Prof. Dr. Talat Afza

Professor

Lahore Business School

Biography

● More than 40 years of teaching and research experience in the area of Finance and Economics

● Vice Chancellor of Women Universities: Bahawalpur & Multan

● More than 90 research publications in HEC recognized national and international journals

● HEC approved supervisor and has supervised a number of MS and PhD students in the areas of Finance and Economics

● Preformed various academics as well as administrative roles including Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, Head of Academics and Research, Head, ORIC, Head of the Department, etc.

Education

SrNo.	Year	Degree	Board/University
1	1988	Ph.D.	Wayne State University, USA
2	1984	M.A.	Wayne State University, USA
3	1980	MBA	B.Z. University, Multan, Pakistan

Experience

SrNo.	From	To	Category	Designation	Organization
1	1980	1982	Academic Experience	Lecturer	Department of Business Administration, B.Z. University, Multan, Pakistan
2	Feb. 04 2021	Still	Academic Experience	Professor and Head of Research Programs	Lahore Business School(LBS) University of Lahore, Lahore
3	Aug. 28, 2015	Aug. 27,2019	Academic Experience	Vice Chancellor	Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur
4	June-2017	January-2019	Academic Experience	Vice Chancellor	Women University of Multan
5	May-2014	Aug-2015	Academic Experience	Chairperson	Department of Management Sciences
6	Jan-2011	Jan-2015	Academic Experience	Head of Academics	COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore Campus
7	Jan-2011	Jan-2015	Academic Experience	Head of Research	Innovation and Commercialization, COMSATS
8	Jan-2008	Dec-2010	Academic Experience	Dean, Faculty of Business Administration	COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
9	Oct-2007	Jan-2008	Academic Experience	HOD, Department of Management Sciences	COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore Campus
10	Sep-2003 Sep-2007	Sep-2007	Academic Experience	Professor and In charge Post Graduate Program	COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore Campus
11	Jan-2004	Aug-2007	Academic Experience	Professor	Virtual University of Pakistan
12	Apr-2001	Aug-2003	Professional Experience	Professor and Head of Academics	NUST Institute of Management Sciences (NIMS), HQ NUST, Rawalpindi
13	Jan-2000	Apr-2001	Professional Experience	Professor and In charge MBA-IT Program	Institute of Management Sciences, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
14	Jan-2000	Apr-2001	Professional Experience	Professor and In charge MBA-IT Program	Institute of Management Sciences, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
15	1982	1987	Academic Experience	Teaching / Research Assistant	Department of Economics, Wayne State University, USA
16	1987	1989	Academic Experience	Department of Economics Wayne State University, USA	Adjunct Lecturer 1987-1989 Department of Economics Wayne State University, USA
17	1988	1989	Academic Experience	Adjunct Lecturer	Department of Social Sciences University of Michigan, USA
18	1989	1992	Professional Experience	Lecturer	Department of Business Administration B.Z. University, Multan, Pakistan

