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Purpose — This research explores the impact of COVID-19 on the financial return of Islamic banks (IBs) in nine countries located in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It also examines the determinants of IBs’ profitability during stable and uncertain periods, namely before and during the development of coronavirus. Design/Methodology/Approach — The financial data of this paper were collected from annual reports of IBs and the Orbis Bank Focus database over four years: 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the progress of IBs’ performance from 2018 to 2021. The t-test was employed in this research paper to compare the financial proxies of IBs, and the multiple regression model was used to assess the determinants of IBs’ performance before and during the development of coronavirus in MENA countries. Findings — The empirical findings show that IBs in MENA countries were dramatically influenced by the development of COVID-19. All financial proxies of IBs like financial return and liquidity experienced a sharp drop during the lockdown period. The empirical findings also indicate that the financial situation of IBs in 2021 became close to the pre-pandemic situation but was nonetheless below the banks’ performance prior to the pandemic period (2018-2019). Finally, the results show that the determinants of IBs’ return were not the same during stable and uncertain periods. During the COVID-19 period, credit risk, managerial efficiency and oil price were the significant determinants of IBs’ profitability. Before the development of COVID-19, besides the elements of credit risk, managerial efficiency and oil price, liquidity risk and bank size were also found to have an influence on IBs’ profitability. Originality/Value — The research offers new insights to top managers in IBs to increase the institutions’ financial return and mitigate the negative shock of crises by managing several factors such as credit risk and managerial efficiency.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to discover the motivating factors for cryptocurrency investment during an economic crisis in the MENA region, with reference to the economic crisis of 2019–2022, in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used t-test, and logistic regressions on a sample of 254 Lebanese investors to differentiate between cryptocurrency investors, and non-investors. Linear regressions of a subsample of cryptocurrency investors determined the factors that explained increasing cash investment in cryptocurrencies. Data were collected from investors in Lebanon, which could limit the generalization of the research results across the MENA region.FindingsInvestors differed from non-investors in that they were male, owned investments in the stock, bond and commodity markets, had prior investment experience in cryptocurrencies, were risk-takers and had expectations of high returns. Investors increased the dollar investment in cryptocurrencies, if they were male, as they invested more funds in securities, had previously invested in cryptocurrencies and had stronger risk-taking propensity. Expectations of high returns drove investors to cryptocurrencies, but such expectations do not stimulate further cryptocurrency investment.Originality/valueThis study is an initial attempt to comprehend the reactions of investors in the MENA region to a currency crisis that triggered investment in cryptocurrencies following the collapse of fiat currencies, central bank default and restrictions on bank withdrawals.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a new conceptual framework for big data analytics (BDA) in the healthcare sector for the European Mediterranean region. The objective of this new conceptual framework is to improve the health conditions in a dynamic region characterized by the appearance of new diseases.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents a new conceptual framework that could be employed in the European Mediterranean healthcare sector. Practically, this study can enhance medical services, taking smart decisions based on accurate data for healthcare and, finally, reducing the medical treatment costs, thanks to data quality control.FindingsThis research proposes a new conceptual framework for BDA in the healthcare sector that could be integrated in the European Mediterranean region. This framework introduces the big data quality (BDQ) module to filter and clean data that are provided from different European data sources. The BDQ module acts in a loop mode where bad data are redirected to their data source (e.g. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, university hospitals) to be corrected to improve the overall data quality in the proposed framework. Finally, clean data are directed to the BDA to take quick efficient decisions involving all the concerned stakeholders.Practical implicationsThis study proposes a new conceptual framework for executives in the healthcare sector to improve the decision-making process, decrease operational costs, enhance management performance and save human lives.Originality/valueThis study focused on big data management and BDQ in the European Mediterranean healthcare sector as a broadly considered fundamental condition for the quality of medical services and conditions.

