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Cryptocurrency trading has gained significant adhesion in financial markets, making it essential to understand the factors influencing trading intentions. This study investigates the psychological and knowledge-based determinants of trading intentions towards Beldex coins among crypto traders in India. This study aims to evaluate how risk management, hedonic motivation, investment desire, market knowledge, peer participation, and earning desires impact trading intentions. A survey was conducted with 369 crypto traders in India, and multiple regression analysis was employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that all six factors significantly influence trading intentions, with risk management (β = 0.342, p < 0.001) and earning desires (β = 0.378, p < 0.001) having the strongest impact on Indian Cryptocurrency market arbitrage. The regression model explained 53% of the variance in trading intentions (R² = 0.53). Cryptocurrency market information is analyzed through the CoinGecko tool that provides charts, market capitalization, and blockchain data; multiple regression analysis is utilized to test the hypothesized relationships. This study reveals that traders’ investment decisions in cryptocurrencies are primarily driven by financial motivations, including potential high returns, diversification, and inflation hedging, as well as technological factors of decentralized finance, blockchain technology, and digitalized transactions. AcknowledgmentThe authors would like to convey their gratitude to Prof. Balakumar Pitchai, Director/Research, Training & Publications at the Office of Research & Development, Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to be University), India for his suggestions to improve the language of the manuscript.

This study examines the impact of private equity fund managers' (GPs') ESG disclosure on fundraising. To this end, a sample of global private equity and venture capital funds that completed fundraising between 2020 and 2022 is employed. Our findings indicate that an increase in ESG disclosure by GPs is associated with an increase in fundraising. This indicates that GPs' ESG disclosure diminishes information asymmetry and has a favorable impact on fundraising. Conversely, the level of ESG disclosure among limited partners (LPs) has no significant impact on the relationship between GPs' ESG disclosure level and fundraising. The findings of this study have significant implications for private equity stakeholders, including GPs, given the current context of declining investment demand due to rising interest rates, recessionary concerns, poor performance and tighter regulations on private equity management. In this environment, ESG disclosure is becoming increasingly challenging for private equity firms to utilize as a fundraising strategy.

The purpose of this study is to see if the Fisher’s hypothesis validation is robust in year or/and countries dimensions. We investigate whether nominal or real stock market returns are hedged against inflation rate, so as to determine the appropriate time and markets to invest in (from the 32 countries) over a period covering the 2008 global finance crisis (GFC) and the Covid 19 outbreak. Hedging property is found to be homogenous within countries and stable in time. Using either nominal or real return, based on cross-sectional data results, Fisher’s hypothesis is generally validated with a few exceptions, while the time-series based results show that the hedge property is robust only in some countries. Using time series data (cross section data), in terms of homogeneity (homogeneity and stability), there is no difference between hedge property between Euro and non-Euro countries (groups of countries or between sub-periods) for both periods covering either 2008 GFC or the Covid 19 outbreak. Robust results are also the outcome of panel data investigations with or without the interest rate role as macro control variable.

This study develops a novel method for mitigating credit risk through the use of structured derivatives, focusing in particular on the use of European put options as a strategic hedging tool. Inspired by the work of Merton (1974), our approach introduces the concept of default triggered by the stock price ST breaching a predefined barrier B. By establishing a distributional equivalence between an existing default model and P(ST

This study examines various artificial intelligence (AI) models for predicting financially distressed firms with poor profitability (“Zombie firms”). In particular, we adopt the Explainable AI (“XAI”) approach to overcome the limitations of the previous AI models, which is well-known as the black-box problem, by utilizing the Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) and the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP). This XAI approach thus enables us to interpret the prediction results of the AI models. This study focuses on the Korean sample from 2019 to 2023, as it is expected that the COVID-19 pandemic increases the number of zombie firms. We find that the XGBoost model based on a boosting technique has the best predictive performance among several AI models, including the traditional ones (e.g. the logistic regression). In addition, by using the XAI approach, we provide visualized interpretations for the prediction results from the XGBoost model. The analysis further reveals that the return on sales and the selling, general and administrative costs are the most impactful variables for predicting zombie firms. Overall, this study focusing on several AI models not only shows the improvement for the prediction of zombie firms (relative to the traditional models) but also increases the reliability of the prediction results by adopting the XAI approach, providing several implications for market participants, such as financial institutions and investors.

This study delves into the dynamic interplay between economic value added (EVA) and dividend payout among listed firms in India. Leveraging data spanning from 2013 to 2019 for 564 Indian-listed companies, the study employs a fixed effect panel regression model to meticulously examine the intricate relationship between EVA and dividend payout. The findings decisively indicate a significant and positive correlation between the two, underscoring that an augmented EVA is associated with an elevated dividend payout ratio. Notably, a compelling insight emerges, revealing that a 100 percent surge in EVA corresponds to a noteworthy 5 percent upswing in firms’ dividend payouts. To fortify the robustness of these findings, the study employs the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, corroborating the initial results. In essence, this paper solidifies the notion that heightened economic value added translates to increased dividend payments, providing valuable insights for both practitioners and researchers in the realm of corporate finance.

Purpose – Motivated by the negative effect of external shocks on the domestic economy, this study explores the role of financial sector development in absorbing the effect of external shocks on macroeconomic volatility in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – Autoregressive distributed lag and fully modify ordinary least square are used to examine the moderating effect of financial development in the link between external shocks and macroeconomic volatilities in Nigeria between 1986Q1 and 2019Q4. External shock is proxy using oil price shock, and financial development is proxy by domestic credit to the private sector and market capitalisation. At the same time, macroeconomic volatility is proxy by output and inflation volatilities. Macroeconomic volatilities are generated using generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH 1,1). Findings – The results indicate that domestic credit to the private sector significantly reduces output and inflation volatilities in Nigeria in the short and long run. However, market capitalisation promotes macroeconomic volatility. More specifically, financial development indicators play different roles in curtaining macroeconomic volatilities. The results also reveal that external shocks stimulate macroeconomic volatility in Nigeria in the short and long run. Nevertheless, the effects of external shocks on macroeconomic volatilities are reduced when the role of financial development is incorporated. Practical implications – This study, therefore, concludes that strong financial sector development serves as a significant shock absorber in reducing the adverse effect of external shock on the domestic economy. Originality/value – This study contributes to the extant studies by introducing a country-specific analysis into the empirical examination of how financial development can moderate the influence of external shock on macroeconomic volatilities.

