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The purpose of this paper is the measurement of forensic accounting’s (FA) impact on sustainable corporate governance (SCG) within Omani public listed companies. Beyond merely cataloging the latest criminal innovations and SCG problems, this paper offers a path forward to overcome the myriad threats that can harm the organization and society. FA and SCG can achieve, anticipate and prevent tomorrow’s fraud today before organizations reach the point of no return.

For this study, FA is an independent variable and SCG is the dependent variable. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data are collected by internet-based tool and analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling and Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Result suggests that FA has a significant direct impact over SCG; moreover, FA can become the part of governance management toward the elimination of fraud and achievement of SCG.

This study can assist regulators, professional bodies and organizations in amending their codes of corporate governance and organizational policies by introducing the SCG clauses and making FA as a compulsory part of governance system.

Up to the best of the knowledge of researchers, there is no study conducted before which verifies the FA impact on SCG; moreover, previous relevant studies verify only one constituent for SCG, whereas this study is identifying three constituents necessary for SCG.

The current study examines the role of social media for designing effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategy for modern business organisation to engage their stakeholders.

A structured survey questionnaire is used to collect data from multiple stakeholders through social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. The data is collected from employees, customers and investors of different companies in Pakistan. The data is analysed to examine the perceptions of different stakeholders towards effectiveness of social media for CSR communication.

The results indicate that the majority of respondents think that social media is very important platform to communicate CSR activities. Overall, respondents believe that social media is a trustworthy tool to communicate CSR activities and engage stakeholders. Customers believe that communication of CSR activities through social media influence their buying behaviour positively. We found strong intentions among employees to work for socially responsible corporations who are successful in communicating their CSR initiatives to their employees through social media.

The study collected data from Pakistan only, a larger sample from different countries can provide more interesting results. The study didn’t used sophisticated statistical tests; the future studies can develop a rigorous theoretical model explaining how use of social media as communication strategy can influence the behaviour of diverse stakeholders.

Since social media is becoming an effective communication platform, corporations should pay more focus on using social media. The corporations should encourage stakeholders’ views related to CSR communication on social media and carefully address their suspicions in order to engage them.

There is sparse research in literature that examine the use of social media to engage organisational stakeholders. The current study provides a direction to future researchers to explore this area and explain the use of social media as CSR communication strategy in better way.

This study aims to intend toward the measurement of corporate governance to identify its maturity levels within Omani public listed companies and also propose to identify whether corporate governance maturity (CGM) levels vary significantly between sectors or not. CGM is an innovation in the field of corporate governance, which assists organizations in achieving their objectives and satisfying shareholders.

This study used descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data are collected by the internet-based tool and analyzed via SPSS.

This study found that corporate governance is measurable and can be measured to the levels of maturity. Moreover, this study identified that CGM does not differ among different sectors. From a total of 107 organizations, none of the organizations falls under the forming level and mature level. However, majority of organizations falls under normalized level followed by developing and established levels of maturity.

This study integrates significant empirical research and literature to broaden the potentials of CGM. This study provides a framework along with a calculation tool, which can be used by organizations, regulators and policymakers.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the maturity levels of Omani organizations are never being measured before. Moreover, past studies demonstrate single constituent relationship with CGM and not all four. Therefore, this study is distinctive from others by testing all four major components or constituents toward CGM.

This study aims to examine the impact of chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) personal characteristics on firms’ risk taking and the moderating role of family ownership on this relationship.

This study used 2,647 firm-year observations of non-financial firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period 2013–2021. To test the hypotheses, the authors used ordinary least squares regression and, to resolve the possible endogeneity problem, the authors used system generalized method of moments technique.

Drawing insights first from upper echelons theory, the authors report that CEOs with business, economics, finance and/or management educational background and female CEOs reduce firms’ risk-taking behaviour. Further, using insights from social and organizational identity theoretical perspectives, the results indicate that due to strong family affiliation and organizational identity, family owners exhibit risk aversion behaviour and moderate this relationship.

This study provides novel evidence of risk averse behaviour of CEOs with business, economics, finance and/or management educational background and female CEOs along with moderating impact of family ownership on this relationship in an emerging economy. Overall, the results extend empirical support for upper echelons and social identity theories in an emerging market context.

The study aims to examine the influence of female chief executive officer (CEO) and female chief financial officer (CFO) on the linkage between internationalization and firm performance.

This study used 2926 firm-year observations of nonfinancial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period 2012–2021. This study used ordinary least squares regression method to test the hypotheses, and additionally, generalized method of moments estimation and fixed effect analysis were used to check for the robustness of the results.

Using the framework of upper echelons theory and resource dependence theory, this study reports that internationalization has a positive impact on firm performance. Moreover, the results show that the presence of female CEO and female CFO strengthens the positive relationship between internationalization and firm performance. The results add to the gender diversity literature by highlighting the positive role of female CEOs and female CFOs on the internationalization and performance of firms in a male-dominated society.

This study adds to the limited literature on the internationalization of businesses in an emerging market and provides empirical support to upper echelons theory and resource dependence theory by highlighting the benefits brought to the firm through female CEOs and female CFOs.

This study examines the effect of lone founder and family ownership on borrowing cost. In addition, the study examines the moderating influence of gender diversity on this relationship.

The study used a sample of non-financial firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period 2012–2021. The authors used ordinary least squares regression analysis method to test the hypotheses along with generalized method of moments estimation technique to control for unobserved heterogeneity, simultaneity and dynamic endogeneity.

