and long term, and exchange rate volatility and the real exchange rate have a negative insignificant impact on FDI inflows in the short run, with the exchange rate showing a positive significant link in the long run. The relationships with control variables are mixed: the coefficients of gross fixed capital formation display a positive and significant relationship with FDI inflows in the short run, but an insignificant one in the long run. Trade openness and inflation demonstrated an insignificant link to FDI inflows, while GDP per capita had a positive significant impact in both terms. These findings offer valuable insights for policy reforms and economic integration across countries.

Casualisation of Work and Employees’ Satisfaction in the BUA Group of Companies, Lagos, Nigeria

Casualisation of work in the globe and certainly in Nigeria is in contrast to the labours’ tenets as this has most often resulted in conflict between employees, their unions, and employers across different workplaces in Nigeria and the world at large. The study investigated the impact of casualisation of work on employees’ job satisfaction in the BUA Group of Companies, Lagos, Nigeria. This was done with a population of 864 and sample size of 273. The hypotheses of the study were tested with the use of Pearson Correlation statistical tool. Findings of the study exhibited a positive significant impact of: temporary employment on staff’s personal growth; and non-standard employment on workers’ job competency in BUA Group of Companies, Lagos. It was concluded that casual workers in the organisation used to enjoy some measures of cares that are given to their permanent counterparts. The study, then recommended stern measures by the Nigerian Government at all levels to make sure that workplaces in the country comply with the provisions of the 2010 Casualisation Prohibition Bill which is capable of guaranteeing equal rights to all workers.

Analysing crab syndrome through the perspective of life history theory

Purpose: This research aims to explain the relationships among crab syndrome, stress caused by uncertainty and organisational commitment (affective-continuance-normative) and explores unknown aspects of crab syndrome. Crab syndrome is a metaphor that depicts how emotions and personality are shaped, focusing on competition for access to resources in which others are viewed as threats.Design/methodology/approach: Research hypotheses were proposed and tested using structural equation modelling. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered in the hospitality sector in Turkey.Findings/results: The results indicate a positive significant relationship between stress caused by uncertainty and crab syndrome. Crab syndrome has a positive significant impact on affective and continuance commitment. It mediates the relationship between stress caused by uncertainty and organisational commitment (affective-continuance).Practical implications: The theoretical framework draws on life history theory to address crab syndrome. Stress caused by uncertainty was a key factor affecting individual’s behaviours. Crab syndrome and organisational commitment are outcomes of stress caused by uncertainty. The results show hospitality employees can support their businesses in taking a step forward in competition. In addition, this research contributes to the extension of the crab syndrome literature. The longitudinal effects of variables could not be assessed because the study was cross-sectional in design. However, it only included the hospitality sector, and the convenience sampling method was used.Originality/value: This research expanded the existing crab syndrome literature and provided new contributions to research in the hospitality sector in the Turkish context.

An Investigation into the Relationship between HRM, Transformational Leadership and Teachers’ Well-being in Educational Institutions

Today’s dynamic and competitive environment requires our educational sector to be growing. In order to have successful educational institutes, there is a dire need to pay attention on the overall well-being of teachers. Thus, this research aims to provide an empirical evidence of the impact of Human Resource Management strategies and transformational leadership on teachers’ well-being. Data were collected from 246 full-time working teachers in the educational institutes of Lahore. Whereby, results revealed the positive significant impact of both HRM Strategies and Transformational leadership on teachers well-being, the TL association with teacher’s well-being found to be stronger as compared to HRM Strategies. The insights offer valuable practical implications to assess the level of well-being of teachers and the ways to increase it.

