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This paper aims to examine the profitability of Islamic banks benefits from economic freedom and its subcomponents.

This study uses a sample of 41 Islamic banks from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Countries selected from 2010–2020. It conducts an empirical approach based on the System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM).

Overall, economic freedom has a substantial impact on the profitability of Islamic banks. We then investigate the relationship between the subcomponents of economic freedom and the profitability of Islamic banks. The study’s breakdown components suggest that financial and investment freedoms are favorable indicators, while business and monetary freedoms have a negative effect.

This research can serve as a guideline for Islamic bank management in terms of maintaining performance. The results of this study provide policy implications for the government to offer friendly regulations for economic actors to engage in financial transactions by looking at the economic freedom sub-component.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, the study of the role of economic freedom in Islamic banking performance is limited, particularly in the context of OIC Countries.

This study examines the function of total reserves in light of the relationship between the economic freedom index and the corruption perception index during the COVID-19 period over countries.

This analysis encompasses a sample of 102 nations, spanning the time period from 2020 to 2021, and draws data from several sources. By employing a random effects model, we are able to adequately address the potential influence of year-specific factors, including the effects of COVID-19, as well as country-specific disparities. This approach allows for a comprehensive examination of our primary variables, assuring a nuanced study.

The findings indicate that when economic freedom and reserves are examined separately, they tend to promote corruption. However, when these factors are studied together, they have a complementary effect in reducing corruption. The impact of the COVID-19 period further confirms the relationship, highlighting its substantial influence on the interplay between economic freedom, reserves, and corruption.

The time frame spanning just two years and the sample limited to 102 nations may affect the generalizability of the findings. Therefore, there is a clear need for additional research to facilitate more comprehensive generalizations.

This study is notable for its distinctive examination of the function of Total Reserves in light of the association between the economic freedom index and the corruption perception index. Within the framework of the challenging COVID-19 era, this investigation offers novel perspectives on the intricate dynamics among economic freedom, reserves, and corruption perceptions.

The purpose of this study is to examine and identify the predominant themes in the literature on economic freedom. The paper also highlights the key journals, leading authors, top countries and organisations in the literature on economic freedom.

This paper uses the Scopus database to examine 1,512 articles covering the disciplines of economics, finance, business and social sciences from 1942 to 2022. Vosviewer software is used for creating bibliometric networks.

The findings suggest that significant growth in the economic freedom literature has occurred in the last ten years. Considerable attention has been devoted to examining the relationship between economic freedom and growth. The paper also finds that most of the research on economic freedom has been undertaken in the context of developed countries.

This study is one of the first attempts to undertake a bibliometric analysis of economic freedom. The article also highlights the less-researched areas in the literature and thus provides directions for future research.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2023-0690.

Previous studies on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance (TA) have found inconclusive results. Academics have suggested deepening our understanding of this relationship. Although a few studies have responded to this call, research toward moderating variables is still nascent. The purpose of this study is to analyze the moderating role of economic freedom (EF) and its interaction with power distance (PD) on the relationship between CSR and TA.

Based on a sample of 3,866 publicly listed firms from 44 countries over the period 2010–2018, the authors use multivariate regressions techniques to investigate whether and how EF moderates the relationship between CRS and TA and how PD influences this effect.

Findings indicate that the potentially positive relationship between CSR and TA is weaker for firms in institutional environments with higher EF. Moreover, we find that this moderating effect is stronger when PD is lower.

This study has important implications. It offers insights for managers to reflect on their CSR and taxation practices, and for policymakers to consider the institutional conditions that facilitate corporations’ social and tax-responsible behavior. These findings indicate the necessity of integrating cultural, regulatory and collaborative elements to observe corporations engaged in social and tax-responsible behavior.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the moderating effect of EF on the relationship between CSR and TA, and its interaction with PD. Moreover, our sample includes firms based in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania, facilitating the study of EF and PD’s broad diversity.

This study holds the objective of evaluating the impact of formal (e.g. ease of doing business score, start-up procedures to register a business, property rights) and informal (e.g. school life expectancy, collaboration between companies and human capital) institutions on the economic performance of countries in conjunction with the mediating effect of entrepreneurial activities and social performance.

The authors collected quantitative, secondary data from a range of different sources, specifically the World Bank (WB), Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), World Economic Forum (WEF), Freedom House (FH) and Doing Business (DB) for the years between 2016 and 2018. The authors deployed a quantitative approach based on estimating structural equation models according to the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.

The authors find that institutions, whether formal or informal, impact positively on economic and social performance with entrepreneurial activities positively mediating the relationship between informal institutions and economic performance and social performance.

The study research holds key implications for strengthening institutional theory. The authors find that our empirical results draw attention to the impact that institutions and their functioning can have on economic performance. Through this alert, the authors aim for researchers, politicians and other diverse decision-makers involved in public policies to prioritise not only the good working of institutions but also fostering entrepreneurship, in order to boost the resulting economic performance.

