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Poor access to finance remains one of the key challenges faced by households and businesses in The Gambia in the face of an underdeveloped financial market. Yet, women and the youth are further disadvantaged as they are reported to face peculiar challenges in finance access, in spite of efforts taken by different stakeholders, including the government. Therefore, this study examines the impacts of various forms of finance on welfare for these marginalized groups by supporting quantitative analyses of the Integrated Household Survey data with some qualitative information. Adopting Lokshin and Sajaia's (2004) endogenous regime switching estimator, due to the nonrandomness of access to finance, the study finds that women households significantly benefit from informal finance through improved food consumption expenditure, and from formal finance through improved income amidst a growing business culture. For the youth, estimates of treatment effects show that informal finance is significantly welfare‐degrading, but formal finance improves almost all measures of welfare. The results reveal, among other things, variations in efficiency and risk attitudes in the use of various forms of finance by the different subpopulations, calling for interventions that increase the level of knowledge and consumer protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prime purpose of the study is to analyse the effect of fintech adoption on the financial well-being of persons with disabilities (PWDs), considering the intervening role of financial behaviour, financial access and financial knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: A self-administered survey schedule collected primary data on fintech adoption and financial well-being among 205 PWD, through snowball sampling from January to May 2023. Researchers used exploratory factor analysis to identify reliable factors and PLS-SEM for testing mediation and research hypotheses. Findings: The study's outcome found that fintech adoption does not directly impact the financial well-being of PWDs. Instead, the impact on financial well-being is explained by mediating factors like financial access, financial knowledge and financial behaviour. Financial access is the most significant among these mediating factors. Research limitations/implications: The study demonstrates the significance of mediating factors in comprehending the influence of fintech adoption on financial well-being. These results underpin existing literature on determinants of financial well-being. Practical implications: Findings evidenced that developing disabled-friendly fintech tools can enhance financial access, reduce inequality and improve the financial well-being of PWDs, which would be helpful for public policymakers. Originality/value: There has been no comprehensive study conducted on this topic, particularly among PWDs. In the current study, an effort is being made to examine the relative effects of fintech adoption on financial well-being directly and indirectly through mediating variables. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2023-0596 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital payments are the most popular financial service in Africa, having been adopted by half of all adults. Nevertheless, there remain significant barriers to access in Africa's digital payment sector, stymieing growth. Cost and distance to a branch or agent are chief among them, exacerbated by the fact that many economies in Africa have small financial services markets, with payment sectors dominated by private sector financial service and payment system providers that have invested in proprietary, closed-loop digital payments processing infrastructure. These closed-loop systems can be inefficient and therefore expensive to operate, leaving payment services out of reach for millions of end users. With the goal of calling out fruitful approaches for expanding and maturing Africa's payments market, this paper highlights lessons from four public or public–private instant payment systems (IPS) initiatives that aimed to build affordable and inclusive digital public infrastructure to enable broader access and therefore growth in Africa's digital payments sector. Using case studies from Ghana, Malawi, Zambia and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, this paper highlights lessons from these initiatives, including the need for enabling regulations, the need to craft a compelling business case for incumbent payment service providers, central bank involvement to ensure a focus on inclusive access, and customer-centricity to ensure the IPS can process high-demand payment types through the channels that end users prefer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of financial development on green finance and environmental sustainability over thirty years, from 1993 to 2023. It uses data from all countries and applies the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) approach. The study analysed the relationship between financial development indicators such as financial access, financial depth, financial efficiency, financial stability and measures of green finance. The researchers found that increased levels of financial development positively affect the adoption and implementation of green finance practices. Green finance initiatives around the world are successful in meeting environmental sustainability objectives. Governments and policymakers need to prioritise investments and policies that promote green finance to meet environmental sustainability globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the impact of corruption, financial access, and gender on corporate tax compliance using data from the World Bank survey covering 52 countries from 2019 to 2023. The findings show that corruption positively affects tax compliance, indicating that higher levels of corruption lead to