Board Of Directors Research Articles

The Effect of Board Characteristics on the Disclosure of Islamic Social Reporting in Islamic Banks in Asia

This study aims to examine the disclosure of Islamic social reporting in Islamic banks that publish annual reports and are listed on the stock exchange of each country in Asia. This study focuses on Islamic banks that are listed on the stock exchange in 2022. A total of 100 Islamic banks were included in the data set, selected through the purposive sampling method. The independent variables are board size, the proportion of independent commissioners, and the frequency of board meetings. The concept of agency theory suggests that the role of the board is to monitor and evaluate the reporting and disclosure practices of a company, particularly in the context of social reporting within Islamic banking. The characteristics of the board of commissioners have generally been identified as factors with the potential to influence corporate disclosure. The results of this study show that the size of the board of commissioners and the frequency of board meetings have a significant positive relation with the disclosure of Islamic social reporting. Conversely, the proportion of independent board members has been found to exert a significant negative influence on the disclosure of Islamic social reporting.

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Emotions and decision-making in boardrooms—a systematic review from behavioral strategy perspective

This systematic review examines the influence of emotions on strategic decision-making in business context, from the perspective of behavioral strategy. We examined 1,227 articles from two databases (Web of Science and PsycInfo), and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final sample resulted in 43 articles. Our systematic review focuses on the role of emotions in strategic decision-making as well as the decision-making process itself. This systematic review explores research using a variety of approaches and a combination of theoretical and empirical perspectives brought by the literature. It aims to address three main questions: how board members’ emotions influence their decision-making; what insights behavioral strategy provides on the emotional aspect of strategic decision-making; and what are the main theories linking emotions to strategic decision-making in the business context. The results demonstrate how emotions can affect the quality of decisions and imply that conflict resolution and emotional intelligence are relevant skills for making strategic decisions. This analysis supports the need for incorporating emotional insights into strategic planning methods by considering agreeable and divergent points of view.

Governance of healthcare quality: exploring the relationships between hospital board performance and healthcare quality outcomes.

This paper aims to contribute to the existing literature in the field of hospital governance by exploring the relationship between the attributes and performance of hospital boards and hospital performance in terms of quality of healthcare. A survey of board performance in public hospitals in Morocco was carried out, in which we surveyed all board members of the 13 hospitals in the Casablanca-Settat region. A total of 82 members responded (82% response rate) to the previously adapted and validated self-evaluation questionnaire on board self-assessment questionnaire (BSAQ) board member performance. On average, the hospital boards studied had eight members. In terms of clinical expertise, half the members were physicians and 17% were nurses. In addition, positive correlations were found between certain board characteristics, notably age, seniority, members' perceptions of their impact on the quality of healthcare and several dimensions of board performance. In parallel, the results showed strong and significant associations between turnover rate and BSAQ score. Negative correlations were also found between average length of stay and BSAQ score. With regard to mortality parameters, it should be noted that we were unable to establish a strong empirical correlation between hospital boards' self-assessed performance and other hospital mortality indicators. The present study offers a rigorous rationale for the use of the French-translated BSAQ in the hospital context, and we hope that others will use this tool in future work within the framework of evidence-based research. In addition, the BSAQ tool's focus on board competencies (and not just structure, composition or processes) provides valuable insights into what boards need to learn in order to function effectively. However, despite the insistence of the authors of this study on the need for a comprehensive census of public hospital board members in the region, several obstacles were encountered. Firstly, there were difficulties related to vacancies within the hospitals, which had the effect of restricting the representativeness of the sample. Secondly, access to hospital board members proved complex due to their busy schedules and the confidential nature of their meetings. Finally, it is important to note that national performance indicators in Morocco may not be as reliable as in other countries, which could complicate the identification of high-performing hospital systems and, consequently, make inference difficult. This study provides large-scale empirical evidence of processes related to the governance of quality of healthcare and elucidates the existence of an association between hospital board performance and clinical performance. The use of validated tools such as the BSAQ should therefore help improve the performance of boards and governance in public hospitals.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE PRACTICES: EVIDENCE FROM INDIAN AND GCC NATIONS

