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The purpose of the study is to determine the local antecedents of subsidiary participation in global services and, subsequently, the impact on local performance.

The study is based on a survey with the local subsidiaries of 14 manufacturers engaged in global services as part of their servitisation strategy.

Findings show support for considering the local ability for global services as an antecedent for local subsidiary participation in global services and the local service performance as an outcome. In addition, the results reject our hypotheses related to the specific roles of local opportunity and motivation for global services.

This study provides novel insights on the global service operations of manufacturers by highlighting the perspective of subsidiaries engaged in the local service delivery and development of global services. This perspective sets the conditions of the global-local collaboration in the context of global service strategy with local service delivery.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained tremendous importance after several corporate scandals, financial crises and the rise of the hyper-competitive world. Firms must address multiple stakeholders’ interests to increase firm value. This study aims to investigate the effect of CSR on firm value. This study also examines the mediating role of enterprise risk management (ERM) and the moderating influence of corporate governance (CG) in this CSR-firm value relationship.

The sample of the study comprises 119 Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) listed firms and the study covers the period from 2010 to 2021. The corporate social responsibility performance has been quantified across five dimensions. These aspects are product, environment, employee relations, diversity and community. Four proxies i.e. strategy, operation, reporting and compliance, have been used to measure ERM. The governance quality of the sample companies was evaluated using the governance index, which included 29 governance provisions. The authors used the dynamic panel data technique (system-GMM) is used to achieve the objectives of the study. Furthermore, a firm’s engagement in CSR activities can also be measured through a multinational financial approach to check the robustness of the result.

Based on the regression analysis, the authors discovered that CSR was positively connected with firm value, validating the stakeholder view of CSR. Furthermore, following Baron and Kenny’s (1986) mediation technique, the findings confirm that ERM mediates this association. These results are robust by using the bootstrapping tests by Preacher and Hayes (2004). Furthermore, the result shows that corporate governance (CG) is positively connected with firm performance, and this relationship is strengthened in the presence of an effective governance system in the organization.

This study provides useful insights to regulators, investors and policymakers to consider CSR as a value-enhancing factor and encourage the development of enterprise risk management and compliance with CG mechanisms to improve firm value.

The presented analysis strengthens the existing CSR–firm value relationship by analyzing the mediating and moderating roles of ERM and CG, which have not yet been tested, particularly in the context of Pakistan.

The main focus is to provide a non-similar solution for the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of Casson fluid over a curved stretching surface through the novel technique of the artificial intelligence (AI)-based Lavenberg–Marquardt scheme of an artificial neural network (ANN). The effects of joule heating, viscous dissipation and non-linear thermal radiation are discussed in relation to the thermal behavior of Casson fluid.

The non-linear coupled boundary layer equations are transformed into a non-linear dimensionless Partial Differential Equation (PDE) by using a non-similar transformation. The local non-similar technique is utilized to truncate the non-similar dimensionless system up to 2nd order, which is treated as coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The coupled system of ODEs is solved numerically via bvp4c. The data sets are constructed numerically and then implemented by the ANN.

The results indicate that the non-linear radiation parameter increases the fluid temperature. The Casson parameter reduces the fluid velocity as well as the temperature. The mean squared error (MSE), regression plot, error histogram, error analysis of skin friction, and local Nusselt number are presented. Furthermore, the regression values of skin friction and local Nusselt number are obtained as 0.99993 and 0.99997, respectively. The ANN predicted values of skin friction and the local Nusselt number show stability and convergence with high accuracy.

AI-based ANNs have not been applied to non-similar solutions of curved stretching surfaces with Casson fluid model, with viscous dissipation. Moreover, the authors of this study employed Levenberg–Marquardt supervised learning to investigate the non-similar solution of the MHD Casson fluid model over a curved stretching surface with non-linear thermal radiation and joule heating. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a non-linear, dimensionless PDE by using a non-similar transformation. The local non-similar technique is utilized to truncate the non-similar dimensionless system up to 2nd order, which is treated as coupled ODEs. The coupled system of ODEs is solved numerically via bvp4c. The data sets are constructed numerically and then implemented by the ANN.

This research investigates the complex relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU), energy consumption and institutional factors in the Gulf region. The purpose of this study is to examine how institutional factors moderate the impact of EPU on energy consumption in Gulf countries.

