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This paper studies the current realities of the Islamic banking system of Brunei Darussalam from the perspective of the theories of modern financial intermediation and Islamic financial contracting. The limited information on the banking system of Brunei Darussalam reveals that the first phase of the Islamic banking experimentation has been successful, as Islamic banks command roughly 11.5 per cent of the market share. The financial services industry, however, remains extremely competitive and Islamic banks face formidable challenges from conventional banks. Islamic banks can proliferate if they: advance towards the second phase by gradually consolidating retail banking with investment banking; establish vital links with local and foreign institutions; and use ijtihad in modern financial engineering to optimally design loans while simultaneously reducing their risk exposure. An efficient Islamic financial system can allocate limited capital resources to the most profitable ventures and assist in wealth creation. This can foster the growth not only of Negara Brunei Darussalam but also of the regional economies, particularly at this crucial juncture when Asian economies are reeling from the current financial crisis.

This study examined potential sport tourists’ decision-making regarding a sporting event rescheduled due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

An extended model of goal-directed behavior – encompassing the perception of COVID-19, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, positive anticipated emotion, negative anticipated emotion, desire and behavioral intention – was built and tested using survey data and structural equation modeling.

The perception of COVID-19 significantly influenced attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and positive anticipated emotion, which then collectively led to desire. Desire, alongside optimism bias, had a substantial impact on behavioral intention. However, the perception of COVID-19 was not related to negative anticipated emotion.

The findings highlight the roles that optimism bias and the perception of COVID-19 play in shaping individuals’ intentions to engage in sport tourism, suggesting how marketers and managers of sporting events should respond to the pandemic.

Contact problems are among the most difficult ones in mechanics. Due to its practical importance, the problem has been receiving extensive research work over the years. The finite element method has been widely used to solve contact problems with various grades of complexity. Great progress has been made on both theoretical studies and engineering applications. This paper reviews some of the main developments in contact theories and finite element solution techniques for static contact problems. Classical and variational formulations of the problem are first given and then finite element solution techniques are reviewed. Available constraint methods, friction laws and contact searching algorithms are also briefly described. At the end of the paper, a bibliography is included, listing about seven hundred papers which are related to static contact problems and have been published in various journals and conference proceedings from 1976.

The concept of green supply chain management (GSCM) is evolving rapidly due to the environmental concerns and gaining popularity in the research community. This study critically analyze the literature of GSCM pressure, practice and performance for manufacturing enterprises based on the results of bibliometric, network and frequency analyses.

Scopus database is used for literature search. Bibliometric network and frequency analysis are used to critically review the evolution of identified constructs and measures of GSCM pressure, practice and performance.

This study has identified that the selected topic is in growing stage through the collaborative effort of the worldwide researchers. This study also shows the diffusion of influence in developing countries and there are enormous opportunities of research in these regions. The study finds evaluation of GSCM constructs and measures with time and shift in focus areas by the researchers. The study suggests more focus on the measurement of informative pressures, reverse logistics practices and negative impact on economic performance due to the adoption of GSCM practices. There is a need of simultaneous analysis of GSCM pressures, practices and performance to identify the cascading effect in different regions and industrial sectors and developed a conceptual framework to identify this effect. This study also observes the need of more quantitative measures-based case studies and suggests the use of life cycle assessment for the quantification of environmental performance.

This study for the first time has analyzed a specific topic of GSCM pressure, practice and performance through bibliometric and network analyses. This study critically reviews the constructs and measures of GSCM pressure, practice and performance and identified the future research directions.