This study aims to investigate the relationship between trust in government, value added tax (VAT) compliance costs and VAT compliance in the Jordanian retail industry context.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between trust in government, value added tax (VAT) compliance costs and VAT compliance in the Jordanian retail industry context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study makes use of an online questionnaire survey to collect the required data, and the research model is eventually validated based on 189 responses gathered from the retail industry in Jordan. The obtained data was analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling to examine the effects of trust in government and costs of VAT compliance on VAT compliance.
Findings
The results showed that VAT compliance costs have no significant influence on VAT compliance; while trust in government was found statistically positive significant with VAT compliance.
Practical implications
This study’s results are expected to have implications for VAT authorities and policymakers in Arab countries, like Jordan in their policies formulation to enhance VAT compliance in retail industry. The study’s findings are alerting the policymakers for the positive noneconomic consequences of VAT compliance. It provides evidence that trust in government can increase VAT compliance.
Social implications
The results of the research have a plentiful of social implications. Higher VAT compliance will enable higher levels of government spending on a many of social targets such as health, education, welfare programs and infrastructure.
Originality/value
While the study builds on recent research examining how to incentivize VAT compliance, it simultaneously seeks to make three contributions. First, the study design aims to apply recent advances in behavioral sciences (impact of trust in government and VAT compliance costs) in a policy area that has not seen much use of such interventions in the Jordanian context (i.e. VAT compliance). Second, the study is government procedures pertinent in the sense that it aims to increase the effectiveness of existing government policies by complementing them with behavioral primes. Third, there is nearly no literature found applying this topic in a developing country such as Jordan. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study that examines the trust in government and VAT compliance costs on VAT compliance among Jordanian retail industry. Thus, this paper contributes to mitigating the literature gap by providing empirical evidence concerning the influence of trust in government and VAT compliance costs on the retail industry VAT compliance in the Jordanian context.
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Ahmad Farhan Alshira'h and Hijattulah Abdul-Jabbar
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of tax audit, tax rate and tax penalty on sales tax compliance and examine the moderating effect of patriotism on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of tax audit, tax rate and tax penalty on sales tax compliance and examine the moderating effect of patriotism on the associations between tax audit, tax rate and tax penalty with sales tax compliance among Jordanian manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, 660 questionnaires were distributed by using systematic random sampling to manufacturing SMEs in Jordan, after which a total of 385 useable questionnaires were deemed suitable for analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the measurement model and structural model and the predictive relevance of the study’s model.
Findings
The findings showed that tax audit and tax penalty were positively associated with the level of sales tax compliance, whereas tax rate was insignificantly associated with sales tax compliance. They also demonstrated the moderating significant effect of patriotism on the relationship between tax penalty, tax audit and tax rate with sales tax compliance.
Research limitations/implications
Tax authorities and policymakers in developing majority societies in developing countries and in other Arab countries, especially in Jordan may use the results to focus their interest on the formulation of policies founded on the outcomes of the study to strengthen eligible SMEs to comply to further boost their sales collections.
Originality/value
This study extends the deterrence theory in the context of sales tax compliance by proposing the moderating effect of patriotism in the deterrence theory on sales tax compliance among SMEs. Moreover, the suitability for the use of PLS-SEM as a statistical tool in investigating the extended deterrence theory with patriotism as a moderating variable as well as its implications for theory and practice was also discussed.
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Ahmad Farhan Alshira'h, Hasan Mahmoud Al-Shatnawi, Manaf Al-Okaily, Abdalwali Lutfi and Malek Hamed Alshirah
The purpose of this study is to better understand the issues on tax compliance. This study aims to examine the influence of patriotism and public governance on the sales tax…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to better understand the issues on tax compliance. This study aims to examine the influence of patriotism and public governance on the sales tax compliance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to examine the interaction between patriotism and public governance on sales tax compliance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was carried out by soliciting the opinions of owner-managers of SMEs in Jordan through a survey that was distributed by self-administered. This paper uses partial least squares structural equation modelling to investigate the influence of patriotism, public governance and the interaction of these two mechanisms on sales tax compliance for a sample of 385 SMEs.
Findings
This paper finds that patriotism and the public governance increase and improve the level of sales tax compliance. The findings also supported the interaction effect of patriotism on the relationship between public governance with sales tax compliance. Thus, all the hypothesised relationships were supported.
Practical implications
Tax authorities and policymakers in developing majority societies in developing countries and in other Arab countries, especially in Jordan, may use the results to focus their interest on the formulation of policies founded on the outcomes of the study to strengthen the compliance of eligible SMEs to further boost their sales collections.