The authors report that borrowing cost is higher in lone founder ownership, whereas borrowing cost is lower in family firms due to lesser risks attached to such firms by lenders. Further, the presence of female directors on the board weakens this relation in the case of lone founder ownership, whereas their presence further reduces borrowing cost in family-owned firms. Additionally, using the framework of critical mass theory, the authors found that higher number of female directors on boards reduces borrowing cost. Overall, this study’s results provide empirical support for social identity and critical mass theories in the sample firms.

The study provides novel evidence of the influence of lone founder and family ownership on borrowing cost in an emerging economy, as well as the moderating effects of gender diversity on this relationship.

This research paper explores the transformative potential of Industry 5.0 for environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors within corporate settings. This study aims to elucidate the role of Industry 5.0 and its related technologies in influencing ESG factors, explore potential risks linked to ESG and present strategies for mitigation through Industry 5.0.

This paper is the literature review that introduces Industry 5.0 as a pivotal factor in implementing and mitigating ESG and its related risks. It outlines Industry 5.0's characteristics, driven by advanced technologies.

Literature reviews suggest that Industry 5.0 has the potential to significantly influence ESG factors within corporate settings. It can promote sustainability, enhance working conditions and offer operational advantages.

The practical implications of this research paper are twofold. First, it provides valuable insights to policymakers, organizations and regulatory bodies, guiding them in adapting their frameworks to embrace Industry 5.0. This adaptation is essential for achieving ESG goals and facilitating sustainable development. Second, it highlights the critical role of Industry 5.0 in mitigating ESG-related risks, offering a robust structure for sustainable development.

This research paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the transformative potential of Industry 5.0 in the context of ESG. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the historical evolution of corporate governance, the integration of sustainability and the growing focus on ESG. It also highlights the originality and value of Industry 5.0 as a critical mitigating factor for ESG-related risks, presenting a holistic approach to sustainable corporate practices.

In India and Pakistan, issues of ethnicity, faith, language, Indigenous knowledge, and rights have had severe ramifications for the two countries' constitutional, educational, and political development. The idea to safeguard the interests of Indigenous and ethnic minorities has always been contentious in these countries. Furthermore, ethnic and Indigenous orientations have been camouflaged by these two states' facades of nationalism. Although the ideology of nationalism is defined as a feeling of belonging among the individuals of a nation and is based on religion, language, ethnic origins, and practices, the governments of both countries have made several attempts to change the concept of nationalism, using communalism as a tool to segregate people based on identity and question their loyalties. Postmodern and post-Marxist theorists have emphasized the need for plurality, identity, and heterogeneity in the political and educational discourse. It resulted in globalization, leading to the homogenization of cultural identities at both national and subnational levels.

The notion that a clash exists between the stability of the state and recognition of multiple cultural identities has had a drastic influence on the educational and political discourse within these two countries, as already the Subcontinent has been disintegrated into different nation-states.

The present research aims to examine the effect of workplace spirituality (WPS) and employee well-being (EWB) on public service motivation (PSM) in the public institutions. Workplace spirituality and EWB are two concepts related to the optimal level of human performance, while the motivation of academic staff is a vital concern in higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly in the public sector. In this competitive age, it is a challenge to improve the motivation of academic staff due to limited resources in developing countries. This study examines the association between WPS and PSM through the lens of EWB in the context of HEIs.

This study opted for a quantitative research method by using a stratified sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the academic staff of renowned public sector universities located in Lahore, Pakistan. Hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling through AMOS: 22.

The results supported the established conceptual model that WPS is positively associated with PSM through the mediating role of EWB.

The research approach chosen may lack generalizability of the results because the data were collected from a specific population. Moreover, self-report measures were used, which may have led to common method bias which is also another drawback of the study.

This study is a pioneer in conceptualizing and testing a model that links WPS, EWB and PSM in the context of HEIs. The implications regarding enhancing the culture of spirituality in the workplace, EWB and PSM are elaborated in the specific context of academic staff, attempting to fill a gap in the extant literature.

This study accomplishes a recognized need to study how PSM can be improved by facilitating EWB and WPS.

The public service motivation (PSM) theory implies that public employees are spiritual people called “public servants” who have a desire to affect the community and are characterized by compassion and serving others. Owing to their commitment to public welfare, spirituality is apparently inherited in public employees as an occupation/employment effort, which entails attaching a “meaning” to the work being done in the workplace for the spiritual satisfaction of the employees. A sense of well-being among the employees of an organization can prove instrumental in developing their motivation level and improving the quality of their services. The literature depicts that workplace spirituality (WPS) is a feature that enhances multiple forms of employee well-being (EWB). Considering the importance of these concepts in terms of enhancing the productivity of the organizations, the current study aimed to gain an understanding of the PSM together with two other positive attributes namely WPS and EWB and determine their interrelationship. The aim of this study is to examine a significant positive relationship between PSM and WPS mediated by EWB.

The study has been conducted in the context of the public sector of Pakistan where a sample of the academic staff of higher educational institutions in the Punjab province was selected through probability sampling techniques for conducting the survey. The data collected from 394 respondents from the selected faculties of the universities were analyzed using relevant statistical tools (SPSS and AMOS: 22) to answer the research questions.

This study supported a significant positive relationship between PSM and WPS mediated by EWB. The quantitative findings of this study, thus, demonstrated that the culture of spirituality in the workplace significantly affects the PSM of employees by way of creating a sense of well-being among the employees.

This study is unique as it serves as an effort to understand the spiritual experience of the public sector employees involved in public service. This infers that spirituality in the workplace improved employees’ well-being by giving them a strong sense of purpose and these employees in a healthy state of mind are more likely to perform above and beyond and have a high motivation to serve the public.