Purpose – In the purview of stress–turnover relationship, the present study aims to explore the endogenous and exogenous aspects of stress and employees' turnover intentions. Further, it also intends to evaluate the mediating role of perceived employee's exploitation between stressors and employee turnover intentions. For that matter, antecedents of stressors were identified and classified into endogenous and exogenous stressors: endogenous stressors relate to the employees' negative psychological contact within an organization and exogenous stressors are various macro-economic factors which have a considerable influence on employees' workplace behavior. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of this study, this study choses private school teachers as respondents working in the economically depressed state of India. Thus, data for the present study has been collected from 628 private school teachers of J&K (India) which were randomly selected. In order to ensure valid and reliable statistical inferences from the study, data collected has been validated using confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing has been carried out through structural equation modeling. Findings – It was found that both types of stressors were contributing negatively toward employee's psychological state resulting in undesirable employee organizational relationships manifested as turnover intentions among employees. Moreover, perceived employee's exploitation was found to intensify the relationship of employee turnover as a dependent variable regressed on endogenous, exogenous and occupational stress by fully mediating the stress–turnover intricacies. Research limitations/implications – The implications of the study include the identification of employees' stressor needs in order to gauge the understanding of the mechanism by which employees react to their environment and develop attitudes toward their jobs. The present study includes a small sample size obtained from private educational institutions only. Therefore, there is a need to take a geographically diverse sample that is inevitable for universal inferences and validity. Originality/value – Very little research has been conducted to explore endogenous, exogenous and unique stressors such as economic stress and perceived external opportunities which constitute the overall stress. Moreover, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which tests the model empirically that examines the effect of stress–turnover relationship through perceived employee's exploitation in the teaching and educational sector.

Purpose – The present study is intended to assess the risk factors associated with digital buying. Also aims to design and develop an instrument to assess the digital buyers risk factor score (DBRFS) in light of pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – Present investigation uses a quantitative approach to achieve the stated objectives. The survey instrument for the purpose of assessing risk factors associated with digital buying was developed in two phases. The present study adopts theory of planned behaviour (TPB), built based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The data were collected and analysed considering 500 valid responses, sampling unit being digital buyers using social media platforms in tyre-II city of India. The data collection was undertaken between June 2021 and August 2021. The instrument is designed and validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Findings – The present research identified six perceived risk factors that are associated with digital buying; contractual risk, social risk, psychological risk, perceived quality risk, financial risk and time risk. The DBRFS of male is 3.7585, while female is 3.7137. Thus, risk taking by the male and female is at par. For the age group 15–30, DBRFS is 3.6761, while age group 31–45 noted as 3.7889 and for the 46–50 age groups it is measured as 3.9649. Practical implications – The marketers are expected to have the knowledge about how people responds to the pandemic. The outcome of the research helps to understand consumer behaviour but disentangling consumer’s “black box” is challenging especially during global distress. The present study outcome helps the digital shopkeepers to respond positively to meet the needs of digital buying. Originality/value – The scale development and to quantify the DBRFS. A deeper understanding of about digital consumers during pandemics will help digital shopkeepers to connect issues related digital buying.

Purpose – From 1979 to 2023, the takaful structure has been adopted in many jurisdictions, making the documenting of its early days of establishment relatively difficult and somewhat unreliable. This is unlike conventional insurance, where the history and legislation are well documented and archived in various research (Hellwege, 2016; Marano and Siri, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to provide a chronology for the establishment and development of takaful via the takaful establishment in each jurisdiction, documenting its first takaful operator and first takaful regulation. Design/methodology/approach – This paper has used a qualitative method in the form of reviewing literature and available data such as journals, books and official resources. The data is thoroughly analysed in order to build the chronology for takaful. It adopted an exploratory research design, which is deemed suitable in situations where few works of literature have examined the subject (Neuman, 2014). The paper explores the establishment and non-establishment of takaful in 57 countries. The paper categorises the countries into seven regions starting with the GCC, Levant, Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and Others. Findings – The takaful chronology presented in this paper shows that takaful operations exist in 47 jurisdictions, starting from Sudan and the UAE in 1979, with the most recent adopters being Morocco and Iran in December 2021. It is found that 22 jurisdictions do not have takaful regulations, and the Takaful Act 1984, issued in Malaysia, is considered the first takaful regulation that sets the basis for other regulations that follow. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive chronology of takaful, especially as the few existing timelines have been found to be incomplete and consist of contradictory information.

Purpose – Using an integrated theoretical model, this study aims to examine the moderating role of gamification in influencing intentions to use mobile payment applications in Bahrain. Design/methodology/approach – The current examination happens to be the first approximation in the context of Bahrain wherein an extended TPB-based model integrating variables from TAM and UTAUT2 is used along with gamification and situational influence to examine the intentions to use m-payment applications. Findings – The findings revealed that among the variates of the TPB, AT and PB significantly affect the intentions (IN) to use m-payment applications in Bahrain, but SN fails to affect intentions, similarly SI also fails to affect intentions thereby proving that the pandemic fails to drive the intention of the population under study toward using m-payment applications. However, when the application offers gamification (GM) features, SI significantly affects intentions through GM, thus experience along with situation drives intentions and this becomes the major theoretical contribution of the study. Practical implications – This examination offers useful practical implications in the form of the findings revealing that GM affects intentions to use m-payment applications and that GM moderates the relationship between perceived risk (PR) and IN, as well as SI and IN, which can be used by the service providers to improve the user experience and achieve better acceptance of their application. Originality/value – The novelty of the study lies in testing the integrated theoretical model in the context of a GCC nation, Bahrain.

Purpose – There is evidence of country-level contextual variations regarding the benefits of practical experience acquired by students during higher education. This paper, therefore, analyses the benefits of student internships in the Ghanaian context. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, two structured but distinct surveys were distributed to senior members and students of six specialised technical education institutions (TIs). Study 2 involved in-depth interviews with the heads of organisations in the tertiary education sector, including trade groups, industries and government agencies. Findings – Internship provides soft skills, confidence, career development, sense of responsibility, employability, income, knowledge sharing and networking for students/interns. For TIs, it contributes to the professional development of faculty supervisors and helps them to update the content they teach. For employers, it unveils talented and promising students who can be employed immediately after graduation at a relatively cheaper cost. Research limitations/implications – There is still the need for additional research in different contexts: both developed and developing economies to clear doubts on the controversies surrounding the relevance of internship in the 21st century. Practical implications – TIs should continue to champion student internship programmes. This study highlights the need for employers to place internship students in areas that relate to their fields of study. It also underscores the need for students to embrace internship since it is the cornerstone to their employability in the labour market. Social implications – Undeniably, student internships provide a critical platform for career beginners. Originality/value – This paper contributes to knowledge by offering contextual literature in Ghana on the benefits of student internship programme for interns/students, TIs and employers, all together.

