Purpose – Purpose of current study is to explore, impact of workplace environment i.e Physical Environmental Factors and Behavioral Environmental Factors on employee productivity (EP) through mediating role of employee health (EH). Research methodology – This study adopted questionnaire survey method and data was collected from 250 employees working in software houses in Pakistan. Data has been analysed using SPSS and AMOS software. Reliability and correlation analysis was performed by using SPSS while; path analysis was performed using AMOS. Findings – Results revealed that one unit variance in PEF incorporates 35% change in EH, 33% change in EH is caused by one unit increase in BEF and one unit increase in EH leads to 80% increase in EP. Physical and Behavioural Environmental Factors are positively affecting EH and EH is positivity affecting EP. Results of the study revealed that: employee health is mediating the relationship between workplace environment factors and employee performance. Research limitations – We used working Environment factors to determine employee health; future studies can consider compensation practices, insurance plans and health benefits by the organisation, a large sample or increased number of mediating variables can be used. The current study has adopted cross-sectional design while future studies can consider longitudinal design. Practical implications – Organisations must maintain a better environment in order to enhance employee productivity as, employee performance and workplace environment have direct and positive relationship, employees productivity and physical as well as behavioural environment are linked through employee health.

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This study investigates the interaction between financial innovation, human capital development and economic growth in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan for the period of 1981Q1–2016Q4 by applying Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Granger‐causality under error correction model (ECM). Our principal finding confirms long‐run association among financial innovation, human capital development, and economic growth of selected South Asian countries. Also, we found both long‐run and short‐run elasticities from financial innovation and human capital development to economic growth is positive for each country. The study confirms that economic growth of sample countries would positively affect any development in financial innovation and increase in investment for human capital development in future. We also perform a Granger‐causality test to investigate directional causality, and we found bidirectional causality between financial innovation and economic growth, and human capital development and economic growth both in short‐run and long‐run, thus, supporting the feedback hypothesis. The study comes with two recommendations; first, the government should encourage financial innovation in the financial system and formulate fiscal policy in favour of adaption and diffusion of financial innovation. Second, public investment in human capital development should continue and made necessary initiative towards ensuring better implementation of undertaken measures in the economy.

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The growing need for entrepreneurship is considered to be a prominent segment of an economy's evolution, especially female entrepreneurs. This study's motivation is to unleash the critical determinants for female entrepreneurs' evolution in the economy of Bangladesh by following institution and self-leadership theory. The study adopted a quantitative method and a structured questionnaire for data collection from female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to explore the causal effects of access to finance and legal framework. The study revealed that women's entrepreneurial activities are immensely influenced by access to finance, legal constraints, and entrepreneurial skills. The mediating effects of self-leadership behavior also influence women's participation in business activities. Based on the results, it is recommended that the government and other institutions should take the initiative in female entrepreneurship that affect women's self-leading behavior and policymakers should consider the financial aspects relating to women’s business activities. This study is also helpful for empowering women financially and helping them to understand their legal rights by formulating a women-centric strategic plan.

Stringent government policies, in general, and strict containment and closure policies in particular including workplace closing, restrictions on gatherings, close of public transport, stay-at-home order, restrictions on internal movement, and international travel control are associated with a lower spread rate of COVID-19 cases. On the other hand, school closures and public event cancellations have not been found to be associated with lower COVID-19 spread. Restrictions on international travel and the closing of public transport are two policies that stand out and have a consistent and slowing effect on the spread of COVID-19. The slowing effect of the containment and closure policies on the spread of COVID-19 becomes stronger one week after the policies have been implemented, consistent with the SARS-CoV-2 transmission pattern and the incubation period evolution. Furthermore, the slowing effect becomes stronger for culturally tight countries and countries with a higher population density. Our findings have important policy implications, implying that governments need to carefully implement containment and closure policies in their own countries’ social and cultural contexts, with an emphasis on the ideas of the common interest, personal responsibility, and the sense of community.

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