Economic policy uncertainty, renewable energy and environmental degradation: Evidence from Egypt

This study contributes to the growing but still limited body of literature on the impact of economic policy uncertainty, renewable energy usage, and economic growth on environmental degradation in Egypt. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test, we examine the existence of cointegration relationships in Egypt over the period 1990–2018. Our results indicate that economic policy uncertainty is positively associated with environmental degradation in both the short and long run. Additionally, we find that economic growth exacerbates environmental degradation in both the short and long term. Finally, renewable energy consumption has a significant negative effect on environmental degradation in the long run. Therefore, ensuring economic policy stability is crucial for maintaining environmental quality. To this end, Egyptian policymakers should prioritize low-carbon research and development techniques, as well as the adoption of renewable energy sources to mitigate environmental degradation

New blood brings change: Exploring the link between rookie independent directors and corporate cash holdings

This study examines the relationship between rookie independent directors (RIDs) and corporate cash holdings, using a sample of Chinese A-share firms listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges from 2006 to 2020. We further investigate the moderating effect of economic policy uncertainty on this association. Our results reveal that the presence of rookie independent directors is positively and significantly related to corporate cash holdings, and that economic policy uncertainty amplifies this relationship. Importantly, we also demonstrate that firms with rookie independent directors exhibit improved operating performance when making cash holding decisions in the Chinese context. The study also finds that firms with greater growth opportunities tend to prefer RIDs, who bring new perspectives essential for leveraging these opportunities, leading to enhanced cash holdings. To ensure the robustness of our findings, we employ a variety of advanced econometric techniques, including alternative proxies, tests for reverse causality, two-stage least squares, propensity score matching, and entropy balancing. Based on our results, we recommend that shareholders in China carefully consider the role of RIDs in their governance structure, as they effectively monitor firm management and contribute to the protection of shareholder interests

Antecedents and consequences of intellectual capital: a systematic review, integrated framework, and agenda for future research

Data availability: Data available on request from the authors.JEL Classifcation: M40 · G34.This study systematically reviews the fragmented field of Intellectual Capital (IC) to clarify its antecedents and outcomes. Using a hybrid method that combines bibliometric analysis and a framework-based approach, it examines 170 peer-reviewed articles, focusing on key articles, authors, countries, journals, and themes in IC research. The study introduces a comprehensive framework, summarizing the core elements of IC and providing a foundation for future theoretical, empirical, and conceptual research. Six main clusters were identified through co-citation analysis: three related to IC antecedents, particularly board gender diversity, and three concerning IC consequences, notably firm performance. This research maps out existing gaps in the literature and suggests integrated pathways for advancing IC knowledge. It contributes significantly to IC studies by synthesizing a vast array of literature into an integrated framework, offering new insights that both challenge and complement existing narratives. This framework not only elucidates IC's foundational aspects but also sets a strategic direction for future investigations. The findings underscore the evolving nature of IC research and highlight crucial antecedents and consequences. The study bridges academic research with practical applications, emphasizing IC's role in boosting firm competitiveness and value creation. While recognizing its methodological limitations, the study calls for a diversified perspective in future IC research, aiming to deepen the understanding of IC.Not applicable

Corporate tax avoidance and firm value: The moderating role of environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings

Data Availability Statement: Data available on request from the authors.In this study, we examine how managers in firms that have practiced tax avoidance strategically use sustainability activities together with their tax avoidance practices. More specifically, we investigate the moderating impact of ESG on the association between tax avoidance and firm value. Using a sample of French-listed companies during the years 2012–2021, we hypothesized and found that ESG rating negatively and significantly moderates the relationship between corporate tax avoidance and firm market valuation. Overall, our results suggest that investors reward firms for good ESG performance, perceiving such companies as more valuable. However, when these firms engage in higher tax liabilities, the positive effect of ESG on firm value is slightly reduced. This nuanced insight highlights the importance of considering how tax strategies interact with ESG initiatives in shaping overall firm value. This study, thus, provides theoretical and practical consequences that will encourage businesses and politicians to promote sustainable development. Our findings remain robust to an array of tests, including a number of different tax avoidance measures and potential endogeneity problems.The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article