Purpose – This study aims to examine the moderator effect of religiosity on the relationship between halal brand awareness and habit towards purchasing decisions of halal products. Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative method is used in this study. Descriptive and statistical (multiple and moderated regression) analyses are employed to test the hypothesis according to the research model. The data is collected using a cross-sectional design from 197 respondents consisting of business owners in North Sumatera, Indonesia. Findings – It is found that both halal brand awareness and habit have a positive and significant effect on the purchasing decision of halal products. Meanwhile, religiosity significantly acts as a moderating variable in the relationship between awareness and purchasing decisions, as well as habit and purchasing decisions. Research limitations/implications – This study revealed the important factor of religiosity as a moderating factor in purchase decisions of halal products. The government may need to collaborate with Islamic educational institutions to raise awareness of the halal concept and product awareness. It is assumed that individuals who know about the Islamic religion will have a higher degree of awareness of halal products compared to individuals with limited knowledge of Islam; thus, providers of Islamic education play a crucial role in raising the level of awareness of halal products. Schools may serve as catalysts for the dissemination of knowledge of halal products. Originality/value – Developing halal product markets can be done by enhancing the religiosity level of consumers, one of them through attending formal or informal religious classes.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and investment efficiency (INE) in Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies and to explore the moderating role of corporate reputation in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a two-step method, with stage 1 involving the development of a theoretical model using the literature's strategic framework and stage 2 using structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the relationships between variables. The data set used in the analysis includes 296 responses from senior executives/managers and subordinates at Bangladeshi pharmaceutical firms. Findings – The study finds that CSR activities that focus on customers, employees and the community significantly affect INE, as well as the extended stakeholders, and that company reputation moderates this relationship. The effect of CSR on INE differs between well-established companies and business firms with favourable reputations. Practical implications – The paper contributes to understanding the relationship between CSR and INE in a developing country context and highlights the importance of corporate reputation in this relationship. The findings suggest that companies can enhance their INE through CSR initiatives and that a positive reputation can strengthen this relationship further. Originality/value – The study adds to the limited literature on CSR and INE in developing countries and provides new insights into the moderating role of corporate reputation in this relationship.

Purpose – Over recent years, the multi-stakeholder role in sustainable ecotourism within Asia has emerged as a crucial narrative for sustainable ecotourism management across countries on the continent. This trend is perhaps due to the fact that ecotourism is one of the most rapidly growing sectors within the tourism industry. However, to date, no reviews have provided a comprehensive analysis related to the role of multi-stakeholders in the achievement of ecotourism sustainability, particularly in the Asian context. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by examining the current knowledge regarding multi-stakeholder involvement in sustainable ecotourism within Asia. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review procedure was followed. 320 articles were finalized, from which 34 related pieces of research were selected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Findings – Three themes emerged from this paper. Recommendations were highlighted to enhance sustainable ecotourism. The study concluded that a more enabling research environment should be provided to improve discourse and encourage policy interventions. Originality/value – No previous studies have explored the multi-stakeholder's role in achieving Asian sustainable ecotourism, indicating a critical gap to be fulfilled. This paper uniquely contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive review of the roles and challenges of multiple stakeholders in sustainable ecotourism across Asia and proposing innovative policy solutions tailored to the region's unique socio-economic and cultural context. Moreover, it puts forward potential solutions to bolster sustainable ecotourism within Asia, benefiting both stakeholders and the destination.

Purpose – The study is interested in knowing “the role of the organizational structure as a mediating variable of the relationship between the information technology and organizational communication”. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in several service companies, and the study adopted the questionnaire as a basic tool for the data collection on the practical side, as 267 opinions were surveyed, in addition to conducting personal interviews, and the normal distribution of data was tested, analyzing, describing and diagnosing study variables, testing correlations and determining direct effects. Findings – Findings show that there is no direct and significant statistical impact of information technology on organizational communications. Whereas there was a positive, direct and statistically significant impact of information technology on the organizational structure. There was also a positive, direct and statistically significant effect of the organizational structure on organizational communication. Research limitations/implications – This paper is restricted to the role of the organizational structure as a mediating variable of the relationship between the influence of information technology on organizational communication. Practical implications – As part of the practical implication, the paper suggests the need to increase support and attention to the importance of information technology in service organizations in order to increase coordination and organizational communication and achieve a high ability to explore and exploit ideas. Originality/value – Apart from the fact that several companies were engaged, the organizational structures of these companies were engaged too to examine the impacts of Information technology (ICT) on organizational communication.

Purpose – This research aims to evaluate the accuracy of several Value-at-Risk (VaR) approaches for determining the Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) for Islamic stock markets during the pandemic health crisis. Design/methodology/approach – This research evaluates the performance of numerous VaR models for computing the MCR for market risk in compliance with the Basel II and Basel II.5 guidelines for ten Islamic indices. Five models were applied—namely the RiskMetrics, Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity, denoted (GARCH), fractional integrated GARCH, denoted (FIGARCH), and SPLINE-GARCH approaches—under three innovations (normal (N), Student (St) and skewed-Student (Sk-t) and the extreme value theory (EVT). Findings – The main findings of this empirical study reveal that (1) extreme value theory performs better for most indices during the market crisis and (2) VaR models under a normal distribution provide quite poor performance than models with fat-tailed innovations in terms of risk estimation. Research limitations/implications – Since the world is now undergoing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study will not be able to assess performance of VaR models during the fourth wave of COVID-19. Practical implications – The results suggest that the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) should enhance market discipline mechanisms, while central banks and national authorities should harmonize their regulatory frameworks in line with Basel/IFSB reform agenda. Originality/value – Previous studies focused on evaluating market risk models using non-Islamic indexes. However, this research uses the Islamic indexes to analyze the VaR forecasting models. Besides, they tested the accuracy of VaR models based on traditional GARCH models, whereas the authors introduce the Spline GARCH developed by Engle and Rangel (2008). Finally, most studies have focus on the period of 2007–2008 financial crisis, while the authors investigate the issue of market risk quantification for several Islamic market equity during the sanitary crisis of COVID-19.

Purpose – This paper examines how board structure influences real earnings management and the interaction effect of CEO narcissism on board structure-real earnings management relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used panel data derived from secondary sources from publicly listed firms in Kenya during 2002–2017. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The results indicate that board independence, board tenure and size have significant negative effect on real earnings management, while CEO duality positively affects real earnings management. Further, the interaction results show that CEO narcissism moderates the relationship between CEO duality and real earnings management. Research limitations/implications – The results suggest that real earnings management reduces when boards are independent, large and comprising of long-tenured members. However, when the CEO plays dual role of a chairman, real earnings management increases. The authors also find that when CEOs are narcissists, the monitoring role of the board is compromised. Originality/value – The study adds value to the understanding of how board structure and CEO narcissism influence the monitoring role of the board among firms listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Purpose – This study aims to determine the antecedents that influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products and consumers' green purchase intention among consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 329 consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe's commercial capital who were served from five using a structured questionnaire via an online web-based cross-sectional survey. Hypothesised relationships were tested through structural equation modelling with the aid of Smart PLS software. Findings – Green product awareness, social influence, perceived benefit and attitude towards green appliances were found to have a significant positive effect on green purchase intention. Research limitations/implications – The study's findings may not be generalised to other contexts as sample data was only collected in Zimbabwe. Complementary cross-sectional research studies can be done in other parts of the world to enable cross-cultural comparisons and methodological validations. Practical implications – The green appliance and energy saving practices are vastly growing, with many multinational appliance companies introducing green products within their product lines and adopting the concept of sustainability through modifications in production, design and consumption of household appliance products that encompass fewer harmful consequences on the environment in response to their concerns about the scarcity of natural resources, environmental well-being and the potential detriment of future generations. Originality/value – Notwithstanding the limitations of the current study, the results have the potential to contribute to an improved understanding of influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products.

