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The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the moral dimensions of accounting by examining the case of Gross National Happiness (GNH) in Bhutan, and to propose a new approach to accounting that is grounded in the Buddhist principle of the Middle Path. This approach aims to promote well-being and happiness, contrasting with traditional accounting practices.

The paper outlines the core concepts of the Middle Path theory and GNH. The authors first problematise the role of traditional accounting in the well-being and happiness project. The authors explore accountability from the Middle Path perspective, which is a key aspect of Buddhist philosophy. Using the concept of Middle Path accountability and GNH in practice, the authors then examine accounting in terms of the four “immeasurable moral virtues” (tshad med bzhi) of the Middle Path. The authors conclude by highlighting the value of the Middle Path for conceptualising accountability and emancipating contemporary accounting from its ethical and theoretical constraints.

This paper compares the application of traditional accounting and accountability with the Middle Path and GNH practices. The authors find that ethical discourses in traditional accounting and accountability are not compatible with the values of the Middle Path, thereby limiting the scope of accounting and accountability. This constraint is overcome by introducing four “immeasurable moral virtues” (tshad med bzhi) of Buddhism, which promote spiritual development (wisdom) to replace the existing ethical strands of traditional accounting and accountability to support the well-being and happiness project.

The study is limited to the review of concepts in GNH and Buddhist philosophy. More empirical studies in different contextual settings could increase understanding of how the practice of Middle Path and GNH could drive the project of well-being and happiness through accounting.

The paper seeks to contribute to the operationalisation of GNH in organisation by framing social and well-being accounting grounded in the Middle Path theory. The authors also seek to clarify the role of accounting as a social and moral practice.

Situated within the fields of social and moral accounting, the paper seeks to elevate the potential role of accounting in the promotion of well-being and happiness of people and other sentient beings. By applying four moral virtues of love, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity in accounting, the authors seek to enhance the role of accounting that could potentially reduce poverty, social inequity, corruption and promote harmony and cultural well-being.

This study undertakes a conceptual integration of the GNH and Middle Path philosophy to understand the theoretical and ethical implications of traditional accounting and accountability. This contribution to the literature expands the possibilities of accounting and accountability on social and well-being accounting by introducing the Middle Path and GNH concepts.

This paper aims to contribute to the social aspect of corporate social responsibility literature by examining the influence of financial analysts’ spirituality on their socially responsible investing (SRI) decisions relating to a profitable organization, which is alleged by the media to employ children as laborers in hazardous works in Pakistan. This study also investigates whether analysts’ social consciousness mediates between their spirituality and investing decisions.

A scenario-based survey was administered to 124 financial analysts at leading financial institutions in Pakistan. Data were analyzed using regression, analysis of variance and mediation analysis on SPSS 26.

The findings demonstrate that financial analysts’ spirituality negatively influences their SRI decisions to invest in a profitable organization, which is alleged to employ children in hazardous work that may harm them physically and psychologically. The findings also express that analysts’ social consciousness intervenes in the association between analysts’ spirituality and SRI decisions.

The findings of this study may interest regulators, multinational firms and researchers in recognizing the importance of individuals’ values for increasing socially responsible investments and addressing social issues such as the exploitation of children.

This study encourages firms to recognize the importance of spiritual and socially conscious corporate conviction while designing strategies and policies. For example, the financial industry may incorporate fundamental personal values such as stewardship, dignity and fairness into its investment plans.

This study provides rigorous insights and contributes to contemporary studies by providing empirical evidence that individuals’ intrinsic values and consciousness drive their judgments.

This study aims to investigate the impact of ethical accounting practices on financial reporting quality by using the extended theory of planned behaviour (ETPB) and integrating religiosity as a moderating variable.

Using a survey method, data was obtained from 371 chartered accountants who were in good standing as of April 2023. The collected data were then analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between ethical accounting practices (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and ethical judgement) and financial reporting quality of accounting practitioners. Furthermore, a moderation test was conducted, which demonstrated that religiosity enhances the positive correlation between ethical accounting constructs (attitude, subjective norm and ethical judgement) and financial reporting.

Leading by example, top-level management should actively promote a culture of religiosity that prioritises integrity and adherence to financial reporting requirements.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the very few ethics studies in accounting that demonstrates that the application of the ETPB improves financial reporting quality in a context fraught with allegations of moral breaches by accountants.

Performance problems in the public sector (PS) necessitate adaptation due to the sector’s uniqueness. Purposeful leadership (PL) may resolve PS adaptive performance (AP) problems. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of PL on AP. Using data from three large PS organisations in Ghana, this research explores the relationship between PL and AP through job satisfaction (JS) and organisational identification (OI). It also explores the moderating effect of organisational integrity (IN) on the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships.

