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While scholars have researched the impact of specific total quality management (TQM) aspects on innovation performance (INP), empirical evidence on how the former, as a composite construct, influences the latter is rare. To add, empirical evidence on the mechanism through which TQM passes to affect innovative behaviour (INB) and, then, INP is limited. Essentially, scholars have requested that future research look at the boundary conditions that support the adoption of TQM activities in businesses. Although the banking sector has experienced a number of transformations, there is still a need to raise the standard of service provided to bank customers. This research sheds more light on this subject.

This research tests the hypotheses in Ahinful et al.’s (2023) conceptual model using responses from 260 top- and middle-level bank managers by applying Smart PLS. Organisational support and team member exchange were used as potential control variables for the mediator, while slack resources and bank size were applied to the target endogenous latent construct. Mediation and moderation effects were estimated using the variance accounted for (VAF) and product indicator approaches, respectively. Sig. level was set at 5%.

This study found that TQM and INP had a positive and significant connection (ß = 0.303, p = 0.000), and INB partially mediated this connection (VAF = 40.92%). However, government regulation (GOV; ß = 0.055, p = 0.365), market dynamism (MKD; ß = 0.063, p = 0.434), competitive intensity (CMP; ß = 0.069, p = 0.297) and technological turbulence (TUR; ß = 0.011, p = 0.865) all failed to moderate the TQM–INB connection, although the expected positive directions of these moderation relationships were established.

This research provides empirical evidence on the TQM–INP connection, how this connection may be mediated and how the TQM–INB connection may be activated. It also sheds light on novel ways in which service quality in the banking sector may be improved. Upcoming research may explore other control variables in their research. Since the moderating relationships were unsupported, this avenue is open for further research, particularly in other banking settings across the globe.

Practical lessons for bank consultants, regulators, customers, employees and managers are deliberated.

This research is novel. It is the first to test the hypotheses in Ahinful et al.’s (2023) conceptual model. This study advances the theoretical frameworks and existing knowledge within the TQM, innovation and performance management fields.

To examine the key factors that can engender initial trust in mobile money and to also determine whether initial trust can contribute to the perceived value of mobile money, use and recommendation intentions. More specifically, this paper, based on initial trust building model, aims to identify the institutional, cognitive and socially related factors enhancing initial trust in mobile money and its relationship with perceived value, use and recommendation intentions.

A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 781 research participants. Variance-based structural equation modelling was used to examine the proposed research model.

This research shows the importance of the institutional factor of structural assurance, in conjunction with perceived firm reputation and communicability, in engendering initial trust in mobile money and, in turn, enhancing perceived value, use and recommendation intentions. The research further confirms the mediating influence of perceived value in the relationships between initial trust, use and recommendation intentions.

The originality of this work lies in the development and empirical confirmation of the research model and which together contributes to an increase understanding of initial trust building in mobile money acceptance. Value-wise, this work has the potential to inform managerial and public policy interventions by helping mobile money operators and policymakers’ rollout essential and even sophisticated financial services like borrowing using the mobile phone for the financially under-served in developing and trust-deficit settings.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and marketing capability on consumer behavioral responses in the mobile telecommunication industry in Ghana. Particularly, the study estimated the moderating effect of marketing capability on the relationship between CSR and consumer behavioral responses.

Both customers and employees of three major mobile telecommunication companies were sampled for this work. A mixed linear regression technique was used to examine the relationship between corporate responsibility, marketing capability and customer behavioral responses.

The empirical results revealed that marketing capabilities moderate the relationship between CSR and consumer responses in the telecommunication industry.

The study proposes practical dimensions to the mobile telecommunication companies that the extensive development of strong marketing capabilities serves a conduit for CSR to achieve favorable consumer responses.

The results have opened up rather a limitation studies on the moderation role marketing capabilities in relationship between CSR and consumer behavioral responses in the telecommunication industry.

