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Leadership has a decisive role in the success of all types of businesses and firms, including small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the ethical behavior of leaders is a key component which brings a sense of respect, fulfillment, trustworthiness and acceptance among the employees, which later become visible in their job performance (JP). This study aims to check the immediate effect of ethical leadership (EL) on employee’s JP (EJP) and also explore the indirect mediating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on this EL and EJP nexus.

Primary data was obtained from the employees of manufacturing SMEs of Northern Italy using a cross-sectional design from the end of 2019 to the start of 2020. This paper circulated 450 self-administered questionnaires using simple random sampling, and 202 (44.88%) valid questionnaires were returned. The PROCESS macro was performed using statistical package for social sciences to ensure whether or not EL affects EJP and is there any mediation effect of CSR present in this nexus.

The results indicate that EL has a strong positive connection with EJP and CSR. Interestingly, CSR positively influences EJP. Furthermore, the results also report the strong mediating effect of CSR in the nexus of EL and EJP.

This scholarly work seeks to contribute not only to the literature of EL and EJP but also enriches the understanding of this EL-EJP association by highlighting the indirect effect of mediating variable CSR in the SME sector.

This study aims to address the reliability and construct validity of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) in a Vietnamese context. Using the IWPQ as a measurement tool, this research also examined whether demographic features (such as gender, education level, work experience and position in a company) influenced employees’ work performance.

The Vietnamese IWPQ was validated via a two-step process of factor analysis, including an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The data collected were randomly divided into two subsamples to independently serve the EFA (n = 341) and CFA (n = 342). ANOVAs and t-tests were also used to examine the differences in individual work performance (IWP) among different demographic categories.

The results of the current study confirmed the applicability of the three-dimensional IWPQ in a Vietnamese context. In addition, they also indicated several demographic features that impacted employees’ patterns of responses to IWPQ dimensions.

This study focused on the construct validity of the IWPQ, without taking the content, face or criterion validity into consideration. Thus, future research should be conducted to yield a more comprehensive validation of the instrument, to measure the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practices and employee performance and to examine the relationship between strategic HRD and IWP and firm outcomes. In addition, the validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ may inspire comparative studies on individual performance within and between units in an organization and among organizations and industries.

HRD practitioners can now use the validated IWPQ in the Vietnamese language to assess fluctuations in and analyze current staff performance, thereby facilitating human resource management and development. This study also offers recommendations for business leaders and HRD practitioners striving to implement strategic HRD aimed at reducing disparities in gender and between educational qualifications and job assignments at workplace, with the overarching goals of enhancing staff performance. These recommendations prove instrumental in improving staff performance, strengthening organizational efficiency and ultimately tackling the issue of low productivity in Vietnam and neighboring countries.

This study findings underscore the significance of embracing strategic HRD while taking into account individual, organizational and contextual factors that influence IWP. This approach serves to bridge current gaps related to IWP, including Vietnam’s comparatively lower productivity compared to neighboring nations, educational qualifications and role allocations within the workplace, as well as the prevailing work standards and strategic objectives.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this rigorously validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ is the first of its kind in Vietnam, making a significant contribution to inclusivity initiatives and offering substantial evidence to affirm the IWPQ’s relevance across diverse contexts.

This research aims to investigate the influence of building design on the thermal comfort of occupants of naturally ventilated hospital (NVH) wards to identify the aspects with the most significant influence on the thermal comfort of hospital buildings during the hot-dry season in the hot-humid tropics of Southeast Nigeria.

Field measurements, physical observations and a questionnaire survey of 60 occupants of the wards of the Joint Presbyterian Hospital, Uburu in Ebonyi State, Nigeria were undertaken. The data were analysed using Humphreys' neutral temperature formula, descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

The results revealed that the neutral temperature for the wards ranges from 26.2 °C to 29.9 °C, the thermal condition in the wards was not comfortable because it failed to meet the ASHRAE Standard 55 as only 65% of the occupants said the thermal condition was acceptable. The number and sizes of windows, building orientation, the presence of high-level windows and higher headroom significantly influenced the occupants' thermal comfort vote.

This research is valuable in estimating comfort temperature and identifying aspects that require attention in enhancing the capacity of NVH wards to effectively meet the thermal comfort needs of occupants in the hot-humid tropics of Southeast Nigeria and other regions that share similar climatic conditions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of this nature that provides valuable feedback for building design professionals on the performance of existing hospital buildings in meeting users' thermal comfort needs in the hot-dry season of the hot-humid tropics in Southeast Nigeria.

This paper aims to investigate the effect of product offering and other service quality (SQ) dimensions on the satisfaction of the customers of both Islamic and conventional banks, using evidence from an oil-based economy that is based on a prolonged SERVQUAL model with 11 dimensions and other statistical analysis methods.

