Financial Sustainability Research Articles

Understanding evidence ecosystems: What influences the production, translation, and use of modeled evidence in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, India, and Kenya?

Background This study sought to document and understand facilitators and barriers to producing, translating, and using modeled evidence in decision-making in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, India, and Kenya. We explored researcher-decision-maker engagement mechanisms as key facilitators of evidence use, with a focus on knowledge brokers and boundary organizations. Methods The study used sequential mixed methods drawing on data collected from surveys and key informant interviews, complemented by a rapid desk review to map modeling activities and actors. The survey was conducted online while the qualitative research entailed in-depth interviews with modelers, knowledge brokers, and decision-makers working in a representative variety of health fields, organizations, and levels of government. This study was approved by Health Media Lab IRB (Institutional Review Board) in the United States and a local IRB in each study country and conducted between September 2021 and June 2022. Results Informants interviewed for this study described a range of factors that facilitate and inhibit the use of modeled evidence in public health decision-making at the individual, organizational, and environmental levels. Key themes included the capacity to produce, translate, and use modeled evidence; the timing and relevance of modeling outputs; the existence of communications channels between modelers and decision-makers; the strength of underlying data systems; the role of sustained funding; and the impact of global crises. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of taking an ecosystem approach to supporting modeling activities, considering individual, organizational, and environmental factors and how different actors and interact to inform the production, translation, and use of modeled evidence. Structured interaction that promotes dialogue, debate, and joint sense making between the producers and users of evidence is critical to informing and influencing the use of evidence in decision-making.

Female leadership and financial sustainability of MFIs: the moderating role of female borrowers

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether the percentage of female borrowers moderate the effect of female leadership on financial sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs).Design/methodology/approachThe study collected an unbalanced panel data of 821 MFIs between 2007 and 2018 from the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX). MFIs’ financial sustainability was measured as operational self-sufficiency (OSS). The data were analyzed using the fixed effect regression model.FindingsThe study found that having women participation in managerial and board positions has a positive effect on OSS. The results further demonstrated that the proportion of female loan officers and female borrowers had a negative effect on OSS. In addition, the study’s findings revealed that the percentage of female borrowers moderated the relationship between female board members, female managers, female loan officers and OSS.Practical implicationsThese findings may offer important insights to policymakers and practitioners in formulating strategies to improve financial inclusion for women by examining the inherent link between female borrowers and women’s participation in leadership roles within MFIs, which affects the financial sustainability of these entities.Originality/valueThis study is among the few that have examined the interaction between the proportion of female borrowers and other forms of female participation, including loan officers, managers and board members, and its effect on the financial sustainability of MFIs.

A Study on Evaluating Determinants of Factors Influencing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Investments

Investments that take social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and corporate governance into account are referred to as ESG investments. It supports businesses that put sustainability and moral behavior first to foster long-term success. Financial gains can be obtained through ESG investments while ensuring beneficial social benefits and risk management. The increasing recognition of ESG investments as an essential aspect of sustainable finance, that emphasise the significance of grasping the variables influencing investor choices in this field. The purpose of the study was to evaluate determinants of Factors influencing ESG investments. The technique used in the current study is the Structural Equation Model. The findings of the study indicated that there is a significant impact of attitude, Environmental concern, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on behavioural intention towards ESG investments. The study is extended by adding Environmental concern construct to the base theory of planned behavior.

Characterizing Collegiate Recovery Programs in the US and Canada: A Survey of Program Directors.

Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) play a vital and expanding role in supporting students in recovery from substance use disorders and behavioral addictions at higher education institutions. Despite their importance, there is a lack of comprehensive research characterizing CRPs, including their program directors and the nature and influence of their funding streams. A survey was administered to 70 CRP directors across the US and Canada. Directors reported on their CRPs across a variety of site physical features, policy and program offerings, and funding sources, with "sustainable" funding defined as two or more sources. CRP directors were predominantly non-Hispanic, White, and female, with representation from gender and sexual minorities. The highest concentration of directors responding were in the US states of North Carolina, California, and Texas. CRPs with more than one funding source served twice as many students and had significantly more space, drop-in facilities, and relapse management policies. CRP directors had positive perceptions of harm reduction principles. Additionally, results highlighted the robust availability of All Recovery meetings and the wide diversity of mutual-help group meetings offered within CRPs and directors' positive perceptions of these meetings. This research lays a foundation for enhancing CRPs within higher education settings, emphasizing the significance of sustained funding and an inclusive support framework for the program directors that run CRPs. Future studies should further explore the effectiveness of CRPs and their impacts on the schools and students they serve.

