Empirical Evidence Research Articles

Does financial expertise influence Islamic bank risk-taking?

PurposeThis study investigated how the financial expertise of the board of directors, risk management committee (RMC), audit committee (AC) and Shariá Supervisory Board (SSB) influences the risk-taking of Islamic banks.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized unbalanced panel data for a sample of 43 full-fledged Islamic banks from 15 countries over 12 years (2010–2021). We employed feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) and heteroskedastic panels corrected standard errors (HPCSE) regression regressions as the primary estimation methods and used a two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator for robustness checks.FindingsThe results indicate that board financial expertise decreases insolvency and credit risks. Similarly, AC financial expertise and SSB financial expertise reduce insolvency and portfolio risks but increase credit risk. In contrast, RMC financial expertise raises insolvency risk. The remaining relationships are statistically insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the lack of disclosure regarding the educational and professional background of the board and committee members in the annual reports of some Islamic banks, this research used a sample of only 43 full-fledged Islamic banks operating in fifteen countries from 2010 to 2021.Practical implicationsThe findings can assist both local and international regulators in revising corporate governance codes and risk management guidelines in such a way as to ensure that the financial experts appointed to the board, AC, RMC and SSB, are capable of controlling excessive risk-taking behavior in Islamic banks.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by providing comprehensive empirical evidence that corporate governance financial expertise influences the risk-taking behavior of Islamic banks.

Defence Spending and Income Inequality. An Asymmetric Empirical Evidence from a Decomposition Analysis of Defence Spending in the Case of Greece

ABSTRACT This study is the first to empirically examine the asymmetric and compositional effects of defence spending on three different measures of income disparity. Using the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) approach, the study analyses the short- and long-term impacts of disaggregated defence spending on income inequality in Greece. The findings have significant theoretical and policy implications. First, in the medium term, increased military spending in Greece widens income disparity by boosting the income share of the wealthiest. Second, in the long term, positive changes in military expenditures reduce income inequality, primarily benefiting lower-income groups. Third, long-term negative changes in defence spending harm middle- and low-income groups. Finally, the compositional analysis highlights that increases in military spending, mostly on personnel and, to a lesser extent, on equipment, improve long-term income equality, while decreases in spending on personnel significantly worsen income disparity. Given these findings and the evolving nature of warfare, Greece should gradually adopt a new defence strategy. This strategy should emphasise extensive personnel reserves, prioritise domestic military equipment over costly foreign alternatives, and rationalise defence expenditures by reallocating budget expenditures towards health, education, and social welfare programs. These measures would enhance living standards and reduce income inequality in Greece.

On the demarcation of ecolinguistics

Abstract This article discusses the demarcation of contemporary ecolinguistics. It takes a starting point in different conceptualisations of the field, including (1) the claim that ecolinguistics is an umbrella term for work that attends to interconnections and dynamics in multiple contexts, (2) the claim that ecolinguistics comprises two traditions, a Haugenian tradition and a Hallidayan tradition, and (3) the claim that ecolinguistics consists of four strands that orient to the symbolic, sociocultural, natural, and cognitive ecology of language, respectively. Using bibliometric methods, the article concludes that there is currently no unity in ecolinguistics that warrants the first claim. Further, it concludes that there is no bibliometric or empirical evidence for the second claim, as there is virtually no connection between the two traditions, and hence they are two separate research areas, rather than two traditions within one field. Finally, it is shown that while there do indeed exist four ecological frameworks in linguistics, they are not subfields within ecolinguistics. It is concluded that contemporary ecolinguistics is defined by its preoccupation with natural ecologies. Based on this conclusion, it is suggested that the ecolinguistic preoccupation with natural ecologies presupposes treating language as integral to living and the ecology.

On the left periphery of ‘optional’ wh-in-situ: Evidence from Greek

A recent generalization about ‘optional’ wh-in-situ states that wh-in-situ questions are blocked in selected contexts, where the only grammatical option is wh-fronting. In this squib, I show that the generalization is misplaced: Wh-in-situ is not actually blocked in selected contexts, it is simply not visible to selection as a wh-construction. To this end, I provide empirical evidence from Greek wh-in-situ questions, concentrating on issues revolving around selection, movement and the discourse. The analysis proposed treats wh-in-situ as a construction in its own right, being open to labeling possibilities that its wh-fronting counterpart cannot have.

