An Agglomeration Benefits of Oil and Gas Firms: An Exploratory Study Through Industrial Cluster

The research investigates the agglomeration pattern of seven national, international oil and gas extraction and production companies through an exploration of oil and gas cluster components and subcomponents. For this exploratory study, data is collected through primary sources via in-depth interviews from managers of national and international oil and gas MNCs working in Sindh, Pakistan and through secondary sources of business reports. The content analysis is adopted to analyze the data. Results of this study reveal that there is strong existence of exploration and production companies which results in agglomeration, however, other components of oil and gas cluster like refineries, marketing companies, supporting institutes, media and government poorly exist in Sindh province of Pakistan. Findings also highlight that the Sindh as a resource-rich region is still underdeveloped due to poor management of resources or because of the absence of ideal oil and gas cluster components and coordination among them in the region.

Globalization, Consumption Patterns and Cultural Changes Nexus: Evidence from Three Big Cities of Punjab, Pakistan

In the past few decades, some remarkable developments in the fields of information technology, transportation and communication have led to the development of closer contacts between people all around the world. As a result of these developments and increased global integration, the world has started experiencing the effects of globalization more intensely than ever. In Pakistan, the most prominent micro-level effects of globalization can be observed on culture and consumption patterns. The present study aims to establish a nexus among globalization, consumption patterns and cultural changes. In doing so, the study itself developed its three key constructs. Using a sample of 257 respondents for the pilot study, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed on each dimension of the three major variables. Once the EFA results confirmed that the constructs developed during EFA can be used for further analysis, a total of 1402 (only 1321 were considered valid) responses were collected for the final analysis using a disproportionate stratified convenience sampling technique with equal allocation. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was then used to check the measurement models and the results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed that globalization directly affects the culture of the society and brings cultural synchronization through media and technology.The results also showed that globalization directly affects consumption habits of the consumers which, in effect, induce pressure on the society of Pakistan to alter its traditional practices. In this sense, globalization was found to indirectly (through changes in consumption patterns) affect the culture of the society. Furthermore, this study also analyzes the role of the level of economic development in Pakistan that is directed towards intensifying the impact of globalization on the residents. It is found that the level of economic development is positively correlated with the intensity of this impact and the city Lahore (the most economically developed city among the three cities under consideration), followed by Rawalpindi and Multan, experiences the most intense effect of globalization on culture and consumptions of its residents. Apart from measuring the differential in the intensity of the impact of globalization on culture and consumption patterns on the consumers residing in different regions (with different level of development), the study also considers how, in response to globalization, respondents with different socio-demographic profiles experience a varying degree of changes in their overall life patterns. The results of the Binary Logistic Regression showed that individuals who are more educated and belong to the higher income group experience more prominent changes in their overall life patterns. The results of the study enable us to see how consumers in Pakistan are responding to globalization and its inevitable effects. Some recommendations to design public policy to benefit from this changing consumption patterns and culture are provided on the basis of the analysis, in order to optimize growth potential and maximize the benefits that Pakistan can achieve from globalization. The study concludes with some limitations and the guidelines for future research.