To analyze the challenges and intricacies involved in managing the physical and administrative aspects of central mosques, with a specific focus on the Kumasi Central Mosque in Ghana. Through this case study, the paper aims to provide insights into the unique estate management practices and design a conceptual framework that incorporates efficient estate management practices for Ghana’s central mosques.

The study adopted a mixed-methods approach. Structured questionnaires were used to gather the data administered to the head of the development office, maintenance workers and mosque users. The data were analyzed using descriptive methods.

The overall findings of the study indicate that the estate management practices of the mosque are having difficulties financing maintenance. Other difficulties include the type of maintenance regime, the period of planned maintenance, the lack of an asset register, the absence of insurance policies and the causes of emergency maintenance.

The research provides valuable insights into the management of central mosques in Ghana and offers scalable practical recommendations such as adopting a planned maintenance regime, insuring mosque facilities and implementing comprehensive recording-keeping guidelines guided by policies.

The paper will assist stakeholders in comprehending the most practical approach to mosque estate management practices.

Urban-based local government authorities (LGAs) have embarked on outsourcing solid waste management to community-based organizations (CBOs) for attaining sustainable cities and community’s goal. However, the effectiveness of outsourcing this function to CBOs remains unclear. This study contributes to this debate by citing three urban LGAs from Tanzania.

This study was conducted in Tanzania specifically to urban LGAs. This study employed a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions with outsourced groups and analyzed through thematic approach.

This study found that outsourcing solid waste management benefits both LGAs and groups. On the one hand, LGAs collect revenues out of this arrangement and groups improve their income on the other. However, groups’ operational environment is confronted by poor infrastructure, inadequate collection tools and poor community awareness and readiness.

This study focused on only three LGAs. Studies are recommended for other urban LGAs in Tanzania to extend the scope of the debate. Again, this study confined itself to the effectiveness of outsourcing solid waste collection to groups, but did not focus on how LGAs use revenue collected to improve the waste management, this welcomes further studies to be conducted.

The experienced operational environment creates difficulties for groups in waste collection and might result in some waste being uncollected.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the efficiency model on firms performance. The authors also strive to test the compatibility of the efficiency models of Sharia and non-Sharia manufacturing firms.

The samples are manufacturing industry firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2021. This study used 68 firms, with details of 34 Sharia while the remaining 34 were non-Sharia. The data were analyzed using generalized least square (GLS) to test the entire formulated hypothesis. Moreover, current research provides robustness tests to gain more valid and reliable results.

The results demonstrated that cost efficiency (CE), human capital efficiency (HCE) and capital intensity (CI) affect the firm’s performance. The efficiency model is more appropriate to be applied to the manufacturing Sharia firms in Indonesia. The results are robust even though the feasible GLS and panel-corrected standards errors models are added and a split sample is applied based on certain firm characteristics.

This research can bridge the theory and practice that exist in companies. The authors proposed an efficiency model that can maximize firm performance profits. Moreover, it turns out that the efficiency model is more relevant to be applied to Sharia firms in Indonesia. Furthermore, the research findings have several implications notably for theoretical development, global enterprises and practitioners.

This study expands the literature and discussion about the efficiency model by formulating and investigating CE, HCE and CI on the firm performance which previous studies have rarely elaborated on and tested. In addition, the authors divided the sample into two groups (Sharia and non-Sharia firms) to ensure the compatibility of the implementation of the efficiency model on firm performance.

This study examines the relationship between working capital management and business performance.

The relationship between the working capital management and business performance is examined using panel data analysis for a sample of EU-28 listed firms for the period from 2003 to 2012. To examine this relationship, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is used to analyze the data obtained from the sample. The dependent variable consists of three measurements, namely return on asset (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and earnings before interest and taxes margin (EBITM), which are used as proxies for accounting-based measures of performance.

The authors examined the aforementioned relationship during the 2008 financial crisis. The OLS regression analysis suggests that there is a negative relationship between gross working capital and business performance for code law countries. The results also show that liquidity measures estimated by current ratio have a statistically significant impact on business performance indicated by ROA for all EU countries. The 2008 financial crisis had a significantly negative impact on ROA. Additionally, the findings regarding financial inclusion show a negative relationship between gross working capital and business performance among EU and other performer countries.

