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This study investigated the simultaneous association between capital and the cost of financial intermediation (COFI) by bridging the gap of ownership effects on the nexus between capital and COFI. This study revealed several significant insights by using data from 44 commercial banks in Bangladesh between 2010 and 2021 and applying two-step system generalized methods of moments (2SGMM). First, a significant nonlinear bidirectional relationship exists between bank capital and COFI. The tendency to generate average and low COFI enables banks to acquire more capital than those with high COFI. In contrast, banks with high and average capital bases can maximize their COFI compared to low ones. Second, state-owned and conventional commercial banks are better positioned to source more capital. However, state-owned and Islamic commercial banks can strengthen the inverted U-shaped relationship between COFI and bank capital than private-owned and Islamic commercial banks. Finally, state-owned commercial banks do not experience the same benefits in COFI from capital increases as privately owned banks. Unlike Islamic commercial banks, conventional banks generate more COFI in the long run as capital rises. The findings provide helpful insights into shaping policy and regulations regarding emerging country's banking systems, especially capital, COFI, and ownership policies.

Abstract In light of agency and resource dependence theories, we explored the impact of ownership patterns on the likelihood of financial distress using 57 financial institutions (FIs) listed in Dhaka Stock Exchange and 390 firm years from 2016 to 2022. This study observed that 97.94% of the firms are in distress, 1.03% in gray, and 1.03% in the safe zone. Thus, the stability of FIs lags quite behind the expected standards. Multiple linear regression results show that director ownership is inversely associated with corporate failures, suggesting higher stakes of directors lower the risk of financial distress. When directors align their interests with those of firms by owning shares, it enhances firm performance and lowers the likelihood of failures. Also, institutional ownership negatively correlates with financial distress due to their active surveillance and focus on long-term performance. Besides, effective overseeing process of institutional investors works as a deterrent to making freaky decisions. Conversely, foreign ownership showed a positive affinity with financial distress. In Bangladesh, family dominance, lopsided influence, and political connections limit foreign investors’ ability to contribute to a firm’s long-term success. While most earlier studies in emerging economies showed financial resilience through the Altman Z-score, only a few have examined ownership patterns as a potential cause of firm bankruptcy. Considering ownership patterns as an explanatory variable of financial distress, this study discourses the corporate governance issues and resilience of FIs in an emerging economy.

This study aims to explore the complex interplay between entrepreneurial orientation, CEO power, and organizational slack, and their collective impact on firm performance within Indonesia’s manufacturing sector, providing actionable insights to optimize operations in a dynamic, resource-constrained environment. The paper employs a longitudinal approach, utilizing dynamic panel data from 127 publicly-traded manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2022, focusing on this sector due to its significant role in Indonesia’s economy and the unique challenges these firms face in adapting to market changes and competitive pressures. The study initially found that entrepreneurial orientation did not significantly influence firm performance. However, when CEO power was introduced into the analysis, it significantly, albeit negatively, moderated the effect of entrepreneurial orientation, suggesting that higher CEO power may actually diminish beneficial impacts of entrepreneurial orientation on performance (β = –48.041, p < 0.05). Importantly, the analysis revealed that organizational slack can positively interact with both entrepreneurial orientation and CEO power, mitigating this negative influence and enhancing firm performance (β = 15.261, p < 0.05). These findings illuminate the complex interdependencies within strategic management, underscoring the necessity of aligning upper echelon power dynamics with organizational resources. This alignment is crucial for leveraging the full potential of entrepreneurial orientation to enhance firm performance. AcknowledgmentsThis study received sponsorship from Beasiswa Pendidikan Indonesia and Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education). The support from these organizations has been invaluable in the completion of this work, enabling comprehensive data collection and analysis crucial to complete the study.

This study investigates customers' trust and behavioural intentions regarding the use of cybernetic payment network services in an emerging country, focusing on perceived quality, system quality, and perceived image. Data from 324 respondents in Bangladesh were collected via a self-administered Google survey form distributed through email, WhatsApp, and Messenger using purposive sampling. The SmartPLS-4 software was used to assess construct validity and hypothesized path coefficients. Results indicate that perceived quality, system quality, and image significantly influence perceived trust in cybernetic payment network services. Additionally, perceived trust and system quality positively impact behavioural intention to use these services. Furthermore, perceived trust mediates the relationship between behavioural intention and system quality, perceived quality, and image. The study underscores the importance for cybernetic payment network service providers to enhance perceived quality, system quality, and perceived image to foster trust and promote adoption. It highlights the pivotal role of trust in driving customers' intention to adopt these services, urging providers to prioritize efforts in building trust among users. This study contributes to the limited literature on the impact of perceived quality, system quality, and perceived image on customers' inclination to use cybernetic payment network services, offering valuable insights for bank managers and policymakers to formulate effective strategies for sustaining innovation and enhancing adoption rates.

The concept of circular economy-based performance has gained significant interest within the highly competitive business arena and environment-concerned stakeholders. This study assumes that environment oriented HRM practices have significant effects on circular economy-based performance. This study aims to investigate the contributory effect of five selected components of green HRM on the circular economy-based performance of environment-concerned banking organizations. A total of 418 managers of commercial banks are the unit of analysis, and data were derived using a structured questionnaire from the respondents who are working in managerial positions in banking organizations in Bangladesh. The gathered data has been encoded by SPSS and analyzed through PLS-SEM 4. The results of this study reveal that all components of green HRM, i.e., green employment design, planning, staffing, training, and benefits significantly contribute to the circular economy-based performance of the banking sector. Thus, green HRM effectively promotes the circular performance of banks to provide a distinctive perspective for adding value to the environmental concerns in an emerging economy. AcknowledgmentThe authors appreciate the support in preparing the article provided by the University of Debrecen Program for Scientific Publication.

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) represents a revolutionary advancement in mobile payment systems and has been primarily embraced by the middle and high-income segments of the Indian population. Its uptake among the low-income or those at the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP), characterized by individuals with an annual income less than USD 3,175, remains notably low, necessitating prompt investigation. This study endeavors to explore and validate contextual determinants influencing the development of behavioral intention to use UPI among BOP users. Under the mixed method approach, 26 interviews with active UPI users were conducted in the first phase. The collected data were subjected to deductive thematic analysis and the resulting factors were fused with the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model to adapt it to the BOP requirements. In the second phase, responses from 423 potential UPI users were collected and scrutinized using structural equation modelling. The data analysis unveiled that the path coefficients for social influence (0.527), performance expectancy (0.242), perceived security risk (–0.166), knowledge (0.138), price value (0.123), facilitating conditions (0.119), and social benefits (0.096) were statistically significant in impacting user intentions. The model fit measures of the structural model fell within an acceptable range, and collectively, these factors elucidated 52% of the variance in behavioral intentions. It is recommended that marketers should leverage the interconnected nature of BOP communities to enhance awareness on functionality, subjective utility, social benefits, word-of-mouth, and security issues. This strategy aims to overcome barriers and boost UPI adoption among the BOP.

