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The study examines the effect of macroeconomic risk, inflation uncertainty and instability associated with key macroeconomic indicators on the efficiency of financial institutions among economies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from 35 SSA economies from 1996 to 2019. The empirical estimates were carried out using pooled ordinary least squares (POLS) with Driscoll and Kraay’s (1998) standard errors.

Reported empirical estimates show that macroeconomic risk and exchange rate volatility constrain the efficiency of financial institutions. Further results suggest that inflation uncertainty has a significant influence on the efficiency of financial institutions among economies in the subregion. Additionally, reviewed empirical estimates show that institutional quality positively moderates the nexus between inflation uncertainty and financial institution efficiency. At the same time, political instability is found to worsen the adverse effect of macroeconomic risk on the efficiency of financial institutions.

For policymakers and governments, improved institutional structures are recommended to ensure the operational efficiency of financial institutions, especially during an inflationary period. For decision-makers among financial institutions, the study recommends policies that have the potential to make their institutions less vulnerable to macroeconomic risk and exchange rate fluctuations.

The approach adopted in this study differs significantly from related studies in that the study examines and reviews interactions and relationships not readily found in the reviewed literature.

This paper aims to examine the effect of volatility in prices of internationally traded commodities (the backbone of most economies) on the stability of the banking industry from three main perspectives; bank liquidity reserves, overall bank risk and bank capital adequacy.

Data were compiled from various sources for 30 emerging economies from 2002 to 2018 and were analyzed using the two-step system generalized method of moments estimation technique.

The study finds that all things being equal, the magnitude and direction of impact of commodity price volatility on bank stability among economies in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) depend on the type and nature of the commodity in question; and the bank stability proxy used. For instance, an increase in crude oil prices is found to foster stability in the banking industry (proxied by bank liquid reserves) but insignificant when stability in the banking industry is proxied using other banking sector parameters. Additionally, government effectiveness and corruption control have varying moderating influences on how volatility associated with prices of internationally traded commodities influence various proxies for banking industry stability.

This study highlights the effect of fluctuations in prices of key internationally traded commodities (adjusted for foreign exchange impact) that are important sources of revenue among economies in SSA on banking sector stability from liquidity, overall risk and capital adequacy perspectives. The influential role of governance in the relationship between volatility in the price of commodities and bank stability is also revealed by the study.

This study examines the extent to which regulatory policy uncertainty, macroeconomic risk, banking industry innovations, etc. influence variability in financial sector development among emerging economies in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA).

Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from a sample of 25 economies from the subregion from 2010 to 2020. Empirical estimates examining the relationships noted above were carried out using the two-step system generalized method of moments estimation technique.

Results the empirical estimates suggest that regulatory policy uncertainty and macroeconomic risk adversely influence or constrain financial sector development among the economies examined in the study. Banking industry innovations on the other hand is found to positively influence the development of the financial sector in these economies. Furthermore, moderating empirical analysis suggests that effective governance positively moderates the relationship between banking industry innovations and financial development among economies in the subregion.

This study’s approach to the mechanics of financial development among economies in SSA is designed to offer different perspectives to those found in the existing literature on financial development in three fundamental ways. First, although the verification of the role of banking industry innovations in financial development may not be new, it is important to point out that the approach used in this study is based on an index for innovations with different constituents or principal components in its construction; making the variable significantly different from what has been examined in the literature. In addition, the review of regulatory policy uncertainty and macroeconomic risk (both variables are multifaceted constructs using the principal component analysis procedure) further brings into this study’s analysis, a different approach to examining conditions influencing variability in financial development among developing economies.

The study evaluates the effects of governance and other regulatory structures on the development of financial institutions in the subregion of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Data for the analyses were compiled from relevant sources from 1996 to 2019 from a sample of 36 countries in the subregion. Empirical analyses were carried out using the Prais-Winsten panel corrected standard errors panel estimation technique augmented by pooled ordinary least squares with Driscoll and Kraay (1998) standard errors model.

Findings from the study suggest that governance and institutional quality index, as well as individual governance and regulatory variables, have positive effect on the development of financial institutions among economies in SSA. Further empirical estimates show that output growth volatility has negative moderating impact on the relationship between effective governance, control of corruption, rule of law, regulatory quality, voice and accountability, and development of financial institutions. Additionally, the results show that during periods of heightened macroeconomic risk, financial institutions could benefit from improved governance and effective regulatory structures.

Compared to related studies that have reviewed the discourse on financial institutions, this study rather focuses on how governance structures and institutions influence development of financial institutions instead of the impact of financial institution on the broader economy. The authors further augment this interaction by examining how the relationship in question may be moderated by macroeconomic shocks.

This paper evaluates how institutions of governance and macroeconomic uncertainty influence efficiency of financial institutions in the subregion of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from relevant sources for 33 countries in the subregion from 2002 to 2019. Empirical estimates verifying hypothesized relationships were carried out using the continuous updating estimator (CUE) by Hansen et al. (1996).

The purpose of this paper is to evaluates how institutions of governance and macroeconomic uncertainty influence efficiency of financial institutions in the subregion of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data for the empirical inquiry were compiled from relevant sources for 33 countries in the subregion from 2002 to 2019. Empirical estimates verifying hypothesized relationships were carried out using the continuous updating estimator (CUE) by Hansen et al. (1996).

The results suggest that institutional quality has significant positive effect on financial institution efficiency, supporting the view that improved and supportive structures of governance tend to promote operational efficiency among financial institutions among economies in SSA. In addition, improvement in individual governance indicators such as corruption control, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law was also found to support or enhance efficiency of financial institutions among economies in the subregion. Macroeconomic uncertainty on the other hand is found to impede efficiency of financial institutions; the same condition (macroeconomic uncertainty) is further found to negate any positive impact corruption control, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law have on operational efficiency among financial institutions in the subregion.

Unlike most of related studies, this study adopts a different approach on the dynamics of financial institutions. Approach pursued in this empirical inquiry examines how the regulatory environment within which financial institutions operate, the form of governance and the quality of government institutions influence efficiency of financial institutions among emerging economies in Sub-Sahara. Empirical analysis conducted examines effects of variables that are unique to this study; these variables are either constructed or econometrically derived specifically for various interactions verified in the study. For instance, institutional quality variable is an index constructed specifically for this study using principal component analysis approach.

This paper evaluates the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the performance of rural banks, as well as the moderating influence of effective governance on the surmised nexus.

Annual data for 122 Ghanaian rural banks from ARB Apex Bank, World Development Indicator (WDI) and World Governance Indicator (WGI) for the period 2014–2020 were compiled for analysis. A two-stage system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator was used in examining the relationships under study.

The findings suggest that CSR has a significant negative effect on return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and stability (Z-score). On the other hand, further results showed that CSR positively influences net interest margin (NIM). Again, the results suggest that government effectiveness exerts a positive moderating influence on the effect of CSR on performance from all four measurement criteria (ROA, ROE, NIM and Z-score) in the Ghanaian rural banking sector.

The study focuses on the rural banking sector in the Ghanaian economy, compared to related studies that examine the subject matter for commercial banks. The moderating influence of governance structures is also assessed on the relationships to guide policy on rural banking.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2023-0116.