This study examines whether work–family conflict (WFC) and job stress (JS) raise turnover intention (TI) among software professionals in Pakistan’s IT sector, and whether transformational leadership (TL) moderates these relationships. Cross-sectional survey data from 325 full-time software engineers and programmers in Lahore were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS, with 5,000-subsample bootstrapping and two-stage estimation of the interaction terms. WFC (β = .123) and JS (β = .254) were both significant positive predictors of TI, and TL had a strong negative direct effect (β = −.307). TL did not buffer either demand: its interaction with WFC was non-significant, and its interaction with JS was significant but amplifying, strengthening rather than weakening the stress–turnover link. TL supports retention mainly through its direct effect rather than by offsetting job demands. Firms should not rely on leadership development alone; structural measures such as workload management, realistic deadlines, and adequate staffing remain essential.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in digital marketing and e-commerce, but its strategic value is often harder to prove than its operational usefulness. This tension is especially visible in small and emerging markets, where tool adoption may outpace measurement and governance capacity (Gama & Magistretti, 2023; Islam et al., 2024). The study adopts a capability-based and governance-oriented perspective on AI value in digital marketing management (Abrardi et al., 2021; Mariani et al., 2021). It examines how Armenian marketing experts evaluate four AI domains—predictive analytics, sentiment analysis, personalization, and programmatic advertising—and tests how these evaluations relate to perceived ROI-oriented impact, adoption outlook, and governance perceptions (Mariani et al., 2021; Haleem et al., 2022; Dumitriu & Popescu, 2020). A cross-sectional expert survey (N = 29) was used because objective performance data are limited and fragmented in this small-market context. The survey collected 5-point Likert ratings and one open-ended response on adoption barriers. Differences in perceived tool effectiveness were assessed using the Friedman test with Durbin–Conover post hoc comparisons. Hypothesized relationships were examined using Spearman correlations, supplemented by exploratory regression models. Personalization and programmatic advertising were rated highest in perceived day-to-day effectiveness, but only predictive analytics showed a clear positive association with perceived ROI-oriented impact. Perceived ROI-oriented impact was positively associated with adoption outlook. Governance perceptions were asymmetric: privacy concerns were negatively associated with adoption outlook, whereas bias/fairness concerns were positively associated with oversight/accountability expectations. Open-ended responses identified weak measurement discipline, capability gaps, and poor strategic integration as the main barriers to realizing AI value. These findings imply that AI value realization in digital marketing depends not only on tool deplorability but also on measurement discipline, integration routines, and governance capacity. The study is limited by its small, non-probability, expert sample, perception-based measures, and cross-sectional design, so the findings should be interpreted as exploratory and context-bound. The study contributes to theory by distinguishing deplorability from ROI evaluability, and to practice by showing that AI value realization in small and emerging markets depends on measurement discipline, integration, and governance (Avram et al., 2020; Pop, 2020; Akter et al., 2023; Schmauder et al., 2023).
This paper examines the marketing, institutional, and financial dynamics among agri-food vending businesses in the urban setting of Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This study employed a mixed–methods approach that utilized both qualitative and quantitative techniques. This study collected primary data through a structured questionnaire administered to food vendors, while secondary data were obtained from relevant literature and local government reports. Excel and SPSS were employed to undertake descriptive statistics. The findings reveal that food-vending businesses experience Marketing-Institutional-Financial (MIF) Dynamics, including high competition, limited pricing flexibility, a moderate tax burden, and regulatory compliance issues. However, the results postulate that the licensing process is relatively efficient. This study provides the following policy implications: Firstly, financial institutions should develop and promote specialized micro-loan and credit programs for agri-food vending businesses in urban settings with simplified application processes and competitive interest rates; Secondly, government authorities (Ubungo Municipal) and lastly, financial institutions should collaborate to provide practical-oriented and hands-on financial literacy training. These trainings should go beyond basic budgeting to include modules on understanding loan terms, calculating interest, and the strategic use of credit for business expansion. On the other hand, business development organizations like GroFin and local business regulatory authorities like Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) should take the lead in offering workshops on digital marketing and branding to help agri-food vending businesses to move beyond a reliance on word-of-mouth. Government bodies like city councils and regulatory agencies like Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) should focus on maintaining the current supportive environment by continuing to streamline and simplify the licensing and tax compliance processes as much as possible, perhaps by introducing online portal services. They should also regularly communicate upcoming regulatory changes through accessible channels, such as community meetings or mobile text alerts, ensuring vendors are always informed. This study is limited to the licensed agri-food vending businesses from Ubungo ward, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The study faced the following challenge during data collection: some respondents' unavailability or unwillingness to participate due to other commitments or personal matters. Furthermore, this study relied on the presence of respondents on their business operation area in order to acquire accurate information. Despite these limitations, the study results are reliable and useful for understanding the real situation in the study area. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by answering the following research question: What is the marketing, institutional, and financial dynamics among agri-food vending businesses in urban settings in Tanzania? Thus, providing localized insights to inform targeted interventions and policy recommendations that support agri-food vending businesses in similar urban settings.