Purpose Social entrepreneurship is gradually becoming a potent driving force for economic and social development in developing countries as a result of governance deficits. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinant factors of successful social entrepreneurship in the emerging circular economy of Lebanon. The objective extends to exploring the mediating role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the success of social entrepreneurship in Lebanon. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-sectional survey design, the authors collected primary data from 389 social entrepreneurs through questionnaires in selected locations in Lebanon. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The hypotheses were tested using linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) for predicting the impact of independent variable on the dependent variable. The validity, progressive and various models fits were tested using root mean square of approximation, root mean square of residuals, standard root mean square residuals, incremental fit index, fitness of the extracted and non-normal fit index. Findings The SEM estimations reveal that three main factors determine the success of social entrepreneurs in Lebanon, namely, environmental factors, psychological factors and prior experience. Moreover, the results reveal that support of NGOs positively moderates the relationships between the success of social entrepreneurship and two different variables (psychological factors and environmental factors), but failed to moderate the relationships between success of social entrepreneurship and four variables (experience, education, leadership and founding team composition). Originality/value The study contributes to the entrepreneurship and circular economy literature by explicating empirically the determinant factors of successful social entrepreneurship in Lebanon’s emerging circular economy. It also provides a fact-based social awareness on the role of local and international NGOs in supporting the social entrepreneurs in driving the idea of a circular economy. The study also validates multiple entrepreneurship theories.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the current literature on international entrepreneurial careers by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. It mainly aims at identifying determinants of international entrepreneurial intentions among young people and after their first employment experience in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses SEM on a sample of 150 young Lebanese employees to analyze the relationships among the model constructs.FindingsThe SEM broadly holds and adequately fits the data. The entrepreneurship context and the motivation of young employees are the variables that positively affect entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship education and social norms have no statistically significant impact. Finally, risk awareness and professional experience are the variables that negatively affect entrepreneurial intentions. The level of international entrepreneurial intentions among young Lebanese employees is relatively low, which may be justified by the bad economic and political situation.Research limitations/implicationsData were drawn from organizations located in a specific geographical area, namely, Lebanon. Thus, this may constrain the generalizability as well as causality of the results.Originality/valueThis study provides an empirical explanation of having an international entrepreneurial career after the first employment experience, with a sample of 150 young employees in Lebanon. By applying the SEM, this study developed a multi-perspective framework covering various factors that may affect the choice of an international career in entrepreneurship, especially after the first job experience. Even though this study's results reflect a particular case, its recommendations could facilitate the achievement of better learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to create quantitative models to value ether, ether futures, and ether options based upon the ability of cryptocurrencies to transform existing intermediary-verified payments to non-intermediary-based currency transfers, the ability of ether as a late mover to displace bitcoin as the first mover, and the valuation of ether in the context of investor irrationality models. The risk-averse investor’s utility function is a combination of expectations of the performance of ether, expectations of cryptocurrencies’ transformative power, and expectations of ether superseding bitcoin. The moderate risk-taker’s utility function is an alt-Weibull distribution, along with a gamma distribution. Risk-takers have a utility function in the form of a Bessel function. Ether price functions consist of a Levy jump process. Ether futures are valued as the combination of current spot prices along with term prices. The value of spot prices is the product of a spot premium and a lognormal distribution of spot prices. The value of term prices is equal to the product of a term premium, and the Levy jump process of price fluctuations during the delivery period. For ether options, a less risky ether option portfolio offsets ether’s risk by a fixed-income trading strategy.

Blockchain technology offers great properties such as scalability, decentralization, immutability, and security. These properties attracted many new fields such as healthcare, education, finance, and much more. This chapter proposes combining blockchain with big data technologies in order to provide a smart and efficient healthcare model. First, the authors propose to use the blockchain to save medical records (transactions) for patients on a large-scale system while preserving the privacy for patient. Blockchain can be used to keep track about each medical record for a patient. Since blockchains can save small amounts of data and since medical records can become very lengthy and complex to analyze, the authors propose to use big data technology in combination with blockchain. The big data technology can store large files and can handle heterogeneous files. Big data technology can apply sophisticated analysis on the data collected from blockchain.

The aim of this chapter is to examine the relationship between consumer perception of green advertising and consumer buying behavior. This study was conducted on consumers in Lebanon using a structured questionnaire. A total of 135 responses are included in this study using a convenience sample approach. Results showed that within green marketing, first, environmental knowledge is a determinant of purchasing green products. Secondly, the company image influences consumer intention to purchase green products. The improved features of the product influence significantly the green purchasing intention. Finally, the company credibility and skepticism towards green claims has a negative influence. Moreover, the result accredited facets of green marketing that companies need to focus on while designing advertising strategies.

