The effect of financial inclusion on Banks\u27 credit risk: perspective from MENA region

Financial inclusion is aimed at introducing the undeserved segment of the community to the official financial institutions. It is without doubt that financial inclusion is one of the sustainable development goals to raise the poor\u27s living standards by availing banking services that are not limited to loan acquisition. In this respect, this study aims at testing the relationship between the most used financial inclusion indicators and the ratio of the provision for loan losses to net loan as a proxy for credit risk. Using the Least Square Dummy Variables (LSDV) as estimation equation for non-linear model, it is found that borrowing from financial institutions or through credit card in labour force affects credit risk negatively. Meanwhile debit card ownership affects credit risk positively. Applying these results on the MENA region as the thesis\u27s geographic scope, the countries the most affected by credit risk as a result of financial inclusion programs are Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. Moreover, post the addition of the longevity effect to the regression equation, these countries need to accumulate enough reserve for loan losses for at least three years. In the light of having two opposing teams in the literature, the thesis is more inclined towards the team supporting financial inclusion as having a positive effect on banks\u27 stability but on the long term

'Oligarchs', Business and Russian Foreign Policy: From El'tsin to Putin

The paper investigates the role of private and state-controlled business in the formation and implementation of Russian foreign policy since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The extent to which the 'oligarchs' and business more generally followed their own interests in their external relations or acted as tools of the Russian state is a particular focus. Under President Boris El'tsin, Boris Berezovskii was the only one of the oligarchs to have significant influence on Russian foreign policy. President Vladimir Putin's moves against the oligarchs were motivated partly by the desire to restrict political debate, including on foreign policy, and partly to prevent Mikhail Khodorkovskii from creating a private oil pipeline system which would have subverted Putin's foreign policy, but the main reason was probably the desire to restore state control over key industrial sectors. Under El'tsin, business had followed its own interests, which sometimes conflicted with Russian foreign policy and sometimes reinforced it; but after Putin's attacks on the oligarchs, business seemed more integrated into policy implementation, while still following its own interests where they did not conflict with those of the state, as is suggested by a discussion of Gazprom's foreign policy role

Attitude and behaviour dichotomy in SME strategic alliance: A south west of Western Australian study

Strategic alliances are generally perceived as cooperative relationships constrained within the parameters of bounded rationality, seeking to maximise their levels of control in a turbulent economic environment. They are also commonly conceptualised as a means of creating competitive advantage in business. In regional areas of Western Australia they are favoured by government instrumentalities as a means of making small to medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive. With the dominant global emphasis in the literature on big business, relatively little is known still about strategic alliances in small to medium enterprises. Moreover, the research on strategic alliances within Australia s also limited, and since 92 %or businesses in Australia arc SMEs (ABS 1999), there are significant gaps in the literature about a significant contributor to economic health or the nation. For these reasons this thesis focuses attention on SMEs in Australia, in particular the South West of Western Australia. This thesis is concerned with strategic alliance propensity in selected small to medium enterprises with less than 500 employees but three or more employees including family members. Mixed methodology data collection was used; based on an extensively validated international survey instrument, and a series of in-depth interviews. The outcome of the study was a synthesised model of SME strategic alliance decision-making which addresses the impacts on attitudes of SME Key Decision-Leaders choosing either positive or negative behaviours relating to strategic alliance formation. The development of this model, the Strategic Alliance Participation Paradigm (SAPP) was achieved through an iterative approach to environmental exploration, literature scanning and analysis and the application of a mixed methodological approach to data collection. Chapters One to Three present the development of the research questions and the research process adopted to address important elements or the research. Chapter Four presents the major consolidated findings based on factor analysed outcomes. Variables were subjected to logistic regression statistical analysis determining support for hypothesised research outcomes. In depth interviews provide evidence of the SME domain, in the context initially of the regional area under review. Conclusions arc further reviewed in the context or a recent significant Norwegian culturally based survey. The Strategic Alliance Participation Paradigm reflects the work carried out by a small group of earlier researchers, and further, empirically tests the determinants of SME Key-Decision-Leader strategic alliance behaviour. Recommendations for future research developed from the research findings arc presented in Chapter Five supporting the conclusions und implications of this study for future SME strategic alliance research both regional and global. Benefits from this process will be seen in the enhanced ability to benchmark at source regional differences and similarities, and thereby to further enhance the value of the outcomes to scholars and practitioners. Researchers could do well to pursue understanding of identified gaps in knowledge and to cooperate with industry to enhance alliance behaviour, achieving benefits through philosophy of competitive tendering. Significant within the outcomes however, was the identified need to research ways to support and grow the large sector of Australian business, the small to medium enterprise

Strategies to Sustain Small-and-Medium Sized Business Enterprises

Eighty-five percent of all firms operating in Nigeria are small-and medium-sized business enterprises (SMEs) and contribute almost 55% to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria. Capital flight and other growth inhibitors pose threats to the sustainability of SMEs in Nigeria. This exploratory multiple-case study was to determine strategies SME leaders use to sustain business operations in Nigeria. The study participants consisted of 15 SME leaders from 3 regional manufacturing firms who had successfully implemented strategies to sustain SMEs in Nigeria. Bertalanffy\u27s general systems theory and Freeman\u27s stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks used in the research. The data collection processes included semistructured interviews and reviewing company documents. After analyzing the interview data and validating through member checking, 5 core themes emerged during the data analysis process: creating new markets, encouraging opportunity for sustainable growth, securing additional funding sources, employee participation in decision making, and gaining competitive advantages. The findings may promote social change among the business community leaders by identifying essential characteristics to improve the posterity of SMEs in Nigeria

