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In light of the shift in focus from information communication technology (ICT) access (access divide) and skills (skills divide) to the tangible impacts of ICT use (impact divide), a growing number of scholars have called for further investigation into the inter-territorial and multi-dimensional aspects of the digital divide in China. This study aims to address these gaps by examining the disparities across 31 provinces, particularly emphasizing the transition from the traditional access and skills divides to the impact divide.

Multivariate regression analysis extensively investigates the transition from the access and skills divides to the impact divide across 31 provinces. Additionally, ArcGIS software is used to analyze spatial agglomeration and the auto-correlation (Moran-i) and predict mapping patterns in the data corresponding to all three levels of the digital divide.

According to the study's findings, poverty is a significant factor in the digital divide between different regions in China. The research shows that provinces with advanced administrative systems, such as Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Shandon and Zhejiang, have high scores on the digital development index (DDI). However, regions with poverty-ridden and rural areas, primarily located in southwest, central and western China, tend to have lower DDI scores.

This study offers a novel contribution to the literature by presenting an innovative conceptual framework that explores the impact divide within China's provinces. The authors also address this lacuna in the literature by developing and testing two dimensions to examine the relationships statistically under a wide range of socioeconomic and ICT indicators.

A vast amount of research has been carried out to help us understand the main factors influencing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) performance. Although the existing body of knowledge focuses mainly on macro-level factors, there is an increasing interest from scholars and practitioners in understanding the micro-foundational factors occurring at individual and team levels. This chapter focuses on the importance of emotions – a central facet in individual reactions to workplace events – in M&A processes. To this end, the authors carried out a multi-phased search for articles on micro-foundations in M&A settings published by Business and Management (B/M) and Organizational Behavior and Psychology (O/P) journals. The authors reviewed 41 papers and used the circumplex model to identify and categorize 19 themes related to individual emotions involved in M&A processes in terms of positive/negative valence and high/low activation. The findings show that scholars mainly assume a risk mitigation perspective and focus on themes related to change resistance (negative emotions with high activation) by providing prescriptions on how negative emotions could be mitigated to avoid eroding acquisition performance. Hence, the authors suggest that (a) there should be more efforts to integrate different streams of literature, namely between the strategic and operational/behavioral areas of knowledge and (b) future research should focus on understanding how positive emotions like change proactivity (positive emotions with high activation) might be essential to enhance acquisition performance.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the impact of social inclusion factors and foreign fund inflows on reducing gender-based unemployment in India.

A time series data set for the period of 1991–2021 has been considered, and an autoregressive distributed lag methodology has been applied to measure the short- and long-run impact of social inclusion and foreign fund inflows on reducing gender-based unemployment in India.

According to the study’s findings, both social inclusion and foreign fund inflows are critical factors for reducing male unemployment. However, in the case of female unemployment, only social inclusion factors play an important role, whereas foreign fund inflows have no role in it.

Analyzing the factors that affect gender-based unemployment has always been a grey area in literature. There are very few studies that capture gender-based unemployment in India, making this study a novice contribution. Second, it examines the relationship between foreign fund inflows, social inclusion and unemployment, which is another novel area of investigation. Finally, this study provides comprehensive and distinct results for both male and female unemployment that can help policymakers devise gender-based unemployment policies.

Introduction: Skill development is crucial in developing economies by enhancing productivity and creating employment opportunities. At the macro level, it also leads to industrial development and economic growth.

Purpose: The research is to identify the types of skills required for increasing the probability of employability of labour. It also aims to define the challenges and opportunities in skill development to drive change.

Need of the Study: Studying opportunities and challenges for skill development in developing economies is essential for achieving sustainable economic growth, reducing poverty, increasing employment opportunities, and promoting global competitiveness.

Research Methodology: Some skills are recognised through research that has been published to determine the skill set needed to increase labour productivity. To draw lessons, some skill development initiatives by various companies are also identified and presented in case studies. Additionally, several government programs are available to assess the possibilities and prospects for skill development in the Indian market.