This paper uses the dynamic panel autoregressive distributed lag (PARDL) method, over a period stretching from 1996 to 2021 in the Gulf countries.

The results show that, only in the long term, EPU has a positive and significant impact on energy consumption, suggesting that increased EPU leads to increased energy use. Furthermore, this study found that, only in the long term, government effectiveness and regulatory quality have positive and significant effect on energy consumption. Accordingly, the two institutional factors play a moderating role in the EPU−energy consumption nexus.

This study highlights the importance of considering the time dimension when formulating energy and economic policies in Gulf countries. Policymakers should take into consideration the nature of these relationships to make informed decisions that promote energy efficiency and economic stability in the region.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining the relationship between EPU and energy consumption in the Gulf countries while incorporating the role of institutional factors as potential mediators.

The present study aims to assess the key institutional settings for earnings management (EM) in emerging economies (EE). The unique social, cultural and regulatory environment of EE provides a relevant framework for the review.

The study combines systematic literature review (SLR) with bibliometric analysis to analyse 251 articles extracted from the Scopus database, covering the period from 2001 to 2023. Further, cluster analysis using bibliographic coupling of highly cited articles is undertaken to ascertain key themes on EM in EE.

The study deciphers the influence of institutional transitions and differences in EE on (1) ownership structures, (2) the efficacy of accounting, auditing and governance reforms, (3) environmental and social disclosures and (4) audit quality at the firm level in defining the EM practices in these economies. It also identifies region/country-wise institutional similarities and divergences across the EE that drive the EM practices in these economies.

The key findings of the review provide essential guidelines for policy formulation concerning rationalization of the ownership structures, strengthening infrastructure relating to accounting and auditing practices and formalizing social and environmental practices and disclosures for effectively constraining EM in EE. The review also identifies key factors to be considered by potential investors in EE.

The study is one of its kind as it identifies unique country-specific institutional drivers for EM in EE and highlights region/country-wise resemblances and differences in the key institutional determinants of EM.

This study aims to revisit the relationship between Shariah-compliant firms and earnings management. Specifically, the authors examine whether Shariah-certified firms have lower earnings management than non-Shariah-certified firms and how often a firm must hold its certification to observe considerably reduced earnings management. This study also explores how senior management ethnic dualism affects the association of Shariah certification and earnings management.

The authors analyze the hypothesized association between Shariah certification and earnings management using a panel regression model and several robustness tests, including the Heckman selection model. The sample consists of 547 nonfinancial firms listed on the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange, with 5,478 firm-year observations over the 2001–2016 sample period.

Shariah certification is found to mitigate earnings management, particularly for firms that consistently retain their Shariah status. The longer firms retain their Shariah certification continually, the lower the earnings management. Additionally, the results indicate that the negative impact of Shariah certification on earnings management is driven by ethnic duality when a specific ethnic group dominates the top management.

Firms’ commitment to religious-based screening and continuation of certification plays a significant role in improving earnings quality. Firms are committed to abiding by the Shariah code of conduct instead of using the Shariah status for reputation purposes to attract investors.

For investors, the continuous compliance status is a crucial indicator of a firm’s commitment to comply with Shariah principles and to mitigate earnings management. Regarding policy implications, Shariah-compliance guidelines can constrain earnings manipulation, especially among firms lacking ethnic diversity.

The study shows that Shariah certification must be maintained consecutively to reduce earnings management. Shariah certification’s governance function is crucial in ethnically homogeneous firms, primarily when one ethnic group dominates the senior management.

Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects offers many benefits. However, the use of BIM in project cost management is still limited. This study aims to review the current trends in the application of BIM in project cost management.

This study systematically reviews the literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. A total of 46 related articles were identified and analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method.

Eighteen approaches to applying BIM in project cost management were identified. The approaches can be grouped into cost control and cost estimation. Also, BIM can be applied independently or integrated with other techniques. The integrated approaches for cost control include integration with genetic algorithms, Monte Carlo simulation, lean construction, integrated project delivery, neural network and value engineering. On the contrary, integrated approaches for cost estimation include integration with cost-plus pricing, discrepancy analysis, construction progress curves, estimation standards, algorithms, declarative mappings, life cycle sustainability assessment, ontology, Web-based frameworks and structured query language.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically review prior literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. As a result, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the art and fills the literature gap. Researchers and industry professionals can use the study findings to increase the benefits of implementing BIM in construction projects.