Distributed Ledger Technology and Financial Reporting Integrity in Nigerian Quoted Banks: A Study on Error Reduction and Enhanced Transparency

This study investigated the effect of distributed ledger technology (DLT) factors on eliminating financial reporting errors (FREs) in quoted Nigerian banks. Using an exploratory survey design, data was collected from 300 employees of 14 quoted banks involved in financial reporting. DLT factors of public, private, hybrid, and blockchain were examined as independent variables affecting the dependent variable of FRE elimination. Descriptive analysis showed that all DLT types were perceived as highly effective for error reduction. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between DLT factors and FRE mitigation. Regression modeling found that hybrid DLT had the largest impact on error elimination, followed by private, public, and blockchain DLT. Together, the DLT factors explained 98.1% of the variance in FRE reduction. The results statistically established the significant positive effects of DLT factors on eliminating prevalent FREs like principle, omission, entry, disclosure, and reversal errors. Key contributions include providing robust empirical evidence that leveraging DLT, especially hybrid DLT, can eliminate common financial reporting errors in Nigerian banks. The pioneering study expands conceptualizations, theories, and literature regarding DLT's potential to comprehensively transform financial reporting accuracy. It offers important implications for policy, practice, and research on regulating, adopting, and studying DLT solutions to address persistent financial statement errors undermining stakeholder trust in Nigeria's banking sector. The study concludes by strongly recommending for policy and, in practice, the regulation and full adoption of DLT for the elimination of FREs in Nigeria.

Coaching to develop leadership of healthcare managers: a mixed-methods systematic review

IntroductionCoaching is commonly used to facilitate leadership development among healthcare managers. However, there is limited knowledge of the components of coaching interventions and their impacts on healthcare managers’ leadership development. This mixed-methods systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence of coaching to develop leadership among healthcare managers.MethodsThe authors conducted a mixed-methods systematic review using a convergent synthesis design where quantitative and qualitative evidence was collected and analyzed concurrently using a matrix synthesis method. They reviewed studies published in English or Chinese by searching databases including MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, Nursing & Allied Health Premium, Scopus, Wanfang, CNKI, SinoMed, and VIP databases from their inception to August 10, 2023, and updated the search again on July 9, 2024. Articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. First, from eligible studies, the qualitative data were extracted to describe intervention components, the perceived impact of coaching, and participants’ perceptions of being involved in coaching intervention. Second, quantitative data analysis was conducted to describe the impact of coaching interventions and the frequency of each theme evolved in the data. Third, qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized using the matrix synthesis method.ResultsA total of 13 studies were included in the analysis. Three qualitative studies were assessed as having ‘no or few limitations’, three case series studies were scored between five and eight out of 10 points, two quasi-experimental studies showed ‘moderate’ overall bias, and the five mixed-methods studies scored from 40 to 60% (out of 100%). For Objective 1, which covers the component of coaching (aims, ingredients, mechanism, and delivery), the typical aim of coaching interventions was to develop the leadership skills of middle management managers. The ingredients of coaching encompassed three distinct coaching categories and seven specific procedures. The mechanisms of most coaching interventions were based on theory and empirical evidence. The average delivery time was approximately four months. Overall, coaching positively impacts outcomes for managers, organizations, and staff (Objective 2). Perceptions of the participants toward coaching interventions were divided into six categories: barriers, facilitators, effective components, attitudes, satisfactory aspects, and suggestions for designing high-quality coaching interventions to improve leadership (Objective 3).ConclusionsThe components of coaching interventions varied across different studies. The impact of coaching on leadership development was positive across three levels (manager, organization, and staff). Therefore, we recommend coaching as an intervention for healthcare managers aiming to enhance their leadership level. Future coaching interventions may achieve greater effectiveness if they are specifically aligned with the participants’ perceptions identified in our study.

Effectiveness of Multimedia Package on Student-teachers’ Achievement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education Course

In the present context of artificial intelligence, student-teachers need to understand technological applications in education and incorporate them into their classroom instruction. Technological applications help in connecting and collaborating beyond geographical boundaries. The student-teachers should be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the benefits of incorporating technology into their teaching practices and it should be the focus of teacher-training to equip them with the necessary skills to utilize these applications in their practice. The ICT in Education course was introduced in one of the University's pre-service teacher education programs in India to facilitate student-teachers to gain the ICT skills needed to integrate it into teaching. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the multimedia package on student-teachers at the pre-service level based on empirical evidence. Some of the findings suggest that the use of the multimedia package not only helps student-teachers identify and use resources effectively but also delivers the content meaningfully. The Multimedia packages could serve as a tool for educators to deliver subject content efficiently.

Integrating street-view images to quantify the urban soundscape: Case study of Fuzhou City's main urban areaa).

