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Despite the centrality of international opportunity concept in international entrepreneurship field, SMEs’ internationalization literature has focused mainly on SMEs’ international performance with limited attention paid by researchers to understanding the factors influencing the identification of international opportunities especially among mature internationalized SMEs. To this end, the current study examined the impact of SMEs managers’ global mindset (GM) and adaptive marketing capabilities (AMCs) on international opportunity identification (IOI) among mature Chinese SMEs with emphasis on the moderating impact of export market dynamism (EMD). Initial exploratory study using interviews with five managers of exporting SMEs was conducted to figure the relevance of GM and AMC in explaining IOI; and the presence of EMD. Later, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from founders/managers of 217 exporting SMEs. Findings showed that IOI is positively influenced by SME manager’s GM and AMCs. Despite the presence of EMD, it had no significant moderating impact on the relationship between GM and AMCs; and IOI. In the respondents’ characteristics analysis, it was revealed that no significant statistical impact of SME’s size, SME’s age, and SME manager’s international experience on IOI. This paper ends with drawing a set of implications and future research avenues.

Critical discourse analysis aims to explore the dialectical relationship between discourse and ideology. Based on psycholinguistic research, this paper analyzes the Chinese and American media's news reports and comments on the COVID-19. It aims to expose the hidden psychological messages and ideologies behind the words. The corpus in this paper is mainly from the official media of China Daily and Time from December 2019 to January 2021 in China and the United States. This paper uses Wang Zhenhua's Appraisal Theory and Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar as tools to make a comparative analysis of the corpus. At the textual level, languages are classified and lexical choices are analyzed followed by the analysis of the reporter's ideology after reviewing the motivation of the reporters of two countries. On the level of social responsibility expression and discourse, the paper analyzes the news reports, which are characterized by the combination of the reporter's views on the news. In the aspect of social practice, the social and cultural factors and background of news reports are analyzed. China calls for strengthening cooperation and exchanges with other countries to jointly fight the epidemic. The Chinese government has actively shared its experience and made corresponding contributions to international economic recovery. However, the US government shirks its responsibility by claiming that the effective implementation of Chinese methods and experience in China does not mean that it can achieve corresponding results in Europe and the US. At the same time, the United States provides medical supplies to other countries. This study hopes to help awaken readers' critical thinking and increase their awareness of the anti-control of mass discourse. At the same time, it is hoped that readers can view the epidemic from a more scientific perspective, understand the facts and reject the unwarranted panic. It will also help reshape Chinese and American discourse.

PurposePrevious research features the international experience of managers in the decisions regarding internationalisation speed. However, the vitality of the role a chairperson plays in shaping the internationalisation decisions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from emerging economies is intriguing. Moreover, the decision-making process and leadership context of SME internationalisation are not fully understood. Drawing upon the upper echelons decision-making theory and the cognitive perspectives of decision, this paper examines the impact of a chairperson's previous experience on the post-entry speed of internationalisation, highlighting the conditioning effects of leadership contingencies – the functional variety and power of the chairperson.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a panel data set of Chinese SMEs active from 2010 to 2019 to test the research hypotheses. A feasible generalised least-squares estimator was applied to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that the international experience of a chairperson speeds up the depth and breadth of the post-entry speed of internationalisation. However, the strength of these relationships depends on the leadership context. The chairperson's functional variety alleviates the influence of international experience, whilst the power of the chairperson reinforces its impact.Originality/valueThe results show that the international experience of a chairperson speeds up the depth and breadth of the post-entry speed of internationalisation. However, the strength of these relationships depends on the leadership context. The chairperson's functional variety alleviates the influence of international experience, whilst the power of the chairperson reinforces its impact.

Decision making with cross-cultural diversity is a real challenge as well as an opportunity in the world of business and management. Interaction of stakeholders from different countries and cultures is inevitable for successful business transactions. This paper focuses to compare argumentative discussions with behavioral harmonized team synergy for socially responsible decision making (SRDM) in multicultural settings. It is organized around cross-level theoretical and practical teamwork analysis for accelerating cross-cultural collective mind benefits, ruling-out the destructive factors of cultural distance yielding socially responsible decisions. Specifically, on the basis of a theoretical framework and in-depth analysis of inducing and inhibiting factors of mind sourcing methods of brainstorming, crowd-sourcing, and team meeting, this research yields a feature-rich generic technique, which endeavors holistic approach to mind sourcing and cross-cultural logics. The study proposes a conceptual framework for a future multi-dimensional empirical testing and a practical technique, anticipated to help multinational organizations and international entrepreneurs to execute group work productively for facilitation of behaviorally harmonized ethical discussion (BHED), synergy, and ultimately designing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs with SRDM by the cross-cultural teams. The proposed model integrates individual culture-based features and group-level processes under a common umbrella of BHED and SRDM.