This study examines green performance (GP) through green human resource management (green HRM) practices and green capability (GC) in Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector. This study employed a quantitative method with a survey strategy that utilized a questionnaire. In total, the study used 396 valid cases collected from middle‑ and top‑level management employees. Using the structural equation model (SEM), the findings suggest that green HRM practices, such as green skill development (GSD), green motivation (GM), green involvement (GI), and green empowerment (GE), exert a significant positive effect on GC and GP. On the other hand, GC emerged as a non‑significant positive predictor of GP. Furthermore, GC is a significant mediator that develops a positive association between green HRM practice factors, such as GSD, GM, GI, and GP. By contrast, GC did not mediate the association between GE and GP. The findings of this study provide novel insights into the building blocks that underline the robust relationship between green HRM, GC, and GP. Moreover, this study would be helpful for policymakers to boost a greener environment to bring sustainability and GP in an emerging economy.

Organizational culture has a complex association with innovation and SME performance. This study explores the contextual associations between organizational culture, distinct innovation types, and SME performance in an under-researched African setting. Examining data from 382 SMEs, the study integrates the Oslo Manual’s four unique innovation types to address an oversight in previous studies. Smart PLS 4 analysis reveals that while organizational culture positively spurs product, process, marketing, and organizational innovation, it intriguingly hinders SME performance. Product innovation is the most vital driver of SME performance, surpassing process, marketing, and organizational innovations. The mediation analysis underscores a significant discrepancy: marketing innovation’s failure to mediate the organizational culture-performance relationship, setting it apart from other innovation types. This study uncovers the multifaceted impact of diverse innovation activities on performance in emerging economy SMEs. For practitioners and policymakers, these findings highlight the strategic importance of fostering a conducive organizational culture and specific innovation capabilities to enhance SME competitiveness.

This study examines the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and operating cash flow opacity (OCFOP). The current study also aims to examine the moderating effect of corporate tax avoidance on the relationship between CSR and OCFOP. The sample used in this research incorporates non-financial companies listed on the EGX from 2012 to 2021. The final sample comprised of 52 companies with 520 observations. Statistical analysis was performed using pooled OLS and random effects regression analysis. The current research indicates that there is a significant positive relationship between companies engaging in CSR practices and having a higher level of OCFOP. Further, corporate tax avoidance is found to have a positive moderating role as it strengthens the relationship between CSR and OCFOP. The current research findings have several implications for Egyptian and emerging market regulators, investors and shareholders in the Egyptian market, including the fact that CSR practices are not always an indicator of ethical behavior, as they may be used to conceal unethicality underneath. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents an initial endeavor to elucidate the moderating impact of corporate tax avoidance on the correlation between CSR and OCFOP in an emerging market context. This contribution expands upon the existing literature on CSR and opacity by presenting novel empirical findings from an emerging market, thereby illuminating the moderating function of tax avoidance. Early investigations primarily concentrated on the direct link between CSR and OCFOP.

Service encounter incivility is a common phenomenon across a broad spectrum of service industries globally. This paper examined the impact of service encounter incivility on employee job stress, turnover intentions and labor attrition in the fast food service industry in Zimbabwe. The Stressor-Stress-Outcome (SSO) framework and the Emotional labor theory underpinned this investigation. The study targeted frontline employees in the fast food service providers in Harare. An explanatory design and a quantitative approach were adopted. Using randomization and a structured hand administered questionnaire, 254 valid responses were obtained. Findings obtained through covariance based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) confirmed the significant effect of customer incivility on employee incivility and employee job stress. The findings also revealed that employee incivility affects employee job stress. The positive influence of employee job stress on turnover intentions was also evident. The results were also confirmatory of positive effect of turnover intentions on labor attrition. The paper recommends that fast food service providers should foster contact employee training, better reward strategies, employee recovery and employee empowerment. Customer education on service site processes and procedures, standardisation of processes and technology were also urged to reduce incidences of service encounter incivility and labor turnover in the fast food industry in Zimbabwe.

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) on Green Supply Chain Performance (GSCP). Further, the study examines the moderating role of external pressures (EP) on the relationship between GIC and GSCP. Data were collected from employees working in Egyptian hotels and tourism companies (N = 366). The collected data were analyzed using smart partial least squares (Smart-PLS) software. The current research indicated that there is a positive and significant impact of all GIC components on GSCP. The results also revealed that EP were found to moderate the relationship between GIC and GSCP. The study model was able to explain 63.1% of the variance in GSCP. The findings of this study serve as a pivotal yardstick for guiding corporate policy formulation, offering valuable insights to drive continuous improvements in supply chain management and performance. Furthermore, the research holds substantial implications for managerial strategies by shedding light on the potential of GIC and EP to elevate GSCP. Positioned as one of the initial studies to delve into the moderating role of EP in the relationship between GIC and GSCP, this research offers insights within an emerging market context.

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of cash holdings and board governance characteristics on companies’ performance by Egyptian listed non-financial companies over the period 2013–2019. The researchers employed pooled ordinary least squares and two-step system GMM estimations to test their research hypotheses. Moreover, firm fixed-effects regression was conducted for robustness test. We found a significant positive impact of cash holdings, board size, board gender diversity (BGD), and board meeting frequency on companies’ performance, while board members independence is found to impact performance negatively and lead to less profits. Further, board members role duality is found to have no significant impact on Firm Performance. This paper holds potential implications for businesses based in Egypt, as well as for investors who operate within the Egyptian market, along with regulatory bodies in developing nations. The study findings contribute valuable insights to the literature on cash holdings and corporate governance. They enhance our understanding of how cash holdings and board of directors’ characteristics can influence a company’s profitability, particularly in the context of emerging markets. Additionally, the study’s focus on an emerging market provides new evidence that can be relevant to accounting researchers studying similar contextual and institutional environments in other emerging markets.

Despite the importance of imagination to entrepreneurship, it is underexplored by researchers in the field. Imaginativeness is a cognitive ability that coalesces the capacity for imagination with the knowledge required to rationally conjure up a variety of task-related scenarios. It is especially helpful for those who lack prior experience and therefore can be beneficial for recent graduates and anyone who wants to launch their own business. In our study, we examine whether imaginativeness, in its three forms, can influence engineering students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. Our study recorded 216 responses to prove the hypotheses employing partial least squares path modeling using SmartPLS3, and we inferred that creative imaginativeness, social imaginativeness, and practical imaginativeness are positively related to entrepreneurial self-efficacy thereby strengthening entrepreneurial intention. The study provides distinctive insights into the study of imagination in the formation of entrepreneurial intention among engineering students in a developing economy, where studies are few.