Corporate accountability towards species extinction protection: insights from ecologically forward-thinking companies

This paper contributes to biodiversity and species extinction literature by examining the relationship between corporate accountability in terms of species protection and factors affecting such accountability from forward-thinking companies. We use triangulation of theories, namely deep ecology, legitimacy, and we introduce a new perspective to the stakeholder theory that considers species as a ‘stakeholder’. Using Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) regression, we examine a sample of 200 Fortune Global companies over three years. Our results indicate significant positive relations between ecologically conscious companies that are accountable for the protection of biodiversity and species extinction and external assurance, environmental performance, partnerships with socially responsible organizations and awards for sustainable activities. Our empirical results appear to be robust in controlling for possible endogeneities. Our findings contribute to the discussion on the concern of species loss and habitat destruction in the context of corporate accountability, especially in responding to the sixth mass extinction event and COVID-19 crisis. Our results can also guide the policymakers and stakeholders of the financial market in better decision making

The future of non-financial businesses reporting: learning from the Covid-19 pandemic

In this paper we conceptually identify the gap in the literature about lack of business’s awareness in non -financial activities, especially biodiversity, which can be responsible for crisis like Covid-19 which can adversely affect the global economy. We recommend approaches to existing business about how to enhance the quality of reporting by considering non-human element in reporting and making it more comprehensive for the stakeholders. We adopt Actor Network Theory (ANT) and the Natural Inventory Model to support our argument that nature consists of both human and non-human. From our observation about the Covid-19 crisis and by consulting the existing relevant literature on CSR, Covid-19, non-financial reporting and integrated reports (IR), we propose the implication of non-financial reporting by companies based on a theoretical framework. We recommend that companies should implement/adopt Circular Economy concept for sustainable business model and report on biodiversity and extinction accounting in more structured and mandatory way via producing IR to create value on short, medium and long terms. This is the first paper to tackle the Covid-19 crisis and offer solution for future reporting. The findings will add value in the academia and society

Do Vice Chancellors' Career Horizon Matter for University Sustainability Performance? The Moderating Role of Soft Information

In the evolving landscape of higher education, leadership plays a pivotal role in directing institutional strategies towards sustainability. This study examines how the career horizons of Vice Chancellors (VCs)—often akin to CEOs in the corporate sector—influences the sustainability performance of UK universities. Using a unique hand-collected dataset covering the years 2018–2022, our results show that shorter VC career horizons negatively impact universities' sustainability performance, indicating that VCs closer to retirement are more ethically and sustainability-focused. Moreover, we explore how the disclosure of soft information—characterised as boilerplate and forward-looking language in sustainability reports—affects this relationship. Our analysis indicates that this soft information significantly moderates the effects of VCs' career horizons on sustainability outcomes. Specifically, we discover that extensive use of forward-looking and boilerplate language tends to exacerbate the negative impacts of shorter VC tenures on sustainability performance. This research contributes to the academic discourse by documenting how leadership tenure and the strategic use of narrative in public disclosures interact to shape institutional sustainability. The findings advocate for a strategic approach in leadership appointments and reporting practices, enhancing the alignment between leadership characteristics and the long-term sustainability goals of higher education institutions

Empirical essays on risk disclosures, multi-level governance, credit ratings, and bank value: evidence from MENA banks

