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As cross-cultural mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have learning effects on organisations, assessing their impacts on corporate performance is crucial. This study aims to explore the impact of inter-firm cultural differences on long-term post-M&A stock market performance.

The authors select domestic M&A transactions of Chinese listed companies during 2010–2021 as the sample. Then, the authors use the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to construct the latent variable of cultural differences in four dimensions to explore long-term stock market performance.

Cultural differences first positively and then negatively impact post-M&A performance. Three transmissions mechanisms are identified: investor sentiment, takeover premiums and information disclosure quality. Further analysis reveals that acquirer stock performance improves with higher analyst coverage and non-local shareholders but worsens if there are business affiliations between the acquirer and target firms.

This study can help optimise information disclosure systems in M&A transactions for regulatory authorities and aid investors’ understanding of post-M&A performance changes. Furthermore, it can improve acquirers’ understanding of the risks and opportunities in cross-cultural M&A, thereby facilitating the adaptation of management practices to the im-pacts of cultural differences.

By integrating the theories of resource dependence and transaction costs, this study examines the reversal effect of cultural differences between merging companies on post-M&A performance. The authors use a PLS-SEM to empirically analyse the main effects and reveal three transmission mechanisms.

Transference-based trust (TBT) via referral sources is a cognitive process where trust in third-party information about an individual transfers to trust in the individual. TBT via referral sources can have significant effects on early trust development in a virtual team (VT). This study aims to examine the potential influence of Hofstede’s (1980) cultural variables and two proposed combinations of these cultural variables on early trust development in VT, including the effects of referral source.

This study adopted multigroup analysis partial least squares structural modeling to examine potential cultural differences in the responses of 357 university students from 51 different countries to understand early trust development in VT.

TBT via referral sources as in interpersonal construct has a positive, direct impact on early trust development. TBT mediated the individual and organizational model constructs. There were significant differences in the high/low values of 3 of the 56 tested cultural dimensions.

Reaffirmed the validity of cognitive-based trust models in understanding early trust development in VTs TBT as an interpersonal construct and has a significant influence on early trust development in VTs. TBT via referral sources mediated the individual and organizational constructs of the model. There were significant differences in the high/low measures of three cultural dimensions (i.e. IV, M and the combination of IV-M-LT) in the relationship of early trusting beliefs to early trusting intensions.

To positively influence interpersonal and organizational aspects of trust development, managers should ensure that the early phases of VTs, before actual implementation begins, are well organized. Managers could make VT members fully aware of how referral sources can influence early trust development. Managers could encourage individuals to have open access to relevant social media accounts for other VT members and encourage individuals to research referral sources on other VTs members. The implication for managers of culturally diverse VT is that the development of early trust is largely by individual choice, rather than differences in national culture.

People need to maintain and actively manage their online presence, ensuring that online information about them is accurate and updated. Referral sources could help VT members learn about one another, which might in turn help foster early trust in their online teams.

Although some studies have found significant cultural differences in early trust development, other studies, including a meta-analysis of 43 studies, found no significant cultural differences in early trust development. This study confirmed the results of the meta-analysis.

Several studies have attempted to explain the integration of sustainable development in business school curricula. However, little is known about who (male students vs female students), at which age (under 21, 21–25 and 26–30) and at which stage of their undergraduate education (freshman, junior or senior) can attain and retain an adequate understanding of sustainability in accounting education. For this reason, the present study aims to investigate the students' interest in sustainability in accounting with respect to their demographic factors.

The study used a quantitative research design where data were collected at a single point in time. Further, an independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA and factorial design were performed on 132 responses conveniently collected from accounting students in the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU) in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

The study found no differences between the attitudes of male and female students toward sustainability in accounting education. Similarly, no statistical differences were found in the three age categories identified in this study. However, significant results were found throughout the different academic classifications (seniority): freshman students, junior students and senior students. Further, differences in the mean scores for freshman and junior accounting students were different between the male and female students, indicating that both male and female senior students' attitudes toward sustainability in accounting education were higher than those of male and female freshman and junior accounting students. The study concluded that students achieve an adequate understanding of sustainability in accounting education related to the relativism category of the Perry model of intellectual development.

Literature on attitude of students toward sustainability in education, specifically accounting education, is questionable and needs further exploration. This is due to the fact that only a small number of accounting students have been exposed to sustainable accounting education. Similarly, a recent study found a significant deficiency in sustainable accounting education in four Saudi Arabian universities, with only 4.5% of respondents knowing the comprehensive definition of sustainable development and 88% respondents having very low to low familiarity with the term sustainability.

This study aims to investigate the determinants of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar consumers’ perceptions of organic food.

Using a survey approach and focusing on six known determinants identified from empirical studies, data were analysed using a mean difference analysis and a multi-regression model.

Citizens in both countries had similar access to organic food products, yet consumer perceptions differed significantly. Given the geographical, cultural and topographical proximity and similarities of these countries, differences in the mean values indicate that targeted or bespoke marketing is required to attract customers.

