CBERICBED April-2023

Today we can identify a variety of political and economic systems in the world. A free market economic system is more likely to work if it is based on a democratic political system. According to the Democracy Index 2021, Mexico went from being an imperfect democracy to a hybrid regime, with the risk of becoming an authoritarian regime. The transition from a political system of imperfect democracy to a hybrid regime represents a great risk for domestic and foreign private investment. There is a latent political risk for investors in this type of country, which scares away foreign direct investment.

This research presents an analysis of the behavior of foreign direct investment in Mexico from 2000 to 2021 by state and political party. A point biserial correlation test is performed to prove the existence of a dependencie between the attraction of foreign investment and the political party in government. Lower capital inflows in Mexico is observed since the presence of MORENA, actual political party that is in both, the federal and some state governments. Descriptive statistics show that in most of the matches there is a dependence and also a correlation, however it is prudent to study the direction of this relationship and the strength.

The findings are based on an analysis of three years of government of the MORENA political party; therefore, a longer period could be considered for future research.

Education is to serve a purpose otherwise it becomes meaningless. Since it creates awareness, therefore, has been the priority of mankind ever since their emergence and would continue to be so in times to come. Society gazes at the end result i.e., how well universities prepare the graduates for their professional lives. This notion decides the very purpose and foundation of any education system. Business education is to give skills to the young entrepreneurs to run the businesses, operate factories and manage organizations. This means objectives-based business education which is possible when there is perfect synch among business schools, corporate sector, and the society.

Therefore, in a student centricity paradigm, the business schools need to produce graduates with corporate outlook who could develop enterprises. The main factors to produce professionals include curricula, faculty, infrastructure and above all vision of the business school. COVID-19 has given new experience to business schools i.e., operating under off-campus environments. Obviously, Post COVID-19, ‘New Normal’ is different as entrepreneurial and job dynamics have been reshaped under online practices. This paper outlines the structure and curricula of business education under ‘New Normal’ which reemphasizes overwhelming employment of technology in education and its management.

In business schools, curricula develop foundations of quality education and competitive skills. Accordingly, the study takes into account the stakeholders like students, faculty members, people from the corporate sector, parents, government officials and members from the civil society. Despite having different views, the stakeholders agree to the need of adopting different approaches for quality business education under ‘New Normal’.

Following on from the Covid global pandemic, the  world shared a common hope that international  trade would soon get  back on track. However, the events of February 2022 created  a new reality as the Russian-Ukrainian war impacted  on  all the aspects of world trade.

It is now predicted that world trade will decrease by 1%, which may significantly deepen the impending recession. This article is  an attempt at answering  the  question about the effect that the Russian/Ukranian  war has on world trade. The changes that have occurred in the global coal, oil, gas and grain markets are enormous. The war has disrupted global and in particular European supply chains and Russia which was  one of the main suppliers of coal to Europe before the introduction of  embargos has meant that  the countries of the European Union must now find new sources of supply for these essentials .,Some countries, such as Germany, have, in retrospect, made strategic mistakes by closing some of their coal fired nuclear power plants and now they have to reopen these  power plants, which will in turn increase their demand for coal. In addition, most Western European countries have closed their coal mines, which means that they too are now forced to import coal and while coal producers will be able to increase production it will certainly not happen before the winter of 2022 which will clearly   make things  hard for most European citizens . Additionally, over 50% of gas imported to the EU comes from Russia which can cut supplies off at any moment and Europe is caught in a bind of its own making and does not know how to get out of this clinch. Russia has already cut off gas to some countries, such as Bulgaria, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Denmark, Latvia and Finland demonstrating the vulnerability of the dependent nations on their main source of supply. Moreover, European countries must find new sources of oil and petroleum-based products because starting at the end of December 2022 there will be an additional embargo imposed on the import of these products from Russia.

 The war has also disrupted the global grain market because Ukraine is  one of largest grain producers in the world. Is Europe in danger of going hungry? Maybe not, but such a disruption to the supply chain  can have a devastating effect on  Africa. A famine in Africa may destabilize  local governments and cause  a new wave of immigrants into Europe. Additionally, if there is a real recession combined with high inflation and an increase in unemployment in Europe, the public mood may become radicalized, and it can thus affect the policy of the European Union. Of course, nobody knows for sure what the future will bring. Three years ago, no one thought about a pandemic and  hardly anyone thought that Russia would attack Ukraine in 2022. In the face of these changes and many other unknowns, it is difficult to unequivocally predict how these events will affect the world trade of goods.

Maritime containerized shipping has recently suffered from various problems and challenges caused by stochastic shocks such as the Covid -19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The pandemic and recent war have clearly indicated shortfalls and weaknesses of maritime containerization and have triggered various attempts at identifying the potential for its further development determined by the new reality (after global shocks and with the consideration of new ones).

The paper presents a holistic analysis of factors that globally affect the potential for further development of containerized maritime transport. The entire research design comes as an attempt made at identifying and updating the determinants and predictions of prospects for development of containerization in the current geopolitical situation and global trade conditions in the post-pandemic era, also taking the aspects of the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine and the post-war recovery into consideration.

The results of the research are presented as a matrix of the eight main determinants Det 1-8 (each supported by two key factors F1, F2) that have been originally identified. Each factor is described by originally developed calculation methodology (as an Index). The indexes are calculated for the period of 2018-2020 and subsequently discussed. Moreover, there is a potential for further utilization of the presented matrix as a universal tool that will define the future aspects of management in the field of the expected architecture of global supply chains and maritime transport of containerized cargo after the absorption of global shocks.

Purpose: To review the traditional responses to cumulative poverty (multidimensional poverty) processes and offer a solution, through the Methodology Model for Global Poverty Intervention (MMGPI), whilst using social marketing technique.

Design/Methodology: It was a cross-case analysis in which the paper explores approaches that have been experimented previously in tackling poverty across the globe with meaningful outcomes. The paper posed the critical question why these previous approaches have fallen short of overcoming the threat of poverty, despite the huge sums and research efforts committed to eliminating extreme poverty? Upon evaluating the critical variable-factors that mitigate against traditional approaches, the authors suggest the new MMGPI, with an Implementation joint programme of Action (IJPA). (The new MMGPI is multidimensional in nature; in that it has a Multidimensional Poverty Index-(MPI). The new MMGPI-IJPA model is user-and-eco-friendly and retains the multidimensional paradigm. This extension was achieved through literature research, the development of methodology (MMGPI) adopting a mixed methods approach and strategy conference.

Findings:   The findings from examining literature documentary evidence from previous attempts indicated a new methodology is needed for global use. The review also suggests the needs of  vulnerable peoples: young people and communities, children/mothers(women), people with disabilities (PWDs), pensioners, minority ethnic/faith groups have largely been ignored. More needed to be done to address their needs and involving, empower and engage them. This would save lives, improve quality of lives, as well as improve conditions of living. The findings are inconclusive; therefore, more research is needed with new data set. We argue identifying and tackling the root-causes, experiences, challenges, impact, and solutions through the methodology model for global poverty intervention would significantly reduce multidimensional poverty (cumulative poverty).

Practical implications/conclusion: (i) Policy makers and policy implementers may benefit from the new data available and findings for policy formulation purposes whereas new researchers may use this as starting point, which they could build upon. (ii) Not just young people and community organisations but also policymakers and policy implementers are beginning to express concerns and even question the conventional approaches to tackling poverty; (iii) The insights are expected to lead to new opportunities that could help run a better and more effective and efficient global poverty alleviation programme that is more sustainable, with view to making the world a better place.  (iii)  It would be ideal to see or experience a world free of cumulative poverty.

The personnel policy of a modern organization is one of the important issues in the way of establishing and improving both intra-organizational and international relations. The modern world is characterized by constant changes and a high level of development, which changes which are related to the development of democracy, strengthening of competitiveness, globalization, etc. In the modern world, only the development of technologies is not a prerequisite for the success of companies. The main tasks of these changes are people, personnel policy, personnel selection, its management, employee relations in the organization, effective communication.

The main goal of the work is to present the main aspects of the personnel policy in the banking sector in Georgia and to develop conclusions and recommendations in accordance with modern requirements in this direction. The methodological basis of the research is the questionnaire survey conducted in JSC Bank of Georgia and JSC TBC Bank, as well as the inductive and deductive methods of research and the works that belong to Georgian and foreign scientists. Researchers' ideas and concepts related to human resources selection-recruitment issues.

