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Purpose – Grant-giving foundation leaders are increasingly concerned with understanding the primary role their institutions are pressured to play in financing the growing nonprofit sectors. The main objective of the chapter is to determine whether effective governance plays a major role in driving foundations’ innovation and value-creation processes.Methodology – Building on the idea that foundations should act as financial partners, managerial experts, and innovator facilitators who deal with the projects proposed by nonprofit organizations, this chapter uses a survey and the annual reports of Italian grant-giving foundations to isolate their records in term of governance, innovation attitude, and performance.Findings – The results of this chapter contribute to improving understanding of the drivers that help foundations to improve the sophistication level of the grant-giving process. In particular, the analysis of governance provides relevant insights about the path foundations follow to incorporate selected tailored methods and practices from the “for profit” competitive arena to improve foundations’ output and nonprofit grantees’ outcomes.Social implication – Many academics, political leaders, and practitioners expect foundations to play the unique dual role of merchant bank and venture capitalist to foster the positive impact of nonprofit organizations on societies and people. The findings of this chapter facilitate this process.Originality/value of the chapter – The main contribution of this study lies in proposing and testing a theoretical framework that foundations can implement to disseminate liquidity and managerial expertise efficiently among selected grantees and to improve grantees’ social outcome.

US foundations make up such a large part of the economy that they form a distinct economic sector. In the UK this is commonly referred to as the third sector. The first and second sectors are private business and the government itself. In the United States, the third sector controls over $3 trillion and enjoys exceptional liquidity. This article aims to provide a blueprint for a highly productive engagement of foundations and banks to harness these assets for the benefit of not‐for‐profit organizations, the depositing foundations, and the banks themselves

The paper explains how these third sector enterprises., intent on being helpful, are so befuddled structurally that they have failed to do what any person would do with similar liquid assets, It then supplies an organizational and marketing methodology for harnessing some of those assets to the benefit of the respective missions of foundations, not‐for‐profit organizations, and for‐profit banking companies.

A modest reorganization of existing bank and philanthropic structures will open the door to harmonious engagements between foundations and banks for their mutual benefit and for the benefit of their clients and beneficiaries.

The findings herein are a novel utility which comes into being through the innovative engagement of foundations, not‐for‐profit organizations, and banking companies that want to enjoy low risk, high reward expansion of both deposits and assets.

Purpose – This study investigates the relationship between the ownership structure and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies of the Italian listed banks. In particular, it focuses on the impact that institutional investors characterized by a philanthropic orientation (banking foundations) exert on the socially oriented management of the Italian financial institutions.

Methodology – This chapter adopts a case study approach. It examines the CSR of the bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena and the role that its controlling shareholder (Fondazione MPS) plays in promoting the social strategy implemented by the Italian bank.

Findings – The Monte dei Paschi di Siena CSR strategy appears to be strongly influenced by the activity of its institutional investor. The skills, knowledge, and the cultural proneness toward social issues of the Fondazione MPS are successfully transferred to the bank and shape its social strategy.

Research limitations – This chapter suffers of the limitations generally associated to the case study research methodology. In particular, the findings of this study can be extended to other cases only after a detailed examination of market wide, institutional and corporate governance differences.

Social implications – The positive relationship between nonprofit institutional investors and the CSR strategy effectiveness unveils corporate governance mechanisms useful to increase the overall value creation process of the organizations.

Originality/value of the chapter – This study contributes to the CSR literature by analyzing if and how the philanthropic nature of the blockholders affect the CSR policies carried out by the entities they control.

Recent institutional scholarship has discovered new possibilities for change in both the accumulation of incremental transformations and in the skillful action, institutional work, and creative activities of political and institutional entrepreneurs. Lurking behind stability and change lie actors who can act reflexively within and with existing institutions, and who do so on a routine, rather than exceptional basis, redeploying, recombining, and transposing extant systems to solve problems of identity and control. This paper probes the potentials and limits of those possibilities – and the prospects for reform in American banking – via a case study of the Bank of North Dakota and efforts to transpose its hybrid model of state and community logics into other states. The analysis first finds a full range of institutional labors and skillful activities emphasized by recent work as the foundation for transposition. It finds crisis; the presence of multiple logics; the mobilization of boundary spanning networks; the use of conferences and theorization to sustain independent discourse and collective identities; skillful framing; and substantial editing and recombination to fit the model with receiving states’ institutions. It then juxtaposes these conditions with outcomes in the states, developing some implications for actor-centered institutionalisms, current preoccupations with mechanisms, and state-level strategies for financial reform.

