The Asian Bulletin of Business and Social Science Research

Implications of Bid Rigging Practices in Small Island Developing States: A Case Study

Aaron Chadee — 2024-04-27

The Bid rigging on construction projects has a wider societal implication that has spanned beyond the parties to the contract. This has led to costly litigation actions and additional unaccounted transactional costs derived from taxpayers’ funding. This study utilized a qualitative approach, through an emic view of a contemporary case study between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and several contractors on bid rigging practices. The findings revealed that recommendations indicated within a Commission of Enquiry could have prevented unlawful practices. This research justifies the need for systems to be in place to comply with procurement laws and the heightened need for enforcement of ethical practices in state organizations. This research can assist policy makers in determining areas that require updating in relation to procurement and contract management practices within the construction industry.

Asian Advantage: Leveraging Logistics for Peak Performance in Efficiency, Effectiveness, Cost, Quality, and Differentiation

MUHAMMAD HUSSAIN — 2024-04-27

The significance of logistics administration in the contemporary, fast-paced business environment has significantly transformed the way organizations operate. This study investigates the interconnected impacts of logistics efficacy, efficiency, cost, quality, and differentiation on the performance of businesses. An in-depth analysis is employed to examine the effect of various logistics management facets on the financial and operational outcomes of a business. Efficient logistics assesses the functionality of supply chains through the optimization of resources and the refining of processes, whereas successful logistics evaluates the ability to promptly and precisely fulfill consumer demands. Through the consideration of both direct and indirect costs, logistics cost analysis assesses the financial impact of logistics operations. Logistics quality examines the reliability, security, and precision of logistical processes, whereas logistics differentiation explores the ways in which unique logistical strategies set an organization apart from its competitors. The objective of this study is to examine the intricate relationships among various performance metrics and these logistics variables. To achieve this, empirical research and statistical modeling are utilized. With the intention that they will assist managers in making more informed decisions and guide businesses toward enhancing their logistics management procedures so that they may flourish in a dynamic marketplace. In order to thrive in the contemporary global marketplace, businesses must recognize the criticality of logistics in shaping organizational results and devise strategies to capitalize on the synergies that exist between these components.

Information Sustainability in a Digital Learning Environment: An Application of Technology Acceptance Model

Shuja Iqbal — 2024-04-27

Examining The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of digital learning environment on the information sustainability among higher education institutions. Meanwhile the study has also examined the impact of technology acceptance model namely perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety on the digital learning environment on the information sustainability among higher education institutions. Lastly, the study has examined the mediating role of digital learning environment in the relationship between the perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety information sustainability among higher education institutions. This study uses a quantitative methodology to explore the perspectives of employees in Thailand's industrial, commercial, and service sectors on their working conditions. Purposive sampling was used to select 500 students from various universities. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data, verify model accuracy, and assess scale dependability. SEM's ability to validate, refine, and test hypotheses allows for in-depth analyses of variable interplay. SEM is a confirmatory statistical method used to investigate structural theories, aiming to gain a more comprehensive understanding of causal processes impacting multiple variables. This study explores Learner Satisfaction in a Digital Environment (LSDE) and the role of information systems. Factors like computer self-efficacy, anxiety, enjoyment, ease of use, and usefulness influence satisfaction. The study highlights the importance of user-centric factors in creating a successful learning experience in digital environments, extending existing literature and highlighting the practicality of theories like Bandura's self-efficacy and the Technology Acceptance Model.

Harmonizing Human-AI Synergy in Smart Cities: Exploring Emotion Understanding and Technology Anxiety in an Asian Context

Shamim Akhtar — 2024-04-27

Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) envisions AI surpassing human cognitive abilities, mimicking and developing its own thinking skills. However, this raises ethical and control issues, emphasizing the need for robust regulations in AI development. The prime objective of the study is to align aligning human intelligence with artificial superintelligence in smart cities. Particularly, the study has examined the mediating role of emotion-understanding ability, and the technology anxiety between AI and shared decision-making. This study investigates the relationship between emotional intelligence and decision-making in the Khon Kaen Smart City, Thailand. Data was collected from various financial institutions, including community and commercial banks, and managers working in the city. The largest and most developed province served as the primary focus of the study, and area cluster sampling was employed to obtain a representative sample of the province's varied population. A total of 297 out of the 700 questionnaires that were given to the seven different groups for the survey were filled out. Shared Decision-Making (SDM) and Emotion-Understanding Ability (EUA) were found to have a strong correlation in the study, which highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in decision-making due to the strong correlation between the two. This comprehension is especially helpful when artificial intelligence is used to improve decision-making processes. This highlights the significance of human factors, such as comprehension and emotion, in the process of developing effective decision-making framework.

