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This paper aims to discuss the main characteristics of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region's capital inflows volatility. It also examines the effect of institutional quality and information availability on capital inflows volatility in selected MENA countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia) in the period 1996–2017.

The study's assessments are based on the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) and globalization indices. It also employs an updated data set of balance of payments indicators released by the International Monetary Fund. Moreover, the study uses econometric panel modeling of random effect model, with Driscoll-Kraay robust standard error, to analyze the relationship between capital inflows volatility, institutional quality and information availability.

The paper finds that both institutional quality and information availability are in an inverse relationship with the total capital inflows volatility in the MENA region. However, the findings vary across the different components of total capital inflows. For example, the volatility of foreign direct investment (FDI) declines, like total capital flows, as the two factors improve. However, the volatility of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is negatively related to institutional quality but does not have any significant relationship with information availability. While the volatility of foreign other investments (FOI) decreases with the availability of information, but does not have any significant relationship with institutional quality.

This paper expands the limited literature regarding the determinants of capital inflows volatility. Furthermore, it is the first study that investigates the effect of institutional quality and information availability on capital inflows volatility in the MENA region.

This study aims to examine the international market selection process of entrepreneurs operating internationally.

Four small and medium-sized comparative and rich-information case studies were purposefully selected from among Australian and Arabian firms. Data were collected via in-depth personal interviews, follow-up interviews and questionnaire instrument.

The results revealed that entrepreneurs used a four-stage systematic decision-making process to attain profitable foreign market choices. The decision process was influenced by cognitive boundaries as entrepreneurs relied on the availability experiential, anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

The research’s findings and the proposed decision model will, significantly, assist entrepreneurs, willing to expand internationally, in enhancing their decision-making to attain profitable foreign market choices. Further, it provides benefits to foreign investment policymakers in host countries by assisting them to attract more inward foreign direct investments, and, accordingly, enhance the economic and social development movement in their countries.

This study provides a significant theoretical contribution to the literature on the internationalization process of entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises through developing a decision model for selecting and entering foreign markets by entrepreneurs in a cross-country context. Further, the study provides significant methodological contributions with regard to the effectiveness of the qualitative case study method in capturing elements of the foreign market selection process.

This study aims to examine the availability and comprehensiveness of policies pertaining to colorectal cancer (CRC) in Central, Eastern European and South Caucasus countries, as it is a major public health concern in these regions and the second most common cause of cancer deaths among women.

We performed a scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley methodology, searching for publicly available policy documents from 18 countries. We described the prevention methods and activities in each country based on the World Health Organization guidelines for CRC screening.

Our research found that most countries had at least five policies related to CRC prevention, which most commonly included primary, secondary and tertiary prevention measures. Elements such as promoting healthy lifestyle choices and implementing screening methods such as fecal occult blood tests, fecal immunochemical tests or colonoscopy were frequently mentioned in these policies. However, target age ranges varied among countries. Our analysis revealed a pressing need to increase the availability and utilization of CRC screening in these countries.

One of the main limitations of this study is that it is a desk review conducted using internet-based resources, which may have missed important sources or recent policy documents that are not yet available online. Despite our efforts to include all relevant policies, it is possible that we overlooked other policies that contain relevant information, such as those that cover cancer treatment methods. Additionally, our search excluded primary healthcare and universal healthcare coverage policies, which could include important information on CRC prevention and control activities. Additionally, as a scoping review approach was used, no critical assessment of the included studies or literature was conducted. Furthermore, due to the limited number of countries included, the comparability of the findings is limited. In future research, it would be beneficial to expand the study and collect new data from decision-makers and stakeholders to further investigate these hypotheses. It is also important to note that the presence of a policy document is not the end goal, as it is simply a step toward better outcomes.

