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This study aims to investigate the relation between firms’ use of related party transactions (RPTs) and cost of debt (COD) in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The authors obtain data from annual reports and the Standard and Poor’s Capital IQ database over the period 2005–2016 period of nonfinancial publicly listed firms on the UAE, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar stock exchanges. Using a final sample of 1,810 firm-year observations, the authors empirically assess the relation between strategic use of RPTs, the COD issuance and the moderating effects of governance mechanisms.

The authors find that high levels of total RPTs and purchase-based RPTs increase firms’ COD. Furthermore, propping of sales through increased sale-based RPTs is found not to have a significant effect on firms’ COD. The authors also find that ownership factors pertaining to family member founding and royal family ownership negatively moderate the association between the firm’s RPTs and COD. Additionally, the voluntary formation of executive committees has a positive and significant mediating effect on the relation between firms’ purchase-based RPTs and COD. The results are robust to several additional tests and alternative measurement specifications.

The positive relationship between purchase-based RPTs and firm financing costs is magnified in countries with high quality of RPT disclosures. This has implications for funding of GCC entities by governments and financial institutions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine how wealth transfer via RPTs in the GCC region is associated with higher COD. The authors also contribute to the outcome of emerging governance regimes in the GCC, which could impact the level of credit risk and/or default risk faced by a firm and, thus, the relation between RPTs and COD. In doing so, the authors provide a more nuanced study by investigating the potential channels that could account for such a relation in an emerging market setting.

This study examines the association between corporate tax avoidance and the cost of debt (COD). It also investigates the moderating effect of integrated report (IR) assurance on tax avoidance/COD relationship.

Based on a sample of 76 South African companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) from 2010 to 2020, the authors built and estimated regression models using the feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) method. The authors significantly mitigated the endogeneity concerns using propensity score matching (PSM), difference-in-differences (DID) analysis and fixed effects regression.

The authors found that tax-avoiding firms pay higher costs of debt due to information asymmetries and agency problems. Bankers systematically reflect the increase in tax avoidance by adjusting the COD upward. However, results show that the assured IR disclosure mitigates these problems, which decreases the COD for tax avoidance strategies adopters. Using a quasi-natural experiment, well-grounded evidence was provided showing that the decrease in the COD for debtors who engage in tax avoidance practices is attributed to the availability of an assured IR.

This study provides plausible evidence in favor of the role that an assured IR can play in capital allocation decisions. Consequently, it is likely to push policymakers in South Africa and other countries to set standards for IR assurance.

This is the first study that investigates and validates the role of IR assurance in solving the controversy about the “tax saving effect” vs. “risk exposure effect” that bankers face while identifying debtors with successful (non-risky/cash-saving) tax avoidance practices and those with non-successful (risky) ones.

The existing research does not systematically explore customers' option about different payment methods, nor does it analyze how shopping channels and shopping scale affect customers' option about different payment methods. Furthermore, there is a lack of exploration on what the relationship is, and how they are adjusted by customer purchasing experience. The authors’ research questions are: (1) when using different shopping channels in online retailing, whether customers will choose different types of payment methods? (2) Does the purchase amounts affect customers' choice of different payment methods?

This study takes 60,484 customers from JD.com, one of the largest B2C platforms in China, as the research object and collects the purchase data of these customers from October 01, 2012 to December 31, 2013, and analyzes them through panel data models.

Based on their purchase data, the authors find the main results by using panel data model that (1) the use of mobile channel has a positive effect on cash on delivery (COD), implying that when consumers use mobile to purchase, they have a higher possibility to use COD, (2) the order size has a positive effects on COD, that is to say, when the purchase amount increases, the possibility of using COD also increases. (3) Furthermore, when consumers' purchase experience abound, mobile channel's positive effect on COD will be decreased, but it does not affect the positive effect between order size and COD.

From the aspects of shopping channels, product attributes and customer purchase experience, it fills the gaps in the research on the preselection of payment methods and makes research of payment methods a complete research system. Secondly, this study adds COD to the options of payment method selection. Finally, the moderating effect of customer shopping experience from a dynamic perspective elaborates that customers can learn from multiple purchases and overcome the shopping risks brought by shopping channels, thereby reducing the probability of choosing a COD method.

This paper aims to evaluate the bioremediation [chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal] of the effluent from the cardboard recycling industry in Yazd, central province of Iran, using mixed fungal culture.