This paper makes a cross-sectional comparison of corporate governance disclosure trends in India and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. Benchmarking measures which include board of directors’ responsibility, audit committee efficiency and transparency, the study encompasses varied growth trend based on region. Local practices of Indian firms are relatively higher than global counterparts due to structured regulatory environment and focus on conformance to the established rules and regulation as well as international standards. Still, Gulf countries companies present more variations in terms of board accountability that has to do with difference in regulatory environment due to differences in economic and culture. Nonetheless, both regions experienced stable audit practices, and this shows that both sides are equally serious about how the financial aspect of their enterprises is managed. This underlines the call for improved governance discloser to, appeal investment from international markets and improve stakeholder confidence. Thus, some suggestions for future research include longitudinal research that will focus on the dynamics of governance in the periods of time and investigations of the differences across the countries of the wider emerging markets. This research provides lessons that the policymakers, investors and corporate leaders should consider while enhancing governance standards of firms to be in parity with the best international practices. KEYWORDS: Corporate governance, disclosure practices, transparency, board accountability, audit committee, emerging markets, India, GCC, regulatory frameworks, stakeholder trust

Disaggregating air, water and renewable energy disclosures in developing economies: the role of regulatory impact and board characteristics

PurposeThis study examines how board characteristics influence air, water and renewable energy (AWR) disclosures in an emerging economy. It argues for the necessity of separating these disclosures to address unique environmental impacts and stakeholder concerns.Design/methodology/approachUsing longitudinal data from environmentally sensitive firms (2014–2022), a disclosure index based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework was developed to quantify AWR separately. To address potential statistical issues such as endogeneity and selection bias, the analysis employed a set of robust regression models, including the industry fixed effects (FE) model, a lagged model and a two-stage least squares (2SLS) model.FindingsBoard size and audit committees positively influence all AWR disclosures, while foreign directors significantly impact air and renewable energy disclosures. Board meetings negatively affect water disclosures. Surprisingly, board independence shows no significant impact, and gender diversity has no notable relationship. Post-amendment, firms increased AWR disclosures, though participation remains limited.Research limitations/implicationsGrounded in legitimacy theory, this study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how separating the unique characteristics of AWR disclosures offers stakeholders more precise insights into how firms manage specific environmental concerns. The findings are based on data from listed firms in Bangladesh and may not be generalisable to unlisted firms or other regions.Practical implicationsThe study emphasises the importance of distinct AWR reporting, offering valuable insights for regulators and corporate boards to improve transparency and sustainability practices.Social implicationsSeparating AWR disclosures provides stakeholders with clearer assessments of firms' environmental performance, promoting accountability and informed decision-making.Originality/valueThis study uniquely emphasises the need for disaggregating air, water and renewable energy disclosures in emerging economies. By focussing on each environmental issue separately, the research highlights how distinct disclosures offer clearer insights into how firms address specific environmental challenges, such as air pollution, water management and the transition to renewable energy sources. This disaggregation is essential for stakeholders – particularly regulators, investors and policymakers – to assess and respond to firms' sustainability efforts accurately.

Impact of Corporate Governance on Firms’ Sustainability Performance: Case Study of BIST 50 Index Companies

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and attributes influence the sustainability performance of companies included in the BIST 50 Index. Results and contributions: Regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive influence of board tenure on sustainability performance and all its types; board size on environmental performance; and a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated and company size on sustainability, environmental, and social performance. A significant negative impact of director attendance at board meetings on social performance was also revealed. This study contributes to the literature on the role of corporate governance in achieving the SDGs for BIST 50 Index companies, highlighting the significant impact of its individual indicators on the achievement of sustainability performance. Methodology: The authors reviewed 45 sustainability reports of BIST 50 Index companies for 2023. Four indices—Sustainability Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, and Corporate Governance Performance Indexes—were developed to characterize sustainability performance and its types based on a content analysis of sustainability disclosures. To analyze the influence of mechanisms and characteristics of the corporate governance system on sustainability performance, eight independent variables were used: board size, number of board meetings, director attendance at board meetings, board independence, board tenure, a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated, a dummy variable for internal auditors present, and a dummy variable for CEO and Chair functions combined. Two control variables, company size and leverage, were used as well. Gap: Today, the scientific literature has no universal approach and understanding of how the corporate governance system should be developed to improve sustainability performance or its individual components. Relevance: Development of a corporate governance system is one of the ways to increase the level of sustainability performance of companies. Impact: The results of the study made it possible to produce several recommendations (expand the number of board members, develop an effective procedure for regular changes of general directors in company boards, introduce independent external control tools in the corporate governance systems of companies) that will lead to the achievement of SDGs 5, 8, 16.