In summary, our research highlights the need for improved and unified efforts toward preventing and detecting CRC in Central, Eastern European and South Caucasus countries. This knowledge can be used to focus efforts on developing a standardized policy document and national screening program that can be adapted to meet the unique needs of each country. The importance of CRC screening, regardless of need, must be emphasized in order to aid in the transition from curative to preventive cancer care. Our study highlights the need for more detailed and science-based policies for CRC prevention and screening in Central, Eastern European and South Caucasus countries. While many countries have policies in place, they often lack key components and do not fully reflect current evidence-based guidelines. To improve population health outcomes, further research is needed to understand the implementation and enforcement of these policies as well as their impact on cancer incidence and survival. As the screening landscape evolves, countries may learn from each other and a better understanding of the complex policy frameworks that impact CRC screening is needed so that countries can update and tailor policy documents to their specific situations.

In conclusion, policymakers in Central, Eastern European and South Caucasus countries have implemented various policy approaches to prevent and control the CRC. The effectiveness of these approaches varies across countries and depends on several factors, including the availability of resources, the level of public awareness and the political will to implement effective policies. Further research is needed to determine the most effective policy approaches for CRC prevention in these regions and to ensure that the right policies are in place to reduce the incidence and impact of this disease.

The study aimed to identify gaps in existing research and areas for future work by mapping, categorizing and organizing existing evidence on CRC policies in Central, Eastern European and South Caucasus countries. Additional research is necessary to understand the implementation and enforcement of these policies and how they impact health outcomes such as cancer incidence and survival.

1. CRC policy is heterogeneous in Central and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus region.

2. There are particularly important differences regarding the implementation of CRC screening.

3. Cancer screening and palliative care approaches were less frequently included.

4. Variations exist in the comprehensiveness of policy by prevention level and country.

CRC policy is heterogeneous in Central and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus region.

There are particularly important differences regarding the implementation of CRC screening.

Cancer screening and palliative care approaches were less frequently included.

Variations exist in the comprehensiveness of policy by prevention level and country.

This study aims to assess the technological capability of Chinese internet platforms (BAT: Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) compared to US ones (GAFA: Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple). More specifically, this study explores Baidu’s technological catching-up process with Google by analyzing their patent textual information.

The authors retrieved 26,383 Google patents and 6,695 Baidu patents from PATSTAT 2019 Spring version. The collected patent documents were vectorized using the Word2Vec model first, and then K-means clustering was applied to visualize the technological space of two firms. Finally, novel indicators were proposed to capture the technological catching-up process between Baidu and Google.

The results show that Baidu follows a trend of US rather than Chinese technology which suggests Baidu is aggressively seeking to catch up with US players in the process of its technological development. At the same time, the impact index of Baidu patents increases over time, reflecting its upgrading of technological competitiveness.

This study proposed a new method to analyze technology mapping and evolution based on patent text information. As both US and China are crucial players in the internet industry, it is vital for policymakers in third countries to understand the technological capacity and competitiveness of both countries to develop strategic partnerships effectively.

This paper undertakes an extensive and systematic review of the literature on earnings management (EM) over the past three decades (1992–2022). Furthermore, the study identifies emerging research themes and proposes future avenues for further investigation in the realm of EM.

For this study, a comprehensive collection of 2,775 articles on EM published between 1992 and 2022 was extracted from the Scopus database. The author employed various tools, including Microsoft Excel, R studio, Gephi and visualization of similarities viewer, to conduct bibliometric, content, thematic and cluster analyses. Additionally, the study examined the literature across three distinct periods: prior to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (1992–2001), subsequent to the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002–2012), and after the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (2013–2022) to draw more inferences and insights on EM research.