This research paper aims to explore whether the corporate governance structure and political connection played an efficient role in preventing the negative impact of crisis, namely the Covid-19 crisis in GCC banks. Based on a data of 326 banks observations from 6 countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia), the results of t-test, fixed-effect, 2SLS and GMM models provide new insights regarding the political connection and corporate governance design in GCC banking sector. The results of this study show that banks do not change their corporate governance structure during crisis. Furthermore, the results indicate that both independent members on board of directors and political ownership concentration mitigate the negative impact of crisis and enhance the financial performance of banks in GCC. Finally, the results show that large banks that sustain their operational activities have large capacity to resist during crisis. The findings will be useful for bankers, regulators, central banks and governments within GCC. The results will guide them to review the governance structure to mitigate the negative impact of any future crisis.

Wellbeing can be ensured in society through quality healthcare, a minimum of medical errors, and the improved performance of healthcare professionals. To this end, health information systems have been implemented in hospitals, with this implementation representing progress in medicine and information technologies. As a result, life expectancy has significantly increased, standards in healthcare have been raised, and public health has improved. This progress is influenced by the process of managing healthcare organizations and information systems. While hospitals tend to adapt health information systems to reduce errors related to patient misidentification, the rise in the occurrence and recording of medical errors in Lebanon resulting from failures to correctly identify patients reveals that such measures remain insufficient due to unknown factors. This research aimed to investigate the effect of health information systems (HISs) and other factors related to work-related conditions on reductions in patient misidentification and related consequences. The empirical data were collected from 109 employees in Neioumazloum Hospital in Lebanon. The results revealed a correlation between HISs and components and the effects of other factors on patient identification. These other factors included workload, nurse fatigue, a culture of patient safety, and lack of implementation of patient identification policies. This paper provides evidence from a Lebanese hospital and paves the way for further studies aiming to explore the role of information technologies in adopting HISs for work performance and patient satisfaction. Improved care for patients can help achieve health equality, enhance healthcare delivery performance and patient safety, and decrease the numbers of medical errors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reveal the impact of dynamic managerial innovative capabilities on the competitive advantage (CA), financial performance (FP) and non-financial performance (NFP) of the health-care sector during the very turbulent Covid-19 pandemic period. The focus is on human behavior and personnel interaction in the hospitals that receive Covid-19 cases.Design/methodology/approachData for this research was collected from the medical sector in Lebanon. The authors approached 14 public hospitals and 60 private hospitals for the study and only 48 hospitals (total of 284 respondents) accepted to complete the survey and provide data using a structured questionnaire.FindingsThis study reveals the moderating impact of CA on the relationship between dynamic managerial innovative capabilities and the performance of the health-care sector. Based on 48 Lebanese health-care centers during the Covid-19 pandemic, the results of the structural equation modeling model indicate that dynamic managerial innovative practices positively impact on CA and NFP. The results also reveal that CA has a moderating effect on the relationship between dynamic managerial innovative practices and NFP.Practical implicationsThis study does not reveal any direct or indirect relationship between managerial capabilities and FP during the pandemic.Originality/valueAs the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, the health-care sector needs new approaches and methods for confronting the constantly evolving and turbulent environment. This study examines how health-care leaders are dealing with these dynamic challenges and tests a three-dimensional SEM model of dynamic managerial capabilities (sensing, seizing and reconfiguration) that impact CA.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reveal the impact of strategic competitive innovation types on the financial performance of SMEs during a very critical period: the COVID-19 pandemic. Four strategic competitive innovation types are considered in this study: marketing innovation, organizational innovation, product innovation and processes innovation.Design/methodology/approachTo examine empirically the relationship between strategic competitiveness and financial performance, data were collected from a sample of 426 Lebanese SMEs belonging to seven different sectors.FindingsThe empirical findings of principle component analysis model (PCA) and multiple regression model (MR) reveal that the ability to innovate is essential to an SME’s survival during a crisis. The results of this study confirm the existence of a positive impact of marketing innovation and processes innovation on the financial performance of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic.Practical implicationsMoreover, results suggest that, in Lebanese SMEs, product innovation and organizational innovation do not have any impact on the financial performance during the pandemic period.Originality/valueThis research focused on strategic competitive innovation as a broadly considered essential condition for the survival of SMEs during the COVID-19 crises.