increased tax obligations for firms. Additionally, financial access improves tax compliance by providing businesses with greater financial stability, which enhances their ability to meet tax requirements. However, the gender of senior managers does not significantly influence tax compliance. The results suggest that to improve tax compliance, policies should focus on reducing corruption, increasing access to finance, and ensuring fair tax practices. Companies should avoid corrupt practices and collaborate with government authorities to foster compliance. The study contributes to the existing literature by incorporating the role of corruption, financial access, and gender into the framework of tax compliance, offering new insights into the dynamics of corporate behavior in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial access is used in practice and research as an important concept relevant to financial capability and financial well‐being. This study examines the literature on individual financial access and develops a conceptualization, definition, domains, and proposed items. Following a systematic conceptual review method, the review is based on 171 articles published during January 2012–August 2022 retrieved from Scopus and Dissertation and Thesis Global. Using grounded theory, data were coded related to financial access definition, concepts, measurement, and associated content. The domains identified were Mainstream Financial Products and Services, Institutional Practices of Available Mainstream Financial Service Providers, Individual Resources and Intrinsic Qualities and Abilities, and Individual Financial Action and Perceptions. Financial Products or Services Utilized by Social Programs to Provide Benefits was added. Study implications include the need to broaden the focus of policies and practices beyond ownership of financial products and services. Directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employed the Bayesian method to investigate the impact of government spending, financial development (measured by bank credit), and trade on income inequality reduction in 66 low‐income countries (LICs) across Africa, Asia, America, and Europe from 2000 to 2018. Controlling inflation and unemployment, our results indicate that trade and inflation exacerbate income inequality in LICs, while financial development and government spending have no impact on reducing income inequality in these countries. Furthermore, the findings show that real GDP per capita reduces income inequality in LICs. To ensure the robustness of our results, we also conducted frequentist quantile regression, which yielded consistent findings that financial development, government spending, and trade do not reduce income inequality in LICs. We further discuss the potential channels through which trade, financial development, inflation, and government spending contribute to income inequality in LICs, and provide policy implications based on the empirical evidence. Related Articles: Adegboye, Alex, Kofo Adegboye, Uwalomwa Uwuigbe, Stephen Ojeka, and Eyitemi Fasanu. 2023. "Taxation, Democracy, and Inequality in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Relevant Linkages for Sustainable Development Goals." Politics & Policy 51(4): 696–722. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12547. Asongu, Simplice, and Nicholas M. Odhiambo. 2023. "The Effect of Inequality on Poverty and Severity of Poverty in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Role of Financial Development Institutions." Politics & Policy 51(5): 898–918. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12558. Polacko, Matthew. 2023. "Turning Off the Base: Social Democracy's Neoliberal Turn, Income Inequality, and Turnout." Politics & Policy 51(4): 538–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12550. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study measured the Internet Financial Reporting (IFR) disclosure index and compared the results across three continents of the global e‐commerce business. In addition, it documents various social media platforms used by e‐commerce. We use content analysis with a scoring matrix based on content, timeliness, technology, and support used in websites and a one‐way ANOVA. The findings identified an average IFR e‐commerce disclosure index of 0.735, which is of good quality as it approaches the value of 1. There is no difference in index IFR between the three continental zones overall, but slightly different from non‐e‐commerce companies. The results also prove that websites and blog media still dominate the use of social media, while other social media platforms have not provided financial information. Researchers in accounting have not conducted research topics on social media, so there are still limited references and narrow analytical content. This research will interest the e‐commerce business industry and compile their financial reporting through the website to improve the quality of their IFR and financial access. Since the e‐commerce business is an internet‐based company growing significantly, it can use other social media to reveal its reporting as decent work and economic growth. This subject is relatively innovative because none of the IFR disclosure index studies focuses on e‐commerce businesses on social media. It fills the research gap related to the characteristics of e‐commerce businesses, where almost all activities are internet‐based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are business activity units that run businesses in several fields, are vital for the economies of several countries. Credit access (CA) is regarded as an important matter for MSMEs' growth in the development and sustainable growth of MSMEs. In the financial sectors, the government's role via policies like augmenting MSMEs' credit becomes completely significant. For evaluating CA towards MSMEs in Kerala, this study was developed. Analysing the