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1 – 6 of 6Patrick Joseph Hynes and Alia Harb
Work is good for one’s health and well-being. Work for people with disabilities should be encouraged because it is therapeutic and improves participation in the society, leading…
Abstract
Purpose
Work is good for one’s health and well-being. Work for people with disabilities should be encouraged because it is therapeutic and improves participation in the society, leading to better health outcomes. It develops interpersonal relationships and enhances life quality. Work is an aspiration for many people with intellectual disability. Within research literature, there appears to be a lack of research into the experience of occupational therapists in Ireland who refer adults with intellectual disabilities to supported employment services. The purpose of this paper was to explore the experience of Irish occupational therapists who refer adults with intellectual disabilities to supported employment services.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with four occupational therapists recruited through the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI). Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Themes that emerged were as follows: occupational therapy participants did not directly refer adults to supported employment but received referrals; occupational therapy roles included assessments, task analysis and development of client’s skills are major components of current practice; pragmatics involved factors that facilitate and challenge; and future roles.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to occupational therapy practice knowledge by providing a perspective on supported employment in Ireland. Occupational therapists should continue to work in the area of supported employment to support social inclusion and enable participation. Further research with occupational therapists working in this field is required to inform practice.
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The purpose of this study is to critically review the book Islamic Law and International Law by Emilila Powell.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to critically review the book Islamic Law and International Law by Emilila Powell.
Design/methodology/approach
The book review is undertaken from a comparative legal and political science perspective, including arguments and insights from international relations, international law, Islamic law, Islamic culture, religious studies, legal history and European as well as international political history.
Findings
While the empirical part of Powell’s work (chapters 5, 6 and 7) shows a methodologically veryc well done approach and at the same time highly interesting insights, both foundation and context show several critical points, in particular, a lack of differentiation with respect to the Western politico-legal tradition, its concepts and the resulting implications.
Research limitations/implications
The book represents an excellent starting point that should inspire new, more intensive as well as exhaustive research on this topic.
Practical implications
The book generates valuable insights for practitioners such as judges at international courts dealing with issues involving so-called Islamic law states, as well as politicians or public service officials in the context of international law and international politics.
Originality/value
As the paper is a comprehensive review of the book based upon comparatively based insights from international relations, international law, Islamic law, Islamic culture, religious studies, legal history and European as well as international political history, the arguments of Powell are analyzed and commented upon in a comprehensive, well-founded and fair way. This should give potential readers a good understanding of Powell’s arguments, inspire a critical lecture of the book and contribute to the important discourse on the connex between international law and Islamic law.
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Aws Al-Okaily, Manaf Al-Okaily and Ai Ping Teoh
Even though the end-user satisfaction construct has gained prominence as a surrogate measure of information systems performance assessment, it has received scant formal treatment…
Abstract
Purpose
Even though the end-user satisfaction construct has gained prominence as a surrogate measure of information systems performance assessment, it has received scant formal treatment and empirical examination in the data analytics systems field. In this respect, this study aims to examine the vital role of user satisfaction as a proxy measure of data analytics system performance in the financial engineering context.
Design/methodology/approach
This study empirically validated the proposed model using primary quantitative data obtained from financial managers, engineers and analysts who are working at Jordanian financial institutions. The quantitative data were tested using partial least squares-based structural equation modeling.
Findings
The quantitative data analysis results identified that technology quality, information quality, knowledge quality and decision quality are key factors that enhance user satisfaction in a data analytics environment with an explained variance of around 69%.
Originality/value
This empirical research has contributed to the discourse regarding the pivotal role of user satisfaction in data analytics performance in the financial engineering context of developing countries such as Jordan, which lays a firm foundation for future research.
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Ioannis Tampakoudis, Nikolaos Kiosses and Konstantinos Petridis
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of mutual funds during the COVID-19 pandemic with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The main research…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of mutual funds during the COVID-19 pandemic with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The main research question is whether mutual fund performance differs with respect to the level of the mutual fund’s ESG score.
Design/methodology/approach
The data set contains global fund data, and mutual fund performance is analyzed using two types of data envelopment analysis (DEA) models: the DEA portfolio index (DPEI) and the range direction measure (RDM) DEA. Propensity score matching and logistic regression are also applied.
Findings
The results reveal that: nonequity mutual funds present significantly higher performance compared to the performance of equity mutual funds; mutual funds with high ESG scores are associated with significantly higher performance compared to those with low to medium ESG scores; funds with high ESG scores experience higher performance irrespective of their type; and efficiency scores derived from the RDM DEA are significantly higher than those derived from the DPEI model.
Research limitations/implications
Investors, fund managers and market participants can benefit from the findings of this study and improve their investment decision-making process, including more sustainable funds in their portfolios. Regulators and policymakers should further promote or even require the inclusion of more sustainable investments in the financial products offered by institutional investors. The main limitation of the study is related to data availability regarding the ESG score of mutual funds.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides robust evidence in support of a positive association between ESG scores and mutual fund performance during the pandemic-induced crisis applying a DEA methodology.
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Saliha Theiri and Slim Hadoussa
The concept of digitization covers a wide range of initiatives to achieve sustainable development. This paper aims to determine the impact of bank digitization strategies on…
Abstract
Purpose
The concept of digitization covers a wide range of initiatives to achieve sustainable development. This paper aims to determine the impact of bank digitization strategies on financial performance in an African country.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the generalized least squares estimation method to analyze data from a sample of 12 Tunisian banks from 2010 to 2020. The reason for selecting this method was its ability to address issues of heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation.
Findings
This study indicates that digital transformation has a positive effect on Tunisian banks financial performance, as measured by return on assets and return on equity. Specifically, investing in payment tools, digital channels and internet security leads to improved performance for banks. These findings suggest that banks that offer digital services perform better, as they are able to increase profitability, maintain financial stability and improve transparency.
Research limitations/implications
This study is important for central bank, regulators, policymakers and investors. Overall, this study emphasizes the need for banks in Tunisia to embrace digital transformation to improve their performance and remain viable in the modern business landscape.
Originality/value
This study ponders the effect of Tunisian banks’ digital transformation on financial performance. Tunisia context serves as model for other African countries. Tunisian banks should prioritize investments in digital technologies to stay competitive in the market.
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