In the wake of current changes in the world, the human role as a resource determining competitive advantage is becoming more and more important in modern management. Based on the research, it can be said that in the era of globalization, human resource is considered to be the most important asset, because the successful results of a modern organization are directly related to the effective management of human resources. Accordingly, the process of personnel selection and management carried out by companies in accordance with existing and strategic goals are very relevant issues in modern organizations.

 The scientific originality of the paper are: An analysis of the relationship between the organization's human resources management and innovative development processes is given.

- the conditions for the innovative development of the modern human resources management systems of the organization are determined.

- The main principles and technologies of personnel reserve management are studied.

- the overseas experience of working with the personnel reserve in the organization as a management innovation is analyzed.

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of changes in coal prices. Scholars insinuated that the extensive capital requirements of building thermal power stations and coal mines lead to power production costs parachuting beyond the reach of many economic players. These rising costs in coal prices and power production costs, the retail price of electricity has not been adjusted, resulting in many players in this industry incurring losses. This study will use Statistical multiple regression and correlation analysis to test the relationship between two variables, coal price changes being an independent variable and changes in the price of electricity being the dependent variable.  The findings show a strong dependence between changes in coal prices and electricity pricing in South Africa. People are scrambling to coal mining is a concern since there are no proper regulations, which will lead to land degradation. Moreover, since NERSA regulates the prices of electricity, miners are being forced to use cheaper methods of extracting coal in order to keep the costs low

With high youth unemployment rates in South Africa, strategies to increase youth entrepreneurship have become essential. Youth in rural communities tend to face circumstances which require proper examination to establish how they can be motivated to engage in entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study is to explore the question: How do community and family factors in a rural context influence youth to engage in entrepreneurship? To address this research question, a case study research design was adopted, and data were collected through focus group discussions with youth entrepreneurs in a rural township community. The fifteen-member focus group discussion provided evidence that youths in rural contexts face unique challenges and scenarios that demand specific consideration. Essentially, it was established that the community and the families of the entrepreneurs provided the motivation to overcome circumstances and to achieve. Community elders and leaders were found to be critical in influencing the psyche and entrepreneurial behavior of the youths. Resources and entrepreneurial ideas and skills were also found to be passed from generation to generation through inheritance systems or through sharing. Rural communities were further found to be endowed with various resources whose exploitation was based on the collective culture in rural communities. Families were also found to be sources of number of entrepreneurial traits such as risk taking, desire for independence or the need to achieve. This study recommends that both public and private institutions in rural communities should promote the welfare of rural communities and families so that imperative entrepreneurial behavior emerges.

The petroleum wholesale sector plays a significant role in the value chain of South Africa. Although there has been strides by the South African government to provide an inclusive and enabling entrepreneurial ecosystem for emerging businesses, some industries have been affected and therefore lagging behind. The petroleum industry is a case in point and has been moving slowly toward achieving its ambitious transformation goals as committed in the Liquid Fuels Charter. This article seeks to analyse the factors affecting SMEs’ entrepreneurial growth. A qualitative approach followed, and the findings suggest that the power of the oil majors in the value chain and the apparent government support hinder SMEs’ ability to grow in the sector. The paper recommends that Small businesses in an interdisciplinary programme gain skills from different industries, and therefore able to service various industries which will broaden their service and competencies.

The article - "The role of education in the growth of the Georgian economy" –   is dedicated to the economic problem of Georgia, such as unemployment and the connection between the quality of education and this problem. An even bigger problem is that among the unemployed, whose share of the working population is 18.5%, a catastrophically large share is occupied by graduates of higher education institutions (32.3%) and vocational schools (more than 40%). The author names the reason for this situation as the low quality of education in both types of educational institutions and the incompatibility of professions and competencies mastered by students with the requirements of the labor market.

The article mentions that Europe had this problem before Georgia. The European Commission has launched several programs to address this issue, and in 2006 adopted an official document, “knowledge into practice”. This document recognized the new model of higher education, so called the "Triple Helix" and European countries gradually began to switch to this model.

The author of the article recommends the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, as well as all its subordinate universities, to get acquainted with this model and, by adapting it to the local conditions of Georgia, to start preparatory work for its implementation in practice. Each university in Georgia could be encouraged to identify a “Center of Excellence” they are proud of and can expand to create a strong bond with local business firms. The relationship should serve students well.

The strength of the "Triple Helix" model of higher education in the article is the close cooperation of universities with the business sector and the government of the country. They all together form one whole. The government of the country creates the "rules of the game" of education, the business sector orders universities to train specialists with specific professions and skills, and universities fulfill these orders. Specialists trained in this way, the customer, obviously, employs. The author of the article claims that this model has worked in the UK, USA, Germany, Serbia and elsewhere, and will work in Georgia as well.

In addition to the Triple Helix model, the article also touches on the importance of human capital as an essential factor of production contributing to economic growth. This has been developed by Professor Gary Becker of the University of Chicago (Becker, 1975). Furthermore, the article highlights the successful implementation of Co-Operative Education in the US, where students are placed in the workplace alternating with their academic studies. This program has been in place since 1906 at the University of Cincinnati and has resulted in half of the Co-Op students being offered full-time employment upon graduation (University of Cincinnati, 2021).

The article notes that the need for education cooperation with business has emerged in recent years. This was related to the acceleration of technical progress, which led to (and still leads to) the "aging" of professions. Added to this is the already outdated traditional thinking about education that education is the transfer of knowledge and the conduct of research. The new XXI century required education to play the role of a "public servant". This should be reflected in the smooth employment of the staff trained by it. This can only be achieved through deep and solid ties with the business sector. In this way, Georgian universities will be transformed into full-fledged market entities. They will realize that the "product" they create in the market (graduate specialist, research innovations) depends on consumers or employers and tailor the education process to their needs.

According to the author of the article, this will be a major turning point in Georgia's higher education, which will play a major positive role in the country's economic growth.

The organizational and digital transformation projects are very complex to finalize, because of many reasons, and they mainly depend on the initial project’s phases. The initial phases depend on the critical Building Blocks (BB) based Reorganizational Process’ (RP) success, knowing that the Unbundling Process (UP) success and the deliverance of pool(s) of extracted and refined BBs, is the most important phase. BBs are combined to offer reusable Composite BBs (CBB), which are used to (re)build and optimize Organization’s Units (OU) Platform (OUP). The optimization of OUs takes into account mainly intangible and non-financial objectives. The Enterprise’s (ENT) RP is a sequence (or a set) of RPs on the OUP (RPOUP), which goal is to disassemble ENT’s: Legacy OUs’ archaic structure(s), Organizational processes, Information system’s administration, Resources/Artefacts, Applications/Modules, Working models, and Components; into dynamic reusable CBBs which can be (re)used in standardized or In-House-Implemented (IHI) Organizational BBs (OBB); where a OU is a set of OBBs and different OUs can share OBBs, and hence CBBs.  The conversion of the legacy OUs and their subsystems need an IHI Methodology, Domain, and Technology Common Artefacts Standard (MDTCAS) that maps to existing BBs, CBBs and OOBs. In generating Micro-Artifacts (MA) the RP can face major difficulties because of the ENT’s heterogenous human profiles/cultures, system parts, OU’s Resistances (OUR), managers/stakeholders exaggerated financial ambitions, and project’s limited time/budgets. In this chapter the author uses an adapted version of the Applied Holistic Mathematical Model (AHMM) for CBB (AHMM4CBB) (Trad, & Kalpić, 2020a) to support RPOUP’s feasibility that uses the initial phase’s pool of BBs that result from the Automated Refine Processes (ARP) based UP.

Purpose
In this study, we investigate the application of big data analytics in forensic accounting and auditing. Big data technology mediates the connection between awareness and plans to use for fraud detection. We made an effort to assess how big data might be used in forensic accounting and auditing practices.

Design/methodology
This research is based on systematic literature review, and it provides a thorough understanding of the existing literature on big data research in forensic accounting and auditing. The research was gathered through peer-reviewed literature using current (post-2014) articles.

Results/findings
The model for corporate auditing has changed. Managers at the organization are proactively identifying and resolving internal abnormalities and discrepancies prior to an external audit using conventional audit techniques. Known white-collar crimes at several publicly traded corporations have led to a high demand for forensic accountants. Big data analytics is a key tool for spotting fraud patterns. Students should be encouraged to develop skills in data generation, sharing, analytics, mining, reporting, and storage because big data analytics is essential to business education.

