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The increased participation of economies in regional and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) has resulted in welfare effects. This chapter attempts to determine the welfare implications of preferential reductions in tariffs and free-trade zones on Afghan imports by adopting the Magee (2016) framework. This approach separates the consequences of tariff hikes triggered by FTAs from the general equilibrium effects (GEEs) caused by unknown variables impacting the country's imports (historical links, shared language and culture, landlockedness, etc.). This method evaluates whether preferential tariff reductions favouring partner countries would benefit or harm member countries. The results indicate that the magnitude of the effects of trade creation (TC) is significantly higher than those of trade diversion. TC resulting from GEEs unexpectedly surpasses TC resulting from tariff preferences extended to member nations. Afghanistan's FTAs are not harmful but enhance living conditions. This chapter recognises South Asian Free Trade Area’s (SAFTA's) potential for trade expansion by focusing on commitment to regional integration and increasing liberalisation by implementing a more easily upgraded tariff framework and trade facilitation system. The findings are relevant since World Trade Organisation (WTO) members are often sceptical about regional trade agreements (RTAs) or Bilateral Free Trade Agreements (BFTAs) as agents harming well-being.

This study aims to investigate the machining performance of CVD-coated carbide tools by considering most crucial machinability aspects: cutting force, tool life, surface roughness and chip morphology in high-speed hard turning of AISI 4340 alloy steel under a sustainable minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) environment.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance of coated carbide tools under MQL environment therefore, machining tests were performed in accordance with the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array, accommodating the three crucial machining parameters such as cutting speed (V = 300–400 m/min), feed rate (F = 0.1–0.2 mm/rev) and depth of cut (DOC = 0.2–0.4 mm). The measured or calculated values obtained in each experimental run were validated for normality assumptions before drawing any statistical inferences. Taguchi signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance methodologies were used to examine the effect of machining variables on the performance outcomes.

The quantitative analysis revealed that the depth of cut exerted the most significant influence on cutting force, with a contributing rate of 60.72%. Cutting speed was identified as the primary variable affecting the tool life, exhibiting a 47.58% contribution, while feed rate had the most dominating impact on surface roughness, with an overall contributing rate of 89.95%. The lowest cutting force (184.55 N) and the longest tool life (7.10 min) were achieved with low machining parameters at V = 300 m/min, F = 0.1 mm/rev, DOC = 0.2 mm. Conversely, the lowest surface roughness (496 nm) was achieved with high cutting speed, low feed rate and moderate depth of cut at V = 400 m/min, F = 0.1 mm/rev and DOC = 0.3 mm. Moreover, the microscopic examination of the chips revealed a serrated shape formation under all machining conditions. However, the degree of serration increased with an incremental raise with cutting speed and feed rate.

The study is limited to study the effect of machining parameters within the stated range of cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut as well as other parameters.

Practitioners may consider to adopt this machining technique to create more sustainable working environment as well as eliminate the disposal cost of the used metal cutting fluid.

By applying this machining technique, diseases caused by metal cutting fluid to the mechanist will be significantly reduced, therefore creating better lifestyles.

Hard turning is commonly carried out with advanced cutting tools such as ceramics, cubic boron nitride and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride to attain exceptional surface finish. However, the high cost of these tools necessitates exploration of alternative approaches. Therefore, this study investigates the potential of using cost-effective, multilayer-coated carbide tools under MQL conditions to achieve comparable surface quality.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2024-0013/

The present study aims to examine and explain cultural heritage destination by applying multiple dimension image model (cognitive–affective–conative aspects).

A total of 233 international heritage-based tourists were surveyed on-site at some of the most prominent historical attractions in Malacca, one of the first cities in Malaysia declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The covariance-based structural equation modelling was applied to examine the hypotheses.

The structural equation modelling validated that cognitive image aspects such as living culture, intangible and tangible are affected positively. The effects are statistically significant for conative and affective images. On the other hand, cognitive tangible image is an aspect that impacted affective image to a lesser degree than conative image. Whereas affective image attributes were found to have significant and positive influence on conative image.

This study enriches the limited empirical research study on heritage image conceptualisation by expanding into tri-component model. The destination image has garnered a great deal of attention, particularly due to its significant and impactful influence on the decision-making and the sustainable behaviour of tourists, and it has since become the subject of many studies in the tourism and hospitality literatures. But most research concerning heritage image for destinations has considered the construct uni-dimensionally.

