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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between financial statement comparability and corporate investment efficiency of a large sample of US firms.

The authors use a large sample of US-listed firms from 1981 to 2013. The authors use several econometric methods including ordinary least square, firms fixed effects and mediation effects regression. Sensitivity tests that include the use of alternative measures of both the dependent and independent variables provide results that are consistent with the authors’ baseline model results.

The authors find that financial statement comparability mitigates risks associated with both under-investment and over-investment. They also find that product market competition mediates the relation between financial statement comparability and investment efficiency. The authors consider this to be a function of a competitive environment, whereby firms normally disclose less private information. This in turn reduces the effect of financial statement comparability on investment efficiency. Conversely, where there are higher levels of product market competition, it is less likely that firms will under-invest. Their results are consistent with these predictions.

The authors contribute to this growing field of research by providing evidence that financial statement comparability does in fact improve firms’ investment efficiency. Findings enhance our understanding of the relation between investment efficiency and financial statement comparability which is likely to have flow-on effects in terms of financial reporting quality and firm value. This study also contributes to research that links agency theory to financial statement comparability through an analysis of moral hazard and adverse selection tenets, and how it leads to reduced levels of investment inefficiency in a firm.

The purpose of this study is to assess psychological distress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), self-esteem as a predictor of such distress and the effect of coping strategies.

A descriptive correlational study design was conducted using a convenient sample of parents of ASD children (N = 93).

This study revealed that the parents of an ASD child experienced a high level of anxiety (M = 15.89), a moderate level of depression (M = 15.85) and a mild level of stress (M = 16.86). Parents of ASD children also reported a low self-esteem score (M= 13.27). Mothers of ASD children reported higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of self-esteem and more frequent utilisation of maladaptive coping strategies than fathers of ASD children.

Parents of children with ASD experience a significant level of psychological distress; however, this may be improved by developing programmes and psychological interventions focused on improving parents’ self-esteem and using more active coping strategies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Saudi Arabia that predict the psychological status among family caregivers of an autistic child.

In a pandemic framework (COVID-19), this chapter explores the impact of the global economy and socio-cultures concerning three axes: recreational, tourism, and hospitality. Although we slowly see an economic revival, it is well known that this sector of study is very susceptible to being affected by the context of nations. Following restrictions and measures taken by governments around the world to reduce the number of cases of coronavirus infections, many nations closed their borders, affecting international travel and by 2020 tourism had been reduced to the near cessation of operations due to the imminent fear of this poorly studied disease, and the service sector was negatively affected. It should be added that, according to the World Tourism Organization's projections, a decrease of between 20 and 30% is forecast for 2020 compared to the previous year.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has multiple consequences, including social distancing and the shift of education from in-person to online learning, which may have a psychological impact on students, especially those in medical colleges. This study aims to explore the effect of online learning on medical students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic across Saudi Arabia.

A descriptive, nationwide, cross-sectional survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, after students in medical colleges moved to online learning. It included socio-demographic characteristics, online learning-related questions, perceived stress scale and generalized anxiety disorder-7.

The participants represented various academic levels within the basic science phase (44.9%) and clinical phase (55.1%) and various regions, including the central (55.3%), western (18.8%), northern (13.4%), southern (8.8%) and eastern (3.7%) regions. Moderate to high perceived stress was reported by 94.4% of students. Two-thirds of the students reported generalized anxiety symptoms, ranging from moderate to severe in 47% of them. A significant positive correlation was found between stress and anxiety. Women, age > 25, first-year students, students facing oral and objective structured clinical examinations, students with excellent and pass grades and those facing difficulties had higher levels of stress and anxiety. In addition, being non-Saudi, married or having a history of psychiatric illness was associated with higher levels of anxiety.

Stress and anxiety were highly expressed among participants using online learning. In addition to studying the efficacy of online learning, it is important to focus on its effect on medical students’ mental health, due to the highly competitive and demanding environment of medical colleges.

Refugee mothers are at a significantly increased risk of suffering from postpartum depression. However, available tools to screen for it often use a Western paradigm of mental health, which may not be culturally appropriate, and may not account for the background stress experienced by refugees. The purpose of this study is to test and validate refugee health screener-13 (RHS-13), which was developed by consultation with refugees from different backgrounds among a group of Syrian refugee mothers living in Beqaa’s valley in Lebanon.

The tool was tested on a sample of 103 women. Internal consistency of the items for each subscale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. An interitem correlation was performed to examine the most correlated items on the scale. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between each subscale and its diagnostic proxy. To find the best fit cutoff point between sensitivity and 1-specificity, ROC curves were used.

RHS-13 is a reliable and valid tool to detect depression and anxiety among postpartum Syrian mothers (internal consistency 0.803, correlation with patient health questionnaire: 0.63 and correlation with generalized anxiety disorder-7: 0.73). The best fit cutoff points were 12, 15 and 25, indicating the severity of symptoms from mild to severe, respectively.