Publications

SrNo.	Title	Category	Sub Category
1	Capital structure, competitive intensity and firm performance: evidence from Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
2	Does managerial behavior of managing earnings mitigate the relationship between corporate governance and firm value? Evidence from an emerging market.	Publication	Journal Article
3	Impact of Corporate Governance on Discretionary Earnings Management A Case of Pakistani Firms	Publication	Journal Article
4	Determinants of Trade Credit Extended by Manufacturing Firms Listed in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
5	Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Pakistan: Application of SFA and Value-Added Approach	Publication	Journal Article
6	Financial Development and Estimation of Import Demand Function in Pakistan: Evidence from Combined Cointegration and Causality Tests	Publication	Journal Article
7	Capital Structure, Business Strategy and Firm’s Performance: Evidence from Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
8	Cooperate Governance and Earnings Management Practice in Pakistani Firms	Conferences	Conference Paper
9	Do group affiliated firms specialize in debt? Evidence from Pakistan.	Publication	Journal Article
10	Does Harberger-Laursen-Metzler (HLM) Exist in Pakistan? Cointegration, Causality and Forecast Error Variance Decomposition Tests"	Publication	Journal Article
11	Does globalization increase financial development in India?	Publication	Journal Article
12	Macroeconomic determinants of stock market capitalization in an emerging market: fresh evidence from cointegration with unknown structural breaks	Publication	Journal Article
13	Role of Institutional Shareholders’ Activism in Enhancing Firm Performance: The Case of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
14	Whether Companies Need to be Concerned About Corporate Social Responsibility for Their Financial Performance or Not? A Perspective of Agency and Stakeholder Theories.	Publication	Journal Article
15	Determinants of Brain Drain from Pakistan: Does Higher Education Matter?	Conferences	Conference Paper
16	Opportunistic Earnings Management, Debt and Diversification: Empirical Evidence for Manufacturing Firms of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
17	Information Asymmetry, Corporate Governance and IPO Under-pricing	Conferences	Conference Paper
18	Institutional Shareholders’ Activism: Do it make a Difference?”	Conferences	Conference Paper
19	Capitalism and Corruption across the African, Asian, and North American Economies	Conferences	Conference Paper
20	Does Investor Protection Affect Managements’ Decision to Pay Dividend? Evidence from South Asia	Conferences	Conference Paper
21	Role of Corporate Governance in Operating Performance Enhancement of Mergers and Acquisitions in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
22	Business Ethics of Pakistanis in Islamabad and Lahore: Do Age, Gender and Data Collection Processes Make a Difference?	Publication	Journal Article
23	Stress Perceptions of Working Adult Pakistanis and Americans	Publication	Journal Article
24	Determinants of Capital Structure: A Case Study of Automobile Sector of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
25	Do Mature Companies Pay More Dividends: Evidence from Pakistani Stock Market	Publication	Journal Article
26	Leadership Tendencies of Pakistanis: Exploring Similarities and Differences based on Age and Gender	Publication	Journal Article
27	Working Capital Management Efficiency of Cement Sector of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
28	Business Ethics Perceptions of Public and Private Sector Respondents in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
29	Corporate derivatives and foreign exchange risk management: A case study of non-financial firms of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
30	Determinants of Corporate Hedging Policies: A Case of Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Derivative Usage	Publication	Journal Article
31	Determinants of Capital Structure across Selected Manufacturing Sectors of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
32	Determinants of Extent of Financial Derivative Usage	Publication	Journal Article
33	Institutional shareholdings and corporate dividend policy in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
34	Sector-wise Performance of Working Capital Management Measures and Profitability Using Ratio Analysis	Publication	Journal Article
35	The Impact of Mergers on Efficiency of Banks in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
36	Leverage Choice and its Determinants: An Empirical Investigation from Insurance Sector of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
37	Working Capital Management and Corporate Performance of Manufacturing Sector in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
38	Sector Wise Analysis of Working Capital Management and Firm Performance in The manufacturing Sector of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
39	Efficiency of Insurance Industry in Pakistan: an Application of Non-parametric Approach	Publication	Journal Article
40	Determinants of Capital Structure: A Case of Non-Life Insurance Sector of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
41	Firm Size and Efficiency in the Non-life Insurers of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
42	Enterprising Behaviour of Enterprise-less Rural Women Entrepreneurs of Khyber Pukhtan Khawa of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