Does Corporate Governance Moderate the Relationship Between Earnings Management and Financial Performance?

Motivation: This study aims to fill the gap in the corporate governance literature by examining the moderating role of corporate governance on earnings management and financial performance. Idea: The research is conducted in the light of agency and legitimacy theories, looking through how corporate governance practices moderate the relationship between earnings management and financial performance. Data: The database consists of an international sample of non-financial companies, for the time frame between 2020 and 2023. The data are collected from Thomson Reuters Eikon, and the analysed period responds to a thorough approach of the topic under problematic circumstances. In line with prior literature, this analysis includes several corporate governance mechanisms such as number of board meetings, board gender diversity, board size, CEO duality, independent board members, and audit committee independence. Among the control variables could be mentioned firm size, financial leverage, and profit or loss. Corporate governance is examined as a key driver in achieving financial performance, maximising the value created by companies and strengthening their connections with stakeholders. Tools: To test the research hypotheses, investigation is performed through frequency and descriptive statistics, parametric correlations, complemented with panel regression analysis with random effects performed in STATA 18 software. Findings: According to the results, there is strong evidence that financial performance is impacted by earnings management, at the corporate level. Notably, the main findings suggest that board meetings, board size, and board independence may be underlying factors in reducing the adverse effects of earnings management reflected in financial performance. Likewise, corporate governance may contribute to an effective monitoring of earnings management. Muchmore, the findings are in line with the agency theory, which asserts that corporate governance practices lessen managerial resource exploitation necessary for sustainable development and financial performance. Contribution: Relevance of the study resides in grounding a comprehensive overview in the earnings management and sustainability literature, examining corporate governance patterns. This research contributes to the debate of influence exerted by earnings management practices on financial performance extended towards a better understanding of corporate governance outcomes.

Challenging the Status Quo: Headhunters and Gender Bias in Executive Recruitment: “Women have been at a Disadvantage, and it is long Overdue to Correct that”

This paper investigates the exclusion of women from the recruitment process for top management positions, focusing on the role of headhunters in Iceland—a country ranked first in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report for 15 consecutive years. Despite Iceland's reputation as a leader in gender equality, women remain significantly underrepresented in executive roles. This study addresses this paradox by exploring how headhunters' recruitment practices both perpetuate and challenge gender bias. Through semi-structured interviews with 44 board members (22 men, 22 women) and eight headhunters, this study uncovers structural and behavioral biases limiting women’s opportunities in executive roles Headhunters often rely on established networks and emphasize CEO experience, which favors male candidates. However, the study also highlights the potential of headhunters to act as change agents by expanding candidate pools and rethinking traditional hiring criteria. The theoretical contribution of this research lies in its exploration of how headhunters, positioned as both gatekeepers and agents of change, can influence gender diversity in leadership. This study also uses agency theory to explain the dynamic between headhunters and boards, examining how their conflicting goals shape executive recruitment outcomes.

Coming of age: The Evolution of Corporate Governance Laws in Greece

This research examines the evolution of corporate governance laws in Greece from Law 3016/2002 through to the latest Law 4706/2020, as well as the related Decision No. 1/891/30.09.2020 by the Capital Market Commission. It focuses on a detailed review of existing literature to understand the administrative and fiscal impacts of these changes on companies listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. The study highlights a significant shift from the earlier "soft law" approach, which suffered from weak monitoring and enforcement, resulting in a gap between the legislative goals and actual results. Law 4706/2020 introduces a stricter regulatory framework with numerous requirements designed to improve corporate governance structures. Key features of this reform include the creation of new committees overseeing remuneration and compliance, stringent board member qualifications, and a stronger focus on gender diversity and stakeholder engagement. These developments aim to enhance accountability, transparency, and efficiency, essential for effective governance. The research compares old and new legislative frameworks to demonstrate the progress made in aligning Greek corporate governance with international standards. It argues that Law 4706/2020 is a significant advancement in corporate governance, potentially serving as a model for other regions. However, the detailed and strict compliance requirements introduced may challenge implementation and effectiveness. The paper suggests that these legislative changes mark a new chapter in corporate governance that requires diligent, forward-looking, and adaptable management from companies. It also stresses that achieving full compliance with the new regulations requires ongoing commitment to improvement and readiness to handle the complexities of this new regulatory environment.

