JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES DEVELOPMENT

DIGITAL CAPABILITIES AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN PAKISTAN: THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Muhammad Usman — 2026-05-02

The increasing pace of technological advancement and globalization has compelled organizations to develop strong digital capabilities to remain competitive in today's business environment. Digital capabilities refer to an organization's ability to acquire, integrate, and utilize digital technologies, resources, and competencies to improve business processes and create value. The study examines how digital capabilities (Cloud Computing Adoption (CCA), Cybersecurity Capability (CC), AI-based Decision Support Systems (ADSS), and Digital Transformation (DT) affect the Innovation Performance (IP) in organizations in Pakistan. The research uses quantitative method, and 350 employees were the subjects. Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM and examined with mediation of Employee Engagement (EE) and moderation of Organizational Digital Culture (ODC). All digital capabilities were found to positively influence innovation performance both directly and indirectly, via employee engagement. Organizational digital culture plays significant moderating role between employee engagement & innovative performance. The results indicate that technological integration should go hand-in-hand with human-centered engagement and positive digital culture to maximize innovative outcomes.

FAMILY CONFLICT, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT & TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN ADULTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

Kousar Tariq — 2026-05-05

The substance use disorder (SUD) represents a significant psychological and public health issue that adversely impacts the individuals' emotional well- being, familial relationships, and treatment outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the connections between social support, emotional regulation, family conflict, and treatment adherence in adults with the substance use disorder, particularly emphasizing mediating role of social support. Also, variations based on marital status were examined. The sample comprised 200 adult males diagnosed with substance use disorder, recruited through convenience sampling from rehabilitation centers and treatment facilities. Data collection involved standardized self-report instruments, including the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Family Conflict Scale (FCS) & Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS-10). Analysis of data was conducted using the descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, independent sample t-test & mediation analysis via SPSS. The results indicated significant positive correlations amid social support, emotional regulation & treatment adherence, while family conflict exhibited significant negative correlations with these variables.

THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS USAGE ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PERFORMANCE

Hunaiza Sabir — 2026-05-08

The widespread use of AI tools among university students has created both opportunities and challenges in higher education. As a result, students are increasingly integrating AI tools into their learning processes to support coursework, assignments, and exam preparation. In this research, impacts of use of AI applications on academic integrity and academic performance of PhD Education and MPhil Education students enrolled at University of the Punjab were explored. The research adopted a quantitative correlational design in which a sample of 200 postgraduate students was selected through convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using standardized questionnaire comprising 44 questions, which had a reliability index of the Cronbach Alpha = .85. Data analysis techniques used included descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, t-test & ANOVA. The findings revealed that students used AI technology such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, DeepSeek, and QuillBot to assist their writing and research processes. Regression analysis showed that both were positively and significantly predicted by the use of AI. Thus, this study therefore advocates for urgent actions on the part of universities to establish ethical policies, raise awareness & provide training on the AI usage.