In an analysis based on the theory of Fear, this study examines impulse purchase patterns during the COVID-19 Pandemic across major US urban centers. Data from 889 US consumers were collected from leading US cities to evaluate impulse buying behavior fluctuations using SEM-based multivariate approaches to examine the survey statistics. We used COVID-19 as a moderating variable of this impulse purchase behavior. The results confirmed that Fear of a complete lockdown, peers buying, scarcity of essential products on shelves, US stimulus checks, the limited supply of essential goods, and panic buying have had a compelling and affirmative influence on the sharp swings of impulse buying patterns. The findings further confirm that Fear Appeal and social media fake news have had a strong positive impact on impulse buying as mediating factors. Finally, it was concluded that COVID-19 is a significant moderating factor influencing the impulse buying behavior of US citizens. The practical implications suggest that marketers and brand managers should devise novel strategies to enhance their brand’s market share to attain a competitive advantage in COVID-19 or similar panic situations in the future. These research findings are essential to comprehend the sharp fluctuations of impulse buying patterns in the current cutthroat competition environment across the US and other parts of the world.

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The paper utilized Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI for analyzing land use/land cover change and its impact on land surface temperature in Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, India. Split window algorithm and spectral radiance model were used for determining land surface temperature from Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 5 TM, respectively. The land use land cover change analysis revealed phenomenal increase in the waterlogged areas followed by settlement and paddy and a decrease in open forest followed by deposition and water body. The distribution of average change in land surface temperature shows that water recorded highest increase in temperature followed by deposition, open forest and settlement. Overlay of the transect profiles drawn on land use/land cover change map over land surface temperature map revealed that the land surface temperature has increased in those areas which were transformed from open forest to paddy, open forest to settlement, paddy to settlement and deposition to settlement. The study demonstrated that increase in non-evaporating surfaces and decrease in vegetation have increased the surface temperature and modified the temperature of the study area.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of interactive digital media channels such as social media, email marketing, and mobile marketing in creating the brand awareness. We have assimilated three behavioral factors including perceived value, trust, and word of mouth as mediating factors, and the Internet and smartphone as moderating variable. Total 2565 responses have been taken to investigate the role of digital media channels, and impact of mediating and moderating variables on the brand awareness. This research has used SEM-based multivariate approach including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and conditional process technique for examining the direct and indirect influence of variables. The results of the study exhibited that the interactive digital media channels have a positive and significant direct impact on brand awareness. Results further revealed that the perceived value, trust, and word of mouth as mediating factors, and the Internet and smartphone as moderating variables have a significant and influential impact in a relationship of interactive digital media tools and the brand awareness.

Banks are very important financial services sector, and in banking sector there is an intense competition amongst the local and foreign banks throughout the world. The objective of this research is to analyse the effects of perceived value and customer trust, and role of technology in banking service qualities and customers’ satisfaction in Pakistani context. For this purpose we employed modified SERVQUAL model with four dimensions such as empathy, competence, reliability, and online service. An adapted questionnaire was used to carry out this survey research, and collected 830 responses from the customers of Pakistani banking industry. We used factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and bootstrapping methods to carry out this research. The results of the study demonstrated that our four-dimensional model of modified SERVQUAL has a significant impact on overall customer satisfaction. It is further concluded from the bootstrapping method that modified SERVQUAL dimensions and customer satisfaction are positively mediated by the perceived value and trust. Finally, it is also concluded that the implementation of technology serves as moderating variable in the banking sector. The outcomes of this research are beneficial to the senior management of banking sector in order to implement the effective and customised online banking structure to gain competitive advantages, and provide vibrant online banking services that enhance the standard and ease of services to the customers and earn their confidence. The originality and novelty of this research provide a significant contribution in the application of SERVQUAL model specifically for the banking service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction in marketing research.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a prominent subject due to its major implication for the practitioners in the corporate arena. Based on the theory of engagement, theory of social exchange, and theory of social identity, a conceptual framework was established in this study to evaluate the employee engagement (EE), and organizational commitment (OC) as a resultant of CSR initiatives. The study further examined the impact of distributive justice (DJ), procedural justice (PJ), and job satisfaction (JS) as mediating variables, and the influence of collectivism (COL) as a moderating variable between CSR initiatives and OC and EE. Data from 989 employees of the Pakistani pharmaceutical industry was collected and analyzed using the structural equation modeling and exploratory and confirmatory inferential models. Results demonstrate that CSR initiatives have a significant positive impact on OC and EE. Similarly, the mediation of JS, PJ, and DJ was established between the exogenous and the endogenous variables. Finally, the COL has a significant impact as a moderating variable between CSR initiatives, and OC and EE. The conclusions obtained in this study provide significantly practical and theoretical implications for managers of involved firms to improve employee behavior, mold employee attitude, and enhance organizational performance via CSR strategy, especially for firms located in countries along the route of belt and road initiative.

The objective of this research article is to examine the role of Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry in job creation opportunities, with the sacred intention to eradicate poverty, and expansion in economic activities. This research is quantitative in nature, and the data is directly gathered through closed-ended questionnaires from 300 respondents. Besides predictors', four mediating variables have also been taken into consideration that contribute indirectly in job creation opportunities. Bootstrapping and Normal theory methods have been employed in order to examine the impact of predictors' and mediating variables. The result of this research confirmed that pharmaceutical industry plays a vital role in job creation in Pakistan. It is further concluded that the pharmaceutical industry has a direct and significant impact in job creation by providing indigenous and direct job opportunities in sales, marketing, and other supporting departments for both skilled and unskilled workers. Pharmaceutical industry also provides indirect job opportunities through other industries, which are very much linked with this industry, such as: pharmaceutical distributors, dealers, retailers, wholesalers, hotel industry, and event management industry. It is also determined that pharmaceutical industry is acting like knowledge and skills imparting institutions. Therefore, skilled-based training and organizational learning are major mediating variables that transform unskilled people into human assets, which further trigger the future job prospects. Since pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest industries in Pakistan, providing plenteous opportunities of new jobs with consistent growth. Thus, mediating variables such as motivation and interpersonal influence also preceded an active role in new job creation.

Research background: The commercial banks are adopting online services for their transactions to stay competitive and fulfill the customers' needs. There is a dire need to satisfy online customers in a competitive environment. Thus, this paper employed the ES-QUAL model and two mediating variables and outlined the recommendations to the management of the online banking industry to develop effective strategies. Purpose of the article: The undertaken research aimed to examine the electronic banking service quality and customer satisfaction. For this purpose, we employed the ES-QUAL model and examined the direct impact of ES-QUAL dimensions and customer’s satisfaction. The secondary task of this paper is to investigate the mediation effect of customer's trust and the perceived value in an association between the ES-QUAL model and customer satisfaction. Finally, we examine and check whether customer satisfaction translates into the business performance of commercial banks or not. Methods: To achieve the overall goal of this research, SEM-based multivariate approach has been used, including confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple approaches (normal theory, and bootstrapping) to examine the moderation between the exogenous and endogenous variables. For the validation of hypotheses and results, a financial analysis has been performed simultaneously with the primary analysis. The research is done for a sample of 910 respondents of the account holders of five top commercial banks of Pakistan. Findings & Value added: The outcomes of the direct investigation revealed an affirmative, and potent impact of ES-QUAL dimensions on customer’s satisfaction. The outcomes of the indirect relationship exhibited that the perceived value and trust mediate ES-QUAL dimensions and customer satisfaction. The secondary data of selected five commercial banks and ratios analysis validated the results of the ES-QUAL model, and it is concluded that the results are linear with the outcomes of customers' satisfaction of primary analysis.