Practical implications and conclusions
The study's conclusions can be applied to the forensic accounting industry to assist in the development of Big Data fraud-fighting technology. Big data analytics and forensic accounting should be covered in accounting curricula. By offering different perspectives on big data and its practical implications in accounting practice, this research contributes to the body of published knowledge. As more companies use big data, the need to update the accounting curriculum is highlighted because success now requires a distinct set of skills. Future research should involve interviewing and surveying accountants, auditors, and other members of the financial services industry, which will be difficult but necessary.

The present research looked at the return to schooling (Public and Private schools) in the census region of the East South-Central Division of the United States. The demographic diversity of this region is the primary reason for its selection. The functional form of return to schooling on education has the specified wage as the long-linear function of school attendance (in years), controlling for gender, race, work experience, occupation status, and educational attainment. We followed the extant literature to control a few socioeconomic variables.  The article used 2020 sample data from Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) to estimate the parameter coefficients. The findings show private schools yield a higher return in terms of subsequent wage earnings compared to private schools.  The results highlight a higher differential between private schools & public schools for Caucasian Americans over African Americans. Similarly, the differential is higher among females over males.

Argentina has struggled with inflation since the 1940s, with rates increasing over time and no successful attempts to eliminate it. Despite this, Argentinian society has grown accustomed to high, long-lasting, and volatile inflation which hinders the country's economic growth and development. Numerous stabilization plans have failed, and all monetary policy schemes have been exhausted, except for dollarization.

The purpose of the study is to describe the different stabilization alternatives that Argentina has used to combat inflation and to discuss the possibility of dollarizing the economy as a solution to the inflationary problem. Many neighboring countries have made this decision and their economies have stabilized. The methodology includes both a qualitative approach and a quantitative approach. In its first stage, an attempt will be made to approximate the object through its description, while in the second stage Bayesian networks will be used. The idea is to analyze the influence of macroeconomic variables in the inflationary phenomenon in Argentina to try to propose a correct decision that stabilizes the economy in the long term. The preliminary research findings shows that the inflationary phenomenon in Argentina is multi-causal and, although printing money is the main component, variables such as the interest rate, the exchange rate, the fiscal deficit, expectations, among others, also has influence in inflation.

With annual inflation at 95% in 2022 and projected to exceed 100% in 2023, alternative solutions must be considered. This article is a preview of a Ph.D. thesis in economics in Argentina.

After the passage of the United States Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the emerging market economy of South Africa (SA) recorded substantial increases in duty-free exports to the U.S. Any loss or disruption of AGOA privileges could undermine SA as a trade partner with designated states in the U.S. For U.S. states most affected by the passage of the 2017-2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (e.g., SALT states) along with the COVID-19 pandemic effects, the elimination of the tax exemption impacted how state governments assist in funding international trade. This paper presents a novel hybrid EGARCH conditional volatility and artificial neural network model to map the COVID-19 effect on volatility spillovers between the SA government bond market and state-issued U.S. municipal bonds traded in secondary markets. Our empirical investigation provides three innovations. First, this study addresses illiquidity and informed trading impairments by observing over 11.5 million municipal bond trades. Second, we provide new evidence that a radial basis function artificial neural network enhanced by conditional volatility and fundamental factors can effectively map the geographical bond market spillover transmission between SA and individual U.S. states. Third, on state-based muni trades, we report how the AR (1) process is weighted positively across all East coast states during the global pandemic. Lastly, the study details how COVID-19 and South African conditional volatility impacted the returns of recorded trades of municipal bonds in SALT states. A global summary of the findings concludes with a discussion of how precious metals trading contributes to the performance of state-based municipal bonds.

Purpose: This study attempted to ascertain what is regarded by international housing authorities as ‘adequate housing’ in their respective regions.

Methodology: Non-probability sampling was undertaken to identify 199 countries and an attempt was made to engage in conversation regarding housing in their regions.

Findings: It was found that a quarter of potential contacts were uncontactable. The majority (67,9%) could be contacted through their official contact channels, but were unresponsive, undelivered, or simply acknowledged via automation with no further interaction. Only 7,1% of potential contacts engaged in any interaction following from the attempted contact.

Practical implications: International agreement on what is to be regarded as ‘adequate housing’ will not be reached while most housing authorities are not open to communication.

Purpose:  To determine what motivates people to shop at night-time.

Methodology:  A non-probability purposive sampling methodology was utilised to collect survey responses from 404 night-time grocery shoppers in Johannesburg, South Africa. The results were segmented based on Living Standard Measure (LSM) profiles, shopping pattern variables and shopping motivation variables.

Findings: The night-time shopper can be classified as functional, with efficiency and value-seeking behaviour forming part of the utilitarian shopping motives driving his/her behaviour.

Practical implications: Specific marketing or retail strategies which seek to target the night-time grocery shoppers in Johannesburg can be developed.

Originality: The study fills a gap in knowledge about the motivation of night-time shoppers.

The study aimed to identify the level of efficiency of the Saudi capital market and the business sectors included in it during the Corona pandemic, with a comparison between these sectors. The daily indices values of the capital market and the business sectors included in it were relied upon during the pandemic period from 2020 to 2022. The indicators were described through the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and a graphical display of the trend graph for each indicator. To test the efficiency of the capital market and the sectors included in it, the Jarque – Bera test was used to test the Normality, the Run test to test the random walk of the indices values, and Augmented Dickey Fuller test (ADF) to test the stationary of the indices values series during the study period.

The most important results of the study were the inefficiency of the weak form of the Saudi capital market and the sectors included in it during the pandemic period. The study also found that the sectors most affected by the pandemic are the transportation sector, the construction sector, public utilities, the entertainment sector, and the retail sector for luxury goods. While the sectors least affected by the pandemic are the pharmaceutical sector, health care, food, energy, and the telecommunications sector.

The most important recommendations were that the individual investor should be careful when investing financially in business sectors that work in the field of entertainment and luxury goods in periods of natural crises, and it is preferable to invest in basic goods and services sectors, and the Capital Market Authority should educate investors on how financial investment is made in light of crises , while achieving high transparency, and fully providing data to investors so that no unusual returns or losses are achieved.

There are different opinions existing about the leadership crisis relating to the quality of education (Muenjohn, Pimpa, Montague, & Qin, 2016). Several authors believe that the role of contemporary business in HE plays a significant role in resolving the leadership crisis (Muenjohn, Pimpa, Montague, & Qin, 2016; Bettinger & Loeb, 2017; Grincewicz, 2017). The focus of HE in this field also presents significant challenges to those who are responsible for developing the leadership curriculum in the HE context (Muenjohn, Pimpa, Montague, & Qin, 2016). Literature shows that business schools have long struggled with the problem of teaching leadership and developing suitable curricula to help graduates become skilled leaders, primarily through online programs (Muenjohn, Pimpa, Montague, & Qin, 2016). Moreover, with the coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, the online platform has proven to be an effective education delivery tool, but COVID-19 has challenged education for learners of all ages (Hoofman & Secord, 2021). The move to online education during COVID-19 resulted in negative educational changes and health implications for children and young adults enrolled in elementary, middle, high, college, and professional institutions (Hoofman & Secord, 2021). The consequences varied according to age, maturity level, and socioeconomic status. There is limited data on outcomes at the moment, but several oversight bodies have attempted to set recommendations, voiced concerns, and extrapolated from prior experiences (Hoofman & Secord, 2021). According to research, at least 50% of students participate in online courses as opposed to face-to-face courses in non-profit, Higher Education (HE) institutions. Relatively little research has explored the way students’ performance in non-profit institutions is influenced by participating in an online course versus face-to-face course. As a result of research completed on this topic, it is evident more in-depth information is needed regarding evidence to understand the impact of online learning versus face-to-face learning today and their effect on students’ performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the way students’ performance in non-profit institutions is influenced by participating in an online course versus face-to-face course. The Online and Face-to-face Education Evaluation Tool (OFFEET), developed by this researcher, was chosen as the measurement instrument for this study. Participants of this study were university students at non-profit universities/colleges, for this study, there were 314 participants. One-way multivariate ANOVAs were computed with scores on the researcher-developed instrument, OFFEET and the independent variables (i.e., two covariates (gender and age), household income, type of device used, and region within the United States. The results of this research determined that there is a statistically significant difference in the relationship between online versus face-to-face student performance in nonprofit universities.