One limitation of this study its sample size that may limit the generalizability of its results. However, the highly statistically significant results offset this to some extent as the differences the authors have demonstrated are likely to be real. These do require confirmation by further similar studies. The study relied on a random sample of respondents who might have exhibited bias in answering questions.

The two countries central to this research study, the UAE and Qatar, have vested interests in supporting the organic food product market that mainly concern supporting and promoting the health of their citizens and the environment. As shown in this paper, the key obstacles preventing consumers’ accessing organic products are availability and price. With appropriate governmental subsidies and logistics support, however, these barriers can be overcome.

If governments are sincere in their declarations that the health and welfare of their citizens is of prime importance, they will support attempts to promote the sale and consumption of organically grown food. The results of this study can help to inform such policies.

This study provides insights into the most important factors that influence consumers’ attitudes towards organic foods. This study fills a gap in the existing research on consumer buying behaviour for organic food in two Middle Eastern countries.

Many European countries suspended mandatory conscription after the Cold War, and especially between 2000 and 2010. However, with the changing security situation in Europe, more and more countries are considering the re-introduction of the draft. That is why, it is important to evaluate the impact of conscription on draftees, including its effect on fertility outcomes. Additionally, fertility is of particular interest because birth rates have been below replacement levels in most European countries at least in the last two decades. This, combined with the increase in life expectancy, has contributed to aging population and raises concerns about the future economic prospects and sustainability of the continent. Military service could be related to fertility in several ways. Compulsory service for men would affect the marriage market and subsequently child-bearing outcomes. For example, men who serve in the military would have to delay higher education at least by a year, given that they plan to continue their education after high school. One possibility is that this leads to older men meeting younger women if partners meet at college. Alternatively, in case the partners know each other prior to the draft, service could delay marriage by up to a year due to the conscription, postponing planning and having children, and potentially having fewer children as women might be less able or less willing to have a child after a certain age. Finally, some men who plan and would otherwise continue their education might choose to not do so or to further postpone it once they disattach from studying during their service. For some men, this might influence their marital and subsequent fertility outcomes. In either of these scenarios, a draft or its suspension is likely to be connected to fertility.

This study examines the effect of the suspension of the draft in Spain in December 2001 on three fertility outcomes of men that would have been drafted in the absence of the suspension. The author performs the analysis in a difference-in-differences framework. Potential concerns and policy implications are also discussed.

The findings suggest that after the suspension of the draft, individuals started to have their first child earlier given that they decide to have children. Consistent with the overall time trend, they became less likely to have a child and started to have fewer children. However, the age at birth of the first child decreased while the number of children and the likelihood of having a child increased for men relative to women, after compared to before the suspension of the mandatory draft.

The author extends prior literature by investigating the effect of the abolition of compulsory military service in Spain in December 2001 on fertility. This is novel is several ways. First, to the best of the author’s knowledge, previous literature has examined the effect of this Spanish reform only on labor market outcomes prior to men's conscription. Second, even for other countries that terminated the compulsory draft, fertility has been under-studied, providing an opportunity for further exploration. Third, this analysis is based on rich Census data, representative of the population in Spain. Finally, given the inconclusive findings of previous studies for other countries and the proposed re-introduction of the draft in some parts of Europe, additional evidence of the effect of the conscription has important policy implications necessary for the evaluation of future military service policy decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the appropriateness of equal weights estimation (sumscores) and the application of the composite equivalence index (CEI) vis-à-vis differentiated indicator weights produced by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The authors rely on prior literature as well as empirical illustrations and a simulation study to assess the efficacy of equal weights estimation and the CEI.

The results show that the CEI lacks discriminatory power, and its use can lead to major differences in structural model estimates, conceals measurement model issues and almost always leads to inferior out-of-sample predictive accuracy compared to differentiated weights produced by PLS-SEM.

In light of its manifold conceptual and empirical limitations, the authors advise against the use of the CEI. Its adoption and the routine use of equal weights estimation could adversely affect the validity of measurement and structural model results and understate structural model predictive accuracy. Although this study shows that the CEI is an unsuitable metric to decide between equal weights and differentiated weights, it does not propose another means for such a comparison.

The results suggest that researchers and practitioners should prefer differentiated indicator weights such as those produced by PLS-SEM over equal weights.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of the CEI’s usefulness. The results provide guidance for researchers considering using equal indicator weights instead of PLS-SEM-based weighted indicators.

This study aims to propose a refined dynamic network slacks-based measure (DNSBM) to evaluate the efficiency of China's regional green innovation system which consists of basic research, applied research and commercialization stages and explore the influencing factors of the stage efficiency.

A two-step procedure is employed. The first step proposes an improved DNSBM model with flexible settings of stages' input or output efficiency and uses second order cone programming (SOCP) to solve the non-linear problem. In the second step, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Tobit models are used to explore the influencing factors of the stage efficiency. Global Dynamic Malmquist Productivity Index (GDMPI) and Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition method are introduced for further discussion of the productivity change and regional differences.

