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This study aims to examine how corporate financial flexibility, financial sector development and the regulatory environment influence corporate investment decisions in an emerging economy after controlling for several macroeconomic factors.

The authors estimated random-effects models to empirically examine the impacts of corporate financial flexibility, banking sector development, equity market development, regulatory quality and corruption on corporate investment decisions. The empirical analysis is based on an unbalanced annual panel data set of a sample of 198 non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange for the period 1992–2018.

The results show that financially flexible firms tend to invest more. The increased banking sector development, stock market development and better regulatory quality play a pivotal role for enabling firms to increase their investment ability. However, the results reveal that corruption acts as a barrier and reduces corporate investments during the examined period. The results suggest that unused borrowing capacity is a good source of financial flexibility. These results strongly support the pecking order theory, which explains why firms incline toward internal sources for financing their investments and why they prefer debt to equity when go for external financing.

The empirical findings of the study enable corporate managers to make better financing and investment decisions by understanding the significance of the attainment and maintenance of the corporate financial flexibility to enhance firm value. Furthermore, the findings enable corporate managers to examine and understand the role of banking sector development (BSD), equity market development (EMD), regulatory quality and the role of corruption in affecting corporate firms' investment ability, allowing them to make appropriate investment decisions, especially from an emerging economy perspective. The findings also help investors in making appropriate investment decisions while they are purchasing financial assets. Finally, the findings of the study have some implications for regulators as well. Specifically, the findings suggest that the authorities should implement economic and financial policies favoring banking sector as well as equity market development to enhance corporate investment.

The study significantly adds to the literature by examining the impact of financial flexibility, financial sector development and regulatory environment on corporate investment decisions. According to the authors' knowledge, the empirical evidence examining the impact of all of these factors on corporate investment is very scarce. Therefore, this study is an effort to fill the gap left in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of banking sector concentration, banking sector development and equity market development in corporate financial flexibility (FF).

The study used annual data for the period from 1991 to 2014 to examine the relationship between banking sector concentration, banking sector development, equity market development and corporate FF; hypotheses were tested using an unbalanced panel logistic regression model.

The paper provides empirical insights into the relationships between macroeconomic factors and corporate FF. The results suggest a substantial change in FF across firms; banking sector concentration discourages firms from borrowing, leading to the reduction of corporate borrowing, consequently an increase in FF can be observed. Banking sector development facilitates debt financing, hence reducing FF. Equity market development also has a positive impact on FF, as it is a substitute for debt financing.

The banking sector is an important provider of capital to business entities. A concentrated banking system discourages the provision of capital to firms; hence regulators have to take appropriate measures to resolve the problem of a reduced supply of capital. Banking sector development facilitates the provision of capital; further development may reduce bank lending rates to firms. Equity market development positively affects FF; hence, firm managers can use equity financing to resume FF. By following pecking order theory, managers use internal sources to finance value-maximizing investment projects, debt and issue shares as the last choice to get financing. When borrowing capacity is depleted, managers can obtain further funds by issuing stocks.

FF is an emergent area of research in advanced countries, while in developing economies, it is in the initial stages. Little work is available in this area to find the impact of banking sector concentration, banking sector development and equity market development, therefore, this study fills this gap in the existing literature.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of macroeconomic factors and the institutional environment on corporate financial flexibility (FF). Most studies focus on well-developed financial markets and very little is known about corporate FF in less developed financial markets and emerging markets (Buvanendra et al., 2016). The present study contributes to filling this gap in the literature and provides a more practical and functional framework to assess the FF of firms located in emerging economies.

The study used annual data for the period from 1991 to 2018. To examine the relationship between macroeconomic indicators, institutional environment and corporate FF, hypotheses were tested using an unbalanced panel logistic regression model.

The paper provides empirical insights into the relationships between macroeconomic factors, institutional environment and corporate FF. The results suggest a substantial change in FF across firms. Inflation, institutional quality and banking sector development negatively affect FF, while equity market development has a significant positive impact. Gross domestic product growth was found to be an insignificant predictor of FF.

This study has practical implications for corporate finance managers, regulators and investors, who must consider the significant factors of this study when making economic decisions. Finance managers can thus make appropriate decisions regarding capital structure and FF. Regulators of the banking sector can take appropriate measures to enhance competition and increase the development of the banking sector. Further, regulators of the equity market can enhance the development of the market to enhance the supply of capital.

This study adds to the literature showing that not only firm-specific factors affect corporate FF, but country-specific macroeconomic and institutional factors also have a significant effect. It also adds to the literature in the area of corporate FF; this field is in its initial stage, even in developed countries, while, in developing countries, little work has been done.

This paper aims to examine the secessionist orientation of Kurdistan Region’s paradiplomacy in the context of two main variables: the internal structural variables in Iraq after 2003 and the nationalism variable.

This study relies on the theory of neoliberalism to explain the transformation of Kurdistan’s paradiplomacy to protodiplomacy. It also relies on legal approach through using the Iraqi constitution and the draft constitution for the Kurdistan Region.

The internal structural variables are one of the main variables to motivate the region with advanced nationalism to pursue a protodiplomacy. Secession or forming an independent state of Kurds is a historic requirement supported by the advanced nationalism of Iraqi Kurds.

