The economy of Pakistan has faced many challenges due to COVID-19, leading to numerous systemic failures and leaving it struggling to recover. This research aims to shed light on the specific challenges faced by Pakistani textile companies during the pandemic. Comprehensive data was collected from one hundred fifty-three textile managers in Pakistan. Upon examining the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, it has been found that the most pressing issues revolved around working capital and strategies for generating new sales. Interestingly, many of these businesses were well-prepared in the digital realm, readily embracing digital knowledge and seizing opportunities by pivoting to the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 masks. This study aims to evaluate the early consequences of COVID-19 on Pakistan’s textile industry. Considering the scarcity of research on these challenges and opportunities, our work contributes to a better understanding of the hurdles the textile sector faces. Furthermore, it sets the groundwork for future research in this domain. It provides valuable insights for textile businesses, enabling them to align their strategies with the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.
This study addresses the impact of the tourism sector on poverty, poverty depth, and poverty severity in Indonesia, focusing on the micro-level dynamics in the province. Despite numerous tourism destinations, their strategic contribution to regional progress remains underexplored. The motivation stems from the need to comprehend the nuanced relationship between tourism and poverty at both the national and local levels, with specific attention to the untapped potential at the province level in Indonesia. We hypothesize that a higher tourism sector GRDP will be inversely correlated with poverty levels, and the inclusion of a Covid-19 variable will reveal a structural impact on poverty dynamics. Employing a Panel Regression Model, secondary data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) spanning 2011–2020 is utilized. A panel data regression equation model, including CEM, FEM, and REM, is employed to analyze the intricate relationship between tourism and poverty. The findings demonstrate a negative correlation between higher tourism sector GRDP and the number of poor people. The Covid-19 variable, considered a structural break, reveals a significant association between increased cases and elevated poverty and severity across Indonesian provinces. This study contributes a micro-level analysis of tourism’s role, emphasizing its impact at the provincial level. The findings underscore the need for strategic initiatives to harness the untapped potential of tourism in alleviating poverty and promoting regional progress.
The COVID-19 epidemic is a significant humanitarian crisis witnessed in contemporary times, necessitating the exploration of techniques and approaches that might augment the capabilities of individuals within society to mitigate the adverse consequences of this pandemic. Domestic workers have always been an important part of societal structure, and it is essential to ensure their awareness about the perils of the pandemic as well as implement preventive measures. This is crucial in order to effectively address the hazards associated with the ongoing epidemic. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of infographic technology in augmenting the level of knowledge among foreign domestic workers on the COVID-19 epidemic. The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to examine and compare the effects of infographic technology on the experimental group, while the control group received only public awareness messages disseminated to all citizens and residents. The study sample comprised (16) foreign domestic workers, who were assigned to the two research groups through a random allocation process. The development of the COVID-19 pandemic awareness scale was conducted. The measurement scale consisted of three dimensions: the cognitive awareness dimension, including a set of (12) statements; the performative awareness dimension, comprising a set of (8) statements; and the psychological awareness dimension, comprising a set of (10) statements. The findings demonstrated the superiority of the experimental group, which used the infographic approach, over the control group in fostering awareness of the COVID-19 epidemic throughout its three dimensions among the participants of the study. The study suggested the need of expanding the utilization of infographics in an attempt to enhance knowledge and awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the establishment of varied databases for migrant domestic workers. The objective is also to develop an extensive digital awareness strategy about the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, so as to include an increased number of informative infographics.
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity for educators and policymakers to reconsider education systems and rethink what is essential, necessary, and desirable for future generations. A sequential generic qualitative approach was used in this study. Based on the systematic literature review, a content analysis was conducted to identify dimensions that contribute toward higher education institutions sustainability. Subsequently, the Expert Opinion method that involved five professors holding key positions in respective universities from Malaysia, the Netherlands, India, and Bangladesh was applied to propose a post-COVID-19 sustainable framework. Four themes: 1) educational reform; 2) digital transformation; 3) resilience and change management; and 4) sustainability coupled with agility and flexibility formed the framework for HEIs’ sustainability during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. We propose that the themes be examined from an integrated perspective to ensure HEIs can be sustainable in the long run. Finally, other scholars are recommended to conduct a tracer study as well as develop qualitative instruments based on the themes and dimensions identified from the systematic literature review and the Expert Opinion Method to better understand the phenomenon of HEI sustainability.
Since 2019, major travel destinations worldwide have issued travel-related restrictions against COVID-19. There is much research on tourism, but few studies have been conducted to explain the relevance of revisiting intention from the perspective of the epidemic or the dramaturgical theory. The purpose of the research is to explore the impact of customer experience on revisit intention during the period of COVID-19 slowdown by using dramaturgical theory. This study used a survey methodology, and the questionnaire was distributed on an online questionnaire platform. The URL of the questionnaire was published on social media (such as Facebook and LINE) to collect data from 389 samples of people who have foreign travel experience. The data was analyzed by employing partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) methodology with the help of the statistical software “SmartPLS”. The research findings are as follows: 1) setting, audience, and performance are the three important elements of dramaturgical theory that impact the experience quality; 2) customer experience of tourists has a significant impact on the experience quality; 3) experience quality has a significant positive impact on the experience value and relationship quality; 4) experience value and relationship quality are important predictors of revisit intention. This study provides academic implications regarding the use of dramaturgical theory in relation to customer experience and relationship constructs in the context of tourism. Furthermore, it also provides some practical implications to tourism practitioners and managers, which would assist tourism industries in developing successful marketing strategies for the possible recovery of COVID-19.
Researchers from all over the world have been working tirelessly to combat the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19 pandemic since the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed it to be a pandemic in 2019. Expanding testing capacities, creating efficient medications, and creating safe and efficient COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) vaccinations that provide the human body with long-lasting protection are a few tactics that need to be investigated. In clinical studies, drug delivery techniques, including nanoparticles, have been used since the early 1990s. Since then, as technology has advanced and the need for improved medication delivery has increased, the field of nanomedicine has recently seen significant development. PNPs, or polymeric nanoparticles, are solid particles or particulate dispersions that range in size from 10 to 1000 nm, and their ability to efficiently deliver therapeutics to specific targets makes them ideal drug carriers. This review article discusses the many polymeric nanoparticle (PNP) platforms developed to counteract the recent COVID-19 pandemic-related severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The primary subjects of this article are the size, shape, cytotoxicity, and release mechanism of each nanoparticle. The two kinds of preparation methods in the synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles have been discussed: the first group uses premade polymers, while the other group depends on the direct polymerization of monomers. A few of the PNPs that have been utilized to combat previous viral outbreaks against SARS-CoV-2 are also covered.
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