Is natural resource wealth a boon or a bane? The impact of oil rents and foreign direct investment on economic growth in Kazakhstan

The nexus between foreign direct investment, natural resource endowment, and their impact on sustained economic growth, is contentious. This study investigates the resource curse hypothesis and the effects of FDI on economic growth in Kazakhstan. The study covers the period from 1990 to 2022 and employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and Toda-Yamamoto causality methods. The Bounds cointegration results reveal the existence of long-term equilibria between per capita GDP and the predictors. The findings reveal a significant impact of oil rents on economic growth, contradicting the resource curse hypothesis and suggesting a resource boon instead. In stark contrast, the impact of FDI on Kazakhstan’s economic growth is found to be insignificant, despite the presence of a causal nexus. Furthermore, economic freedom and export diversification have a positive significant impact on economic growth, while inflation exhibits a negative but significant impact. Although governance has a direct impact on GDP per capita, it is deemed insignificant, as the negative average governance index implies poor governance. Expectedly, the result establishes a causal effect between export diversification, economic freedom, governance, oil rents, and economic growth. This underscores the fundamental role played by the interplay of diversification, economic freedom, governance, and oil rents in fostering sustainable economic growth. In addition, economic freedom stimulates gross fixed capital formation, indicating that it enhances domestic investment. Notably, the findings refute the crowding-out effect of FDI on domestic investment in Kazakhstan. Consequently, to escape the resource curse and the Dutch disease syndrome, the study advocates for enhancing good governance capabilities in Kazakhstan. Thus, we recommend that good governance could reconcile the twin goals of economic diversification and deriving benefits from oil resources, ultimately transforming oil wealth into a boon in Kazakhstan.

Effects of bear endozoochory on germination and dispersal of huckleberry in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Berries are a staple of bear diets during late summer and fall in the southern Rocky Mountains, enabling bears to build up fat reserves and prepare to enter torpor during winter. In turn, bears can benefit fruiting shrubs through dispersal of their seeds. Bears are highly mobile species and seed passage through their guts (endozoochory) can influence seed germination in three ways: deinhibition (removal of germination inhibiting compounds), scarification (mechanical or chemical alteration) and fertilization (enhancement of germination from increased nutrients). We conducted a germination experiment to assess the ways each mechanism of bear endozoochory affects germination success of huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum.) in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The potential for bears to act as long-distance seed dispersers was also investigated, using a combination of available literature on bear gut retention times and movement data of 74 GPS radio-collared grizzly bears. Deinhibition had a positive significant impact (28.5% germination for the Seeds from Berry treatment compared to 0.2% for Whole Berry at 60 days), while scarification and fertilization did not have detectable positive effects on huckleberry germination success. These results suggest that the removing germination-inhibiting compounds in berry pulp is the primary mechanism through which endozoochory can increase germination in huckleberry seed. We estimated that 50% of the seeds defecated by bears in the region are dispersed 1.1 km away from feeding places (and up to 7 km). The surfaces covered by the seed shadow was up to 149.6 km2, demonstrating that bears can act as effective vectors of seeds over long distances. Endozoochory bolsters the germination success of seeds from fruiting shrubs, and enables seeds to spread to new locations using bears as dispersal agents. Development, resource extraction, and climate change may disrupt the beneficial relationship between bears and huckleberries, where huckleberries help bears gain fat, and bears help spread huckleberry seeds-a process that may become increasingly important as climate change alters habitats.

The Impulsivity of Gen Z: The Influence of External and Situational Factors in a Traditional Buying Environment

The research assesses the impact of external and situational factors on impulsive buying behavior among Generation Z (Gen Z). Two external factors (EF) (sales promotions /discounts (SP) and store environment (SE)) and two situational factors (SF) (time availability (TA) and money availability (MA)) were studied.The data was analyzed from 201 Gen Z respondents through an online survey. The proposed model examined the direct relationships between EF and IBB and SF and IBB. Two hypotheses were developed and analyzed using SmartPLS-4.The results depicted that EF and SF had a positive significant impact in triggering impulse buying among Gen Z. The study also found that when external and situational factors are considered together (ComE), they have a significant and positive impact on the impulse buying behavior of Gen Z.This study looks at impulse buying behavior of Gen Z in a traditional (brick and mortar) setting which will help marketers target this segment appropriately.