RHS-13 is a valid tool among postpartum refugees in Lebanon and can be used by primary care physicians, mental health providers and social workers working with refugees from the Middle East to screen mothers for depression and anxiety.

This study investigates the influence of knowledge hiding in organizations (KHOs), knowledge sharing in organizations (KSOs) and big data knowledge management (BDKM) on knowledge management success. Monitoring (MNT) is used as a moderator between KHO and knowledge management success. Besides, knowledge management success and digital business intensity (DBI) are used to attain competitive advantage (CA). Finally, digital business intensity is used as a moderator between knowledge management success and competitive advantage.

Data were collected through questionnaires using simple random sampling, and a total of 433 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to test study hypotheses.

Results indicate that KSO, BDKM and monitoring are positive, but KHO is negatively related to knowledge management success. Monitoring moderates the relationship between KHO and knowledge management success. Knowledge management success and digital business intensity significantly attain competitive advantage. Digital business intensity significantly moderates the relationship between knowledge management success and competitive advantage.

Top managers can use study findings in decision-making if they want to attain a competitive advantage. KHO has a negative influence on knowledge management success, but this relationship can be changed by monitoring the employees. KSO, BDKM, knowledge management success and digital business intensity play a vital role in determining competitive advantage.

By building knowledge culture using the knowledge-based view, this study contributes to KHO, KSO, BDKM, monitoring, digital business intensity and competitive advantage literature.

Drawing on resource-orchestration theory (ROT), this study investigates the influence of market intelligence and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on international performance of born global (BG) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets with the mediating role of global technological competence. Quality focus is used as a moderator between global technological competence and international performance.

Data were gathered through a survey, and PLS-SEM was employed for hypotheses testing with a sample of 256 BG SMEs.

The results showed that market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus positively relate to international performance. Moreover, market intelligence and EO are positively associated with global technological competence. Besides, global technological competence significantly mediates the relationship between market intelligence, EO and international performance. Finally, quality focus strengthens the positive relationship between global technological competence and international performance.

Our research demonstrates that if management utilizes or invests on market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus, then the BG SMEs will increase their international performance.

The paper contribution lies in its focus on exogenous constructs (i.e. market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus) to determine the international performance of born global SMEs in emerging markets.

This study aims to examine the status of personality dysfunction and its sociodemographic and psychological correlates among university students in Jordan.

This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design. It was conducted in Jordan targeting 440 university students using a structured format of online survey during the period January to February 2024. Academic anxiety, loneliness, personality dysfunctions and self-esteem were the used measures in this study.

Students had moderate levels of global personality dysfunction, low to moderate levels of perception of self-esteem toward themselves, moderate to high levels of academic stress and moderate levels of loneliness. The analysis showed a significant and positive association between academic year and personality dysfunction (p = 0.004). On the contrary, no significant relationship was detected between GPA and personality dysfunction (p = 0.073). Using regression analysis, the model that included all the variables was significant (F _6,439 = 8.67, p < 0.001). In this model, the analysis showed that loneliness in the relationship with family (B = 2.08, p < 0.001) and loneliness due to friendship (B = 1.20, p = 0.035) are significant risk factors for developing personality dysfunctions.

One limitation of this study is related to the sample and the setting. The use of an online survey and convenience sampling techniques resulted in underrepresentation of the entire types of universities.

The research provides empirical insights into the association between personality dysfunction among university students and feelings of loneliness, which vary depending on students academic level. Additionally, academic anxiety and self-esteem were found to be associated with or predictive of personality dysfunctions among students.

The current research enhances our understanding of the factors contributing to personality dysfunctions among university students. Connectedness to family and strong robust binding to friends served as protective against personality dysfunctions.

This study emphasizes the role of social relationships and psychosocial well-being in enhancing the mental well-being of university students.

The purpose of this study is to identify seminal research works on distance and online learning that have had significant impact on the domain.

The authors used the SCOPUS database for this study as the data source, and a well-defined search strategy retrieved the items for analysis. First, the authors identified the h-index (n = 207) of the discipline to determine the threshold for listing the top works. The authors critically analysed these classic publications using several bibliometric parameters to present the analysis. To understand the primary focus of the classic research works, the authors also carried out a keyword cluster analysis using VOSviewer.

While the USA produced maximum classic research, authors from Canada have maximum research visibility in terms of citations (n = 474.06). Canada also received the highest value of RCI (1.30), followed by Taiwan and Australia. The majority of the classics are published in 67 scientific journals. Of these, Computers and Education published the highest number with a quarter of the total citations (n = 19,403). Although e-learning was the nucleus of the research theme, the authors observed that students, learning systems, online learning, blended learning, learning management systems and computer-aided instructions dominated their influence in the research cluster.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first of its kind work in the field of distance and online learning. Findings of this study would be useful to faculty, researchers and students in the discipline to focus on the seminal works and understand their implications better in the context of the growing significance of the discipline.