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Guidelines for igniting and sustaining a change initiative that will generate competitive advantage.

As a coach and facilitator of a number of highly successful change efforts, the author has discovered a few key practices can provide leaders with a clear roadmap for guiding a major strategic initiative.

Based on the author's experience managing many assignments for large corporations, when six conditions for igniting a transformation process are fulfilled, and are coupled with these six requisites of leadership engagement, real change will occur.

As one case indicates, teams that employ the author's approach can become a model for others in their organization.

Effective leaders helping to produce real value for great teams have to go for change selectively, constructively, personally and, above all, credibly.

A creative look at overcoming the many hurdles involved in implementing change can provide leaders with a clear indicator of whether or not to proceed with a major effort or, instead, to save their credibility and elect to aim at more focused operational improvements.

This chapter investigates the presence of a difference in the systemic risk level between Islamic and conventional banks in Bangladesh. The authors compare systemic resilience of three types of banks: fully fledged Islamic banks, purely conventional banks (CB), and CB with Islamic windows. The authors use the market-based systemic risk measures of marginal expected shortfall and systemic risk to identify which type is more vulnerable to a systemic event. The authors also use ΔCoVaR to identify which type contributes more to a systemic event. Using a sample of observations on 27 publicly traded banks operating over the 2005–2014 period, the authors find that CB is the least resilient sector to a systemic event, and is the one that has the highest contribution to systemic risk during crisis times.

Reports on a study which examines the effect of family structure in the family decision‐making process. In particular, it seeks to determine if sex‐role orientation and the wives’ occupational status make a difference in the amount of influence adolescents and their parents have in family purchase decisions. This study uses an observational approach to measure the amount of influence displayed by all members of the family in the purchase decision. Observational data is derived from videotaped recordings of family interactions during a simulated decision‐making situation. The results reported here support the comparative resource contribution theory; mothers who contribute to the provision of their families have significant influence. Further, the amount of influence exerted by adolescents is found to be dependent on their families’ sex‐role orientation and their mothers’ occupational status.

The study is aimed at examining the impact of ESG on the financial performance (FP) of firms and determining the difference between the impact of ESG on market-oriented financial performance measure (Tobin’s Q) and internal productivity-based financial measure (ROA). The study has also explored the influence of managerial ability and institutional quality as moderating variables on the relation between ESG and the financial performance of firms (both measures of FP: Tobin’s Q and ROA).

The study is quantitative exploratory and uses panel data of 687 publicly listed companies from the year 2013–2023. Data has been acquired from the reputed data providers and OLS regression has been used for panel data analysis with fixed effects.

The study reaffirms the positive impact of ESG on the financial performance of firms. Each pillar of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) has been found positively related to both measures of financial performance (Tobin’s Q and ROA). The study reveals that managerial ability and institutional quality, acting as supplementary variables, moderate the relationship between ESG and financial performance of firms.

A limited sample comprising data from only 687 firms was used for the analysis. The latest data was not available, therefore, data from 2013 to 2023 was used in the study.

This study indicates that ESG practices, which are mostly discretionary in Emerging Economies, can be induced through institutional pressures and ensuring higher quality managers. Policymakers in government institutions have to determine the inefficiencies, corrupt practices, and inconsistencies in policies that lower the effectiveness of institutions making them business-unfriendly. At the organizational level, policymakers need to ensure that responsible positions in the organization are held by managers with higher managerial ability. It is also to be ensured by shareholders that managers do not over-invest in ESG-related projects, particularly in organizations with weaker financial status. For managers, it is important to understand the positive benefits associated with ESG, even though they are in the long term.

In Emerging Economies, the official monitoring and regulatory mechanisms are weak, and lack a supportive attitude toward ESG initiatives. Voluntary and proactive firm-level environmental and social initiatives need to be encouraged and rewarded by institutions with public acknowledgment. ESG should be given priority by organizations for improving the quality of services and better social impact of businesses on society.

Most of the past research explored the impact of ESG on financial performance in advanced countries or in emerging markets in a single/limited number of countries or industries. Also, past studies investigated the impact of institutional quality and managerial ability on ESG/financial performance in separate models. Conversely, this study has used a multi-country and multi-industry sample for more generalizable findings. Against the backdrop of the institutional environment of Emerging Economies, the study extends Institutional Theory and Upper Echelon Theory to include the role of managerial ability and institutional quality in the relationship between ESG and firms’ financial performance.

