Search

The minimal important change and analogous terms (MIC) can provide a measure of change in health outcome variables that is associated with a level of importance for participant/patient. This review explores the availability of the MIC for different balance measures used with older adults in research and clinical settings. PubMed, ProQuest and Web of Science search engines were used and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies were deemed suitable for data extraction and analysis. The results demonstrated that MIC is available for the following balance-associated tests: Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, Short Physical Performance Battery, BESTest and the Tinetti test. A range of MIC values were shown, reflective of different older adult health conditions, calculation methods and anchors used. It was also evident that the responsiveness of the test was not always available or appropriately determined, questioning the validity of the MIC value published. Greater research is needed to establish MIC for balance measurements for use with older adults with different health conditions, preferably using objective measures such as falls. The calculation of such statistics will improve the evaluation of intervention effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender diversity is increasingly recognized as a critical element in corporate management. However, existing research on its impact on firm performance demonstrates inconsistency in a global context. This study employs 1990 publicly listed Japanese companies from 2006 to 2023 and examines the effect of board gender diversity on firm performance in Japan. Findings from the fixed-effects regression model revealed a significant negative impact of board gender diversity on firm performance. This adverse correlation is more pronounced in smaller firms, those with greater leverage and reduced institutional ownership, and regulated and consumer-focused industries, particularly pre-COVID-19. The detrimental impact of board gender diversity on firm performance is transmitted via corporate social responsibility and firm innovation instead of board independence or CEO duality. Notably, the two-stage least squares estimation addresses potential endogeneity, employing an equal opportunity policy as an instrumental variable. Moreover, the robustness of our results is affirmed via the substitution of return on equity for return on assets as an indicator of firm performance. Lastly, our analysis does not reveal a U-shaped nonlinear relationship between board gender diversity and corporate performance. As Japan progressively promotes women's participation in corporate governance, this research bears significant implications for corporate leaders, investors, and policymakers in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study mainly aims to test the impact of gender diversity on a firm's performance. Namely, the non-linear and the quantile impact on the listed companies in Palestine Exchange during the period 2010 to 2020. The study also aims to determine the impact of a firm's internal characteristics on gender diversity. The study uses instrument analysis, traditional panel models, and quantile regression to fulfil the aims. The results demonstrate the existence of a critical mass for the impact of gender diversity on firms' performance and that mass is about 30% for the ROA and 41% for the EPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to examine the effect of managerial/board gender diversity and corporate governance structure on firm performance in a Jordanian business environment—a developing economy that has a distinct environment from that of developed economies. The current study focuses on the unique context of an emerging economy (i.e., Jordan). Data were collected from nonfinancial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from 2018 to 2020. Data analysis was carried out using the random-effects estimator, which was considered as the most suitable for this study. The results disclose that female representation on the board of executives of Jordanian companies had a positive but insignificant effect on corporate performance, as measured by the return on equity, indicating that this variable has no effect on the performance of firms in Jordan. Both family ownership and board size had negative significant effects on performance, but for the moderating effect, corporate governance structure had no effect on the relationship among CEO duality, institution ownership, government ownership, independent directors, and firm performance. The current study only focused on Jordanian industrial firms listed on ASE, thus rendering the findings nongeneralizable to other sectors and nations. Further investigations are urged to broaden the context of the study to achieve more enriched findings. Managers can use the findings to achieve a deeper understanding of the way governance structure affects firm performance. Additionally, regulators at the Jordan Securities Commission can attain valuable insight about the adequacy of the current regulations regarding the role of gender diversity and corporate governance structure in Jordan. The current study contributes to the literature concerning the effect of managerial gender diversity and corporate governance structure on performance. Furthermore, this investigation aims to fill the current research gap in the context of Jordan, which is an emerging economy in the Arab region that is under-represented in this field of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]