Recently, Agile project management has received significant academic and industry attention from due to its advantages, such as decreased costs and time, increased effectiveness, and adaptiveness towards challenging business environments. This study primarily aims to investigate the relationship between the success factors and Agile project management methodology adoption and examine the moderating effect of perceived compatibility. The technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and technology acceptance theories (UTAUT, IDT, and TAM) were applied as the theoretical foundation of the current study. A survey questionnaire method was employed to achieve the study objectives, while quantitative primary data were gathered using a carefully designed methodological approach focusing on Omani oil and gas industry. The PLS-SEM technique and SmartPLS software were used for hypotheses testing and data analysis. Resultantly, readiness, technology utilization, organizational factors, and perceived compatibility were the significant factors that promoted Agile methodology adoption in the oil and gas industry. Perceived compatibility moderated the relationship between success factors and Agile methodology. The findings suggested that people, technology, and organizational factors facilitate the Agile methodology under the technology acceptance theories and frameworks. Relevant stakeholders should adopt the study outcomes to improve Agile methodology adoption.
Climate change is the most important environmental problem of the 21st century. Severe climate changes are caused by changes in the average temperature and rainfall can affect economic sectors. On the other hand, the impact of climate change on countries varies depending on their level of development. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between climate changes and economic sectors in developed and developing countries for the period 1990–2021. For this purpose, a novel approach based on wavelet analysis and SUR model has been used. In this case, first all variables are decomposed into different frequencies (short, medium and long terms) using wavelet decomposition and then a SUR model is applied for the examination of climate change effects on agriculture, industry and services sectors in developed and developing countries. The findings indicate that temperature and rainfall have a significant negative and positive relationship with the agriculture, industry and services sectors in developed and developing countries, respectively. But severity of the negative effects is greater in the agricultural and industrial sectors in all frequencies (short, medium and long terms) compared to service sector. Furthermore, the severity of the positive effects is greater in the agricultural sector in all frequencies of developing countries compared to the industrial and services sectors. Finally, developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change in all sectors compared to developed countries.
We report on the measurement of the response of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye to enhanced local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) using a plasmonic-active nanostructured thin gold film (PANTF) sensor. This sensor features an active area of approximately ≈ 2.5 × 1013 nm2 and is immobilized with gold nanourchins (GNU) on a thin gold film substrate (TGFS). The hexane-functionalized TGFS was immobilized with a 90 nm diameter GNU via the strong sulfhydryl group (SH) thiol bond and excited by a 637 nm Raman probe. To collect both Raman and SERS spectra, 10 μL of R6G was used at concentrations of 1 μM (6 × 1012 molecules) and 10 mM (600 × 1014 molecules), respectively. FT-NIR showed a higher reflectivity of PANTF than TGFS. SERS was performed three times at three different laser powers for TGFS and PANTF with R6G. Two PANTF substrates were prepared at different GNU incubation times of 10 and 60 min for the purpose of comparison. The code for processing the data was written in Python. The data was filtered using the filtfilt filter from scipy.signals, and baseline corrected using the Improved Asymmetric Least Squares (ISALS) function from the pybaselines.Whittaker library. The results were then normalized using the minmax_scale function from sklearn.preprocessing. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to capture the topography of the substrates. Signals exhibited a stochastic fluctuation in intensity and shape. An average corresponding enhancement factor (EF) of 0.3 × 105 and 0.14 × 105 was determinedforPANTFincubated at 10 and 60 min, respectively.
