Technical and scale efficiency of automobile firms in Pakistan

The current study aimed at exploring the efficiency level of automobile firms in Pakistan.For this purpose, the current study has collected the data of 18 automobile and automobile parts firms from the year 2011 to the year 2015.To analyse the date, the current study has used the data envelopment analysis. Three models were used to calculate the firm efficiency such as constant return to scale, variable return to scale and scale efficiency.The results of the study have revealed that most of the automobile firms are not efficient during these years. In addition, the results were consistent based on the three efficiency models

Behaviour of reinforced concrete beam with silica fumes under static loading / Amer Yusuff @ Md. Yusoff

The purpose of this study is to study behaviour of high strength reinforced concrete of grade 60 incorporating silica fumes by replacement at 8%, 12%, 16%, and 20% to weight of cement with water cement ratio of 0.3 cured in room temperature under static load. Structure properties have been investigated are crack pattern and location occur, deflection and modulus of elasticity due to bending of reinforced concrete respectively. Four numbers of beam with respective percentage of silica fumes are casted and underwent static load test to failure. This laboratory study are done in the Civil Engineering Laboratory, UiTM Shah Alam by using 1000KN Universal Testing Machine. The result obtain shows by replacing certain percentage of silica fumes (SF) into concrete have increase the concrete strength and 16% of replacement are give the best result such as higher concrete compression strength and higher ultimate load at failure. The results also show the different behaviour of beam contain different percentage of silica fumes

User-Generated-Content and Millennial Moms' Birthplace Decision-Making Process

Consumer reviews and experiences on UGC platforms are interoperable decision-making sources. Revolutionized UGC communication platform has changed millennial moms' birthplace decision-making process. They are rising concerns that UGC may lead to unsafe birth practices and risk the safety of the mother and baby. This preliminary qualitative study objective focused on exploring how other birth experiences shared over the UGC platform influence millennial moms' birthplace decisions. Preliminary findings identified two themes: verification and ratification and visibility and trustworthiness. The study provides in-depth information that aids policymakers, service providers, and marketers in understanding the millennial birthplace decision-making process from the consumers' perspective.                                                                                                          Keywords: user-generated-content; decision-making process; experience; information search eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i22.415

Appropriateness of Western-Style HRM practices to emerging countries, a case study of Bangladesh

This paper outlines its significance to the both academic and practice arena. The main question, therefore, underpinning this paper and research inform it is: • How appropriate the Western-Style HRM practices to the emerging countries specifically in Bangladesh

Do reading boredom and reading boredom coping strategies predict reading comprehension performance? An empirical investigation of Saudi EFL learners

Boredom is a well-researched concept in various contexts; nonetheless, there is scarceness of research related to the relationship of boredom with reading comprehension performance in EFL context. Therefore, this study intends to determine the connection between reading boredom and reading comprehension performance by employing reading boredom coping strategies as a mediator. A quantitative research approach, and a cross-sectional and correlational research design was employed to conduct this study. Questionnaires and a reading comprehension test were used to collect data from 306 Saudi EFL students. Findings indicated that reading boredom showed a significant but negative relationship with reading comprehension performance. Also, reading boredom was positively and significantly related to reading boredom coping strategies. Moreover, reading boredom coping strategies showed a positive and significant relationship with reading comprehension performance. Lastly, findings indicated that reading boredom coping strategies mediated the association between reading boredom and reading comprehension performance. On the basis of aforementioned findings, numerous recommendations for EFL students, teachers, and policymakers were offered

BRAND PREFERENCES IN MUSLIMAH FASHION INDUSTRIES: AN INSIGHT OF FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to have better insight regarding come out with a conceptual framework in studying the brand preference in Islamic Muslimah fashion industry development.Muslimah fashion industries are areas that have attracted attention, especially after the recent wave among brand endorser such an artist increases their level of awareness towards the religious and affected way of their attire. This study highlights a significant shift in consumers' behavior regarding brand preferences and investigates the motives behind such moves.  Methodology: This paper explores the three independent variables and gathers findings from qualitative data through the literature on factors influencing customers' preferences for Muslimah fashion.Future branding empirical research would include these elements as items in building up the survey instrument.  Results: The results show that uniqueness, price, and celebrity endorser are among the determining factors that influence customers' preferences in making decisions.   Implications: Understanding customers' preferences on Muslimah fashion are crucial for a company that operates in fashion industries due to such a highly competitive industry and rapid change on taste and preference. Having a good understanding of the real motives behind customers' preferences on Muslimah fashion will help the business organization to understand customers better.These results will eventually be used for developing a conceptual framework to be used for future empirical research

Effects of knife shapes and cutting speeds of a mower on the percentage pulverization of sweet potato vine

The effects of a rotary slasher with two different shapes of knives (L and Y-shaped) at three cutting speeds (1830, 2066 and 2044 rpm) were studied on percentage of pulverization of sweet potato vine passing through the sieve (< 28 mm2). The results showed that all the treatments were significant at p 0.05 and p 0.01 significance level. The best result was by Y-shaped knife with highest vine pulverized percentage of 82.76 % and a mower speed of 2440 rpm had the finest vine pulverized percentage of 90.48 %. The best performance for interaction effects between knife shapes and speeds of mower was achieved by the Y-shaped knife and a mower speed of 2440 rpm resulting in an average percentage of 92.62 % of pulverized vine

The Effectiveness of Mass Marketing Communication As A Digital Logistics Tools in Promoting a New Online Public Service Platform

This paper aims to review a framework that investigate the effectiveness of mass marketing communication as a digital logistics tools toward promoting a new online public service platform “i-akaun†for Employees Provident Fund (EPF). The use of online public service platform by the government for participatory and interactive relationships is increasing today. More precisely, the descriptive nature of the study resides in its ability to explain how mass marketing communication as a digital logistics tools can promote the usage of new online service platform users regard the status performance of advertising, public relation and event as mass marketing as a digital logistics tool. A critical analysis of mass marketing communication as a digital logistics tool wheel shows it to be a checklist, a starting point in the examination on a set of mass marketing communication mix tool, but it is not as such of immense help to the decision maker and it was followed by a quantitative approach with a descriptive analysis was involve. Hence, the survey and observation are the methods that will used to collect the information and data. The analysis of communication gaps gives directions for formulating strategic decisions. In this framework, tactical decisions concern the components of the mass marketing communication as a digital logistics tools mix framework, activities, means and vehicles of communication

The glass ceiling: career barriers for female employees in the ready made garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh

The primary objective of the study is to identify the glass ceiling issues and career barriers for female employees to access into the leadership positions in Ready-Made Garments (RMG) organisations in Bangladesh. This exploratory study used semi-structured face-to-face interview methods for data collection. The study conducted only 10 interviews among with 10 main questions concerning the glass ceiling issues and career barriers with the female employees from 5 biggest RMG organisations. After consecutive analysis to all transcripts of the interviews, three ideological approaches such as organisational culture, social culture and lack of career encouragers are identified as the main barriers for females to get into the leadership positions. The study includes discussion on how organisations can facilitate the process of females' advancement into the leadership positions