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Thermomechanical behavior of intermediate-size beam-to-wall assemblies including Glulam-beams connected to cross-laminated timber (CLT) walls with T-shape steel doweled connections was investigated at ambient temperature (AT) and after and during non-standard fire exposure.

Three AT tests were conducted to evaluate the load-carrying capacity and failure modes of the assembly at room temperature. Two post-fire performance (PFP) tests were performed to study the impact of 30-min (PFP30) and 60-min (PFP60) partial exposure to a non-standard fire on the residual strength of the assemblies. The assemblies were exposed to fire in a custom-designed frame, then cooled and loaded to failure. A fire performance (FP) test was conducted to study the fire resistance (FR) during non-standard fire exposure by simultaneously applying fire and a mechanical load equal to 65% of the AT load carrying capacity.

At AT, embedment failure of the dowels followed by splitting failure at the Glulam-beam and tensile failure of the epoxy between the layers of CLT-walls were the dominant failure modes. In both PFP tests, the plastic bending of the dowels was the only observed failure mode. The residual strength of the assembly was reduced 14% after 30 min and 37% after 60 min of fire exposure. During the FP test, embedment failure of timber in contact with the dowels was the only major failure mode, with the maximum rate of displacement at 51 min into the fire exposure.

This is the first time that the thermomechanical performance of such an assembly with a full-contact connection is presented.

3-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT) is used to investigate the thermo-mechanical performance of intermediate-size assemblies comprised of T-shaped welded slotted-in steel doweled connections and CLT beams at ambient temperature (AT), after and during non-standard fire exposure.

The first set of experiments was performed as a benchmark to find the load-carrying capacity of the assembly and investigate the failure modes at AT. The post-fire performance (PFP) test was performed to investigate the residual strength of the assembly after 30-min exposure to a non-standard fire. The fire-performance (FP) test was conducted to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior of the loaded assembly during non-standard fire exposure. In this case, the assembly was loaded to 67% of AT load-carrying capacity and partially exposed to a non-standard fire for 75 min.

Embedment failure and plastic deformation of the dowels in the beam were the dominant failure modes at AT. The load-carrying capacity of the assembly was reduced to 45% of the ambient capacity after 30 min of fire exposure. Plastic bending of the dowels was the principal failure mode, with row shear in the mid-layer of the CLT beam and tear-out failure of the header sides also observed. During the FP test, ductile embedment failure of the timber in contact with the dowels was the major failure mode at elevated temperature.

This paper presents for the first time the thermo-mechanical performance of CLT beam-to-girder connections at three different thermal conditions. For this purpose, the outside layers of the CLT beams were aligned horizontally.

1. Load-carrying capacity and failure modes of CLT beam-to-girder assembly with T-shaped steel doweled connections at ambient temperature presented.

2. Residual strength and failure modes of the assembly after 30-min partially exposure to the non-standard fire provided throughout the post-fire performance test.

3. Fire resistance of the assembly partially exposed to the non-standard fire highlighted.

Load-carrying capacity and failure modes of CLT beam-to-girder assembly with T-shaped steel doweled connections at ambient temperature presented.

Residual strength and failure modes of the assembly after 30-min partially exposure to the non-standard fire provided throughout the post-fire performance test.

Fire resistance of the assembly partially exposed to the non-standard fire highlighted.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior of intermediate-size glued-laminated beam-to-girder assemblies connected with T-shaped slotted-in steel doweled connections at ambient temperature (AT), after and during non-standard fire exposure.

AT tests were performed using a universal testing machine (UTM) to evaluate the load-carrying capacity and failure modes of the assembly at room temperature. Post-fire-performance (PFP) tests were conducted to study the impact of 30-min and 60-min partial exposure to a non-standard fire on the residual strength of the assemblies. The assemblies were subject to fire in a custom-designed frame, then cooled and loaded to failure in the UTM. A fire-performance test was conducted to investigate the fire-resistance during non-standard fire exposure by simultaneously applying fire and mechanical load with the custom frame.

At AT, embedment failure of the dowels followed by brittle splitting failure were found to be the dominant failure modes in the beams. In the PFP tests, embedment failure and plastic bending of the dowels were the only observed failure modes. The residual strength of the assembly was reduced by 23.7% after 30-min and 47.8% after 60-min of fire exposure. Ductile embedment failure of the timber in contact with the dowels was the only failure mode observed during the fire-performance test, with the maximum rate of displacement at 57 min into the fire.

Data are presented for full-contact (no gap) connections in Glulam assemblies. PFP results are first to be published.

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The literature has dealt with the relationship between board characteristics (BC) and firm performance (FP) on a large scale. However, it yielded inconsistent results. Thus, this paper aims to examine the indirect relationship between BC and FP through the mediating role of the capital structure (CS).

This study used a sample of 528 non-financial companies listed on Bursa Malaysia from 2015 to 2019. Also, a two-step system generalised method of moments estimation technique was applied.

The results show that board diversity and the frequency of board meetings positively affect financial performance, and it is negatively influenced by board turnover, size and independence. Also, the results indicate a positive relationship between the independence of the board and all CS variables. Importantly, the findings support the policy-setting role of the board of directors where CS (measured by total debt and short-term debt) suppresses some governance mechanisms’ detrimental effect on FP. Hence, the board of directors, apart from the monitoring function, introduce various policies (financial and non-financial) that enhance the overall performance of companies.

These results are consistent with the agency’s perspective that management practices in selecting the optimal capital reduce agency costs and improve performance. The findings contribute to developing a broader theoretical framework that accounts for the policy-setting role of the board of directors. The current study model of corporate governance offers insight for policymakers into the role of corporate governance other than monitoring functions in organisations and how CS should be taken into consideration with corporate governance and FP association.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adoption and implementation of supply chain management practices (SCMPs) on supply chain performance (SCP) and firm performance (FP) in the organized retail industry in a developing country like India.

An empirical study was conducted on a sample size of 125 responses collected from the supply chain heads of organized retail firms in India. A theoretical model was developed depicting the relationship between SCMPs, SCP and FP. The theoretical model was tested using mediating multiple regression analysis.

This research suggests that the SCMPs are positively related to SCP and FP. Customer relationship management and supplier relationship management are reported as the most important SCMPs, which had the maximum impact on the FP in the organized retailing context in India.

The research employed perceptual performance measures. Future studies can use actual performance parameters like profit and sales growth to better quantify the benefits of SCM in this context.

This research is an attempt to empirically test the impact of SCMPs on FP in organized retailing context in an emerging market, India.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of board characteristics on CEO turnover performance relationship (TPR) in Indian listed firms.

A subset of the Standard and Poor’s Bombay Stock Exchange 500 (S&P BSE 500) Index companies was analyzed over the period 2015–2019 using the logistic (fixed-effects) regression model.

It was found that a weak relationship exists between CEO turnover and firm performance. With respect to board characteristics, board size was found to have a significant role in strengthening the TPR. However, other characteristics, such as board independence, multiple directors, board meetings and board gender diversity, played no role in influencing the TPR.

First, the study period is limited to five years, during which several sample firms did not face any CEO turnover event leading to small sample size. Second, this study considers only the board’s gender diversity, whereas other types of diversity are omitted. Third, this study does not differentiate between insider and professional CEOs.

The findings suggest that regulators should focus on the effective enforcement of laws to strengthen the TPR and improve the monitoring role of boards, particularly in emerging economies like India, which face type II agency problems in addition to traditional principal–agent conflict. The results also offer implications for corporations, investors and academic researchers, highlighting areas that need considerable attention pertaining to corporate governance.

This study discerns the impact of several board-related characteristics on the TPR, particularly after the introduction of the new Companies Act 2013 in the emerging economy of India, where it has not been explored extensively.

This study explores the role played by audit committees (ACs) in illuminating the effectiveness of internal audit (IA) as a facilitator of the achievement of organisational goals, specifically examining whether the AC mediates the relationship between IA and firm performance (FP).

Data are gathered from survey questionnaires directed to chief internal auditors (CIAs) and from the annual reports of 119 listed companies in Saudi Arabia (SA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and mediation tests are used to assess the study’s hypotheses.

The findings indicate that the independence of the AC and having members with accounting and auditing expertise mediate the effects of IA independence and size on FP. However, no such mediation is found with respect to IA competence and FP. Further, AC meetings do not mediate the effects of IA characteristics on FP. Additional measures of the tested variables determine the robustness of the obtained findings.

While much research examines the relationship between FP and corporate governance (CG) mechanisms, this study considers IA, as a key element of CG, and its impact on FP, which has received more limited attention. Hence, the findings contribute to the literature by providing new understandings regarding IA as a component of CG and its relationship with FP. Furthermore, they bring additional evidence of the influence of IA upon FP, which is mediated by AC independence and expertise.

The paper aims to investigate the empirical impact of working capital management (WCM) on firm performance (FP) in the emerging markets of Africa. This paper also aims to investigate this relationship during the global financial crisis of 2008 (GFC, 2008).

The sample of this study comprises two leading emerging markets in Africa (Egypt and South Africa) based on the MSCI world market classification list for the period 2007–2020. The study employs various regression techniques such as fixed effect and system generalized method of moments. In addition to baseline regressions, the authors applied various preliminary tests and, finally robustness measures. Besides the dependent, independent variables, the study uses firm-level and country macroeconomic-level explanatory variables.

The study's results indicate that (1) WCM and FP exhibit a direct relationship and (2) the WCM components such as cash conversion cycle, average collection period and the average age of inventory, have a significant inverse relationship, whereas the average payment period has a direct relationship with FP. The robustness results are assessed based on the selection of an alternative proxy for FP measurement, controlling for industry, country, year effect and the exclusion of the GFC 2008.

This study has various implications in terms of theoretical, societal and practical application for practitioners, managers, investors and regulators. In terms of theoretical implications, this is the first study that contributes to the existing body of knowledge in corporate finance and managerial accounting in relation to the examination of this relationship in the African region. Finally, practitioners, including regulators, can benefit from the study's findings while devising investment policies for investors in the region. More specifically, the financial sector conduct authority (FSCA) in South Africa and the financial regulatory authority (FRA) in Egypt can consider these findings to devise financial policies that aim to foster the FP.

Society benefits from the study's findings too. The efficient management of the WCM components will raise firm profits and investment opportunities for the society in Egypt and South Africa. A firm with good performance levels will increase salaries and will provide compensation to their employees in terms of bonuses. These compensations are one of the sources for achieving FP, which is evident from existing literature as well in the case of corporate governance studies. These compensations have psychological impacts as well. As society has its basic needs and goods, compensation levels will be tilted less toward societal ethical issues.

This study has various distinguishing features, which prior studies mostly lack, as most of these studies are on an individual country dataset, shorter periods, mixed results, lesser explanatory variables and no country-related control variables. The authors addressed all these challenges and provided robust results based on various measurement alternatives for the African markets. The study's results confirm a direct relationship between WCM and FP for South Africa and Egypt reflecting the emerging markets in Africa.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the gender diversity of top management teams (TMTs) on the financial performance (FP) of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. This paper also examines the moderating effect of family control on this relationship.

Using a sample of SMEs in Vietnam, this paper uses descriptive statistics and balance panel regression with random effect to analyse 5,160 firm-year observations of family- and non-family-owned SMEs between 2011 and 2015.

The findings demonstrate that gender diversity in TMTs shows a negative relationship with the FP of family-controlled SMEs and no significant impact on FP of non-family SMEs. This study also illustrates a positive curvilinear relationship between the female manager rate in TMTs and firms’ FP in family SMEs.

This research study is limited to data from Vietnamese SMEs. Future studies could investigate these relationships with larger firms and in a broader geographical context.

This study provides a better understanding of the impact of TMT gender diversity on FP in Vietnamese SMEs while considering the moderating effect of family control. The findings support some theories relating to managerial gender diversity and the effect of family control on this diversity in family SMEs.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of supply chain risk management integration (RMI) on the relationship between supply chain logistics performance (LP) and supply chain cost performance (CP), as well as on the relationship between LP and supply chain service performance (SP). The impact of CP and SP on overall firm performance (FP) is also explored. ISO 9001-certified firms and non-certified firms are assessed to determine whether superior risk-based thinking, as required in the latest ISO 9001 standard, has a positive impact on the different relationships.

A theoretical model is developed and tested based on the participation of 140 supply chain managers. The proposed structural equation model positively relates LP, RMI, CP and SP. RMI is positively linked to CP and SP, while CP and SP are positively related to overall FP. Two subsamples (a group of 63 ISO 9001-certified firms and a group of 77 non-certified firms) are used to evaluate the model.

For certified and non-certified firms, LP is positively related to RMI, CP and SP, and SP and CP are positively related to FP. However, for certified firms, RMI partially mediates the relationship of LP with both CP and SP, while for non-certified firms, RMI does not mediate these relationships. The findings suggest that ISO 9001-certified firms are able to leverage RMI efforts to impact positively on supply chain performance, whereas non-certified firms are not.

The study findings are based on the perceptions of managers. Even though the majority of the 63 certified firms included in this study were ISO 9001:2015 certified, the model results do not differentiate between companies certified to the 2008 version of the standard and the 2015 version (which specifically requires demonstration of risk-based thinking).

This study suggests that ISO 9001 provides a framework for risk management processes and collaboration with supply chain partners to positively impact the relationship of LP with cost and SP.

This is one of the first studies to characterize the benefits of using a structured approach for risk-based thinking that is associated with ISO 9001.