Editorial AABFJ Volume 19, Isue 2, April, 2025.

This study explores how the sustainability balanced scorecard (SBSC) incorporates endogenous (actions created by an organisation) and exogenous environmental risk (actions or events external to an organisation) factors. The study's motivation is the traditional balanced scorecard’s (TBSC’s) limited ability to capture organisational environmental risks and resource resilience actions effectively. Public healthcare organisations' use of TBSC suggests its sensitivity to healthcare organisations’ external and internal environment changes, but with limited investigations. Data collected by interviews from a large Australian regional public health organisation were thematically analysed. The findings suggest SBSC is a more useful tool than TBSC in recognising and distinguishing a public healthcare system’s internally generated endogenous environmental practices, such as disposal of surgical waste products, and exogenous environmental risk factors including climate change impacts, natural disasters, and pandemics. The study provides two important contributions. First is a preliminary guide to identify and monitor actions that mitigate exposure to exogenous environmental risks and build resilience. Second, a new direction for the SBSC's theoretical development is identified by the findings, highlighting the use of the fifth perspective to monitor the response to exogenous conditions and resilience of the organisation to such risks.

Financial literacy continues to receive attention in analyses of the drivers of noninsurance in Australia. Government advertising campaigns have been launched seeking to address an alleged lack of awareness of the benefits of building, home contents and comprehensive car insurance in the community. Yet there is inadequate research connecting insurance uptake decisions with financial literacy levels. In this article, we address this research gap by drawing upon surveys of ‘insured’ Australians with building, home contents and comprehensive car insurance; and ‘uninsured’ Australians without any of these insurance products. While our findings do not indicate a clear-cut relationship between financial literacy and noninsurance, they do show somewhat lower financial literacy and confidence levels among those who forego coverage. However, the question of whether investment in generalised financial literacy education would result in greater insurance uptake remains open. Ultimately, more information does not address the ‘primary problem’ of affordability, which renders insurance inaccessible to many Australians, particularly those on low incomes, despite their acknowledgment of its importance.

Microcredit has emerged as a powerful tool to foster economic development by promoting entrepreneurship and facilitating women empowerment. The concept of empowerment is multifaceted, encompassing many aspects. The present study is an attempt to study the impact of microcredit and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) on the social, economic, and political profile of the women members. The study is based on both primary and secondary data sources. A questionnaire was administered to 780 respondents drawn from 185 SHGs in the State of Goa in India. For the purpose of the study, women's empowerment has been defined as a summation of three constructs: economic empowerment, social empowerment, and political empowerment. Changes in the perception of women to the different attributes of empowerment have been analysed adopting a pre and post SHG membership approach and the paired t test has been used for hypothesis testing. An Empowerment Index has been used to identify the level of empowerment. The Chi- Square test has been used to determine the interdependence of the level of empowerment and various socio-economic variables. The findings indicate that SHGs and microcredit interventions have positively impacted women. In terms of social empowerment, the maximum impact has been on the mobility and confidence levels of the members. The decision to vote, however, is predominantly determined by the spouse and other family members.

In 2021, the Indonesian government simplified the bureaucratic structure in all its offices. This paper aims to develop propositions about the antecedents of adaptive performance of government employees in Indonesia. This research uses quantitative methods, cross-sectional study data collection, and probability sampling techniques with proportionate stratified random sampling techniques, with a minimum sample size of 292. The measurement of the independent variables and dependent variables in the questionnaire uses a six-point Likert scale. The data analysis technique used in this research is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 26 software. This paper elaborates on the work of some scholars to measure adaptive performance in developing propositions. This paper examined the role of work overload and employee readiness to change in adaptive performance, which is mediated by job satisfaction as a result of bureaucratic simplification. This paper proposes certain variables that can be employed as the determinants of adaptive performance, including work overload, employee readiness to work and job satisfaction. This paper fills the research gap in adaptive performance from a behavioral perspective due to the simplification of bureaucratic structures.

SMEs are vital for socio-economic development, driving employment and innovation. They contribute over 70% of jobs in developed countries and play a key role in shaping gross domestic product. The purpose of the article is to analyze employment in small and medium-sized enterprises and to develop ways to increase it. To achieve the goal, statistical analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, abstraction, and formalization were used. The article compared criteria for enterprise distribution in Azerbaijani legislation and the OECD, evaluated macroeconomic indicators of SMEs in Azerbaijan, analyzed employment dynamics by economic activity and region, and proposed mechanisms for self-employment in both the general economy and SMEs. As a result of the research, the mechanism of self-employment of the unemployed population in the economic districts of Azerbaijan, which consists of five stages, was constructed. The main issue in this case is a business idea created by the team, determining the amount of necessary resources, creating the product, and determining risks. The practical significance of the results obtained is that the proposed mechanism of self-employment of the unemployed population in the economic regions of Azerbaijan can be implemented in the development of state programmes.

Our study replicates Li (2008) in a new context. According to the Deep Pocket Theory (DPT), smaller or less financially robust audit firms may face challenges in competing with larger, deep-pocketed firms in terms of audit quality (DeAngelo, 1981; Dye, 1993). Accordingly, we empirically re-examine the relationship between audit firms and audit quality in the context of China's developing audit market, between 2017-2019. Following Li (2008), we build a regression model with modified opinion as the dependent variable. Specifically, we use three different measures, including assets, sales, and revenues, to quantify audit firm size, while taking steps to address potential confounders and endogeneity. The sample we used has characteristics that match the original literature. Our results suggest that the Chinese audit market has changed dramatically and that the previously observed positive association between audit firm size and audit quality, as reported by Li (2008), no longer retains statistical significance in the contemporary Chinese audit environment. Our result remains robust even when private and foreign joint venture audit firms are excluded, highlighting the importance of revisiting related topics. Our contribution is to provide new empirical insights into the complex relationship between audit firm size and audit quality in the unique context of China's evolving audit market. Furthermore, it discusses the implication of the reported non-significant results and justifies the replication.

This study investigates the relationship between financial knowledge capability and MSME performance in West Java, Indonesia, and explores the mediating role of digital marketing and intelligent financial technology. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze 375 MSMEs, revealing a significant impact of Financial Knowledge Capability on MSME's performance. Moreover, the study finds that digital marketing and intelligent financial technology mediate this relationship positively, with digital marketing awareness of utilizing intelligent financial technology identified as a key determinant of MSME performance. This research shows that with efforts to improve the role of digital marketing effectively, MSMEs can increase their competitiveness in the market and grow their business significantly. Intelligent Financial Technology allows MSMEs to access financial services such as loans, payments, and investments more easily and quickly. It concludes that specific strategies can be implemented to maximize these contributions.

This study focused on the percentage of return on assets in transportation companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2018 and 2022 to ascertain the impact of management ownership and independent commissioners on financial performance. Purposive sampling was the sample strategy, which involved selecting 75 annual financial statements from 15 transport companies. The analytical method utilized descriptive data analysis, complementing the classic assumption test as a prerequisite assessment. This ensured that the available data met the criteria for utilizing multiple linear regression equation models. The partial test results revealed that managerial ownership positively influences financial performance, while independent commissioners also have a positive impact. This study adds to our understanding of the variables and body of literature that support an organization's financial performance as it implements multifaceted business practices that are aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Moreover, it is crucial for assessing a company's performance, as evidenced by the financial statement analysis.