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This study examines the influence of quality culture (QC) on university performance (UP) within the higher education (HE) context of Saudi Arabia, exploring the mediating roles of transformational (TFL) and transactional leadership (TNL) styles.

The study utilizes a cross-sectional survey approach, collecting data through online surveys from administrators representing public and private universities in Saudi Arabia. Data analysis is conducted using PLS-SEM.

The findings indicate that QC exerts a notable direct influence on UP, along with an indirect effect mediated by TFL and TNL. Additionally, the influences of TFL and TNL on UP are statistically significant. However, the effect of TNL on UP and its role as a mediator in the QC-UP relationship demonstrate partial significance.

This study enriches the theoretical comprehension of quality assurance in HE by incorporating QC as a dynamic capability within Dynamic Capability Theory and TL and TFL as valuable resources within Resource-Based View theory. However, limitations such as a cross-sectional design and reliance on input solely from university administrators must be acknowledged.

The study offers practical insights for policymakers, administrators, and quality managers, emphasizing the economic benefits of robust QC in universities. It highlights QC's impact on policy, curriculum development, and public trust, advocating tailored strategies to improve efficiency and collaboration, crucial for overcoming bureaucratic barriers, especially in public universities.

The originality of this study lies in introducing TFL and TNL as mediators between QC and UP within a university setting.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between management support, quality infrastructure, staff training and the effectiveness of quality enhancement cells (QECs) established in higher education institutions.

Data were acquired via a structured questionnaire dispatched to faculty members across 12 public and private universities, primarily situated in Punjab, Pakistan. Among the 200 questionnaires distributed, 180 were retrieved and 140 were deemed valid. The proposed relationships were examined using SPSS–25 and PLS–SEM.

The results show a positive and significant relationship between management support, quality infrastructure and staff training with QECs' effectiveness. The study also highlights that the effectiveness of QECs is “Good” in only two of the 12 universities, while in most universities it is “Barely Acceptable”. Furthermore, QECs' effectiveness is slightly better in public universities compared to private institutions.

The study employs convenience sampling and a cross-sectional approach, focusing on faculty members from 12 universities, primarily in Punjab, Pakistan. To enhance future research, larger samples and probability-based sampling should be considered, while involving quality managers and students for a broader perspective.

The research suggests policymakers and university leaders should strengthen their support by providing resources, quality infrastructure and training for academic and administrative staff. This would enhance the effectiveness of QECs and improve the overall quality of education in both public and private universities.

This study contributes to the literature on quality assurance in higher education by emphasizing the significance of QECs concerning management support, quality infrastructure and staff training – areas that are often overlooked in Pakistani universities.

Considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors is vital in climate change mitigation. Energy companies must incorporate ESG into their business plans, although it unquestionably affects their corporate financial performance (CFP). This paper aims to investigate the effect of ESG on energy companies’ profitability through return on assets by analysing the combined score and individual dimensions of ESG.

The study examined a panel data sample of 911 firm-year observations for 85 European energy-sector companies during 1995–2020. Two distinct modelling specifications were applied to explore the impact of ESG components on the CFP of EU energy companies. The financial data and ESG scores were obtained from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database in July 2021.

The empirical findings revealed that energy companies’ profitability is marginally and negatively affected by their ESG performance. Whereas independent evaluation of the ESG subcomponents indicated that environmental responsibility has a significant negative effect. In contrast, corporate social and governance responsibilities are positively but not significantly associated with the company’s CFP.

This study fills a research gap in the ESG–CFP literature in the European energy sector, a pioneer in sustainable development. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study’s originality lies in its analysis of ESG factors’ role in profitability by considering different EU countries and energy sectors.

This study aims to investigate the mechanical, thermal and water absorption (WA) properties of kenaf fiber (KF) composites hybridized with powdered Acacia concinna pods (ACP).

Kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy polymer hybrid composite was fabricated using several weight percentages of ACP powder as filler (0%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%), both with and without chemically altering the fiber mat. 6 Wt.% NaOH was used in distilled water to treat KF mat chemically. The hand layup technique is used to produce ASTM-compliant KF hybrid laminates. Tensile, flexural and IZOD impact strengths were tested on the generated hybrid composites and their thermal and WA characteristics. Scanning electron microscope fractography revealed that fiber pulling-out, debonding and cracking were the main ways composites fractured.

The investigation findings reveal that the tensile, flexural and impact strengths increased when ACP fillers were added up to 4, 6 and 8 Wt.%, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the hybrid composite is thermally stable up to 215°C. WA experiments reveal that KF mat composites treated with 0 Wt.% ACP filler had less WA than those not treated with ACP filler. The treated KF with 4% filler hybrid composite demonstrated improved interfacial bonding between the reinforcement and matrix compared to other combinations.

Although filler made of A. concinna is inexpensive, lightweight, renewable, totally or partially recyclable and biodegradable, its potential application in hybridizing composites is yet to be investigated. Hybridizing the KF mat with ACP filler in an epoxy matrix produced novel hybrid composites. Evaluations have been conducted on the effects of ACP filler on the mechanical, thermal and WA characteristics of composites.