Practical Implications: The research will be valuable in micro and macro decision making. At the micro level, research is advantageous for a business person to initiate the skill development of its employees by using government schemes. Nations other than India can understand the policy framework for skill development.

Findings: The term ‘skilling’ has become fashionable. Due to the need for skill-based earnings data, only some studies examine the return on skill (ROS) of the labour market. Skill development plays a significant role in bringing change at the micro and macro levels. Hence it is necessary to exploit all opportunities for skill development.

This research aimed to determine how COVID-19 affected Micro small and medium enterprises’ (MSMEs) participation in sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their adoption of Fin-tech developing nations like India. Involving women in the workforce through microenterprises is crucial to accomplishing the SDGs, and its subsection is focused on decent work and small industries. Data related to knowledge of digital finance was collected using a convenience sample method. Nonetheless, descriptive research was conducted, and although interesting, no definitive findings could be determined. Women entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 35 years provided input into creating this link based on the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) concept. Using SMART-PLS, we found a significant relationship between the UTAUT model of sustainable development and the level of Fin-tech literacy among women in low-income households in developing countries like India. However, we also know that MSMEs’ adoption of Fin-tech and SDG is less tightly linked to the UTUAT model. The trend towards online transactions or digital payments and the widespread adoption of digital technology applications are changing the face of the global economy. The COVID-19 period saw the rise of contactless transactions as the primary payment method. Because of this shift in public opinion, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have begun implementing Fin-tech for long-term growth. People worldwide use it for transactions and other economic functions. However, there is a scarcity of research incorporating this kind of data from India and the rest of the developing world.

This paper aims to investigate the role of corporate governance on the bank profitability of Indian banks vis-à-vis South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations.

For the Corporate Governance Index, the authors examined board accountability, transparency and disclosure and audit committee, while Tobin’s Q, return on equity and return on assets are used to measure the bank’s profitability. The study used a two-stage analysis based on balanced panel data for robust findings. Sample of this study consists of 60 commercial banks from India and 60 banks from SAARC nations for the period of 2009–2021. This study used panel regression and a generalized method of moment approach using the CAMELS framework on banking industry-specific variables to determine their respective impacts.

The findings of this study suggest that board accountability is positive and significantly affects the profitability of banks as indicated by return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q. In contrast, the audit committee has a positive and insignificant impact on return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q, while transparency and disclosure have a negative and significant impact on these metrics. Furthermore, the country dummy result shows a significant positive impact on all the bank performance parameters, implying that Indian banks have the highest degree of convergence with corporate governance as compared to other SAARC nations.

This study provides insight to the regulators, policymakers and financial institutions to evaluate the role of corporate governance in emerging economies. However, the findings of the study should be interpreted with caution, as the results are sensitive to the disparity between India and other SAARC nations' government policies, climatic circumstances and cultural or religious traditions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to gauge the performance of Indian banks vis-à-vis SAARC nations using the CAMELS framework approach. Further, findings of this study suggest some novel evidence tying corporate governance quality with the profitability of banks among SAARC nations.

Using an integrated theoretical model, this study aims to examine the moderating role of gamification in influencing intentions to use mobile payment applications in Bahrain.

The current examination happens to be the first approximation in the context of Bahrain wherein an extended TPB-based model integrating variables from TAM and UTAUT2 is used along with gamification and situational influence to examine the intentions to use m-payment applications.

The findings revealed that among the variates of the TPB, AT and PB significantly affect the intentions (IN) to use m-payment applications in Bahrain, but SN fails to affect intentions, similarly SI also fails to affect intentions thereby proving that the pandemic fails to drive the intention of the population under study toward using m-payment applications. However, when the application offers gamification (GM) features, SI significantly affects intentions through GM, thus experience along with situation drives intentions and this becomes the major theoretical contribution of the study.

This examination offers useful practical implications in the form of the findings revealing that GM affects intentions to use m-payment applications and that GM moderates the relationship between perceived risk (PR) and IN, as well as SI and IN, which can be used by the service providers to improve the user experience and achieve better acceptance of their application.

The novelty of the study lies in testing the integrated theoretical model in the context of a GCC nation, Bahrain.