Corporate Board Characteristics of Family-Managed Firms and it’s Impact on Firm Performance

Well-balanced and active corporate boards ensure effective corporate governance in family firms. Studies in the area of corporate governance across the globe made considerable effort to study the composition of corporate boards and their effectiveness. The present study is an effort to evaluate the impact of board characteristics on the performance of selected Indian family-managed firms. The paper encompasses how various board parameters such as board size, board independence, the duality of the chairman, gender diversity, and inclusion of foreign directors in the board impact a firm's market and accounting performance measures. The data is collected from the CMIE PROWESS Database, consisting of 173 family-managed firms belonging to 11 macro-industrial sectors selected. The panel data used for the study consist of 2076 observations for 12 years, from 2010-11 to 2021-22. The study uses regression analysis to evaluate the impact of board characteristics on performance measure indicators Tobin’s Q and ROA of the firms.

Revisiting tokenism: impact of gender diversity on corporate social performance of Indian companies

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance, in particular board diversity, and corporate social performance (CSP) amongst the top 500 listed companies in India.Design/methodology/approachData from the top 500 listed Indian companies constituting the BSE500 index for a five-year period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2019 are used to test the impact of the proportion of women directors, proportion of women independent directors, female CEOs and other corporate governance variables on CSP.FindingsThe results of panel regression analysis suggest that firms characterised by high proportions of women directors, independent women directors or a female CEO spend more on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Furthermore, CEO duality, board size and board independence are positively related to social performance. These findings are of relevance to the policymakers and board of directors who are engaged in meeting corporate governance requirements.Practical implicationsThis is one of the initial studies to document the impact of executive-level female representation on CSP following India's 2013 regulations on mandatory women representation on boards and CSR expenditure. The study reveals that greater gender diversity on corporate boards significantly boosts CSP, offering strategic advantages in governance and CSR. The study offers practical benefits for various stakeholders including corporate regulators, policymakers and corporate managers.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the corporate governance and CSR literature by showing that good governance practices and high women representation on boards promote social performance. Our study is one of the preliminary efforts to document the level and impact of female representation at the executive level on CSP after the regulation of minimum women representation on corporate boards and mandatory CSR expenditure requirement introduced in India in 2013.

Empowering Women to Lead Cybersecurity: The Effect of Female Executives on Disclosure Sentiment

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the impact of gender diversity (i.e., the presence of female executives on corporate boards) on the sentiment of cybersecurity information disclosure, including its likelihood, magnitude, and tone. We develop a unique dataset providing an extensive view of the development and evolution of cybersecurity‐related disclosure practices among prominent publicly traded US companies over a 19‐year period (2002–2020). We find strong evidence that female executives are more likely to disclose, and they report significantly more cybersecurity‐related information compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, female executives adopt a more conservative, uncertain, and litigious tone in their cybersecurity disclosures than male executives. The results also support the notion of a critical mass of female executives on the board and align with various theories, emphasising the importance of gender diversity in promoting high‐quality cybersecurity disclosure practices within firms. Furthermore, we examine several channels contributing to the heterogeneity of cybersecurity disclosures between female and male executives, and consider the effects of the black swan events (i.e., the financial crisis and the COVID‐19 pandemic).

Need for a tool to assess the health and care needs of persons experiencing homelessness in the United States

ABSTRACT Introduction: The health needs of persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are complex and challenging to address. We currently lack a comprehensive understanding of the health of PEH across the United States given that this information is not routinely collected, in part due to lack of an objective measure. We combined robust community advisory board member input and findings from an extensive literature review to identify existing assessment tools, definitions of health and care needs, and items that assess health and care needs among PEH. Current assessment tools focus on prioritizing PEH for housing and shelter, support clinical planning, measure health vulnerability, or are topically relevant, but not designed for use with PEH. Moreover, available tools have undergone minimal psychometric testing with PEH. To overcome this gap, we propose the development of a reliable and validated tool that measures the health and care needs of PEH. Having a standardized tool will enable the comparison of needs data among PEH across studies, as well as over time. Thorough measurement of the health and care needs of PEH will allow for the evaluation of interventions that aim to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in this population.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF INDIA AND GCC NATIONS