The arrival of COVID-19 has a negative impact on social conditions and economic indicators of many developed and developing countries. SMEs and managers are suffering from the lockdown, health conditions and the difficulty of transportation. They are implementing new strategies and applying cost control of their expenses to survive. The local governments in collaboration with the IMF, the UN and international NGOs should collaborate and cooperate to recover the socio-economic conditions. This research paper sheds light on socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and provides many proposals to recover the socio-economic conditions in developing and developed countries.

Despite the international commitment to guarantee the rights of disabled people, including the rights at the workplace, evidence shows that legislations are faced with different barriers to achieving their expected inclusion goals. Even more, the literature reported some counter-effects to the implementation of international and national legislations. Diversity studies have argued that the successful implementation of organizational support strategies is more guaranteed when barriers are well understood. This chapter examines the perceptions of employers and individuals with disabilities, including those with mental disabilities, of the barriers that inhibit diversity management at the workplace. The authors suggest extending the diversity literature by examining other organizational factors that facilitate the employment and sustainability of disabled individuals.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to reveal the impact of public legal protection on the efficiency of internal corporate governance in banks. In addition, this research proposes a new corporate governance index that could be employed by the banking sector to evaluate the performance of their internal corporate governance mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachOrbis database, annual reports and direct questionnaire are used to collect corporate governance data of 127 banks from 14 countries during 2020. The Mann–Whitney U-test is employed to compare the efficiency of corporate governance mechanisms based on three subsamples of countries having different legal protection levels (weak, middle and strong).FindingsThis research suggests a new corporate governance index for banks based on seven constructs and 62 variables. This new non-parametric index could be used by bankers to improve the monitoring process and enhance the overall performance of banking. The results of this research show that the existence of a strong public legal protection environment within a specific country enhances the efficiency of corporate governance mechanisms in the banking sector and thus, leads to improve the protection of shareholders, depositors and other relevant stakeholders. However, in countries that are characterized by weak legal protection level, the efficiency of corporate governance mechanisms is very low and there are possibilities of entrenchment, expropriation and extraction of private benefits. These findings could be interpreted within the prediction of agency, moral hazard, asymmetric information, political and entrenchment theories.Originality/valueThis research paper provides information that bankers and other relevant stakeholders in the banking sector working in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) and European countries. A strong public legal protection level could improve the efficiency of internal corporate governance mechanisms within banks.

This paper addresses the problem of forecasting daily stock trends. The key consideration is to predict whether a given stock will close on uptrend tomorrow with reference to today’s closing price. We propose a forecasting model that comprises a features selection model, based on the Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Random Forest (RF) classifier. In our study, we consider four international stock indices that follow the concept of distributed lag analysis. We adopted a genetic algorithm approach to select a set of helpful features among these lags’ indices. Subsequently, we employed the Random Forest classifier, to unveil hidden relationships between stock indices and a particular stock’s trend. We tested our model by using it to predict the trends of 15 stocks. Experiments showed that our forecasting model had 80% accuracy, significantly outperforming the dummy forecast. The S&P 500 was the most useful stock index, whereas the CAC40 was the least useful in the prediction of daily stock trends. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of employing international stock indices to predict stock trends.

This article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial performance, credit risk and capital adequacy of the banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with the determinants of the banks’ financial performance before and during the pandemic investigated. The data were collected from the Orbis Bank Focus database and banks’ annual financial reports, with descriptive statistics, t-tests and multiple regressions employed to analyse the data. The results revealed that the pandemic negatively and significantly affected the financial performance of the banks, increasing the credit risk, but that it had no significant impact on capital adequacy. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the managerial efficiency, the bank’s size and the gross domestic product had a significant positive impact on the bank’s financial performance in both periods, while in contrast, the credit risk had a negative and significant impact on the banks’ financial performance. Finally, the liquidity risk, capital adequacy, inflation and oil prices had no significant impact on the banks’ financial performance. The findings of this study are important for the banks in the MENA countries given the uncertain future with the recurrent emergence of global crises. Overall, it is recommended that the banks implement strategies to control the credit risks and thus maintain their profitability during such crises.