This study aims to examine emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational communication as predictors of teamwork effectiveness among bank employees in Nigeria. The Nigerian banking industry suffered financial crisis, leading to depression, following inability to meet standards of the regulatory body. With current emphasis on teamwork for business growth, literatures suggest EI and organizational communication as predictors for teamwork effectiveness.

A cross-sectional survey of 230 bank employees, selected through multistage sampling, using a valid and reliable structured questionnaire that incorporated all research variables was used for data collection. A questionnaire containing the research scales was administered and data were collected.

Positive relationship was established between perceived teamwork effectiveness and components of EI, including self-emotion appraisal, other’s emotion appraisal (OEA), actual use of emotion and regulation of emotion (ROE) and perceived organizational communication effectiveness. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that age, gender, job status and educational qualification jointly predicted teamwork effectiveness, although only educational qualification contributed significantly. The inclusion of EI dimensions showed that only OEA, actual use of emotion and ROE were significant predictors, along with organizational communication.

Data collected were based on self-report of the participants. It is advised that more objective measures could be devised. The findings are limited to the banking industry and cannot be generalized to other work organizations. The research was conducted in Nigeria, a developing country; thus, the findings may not be generalized to the developed nations.

Educational factor could be applied in engaging team members. On the alternative, commercial banks should invest in periodic training programs to enhance employee communication skills and EI. Human resources personnel could use these research outcomes to enhance the selection and placement of employees in commercial banks. By these research findings the adequacies of some psychological theories in explaining team effectiveness have been empirically implicated, and the literature on team effectiveness has been increased. Consequently, commercial banks should invest in periodic training programs to enhance employee communication skills and EI, and use these findings to enhance selection and placement in Nigerian banks. It is evident from the results of the present study that the more educated team members are the more likely their teams would be effective in the teamwork. However, periodic training (both off the job and on the job) on EI and its pertinent dimensions, and adoption of appropriate communication styles, could be used to compliment educational deficiencies. Thus, the less educated persons could function adequately in teams if they receive the empowerment. The human resources managers are to note that new bank employees would be better team players when there are adequate orientated on programs on how towards effective to communicate at teamwork functions.

It is evident from these research findings that EI and appropriate organizational communication are behavioral tools that could enhance team interaction and consequently improve team effectiveness.

It is revealed how teams could be made effective through the combined factors of EI and organizational communication, especially among bank employees in Nigeria. Unlike some other studies, this research discovered the specific EI factors that could enhance team effectiveness, not just general EI. It empirically validated some theories that are proposed in relation to EI and organizational communication. This study showcased how teams could be made more effective in the banking sector of the Nigerian economy.

Tax amnesty (TA) schemes are typical in developing countries. Governments’ claims and suppositions are continually heightened; however, this may differ in actuality. This study aims to present an overview of the effectiveness of TA schemes and the problems they raise in implementing anti-money laundering regulations.

This study used a qualitative research design. Content analysis was used to analyse research articles, reports, legal documents and news articles.

Every amnesty offered in Pakistan from 1956 to 2018 failed to meet government expectations. Instead, the continuity resulted in an irrepressible black economy. The black economy’s uncontrollability undermines tax collection and hinders a robust anti-money laundering regime. Significantly, tax holidays with discrepant legislation strengthen evaders, plunderers and launderers. These policies severely impede the implementation of anti-money laundering policies in the financial institutions of Pakistan. Additionally, Pakistan's geopolitical location, circumstance and war against terror cannot afford any policy that provides monetary relaxation to offenders.

There is no concrete evidence to support long-term economic progress through the implementation of amnesty schemes as a revenue collection policy. This study evaluates previous studies and findings to understand the effect of tax amnesties on the financial industry of Pakistan. The findings have practical implications for tax collection authorities, policymakers and international financial bodies.

Previous studies have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Pakistan’s regular tax amnesties. However, this study discusses the implementation of TA schemes concerning anti-money laundering regulations and customer due diligence by financial institutes and provides suggestions to minimise its negative implications.