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The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficiency of the banking sector in Qatar. The paper utilizes 15 banks comprising Islamic, conventional and foreign banks for the duration of 2007 to 2011.

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique is applied to compute technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Also, Malmquist productivity index (MPI) is used to identify the sources of productive efficiencies of the banks.

The results suggest that Qatari banks are operating below optimum performance and thus there is still room for improvement. While conventional banks are the most efficient in Qatar in terms of technical and pure technical efficiencies, Islamic banks are most efficient in terms of scale efficiency. Besides, pure technical inefficiency dominated scale inefficiency in the Qatari banking sector. Moreover, as compared to the Islamic banks, conventional and foreign banks recorded a reduction in average technical efficiency during the duration of the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. In terms of productivity progress, all the Qatari banks were experiencing a decline in productivity mainly attributed to less technological innovation in the banking sector of Qatar.

Most of the banks in Qatar do not have published data before 2007 and after 2011.

There is less technological innovation in the banking sector of Qatar. Hence, bank managers in Qatar should focus on educating customers about modern banking technologies and other innovative banking services in Qatar.

This study is a pioneering effort in the application of DEA and MPI to study about the banking sector in Qatar.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the Malaysian literature on three prominent leadership models (instructional, distributed and transformational), linked to a major educational reform initiative captured in the Ministry of Education’s Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB).

The approach is a systematic review of all relevant Malaysian literature, in English and Bahasa Malaysia, on instructional, distributed and transformational leadership and alternative terms linked to these models.

The findings show that there is an emerging literature on these leadership models and their prevalence in Malaysian schools but that they have been interpreted in ways that are distinctive to the highly centralised Malaysian context. For example, instructional leadership is prescribed, so there is some evidence of its practice, notably in respect of monitoring. Similarly, distributed leadership is allocative, rather than emergent, as suggested in western literature.

The findings show that, while research on these models is emerging, much more research is required to establish whether and how leadership practice in Malaysia differs from that outlined in the normative western literature.

There is emerging evidence to suggest that instructional and distributed leadership, if enacted carefully, can have a positive impact on student outcomes.

The leadership models were developed in western, mainly decentralised, contexts, and there are clear implications for how such models might apply in highly centralised cultures, such as that prevailing in Malaysia.

This is believed to be the first systematic review of the Malaysian literature on school leadership models, linked to the MEB. It is also distinctive in including both English language and Bahasa Malaysia sources.

This paper aims to examine existing Halal certification regime in Maldives and address impediments therein that challenge and inhibit the growth of the country’s Halal industry in relation to fisheries products.

This is qualitative research based on first-hand experiences of the authors in the Halal certification process in the Maldives. Doctrinal methodology is used in the analysis of primary sources of data, including Maldivian laws and Halal certification regulations to identify issues of practical relevance. This is complemented with content analysis of secondary data sourced from journal articles, books, reports and online databases that were examined in identifying hindrances and loopholes in the Halal certification process.

Fish is generally Halal, but processed fisheries products cannot be so deemed when certain additives and enhancers are constituents therein. At the moment, Maldives Halal certification pertains only to fisheries products. Against this backdrop, this research identifies knowledge gap, legal and governance constraints pertaining to capacity as impediments towards the Halal certification of such products in the Maldives. Such concerns hinder the Maldives from tapping the socio-economic benefits of the Halal certification of its fisheries products to the desired level in the development of its Halal industry.

This is pioneer research with reference to the Maldives. Absence of researches on the subject brings about scantily available secondary data in the area. Moreover, no empirical data were involved in conducting the research.

As the only products subject of Halal certification process, this research offers an insight into the regulations underpinning Halal certification of fisheries products and related impediments thereto in developing the Maldivian Halal industry generally. Identifying and understanding the impediments to Halal certification process would facilitate their elimination and promote Halal certified fisheries products.

This research highlights and evaluates the Halal certification regime in the Maldives and provides a starting point for further research thereon. The research contributes towards making robust and standard Halal certification criterion and paves the way forward for developing the Halal industry in the Maldives.