The apparel manufacturing industry (AMI) significantly contributes to the economic growth of various developing nations. However, unsustainable production practices remain a major concern in this sector. Therefore, this study investigated the most significant challenges to adopting sustainable production practices in the apparel manufacturing sector from the perspective of an emerging economy like Bangladesh. Initially, the study identified the significant challenges through an extensive literature review and expert validation. Later, by utilizing a Grey Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Grey DEMATEL) framework, the challenges were analyzed, and the interrelations among them were explored. The findings revealed that the ‘slow return on investment’, ‘lack of proper waste management systems’, and ‘reluctance to adopt advanced manufacturing processes’ are the top most significant challenges to adopting sustainable production practices in the apparel manufacturing sector. A sensitivity assessment was also performed to appraise the robustness of the obtained result. The outcomes of this research are expected to assist managers and practitioners in the AMI and other relevant industrial sectors in strategic planning to achieve various sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The recent geopolitical events, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, have strained the available resources worldwide. In emerging economies like Bangladesh, which is heavily reliant on imported gas, oil, and coal, this has created a severe energy crisis. In response to the energy crisis and to support eco-friendly waste management, converting waste into energy is being recognized as a promising solution. However, introducing waste-to-energy systems in developing economies faces many intricate challenges that require careful examination. This study, therefore, aims to explore and evaluate the challenges associated with adopting a waste to energy (WtE) conversion system in emerging economies like Bangladesh. The research methodology involves identifying challenges from an extensive review of existing literature and expert feedback and then combining Bayesian theory with Best Worst Method (BWM) to evaluate the challenges. Among the 21 challenges analyzed, the ‘need for well-developed planning and incentivized policymaking’, ‘ineffectiveness in waste segregation at the source’, and ‘high cost for installation, maintenance, and infrastructure development’ appear to be the most significant challenges with weight values 0.071, 0.067, and 0.066, respectively. The study can enhance managers' understanding of the challenges faced by this sector and thus facilitate informed decision-making. The outcomes of this study are expected to enrich the existing body of knowledge, promote the diffusion of WtE technology in emerging economies, reduce dependency on the international energy market, and achieve global sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13).

The research seeks to find a relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and companies' performance. Studied variables were measured and analysed using a sample of companies listed on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE). The study employed the regression model and least squares technique as the primary analytical tools. CSR is examined in conjunction with variables such as Return on Assets, Return on Equity, Market Value, and Net Profit Margin. As a result of the research, it was found that firm performance and CSR relate to each other in the studied companies. The research found a positive correlation between CSR practices and Net Profit Margin in Kazakh companies. While this study focused on a single country, its methodology can be applied to research in other emerging and developing nations. The primary contribution of this research is the examination of the relationship between firm performance and CSR practices in the post-Soviet emerging market of Kazakhstan.

We verify the moderating effect of managerial ambidexterity on the relationship between intellectual capital and financial performance of small manufacturing companies in Peru. This study used a quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 506 small manufacturing firms. To determine the validity and reliability of the hypothesized model, we performed exploratory factor analysis using a rotated component matrix to group questions within their corresponding constructs. Next, we assessed convergent and discriminant validity using measures such as Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and average variance extracted. Finally, we tested the model hypotheses using structural equation modelling. SPSS 27 and AMOS 24 were used for all the analyses. This study showed that managerial ambidexterity has a partial moderating effect on the relationship between intellectual capital and the financial performance of small manufacturing firms in Peru. Additionally, statistical analysis showed that managerial ambidexterity moderates the direct relationship between structural capital and relational capital with financial performance, while no moderating effect was observed for human capital. This research constitutes a pioneering study within developing economies, as investigating the moderating effect of managerial ambidexterity on the relationship between intellectual capital and the financial performance of small manufacturing companies in Peru provides valuable information that closes knowledge gaps within this field of study. Additionally, it offers valuable insights for the business sector to analyse the relationship between the hypothesized variables and make informed decisions regarding the benefits and sustainability of companies.

Corporate governance (CG) is a system by which firms are directed and controlled. Through its mechanisms, it ensures optimal levels of efficiency, exploits opportunities, and prevents conflicts of interest between directors, shareholders, and stakeholders. The studies do show a positive relationship between CG and performance, but they are conducted in developed countries with stable legal and economic environments. Thus, CG contributes to the value creation (VC) of the firms. But in family firms, the concentration of power resulting from the overlapping of its subsystems (family, business, and ownership) influences the functioning of CG, and probably, VC. Setting goals, monitoring results, or controlling performance can be some of its forms. But we do not know the influence in emerging countries.

This research paper aims to investigate the interdependent influences of barriers to implementing reverse logistics in the broad spectrum of processing activities in the conditions of an emerging economy. An effort was made to approach these barriers (i.e., organizational and management barriers, technical and technological barriers, and economic, financial, and market barriers) based on the relevant literature, predominant attitudes, and experts’ opinions, thus contributing to the body of knowledge in this domain. Determining the intensity of interdependent influences and the importance of barriers for implementing reverse logistics was performed to determine the most important (key) barriers that can be practically applied as guidelines for decision making. The Fuzzy DEMATEL method was used to determine the intensity of these influences on a sample of manufacturing companies in the Republic of Serbia. The results indicate that the most critical barriers to the successful implementation of reverse logistics are a lack of management support and cooperation with scientific institutions and professional associations to acquire knowledge and follow trends in the field.

The fourth industrial revolution, commonly recognized as Industry 4.0, has been ushered by modern and innovative intelligence and communication technologies. Concerns about disruptive technologies (DTs) are beginning to grow in developing countries, despite the fact that the trade-offs between implementation difficulties and realistic effects are still unknown. Hence, prioritization and promotion of such technologies should be considered when investing in them to ensure sustainability. The study aims to provide new critical insights into what DTs are and how to identify the significant DTs for sustainable supply chain (SSC). Understanding the DTs’ potential for achieving holistic sustainability through effective technology adoption and diffusion is critical. To achieve the goal, an integrated approach combining the Bayesian method and the Best Worst Method (BWM) is utilized in this study to evaluate DTs in emerging economies' supply chain (SC). The systematic literature review yielded a total of 10 DTs for SSC, which were then evaluated using the Bayesian-BWM to explore the most critical DTs for a well-known example of the readymade garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh. The results show that the three most essential DTs for SSC are “Internet of things (IoT)”, “Cloud manufacturing”, and “Artificial intelligence (AI)”. The research insights will facilitate policymakers and practitioners in determining where to concentrate efforts during the technology adoption and diffusion stage in order to improve sustainable production through managing SC operations in an uncertain business environment.

