The Department of Graduate Studies, AUSOM organized a workshop on Bibliometric Methods. Dr. Muhammad Anwar from Witten Herdecke University, Germany, was our distinguished speaker. Dr. Anwar brings a wealth of experience to this workshop, having published over 42+ research papers in Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) databases and garnered over 2700 citations. His H-Index of 26 and i10-Index of 33, further highlight the significant impact of his research. Dr. Anwar is also the recipient of the Best Paper Award at the IFERA Conference in Spain.

The event was attended by 60+ MS and PhD students both online and offline, as well as faculty members of AUSOM, all of whom greatly benefited from his insightful lecture. During the workshop, Dr. Muhammad Anwar provided a comprehensive overview of the principles, methods, and applications of bibliometric analysis, shedding light on how it can be used to evaluate research impact, identify emerging trends, and inform strategic decision-making.

Thesis Title: WELLBEING AT WORK: AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK OF WELLBEING ORIENTED HRM PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE

Supervisor / Co-Supervisor: Dr Muzammel Shah / Dr. Mueen A Zafar

Internal GEC Members: Dr. Noshaba Batool & Dr. Saad Hassan

External GEC Member: Dr. Arif Khatak (Bahria University) & Dr. Khurram Shahzad (RIPAH University)

Thesis Title: No Boundaries, No Breaks: Contextualizing Young Professionals Perspective on Work Life Balance

Supervisor / Co-Supervisor: Dr. Noshaba Batool / Dr. Suhaib Aamir

Internal GEC Members: Dr. Amir Ishaque & Dr. Muzammel Shah

External GEC Member: Dr. Ikramullah (COMSATS) & Dr. Khurram Shahzad (RIPAH)

Thesis Title: ADOPTION OF HR ANALYTICS: A MEDIATED MODERATED MODERATION MODEL

Supervisor / Co-Supervisor: Dr. Amir Ishaque / Dr. Saad Hassan

Internal GEC Members: Dr. Mueen A. Zafar & Dr. Muzammel Shah

External GEC Member: Dr. Muhammad Jehangir (Abdul Wali Khan University) & Dr. Khurram Shahzad (RIPAH)

Thesis Title: Examining the Nexus between Organizational Configuration and Organizational Performance: A Parallel and Serial Multiple Mediation Anaylsis

Summary:: This study endeavors to assess the influence of organizational configuration on organizational performance within the export processing zones of Pakistan. Additionally, it examines the mediating role of high-performance HR practices and employee well-being in the relationship between organizational configuration and performance. Employing a quantitative survey strategy and a multi-stage sampling technique, the research involved 594 middle-level managers across 101cross-sectoral firms in export processing zones of Pakistan. The findings affirm that firms adopting an organic organizational structure, differentiation strategy, and superior high-performance work practices exhibit enhanced employee well-being and superior organizational performance within the Pakistani context.

Thesis Title: Effects of Culture through Promotive Voice on Advisers’ Salience: A Comparison of Growth and Non-growth Firms.

Summary: This is a comparative study exploring the concept of stakeholder salience, particularly focusing on the advisers of a firm. It utilizes Hofstede's five cultural dimensions (individualism, power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation) in relation to the promotive voice of advisers. The research, conducted through a large cross-sectional, cross-country, and cross-sectoral dataset, examines how culture impacts adviser salience and the role of homophily in moderating this relationship. The study, which includes data from both high-growth and low-growth firms during COVID-19, finds that cultural dimensions, except masculinity, affect adviser salience through promotive voice, and that attitudinal homophily also plays a moderating role. This research contributes to the understanding of cultural influences, voice modulation, and stakeholder salience in organizational settings.

The Department of Graduate Studies, AUSOM organized a seminar on Counterculture and Decoding the Agile Mindset. Mr. Waleed Riaz, COO, and Co-founder of DPL, a leading IT services company in Pakistan, was our distinguished speaker. This seminar was aimed to foster strong connections with academia, provide knowledge about cutting-edge management methodologies, and shed light on the effective implementation of Agile principles.

Thesis Title: Antecedents and outcomes of career optimism: A Serial mediation model