Purpose – The study aims to evaluate the influence of capital structure decisions and asset structure on firms' performance for East African listed nonfinancial firms. Design/methodology/approach – The research is descriptive and employs secondary data from the East African capital markets' websites. The generalized method of moments approach is used to estimate the relationship due to its ability to account for endogeneity problems. Findings – The result shows that capital structure decisions and asset structure strongly influence the firms' performance. When long-term debts, short-term debts and tangible fixed assets increase, the return on total assets increases. An increase in the total debt ratio raises the return on equity (ROE). However, the increase in long-term debt lowers the ROE. Practical implications – The results will help investors and potential investors decide on a financing policy that maximizes performance. Likewise, governments and other policymakers review the capital markets' frameworks to attract institutional and individual investors to the markets for financial availability and to increase profitability. Originality/value – The research provides evidence on the influence of capital structure decisions and asset structure on firms' performance. Furthermore, its results contribute to firms' financing policy formulation and the corporate finance literature.

Purpose – Substantial changes in the education system and the shift to online classes during the lockdown have raised teachers’ attention to the idea of practicing cooperative learning in online environments. Cooperative learning activities enhance academic skills if designed effectively. This study aims to explore students’ attitudes toward cooperative learning in online learning environments. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a descriptive study. A survey was administered to 50 graduate and postgraduate students of English as a Foreign Language. Findings – Results indicated that the students had positive attitudes toward the integration of cooperative tasks in online environments. They also revealed no significant differences in the attitudes toward cooperative learning based on the students’ level (i.e. undergraduate or postgraduate) and that the students preferred small groups. Originality/value – Cooperative learning is a widely researched topic, especially in higher education. However, most of the previous studies reported results of the implementation of cooperative learning in traditional classrooms. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the impact of online tools on cooperative learning.

Purpose – Stock markets are considered as the largest and most important units for the development and growth of the economy. The present study attempts to provide a comprehensive view of factors influencing investment decision making process of stock market investors. A multi group analysis of gender is also carried out on the proposed model. Design/methodology/approach – The data of 402 valid responses are collected through structured questionnaires from individual investors of North India. SPSS 23 is used to do the descriptive analysis and AMOS 22 is used to establish the validity of the constructs and for hypotheses testing. For performing multi group analysis, several invariance tests have also been conducted to check the robustness of the model. Findings – The results reveal that all the factors such as firm image, accounting information, neutral information, advocate recommendation and personal financial needs significantly influence investment decision making concluding image of the firm being the most influential factor and advocate recommendation being the least influential factor for investment decisions. No significant differences between males and females were found. Research limitations/implications – The current study suffers from the limitation of restricted geographical area of North India. Moreover, there is also a scope to incorporate more demographic factors for predicting investment decisions. Originality/value – This study incorporates a range of factors which covers all the aspects of investment decision making. This study also highlights the notion of signaling theory, thus contributing to the limited literature in Indian context.

Purpose – The usage of social media at the workplace has become an undeniable reality, yet the role of social media use (SMU) in job-related outcomes is still unclear. This study uncovers a chain process through which SMU may strengthen job security perception of employees through social media disorder (SMD) and networking behavior. Design/methodology/approach – This quantitative study used ratings of 197 Emirati students enrolled in a higher education institution located in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The respondents were professionals serving in different public and private organizations in UAE. Findings – The statistical results supported a significant serial mediation of SMD and networking behavior between SMU and job security perceptions of employees. Practical implications – This study offers implications for employees and their supervisors about the usage of social media for strengthening their perceptions of job security. Originality/value – This study contributed to the existing stream of research on SMU to explain a chain process through which employees may benefit from social media to strengthen their perceptions of job security.

Purpose – The study aims to investigate the influence of corporate governance practices on enhancing firm value in manufacturing industries in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – The study sample consists of 131 companies from 10 manufacturing industries listed in Dhaka stock exchange (DSE). Using the multiple regression method, the study analyzed 1,193 firm-year observations from 2012 to 2021. Findings – The outcome reveals that managerial ownership, foreign ownership, ownership concentration, board size, board independence, board diligence and auditor quality have a significant positive influence on firm value. In contrast, audit committee size has no significant influence on firm value. Originality/value – The practical implications of the current study demonstrated that good corporate governance creates value and must be invigorated for the interest of all stakeholders. Policymakers should formulate specific guidelines regarding firms' ownership structure and audit quality issues.

Abstract This study aims to: (1) examine the impact of cybersecurity disclosure on banks’ performance and (2) explore whether the existence of a chief risk officer (CRO), an information technology (IT) committee, and a board of directors (BOD)’ size moderates the association between cybersecurity disclosure and bank performance. The study used manual textual analysis to measure cybersecurity disclosure in a sample of listed banks in the MENA region countries based on data from 2019 to 2021. The data were collected from annual reports and financial statements of banks available at Orbis Bank Focus database. The study employed a random effect regression model to test the hypotheses and discuss the results. The findings show that banks in the MENA region are increasingly interested in disclosing cybersecurity information, where cybersecurity disclosure over the sample years is increasing from 17% in 2019 to 19.6% in 2021. In addition, the results show that cybersecurity disclosure has a positive and significant influence on bank performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the presence of a CRO moderates the relationship between cybersecurity disclosure and bank performance. These findings show that depending largely on a bank's CRO to handle complex and dynamic risks can have serious consequences for decision making processes connected to managing cybersecurity risk and disclosure. This paper creates a new research paradigm by focusing on the disclosure of cybersecurity information in the MENA banking sector, where exploring the moderating role of the CRO, IT committee, and board size in enhancing the cybersecurity disclosure-bank performance relationship is lacking. The findings provide practical implications for various stakeholders, where it reveals the current practices of cybersecurity disclosure of banks in the MENA region with the objective of minimizing information asymmetry, maintaining public trust, and identifying potential risks of financial distress. In addition, the results direct the attention of banks and regulators toward the role of CRO in risk governance, particularly in managing cyber risks within the banking industry.

