The educational system across the world has immensely been affected due to outbreak of COVID-19; it forced the shut down of educational institutions, which adversely affected student fraternity across the globe. Due to its contagious nature, COVID-19 demanded containment and enforced isolation that tremendously affected personal interaction of teachers and students. In the absence of traditional classroom teaching and one-to-one interaction, computer-based learning has emerged as closest substitute for off-line teaching. Against such a backdrop, it is pertinent to examine the students’ perception and readiness about online-learning system adopted at the university level during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For the present study, the quantitative approach has been adopted and responses from 184 university students of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India namely Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University) and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University are collected through online questionnaire. This research study was conducted during June–August 2020. The findings of the study reveal students’ positive perception towards e-learning and thus acceptance of this new learning system. It has also empirically demonstrated the significance of e-learning in the time of COVID-19 crisis. In fact, e-learning has emerged as a new way of enhancing the learning process where social media may further improve the learning output. The findings of the study will facilitate educational institutions and policy makers to take this online-learning process to the next level in a better way.
The aim of this study is to identify the factors affecting the credibility of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) stimulation through Social Networking Sites (SNSs) through an empirical model providing both theoretical understandings and practical implications. The proposed framework explicates the consumer’s use of SNSs as a tool for information sharing and its effect on brand image and online purchase intentions. The consumer survey was done through a structured questionnaire developed in accordance with the literature. Data was collected from 256 respondents, using both offline and online modes from 4 different cities of India. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to estimate the proposed model and determine the antecedents of consumer eWOM credibility and in turn its effect on brand image leading to consumer purchase intentions. The results show SNS activities play a significant role in creating eWOM credibility, which leads to shaping the brand image and purchase intentions. The findings would help companies to create a positive brand image to enhance their purchase intentions through eWOM aroused via SNSs.
Plastic and petrochemical industries are lagging behind in terms of environmental sustainability performance because of the nature of these industries. Although plastic and petrochemical industries have adopted lean manufacturing and/or Industry 4.0 technologies, more efforts are needed to enhance sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to explore the integrated impact of Industry 4.0 technologies and lean manufacturing on the sustainability performance of plastic and petrochemical industries in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it investigates the casual relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainability performance as well as the direct linkage between Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing. A questionnaire is used as the primary instrument for collecting data from 112 plastic and petrochemical organizations. A hypothesized relationship is formulated and then analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The outcome of the analysis shows that Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing have a positive impact on sustainability performance. The study also presents a list of valid constructs for Industry 4.0 technologies, lean manufacturing, and sustainability performance. Furthermore, the study shows that the plastic and petrochemical industries in Saudi Arabia acknowledge and recognize the contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies and lean manufacturing principles to the protection of the environment as a dimension of sustainability performance.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the worldwide education system has been severely affected, following the shutdown of schools and colleges/universities since March 2020 in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Conventional classrooms shifted to online classrooms which profoundly impacted teachers’ and students’ closed interaction, making a paradigm shift in the teaching-learning process, inter alia. Against such a backdrop, it is relevant to analyze the perception of students and the challenges of online classes during this ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The present study is based on a quantitative and sample survey approach. The respondent sample of 385 secondary school students from grades 8 to 12 in Delhi have been collected through a Google Form Questionnaire. The study was conducted in the months of January and February 2021. Statistical techniques, such as Descriptive Statistics, Chi-Square Test, Factor Analysis, Reliability Test and Logistic Regression, were used for analyzing the data. The Logistic Regression result shows that the quality of Internet, prior knowledge of ICT, family income, mother’s education and the number of rooms are positively impacting online classes. The findings of the study revealed that, on average, students have positive perceptions towards online classes during the pandemic to maintain their academic growth. Nonetheless, they experienced several challenges in online classes. Thus, the outcome of this research study will encourage policy makers and educational institutes to handle online classes in a better way, by adopting the latest techniques of online classes and by training teachers and students continuously so that the teaching–learning process becomes more enjoyable and effective during this ongoing pandemic. The government must take certain remedial measures to overcome the challenges in online classes and reduce the digital divide so that no students will be left out.