Overall, the empirical findings are consistent with Afrifa's (2016), who suggests that cash flow should increase investment in working capital to improve performance indicated by EBITM for old EU members.

While many empirical studies investigate the relationship between working capital and firm profitability, most do not consider the impact of the 2008 financial crisis apart from Tsurate (2019). The authors examine whether legal origins are important determinants of working capital management policies and business performance. Thus, empirically, the code law countries have a negative relationship between gross working capital, business performance and EBITM.

Issues on fraudulent excuses have become a common phenomenon at higher educational institutions. Although these misbehaviours can unfavourably impact the quality of graduates, nonetheless, these issues have been largely ignored as the focus of academic debates is placed more on other academic dishonest behaviours such as cheating in exams and plagiarisms. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine undergraduates' perception of fraudulent excuse-making and to offer a fruitful academic discussion on this deceitful behaviour that has been a somewhat undesirable culture in tertiary educational settings.

An online self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to 346 undergraduates at a Malaysian public university.

The results suggest that, while the number is low, fraudulent excuses are indeed being mobilised by undergraduate students in their attempt to avoid academic responsibility. The influence of demographic profiles on fraudulent excuse-making is also evident.

A scarcity of studies on fraudulent excuses has contributed to a lack of understanding of the pertinent reasons and causes leading to the engagement of these misbehaviours. The paper hopes to shed some light that can be beneficial to the relevant managerial authorities within the university in any policy changes in an attempt to curb this problematic behaviour from continuously affecting the inner quality of graduates.

Drawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and dynamic capability perspectives, the current study investigates the extent to which environmental supply chain strategies (ESCSs) predict the dimensions of sustainable performance of manufacturing firms.

In a cross-sectional survey, data were drawn from eight (8) listed manufacturing firms in Ghana: Aluworks Ltd, Unilever Ghana Plc, Fan Milk Limited, Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Cocoa Processing Company, Dannex Ayrton Starwin Plc, Benso Oil Palm Plantation Ltd and Samba Foods Ltd. The data from 396 respondents were analysed with partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach to test the research hypotheses.

The study revealed that environmental, social and economic sustainability performance reporting indicators were positively and significantly predicted by ESCSs of manufacturing firms in an emerging economy.

In essence, the results provide broad support to the assertion that sustaining companies over several generations largely depends on understanding and implementing proactive green strategies or otherwise perish.

The study contributes to the few studies that investigate ESCSs and sustainability performance issues in emerging economies, like Ghana, where sustainability is on the verge of gaining momentum.

This study examines investigating the relationship between cash flows, working capital ratios and firm performance during the global financial crisis.

To examine the relationship between cash flow, working capital ratios and firm performance for EU-28 or Western European Countries (Norway, Turkey and Switzerland) listed firms, both panel and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model are used to analyze the data obtained from sample.

The study empirical findings suggest that global financial crisis has negative effect on firm performance for all sample. In addition, our interaction term result shows that cash flows variables such as cash holding level (CHL) × Crisis, cash interactive effect (CIE) × Crisis and gross working capital ratio (GWC) × Crisis not contributed to firm performance for EU-28 listed firms. However, the authors find that net working capital ratio (NWC) × Crisis have statistically significant and positive effects on firm performance with return on assets (ROA).

The findings of the study provide evidence for managers that listed firms have reduced working capital expenditures to increase cash holdings level during the financial crisis. The authors find that cash flow variables with CHL have positive effect on firm performance with return on equity (ROE) in Western European Countries and these results are consistent with Opler et al. (1999)'s empirical results, while CIE have a negative impact on firm performance such as ROE and earnings before interest tax margin (EBITM).

Global financial crisis emphasizes the importance of working capital and liquidity that suggests an efficient cash holdings policy in response to the uncertainty following the crisis.