The learning outcomes are as follows:• demonstrate an understanding of the fruit farming process;• compare the pros and cons of farming different fruits;• understand the general characteristics of entrepreneurs and identify the issues they face;• compare the risk and returns from two types of investments;• apply capital budgeting techniques to ascertain the best available investment option; and• perform sensitivity analysis based on different anticipated situations for a new business.

Since his birth, Mr Bashir Khan, a 45-year-old father of four, lived as a farmer in Kallar Kahar, Pakistan. He owned 15 acres of land which he used to cultivate wheat and millet. He decided to start fruit farming after harvesting wheat in April 2021 to satisfy his long-standing desire to own a garden. He recently met a friend who was earning well from grape farming, who suggested that Khan set up a vineyard farm which could become a profitable venture for him. At the same time, Khan learned that the government had declared the Potohar region of Pakistan an olive valley, and was giving massive subsidies on olive cultivation. Khan now had a choice of fruits to plant on his land. One of his relatives, Omar Khayam, was an accountant at a firm. Khayam offered to conduct a feasibility analysis for Khan, to provide the relevant data, and help Khan select a high profit-yielding fruit farm.

Introductory finance courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as executive training courses focused on the agri-finance discipline.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

This paper aims to describe the obtainment of Ti-6Al-4V parts with a hierarchical arrangement of pores by additive manufacturing, aiming at designing orthopedic implants.

The experimental methodology compares microstructural and mechanical properties of Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and electron beam powder bed fusion (EBPBF), with three different porosity volumes. The pore arrangement followed the formation sequence of the Menger sponge, with hierarchical order from 1 to 3.

The LPBF parts presented a martensitic microstructure, while the EBPBF parts presented an α + ß microstructure, independently of its wall thickness. The LPBF parts presented higher mechanical resistance and effective stiffness than the EBPBF parts with similar porosity volume. The stiffness values of the Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, between 4 and 29 GPa, are comparable to those of the cortical bone. Furthermore, the deformation behavior presented by the Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy did not follow the Gibson and Ashby model's prediction.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to obtain Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by LPBF and EBPBF. The deformation behavior of the obtained porous parts was contrasted with the Gibson and Ashby model's prediction.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between different themes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and companies’ market value (measured by Tobin Q) for Jordanian firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the period 2006-2010.

The annual reports of 26 companies on the ASE for the years 2006-2010 were selected for this study. Three industrial sectors were chosen: chemical; food and beverage; and pharmaceutical and medical (P&M). The CSR is measured by constructing an index consisting of four themes which are as follows: environmental 9 items; human resources 16 items; community 7 items; and products 7 items. The study adopts Tobin Q as the dependent variable to measure the market value of corporations. Two control variables were included in the regression analysis for their possible effects on the CSR and company’s market value relationship: size and leverage. This study performs a multiple regression analysis model to test the effect of the four CSR themes: environmental, human resources, community and products on the market value measured by Tobin Q.

The results revealed that environmental, community and product activities decreased market value in the food and beverage industry, while human resources activities had no effect on market value in the same industry. Moreover, the community theme was found to have a negative effect on market value in the P&M industry, while the three other themes were found to have no effect on market value in the same industry. The four themes had no effect on market value in the chemical industry.

The current study has a number of limitations, which have implications for future research. First, the study focused only on three industrial sectors (chemical, food and beverage and P&M), which limited the results to only these industries. In addition, the CSR concept and its effect on profitability is an important issue for the financial and services sectors. Hence, it would be beneficial to investigate the CSR impact on profitability for the financial and services sectors. Moreover, the study focused only on one country, Jordan. An extension of this study could be a comparison of the CSR effect on financial performance between Jordan and other countries in the Middle East. Furthermore, the measurement of CSR is subject to criticism because it might generate bias according to subjective judgments about CSR items. The CSR items are equally weighted, which might not be acceptable because their nature and effect differ among industries. However, introducing qualitative measures for CSR that reflect various perspectives about CSR practices and implications is essential. Finally, the period chosen for this study includes the years of global financial crisis as well which had eroded the market value of many firms in different industries, and this may form a prominent limitation of this study.

The results of this study have given evidence of the role of CSR in Jordan. The investments in the CSR field could negatively affect or could have no effect on market value. Overall, regulators in Jordan should pay attention to the costs and benefits of CSR among companies. Companies will be encouraged to invest in CSR activities if the benefits on their financial performance exceed the costs (cost-benefit theory). Specifically, companies should select types of CSR activities that enhance their competiveness in the society.