This systematic literature review aims to review the effect of corporate governance on the firm’s financial performance and relationship between corporate governance mechanisms, government regulation and firm financial performance across different regions. The review therefore integrates conclusions from several related papers to establish how good governance practices improve sustainability, profitability, and investor satisfaction of firms. Applying the analytic approach studying the reaction of the corporate boards indicating that their diverse and actively participating in the strategic decision making has a positive impact to the increase of the financial performance and the betterment of their corporate health. In the similar vein, this study defines how strong regulatory measures that align them to the hubs and local fiscal and culture settings influences transparency and accountability to fuel financial performance. This study also reveals the new implementation problems and constraints of the governance practice including differential application of the laws and rules, and dynamic requirements for the local and global business environments for the models of the governance. The results accentuate the importance and continuous need for governance changes and serve as a platform for further research, especially focusing on digital governance and ESG factors. This research will therefore fit into this existing body of knowledge by showing how corporate governance is an imperative prerequisite for sustainable business success and stakeholder trust.

Board characteristics and profitability in sharia-compliant and non-sharia-compliant firms: beyond mere ceremony?

PurposeThis study compares the profitability of sharia-compliant firms (SCFs) and non-sharia-compliant firms (NSCFs) and explores the causal links among board of directors (BODs) characteristics (size, gender, meeting frequency, tenure, turnover and compensation), sharia compliance, capital structure and profitability. Specifically, sharia compliance and capital structure serve as moderators.Design/methodology/approachA total of 72 SCFs and 65 NSCFs were investigated during 2011–2019, resulting in 1,644 data. A t-test was used to compare profitability, and causal relationships were explored through panel data regression.FindingsSCFs outperform NSCFs in profitability in 24 of 36 t-tests. Surprisingly, 87 out of 864 instances of sharia violations were found in SCFs. Despite purifying sharia-compliant stocks from violations, the board negatively affected sharia compliance. Furthermore, sharia compliance contradicts the board’s tendency to increase profitability, implying a ceremonial screening, which reveals the board’s reluctance to incorporate sharia compliance into their management style. In contrast, boards in NSCFs rely more on their internal strengths and capacities to influence profitability, as they understand the adverse impact of debt.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study are beneficial for evaluating Islamic loopholes for both boards that are apathetic to sharia compliance and regulators who are not transparent in Islamic financial screening.Originality/valueAcademic literature concentrates on comparing Islamic banks with conventional banks, while the comparison of corporate governance and management styles in SCF vs. NSCF is minimal. Additionally, a novel measurement, the Stapel scale, is proposed for finding the purity of Islamic stocks, which is most suitable when regulators and firms conduct Islamic loopholes.

The impact of board gender diversity on green building practices: Moving beyond traditional linear and logistic specifications

AbstractThis article examines the relationship between sustainability and gender equality by analyzing how the percentage of women on the board of directors (still less than 50% in most cases) influences a company's commitment to green building practices. For this analysis, we estimate 30 competing multivariate pooled and panel data logistic specifications, including the gender diversity factor in both its traditional and polynomial forms. This methodological innovation (the polynomial form) allows for the examination of gender diversity's relationship with other variables beyond conventional models that assume constant effects, thus enabling a more realistic depiction of impacts that vary with the degree of diversity. Our dataset includes companies listed on the Euro Stoxx 300 and Standard & Poor's 500 for the period 2010–2021. The findings indicate that, in both indices, an increased percentage of women on the board (and a higher Blau diversity index) correlates with a greater propensity for sustainable building practices, up to a threshold nearing parity. The impacts are more significant in Europe than in the U.S., where board gender diversity appears to have a lesser influence on green building initiatives. The specification that best models the relationship between sustainable building practices and gender diversity, along with other relevant factors, is a multivariate panel data logistic model with the gender diversity factor included as a cubic polynomial for companies listed on the Euro Stoxx 300. A similar model, but with the gender factor in a quadratic polynomial form, was selected for companies listed on the Standard & Poor's 500. Therefore, the impact function of gender diversity on sustainable building practices is not constant but depends on the existing degree of board gender diversity, with the shape of the impact function differing between Europe and the U.S. Additionally, the study finds that other board characteristics—larger boards, longer tenures of directors, and higher compensation for senior executives—are associated with an increased propensity towards green practices in both the European and U.S. contexts. Conversely, linking CEO compensation to shareholder returns reduces this propensity. Moreover, the number of non‐executive directors and the overlap between the Chairperson and CEO positions do not significantly impact this propensity.