IntroductionThe impact of COVID-19 on higher education has necessitated a reevaluation of teaching methodologies, student engagement, and the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) as pedagogical tools. This shift creates opportunities for innovation and collaborative learning environments among students.MethodsThis study aims to investigate the adoption of virtual tools by university students in Medellín. A sample of 373 students was surveyed using a quantitative approach with a descriptive scope. Factor analysis techniques were employed utilizing SPSS software to assess the associative relationships among variables and hypotheses within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).ResultsThe analysis revealed significant correlations, particularly between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Notably, technological devices such as laptops and smartphones were identified as valuable tools for educational purposes, contributing to a positive attitude towards their utilization among students.DiscussionThe findings underscore the importance of students’ perceptions in shaping their attitudes towards ICT tools for teaching and learning. Understanding these perceptions is crucial for designing effective pedagogical strategies, particularly in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where virtual tools play a vital role in maintaining educational continuity. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the integration of virtual tools in higher education, highlighting avenues for further research and practical implications for educators and policymakers.

This study aims to examine the relationship between firm size and firm growth in Vietnam. The literature does not in general give support to Gibrat’s law stating that the expected increase in firm size is proportionate to its initial size, or that firm growth rates are independent of firm size. The present study relies on a sample of 578 listed Vietnamese companies representing eight different industries and covering the period 2010 to 2020. The analysis reveals that growth in firm revenues does not give support to a hypothesis of independence of initial firm sizes. When the firm size is measured by total assets the opposite result appears, i.e. the Gibrat’s law is not rejected. When including also the age of the firms in the test methodology the conclusion will be that firm growth—measured by revenue or assets—in all cases will decrease with firm size.

Background: Artificial Intelligence has been an area of great interest and investment in the industrial sector, offering numerous possibilities to enhance efficiency and accuracy in production processes. In this regard, this study aimed to identify the adoption challenges of Artificial Intelligence and determine which of these challenges apply to the industrial context of an emerging economy, considering the aspects of Industry 4.0. Methods: To achieve this objective, a literature review was conducted, and a survey was carried out among professionals in the industrial field operating within the Brazilian context. The collected data were analyzed using a quantitative approach through Cronbach’s alpha and the Lawshe method. Results: The results indicate that to enhance the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the industrial context of an emerging economy, taking into account the needs of Industry 4.0, it is important to prioritize overcoming challenges such as “Lack of clarity in return on investment,” “Organizational culture,” “Acceptance of AI by workers,” “Quantity and quality of data,” and “Data protection”. Conclusions: Therefore, based on the achieved results, it can be concluded that they contribute to the development of strategies and practical actions aimed at successfully driving the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the industrial sector of developing countries, aligning with the principles and needs of Industry 4.0.

Entrepreneurs in economically challenged areas frequently rely on financial and technical incentives and aid from public and local governments to embrace and apply new technology. This study aims to investigate the challenges to technology innovation that these businesses face. Based on a survey of 422 nascent entrepreneurs in Banjarmasin, Indonesia, an empirical model of the determinants influencing the adoption of technology innovation is developed. The current study used factor analysis as a methodological tool to identify the critical impediments to technology innovation. The study’s findings highlighted five major barriers. More financial resources are needed: as nascent entrepreneurs in these locations frequently need help to get the necessary funds to support their creative endeavors. There is a need for more skilled individuals: new businesses need help to locate and keep employees with the appropriate technological skills. Unfavorable economic conditions exacerbate the problem by making it difficult for new entrepreneurs to access markets and resources that could support their innovative efforts. Furthermore, there needs to be more collaborative efforts, with nascent entrepreneurs in these places frequently needing more collaboration and networking possibilities, expanding their potential to develop. Finally, the study identifies insufficient government support as a barrier to assisting entrepreneurs in adopting novel technologies. These hurdles can be efficiently overcome by government assistance, private-sector investment, and collaborative efforts among nascent entrepreneurs.

ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether political pressure affects the conduct of monetary policy in Brazil. For the period between January 2010 and August 2020, we estimate a modified Taylor rule to empirically test whether the calls for lower interest rates by presidents induce Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) to lower the policy rate. We document that BCB is more likely to set the policy rate in line with the preferences of political leaders. We also show that the response of BCB to political pressure remained significant even though political pressure diminished in recent years.

In pursuit of profit maximization through practices that promote sustainable development, companies increasingly use environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria to guide investment. However, there are challenges in implementing these practices across diverse sectors, such as the construction industry, especially in emerging countries with limited related studies. This study validated the challenges of implementing ESG in the construction industry in an emerging country like Brazil, considering its relationship with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A literature review identified challenges associated with ESG implementation, followed by the development of a questionnaire based on these challenges. Subsequently, the questionnaire was administered to professionals in the construction industry and validated using the Lawshe method. Twenty-seven challenges were identified, of which twelve were validated, including the lack of standardized performance indicators, regulatory guidelines associated with ESG practices, organizational resistance, and insufficient transparency in non-financial indicators. This study provides guidance for overcoming challenges in the successful adoption of ESG in the construction industry. It also identifies the most-impacted SDGs and lays the foundation for future actions promoting sustainable development in the construction industry in emerging countries.

The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of the events related to the “Panama leaks” on the stock market in Pakistan. For this purpose, we have analyzed a total of 24 events related to the “Panama leaks” in Pakistan. These events are further divided into three broad categories i.e. 8 events are related to the news/statements by the opposition parties, 8 events are related to news/statements by Sharif’s family/sitting governments, and 8 events are related to the news/statements by the Apex court in Pakistan. The analyzed period begins on the 1st of March 2015 and has lasted until the 30th of July 2018. This research applies the event study methodology, and overall findings show that “Panama leaks-related news has a significant impact on stock returns in Pakistan. What is more, all the news related to the Apex court in the Panama leaks show a significant positive impact on stock returns. This study provides a guideline to investors, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders by proving that all the news related to the “Panama leaks” have a significant impact on stock returns in Pakistan. Future researchers can extend this study by analyzing the impact of the “Panama leaks” on stock returns in all the countries to which the “Panama leaks” are connected.

This study uses quantitative methods to investigate the importance of corporate social responsibility authenticity (CSRA) on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It investigates the interceding roles of organizational identification (OID) and corporate reputation (CRE) between CSRA and firm performance (FPE). The data, which were questionnaire responses from 548 customers, employees, and shareholders of SMEs, were analyzed using SmartPLS version 3.3.2. Significant positive correlations were found between the authenticity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and three key factors: firm performance, organizational identification, and corporate reputation. This study contributes to existing knowledge by exploring the mediating roles of OID and CRE in the relationship between CSRA and FPE. To better understand how CSR affects OID, CRE, and eventually FPE, this study integrates the perceptions of internal and external stakeholders on the degree to which CSR is seen as authentic. This study particularly adds to the body of CSR literature in the context of increasing skepticism of stakeholders about CSR authenticity. Grounded in stakeholder behaviors, social identity, and social exchange theories, this study extends these theories by operationalizing a novel empirical framework in a new setting. Furthermore, the implications of this study extend to society’s current concerns about “greenwashing” or “corporate hypocrisy.”