challenges in accessing credit in MSMEs is the aim. For evaluating the outcomes, a simple random sampling methodology was deployed. In Kerala, the impact of credit knowledge was significant on MSMEs' CA. As per the outcomes, a greater probability of augmenting loan access is engendered by the factor of challenges in attaining private equity funding and high lending interest rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banks are one of the key drivers of economic development across communities. Banking deserts—defined by inadequate banking access—limit access to capital, inhibit wealth accumulation, and increase exposure to predatory lending. Banking desert formation could be profit-driven, with lower-income and less densely populated regions more likely to become banking deserts. Discrimination could also play a role here: banks may have less presence in areas with higher minority populations. The authors use a panel, census tract-level data set for the entire state of North Carolina to investigate how these forces impact banking access and banking desert formation. Panel methodologies are incorporated to investigate the extent to which profit and discrimination mechanisms each drive banking access and banking desert formation. Profit and discrimination mechanisms are shown to play roles, highlighting the need for policies that mitigate bank branch losses in underserved neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze significant variables that permit us to ascertain the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based banks. In doing so, two profitability measurements, namely, return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), have been used as dependent variables, while capital adequacy, asset management quality, operational efficiency, credit risk, liquidity, and the size of the bank have been considered as bank-specific independent variables. In addition, the rate of interest, inflation, and GDP growth rate have also been taken as macroeconomic independent variables. This study examined panel data of eight Shariah-based Islamic banks over a thirteen-year period spanning from 2010 to 2022, applying different kinds of linear regression models, including pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects, and random effects. Subsequently, the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach is also applied to assess the robustness of the findings. The results revealed that the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based Islamic banks is positively associated with asset management quality, liquidity, and credit risk. In contrast, capital adequacy, operational efficiency, and bank size are negatively correlated with the bank's profitability. Concerning the macroeconomic factors, the findings indicated a notable positive correlation between the profitability of Shariah-based banks in Bangladesh and both the inflation rate and the interest rate spread. However, this study has also found that the profitability of the sample banks of Bangladesh is not significantly influenced by GDP growth. By providing fresh empirical data, the current research aimed to close a significant vacuum in the body of knowledge on banks and provide important insights for policymakers, managers, and other stakeholders by focusing on particular bank-specific and macroeconomic aspects that influence the profitability of Shariah-based Islamic banks in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of a country's financial access and stability and the adoption of retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) across 71 countries. Using an ordinal logit model, we examine how individual financial access, the ownership of credit cards, financing accessibility by firms, offshore loans, financial sanctions, and the ownership structure of financial institutions influence the probability of CBDC adoption in nations. These findings reveal that nations facing financial sanctions and those with substantial offshore bank loans are more inclined to adopt CBDCs. Furthermore, a significant relationship is observed in countries where many people have restricted financial access, indicating heightened interest in CBDC adoption. Interestingly, no statistically significant relationship was found between the adoption of CBDCs and the percentage of foreign-owned banks in each country. The results show that countries with low financial stability and financial access adopt CBDCs faster. This study expands our knowledge of how a nation's financial situation influences its adoption of CBDCs. The results provide important and relevant insights into the current discussion of the direction of global finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of a country’s financial access and stability and the adoption of retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) across 71 countries. Using an ordinal logit model, we examine how individual financial access, the ownership of credit cards, financing accessibility by firms, offshore loans, financial sanctions, and the ownership structure of financial institutions influence the probability of CBDC adoption in nations. These findings reveal that nations facing financial sanctions and those with substantial offshore bank loans are more inclined to adopt CBDCs. Furthermore, a significant relationship is observed in countries where many people have restricted financial access, indicating heightened interest in CBDC adoption. Interestingly, no statistically significant relationship was found between the adoption of CBDCs and the percentage of foreign-owned banks in each country. The results show that countries with low financial stability and financial access adopt CBDCs faster. This study expands our knowledge of how a nation’s financial situation influences its adoption of CBDCs. The results provide important and relevant insights into the current discussion of the direction of global finance.