In recent years, the study of women entrepreneurship has experienced great growth, gaining a broad consensus among academics, and contributing above all to understanding all those factors that explain the difficulty of women in undertaking an entrepreneurial career. Female entrepreneurs represent the fastest growing category of entrepreneurship worldwide and have received, especially in recent years, the attention of many academics. According to the emerging literature, women can make a significant contribution to entrepreneurial activity and economic development in terms of creating new jobs and increasing the gross domestic product (GDP). Women entrepreneurship additionally has positive impacts on reducing poverty in most societies. The percentage of women who decide to pursue an entrepreneurial career is, however, lower than that of men and this difference is greater as the level of development of the country increases.

The importance of discussing ethics in business education has long been recognized. Accrediting bodies such as the ACBSP and AACSB require business curricula to include business ethics as a standalone course and/ or for it to be woven into subject matter of other courses. The premise is that, as future managers and business owners, business students need to be aware of how ethics influence and are related to decision making.

An individual’s ethical attitudes and outlooks are related to values that they consider important. Values vary across individuals, and even societies. For instance, the approach of Hofstede (1991) is considered a standard for viewing cultural differences in certain values, as they apply to workplaces. Individual values have also been studied extensively (example: Rokeach, 1973). The Rokeach Values Survey is an established tool for understanding individual attitudes towards values. The Rokeach Values Survey has been used in a variety of contexts over many decades. In particular, Weber (1990, 2015) used it to study value preferences of business students, and alumni, and also link it to managerial orientations.

Students from underrepresented groups have been under-researched as well. We discuss the issue of integrating ethics in business teaching which responds to the experiences and attitudes of this student group in the context of business education pedagogies. We also attempt to link it to the values identified in the Rokeach survey.

Many of today's most successful companies recognise emotional intelligence as a key indicator of long-term professional success. Emotional intelligence relies in large part on one's ability to shift and change in response to new information and circumstances. The purpose of this research is to determine how secondary school teachers' emotional intelligence affects their sense of professional competence, leadership style, and classroom performance. Results demonstrated a favourable relationship between emotional intelligence and female instructors' sense of competence, leadership style, and students' achievement. The first step in cultivating educators with high emotional intelligence is for teacher preparation programmes to craft their curricula with this end in mind, with the intention of assisting educators in becoming more effective, with the inclusion of various strategies for improving leadership style, and with the comprehensive coverage of all necessary teaching skills.

Occupational trends looks at the distribution of a region’s working population - over a period of time - stratified across different occupations, gender, race, age, income, and geographic region. Why study occupational trends? This topic is important for a number of reasons: (1) as a means to predict the future; (2) to allow governmental agencies to know where to focus resources; (3) to allow educational institutions to fulfill needs that are upcoming and (4) to direct economic patterns and issues that are related to a society's economic portfolio and thus to the needed areas, such as changes in pay rates. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has raised a number of issues and questions regarding shifts in needs and wants of the population. Those supply and demand issues will in turn impact what industries and occupations are needed over the next decades, and analyze how those positions will be occupied, especially across gender and racial lines. Such an analysis is critical in providing an early picture of where we are headed as a national and global economy. This paper used the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics data to analyze occupational trends for men and women across racial lines during the COVID crisis

The attitude that employees have towards their job is well believed to have an influence on their performance. This study investigated the influence of job satisfaction on employees’ performance. Herzberg’s two-factor hygiene and motivation theory was used to explain employees' motivation for best performance. A cross-sectional survey design in the form of a structured questionnaire was used to randomly sample one hundred and sixty (160) employees of the University of Zululand, South Africa. Descriptive and correlation analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The findings indicate that job satisfaction does not influence employees’ performance. The study concludes that UNIZULU employees enjoy their roles despite the unsatisfactory benefits attached. In spite of the unsatisfactory level of benefits, they perform their duties effortlessly. This research contributes to research-based knowledge that will assist universities’ management in identifying the factors that will enhance employees’ performance.

The purpose of this original study is to critically analyse the emergence and development of the national models of financial regulation; international standards and codes; regional and national financial regulation and supervision (the case of UK, USA, Sweden, EU and Finland). The research raises both academic and regulatory concerns. It aims at shaping changes (innovations) in the supervisory practices of national and international regulators in response to new developments in FinTech markets, digital products, financial instruments and risks. Secondly, it will stimulate more systematic work on regulatory databases, registration and reporting procedures in various economies in different financial markets.

The author identifies five main systems of national financial regulatory markets: the multi-tiered, multi-agency US system; the Twin Peaks model (UK); the mega-regulatory model (Sweden). There is a thorough review of international standards and institutions that work for the stability of financial systems. The analysis of regional and national systems of financial regulation and supervision is based on the examples of the EU and Finnish institutions. National macro and microeconomic regulation and supervision have been examined with a focus on the US Federal Reserve and the US Treasury.

National and international regulatory institutions have been evolving along several lines. First, minimum capital and credit risk requirements for banks (80s of the 20th century) are complemented in the 21st century by buffer reserves, liquidity and leverage standards. Second, regulation focuses on ensuring the sustainability of the national economy. The regulatory focus is on ensuring the sustainability of national and global financial systems. Third, there is an increase in the number of supervised institutions. Fourth, there is a division of functions between central banks (macroeconomic regulation) and one or two mega-regulators (microeconomic regulation and supervision). Fifth, there is a division of labour between the international financial institutions (BIS, IMF, WB) and national regulators. Sixth, the focus is on protecting consumers and investors, and countering money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Seventh, there is an understanding for a common approach by central banks to new financial technologies and cybersecurity.

Employees are one of the most important resources of an organisation and their innovative behaviour at work is vital to organisational survival and success. Leadership style is the way that a leader influences the behaviour of followers or employees. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of participative leadership on employee innovative work behaviour (IWB) in small firms. In addition, the study investigates the mediating role of perceived organisational support and the moderating role of leader humor. TThe cross-sectional survey method is adopted to obtain data from the respondents through the self-administered questionnaire. The respondents are employees working for SMMEs and are selected through the convenience sampling method. The hypotheses of the study are tested using the Partial Least Square Structural Equation modelling (PLS SEM). The results of the empirical study indicate that participative leadership is positively related to employee IWB. The mediating effect of perceived organisational support is significant. Also, leader humor moderates the relationship between participative leadership and IWB. The findings show the importance of participative leadership in improving employee IWB. Theoretically, the study develops a model that shows how perceived organisational support and leader humor can affect the relationship between participative leadership and employee IWB. Practically, the study recommends that owners/manager and employees of small firms should attend training on leadership and innovation. The originality of the study is the identification of perceived organisational support and leader humor as mechanisms through which participative leadership can influence employee IWB.

Workaholism is an obsession with work, distinguished by a compulsive mindset towards employment, whereas work engagement involves an optimistic practice of ideas and sentiments about one’s profession; these two constructs consequently depict healthy and pathological structures of heavy work investment.  This descriptive analysis intends to examine the distinctiveness between workaholism and work engagement.  This study explores their affinities with job performance in a sample of 56 bank representatives (51.79% were females; M_age=35.69; SD=9.08) from different banks in Egypt.  First, a four-point Likert-scale survey questionnaire comprising 29 survey items (10 items=DUWAS; 10 items= UWES; 9 items=Job Performance) was divided into three elements created and checked.  Next, the researcher sorted ten financial organizations on a specific and distinctive testing principle with a 100 percent response rate.  Finally, usable data is grasped to a software package called SPSS-19 for conducting in-depth data analysis such as ANOVA, T-test, and regression analysis.  The research yields expressive assistance for the proposed significant and favorable connection between workaholism, work engagement, and job performance of bank agents.  Moreover, this research may indicate substances for managerial practice by underlining how two mixed types of heavy investment in work could concatenate the perception of inequality between job and non-job professions.  The researcher infers that typical and specific element of workaholism and work engagement merit further attention by concentrating, for illustration, on other variables that could conceptualize as associated with these unconventional practices work.

