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This paper aims to conduct a comparative study on the impact of income diversification and the main non-interest components on banks’ financial performance and risk-adjusted profitability in China and Egypt.

This study uses both static and dynamic panel regression analyses on a sample of Egyptian and Chinese banks from 2009 to 2022.

Income diversification yields positive effects on bank profitability in Egypt and China. Trading income consistently exhibits a significant positive influence on bank profitability in both nations. Conversely, fee-based income positively impacts bank profitability in China, whereas in Egypt, this effect is observed under dynamic-based regression models. On the contrary, income diversification does not consistently increase risk-adjusted profitability in both countries, especially Egypt.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the impact of income diversification on Egyptian bank performance while identifying the most significant non-interest income components. In addition, the comparative analysis conducted in this study reveals the positioning of China, the largest economy among emerging countries, in terms of the degree of income diversification, its impact on bank profitability and the extent to which non-interest income components contribute to bank profitability when compared with Egypt, representing an emerging country characterised by different levels of bank market power, financial infrastructure and expertise. Findings hold significant implications, suggesting that bank managers and policymakers should prioritise diversifying income sources, particularly through fee-based services and trading activities in China, and trading activities in Egypt, to enhance financial profitability.

Using the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, we explore the impact of strategic management practices, innovation and social capital on small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance in three developing Arab countries, namely, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

Drawing upon firm-level data derived from the standardized World Bank Enterprise Surveys, we use quantile regressions and the marginal effects analysis to test our hypotheses.

Our results show heterogeneity among the three countries as to the factors affecting firm performance. The configuration of performance determinants also differs among firms within each country, depending on their level of performance.

Our findings further the understanding of the performance determinants of SMEs in developing countries within their own local context. They imply important theoretical, methodological, managerial and policy implications.

This study is the first to investigate simultaneously strategic management practices, innovation and social capital as determinants of SMEs’ performance in developing countries. We confirm an important premise of the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, which has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature, claiming that strategic management, innovation and social capital cannot be separately investigated as determinants of firm performance. We do so by going beyond the mere inclusion of interaction terms in regression equations to computing marginal effects.

This paper aims to identify why hotel employees in the Egyptian context accept the extreme job duties resulting from hosting too many mega sporting events and what outcomes they experience as a result.

The empirical data is based on semi-structured interviews with 36 hotel employees working in reservations, front desk and events management roles in four 4-star hotels located in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Thematic analysis was subsequently used to determine the main ideas in the interview transcripts.

The findings show that hotel employees accept the extreme job duties resulting from hosting mega sporting events for the following four reasons: linking pay with performance, difficulty finding alternative jobs, proving their occupational identity and being subject to patriotism. Furthermore, this paper highlights that the engagement of hotel employees in extreme work conditions during such mega-sporting events might be detrimental to their mental health, resulting in increased cronyism and gender bias among them.

This paper is a pioneering study to specifically investigate how hosting mega sporting events influences the extremity of work conditions for hospitality sector employees. Prior studies (to the best of the authors’ knowledge) have not theorised and empirically analysed this specific topic, especially in under-researched settings, such as developing countries in the global south.

This study aims to examine how auditors' perfectionism types and time budget pressure (TBP) influence fraud detection in Egypt.

We utilize a mixed-methods approach, combining questionnaires with an experimental case study in a within-subjects quasi-experimental design. Based on Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), perfectionism traits were categorized using cluster analysis into adaptive, maladaptive, and non-perfectionism. Auditors from Egyptian firms performed fraud-related tasks with TBP manipulated.

Auditors' perfectionism types significantly influence fraud detection capabilities. Adaptive perfectionists demonstrated higher relevance in identifying fraud factors and excelled in accurately assessing fraud risks and audit procedures planning. Conversely, maladaptive perfectionists identified more but less relevant factors. TBP notably impacted maladaptive and non-perfectionist auditors' planning quality, unlike adaptive perfectionists, who showed resilience.

Findings provide insights to audit firms to bolster audit quality through team formations and task assignments, harnessing the strengths of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists. Regulatory entities are positioned to integrate safeguards that recognize auditor capabilities and vulnerabilities, particularly under TBP. Considering psychological assessments in auditor selection and development assures alignment of traits with audit tasks, enhancing audit quality.

This study breaks new ground in the effects of auditor perfectionism on fraud detection, considering situational factors like TBP in emerging markets. Through a mixed-methods approach and cluster analysis, it reveals how different perfectionism traits influence audit effectiveness, offering insights not previously considered in auditing literature and suggesting practical applications for enhancing fraud detection in similar contexts.

This paper aims to (1) investigate the effect of other comprehensive income (OCI) on audit fees (AF) and audit report lag (ARL) and (2) test the moderating effect of board gender diversity (BGD) on such relationships.

This paper uses data extracted from the financial reports for a sample of Egyptian firms from 2013 to 2019, where the data are processed using the Panel Corrected Standards Errors (PCSE) and the Structure Equation Model (SEM).

The results reveal that (1) the OCI existence and OCI volume have a significant positive effect on AF and ARL, and (2) the presence of female directors on the board and the percentage of female representation affect the relationship between OCI and AF positively, but this effect on the relationship between OCI and ARL is insignificant.

This paper has some limitations, where the analysis uses a small sample of Egyptian listed firms, as well as, the measures that were used as proxies of the study variables, which do not necessarily express the most suitable ones.

The results of this paper would (1) provide signals to the audit market, the professional bodies in Egypt and stakeholders about the determinants of AF and ARL, (2) provide guidelines that support the capital market authority to consider gender diversity in boards of companies taking into considerations its impact on AF and ARL, and (3) help the accounting setters in emerging economies as Egypt in drafting more suitable standards and guidelines regarding OCI.

This paper adds to the literature on OCI, where it investigates the effect of OCI on ARL, which was not yet studied in prior studies. Also, this paper complements and extends the literature by providing empirical evidence from one of the emerging markets as Egypt about the effect of BGD on the relationships between OCI, AF and ARL, as these relationships have not been examined before.