Little is known about the association between debt collection experience and physical health. Financial access, the ability to own and use financial products and services from mainstream financial institutions, may serve as a buffer on the association. Using the 2022 Financial Health Pulse data, this study explored the association among debt collection experience, financial access, and health. This study identified three classes of financial access (Investor, Working Class, and Thinly Banked) through the Latent Class Analysis and found a negative association between debt collection experience and physical health. The negative association is strongest for those with the lowest financial access. Practice, research, and policy implications for consumer finance and health practitioners are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is designed to investigate the impact of women’s financial inclusion and financial attitude on their financial well-being. To determine the sample size, we consider the convenience sampling technique. In this study, we used causal and quantitative research methodologies and collected data from women respondents through a survey and a structured questionnaire method. As a part of the study, 227 responses were collected from women participants. In order to analyse the responses used, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling techniques. The finding shows that women’s financial inclusion and financial attitude positively and significantly influence their financial well-being. In the implication of the study policymakers, and government authorities upsurge the financial well-being of women by ensuring their proper access to appropriate financial products and services and improving their financial management capabilities and skills. This study will be very helpful in the sustainable and inclusive development of women and their empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MSMEs play a vital role in global economic development, as well as being the key to most businesses and important contributors to job creation and economic development. However, amidst the uncertain business and economic situation, most MSMEs have to struggle to maintain their business performance. So efforts are needed from various parties to improve business performance in MSMEs. This research aims to test and analyze the influence of financial literacy levels on business performance, with financial access and financial risk attitudes as mediating variables. Sampling in this research used a purposive sampling technique among tofu processing industry players in Kediri City. The sample was determined using the Slovin method and a sample of 400 respondents was obtained. The method used in this research uses Structural Equation Model (SEM) Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis through the SmartPLS data processing program version 3. The results of this research show that all hypotheses are accepted. Financial literacy, access to finance and financial risk attitudes have a positive and significant effect on business performance. Financial access is able to mediate the relationship between financial literacy and financial risk attitudes, and financial risk attitudes are also able to mediate the relationship between financial literacy and business performance in the Kediri City tofu processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has analysed spatial effects of economic, social and political globalisation on structural change while controlling for financial access and human capital in eight ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Data has been taken from the WDI Database, KOF Index of Globalisation, General Statistics Office ofVietnam and Statistics Department Singapore from 1993 to 2014. Panel Spatial Static SDM has been used to find out long-run spatial impacts of variants of globalisation and covariates on structural change. Empirical findings highlight the existence of long-run spatial negative effects of economic and political globalisation on own country's structural change and positive impacts of human capital on structural change. The cross-border spillover effects of neighbouring members on structural change of neighbour economy is such that economic globalisation has a negative, whereas social globalisation has a positive impact. The study recommends increasing human capital stock as it has a positive impact on driving structural change in ASEAN member nations in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the expansion of financial institutions and the proliferation of mobile financial services, reaching the unbanked and bringing them under formal financial services has become a policy concern in many developing countries. Due to the lack of financial accounts, unbanked people prefer informal, risky, and inconvenient mechanisms for receiving, sending, and transferring money. Previous studies rely much on common interventions like no account maintenance and opening fees, easy documentation processes, and money subsidies for opening financial accounts. This study aims to examine the impact of the motivational workshop on opening savings accounts through causality among the unbanked people in a setting where the respondents are unbanked despite having all the requirements and many institutional offers to open savings accounts. We encouraged the unbanked people through a one-hour-long motivational workshop to open savings accounts. Based on our cross-sectional data and randomized controlled trial experiment among the 505 unbanked rural people at Dhubil union under Sirajganj in Bangladesh, we have evidence that motivational workshop positively impacts opening accounts by 32.33 percent. However, the account opening rate differs in terms of respondent's preference for financial institutions. Our study also finds that unbanked people have the highest preference for mobile financial services for opening accounts resulting in 15.33 percent. The result of this study has some policy implications for adopting effective strategies for universal financial access in many developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper examines the impact of financial inclusion on poverty through access to mobile money in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employ the principal component analysis to construct an index of financial inclusion using demand and supply indicators, including mobile accounts. The authors use the two-step system GMM estimator for the analysis because of its efficiency and robustness in addressing heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation. Findings: The main finding is that financial inclusion generally increased and significantly reduces poverty in the sample period. Furthermore, income inequality worsens poverty. Research limitations/implications: This study has few limitations. First, the empirical analysis of the study is restricted to macroeconomic factors only because of limited Household Finance Survey data set and time availability. Second, the study is limited to developing countries and the results cannot be generalized. Practical implications: Financial inclusion is a significant policy tool for poverty reduction. There is the need to enhance strategies that further improve financial inclusion by expanding and improving the use of mobile money accounts. Social implications: The paper sheds light on how developing countries can harness financial inclusion to reduce poverty. Originality/value: The paper differs from the previous studies in two ways. Firstly, mobile money account is included in the computation of financial inclusion index over the sample period. It also determines the impact of financial inclusion on poverty for short-run and long-run periods. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2021-0690 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector is critical pillars of the Indonesian economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on MSMEs. The existence of activity violation policies, namely lockdown and social distancing, needs to be anticipated by MSME actors because it has changed consumer behavior and business competition. Digital transformation is a solution for MSMEs to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of access to finance on MSME performance moderated by digitalization. This study utilized 83 MSMEs as a sample. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to MSME owners who were selected as research samples. Data analysis was performed using the Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) method. The results of the study indicated that digitization significantly strengthens the relationship between financial access and MSME performance. For MSME actors, digitization will also make it simpler to introduce products, boost turnover, and assist with recording and producing financial reports.

