Digital technologies have revolutionized the business field, offering significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance sustainability and value creation. This study investigates the impact of digital technology adoption on economic and social value creation, as well as SME performance. Specifically, it examines how social media applications, big data analytics, IoT applications, blockchain applications, and AI-enabled applications influence economic and social value within SMEs. We employed a hybrid approach integrating Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques using SmartPLs 4.0 Application; this research analyzes these relationships. For our analysis, data were collected from 305 SME managers operating in Upper Sindh, Pakistan, specifically from major cities like Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, and Khairpur. The findings reveal that social media applications, big data analytics, IoT applications, and blockchain applications significantly contribute to both economic and social value creation for SMEs. Conversely, AI-enabled applications show no significant impact on value creation. Importantly, economic and social value creation positively correlates with enhanced SME performance. This study enriches our understanding of how digital technologies influence SMEs in Pakistan, particularly in enhancing economic and social value creation. Through advanced methodologies and rigorous analysis, it bridges theory with practical applications in SMEs’ digital transformation.

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the impact of green purchasing behavior (GPB) of a young generation in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from students of different colleges affiliated with Shah Abdul Latif University from Sukkur and Larkana regions of Upper Sindh. A total of 400 questionnaires were administrated among students and 361 completed questionnaires were returned. A pen-and-paper method was applied to collect the data.Findings: Model 1 revels that interpersonal influence and environmental knowledge were found positively related to GPB, whereas media and price were found positively but insignificantly related to GPB. Lastly, trust in green products was also found negatively and insignificantly related with GPB. Model 2 was used to test the moderating impact of price on the relationship between EA and GPB.Practical implications: To promote GPB, government can play significant role by sponsoring environmental campaigns and environmental culture and these campaigns may include broadcasting promotional messages, distributing leaflets with utility bills, speeches in schools and colleges and advertisements with the help of printing and electronic sources.Originality/value: Regarding green food purchase, this study’s results contribute to the literature by providing some theoretical contributions in literature. Green purchasing is so far a very new notion in Pakistan and therefore, literature on promotion of GPB is still lacking in the said country.

Purpose: This paper is an empirical investigation of the effect of knowledge, skills and entrepreneur competencies on the performance of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) operating in Upper Sindh, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from owners/managers of MSMEs operating in major cities of Upper Sindh. A total of 1,100 respondents were identified through snowball and social contacts tools. A total of 316 respondents permitted researchers to visit their firms and collecting data from them by a survey questionnaire. Findings: The findings shows that entrepreneurial skills and networking have a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial competency. Then, entrepreneurial skills, networking and entrepreneurial competency have a positive effect on enterprise performance. The findings show a significant mediation effect of entrepreneurial competency on the relationships between entrepreneurial skills and networking and enterprise performance. Originality/value: This paper provides useful conclusion in understanding the entrepreneur’s characteristics and their impact on performance MSMEs, which is crucial for promoting entrepreneurial activities and for enhancing socio-economic conditions among low-income households located in Upper Sindh, Pakistan. The government must make preparation in organizing trade fairs, seminars and road shows on certain services/ products to which MSMEs’ entrepreneurs, consumers and suppliers might be invited to ease their connections.

The major endeavor of this research paper is to assessing the impact of Social and Demographic Factors on Female Entrepreneurial Intention in Pakistan because women constitute 50% of the population of Pakistan. Data for research paper was acquired from the database of GEM 2012 APS Global Individual Level. The female entrepreneurial intention was a dependent variable while demographic perceptions, Socio-cultural perceptions, Individual perceptions, and Perceptions of economic opportunities were independent variables. Four logistic regressions were employed to test ten hypotheses. Model 01 revels that the role model and self-efficacy have a significant and positive effect on EIs while, surprisingly, fear of failure was also found significant predictor of female entrepreneurship in Pakistan. The results of Role model, Self-efficacy and Perception of Economic Opportunities are positive and significant predictors of EIs among females. From Socio-Cultural Perceptions, Career Choice and News in Media have a negative and insignificant relation with EIs while, status and Respect perception has been found strong predictors of EIs among Pakistani females. Model 4 includes demographic variables of age, occupation and education. All perceptions (age, education and occupation) have negative impact on female EIs. In order to promote female EIs, the Government of Pakistan has to play an instrumental role in promoting entrepreneurial environment in country. In this connection, female-specific training programs, business support centers, promoting successful female entrepreneurs through print and electronic media are some common areas where GoP can work, and finally, making a conducive environment when females can run their business indecently.

Economic stability is remained on topmost priority of every country, and different measures were suggested by the researchers worldwide, by moving on the same track study was carried out to predict the currency valuation factors, data were collected from export promotion bureau, state bank of Pakistan, and ministry of finance for 25 years (1989-2013), by using linear regression; currency valuation as dependent variable, exports, changes in external debt, and total reserves as independent variables and concluded that only the exports of Pakistan is a right predictor of currency valuation of the country which policy makers must have incorporate in formation of economic policies and setting the targets before fiscal policy.