The accounting framework of businesses massively expanded in the 1990s to triple bottom line (TBL) with consideration of social and environmental performance in addition to financial performance. To meet the challenges of expressing care to the environment as well as to internal and external stakeholders associated with society, research on investment of resources through corporate volunteering (CV) programs is accelerated in the current decade. Researchers have started using the philosophy of epistemology with the positioning of interpretivism explaining how the people participate in cultural and social life. Reintegrating the important fundamental and scattered concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and TBL, this article highlights the motivational facet of employees of socially responsible companies, being termed as “Internal People‐Line” theory as the significant and nonidentical subset of TBL. With the ingredients of self‐determination theory, the internal people line (IPL) by relational, moral, and instrumental motivations would be useful for recognition, repeated participation in community programs, and managerial support. This research has two major contributions to the literature of society: (a) Identification of seventh P for the bottom line and (b) Development of IPL theory. It is found that effective utilization of the resources in CV programs largely depends upon the intrinsic motivation of IPL (employees). This article is the first to accumulate and interpret the strewn basic concepts of CSR (macro to microlevel) using holistic approach to advance the research model of TBL with the introduction of IPL theory.

In this work, hydrophobic magnetic deep eutectic solvents (HMDESs) were used in the development of a simple and rapid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) approach coupled to high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV) for the determination of ten organic contaminants including five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, four UV filters, and a pesticide from water at trace levels. The HMDESs were prepared by mixing a hydrogen bond acceptor, metal halide salt, and hydrogen bond donor in suitable molar ratios. Two HMDESs, 2 tetraoctylammonium bromide ([N

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the accounting reform of higher education in China with a socio-managerial analysis in the digital intelligence era. It will enable students to actively adapt to the development need of the market economy. This article uses an exploratory research method and analyzes the challenges faced by Higher Education in the era of digital intelligence from the three dimensions of corporate profit model, webcast rewards, and changes in the environment. With the development of digital intelligence, new industrial formats and business models are constantly emerging. Digital transformation has brought severe challenges to accounting theory and practice. Now green finance is emerging with the concept of sustainable development. Based on this analysis, the article proposes a training framework for accounting and management talents in the era of digital intelligence.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) constitute a rapidly emerging class of sustainable liquids that have been widely studied and employed in chemical separations, catalysis, and electrochemistry. The unique physicochemical and solvation properties of DESs can be highly tailored by choosing the appropriate hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD). Understanding the role of the HBA and HBD on the multiple solvation interactions in DESs is important to enable their judicious selection for particular applications. This work constitutes the first study to exploit chromatography to measure solute–solvent interactions of DESs using a wide array of known probe molecules. The constituent components of 20 DESs, formed by ammonium and phosphonium-based salts and carboxylic acids, are systematically modulated to delineate the contribution of the HBA and HBD toward individual solvation properties. Solute–solvent interactions measured in this study are used to interpret and explain the performance of DESs in desulfurization of fuels and extraction of natural products. The results from this study can be used to predict and understand the performance of DESs in various chemical processes where solvation interactions heavily influence outcomes.

This study reveals the unique role on Janus particles of the solid-solid interface at the boundary in determining particle interactions and assembly. In an aqueous ionic liquid (IL) solution, Janus spheres adopt intriguing orientations with their boundaries pinned on the glass substrate. It was further discovered that the orientation was affected by the particle amphiphilicity as well as the chemical structure and concentration of the IL. Further characterization suggests that the adsorption on the hydrophilic side is due to both an electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, while adsorption on the hydrophobic side is due to hydrophobic attraction. Through the concerted interplay of all these interactions, the amphiphilic boundary may attract an excessive amount of IL cations, which guide the unique orientations of the Janus spheres. The results highlight the importance of the Janus boundary that has not been recognized previously. Adsorption at the solid-solid interfaces may inspire new applications in areas such as separation and catalysis.