This paper created and tested a research model using the responses of 875 public servants in Smart PLS 4. Contract fulfilment and perceived organisational support functioned as control factors influencing JS (an intervener). Perceived procedural justice and psychological need satisfaction serve as control factors for OI (another intervener). Age, sex, tenure, education and job position were used as control variables in AP. To assess the role of moderation, we utilised the product indicator approach, and to estimate the role of mediation, we used variance accounted for (VAF). A significance level of 5% was established.

As anticipated, this study found that PL and AP had a significantly positive connection (t = 2.229, p = 0.000, β = 0.138). Both JS (VAF = 27.37%) and OI (VAF = 39.21%) partially mediated this connection. IN positively moderated the PL–JS (t = 4.249, p = 0.000, β = 0.165) and PL–OI (t = 3.704, p = 0.002, β = 0.099) connections.

This paper provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the PL–AP relationship, how this relationship is facilitated and how the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships are strengthened. It provides a roadmap for upcoming scholars to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to broaden the field of leadership. It will be insightful to show how JS and OI jointly mediate this relationship and the potential mediating role of job embeddedness in further studies.

Human resource (HR) practices in PS organisations, such as selecting, leadership enhancement initiatives, promotions, training and performance evaluations, must be guided by a “values-driven strategy” if leadership is to find, cultivate and keep employees capable of devising innovative strategies to manage unforeseen circumstances at work. The leaders are required to demonstrate the values of their organisations in order to set up a role model.

This study highlights the obstacles that purposeful leaders have the potential to mitigate, as well as the prospects that they might offer. It shows the essence for PS organisations to uphold and maintain high integrity standards as their hallmark.

This paper is the first to create and test a research model that shows the relationship between PL and AP. It also shows the different mechanisms (JS and OI) that make this effect possible, as well as the good work environment (i.e. IN) that allows the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships to grow.

This study aims to identify the challenges, promote respective solutions and construct strategies for the implementation of the halal supply chain in Indonesia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This research used the analytic network process in nine respondents categorised into three groups of relevant stakeholders: government, academia and industry.

Seven essential criteria for the implementation of a halal supply chain in SMEs were identified, namely, the process, packaging, storage, transportation, fundamental aspects, supporting policy and technology. Notably, the high cost of adopting blockchain technology was the most crucial issue, particularly in SMEs.

Through the findings, several critical factors to consider in the implementation of halal supply chains for SMEs were identified. The investment in halal supply chain technology, which incurs a high cost carried by entrepreneurs, is a burden for SMEs. For this reason, further studies are required to formulate and develop cost-effective halal supply chain technology for SMEs.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first attempt of comprehensively mapping the barriers and developing strategic solutions to implement the halal supply chain by Indonesia’s SMEs.

This paper illuminates our journey as accounting educators by exploring accounting as a technical, social and moral practice towards decolonising ourselves. It lays the foundations for decolonising the higher education curriculum and the consequences for addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper focuses on the potential to foster a space for praxis by adopting dialogism-in-action to understand our transformative learning through Jindaola [pronounced Jinda-o-la], a university-based Aboriginal knowledge program. A dialogic pedagogy provided the opportunity to create a meaningful space between us as academics, the Aboriginal Knowledge holder and mentor, the other groups in Jindaola and, ultimately, our accounting students. Since Jindaola privileged ‘our way’ as the pedagogical learning process, we adopt autoethnography to share and reflect on our experiences. Making creative artefacts formed the basis for building relationships, reciprocity and respect and represents our shared journey and collective account.

We reveal our journey of “holding to account” by analysing five aspects of our lives as critical accounting academics – the overarching conceptual framework, teaching, research, governance and our physical landscape. In doing so, we found that Aboriginal perspectives provide a radical positioning to the colonial legacies of accounting practice.

Our journey through Jindaola contemplates how connecting with Country and engaging with Aboriginal ways of knowing can assist educators in meaningfully addressing the SDGs. While not providing a panacea or prescription for what to do, we use ‘our way’ as a story of our commitment to transformative change.

The purpose of this study is to test the hypotheses proposed by Konadu et al. (2023) for the first time and provide empirical insight on the subject. Corruption concerns affect all economies, but those attempting to avoid foreign grants are especially vulnerable. Stakeholders in these economies have pushed for more honest public sector (PS) workers and better oversight of public funds in an effort to build a more trustworthy and efficient government to improve PS performance. Just as the mechanisms through which employee integrity (EI) influences work performance (WP) have not been proven empirically, neither has the effect of EI on WP in African economies. Also, how purposeful leadership (PL) interacts with EI to boost WP is yet to be empirically examined in the integrity literature.

This paper surveyed and analysed the responses of 875 workers across the three most corrupt large PS organisations in Ghana using Smart PLS 4. Perceived organisational support and contract fulfilment functioned as control factors influencing job satisfaction (JS, a mediator). Psychological need satisfaction and perceived procedural justice serve as control factors for organisational identification (OI, an additional mediator). Education, tenure, job position, sex and age were used as control variables in WP. Product indicator and variance accounted for (VAF) methods were used to estimate the impacts of moderation and mediation, respectively. A 5% level of significance was determined.