The Urgency of Green Banking Regulations in Indonesia in the Implementation of Sustainable Development

This research highlights significant gaps in Indonesia's green banking regulations, particularly the lack of stringent sanctions and clear enforcement frameworks for sustainable finance principles. While the Financial Services Authority Regulation No. 51/POJK.03/2017 addresses environmental sustainability, it fails to impose effective penalties on banks that contribute to environmental degradation. As a result, green banking in Indonesia remains largely a voluntary initiative due to insufficient regulatory measures. This research employs a normative legal research design, utilizing both conceptual and statutory approaches. It advocates for the implementation of stricter penalties and enhanced oversight to ensure compliance with sustainability standards among financial institutions, thereby facilitating the transition to a green economy. Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore the importance of indicators related to economic, social, and environmental sustainability, which green banking can help achieve. The proposed revised regulatory framework should include stringent sanctions for violations by both banks and customers, ensuring that financial institutions actively contribute to environmental protection.

Implementing sustainability taxonomies to redirect capital flows: the case of South Africa

ABSTRACT Sustainability taxonomies are comprehensive classification systems that define what constitutes a sustainable economic activity. They aim to increase transparency in financial markets and redirect capital flows to sustainable investments. Such sustainable finance policies can be important levers for the transformation of the economy towards climate neutrality, as today’s investments will shape economic production processes for decades to come. While sustainability taxonomies have been developed in recent years in many countries, existing research on taxonomies has so far often focused on the European Union and has hardly addressed questions of policy implementation. This case study focuses on South Africa’s Green Finance Taxonomy (GFT) and addresses the question of what factors influence the adoption of sustainability taxonomies by potential users. Based on 44 semi-structured expert interviews with taxonomy stakeholders from the private sector, government, civil society and academia, it finds that one year after its publication, the GFT has hardly been used in practice. Important factors hindering an effective implementation are a lack of regulatory embedding, the absence of a legal recognition of the GFT by the European Union (EU), hesitance among financial market participants to build capacity to collect the necessary data, and fossil-fuel path dependencies in South Africa’s economy. Given the difficulties many jurisdictions currently face in implementing their newly developed sustainability taxonomies, these findings have important policy implications not only for South Africa but also for other countries.

A Study on Evaluating Determinants of Factors Influencing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Investments

Investments that take social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and corporate governance into account are referred to as ESG investments. It supports businesses that put sustainability and moral behavior first to foster long-term success. Financial gains can be obtained through ESG investments while ensuring beneficial social benefits and risk management. The increasing recognition of ESG investments as an essential aspect of sustainable finance, that emphasise the significance of grasping the variables influencing investor choices in this field. The purpose of the study was to evaluate determinants of Factors influencing ESG investments. The technique used in the current study is the Structural Equation Model. The findings of the study indicated that there is a significant impact of attitude, Environmental concern, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on behavioural intention towards ESG investments.

Implementation of Digital Initiatives in Higher Education in India: Problems and Solutions

The education system is gradually becoming technology-oriented. The Ministry of Education of India has initiatives numerous digital platforms, tools, and devices like (SWAYAM, SWAYAM Prabha, Shodhganga, Shodhshuddhi, NDL, NAD, e-PG Pathshala, e-Yantra, FOSSE, SAMARTH, IRINS, spoken tutorials and Virtual Labs and so on) to ensure that everyone can access advance and quality education. The study explores problems and solutions regarding implementing digital initiatives in higher educational institutions. This study adopted secondary data from different papers published in journals, newspaper pieces, and various government policies and reports with the help of content analysis. Due to a lack of knowledge and awareness, many problems are faced in successfully implementing digital initiatives in India's higher Education. The problems encountered include limited digital resources and tools, poor internet connectivity in rural institutions, and a lack of proper policy guidelines and rules and regulations when implementing digital initiatives. This paper explores solutions to the problems regarding implementing digital initiatives, such as regular training and workshop programme arrangements that help to increase knowledge and awareness among academics, researchers, and students. Provide adequate internet infrastructure, especially in rural areas, and require sustainable funding to implement digital initiatives in higher Education successfully. The outcome will be highly beneficial if the students can learn digitally. It is valuable for faculty members to develop professional skills.

Sustainability Assessment of the Performance of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Firms: A Comparative Analysis of Firms’ Legal Form and Altitude Range

Geographical indications (GIs), protected by the European Union with the collective marks of PDO (protected designation of origin), PGI (protected geographical indication), and TSG (traditional specialty guaranteed), play an important role in the social and economic system. They not only guarantee food needs, but promote correct consumer information, protect local food, and play a role in the environmental and social sustainability of rural areas. In Italy, Parmigiano Reggiano (PR-RE) PDO cheese is ranked second in foods with the GI protection mark by turnover. This research aims to assess the financial sustainability of the firms registered in the PR-RE PDO consortium using financial statement (FINSTAT) analysis. Financial ratios (FR) and the EM-Score were applied to assess firms’ performance, financial risk, and credit score. The analysis distinguished firms by legal form, cooperative and non-cooperative, and altitude range—plain hill and mountain. The main findings of the research were as follows: (1) a better performance of lowland non-cooperative firms and lower financial risk, (2) a longer duration of the inventory cycle of cooperative firms, and (3) a greater financial risk in mountain cooperatives. The results provide indications for improving firms’ performance and for designing financial instruments for the sector. To our knowledge, this is the first research to carry out an analysis of all the available FINSTATs of firms in the PR-RE PDO sector.