With the incremental growth in overall world population, environmental related aftermaths of industrial development are becoming challenges for sustainability. In social perspective, poverty eradication is still the biggest global need which is an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable development (SD). As a solution, business organizations in various industries need to do the efforts with zero‐sum competition for a trailblazing initiative of SD in context of social and environmental protection. Based on triple bottom line theory, this paper introduces the terminologies of social and environmental collective protection (SECP) and social and environmental collective development (SECD) by answering the research question as how the nonprofit orientation can be promoted and sustained within the for‐profit businesses. Using textual analytical approach, this research achieves the main objective to highlight the impact of mutual corporate initiatives as a business strategy on social and environmental sustainability. This article finds that social and environmental development depends upon social and environmental protection when it is measured in terms of collective SD goals. In addition to initiating the new terminologies contributing to the literature of SD measures for society and environment, this paper has practical implications for United Nations (UN) for their 2030 vision of social development for SD. Utilization of this paper is not limited till 2030 because it is expected that a broad range of researchers will use our described concepts for scholarly discussions and future empirical studies.

In order to meet the versatile expectations of stakeholders, enterprises need philanthropic representation in communities. This research aims to empirically investigate the employee‐specific viability of potential philanthropic initiatives of wholly foreign‐owned enterprises to delineate volunteering sustainability. It covers five potential internal and external volunteering initiatives—matchmaking, marriage arrangement, and poverty alleviation through skill development, anti‐sexual harassment awareness campaign and assistance to low paid workers, and finds the impact of intrinsic motivation for volunteering in proposed volunteering programs on employee's vital attitudes. By taking self‐determination theory, the extensive literature review of intrinsic motivation of employees and analysis of triple bottom line theory, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and human resource management model proposed by Hao, Farooq, and Zhang (2018) has been empirically tested after collecting the data from 507 employees of sample wholly foreign‐owned enterprises.With ontological and epistemological assumptions in pragmatist stance, this research employed Qual plus Quan approach. HMLR was performed followed by PROCESS using SPSS for determining information technology usage moderation effects and partial mediation of organizational pride. The findings guide that moderated mediation effects of intrinsic motivation for volunteering in the same program are significant in the same direction for two employee attitudes; however, motivation has multifarious effects. The main theoretical implication is the CSR program specification of intrinsic motivation. The findings practically imply that companies should determine the intrinsic motivation of employees before designing volunteering programs. This research contributes to self‐determination theory by integrating the “people” tier of triple bottom line establishing the link of satisfaction to the intentional CSR activities.

Objectives: To assess histological spectrum of endometrial lesions in abnormal uterine bleeding at a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Pathology, Multan Medical & Dental College, Multan and Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad. Period: January, 2019 to December, 2019. Material & Methods: Using non – probability purposive sampling technique. Results: A total of 238 ladies presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding were registered in our study. Mean age of these patients with AUB was 47.25 ± 5.57 years (ranging 21 years to 59 years), 158 (66.4%) were aged more than 45 years. Eighty five (35.7%) were from rural areas while 153 (64.3%) from urban areas. Of these 238 females, 162 (68.1%) were illiterate and 76 (31.9%) were literate. Majority of patients i.e. 218 (91.6%) were married and mean duration of illness was 5.28 ± 3.89 months while 169 (71%) presented within 6 months of illness. Histopathological pattern revealed Proliferative phase endometrium was observed in 69 (29%), endometrial hyperplasia in 59 (24.8%), chronic endometritis in 40 (16.8%), secretory phase in 40 (16.8 %), atrophic endometrium in 30 (12.6%) and endometrial polyps in 10 (4.2%). Conclusion: Histological pattern revealed proliferative endometrium was commonest followed by hyperplasia, secretory phase and chronic endometrium in our study. Disordered proliferative endometrium was commonly observed in married females and those having duration of symptoms more than 6 months. Hyperplasia was more frequent in older patients who were married. Secretory phase was significantly more common in patients with prolonged disease and chronic endometritis was associated with marital status and prolonged disease duration.

