Search results

Across the globe, cities have contemplated practical measures to handle sustainable development issues which vary from environmental, social and to economic problems. Despite this, Africa has continued to fall behind in the implementation of smart city development. Yet, one of Africa's most cherished goals is achieving sustainable human settlements to keep up with the present and future urbanisation rates. The backbone to achieving sustainable human settlements is having efficient, well-capacitated, municipal systems and committed public servants. African Governments, however, continue to have failing municipalities with corruption being rife in both small towns and cities, yet there are chances to evolve and become smarter. Blockchain technology is a novel and disruptive innovation that has the potential to empower smart cities by providing a platform for interoperability, coordination and governance among multiple smart city initiatives and actors. However, the adoption of blockchain technology also faces several challenges and barriers to its adoption and implementation in smart cities, especially in Africa, where there is lack of awareness, regulation, infrastructure and access to ICT. This chapter examines the current state, opportunities and challenges in the adoption of blockchain technology in smart city development in Africa, a continent that faces multiple urbanisation issues, such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation and lack of infrastructure. As such, the study adopts two theories, the diffusion of innovation (DOI) and the technology–organisation–environment (TOE) framework to view the use and opportunities placed by adopting blockchain technology through municipal stakeholders and citizens to enhance smart city development.

This paper aims to examine the influence of board gender diversity on corporate anti-corruption disclosure (ACD) and the role of the Sapin II Law.

The authors used panel data regressions on a sample of French listed firms from 2010–2020. Keywords-based content analysis is used to measure ACD. Additionally, the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model investigate whether the ACD levels with high and low female directors’ changes before and after the Sapin II Law.

There is a positive relationship between female directors and corporate ACD. This relation is particularly significant in firms who applies the Sapin II Law.

The authors focus solely on larger French listed companies, which may not reflect small and medium-sized businesses. Due to data limitations, the authors could not include demographic factors like age, education and experience that could influence company behavior. Furthermore, self-reported data may not adequately reveal illicit practices within these companies.

The relationship between board gender diversity and corruption disclosure informs policymakers on reforms for female directors. The findings also aid investors and suggest that managers should view gender diversity as a governance tool to reduce corruption.

This paper is original in focusing on ACD and using a DID methodology to assess the impact of the Sapin II Law. It uniquely investigates threshold effects between board gender diversity and ACD and examines the French context, including the Copé-Zimmermann Law’s gender diversity mandate.

This study aims to assess the impact of the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the informational relevance of accounting figures for Moroccan companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether IFRS adoption improves the ability of accounting data to reflect share price movements.

The empirical analysis covers a sample of 27 Moroccan listed companies over a six-year period (2015–2020), with a total of 162 observations. The study tests various hypotheses through association studies to evaluate the effectiveness of accounting figures in reflecting share prices in the pre-IFRS and post-IFRS periods. The analysis utilizes Ohlson's (1995) price model, which is widely used in the literature for such assessments.

The results show that both earnings and shareholders’ equity are more effective in explaining share price variations in the post-IFRS period than in the pre-IFRS period. In particular, equity demonstrates greater explanatory power than earnings. The combined explanatory power of equity and earnings is significantly stronger in the post-IFRS period, suggesting that the adoption of IFRS has played a key role in enhancing the quality of financial information disclosed in the Moroccan market.

Theoretical implications – this study highlights that the adoption of IFRS reduces information asymmetry, thereby mitigating conflicts of interest and agency costs. By aligning accounting practices with international standards, IFRS enhance transparency and governance, fostering a more reliable business environment. Practical implications – the study indicates that IFRS adoption improves the transparency, reliability and comparability of financial information, enhancing investor confidence and making the Moroccan financial market more attractive. It provides useful guidance for regulators, businesses and countries considering IFRS implementation, demonstrating the importance of these standards in boosting market transparency and attracting global investments.

This study explores the impact of IFRS adoption on the relevance of financial information in Morocco, a topic that has been underexplored in emerging economies. It fills a gap in the literature by providing insights into IFRS adoption in a specific context, thus contributing to the ongoing debate on their effectiveness in developing economies.