One of the primary motives for the harmonisation of indirect taxes was to ensure the free movement of goods and services between the Member States of the European Union. To guarantee the necessary conditions for this requirement to be fulfilled an adequate system of value-added taxation for international transactions had to be designed and put into practice. This system, created approximately 30 years ago, was initially intended to be temporary and was based on two complementary principles – namely origin and destination principle. According to the former one, taxes are imposed in the country of the suppliers’ location, and the latter results in taxation in the country where the acquirer resides or has its fixed establishment. The system founded on these principles has for many years generated a great deal of controversy, instigated new challenges, and contributed to the loss of revenue. On the other hand, mechanisms built into it were the only ones sufficiently effective and beneficial for all the member states of the European Union, taking into account the fact that VAT rates are not fully harmonised. The paper highlights the dilemmas related to the application of the system in question and depicts both advantages and disadvantages of its principles. It takes a historical perspective and reviews some alternative concepts of international value-added taxation.

This study explored the factors (attributes) affecting women empowerment in Bangladesh focusing 24 specific attributes grouped into six categories. The primary data is collected through a questionnaire survey of 176 urban women selected through convenient sampling. The most agreed attributes are access to education, and the education of people. Next agreed factors are social security, family support, personality of women, women rights, legal rights, societal perception about women, vocational training, geographical work mobility, and NGO impact and support. Next in the row are break of study, income, voting rights, savings, dowry payment, length of employment, choice of profession, wealth, inheritance. The disagreed factors are public or private education, and sibling status.

The analysis of group variables showed that environment is the most important group followed by rights, education, family dynamics, finance, and employment. The important environmental factors include social security, and societal perception about women. NGO impact and support also plays a key role. Regarding rights the significant factors are awareness of women rights, legal rights, and voting rights. In an education group, access to education, and level of education of people are two most crucial factors. Also, vocational education, as well as break of study play important roles. But public or private education have no effect in women empowerment.

Regarding family dynamics, family support, and personality of women are two especially important variables. Dowry payment, and marital status also found to carry less weight. But sibling status have no impact on women empowerment. Financial factors play lesser role in women empowerment. In this group income and savings are key factors followed by wealth and inheritance. Employment is the least important group variable. Here work mobility found to help women empowerment followed by length of employment. Parental leave found to have no impact. Demographically not much difference in opinion is observed.

Planet earth being our sole resort of existence, known till date, needs green sustainable ventures which, along with generating economic activities, may take care of this mother earth that feeds us, shelters us, and offers us extensive but not endless resources. However, this is possible only if entrepreneurs and emerging entrepreneurs intend to adopt green venturing which in one way can sprout from the entrepreneurship orientations offered through academic and training programs. Sustainability and green venturing are areas of interest for many researchers across the globe and it’s interesting to know the impact of psychological capital, sustainability orientation, sustainability knowingness on building sustainable entrepreneurial attitude, recognizing sustainable entrepreneurial opportunity, and developing the intentions for green ventures. The study will be conducted following pretest-post-test quasi experimental design. Data will be collected from students before and after the entrepreneurial education and training interventions. The study may have a contribution in the existing body of knowledge on the related aspects and on theory of planned behavior along with the implications for the entrepreneurial students’ programs in sustainable development. This can prepare the responsible entrepreneurs who may help to heel planet earth rather than focusing on “green washing” and save it for the generations to come. Better equipped prospect entrepreneurs with greater green entrepreneurial intentions are sought by the era to resolve the problems faced by planet earth and address the socio-enviro-economic challenges. These conscious sustainable entrepreneurs will go beyond the enterprises limits and make positive contributions to social and ecological systems through examining the opportunities to bring into existence meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. The study has its contextual, social, economic, educational, and environmental importance and relevance for the stakeholders

Purpose: To review the traditional responses to cumulative poverty (multidimensional poverty) processes and offer a solution, through the Methodology Model for Global Poverty Intervention (MMGPI), whilst using social marketing technique.  

Design/Methodology: It was a cross-case analysis in which the paper explores approaches that have been experimented previously in tackling poverty across the globe with meaningful outcomes. The paper posed the critical question why these previous approaches have fallen short of overcoming the threat of poverty, despite the huge sums and research efforts committed to eliminating extreme poverty? Upon evaluating the critical variable-factors that mitigate against traditional approaches, the authors suggest the new MMGPI, with an Implementation joint programme of Action (IJPA).  (The new MMGPI is multidimensional in nature; in that it has a Multidimensional Poverty Index-(MPI). The new MMGPI-IJPA model is user-and-eco-friendly and retains the multidimensional paradigm. This extension was achieved through literature research, the development of methodology (MMGPI) adopting a mixed methods approach and the strategy conference.

Findings:   The findings from examining literature documentary evidence from previous attempts indicated a new methodology is needed for global use.  The review also suggests the needs vulnerable peoples, including young people and communities, children/mothers(women), people with disabilities (PWDs), pensioners, minority ethnic/faith groups have largely been ignored. More needed to be done to address their needs and involving, empower and engage them. This would save lives, improve quality of lives, as well as improve conditions of living.  The findings are inconclusive yet and more research is needed with new data set. We argue identifying and tackling the root-causes, experiences, challenges, impact, and solutions through the methodology model for global poverty intervention would significantly reduce multidimensional poverty (cumulative poverty).  

Practical implications/conclusion: (i) Policy makers and policy implementers may benefit from the new data available and findings for policy formulation purposes whereas new researchers may use this as a starting point, which they could build upon.  (ii) The insights are expected to lead to new opportunities that could help run a better and more effective and efficient global poverty alleviation programme that is more sustainable. (iii)  It would be ideal to see or experience a world free of cumulative poverty.   

In a globalized and interdependent world, foreign aid is being used as one of essential instruments to protect and advance national interest of the donors. However, growing polarization of national interest and swiftly changing global power dynamics in the international system is posing a strong implication on the effectiveness of foreign aid as an instrument to curb income inequality. This paper aims to address moderating effect of US-China Global influence power competition -measured by Formal Bilateral Influence Capacity - on the impact of Official Development Assistance (ODA) on Income inequality in IGAD member states. The paper employed Moderated multiple regression (MMR) model on unbalanced panel data of 8 IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) member states over a 20-year period of time. The results depict that, US-China Global power competition affects ODA to have a widening impact on IIQ in IGAD member states. The study provides insight to policymakers to understand how Great power competition affects the performance of ODA in reducing IIQ; Thus, it helps to design mechanisms that can address the challenge. Moreover, it may ignite interest of other researchers to investigate various socioeconomic causal-effect relationships in the context of current global power dynamics.

The focus of this research is to discuss and review effective teaching strategies and learning in the online environment. We will address various training and preparation on the part of faculty and strategies for connection with students. A combined synchronous and asynchronous approach will be addressed. How to effectively manage faculty, TAs, and students will be the primary focus of the research. The main purpose of the study is to examine online learning and the supportive strategies and research that have significantly improved the quality and delivery of education. The methodology will be qualitative and engage the use of focus groups in a variety of settings. The key findings are to be determined. The conclusion will no doubt lead to further review and examination of online education. The research will be original, and the implications can enhance the body of knowledge.

This study examines the effect of emotional intelligence on organizational performance of Islamic banking sector of Sialkot, Pakistan from the perspective of the mediation role of demographic factors, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The main factors that have mediating role in the enhancement of employee’s emotional intelligence is hence the fundamental of this paper. The study is a descriptive quantitative study in which samples of 242 employees of the Islamic banking sector of district Sialkot, Pakistan used. Pearson’s correlation test, Cronbach’s Alpha test and ordinary least squares regression analysis and SPSS were used to analyze the data. According to findings, self-awareness (r = -0.095, p = .141), self-management (r = -0.038, p = .554), social awareness (r = - 0.015, p = .821) and relationship management (r = -0.014, p = .824) positively relates to organizational performance. It is also observed in this study that demographic factors (age, gender, marital status etc.) have significant effects on the Emotional Intelligence and that affects the organizational performance. It is evident that relationship management provides the most ascendant mediation in the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational performance by providing quality service and satisfaction of the customer. Therefore, Islamic banking sectors for the betterment of performance should encouraged the resources for employees with emotional intelligence.

This study investigates the impact of governance variables on the earnings quality based on the industry the firm is in. it has been identified that earnings management have been practised differently by different industries. Most of the research under earnings management have focused on holistic impacts of corporate governance variables on discretionary accruals while this study has categorised the firms based on what industry they fall on while identifying the impacts of the variables of corporate governance on discretionary accruals.