This study encourages focusing on the crucial role of the internal structural variables that drive the regions, especially with the advanced nationalism to pursue a protodiplomacy. Also, this study recommends giving more focus on the external variables and Kurdistan’s secession.

This paper reveals the reality of Kurdistan’s protodiplomacy.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the Malaysian literature on three prominent leadership models (instructional, distributed and transformational), linked to a major educational reform initiative captured in the Ministry of Education’s Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB).

The approach is a systematic review of all relevant Malaysian literature, in English and Bahasa Malaysia, on instructional, distributed and transformational leadership and alternative terms linked to these models.

The findings show that there is an emerging literature on these leadership models and their prevalence in Malaysian schools but that they have been interpreted in ways that are distinctive to the highly centralised Malaysian context. For example, instructional leadership is prescribed, so there is some evidence of its practice, notably in respect of monitoring. Similarly, distributed leadership is allocative, rather than emergent, as suggested in western literature.

The findings show that, while research on these models is emerging, much more research is required to establish whether and how leadership practice in Malaysia differs from that outlined in the normative western literature.

There is emerging evidence to suggest that instructional and distributed leadership, if enacted carefully, can have a positive impact on student outcomes.

The leadership models were developed in western, mainly decentralised, contexts, and there are clear implications for how such models might apply in highly centralised cultures, such as that prevailing in Malaysia.

This is believed to be the first systematic review of the Malaysian literature on school leadership models, linked to the MEB. It is also distinctive in including both English language and Bahasa Malaysia sources.

Supervisor phubbing is an increasingly common behavior depicted by supervisors despite the significance of supervisor–subordinate interactions. This study explores the impact of this behavior on workplace incivility and workplace presenteeism and analyzes the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of power distance.

Data were collected from employees belonging to IT sector. The research was cross-sectional in nature and the data were collected using a structured questionnaire.

The findings indicate a significant impact of supervisor phubbing on self-esteem, workplace incivility and workplace presenteeism. Additionally, results reveal the mediating role of self-esteem between supervisor phubbing and workplace presenteeism. However, the moderating effect of power distance on the relationship between supervisor phubbing and self-esteem was not supported.

The research contributes to the existing literature and theory, especially in the area of supervisor phubbing and communications management. The study suggests a need for comprehensive approach that involves both organizational policies and individual behavior change.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand the reasons for which middle-age women report highest percentages of intimate partner violence (IPV) than other age groups.

This is a qualitative study in which grounded theory method was adopted, through the use of interviews.

The findings revealed that the main reason for which women of the specific age group report intimate partner incidents more that other age groups is because they can recognize violence actions and behaviors. The findings suggest that frequent awareness campaigns should be organized, in order to keep women informed regarding IPV.

The value of the current study is the fact that it offers a greater insight in the findings of the first national study conducted in the Republic of Cyprus by the Advisory Committee for the Prevention and Combating Family Violence.

The purpose of this paper, a cross-cultural study, is twofold: first, to identify personal, social, demographical and marketing facets that imply fast food addiction in Pakistan and America, and second to explore the reasons of reduction in fast food consumption in Pakistan.

The present study followed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used to obtain supportive results of fast food consumption with the help of defining logical relations between independent and dependent variables. Partial least square based structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze quantitative data. For qualitative data, NVivo 11 was used to explore themes.

Quantitative findings of Pakistani setting suggested that craving and impulsiveness have a significant relation with addiction and have no mediation effect in both the countries. However, these results contradict with US study. Qualitative findings explored many personal, social, marketing and health factors that have affected fast food market of Pakistan which include low income, price-sensitive market, low quality, poor services, PFA, word of mouth, mood, obesity, environment and cultural influence on the consumption behavior of Pakistani consumers.

This study is restricted to the consumption behavior of fast food only in two countries the USA and Pakistan. Hence, the results of this study cannot be generalized to other countries’ cultural and traditional values. In addition, this study only focuses on personal, social and marketing factors that implicate fast food addiction.

The consumption of fast food was the focus of analysis. Therefore, research adds value to service industry and helps in developing growth and marketing strategies for the fast food industry.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of organizational cynicism between the relationship of perception of ethical climate and turnover intention among nurses working in public sector hospitals.

A quantitative approach was utilized and 870 questionnaires were distributed to collect data from nursing staff working in Punjab region of Pakistan by using non-probability multistage sampling technique. A total of 711 questionnaires were returned out of which 668 questionnaires were scrutinized. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied to analyze the data.

The results revealed a full mediating effect of organizational cynicism between the relationship of perception of ethical climate and turnover intention.

The current study has adopted a multistage non-probability sampling technique to collect data because the management of hospitals restricted researcher access to personal information about the nurses. Therefore, at the first stage, the researcher used convenience sampling and at the second stage, the researcher utilized quota sampling to collect the data. Moreover, the findings of the current study are based on cross-sectional data because of the limited time and resources.

The current study fosters the ongoing debate in organizational studies related to cynicism and it is noteworthy for the nursing managers to understand the significant factors which directly or indirectly affect the nursing attitude.

The current study explored the mediating role of organizational cynicism between perception of ethical climate and turnover intention in nursing profession to fill the research gap.