Kingston Student Housing Co‐operative: Budgeting and Governance in a Global Crisis*

ABSTRACTThis field research case focuses on a housing cooperative based in Kingston, Ontario. The key issue is the need to craft a budget to support the general manager, Brent Bellamy, as he plans for the coming academic year. Because of the COVID‐19 pandemic, Queen's University suspended in‐person classes for the 2020–2021 school year. The Kingston Student Housing Co‐operative (KSHC) depends on student members who attend Queen's to stay in its rooms and participate in its operations and governance structure. With Queen's effectively shutting down, KSHC's key source of funds will be absent for the coming year. Brent needs help recalculating the budget for the coming year, leading to advice on some of his strategic options. He is also worried about other issues at KSHC: (1) the organization's long‐time bookkeeper has just given notice of her intent to retire, and he must evaluate the bookkeeping tasks that were her responsibility; (2) he has concerns about the governance structure, which sees a lack of continuity in the board of directors between years; and (3) KSHC was considering a significant build project prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic that Brent would like to advance. In considering these issues, Brent must acknowledge and respect the unique nature of a cooperative as a member‐owned nonprofit organization based on certain cooperative principles.

"All of these things interact, that's why it's such a wicked problem": Stakeholders' perspectives of what hinders low back pain care in Australia and how to improve it.

Low-quality care for low back pain (LBP) is pervasive in Australia. Drivers of low-quality care have been identified elsewhere and include misconceptions about LBP, vested interests and limited funding for evidence-based interventions. Yet, the literature that identified such drivers is not specific to the Australian context, and therefore, it is likely to represent only part of the local problem. This study aimed to determine where the most influential drivers of LBP care are in the Australian healthcare system and what could be done to address them. Clinical leaders from various disciplines, academics, hospital managers, policy-makers, consumers involved in LBP advocacy, board members of relevant health profession boards and private insurers were invited to participate in one-on-one interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Interview data were analysed using content analysis. We interviewed 37 stakeholders. Challenges that hinder LBP care in Australia included variability in care and inconsistent messages, funding models that are not supportive of appropriate care for LBP, the community's understanding of LBP, vested interests and commercial forces, difficulties in accessing timely and affordable conservative care, neglect of social determinants and health inequities, short consultations, siloed practices, uncertainties that stem from gaps in evidence and the experience of having LBP, individual and contextual variability, the mismatch between evidence and practice, the Australian healthcare system itself, the lack of political will and acknowledgement of LBP as a public health issue, stigma, the need to improve human aspects and the compensation system. When discussing factors that could improve LBP care, participants raised collaboration, changes in funding, improvement of access to - and affordability of - models of care and care pathways, public health campaigns targeting LBP, enhancement of policy and governance, increasing and better training the workforce, consideration of inequities, making improvements in information sharing and reforming the worker's compensation sector. LBP is a wicked problem, influenced by several systemic factors. An agenda for system change in the LBP landscape should be guided by a collaborative, coherent and integrated approach across sectors to enhance quality of care and system efficiency for those who seek and provide care.

Web Presence and Search Engine Optimization on Hotel Patronage in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of web presence and search engine optimization on hotel patronage in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Web presence, search engine optimization and hotel patronage formed the specific objectives of the study. 1122 employees that had access to information of customers who made hotel reservations from forty-one hotels registered with Akwa Ibom State Hotels Management and Tourism Board formed the population. The study employed a census sampling technique. Primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire. Simple percentages and charts were employed for the demographic analyses, leveraging the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 to facilitate the data analyses. The univariate analyses were done using means and standard deviations to provide insights into the central tendencies and variability of the data. To test the study hypotheses, the researchers employed Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), facilitated by the SmartPLS version 3.2.9 software. Findings of the study showed that web presence (β = 0.713, t- value = 10.156, p-value = 0.011 < 0.05) had positive significant effect on hotel patronage in Akwa Ibom State and search engine optimization (β = 0.613, t-value = 8.046, p-value = 0.003 < 0.05, a statistically significant and positive effect on hotel patronage. Based on the empirical findings, we recommended that management of hotels in Akwa Ibom State should ensure that they have a well- designed, user-friendly, and informative website that showcase their offerings and provides a seamless booking experience for customers. Regular updates and maintenance of the website should be a priority to keep it relevant and engaging. The hotel owners and operators should prioritize the implementation of effective search engine optimization strategies to improve their visibility on search engine results pages. This should include optimizing their website content, improving website structure and navigation, and leveraging relevant keywords to attract potential customers.