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Funding difficulties are particularly compounded for Muslim entrepreneurs in Nigeria, owing to the dominance of interest-based financial institutions prohibited in Islam. Thus, this study aims to explore the role of awareness of Islamic finance principles in ameliorating financial deprivation and financial anxiety to increase access to Islamic financing among Muslim entrepreneurs.

A quantitative survey method of data collection was used to collect data from a total of 208 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) owners based on hand-delivered questionnaires. The data was analyzed using a partial least square structural equation model.

The result supports the direct negative impact of relative financial deprivation and the positive impact of awareness of Islamic finance principles on access to Islamic finance. However, awareness of Islamic finance principles could not moderate any of the direct relationship.

This study implies that financial deprivation is detrimental to access to Islamic finance, but financial anxiety has no significant impact. In addition, policymakers and MSME owners could directly foster access to Islamic finance through awareness of Islamic finance principles, though it could not redirect the negative impact of relative financial deprivation on access to Islamic finance.

The valuable finding here is that the substantial positive impact of awareness of Islamic finance principles on access to Islamic finance is not enough to redirect the negative effect of relative financial deprivation on access to Islamic finance.

Financial technologies or FinTech have replaced traditional financial services. Large investments have been made in FinTechs but there is a gap between service providers and consumers. Due to the high diversity and speed of changes, people still do not understand the new financial system and resist it. The success of the transition requires providing an opportunity for citizens' participation which is expressed with the term, financial citizenship. This study aims to focus on the citizenship dimension of FinTech transition and wants to analyze the influence of citizens in transition with a focus on financial technologies.

This study analyzed financial citizenship in FinTech transition by using a qualitative research method and grounded theory. The data were collected through open interviews with 26 FinTech players in Iran. Then the three-step process of open, axial and selective coding was performed and the main categories and relationships between them were identified.

Surveys have shown that educating and informing citizens provides the conditions for engagement and the formation of financial citizenship. Depending on citizens' level of awareness, they can play a role in the FinTech transition as customers, feedback providers or demanders. Of course, the disruption level of financial technological innovation affects the level of citizens' engagement. Finally, the conceptual model of financial citizenship provided and the effect of citizen participation on the FinTech transition has been analyzed.

This study is based on the belief that it is the citizens’ right to have a role in matters that directly affect their well-being. This role is not only the role of the customer and the user but goes beyond and becomes a role where citizens as players would be able to influence the technological transition like other interested players (policymakers and service providers). This research integrates the transition literature and financial citizenship; and analyzes the FinTech transition according to the position of citizens against FinTech developments.

This study examines the relationship between Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and financial distress in times of uncertainty.

Thomson Reuters ESG database, Compustat and Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) were used to derive a final sample size of 1,572 firms and 11,618 firm-year observations from 2003 to 2022. Fixed-effects regression was used to analyze the data.

It was found that increasing ESG involvement leads to an increase in Z score (i.e. lower financial distress), and this impact was more profound during the COVID-19 period and also when firms' innovativeness increased. However, during the COVID-19 period, increases in capital expenditures weaken the positive effect of ESG on financial distress.

This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the impact of ESG performance on financial distress and the nature of this relationship during times of uncertainty such as COVID-19.

This study offers insights to managers and practitioners when developing their corporate financial strategies, particularly financial distress management, showing the potential benefits of innovativeness and capital intensity during turbulent times similar to COVID-19.

Little knowledge exists on how ESG engagement helps weather financial distress during periods of uncertainty due to external shocks (e.g. COVID-19). This paper looks at the effect of ESG engagement on financial distress and how capital intensity and innovativeness could influence this relationship while giving fresh insights into the impact of COVID-19.

This study aims to draw lessons from the financial technology (FinTech) ecosystem literature through a systematic literature review.

This study systematically studied a sample of 134 articles from the Scopus database to assess the pattern of research development within the scope of the FinTech ecosystem over the last 15 years (2008–2023).

The results obtained indicated that the current research focus leads to several aspects: digital technology and financial inclusion, FinTech and customer behavior, FinTech ecosystem, business model, as well as aspects of governance and regulation. In the effort to develop Islamic FinTech, some aspects that might be targeted include aspects of business development and the Islamic FinTech ecosystem in general, extending financial inclusion to governance and managerial implementation of Islamic FinTech itself.

This research has limitations because it did not focus on the study of more specialized sectors, such as insurance or microfinance institutions, in adopting FinTech, requiring the use of other specifications of institutions in addition to Islamic banking.

This research has substantial theoretical implications in mapping the intellectual structure of Islamic FinTech research, which has been underexplored by previous researchers, as well as providing essential information about which sectors should be prioritized to encourage inclusiveness and overall performance of financial institutions.

This research explores more deeply with a comprehensive approach so that it becomes a pioneer in the study of FinTech ecosystem literature for the development of Islamic FinTech.

This study aims to present a model for detecting and predicting creative accounting in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).

The authors conduct this research in three stages. First, the authors review the literature to determine the dimensions, components, indicators and techniques of creative accounting. Second, the authors conduct semi-structured interviews with experts using the fuzzy Delphi technique to obtain screening and reach a consensus. Finally, the authors develop a model to predict creative accounting by classifying the financial statements of the sample companies into two groups based on the use or non-use of creative accounting techniques, measuring the indicators determined in the previous stage, running various machine learning algorithms and choosing the superior algorithm.

The results indicate the usefulness of accounting information for detecting and predicting creative accounting and the relevance of several financial attributes as important predictors. The results also indicate the superiority of extremely randomized trees over other algorithms in predicting creative accounting and suggest that the primary purpose of creative accounting in Iran is earnings management. Contrary to the political cost hypothesis, large Iranian companies use creative accounting to inflate profits.

The present research also has several limitations that must be considered, and caution must be exercised in interpreting and generalizing the findings as specified in the revised manuscript.

This study’s implications are significant for policymakers, standard-setters and practitioners. By recognizing the detrimental effects of creative accounting on financial transparency within companies, policymakers can address existing gaps in accounting standards to minimize the potential for earnings manipulation. Consequently, strengthening internal and external mechanisms related to a firm’s financial performance becomes achievable. The study provides evidence of the need for audit firms to recognize the importance of creative accounting and consider creative accounting in their audit plans to prevent insufficient or even misleading disclosure by companies that extensively use creative accounting practices in their financial reporting. Moreover, knowledge of creative accounting techniques can help auditors assess audit and detection risks and serve as a valuable guide for reducing audit costs and improving audit quality.

Given that creative accounting practices distort the true or real accounting results, curbing creative accounting practices reduces corporate failures and could lead to the reduction of job losses and other social consequences.

This study uses a unique database in Iran to determine a model for predicting creative accounting using a mixed-method methodology, qualitative and quantitative, to identify creative accounting techniques and run various machine learning algorithms.

The purpose of the study is to find out the impact of Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) on economic growth [(Industrial Production Index (INDP)] of Bangladesh.

Using the monthly data over the period 2018 M12 to 2021 M12, this study applied the Auto-regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to assess the effect of DFI indicators on INDP. The secondary data was collected from the Bangladesh Bank and CEIC Global Economic Data.

The study found that the majority of DFI indicators are positively associated with INDP. From the short-run ARDL, it is seen that one unit positive increase in Point of Sales Transactions (POST) can increase the INDP by 0.055 units. From the long-run ARDL, it is seen that POST and e-commerce transactions (ECOMT) have a significant positive impact, while Automated Teller Machine Transactions (ATMT) have a significant negative effect on INDP. One unit increase in POST and ECOMT increases INDP by 0.13544 and 0.11611 units, respectively.

During the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the findings will be beneficial for policymakers, financial technology service providers, manufacturers, consumers, corporations and investors as they pave the way for a more inclusive approach to financial transactions for economic growth.

The study’s novelty is that it explored the influential DFI indicators and shed light on both short-run and long-run relationships between the indicators and macro-economy from the context of a developing nation.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0306

The importance of the agri-food supply chain in both food production and distribution has made the issue of its development a critical concern. Based on configuration theory and congruence theory, this research investigates the complex impact of supply chain concentration on financial growth in agri-food supply chains.

The cluster analysis and response surface methodology are employed to analyse the data collected from 207 Chinese agri-food companies from 2010 to 2022.