Abstract The purpose of our study was to examine how individual complementors' development behaviors (specifically, diversity- and distinctiveness-oriented development behaviors) impact the performance of complementary goods on the platform. To achieve this, we employed fixed-effects regression analysis and utilized panel data obtained from the free music platform “DOVA.” This study examines two aspects of the performance of complementor’s complementary goods: the highest performance related to the success of the platform ecosystem and the lowest performance related to platform ecosystem sustainment. The findings indicate that a high focus on diversity-oriented development behavior is positively correlated with the complementor's highest performance and negatively correlated with complementor's lowest performance. Additionally, distinctiveness-oriented development behavior also positively correlated with complementor's highest performance. However, low distinctiveness-oriented development behavior is negatively correlated with complementor's lowest performance. We reveal desirable development behaviors for complementary goods related to both content innovation and platform ecosystem sustainability. Based on these understandings, platform owners can target platform governance.

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between insurance development, population, economic growth, and health expenditures for a panel of 31 OECD countries over the period 1995–2021. A dynamic panel data analysis based on cointegration, FMOLS, DOLS, VECM, and Granger causality tests is employed to suggest for the existence of a long-run relationship among variables. The long-run results show that insurance development, national income, and population exhibit positive impacts on health expenditures. The results reveal that insurance factor has larger income effects than substitution effects on health expenditures. Regarding the short-run causal relationship between the variables, the empirical results suggest that economic growth strengthens health expenditure growth, while insurance growth reduces it. In the short-run, insurance development has a crowding-out effect since it produces larger substitution effects than income effects. The results provide political implications that governments need to concern the short-run crowding-out effect of private insurance sections on health expenditures when making fiscal policies on public health expenditures.

Indonesian stock market is dominated by young and relatively inexperienced traders who often depend on the recommendations of influencers or bloggers in social media. This will then make them dependent and conduct frequent trading, which also means higher transaction costs that diminish their profits and increase their risks, thus decreasing investor satisfaction. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of perceived investor sophistication and social media influence on investment satisfaction mediated with perceived investment return as a mediating element. The analysis focused on young investors aged 18 to 30 who have invested in shares on the Indonesian Stock Exchange for at least one year. A quantitative method was adopted using questionnaires to collect data from 344 respondents. Furthermore, data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling – Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) with SMART PLS 4.0 software. The results showed that both perceived investor sophistication and investment return significantly affected investment satisfaction with beta coefficients of 0.416 and 0.358, respectively. Perceived investor sophistication also significantly influenced perceived investment return with a beta coefficient of 0.557. Additionally, social media influence significantly affected perceived investment return with a beta coefficient of 0.103. This social media influence did not directly impact investment satisfaction but through the perceived investment return, which was further found to fully mediate the impact of social media influence on investment satisfaction. Perceived investment return also partially mediated the effect of investor sophistication on Investment Satisfaction.

Trust is a fundamental element in financial interactions, particularly in the advisory sector, influencing investment decisions and overall client satisfaction. This study aims to explore the impact of trust-building strategies on investment decisions through the financial advisor-client relationship. The research employs a structured questionnaire to gather data on trust-building strategies, the advisor-client relationship, and investment decisions. The study found that trust-building strategies, such as transparency and competence demonstration, positively influenced investor decisions. Specifically, 78% of investors reported increased confidence in their investment choices after engaging with advisors who prioritized transparency and expertise. Moreover, 85% of investors indicated a preference for advisors who demonstrated reliability and ethical conduct, leading to a stronger advisor-client relationship. The findings underscore the importance of trust in financial advisory services and suggest that enhancing trust through transparent practices can lead to more informed and collaborative decision-making processes. The study emphasizes the evolving nature of investment decision-making and proposes integrating technological innovations like AI and robo-advisors. The study provides valuable insights for financial institutions to invest in advisor training and guidance, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

This study aims to examine the direct and indirect impact of IFRS adoption on the financial performance of Moroccan companies listed on the Moroccan financial market. The analyses are based on data drawn from the financial statements of 21 Moroccan companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. By measuring financial performance using three stock market measures, namely the Mariss ratio, the Price Earnings Ratio, and the Tobin Q ratio, and using the structural equation method with SPSS AMOS software, the results indicate that before the introduction of the cost of capital variable, IFRS significantly affect financial performance, with an estimated coefficient of 0.395 significant at the 5% threshold. By introducing the cost of capital variable, the results show that the direct and significant relationship between IFRS and performance disappears, recording an estimated coefficient of 0.241 with a non-significant probability level of 0.243. On the other hand, the results show that the estimated coefficients for the indirect effect of IFRS on financial performance are negative, i.e., a coefficient of –0.099 estimating the direct effect of IFRS on the cost of capital and a coefficient of –2.621 estimating the direct effect of the cost of capital on financial performance, significant at the 1% and 5% thresholds, respectively. This confirms the hypothesis that the transition to IFRS indirectly and totally influences financial performance via the cost of capital variable.

Tax avoidance, often driven by managerial discretion, remains a critical issue in corporate governance due to its implications for financial transparency and regulatory compliance. This study investigates how Transfer Pricing, Thin Capitalization, Leverage, and CSR Disclosure – strategies employed by managers – affect Tax Avoidance and examines the mediating role of Financial Reporting Aggressiveness. Grounded in agency theory, the study analyzes data from 20 firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange from 2019 to 2023 using PLS-SEM. The findings reveal that Transfer Pricing (β = 0.062, p = 0.002), Leverage (β = 0.046, p < 0.001), and CSR Disclosure (β = 0.061, p < 0.001) significantly increase Tax Avoidance, with Financial Reporting Aggressiveness acting as a mediator. However, Thin Capitalization does not significantly influence Tax Avoidance (β = 0.028, p = 0.422). These results suggest that managers exploit these mechanisms to minimize tax burdens, often at the cost of long-term shareholder interests. The study calls for stronger corporate governance and stricter oversight of CSR reporting and financial transparency to mitigate such practices.

The paper aims to explore the determinants of total volatility connectedness of nine super sectors on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) market from 3rd January 2006 to 31st December 2021. These sectors are Automobile and Parts, Chemical, Telecommunication, Technology, Energy, Health, Finance, Insurance, and General Industrials. The paper applied Diebold and Yilmaz connectedness matrix and the time-varying parameter – vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model to determine the sectorial total volatility connectedness index (STVCI). After that, the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL) was used to determine the asymmetric effects and the drivers of STVCI. It was found that the partial sum decomposition of the South African volatility index (SAVI) and Economic Policy Uncertainty Index (EPU) are the key determinants of the STVCI both in the long and short run. However, domestic market return (DMR) shows no significant asymmetric effect on STVCI. The study concluded that SAVI and EPU are the key determinants of volatility connectedness among the JSE super-sectors. The results unveil important implications for sectorial investors and policymakers on potential regulations and stability of the significant determinants of spillover risk.