Development of innovative methodologies to convert biomass ash into useful materials is essential to sustain the growing use of biomass for energy production. Herein, a simple chemical modification approach is employed to functionalize biomass fly ash (BFA) with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTES) to develop an inexpensive and efficient adsorbent for water remediation. The amine-functionalized BFA (BFA–APTES) was fully characterized by employing a range of characterization techniques. Adsorption behavior of BFA–APTES was evaluated against two anionic dyes, namely, alizarin red S (ARS) and bromothymol blue (BTB). In the course of experimental data analysis, the computation tools of data fitting for linear and nonlinear form of Langmuir, Freundlich, and the modified Langmuir–Freundlich adsorption isotherms were used with the aid of Matlab R2019b. In order to highlight the misuse of linearization of adsorption models, the sum of the squares of residues (SSE) values obtained from nonlinear models are compared with R2 values obtained from the linear regression. The accuracy of the data fitting was checked by the use of SSE as an error function instead of the coefficient of determination, R2. The dye adsorption capacity of BFA–APTES was also compared with the nonfunctionalized BFA. The maximum adsorption capacities of BFA–APTES for ARS and BTB dye molecules were calculated to be around 13.42 and 15.44 mg/g, respectively. This value is approximately 2–3 times higher than the pristine BFA. A reasonable agreement between the calculated and experimental values of qe obtained from the nonlinear form of kinetic models verified the importance of using equations in their original form. The experimentally calculated thermodynamic parameters including molar standard Gibbs free energy (ΔadGm0) and molar standard enthalpy change (ΔadHm0) reflected that the process of adsorption of dye molecules on the BFA–APTES adsorbent was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. Moreover, the used BFA–APTES adsorbent could be regenerated and reused for several cycles with significant dye adsorption capacity. The remediation capability of the BFA–APTES adsorbent against ARS dye was also demonstrated by packing a small column filled with the BFA–APTES adsorbent and passing a solution of ARS through it. Overall, we provide a simple and scalable route to convert BFA into an efficient adsorbent for water remediation applications.

Growth in businesses affects economic development. Over the last decade, the people looking for business opportunities, either establishing an enterprise or contracting franchise business, are also found impressed by corporate social responsibility (CSR) and voluntarism. This paper is aimed to critically analyze the literature on international entrepreneurship and franchising. Based on the analysis, this paper develops propositions related to differences and similarities between the two concepts. It uses the exploratory method to compare the entrepreneurship and franchising, across the national borders. Taking the international view, an association in the approaches can be benefited from this paper which highlights the key areas that can be useful for investment decisions of prospective investors. Theoretically, this paper contributes to strengthening the need to consider the tradeoff between inputs and outputs of both ways of investments and conceptualize innovative entrepreneurship with a CSR perspective.

Diabetes mellitus is leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most of them are due to its macro and microvascular complication. Objectives: To determine the accuracy of insulin injection technique in adult diabetic patients between age of 20 to 50 years on insulin therapy for ≥02 years. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Settings: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Period: From March to August, 2016. Subjects: All diabetic patients between age 20 to 50 years and on insulin therapy for >02 years were enrolled in the current study. Material & Methods: A total of 260 diabetic patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, visiting the emergency or medical OPD, who gave informed consent were enrolled. The patient′s knowledge was categorized as "Adequate" or "Inadequate" on the basis of his/her score. Data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 22 software. Results: The mean (±SD) age of all patients was 36.8 (± 8.5) years. Out of 260 patients, 150 (57.3%) patients were female and 138 (53.1%) lived in urban areas. Majority of patients, 141 (54.2%) received knowledge regarding insulin injection technique from doctors and 98(37.7%) received knowledge from family member or friend. Out of 260, 64 (24.6%) patients had adequate knowledge, while 196 (75.4%) patients had inadequate knowledge score. Conclusions: One quarter of the patients has adequate knowledge about insulin injection techniques. Based on our findings there is a need to conduct awareness campaigns at the community level to impart useful knowledge about diabetes and its various aspects like insulin injections techniques.