43	Impact of Ownership Structure and Cash Flows on Corporate Dividend Payout Behavior in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
44	Technical Efficiency of Non-Life Insurance Companies in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
45	Efficiency Dynamics of Sugar Industry of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
46	Is Hedging a Value Maximizing Activity?	Conferences	Conference Paper
47	Determinants of Capital Structure: A Case of Non-Life Insurance Sector of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
48	An Exploratory Study of Consumer Attitudes Towards Debt Borrowing in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
49	Efficiency of the Insurance Companies in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
50	Sector-wise Performance Efficiency of Working Capital Management Measures in Manufacturing Sector of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
51	Institutional Ownership, Growth and Dividend Policy in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
52	Management Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from an Emerging Economy	Publication	Journal Article
53	“Marginalized Women Social Wellbeing through Enterprise Development: A Glimpse of Remote Women Status in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
54	Impact of Aggressive Working Capital Management Policy on Firms’ Profitability	Publication	Journal Article
55	Greenfield in Pakistan: Is It Really Green”? An Empirical Study	Publication	Journal Article
56	Estimating Total Factor Productivity and its Components: Evidence from Major Manufacturing Industries of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
57	Impact of Working Capital Aggressiveness on firms’ profitability	Conferences	Conference Paper
58	Greenfield in Pakistan: Is It Really Green? An empirical Study	Conferences	Conference Paper
59	Corporate Derivatives and Exchange Rate Exposure: Does a Relationship Exist?	Conferences	Conference Paper
60	Diversification and Corporate Performance: An Evaluation of Pakistani Firms	Publication	Journal Article
61	Working Capital Approaches and Firms’ Returns	Publication	Journal Article
62	Total Factor Productivity Growth in East Asia: A Two Pronged Approach	Publication	Journal Article
63	Working Capital Requirements and the Determining Factors in Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
64	A Panel Data Analysis of Working Capital Management Policies	Conferences	Conference Paper
65	Women Entrepreneurship: Problems and Prospects	Conferences	Conference Paper
66	On the Factors Determining Working Capital Requirements	Conferences	Conference Paper
67	Marginalized Women Social Wellbeing through Enterprise Development: A Glimpse of Remote Women Status in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
68	Performance Evaluation of Pakistani Mutual Funds	Conferences	Conference Paper
69	Economic Competitiveness and Human Resource Development: An FDI Perspective	Conferences	Conference Paper
70	Working Capital Management Practices of Firms: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
71	Is it Better to be Aggressive or Conservative in Managing Working Capital?	Conferences	Conference Paper
72	Determinants of Corporate Cash Holdings: A Case Study of Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
73	Role of Institutional Investors and Firm Performance in an Emerging Market	Conferences	Conference Paper
74	Ownership Concentration and Firm Performance in Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
75	Diversification and Firm’s Financial Performance: Evidence from a Developing Economy	Conferences	Conference Paper
76	IV-Modified Non-Nested Tests: Power Comparison	Conferences	Conference Paper
77	Effects of Financial Liberalization on the Cost efficiency of Pakistani Banks: A Stochastic Frontier Approach	Conferences	Conference Paper
78	Gulf European Free Trade Agreement: A Case for Regional Trade Cooperation	Conferences	Conference Paper
79	Pakistan – Japan Economic and Trade Relations”, in Globalization: WTO, Trade and Economic Liberalization In Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
80	Equity Market of Pakistan: A Historical Perspective	Publication	Journal Article
81	Asymptotic Powers of IV-Modified Non-Nested Tests	Conferences	Conference Paper
82	Exogeneity Test of Automobile Industry	Conferences	Conference Paper
83	Modified Non-nested Tests for Errors in Variable Models	Conferences	Conference Paper
84	Pakistan – Japan Economic and Trade Relations	Conferences	Conference Paper
85	Impact of Reduction in the Lending Rates	Publication	Journal Article
86	Ethical Behavior and Allocative Efficiency	Publication	Journal Article
87	Pakistan-Japan Trade: Current Scenario and Future Prospects	Publication	Journal Article
88	Equity Markets of Pakistan: Entering into the NEW Millennium	Conferences	Conference Paper
89	Ethical Behaviour and Allocative Efficiency	Conferences	Conference Paper
90	Status and Prospects of the Informal Sector of Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
91	Structural Adjustment Package of IMF and Pakistan	Conferences	Conference Paper
92	Scale Economies, Factor Substitution, Technical change and Unit Production Cost in the North American Auto Industry	Publication	Journal Article
93	Production Efficiency in the US – Canadian Automobile Industry	Publication	Journal Article
94	The US- Canadian Auto pact of 1965: Free Trade in Perspective	Publication	Journal Article