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the dissemination of structural arrangements relating to the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement within the field of banking organizations in Brazil. The paper is part of the research results to understand the dynamics of institutionalizing CSR, which is understood as a movement of capitalism displacement. The structural arrangements under study are: the specific areas created to address the CSR topic, social balance sheet and links on CSR in organizational websites ‐ considered as “tests” to include organizations in the movement. It was found that there is an isomorphic movement in the field where the major banks take the tests, having the arrangements ‐ and soon the large banks joined the movement, adopting different stances. Wholesale banks, however, have still to do the same thing, which ratifies the process as a search for legitimacy, the core argument of the theory.

Shari’ah is the foundation of Islamic banks. Although all the Islamic banks required complying with the Shari’ah requirements fully, the level of compliance differs among the Islamic banks. At the same time, Islamic banks have been performing well, but all do not demonstrate similar financial performance. This paper aims to explore whether Shari’ah compliance efficiency makes any difference in financial performance of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL).

This study used IBBL as a case. For exploring the issue of study, this paper applied an e-mail interview approach and interviewed 24 interviewees including financial analysts, IBBL clients and executives of regulatory bodies, the IBBL and other Islamic- and interest-based traditional banks. Interview opinions are then analyzed and interpreted for a deeper understanding of the topic.

The study observed that some other factors influence the financial performance of IBBL, but Shari’ah compliance is the dominant instinct of acquiring the leading position. Superior Shari’ah compliance creates internal strengths and external opportunities that facilitate IBBL in achieving higher financial performance. Most interviewees argued that Shari’ah is the only disposition that makes IBBL unique. Moreover, the bank that considerably follows Shari’ah gets better financial outcomes.

The study used a qualitative method using interview responses only for evaluating the relationship between Shari’ah compliance and financial performance. Further study may be conducted based on a quantitative approach.

This paper expects to uphold the significance of Shari’ah in improving the financial performance of IBBL and simultaneously motivating the parties associated with the Islamic banks in enhancing the level of Shari’ah compliance. Moreover, this study provides new insights into the importance Islamic banks and their performance in relation to the choice of customers.

This study explores the significance of Shari’ah compliance in creating avenues for greater financial performance and develops a model showing the ways how Shari’ah compliance leads Islamic banks to achieve higher financial positions.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that if reconcilability between Islam and the West exists in the field of finance and if the two systems can co‐evolve in a mutually productive way, then we can be optimistic about the ability of the two systems to co‐exist. Clearly they involve different attitudes, but this paper argues, on the basis of significant compatibility issues, these are resolvable under the tradition of tolerance that has existed in Western and Islamic societies. This paper also examines Islamic finance as an alternative financial system and a potential long‐term solution to financial instability.

The paper presents descriptive, analytical and comparative analyses.

The paper provides insights into the Islamic and international financial system. It highlights an alternative and a solution to this dilemma in the form of Islamic finance and stresses the stability of the Islamic finance system.

The findings presented in this paper can be used by policy makers, regulators and practitioners in both the Islamic and conventional financial sector as it provides an understanding to Islamic Finance. However, to expect a wholesale transformation to an Islamic financial system is idealistic.

This paper contributes to the understanding of Islamic finance principles and its value as revolutionary departure from the current global financial system and a solution to the current and any future financial crises. The findings of this research will be of interest to Western and Islamic financial practitioners, policy makers and academicians.

Drawing on stakeholder theory, the purpose of this paper examines how Nigerian banks employ their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to empower women to participate in economic and commercial activities.

The methodology of this paper is regarding a thematic analysis of Nigerian banks' annual CSR and sustainability reports.

A theoretical framework was developed which illustrates the investment foundation (Sustainable Development Goals, Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles) that supports the different levels of engagement (healthcare, financial, social and career empowerment) aimed at different groups of women (women at large, women in business and women in career) in the society.