A new class of magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) with metal-containing cations was applied in in situ dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) for the extraction of long and short double-stranded DNA. For developing the method, MILs comprised of N-substituted imidazole ligands (with butyl-, benzyl-, or octyl-groups as substituents) coordinated to different metal centers (Ni2+, Mn2+, or Co2+) as cations, and chloride anions were investigated. These water-soluble MILs were reacted with the bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide anion during the extraction to generate a water-immiscible MIL capable of preconcentrating DNA. The feasibility of combining the extraction methodology with anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) or fluorescence spectroscopy was studied. The method with the Ni2+- and Co2+-based MILs was easily combined with fluorescence spectroscopy and provided a faster and more sensitive method than HPLC-DAD for the determination of DNA. In addition, the method was compared to conventional DLLME using analogous water-immiscible MILs. The developed in situ MIL-DLLME method required only 3 min for DNA extraction and yielded 1.1–1.5 times higher extraction efficiency (EFs) than the conventional MIL-DLLME method. The in situ MIL-DLLME method was also compared to the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(hexafluorocetylaceto)nickelate(II) MIL, which has been used in previous DNA extraction studies. EFs of 42–99% were obtained using the new generation of MILs, whereas EFs of only 20–38% were achieved with the phosphonium MIL. This new class of MILs is simple and inexpensive to prepare. In addition, the MILs present operational advantages such as easier manipulation in comparison to hydrophobic MILs, which can have high viscosities. These MILs are a promising new class of DNA extraction solvents that can be manipulated using an external magnetic field.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is applied to investigate the diffusional dynamics of hydrophilic (Atto 590) and amphiphilic (DiD) fluorophores in a series of alkylphosphonium ionic liquid (IL) films ([P

SummaryIn the present modern age, a robot works like human and is controlled in such a manner that its movements should not create hindrance in human activities. This characteristic involves gesture feat and gesture recognition. This article is aimed to describe the developments in algorithms devised for obstacle avoidance in robot navigation which can open a new horizon for advancement in businesses. For this purpose, our study is focused on gesture recognition to mean socio-technological implication. Literature review on this issue reveals that movement of robots can be made efficient by introducing gesture-based collision avoidance techniques. Experimental results illustrated a high level of robustness and usability of the Gesture recognition (GR) system. The overall error rate is almost 10%. In our subjective judgment, we assume that GR system is very well-suited to instruct a mobile service robot to change its path on the instruction of human.

Contemporary economic and business settings have brought people of different cultures at the common workplace. This directs business researchers to study cross‐cultural similarities, differences, and management of employees, customers, and other stakeholders. This theoretical review is aimed to explore the variation in religion, practices, and their effects on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and practices. With an unfathomable analysis of relevant literature, this paper has highlighted the knowledge gap in the relationship of cross‐cultural differences and CSR. Subsequently, it presents three propositions in connection of religious variation and CSR disclosure and practice. Underpinning the practical difference in lifestyle of people having the same religious beliefs in different geographical areas, this article reflects that an extension in stakeholder theory may be suggested with the support of postempirical evidence.

Background: Cataract is generally caused due to physical aging, but in some cases, there are chances that it may develop in early ages (Pre-senile cataract). Pre-senile cataract is believed not to be primary in nature and some underlying ocular/systemic/environmental factor is causing the lens opacification at an early age. This study aim was to determine frequency and risk factors of pre-senile cataract in our populationMethods: this observational study at Outdoor Patient - Eye in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi (BBH), for the period from December 2017 to June 2018. Cataract was diagnosed on slit lamp examination. Detail history, Ocular and systemic examination was done for all pre-senile cataract cases. Laboratory/radiological investigations were performed when and where required. Using the Excel spreadsheet, Statistical analysis of descriptive data was carried out.Results: A total of 11448 patients were examined, whereby cataract was found in 849 (7.41%) patients. Out of these 849, 165 (19.43%) cases were pre-senile cataract. Pre-senile cataract was most seen in age group 30-49 86 (52.13%) and among women 93 (56.36%). The identified causes were idiopathic 55 (33.3%), diabetes 45(27.3%) and Steroids and other drugs related 33 (20.0%). posterior sub-capsular cataract is 60(36.36%) was most identified type in the study among pre-senile cataract.

In this study, magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) consisting of Ni(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) and paired with the bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide [NTf2−] anion were synthesized from their water soluble chloride intermediates. The MILs feature low viscosity, high hydrophobicity, and hydrolytic stability making them attractive candidates for a number of highly interdisciplinary applications.

Magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) are a subclass of ionic liquids that possess a paramagnetic metal within their chemical structure, making them susceptible to external magnetic fields. A total of twenty-four (24) MILs were prepared and characterized to investigate the effect of the ligand, cation and anion on the physiochemical properties of acetylacetonate-based MILs. It was found that thermal stabilities as high as 260 °C could be achieved by incorporating aromatic moieties in the anion structure. Additionally, the magnetic moment could be modulated by simply changing the transition metal in the anion. Magnetic moment values of 2.8 μB, 4.5 μB and 5.6 μB were obtained by using Ni(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) as the metal centers, respectively. Furthermore, the viscosity of the MILs could be tailored from a few hundred centipoise to several thousand centipoise, increasing their potential applications in numerous interdisciplinary fields. Moreover, the MILs synthesized in this study were found to be insoluble in water at a MIL-to-solvent ratio of 0.01% (w/v), making them potentially useful in targeted separations, where very hydrophobic solvents are highly desired.

Choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are immensely popular in organic synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, and separation science. A popular choice of hydrogen bond donor (HBD) among these DESs consists of both straight-chain and branched polyols that can incorporate additional functional groups, such as ether linkages. Previous studies have shown that the extraction efficiency is significantly altered when the molar ratio of HBD in choline chloride-based DES systems is varied, but no study has been able to relate it to their solvation characteristics. This is largely due to the limited sensitivity of existing solvatochromic dye techniques to detect minor changes in solvation interactions when the DES composition is varied. In this study, inverse gas chromatography was employed for the first time to investigate the variation in solvation properties for DESs comprised of choline salts as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) and polyols as HBDs when their HBA/HBD ratio is systematically altered. Unlike many organic solvents, DES systems investigated in this work possessed a significant hydrogen bond character. It was observed that the hydrogen bond basicity generally plateaued at higher molar ratios of HBD while the hydrogen bond acidity was observed to be the highest at HBA/HBD ratios of 1:10 in all DESs. Amongst all solvents, neat HBDs (triethylene glycol and 1,8-octane diol) possessed the weakest hydrogen bond basicity since they lack the chloride anion that acts as the primary hydrogen bond acceptor. Results from this study demonstrate that the solvation characteristics of DESs are largely different from their starting materials while the HBA/HBD ratio further influences their solvation interactions that can in turn impact important parameters such as extraction yields.

As a possible determinant of environmental sustainability, innovation management has grasped the attention of researchers. In the present research, we investigated the effect of political capital ties on firm’s contribution to environmental sustainability. We also examined how observed government support, an indicator of the inherent dependencies among political capital ties, moderates the effects of changes on innovation performance which plays a mediating role in the relationship of political capital ties and firm’s contribution in environmental sustainability. We got empirical data of 4807 listed firms of China (2010–2015) and diffused political capital ties to form a two-dimensional matrix on analysis of 36 interviews. Our study suggests that political capital dampens inputs for innovation resulting in a proliferation of innovation performance. This paper also guides that how moderation of enabling the effect of political capital ties is explained and measured through important dimensions of project initiation, high-tech accreditation and government subsidies in the context of government support. The present study also sheds light on new ways in which upper echelons theory, transaction cost and resource dependence theory can be integrated for more advanced research on political capital ties to evolve an optimal corporate strategy for environmental sustainability.

Businesses have recognized the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for overall fulfillment of strategic prerequisites. Long‐term success for any business enterprise is not possible without giving due attention to CSR. This paper aims to ascertain the unfamiliar communication links that can influence realization of CSR. It also discusses the possible mediating effects of two basic communication modes on CSR when used through social media. It is of further interest for future researchers due to the study of the moderator cross‐cultural management, which can strengthen the relationship between usage of social media and CSR realization. By exploring the utilization of social media for communication of CSR, this report is an important step towards empirical research to produce a concrete theory based on the methodology, tests and measures prescribed herein.

Imidazolium acetate ionic liquids (ILs) have been utilized as promising solvents in many applications that involve varying water content and temperature. These experimental variables affect the anion-cation intermolecular interactions, which in turn influence the performance of the ILs in these applications. This paper shows Raman spectroscopy can be used as an operando method to measure water content in IL solvents when simultaneous temperature changes may occur. The Raman spectra of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ILs (alkyl chain length n = 2, 4, 6, 8) with varying water content (from 0.028 to 0.899 water mole fraction) and temperature (from 78.1 K to 423.1 K) were measured. Increasing the water content or decreasing the temperature of the tested ILs weakens the anion-cation intermolecular interactions. The water content of these ILs can be quantified even in conditions when the temperature is changing using Raman spectroscopy combined with multivariate regression analysis, including principal component regression (PCR), partial-least-squares regression (PLSR), and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The ANN model combined with partial-least-squares (PLS) achieved the highest prediction accuracy of water content in ILs at varying temperatures (RMSECV = 0.017, R2CV = 99.1%, RMSEP = 0.019, R2P = 98.8%, RPD = 8.93). Raman spectroscopy provides a potential fast non-destructive operando method to monitor the water content of ILs even in applications when the temperature may be simultaneously altered; this information can lead to the optimized use of these ILs in many applications.