The study identifies three major themes, namely the operationalization of EM constructs, the trade-off between EM tools (accrual EM, real EM and classification shifting) and the role of corporate governance in mitigating EM in emerging markets. Existing literature in these areas presents mixed and inconclusive findings, suggesting the need for further theoretical development. Further, the study findings observe a shift in research focus over time: initially, understanding manipulation techniques, then evaluating regulatory measures, and more recently, investigating the impact of global accounting standards. Several emerging research themes (technology advancements, cross-cultural and cross-national studies, sustainability, behavioral aspects and non-financial indicators of EM) have been identified. This study subsequent analysis reveals an evolving EM landscape, with researchers from disciplines like data science, computer science and engineering applying their analytical expertise to detect EM anomalies. Furthermore, this study offers significant insights into sophisticated EM techniques such as neural networks, machine learning techniques and hidden Markov models, among others, as well as relevant theories including dynamic capabilities theory, learning curve theory, psychological contract theory and normative institutional theory. These techniques and theories demonstrate the need for further advancement in the field of EM. Lastly, the findings shed light on prominent EM journals, authors and countries.

This study conducts quantitative bibliometric and thematic analyses of the existing literature on EM while identifying areas that require further development to advance EM research.

This research intends to undertake a rigorous bibliometric analysis of product quality research trends and patterns, map the intellectual and social structure of the field, identify the predominant themes and propose a transition plan for future work in this discipline.

The procedure was carried out in a step-by-step manner. Following a specified search string, Scopus retrieved 1454 journal articles from the previous 39 years (1984–2022). To comprehend the field’s base, various techniques of performance analysis and science mapping were employed using RStudio and VOSviewer.

In light of the results, both the volume and influence of product quality studies have surged over the past four decades, with most works appearing in prestigious academic journals. A number of cross-country product quality collaborations took place in nations with little geographic, historical, or cultural proximity. Using co-citation analysis, five distinct subfields were identified within the literature on product quality. Finally, the use of co-word analysis helps understand the field’s underlying themes and concludes with a set of potential research avenues built on a content analysis of the articles from each of the five subfields.

To the authors' understanding, this study represents a pioneering effort to examine the research field on product quality using bibliometric analysis. Notwithstanding being rooted in scientometrics, this research’s outcomes are instructive for practitioners, academics and aspiring researchers in the field.

This article aims to identify and review existing studies on the adoption and compliance of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Africa.

The methodology involves a sole focus on studies conducted with an African sample, using a bibliometric method and data from the Web of Science (WoS) database. Visualizations from VOSViewer and Biblioshiny software are employed to identify the dominant authors, journals and countries contributing to research in the region.

The findings reveal existing collaborations among authors in the field. However, the study emphasizes the need for additional research to enhance the intellectual structure of the research domain, as the majority of related documents are concentrated within twenty articles with at least one citation.

The practical implications underscore the importance of collaboration in practice, emphasizing the need for cooperation among corporations, experts and regulatory agencies involved in IFRS adoption and compliance in Africa. By fostering collaborative efforts and knowledge-sharing among corporations, experts and regulatory agencies, practitioners can enhance their understanding, streamline implementation processes and improve compliance methods.

This review is one of the few to explicitly conduct a bibliometric review of IFRS adoption and compliance studies in Africa, providing a foundation for future research to determine the current direction of IFRS studies in this region.

This study developed new measures of the routine and non-routine task contents of managerial, professional, technical, and clerical occupations from a workload perspective. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the workload structures of state and industrial sector employees.

Our method involves detailed descriptions of work processes and an element-wise time study. We collected and analysed data to obtain a workload structure that falls within three conceptual task categories: (i) non-routine analytic tasks, (ii) non-routine interactive tasks and (iii) routine cognitive tasks. A total of 2,312 state and industrial sector employees in Kazakhstan participated in the study. The data were collected using a proprietary web application that resembles a timesheet.

The study results are consistent with the general trend reported by previous studies: the higher the job level, the lower the occupation’s routine task content. In addition, the routine cognitive task contents of managerial, professional, technical, and clerical occupations in the industrial sector are higher than those in local governments. The work of women is also more routinary than that of men. Finally, vthe routine cognitive task contents of occupations in administrative units are higher than those of occupations in substantive units.