The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of the events related to the “Panama leaks” on the stock market in Pakistan. For this purpose, we have analyzed a total of 24 events related to the “Panama leaks” in Pakistan. These events are further divided into three broad categories i.e. 8 events are related to the news/statements by the opposition parties, 8 events are related to news/statements by Sharif’s family/sitting governments, and 8 events are related to the news/statements by the Apex court in Pakistan. The analyzed period begins on the 1st of March 2015 and has lasted until the 30th of July 2018. This research applies the event study methodology, and overall findings show that “Panama leaks-related news has a significant impact on stock returns in Pakistan. What is more, all the news related to the Apex court in the Panama leaks show a significant positive impact on stock returns. This study provides a guideline to investors, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders by proving that all the news related to the “Panama leaks” have a significant impact on stock returns in Pakistan. Future researchers can extend this study by analyzing the impact of the “Panama leaks” on stock returns in all the countries to which the “Panama leaks” are connected.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the mediation of institutional factors in the relationship between strategic orientations and the propensity of companies, particularly technology-based companies (TBCs), to internationalize in emerging economies. Method: This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted with a population and sample of 137 Brazilian TBCs. The data were analyzed through correlational and multivariate analysis using the structural equation modeling technique. Results: The findings indicate that institutional factors positively influence the propensity for internationalization of the investigated TBCs. Additionally, these institutional factors mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial strategic orientations and international growth orientation. In other words, entrepreneurship can enhance the international expansion capacity of TBCs, and the institutional environment of the target market often influences the success of this expansion. Conclusion: The presence of mediation, even when there is a strong entrepreneurial orientation, suggests that TBCs do not operate in isolation. Rather, their success is deeply connected to the institutional contexts in which they operate. For an effective international growth strategy, TBCs must focus on their internal capacities and orientations and remain attentive and adaptable to the nuances and demands of the institutional environment.

Background: Transnet moves around 80% of South Africa’s rail-friendly freight tonne-kilometres, which drops to less than 40% if the rail-only coal and iron ore export lines are excluded. Objectives: Calculating the costs, negative externalities, and job losses caused by Transnet’s recent and historical operational issues and using the results to inform future reform possibilities. Method: Aspects contributing to Transnet’s failures are indicated through an assessment of rail freight’s decreasing market share and infrastructure investment, port ownership and inefficiency concerns, Transnet’s deteriorating financial performance, loss of critical skills, and instances of state capture. Resultant costs and their impact on employment are calculated across various freight flow segments, whereafter reform models are suggested through international benchmarking and extracting lessons from relevant global reforms. Results: The cost of Transnet’s failures are estimated as 7.43% of gross domestic product. A healthy relationship between the government and the private sector is a frequent occurrence in successful reforms seen globally. Locally, recent government reforms acknowledge a meaningful role for the private sector, which is in turn offering pragmatic and achievable solutions. Conclusion: Improved private sector participation can contribute to Transnet’s recovery. South Africa depends on this collaboration and the development of port and rail master plans to guide the infrastructure development required to meet its overall transportation needs. Contribution: Actionable implications for policy implementation, the economic regulation and horizontal separation of the freight railway, shifting freight from road to rail, the corporatisation of the port authority, and increasing port efficiency and capacity.

AbstractWith the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the accounting and auditing profession has been exposed to additional risks, challenges, and serious threats that affect audit quality; audit timeliness. Therefore, this study examines the effect of COVID-19 on audit reporting lag (ARL). In addition, this study investigates whether the internal corporate monitoring mechanisms contribute to mitigating the effect of the global health crisis; consequently, the study employs the internal audit function (IAF) cost as a moderator on the relationship between COVID-19 and ARL. To accomplish the objectives of our study, a sample of 1,352 firm-year observations from Malaysian listed firms was employed during the period 2017–2020, and feasible generalized least square (FGLS) regression was used. The findings indicate that auditors take longer to complete audit tasks and produce audit reports during COVID-19 than before. However, that period is obviously reduced with firms investing higher in their IAF. Furthermore, the findings obtained from the additional analyses and endogeneity tests support the main regression findings, thereby revealing that the findings are robust. The study’s findings are among the earliest empirical evidence of the effect of COVID-19 on the ARL.