Financial inclusion continues to be a significant challenge in Nigeria since many Nigerians are excluded from the financial ecosystem. This article investigates the impact of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) on digital financial inclusion using a quantitative research design and data collected from Nigerians. This was a correlational quantitative research study using a survey questionnaire distributed to 500 members of the Nigerian public using the eNaira. The results indicate that CBDC has a positive impact on digital financial inclusion; it facilitates improved access to financial services, reduces transaction costs, increases the number of banked members of the population, and enhances the efficiency of digital payments. This study concludes that CBDC is essential to improving financial inclusion in Nigeria. Based on these findings, it is recommended that policymakers in Nigeria continue to promote and prioritize the adoption of CBDC. Therefore, future research could explore the impact of CBDC on other aspects of financial inclusion beyond those explored in this study. For example, the research could be conducted to examine how CBDC impacts access to credit or explore the potential impact of CBDC on financial stability and monetary policy.

This study aims to estimate the financial inclusion (FI) index in Low- Income and Lower-Middle- Income (LLMI) Countries. The study used the Principal Component Analysis technique and Euclidean Distance Method to estimate the FI index for 39 LLMI countries over 11 years, from 2010 to 2020. For constructing the index, this study used four dimensions, i.e., “financial access, financial usage, infrastructure & communication technology, and banking cost.” These findings suggest that the exploitation of FI is the reason behind the low FI level in LLMI countries. Moreover, these countries have a higher banking costs compared to high-income countries. Therefore, financial inconsistency and banking competition hinder achieving an ideal FI level. This study also discusses policy recommendations for optimal FI in LLMI countries. From a policy perspective, strong regulation for FI is necessary for countries with unstable economic conditions, such as Ghana, which has an unsuitable economic condition to enhance FI. To increase the level of FI, the government must develop a strategic framework to improve FI. FI policy must focus on initiating, monitoring, and developing FI in the country.

Digital loans are a source of fast short-term credit for millions of people. While digital credit broadens market access and reduces frictions, default rates are high. We study the role of the speed of delivery of digital loans on repayment. Our study uses unique administrative data from a digital lender in Mexico and a regression-discontinuity design. We show that reducing loan speed by doubling the delivery time from ten to twenty hours decreases the likelihood of default by 21%. Our finding hints at waiting periods as a potential consumer protection measure for digital credit.

