Aim. This study aims to understand the factors determining university students’ behavioural intentions toward online learning in Bangladesh. Specifically, this study investigates the relationship between performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), and behavioural intention (BI). Moreover, this study explores the influence of pandemic fear (PF) as a moderator in the relationship between exogenous and endogenous factors. Methods. The study is cross-sectional and followed a quantitative research approach with purposive sampling. Data were collected at a single point using a sample size of 578 respondents who studied online during the various phases of lockdown at five public and five private universities in Bangladesh. Regarding multivariate analysis, the Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is applied in this study to test the causal relationships in the structural model, as it is considered a second-generation technique. Results. Statistically, a positive significance was found between PE, EE, SI, and BI in online learning participation. Whereas the FC and the BI exhibited a negative relationship, a positive relationship was found between PE, EE, and the SI on BI. In addition, a moderating role for PF was investigated, and EE and FC were found to influence BI significantly. Conclusion. This study presents an extended UTAUT model by integrating pandemic fear as the moderator to study students' behavioural intention to adopt an online learning system under a disruptive situation. Practitioners, especially academicians and policymakers, will find this model useful while developing andragogic interventions for the higher education sector in Bangladesh.

The social media tools available at public platform are soon becoming as user friendly and cost effective way of corporate communication. It has become a new way of collaborating among the team members of virtual teams deployed in software development projects. The open culture offered by these platforms helps business in general and software development projects in specific to accelerate growth through innovation, communication and active participation of the employees in their workplace. The study aims at comparing the four social media tools namely Facebook, blog, google plus and enterprise collaborative tools. The tools can be chosen from the long list as per the need of the task in the project.

Aim. The global pandemic of the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent nationwide lockdown have put the endeavours of both academicians and students to the test. The disruptions are even visible in andragogical approaches across higher education institutions both nationally and internationally. Two government-funded universities in India and Bangladesh have decided to explore avenues to switch to an alternative e-platform overcoming the challenges of traditional classroom teaching. The business management faculties of both universities exercise blended learning modules using a design thinking approach. Methods. This exploratory case study involves university students and teachers reflecting the knowledge delivery mechanism in a collaborative online workspace called Virtual Classroom. The authors have adopted the case method to identify evidence-based practices to improve learning gain. This case is motivated by the profound idea of learning continuity where the agenda of teaching-learning should remain status quo as much as possible, even under the constrained situation. Results and Conclusion. This study confirms that the use of curriculum-based blended learning modules based on a design thinking approach is gaining momentum to offer courses in which videoconferencing is a useful tool, as an addition to present methods of teaching inside the classroom, to strengthen learning and to inspire students to practice learning. Acceptance of technology has made learning accessible and pervasive, bridging the digital divide. Originality. It is a pioneering effort to measure the effectiveness of the online learning of two public-funded universities across borders with similar demographics and challenges. This case makes an original contribution through its observation that even the traditional and public-funded universities erstwhile functioning through purely offline mode are gradually switching to online mode. This case also highlights the imminent need for policymakers to augment and integrate blended learning tools with design thinking approaches for tertiary education to reduce the intermittent use of technology, thereby assuring higher learning gain for the students.

Purpose. The perishable nature of the horticulture (fruits, vegetables, and flowers) industry makes it more complex to study. The higher return and nutritional benefits compared to traditional agricultural products expand the research scope for the stakeholders’ sustainable benefit. Nevertheless, despite limited research, this study explicitly examines additional facets of smallholder development beyond the traditional economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Methodology / approach. To fill this knowledge gap, we comprehensively reviewed 73 articles published between 2013 and 2022 in international scientific journals with an SJR (Scimago Journal & Country Rank) Q1 ranking. We followed the “Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews” (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol to identify different aspects of smallholders’ development. Literature from Web of Science and Scopus databases was analysed and organised using the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework. Results. The study identified important factors like infrastructure, commercialisation, market access, marketing, credit, policies, information, intervention, training, technology, and collaboration that could uncover crucial economic, political, social, psychological, ecological, cultural, physical and nutritional aspects of development in general. The study also suggests that implementation Agriculture 4.0 through advanced technologies like IoT, AI, and vertical and bio-fortification practices can help in sustainable livelihood development in horticulture. Originality / scientific novelty. The limited or lack of comprehensive studies on smallholders’ sustainable livelihood development with different dimensions makes this research a bridge to identify other dimensions instead of only focusing on the horticultural sector’s economic, social, and ecological aspects. It uses the Agricultural Innovation System and Farmer First theories, stating that the farmer is the first priority and must collaborate and interact to implement technology and innovations for smallholder livelihood development. Practical value / implications. This research will help in decision-making regarding smallholders’ livelihoods in all eight dimensions at all levels of government, private and other stakeholders, suggesting a triple-helix model.

Diversification into horticulture has become the primary source of livelihood for smallholders. The study analyses trends, theories, settings, constructions, research methods, and findings based on Keynes’ “confidence theory”, the absolute income hypothesis, and the human development index. Using the Theory, Constructs, Characteristics, and Methodology (TCCM) framework, the paper offers a Systematic Literature Review of 67 scholarly research papers with fifty or more citations published between 2000 and 2021 in EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The study advocates that a Cold Chain must be considered with the intervention of contract farming, government, cooperative or farmer-producer organisations to reap maximum benefits from horticultural production during the off-and-on seasons rather than selling to opportunistic intermediaries. The study also has important implications for future researchers and policy-makers but, most importantly, offers motivation to the investors for safe investment decisions in the cold chain infrastructure development for higher returns to producers cutting across their geographical, sociological, or economic contexts.

The tea industry is the second most organized industry after rubber in Tripura, India and is gravid with immense potential that can offer inclusive and sustainable growth to the state’s economy directly and indirectly. The industry went through a series of troubles ranging from insurgency to ethnic clashes over the last six decades. Despite the challenges, the Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) returned to the profit path in 2018. The marketing opportunities for the tea gardens have been rudimentary, depriving the tea growers of their due recognition and better returns on investments; however, TTDC’s Tripureswari brand of tea has successfully positioned itself with a strong appeal and quick acceptance by the masses. The public distribution supply chain supported by the co-operative societies helps reduce the shipment cost and ensures the availability of tea at affordable prices for common people. The purpose of this study was to explore the nuances of the tea industry in Tripura and to consider how re-engineering can turn this industry into a profit-making public sector. To understand the turnaround strategy of this research, the authors have used a mixed method approach where secondary data were collected, discussed, and gathered from interviews with area experts. The findings of this research indicate that the state-owned Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd. (TTDC) transformed itself through re-engineering the supply chain. Furthermore, coupling with branding exercises has instilled confidence, even among the small tea growers, thereby offering social security and inclusion. Further, TTDC has taken the socially excluded people under its ambit through plantation activities using the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).