PurposeThe aim of this paper has twofold: (1) to explain and compare the financial evolution of Islamic and conventional banking sector in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to explore the key success factors that might affect Islamic and conventional banks performance before and mainly during COVID-19 pandemic period.Design/methodology/approachOrbis Bank Focus database and annual financial reports are used to collect financial information of Islamic and conventional banks in GCC countries over four years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Descriptive statistics, T-test, multiple regression, and 2SLS and GMM models are employed to analyze the financial structure and performance of Islamic and conventional banks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period.FindingsResults of this study reveal that (1) there is a significant difference between Islamic banks and conventional banks during the crisis of COVID-19, where the conventional banks have presented a higher level of financial performance and financial liquidity than their Islamic counterparts, (2) conventional banks have revealed higher capacity to manage their financial risk during the crisis period, and (3) a high level of non-performing loan, high inflation rate and high percentage of non-important cost have a negative impact on the financial performance of Islamic banks mainly during the pandemic period of COVID-19. However, the result indicates that a high level of liquidity risk increased the performance of Islamic banks but this impact falls sharply during the pandemic period.Originality/valueThis study provides information that supports investors, regulators and executive managers in GCC countries. A well-structured balance sheet would improve the financial performance and risk management of the banking sector in GCC countries, especially in times of crisis and pandemics.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of internal and external corporate governance mechanisms on the financial performance of banks in the under-researched Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Bank annual reports, the Orbis Bank Focus database, and World Bank reports were used to collect both financial and non-financial information on the banking sector, followed by fixed effects regressions and two-stage least squares. Results showed that the corporate governance measures of presence of independent members on the board of directors, high ownership concentration, lack of political pressure on board members, and strong legal protection, had positive effects on bank financial performance. Corporate governance mechanisms, such as performance-based compensation, the presence of women on boards, moderate size of the board, and anti-takeover mechanisms had no significant impact on bank performance during the crisis period. An effective internal and external corporate governance mechanism could improve the financial performance of banks in MENA countries in times of pandemics and crises.

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of oil price fluctuations on the financial performance of banking sector in 8 oil producing and exporting countries in Middle East region (Kingdom Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrein, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Iran) in the period between January 2012 and December 2017. The results do not reveal the same impact of oil price fluctuations on the financial performance of banking sector in each studied country. A significant direct impact of oil prices on the financial performance of banking sector has been found in Bahrein, Oman and Iran. In Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, the results do not reveal any direct impact of oil price fluctuations on the financial performance of banking sector. The analysis also showed that the size of the economy in each country and its diversification in non-oil sectors have a direct impact on the relationship between oil price fluctuations and financial performance of banking sector. The existence of well diversified economy in non-oil sector reduces the direct impact of oil price fluctuations on the financial performance of banking sector.Keywords: Oil prices, Banks, Financial Performance, Macroeconomics Factors. JEL Classifications: E02, E44, E6, G21, Q41DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.8075

This study investigates the impact of stock price fluctuations on stock markets in six countries in Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar) during and after the recent geopolitics conflicts, known as Arab Spring, from January 2011 to December 2017. Two statistical models were implemented to measure the relationship between oil price fluctuations and stock markets returns. The logistic smooth transition model (LSTR) was implemented to measure the relationship between oil price direction (positive/negative) and stock markets returns. The exponential smooth transition model (ESTR) was applied to capture the relationship between the magnitude of oil price fluctuations (small/large) and stock markets returns. The results reveal several asymmetrical results of oil price directions (positive/negative) on stock markets returns in some GCC countries. In Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, the negative oil price fluctuations have larger impact on the returns of stocks markets than positive oil price fluctuations. The results reveal also that the existence of political instability increases the sensitivity of stock markets returns on negative oil price shocks. In addition, the results of ESTR model do not reveal any asymmetrical relationship between the magnitude of oil price changes and stock markets returns in GCC region except Oman. A high level of oil price shocks has larger impact on Omani stock market returns than small oil price shocks.Keywords: Oil prices, Stock Markets, Arab Spring, Geopolitical conflicts, Gulf Cooperation CouncilJEL Classifications: E02, E44, E6, G18, Q41DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.7978