The purpose of this study is to explore how changes in customer deposits influence the banking profits. The banking sector’s growth-promoting role is supported by its ability to perform the essential function of financial intermediation. However, Islamic banks go the extra mile by balancing the wealth of the rich and the poor and distributing risk more evenly. The effective operation of the services industry, including Islamic banks, depends on the active participation of their customers. Customers’ deposits in their accounts with Islamic banks are a crucial funding source. In actuality, two distinct sorts of demanding customers exist. Their expectations of the services provided by Islamic banks are different.

Panel quantile regression is applied using the collected data from Islamic banks’ audited financial statements for the time period from 2001 to 2021.

This study is expected to provide the breakdown of shares of current and saving deposits for Islamic banks, which supports managing liquidity risk. This breakdown will help the policymakers lay down a framework for managing the share of current and saving deposits in their favor.

The study aims to empirically evaluate whether changes in the current and saving account patronization have a role in the liquidity risk. And determine how banks need to manage their deposit structure to manage liquidity.

Previous studies have been nose-dive in providing country-level comparisons of different types of deposits in the context of liquidity risk management.

This study aims to attempt to put forward a nuanced conceptual framework to develop a better understanding of the relationship between job crafting and employees’ turnover intention, by bringing in “social exchange theory” perspective and proposing the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS).

An extant review of literature was undertaken to identify and summarize the relevant findings on the topics of job crafting, POS and turnover intention, which further led to the development of hypotheses and the conceptual framework.

Results indicate that job crafting has a significant relationship with turnover intention with POS as an underpinning variable.

This study generates actionable insights and suggestions for the business leaders and practitioners, which can help them in handling the problem of rising employee turnover in today’s era marked by evolving attitudes and mindsets of the employees, along with the catalytic effects of pandemic and “Great Resignation”. Insights generated in this study for reducing dysfunctional employee turnover would have a stabilizing effect and lead society and business towards sustainable growth.

Insights generated in this study for reducing dysfunctional employee turnover would have a stabilizing effect and lead society and business towards sustainable growth.

This study is original in three ways. Firstly, the study introduces a unique perspective by putting forward a conceptual framework nestled in the social exchange theory. Secondly, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study to examine the role of POS as a mediator in the association between job crafting and turnover intention. Thirdly, by proposing POS as an outcome of job crafting, this study suggests a reciprocal relationship between job crafting and POS.

There is a paucity of studies on factors influencing social entrepreneurial behaviours or actions. Against this background, this study aims to explore factors and challenges affecting Enactus members’ social entrepreneurial actions in Nigeria.

This study adopted a qualitative approach, and data were gathered through three focus group discussions involving 25 people (18 Enactus members, 4 faculty advisors and 3 business advisory board members). The study adopted a content analysis technique for data analysis.

The findings reveal that social mission orientation, desire to create social impact and social problems influence Enactus members’ social entrepreneurial actions. Other influencing factors include social entrepreneurial passion, moral obligation, social empathy and social support. In addition, the study finds that financial and time constraints affect Enactus members’ social entrepreneurial actions.

The findings have implications for social entrepreneurs/enterprises, governments/policymakers and Enactus members.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study that provides insights into the factors influencing a group of people towards social entrepreneurial actions.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive sustainability performance index tailored for Takaful operators. It integrates Maqasid Al-Shariah’s principles with key stakeholders’ expectations, ensuring a holistic evaluation of sustainability practices.

The index is formulated through a multi-step process, beginning with a thorough literature review to identify pertinent economic, social, environmental and religious indicators. Using a Multi-Attribute Utility Theory approach, the process incorporates expert consultations, stakeholder workshops and the analytical hierarchy process. The framework amalgamates diverse sustainability attributes, focusing on regulatory compliance, financial performance, customer satisfaction, workplace environment and community engagement. The final index is tested with data from various Takaful operators to validate its reliability and robustness.

The newly developed index effectively captures the multifaceted aspects of sustainability specific to Takaful operators, offering a balanced assessment across economic, social, environmental and religious dimensions. Findings suggest that while Takaful operators excel in community welfare and ethical compliance areas, there are notable gaps in integrating environmental and social governance factors. The index successfully highlights these gaps, providing a structured framework to enhance the sustainability practices of Takaful operators. Initial applications of the index reveal significant variability in sustainability performance among Takaful operators, pointing to areas needing improvement.

The development of the index is limited by the availability and quality of data from Takaful operators. Future research should aim to improve data collection methods and expand the index’s application to a broader range of operators.

Takaful operators can use the index as a transparent and objective tool to evaluate and improve their sustainability practices, facilitating better decision-making and strategic planning towards achieving sustainable development goals.