First, the effluent samples from the cardboard recycling industry were cultured on potato dextrose agar medium to isolate native fungal colonies. The grown colonies were then identified using morphological macroscopic and microscopic characteristics to choose the dominant fungi for bioremediations. The mixed cultures of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium digitatum were finally used for bioremediation experiments of the cardboard recycling industry. A suspension containing 1 × 10⁶ CFU/ml of fungal spores was prepared from each fungus, separately and their homogenous mixture. Sewage samples were prepared and sterilized and used at 25%, 50% and 90% dilutions and pH levels of 5, 7 and 8 for bioremediation tests using mixed fungal spores. Following that, 10 ml of the mixed fungal spores were inoculated into the samples for decolorization and COD removal and incubated for 10 days at 30°C. The amount of COD removal and decolorization were measured before incubation and after 3, 6 and 10 days of inoculation. In this research, the color was measured by American Dye Manufacturer Institute and COD by the closed reflux method. The results of the present study were analyzed using SPSS 21 statistical software and one-way ANOVA tests at p-value < 0.05.

The results of this research showed that the mean decolorization by mixed fungal culture over 10 days at pH levels of 5, 7 and 8 were 44.40%, 45.00% and 36.84%, respectively, and the mean COD removal efficiency was 71.59%, 73.54% and 16.55%, respectively. Moreover, the mean decolorization at dilutions of 25%, 50% and 90% were 45.00%, 31.93% and 30.53%, respectively, and the mean COD removal efficiency was 73.54%, 62.38% and 34.93%, respectively. Therefore, the maximal COD removal and decolorization efficiency was obtained at dilution of 25% and pH 7.

Given that limited studies have been conducted on bioremediation of the effluent from the cardboard recycling industry using fungal species, this research could provide useful information on the physicochemical properties of the effluent in this industry.

The purpose of this paper is to decompose the concept of country of origin (COO) and test the influence of country of design (COD) and country of manufacture (COM) on consumer evaluations of bi‐national products (products designed in one country and manufactured in another). In addition to global country images, the paper aims to introduce the concept of “fit” or the logical connection between product categories and the COD or COM.

Relationships between constructs (perceived product quality, COD image, COM image and perceived fits) are hypothesized and data are collected via survey on the Tunisian market. Each of the 389 respondents evaluated different combinations (COD/COM) for two product categories (automobiles and television sets). All hypotheses are tested using multiple regression analysis.

The paper finds that the concept of fit between country image (both COD and COM) and product category is an important determinant of product evaluations. For products with status symbolic meanings (automobiles), consumers from emerging countries are more sensitive to COD than for more private goods (television sets) for which COM and COM/product fit are important.

This study used two informational cues (COD and COM), and fairly complex durable goods. Results need to be expanded and confirmed with other product categories on other emergent markets.

Practical implications of the study are that, beyond country images, measurement of fit between COD or COM and the product category will help define marketing communications and product promotions by emphasizing (or de‐emphasizing) global country information, country image/product fit, or both.

The paper provides new insights into consumer judgements of product quality for bi‐national products.

Investigates anaerobic two‐stage treatment of tannery wastewater. This results in a mean chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 60 per cent for tannery B and more than 70 per cent for tanneries A and C with COD_o = 5,710mg l^‐1 and mean detention time held at 3.5 days. Gas production was small, rating an estimated 75 l kg‐1 COD_o with COD_o = 5,710mg l^‐1. Tests simultaneously the influence of quality and quantity of wastewater on COD removal and gas production (multiple regression). Finds significant inhibitory effects were caused by chloride on gas volume and by sulphate on COD removal. Chromium showed no significant effect. Dosage of ferric chloride for removal of the toxic sulphide effected a decrease in gas volume and had no effect on COD removal (analysis of variance).

This paper aims to investigate the empirical relationship between the cost of debt (CoD) and accruals quality (AQ) of European listed firms during the period of 2005 to 2014. Also, it aims to test the impact of the interrelationship between the financial crisis (2008-2009) and AQ on CoD. Finally, we decompose AQ into two components; the innate (InnateAQ) and discretionary components (DiscAQ); and test their relationships with CoD.

To empirically examine the relationship between AQ and CoD, a sample including 15 member states of the EU is constructed. AQ proxy is based on the McNichols (2002) modification of Dechow and Dichev (2002) model. A univariate analysis and a multivariate analysis are conducted to examine the relationship between AQ and CoD after controlling for firm characteristics and institutional variables.