Initially, this paper has studied the estimation of the value of discretionary accruals and identified that performance matched discretionary accruals as the best model as per the explanatory power of the model is higher than other models. Hence, the estimation of the earnings management has been calculated based on performance matched discretionary accruals in this research.

This research has studied the impacts of the governance attributes on the earnings management categorising the firms based on the industry they are in; hence, the value of earnings management has been categorically separated; hereafter, the impact of the corporate governance factors on the value of categorically separated earnings management have been statistically analysed.

This study has considered the descriptive study to compare the means, medians, and standard deviations of the earnings management of various industries. Moreover, Pearson correlations and Spearman rank correlations have been used as a research tool to examine the correlation coefficients.

Entrepreneurial intention plays a vital role in creating startups, those entities considered a main driver of the economic development. Many studies have shown the principals factors influencing the shaping of entrepreneurial intentions, but few discuss the way the connections between entrepreneurs’ characteristics influence their orientation towards a certain type of business. This paper aimed to do so, also contributing to research on entrepreneurship by attempting to understand how the perception of failure in relation to the risk caused by competitors are influencing the future entrepreneurial intention of founders of startups. The Data are drawn from 12 Romanian medical start-ups entrepreneurs and were collected through individually interviewed, applying the method of semi-structured in-depth interviews. The results revealed that the marital status is the most relevant variable to define the orientation towards a specific business, highlighting the profit-orientation of single individuals and patient wellbeing orientation of couples or married entrepreneurs. Also, the authors discovered that the lower the sense of ownership, the lower the number of co-founders is. The motivation of entrepreneurs involved in start-ups with more than two co-founders is based on the motivation of a challenge or a problem that directly affected the entrepreneur. Finally, the analysis shows that most entrepreneurs perceive failure because of lack of investment and financing, with competition from other companies being a risk placed only third. This type of risk is perceived by entrepreneurs already working with co-founders to a greater extent than by entrepreneurs running start-ups on their own. The perception of the same risk is also more common among entrepreneurs running profit-oriented companies. Finally, the findings of this study could have managerial implications by helping to improve decision making, communication deficiencies and problems related to responsibility sharing.

The importance of effective business strategy cannot be underestimated in today's fast-paced and highly competitive business environment. Such a well-crafted strategy can provide a company/organization with a road map to success, helping it achieve its goals and remain competitive in the market. Formulating and implementing a successful business strategy is not an easy task but requires a wide range of skills and knowledge. Key factors that can contribute to the success of a business strategy is the quality of management practices used by the company. Managerial skills play a crucial role in formulating and implementing business strategy.  They enable managers to analyze the market, competition, and industry trends, and to identify and prioritize business objectives. They also enable managers to communicate strategy effectively, motivate employees and monitor progress. Additionally, strong managerial skills help ensure that a business strategy is effectively implemented and achieves the desired results. The ideal way of management practices according to management skills for business strategy can have a significant impact on various aspects of a company. A focus on evidence-based decision-making, clear communication and collaboration can help the board of directors be aligned and make informed decisions. The use of data and market research, clear communication and adaptability can lead to more effective strategy formulation and implementation. Delegation and empowerment, collaboration and continuous improvement can foster a more productive and motivated work environment and improve teamwork.  Evidence-based decision-making, clear communication and adaptability can lead to more efficient and effective decision-making processes. Finally, a focus on collaboration and teamwork can influence the design and use of office spaces, for example by promoting open workspaces and encouraging communication between employees. (John Bratton 2004). This study has shown that strong managerial skills are crucial to the success of a business strategy and can have a significant impact on various aspects of a company. Companies looking to improve their strategic decision-making processes would do well to focus on improving the managerial skills of their leaders. By doing so, they can increase the chances of success of their business strategies and remain competitive in the market.

Entrepreneurial education emphasizes students’ mindset, skills and capabilities towards an entrepreneurial path. The purpose of this research was to study cultural differences and find out if there are unique qualities that are needed to start as an entrepreneur due to cultural differences. The second goal was to evaluate whether there are cultural differences between respondents who have an intention of starting a business and those who do not intend to start a business. Data was collected from 23 countries and total number of respondents was 837. The countries were combined into nine cultural areas. Respondents were mostly bachelor level students in their twenties. Statistical analyses were done with Anova and the t-test. There were statistically significant results. Cultural differences were identified after analysing the whole sample. When divided into groups a) planning to start a business – b) not planning to start a business, cultural differences manifested themselves differently. The results indicate that in entrepreneurial education, cultural differences should be considered and, similarly, individual differences within each culture should be considered. These results can be used to enhance entrepreneurial education in institutions of higher education. 

There has been an increasing level of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as the region accommodates the largest number of poor people in the world. Digitalization has been identified as an important tool for poverty alleviation, inclusive and sustainable economic growth through mechanisms such as education, health, financial inclusion, among others. This study examines the direct and indirect effects of digitalization on poverty reduction through education, health, and financial access in SSA countries. The Pooled Ordinary Least Square Regression, Fixed Effect, Random Effect Regression as well as the System Generalized method of Moments technique which controls for endogeneity of regressors and does not eliminate cross-country variations was employed for 45 SSA countries from 2000-2020.  Data is sourced from the World Development Indicator (WDI). Results showed that digitalization has no direct or indirect effect on poverty reduction in SSA countries. The study therefore recommends that digital services should be provided at lower cost and infrastructures that support the use of digital services be made readily available for SSA countries.

Purpose – This research study aims to examine different influential elements that affect consumer behaviour starting from their arrival at check-in and throughout the check-out process in the context of Marriott International Inc., using case study observation and interview methods within a qualitative and quantitative paradigm. It endeavours to identify how certain positive influential factors can contribute to ultimate vacation experiences and therefore provide a competitive advantage to Marriott International Inc.

Design/methodology/approach – This report is grounded on primary research. The empirical framework is based on literature on potentially influential factors at hotel check-in and check-out that affect consumer behaviour.  The research design involved the use of systematic and rigorous methods, including observation, interviewing and data analysis, to test hypotheses and validate research findings. Primary data was collected with the combination of observation of consumers and interviews with management. It aims to establish a reliable and valid relationship between theoretical concepts such as first impressions and observable phenomena in the real world, which can help to inform practice and improve our understanding of consumer behaviour.              

Findings – The study found that there are five factors that can greatly influence consumer behaviour, including first impression, smile, staff, service, and waiting time. These factors were categorised into positive, negative, dependent, and bipolar categories, and were shown to have a significant impact on both consumer behaviour and business operations.

Practical implications – The study finds certain behavioural elements impact on the effectiveness of provided service while specific influential factors improve the overall experience. Hence the organisation with the consideration of positive service components can provide exceptional service which enhances consumer loyalty.

Originality/value– This paper represents the first academic research undertaken at Marriott International Inc. to investigate various influential factors that affect consumer behaviour and their implication for its success.

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted many governments to create guidelines for preventing its spread, which require people to adopt new behaviors. This study examines the role of trust in government in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on people's intention to follow Covid-19 prevention behavior. The TPB model is recognized as a robust model for predicting the adoption of new behaviors, determined by attitude, social norm, and perceived behavioral control. Trust is found to be a significant predictor in the model.

An online anonymous survey was conducted with 146 American college students in March 2021, as they were likely to spread the virus to others, according to the CDC. PLS-SEM procedures were used to validate the measurement model and test the hypotheses of the structural model. The study found that attitude (coefficient=0.559) and perceived behavior control (coefficient=0.242) are significant factors in determining one's intention to follow Covid-19 prevention behaviors. Furthermore, trust in the government has a positive and significant impact on attitude (coefficient=0.673), perceived social norm (coefficient=0.621), and perceived behavior control (coefficient=0.562).

The study's key implication is the critical role of people's trust in the government for public health or social marketing practitioners. Gaining people's trust in the government or institutions is an important influence on their intention to adopt health behavioral change for a social goal. The communication message may focus on the government having the best interests of their people in mind, being concerned about their welfare, and having knowledge about the health issue. In conclusion, this study offers a contribution that adding trust in government in the TPB model is a robust model to predict one's intention to follow Covid-19 prevention behaviors. The new finding implies that increasing people’s trust in health institutions is influential in promoting new health behaviors to the public.