Organizational commitment (EOC) and employee loyalty are two critical constructs that contribute to organizational success. Understanding the intricate relationship between these factors is essential for organizations seeking to cultivate a loyal and committed workforce. This study delves into the mediating effect of EOC on employee loyalty, examining the mechanisms through which organizational culture fosters a loyal workforce. To investigate the mediating role of EOC, a sample of 300 employees from the Indonesian Port Corporation was surveyed. Path analysis, a statistical technique that assesses the strength and direction of relationships between multiple variables, was employed to test the study’s hypothesis. The findings revealed a strong association between organizational culture, EOC, and employee loyalty. Organizational culture dimensions, particularly teamwork, respect for individuals, stability, attention to detail, and outcome orientation, were positively related to EOC and employee loyalty. Furthermore, EOC was found to mediate the relationship between organizational culture and employee loyalty, indicating that EOC plays a crucial role in shaping employee loyalty within a supportive organizational culture context. These findings underscore the importance of fostering EOC to enhance employee loyalty and organizational success. Organizations seeking to cultivate a loyal workforce should create a supportive organizational culture that promotes teamwork, respect for individuals, stability, attention to detail, and outcome orientation. By nurturing these cultural traits, organizations can foster a strong sense of EOC among their employees, increasing employee loyalty, productivity, and organizational growth.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the performance of Indian Banks in terms of financial metrics. The study focused specifically on the NIFTY Bank Index. The paper also advocates that a greater transparency in disclosing AI related information in a Bank’s annual report is required even if it is voluntary. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper uses a mixed method approach where quantitative and qualitative analysis is combined. A dynamic panel data model is used to understand the impact of AI of Return on Equity (RoE) of 12 Indian Banks in the NIFTY Bank Index over a five-year period. In addition to that, Content analysis of annual reports of banks was conducted to examine AI related disclosure and transparency. Findings: The paper highlights that the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) significantly influences the financial performance of sample banks of India. Return on Equity the specific parameter positively influenced with adoption of AI. The profitability of banks is positively impacted by reduced errors and improved operational efficiency. The content analysis of annual reports of the banks indicates different approach for AI disclosure where some banks give detailed information and some are not transparent about AI initiatives. The findings suggest that a higher level of transparency could enhance confidence of all stakeholders. Theoretical Implications: The positive relation between adoption of AI and financial performance, specifically ROE, gives a foundation for academic research to explore the dynamics of emerging technology and financial systems. The study can be extended to explore the impact on other performance indicators in different sectors. Practical Implications: The findings of this study emphasize the importance of transparent AI related disclosures. A detailed reporting about integration of AI helps in enhanced stakeholders’ confidence in case of banking industry. The regulatory framework of banks may also consider making mandatory AI disclosure practices to ensure due accountability to maximize the benefits of AI in banking.
This study investigated the changing land use patterns and their impacts on ecosystem in the Teesta River Basin of northwestern Bangladesh. Although anthropocentric land use patterns, including agricultural land use, settlements, built areas, and waterbody loss, have been increasing in the Nilphamari district, by negatively affecting local ecosystems, they have not been identified by prior research. Limitations of contemporary literature motivated me to work on this crucial ground in the Teesta River Basin in Northwestern Bangladesh. This study applied a mixed research approach to identify the study objectives. Firstly, the land use and land cover (LULC) changes which occurred between 2000 and 2020 were detected using satellite imagery and supervised classification method. In addition to the detection of LULC changes, the study explored the people’s perceptions and experiences about the ecosystem changes resulted from the LULC changes over the last 20 years, conducting stakeholders’ consultations and household surveys utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire. The findings indicated that waterbodies in Nilphamari district have significantly decreased from 378 km2 in 2000 to 181 km2 in 2020. In the same way, the vegetation coverage has reduced 187 km2 between the years 2000 and 2020. On the contrary, agricultural lands (croplands) have increased from 595 km2 to 905 km2 and settlements have increased from 81 km2 to 206 km2 between the years 2000 and 2020. From the chi-square test, it was found a significant association between ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. It was further identified that waterbody decreases have significant impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The results of this study also indicated that due to the introduction of foreign tree species, local and native species have been significantly decreasing over the time. This study emphasizes the non-anthropocentric and inclusive land use policy implications for protecting life on land and preserving the aquatic ecosystem in Bangladesh.
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