Conferences

Awards

SrNo.	Year	Awarding Organization	Description
1	2010	Higher Education Commission	HEC’s Best University Teacher Award

Memberships

Courses Taught

Project Supervisor

Services

Books

Research Fundings

SrNo.	From - To	Type	Title	Source	Amount
1	2017	Higher Education Commission of Pakistan approved a	Strengthening and Upgradation of Universities of Backward Areas (Strengthening of ICT infrastructure at GSCWU)	HEC	94 Million
2	July 2016	Government of Punjab approved grant	Government of Punjab approved acquisition of 125 acres of land worth Rs. 500 million for the proposed campus of GSCWU	-	500 million
3	2016	Government of Punjab approved grant	Rehabilitation and Construction of Girls Hostel at GSCWU, Bahawalpur	Government of Punjab	Rs.175 million
4	2010	Higher Education Commission of Pakistan approved a	Scope of Tunnel Technology Transfer: Adoption, Productivity and Efficiency Analysis in the Province of the Punjab	HEC	1.25 Million
5	2006	Higher Education Commission of Pakistan approved a	Women Entrepreneurship: The Tool for Sustainable Development of Remote Areas	HEC	1.2 Million

Extracurricular Activities

SrNo.	Hobbies	Interests

Languages and Skills

Active Collabrations

Consulting Experience

Achievements / Rewards

Dr Akhtar represents Pakistan, explores collaboration with Germany on global issues

Description

In a substantial ambassadorial effort, Prof Dr Rabia Akhtar (Director of the Center for Security, Strategy, and Policy Research (CSSPR)) represented Pakistan as a thought leader in a delegation of five eminent scholars from Asia. This delegation, constituted by the Asia chapter of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), visited Berlin, Germany, to engage in dialogues and meetings aimed at understanding Germany’s viewpoints on key global issues, from June 13-15, 2023.

The FES Strategic Foresight Group, comprising scholars from Pakistan, Thailand, India, South Korea, and Indonesia, sought to gain insights into Germany’s perception of the world, the interconnectedness of geopolitics and geoeconomics, and the overall security and stability of different regions. By interacting with parliamentarians, scholars, and think tank experts, the group aimed to identify Germany’s foreign policy direction amidst intensifying great power competition, technological advancements, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Dr Akhtar articulated Pakistan’s aspirations to become a regional and global connector, and expressed her belief that the country could serve as Germany’s partner in promoting peace. She said academic collaboration between the two countries must lay the groundwork for better ties. In that regard, she hoped that the University of Lahore (UOL) and CSSPR will like to establish linkages, to work on security and strategic issues with policymakers, universities, and think tankers in Germany.

Moreover, during the meetings with German officials and academicians, including Dr.Martin Thummel (Deputy Head for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Federal Foreign Office), Dr Akhtar along with the delegation underlined the importance of collaboration between nations in an increasingly interconnected world. It was argued that Europe and Asia should not be considered separate arenas, as common threats and opportunities necessitate a collective approach.

The participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions on how Germany’s foreign policy has evolved amid geopolitical tensions and how the country aims to strike a balance between values-based and interests-based approaches, particularly in the face of the evolving Sino-U.S. rivalry. Central to these discussions was Germany’s embrace of Zeitenwende, signifying a transformative shift in its foreign and defence policies following the war in Ukraine. German officials highlighted that this philosophy would enable their country to contribute positively to regional and global stability.

Furthermore, the delegation stressed the importance of inter-regional dialogues, trade, and economic cooperation between Germany and Asian countries during their meetings with parliamentarians. Geoeconomics emerged as a key theme, with experts acknowledging its potential to promote interdependence, peace, and stability. However, they also expressed caution, and were mindful of the geopolitical complexities that could hinder its effectiveness.