Introduction: Emerging economies Firms (EMFs) are unfamiliar actors in a new host market. Hence, foreign market entry should be studied more as a position-building process. Given that position-building process lead to tensions and conflicts among key EMF stakeholders. Business Diplomacy (BD) is a practices that facilitates this process. Therefore, the purpose of this research is the typology of BD in EMFs, based on their positioning-building process over period of time. Through the lens of Path-dependence Theory, we review the literature to formulate a typology of Business diplomacy, then we identify statistical control variables. Methodology: For the purpose of this study, we used Sequence Analysis to identify sequence patterns of BD in EMFs position-building process. Iran Exemplary Exporters in the period of 2012-2020 are chosen as the statistical population of this research that 36 Firms were studied as a sample based on the judgment criteria. Data were collected through the board of director's activity annual reports in Codal Database. Using TraMineR in R-package, data analyzed through optimal matching (OM). Results and Discussion: We empirically identify three different sequence patterns of business diplomacy. Firms in the Automotive, Petrochemical and Chemical Industries, Machinery and Equipment, Engineering Services, and the Paper Industry mainly follow first path. Firms operating in the Steel Industry, Automotive Industry, and Machinery and Equipment follow the second path. Firms operating in the Oil Industry, Steel Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Electrical Equipment and Paper industry follow the third path. The findings also show that business diplomacy pathways differ significantly in terms of firm's characteristics (i.e. industry, size, and international experience). We argued that EMFs follow different BD strategies in their position- building process in the host markets. In the first pattern, the most of EMFs execute reactive and proactive strategies, and few Firms have follow other strategies. In this pattern, the dominant strategic priority is pay attention to the business related stakeholders, and the pressure dimension has insignificant effect on changing the strategy. Also, we argued that the Firms in the automotive, petrochemical and chemical industries, machinery and equipment, technical and engineering services, and paper industries use the one-best-way approach. The dominant strategy in the second pattern is proactive strategy. This strategy has become the dominant view of firms in last years, and the strategic agenda of firms has shifted from business-related stakeholders to none-business-related stakeholders. In addition, we argued that this turn to none-business-related stakeholders has significantly occurred in the steel, automobile manufacturing, and machinery and equipment industries. Conclusion: As a result, the contingency approach is prevailing in the second pattern. But the dominant strategy in the third pattern is defensive strategy. We argued that firms try to avoid unintended changes in the political environment, through defensive strategies, and manipulating none-business related stakeholders. In other word, they maximize profits in host markets through neutralize the non-market environment pressures. This turn to defensive strategy has been significantly occurred in the oil, steel, pharmaceutical, electrical equipment and paper industries. in addition, the results showed that firms in the automobile industry and machinery and equipment, simultaneously follow the first and second patterns, and firms in the paper industry simultaneously follow the first and third patterns, as well as firms in the steel industry follow the second and third patterns at the same time. To explain it more clearly, the dynamics of the environment exposes firms to continuous changes and companies may use strategies that conflict with each other. As a result, firms may follow a paradox approach. In nutshell, we argued that, firms by turn in strategic agenda from business related stakeholders to none-related stakeholders, facilitate their position-building process in host market. And this practice turn, influenced by Firms-level characteristics such as industry, size and international experience. Our research has implications from theoretical and methodological aspects: First, the existing research focused on advanced economy firms. But our research conducted in emerging economies context, which are very different from advanced economies context. Second, the results of this research have proposed a mechanism to overcome on emergingness liabilities. Third, the paradox approach in strategy emphasizes that in the complex and evolving world, firms faced with a heterogeneous environment and contradictory demands of business related and none-business related stakeholders. As a result, firms that follow the paradox approach in BD are more successful in creating and maintaining legitimacy. Fourth, the results of this research have confirmed the potential of quantitative research in process studies, especially in the strategy as practice area. In other words, identifying a pattern at the macro level through micro level data leads to the emergence of innovative insights that cannot be achieved only through a qualitative research design. Finally, some issues in management research, such as evolutionary view of strategy, require the analysis of sequence data; as a result, analyzing these data and identifying emerging patterns creates significant challenges, and traditional quantitative and qualitative researches suffer from this issue. Therefore, optimal matching approach has solved this challenge.we empirically identify Three different sequence patterns of business diplomacy. Frims in the Automotive, Petrochemical and Chemical Industries, Machinery and Equipment, Engineering Services, and the Paper Industry mainly follow first path. Firms operating in the Steel Industry, Automotive Industry, and Machinery and Equipment follow the second path. Firms operating in the Oil Industry, Steel Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Electrical Equipment and Paper industry follow the third path. the findings also show that business diplomacy pathways differ significantly in terms of firm's characteristics (i.e industry, size, and international experience).

With the aftermath of the pervasive COVID-19, the recent war between Ukraine and Russia, and the severity of the resource crisis, the global textiles industry has become a significant concern, especially for emerging economies. Technological advancements combining traditional manufacturing processes with cutting-edge technologies may safeguard the textile industry’s supply chain. To establish stability in the value chain of the textiles sector in emerging nations, it is crucial to precisely identify the relevant barriers to combining advanced technologies with traditional textile practices. Consequently, this study aims to determine the significant barriers to merging technological advancements with conventional textile practices and assess their relationships using an integrated framework. To highlight, measure, and analyze the hierarchical interconnections of the barriers to integrating technical innovations in the textile industry in the context of an emerging economy, this study combines fuzzy theory, Pareto analysis, and total interpretive structural modeling (TISM). Following that, the Matriced’ Impacts Cruoses Multiplication Applique a Un Classement (MICMAC) analysis, clusters of barriers, depending on their levels of driving and dependence power, were developed. Based on the literature review and feedback from experts, a total of 19 barriers were discovered, and Pareto analysis was applied to analyze the major and trivial barriers. Based on that analysis, a myriad of evaluations is done for the top barriers (13- to be precise), and their interrelationships have been investigated using fuzzy TISM-fuzzy MICMAC. Lack of government support policies and insufficient incentives, heavy taxation & inadequate capital investment have been identified as the most crucial barriers. The hierarchical model and study’s findings will assist leaders in the textile industry in applying key concepts in strategic planning and decision-making to successfully combine cutting-edge tools and technologies with traditional textile industry practices and ensure a sustainable global textile supply chain.

Plastic waste is choking our planet, but the recycling rate is still universally low. Understanding factors affecting recycling behaviours can help address this pressing issue. Taking Dhaka as an example, this study explores the determinants of the intentions to recycle plastic waste. We employed the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and extended it with two additional variables: Moral Norms, and Perceived sufficiency of knowledge and policy support. Survey data of 577 were collected and analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings suggest attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral norms and subjective norms significantly impact recycling intention, among which moral norms (β = 0.148, p

The recent unprecedented situations like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have severely impacted food security and grain production in emerging economies. These countries can try to import grains to enhance secure food security, but this will strain their dollar reserve and endanger their financial stability. Under such circumstances, the adoption of sustainable grain storage practices is essential to reducing the unusual gap between grain production and grain availability. This research, therefore, explores the key factors that may affect the stability of stored grains to promote agricultural sustainability and food security in emerging economies. First, the study identifies the significant factors that influence the stability of stored grains from an emerging economy perspective. Then, the study employs an integrated approach consisting of Pareto analysis, fuzzy-based Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), and Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis. Based on the literature review and expert feedback, nineteen factors were initially identified. After employing Pareto analysis, the top thirteen factors have been further analyzed using fuzzy TISM- fuzzy MICMAC to examine their interrelationships. The study findings indicate that “Proper training on advanced storage operations” is the most significant factor influencing sustainable grain storage operations. The study insights can help practitioners to focus more on the crucial aspects of the grain storage operation and can assist the policymakers and industry leaders of emerging economies in strategic decision-making to achieve agricultural sustainability and thus improve food security.

Monetary policy is a primary element of economic policy, as with its help central banks can act and influence both the demand and supply of money in the economy. The main purpose of monetary policy measures is to ensure price stability, effective control over inflation, as well as the stability of the national currency. A very important aspect to highlight about the European Central Bank is that the objective of monetary policy aims at the strategy of maintaining price stability and the inflation rate at lower levels. Any decision is the product of a procedure that involves the assembly of a large number of primary information. The monetary policy decision is also subordinated to these procedures, but simple information, regardless of its degree of organization and hierarchical processing, does not seem to be sufficient to be able to make a decision.