This study assesses the relationship between financial inclusion and low-carbon development and its implications for regional development. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to analyse data from a sample of E7 countries from 2001 to 2020. Results show that financial inclusion and low-carbon development are significantly related, indicating that financial inclusion is a significant driver of low-carbon development. Additionally, regional differences between E7 countries in financial inclusion and low-carbon development are identified, highlighting the need for region-specific policies to promote sustainable development. Moreover, findings show that deposits, bank accounts, and ATMs of all E7 economies contribute to environmental and economic growth inputs. The findings have important implications. Therefore, encouraging low-carbon growth via increased financial inclusion may be successful. Access to financial services, financial literacy, and financial innovation are all areas where policymakers might do more to advance the cause of financial inclusion. Accounting for variations in financial inclusion and low-carbon development between regions is important when crafting policies to encourage sustainable development. The economic climate, cultural norms, and institutional structures of a given area must all be considered by policymakers if they are to craft plans that will be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MSME sector is a prime factor in the national economic development of the world as it plays a strategic role in opening employment and new business and contributing greatly to encouraging the increase of GDP. A few pieces of research show that MSMEs' sustainability and resilience are continuously vulnerable to risk. The key dimension for MSMEs is their financial sustainability. It relies on MSMEs' ability to depend on oneself-operations and implies that the MSME should make a profit from its operations. Financial resources help to sustain and survive the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Access to the financial source is very important in the entrepreneurial development and economic growth of a country. Most importantly, it must be timely. The focus of this study is on the influence of family involvement on financial access in MSMEs, as the success of any business depends upon their involvement and support. Their contribution motivates entrepreneurial initiatives to the next level of advancement. This study surveyed on 80 MSMEs from different sectors in Kerala. Data were collected from 80 entrepreneurs. The developed conceptual framework was tested using the Structured Equation Model (SEM) and analysed through AMOS. SPSS 23.0 version software was used to analyse the data collected through a structured questionnaire. Most of the firms operated under the complete influence of family were more productive, competitive, and innovative and gave a good financial accessibility Cronbach's score of 0.281. Such MSMEs had perfect business sustainability blended with financial stability. Moreover, the firms operated under the family influence outperformed their non-family counterparts. This study highlights the importance of family involvement in financial accessibility and their contribution to the success of any MSMEs in Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of study is to test the role of access to finance between environment friendly technological adoption model for reshaping green consumer adoption pattern. For this, fuzzy-analytic approach is applied on Chinese model. The study findings highlighted that the environment friendly business initiatives must be maintained for longer durations to maintain environmental stability while time-honored techniques of controlling the environment evolve. In China, the technology acceptance model (TAM) in eco-friendly e-commerce increases consumer adoption goals for ecologically responsible items and creates new avenues for securing funding. The theoretical underpinnings of this study come from the fields of rational choice and planned behavior. Fifteen Chinese e-commerce professionals provided information for the research. Pythagorean fuzzy (PAHP) and FTOPSIS techniques are used to predict the results. The research results provide light on how TAM shapes the mindset, values, and goals of eco-conscious online shoppers in China, allowing them to get financial access while also helping to preserve the country's natural resources. Both theoretical and practical suggestions suggested directions to the key stakeholders to obtain financial access so that green consumer adoption may enhance for towards the adoption of environment friendly technology models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although value of financial development for logistics industry is stressed by literature, the studies examining the impact of the dimensions of financial development-depth, access, and efficiency- on logistics performance are limited. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature by empirically examining the association among logistics performance, financial depth, access and efficiency, by adding global competitiveness and good governance variables into the model. PLS-SEM is used to test the causal relationship between the variables simultaneously. Test results show that good governance has the largest impact on all. Importantly, financial depth, access, and efficiency have a significant and positive impact on logistics performance. One-unit change in financial depth, access, and efficiency leads 0,272, 0,195 and 0,164 unit change in logistics performance, respectively. Interestingly, we are not able to find statistically significant support for the linkage between financial depth and global competitiveness, but we find that financial access has the largest impact on global competitiveness compared to financial efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to analyse the role of asset impairment and biological assets in the company's audit and to estimate the impact of asset impairment losses and biological asset scale on audit fees. The object of the investigation was A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2021 in China. The study analysed 370 listed companies to obtain 28741 observations, of which 367 listed companies had 1854 observations with biological assets. The study applied the fixed effect model, three-step mediation test, Sobel mediation test and PSM matching test. The results show that asset impairment loss and biological asset size are significantly positively correlated with audit fees, and the scale of biological assets will strengthen the positive correlation between asset impairment loss and audit fees. It is further found that asset impairment and biological assets positively affect audit fees through two parallel intermediary paths of "audit working hours" and "violations". Finally, based on the above findings, this paper also attempts to make optimisation recommendations for the four relevant stakeholders involved in the audit. This paper contributes to improving accounting standards for biological assets and enriching the research on audit pricing based on the empirical justifications of their role in the company's audit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Financial access is key to achieving several economic goals in developing countries. This paper aims to construct a longitudinal village-level measure of financial access in India and understand the role of RBI's policies and village characteristics in influencing the access. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopt a spatial approach in developing a metric of financial access. In particular, they measure the distance of each unbanked village in India to the nearest banked-centre from 1951 to 2019. The authors use this measure to conduct two exercises. First, a descriptive study is undertaken to assess how RBI's policies on bank branch expansion from 1951 to 2019 influenced the proximity to bank branches. Second, the authors conduct regression analyses to investigate how socio-economic and demographic characteristics of villages influence their proximity to bank branches. Findings: The average distance of an unbanked village to the nearest banked-centre has declined from 43.5 km in 1951 to 4.2 km in 2019. The gain in bank access has varied geographically and over time. In 2001, bank branches were relatively distant from villages with under-privileged caste groups and proximate to areas with better infrastructure. This relationship worsened after 2005 when RBI introduced liberalized branch expansion policies. By 2019, proximity responds much more adversely to the presence of underprivileged groups. At the same time, banks have moved closer to economically better-off villages and villages with workforce in non-farm enterprises rather than agriculture. Originality/value: First, studies in the Indian context focus on state-level determinants of bank branching, this is the first study to develop a longitudinal measure of financial access at the village level. This helps to understand spatial heterogeneity in bank branch access within states, which other studies are unable to do. Second, the paper analyses the role of village-level socio-economic and demographic characteristics in proximity to bank branches. This analysis helps in discovering micro-foundations of growth of bank branch network. The granularity of the approach adopted here overcomes the confoundedness problems that the studies at a more aggregate level face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has insufficiently addressed the role of financial inclusion in migration decisions. Financial inclusion empowers people and provides the means to improve their own lives. We explore this relationship using data from the 2014 and 2017 waves of the Gallup World Poll Survey, which includes the first global measure of individual-level financial inclusion. Using a series of binary-choice models with sample selection, we find that financial inclusion meaningfully affects both intentions to migrate and preparations to do so. The likelihood of migration intentions and preparations increase with having an account, access to a debit card and the ability to make internet payments and to send and receive remittances. Saving for educational purposes, the ability to take out a loan, and savings via a savings club are also critical factors in converting migration intentions to preparations. Results show heterogeneous effects across rural and urban locations. Our findings imply that financial inclusion increases respondents' ability to finance and save for migration costs and may increase their ability to utilize social networks for migration purposes. This has potentially important policy implications for policymakers seeking to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically targets 1.4, 8.10, and 10.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of economic and political institutions in moderating the effect of financial inclusion on inequality. Using a variety of panel data models, five dynamic estimators, and data from 110 countries over the period 2004–2018, this paper documents a significant interaction between financial inclusion and institutions in determining the income inequality. The empirical results suggest that financial access can be strengthened by building effective institutions and that the effect of financial inclusion can be weakened if the institutional quality is poor. By performing a series of robustness checks, we confirmed these findings. The interactions of financial access with economic and political institutions are highly significant and positively associated with income equality. Hence, more policy formulation is required to tackle the problem of income inequality. Given the complementarity detected between financial inclusion and the institutional quality, an effective regulatory system and a healthy institutional framework should be ensured to improve financial access and to optimize the economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information and communication technology (ICT) of trade balance is one of the main facilitators of any business sustainability. As ICT and financial inclusion eases access to knowledge and enhances significantly developing several human skills and competencies, its impact in industrial sectors has mainly recognized as positive. But digitalization as well arguable comes with some other challenges, while disruptive digital innovations exerted on different industries and economies. In this spirit, this study aims to measure the impact of financial access and the information and communication technology (ICT) trade balance on the dark and bright sides of digitalization. Data has been collected from 31 countries of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the period of 2008–2019. Technological growth, technological innovation, technological performance risk and ethical proxies were used to examine the dark and bright sides of digitalization. The main findings were consistent and confirmed by the estimated panel least squares, fixed and random effects, feasible generalized least squares and system generalized method of moments (S-GMM) estimators. Financial access has found to have a significant negative impact on the digitalization proxies reflecting the dark side of digitalization in all estimators. Whereas, the ICT trade balance has found to have a significant positive impact on digitalization proxies reflecting the bright side of digitalization in most estimators. These results contribute to the policy debate on the importance of digital finance models and ICT exports awareness when promoting the bright side of digitalization. Furthermore, policy makers should monitor and update information that is disclosed digitally as the results of this study extended