Top Positions Research Articles

Carbon emissions, female CEOs and earnings management

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the association between carbon emissions and earnings management (EM). This study also considers the effect of female CEOs on the association between carbon emissions and EM.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the carbon disclosure project (CDP) for carbon emissions data, the Compustat database for financial information and the ExecuComp database for female CEOs. The empirical sample of this study consists of 1,692 firm-year observations in the USA that voluntarily participated in the CDP survey from 2007 to 2015. Regression analysis and robustness tests are conducted for this study and both accrual and real EM are considered.FindingsThis study provides evidence that firms with female CEOs who voluntarily disclose their carbon emissions information engage in less real EM. Thus, the presence of female CEOs moderates the association between carbon emissions and EM. This study/paper also finds a positive association between carbon emissions and real EM, although there is an insignificant association between carbon emissions and accruals EM.Practical implicationsThe association between carbon emissions and EM has important implications for investors, regulators and policymakers. This study suggests that policymakers should improve the conditions that promote inclusion of females in the top management positions to constrain EM.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the USA, which is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions in the world. The presence of female CEOs moderates the association between carbon emissions and EM and firms with female CEOs show a greater impact on EM.

Experimental study on rooftop flow field of building based on the operation of vertical-axis wind turbines

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) demonstrate good adaptability for harnessing wind energy on the building rooftops. However, knowledge gaps still exist in the understanding of the wind resources on the rooftop, the operation of VAWTs, and its effect on the wind field. To add new knowledge on this subject, the operation of wind turbines modeled by the NACA0018 airfoil on the rooftop of a building is experimentally studied via wind tunnel. The results indicate that flow above the rooftop of building shows an obvious speed reduction due to the blunt body effect of the turbines, and the turbulence intensities are dramatically enhanced. The different tip-speed ratios, wind directions, and installation locations of wind turbine have significant effect on flow field on the roof. Due to the flow characteristics above the rooftop, the power spectral density of the fluctuating wind speed exhibits high energy below the top position of the VAWT on the rooftop. Additionally, the wind profiles and probability distribution of the wake of VAWTs on the rooftop are analyzed and mathematically fitted for quantifying wind field characteristics rooftop turbines on the roof. For the VAWTs investigated in this study, the impacts of the operation of VAWTs on the wind field are non-negligible on the roof of building. The findings of this study will provide valuable insights for the optimal placement of VAWTs and utilization of wind energy on the rooftops.

Women in top echelon positions and firm internationalisation strategies: What do we know? How do we know? Where should we be heading?

While women in top echelon positions and firm internationalisation have been investigated separately for an extended period, the intersection between the two has seldom been explored. This study reviews 55 publications analysing the effect of women in top echelon positions on firm internationalisation. Our review relies on the ADO–TCM framework and the microfoundational approach. Following the Theories–Contexts–Methods (TCM) framework, previous research is outlined describing: (1) theories, i.e., gender-related theories; (2) contexts, i.e., women’s top echelon position and country where women operate; (3) methods, i.e., research methods, the consideration and measurement of gender, sample, and years. Following the Antecedents–Decisions–Outcomes (ADO) framework and the microfoundational approach, emerging findings are classified into: (1) antecedents of firm internationalisation by distinguishing between those related to microfoundation (i.e., characteristics of women in top echelon positions), the discrete context (i.e., firm characteristics), and the omnibus context (i.e., characteristics of the countries of origin, destination and public stimulation programmes); (2) characteristics of the decisions regarding firm internationalisation (i.e., entry mode, export propensity, and propensity to foreign direct investments); (3) outcomes of firm internationalisation (i.e., export intensity, percentage of foreign equity ownership, number of foreign direct investments, number and characteristics of destination countries, investment success and performance, and other outcomes). Based on this, research gaps are identified and a research agenda is offered.