This research aims to explore the possibility of raising and adjudicating Shari'ah issues in Islamic financial contracts before the secular courts with specific reference to the UK and Malaysia.

This is a legal research, and therefore, the paper uses the qualitative research methodology whereby a content analysis, in-depth case study, and library-based research were mainly used.

Shari'ah issues raised before the UK courts, and arguably, before the secular courts in other Western jurisdictions, would not be adjudicated and enforced. English courts, in particular, would decide Islamic financial contracts according to the English law, disregarding Shari'ah issues. Conversely, Shari'ah issues raised before Malaysian civil courts would be duly adjudicated and enforced. The civil court is bound, by the new Central Bank of Malaysia Act 2009, to refer those issues to the Shari'ah Advisory Council of the Central Bank of Malaysia for them to be ascertained. The subsequent ruling of the SAC is binding on the courts.

The Malaysian model for the adjudication of Shari'ah issues in Islamic financial contracts is very effective. Therefore, the research proposes to the parties in international Islamic financial contracts to choose Malaysian law as the law of reference and Malaysian courts as the forum for settlement of disputes. The Malaysian model, being already tested, can also be successfully exported to other countries wishing to introduce or develop Islamic finance.

The purpose of this paper is to study the correlational and effect relationship between Halal standards and the performance of Halal-certified Palestinian Food Companies.

Quantitative method was used, using a questionnaire survey of 40 Halal-certified Palestinian organizations out of a total of 47 certified organizations, the analysis was done using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the literature review was conducted using a well-known systematic literature review methodology.

Halal implementation and certification had a positive impact on performance (operational, financial and marketing). The depth/intensity of implementation fully mediates operational performance and partially mediates marketing and financial performance.

As the sample size is small, it is recommended to conduct the study using a larger sample size, once the number of Palestinian Halal-certified organizations increases. A longitudinal or panel study is recommended to capture data that are more accurate and avoid objectivity and bias issues using a cross-sectional research design method. Finally, the study recommends to conduct additional research in the field of Halal awareness for customers to gage their intention and welling to buy Halal products within the Middle East region.

The importance of this study exists in the lack of previous Halal-related studies in the Palestinian context and the previously described gap in the literature. Nevertheless, the quality management drivers and impact are limited in the Palestinian context compared with other contexts; the results of the previously published studies revealed mixed results such as the drivers of quality management are based on the type of business. Finally, this research gives small insights and directions toward conducting additional studies concerning customer awareness about Halal products.

This study aims to investigate the monitoring role of ownership structure (OWS) on real earnings management (REM) practices; previous studies primarily examined the effect of OWS on accrual-based earnings management.

The sample of this study is 490 companies listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange during the period 2013–2016 (1,960 company-year observations). The regression of a feasible generalized least square was used for data analysis. The authors use three regression models ordinary least squares, panel-corrected standard errors and Driscoll–Kraay standard errors to corroborate the findings and also examine alternative REM measures.

Analysis of the data shows that family, foreign and institutional ownership has a positive link with the quality of financial reporting and, to a large extent, is capable of alleviating REM. The findings also indicate that some form of OWS significantly affects REM, corroborating existing theories on corporate governance (CG) and the perspectives of practitioners.

The evidence concerns the significant role played by the OWS in reducing REM activities. The findings are useful in support of regulatory activities, particularly in the design of policies to regulate the OWS. The results may also provide useful insights to inform other policymakers, investors, shareholders and researchers about the active role of family, foreign and institutional investors in monitoring Malaysia's public listed companies (PLCs) to strengthen CG practices. This also leads to less REM and enhances the quality of financial reporting.

To the authors' knowledge, this work is pioneering research from a developing country, specifically from Malaysia, to investigate the manner in which all possible OWSs influence REM. More importantly, the study recommends that regulators and researchers do not envisage OWS as a holistic phenomenon.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the conceptualization of knowledge transfer and technology transfer to seek answers to the question: Why should an organizational manager need to know the difference between knowledge transfer (KT) and technology transfer (TT)?

An extensive literature review method was used to identify and analyze relevant international publications. The literature sources are categorized as follows: literature on KT only, literature on TT only and literature on comparative analysis on KT and TT. The conceptualization of KT and TT is based on signaling theory.