Originality/value
Very few studies have examined the determinants of sales tax compliance, and there has been an absence of work that examines the influence of the patriotism and public governance on sales tax compliance. This paper, therefore, fills a gap in the literature by providing the first empirical evidence about the influence of patriotism and public governance on sales tax compliance of SMEs in developing countries. This study is the initial paper to examine the interaction between patriotism and public governance on sales tax compliance among SMEs in developing countries
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Ahmad Farhan Alshira’h, Malek Hamed Alshirah and Abdalwali Lutfi
This study aims to determine the impact of forensic accounting, probability of detections, tax penalties, government spending, tax justice and tax ethics on value-added tax (VAT…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the impact of forensic accounting, probability of detections, tax penalties, government spending, tax justice and tax ethics on value-added tax (VAT) evasion.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses partial least squares-structural equation modeling to examine the connection between tax sanction, probability of detection, tax ethics, tax justice, forensic accounting and government spending on VAT evasion based on 248 responses collected from the retail industry in Jordan.
Findings
The findings also demonstrate that there is a negative correlation between tax sanctions, probability of detection, tax ethics, tax justice, forensic accounting, government spending and VAT evasion efficiency.
Practical implications
The results, considering forensic accounting and government expenditure considerations, may emphasize the importance of the tax sanction, probability of detection, tax ethics, adoption of tax justice in the public sector and tax authority. Additionally, the findings are important for regulators and decision-makers in announcing new laws and strategies for VAT evasion.
Social implications
It turns out that the tax authority and public sector can definitely improve their capacity to protect public funds and limit VAT evasion practices within SMEs by adopting increased tax sanctions, probability of detection, tax ethics, tax justice, forensic accounting and government spending.
Originality/value
Numerous studies have been conducted at the individual level in the context of income tax on the link between tax punishment, probability of detection, tax ethics, tax justice, forensic accounting and tax evasion. This study expands on the scant evidence of this connection to the retail business in the context of VAT avoidance. Additionally, it advances prior studies by integrating fresh elements, such as forensic accounting and government expenditure, that have never been considered in connection to VAT evasion in the retail sector.
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Taha Almarayeh, Radhi Al-Hamadeen, Ahmad Alshira’h, Abd Alwali Lutfi Khassawneh, Hala Zaidan and Omar Mowafi
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between political connections, audit quality and firm performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between political connections, audit quality and firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample of this investigation was sourced from 51 industry-listed firms on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) from 2009 to 2022. Ordinary least squares regression was used to investigate the association between political connections, audit quality and firm performance. Generalized least squares estimation method was used to verify that the outcomes are robust.
Findings
The study finds that listed companies with political connections have better performance than those without such ties. The findings also suggest that politically connected firms would prefer higher-quality financial reporting and, hence, appoint Big 4 auditors.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this analysis is one of the first to explore the relationship between political connections, audit quality and firm performance in Jordan. By documenting the role of Big 4 auditor as a motivating factor for politically connected firms to enhance firm performance, this paper enriches the political connection and auditor choice literature.
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Malek Alshirah and Ahmad Alshira’h
The aim of this study is to measure the risk disclosure level and to determine the relationship between ownership structure dimensions (institutional ownership, foreign ownership…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to measure the risk disclosure level and to determine the relationship between ownership structure dimensions (institutional ownership, foreign ownership and family ownership) and corporate risk disclosure in Jordan.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a sample of 94 Jordanian listed firms from the Amman Stock Exchange for the period from 2014 to 2017. This study measured risk disclosure using the number of risk-related sentences in the annual report, while random effects regression was used for hypotheses testing.
Findings
The results revealed that family ownership has a negative effect on risk disclosure practices, but institutional ownership, foreign ownership, firm size and leverage have no significant effect on the risk disclosure level.
Practical implications
The finding of this study is more likely be useful for many concerned parties, researchers, authorities, investors and financial analysts alike in understanding the current practices of the risk disclosure in Jordan, thus helping them in reconsidering and reviewing the accounting standards and improving the credibility and transparency of the financial reports in the Jordanian capital market.
Originality/value
This study offers novel evidence detailing the impact of ownership structure toward corporate risk disclosure, its implementation in emerging markets following the minimal amount of scholarly efforts on the topic. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first examination of the impact of ownership structure on corporate risk disclosure. Thus, this study has important implications for the decisions of executives, policymakers, shareholders and lenders, as it enables them to better understand the linkage between ownership structure on corporate risk disclosure.
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Husam Ananzeh, Malek Hamed Alshirah, Ahmad Farhan Alshira'h and Huthaifa Al-Hazaima
A key goal of this research is to examine empirically whether politically connected board members are likely to impact corporate philanthropy. A further goal of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
A key goal of this research is to examine empirically whether politically connected board members are likely to impact corporate philanthropy. A further goal of this study is to contribute to the existing literature by examining the moderating role of political connections on the relationship between family ownership and corporate donations.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the content analysis approach, the authors determined the level of cash and in-kind donations made by a group of 94 non-financial Jordanian companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. This study examined 658 annual reports spanning over seven years from 2010 to 2016. Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) is used to test the study hypotheses. In addition, this study used the probit regression to validate those results reported by the OLS regression.