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) have been at the center of corporate strategy to achieve inorganic growth, witnessing an increasing trend in volume and value. Various theories analyzed the effectiveness of the M&A deals, most of which turn out to be failures and face post-integration challenges. Hence there is not much scope to intervene and assess risks and improve the probability of success before getting into the deal. The proposed M&A risk assessment model addresses this research gap of assessing pre-M&A risks which is an extended version of synergy gain theory. Primary survey data of 150 Indian M&A transactions are used to test the hypotheses and SEM model was estimated to assess the composite risk factors and scores. Based on the estimated scores, decision making whether to go ahead with a deal, improve the probability of success, and take countervailing measures to reduce the risks and improve the success rate. Non-financial synergies were found to play an important role along with the financial factors. Scope for automation, objectivity and transparency are some novelties of this model. Based on the calculated risk score, a decision can be taken. It helps companies to analyze and measure various financial and non-financial risks faced at the Pre-M&A stage.

This research aims to examines the relationship between internal fintech adoption and profitability in the Balkan banking sector. Four areas of fintech adoption are considered, including mobile banking, e-banking, e-payment, and data analytics software. Technology acceptance model and innovation theory are used to analyze the impact of these technologies on Balkan bank profitability.

The study utilized a cross-validation approach, combining data from the bank's independently audited financial reports and survey responses. A bank’s profitability is measured by ROA and NIM. Data for internal fintech adoption (IFA) were collected through a structured questionnaire from 40 bank employees from the department of finance, technology, credit analysis and customer service. Bank-level control variables are used to ensure that statistical results are robust and valid. Regression analysis, t-test, and determination coefficients are used for the evaluation of the models performed, as well as to prove the importance of the factors and testing the hypothesis rose in the study.

Based on the review of literature, which showed mixed results regarding the impact of adoption of financial technology in the profitability of banks, we expect fintech to have a positive impact on the profitability of banks, particularly in developing countries. This is because internal fintech can help lower overhead costs, increase efficiency, and provide a competitive advantage for the bank.

This paper offers original contributions to professionals in the field of banking and fintech. It is the first study that aims to get information and increase understanding if technological adoption in finance impact Balkan bank’s profitability.

This paper reports on the findings specific to two countries (Lesotho and Eswatini) deriving from a study which analyzed assessment tasks from selected Business Studies textbooks exploring whether they grow the necessary thinking and learning skills using authentic assessment to equip learners with entrepreneurial skills for a market-based economy underpinned by neoliberal ideology. The study adopted a qualitative approach and data analysis in two textbooks was confined to two topics: Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership as the selected countries indicated high levels of unemployment and were intent on promoting entrepreneurship to overcome poverty. A conceptual framework was formulated (Multi-Dimensional Framework) to analyse the assessments. It was found that textbook quality was at risk as the two chapters demonstrated extensive short answer tasks that test lower order thinking skills facilitating superficial learning and authentic assessments were lacking. The study argues that Business Studies should be for business and not just about business. Recommendations are that these chapters be reviewed by the relevant education authorities and refined to foster greater critical thinking and problem-solving skills, to promote authentic context-driven and deep learning that can serve as a germination bed for entrepreneurship.

Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) have come a long way in recent years, evolving beyond their basic functions of collecting and analyzing employee data. Today, HRMS can help automate administrative tasks, streamline HR processes, and improve communication between HR departments and employees. The benefits of HRMS are numerous, including increased efficiency, better accuracy, and improved employee satisfaction.

However, with these benefits come potential risks, such as data inaccuracies and privacy violations. Additionally, the implementation of HRMS can lead to employee burnout if not configured properly. Therefore, it is essential that organizations take steps to mitigate these risks and ensure the successful implementation and management of HRMS.

This paper explores the evolving role of HRMS, its benefits and risks, and offers strategies for successful implementation and management of HRMS in organizations. The first section of the paper discusses the basic functions of HRMS, including data collection and analysis, and how they have evolved to become more sophisticated tools for HR professionals.

The second section of the paper delves into the benefits of HRMS, including increased efficiency, better accuracy, and improved employee satisfaction. HRMS can help automate administrative tasks, such as managing payroll and evaluating employee performance, freeing up HR staff to work on more strategic projects. Moreover, modern HRMS can make it easier for HR departments and employees to communicate, making it easier for employees to get important information and for HR departments to help.

The third section of the paper focuses on the potential risks associated with HRMS, including data inaccuracies and privacy violations. Organizations must be mindful of these risks and take steps to mitigate them, such as ensuring that data is entered and updated correctly and that HRMS are configured properly.

The fourth section of the paper offers strategies for successful implementation and management of HRMS, including conducting a needs assessment, selecting the right HRMS, involving employees in the implementation process, and providing ongoing training and support.

In conclusion, HRMS are not just tools for collecting and analyzing data but can offer many benefits to organizations and employees. However, organizations must also be mindful of the potential risks associated with these systems and take steps to mitigate these risks. By doing so, organizations can realize the full potential of HRMS and use them to achieve strategic goals and drive business success.

The paper analyses the impact on household quintile income shares while controlling inflation and unemployment. The data derives from two primary sources, the St. Louis Fed (unemployment and Inflation) and the United States Census Bureau (household quintile income shares) for years 1967 to 2019, respectively. The paper proposes an alternative method of wavelet transform analysis to decompose the business cycle components into the cyclical and structural and measure the impact on income inequality. The application of Wavelet transform applied in the social sciences has increased in the past decade, especially in economics and finance. I argue that wavelet transform analysis is a superior approach to filtering time series data, especially in the field of macroeconomics than traditional filtering methods because of the of wavelet transform to provide information in the finite time- frequency domain. The findings show that wavelet transform provides a greater understanding of the effects of the business cycle on income inequality over different time domains than traditional filtering methods.

The occurrence of such unprecedented global event as the pandemic has revolutionized the conduct and practices surrounding the use of technology in teaching and learning, leaving behind a variety of impacts on the students, faculty members and the College communities. This presentation will seek to address the students’ gains in terms of finances, time, access, flexibility, and definitive exposures that have evoked certain adaptive behavioral responses to the transition. The downside of the changes will be explored, as major factors such as the quality of the instruction, access, engagement, and the integrity of assessments in an online environment are pertinent areas of discussion. Finally, a note of recommendations to improve the use of technology in online education for the current and future generations are subjects for due consideration.

The Rocket and Feather hypotheses refer to the irregular changing pattern of inflation due to the passthrough of the exchange rate and the fluctuations observed in oil prices in the current scenario of globalization. In this paper, we conducted the empirical analysis that inflation in the domestic economy increases like rockets when the exchange rate pass-through and oil prices increase and fall like feathers when the exchange rate pass-through and oil prices decrease. The analysis was conducted on data sets that include annual crude oil prices, real effective exchange rates, and inflation in Pakistan from 1972 to 2021. Control variables used in the current study were imports (IMP), gross domestic product per capita (INCOM), exports (EXP), globalization (GLOB), and interest rates. Our findings from a Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) indicate that inflation showed an asymmetric rocket and feather pattern regardless of how globalization is defined or measured. On the other hand, INCOME, EXP, and GLOB have a negative impact on inflation, and CRATE and IMP have a positive impact on inflation. Our study suggests that in the future, alternative policies such as fixing the exchange rate might decrease the uncertainty and stabilize the Pakistani economy. Moreover, the use of more sustainable energy can reduce the dependence of oil prices on the economy, which can lower its impact of it on the economy.

In recent years, the study of women entrepreneurship has experienced great growth, gaining a broad consensus among academics, and contributing above all to understanding all those factors that explain the difficulty of women in undertaking an entrepreneurial career. Female entrepreneurs represent the fastest growing category of entrepreneurship worldwide and have received, especially in recent years, the attention of many academics. According to the emerging literature, women can make a significant contribution to entrepreneurial activity and economic development in terms of creating new jobs and increasing the gross domestic product (GDP). Women entrepreneurship additionally has positive impacts on reducing poverty in most societies. The percentage of women who decide to pursue an entrepreneurial career is, however, lower than that of men and this difference is greater as the level of development of the country increases.

