Institutions and corruption relationship: evidence from African countries

This study considers the combined effects of formal (i.e., national governance) and informal (i.e., national culture) institutions on corruption based on a sample of 52 African countries over the 2007–2022 period. Employing institutional theory, our findings are three-fold. First, we find weak formal institutions (i.e., national governance systems) to be associated with higher levels of corruption. Second, regarding the effects of informal institutions (i.e., national culture) on the level of corruption, our results suggest that high power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and collectivism are associated with higher levels of corruption. However, masculinity has a negative and significant influence on the level of corruption in Africa. Finally, our main results indicate that the joint effect of formal (national governance) and informal (national culture) institutions tends to be associated with a high incidence of corruption at societal level

Corporate governance and dividend pay-out policy in UK listed SMEs: The effects of corporate board characteristics

Purpose: This paper examines the extent to which corporate board characteristics influence the level of dividend pay-out ratio using a sample of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 2010 to 2013 listed on the Alternative Investment Market. Design/methodology/approach: The data is analysed by employing multivariate regression techniques, including estimating fixed effects, lagged effects and two-stage least squares regressions. Findings: The results show that board size, the frequency of board meetings, board gender diversity and audit committee size have a significant relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. Audit committee size and board size have a positive association with the level of dividend pay-out, whilst the frequency of board meetings and board gender diversity has a significant negative relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. By contrast, the findings suggest that board independence and CEO role duality do not have any significant effect on the level of dividend pay-out. Originality/value: This is one of the first attempts at examining the relationship between corporate governance and dividend policy in the UK’s Alternative Investment Market, with the analysis distinctively informed by agency theoretical insights drawn from the outcome and substitution hypotheses

Female Audit Partners and Extended Audit Reporting: UK Evidence

This study investigates whether audit partner gender is associated with the extent of auditor disclosure and the communication style regarding risks of material misstatements that are classified as key audit matters (KAMs). Using a sample of UK firms during the 2013–2017 period, our results suggest that female audit partners are more likely than male audit partners to disclose more KAMs with more details after controlling for both client and audit firm attributes. Furthermore, female audit partners are found to use a less optimistic tone and provide less readable audit reports, compared to their male counterparts, suggesting that behavioural variances between female and male audit partners may have significant implications on their writing style. Therefore, this study offers new insights on the role of audit partner gender in extended audit reporting. Our findings have important implications for audit firms, investors, policymakers and governments in relation to the development, implementation and enforcement of gender diversity

Institutions and corruption relationship: Evidence from African countries

This study considers the combined effects of formal (i.e., national governance) and informal (i.e., national culture) institutions on corruption based on a sample of 52 African countries over the 2007–2022 period. Employing institutional theory, our findings are three-fold. First, we find weak formal institutions (i.e., national governance systems) to be associated with higher levels of corruption. Second, regarding the effects of informal institutions (i.e., national culture) on the level of corruption, our results suggest that high power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and collectivism are associated with higher levels of corruption. However, masculinity has a negative and significant influence on the level of corruption in Africa. Finally, our main results indicate that the joint effect of formal (national governance) and informal (national culture) institutions tends to be associated with a high incidence of corruption at societal level

Role of project governance in managing projects sustainability: A theoretical perspective

Sustainability is incessantly posing challenges when it is studied juxtaposition with project management. To ensure sustainability companies undertaking projects ought to set strategic and operational plans that will add to the project sustainability. Research shows that existing project management structures do not effectively consider sustainability issues and therefore need revisions at strategic and operational levels. Similarly, while the theme of project governance is finding traction in the literature, the discussion that connects project governance and sustainability in projects is elusive. This research work is specifically focusing on developing a linkage between project governance and managing sustainability in projects. There is an acute scarcity of literature encircling linkage between project governance and sustainable project management, thus, based on the extensive review of the literature, this study is one of the pioneering studies to highlight the relationship between the themes of project governance and sustainable project management