Journal of Applied Research and Multidisciplinary Studies

Environmental Policy and CO 2 Emissions: A Study of South Asian Countries

Arzo Sajid — 2024-06-30

The policymakers and academics in developing countries are concerned about the rapidly increasing pollution, particularly the CO₂ emissions. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries are currently experiencing rapid economic growth, leading to increased CO₂ emissions. To address this challenge, various policies have been formulated, with the Environmental Protection Act being a significant initiative within the SAARC nations. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) in mitigating CO₂ emissions and evaluates its indirect role in reducing carbon emissions. By employing the Fixed Effects methodology and using the panel data from 1965 to 2019 across four South Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), this study revealed significant findings. The analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between the Environmental Protection Act and CO₂ emissions, indicating its effectiveness in mitigating the environmental degradation. The study also examined how this policy moderates the influence of other sources of pollution on CO₂ emissions. However, it is important to acknowledge the developmental stage of these four nations, which may limit their resources in addressing the environmental challenges. Consequently, this research highlights the positive impact of implementing environmental policies, such as the Environmental Protection Act, in mitigating pollution and reducing the CO₂ emissions. It further emphasized upon the need to maintain and strengthen such policies to promote a healthier environment.

Understanding Proactive Personality, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovative Work Behavior in Knowledge-Intensive Firms

Tehreem Anjum — 2024-06-30

The current study aimed to analyse the roles of innovative work behavior (IWB), knowledge sharing (KS), and proactive personality (PP) with gender as the moderator in organizations that are extensively dependent on knowledge. The current study was based on 522 employees of various organizations across different sectors, distinguished for their technical skills and knowledge intensity. The findings revealed rich understanding as to how these aspects underpin the process of innovation in organizations. Resultantly, the study demonstrated that people with proactive personalities directly affect both knowledge sharing (KS) and innovative work behavior (IWB). Self-starters can be defined by their initiative actions to solve problems before they arise. Moreover, they are proactive in contributing to the generation of new ideas within organizations. This behavior is effective to sustain such an environment where change and innovation are key development for competitive knowledge-intensive organizations.The current study also revealed that KS is a significant mediator in the relationship between PP and IWB. Although, this study has shown that a PP is optimal for creative work, this benefit is further boosted and compounded when knowledge is transferred amongst employees. This mediation effect indicates that KS would work synergistically with the proactive actions to enhance innovative capacities in order to generate enhanced innovation results in the organization. One of the interesting issues addressed by the study was the moderating influence of gender prevalent among these issues. This implies that the relationship between PP, KS, and IWB is moderated by gender which supports previous claims. This indicates that intervention type activities within organizations that are geared towards fostering innovation and knowledge management should take the gender factor into consideration for better results. The successful application of these strategies, when informed by gender, may help in holding efforts towards promoting a culture of innovation. One of the main strengths of the current study was that it awarded much of its attention to a singular field, however, it might weaken the transfer-ability of the results to other fields. Some aspects of the presented hypotheses could be more appropriate for knowledge-intensive organizations than for other forms of businesses, since the latter reveal certain peculiarities, which limits the generalisability of the results. Thirdly, conversely, though the participants’ total count was 522, it may also be significant. However, it may also be a source of bias if the provided sample does not reflect all the spectrum and specifics of the target population.

Effects of Fundamental Movement Skills Training through Cooperative Learning Approach on Motivation and Confidence of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder to Engage in Physical Activities

Naveed Shahzad — 2024-06-30

The current study examined the effects of Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) training. These effects were probed into through cooperative learning approach on Motivation and Confidence (MC) of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) to engage in physical activities. Twenty-eight (28) children with DCD participated in the current study. Participants were divided into two equal groups, that is, experimental and control group. Each group comprised fourteen participants. Boys and girls both participated in the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select the sample. Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) and Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) were used for the diagnosis of DCD. Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) was used to determine the MC level of participants. The results revealed significant difference in the progress of experimental and control group. Experimental group showed improvement at a highly significant level after the intervention

Married but Lonely: Attachment Styles and Loneliness across Newly Wedded and Long Wedded Pakistani Women

Amna Shafique — 2024-06-30

This research examines the relationship between attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious attachment styles) and loneliness among married women. The study hypothesized that attachment styles would likely predict loneliness and there would be a difference in level of loneliness due to the nature of marriage (arranged or love). Correlational research design was used to conduct the research. Non-probability sampling strategy was used to collect data from 130 married women, age ranging from 25-50 years (M=31; SD=6.4). Self constructed demographic sheet, Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990) and UCLA Loneliness Version 3 (Russell, 1996) were used to collect data. Results revealed that loneliness was negatively correlated with secure and avoidant attachment styles, while positively correlated with anxious attachment style among married women. Furthermore, duration of marriage moderated the relationship between avoidant attachment style and loneliness. The findings further revealed that women's levels of loneliness were not influenced by the nature of marriage, whether it is arranged or love. Conclusively, this study has implications for mothers, therapists, and counselors.

