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This research examines the effect of water conscientiousness (WC) on consumers' purchase intentions and behaviours towards sustainable apparel. Through this exploration, the research aims to show how consumers' awareness of water conservation connects with their purchase choices for sustainable apparel.

Drawing on the norm activation theory, this research developed a theoretical framework and tested it using structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. This research focuses on the unique context of Jordan, a region grappling with severe water scarcity. Data were collected using an online survey with 222 completed questionnaires retained for data analysis.

The results indicate that WC does not have a significant direct effect on purchase intentions of sustainable apparel (PISA). This finding challenges the assumption that conscientiousness towards water scarcity would drive prosocial behaviours such as purchasing sustainable apparel. However, the findings reveal a full mediation effect of perceived environmental apparel knowledge (PEAK) and perceived environmental concern (PEC) on the relationship between WC and PISA. Such a finding raises awareness of the need to develop consumers' PEAK and PEC by educating them on the importance of WC and the effect of the apparel industry on water preservation. A significant relationship exists between PISA and purchase behaviour of sustainable apparel (PBSA), affirming the role of intentions in driving sustainable purchase behaviours of consumers.

This study provides novel insights into the role of WC in facilitating PISA and PBSA by testing a theoretical model that incorporates various environmental factors. Likewise, it extends the geographical scope of sustainability research and underscores the importance of considering diverse environmental conditions when studying consumer behaviour. The findings provide insights for marketers and policymakers in water-scarce regions, enabling them to develop strategies to promote sustainable apparel consumption.

This research aims to investigate the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on the diffusion rate of innovation in the context of entrepreneurial firms in emerging markets. It examines a comprehensive model for the effect of eWOM dimensions (including Content, Intensity, Positive Valence and Negative Valence) on the diffusion of innovations. Thus, it provides new insights on how entrepreneurial firms can use eWOM as a communication tool to facilitate the diffusion rate of innovations in emerging markets.

A quantitative approach was adopted, consisting of 215 responses from Jordan. Data were analysed using Linear regression analysis tools.

A significant relationship exists between eWOM dimensions (Content, Intensity, Positive Valence and Negative Valence) and the Diffusion Rate of Innovations. In emerging markets, eWOM content highlights critical information regarding consumers’ sentiments towards new products (including features, price, design), which consumers use in judging innovations. Especially when there is a high volume of eWOM about a new product, consumers are likely to gain reassurances regarding their purchase decisions. Specifically, the valence of eWOM (including reviews, complaints and suggestions) generate adoption/risk-aversion attitudes towards new products. Consequently, entrepreneurial firms must carefully analyse eWOM regarding their products and integrate them into their marketing strategy. 10;

This research extends the eWOM literature by developing a comprehensive model for the effect of eWOM dimensions on the diffusion of innovations. Additionally, it sheds new light on the effect of eWOM valence on consumers’ attitudes towards innovations. Finally, it provides significant theoretical and managerial implications and future research direction to deepen our understanding of the effect of eWOM on entrepreneurial firms.

In this chapter, to explore the past and understand the present scenario in financial market, a comprehensive literature review (LR) is performed, in which 809 articles from the database of Scopus for the last 10 years are extracted and analyzed using VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis. Citation analysis of the popular identified factors is highlighted that will help the future researchers to focus on the identified popular factors for research in the financial market. The chapter also presents a conceptual model of financial market, to uncover the future of financial markets.

The main purpose of this research is to figure out the most effective determinants that play a vital role in enhancing the effectiveness of the internal Sharīʿah audit in the Islamic banking industry.

This paper reviews the existing literature to build comprehensive knowledge that would assist in determining the main factors that impact on the effectiveness of Sharīʿah audit in Islamic banks.

This research proposes a conceptual framework of factors that impact on Sharīʿah audit effectiveness in IBs based on previously published studies. The proposed framework includes external and internal factors as well as internal Sharīʿah audit structure, process and requirements.