Findings
Compared to unconnected companies, politically connected companies in Jordan are more likely to donate to philanthropic causes. Moreover, the results revealed that the presence of significant family ownership shareholding in a firm can weaken the firm tendency to donate. Despite this, the regression analysis results indicate that family-controlled firms with political connections are more likely to engage in charitable giving activities compared to those without political nexuses.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to the conversation surrounding corporate giving and sheds light on the role political connections and ownership structure (particularly family-owned firms) play in affecting donations by firms.
Practical implications
Managers of Jordanian firms listed on the stock exchange can use the study's findings to make better decisions about their donations and other philanthropic activities.
Originality/value
This study is the first to examine the relationship between firm donations and political connections in Jordan, and how political nexuses can moderate the relationship between family ownership and corporate donations. Hence, it extends prior research significantly.
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Malek Hamed Alshirah, Ahmad Farhan Alshira’h and Abdalwali Lutfi
This study aims to empirically examine whether the political connection is related to risk disclosure practices. The study also seeks to contribute to the existent risk disclosure…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine whether the political connection is related to risk disclosure practices. The study also seeks to contribute to the existent risk disclosure literature by investigating the moderator effect of family ownership on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The content analysis approach was used to collect data and determine the level of risk disclosure over the non-financial Jordanian firms listed on 1Amman Stock Exchange. The sample of this study contains 376 annual reports over four years from 2014 to 2017. It used the random effect regressions to examine the hypothesis of the study.
Findings
The results show that politically connected companies disclose less risk information than the unconnected ones in Jordan. The results also refer that family ownership contributes in mitigating the negative effect of the political connection on the level of corporate risk.
Practical implications
The results have implications for regulatory institutions such as the Jordan Securities Commission to take the negative effect of political connection in their consideration and impose further regulations to monitor this board’s attribute and control politicians’ domination on the board decisions.
Originality/value
The current study also contributes to the body of literature by investigating the effects of the political connections on the level of risk disclosure in the financial reports. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first to examine the effect of the political connection on the risk disclosure practices. Moreover, the study is among the first studies that examine the moderating role of family ownership on such relationship.
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Sherani, Jianhua Zhang, Muhammad Riaz, Fredrick Ahenkora Boamah and Sher Ali
The study aims to explore the impact of tacit knowledge sharing (TKS) factors and its consequences in the form of technological innovation capabilities (TICs) within Pakistani…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to explore the impact of tacit knowledge sharing (TKS) factors and its consequences in the form of technological innovation capabilities (TICs) within Pakistani software small–medium enterprises (SSMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon the social exchange theory (SET), the study used a quantitative approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test hypotheses with 220 valid data collected from 23 Pakistani software SSMEs.
Findings
The peer influence (PI) has positive and significant effect on collaborative culture (CC), willingness to share tacit knowledge (WSTK) and TICs. Organizational trust (OT) has a positive and significant impact on CC and TIC. Whereas, CC possessed positive and significant effect on WSTK and insignificant on TIC. Furthermore, WSTK has positive and significant effect on TIC. Finally, WSTK partially mediates the relationship between PI and TIC whereas WSTK fully mediates the relationship between CC and TIC.
Research limitations/implications
The study enriches the research on knowledge sharing and TIC. This research investigates the precursors of tacit knowledge-sharing willingness and their consequences in software SMEs; future studies need to examine tacit knowledge-seeking willingness and its consequences not only in software enterprises but also in other industrial sectors. Besides, it needs to evaluate types of innovative capabilities in software SMEs.
Practical implications
The study suggested that the practitioners need to strengthen TKS in the form employees’ updated skills and expertise which ultimately fosters software enterprise’s innovative capabilities to attain competitive advantages in a specific industry.
Originality/value
This research is one of the few studies to examine the potential antecedents of WSTK and their final effects within software SMEs in the form of TICs. As currently it is observed, an incredible increase of skills oriented innovations in firms particularly in the software domain and IT industry. Therefore, this study emphasizes how PI, OT and WSTK positively affect TIC of Pakistani software SMEs. However, the study could be considered as a guideline for the academia and practitioners who attempt to strengthen the technological innovations capabilities in software SMEs.
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Muhammad Umer Mujtaba, Wajih Abbassi and Rashid Mehmood
The aim of our study is to explore the nexus between the gender composition of board and firm financial performance. We use the data of 114 listed banks from 10 Asian emerging…
Abstract
The aim of our study is to explore the nexus between the gender composition of board and firm financial performance. We use the data of 114 listed banks from 10 Asian emerging economies. Data were extracted from the DataStream for the year 2012–2021. We apply fixed effect model to analyze the data. In addition, we use generalized method of moments (GMM) to verify our main findings. We find that both proxies of board gender composition which are the proportion of female board members and the percentage of female executives on the board have a significant impact on banks' financial performance. Findings suggest that female representation on board provides more insights of monitoring and optimal advisory capabilities and, therefore, gender-diversified board enhances firm performance. Females are more active in business matters and take more interests to fulfill their responsibilities. The results of our study provide useful signals for corporate and regulatory policymakers. Board gender disparities between enterprises should be better understood by all stakeholders to have the optimal combination of board members that ultimately lead to better performance of the firm.