Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Institute of Technology

This study investigates how customer experience (CE) drives AI-driven service innovation (ADSI) and enhances perceived firm innovativeness (PFI), with digital trust (DT) as a moderator. Focusing on South Asia's banking and financial services sector, data from 277 employees were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings reveal that CE and ADSI positively influence PFI, while DT significantly strengthens these relationships. Firms perceived as more innovative are those investing in advanced CE and ADSI, supported by higher DT. The study highlights the strategic role of CE, ADSI, and DT in fostering innovation and competitiveness within financial services.

This study aims to investigate the effects of human-AI collaboration signalling (HACS) in the organisational communication in the motivation of knowledge workers (KWM). In particular, the research question is whether the perceived augmentation benefits (PAB) and technological self-efficacy (TSE) mediate this relationship and whether the relationship strengths differ according to the task complexity (TC) (routine vs. complex tasks). The research uses the signalling theory (ST) and social cognitive theory (SCT) to form the research model. An experimental design based on controlled scenarios was used, where the participants rated the communication within an organization when describing the work environments that are aided by AI. The participants were asked to rate the impact of AI collaboration signals on their perceptions and motivation to be employed by AI systems. The findings suggest that the HACS is positively related to KWM indirectly through PAB and TSE. In addition, the results indicate that the moderator of these relationships is TC. The indirect effects are substantially more pronounced in the complex, cognitively demanding tasks, in which AI is viewed as a power tool that promotes productivity and ability to solve problems. Conversely, the impacts are less in daily work, in which AI could be seen as a potential competitor, not a work partner.

This study investigates how digital sales automation (DSA) enhances buyer engagement (BE) through the lenses of the Resource-Based View and value theory. We propose that DSA’s effect on BE operates partly via buyers’ perceived value (PV) of B2B exchanges. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 211 B2B professionals working in information technology and related services in Pakistan. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS to test the hypothesized relationships. Results indicate that greater adoption of DSA is associated with significantly higher BE. Moreover, PV emerges as a meaningful mediator, clarifying how automated tools strengthen buyer relationships by signaling efficiency, responsiveness, and reliability. The findings offer actionable implications for B2B practitioners: investments in DSA should be paired with value-communicating practices to maximize engagement outcomes. The study also underscores the growing importance of value-based approaches to technology adoption in digital selling. Addressing a documented gap at the intersection of automation technologies and BE in B2B markets, this research contributes by demonstrating a mechanism through which DSA supports customer-centric outcomes. Future work could validate these relationships longitudinally and across industries, and explore boundary conditions such as firm size, market turbulence, salesforce capability, and regulatory context.

Purpose The research explores the link between migrant entrepreneurial intentions and market inclusivity, with a specific emphasis on the mediating influence of social capital in refugee-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative approach with data from a survey of 377 refugee entrepreneurs in Amman, Jordan. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships between Migrant entrepreneurial intentions, Social capital and Market inclusivity. Findings The findings suggest that Migrant entrepreneurial intentions positively affect Market inclusivity. Migrant entrepreneurial intentions are also a significant factor in Social capital, and Social capital positively impacts on Market inclusivity. The mediation analysis shows that the effect of Migrant entrepreneurial intentions on Market inclusivity is mediated by Social capital, implying that the process of converting entrepreneurial intentions into inclusive market outcomes is largely contingent on the formation and use of social networks and trust relationships. Originality/value This research adds to the literature by bringing together the intention and relational approaches to explain inclusive market outcomes in refugee entrepreneurship. It underscores the role of social capital as a conduit between entrepreneurial intentions and socio-economic outcomes, especially in the context of weak institutional environments.

IntroductionThis study examines how infrastructure readiness (IR) contributes to the development of AI-enabled circular supply chain capability (AI-CSC) in the Pakistani automotive industry. Drawing on sociotechnical systems theory and the dynamic capability view, the study investigates the mediating role of socio-technical alignment (STA) and the moderating role of human capability fit (HCF) in the relationship between IR and STA.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from managers and technical experts working in automotive firms in Pakistan. A total of 388 valid individual responses were obtained and aggregated at the firm level. The proposed research model was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4.ResultsThe findings show that STA has a strong positive effect on AI-CSC. IR also has a positive influence on both STA and AI-CSC. In addition, STA mediates the relationship between IR and AI-CSC, indicating that digital infrastructure investments generate greater value when they are translated into effective human-technology routines. The results further reveal that HCF strengthens the relationship between IR and STA, suggesting that infrastructure readiness is more effective when employees possess the skills, knowledge, and role alignment required to use AI-enabled technologies.DiscussionThis study contributes to the literature on AI-enabled circular supply chains by clarifying the socio-technical mechanism through which infrastructure readiness supports the development of circular supply chain capabilities in an emerging economy context. The findings highlight that technical investments alone are insufficient; their impact depends on the alignment between infrastructure, employees, and organizational routines. However, the results should be interpreted within the geographical and industry-specific context of the Pakistani automotive sector. Future research should test the model across different countries, industries, and institutional settings to assess its broader generalizability.