By incorporating Maqasid Al-Shariah and stakeholder perspectives, the index promotes socially responsible and ethically sound business practices within the Takaful industry, aligning with broader societal values and expectations.

This paper introduces the first comprehensive sustainability performance index specifically designed for Takaful operators, integrating religious principles with conventional sustainability metrics. The index provides substantial value for researchers, practitioners and policymakers dedicated to enhancing sustainability in the Islamic finance sector.

Through a systematic literature review, this paper aims to endeavor to present a thorough historical perspective on the evolution of employee-based brand equity (EBBE), offering a comprehensive understanding of its development. The study explores the general model, causes and effects of EBBE, as well as the role of culture, leadership and brand management in building EBBE. The paper proposes an integrative framework to understand the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and offers practical guidelines for future research and the business world.

The paper uses a systematic literature review approach to analyze and synthesize 30 studies on EBBE retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science. The analysis involves a thematic and content-based examination of the literature, which is organized into three thematic groups.

The review highlights the importance of EBBE as a driver of organizational performance and success. The paper identifies the evolution of the major themes, trends and debates in the literature and suggests areas for future research. It underscores the need for more qualitative, multi-level and longitudinal research on EBBE, as well as the exploration of the links between EBBE and other forms of brand equity.

This paper is one of the first systematic literature reviews of EBBE, offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the existing literature since the beginning of this concept. The paper’s originality lies in its proposed integrative framework that captures the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and provides practical guidelines for future research and the business world.

The practices of sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) among Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) nowadays still rely on the existing environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. However, based on observation, some of the existing criteria listed by the reports of certain authorities and organizations do not seem to be aligned with Shariah principles. Therefore, this study aims to investigate those criteria to help develop Islamic-SRI (i-SRI) criteria based on the ESG concept.

This study adopted the qualitative method via content analysis of documents and interviews with experts.

Based on the analysis, a set of i-SRI criteria is developed based on the ESG concept, of which 33 elements are environmental, 50 elements are social and 26 elements are governance issues. Overall, this study finds that there is no obvious contradiction with the Islamic philosophy in the existing ESG criteria, with the exception of four criteria, i.e. promoting human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of censorship and freedom of association under social criteria. These four existing criteria are not aligned with Islamic teaching and not appropriate with Islamic ESG criteria.

The creation of Islamic ESG criteria can assist relevant authorities to improve the current ESG criteria and to embed an Islamic perspective within it.

This study developed a set of i-SRI criteria, which may be suitable as a source of reference to relevant parties.

This study aims to assess the extent of the mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report of Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) in Malaysia. The study highlights the accountability and transparency of the Shariah Committee members to provide full disclosure of relevant Shariah compliance information to the stakeholders.

The study adopts content analysis to quantify and code the number of sentences in the Shariah Committee Report disclosed in the 2016 annual report of 47 IFIs in Malaysia. The extent of Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report is measured based on the Standard (S) and Guidance (G) items outlined in the Shariah Governance Framework (SGF) as well as the Financial Reporting for Islamic Banking Institutions and takaful operators guidelines issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as the reference.

The findings indicate that majority of IFIs complied with the minimum mandatory disclosure requirement based on the Standard (S) items in the Shariah Committee Report as required by the SGF. Highest information on the purpose of Shariah Committee engagement and scope of work performed is disclosed to the stakeholders in almost all IFIs. Only two prominent full-fledged Islamic bank and Islamic banking business in development financial institutions have shown highest accountability to go beyond the minimum disclosure requirement. This includes disclosing higher voluntary information on Shariah governance processes in the Shariah Committee Report of these two IFIs.

This study adopts the SGF (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2010), Financial Reporting for Islamic Banking Institutions (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2016) and Financial Reporting for Takaful Operators (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2015) as the reference to develop the measurement of Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report. These guidelines issued by BNM are still effective during the period of study, i.e. the year 2016.

The findings contribute towards the relevance for BNM as the regulator to enhance the current disclosure requirement in the Shariah Committee Report as stated in the SGF especially in Islamic windows and takaful operators. The main argument of this paper is that the more information being disclosed in the Shariah Committee Report will lead to better Shariah assurances. The issuance of Shariah Governance Policy Document in 2019 is expected to enhance the credibility, accountability and transparency of the Shariah Committee members concerning their oversight responsibility towards Shariah matters in IFIs’ business operations.

After five years since the issuance of the SGF in 2010, further study on the extent of mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure is important to highlight the accountability and transparency on the implementation of the Shariah governance across various types of IFIs in Malaysia.