Bullying at workplaces is a growing problem associated with several antecedents and outcomes of psychological disorders. Extant literature shows the relationship of victimization with the owning-up curriculum to confront bullying, but so far there is little research to cure the issue of bullying through ethics and there is no study to check the impact of ethical lessons and exercises in training materials to curb bullying at workplace. The current paper is based on a literature review of aggression and bullying, and chiefly addresses the HR practices in rescuing the people from peer victimization. Conceptually segregating supervisor-subordinate (vertical) and peer-peer (horizontal) bullying psychology, this paper attempts to see what possible corrective steps can be taken by senior managers, supervisors and psychologists to resolve this critical problem through interior capacities. In this paper, we have developed three propositions for conducting a future empirical investigation in connection to a cohort study. By addressing the counterproductive/deviant behavior, the present report is likely to be beneficial for psychology scientists and HR practitioners in noticing and resolving the bullying issues at the workplace for the well-being of employees.

Scholars and companies are making efforts in broadening the knowledge and image of corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility. In light of this direction, this paper reports on how agro businesses are affecting the well-being of humans, the environment, and the corporate sector. This study adopted to review published electronic journal articles on corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility shedding light on the challenges, threats, and solutions of agro-business. Furthermore, the study critically analyzes some of the latest value-based sustainability constructs. This review provides a conceptual understanding of sustainability and corporate responsibility. Responsible business practices foster the creation of economic and social value by realigning business objectives with stakeholder management and environmental responsibility. The study adds to the literature and is a critical insight to organizations regarding sustainability in agro business and corporate social responsibility.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have gained increasing popularity in separation science due to the fact that their physico-chemical properties can be easily fine-tuned by varying the type or ratio of hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD). While it is well-known that the molar ratio of HBA/HBD affects the melting point of a eutectic mixture, much less is understood regarding its effect on the magnitude of individual solvation interactions. This is largely due to the fact that established solvatochromic dye methods lack sensitivity when the HBA/HBD ratio is varied slightly in a eutectic mixture. Herein, this study is the first to measure the variation of DES solvation interactions with small changes in the molar ratio of HBA/HBD using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Solute-solvent interactions of three different DES systems comprised of ammonium salts and organic acids were examined. The probe molecules were studied for 18 eutectic mixtures of varied HBA and HBD composition. DES hydrogen bond basicity, hydrogen bond acidity, and dispersive-type interactions exhibited the greatest change when the molar ratio of HBA/HBD was varied in the eutectic mixture. Results from this study demonstrate that the HBA/HBD ratio can be used to modulate the solvation characteristics for this class of DESs in separations and that the stoichiometric ratio of the HBA/HBD is important in ensuring their reproducible preparation.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as alternatives to conventional organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs). Their tunable and designer physio-chemical properties, low cost, and ease of preparation make them attractive solvent systems for use in extractions and additives to chromatographic separations. However, due to the diverse range of hydrogen bond acceptors and donors that comprise DESs, choosing the appropriate solvent for separations can be challenging. This review discusses all methods of DES preparation and details their advantages and disadvantages. Since polarity is an important aspect in their use in separations, the classification of DESs based on the betaine dye and nile red scales as well as Kamlet-Taft parameters is also discussed. Finally, a summary of applications of DESs in various extraction processes (phenolics, fuels, metals, proteins, carbohydrates), solid-phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction, as well as capillary electrochromatography is provided.

Express delivery is the growing industry that provides the means to facilitate people across the world by shipping goods and documents from one place to another. The profitability of sole companies is based on price, quality, reliability, and services. However, the impact of corporate value capture strategies on the overall sustainability of the value creation process is rarely discussed in the existing literature. This review article is aimed to develop a model to relate the effectiveness and efficiency of managerial processes with the quality of service delivery, employment, and customer retention. Extensive literature review establishes that Advancement in E-commerce Infrastructure strengthens the relationship of good management and customer retention. The present article further explains the mediation of automation in supply chain management in our model. This article has a theoretical contribution to the extant literature on e-commerce and supply chain management along with practical implication for taking care of contemporary techniques to automate the processes for success in Private Express Enterprise business, particularly for the managers, responsible for corporate performance.