The study findings are confined to the banks in Nigeria, focussing on how they empower women to participate in economic and commercial activities.

It is paramount that Nigerian banks consistently report their CSR initiatives. When designing these initiatives, it is equally important to incorporate WEPs, as they are specifically focussed on women.

Due to their low-level institutional and financial development, it is important that Nigerian banks design their CSR initiatives to improve women empowerment. While initiatives should be targeted at women's well-being and physical health, it is important to steer women towards financial and social independence through loans, grants and mentorship.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no other research study has examined how banks in an emerging market use their CSR activities to empower women to participate in financial activities.

As founders of First Interstate BancSystem, which held $8.6 billion in assets and had recently become a public company, and Padlock Ranch, which had over 11,000 head of cattle, the Scott family had to think carefully about business and family governance. Now entering its fifth generation, the family had over 80 shareholders across the US. In early 2016, the nine-member Scott Family Council (FC) and other family and business leaders considered the effectiveness of the Family Governance Leadership Development Initiative launched two years earlier. The initiative's aim was to ensure a pipeline of capable family leaders for the business boards, two foundation boards, and FC.

Seven family members had self-nominated for governance roles in mid-2015. As part of the development initiative, each was undergoing a leadership development process that included rigorous assessment and creation of a comprehensive development plan. As the nominees made their way through the process and other family members considered nominating themselves for future development, questions remained around several interrelated areas, including how to foster family engagement with governance roles while guarding against damaging competition among members; how to manage possible conflicts of interest around dual employee and governance roles; and how to extend the development process to governance for the foundations and FC. The FC considered how best to answer these and other questions, and whether the answers indicated the need to modify the fledgling initiative.

This case illustrates the challenges multigenerational family-owned enterprises face in developing governance leaders within the family. It serves as a good example of governance for a large group of cousins within a multienterprise portfolio. Students can learn and apply insights from this valuable illustration of family values, vision, and mission statement.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of internet banking services in Mauritius. Drawing from the technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behaviour and the extensive literature on demographic profiling of internet banking users, trust and security aspects associated with adoption rate of internet banking, this paper combines various predetermined constructs in one model. The different constructs such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, subjective norms, attitudes, behavioural intentions, security and trust aspects, the level of awareness on internet banking services and demographic variables such as age, income, gender and education into one integrated framework. Hence, the paper will deepen understanding of the specific factors underpinning the adoption of internet banking in Mauritius.

This paper reports upon the empirical findings of the customer survey on the various factors impacting on the adoption of internet banking by the questionnaire method. The Internet Banking Services Acceptance Model (IBSAM) is further validated through a survey instrument administered to 384 respondents visiting various banking institutions across the nine districts throughout Mauritius to ensure proper geographical coverage. The questionnaires were further processed and analysed with the statistical programme SPSS, by using descriptive and inferential analysis.

Data analysis showed that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have a direct influence on the adoption of internet banking in Mauritius. Results have also indicated that both trust and security aspects are deemed crucial factors to explaining internet banking adoption in Mauritius. Further examination of the inferential analysis highlighted that level of education and income level of respondents may be a major determinant in influencing the adoption of internet banking.

This research provides banking institutions with significant information on the various aspects that need to be highlighted in their banking communications strategies to increase the adoption rate of internet banking services. Banking institutions need to stress upon the benefits of internet banking services, ease to use, trust and security aspects. The ndings of the research provide valuable insights for the banking industry and also urge upon a reshaping of their e-marketing strategy in relation to internet banking services in Mauritius. The research findings revealed that secured web contents and design are key tools to increase the adoption rate of internet banking. Practical recommendations to increase web usefulness and trust, and guidelines to reduce perceived risk are also provided in the present research paper.

The purpose of the study is to fill up significant gaps in the literature on internet banking landscape in the context of developing countries like Mauritius. The findings are expected to be of significant use to the commercial banks and other financial institutions offering or planning to offer internet banking solutions in the near future. An understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of internet banking services is essential for marketing practitioners so as to capitalize upon the underlying benefits of internet banking and hence, offer banking customers an online experience coupled with a greater level of personalization and customization.