Using ubiquitous computing devices, also UCD, is a conscious decision made by consumers, success of which depends on how much it involves and engages the user that results in functional, hedonic and social experiences in user's context and long-term success for organization. User engagement, tested in multifarious concepts, indicates that experiences that are significantly hedonic create an affective bond with the device and deliver high value to the consumer. This study verifies and investigates the dispositional and impacting factors that influence a consumer's adoption intention for radical or incremental innovation or loyalty to an incumbent ubiquitous computing device through concept of user engagement, self-congruity theory, innovativeness and playfulness. The research was based on a survey questionnaire collected from users of ubiquitous computing devices (UCDs) belonging to an educated urban population from an age group of 18 to 35 years residing in Karachi through convenience and self-selection sampling. In total, 654 complete responses were received coded in SPSS and the model was analysed through AMOS 23.0. Results indicate that three dimensions of user engagement are significant for ubiquitous computing devices (UCDs): focused attention, interaction appeal and perceived usability. The first two are significantly positive towards playfulness creating an association with self-concept leading to innovative consumer's innovation adoption and others having loyalty with incumbent device. The research theoretically contributes by identification of user engagement dimensions and significance of incumbent loyalty in innovation adoption phenomenon.

Purpose - The study explores and evaluates the women's experiences with microcredit facility for the purpose of women empowerment. While there is a mutual understanding and consensus on closer nexus between women empowerment and microcredit, women are disempowered for a variety of reasons such as lacks of financial resources, being a member of patriarchy society, misinterpreted religious concepts about her role and position in the society, and cultural restraints. However, microcredit, globally promoted as a “miracle cure” for the financially weak, especially women who face so many problems accessing microcredit for a variety of reason, which have been discussed in detail in this study. Methodology/Sample - This is qualitative study with inductive approach, and interpretive philosophy which allow the existence of multiple subjective perspectives and construction of knowledge. Women who availed microcredit from microfinance institutions (MFIs) were selected for the research study. The data was congregated through in-depth interviews and stopped at saturation level. Through phenomenological analysis, women lived experiences were analyzed. Findings - The results indicate that microcredit strengthens women in all dimensions but plays more influential role when they are provided with autonomous access to microcredit, support from family, and facilities from MFIs. Needless to say that the multidimensional women's stability contributes in alleviating feminization of poverty and this is not a social issue but the global dilemma now days. Practical Implications - This research is significant for the microfinance practitioners to design policies for promoting women entrepreneurship and for MFIs to facilitate their contemporary women clients with trainings and efficient supervision.

This is a phenomenological study which has explored the structural meaning of empowerment from the women perspective, and secondly it would discuss the tie between women, access to microcredit, and micro entrepreneurship. The main objective of this study to extract the women lived experiences that how they feel empowered when the financial inclusion is entered into their lives. There is a strong need of women empowerment because of cultural influences, social taboos, and religious misleading interpretations which lead women towards the journey of disempowerment. This study is based on the abductive research strategy being qualitative in nature; hermeneutics phenomenological philosophy is applied for interpreting the women in-depth interviews. The participants are selected through non-probability purposive maximum variation sampling, 46 women were interviewed from 17 districts of Sindh till the saturation level. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis, the interviews are analyzed through which empowerment meaning constructed that women who feel and realize financial stability are empowered; also findings show the linkage between the women, micro-entrepreneurship and access to microcredit and these in combination nurture empowerment. This study provides the evidences on the basis of women experiences as empowerment phenomenon can be realized by the women due to its categorical nature and it varies culture to culture. Microfinance practitioners and policy makers can design strategies, products, framework and trainings according to the specific needs noticed in this study.

The never-ending gender discrimination in societies needs multidimensional exploration to understand its causes. Gender stereotyping has remained one of the foremost causes of gender discrimination in the workplace. This study strived to explore the stereotypical thinking and beliefs about women employees in the minds of their office leaders and discusses how these stereotypes play role in management of talent and performance of female employees. With the qualitative approach, this study has used hermeneutic phenomenology as the method of exploration. The data was collected with purposive sampling from managerial leaders, working in private companies whose followers include women employees. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted with a question designed from theory, expert and construct validity. The data were analyzed with multi-level coding and thematic analysis. The results revealed that managerial leaders have work-related, family-related and personal stereotypes about their female followers. They generalize that women employees are less ambitious, less professional, over occupied an emotional. They believe that they feel need to micromanage the females as they require more guidance. Those organizations that believe to maintain the diversity in employees should regularly organize training sessions to neutralize the stereotypes in the minds of their managers so that they could not hamper the progression of their female followers.   Keywords: Stereotypical Beliefs; Female Followers; Leadership; Organizational Behavior