The dairy industry is considered one of the most needed industries in almost every country; this is due to the continuous daily demand of its different products. Nevertheless, this industry consumes large amount of water, energy and material resources, and generates large quantities of liquid and solid wastes. In the sequel, under the pressure of fulfilling the 17 sustainable development goals (17 SDGs), it is important to address the sustainability of this sector in the world and particularly in developing countries. This study aims at assessing the impact of environmental, economic and social sustainability practices on the organizational performance of dairy industry in Palestine. To this end, a quantitative-research approach, based on a questionnaire for data collection, was adopted. Data has been collected from a convenient sample of 15 dairy factories working in West Bank in Palestine during a three-month period from March to May, 2023. Inferential statistical analyses were conducted as well. The results revealed that there is a difference between the median values of environmental and economic practices. In addition, the results showed that there is a medium relationship between sustainability practices and organizational performance. However, the economic practices proved to have the strongest impact then social practices; while, there is no impact of environmental practices on organizational performance. Furthermore, the results showed that this industry consumes larger amount of water as well as it generates large amounts of wastewater that mainly discharged to the drainage system without treatment for recycling or reuse. Several sound recommendations are given at the end of this paper. It worth mentioning that there are no previous studies conducted on the dairy industry sector in Palestine about sustainability assessment.
Universities continue to provide solutions to private and public sectors of the economy by providing a skilled economy, increasing employment potentials, and improving employee performance. This study offered a theoretical model on the contributing factors to graduate employability among student entrepreneurs in Malaysian Higher Education and the mediating mechanism of perceived support and usefulness in social entrepreneurship to solve the graduate unemployment problem. We attained data using purposive and face-to-face sampling methods with acceptable data from 296 undergraduates and analyzed with the SEM software from respondents of various cultural backgrounds. Findings suggest a positive significant relationship between motivations, skills in social entrepreneurship, knowledge, and social elements on graduate employability. Similarly, perceived support explained skills, knowledge and social elements’ relationship to graduate employability except for perceived usefulness. The outcome further discovered the perceived support role for graduates of social entrepreneurship in fostering job crafting and future employability with various implications and recommendations. The results require the application of other research approaches to provide concrete implementations and social and economic solutions. Insightful results and proposals helpful to policymakers like higher education curricula developers and implementers, scholars, government and private universities of this study can help curb graduate unemployment through social entrepreneurship.
Over the past twenty years, service organizations have adopted total quality management to enhance their service quality, significantly impacting business performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability. This study delves into policy development of sustainable quality management theory, benefits, and various service components, while reviewing its implementation in services industries and policy innovation. The concept of Sustainable Quality Management 4.0 (SQM 4.0) integrates sustainable management, traditional quality management, and Quality 4.0 principles to optimize resources, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance decision-making through Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, and big data analytics. The findings offer valuable framework and policy insights for managers and practitioners on quality management and service systems, providing an implementation framework for Sustainable Quality Management in the service sector. The paper outlines comprehensive elements and strategies for implementation as a SQM framework for attaining sustainable quality management in the services industry.
This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation and green innovation on the performance of SMEs. This research explores the wood waste industry in Ngawi, an area that has never been studied before, thus providing a new perspective and unique local relevance. These findings underscore the critical role of entrepreneurial orientation and green innovation in driving sustainable business growth and improving SME performance. The results show that both entrepreneurial orientation and green innovation having a positive and significant link with SMEs performance. Further, the study reveals that the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and green innovation having a positive and significant link with SMEs performance mediated by knowledge-sahring. The study also highlights the importance of larger sample sizes, and external factors to provide more comprehensive insights for practitioners and policymakers.
Pakistan is grappling with significant economic and political challenges stemming from various factors. Positioned at the heart of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan has been presented with a diverse array of opportunities encompassing trade, investment, energy resource development, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the expansion of the Gwadar port, integration of its economy with neighboring nations via various connectivity projects, and the generation of employment prospects. Given the contemporary interdependence of economic performance and political stability, the potential for economic stability and the creation of opportunities through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is seen as crucial. The project helped Pakistan to attract a huge amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), created hundreds of thousands of jobs, significantly improved infrastructure, established nine SEZs, developed Gwadar port, increased its trade volume with China and controlled energy crisis to a significant level. Political development, stability and peace have also been positively influenced by economic development. This study aims to evaluate the impact of CPEC from both economic and political perspectives, especially as it approaches its 10th anniversary, and assess how it has shaped Pakistan’s economic and political landscapes. The forthcoming second phase of CPEC is poised to further bolster Pakistan’s economic growth, fortify industrialization through SEZs, and enhance its international trade. Additionally, the project is set to transform Pakistan into a pivotal regional trade corridor through its advanced connectivity initiatives and the development of the Gwadar port.
The aim of this study is to determine how bank diversification affects bank stability. To this end, it examines data of 136 commercial banks operating in 14 MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries observed from 2005 to 2021, using the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) panel data regression analysis. The selected countries are Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. The main results point to the enhancing effect of income diversification on bank stability. Our results underline the “Bright Side” of banking income diversification in the MENA region. However, this stabilizing income diversification effect is not always maintainable. The results also point to a non-linear relationship between interest/non-interest income and financial stability, suggesting that higher diversification reduces risk. We use a dynamic panel threshold model to determine income diversification thresholds that stabilize banks in the MENA region.
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