The study research contributes to the literature by testing the model that links institutions, entrepreneurial activity and economic performance. The authors also help policymakers to become aware of the importance that the quality of institutions has on entrepreneurial activity, and, consequently on economic performance.

This article aims to investigate how institutional characteristics affect the level of financial development of economies collectively and compare between developed and undeveloped economies.

A dynamic panel with 131 countries, including developed and developing ones, was utilized; the estimators of the generalized method of moments system (GMM system) model were selected because they have econometric characteristics more suitable for analysis, providing superior statistical precision compared to traditional linear estimation methods.

The results from the full panel suggest that concrete and well-defined institutions are important for financial development, confirming previous research, with a more limited scope than the present work.

Limitations of this research include the availability of data for all countries worldwide, which would make the research broader and more complete.

A panel of countries was used, divided into developed and developing countries, to analyze the impact of institutional variables on the financial development of these countries, which is one of the differentiators of this work. Another differentiator of this research is the presentation of estimates in six different configurations, with emphasis on the GMM system model in one and two steps, allowing for comparison between results.

The study aims to assess the interplay between financial globalization, effective governance and economic growth in sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies.

This study uses the Generalized Method of Moment Estimation and the Panel Quantile Regression techniques to analyze how financial globalization and governance impact sub-Saharan African economies.

The results show that governance is vital to the region's economic development. In order to achieve significant growth, sub-Saharan African economies must prioritize actions that promote good governance.

The study is limited to sub-Saharan African economies.

It is crucial for the sub-Saharan Africa economies to concentrate on strengthening governance frameworks in order to realize its full economic potential because improvements in governance quality would have a favorable effect on economic growth.

The findings indicate that both capital inflows and governance dynamics are essential for fostering economic growth in SSA economies. Also, balancing globalization's benefits with effective governance is crucial for promoting sustainable growth in SSA.

This paper fills a gap in literature by using the KOF financial globalization index to assess the impact of financial globalization and governance on economic growth in sub-Saharan African economies.

This study aims to examine the role of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) in attracting higher foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the major emerging economies namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) from the source developed, developing and other emerging economies over a period of 18 years from 2001 to 2018.

To estimate the results, panel data regression on a gravity-knowledge capital model has been used. To account for the problem of endogeneity we have used the two-step difference Generalised Method of Moments estimator proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991).

We find that contradictory to theory and expectations, BITs result in a fall in FDI inflows in BRICS economies. BITs ratified by BRICS economies are not able to provide a sound and secure investment environment to foreign investors, thereby discouraging FDI in these economies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the impact of BITs on FDI inflows into the emerging BRICS economies. Further, the impact of BITs on FDI flows among developed nations, i.e. north-north FDI and from developed to developing countries, i.e. north-south FDI has already been studied by many researchers. But so far, no study has examined this impact on FDI among developing and emerging economies (south-south FDI), despite an increase in FDI flows among these economies. Therefore, this study seeks to overcome the limitations of previous studies and tries to find out the impact of BITs on FDI inflows in BRICS economies not only from source developed but also from source developing and other emerging economies.

This paper explores the motivations and challenges faced by Muslim women ‘mumpreneurs,’ in Northern Nigeria, a region with a predominantly Muslim population. The unique socio-religious and cultural context of Northern Nigeria serves as a key driver for this research, prompting a deeper understanding of the experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in the area.

The study employed a qualitative approach, by utilizing semi-structured interviews with 12 Muslim mumpreneurs residing in various states across Northern Nigeria. Accordingly, thematic analysis was used to explore the influence of their motherly roles on their entrepreneurial experiences.

Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: Motivations: Mumpreneurs were driven by desires for financial independence, positive societal impact and increased flexibility to manage work-family balance. Challenges: Lack of capital, skills, knowledge and sociocultural constraints (e.g. gender norms) impeded their progress. Push and pull factors: Their entrepreneurial journeys were shaped by both internal aspirations and external societal influences.

The findings of this study provide further understanding of the distinct experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in Northern Nigeria, contributing significantly to our knowledge of the dynamics of Muslim women mumpreneurs in a specific, understudied Muslim society. By implication, it highlights the need for targeted support for this under-researched population, informing policymakers, support organizations, and future research endeavors.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the shadow economy on three sustainable development indicators while considering the moderating effect of the governance quality, and to highlight the non-linearity of the considered relationship.

A sample of 82 countries covering the period from 1996 to 2017. The dynamic first-differenced generalized method of moments (FD-GMM) panel threshold model is implemented to control for non-linearity.

The shadow economy hinders sustainable development in countries with low-governance quality, while the opposite result holds in countries with high-governance quality. The critical thresholds triggering the switch from one regime to another vary across the sustainable development indicators. Boosting growth requires enhancing the legal system and the economic dimension of governance, while promoting environmental quality requires the implementation and enforcement of specific environment-friendly regulations.

The study addresses non-linearity and the moderating effect of governance quality. The use of six governance indicators allows to gauge the ability of each governance dimension to curb the negative effects of the shadow economy. Considering the three objectives of sustainable development allows to identify specific policy recommendations for each of them.