This study aims to examine the moderating effect of media exposure and media legitimacy on the environmental audit committee (EAC) regarding environmental disclosure quality as measured by voluntary and timely disclosure.

This paper was based on a sample of 81 French nonfinancial companies listed on the SBF 120 index and covered a six-year period; from 2014 to 2019. To test the hypotheses, a feasible generalized least squares regression was applied. Moreover, the authors checked the results using an additional analysis and the generalized method of moment model for endogeneity problems.

The results obtained show that for 482 French firm-year observations during the period 2014–2019, the media exposure does not play a moderating role between the EAC and the voluntary environmental disclosure; However, it plays a moderating role between the EAC and the timely environmental disclosure. The results also show that media legitimacy plays a moderating role between the EAC and the quality of environmental information. After testing for endogeneity problems, the findings remain unchanged.

The findings of this study may be of interest to academic researchers, practitioners and regulators who are interested in determining the quality of environmental disclosure by considering the role of the EAC while giving a role to media exposure and media legitimacy in the French context. Considering the EAC as a powerful source of effective corporate governance to improve the quality of environmental disclosure for decision-making, the research provides valuable insights for policymakers and managers on the importance of this mechanism and the importance of the environmental media and its tone in making environmental reporting useful and relevant.

The originality of the work lies in the fact that it is one of the first works that deal with the moderating effect of media exposure on the relationship between the EAC and the quality of environmental information disclosure measured by voluntary and timely disclosure. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous empirical studies have been conducted on this relationship in the French context or in other contexts.

Blockchain technology has brought about significant transformation among organizations worldwide. This study aimed to explore the effects of organizational and technological factors on blockchain technology adoption (BTA) and financial performance (FP) in Pakistan.

This is a co-relational study which used the cross-sectional data. We gathered the data from the managers of Pakistan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which functioned their industries with blockchain technology. We applied convenience sampling to identify the respondents. Finally, we based this study’s findings on 274 valid cases.

We used structural equation modeling (SEM) in this study, to exert a positive and significant impact on organizational factors such as organizational innovativeness (OI), organizational learning capability (OLC), top management support (TMS) and organizational work climate (OWC) on BTA. In addition, the technological factors, such as complexity (CTY), technology readiness (TR), compatibility (CBTY) and technology capability (TC), have a positive and significant effect on BTA. Finally, this study’s findings show that BTA positively and significantly impacts FP.

This study’s findings will help policymakers and planners to design policies to adopt other blockchain technologies to improve SMEs’ operations. Moreover, this study’s findings will inspire policymakers and planners to actively seek new ideas, knowledge and skills through acquiring new knowledge to assist with their IT-related decisions.

This study empirically confirms the role of organizational and technology factors toward BTA and FP among Pakistan's SME managers.

The effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the construction industry were formidable and far-reaching, as the construction sector is a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP), which balances various sectors of the global economy, and to infrastructure growth, which is a primary gauge of a nation’s advancement. The outbreak led to workforce disruptions, worker deficits, dwindling efficiency, elongated project durations, and scarce opportunities for training and mentorship, and despite endeavors to mitigate these challenges, construction timelines experienced significant interruptions. Various researchers have pinpointed contributing elements, but few have constructed a predictive model to gauge the degree of impact.

Therefore, this research intends to fill by introducing an ordinal logistic regression method to forecast the impacts of a pandemic or other similar type of crisis. To achieve this, an online survey was developed and distributed to collect the perceptions of the construction engineers and managers about the diverse contributors to the exceeding project timelines during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Findings from this study indicate that financial liquidity, modifications to original plans, delays in securing governmental clearances, and a shortage of competent labor have medium-to-high levels of impact on project schedules.

This study will furnish decision-makers with crucial knowledge that will give them the tools to refine their strategies and judiciously allocate resources to overcome the unique hurdles encountered by various construction segments and will enhance the industry's capability to respond more effectively to challenges inherent in this type of crisis.