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) gradually becomes an integral part of contemporary work settings, the awareness of AI, which can be defined as the extent to which employees feel that their jobs can be replaced by the automated systems, has proven to be a potentially influential factor of affective and psychosocial consequences, such as affective states, work-family balance, and emotional well-being on the whole. The present investigation aims at clarifying the mediating variables that relate AI awareness to emotional exhaustion, and in particular, the mediator of the relationship between perceived job insecurity and work demands and family obligations. The study utilised a convenience sample of 303 employees including 49.8% men to conduct hierarchical regression models with bootstrap resampling to investigate mediation. The analytic approach included direct effect, indirect paths of AI awareness to emotional exhaustions and their serial mediation, and then the indirect path of the same to work insecurity and through work-family interference. The results showed that there was a significant positive relation between AI awareness and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, AI awareness had a positive relationship with perceived job insecurity that, in its turn, had a positive relationship with emotional exhaustion. Paralleled analyses indicated that AI awareness was also related to increased work-family interference which also was related to increased emotional exhaustion. More importantly, job insecurity and work family interference sequentially combined to mediate the relationship between AI awareness and emotional exhaustion which implies a compounded negative route. Such findings highlight the urgent need that organisational leaders should address the twin issues of maintaining job security and achieving a balanced work-life environment in a workplace where AI is being introduced as a relevant source of stress in the workplace. In practise, it will entail the open discussion of AI implementation, designing the overall reskilling programmes, and introducing the flexible working models that will help reduce AI stress factors and protect the psychological well-being of the employees.
The current study examines how an agile leadership approach can modernize family-owned businesses in GCC economies, with organizational innovation and digital transformation as intervening variables, drawing on dynamic capability theory. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured survey of managers and employees working in family businesses. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the direct and indirect relationships between agile leadership, dynamic capabilities, and business modernization and organizational innovation. All hypothesized relationships were significant (p < .05) in the theoretical framework. Agile leadership had a positive and significant effect on the mediating constructs (organizational innovation and digital transformation) and a less significant but significant effect on business modernization, indicating partial mediation. The study contributes to the agile leadership literature by providing empirical evidence in the underexplored context of emerging-economy family businesses and by conceptualizing business modernization as a higher-order capability-driven outcome rather than a short-term organizational performance metric. The present study has certain limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the study allowed us to draw inferences about the causal mechanisms underlying the issues, and a longitudinal design should be considered in future research to observe how agile leadership practices evolve over time. Although the sample was rather heterogeneous, it was a convenience sample, which can lead to a lack of generalizability. Further studies should be conducted using probability sampling or sector analysis. In addition, self-reported measures can be biased, and future studies could include objective performance measures, such as profitability, the number of innovations, or indices of digital adoption. This study offers practical insights for family business owners, leadership practitioners, and policymakers in emerging economies. This highlights that investing in agile leadership behavior strengthens dynamic capabilities, enabling family firms to modernize business processes and digital infrastructure and remain competitive in evolving markets.