Soundscapes are an important part of urban landscapes and play a key role in the health and well-being of citizens. However, predicting soundscapes over a large area with fine resolution remains a great challenge and traditional methods are time-consuming and require laborious large-scale noise detection work. Therefore, this study utilized machine learning algorithms and street-view images to estimate a large-area urban soundscape. First, a computer vision method was applied to extract landscape visual feature indicators from large-area streetscape images. Second, the 15 collected soundscape indicators were correlated with landscape visual indicators to construct a prediction model, which was applied to estimate large-area urban soundscapes. Empirical evidence from 98 000 street-view images in Fuzhou City indicated that street-view images can be used to predict street soundscapes, validating the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms in soundscape prediction.

Ethical concerns in caring for persons with anorexia nervosa: content analysis of a series of documentations from ethics consultations

BackgroundCaring for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with high levels of moral distress among healthcare professionals. The main moral conflict has been posited to be between applying coercion to prevent serious complications such as premature death and accepting treatment refusals. However, empirical evidence on this topic is scarce.MethodsWe identified all 19 documentations of ethics consultations (ECs) in the context of AN from one clinical ethics support service in Switzerland. These documentations were coded with a sequential deductive-inductive approach and the code system was interpreted in a case-based manner. Here, we present findings on patient characteristics and ethical concerns.FindingsThe ECs typically concerned an intensely pretreated, extremely underweight AN patient endangering herself by refusing the proposed treatment. In addition to the justifiability of coercion, frequent ethical concerns were whether further coerced treatment aimed at weight gain would be ineffective or even harmful, evidencing uncertainty about beneficence and non-maleficence and a conflict between these principles. Discussed options included harm reduction (e.g. psychotherapy without weight gain requirements) and palliation (e.g. initiating end-of-life care), the appropriateness of which were ethical concerns in themselves. Overall, nine different types of conflicts between or uncertainties regarding ethical principles were identified with a median of eight per case.ConclusionsEthical concerns in caring for persons with AN are diverse and complex. To deal with uncertainty about and conflict between respect for autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence, healthcare professionals consider non-curative approaches. However, currently, uncertainty around general justifiability, eligibility criteria, and concrete protocols hinders their adoption.

Prior brief meditation reduces distractor inhibition during cognitive interference

BackgroundMindfulness meditation, comprising focused attention and open monitoring meditations, has been shown to enhance performance on cognitive interference tasks. While this enhancement has been considered not to result from distractor inhibition, no empirical evidence has been provided through behavioral data. In this study, we investigated whether 30-min interventions of focused attention and open monitoring meditations could reduce distractor inhibition in 72 meditation-naïve participants divided into focused attention meditation, open monitoring meditation, and control groups.MethodsWe employed a task set that combined a cognitive interference task with subsequent preference judgment and surprise recognition tasks, utilizing the mere exposure effect paradigm, along with state and trait questionnaires. The mere exposure effect shows that repeated exposure to face images increases one’s preference for them. However, this effect is reduced if participants consciously or unconsciously try to inhibit the face images during stimulus processing. In the cognitive interference task, they judged the direction of the letter superimposed on a distractor face image. In the subsequent preference judgment task, they were asked to rate the preference of face images, half of which were presented in the interference task and the remaining half were not presented. We hypothesized that inhibiting face images presented as distractors would lead to a decrease in preference for them.Results and discussionsWe found that the mere exposure effect was observed in focused attention meditation and open monitoring meditation groups but not in the control group, indicating that compared to the control, focused attention and open monitoring meditations reduce inhibition processes for distractors during cognitive interference tasks. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state relaxation before the cognitive interference task as well as a negative correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state anxiety in the focused attention meditation group, but not in the open monitoring meditation group. This suggests that the processes of reducing inhibition in focused attention and open monitoring meditations differ. Our findings contribute to understanding the attentional mechanisms underlying mindfulness meditation during cognitive interference.

Physiotherapy practices in the clinical assessment of lateral elbow tendinopathy: An international survey.

