Usage of Academic Libraries: The Role of Service Quality, Resources, and User Characteristics

published or submitted for publicatio

Bangladesh in the 21st Century: the harvard conference recommendations

This is an Open Access Article. It is published by Journal of Bangladesh Studies, Editor: Dr. Syed Saad Andaleeb.On June 13-14, 2008, an international conference was organized by Bangladesh Development Initiative, Democracy and Development in Bangladesh Forum, and the Ash Institute of Democratic Governance at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) to address the theme: Bangladesh in the 21st Century. The purpose of the conference was to bring together scholars, practitioners, students, and well-wishers as a community to contemplate the opportunities and challenges facing Bangladesh. The response was overwhelming. About ninety papers were submitted from four continents covering topics as diverse as foreign policy and infrastructure to health care, education, politics, and even shrimp culture. From the submitted papers, about sixty were ultimately chosen for presentation. In addition there were two panel discussions on foreign policy and the accomplishments of “BRAC at 35.” The conference sessions were embellished by luncheon and dinner speakers who, in their own rights, added further dimension and richness to the already star-studded list of participants. A cultural program was also organized by the Boston community that struck a deep chord with the theme of the conference. Highlights of the conference and key recommendations are summarized here for various stakeholders: the political leadership and its administrative wing to contemplate, adapt and adopt; for researchers and scholars to embellish and build upon; and the general reader to be informed of the policy options.Publishe

Evaluating Lawyer Service Quality in Chapter 7 Bankruptcies: The Case of Small Professional Businesses

The increasingly competitive nature of the American legal environment is causing small law firms and solo practitioners to adopt many of the tools and attitudes of business. There is a potential conflict between lawyers' wishes to maximize revenue and fulfilling their professional values in interacting with their clients. This exploratory study examines how clients evaluate their lawyers. Utilizing a "procedural justice" framework, it is hypothesized that the greater the degree of trust, interpersonal respect, and competence exhibited by the lawyer, the greater will be the level of client satisfaction. All three hypotheses are supported

Exploring the Learning Styles of Postgraduates in a Public-Sector University at Karachi

Introduction: Learning styles is a term used to refer to the methods of gathering, processing, interpreting, organizing and thinking about information. Knowledge of the learning styles can be helpful in making teaching and learning process more efficient. Little is mentioned in medical education literature in Pakistan about the learning styles knowledge in deciphering the teaching and learning process. Objective: To identify the distribution of the learning styles among the postgraduate students and to find ways to improve the way the courses, the practical hours and training are performed. Methodology: The current study analyses the learning styles of post graduate students of Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi to guide facilitator as well as students in organizing their teaching sessions more efficiently and maximize the utility of educational resources with subsequent improvement in educational process. During Jan 2016 to Dec 2016, this cross-sectional study using Kolb’s learning inventory as the instrument to find out the learning styles was conducted among post-graduates’ students of a public-sector university by using English language versions of Learning Style Inventory (LSI)of 216 post-graduates ‘students. Results: According to observation and data analysis by Kolb’s learning Styles Inventory most of the postgraduates had their learning style reflector (Diverger). However, some were Theorist (Assimilators) and then very few were Activist (Accommodator) and Pragmatist (Converser) respectively. Conclusions: Differences in the learning styles and learning approaches have important implications in development of effective medical curricula in post graduate medical education.  Key words: Learning style, Postgraduate students, medical educatio

The different impact of utilitarian and hedonic attributes on web-based retail shopping behaviour through the lens of extended technology acceptance model

Purpose. Acknowledging previous scholarly focus on functional attributes in understanding technology acceptance behaviour, the current study aims to offer a novel perspective by integrating eight different dimensions of utilitarian and hedonic attributes to examine their influence in delivering a holistic web-based retail shopping experience. Design/methodology/approach. The research model was tested and validated through data collected from 370 online shoppers across both hedonic and utilitarian product ranges. Hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling with multi-group analysis to examine the moderation effect. Findings. The findings strongly support the model confirming eight new utilitarian and hedonic dimensions that influence web-based retail shopping behaviour. The findings also confirm that hedonic attributes remain important even for utilitarian product purchasing. Practical implications. The key managerial implication is the demonstrated need to balance utilitarian and hedonic attributes in web-based retail platforms, where previously, there has been an overemphasis on functional features. Web-based retailers should consider the optimal blend of utilitarian (e.g. information quality) and hedonic (e.g. aesthetic) attributes in the design of a retail shopping site, irrespective of the product category. Originality/value. This study integrates multiple dimensions of utilitarian and hedonic attributes into a single model and highlights the interplay of these attributes, thus extending the technology acceptance model. This paper also advances scholarship through its identification of attribute impact across different product categories

What constitutes responsiveness of physicians: A qualitative study in rural Bangladesh

Responsiveness entails the social actions by health providers to meet the legitimate expectations of patients. It plays a critical role in ensuring continuity and effectiveness of care within people centered health systems. Given the lack of contextualized research on responsiveness, we qualitatively explored the perceptions of outpatient users and providers regarding what constitute responsiveness in rural Bangladesh. An exploratory study was undertaken in Chuadanga, a southwestern Bangladeshi District, involving in-depth interviews of physicians (n = 17) and users (n = 7), focus group discussions with users (n = 4), and observations of patient provider interactions (three weeks). Analysis was guided by a conceptual framework of responsiveness, which includes friendliness, respecting, informing and guiding, gaining trust and optimizing benefits. In terms of friendliness, patients expected physicians to greet them before starting consultations; even though physicians considered this unusual. Patients also expected physicians to hold social talks during consultations, which was uncommon. With regards to respect patients expected physicians to refrain from disrespecting them in various ways; but also by showing respect explicitly. Patients also had expectations related to informing and guiding: they desired explanation on at least the diagnosis, seriousness of illness, treatment and preventive steps. In gaining trust, patients expected that physicians would refrain from illegal or unethical activities related to patients, e.g., demanding money against free services, bringing patients in own private clinics by brokers (dalals), colluding with diagnostic centers, accepting gifts from pharmaceutical representatives. In terms of optimizing benefits: patients expected that physicians should be financially sensitive and consider individual need of patients. There were multiple dimensions of responsiveness- for some, stakeholders had a consensus; context was an important factor to understand them. This being an exploratory study, further research is recommended to validate the nuances of the findings. It can be a guideline for responsiveness practices, and a tipping point for future research

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks