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The phenomenon of delayed payment to contractors, particularly in the construction industry, is a vital one and has implications for the health of economies of both developing and developed countries. However, the knowledge of this phenomenon seems patchy and scattered. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on the subject matter with directions for future research.

A systematic literature review coupled with a scientometric analysis was used to identify the main strands of delayed payment to contractor research as a basis for qualitative analysis and directions for future investigations.

Current trends of delayed payment to contractor research are categorised into five broad themes, namely: causes, effects, mitigation measures, ethical and law and regulatory issues. On the basis of these themes, directions for future research are proffered.

To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comprehensive and an integrated knowledge on delayed payment to contractor research with pointers for further investigation and policy directions.

The purpose of this study is to understand how faculty members perceive learning needs of the attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) student, as they acclimated to and performed within the higher education settings.

A phenomenological design was used to explore the faculty perceptions of ADHD college students. A sample of ten faculty members, employed in two-year, four-year, and graduate-level programs, participated in virtual semi-structured interviews. A six step thematic analysis of the codes was performed revealing three themes.

Results from the study yielded three themes: problem-based learning, time management and accommodations versus privilege. These themes highlight the complexity of the learning process, the limitations with time management, and the need for meaningful, rather than stereotypical, accommodations in these settings.

The number of students diagnosed with ADHD attending postsecondary education continues to rise, necessitating a critical lens on increasing neurodiversity-affirming practices in these settings. Despite noted strengths, students with this diagnosis struggle academically, resulting in academic challenges. To maximize each individual’s learning potential, systems of higher education need to carefully consider how to best design a positive learning environment with universally effective learning accommodations.

While faculty described accommodations and strategies provided to students, they also repeatedly shared concerning challenges and barriers to learning, as demonstrated by their students in various scenarios and situations. Results suggest areas of potential improvement, alongside the complexity of serving the need of the next generation of neurodivergent learners, in a world where equity and inclusion required additional time and thoughtful effort. Of greatest concern, perhaps, was the systems already in place, including offices of accommodations and services, that tended to use a “one-size-fits-all” approach, oversimplifying, rather than serving, student need.

Utilizing the Social Cognitive Theory framework, this research aims to illuminate how self-efficacy acts as a mediating factor, enhancing employability among working university students by fostering essential capabilities in digital leadership and intercultural competence.

Quantitative study with 206 working undergraduates from an Indonesian university. Questionnaires and structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS and SmartPLS were used.

Findings showed that working undergraduate students possess a high level of digital leadership capability and intercultural competence and tend to display increased confidence in their ability to perform challenging tasks and attain anticipated outcomes, thereby enhancing their employability. The integration of these skills, coupled with a solid self-efficacy belief, emerges as a powerful combination in the modern employment landscape in the digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence age.

This research is conducted in one university in Indonesia, potentially limiting its generalizability. Future studies could expand its regions to multiple universities across different countries for a more comprehensive implication.

This research answered the call for strategies from the university level on enhancing the development of essential competencies for working undergraduate students’ employability. It further highlights the necessity for shaping the curriculum to prioritize digital leadership capability, intercultural competence, and the cultivation of self-efficacy among working students.

This insight of the research has profound social implications, indicating that educational institutions must adapt their curricula to prioritize these competencies. By doing so, universities can better prepare students to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, thereby contributing to a workforce that is not only technologically proficient but also culturally adept and resilient in the face of challenges. This adaptation is essential for fostering a generation of graduates who are well-equipped to contribute positively to a diverse and rapidly evolving labor market, ultimately benefiting both the individuals and the wider society by promoting economic development and cultural understanding.

Adopting a quantitative approach, this research offers a data-driven lens of employability determinants, deepening the understanding of how intertwined competencies shape employment outcomes in the AI age.

Increasing overhang of serviced apartments poses a serious concern to the national property market. This study aims to examine the impacts of macroeconomic determinants, namely, gross domestic product (GDP), consumer confidence index (CF), existing stocks (ES), incoming supply (IS) and completed project (CP) on serviced apartment price changes.

To achieve more accurate, quality price changes, a serviced apartment price index (SAPI) was constructed through a self-developed hedonic price index model. This study has collected 1,567 transaction data in Kuala Lumpur, covering 2009Q1–2018Q4 for price index construction and data were analysed using the vector autoregressive model, the vector error correction model and the fully modified ordinary least squares (OLS) (FMOLS).

Results of the regression model show that only GDP, ES and IS were significantly associated with SAPI, with an R² of 0.7, where both ES and IS have inverse relationships with SAPI. More precisely, it is predicted that the price of serviced apartments will be reduced by 0.56% and 0.21% for every 1% increase in ES and IS, respectively.

Therefore, government monitoring of serviced apartments’ future supply is crucial by enforcing land use-planning regulations via stricter development approval of serviced apartments to safeguard and achieve more stable property prices.

By adopting an innovative approach to estimating the response of price change to supply and demand in a situation where there is no price indicator for serviced apartments, the study addresses the knowledge gap, especially in terms of understanding what are the key determinants of, and to what extent they influence, the SAPI.

The purpose of this study is to establish the relationship between digital leadership and academic performance. It models the digitalization process, outlining why and how digital leadership is important for better academic performance. At the same time, this study examines the role of digital culture as a moderating variable in the direct relationship between main variables of the study. The study aims to expand the domain of academic performance at the university by including a much recent leadership-related aspect and organizational context of the digital culture.

The study opted for a descriptive study, using the survey instruments to collect the data. The sample population consisted of students currently enrolled at the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka, Malaysia. Based on the convenience sampling, 383 samples were drawn from the sample population. All items were adopted from previous literature, and expert feedback was obtained to examine the validity of the instruments. The data were analysed using SPSS and SmartPLS version 3.0.

This study provides empirical insights about how digital leadership is important for academic performance for the new millennials. Also, digital culture is found to provide significant moderation effect into the relationship. It suggests that universities must promote digitalization culture and embed the use of technology and digitalization into teaching and learning to cultivate a more effective learning process among university students. This is important as elements of digital leadership, including adaptive role, attitude, digital competency, digital skill and inspirational role, are found to significantly contribute to academic performance.

This study only focuses on samples taken from one of the faculties in one campus, thus limiting its scope. Future research is encouraged to replicate the same study setting to include larger sample size from different faculties, or perhaps from different universities. These propositions could help to better generalize the research findings on the practice of digital leadership on academic performance in the country. However, this study established a digital leadership model that can be applied to undergraduate students at the universities. Also, the inclusion of digital culture can strengthen the learning process.

This study includes implications for the development of digital leadership attributes and promoting digital culture within the university students and environment for engaging in a better academic performance. Digital leadership is found to be an important criterion of academic performance in this digital age society, and cultivating digital culture enhances students’ academic performance. These findings shall prompt the university to actively engage in fostering digitalization culture within the university. Also, the top management of the university should inform the students to be adaptive and cultivate the attributes of digital leaders, as their readiness to cope with the technological change has significant positive impact on their academic performance.

It is important to ensure that the future graduates that are being produced are ready to take on more challenges as digital leaders in the digital society. This might accelerate the country’s initiatives and efforts towards becoming a developed nation. Thus, investing in oneself to become digitally literate and competent might not only influence their academic performance, but they will also be equipped to fulfil one of the expectations of future employers of potential graduates, which is possessing digital leadership.

Digitalization is not only about the technology. It is about the people too. As the study on digital leadership is still in its infant stage, this study is unique as it is among the earliest to establish digital leadership constructs within the context of Malaysia. It informs the university that digital leadership provides significant contribution to academic performance. Thus, the university is encouraged to nurture digitalization, not only in the teaching and learning but also with the people within the university environment. Determining the right programs and plans for the curricular will help students to develop digital leadership attributes more effectively. Finally, improving digitalization among its students and culture is important, as these elements provide significant effect towards academic performance.

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature pertaining to the governance of Islamic social finances (ISF). The primary aim is to identify and highlight global research patterns and deliver noteworthy insights that can be gleaned by ISF institutions worldwide.

This study uses a hybrid approach, incorporating both bibliometric and content analysis methodologies. The authors curated a data set comprising 73 scholarly documents (articles) obtained from the Scopus database, covering the period from 2010 to 2023. The data collection process was conducted in March 2023. VOSviewer and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data.

The authors unveiled six distinct categories derived from the available literature on governance in ISF. These categories encompassed accountability, governance practice, performance, efficiency, Islamic accounting and governance awareness. Extensive deliberations have taken place regarding these six categories to enhance their prominence among ISF institutions. Furthermore, the findings of this study provided valuable directions for future research in this domain.

The use of English articles obtained from the Scopus database in this study ensured that the selected papers were of a significant standard of excellence within the specific realm of knowledge under examination.

Enhancing governance practice within ISF institutions could enhance their overall performance, thereby playing a crucial role in optimizing their contributions to societal and economic contexts.

This endeavor served as a means to enlighten numerous stakeholders regarding social finance institutions, fostering an environment of informed decision-making and effective governance that aligns with the principles of Islamic economics.

This study represents a pioneering bibliometric publication on the governance of ISF, providing academics with a robust basis for comprehending the evolving landscape of literature within this specific area of research.

The presence of securities crowdfunding (SCF) FinTech in the Islamic financial landscape opens investment opportunities through shares and sukuk (Sharia bond) instruments. This study aims to examine the effect of investment risk (IR), legal risk (LR), product knowledge (PK), Sharia compliance (SC) and subjective norm (SN) on investment decisions in businesses and projects run by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The questionnaires were distributed to prospective investors with prior knowledge of SCF and Islamic investment. The data collected was then examined using partial least square-structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4.0.