THE EFFECT OF PUSH & PULL FACTORS ON HALAL TOURISM ON THE MOTIVATION OF MALAYSIAN TOURIST TO INDONESIA USING RELIGIOSITY AS A MODELING VARIABLE

Based on the inbound country in the last five years, Timor Leste is in the top position for tourists entering Indonesia. Meanwhile, Malaysia, the neighboring country with the largest number of Muslims, occupies the second position. This condition is not necessarily due to Indonesia's potential to attract Muslims as a Halal Tourism destination. Aligned with the condition, based on BPS data & the Ministry of Tourism, in 2019 there were more than 15 million tourists coming to Indonesia, 22% of whom were Muslims. This number is less than Muslim tourists who come to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey. Therefore, in this study will be examined regarding Motivation and Intentions to Travel, especially for prospective Malaysian tourists to Indonesia. The independent variables in this study are Pull Factor Motivation (X1), Push Factor Motivation (X2) and Religiosity (X3). Religiosity (X3) is also a moderating variable in its effect on the motivation of Malaysian tourists to Indonesia. The dependent variable in this study is the Motivation of Malaysian Tourists (Y), which can be measured by various dimensions in the instrument of Indonesia as a tourist destination. The research results show that the push and pull factor do not have a direct influence on the motivation of Malaysian tourists but has an indirect effect on religiosity as a moderate variable. The religiosity variable with indicators of religious beliefs, principles and activities directly influences the motivation of Malaysian tourists to Indonesia. Based on the research result, religiosity influences the motivation of Malaysian tourists to come to Indonesia. For this reason, the Government needs to consider aspects of religiosity in the promotion strategy and services for foreign tourists, especially Malaysian tourists.

Effects of Land uses on Soils Quality in Rwandan Central Plateau Agro-Ecological Zone

Conversion of land use from forest to agricultural uses modifies soil quality through physiochemical soil properties changes. This study was conducted in Rwanda’s central plateau agro-ecological zone to evaluate the effect of forest and agricultural land uses on soil quality. The study was conducted in 2020. Soil samples were collected at the top, middle and bottom positions of each of the two land uses. We analyzed soil bulk density, soil moisture content, soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av P), and CEC for each position of the land uses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA in GENSTAT version 13. The results revealed that soil properties were significantly affected by land use change. Analysis of variances (LSD<0.05) results showed, however, that treatments were not significantly different within the same land use. The results showed that treatments from top position of forest lands had the highest mean values for soil organic matter and total N parameters with the respective mean values of 6.58 %, and 0.37 %. Treatments from middle position of forest lands had the highest mean values for soil moisture content and Av P parameters respectively with 23.60 % and 29.56 ppm. But, soil bulk density was high on top position of agricultural land with a mean value of 1.49 g/cm3. Land users are advised to apply crop and soil management techniques which maintain soil quality and productivity on agricultural lands.

Does Female on Board Affect M&A Participating Firms’ Performance? Empirical Evidence from India Using Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

The aim of this research is to examine the impact of gender diversity and female leadership position on the firm performance of Indian listed firms participating in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities. Available research has focused on a small sample of firms and considered ‘gender diversity’ as the only variable. Bearing this in mind, this study focusses on the leadership positions females hold on corporate board along with gender diversity affecting the firm performance measures for the sample of M&A participating firms, as M&As lead to major restructuring of the board. The ‘gender diversity’ is measured with the number of females present on corporate board as directors, ‘leadership position’ is measured with females holding the position either as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chairperson on the board. The study employs panel data set for Indian non-financial National Stock Exchange listed M&A participating firms for the period 2013–2020. Using a system of GMM dynamic panel estimates, the study analyses the relationship between gender diversity and females’ varied leadership position on the firm performance measures, that is, return on asset, Tobin’s q. The findings reveal that there is a positive association between gender diversity and firm performance measures. Females holding the top leadership positions as either CEO or Chairperson on the board positively impact the firm performance measures. This study adds to the existing literature on gender diversity at the board level and M&A literature in the Indian context. JEL Codes: G 3, G 34, J 16

EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND EMOTIONAL CONTENTMENT AMONG WORKING MOTHERS AND IN THEIR MOTHERHOOD

