Search results

This conceptual paper articulates an analytical framework, which collectively borrows from the concepts of Sectoral, National and Technological Innovation Systems, for examining the prospects for the emergence of renewable energy industries in a given country. In order to examine the dynamics within the national energy system under consideration, a list of system functions has also been compiled from the literature. It is believed that the adoption of such a functions approach has the potential to enhance our understanding of the process of, and drivers behind, the emergence and transformation of energy innovation systems. Towards the end of this paper, other theoretical concepts are acknowledged as also relevant for investigating the potential establishment of renewable energy industries. While every theoretical approach has its strengths and weaknesses, an effort has been made in this paper to justify the adoption of a suitable framework that is based on the systems of innovation approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in social isolation; nevertheless, universities will proceed throughout this trying period with the assistance of technology. As such, this paper seeks to develop a conceptual framework to investigate the continued intentions of students to use mobile learning during COVID-19 under different cultural contexts expanding upon the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) under different cultural contexts.

The suggested model is empirically tested with 1,206 students from different universities in three societies (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UK) using SEM/PLS.

Performance expectancy, satisfaction, social influence, facilitating conditions and instructors' competencies positively influence students' continued intentions to use mobile learning. In addition, the findings of the current research indicate that student's isolation negatively impact the continuous usage behavior. Furthermore, the findings indicated that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is insufficient in capturing the heterogeneity of students' intentions to use mobile learning across countries.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that has been conducted to understand the main determinants of students' continued intentions to use mobile learning under different cultural contexts.

The ability to produce a uniform composition, high corrosion resistance with a hard coating layer during the electroless coating techniques are mainly based on the plating bath composition. The complexing agent is one of the most important components that control the coating layer properties. This paper aims to investigate the effect of the glycine as a complex agent on the surface and corrosion properties of Ni-P and Ni-P/Al₂O₃ electroless coating.

In this study, the effect of glycine as a complexing agent on the final surface and corrosion properties of the Ni-P and Ni-P/Al₂O₃ coatings has been investigated. The surface morphology and composition of the coated samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Linear polarization scan and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques were used to investigate the corrosion properties of the coating layer.

The results clarify that, glycine has a remarkable effect on the porosity content of Ni-P and Ni-P/Al₂O₃. It was found that increasing of glycine concentration results in higher porosity content in the coating layers. Also, the porosity in the coating layers minimizes the protectability of the coating against corrosion. The results also show that adding nano-alumina (Al₂O₃) to the coating path has improved the corrosion properties by decreasing the porosity in the coating layer. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the concentration of glycine affects the content and distribution of alumina nanoparticles embedded in the coating layer. Also, it was observed that using a high concentration of glycine (0.4 M glycine), the alumina tends to agglomerate and the final alumina content in the coating was decreased.

The present study reveals that the quality of the final coating plays a major role in the corrosion performance of the steel substrate. The coating quality can by improve remarkably by optimization of the complexing agent used in the plating bath, to minimize the porosity involve in the coating layer.

The aim of this paper is to examine the association between board demographics and firm financial performance of Karachi Stock Exchange companies and describe the attributes of these firms and their boards. The connection between board structure and firm performance has attracted much attention, especially in emerging economies, yet yielded many inconsistent empirical results.

This study examines the relationship between board structure and the performance of Pakistani public listed companies by using a sample of Karachi Stock Exchange 100 (KSE-100) indexed companies. This study exploits the corporate performance by accounting-based measures (return on assets), market-based measures (Tobin’s Q), and economic profit (economic value added).

The outcome of the study shows the positive relationship between the board size, minority representation in board, and family director’s in-board and firm performance. The authors also find that, instead of adding value, independent directors in Pakistan are negatively associated with firm value.

The study is based on KSE-100 indexed companies from 2009 to 2013; however, a large sample and multiple years’ data are required.

The paper provides empirical evidence that board independence is not necessary for public-listed companies in Pakistan and would be of interest to regulatory bodies, business practitioners, and academic researchers.

The paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and firm performance by introducing a framework for identifying and analyzing moderating variables that affect the relationship between board structure and firm performance.

This paper aims to examine the effect of the auditors’ burnout determinates on audit quality and performance. It also analyses whether the demographic characteristics of gender, age group, education and job positions affect auditors’ decisions for burnout, audit quality and performance.

A questionnaire was distributed on a sample of auditors in the top ten auditing firms in an emerging market including the Big 4. Factor analysis, correlation matrix and structural equation modeling were used for the analysis of the collected data and testing the developed hypotheses.

The results show that burnout has negative consequences for both the auditor and the auditing firm. While good organizational climate has a negative significant association with audit quality, nonethical decisions and audit performance, role clarity has positive significant association with the audit quality and performance and has an insignificant association with nonethical decisions. Also, turnover intention has significant positive association with nonethical decision, audit quality and performance.

This research is among the first to focus on auditor’s burnout determinates on audit quality and performance in an emerging market characterized by different socioeconomic, political and cultural factors compared with those of developed markets. Auditors, regulators and professional policymakers can benefit from the results of this research.

The growing popularity of mobile technology has led governments across the world to develop mobile business models and encouraged the transition from the electronic government (e-government) to the mobile government (m-government). However, only a small amount of data is available regarding m-government implementation in developing countries and users’ behavioural intentions (BIs) with respect to the utilization of such services. To address this issue, this study attempts to identify factors that affect m-government acceptance among citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to examine the relationships between m-government service characteristics and m-government technology characteristics by analysing their perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, user attitudes towards m-government usage and corresponding BIs with respect to utilization of m-government services.

This study is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 326 users of m-government services in the UAE. The responses were tabulated on a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed model and verify the hypothesized relationships between its constructs.