The Lebanese banking sector has become risky due to political and economic crises. At such times, corporate governance mechanisms ensure objectivity of assessment and rationality in decision making. We examine the impact of internal corporate governance mechanisms on the performance of Lebanese banks, with political involvement in the administration and ownership of the banks. We used linear regression on a sample of 194 bank-year observations from 2016 to 2021. The presence of independent members on boards of directors, and ownership concentration due to family ownership, had positive effects on bank return on assets, return on equity, liquidity levels, and loans issued. Efficient control, along with the presence of audit, and compliance committees reduced risk by increasing capital adequacy and reducing non-performing loans. Both administrative political connections and ownership political connections increased return on assets, increased return on equity, increased liquidity levels, and increased loans to deposits, while increasing non-performing loans. Agency conflicts suggest that granting loans due to political pressure increased non-performing loans.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles, solar roofs, and wind power suggests that the potential growth in green equity investments is an emerging trend. Accordingly, this study measured the predictors of excess equity returns in a portfolio of global green energy producers, from 2010 to 2019. Fixed-effects panel data regressions of daily returns, followed by quantile regressions, were performed. There was some support for the explanation of green equity returns by market returns and market risk (beta), as indicated by the single-factor Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), and the multifactor Fama–French Three-Factor and Fama–French Five-Factor Models. The most significant predictors of green equity returns were Value-at-Risk at a 95% confidence level, and Value-at-Risk at a 99% confidence level. Expected Shortfall was another extreme risk value measure. The importance of extreme value measures suggests the presence of fat-tailed leptokurtic distributions, whereby excess returns were explained by the risk of loss given adverse conditions, primarily at 95% confidence. We conclude that the proliferation of small firms and new entrants in the renewable energy sector has led to the explanation of returns by extreme values of risk.

This study examines the determinants of reputation of the Lebanese banking sector during the political instability and the economic crisis of 2019. This research employed two categories of variables: cognitive determinants and emotional determinants. Based on a recent data explored from 621 customers of 9 Lebanese banks, the results reveal that four cognitive variables (customer care, quality of offer, integrity and reliability and financial strength) have significant and positive impact on the reputation of the Lebanese banking sector during instability. The results also reveal that emotional variables (trust and satisfaction) have more significant impact on the reputation of the Lebanese banks during crises.

Purpose The main purpose of this research is to empirically test the impacts of emotional intelligence score and emotional intelligence processing on the performance of investor’s portfolio. Design/methodology/approach A mail questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of 983 international investors. The total number of usable responses received was 197 giving a response rate of 20.4 per cent. From 197 investors, 46 accepted to complete the experiment study during two trading hours for each investor from January first until February 19, 2015. Findings The results reveal a positive impact of emotional intelligence on portfolio performance. Additional analysis shows that the emotional intelligence process has a significant impact on the portfolio performance. The higher impact is revealed when the investors understand the markets tendency, manage their own emotions, take their financial decisions and finally control their personnel emotions during market fluctuations. The lower impact is detected when investors take reactive decisions after perceiving the markets tendency. This research also reveals that the investors have high capacity to manage and control their emotions during market fluctuations especially who are characterized by high emotional intelligence level. Research limitations/implications The first limit of this research is the exploration of limited number of investors and financial operations during limited period. Therefore, the results could not be generalized, and further studies should include larger samples during larger period. The second limitation concerns the used variables to measure the portfolio performance and the emotional intelligence level. For future studies, it will be preferred to use other quantitative and qualitative variables lead to measure the different analytical dimensions of portfolio performance and emotional intelligence. Practical implications The results hold implications for investors that seek to enhance efficiently and effectively the portfolio performance. It also prompts investors to focus on effort that can improve the management and the control of personnel emotions. Originality/value This paper presents one of the first empirical studies that attempt to explore how emotional intelligence and, particularly, emotional process serve to sustain the performance of portfolio during market fluctuations.

Emotional intelligence has become an important factor in the healthcare sector to gain a competitive advantage over competitors in a very dynamic environment focusing on stakeholders' satisfaction....