Online examinations, commonly referred to as e-exams (electronic examinations), underwent a considerable progression, getting adapted ubiquitously among higher education institutions worldwide. Their preferment was rapid due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of conducting exams online is being opted as the appropriate way of assessment, ensuring the students’ safety and well-being. According to Warts et al., this form of examination has been pretty effective in the past when blended with the conventional assessment. However, at present, implemented as the singular way of assessment, e-exams have shown a more significant promise in being beneficial to the learners. As a matter of fact, a comprehensive analysis on understanding the learners’ perception towards the e-exams was not done earlier, particularly in the developing nations. Thus, it was pertinent to examine the pre-requisites of e-exams to promote it as a useful tool for the smooth conduct of exams in the aforesaid nations. Against such a backdrop, this study was conducted during January to March 2021 on 207 students enrolled in four universities, three situated in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India: Delhi University (DU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and one situated in Saudi Arabia, namely Saudi Electronic University (SEU). A quantitative approach was employed for the study, with the responses recorded via web questionnaires. Confirmatory -factor analysis (CFA) was applied in the study to examine whether the process of conducting online examinations is being chosen as the appropriate form of assessment, ensuring the safety and well-being of students through AMOS (version 24) software. For determining the reliability of the two latent constructs, namely “Perceptions of students towards E-exams (PSE)” and “Pre-requisites of E-exams (POE),” Cronbach’s alpha was used through SPSS (version 25) software in the study, and the results reveal that the strong internal consistency exists between all the measured variables. In addition, the mean and standard deviation were used by the researchers to find out the pre-requisites of the online examination system. The participants expressed their insights on the relative benefits of online examination. Their perception was based on pedagogy, validity and reliability, affective factors, practicality, and security. From their insights, it was concluded that online examination is more advantageous than conventional paper-based exams. The outcome also applies to the authenticity of grading and the overall efficiency concerning the time, effort, and expenditure on conducting the examination. Contrarily, the participating students also recognized numerous hurdles in implementing e-exams concerning security, validity, and impartiality. The conclusion further revealed that online examination is especially relevant for formative assessment of learning instead of summative assessment, provided authenticity, security, and flexibility are used as fundamental tenants in the proper implementation of e-exams. The outcome of the present study will facilitate higher education institutions and policymakers in taking the electronic examination system to the next level.
The ongoing Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the working environment, occupation, and living style of billions of people around the world. The severest impact of the coronavirus is on migrant communities; hence, it is relevant to assess the economic impact and mental status of the Indian migrants. This study is quantitative in nature and based on a sample survey of 180 migrant workers. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, dependent sample t-test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were utilized to analyze the surveyed data. The findings of the study reveal, through the working experience of the migrants, that new international migration has reduced due to lockdown and international travel restrictions. It was also reported that the majority of the migrants worked less than the normal working hours during the lockdown, causing a reduction of salary and remittances. Chi-square test confirms that the perceptions of migrants towards the COVID-19 management by the government were significantly different in opinion by different occupation/profession. Majority of the sampled migrants reported the problem of nervousness, anxiety, and depression; however, they were also hopeful about the future. The psychological problem was severe for the migrants above the age of 40, not educated, and with a higher number of family members. Subsequently, the policy implications from the findings of the research can draw attention of the policy makers towards protective measures which need to be implemented to support migrants during the ongoing pandemic. The government should take some necessary steps, such as a financial benefit scheme, to overcome the problems in the reduction of migrant earnings and remittances. The government should not focus only on vaccination and physical fitness of the migrants but also need to find out the cure of the psychological impact arising during the pandemic.
In this research, we examine how the quality of institutions promotes financial market development (FMD) in 21 emerging markets (classified by the Financial Times Stock Exchange Group). The moderating role of culture is also empirically tested. For this purpose, a balance panel dataset of 21 emerging markets from 1984 to 2020 is utilized from various secondary data sources. The study applies two-stages least square regression with the instrumental variable, and lag transformation to overcome the endogeneity problem in the nexus of institutions and finance, which is least focused on in prior literature. The empirical findings show that institutional quality and the national culture promote FMD in these economies. The main findings are consistent with law and finance, and financial socialization theories. We argue that academics, policymakers, and researchers should comprehend the critical role of institutional and cultural indicators in forming an effective financial system that may lead to sustainable economic development. This research contributes to the literature on emerging markets in this helpful paradigm. We conclude that quality institutions play a critical role in magnifying the FMD of emerging markets. It is crucial to comprehend the connection between FMD and institutions, as the growth dividend from financial development can be boosted by strengthening institutions and understanding the culture. Our results are robust to alternative measures of institutions and FMD and the correction of potential endogeneity.
Despite the growing importance of the concept of circular economy, the case of developing countries remains under-explored. Against this backdrop, the present research aims to examine the association between the constructs of total quality management (TQM) and organizational sustainability (OS) with the mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) from the perspective of a circular economy. The data were collected from the manufacturing sector of a developing economy (n = 510) to serve the purpose of the current research through a self-administered questionnaire (paper-pencil technique). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for hypothesis testing of the current survey. Six TQM dimensions were drawn from the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award (MBNQA) model. OS is composed of economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and KM is composed of four dimensions including acquisition, creation, sharing, and application of knowledge. The empirical examination suggests that TQM positively relates to OS, with KM playing a partial mediation role between this association. This study provides important insights for the management of the manufacturing industry of Pakistan on how to ensure organizational sustainability in the age of a circular economy by using the constructs of TQM and KM.
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