Dr Ashraf becomes Pakistan’s top and world’s 12th most cited Plant Science researcher

Description

What traits set exceptional academic leaders apart? One is their ongoing commitment to academic excellence. Prof Dr Muhammed Ashraf (Rector, UOL), in an interview with the Press and Publications Cell (PPC) of the University of Lahore (UOL), shared how his commitment to academics and research led him to stand amongst the top-cited Plant Science researchers in the world.

The second edition of Research.com rankings of the best researchers was released recently. According to these rankings, Dr Ashraf stood 12th in the list of top-cited researchers with a massive number of 72,461 citations and 1,169 publications in the field of Plant Science.

While sharing his sentiments with the PPC team, he said, “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be among the world’s top-cited Plant Science researchers. Barely people from third-world countries like Pakistan get such immense acknowledgement for research, but I, hailing from a developing country, take pride in the fact that I was able to garner the limelight along with researchers from advanced countries like America, Germany, etc.”

Motivation for Plant Science Research

For most of his academic life, Dr Ashraf has been conducting research anchored on Plant Science, his field of specialisation for which he has recently been recognised globally. Revealing his motivation behind his research drive, he mentioned that “Research is the key element for institutions and even for academicians to leave an unprecedented imprint on the global academic spectrum. The only sound way to project novel ideas pertaining to your field is through research, and that is what keeps me right on track with research. To make significant contributions to the field of Plant Science, I try to continually explore and conduct impactful research.”

Global Acclamation

In continuing the discussion of his research motivation, on a lighter note, he shared that he received a congratulatory email from Mr Rattan Laal (The Ohio State University, the United States). “To my surprise, Mr Laal, the world’s most cited researcher, shared his congratulatory remarks with me. I am humbled to the core by this global acclamation that I have received so far,” he said.

Catering to Contemporary Plant Science Issues

In every field of study, researchers try to address and explore solutions for the most pressing issues. In Plant Science and Agronomy, the focal point of researchers nowadays is the impact of climate change on plants and, broadly, on the agriculture sector. Upon being asked about the impact of his research, the UOL Rector stated that “Climate change, undoubtedly, has adversely affected the lives of plants, animals, and even humans. My focus is particularly on plants and agriculture. Through my research, I have always tried to address and highlight the pressing issues that are being faced mainly by Asian and African countries, and this is also one of the reasons that my research is getting global acknowledgement because it caters to global issues. Majorly, my work is based on different plant stresses such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, temperature extremes etc.”

Fundamentals of Research, Publications, and Rankings

Not many people are familiar with the Research.com rankings, and in fact, they lack even the most basic knowledge of research rankings. During his interview with PPC, Dr Ashraf summarised the entire research ranking process by saying that “A researcher gets ranked based on his number of publications and citations. Researchers should try to publish their work in international journals, which will increase their chances of maximum citations. The more publications and citations, the higher the H-index, and ultimately, the better the chances of getting ranked at the top.”

Tips for soon-to-be Early-career Researchers

There is no short cut to conduct profoundly organic research, and that is what Dr Ashraf said. “Dedication and hard work are the keys to achieve research goals. Nevertheless, to stand out in the pool of researchers, it is pertinent, especially for Plant Science research aspirants, to focus on technological and digital advancements, keeping oneself up-to-date with international contemporary research trends, and fuelling the urge of discovery by gaining more and more knowledge,” he advised the students.

Dr Tahir explores the role of financial risk-taking attitude in consumer satisfaction

Description

A consumer’s attitude of financial risk tolerance (FRT) plays an important role in his/her financial decisions, thereby determining his well-being. FRT is a consumer’s preference for the amount of risk he undertakes while making investments. Recently, a lot of research studies have been conducted on consumer well-being and FRT. Being motivated by this trend in financial research, Dr Muhammad Tahir (Assistant Professor, Lahore Business School, the University of Lahore (UOL)) and fellow researchers explored the relationship amongst financial literacy, propensity to plan (PTP), FRT, financial satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Though scholarly acumen for consumer well-being is rapidly developing, not much is known regarding the collective roles of financial literacy, PTP, and FRT. Dr Tahir’s study addressed this gap by showing that financial literacy, risk-taking attitudes, and planning propensities are all interconnected and necessary ingredients to improve financial and life satisfaction.