Carbon omission and financial market sustainability via government effectiveness: a cross-culture comparison of OECD and Asian emerging economies

PurposeFinancial market sustainability is gaining attention as investors and stakeholders become more aware of environmental, social and governance issues, pushing demand for responsible and ethical investment practices. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of carbon (CO2) emissions from three sources, oil, gas and coal, on the stock market sustainability via effective government policies.Design/methodology/approachThe eight countries belong to two different regions of world: Asian economies such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia and China, and OECD economies such as Germany, France, the UK and the USA are selected as a sample of the study. The 22-year data from 2000 to 2022 are collected from the DataStream and the World Bank data portal for the specified countries. The generalized methods of movement (GMM) and wavelet are used as the econometric tool for the analysis.FindingsOur findings show that the CO2 emission from coal and gas significantly negatively impacts stock market sustainability, but CO2 emission from oil positively impacts stock market sustainability. Moreover, all the emerging Asian economies’ CO2 emissions from coal and gas have a much greater significant negative impact on the stock market sustainability than the OECD countries due to the critical situation. However, the government’s effective policies have a positive significant moderating impact between them, reducing the effect of CO2 emission on the stock market.Research limitations/implicationsThis study advocated strong implications for policymakers, governments and investors.Practical implicationsEffective government policies can protect the environment and make business operations suitable, leading to market financial stability. This study advocated strong implications for policymakers, governments and investors.Originality/valueThis study provides fresh evidence of the government’s effective role to control the carbon environment that provide the sustainability to the organizations with respect to OECD and emerging economy.

Factors determining the adoption of mobile banking in Ethiopian Islamic banks: extension of technology acceptance model (TAM)

Purpose This study aims to assess the factors determining the adoption of Islamic mobile banking (M-banking) in Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach The study area covers the city of Dire Dawa, Harar and Jigjiga, where the Muslim community dominates. A sample of 378 out of 400 respondents who are currently customers of different Islamic banks provide their opinion on questions developed in a Five-point Likert scale indicator. The collected data were analyzed by the least square method and with the help of SPSS version 25. Findings The result of the study revealed that the perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived advantage and trust have a positive significant impact on the adoption of Islamic M-banking. Perceived risk was found to have an insignificant impact on the adoption of Islamic mobile banking in Ethiopia. Research limitations/implications Future researchers in the realm of Islamic mobile banking can expand their investigations in several key areas. Longitudinal and cross-cultural studies could be undertaken to explore how those factors affect over time and in different cultural settings. Practical implications As a policy implication, the study recommends that banks should develop transparent communication and implement robust security measures, emphasize practical benefits, invest in user-friendly interfaces and highlight the relative advantage they provide over others. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is considered as the first attempt to examine factors that determine Ethiopian Islamic banking customers to adopt Islamic M-banking services, which was not considered in previous studies.

Impact of Brand Equity and Purchase Intention on Dietetics and Nutrition Consultation Service

The market value of a brand is reflected by brand equity. It signals consumers' recognition and preferability toward certain brands. In a highly competitive market, brand equity becomes crucial as it can lead to customer loyalty and product resilience. Strong brand equity helps a company to stand out among competitors and can significantly influence financial performance by driving higher sales volume and profitability. As more Malaysians shift their lifestyles and become more health-conscious after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand in the healthcare market has expanded massively. By focusing on the healthcare market, especially on dietetics and nutrition consultation services, this paper seeks to evaluate how brand equity influences consumers’ intention in making purchases. Four dimensions of brand equity will be investigated, consisting of perceived quality, brand awareness, brand association and brand image. A total of 194 data were collected using the convenience sampling method in the Subang Jaya region, Malaysia. The findings of this study showed that perceived quality, brand awareness, and brand association have a positive significant impact on purchase intention for dietetics and nutrition consultation services while brand image was found to be insignificantly influencing purchase intention. This provides insight and implications for the dietetics and nutrition consultation services market and practitioners, especially in formulating their marketing strategies.