The authors identified differences between KT and TT based on six dimensions, namely knowledge versus technology characteristics, usage of KT and TT in national development, sender versus receiver, intra-firm versus inter-firm transfer, foreign direct investment (FDI) and workers’ mobility.

This is a conceptual analysis that should contribute to the existing literature by comprehensively reviewing the processes of KT and TT based on selected research conducted worldwide as well as suggest practical guidelines to organizational managers in managing KT and TT.

This review could shed new insights for future researchers to validate and examine the identified differences between KT and TT so that managers could make use of the findings to manage KT and TT successfully in their organizations.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interplay between institutional investors' ownership (IIO), politically connected firms (POC) and sell-side analysts' stock recommendations (ASR).

This study employs ordinary least square (OLS) regression to test the hypotheses. The sample comprises 280 Malaysian public listed companies (PLC) and encompasses the 2008–2013 time frame (a total of 735 observations).

The results show a significant and positive link between IIO and ASR. In addition, a negative association is found between POC and ASR. Moreover, the POC weakens the positive relationship between the IIO and ASR.

One important implication of this study is that political involvement in corporate decisions is a prominent characteristic of the Malaysian market, which can significantly affect the information environment and analysts' reactions.

The findings of this study provide useful empirical guidance to the regulators in evaluating the efficacy of recent regulatory initiatives. Investors may also gain useful insights from this study, specifically in recognising the crucial monitoring role played by institutional investors and how politically patronised firms are viewed unfavourably by equity analysts.

This study is one of the first to examine the joint influence of IIO and POC, on ASR.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the drivers of the depth of halal standard implementation in the halal-certified food manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The second aim of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of halal standard practices on the SME’s performance.

Of the 143 halal-certified SMEs in Solo Raya, Province of Central Java, Indonesia, 83 were willing to take part in the present research. The survey was carried out by an on-site visit to the targeted respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to gather primary data. Partial least square structural equation model was then used to analyze the collected data.

The results proved that internal motivation and organization commitment positively affect halal standard implementation, while external pressures do not. The external pressures influence the depth of halal standard implementation through internal motivation as a mediating variable. Furthermore, the depth of halal standard implementation leads to the improvement of operational performance. The improvement of operational performance can further encourage the increase of market performance and financial performance.

The first limitation of this research is about the samples in which they are small-sized and restricted to food manufacturing SMEs. Another limitation is the subjectivity of SME’s managers when evaluating performance, which may provide imprecise measures of performance.

The findings suggest the notion that success of halal standard implementation depends on the capabilities of SMEs to convert the external pressures into internal motivation. Moreover, food-manufacturing SMEs should consider halal standard as an innovative tool to be applied in their daily operation and production as the halal standard has a significant role in influencing SME’s performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first attempt in integrating drivers, halal standard implementation and performance in the specific context of food manufacturing SMEs in Indonesia.

This paper aims to use Malaysian data to investigate determinants of the implied growth rate of abnormal earnings.

The sample comprises 340 listed companies. Logistic regressions were conducted. The dependent variables, observed in 2009, distinguish companies with high versus low implied growth rates. The independent variables were observed in 2008. The independent variables of interest capture companies’ status as being Nanyang and politically connected corporations.

The results suggest that in Malaysia, implied growth rates are higher for Nanyang corporations and companies with a political connection related to economic policy.

The study is limited by its one-year investigation period and blurred boundaries between types of political connections. Because these considerations bias the study against supporting the hypotheses, the significant results have enhanced credibility. The empirical proxies for implied growth rates are affected by measurement error. Hence, multiple proxies were used.

The results suggest that Malaysian Nanyang corporations are a sound investment. The evidence also indicates that in Malaysia, government investment in listed companies enhances, rather than erodes, shareholder wealth.

Owing to the prevalence of Nanyang companies and government investment in the private sector, the Malaysian setting is unique. The use of a broad definition of “political connections” is a unique aspect of this paper. Examination of implied equity growth rates and the proxies for the same are also original features.