On average, Chinese provincial green innovation efficiency should be improved by 24.11% to become efficient. The commercialization stage outperforms the stages of basic research and applied research. Comparisons between the proposed model and input-oriented, output-oriented and non-oriented DNSBM models show that the proposed model is more advanced because it allows some stages to have output-oriented model characteristics while the other stages have input-oriented model characteristics. The examination of the influencing factors reveals that the three stages of the green innovation system have quite diverse influencing factors. Further discussion reveals that Chinese green innovation productivity has increased by 39.85%, which is driven mainly by technology progress, and the increasing tendency of regional differences between northern and southern China should be paid attention to.

This study proposes an improved dynamic three-stage slacks-based measure (SBM) model that allows calculating output efficiency in some stages and input efficiency in the other stages with the application of SOCP approach. In order to capture productivity change, this study develops a GDMPI based on the DNSBM model. In practice, the efficiency of regional green innovation in China and the factors that influence each stage are examined.

This study aims to examine the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Saudi Arabia. It investigates how the adoption of IFRS has affected four critical areas in the financial statements of publicly listed companies: profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and retained equity statement in Saudi Arabia. The paper also explores the essential factors/drivers that influence the adoption of IFRS and its implication in Saudi Arabia.

Data was obtained from Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) listed companies from eleven industries in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study analyses critical financial data across eleven distinctive industries. To identify the impact of adopting IFRS, the researchers use a paired t-test to evaluate seven key elements of financial statements underlying the critical areas: non-current asset, current asset, total assets, shareholders equity, non-current liability, current liability and total liability. The sample captures cross-sectional data from well-developed global industries in Saudi Arabia, pre- and post-implementation of IFRS. Thus, the analysis of the sample data gives a representative picture of the population of the Saudi Arabian industry.

The results reveal significant differences between GAAP and IFRS reporting standards in the measurement, recognition and classification of non-current assets and liabilities. The differences are expressed in the variance between the GAAP and IFRS. Specifically, the differences between GAAP and IFRS demonstrated by the t-value are significant and reliable (respectively, 5.3 and 4.1). Additionally, the t-value is validated by the p-value, which in both was significant.

The outcomes of this research will benefit accounting information users, practitioners, researchers and regulators. Since Saudi Arabia’s policymakers have mandated the full adoption of IFRS in financial reporting, the study contributes to the adoption of IFRS practices throughout the Saudi industry. Adopting full IFRS standards requires widespread IFRS expertise to cope with the transition.

This study advances research into the perennial issues associated with changes in reporting towards IFRS standards, especially in Saudi Arabia. The contribution to theory and practice enters new and fruitful areas.

This study aims to provides the insights on the advantages and disadvantages of international franchising and licensing from the perspectives of legal and business considerations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Using a quantitative research approach, the authors conducted a survey with 150 business owners and franchisees in the GCC and analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling and frequency analysis.

The findings reveal that while international franchising and licensing offer significant benefits for business expansion and revenue growth, they also pose risks related to legal compliance, cultural differences and intellectual property protection. Indeed, the results of this study provide valuable insights into the advantages and disadvantages of international franchising and licensing in the GCC from both legal and business perspectives.

There is limited research on the legal and business perspectives of international franchising and licensing in the GCC. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the legal and business perspectives of international franchising and licensing in the GCC.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a prototype of a wearable medical device in the form of a bandage with a real-time data monitoring platform, which can be used domestically for diabetic patients to identify the possibility of foot ulceration at the early stage.

The prototype can measure blood volumetric change and temperature variation in the forefoot area simultaneously. The waveform extracted using a pulsatile-blood-flow signal was used to assess blood perfusion-related information, and hence, predict ischemic ulcers. The temperature difference between ulcerated and the reference was used to predict neuropathic ulcers. The medical device can be used as a bandage during the application wherein the sensory module is placed inside the hollow pocket of the bandage. A platform was developed through a mobile application where doctors can extract real-time information, and hence, determine the possibility of ulceration.

The height of the peaks in the pulsatile-blood-flow signal measured from the subject with foot ischemic ulcers is significantly less than that of the subject without ischemic ulcers. In the presence of ischemic ulcers, the captured waveform flattens. Therefore, the blood perfusion from arteries to the tissue of the forefoot is considerably low for the subject with ischemic ulcers. According to the temperature difference data measured over 25 consecutive days, the temperature difference of the subject with neuropathic ulcers occasionally exceeded the 4 °F range but mostly had higher values closer to the 4 °F range. However, the temperature difference of the subject who had no complications of neuropathic ulcers did not exceed the 4 °F range, and the majority of the measurements occupy a narrow range from −2°F to 2 °F.

The proposed prototype of wearable medical apparatus can monitor both temperature variation and pulsatile-blood-flow signal on the forefoot simultaneously and thereby predict both ischemic and neuropathic diabetes using a single device. Most importantly, the wearable medical device can be used domestically without clinical assistance with a real-time data monitoring platform to predict the possibility of ulceration and the course of action thereof.