We find a significant negative association between AQ and CoD in a vast proportion of the 15 countries under review. Also, the results indicate that during the crisis period, creditors pay relatively more attention to the quality of accounting information than during the pre-crisis period when they determine CoD of firms. Moreover, we report a link between the magnitude of this relationship and national characteristics and provide evidence of the significant effects of national characteristics and market forces on CoD. Finally, we find that InnateAQ drives the relationship with CoD.

This paper provides up-to-date evidence on the economic consequences of AQ and IFRS in the capital market. The results should, therefore, be of interest to managers, creditors, regulators and standard-setters.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the effects of AQ on CoD for European listed firms. Also, it examines the impact of financial crisis on the association between AQ and CoD.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, in an emerging market, the simultaneous effects of country of design (COD), country of manufacture (COM), and brand image on consumers' perceptions of bi‐national products. A comprehensive model broadens country‐of‐origin literature by incorporating brand image and the concepts of fit and congruity borrowed from brand extension research. Perceptual (in) coherences that might exist among COD, COM, and the brand are incorporated.

Tunisia is the emerging market studied. A total of 389 respondents evaluated different product combinations (COD/COM/brand) in two categories. Relationships between constructs are tested using structural equation modelling.

Consumers are sensitive to the COD (more so for public than for private goods) and also value the COM of branded products. The transfer of the COD image to brand image is significant. It is very high for one product category (cars). Brand/COM congruity is also important since product evaluations decrease when consumers perceive incoherence in a manufacturing location.

The paper used limited informational cues for products' descriptions and concentrate on fairly complex durable goods. Research design should be expanded.

Perceived COD competencies can benefit brand image through strong COD‐brand associations. In emerging markets, COD (through brand image) and COM effects are important for understanding consumers' perceptions of publicly versus privately used branded products.

The major contribution consists of a simultaneous examination of the effects of COD, COM, brand, and of their inter‐relationships. Investigating bi‐national products and related consumer behaviour in emerging markets is of particular interest as it corresponds to the reality of these markets.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of information on English consumers' evaluation of fresh and thawed cod fillets which in English retail stores is referred to as “chilled” seafood.

After the exploration of consumers' impressions of thawed fish, this study followed a pair‐wise comparison approach in a central location consumer test. Fish fillets were evaluated on liking, smell and texture by means of a questionnaire with additional behavioural and attitudinal questions.

This study showed that consumers in England may prefer thawed over fresh cod fillets without information. However, consumers' evaluations increased for labelled fresh cod fillets and decreased for thawed. Finally, consumers reported positive expectations about fillets labelled “fresh” or “frozen at sea”.

This study involved testing cod fillets in a central location test. Consumers do not usually evaluate cod fillets in this way in their daily life. The quality of the two types of fillets made especially for this test may vary compared to the ones usually sold and consumed.

This study can inform producers and retailers about what to expect by means of sales of fresh and thawed cod products with or without information.

It was shown that consumers are positively influenced by information and are willing to consume more fish if they know that the fish is fresh or thawed properly.

This is the first paper to present English consumers' evaluations of thawed cod.

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of corporate reputation (hereafter CR) and the degree of economic development on firms’ cost of capital remains unresolved. This study addresses these issues.

Using a global sample across 20 countries, the study investigates the discrete and joint effects of CR and jurisdictional economic development on the cost of equity (COE) and cost of debt (COD) capital. The analysis encompasses a dual data set, comprising 1,308 observations for COE and 1,223 observations for COD, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of these dynamics.

The findings indicate that CR leads to a reduction in the cost of capital for reputable firms. Nevertheless, the extent of this decrease varies per type of capital and firm’s reputation level and is contingent upon the economic development level within the firm’s jurisdiction. Particularly noteworthy is the moderating effect of economic development on CR, which shows that COE capital tends to be lower for reputable firms operating in economically developed jurisdictions. Albeit, this is not the case for COD capital for reputable firms in similarly developed jurisdictions.

This study illustrates that effective CR management, aimed at reducing the cost of capital, necessitates a combination of the firm’s unique competitive advantage and the economic development context of its jurisdiction to truly achieve its intended goal.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first global study to explore the impact of CR on both COE and COD capital. Furthermore, this study is primarily towards understanding the moderating role of economic development in the relationship between CR and cost of capital.