Abstract This paper investigates the predictive relationships among climate policy uncertainty (CPU), oil prices, and renewable energy (RE) stock market returns, particularly highlighting the challenges posed by the varying data frequencies of these variables. The study utilizes a comprehensive dataset comprising monthly CPU, daily oil prices, and RE stock returns, sourced globally. By applying a mixed-frequency causality test (MFCT), the analysis reveals significant predictability across different time horizons, particularly highlighting the strong influence of oil prices on RE stock returns over short-term horizons, while CPU demonstrates a more pronounced effect over medium to long-term horizons. In contrast, the application of the classical Granger causality test on low-frequency (monthly) data indicates an insignificant relationship between CPU and RE stocks, suggesting that traditional models may overlook important predictive dynamics. The analysis was conducted using Matlab code, and the findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in designing effective climate policies and for investors in optimizing portfolio strategies and hedging against risks.

This study employs a panel data model to examine the impact of sustainable business practices on profitability in the Indian market, focusing on 49 companies listed in the S&P BSE ESG 100 index from 2015 to 2022. Sustainable business practices are measured by ESG composite scores and individual environmental, social, and governance scores. Profitability is represented by return on equity and return on assets. Utilizing the Panel Corrected Standard Error technique to address data issues like autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity, the study finds that sustainable business practices insignificantly impact profitability. However, the social pillar has a significantly positive correlation with return on assets, with each unit improvement in the social score resulting in a 0.1323 increase in return. Conversely, the governance pillar negatively impacts return on assets, with each unit increase in governance score resulting in a decrease of 0.1527 units in profitability. Interestingly, larger companies experienced reduced returns on both assets and equity, as financial risk also lowered returns. These findings emphasize the relevance of companies’ socially responsible behavior, suggesting that managers and investors should prioritize sustainable practices for long-term benefits. Additionally, the findings advocate for robust regulatory frameworks focused on sustainability.

Tax compliance is the determining factor in tax report submission, enhancing tax awareness. A low level of tax compliance (TC) directly affects the government revenue and low inflow of information regarding taxpayers. This study uses descriptive and explanatory research approaches to identify determinants of residential rental income tax compliances (TC) among property owners in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal. A total of 1,129 structured questionnaires were distributed among the households of Kathmandu Valley for the cross-sectional and primary data, and only 500 (44.29 percent) useful responses were received from the respondents as the population was unknown. The response rate exceeds the estimated sample size of 384. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of tax rate on tax compliances (r = 0.329**, P

Purpose – Organizations seek to achieve the best results for their strategic decisions by increasing the effectiveness of the vertical and horizontal interconnection. This leads to an efficient and effective flow of information when making decisions (from the bottom-up) and information related to those decisions when starting to implement them on the ground (from Top-down). Thus, the article aims that, it requires managers at all levels to practice relational leadership skills, the most important of which is dealing with emotions (through emotional intelligence (EI)) and conflicts (through personal styles). Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the views of 324 managers were surveyed in several small and medium-sized companies in Saudi Arabia. The respondents were selected randomly. Findings – A direct positive effect of EI, patterns of cooperation and comprehension to deal with conflict was found on the results of strategic decisions and indirectly through relational leadership. Research limitations/implications – This paper is restricted to the relevant literature on the influence of EI and personal styles of dealing with conflict on strategic decisions. Practical implications – As part of the practical implication and managerial decision, policymakers should note that intelligence directly impacts strategic decisions. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies that focused on the level of EI when choosing managers for organizational units and divisions.

Purpose – This study aims to examine whether there are differences between financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and financial statements prepared in accordance with local accounting standards in terms of its ability to present the financial conditions of companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange as one of the emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach – Data on study variables were obtained from the published financial statements of 67 of listed companies in the Saudi Stock Exchange during the period 2014–2019. The study addressed the research hypotheses by using Altman Z-score model. Both the T-test and Wilcoxon rank test were used to investigate the significance of differences between the values of Z-score and the individual variables included in the model in the pre- and post-IFRS mandatory adoption periods. Findings – The results revealed a decrease in the values of Z-score as well as the values of the individual variables included in the model in the period following the adoption of IFRS than it was before the adoption of IFRS, which indicates the ability of IFRS to show the financial conditions of companies more transparently than local accounting standards. However, the results of the T-test and Wilcoxon test showed that these decreases were not statistically significant. Research limitations/implications – This study has some limitations, including the small sample size as a result of the small size of the Saudi Stock Exchange, As well as the reliance of this study only on the Altman model with its five variables in assessing financial conditions without examining the impact of other factors that may affect the financial conditions of companies. Practical implications – Financial conditions of the companies have important implications for multiple parties such as management, government, investors and others as an early warning sign that enables them to take the necessary measures early before the actual bankruptcy occurs and what results in costs. Originality/value – Although assessing financial conditions of the companies is one of the basic uses of accounting information, this topic has not received sufficient attention as a means to test the benefits of adopting IFRS, especially in emerging markets such as Saudi Stock Exchange. This is the first study to examine the impact of adopting IFRS on the transparency of financial reporting in assessing financial conditions in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose – This study examines, in relation to agency theory, the influence of corporate mechanism on the environmental reporting of banking businesses registered on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Design/methodology/approach – This study was carried out consuming an example of 150 annual reports from 30 banks for the period 2015–2019. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to investigate the inspiration of corporate governance on the range of inclusive environmental reporting. Findings – The outcomes reveal that insider equity, board leadership structure, and presence of female directors are statistically significant, while board size and outside directors are insignificant. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the adoption of environmental disclosure among banking businesses in Bangladesh is extra motivated by an increase in the inside skills and moderately the outside acceptability weights. Additionally, there appears to be a supposed lack of stakeholder pressure for environmental disclosure. Originality/value – The results show that the range of environmental reporting of banking businesses in Bangladesh is good, at an average of 53.90%. It concludes that corporate governance has a substantial inspiration on the range of environmental reporting of banking businesses in Bangladesh.