As hypothesised, this study found that EI and WP had a significantly positive connection (ß = 0.119, p = 0.026), and both JS (VAF = 25.16%) and OI (VAF = 39.59%) partially mediated this connection. Moreover, PL positively moderated the EI–JS (ß = 0.155, p = 0.000) and EI–OI (ß = 0.095, p = 0.000) connections.

This paper affords empirical insight on the EI–WP relationship, how this relationship is mediated and how the EI–JS and EI–OI relationships are amplified. In this context, it sheds light on new ways in which EI and WP in the PS are improved. In addition, this paper provides a roadmap for forthcoming academics to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to triangulate the results.

Leadership in PS organisations must maintain a “values-grounded approach” to all parts of human resource (HR) practices, including hiring, performance reviews, leadership enhancement programmes, training and promotions, if they are to attract, develop and retain employees who stand for the sector’s ethics and beliefs.

This research gives African nations proof that enhancing EI in the PS is important, and it lays out the many ways in which EI transforms into WP. It also draws attention to the challenges that purposeful leaders may help alleviate and the opportunities that they may present.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the hypotheses put forward in the conceptual research by Konadu et al. (2023) are tested empirically for the first time in this study. It also adds to the empirical literature that already exists on EI, JS, OI, WP and PL in the PS. This contributes to the disciplines of integrity, performance and leadership by enhancing theoretical frameworks and expanding upon existing knowledge.

This study aims to develop a system dynamics (SD) simulation model to forecast the performance of the Indonesian halal industry to verify whether decision-making has been properly executed to increase the contribution of the success factors.

This study establishes a SD-based model using three subsystems, namely, the halal assurance and certification process, the government and the export–import subsystem.

The best scenario is the third scenario or the combined scenario of providing facilities to accelerate the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), carrying out halal certification, reducing the time for the certification process, increasing the number of the halal auditor and increasing the awareness from enterprises (both MSMEs and large enterprises) to carry out halal certification because of the internal and external motivations.

First, the demand for certification of the type of food product is acquired using the number of SMEs and large companies. Second, the model does not include the government budget as a constraint.

This study provides essential insights into implementing the best policies that can increase the performance of the halal industry.

This study revealed that relevant policy scenarios could be built after simulating and analyzing each scenario’s effect on the halal industry’s performance.

This study will enrich the scientific insight related to institutional theory and resource-based view, as those theories identify success factors associated with the performance of the halal food industry. This study will also enrich the scientific insight related to system dynamic methodology, as it is used to model the performance of the halal industry.

This study aims to examine the relationship between internal and external factors and job satisfaction, and between job satisfaction and auditors’ performance.

This research used deductive approach. Data was gathered from 83 auditors in the Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA) database. By implementing the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique, the suggested hypotheses were examined.

The results show that internal factors, i.e., achievement, advancement, recognition and growth, significantly impact job satisfaction. Subsequently, the external factors, i.e., company policies, relationship with a peer and relationship with supervisor, significantly impact job satisfaction. In contrast, work security has no relationship with job satisfaction. Furthermore, job satisfaction is a significant driver for auditors' performance.

This research sheds light on the relationships between internal and external factors, job satisfaction and auditors' performance in the Saudi context. It would be interesting to investigate these relationships in a different setting, such as a different country, time or industry. Future studies should broaden the sample frame to include different types of employees to obtain more generalisable results.

This study may help managers of auditing departments formulate appropriate strategies and design effective programs to increase the level of job satisfaction between auditors by enhancing such factors, which will lead to improving the auditors' performance.

This research provide an empirical evidence to support the theoretical assumptions of Herzberg's which is much needed.

This study aims to investigate the implications for financial innovation and product development of differences between schools of jurisprudence (fiqh) pertaining across regional Muslim markets, and the consequences for global financial institutions.

The methodology is qualitative, drawing upon several sources. Firstly, differences in interpretation regarding the economic and moral responsibilities of financial institutions in Islamic and secular contexts. Secondly, contrasting tenets of schools of Islamic jurisprudence regarding the permissibility of products traded intra Muslim markets. Thirdly, characteristics of complex financial instruments traded in global secular markets prior to the credit crisis of 2007–2008.

Differences between Islamic and global secular interpretations regarding responsibilities of financial institutions militate against integrated markets across which products can be seamlessly traded. Global financial institutions should recognise that different Islamic schools of jurisprudence prioritise either legal form or substance of financial products, but not both simultaneously. This should be considered when designing new products for regional Muslim markets.

Global financial institutions which focus upon the legal (micro) form of new Islamic products should relate in investor prospectuses and marketing materials the extent to which these accommodate Islamic jurisprudence’s equal (macro) concern for public interest or maslahah. This may comprise the reallocation of risk from those unable to bear it to those willing to assume it for a price, reinforcing rather than compromising economic stability.

This study evaluates implications for product development and marketing for global financial institutions active in regional Muslim markets across which different Islamic schools of jurisprudence apply.