The data were collected from 461 Islamic and conventional bank customers in Qatar via a survey and several tests were used to test certain hypotheses. Component analysis, factor analysis and gap and ascendency analysis were used in this study. Afterward, a correlation analysis and regression model were used to examine the hypotheses and validate the instruments used.

The results show that regardless of the type of bank, customers always have greater expectations of the services than they had perceived. A customer’s expectation of the product on offer is the only dimension that is significantly different in relation to the two types of banks. However, reliability, competence, responsiveness, credibility and empathy dimensions are significantly different of the two types of banks in customers’ perception of quality. In addition, the results suggest that both types of banks need to concentrate their efforts on the product offering, competence and courtesy dimensions.

The size of our sample of Islamic and conventional banks is unequally balanced. Future studies might therefore choose an equally balanced sample.

Bank managers in both types of banks need to continue improving the quality of their service including product offering and to adopt advanced methods to enhance customer satisfaction (CS) and reduce the gaps in quality in the dimensions used. Furthermore, managers in both types of banks need to put more emphasis on product offering, competence, courtesy and communication if they wish to improve SQ. Moreover, Islamic banks must guarantee that they possess competent, highly trained personnel who are familiar with Islamic finance products, so as to enhance the quality of service and attract customers.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effect of product offering and other dimensions of SQ on CS in both Islamic and conventional banks by using 11 dimensions of SQ. In addition, it provides evidence of gaps in SQ, at the dimensions level, for both types of banks in an oil-based economy. The results of this study are valuable in helping decision-makers and bank managers who wish to raise the level of SQ and improve CS and in validating the results from other countries with a dual financial system.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a distinct set of characteristics that influence Muslim customers’ intentions to purchase Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia.

The study studied the impact of perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial advantages, religious commitment and product knowledge on the purchase intention Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract using a quantitative research approach. A Google Form-based online survey was created and distributed through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, among others. The survey data were analysed using structural equation modelling with a partial-least-square estimation property (PLS-SEM).

The study results suggested that Muslim customers in Malaysia had a greater propensity to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract. Analysis of the data revealed that perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial benefits and religious commitment had direct effects on the desire to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia. In addition, the results reveal that religious commitment, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit are the top three important factors in explaining Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract buying intentions in this country.

Muslim customers may use Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a short-term credit alternative to enhance their financial standing. Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract generates a substantial quantity of credit demand and supply, which not only allows Muslim customers to adhere to Islamic standards but also contributes to the expansion of the economy. The result would aid and advise Ar-Rahnu finance resources and legislators in measuring the efficacy of the program in Malaysia, especially among Muslim customers.

Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a financing alternative has been explored extensively, but this study takes a whole new approach to the subject by looking at dimensions of perceived value, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit along with individual product knowledge and religious commitment. Consequently, this study will contribute to the understanding of how Muslim customers will respond to the Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract and will assist financial institutions in increasing the possibility that Muslim consumers would acquire Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract.

This study aims to explore the corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) practices of the Islamic banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during the period 2010-2014 and examines the determinants of CSRD and its effects on firm value.

Based on the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions Governance Standard No. 7 guidelines and using content analysis, the paper develops a comprehensive CSRD index for GCC Islamic banks. The study applies ordinary least squares regression analysis for hypothesis testing and for finding determinants of respective dependent variables.

The results show a very low level of CSRD among the sample Islamic banks in GCC countries. When using corporate governance characteristics to examine the determinants of CSRD, this study provides evidence of a significant positive association between board size and CSRD practice in Islamic banks and a significant negative relationship of chief executive officer (CEO) duality with CSRD, as per expectation. For the economic consequences of CSRD, the study documents an inverse performance effect of CSRD while board size, board composition and CEO duality indicate significant positive effects on firm value.

The relatively small sample size of GCC Islamic banks may limit the application of the findings to other Islamic financial institutions such as Takaful and the Islamic unit trust company.

The findings of this study initiate the global debate on the need for corporate governance reform in Islamic banks by providing insights on the role played by corporate governance mechanisms in encouraging and enhancing CSRD practices among Islamic banks. The findings also have important implications for investors, managers, regulatory bodies, policymakers and Islamic banks in the GCC countries.

The results of the study do not support the idea that Islamic banks operating on Islamic principles can meet their social responsibilities through promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and by differentiating themselves from non-Islamic banks.

This is the first study to examine the determinants of CSRD in GCC Islamic banks using comprehensive CSRD and corporate governance variables and, therefore, adds value to the existing CSR literature in banking.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the nonlinear effects of renewable energy (RE) consumption and economic growth on per capita CO₂ emissions during the time span from 1980 to 2020.