Our study sought to address the challenges of using the task-based approach associated with measuring tasks by introducing a new measurement framework. The main advantage of our task measures is a direct approach to assessing workloads consisting of routine tasks, which allows for an accurate estimation of potential staff reductions due to the automation of work processes.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential contagion of Bitcoin on financial markets and sheds light on the complex interplay between technological advancements, accounting regulatory and financial market stability.

The study employs a multi-faceted approach to analyze the impact of BTC systemic risk, technological factors and regulatory variables on Asia–Pacific financial markets. Initially, a single-index model is used to estimate the systematic risk of BTC to financial markets. The study then uses ordinary least squares (OLS) to assess the potential impact of systemic risk, technological factors and regulatory variables on financial markets. To further control for time-varying factors common to all countries, a fixed effect (FE) panel data analysis is implemented. Additionally, a multinomial logistic regression model is utilized to evaluate the presence of contagion.

Results indicate that Bitcoin's systemic risk to the Asia–Pacific financial markets is relatively weak. Furthermore, technological advancements and international accounting standard adoption appear to indirectly stabilize these markets. The degree of contagion is also found to be stronger in foreign currencies (FX) than in stock index (INDEX) markets.

This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the study findings. First, the definition of financial contagion is not universally accepted, and the study results are based on the specific definition and methodology. Second, the matching of daily financial market and BTC data with annual technological and regulatory variable data may have limited the strength of the study findings. However, the authors’ use of both parametric and nonparametric methods provides insights that may inspire further research into cryptocurrency markets and financial contagions.

Based on the authors analysis, they suggest that financial market regulators prioritize the development and adoption of new technologies and international accounting standard practices, rather than focusing solely on the potential risks associated with cryptocurrencies. While a cryptocurrency crash could harm individual investors, it is unlikely to pose a significant threat to the overall financial system.

To the best of the authors knowledge, they have not found an asset pricing approach to assess a possible contagion. The authors have developed a new method to evaluate whether there is a contagion from BTC to financial markets. A simple but intuitive asset pricing method to evaluate a systematic risk from a factor is a single index model. The single index model has been extensively used in stock markets but has not been used to evaluate the systemic risk potentials of cryptocurrencies. The authors followed Morck et al. (2000) and Durnev et al. (2004) to assess whether there is a systemic risk from BTC to financial markets. If the BTC possesses a systematic risk, the explanatory power of the BTC index model should be high. Therefore, the first implied contribution is to re-evaluate the findings from Aslanidis et al. (2019), Dahir et al. (2019) and Handika et al. (2019), using a different method.

The urgency to address climate change and its devastating consequences has never been more pressing. As societies become increasingly aware of the detrimental impact of traditional housing on the planet, there is a growing demand for eco-friendly housing solutions that prioritize energy efficiency, resource conservation and reduced carbon emissions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence customers’ priority toward eco-friendly house purchasing intention.

This study collected 386 data using a quantitative research strategy and purposive sampling method. This study uses a hybrid analysis technique using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approaches to identify the influencing factors.

The PLS-SEM analysis found that attitude toward the eco-friendly house, subjective norms, performance expectancy, environmental knowledge and environmental sensitivity have a positive influence on eco-friendly house purchasing intention. However, perceived behavioral control and willingness to pay were found to have insignificant effect on customers’ intention to purchase eco-friendly houses. The fsQCA results further revealed complex causal relationships between the influencing factors.

This research will not only contribute to academic knowledge but also provide practical guidance to real estate developers, policymakers and individuals looking to make environmentally responsible choices. By understanding the factors that influence consumers’ intentions to purchase eco-friendly houses, we can pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.

This study has used a hybrid analysis technique, combining PLS-SEM and fsQCA, to enhance the predictive accuracy of eco-friendly house purchase intentions among individuals residing in densely populated and highly polluted developing countries, such as Bangladesh.