The results of this study provide practical implications to several users in the chemical, food and beverage and P&M industries. Managers, investors and other users may pay attention to the impact of CSR strategies on the company’s market value. For example, food and beverage managers may decrease their CSR investments around environmental, community and product activities because these decrease the market value and profitability of the company. However, the CSR investment in human resources does not affect the profitability in this industry. For the chemical industry, managers may not focus on CSR investments in the different activities (environmental, human resources, community and products) because these have no impact on the company’s market value. In regards to the P&M industry, managers may decrease their CSR investments around community activities because this decreases the market value. However, managers may not be concerned with CSR investments in environmental, human resources and products activities because these do not affect the company’s market value.

The relationship between CSR and a company’s financial performance has been tested broadly in the financial and management fields without any conclusive results. Some explanations for the inconclusive results are discussed. Inoue and Lee (2011, p. 791) noted three main issues that remain unresolved in the studies regarding the relationship between CSR and a company’s performance: using samples for different industries, using cross sectional observations and using aggregate CSR dimensions. The current study overcomes the main problems in the previous discussion. In particular, the study will focus on specific industries (chemical, food and beverage and P&M). In addition, the study will use multidimensional CSR measures. Moreover, financial performance will be measured by a single measure (market value) instead of using different measures of financial performance.

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows: use advanced frameworks and tools to convey complex ideas related to corporate social responsibility and ethics; apply relevant concepts and theories of ethics and corporate governance to a practical situation while making decisions; demonstrate understanding of the importance of stakeholders when developing socially responsible thinking; and analyze ethical and legal conflicts that need to be considered by employees in situations of whistleblowing.

Sara Khan was a Pakistani-American who had moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2015 to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in accounting. After graduation, she started working for a baked products manufacturer, Dough Fresh, which was a business unit of Dubai-based Fresh Foods Co. Three years later, she enjoyed her work in the company that embraced strong ethical values and socially responsible practices. She was recently given the task of delivering a financial statements’, investment projections’ and cost-cutting presentation to the senior management of Dough Fresh. Her performance at completing this task was of critical importance for her obtaining the eagerly awaited promotion to the senior accountant position. One day, while Sara was looking through some files to update the financial statements’ records, she came across a deleted purchase order of poppy seeds that amounted to AED 680,000. While poppy seeds were widely used as ingredients in baked products in other countries, they were illegal in the UAE. After approaching her colleague from the purchasing department, she realized that the purchasing manager, who was the grandson of the chairman, was closely involved in the matter. Moreover, it appeared that poppy seeds were used unwashed, which triggered deleterious health consequences and made them highly dangerous to consume. As Sara spent more time researching about poppy seeds and whistleblowing laws in the UAE, she questioned whether she should divulge this information or keep it for herself. Making this decision was extremely challenging. Because the UAE laws regarding whistleblowing were not comprehensive and constantly evolving, she was not certain whether her identity and reputation would be protected in case she decided to blow the whistle. Even more, she worried immensely about the prospect of her colleagues losing their jobs if this information became public, as many of them needed the money to support their families back home and to finance expensive health-related treatments of their relatives. At the same time, she was also aware that if poppy seeds were consumed by people unknowingly, this could lead to serious and even fatal health consequences. All things considered, Sara was caught between deciding what was the right thing to do.

This case study can be used in a higher level undergraduate business course on Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

This study aims to examine the impact of board characteristics on climate change disclosures (CCDs) in the context of an emerging economy, with a unique focus on regulatory influences.

This study analyzes longitudinal data (2014–2021) from environmentally sensitive firms listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange, using a disclosure index developed within the Global Reporting Initiative framework. The authors use a neo-institutional theoretical lens to explore regulatory influences on CCD through board characteristics. This study uses hand-collected data from annual reports owing to the absence of an established database.

The results indicate that a larger board size, the presence of foreign directors and the existence of an audit committee correlate with higher levels of CCD disclosure. Conversely, a higher frequency of board meetings is associated with lower CCD disclosure levels. This study also observed an increase in CCD following the implementation of corporate governance guidelines by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, albeit with a relatively low number of firms making these disclosures.

This study contributes to the climate change reporting literature by providing empirical evidence of regulatory influences on CCD through board characteristics in an emerging economy. However, the findings may not be universally applicable, considering the study’s focus on Bangladeshi listed firms.

This study suggests growing pressures for diverse stakeholders, including researchers and regulatory bodies, to integrate climate change disclosure into routine activities. This study offers a valuable framework and insights for various stakeholders.

By emphasizing the influence of good governance and sustainability practices, this study contributes to stakeholders’ understanding, aiming to contribute to a better world.

This study stands out by uniquely positioning itself in the climate change reporting literature, shedding light on regulatory influences on CCD through board characteristics in the context of an emerging economy.