This study aims to examine the association between audit partner busyness and audit quality. Moreover, this research investigates whether boardroom gender diversity moderates the relationship between audit partner busyness and audit quality in Australia.

The study sample consists of all public companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange from 2005 to 2014. The data is obtained from SIRCA and the Morning Star databases. The study uses fixed effects and logistic regression techniques to test the relationship between audit partner busyness, boardroom gender diversity and audit quality.

The collected empirical evidence shows that audit partner busyness is negatively associated with audit quality. In contrast, boardroom gender diversity moderates the relationship between audit partner busyness and audit quality. More specifically, the results suggest that board gender diversity mitigates the negative impact of audit partners’ busyness on the audit quality. The results are robust to endogeneity and alternative definitions of audit partner busyness, boardroom gender diversity and audit quality.

The study’s findings will be of interest to policymakers, regulators and investors in the Australian market. The results show the importance of gender-diverse boards in companies’ audit functions, particularly in the presence of busy audit partners, and hence support the call for more women on corporate boards in Australia. Moreover, the results call for a cap or upper limit on the number of clients an audit partner can take on based on their capacity.

The authors contribute to the growing literature on board gender diversity, audit partner busyness and audit quality. Although a plethora of prior literature suggests a negative association between audit partner busyness and audit quality, the results suggest that women in the boardroom positively moderate the relationship between audit partner busyness and audit quality.

This paper examines the consequences of board diversity in Kuwait. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of gender, age and national diversity on firm performance (FP).

This work uses data from 103 non-financial Kuwaiti listed companies in the period from 2010 to 2017. The data was collected from secondary sources such as annual reports and S&P Capital IQ. FP is measured by return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q. The independent variables are gender diversity, age diversity and nationality diversity.

The findings show mixed results regarding gender, age, national diversity and FP.

Board diversity is a relatively underexplored area in the context of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Kuwait. The originality and value of examining the impact of gender, age and nationality diversity on FP in Kuwait are multifaceted, highlighting unique cultural, economic and regulatory aspects.

This study aims to analyze online responses to gain insights into public attitudes and concerns regarding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) among Hong Kong residents. By addressing gaps in understanding public sentiment, this study contributes to the development of effective health-care policies.

Responses were collected from Baby-Kingdom.com using Python, gathering 17,568 TCM-related comments from 2016 to 2023. Analysis involved an eight-theme codebook and sentiment and semantic network analyses with DiVoMiner.

Most responses expressed positive sentiments and attitudes toward TCM. The analysis revealed recurring topics related to conditioning and specific diseases, including gynecological problems. Clinic service quality, fair pricing and convenient locations were also highlighted.

This study examines the networked public sphere and the Theory of Planned Behavior regarding TCM, emphasizing online forums’ impact on attitudes and highlighting gaps in service access, using big data and an interdisciplinary approach.

The findings of this study from Baby-Kingdom.com emphasize the need to improve the accessibility of TCM-related discussions. An official platform for professionals is proposed, with government support for reliable information and partnerships with local universities to expand services.

This study provides valuable insights into the popularity of TCM in Hong Kong, which may encourage uptake and use of TCM services in the health-care sector in not only Hong Kong but also the Greater Bay Area, China and potentially other countries in the future.

This empirical work verifies the effect of the development of the financial sector on socio-economic development of the sub-region of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Data were compiled from various sources for 40 countries from 2000 to 2020 and were analyzed using the two-step system generalized method of moments estimation technique. Socio-economic development is measured using the Human Development Index in order to focus on living standards and the welfare of individuals and households.

Empirical results indicate that financial development (efficiency, access and depth) has a significant positive effect on socio-economic development in the sub-region, all other things being equal. Again, the results reveal that improved governance structures positively moderate the nexus between the financial sector and development of economies in the sub-region. Financial stability, trade openness and financial freedom were also found to have a positive impact on living standards and welfare of the people in the sub-region.

The paper examines the nexus between the development of the financial sector and socio-economic development (living standards, welfare and health of the populace), with attention to the possible moderating role that quality of governance could play in the relationship.