Purpose: This research study aims to investigate the relationship between work-life balance and emotional contentment among working mothers and in their motherhood as well. This paper aims to explore how working mothers make sense and respond to their professional desires, responsibilities and expectations within the context of motherhood. It also seeks to explore what it takes for mothers to live up to their potential at work, what it takes for mothers to reach top positions in their field of work and the challenges they face. With the growing number of mothers participating in the workforce globally, understanding how work-life balance influence their emotional well-being is essential for promoting overall family and societal harmony. Emotional contentment will be gauged by measuring positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and overall emotional well-being. The ultimate attempt in this research is made to understand if mothers are really, emotionally content in their lives at the end of the day, and with the ultimate aim of pooling opinions as to which incentives, strategies or measures can help reduce the conflict between family life ,work and emotional Contentment. In this paper attempt was made to understand the WLB and Contentment of women from all walks of life in all sectors and in all industries. But hardly there were any who were really content and happy. It is hypothesized that a higher level of work-life balance will be positively associated with increased emotional contentment among working mothers. Design: This research and study is taken from secondary data, like google scholar, Research Gate, Academia, literature review, journals books and blogs Findings: The findings from this research will contribute to the existing literature by shedding light on the factors influencing emotional well-being among this particular demographic group. In all of the findings there was the absence of emotional contentment with the mothers. Its either just satisfied with the job and work -life balance or just managing with the challenges. But there is no real contentment in their lives really. The conclusions may assist employers, policy makers, and working mothers themselves in developing strategies and policies aimed at improving work-life integration and promoting emotional happiness, joy and fulfilment in their lives. Originality Value: There is a deep exploration of the specific relationship between Work-life balance and emotional contentment among working mothers. The focus on emotional contentment specifically among working mothers is relatively limited in the literature. This research seeks to fill the gap by investigating how work-life balance, and various factors influence the emotional well-being of working mothers to achieve contentment. Paper Type: Literature Review paper KEYWORDS: work-life balance, emotional contentment, working mothers, well-being, family support, flexible work arrangements, autonomy.

English Assessing Banking Sector Performance: A Comparative Camel Study between Public and Private Banks

Purpose: To assess and determine the top-performing Indian public and private banks while examining any discernible disparities in their financial performance. Methodology: 12 public and 20 private banks were evaluated for financial performance from 2019 to 2023, using composite ranking and independent sample t-tests. Findings: All banks met the mandatory minimum requirement of a 9% Capital Adequacy Ratio, as revealed by the study results. The Bandhan Bank was the best performer in “Capital Adequacy” and “Earning Ability”, HDFC in “Asset Quality” and “Management Quality”, and Bank of India and IDBI Bank in “Liquidity Adequacy” parameters. Kotak Mahindra Bank secured the top position in the overall ranking, followed by IndusInd Bank and HDFC Bank. Punjab & Sind Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and UCO Bank occupied the bottom positions. Nevertheless, most of these banks lied in a similar rank region over the last five years except Bandhan Bank, RBL Bank, and DCB Bank, who had achieved substantial success. The test results indicated a significant difference in rank performance between public and private banks in the CAMEL model, except for ratios involving liquid assets to total deposits and total assets. Lastly, looking at the trend, the study found that private banks dominated the banking industry and grew faster than public banks. Moreover, public banks were not efficiently managing advances and assets, resulting in higher NPA. Practical implication: The result of this study will be significant to regulators, government, investors, customers, and management in making decisions based on market risk.

Convolutional Neural Networks Applied to Lung Image Detection: Model Comparison and Optimal Selection

The topic of pulmonary health has become a prevalent concern among the public, making monitoring lung health a crucial subject. Numerous researchers have proposed models or methods for detecting pulmonary images, and their effectiveness has been confirmed. However, in the domain of pulmonary image detection, there is a systematic comparison to identify the most suitable and efficient method. Therefore, the theme of this study is to discover, through comparative analysis, the model method most fitting for current pulmonary image detection. The research methodology is outlined as follows: firstly, introduce popular model methods in the current context; secondly, summarize and record the accuracy of each model in pulmonary image recognition; and finally, conduct a horizontal comparison to derive conclusions regarding the optimal model method. This study reveals that Feature Fusion exhibits an outstanding accuracy of 97.79% in pulmonary image recognition, securing the top position. In contrast, Transformer has the lowest accuracy, yet it still reaches 78.9%. Therefore, Feature Fusion emerges as the most promising model method currently deserving widespread promotion in the field of pulmonary image detection.

Competition, Survival Issue, and Performance Constraints of Banks: Evidence from Ethiopian Private Commercial Banks

Banks are financial institutions that are crucial to the accomplishment of development objectives because they transfer money from surplus to deficit parties. This study examines the competition, survival, and performance constraints of commercial banks in Ethiopia using the DEA and CAMEL frameworks from 2015 to 2020. The nonparametric (DEA) approach was applied to approximate the overall technical efficiency score of the banks under consideration. The empirical study used twelve private commercial banks operating in Ethiopia, excluding four banks because of a lack of appropriate and audited financial data and no risk assessment between the study periods. The result of the study reveals that under CRS, except for Abyssinia, Anbesa, and Nib International Banks, the remaining banks are more efficient. Under VRS, while Abyssinia Bank was less efficient, other banks were found to be more efficient. Under scale efficiency, Abyssinia, Anbesa, and Nib International Banks were found to be less efficient, while the remaining banks were more efficient. The composite ranking of the CAMEL framework portrays that Awash International Bank, Zemen, and Wegagen Banks were found in the top three ranks, while Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Dashen, and Abyssinia Banks were found in the bottom position. The regression result demonstrates that the ratios of total capital to total assets, loans to assets, total loans to total deposits, and CAR have a positive effect on bank profitability, whereas the ratio of total loans to the number of branches has a statistically negative and significant influence on the return on assets.