This thesis contains four essays that examine the relationships among risk disclosures, multi-level governance, credit ratings, and bank value in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) banks. These essays concentrate on four closely linked risk disclosures, and governance topics that quantitatively investigate the antecedents and informativeness of risk disclosures by banks from 14 countries in MENA region over the 2006–2013 inclusive period. The first essay aims at investigating the impact of multi-layer governance mechanisms on the level of risk disclosures by banks. The essay result suggests a variation between MENA banks in the level of risk disclosures with a significant improvement from 2006 to 2013. Specifically, the findings are three-fold. First, the results suggest that Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB) is positively associated with the level of risk disclosures by banks. Second and at the bank-level, the essay finds that ownership (governmental ownership and family ownership) and board (board size and non-executive directors) structures have a positive effect on the level of risk disclosures by banks, whilst CEO duality is negative, but insignificantly related to bank risk disclosures. At the country-level, the evidence suggests that control of corruption has a positive effect on the level of bank risk disclosures, whilst political stability and absence of violence have a negative, but insignificant association with the level of bank risk disclosures. In the second essay, the thesis investigates the relationships among national governance quality (NGQM), Islamic governance quality (ISGQ), including other bank-level governance mechanisms, and risk management and disclosure practices (RMDPs); and consequently ascertains whether NGQM has a moderating influence on the ISGQ -RMDPs nexus. The findings are four-fold. Firstly, this study finds that RMDPs are higher in banks from countries with higher NGQM. Secondly, this essay shows that RMDPs are higher in banks with better Islamic governance. Thirdly, the study finds that board size and non-executive directors have a positive effect on the level of RMDPs. Finally, this study finds evidence that suggests that NGQM has a moderating effect on the Islamic governance quality-RMDPs nexus. The third essay explores whether RMDPs have a predictive effect (informativeness) on banks’ credit ratings (BCRs); and consequently ascertains whether governance structures can moderate such an association. The findings suggest that RMDPs have a predictive effect on BCRs. The study finds that the quality of the BCR is higher in banks that have higher risk disclosures, board size, government ownership, board independence, women directors and established SSB. On the other hand, the results indicate that the BCR quality is lower in banks that have higher foreign ownership, and CEO role duality. Furthermore, the findings suggest that governance structures moderate the relation between RMDPs and BCRs. The final essay examines the extent to which RMDPs and multi-level governance can explain observable changes in bank value in a number of ways. First, this essay seeks to examine whether RMDPs can influence the value of banks. The second objective is to examine how NGQM may affect the bank value. Finally, this essay explores the relationship between operating in better- or poorly-governed countries and the market value of banks. The results confirm the substantial role of risk disclosures and multi-level governance in improving bank valuation in MENA. More specifically, the results indicate that market valuation is higher in banks with bigger foreign ownership, board size, board independence, Islamic governance, and NGQM. The results also show a significant negative relationship between CEO power and bank value. The research’s empirical findings are largely in line with the predictions of the multi-theoretical framework that incorporates insights from agency, signalling, legitimacy, institutional, and resource dependence theories. The study findings are robust to alternative firm- and country-level controls, alternative multi-level governance mechanisms, risk disclosure proxies, alternative estimation techniques, and endogeneity problems. In doing so, this study extends, as well as contributes to the banking and governance literature in a number of ways. First, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this thesis provides a first-time cross-country evidence on the level of risk disclosures in MENA countries, especially following the 2007/08 financial crisis in the banking industry. Second, this thesis offers first-time evidence on the informativeness of Islamic governance quality and risk disclosures from equity and debt markets. Third, this thesis offers evidence and extends prior research on the influence of multi-level governance on bank value, and credit ratings, using a multi-theoretical framework. Fourth, the study offers first-time evidence on the effect of national governance quality on banks’ risk disclosures, credit ratings, and bank value

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Relationship between Non-Renewable Energy and Saudi Stock Market Sectors Using Wavelet Coherence Approach and Neural Networks

In this study, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on the relationship between non-renewable energy and Saudi stock market sectors for the period 11 January 2017–22 January 2022. We apply wavelet coherence and Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) models. Our results provide evidence that COVID-19 led to an increase in the strength of the relationship between oil as a main non-renewable energy source and Saudi stock market sectors and affected the nature and direction of this relationship. The relationships between oil and commercial and professional services, materials, banks, energy, and transportation sectors are the most affected. Our results will help hedge funds, mutual funds, and individual investors, forecast the direction of Saudi stock market sectors and the use of oil for hedging or diversification during periods of uncertainty and crisis. It will also help decision and policymakers in Saudi Arabia to make the necessary decisions and actions to maintain the stability of the stock market sectors during these periods.Deanship of Scientific Research at the Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, grant number 2019-155-ASCS