Understanding physiotherapy practices is important to identify variations from empirical evidence and highlight requirements for training. This survey explored international physiotherapy practices for assessment of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). Two hundred ninety-nine surveyed physiotherapists from eight member countries of the International Federation of Manual and Orthopaedic Physical Therapists completed the survey. Respondents rated their frequency of use (never, rarely, sometimes, often, and always) for items related to: patient history; diagnostic tests; grip and upper limb strength; cervical and neurological assessment; and medical imaging. To establish practices, the five response categories were dichotomised into routine practice (often, always) and not-routine practice (sometimes, rarely, never). A response rate of ≥70% for each dichotomy was used to determine whether an assessment item was deemed routine practice or not, with items not meeting either criterion considered neither routine nor not-routine practice. Most respondents were from United States (63%). The 'chair pick up test', 'cervical special tests', and 'plain radiograph' met our criteria for not routine practice (i.e., 70%, 72%, and 71%, respectively). All other assessment items did not meet the criteria to be considered routine or not-routine practice. The chair pick-up test, cervical spine special tests (e.g., Spurling's test), and plain radiography appear to not be routinely used in the assessment of LET. The finding that no assessment technique met the criteria for routine use may imply that physiotherapists adopt a nuanced approach to selecting clinical assessment items as opposed to routinely applying tests.

Linking Environmental Management Systems to Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from an Emerging Economy

This study aims to determine how environmental performance and customer satisfaction affect the relationship between environmental management systems and company performance. For this purpose, we have collected and analyzed data from 243 textile companies in Pakistan, using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Our empirical results indicate that environmental management systems have a positive and significant impact on business success, customer satisfaction and environmental performance. The findings also show that environmental performance and customer satisfaction mediate the relationship between environmental management systems and business performance in a complementary manner. Our findings show that environmental performance and customer happiness are essential for textile companies to benefit from environmental management systems. The results suggest that Pakistani textile companies should make better use of environmental management systems as valuable tools for addressing stakeholders' concerns and for boosting financial profits.

The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and its competitiveness in China: The Moderating Effect of Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Using data from Chinese publicly listed companies spanning from 2010 to 2022, this study examines the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and corporate competitiveness. The findings show that the influence of corporate entrepreneurship on enterprise competitiveness is significantly “U-shaped”. As the degree of corporate entrepreneurship increases, it initially demonstrates a significant negative impact on enterprise competitiveness, followed by a significant positive impact. Mechanism testing reveals that the implementation of ESOPs can expedite the enhancement of corporate competitiveness. Further analysis suggests that compared to arbitrage entrepreneurship, innovative entrepreneurship can contribute to sustained enhancements in enterprise competitiveness. At the same level of corporate entrepreneurship, the increase in competitive capabilities of large companies surpasses that of Small and Medium-sized (S&M) companies. This paper provides empirical evidence and theoretical guidance for studying the economic implications of different types of corporate entrepreneurship.

Automation, Bargaining Power, and Labor Market Fluctuations

We argue that the threat of automation weakens workers’ bargaining power in wage negotiations, dampening wage adjustments and amplifying unemployment fluctuations. We make this argument based on a business cycle model with labor market search frictions, generalized to incorporate automation decisions. In the model, procyclical automation threats create endogenous real wage rigidity that amplifies labor market fluctuations. The automation mechanism is consistent with empirical evidence. It is also quantitatively important for explaining the large volatilities of unemployment and vacancies relative to that of real wages, a puzzling observation through the lens of standard business cycle models. (JEL E13, E24, E32, J31, J63, J64)

How do capable village cadres influence the effectiveness of rural living environment improvement? Empirical evidence from China

Rural Living Environment Improvement (RLEI) is crucial for constructing an ecological civilization and revitalizing rural areas. This study conducts an empirical analysis of the influence of capable village cadres on RLEI effectiveness, using microeconomic data from 173 villages across seven Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2019. The findings reveal a progressive enhancement in the RLEI among the surveyed villages over this timeframe. However, disparities persist in meeting farmers’ aspirations for an improved quality of life. Notably, village secretaries with business experience significantly contributed to advancements in domestic waste and sewage treatment (WST) and sanitary toilet coverage (STC). The robustness of these conclusions is upheld after adjusting the regression model and reassessing the sample data. Furthermore, capable village cadres can conveniently access government project support and promote the development of rural collective economy, thereby improving the RLEI. Comprehensive measures and substantial guarantees should be implemented to incentivize individuals with both integrity and competence to assume roles as village cadres. The monitoring system should be modernized, paving the way for a new paradigm of “strong state and strong society” in RLEI.