Uncovering True Participant Needs in SMEs Training to Enhance Training Service Quality

It is recognized in various countries that Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises have played anessential role in the nation's economic development. However, despite the large number of Small andMedium-Sized Enterprises, only a few have succeeded in developing their businesses and movingupmarket. Various efforts from various parties, both government and private, have been made to helpbuild the competencies needed to develop Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises businesses. One waythis has been done is through training, such as that conducted by Rumah BUMN Bandung. However,the data shows that the movement provided has yet to have a significant positive impact on thedevelopment of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises businesses. Therefore, a study was conductedto identify the needs of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises for effective training by applying theKano Model and Training Service Quality. Data was collected by surveying Small and Medium-SizedEnterprises who attended training at Rumah BUMN Bandung. Of the 130 respondents whoparticipated in the assessment of 15 attributes of needs, it was found that there are 11 needs referredto as "True Participant Needs" that are currently not fulfilled. Among these needs, ten attributesrequire improvement, while the remaining require further development. These findings are expectedto overcome the gap in fulfilling Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise's needs related to effectivetraining

Servant Leadership in Project-Based Organizations of Pakistan: The Role of Affective Commitment and Perceived Organizational Support

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of affective commitment in the relationship between servant leadership and project success among Pakistan's IT sector employees. This study also investigates the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between servant leadership and employees' affective commitment. The present study uses a deductive approach. Data was collected from 250 employees who were working at managerial levels in project-based organizations (specifically the IT sector) of twin cities (i.e., Rawalpindi and Islamabad) of Pakistan. The data was analyzed through structural equation modeling using SPSS and Smart PLS. The findings suggest that servant leadership and affective commitment have a positive significant impact on project success. Hence, the study contributes to the existing literature in a way that improves the project performance in the IT sector of Pakistan. Exploring the relationship among key study variables has important managerial significance. Recommendations were made to project managers to adopt servant leadership to get better results from the team members for the sake of achieving the project's success. Thus, this study has useful implications for managers in the IT industry. Key words. Servant Leadership, Project Success, Affective Commitment, Perceived Organizational Support, IT industry.

Sustaining Economic Growth: E-Service Quality’s Role in Fostering Customer Loyalty in Nigeria SMEs

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of e-service quality on customer loyalty with customer satisfaction as a mediator in the small and medium-sized business sector in Nigeria. The dimensions investigated in this study are reliability, web design, trust, empathy, convenience, and cultural inclusion. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, there has not been any research done on this subject investigating the above dimensions among Nigerian SMEs across various cultural groups. Therefore, this study fills this gap by investigating the impact of culture, web design, trust, empathy, convenience, and reliability on SMEs. A questionnaire was used for the purpose of the study to collect primary data. Four hundred and ninety-two responses were obtained from the respondents, who were age 20 and above. The survey was carried out online across the four major poles of Nigeria (east, west, north, and south) because of their varying and distinct cultural background. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS 28, Smart PLS 4 and AMOS 29 for descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling to test the research model. The results showed that the service quality dimensions have a positive significant impact on customer satisfaction and also show that customer loyalty is positively impacted by customer satisfaction.

Navigating economic crisis: Factors shaping resilience in Sri Lankan construction SME supply chains

In today’s construction industry, supply chains are subject to much greater disruption than they were in the past, resulting in a greater need for resilience. However, there is a gap in the literature that examines the resilience of construction small and medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) specifically focusing on developing countries. This article is a step towards identifying the factors influencing the resilience of construction SME supply chains taking the case of Sri Lanka: a developing country which is currently amidst a major economic crisis. This research study adopted a mixed-method approach, employing 08 structured interviews with employees ranging from executive level to top level management of 08 construction SMEs followed by a questionnaire survey considering a sample of 195 construction SMEs also with executive level to top level management of each construction SME. The findings indicated that Collaboration, Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Internal Integration, and Outsourcing have a positive significant impact on the resilience of Sri Lankan construction SMEs’ supply chains during an economic crisis, while ‘collaboration’ and ‘EO’ are the most influential factors respectively. Therefore, construction SMEs must prioritize and enhance collaboration and EO when devising supply chain strategies to strengthen resilience during economic crises. This paper contributes to filling the research gap by investigating factors influencing construction SME supply chains in a developing country during an economic crisis. Moreover, it contributes to the knowledge by being one of the latest empirical studies focusing on the construction SME supply chains in Sri Lanka. The findings provide a valuable reference for both policymakers and practitioners seeking to improve the resilience of construction SME supply chains.