The recent covid 19 has increased the challenges for worldwide businesses to manage working capital. Compared to the studies on the financial crisis of 2008, management of working capital and firm performance relation during the covid 19 is less studied, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, this study examined the working capital management and firm performance relation in 577 firms from three Asian developing countries from 2004 to 2020. The working capital measurement includes working capital investment policy, working capital financing policy, cash conversion cycle (CCC), and net working capital (NWC). Firm performance is measured by return on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q (TQ). To examine the working capital management and firm performance during the crisis 2008 and covid 19, Kruskal-Wallis test is used. Results revealed that working capital management and firm performance were more affected during covid 19 than crisis 2008 period. In addition, this study compared the working capital management and firm performance relation for covid 19 and crisis 2008 using the dynamic panel system generalized method of moments (GMM). Results showed the difference in the effect of working capital management on firm performance during the covid 19 period as compared to the crisis 2008 period. CATAR significantly and negatively influenced ROA but significantly and positively influenced TQ. In contrast, CLTAR and CCC significantly and positively influenced ROA but significantly and negatively influenced TQ. NWC significantly and positively influenced ROA only. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first empirical research study to extend cross-country analysis in respect of non-financial firms to the developing countries’ context. The results of this study provide important managerial implications for firms. The different results for different firm performance proxies imply that firm managers must adopt the working capital policies which are profitable for firms and shareholders. Thus, firms in developing countries would be able to optimize their working capital according to the economic conditions.

This study is intended to identify the predictors of financial distress for the Pakistani firms. Variables used are the financial ratios representing profitability, liquidity, leverage, and cash flows, as well as two important market factors which are size and idiosyncratic standard deviation of each firm’s stock returns (SIG). The sample consists of 290 firms stretching from 2007 to 2016 and logit regression is applied to predict financial distress. The findings reveal that profitability, liquidity, leverage, cash flow ratios, and firm size are significant, while SIG is insignificant in predicting financial distress. Results of the estimated logit model I, model II, and holdout model reveal that the models perform consistently. This study contributes to the literature by testing the market variables in relation to financial distress as these variables were ignored by the previous studies in Pakistan. Findings of this study are precise as the study covers a longer time horizon and a larger sample size.

The world is facing the observable and direct impacts of climate change in the shape of extreme weather events, irregular precipitation, glacial melt, sea-level rise, an asymmetric average temperature trends, higher oceanic temperatures, damage to natural ecosystems, and biodiversity. In 2015, collective wisdom stirred the global community to agree upon two unprecedented milestones in recent human history—the Paris agreement and sustainable development goals (SDGs). The twin global agreements set a platform for collective efforts to secure socio-economic and climatic sustainability. Pakistan also joined the board to put forth policy interventions for the mitigation and adaption of climate change risks to maintain symmetry between the environmental quality and economic development. The government of Pakistan (GOP) formulated the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP (2012)) and passed the Pakistan Climate Change Act (PCCA (2017)) to provide an impetus for the implementation of the NCCP. Yet, an appropriate assessment and prioritization of the objectives of the NCCP are indispensable for productive and effective policies to achieve the targets. This study serves this purpose by prioritizing the climate change policy objectives (CCPOs) based on symmetric principles, i.e., energy, transport, urban and town planning, industry, and agriculture as criteria, with 17 sub-criteria in total. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) results show that the energy sector is the most pivotal while implementing the NCCP. Energy production is the most critical area that needs mitigation policy intervention for shifting the energy mix of the economy from high-carbon to low-carbon energy. The fuzzy AHP analysis further revealed the railway, population and urbanization, air pollution, crop growing practices and techniques as the most important related to transport, urban planning, industry, and agriculture sub-criteria, respectively. The fuzzy VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) analysis showed the ranking of the CCPOs from high to low through the integration of policies, institutional capacity building, water security, natural resource management, natural disaster management, environmental financial structure development, and social sector development. The findings of the present research would be helpful for experts and policymakers to re-examine the NCCP and put forth action plans to achieve sustainable climate and SDGs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of technostress on the teachers’ willingness to use online Teaching Modes, with the moderating role of job insecurity in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approach: Holistically, this study collected 242 samples using the convenient sampling technique for data collection. The response rate was 69.1%. The respondents of the study are academic staff working in private colleges and universities. The data are essentially collected by using the scales of technostress, job insecurity and willingness to utilize online teaching modes.Findings: The results reveal a significant and negative relationship between technostress and the teachers’ willingness to use online modalities. Interestingly, job insecurity moderates the relationship between technostress and the teachers’ willingness to use online modalities.Research limitations/implications: Only academic staff of colleges and universities is considered in this study. In later studies, researchers may consider the school teachers as their potential respondents.Originality/value: The results of the study provide important insight for the higher management of the academic institutes to motivate their employees to use online resources by using effective leadership and management skills during unforeseen events in the future.

This study’s aim is to determine whether or not medical students in Pakistan are willing to use online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their perception of and satisfaction with online learning. The study also analyzed the relationship between technology-related stress and computer self-efficacy among medical students. This cross-sectional study selected 369 newly enrolled medical students as samples using convenience sampling. Medical students exhibited a significant negative association with technology-stress and the intention to use online learning. Further, computer self-efficacy decreased the effects of technology-stress and enhanced the intention to use online learning among medical students. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) engagement in studies, (2) management of time, and (3) challenges faced by students. Although students experienced challenges in terms of methodological, technological, and behavioral concerns during online classes, online classes also saved time and enhanced performance as a result of better time management.