First, the regulators need to provide a detailed framework for Sharīʿah audit which covers the main requirements for effective Sharīʿah governance. Second, Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) need to pay more attention to following the Sharīʿah audit process in order to achieve the objective of effective Sharīʿah governance. Finally, the dearth of empirical research on the role and effectiveness of Sharīʿah audit in Islamic banking highlights the need to develop an appropriate methodology to enhance the study of the effectiveness of Sharīʿah governance practices.

The Sharīʿah ensures compliance with its rules and regulations and enhances the soundness and credibility of the Islamic finance industry. This study identifies a number of issues that require further investigation in order to establish a better system of Sharīʿah audit and to identify the factors that affect Sharīʿah auditing practices. This paper is unique in covering the main elements that have influence on the effectiveness of Sharīʿah audit and proposes them in one framework.

This study aims to determine antecedents of market discipline. A model was constructed by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore the cognitive, psychological and social factors that influence the market discipline in the form of withdrawal behavior.

This study applied a quantitative approach by surveying 181 Indonesian retail investors in Sharia mutual funds, which were represented by civil servants. The samples were collected using the purposive sampling technique. This study used the partial least square–structural equation model to analyze the data.

The results revealed that the Islamic financial literacy, the attitudes toward withdrawal, the subjective norms and the perceived behavioral control had a positive significant effect on the withdrawal intention, whereas financial risk tolerance had an insignificant impact. Then, all the exogenous variables and intention to withdraw had a significant contribution in explaining market discipline. Contrary to the proposed hypothesis, the attitude toward withdrawal had a negative impact on market discipline. The structural model indicated that the TPB could be extended by adding some exogenous variables (i.e. Islamic financial literacy and financial risk tolerance) in determining the intention to withdraw and withdrawal behavior, which indicated the market discipline in Sharia mutual funds.

This study was limited to individual investors who work as civil servants. This study did not accommodate different demographic factors such as age and gender, which influence fund withdrawal behavior.

The government must focus on the inclusion of market discipline in Sharia mutual funds’ regulation to encourage the risk management disclosure, specifically that related to Sharia compliance.

Previous studies applied a traditional finance theory to predict market discipline, but this study contributes to filling the theoretical gap by explaining the market discipline from a behavioral finance perspective that was found in Sharia mutual funds.

This study aims to analyse the existing literature on the utilisation of financial technology (FinTech) in the Islamic social finance (ISF) sector, focusing on tools, applications and benefits. From this study, it is to provide insights for literature or for practitioners on how FinTech can be used in ISF, such as using blockchain (tools) in waqf (application) that can help to enhance transparency and trust (benefits) with donors. It is important to explore new available tools or applications in ISF markets so that such effort can benefit the industry in promoting its growth.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out using Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) which has been based on quality evaluation criteria, beginning with 41,945 entries in Scopus, 25,386 entries in the Web of Science and 1,590 entries in the Google Scholar databases and ending with 35 articles from data abstraction and analysis, all of which focus on tools, applications and benefits of FinTech in ISF sector.

This review yielded three primary themes and eleven sub-themes addressing FinTech, namely applications (four sub-themes: crowdfunding, blockchain, banking service and peer-to-peer (P2P), tools (three sub-themes: waqf, zakat and sadaqah), as well as benefits (four sub-themes: transparency, innovation, inclusiveness and efficiency).

This study emphasises on innovative application of FinTech used in ISF industry which focuses on applications, tools and benefits of FinTech to the industry. However, the findings indicate that there is plenty of room for future investigation. The current work outlines several methodological issues and concerns as well as provides recommendations for future research. Various challenges associated with FinTech applications include inadequate regulations, complex permit application procedures, misuse of FinTech for terrorist financing, the existence of fraudulent FinTech companies and consumer disputes in the FinTech sector concerning ISF. There are few in-depth studies on the possible use of FinTech models in ISF, compared to studies focusing on upcoming challenges. This study also highlights the methodological limitations in previous research efforts, which can be used to improve future studies in this area. To offer a more comprehensive analysis, additional search keywords and engines that have not been included in this study could be used in future investigations with different methodologies.