Health Care Systems Sustainability: The role of Health Care Management Education and Continuing Professional Development in Building a Sustainable Healthcare System

It comes as no surprise that healthcare leaders today face unprecedented challenges. Some are immediate. Others are long-term. Many are interrelated. All are complex. None of them are small, as they include financial sustainability, mission, quality and patient safety, rapidly advancing technology, changing consumer expectations, new market entrants, healthcare inequities, and more regulation. And one challenge tops that list: workforce shortages. Although many individuals continue to be drawn to healthcare, the numbers are insufficient to meet increasing demand. But there is one more challenge which even tops this issue. And that is the continuing and growing need for capable and competent leaders and leadership in the world’s most complex industry sector – healthcare. Aiming for excellence in health are words that adorn our organisation’s’ mission statements and list of values. But is there something that can make the difference in outcomes for health at the patient level, at a system level, and at a population level? And if there is, can we identify what makes the difference, amplify it and exploit it to the world? My thesis is the one thing that will make the difference is the level of competence and capability of the leaders and leadership. What does this look like? What should we be doing to grow it and develop it?

Revolutionizing Education through AI: Alleviating Educator Stress, Personalizing Learning, and Enhancing Economic Sustainability

The current education industry faces critical challenges, including overwhelming educator workloads, a lack of personalized student learning, and unsustainable financial models. This paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can offer solutions to these systemic issues, focusing on three key areas: reducing teacher burnout, enhancing student engagement through personalized education, and improving the financial sustainability of educational institutions. The study investigates the advantages of adaptive learning systems for customizing educational experiences for each student, the impact of automated tools in easing administrative burdens on teachers, and the optimization of institutional resources to lower operating costs through a thorough analysis of current AI-based projects. These results demonstrate how AI has the potential to revolutionize conventional educational approaches. Still, they also show that to fully realize its promise, more extensive systemic changes are required.

Evaluation Of the Quadruple Aim as A Model of Strategic Direction in A Clinic During the First Period Of 2022

Objective: To evaluate the quadruple aim (QA) as a model of strategic direction in a clinic in 2022. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study using a quantitative method based on the components of the QA obtained from the data model of a clinic. The following strategy indicators were considered: health outcomes, experience in care, team satisfaction, and financial sustainability. Results: Regarding health outcomes, the percentage of compliance was good, experience in care and team satisfaction was satisfactory, and financial sustainability had a good average. Conclusion: The QA strategy helped improve the quality of care in the different units.

Firms' gender composition, loan collateral, and sustainable finance

This study evaluates gender gaps in the collateral requirements of bank loans using a sample of firms in Latin America. We measure firm-level gender composition through ownership and workforce, both of which are directly related to women's economic empowerment. Additionally, we evaluate the differences in the impacts of firms' gender composition on collateral borrowing between banks that adopt sustainable finance codes of conduct and those that do not. Our empirical findings indicate that female-dominant firms are less likely to be required to provide collateral for their bank loans, and when collateral is required, its value is relatively lower. However, banks adopting sustainable finance codes are not less likely to grant collateral loans to female-dominant firms; in fact, these banks even require greater collateral values from these firms. The implications derived from our empirical findings concern gender inequality in accessing financial credit in developing countries and underscore the need for designing sustainable finance codes that specifically consider and rectify the challenges faced by female-owned firms, especially by firms with a majority female workforce.

Global Green Finance: Roadmap for India

Climate change, and especially, ‘climate deterioration’ is an alarming situation for the global scenario, and thus, the need for developing financial services and products that aim to reduce the effects of these changes is the need of the hour. This long-felt need has given birth to a new form of investing, known as green finance or broadly, sustainable finance. So, it can be said that green finance is a subset under the larger umbrella of the concept of sustainable finance. This article tries to bring to the knowledge of the readers the basic understanding of the concept of green finance, its various instruments available globally and its developments at the global and Indian level, highlighting the three stages of green finance’s evolution and its major theories. Further, it reveals the global presence of major green finance instruments like green bonds and its types, green mutual funds (MFs) and green stock exchanges. The article also deals with the concepts of emissions trading system and European Union’s Carbon Border Tax. The discussion becomes more specific in the subsequent sections, drawing the present picture of green finance concerning the Indian scenario—its green bank, green bonds, green MF and green stock exchange. Reserve Bank of India’s recent guidelines regarding green finance and India’s presidency at the last held G20 summit are also discussed, finally concluding with mapping the road ahead for India.