Modern technology has impacted almost every aspect of life, and education is no exception. In many ways, technology has profoundly changed education making massive amounts of information available with a computer click and online education through the Internet.  These changes have supported the traditional educational process, which includes both teaching and learning to develop student knowledge. New challenges in education had to move quickly to total online teaching/learning during Covid-19. In our research we summarized our quantitative and qualitative data of the students’ opinions and identified the reasons for the learning trend from understanding to simple training.  Online teaching requires much more time for course preparations and student consultation, and special experience compared to in-person. Not everybody was ready for such challenges but, as always, demand created its own supply. New technology offered automation of teaching and learning processes. They advertise their platforms as e-learning courseware, virtual labs, and auto grading with nothing to install or manage. Such automation, from the presentation of course material to the assessment of assignments, offers a time-saving mode for instructors with parameterized assessment templates and limits interactive collaboration between instructor and students. At the same time, students concentrate on their learning platform and look for answers in the Internet cloud among the numerous offers and may get lost among them. In order to keep the kite in the air cloud, you need a lifting force that exists only when the thread is holding it. If the thread breaks, the kite loses altitude and falls to the ground. We would like to share our experience of how to create such a thread of student knowledge in their specialty and teach them to independently maintain and develop it so as not to get lost in modern information flows and maintain their level of expertise.

Google Map is one of the most popular mobile applications used to find locations, navigate, and even track self-location. In the Google Play Store, the mobile application of google Maps has more than 10 billion download counts, so it can be guessed how much people prefer to have this application on mobile to get digitalized map services. Google Maps basically uses GIS, GPS, satellite images, and aerial photographs to show locations. In this research, the authors have tried to take out the public opinion about Google Maps’ services from the tourists or travelers who get help from Google Maps to make their tour. Considering the research methodology, this is a mixed type of research (qualitative and quantitative) where we have collected data from more than one hundred students who are studying Bachelor's in Tourism and also frequent travelers. Secondary data- research articles were collected from different sources. In this study, it is found that most people prefer Google Maps but there are a few small issues with the application. If the application could be developed considering the suggested features and services, then it would be more helpful for tourists. Furthermore, Google Maps can act as an initial tour guide in the future.

Supply chains are all threatened by one type of disruption or another from time to time. Arguably, few of these complex networks have ever suffered from the range of multiple ripple effects as experienced from those emerging from the original Covid-19 pandemic. This paper, drawing heavily on secondary information sources, but taking a multidisciplinary approach, analyzes the nature of today’s evolving globalized supply chains. This is in addition to attempting to capture some of the approaches taken regarding sectoral recovery and supply chain resilience activity with respect to advancements in the technology, logistics and energy sectors in the global post-pandemic environment.       

The recent global sensation of ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI, has generated immense attention and discussion in both traditional and social media. This technology is viewed as a transformative force with the potential to revolutionize the way people acquire and disseminate knowledge. In particular, it could significantly impact higher education, particularly in the fields of business and technology, by providing students with an AI-based personal assistant that can answer questions and summarize information in seconds. This could greatly enhance the efficiency, personalization, and accessibility of teaching and learning.

However, the integration of AI in education also presents several challenges, including concerns about faculty obsolescence, curriculum updates, and the need for new strategies to incorporate AI into instruction. This paper examines the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI integration in higher education and its impact on the future of the industry. The study suggests that institutions that embrace these changes and invest in new approaches will thrive, while those that resist may face the risk of becoming obsolete. Therefore, it is essential to develop a comprehensive strategy that balances the benefits and risks of AI, provides continuous faculty training, and fosters a culture of innovation to keep pace with the rapid advancement of AI technology.

    This paper analyzes the main causes and the dramatic rise in U.S. inflation since 2020 and offers possible remedy to the inflation problem. The rise in inflation occurred during the Covid 19 pandemic where many economists have associated the inflation with the Pandemic.  A central feature of my analysis has placed the Federal Reserve (FED) as the focus of this induced inflation problem. The FED gained popularity in March 2021when FED chair Jay Powel pronounced a new buzz word “transitory inflation,” where inflation spiked to 4.2%. Throughout the year inflation continued to climb, hitting 7% year-over-year and by December 2021 despite an increase in inflation the FED was injecting more liquidity into the economy – i.e., quantitative easing (QE) and kept it at 0% interest rate. This experience has produced an outpouring of analyses of why inflation has been stubbornly high. Jay Powel finally realized that the FED was behind the curve and would start rapidly increasing interest rates. The FED to date has increased the discount rate to 4.75%. Sadly, in 2022 we didn’t see any slowdown in inflation as the rate CPI inflation peaked at 9.1% in June. However, starting in August, the CPI inflation began to fall slightly, though it still sat at 7.5% in December 2022 - the reading of the previous twelve months was over 8%. In this paper I argue that loose monetary policy, 0% interest rate and massive QE monetary policy caused inflation. The FED kept a 0% interest rate throughout the decade and increased its balance sheet from $1 trillion in 2009 to over $9 trillion in 2023. The current inflation is due to these ultraloose monetary policies of the decade. To fix the inflation problem, interest rates have to increase to a positive real interest rate and the most important balance sheet has to shrink – impossible task for the FED – unless they cause a great recession/depression.

This study aims to determine the effects of institutional quality on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Annual panel data from 43 sub-Saharan African Countries were employed from 2001 to 2020. The Levin, Lin & Chu stationarity test was carried out and system Generalized Method of Moment was employed in the analysis. The findings revealed that institutional quality had mixed effects on the economic growth of countries in SSA. The political environment encourages economic growth while the quality of public and civil services is too poor to encourage growth. Hence, the government needs to improve the quality of public and civil services in the countries in order to encourage economic growth.

Reflecting on the 1968 Kerner report on race relations and socioeconomics in America, we adopt a similar approach to discuss the contemporary relationship between black entrepreneurship and venture financing.  Where the Kerner report focused on black-white income gaps, we highlight how an increasing black-white wealth gap parallels a multi-dimensional entrepreneurial gap spanning: entrepreneurial density, opportunity/necessity entrepreneurship ratio, valuations, ownership dilution, obtaining venture capital, securing business loans, and social network capital.  Our discussion uses theory from financial economics to explain and predict challenges to the relationship between black entrepreneurs, black venture capitalists, and non-black financiers seeking to invest with black ventures.  We show how economic self-interest can help address the financing gap when there is more informational transparency about investment results, and conclude with policy implications for increasing black entrepreneurship, financing, and new job opportunities from nascent black ventures.

This paper aims at presenting Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for inclusive growth of the world in general and Bangladesh in particular. With the passing of time, the world economy and economic systems have been changing rapidly in order to reach the development facilities of the deprived people living in the world. For this, the United Nations along with world leaders has undertaken Millennium Development Goals to reduce the extreme economic hardship of the deprived people living in the world.  Based upon

MDG, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has undertaken Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for reducing the extreme poverty of the people living in Bangladesh. The study is mainly based on secondary information. Data have been collected from different publications from the United Nations, different websites, and institutional publications.

During analysis of the collected data, it is seen that the steps undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh to reduce extreme poverty have become effective and the economic development of Bangladesh has been moving towards sustainability because the deprived section of people has started improving their lives and to some extent starts entering into development opportunities available in Bangladesh.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were unanimously adopted by 193 member states in September 2015.  They call for a “triple bottom line” focus to achieve 17 economic, social, and environmental goals by the year 2030.  Textile and apparel manufacturers rank among the world’s most heavily polluting non-utility firms.  With complex supply chains shaped by transnational outsourcing, firms of this type add substantially to sustainability issues in the manufacturing sector.  Basic characteristics of the fashion industry—rapid changes in trends, complicated supply lines, specificities of regulation from sourcing countries, high volume, stresses based on time-to-market pressure, and extraordinarily intense price competition—have led to the risk of creating sustainability problems from social and environmental breaches.  All of this, amplified by stakeholders, governmental, and societal movements to enhance corporate social responsibility, has forced fast-fashion companies to accelerate implementation of sustainability strategies.

The SDGs provide a useful framework for fashion companies to implement sustainability actions.  These firms could be important actors in helping to achieve the UN goals.  This research explores SDG 12, one that focuses on sustainable production and consumption through reduced/altered input materials employment and more efficient management of natural resources utilization.

Applying a case study methodology, this research investigates sustainability profiles for a number of large multinational apparel manufacturers.  Various sustainability implementation strategies, communication methods, and reporting techniques were examined for each identified firm.

This research delivers important new insight regarding factors that facilitate adoption, and those that create barriers, for fashion companies in the process of contributing to SDG achievement.  The findings provide practical recommendations for fashion sector manufacturers to integrate specific SDG 12 targets into business activities, set priorities, and measure the impact of their initiatives.