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This study aims to examine the impact of country governance and other potential bank-specific characteristics and macroeconomic condition determinants on bank productivity in the period of 2006–2016.

The productivity level of total 167 banks selected from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore are evaluated using the data envelopment analysis-based Malmquist productivity index method. A panel regression analysis framework based on ordinary least squares, a fixed effect and a random effect models then are used to identify its main determinants.

The empirical findings indicate that the total factor productivity changes of Islamic banks is higher than conventional banks. The liquidity and global financial crisis influence both banks’ productivity. Bank size, credit risk, market power, management efficiency and inflation merely influence Islamic banks’ productivity. On the country governance dimensions, voice and accountability are found to positively influence both banks’ productivity. Regulatory quality and rule of law (RL) significantly influences the conventional parts. Political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, RL and control of corruption negatively influence the banks’ productivity, but this influence is only significant for the Islamic banks.

Country governance has received surprisingly little attention in the banking industry over the past few decades. Majority of the studies that examine the effect of governance on bank performance have focused more on the micro governance dimension. Thus, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, no study has been done to address the effect of country governance on the productivity of the Islamic and conventional banks.

This paper aims to explore the level of productivity of Islamic banks specifically in selected Southeast Asian Countries from the period 2006 to 2014. Besides, this study also investigates the potential determinants of bank-specific characteristics and macroeconomic conditions that may influence the productivity of banking sector.

The present study gathers data on the 29 Islamic banks from Southeast Asian countries, namely, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. The productivity level of the Islamic banks is evaluated using the data envelopment analysis-based Malmquist productivity index method. The authors then used a panel regression analysis framework based on the ordinary least square to identify potential determinants.

The domestic and foreign Islamic banks have exhibited progress in total factor productivity change solely attributed to the increase in efficiency change (EFFCH) which were mainly managerial rather than scale related. Foreign-owned banks have been slightly more productive compared to their domestic-owned bank counterparts, attributed to a higher EFFCH but insignificantly different. Furthermore, capitalisation, liquidity and world financial crisis determinants have significantly influenced productivity level of Islamic banks.

The study on the productivity of Islamic banking is still in its formative stage. To date, very limited study has been conducted to examine the productivity level in Southeast Asian, which is a strong regional hub for Islamic banking. This study intends to fill the gaps with a specific focus on the productivity level, specifically narrowing down to Southeast Asian countries in the domestic and foreign Islamic banking sector.

Globalisation has influenced many countries, over the last few decades with financial globalisation and liberalisation bringing regulatory reforms in the banking sector. Thus, this study aims to fill a gap in the literature by examining the influence of globalisation on Islamic and conventional bank productivity in Southeast Asia.

The sample comprised 155 banks (23 Islamic and 132 conventional) from 4 countries from 2008 to 2017. Panel data techniques will be used, together with data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based Malmquist productivity index (MPI), to investigate the impact of chosen main determinants on bank productivity. A panel regression analysis will be performed after generating the productivity index from the DEA-based MPI frontier.

According to the findings, Islamic banks are statistically significantly more productive than conventional banks, and the findings of the t-test are corroborated by the findings of nonparametric tests. Furthermore, the findings of the panel regression model reveal that bank specific factors and macroeconomic variables are significant determinants to bank productivity. Surprisingly, the findings also show that the influence of social globalisation elements tends to be negatively related to conventional bank productivity.

This study adds to the existing literature by bridging the globalisation gap in the productivity of the dual banking industry, particularly in the specific context of Southeast Asia, given that the area is representative of Islamic and finance globally.

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) play a significant role in society to help low-income consumers that liaise with sustainable development goals. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of two economic freedom components, namely, regulatory efficiency on business freedom and monetary freedom; and market openness on investment freedom and financial freedom. Their influence on the efficiency of MFIs in both social and financial ways is examined.

This study collected a total of 88 MFIs from Thailand and the Philippines for the years 2011 to 2017. The data envelopment analysis approach has been used to measure the MFIs’ efficiency level. Then, the ordinary least squares and generalised least square estimation methods serve to analyse the effects of economic freedom and other determinants on efficiency.

The results show that overall MFIs operate at an encouraging level. However, they were managerially inefficient when exploiting resources to achieve both social and financial efficiency. Therefore, MFIs should focus more on managerial operations to improve the level of efficiency. Results from panel regression analysis showed a mixed outcome for the relationship between economic freedom and MFIs’ efficiency both financially and socially. This suggested that different freedoms will result in different outcomes and significantly influence MFIs’ financial and social efficiency.

Regulatory efficiency and market openness are the vital aspects of economic freedom components that may significantly influence MFI’s performance specifically on social and financial efficiency. This study fills the research gap by examining the relationship between economic freedom components and specific MFIs’ social and financial efficiency, to ensure MFIs work to achieve sustainable development goals.