Achieving universal health coverage inSub-Saharan Africa through the reformation of mental health financing

Insufficient financing is limiting mental health services for universal health coverage (UHC) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Without ambitious steps to enhance mental health services, UHC will fall far below its historical agenda; however, adequate mental health financing could strengthen governments’ capacity to provide additional budgetary resources. This paper aims to identify potential strategies for more equitable and sustainable mental health financing in SSA. Using Uganda as a key example, we provide a contextual analysis and highlight current gaps. We draw parallels with successful countries and discuss recommendations for engagement from the global mental health community. This perspective focuses on health systems, mental disease burden, and macro-fiscal situation. Drivers of fiscal space for health indicate prospects to boost mental health budgets for socioeconomic development. Governments should conduct consistent mental health investment cases and expedite fiscal space for aggressive taxation to health reforms.

Global Metrics for Terrestrial Biodiversity

Biodiversity metrics are increasingly in demand for informing government, business, and civil society decisions. However, it is not always clear to end users how these metrics differ or for what purpose they are best suited. We seek to answer these questions using a database of 573 biodiversity-related metrics, indicators, indices, and layers, which address aspects of genetic diversity, species, and ecosystems. We provide examples of indicators and their uses within the state–pressure–response–benefits framework that is widely used in conservation science. Considering complementarity across this framework, we recommend a small number of metrics considered most pertinent for use in decision-making by governments and businesses. We conclude by highlighting five future directions: increasing the importance of national metrics, ensuring wider uptake of business metrics, agreeing on a minimum set of metrics for government and business use, automating metric calculation through use of technology, and generating sustainable funding for metric production.

Olive Culture Promotion and Financial Sustainability: A Study of University College Zhob, BUITEMS

Olive Culture Promotion and Financial Sustainability: A Study of University College Zhob, BUITEMS

Integrated and sustainable performance evaluation of urban rail transit systems using fuzzy sustainability index

The complexity of prominent dimensions in urban rail transportation sector arises from the involvement of several stakeholders and the various interacting variables for evaluating transportation performance. This study uses a fuzzy logic-based method to present an index-based framework for sustainable performance assessment. The proposed framework presents 4 main indicators which include environmental, economic, financial and social sustainability, 14 sub-indicators, 4 main indicators for transportation system effectiveness with 13 sub-indicators and 1 main indicator for multi modal integration with 6 sub-indicators. The performance ratings and importance weights of the transport sustainability attributes are evaluated using a fuzzy logic approach. A numerical illustration is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the approach. The results show that system capacity (passenger capacity of a route), comfort and customer service (passenger environment and ride quality, maintenance cycle) and multimodal integration (park and ride facilities) were found to be weaker attributes. The proposed methodology facilitates the systematic understanding of the prominent attributes for achieving integrated and sustainable transport performance by using the ‘Fuzzy Transport Sustainability Index’.

Accounting and Healthcare Waste Management: Strategies to Improve Financial Efficiency and Reduce Environmental Impact

Healthcare waste management represents both a financial and environmental challenge for healthcare institutions. This article discusses accounting and financial management strategies that can be implemented to optimize operational costs related to healthcare waste disposal, while minimizing environmental impact. A theoretical framework based on financial and environmental sustainability is proposed, integrating environmental accounting policies and waste management methodologies. The results demonstrate that adequate financial planning and the implementation of treatment technologies can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency in healthcare waste management. The findings highlight the need for more robust management policies and greater investment in sustainable treatment technologies.

Analysis of fiscal sustainability and its impact on enhancing economic growth in Iraq for the period (2004-2021)

The research aims to analyze and measure the reality of the Iraqi economy for the period (2004-2021)by applying the concept of financial sustainability and its indicators on economic growth. The paper's problem lies in the weak implementation of financial sustainability and indicators in most financial decisions in Iraq, negatively impacting economic growth in most economic sectors in Iraq. The paper started from the hypothesis that the weak implementation of financial sustainability in most of Iraq has contributed to the weakness of economic growth. The validity of the hypothesis has been proven using a standard model known as the Multiple Regression Model (ARDL), the study has yielded several results, the most important being the inverse relationship between the budget deficit as an independent variable and economic growth as a dependent variable. The budget deficit reached (59%) of the "gross domestic Product" indicating a deviation from the 3% deficit defined by the Maastricht treaty to ensure deficit coverage. Iraq's deviation from this percentage will lead to a decrease in economic growth. The paper also revealed an inverse relationship between public debt as an independent variable and economic growth as a dependent variable due to Iraq's violation of the golden rule, which dictates allocating debt to the investment side rather than consumptive spending. Paper type: Research paper.