The study uses the logistic smooth transition autoregression (STAR) model to decipher the nonlinear relationship between RE consumption, economic growth and CO₂ emissions in the Indian economy.

The estimated results confirm a nonlinear relationship between India’s economic growth, RE consumption and CO₂ emissions. The authors found that economic growth positively impacts CO₂ emissions until it reaches a specific threshold of 1.81 (per capita growth). Beyond this point, further economic growth leads to a reduction in CO₂ emissions. Similarly, RE consumption positively affects CO₂ emissions until economic growth reaches the same threshold level, after which an increase in RE consumption negatively impacts CO₂ emissions.

The study suggests that India should optimize the balance between economic growth and RE consumption to mitigate CO₂ emissions. Policymakers should prioritize the adoption of RE during the early stages of economic growth. As economic growth reaches the specific threshold of 1.81 per capita, the economy should shift to more sustainable and energy-efficient practices to limit the effect of further CO₂ emissions on further economic growth.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first-ever endeavor to reexamine the nonlinear relationship between RE consumption, economic growth and CO₂ emissions in India, using the STAR model.

Money laundering (ML) has become a global threat in recent years, impacting both developed and poor countries. Developing an efficient anti-money laundering (AML) regime is a difficult and time-consuming process owing to the ever-changing spectrum of methods used, weaknesses in control mechanisms, intricacies of laws and regulations, organizational malfunction and goal displacement. In Bangladesh, surge of illegal money, rising money heists and egregious capital outflows have posed a governance problem. The purpose of this study is to investigate the dimensions of ML and examine the structure and performance of the AML regime.

This study adopts a qualitative method, based on a thorough review of the conceptual and empirical literature on ML, content analysis of a range of publications, a scan of newspaper articles and digital resources and responses/comments of current and retired government employees in Bangladesh. The evaluation is informed by the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force and supported by the mutual evaluation reports of the AGroup on Money Laundering.

Bangladesh, like most of South Asia, is highly vulnerable to ML and is hard-pressed to fully comply with global standards for control. Weak institutions, bureaucratic pathology, lack of transparency and accountability, high levels of corruption, an ambiguous regulatory environment, unregulated financial operations, a disordered banking sector, conflicting interests, criminal exploitation, poor oversight and reporting, flawed risk assessment and weak government performance have affected the performance of the AML system.

This paper looks at the problem of ML from a holistic perspective covering different dimensions such as black money whitening, illegal funds movements, informal money transfer systems, use of offshore refuge for hiding money and so on and the state’s responses to the syndrome. The evaluation will be of particular relevance to policymakers, anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, the financial intelligence operators and public prosecutors dealing with criminal justice.

Halal markets are rapidly growing in terms of market size and global coverage; therefore, there is a critical demand to have a deeper understanding of the consumption behavior of Muslim consumers. This study aims to explore the influence of using the Halal logo on Muslim consumers’ attitudes toward food products using the neuroscience technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The theory of planned behavior represents the foundation of this research, where consumer attitudes during an fMRI experiment were evaluated based on two different groups of images: images of just the Halal logo and images of meat labeled with the Halal logo. The study used the blocked design approach to track brain responses produced from displaying the two groups of images to study participants, where brain activity represents participants’ attitudes toward selecting the products.

There were no significant variations in brain activity when participants viewed Halal and non-Halal logos; in contrast, there were significant brain changes in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex region when meat images were labeled with Halal and non-Halal logos. This suggests that the Halal logo only has an influence on perception when it co-occurs with a product.

Tracking Muslim consumption patterns is important for managers to be able to establish strategies to target Muslim consumers. This study uses a unique technique to study the behavioral attitude of a rapidly growing market segment, which can help marketing managers tailor their advertisement strategies to be more effective.

Previous research on the consumption of Halal products uses conventional approaches to study the influence of the Halal logo; however, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the influence of the Halal logo on Muslim consumers’ attitudes using fMRI technology.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and structure of Islamic investment funds and evaluate their governance.

The methodology employed is the conceptual framework of Islamic economics.

It is found that Islamic investment funds have grown rapidly this decade: in Malaysia alone, the number of shari'a‐compliant funds has grown from 17 in 2000 to 149 in 2008, and at a global level there are 650 funds in operation. However, the industry has developed in a particular way, by focusing on negative screens, and removing from investments those activities deemed to be unacceptable to Islamic precepts, rather than pursuing as well the implementation of other aspects of the Islamic ethos.

The conclusion reached is that, if the Islamic investment fund industry is to provide more completely for the religious and financial aspirations of investors, it needs to go beyond the negatives and to also accentuate the positive and, drawing upon Islamic governance guidelines, actively seek out investments that have a positive impact on society and the environment and promote the welfare of the community. These issues hitherto have been largely unexplored.