For practitioners, the paper has significant managerial consequences. The analysis provides insights into real-life opportunities, limits and solutions for improving performance management by looking at FinTech applications from a larger and more diverse perspective. The practitioners, especially the State Islamic Religious Council, can recognise the benefits of using FinTech technology in ISF (waqf, zakat and sadaqah), namely under their jurisdiction.

This systematic literature assessment identifies critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed such as the applications of FinTech that are still ambiguous, with certain applications not completely embraced in the ISF industry. This study uses SLR technique to categorise literature, identify gaps in current studies and provide recommendations for the research issue (Paul and Criado, 2020), instead of using the other previous methodology such as content analysis or qualitative review. Hence, FinTech is considered an innovative or new approach in ISF industry.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the two components of market discipline, investment account holder (IAH) monitoring and the consequent reaction of the Islamic banks in GCC countries for the 2004–2013 period, including the recent financial crisis of 2008.

We address the research question that Investment Account holders (IAH) in GCC countries suc as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) monitor their banks. Regression analysis was used to examine the dependence level of profit-sharing investment account (PSIA) growth rate on bank risk characteristics (CAMEL variables). Then, the reaction of banks by regression influencing CAMEL variables of one-lagged period on PSIA growth rate was verified.

The results provide evidence of the first component of market discipline, i.e. the IAH monitoring, in KSA, Bahrain and UAE. The common result to the three countries is that market actors are concerned with accounting information on capital adequacy. However, in UAE, they are also interested in assets performance, whereas they look more at earnings in Bahrain. The results show evidence of the second component in Bahrain; the bank reaction to IAH monitoring and subsequently IAH discipline in Bahrain. Finally, the results do not support any impact of the financial crisis.

The sample size is small although it is constituted by banks having a sufficient number of observations.

This study highlights the importance of IAH discipline, which would help prudential bank monitoring by regulators and wealth development for both investors and managers. It should increase the disclosure of relevant information as for the part of effective accountability of Islamic banks’ governance.

This study contributes to the literature on market discipline by dealing with Islamic banks. It is one of the very few studies to investigate IAH discipline in Islamic banks and the second component of market discipline, i.e. the influence of monitoring on banks.

Using the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study investigates factors influencing the adoption of cryptocurrency in Bangladesh.

Data were collected from 346 members of the general public through a structured web survey using snowball sampling. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model.

The results show that knowledge of cryptocurrency, benefits of use (perceived usefulness), attitude and challenges all have a significant impact on the adoption of cryptocurrency.

This study was conducted in a single country, relied on self-reported data and used a cross-sectional design, which limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Future research could explore the factors that influence the adoption of cryptocurrency in different countries and regions and incorporate additional variables to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the drivers of intention to use cryptocurrency.

This study contributes to understanding the factors driving the adoption of and intention to use technology-based services, providing insights that can inform the design and implementation of future technology-based services.

The chapter examines and challenges the assumed necessity of a linkage between remembered series of exchanges, amicable social relations, and prestige found in the work of Marcel Mauss and many subsequent theorists of reciprocity and gift exchange.

The chapter uses the nearly 500 year history of the giving and taking of the Koh-i-noor Diamond by rulers of South and Central Asia, commencing with Babur, the first Mughal emperor, and ending with Queen Victoria, which includes some gift giving and much taking by force, to explore what happens when only two of the three elements Mauss assumed central to understanding gift exchange are present.

Based on a review of the historical material, the chapter demonstrates that though historical narratives or memories of exchanges were central to enhancing the prestige of the parties to the exchange and the diamond itself, that process could and did occur in the absence of any on-going amicable social relations, including in situations in which exchange or transfer of the diamond were coerced and nothing was given in return to the dispossessed former owner of the gem.

By suggesting an alternative configuration of the factors necessary for the association of exchange and prestige, the chapter provides the opportunity to reconsider assumptions common in the literature on gift exchange and further enhance our understanding of this central element of social theory.