This study was carried out to find out the impacts of comic factor in TV advertisement on buying behavior of college and university students. Questionnaire was designed and used to gauge the effects of comedy in advertisements. Sample size was 120 and it was comprised of university business students (Preston University Islamabad, International Islamic University Islamabad and Qauid-e-Azam University Islamabad). Data Analysis provided coefficient of determination R square value as 0.576. With significant Alpha figure of all variables, F value was 26.907 at 0.01 level. Outcomes revealed that comedy in TV advertisement convinces the consumer’s attention, interest, desire and action (AIDA) to buy the product. Objective of the study was achieved as it was found out that comic factor in TV ads affect the attention, interest, desire and action and hence buying behavior of students. Results also revealed that buying behavior of students due to comic factor in TV ads is gender free.

Corporate governance and earning transparency have gained the abundant attention of accounting researchers worldwide. Based on the A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2001 to 2016, this study explores the impact of earnings transparency and changes in fair value of the 2017 China's new edition of accounting standard on stock mispricing. The results show that: (1) earnings transparency is negatively correlated with stock mispricing, and the higher the transparency of earnings disclosed in financial statements, the lower the level of stock mispricing; (2) the new accounting standards introduced in 2007 follow up the trend of the unification of global accounting standards, and the new accounting standards can moderate the effect of earnings transparency on stock market mispricing; (3) one of the changes directly related to accounting earnings in the new accounting standards is the presentation of changes in fair value gains and losses which influences global financial stability. The change leads to a recalculation of earnings and earnings transparency in accordance with the new accounting standards. The study finds that earnings transparency is more effective in lowering the level of stock mispricing after deducting changes in fair value gains and losses.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease of many avian species and is particularly responsible for devastating disease outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks in Pakistan that incur huge economic losses to the national poultry industry annually. Despite implementation of an extensive vaccination program for poultry birds, the disease appears in an endemic form in commercial broiler and layer poultry farms. This study was conducted to identify the prevalent velogenic NDV strain responsible for disease outbreaks in commercial poultry farms in Punjab, Pakistan. The NDV strains isolated from pathological specimens through inoculation in embryonated chicken eggs were characterized biologically through the intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI), and genetically on the basis of the fusion (F) protein cleavage site. Among these, six NDV isolates showed an F protein cleavage site motif (112RRQKRF117) and an ICPI value ranging between 1.5 and 1.88, both are characteristics for velogenic strains of NDV. In addition, phylogenetic analysis based on a partial sequence of the F protein gene clustered these isolates within class II, genotype VII and specifically within genotype VII-e. This is the first report that demonstrated the presence of such NDV strains in commercial poultry farms in northern Punjab of Pakistan.

Rising trends of globalization in economic, managerial and social arenas have resulted in interpersonal contacts across the cultures. Multinational companies are increasingly focusing on trainings of their employees for improvement of performance. This research is based on the practical idea and literature review about the success of employees who are deputed for overseas assignments. Various factors related to the success or failures of expatriates have been explored in this study and one of the important aspects “cross cultural training” has been focused to find its impact on success of expatriates. This study encompasses the definition of cross cultural training ranging to its importance and effects. Substantial investment pertaining to foreign subsidiaries fashions the management to expect for the high returns, on the other hand, failure of expatriates adds significantly in failure of companies in deed. Proper cross cultural training of employees help them to shun the cultural shock and difficulties in adjustment abroad. For completion of this research, a very comprehensive questionnaire was designed basing on theoretical framework and a case study of expatriates of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) of Pakistan was carried out. Study found that there are multi-faceted uses of cross cultural training and it is one of the major sources to reduce cultural shock and pre-mature return of the employees. The research is not only useful for NADRA and Government Sector of Pakistan rather through conceptual work it is universally constructive for developing a general idea about cross cultural training and its impact on success of expatriates. This research specifically covered all related areas of expatriates of studied organization and findings have been discussed in order to grasp the relevant sides of topic by controlling rest of variables for getting potentially reliable results.