Purpose – This research investigates the bond between stock market development and agricultural growth in African emerging economies from 1990 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach – Agricultural value added to the gross domestic product measures agricultural growth and market capitalization and stock value traded measure stock market development. Findings – The findings disclose that market capitalization negatively affects agricultural growth while stock value traded positively affects agricultural growth in the fully modified and dynamic ordinary least square techniques. The findings unveil bidirectional causality between labour and agricultural value added with unidirectional causality flow from agricultural value added to market capitalization and stock value traded. Research limitations/implications – The governments should promote agricultural growth initiatives which stimulate stock market development. Effective methods required to encourage credit flow to the agricultural enterprises through the stock markets' intermediation should be promoted using aggressive policies which eliminate credit flow bottlenecks. Policy makers and regulatory authorities should implement policies which attract investors to the agricultural sector and encourage companies' listing in the stock markets. The capital market funding should be expanded to boost economic growth through agricultural value added. Originality/value – Literature reveals divergent results on the relationship between stock market development and agricultural growth. Earlier studies provide conflicting findings on the bond between stock market development and agricultural growth. Some findings indicate positive link between stock market development and agricultural growth, while others show a negative association. Studies' results reveal opposing directions of causality between stock market development and agricultural growth.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the theoretical and methodological foundations and economic feasibility of intensifying the processes of financialization of the business model of Ukrainian grain producers, in particular through the formation of the grain futures market and the creation of commodity exchange in Ukraine. Methodology / approach. In the article, it is clarified the concept of financialization as one of the global trends of economic development that provides deep integration of financial and real economy on macro- and micro levels. Hedge effectiveness of price risks for Ukrainian grain (wheat and corn) using futures contracts traded on CME Group and Euronext is evaluated using regression analysis. Ukrainian wheat and corn FOB price volatility for 2016–2021 marketing years is estimated. The dynamics and volatility of the basis for Ukrainian wheat and corn and respective futures contracts traded on CME Group and Euronext are analyzed. Results. The analysis of securitization index of global agricultural markets has shown an increase of its financialization rate. The main reasons for this process were the deepening of financial and commodity markets integration, deregulation of financial markets and introduction of new financial instruments. The structure of the grain market in Ukraine is analyzed, particularly the role of agricultural holdings and international companies. The tendencies and determinants of wheat and corn market prices in Ukraine during marketing year are revealed. Regression analysis of hedge effectiveness has shown that all considered futures contracts are suitable for wheat and corn CPT and FOB price hedging in Ukraine. The highest hedge effectiveness was revealed for Black Sea Corn Financially Settled (Platts) Futures) (CME Group) and Milling Wheat / Ble de Meunerie (Euronext Matif). Short hedge efficiency of CME Group futures contracts was supported by analysis of basis dynamics for Ukrainian wheat and corn and respective futures contracts. Originality / scientific novelty. Based on the analysis of the theoretical foundations of financialization, the positive and negative consequences of the strengthening of financialization of global commodity markets and the peculiarities of the functioning of the modern grain market in Ukraine, the economic imperatives of the development of the Ukrainian market of grain derivatives, as an objectively determined trend of agricultural commodity market, are substantiated. The evaluation of the effectiveness of hedging price risks on the Ukrainian grain markets using derivatives traded on global exchanges has gained further development. Practical value / implications. It is proposed to intensify market tools usage for risk hedging in Ukraine in order to cover interests of all market participants. Risk management instruments available for Ukrainian agricultural producers are discussed.

The creative industries sector is snowballing, and many developing countries see it as a tool for national and local development. Given the regional specificity, political narratives adopted in developed countries may not apply in economies under transition. This paper aims to evaluate the current state of creative business in emerging countries such as Kazakhstan. Adopting the design of a qualitative method, 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted with entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan’s creative industries. The Nvivo 10 qualitative data analysis software was used for processing the data. The interviews help to understand better the factors affecting the development of the creative industry. In general, results indicate insufficient support from government agencies, lack of accessible resources to support entrepreneurs (65% of respondents used their capital, while 17% of them were forced to apply for loans from a bank), information availability, and skills shortage. Shortage of skills is also related to the creative brain drain in Kazakhstan. One of the main problems is access to materials and technology since most of the resources are foreign-made and imported. AcknowledgmentThe authors appreciate the grant funding for young scientists Scientific and (or) in the years 2020–2022 the MES science project number AR08052483 “Creative Industries: methodological aspects of classification and quantitative measurements in the Republic of Kazakhstan” in the framework of the budget program 217 “Development of science”.

Starlink primarily focuses on delivering high-speed, low-latency broadband Internet in remote and rural locations globally. This study aims to investigate the Starlink satellite project’s impact on the Internet provider service in emerging economies. A quantitative approach was used, and an online questionnaire was conducted to collect data from a convenience sample of 617 participants in Thailand. Demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, status, and income), user behaviour variables (i.e., computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, wearable device, time, Internet duration, home Internet, and mobile Internet), and social media variables (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Youtube) were the independent variables. Binary regression analysis was performed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the Starlink satellite project’s impact on the Internet provider service in this emerging economy could be described by gender, education, tablet, wearable device, Internet time, Internet duration, Facebook, and Twitter. It is recommended to inform people of the effects of the Starlink satellite project on Internet service providers in developing economies. Satellite Internet access has transformed the expansion of professional development opportunities for those who live in remote, rural, and underserved areas. Due to the lack of terrestrial Internet infrastructure, users of satellite Internet can now access specialised resources that were previously inaccessible. Satellite Internet has also made it possible for people living in remote areas to benefit from opportunities for career advancement and more.

Global food insecurity has become a significant concern, especially for emerging economies. The crisis has been exacerbated recently due to the intense supply chain disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. Agriculture 4.0, which combines conventional agriculture with various modern cutting-edge technologies, might help in this regard to improve the food supply and food security. In such a context, it is essential to accurately identify the pertinent drivers of Agriculture 4.0 implementation to ensure sustainability and food security in emerging economies. This study, therefore, aims to classify, assess, and analyze the hierarchical relationships among the drivers of Agriculture 4.0 in the context of an emerging economy like Bangladesh, combining Pareto analysis, fuzzy theory, total interpretative structural modeling (TISM), and Matriced’ Impacts Cruoses Multiplication Applique a un Classement (MICMAC) analysis. Based on the literature review and expert feedback, eighteen factors were identified initially. After employing Pareto analysis, the top thirteen factors have been further analyzed using fuzzy TISM and fuzzy MICMAC to examine their interrelationships. The study findings indicate that “Automation & Robotics to lessen the usage of manual labor”, “Augmented reality (AR) for training new farmers and guiding tool evaluation,” and “Providing adequate financial incentives to impoverished farmers for building modern storage facilities” are the three most influential drivers to implement Agriculture 4.0. This study is expected to contribute significantly to future innovation and development in the agriculture sector, eliminate hunger and improve regional food security. It has the potential to assist the practitioners and industry leaders of emerging economies in strategic decision-making in achieving sustainability in the agricultural sector and thus achieve the relevant SDGs.

Through globalization, countries around the world have been integrated into an interconnected economic system underpinned by international trade. Against this backdrop, this paper visualizes the evolving patterns of world trade geographies from 2000 to 2019. The maps show that the global trade centres have transformed from the two traditional major trading circles of North America and the European Union to the present three major trading circles of North America, the European Union and the Asia-Pacific region, along with the rapid rise of East Asian economies centred on China, Japan and South Korea. At the same time, some emerging economies have significantly increased their status in the world trade system.

