Jawad Hussain

Bio: Jawad Hussain is an academic researcher from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. The author has contributed to research in topics: Entrepreneurial orientation & Organizational performance. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 44 publications receiving 446 citations. Previous affiliations of Jawad Hussain include University of Agriculture, Faisalabad & Georgetown University.

Can Intellectual Capital of SMEs Help in Their Sustainability Efforts

Abstract: Small and medium enterprises due to their smaller size and resources face numerous challenges to sustain themselves. In the face of mounting pressures from the competitors, SMEs need to position themselves in such a way so as to cater for the changing customer needs and expectations of their customers. To achieve this, developing the internal knowledge and knowing capabilities becomes imperative. The present study is an attempt to investigate the role of intellectual capital towards sustainability. Sample consisted of SMEs selected from the database of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 335 respondents with a response rate of 51%. The results of the study indicate that intellectual capital is having a significant relationship as well as influence on sustainability of SMEs. Further, multiple regression results reveal that knowledge and innovativeness dimensions of intellectual capital are more influential in creating sustainability for small enterprises. However, employee competences, intellectual agility and skills have been found to insignificant in Malaysian context. The results reveal that if intellectual capital of the employees is not optimally harnessed, it would lead to failure. The study is significant not only for the owners/managers of SMEs but also for the policy makers. Future directions are also provided for researchers interested in the area.

A review on crosstalk in myographic signals

Abstract: Crosstalk in myographic signals is a major hindrance to the understanding of local information related to individual muscle function. This review aims to analyse the problem of crosstalk in electromyography and mechanomyography. An initial search of the SCOPUS database using an appropriate set of keywords yielded 290 studies, and 59 potential studies were selected after all the records were screened using the eligibility criteria. This review on crosstalk revealed that signal contamination due to crosstalk remains a major challenge in the application of surface myography techniques. Various methods have been employed in previous studies to identify, quantify and reduce crosstalk in surface myographic signals. Although correlation-based methods for crosstalk quantification are easy to use, there is a possibility that co-contraction could be interpreted as crosstalk. High-definition EMG has emerged as a new technique that has been successfully applied to reduce crosstalk. The phenomenon of crosstalk needs to be investigated carefully because it depends on many factors related to muscle task and physiology. This review article not only provides a good summary of the literature on crosstalk in myographic signals but also discusses new directions related to techniques for crosstalk identification, quantification and reduction. The review also provides insights into muscle-related issues that impact crosstalk in myographic signals.

Market orientation and performance: The interaction effect of entrepreneurial orientation

Abstract: The centrality of resource-based view (RBV) from different angles and in diverse situations has widely been acknowledged, explored and researched. Keeping in view that the area still needs researchers’ attention. This study looks into the possible impact of market orientation (MO) on organizational performance. The study will also be looking at the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the MO and organizational performance link among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This is a survey type of qualitative and questionnaire based research. Sample size of the study is 213. The results of the study reveal the presence of positive relationship among the MO and organizational performance. The results of the study also demonstrate that the effects of MO on organizational performance are positively moderated by EO behaviors. This study covers the limitation of the previous studies by utilizing EO as a five-dimensional construct. This research fills the gap by probing the association of MO with organizational performance moderated by EO in a developing economy’s context like Pakistan. This is an empirical study with a reasonable sample size and the results have both academic as well as practical implications. The study has a number of limitations like using a single informant for data collection and studying only one city. Future research directions have also been provided.

Investigating the moderating effect of family on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and success of enterprise: case of Pakistani manufacturing SMEs

Abstract: Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is one of the widely researched areas in entrepreneurship studies. Yet researchers have to come to agreement to the dimensionality of this important construct. EO is a multi-dimensional construct with varying impact on the performance and success of an enterprise in a developing context. Likewise, family ownership of the entrepreneurial business is one of the oldest phenomena in business circles. In developing countries family owned businesses makeup sizeable majority. The present study is conducted to investigate the role EO plays in the success of an enterprise with the moderating influence of family involvement. The study results indicate that proactiveness and autonomy are the most significant dimensions in the success of an enterprise. The results indicate that when family is taken as a moderator, the overall influence of EO dimensions is considerably reduced. The study concludes that cultural setting of entrepreneurial businesses and entrepreneurs themselves are subject to cultural norms and values and this cultural setting inhibit certain aspects of entrepreneurial activity, limiting the growth of entrepreneurship in a country. The study also recommends and points out future directions for further research.

American Society for Testing and Materials

Abstract: The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an independent organization devoted to the development of standards.

CO2 emissions, real output, energy consumption, trade, urbanization and financial development: testing the EKC hypothesis for the USA

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, energy consumption, real output (GDP), the square of real output (GDP2), trade openness, urbanization, and financial development in the USA for the period 1960–2010. The bounds testing for cointegration indicates that the analyzed variables are cointegrated. In the long run, energy consumption and urbanization increase environmental degradation while financial development has no effect on it, and trade leads to environmental improvements. In addition, this study does not support the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for the USA because real output leads to environmental improvements while GDP2 increases the levels of gas emissions. The results from the Granger causality test show that there is bidirectional causality between CO2 and GDP, CO2 and energy consumption, CO2 and urbanization, GDP and urbanization, and GDP and trade openness while no causality is determined between CO2 and trade openness, and gas emissions and financial development. In addition, we have enough evidence to support one-way causality running from GDP to energy consumption, from financial development to output, and from urbanization to financial development. In light of the long-run estimates and the Granger causality analysis, the US government should take into account the importance of trade openness, urbanization, and financial development in controlling for the levels of GDP and pollution. Moreover, it should be noted that the development of efficient energy policies likely contributes to lower CO2 emissions without harming real output.