Purpose – This study examines the test's predictive validity of English language performance and compares test constructs to identify the most effective predictors of English language performance. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected and analysed from test scores of students enrolled in the foundation year (N = 84) and level 2 (N = 127) in the faculty of English at a Saudi university using correlation and regression tests. Findings – The findings revealed that the General Aptitude Test (GAT) is effective in predicting English performance for students in level 2 and that the error detection task is the most effective predictor of performance in English reading. Practical implications – The study provides support for the validity of the GAT as a university admission requirement for English language courses in the Arabic-speaking world. Originality/value – This study examines the GAT's power using a fine-grained approach by deriving scores from its breakdown constructs to predict the performance of English skills at the university level.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of using visual grammar on learning participle adjectives by EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. Design/methodology/approach – The study follows an experimental design in which two groups participated in the study. The experimental group used visual grammar tools in learning participle adjectives. The control group was taught the participle adjectives in a traditional way. A pre–post test was designed and presented to the participants in the two groups. Findings – The results showed that the experimental group made statistically significant improvements in their performance in using participle adjectives due to the use of visual grammar tools. Research limitations/implications – The current study is only limited to the effect of visual images on a particular grammatical issue, that is participle adjectives. Besides, the study does not include the gender variable; there may be variation in the results depending on the variable of gender. Practical implications – The present study can provide language instructors with some guidelines on how to incorporate visual grammar applications in teaching grammar aspects. Learners can also be encouraged to have a better understanding of English grammar, using the different connotations of visual images. Social implications – Using visual images in teaching grammar will increase the learners' ability to think beyond their classroom environment. They can use this experience whenever they face visual images in different societal activities. Originality/value – This paper is one of the initial attempts to investigate the effect of using visual grammar on learning participle adjectives.

Purpose – The research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance (FP) has seen a surge over the years. However, the role of corporate reputation (CR), advertising strategy and market competition is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to consider this gap and test an integrative model of CSR-FP, in the context of India. Design/methodology/approach – The data for CSR expenditure were collected from the annual reports of the selected companies. CR was captured using the ranks of Fortune India 500, Business Standard 1,000 and Economic Times 500. The financial data were collected from CMIE (Prowess) database. Findings – Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed a significant relationship between CSR expenditure of the firm and its reputation; but no relationship between CR and performance. When CR increases, the performance of a firm may not improve. Competitive intensity (CI) had no statistically significant role in the CR-FP relationship for performance. Results suggest that reputed firms perform well despite high competition within an industry. High reputation is effective in improving performance irrespective of competition. CI has a positive impact in the reputation–performance linkage. Advertising intensity (AI) played a significant moderating role in the CSR intensity and CR relationship. Originality/value – This research represents an added value for the literature on CSR by highlighting the importance of CR, advertising strategy and market competition in the relationship between CSR and FP. The findings have several implications for theory and practice, which have been discussed in the study.

Purpose – Micro-enterprises, like any other business entity, face financing challenges. However, micro-enterprises often cannot access financial institutions as they cannot fulfill the conditions to obtain financing facilities from a formal financial institution. As such, they have to rely on family or friends for financing needs. The most critical challenge faced in this regard to Muslim micro-enterprises is finding out a way in which family and friends could give a financial helping hand without the involvement of riba (interest). At the same time, the person giving the financing can enjoy a profit. This paper aims to propose the Tawarruq Fardi Financing (TFF) model that Islamic micro-enterprises could use to fulfill their financial needs. It becomes a solution when obtaining financing from friends and family or any other third party who could be a private investor who does not want to engage in an equity relationship. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a qualitative research methodology, combining descriptive and content analysis using the inductive reasoning approach. Findings – The paper's outcome shows that the proposed TFF could assist Islamic micro-enterprises in obtaining Shariah-compliant financing without engaging in an equity partnership. It allows them to fulfill their financing needs bearing in mind the interest of both parties involved in the transaction. Originality/value – This research will assist Islamic micro-enterprises to find out a Shariah-compliant financing facility from family, friends and any other private investors without entering into an equity relationship. The proposed model would be a Shariah-compliant alternative to interest-free loans and engaging in an equity relationship for the sake of getting benefits for both parties involved in the transaction.

Purpose – How closely does the translation match the meaning of the reference has always been a key aspect of any machine translation (MT) service. Therefore, the primary goal of this research is to assess and compare translation adequacy in machine vs human translation (HT) from Arabic to English. The study looks into whether the MT product is adequate and more reliable than the HT. It also seeks to determine whether MT poses a real threat to professional Arabic–English translators. Design/methodology/approach – Six different texts were chosen and translated from Arabic to English by two nonexpert undergraduate translation students as well as MT services, including Google Translate and Babylon Translation. The first system is free, whereas the second system is a fee-based service. Additionally, two expert translators developed a reference translation (RT) against which human and machine translations were compared and analyzed. Furthermore, the Sketch Engine software was utilized to examine the translations to determine if there is a significant difference between human and machine translations against the RT. Findings – The findings indicated that when compared to the RT, there was no statistically significant difference between human and machine translations and that MTs were adequate translations. The human–machine relationship is mutually beneficial. However, MT will never be able to completely automated; rather, it will benefit rather than endanger humans. A translator who knows how to use MT will have an opportunity over those who are unfamiliar with the most up-to-date translation technology. As MTs improve, human translators may no longer be accurate translators, but rather editors and editing materials previously translated by machines. Practical implications – The findings of this study provide valuable and practical implications for research in the field of MTs and for anyone interested in conducting MT research. Originality/value – In general, this study is significant as it is a serious attempt at getting a better understanding of the efficiency of MT vs HT in translating the Arabic–English texts, and it will be beneficial for translators, students, educators as well as scholars in the field of translation.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate the factors that explain the reasons why customers may be willing to use chatbots in Zimbabwe as an e-banking customer service gateway, an area that remains under researched. Design/methodology/approach – The research study applied a cross-sectional survey of 430 customers from five selected commercial banks conducted in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. Findings – The research study showed that a counterintuitive intention to use chatbots is directly affected by chatbots' expected performance, the habit of using them and other factors. Research limitations/implications – To better appreciate the current research concept, there is a need to replicate the same study in other contexts to enhance generalisability. Practical implications – Chatbots are a trending new technology and are starting to be increasingly adopted by banks and they have to consider that customers need to get used to them. Originality/value – This study contributes to bridging the knowledge gap as it investigates the factors that explain why bank customers may be willing to use chatbots in five selected commercial Zimbabwean banks. This is a pioneering study in the context of a developing economy such as Zimbabwe.