The costs and benefits of preschool teachers’ emotional labor on the quality of education manifest in how emotional labor relates to well-being. Building on the theoretical foundation of conservation of resources theory (COR), this study explores the influence of emotional labor on burnout and the intervening roles of affective states (i.e., positive and negative affect). Our hypotheses were tested using cross-sectional data from 574 preschool teachers in Ghana. The results suggest that surface acting induces emotional exhaustion whilst diminishing personal accomplishment, but deep acting reduces depersonalization. Further, negative affect mediated surface acting and dimensions of burnout relationships. Also, positive affect mediated surface acting and deep acting, and personal accomplishment links. Theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for further research have been discussed.

The current study investigates the influence of financial resources on environmental and financial performance with the mediating role of green practices (innovation) in manufacturing firms of the emerging economy, Pakistan. The research model and its proposed hypothesis was using 294 manufacturing firms' samples, for fruitful insights, the hypothesis was tested through a structured equation model using Smart PLS 3. Our results exhibited a positive and significant impact of financial resources on financial performance but not on environmental performance. However, green innovation fully mediates the relationship between financial resources and financial performance, while partially mediate the relationship between financial resources and environmental performance. Considering our insight, we suggest to the government that financially support the SMEs sector because they have a lack of tangible and intangible resources due to small size, and to easily adapt the green practices.

Changing customer demand, globalization, pandemics, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have introduced a lot of complexities, uncertainties, risks, and challenges in various global businesses, especially in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of emerging markets. This sector plays a significant role in fostering economic growth, generating employment, and reducing poverty. In such a situation, proper identification of supply chain risk (SCR) factors is pivotal for this sector to achieve a resilient and sustainable SC, specifically since a sustainable and resilient supply chain can withstand the impacts of various uncertain situations. However, no studies have yet explored these risk factors from an emerging economy perspective. This study fills this research gap by identifying the SCR factors and analyzing their interactions using an integrated approach, including Pareto analysis, fuzzy theory, total interpretive structural modeling (TISM), and a Matriced' Impacts Cruoses Multiplication Applique a un Classement (MICMAC) analysis. The findings from the fuzzy TISM imply that the “lack of enthusiasm in top management regarding sustainable practices” is the most significant factor. Besides that, lack of skilled and educated workers, lack of knowledge about modern technologies, labor strikes, and political instabilities are also some crucial risks that may hinder the sustainable development and smooth operation of SMEs. Fuzzy MICMAC analysis confirms that all identified risk factors are interrelated. The study insights can guide managers to successfully identify the risk factors for achieving long-term sustainability and operational resilience and can enhance policymakers’ ability to formulate proactive and efficient mitigation strategies.

In developing countries, the emigration of rural youth remains a persistent phenomenon, attracting research on the rural mobility of the younger generations. Meanwhile, today's digital era allows the Internet to induce information accessibility. Rural youth covers the largest share of Internet users among the rural population, implying higher possibilities for them to use the Internet for various migration-related purposes. However, literature to date has not focused on Internet use among rural youth in developing countries in conjunction with the build-up process of their migration intention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of Internet use on the build-up process of migration intention among rural youth in developing countries. This research employs four statistical analyses (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Kendall's Tau, and stepwise regression) to examine socio-demographic profiles, common/specific Internet uses, other information gatherings, and migration intention in Tambakasri Village, Malang, Indonesia. The results indicate that Internet use enables rural youth to overcome remoteness by connecting to the outside world. Although common Internet uses appear to affect the build-up process of migration intention among rural youth negatively, specific Internet uses show positive impacts. Despite the opposite trends, the adverse effects are insignificant to the positive impacts. Therefore, Internet use maintains a generally positive impact on the intention to migrate. However, they favor the Internet less to search for migration-related information due to low network quality and the activities of active migrants. They rely heavily on migration-specialized companies as their primary source of migration-related information. In general, rural youth have not utilized the Internet's full potential, suggesting a more vigorous promotion of digital literacy for rural areas in less developing countries. It should induce the awareness of rural youth on opportunities in their villages, encouraging them to develop their rural origins and promoting a better-managed flow of workforce.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the work strategies adopted by leading Indian IT companies post COVID-19 and their institutional and individual level implications. Following the exploratory sequential mixed-method approach, in the first phase, the data were collected from 8 leading IT companies in India to understand the work strategies implemented post COVID -19 to ensure employees’ safety without disrupting client deliverables. In the second phase, the primary qualitative interviews were conducted and selected IT companies’ financial statements with a systematic analysis of financial indicators were used to gauge the impact of new work strategies. The study reveals the selected IT companies were embracing Work-From-Home or Work-From-Anywhere as their work strategies by ensuring little to no disruption, were armed with a host of technology tools that allowed employees’ swathes to new work-norm within hours. The study findings manifold implications of the new work-norm are that it has no negative impact on the companies’ client deliverables and profitability. The paper confirms that the remote-working approach has resulted in reduced carbon footprint, work-life balance, and de-urbanization while identifying the flip side of this approach as the negative impact on team cohesiveness and employee emotional wellbeing. This research confirms the critical lesson learned from COVID-19 is agile companies must plan for a range of incomprehensible contingencies to ensure business continuity and growth. The research findings contribute towards understanding the Indian IT sector experiences in adopting the remote-work strategies and taken as lessons that can be useful for other global IT sectors.

The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to the most critical factor of multi-tier sustainable supplier management in an emerging economy. This study used an explorative approach to identify and understand the barriers to multi-tier sustainable supplier management in Pakistan’s textile sector and strategies to overcome these barriers. The top three barriers are ‘lack of technical knowledge, lack of awareness, and lack of interest’. It further proposes eight strategies for overcoming these barriers to multi-tier sustainable supplier management in Pakistan’s textile sector. The top three strategies to overcome these barriers are ‘employee, supplier, and management training’, ‘expert support’, and ‘government regulation’. This study provides the holistic approach to multi-tier sustainable supplier management barriers of an emerging economy. Identified barriers will help and provide a base for textile sector managers and decision-makers in an emerging economy to develop policies and strategies to address identified barriers.

This paper investigates the impact of the family business on illiquidity in an emerging market and how it evolves with regulatory changes. The study uses panel data multiple regression on a sample of 25,418 observations on 3,606 firms from India within nine years from 2006 to 2014. The study finds that family firms have significantly higher illiquidity compared to non-family firms. Moreover, family businesses have successfully resisted the institutional pressure to decrease illiquidity and have also defied these coercive pressures to increase the illiquidity of family businesses finally. The study also found heterogeneity in the behaviour of family businesses based on their ownership characteristics.