The results show that LR has positive and significant implications for supporting investment through SCF, while IR has the opposite. The main findings in this study explain that PK and SC are proven to strengthen the intention to invest in SCF. Meanwhile, SN, which also strengthens intention, is the greatest influence. Therefore, it is highly recommended that SCF organizers collaborate with regulators (OJK), universities, academics and the investor community, as well as Muslim entrepreneurs, to provide education and literacy regarding SCF products and the underlying contracts, along with the consequences and uniqueness of investment vis SCF.

From a managerial side, Sharia expert educators can be appointed to increase investors’ literacy and confidence to support SMEs’ business expansion via SCF. In addition, to minimize investment risk, SCF organizers are also advised to issue sukuk and shares in different low-risk businesses/sectors, followed by investment amounts that are more affordable for novice investors.

Research on SCF as an alternative to SME financing is still scarce. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first research to empirically test the relationship between risk, SC, PK and SN on potential investors’ decisions to support SMEs through the SCF mechanism.

This study aims to investigate the comparative importance of factors influencing the customer shift behavior from conventional to Islamic banking for consumer finance in Pakistan.

First, a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature was conducted to identify a broad range of factors related to customer shift behavior. Through an expert sampling, 14 essential factors were chosen for further investigation. Second, a questionnaire was developed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). This questionnaire was then distributed among customers who had previously been using conventional banking services but had made a shift toward Islamic banking. The purpose of this questionnaire was to gather data and insights regarding their motivations and decision-making process behind the shift, and a sample 215 customers are taken in the study.

The results of AHP depicts that the religiosity is a most important factor influencing customers to shift from conventional to Islamic banking, and the second most important factor is pricing. The other subsequent important factors are reputation of the bank, marketing and promotion, service quality, behavior of banks staff, Shariah compliance, management, convenience, fastness and charges/fees. Whereas documentation, ambiance and recommendation are found least important factors to patronize Islamic banking.

The study recommends Islamic banks to create awareness, concentrating on religious factor to have a greater impact on growth of Islamic banking and shrinking of conventional banking. Further, it suggests Islamic banks to apply Shariah-recommended approach of doing business, to help community in best possible way and to launch differentiated marketing techniques to attract customers. It also proposes regulatory authorities to provide facilitation to Islamic banking business by providing level playing field similar to conventional banking, tax equality and conversion of public financing from conventional banking to Islamic banking.

The originality of this study lies in its comprehensive analysis of factors influencing consumer shift behavior from conventional to Islamic banking in the context of consumer finance in Pakistan. By using the AHP, the study provides a structured approach to understanding the relative importance of these factors. This is the uniqueness of the paper that it applies the AHP for the analysis. Furthermore, the study offers practical implications for Islamic banks and regulatory authorities to effectively address and capitalize on this consumer shift trend.

The concept of banking reputation has gained significant attention due to its relevance in the banking industry. A strong reputation has become crucial for a bank’s success, as it affects trust, credibility and stakeholders' perceptions. However, understanding and managing reputation in the banking sector involves several challenges. This study aims to analyze the field of banking reputation research through bibliometric analysis.

It explores the evolution of research in this area, identifies key journals, articles and authors, examines the main research streams, and identifies research fronts and opportunities for future advancement.

The findings reveal that banking reputation research has evolved over time, with multiple perspectives and viewpoints. Key journals and authors in the field are identified, and leading research streams are highlighted. The study also uncovers the conceptual and intellectual structure of the research domain, providing insights into the complex and multidimensional nature of banking reputation. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of corporate social responsibility, sustainability practices and gender diversity in shaping a bank’s reputation. These factors play a significant role in attracting and retaining customers, accessing financial markets and securing funding.

The results contribute to the existing body of knowledge and provide researchers and practitioners with valuable insights for further exploration.

The paper concludes by outlining potential avenues for future research in the field of banking reputation.

This study was conducted with the main purpose of recording primary data related to environmental factors, which has become the main criteria in the selection of the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) as the center of the iron smelting industry and trade in ancient Kedah.

To fulfill this purpose, field studies involving drone photogrammetry mapping, augering, core drilling and geophysical mapping methods were carried out.

The results obtained through the application of the method have shown that SBAC has a good environment, which has a wide and deep river flow, the existence of Mount Jerai and the abundance of iron ores, mangrove Merbok and clay.

Resources did not allow for environment studies of the by-products tourism sites as part of the current study.

The study also included a survey and mapping to obtain potential primary data around SBAC in the process of developing it as the center of the world iron industry.

One finding is that attention to heritage policy and protection must be ongoing at all levels of government and the local community to ensure that the survey and mapping data carried out can be developed as a sustainable heritage tourism product.

This study reveals primary data related to the suitability of paleoenvironment in the SBAC development process as a world iron smelting industry area.