Information Systems Security Countermeasures: An Assessment of Older Workers in Indonesian Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Information Systems (IS) misuse can result in cyberattacks such as denial-of-service, phishing, malware, and business email compromise. The study of factors that contribute to the misuse of IS resources is well-documented and empirical research has supported the value of approaches that can be used to deter IS misuse among employees; however, age and cultural nuances exist. Research focusing on older workers and how they can help to deter IS misuse among employees and support cybersecurity countermeasures within developing countries is in its nascent stages. The goal of this study was two-fold. The first goal was to assess what older workers within Indonesian Small to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) do to acquire, apply, and share information security countermeasures aimed at mitigating cyberattacks. The second goal was to assess if and how younger workers share information security countermeasures with their older colleagues. Using a qualitative case study approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five dyads of older (50-55 years) and younger (25-45 years) workers from five SMBs in Jakarta, Indonesia. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the interview data, where each dyad represented a unit of analysis. The data were organized into three main themes including 1) Indonesian government IS policy and oversight, which included one topic (stronger government IS oversight needed); 2) SMB IS practices, which included three topics (SMB management issues, SMB budget constraints, SMB diligent IS practices, and IS insider threat); and 3) SMB worker IS practices, which included three topics (younger worker job performance, IS worker compliance issues, older worker IS practices) and five sub-topics under older worker IS practices (older worker diligent in IS, older worker IS challenged, older worker riskier IS practices, older worker more IS dependent, and older worker more forgetful on IS practices). Results indicated that older and younger workers at Indonesian SMBs acquire, apply, and share information security countermeasures in a similar manner: through IS information dissemination from the SMB and through communication from co-workers. Also, while younger workers share IS countermeasures freely with their older co-workers, some have negative perceptions that older co-workers are slower and less proficient in IS. Overall, participants reported positive and cohesive teamwork between older and younger workers at SMBs through strong IS collaboration and transparent information sharing. The contribution of this research is that it provides valuable empirical data on older worker behavior and social dynamics in Indonesian organizations. This was a context-specific study aimed at better understanding the situationalities of older workers within organizations in the developing country of Indonesia and how knowledge is shared within the organization. This assessment of cybersecurity knowledge acquisition, skill implementation, and knowledge sharing contributes to the development of organization-wide cybersecurity practices that can be used to strengthen Indonesian SMBs and other organizations in developing countries. This study also provides a blueprint for researchers to replicate and extend this line of inquiry. Finally, the results could shed light on how older workers can be a productive part of the solution to information security issues in the workplace

Enterprise modelling framework for dynamic and complex business environment: socio-technical systems perspective

The modern business environment is characterised by dynamism and ambiguity. The causes include global economic change, rapid change requirements, shortened development life cycles and the increasing complexity of information technology and information systems (IT/IS). However, enterprises have been seen as socio-technical systems. The dynamic complex business environment cannot be understood without intensive modelling and simulation. Nevertheless, there is no single description of reality, which has been seen as relative to its context and point of view. Human perception is considered an important determinant for the subjectivist view of reality. Many scholars working in the socio-technical systems and enterprise modelling domains have conceived the holistic sociotechnical systems analysis and design possible using a limited number of procedural and modelling approaches. For instance, the ETHICS and Human-centred design approaches of socio-technical analysis and design, goal-oriented and process-oriented modelling of enterprise modelling perspectives, and the Zachman and DoDAF enterprise architecture frameworks all have limitations that can be improved upon, which have been significantly explained in this thesis. [Continues.

Exploring Security Strategies to Protect Personally Identifiable Information in Small Businesses

Organizations that do not adequately protect sensitive data are at high risk of data breaches. Organization leaders must protect confidential information as failing to do so could result in irreparable reputation damage, severe financial implications, and legal consequences. This study used a multiple case study design to explore small businesses’ strategies for protecting their customers’ PII against phishing attacks. This study’s population comprised information technology (IT) managers in small businesses in Northern Virginia. The conceptual framework used in this study was the technology acceptance model. Data collection was performed using telephone interviews with IT managers (n = 6) as well as secondary data analysis of documents related to information security (n = 13). Thematic analysis was used to analyze and code the data, which resulted in four themes. The first theme to emerge was that users are the first line of defense in protecting PII. The second theme to emerge was that preventing phishing attacks is challenging for small businesses. The third theme to emerge was that users are a challenge in protecting PII from phishing attacks. The final theme to emerge was that user awareness and training is the best defense against phishing attacks. A recommendation is that information security training should be performed consistently while senior leadership fosters an environment that promotes acceptable security behavior and attitudes. The findings of this study may promote positive social change by helping IT leaders develop effective strategies or frameworks for protecting their customers’ PII from phishing attacks