support the creative destruction theory which implicitly included economic innovation and the business cycle theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the feedback effect of innovation outcomes on access to finance, as an extension to the existing literature which suggests financial access drives firms to innovate. The study applies the theory of planned behaviors integrated with the signaling theory to evaluate financial access of Vietnamese firms in connection to their innovation with a particular focus on planned innovation activities—innovation activities that started out with an entrepreneurial intention to innovate. Applying the multilevel mixed-effects logistic (MELOGIT) regression for panel and the two-stage probit model within the conditional mixed process (CMP) to the data on Vietnamese small and medium firms, for the period 2005–2015, the study shows that firms with innovation outcomes appear to have better access to finance. More interestingly, the effect is stronger for planned innovation. These findings assert the signaling role of planned innovation to potential lenders on a comprehensive resource commitment guiding the innovation activity to success. The study offers interdisciplinary arguments from both financial risk perspective and theory of planned behavior integrated with the signaling view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector is critical pillars of the Indonesian economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on MSMEs. The existence of activity violation policies, namely lockdown and social distancing, needs to be anticipated by MSME actors because it has changed consumer behavior and business competition. Digital transformation is a solution for MSMEs to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of access to finance on MSME performance moderated by digitalization. This study utilized 83 MSMEs as a sample. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to MSME owners who were selected as research samples. Data analysis was performed using the Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) method. The results of the study indicated that digitization significantly strengthens the relationship between financial access and MSME performance. For MSME actors, digitization will also make it simpler to introduce products, boost turnover, and assist with recording and producing financial reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: Among the numerous factors affecting small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) ability to access funding, financial literacy or the lack thereof continues to rank high. The below-average levels of financial literacy among entrepreneurs inevitably restrict their access to finance, thereby adding to the already soaring rate of small business failure. Research purpose: The main research objective of this article is to determine the underlying financial literacy-financial access relationship among SMEs in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. Motivation of the study: Understanding the relationship between financial literacy and financial access among small businesses is imperative as they are key players in economic development. Empirical literature outlining this relationship is sparse. Therefore, the study made an original empirical contribution to the financial literacy-financial access nexus in the metropolitan. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative descriptive research design was followed. The survey method was used to gather data, where structured questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. The study considered a targeted population of 5609 registered SMEs in Ekurhuleni with a sample size of 384 prospective participants. A total of 310 responses were obtained from the owners and managers of SMEs in the municipality. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to compute all statitical analyses for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to establish the SMEs’ financial literacy and financial access relationship. Data were analysed using factor analysis, regression analysis and correlation analysis. Main findings: Entrepreneurs in Ekurhuleni were found to have a limited understanding of basic financial concepts implying low levels of financial knowledge. Additionally, the study established that financial access was significantly challenging for most SMEs. The findings further revealed a positive relationship between financial literacy and financial access. Practical managerial/ implications: The knowledge from this article may assist entrepreneurs and financial institutions in bridging the financial literacy gap, thereby increasing the likelihood of accessing funding by SMEs. It may also assist in influencing the development and implementation of micro and macroeconomics policies to raise financial literacy levels and leniency from financing sources towards SMEs.

The purpose of this study is to analyze significant variables that permit us to ascertain the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based banks. In doing so, two profitability measurements, namely, return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), have been used as dependent variables, while capital adequacy, asset management quality, operational efficiency, credit risk, liquidity, and the size of the bank have been considered as bank-specific independent variables. In addition, the rate of interest, inflation, and GDP growth rate have also been taken as macroeconomic independent variables. This study examined panel data of eight Shariah-based Islamic banks over a thirteen-year period spanning from 2010 to 2022, applying different kinds of linear regression models, including pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects, and random effects. Subsequently, the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach is also applied to assess the robustness of the findings. The results revealed that the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based Islamic banks is positively associated with asset management quality, liquidity, and credit risk. In contrast, capital adequacy, operational efficiency, and bank size are negatively correlated with the bank’s profitability. Concerning the macroeconomic factors, the findings indicated a notable positive correlation between the profitability of Shariah-based banks in Bangladesh and both the inflation rate and the interest rate spread. However, this study has also found that the profitability of the sample banks of Bangladesh is not significantly influenced by GDP growth. By providing fresh empirical data, the current research aimed to close a significant vacuum in the body of knowledge on banks and provide important insights for policymakers, managers, and other stakeholders by focusing on particular bank-specific and macroeconomic aspects that influence the profitability of Shariah-based Islamic banks in Bangladesh.