CEO gender and climate change commitment: The mediating effect of environmental regulation perception

AbstractThis study delves into the influence of CEO gender on climate change commitment within SMEs in the Mediterranean region. Utilizing data from the sixth wave of the BEEPS survey (2018–2020), we explore the mediating role of environmental regulation perception in this context. Our findings align with social role theory, indicating that women demonstrate heightened ecological and communal behavior, driven by their perception of environmental regulations. We reveal a full mediation link within the EU Mediterranean region, where environmental regulation perception explains women's commitment to environmental causes. However, in the EU neighborhood, we identify a direct significant effect of CEO gender on SMEs' engagement with climate change, particularly in terms of controlling CO2 emissions. Our study sheds light on the limited presence of women in top management positions in the Mediterranean region. Additionally, we highlight the scarcity of environmental regulations for SMEs in the EU neighborhood, with the perception of these regulations as barriers hindering proactive climate change strategies. Therefore, governmental authorities need to develop more stringent environmental regulations while taking into account the financial capacities of SMEs. Providing ecological business education before implementing new regulations could also be beneficial. The study carries significant managerial and social implications, emphasizing the necessity of diverse leadership to promote sustainability and underscoring the importance of tailored regulatory initiatives for effective climate action.

Structures of Ni-doped Bn (n = 1–13) clusters: A computational study

The structural and stability properties of Ni-doped boron clusters (NiBn with n = 1–13) are investigated by the SCG (systematic growth algorithm) method in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results show that the Ni dopant adopt peripheral and top positions in the lowest-energy structures of NiBn clusters. Planar and quasi-planar structures are found for n = 3–6, 10 and 11 while three-dimensional for n = 7–8, 12 and 13. The NiBn clusters show slightly less binding energy compared to the pure Bn clusters. The relative stability of the clusters is rationalized through energetic parameters such as ionization potential, electron affinity, second order energy difference and HOMO–LUMO gap. The results show that NiB12 possess magic characteristics, supported by the energetic parameters and AdNDP bonding analyses.

American Strategic Narrative - A Success Story or an Archetypal Rhetoric

Great powers rationalize their position and actions to their people, allies, and opponents. Empirical observations avow the existence of a grand narrative as a fundamental feature in the struggle for supremacy and justification to seize the top position by a great power. The American case is unique; desirous of holding persistent world leadership, it has to constantly adjust its narrative which resonates with the change in time and age shifts. This paper attempts to assess the role of strategic narrative in shaping the US envisaged world order while critically analyzing whether the American strategic narratives have been a success story or just another archetypal rhetoric. While giving an overview of the American narrative from the Monroe Doctrine to the present time, the paper argues that perhaps the American policymakers sometimes overlooked the policy-narrative linkage. Arguably, the American narrative lacked consistency and coherence as it contradicted with actual American foreign policies and created an observable policy-narrative gap. The US's narrative building was characterized by the 'need of time' and it kept mutating from the Cold War to the global war on terror, sometimes entirely contradictory to previously held stances. This paper further highlights that the narratives that the United States adopted during different timeframes were meant to enable the execution of its policy objectives that were set for its path toward world leadership while ensuring that the narratives can gain acceptability as per normative standards and possess enough attraction to be transmitted through various media without catching agonizing criticism.

Dynamics of Water Sighting and Injection Mechanisms in Fishbone Branch Wells in Bottom Water Reservoirs

Abstract Herringbone wells are effective in improving productivity for bottom water reservoirs; however, the main problem faced in the exploitation of bottom water reservoir is the ridge and cone of bottom water during the process of waterflooding, which leads to the decline of oil production. Therefore, predicting the breakthrough time and location of herringbone wells in bottom water reservoirs and then adjusting the water injection measures are of great significance for improving production and development. In this paper, we establish a three-dimensional coning model of bottom water to study the dynamic performance of bottom water rise, and the sequence of breakthrough position is determined by studying the breakthrough time along the wellbore. Based on the reservoir numerical simulation, we carry out a comprehensive adjustment of the water injection mechanism and develop a water injection scheme under the combination arrangement of vertical wells and herringbone wells. The results show that the bottom water breakthrough position of the branch well is mainly near the heel of the main branch or near the middle subsidence, and the recovery rate is the highest when the branch angle is 45 deg. The longer the shut-in time, the higher the recovery. The study is of great significance to optimize the layout and spatial structure, determine a reasonable working system, delay water channeling, and increase the cumulative production of herringbone wells.