Strategic, Tactical, internal green marketing orientation impact on sustainability performance -A mediation mechanism of stakeholders’ engagement

Nayab Mufti — 2024-06-30

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of strategic, tactical, and internal green marketing orientation on sustainability performance in textile small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) using concepts of Green Marketing Theory and Natural Resource-Based Theory. This study investigated the mediation mechanism of stakeholder engagement between three independent dimensions of green marketing orientations and sustainability performance. The quantitative survey methodology is used to collect data from managers of textile SMEs through purposive and snowball sampling technique. The proposed conceptual model and hypotheses are empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique in SmartPLS software. The study intends to make key theoretical contributions by extending green marketing orientation literature to incorporate strategic, tactical and internal dimensions and testing their relative effects on sustainability outcomes in emerging economies, particularly within the context of textile SMEs that are major contributor to environmental pollution. This study is aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 & 13, which aim to lessen the impact of climate change and increase ecological footprint through responsible production and consumption for the betterment of future. Moreover, this study also considers stakeholder engagement as an important variable in mediating these orientations and its impact on sustainability performance at economic, social and environmental objectives. The findings aim to advance the GMO theory by extending the scope for further academic/market validation and concurrently advancing managerial inferences for business strategists and market practitioners on sustainable organizational performance.

Analyzing the Impact of Contact Lenses on Women’s Ophthalmic Health

Kaniz Fatima — 2024-07-30

People wearing contact lenses, especially women, are more likely to get eye infections. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between contact lenses and eye infections including age, duration of wearing lenses, wearing time, any kind of pain or discomfort experienced after wearing them, and mainly the cleaning method of contact lenses. This study employed binary logistic regression analysis to analyze the data obtained from 120 women contact lens wearers between 15 and 35 years old with a diverse demographic background. The results depicted that females who cleaned their contact lenses with tap water were three times at a higher risk to get eye infections than those who used proper chemical solutions to clean their contact lenses. Women above 15 years of age who have been wearing lenses for more than three years, wear them for more than three hours each day, experience pain after using lenses. Moreover, they are also at a greater risk of having an eye infection due to cleaning the lenses with tap water. The current study also provided an understanding of the factors which drive ocular infections in women contact lens wearers as well as the study has significant public health implications.

Entrepreneurial Opportunity Identification: Integrating Risk, Expertise, social media, Self-Efficacy, and Digital Literacy

Saeeda kakar saeeda kakar — 2024-06-30

The dynamic and evolving nature of entrepreneurial environment in the current times makes a sophisticated grasp of the variables affecting opportunity identification imperative. The current study examined the complex links between past knowledge, a tendency towards taking risks, and social media utilization in the context of identifying business opportunities. According to the study, selfefficacy plays a critical mediating role in determining the effect of these independent characteristics on the recognition of entrepreneurial possibilities. Additionally, the study also investigated th influence of digital literacy on the character and strength of these interactions in a moderating way. The suggested study used a mixed-methods approach, combining explanatory questionnaires, a quantitative methodology, and positive epistemological philosophy to capture the complexity of entrepreneurial thought and action. Small-business owners and entrepreneurs from Baluchistan constituted the study's population. Two hundred and twenty (220) entrepreneurs were selected
randomly as the study sample. Respondents were given surveys using Google Forms to collect the data. Validity and reliability tests were conducted on the instruments. Following data collection, descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses and Hayes test were performed on the acquired data using SPSS. The findings suggested that: 1) the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities is positively and significantly impacted by prior understanding, social media use, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. 2) However, the tendency to take risks causes a non-significant and detrimental impact on the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. 3) Self-efficacy positively mediates the correlation between entrepreneurial opportunity identification, social media use, and prior knowledge. 4) The moderation study shows that digital literacy doesn't significantly modify the association between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial opportunity identification. The findings would provide insights into the processes that underlie the detection of entrepreneurial possibilities. Moreover, the findings would also have useful ramifications for future business owners, instructors, and legislators. The current study offered a contemporary examination of the cognitive and environmental aspects impacting the recognition and pursuit of entrepreneurial possibilities, since
the entrepreneurial landscape is ever evolving in a world that is becoming more digitally connected.