Prescribing Change: Unpacking Privatization's Impact on Government Teaching Hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan

Hafiz Umar Farooq — 2024-04-28

Lack of financial support is one of the main causes of low-quality services in Government teaching hospitals of developing countries. Recent recommendations for privatization of government teaching hospitals were aimed at improving the services to that of private teaching hospitals. The strategy is expected to increase the efficiency & performance of government teaching hospitals and generate revenues for their continued improvements. The measuring dimensions of hospital performance not only predict the financial performance of a hospital, but also provide assessment on steps required for betterment of the Government teaching hospital. The non-financial performance of a hospital setting is based on non-financial variables such as Reliability, waiting time, sanitary facility, hygiene and information unique to particular treatment. Good human resource practices are one of the key components that may predict the monetary & non-monetary performances of a hospital. This study demonstrated these variables along with their dimensions across the whole public teaching hospitals settings in Lahore Punjab with a sample size of 300 respondents. Respondents were highly qualified Doctors, Nurses and administration staff of public teaching hospitals Lahore, Punjab. Smart PLS-4 was used as a statistical tool and ran reliability, mediation analysis and linear correlation for research findings. The results have been found significant that hospital performance can be increased through privatization. Although there are some limitations such as it was limited to public teaching hospitals only. Public DHQs (District Head-quarters), THQs (Tehsil Head-quarters) & RHC (Rural Health Centers) were not part of study. The opted variables to assess the hospital performance were not total markers, so for future research there is a path for researchers to opt the rest variables to explore the further significance.

Mediating Role of Knowledge Management and Innovation in the Relationship between Supply Chain Management and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Test in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industry of Pakistan

Ali Zarak Khan — 2024-06-04

Supply chain management practices (SCMP) have huge potential to improve organizational performance (OP) in various organizational settings. However, many studies have found that the relationship between SCMP and OP is not direct and is greatly influenced by some other capabilities such as knowledge management (KM) and innovation capabilities of organizations. Prior research mainly focused on developed countries and suggested numerous models and frameworks to adopt and implement SCMP in various industries. However, the mediating role of KM and innovation capabilities in the linkage between SCMP and OP has not been fully grabbed in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) organizations and especially, Pakistan remained unexplored. This study filled this gap and investigated the mediating role of KM and innovation capabilities in the linkage between SCMP and OP in FMCG organizations of Pakistan. This was carried-out by developing an explanatory model, formulating hypotheses, and testing the hypotheses after gathering sample data from the 194 FMCG organizations of Pakistan and applying PLS based SEM for data analysis. The study revealed many interesting results based on the data from Pakistani FMCG organizations. First, the study exhibited that SCMP positively influences OP in FMCG organizations of Pakistan. Second, the study showed that SCMP positively influences KM and innovation capacities. Third, the study indicated that KM positively affects OP but innovation does not affect OP. Lastly, the study disclosed that KM partially mediates the linkage between SCMP and OP in this context. However, innovation demonstrates no mediating effect in the association between SCMP and OP. The results are vital for theory and practice. Theoretically, the results can be used to develop new and/or update existing theories and frameworks related to SCMP, KM, innovation, and OP. Managers and practitioners can also utilize their scarce resources in limited areas where they should invest their resources, time, and effort for ultimate improvement of OP. Other organizations and even countries can also use the results to improve OP in their contexts.

The Moderating Role of Dynamic Capability in the Relationship between Types of Entrepreneurial Competencies, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and SME Performance

Romeo Victor Ionescu — 2024-07-29

The primary purpose of this research is to examine the influence of entrepreneurial competences on the entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance of UAE-based SMEs. In addition, the role of entrepreneurial orientation as a mediator between entrepreneurial competence and SME success has been investigated. Lastly, the function of dynamic capacity as a moderator in the relationship between entrepreneurial competence and SME success was investigated. Path modeling using Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to examine the moderating influence of dynamic capacity and the mediating effect of entrepreneurial attitude and to evaluate the hypotheses produced. The results display the outcomes of the moderation analysis. DYNC moderates the association between RT and SME's FP, and RT mediates the relationship between TC and SME's FP at the 10% level of significance (0.030, p = 0.082). Similarly, INN and PRO strongly mediated the link between the TC and FP of the SME. Lastly, RT, INN, and PRO mediate the link between SC and SME's FP at the 5% level of significance. The results of the study will help policymakers and researchers understand the challenges that come with entrepreneurial competence, entrepreneurial orientation, dynamic capacity, and the success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

UNCOVERING THE ROLE OF FOLK ART, SCULPTURE ART, AND CERAMIC ART BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL PERFORMANCE

Sydul Arefin — 2024-08-22

Human capital has always been the key to promoting national development and enhancing entrepreneurial performance. Human skills and expertise are the best sources to obtain a competitive advantage. The individuals who have developed entrepreneurial psychological capital (Ent PsyCap) are the ones to master the art- related expertise to produce classical cultural art in the shape of folk art, sculpture art, and ceramic art. This study empirically investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial psychological capital and entrepreneurial performance (EP). Furthermore, it tests the mediating role of folk art, sculpture art, and ceramic art in the relationship between PsyCap and EP. The study proposed several hypotheses and used the survey questionnaire method for data collection. A valid data of 304 individuals who were either studying or have completed a degree in classical cultural art were the primary respondents. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between Ent PsyCap and EP. Additionally, folk art, sculpture art, and ceramic art positively mediate the relationship between Ent PsyCap and EP. Furthermore, empirical results also showed the strengthening role of business risk in the relationship

between three art types and EP.