The results indicate that different combination patterns of supply chain concentration can lead to different levels of financial growth. We discover that congruent supplier and customer concentration is beneficial for companies’ financial growth. This impact is more pronounced when the company is in the agricultural production stage of agri-food supply chains. Post-hoc analysis indicates that there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between the overall levels of supply chain concentration and financial growth.

Our research uncovers the complex interplay between supply chain base and financial outcomes, thereby revealing significant ramifications for agri-food supply chain managers to optimise their strategies for exceptional financial growth.

This study proposes a combined approach of cluster analysis and response surface analysis for analysing configuration issues in supply chain management.

The study aims to identify and understand the underlying behavioral tendencies and motivations influencing investor sentiments and examines the relationship between these underlying factors and investment decisions during the COVID-19-induced financial risks.

The study uses the primary data and information collected from 300 Indian retail equity investors using a nonprobability sampling technique, specifically purposive and snowball sampling. This research uses the insights from Phuoc Luong and Thi Thu Ha (2011) and Shefrin (2002) to delineate behavioral factors influencing investment decisions. Structural equation modeling estimates the causal relationship between underlying behavioral factors and investment decisions during the COVID-19-induced financial risks.

The study establishes that the “Regret Aversion,” “Gambler’s Fallacy” and “Greed” significantly influence investment decisions, and provide a comprehensive understanding of how psychological motivations shape investor behavior. Notably, “Mental Accounting” and “Conservatism” exhibit insignificance, possibly influenced by the unique socioeconomic context of the pandemic. The research contributes to 35% of variance understanding and prompts the researchers and policymakers to tailor investment strategies aligned to these behavioral tendencies.

The findings hold policy implications for investors and policymakers and provide tailored recommendations including investor education programs and regulatory measures to ensure a resilient and informed investment community in the context of India's evolving financial landscapes.

Theoretically, behavior tendencies and motivations have been strongly linked to investment decisions in the stock market. Yet, empirical evidence on this relationship is limited in developing countries where investors focus on risk management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to document the influence of underlying behavioral tendencies and motivation factors on investment decisions regarding retail equity in a developing country.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the Islamic finance segment within the Updated Commercial Transactions Law in the UAE and opine whether the new alterations will have a significant impact on the Islamic financial industry in the UAE.

This research uses a qualitative methodology, and the UAE as a case study. A single/embedded case study design is adopted, to analyse several chapters within the Updated Commercial Transactions Law in the UAE (multiple units of analysis).

The study revealed that the introduction and incorporation of fiqhi and Islamic financial principles within the Updated Commercial Transactions law in the UAE was done so in its rudimentary form, indicating that its purpose was to enhance the UAE’s position as a leading global Islamic financial hub – as opposed to the sole purpose of its usage during disputes between counterparties.

This research is limited to the UAE as a case study and thus does not provide a comparative analysis with other GCC countries. A separate study would be required for a comparative analysis.

Given that the Updated Commercial Transactions Law in the UAE is relatively new, limited research papers have analysed this segment of the updated law in particular. This research, thus, contributes to knowledge by paving the way for future research pertaining to the same matter.

This study aims to investigate the dynamics between exogenous shocks, financial stress and economic performance in the USA from January 1995 to August 2023.

Granger-causality tests and impulse response analyses are used to examine causal relationships and dynamic responses among crude oil prices, real M2 money supply, financial stress and key economic indicators.

This study reveals a significant correlation between elevated financial stress and reduced real output, along with disruptions in the labor market, potentially leading to economic recessionary trends. Failure to address these challenges could perpetuate labor market difficulties, weaken capital accumulation within the loanable funds market and ultimately hinder long-term economic growth prospects in the USA.

This study offers insights for policymakers to mitigate financial stress. Recommendations include enhancing financial surveillance, strengthening regulatory frameworks, promoting economic diversification and implementing countercyclical policies to stabilize the economy and support labor markets. In addition, proactive monitoring of financial stress indicators can serve as early warning signals, aiding in timely interventions and effective risk management strategies.

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of how the financial stress index (FSI) mediates the effects of external shocks on the US economy, addressing a gap in existing literature. The integration of the FSI into the analysis enhances the understanding of the transmission channels through which external shocks influence the economy.