A scientist and a world-class personality: Nikolai Petrovich Elinov (1928–2017)

The essay is dedicated to Nikolai Petrovich Elinov, an eminent scientist with a global reputation, who has made a substantial contribution to the development of medical microbiology, mycology, and biotechnology in the Russian Federation. N. P. Elinov is a professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR, and rector of the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute. He is an active member of the St. Petersburg Engineering Academy and the New York Academy of Sciences, author of 10 textbooks, 8 handbooks, 10 monographs, over 400 articles in domestic and foreign journals, and holds 70 patents for inventions. Professor N. P. Elinov is widely recognized in the scientific community for his work in areas such as biology of aposporous yeast, chemistry and biotechnology of microbial polysaccharides, and others. He has established a school of students and followers, including 50 candidates and 9 Doctors of Science. Under his guidance, the microbiology department laid the foundations for engineering and microbiological training of specialists. As the rector of LCFI, Nikolai Petrovich contributed to the organization of the country’s only faculty for training biotechnology engineers, leading the university to top positions in preparing specialists for the pharmaceutical industry. In 1968, Nikolai Petrovich became a member of the International Commission on Yeast Organisms of the International Union of Microbiological Societies. His name was included in the book “2000 Outstanding Scientists of the Late 20th Century” (1998) by the Cambridge International Biographical Center (UK), where he was recognized as a specialist in microbiology and biotechnology. This essay, based on archival materials, publications, articles, and colleagues’ memories, reveals the key milestones in the life and scientific achievements of Nikolai Petrovich Elinov.

Attitudes Toward Gender Quota Legislation on TMT-level Positions

In 2010, Iceland became the second country in the world after Norway to enact a minimum 40% gender quota for corporate boards. The legislation did not pass without resistance, and concerns were voiced that gender quotas undermined competitiveness and merit-based selection. The legislation had the effect of improving the gender imbalance on corporate boards. Nevertheless, the expected trickle-down effect on the top management team (TMT) level has not materialized; women face apparent exclusion from senior executive positions, and men hold 22 out of 26 CEO positions at listed companies. Women hold 31.6% of TMT-level positions in listed companies, and women business leaders in Iceland have started calling for a gender quota on TMT-level positions. This study aims to measure public attitudes toward interventions to close the gender gap and ensure equal opportunities for men and women to reach top management positions. The study focuses on attitudes toward gender quota legislation on TMT-level positions, with a requirement of at least 40/60% gender balance, identified in qualitative interview studies with board members representing all listed companies in Iceland. We find gender differences in the attitudes toward the TMT-level quota in conjunction with beliefs about equal opportunities for men and women to be hired as CEOs, beliefs about the effect of gender quota legislation on merit-based hiring, and beliefs about the rate of progress toward gender balance. The study contributes to the literature on closing the gender gap by exploring public attitudes toward a legislative intervention that has not been the focus of research so far.

Experimental study on suppressing thermal runaway propagation of lithium-ion battery modules by using liquid nitrogen: Influence of injection pipe diameter and position

This paper aims to address the safety threats posed by thermal runaway (TR) in lithium-ion battery (LIB) modules. The focus is on evaluating the effectiveness of liquid nitrogen (LN) in inhibiting TR and its propagation in large-capacity lithium iron phosphate batteries. The following conclusions emerge by adjusting the LN injection pipe diameter and position: The best effective heat utilization efficiency of 6.1 % and total heat absorption of 526.9 kJ from the LIB by LN observed for a 20 mm diameter and top injection position. For diameters of 15 or 25 mm, the total heat absorbed by LN from LIB and effective heat utilization efficiency is lower at 470 kJ/5.3 % and 433.1 kJ/4.9 %, respectively. Injecting LN from the top of the module exposes the LIB undergoing TR directly to LN, resulting in optimal suppression of TR propagation. However, in other positions (back, left), TR propagates to the second battery, with the total heat absorbed by LN from the LIB and the effective heat utilization efficiency being only 222.2 kJ/2.6 % and 298.5 kJ/3.3 %, respectively. This work would provide valuable guidelines for suppressing TR and TR propagation in LIB modules.

