National culture and Islamic bank risk-taking in the Middle East and Asian countries

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ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of the national culture on risk-taking in Islamic banks. The sample comprises 60 Islamic banks in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia from 2011 to 2019. Using the random effects generalized least squares model, we find that national culture influences risk-taking in Islamic banks, especially in the power distance dimension. Low power distance incentivizes greater risk. In low power distance countries, Islamic banks tend to adopt a more aggressive approach to their decisions because of the trust and authority of shareholders and depositors, resulting in excessive risk-taking. The findings have implications for regulators and Islamic bank managers to consider national cultural elements when developing bank risk management policies.