Purpose – The paper assesses the role of natural resource rents in Nigeria's economy through the channel of institutional quality. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is done with the use of autoregressive-distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration, vector error correction model (VECM), Granger causality test and cointegrating regression over the period 1996–2019. Findings – Findings support the notion that overreliance on natural resources could exacerbate the growing number of dysfunctional economic outcomes in the country. The study confirms that a mix of weak governance quality and natural resource rents could have a negligible effect on economic growth and possible retardation impact on the economy in the long run as well as in the short run. The evidence further reveals that there is unidirectional causality running from the interaction term to growth, suggesting that growth trajectory could be jointly determined by natural resource rents and the quality of institutions. Originality/value – The divergent arguments associated with the mechanisms of resource curse in each of the resource-rich countries offer ample support for the contention that economic outcomes in resource-abundant states may not be a product of resource windfalls per se, but rather the quality of governance or ownership structure. Hence, the ultimate aim of the analysis is to further understanding on the link between resource rents and growth in Nigeria via governance channel.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the Islamic accounting research. In particular, the paper extensively investigates the literature on Islamic accounting to understand the issues, contexts, methods and theoretical paradigms thereof. Design/methodology/approach – The study has adopted a literature review approach. It has examined the key journal publications for 30 years in accounting discipline and systematically identified the Islamic accounting papers during 1990–2020. In total, 95 papers were identified until June 2020, and they were thoroughly reviewed to identify the relevant issues, contexts, methods and theoretical paradigms. Findings – The study has found that Islamic accounting papers covered issues of both Islamic organizations (e.g. Islamic financial institutions) and of Muslim countries. The key issues include the regulation and regulatory compliance, annual report disclosures, corporate and Islamic governance, accounting profession, gender, accountability matters, management accounting and control, waqf accounting and zakat management. The study has also observed various normative guidelines from the academics on how the teaching of Islam is enacted in accounting, accountability and governance matters to attain the maqasid al-shari'a, i.e. human welfare, social justice and equity. Research limitations/implications – The study is not empirical. Hence, the limitations of literature review papers are applicable in this case. Moreover, it is possible that this study could not identify some of the important literature on Islamic accounting (such as the papers published in Arabic by the academicians and professionals of Arab world). Practical implications – The study enables both Islamic accounting academics and practitioners to identify the main Islamic accounting issues and realize the importance of Islamic accounting. Social implications – When the author considers Islamic accounting as a social construction and tries to understand the phenomenon through social theories, the author acknowledges the relevance of Islamic accounting in the society in which it operates. It can be noticed from the discussion that Islamic accounting emphasizes on social welfare, balance, equity and providing relevant information to follow the commandments of God. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to provide a synoptic view on the issues, context, methods and theoretical paradigms of Islamic accounting, while covering major accounting journals in 30 years.

Purpose – This research focuses on the distinct group of high-status employees commonly referred to as workplace vigilantes, and conceptually investigates how unethical requests by these individuals impact the behavior and attitude of other employees over time using the social identity theory. Design/methodology/approach – For developing a conceptual model, literature from the domains of social identity, organizational behavior and general management was searched through Google Scholar. To search the literature, some key terms such as “unethical activities”, “Islamic work ethics” and “social identity” were searched and analyzed. Findings – Using the social identity theory, a conceptual process model is developed which suggests that when high-status employees propose unethical requests to employees, individuals with high morality are likely to refuse those unethical requests to protect their self-categorizations. However, taking the unfair advantage of their illegitimate powers, high-status employees are likely to eventually make wrong judgments and give unnecessary punishments to moral employees. It is further argued that consistent victimization is likely to negatively impact the social identity of such employees and leads to irritability in moral employees, particularly when such individuals are unable to get the requisite social support from their leaders. Originality/value – While a considerable body of literature has focused on the antecedents and consequences of intense unethical business practices and the crucial role of leaders in such activities, limited attention has been given to the role of other employees and how they engage in mild unethical misconduct regularly, which is the key focus of this research. The novel conceptual framework needs to be tested in diverse contexts for further development and validation.

Purpose – Understanding China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emission status is crucial for getting Carbon Neutrality status. The purpose of the paper is to calculate two possible scenarios for CO2 emission distribution and calculated input-output flows of CO2 emissions for every 31 China provinces for 2012, 2015 and 2017 years. Design/methodology/approach – In this study using the input and output (IO) table's data for the selected years, the authors found the volume of CO2 emissions per one Yuan of revenue for the industry in 2012 and the coefficient of emission reduction compared to 2012. Findings – Results show that in the industries with a huge volume of CO2 emissions, such as “Mining and washing of coal”, the authors cannot observe the reduction processes for years. Industries where emissions are being reduced are “Processing of petroleum, coking, nuclear fuel”, “Production and distribution of electric power and heat power”, “Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery”. For the “construction” industry the situation with emissions did not change. Originality/value – “Transport, storage, and postal services” and “Smelting and processing of metals” industries in China has the second place concerning emissions, but over the past period, emissions have been sufficiently reduced. “Construction” industry produces a lot of emissions, but this industry does not carry products characterized by large emissions from other industries. Authors can observe that Jiangsu produces a lot of CO2 emissions, but they do not take products characterized by significant emissions from other provinces. Shandong produces a lot of emissions and consumes many of products characterized by large emissions from other provinces. However, Shandong showed a reduction in CO2 emissions from 2012 to 2017.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the direct effect of job commitment (JCT) on student retention (REN), exploring the mediating roles of total quality management (TQM) and information communication technology adoption (ADT), and moderating roles of toxic leadership (TLE) and job demands (JDD). Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a conceptual framework along with postulations by integrating both empirical and theoretical literature in the fields of employee well-being, strategic management, information communication technology, leadership, as well as work and occupational psychology. Findings – This paper proposes that JCT will be positively related to REN, and this positive relationship will be mediated by TQM and ADT. Additionally, TLE and JDD will moderate the direct positive effect of JCT on REN. Research limitations/implications – This paper provides implications for both researchers and practitioners in the areas of strategic decision-making in educational institutions and behaviour management for enhancing REN by applying JCT, TQM and ADT as strategic tools, while keeping TLE and JDD under control. It also offers implications for upcoming researchers to empirically test this conceptual framework in different educational settings. Practical implications – By boosting employees JCT, educational institutions stand the chance of improving REN via TQM and ADT. Additionally, JCT can foster REN under a working environment where TLE and JDD are kept low. Originality/value – The paper offers unique insights into how TQM and ADT connect JCT to REN, and how JCT relates to REN under varied levels of TLE and JDD. It also highlights the theoretical contributions of the resource-based theory of a firm, affective events theory and activation theory.

Purpose – Studies showed that a proactive delivery system employing innovative artificial intelligence (AI) in urban services might perform better. This has become an important national policy for many countries. Thus, this study aims to explore the influence of AI in urban services in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Official documents such as Structure Plan and Government Transformation Programme Policy Document covering various levels of cities in Malaysia, articles related to urban studies mostly written by researchers regarding urban growth in Malaysia and the Urban Development Bulletin from the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning from 1957 to date were reviewed and analysed. Findings – The findings show that the influence of AI in urban services has long existed and been carefully planned by local authorities since colonial times. The development of global digital technology influences the upgrading of AI in urban services in Malaysia. Also, the success of AI in these municipal services is influenced by the rate of information technology literacy among the urban population. These developments have led to the definition of a conceptual city. Research limitations/implications – This paper's findings and conclusion were based on reviewed literature but did not compromise the strength of this paper. Thus, as part of the implications for future research, mixed-methods research design has been suggested. Practical implications – As part of the implications, this article intends to promote AI in urban services in Malaysia and other developing countries with similar urban services challenges. Originality/value – This paper encourages AI applications in urban services because it enhances service delivery performance. This intends to key stakeholders to promote AI via policies across Malaysia's urban services as part of the study implications.