Development and Standardization of a Climate Vulnerability Index to Measure the Vulnerability Indices of Paddy Growers

India is prominently recognized as the foremost producer of paddy, cultivating this crop over 47.83 million hectares and generating 135.75 million tonnes of paddy, thus playing a substantial role in the worldwide paddy output. However, there is an anticipated decline in paddy production yields due to the projected effects of climate change, estimated to range from 10% to 30% by 2030. The assessment of vulnerability will give a comprehensive picture of current and future climate change risks with more stress factors to be anticipated. It will help identify opportunities arising from climate change, and provide information on how to assess adaptive capacity and cope with uncertainty. Adaptation cannot be planned based on the climate projections; information on risk and vulnerabilities is also needed to determine how the climate interacts with socio-economic issues. Against this backdrop, the proposed research seeks to fill this crucial knowledge gap by developing and constructing vulnerability indices tailored specifically for paddy growers in India. Based on review of literature and discussion with experts, three dimensions along with indicators and sub-indicators by adopting the indicator approach method under the vulnerability indices of paddy growers due to climate change were identified. The relevancy rating score was obtained from 50 experts in the concerned area. Based on the relevancy score, 17 indicators and 65 sub-indicators of 0.80 and above were considered for inclusion in the vulnerability index. To compute the index values for each of the identified dimensions, their relative importance in the vulnerability was worked out by assignment of weights to indicators and sub-indicators under each dimension through Principal component analysis (PCA) and the findings revealed that sensitivity was observed to be in the top position (8.36), followed by exposure (8.28) and adaptive capacity (5.61) in assessing the climate vulnerability of paddy growers.

Women's representation in managerial hierarchies: An examination of trickle‐down and pipeline effects

AbstractThe trickle‐down effect has been proposed as one means to address women's continued underrepresentation in leadership positions globally. While earlier research supported the trickle‐down effect's prediction that increasing women's representation at higher managerial levels will positively impact women's careers at lower managerial levels, recent studies provide inconsistent evidence, leading to claims that it may be spurious. Due to data limitation, most prior trickle‐down research has explored just two managerial levels—board and executives—making it difficult to separate a trickle‐down effect from external pressures (e.g., shareholders, law) or internal factors (e.g., organizational culture) that may cause it. Furthermore, prior research does not adequately account for women's representation in managerial pipelines, a crucial source of potential managerial talent. To address these concerns, we analyze Australian workplace panel data (2014–2020) that allow for a more robust test of the trickle‐down effect than previously examined. Our results support the trickle‐down effect across multiple managerial levels below the board level, independent of managerial pipeline effects. The trickle‐down and pipeline effects were only observed for positions immediately above and below each managerial level. This highlights the proximity of positions within management hierarchies where the in‐group preference and women's direct advocacy for other women are most likely to occur. Our study suggests that simply appointing more women to top positions, such as boards, while beneficial, is not enough to address gender inequality in management meaningfully. We recommend that rather than focusing on gender representation at the top, organizations should set gender diversity goals and monitor progress at all managerial levels. We conclude with implications for theory, practice, and future research.

Career as Self-Identity in Chinese Malaysian Students’ Career Choice in STEM

Chinese Malaysians who inherit the traditional Chinese culture have evolved with assimilation of globalisation with colonialism elements to form a myriad of cultural mélange, with an impact on career choice in STEM. Applying Stuart Hall’s theory of circuit of culture, a study deploying obituaries has been used to understand media and cultural influence on STEM career choice. Career as self-identity and social status has influenced Chinese Malaysian students’ career choice, with a hierarchy of prestige among them and medicine occupying the top position. Career choice for them in STEM is found to be limited to a few which are socially visible. In addition, the hegemony of “university”, “degree” over “college”, “diploma”, “vocational” and “training” has resulted in Chinese Malaysians to consider technical and vocational education and training as well as practical-oriented courses in STEM as second choice. This does not augur well for national human resource development in emerging fields in STEM. Alternative discourses and narratives for STEM careers with reimaging of nature of jobs for STEM careers to reconstruct perception towards STEM via the media and science communications could enhance the attractiveness of STEM careers. Additionally, multi-disciplinary approach to higher education and promotion of specific STEM careers based on market needs could bring STEM closer to students.