Overall, the research findings indicate that: users’ intention to use m-government applications has three determinants – attitude towards m-government use, m-government ease of use and m-government usefulness; m-government usefulness and ease of use have a significant influence on user attitudes towards m-government; and perceived ease of use of the service, currency of the services, the accuracy of the provided information, the security concerns associated with the utilization of the m-government services, trust in the m-government services and the risks perceived in using the m-Government service are antecedents of users’ perceptions of the m-government services.

This study has improved our understanding of the critical mobile technology factors that are needed to improve user acceptance of m-government services. The study presents important implications for both theory and practice.

This paper examines the effect of political connections (PCs) on firms' profitability and market value in the Egyptian market after the uprising of 2013.

An empirical study is conducted based on 284 firm-year observations for non-financial listed firms on the EGX100 during the period of 2014–2017. To test the study’s hypothesis, two independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation analysis and ordinary least square (OLS) regressions are conducted.

The results suggest that PCs are common across all industries in Egypt, the PCs through top officers do not improve firm's profitability; however, it has a positive effect on firms' market value. Further, PCs through business owners improve neither profitability nor the market value. Finally, the results suggest that PCs through government ownership have a positive effect on both firms' profitability and market value.

The study’s finding encourages policymakers and regulators in emerging markets, e.g. Egypt, to develop stricter laws, policies and regulatory initiatives to restrain the potential conflict of interest in the politically connected firms.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the relationship between PCs and both firms’ profitability and market value in Egypt.

This study aims to review the growing research area of behavioral corporate governance; it explores the relationship between CEO duality attributes and earning management in the context of Asia-Pacific countries. Over time, the use by boards of chief executive officer (CEO) duality has fluctuated, and the scholarly conceptualizations of the phenomenon have become more complex.

This paper uses panel data from 330 firm years from Australia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Pakistan by taking a sample of three years from 2011 to 2013.

The results of the analysis reveal that the board leadership structure was not associated with firm performance and financial reporting quality. However, female CEOs impacted negatively on firm performance in Malaysia, The Philippines and Pakistan. Further analyses expose that the firm size was negatively related with performance, whereas established firms in Australia had strong reporting quality. However, large boards assured healthier reporting quality in Australia and Malaysia.

This paper provides empirical evidence that a unitary leadership pattern has no significant impact on companies in the Asia-Pacific, and it would be of interest to regulatory bodies, business practitioners and academic researchers.

This paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and earnings management by introducing a framework for identifying and analyzing moderating variables that affect the relationship between the leadership structure and a firm’s financial reporting quality.

This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM_2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM_2.5 concentration in five pre-schools located in the most densely populated district of the Tehran metropolitan area (district 6) as a case study to consider the children's exposure to air pollutants and introducing a suitable model, for the first time, to predict PM_2.5 concentration changes, inside pre-schools.

Indoor and outdoor classes PM_2.5 concentrations were measured using two DUSTTRAK direct-reading instruments. Additional class status information was also recorded; concurrently, urban PM_2.5 concentrations and meteorological data were obtained from the fixed monitoring stations and Meteorological Organization. Then, the predicted concentrations of the indoor PM_2.5, from introduced multiple linear regression model via SPSS, compared with the nearest urban air pollution monitoring stations data.

The average outdoor PM_2.5 concentration (43 ± 0.32 µg m⁻³) was higher than the mean indoor (32 ± 0. 21 µg m⁻³), and both were significantly (p < 0.001) surpassing the 24-h EPA standard level. The indoor PM_2.5 concentrations had the highest level in the autumn (48.7 µg m⁻³) and significantly correlated with the outdoor PM_2.5 (r = 0.94, p < 0.001), the number of pupils, ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction and open area of the doors and windows (p < 0.001). These parameters, as the main determinants, have led to present a 7-variable regression model, with R² = 0.705, which can predict PM_2.5 concentrations in the pre-school classes with more than 80% accuracy. It can be presumed that the penetration of outdoor PM_2.5 was the main source of indoor PM_2.5 concentrations.

This study faced several limitations, such as accessibility to classrooms, and limitations in technicians' numbers, leading to researchers monitoring indoor and outdoor PM concentrations in schools once a week. Additionally, regarding logistical limitations to using monitoring instruments in pre-schools simultaneously, correction factors by running the instruments were applied to obtain comparable measurements.

The author hereby declares that this submission is his own work and to the best of its knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person.

This study aims to examine an important, yet understudied, relationship between board leadership structure and earning management. With conflicting theoretical and empirical evidence underpinning the debate the practice has fluctuated, investor perception of board leadership structure has altered, international regulation has reacted, scholarly conceptualizations of duality have become overly complex and the need to understand duality and conclude the debate has increased.

This study examines the relationship between board leadership structure, firm financial performance and financial reporting quality of Australian, Malaysian and Pakistani publicly listed companies by using a sample of three years from 2011 to 2013.

Results based on data collected from Australia, Malaysia and Pakistan indicate that the board leadership structure is not associated with firm performance and financial reporting quality. However, the female chief executive impacts negatively on firm performance in Malaysia and Pakistan. Further analyses reveal that the firm size is negatively related, while the grown firms in Australia having strong financial reporting quality.

The study is based on Australian Stock Exchange-20, Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange-30 and Karachi Stock Exchange-30 companies from 2011 to 2013; however, a large sample from other emerging economies is required.

The paper provides empirical evidence that unitary or dual leadership structure has no impact on public listed companies and would be of interest to regulatory bodies, business practitioners and academic researchers.

This paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and firm performance by introducing a framework for identifying and analyzing moderating variables that affect the relationship between board leadership structure and firm financial reporting quality.