Dr Tahir’s analytical study titled “Role of financial risk-taking attitude in personal finances and consumer satisfaction: evidence from Australia” revealed a strong partial mediation of FRT between financial literacy and financial satisfaction. Moreover, the analysis showed that a high PTP combined with a high FRT results in high financial satisfaction.

For achieving the main objective of the research, the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey was taken into consideration. Furthermore, Dr Tahir used the variance-based partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), also known as the PLS path modelling approach, to test the proposed hypotheses of the study empirically.

The findings of Dr Tahir’s research study showed the importance of creating financial plans in accordance with risk tolerance. Considering the relevance of increasing financial literacy, Dr Tahir suggested that the use of tools that could help consumers plan and spent in risky investments might lead them to have a more financial and life satisfaction.

UOL chemist explores an eco-friendly alternative thickening agent for textile printing

Description

Textile printing is the most versatile and vital methodology for introducing colour and design to textile fabrics. Different types of thickeners (chemical compounds) are used for printing, such as polysaccharide thickener, synthetic thickener, and emulsion thickener. Synthetic thickeners are highly criticised for endangering the environment at the manufacturing stages.

Dr Dure Najaf Iqbal (Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore) and her team of researchers explored an eco-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners that is effective in the textile printing process. The team revealed that guar gum could serve as an outstanding natural thickener, stabiliser, and gelling agent and could as well be used in various industrial units, including food, cosmetics, textiles, oil fracturing, and mining. Guar gum is one of the most important naturally occurring non-ionic high molecular weight polysaccharides and consists of galactomannan, which has vast applications in various fields.

Dr Iqbal and her team synthesised carboxymethyl guar gum (CMG) via monochloroacetic acid under alkaline conditions. The carboxymethylation of guar gum was accomplished by the Willianson ether technique and the reaction conditions were optimised during the course of the experiment. Guar derivatives with variable degrees of substitution (DS) were prepared and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The DS was determined quantitatively by the titration method for each derivative.

For this research study, native guar gum was purchased from National Guar Industries, Karachi, with a molecular weight of 1.043 106 g/mol. Whereas, all the chemicals and reagents used were of analytical grade and were purchased from Merck, Germany.

The result proved that the substituted guar gum is an eco-friendly, non-hazardous thickener as compared to synthetic thickeners. Furthermore, the penetration properties, fixation ability, and colour fastness of guar gum were compared with those of commercial alginate thickeners. The printing trial of the thickener CMG also showed that carboxymethyl guar gum could easily replace conventional thickeners without any compromise on printing results and could prevent fabric stiffness. The tested water-holding capacity (a central aspect that determines commercial applications of gums) of guar gum made it ideal for improving the texture of end products in diverse industrial formulations.

Also, it was revealed that the implementation of carboxymethyl guar gum in textile printing can reduce the economic burden associated with exporting alginate and other synthetic thickeners. This, in turn, could enable exporters to offer competitive pricing without compromising on quality.

Faculty / Staff Profiles

Prof. Dr. Talat Afza

Professor

Lahore Business School

Biography

Education

Experience

Publications

Conferences

Awards

Courses Taught

Project Supervisor

Services

Books

Research Fundings

Extracurricular Activities

Languages and Skills

Active Collabrations

Consulting Experience

Dr Akhtar represents Pakistan, explores collaboration with Germany on global issues

Dr Ashraf becomes Pakistan’s top and world’s 12th most cited Plant Science researcher

Dr Tahir explores the role of financial risk-taking attitude in consumer satisfaction

UOL chemist explores an eco-friendly alternative thickening agent for textile printing