Achieving supply chain sustainability: enhancing supply chain resilience, organizational performance, innovation and information sharing: empirical evidence from Chinese SMEs

PurposeThis study aimed to explore the relationship between supply chain resilience (SCR) and organizational performance (OP), with innovation (INN) serving as a mediator and information sharing (IS) acting as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachThe study comprehensively examined the connections between SCR, OP, INN and IS. An exploratory approach and quantitative methods were employed. The data were collected from small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises of three cities Xian, Hainan and Guangzhou of China via online questionnaire surveys conducted through Emails and WeChat. SmartPLS-4 was used for data analysis.FindingsThe findings indicated that SCR has a positive effect on sustainability efforts. Additionally, INN and effective IS both mediated and moderated this relationship, playing crucial roles in improving sustainability within the supply chain.Practical implicationsThe study offered practical insights for businesses to enhance their sustainability efforts. Managers can use these findings to develop strategies that improve SCR, foster INN and encourage effective IS, ultimately resulting in a more sustainable supply chain.Originality/valueThis study enriched the existing knowledge base by investigating the intricate relationships among SCR, OP, INN and IS, all within the context of achieving sustainability. By exploring these elements holistically, the research introduced originality and highlighted effective strategies for sustainable supply chain management.

What helps Agile remote teams to be successful in developing software? Empirical evidence

Software development firms have specific goals but today's dynamic business environment, especially regarding the use of remote teams, presents great challenges due to uncertainties and multiple risks. This study investigates the facilitators of the success of Agile software development projects delivered by remote teams. We employ a conceptual research model founded on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. The study contributes to the literature by exploring how remote teams affect the success of Agile software development projects. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis of the data collected from 198 IT professionals revealed that perceived pressure from government, job performance, and team satisfaction are significant in explaining these projects’ success.

Enhancing Global Sustainable Higher Education Through Sustainability Window Approach

The sustainability window approach began as a model that could explain the way to sustainable economic development. This theory places emphasis on ecological, economic and social linkages for making comprehensive analysis and policy towards United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. It identifies four theoretically sustainable paths; two associated with economic growth and the others requiring growth conditional or strict adherence to environmental and social criteria. Many studies confirm that higher education institutions have not been able to completely embrace the concept of sustainability window approach. The paper asserts that these are the most effective ways through which global higher education establishments can achieve sustainability: well-being of society, environmental protection, low consumption, and limited social usage. Finally, it concludes by calling on high education institutions to incorporate sustainability window and integrate it with triple bottom line and responsible management education approaches. The paper argues that in order to determine whether such a change might be suitable in different settings, it is recommended that we test this revised framework using empirical evidence

Regional R&I ventures to tackle climate change: A new geography of challenge-oriented innovation landscape

This paper analyses how EU regions have aligned their innovation and policy endeavours to tackle exposure to the effects of Climate Change at regional level. Scholars hailed the need to orienting efforts and resources to tackle societal challenges. However, we have little empirical evidence on the alignment of R&I ecosystems and policy endeavours towards tackling Climate Change. Using regression analysis, we assess the relationship between such directionality and the exposure to risk of disasters (i.e., coastal floods, river floods, and landslides) that each region faces in the short, medium, and long term due to Climate Change. Results show a positive relationship between risk projection and climate change preparedness. However, a more in-depth analysis demonstrates the complexity of such geographical "problem-solution convergence": investigating whether the EU regions most at risk of being affected by climate change are also the ones most ready to target climate change through an aligned combination of R&I and policy efforts. Findings show that more developed regions appear more ready to tackle climate change effects compared to transition and less developed regions. These findings suggest that more support is needed for less developed regions facing major Climate Change-related risks.

Natural resources and sustainable development: Evidence from the dynamic correlation between crude oil and gold market

Amidst the uncertainty in markets spurred by globalization and technological advancements, the volatility of the crude oil and gold markets, which are emblematic of natural resource markets (NRMs), profoundly impacts global economic sustainability. This study innovatively quantifies and contrasts the impact of macroeconomic uncertainty factors on the volatility and dynamic correlation of these pivotal NRMs by extending the GJR-GARCH-MIDAS-X and DCC-MIDAS-RC-X models grounded in global economic policy uncertainty (GEPU), trade policy uncertainty (TPU), monetary policy uncertainty (MPU), and geopolitical risk (GPR). Concurrently, employing principal component analysis (PCA) blends numerous uncertainty factors, heightening the models’ explanatory capacity and predictive precision. Empirical findings suggest that all uncertainty factors exert significant positive effects on both crude oil and gold volatility, albeit with heterogeneity. Furthermore, the correlation between crude oil and gold fluctuates over time under the influence of uncertainty factors. Additionally, this study revealed asymmetric effects on realized volatility between the two NRMs. This research not only provides novel theoretical insights and empirical evidence concerning the intricate dynamic interplay between the two NRMs, but also has significant ramifications for policymakers, market regulators, and investors in crafting effective strategies and decisions amidst market uncertainty.