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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between bank-specific characteristics and profitability in European banking sector to find the role of internal factors in achieving high profitability.

A regression analysis is built on an unbalanced panel data set comprising 175 observations of 35 top European banks over the period 2009-2013. To this end, the empirical data are collected from Bankscope and a comprehensive set of internal characteristics is examined.

All the determinant variables included in the model have statistically significant impacts on European banks’ profitability. However, the effects are not uniform across profitability measures. Regression findings reveal that size and capital ratio are significant company-level determinants of bank profitability in Europe, while higher loan loss provisions result in lower profitability levels. Findings also suggest that banks with higher deposits and loans ratio tend to be more profitable but the effects on profitability are statistically insignificant in some cases.

This study has considerable policy implications, as the performance of the European banking sector depends on its efficiency, profitability and competitiveness. In view of these findings, some suggestions may be functional for bank regulatory authorities to intensify and sustain robustness and stability of the banking sector.

The results provide interesting insights into the characteristics and practices of profitable banks in Europe. Few econometric studies have empirically explored the determinants of bank profitability in Europe so far, even though similar studies have been conducted in several developed countries. Therefore, this paper tries to close an important gap in the existing literature improving the understanding of bank profitability in Europe.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between board gender equality and environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in the European banking sector. The study examines whether and how the presence of women on the board of directors (BoD) influences ESG dimensions.

The authors analyzed a sample of 72 European Union banks for the period 2015–2021 and developed an econometric model applying unbalanced panel data regression with firm fixed effects and controls per year. To test the research hypotheses, the authors considered gender equality in terms of female participation on the BoD and measured ESG dimensions by using the ESG score provided by Refinitiv.

The findings suggest a significant positive relationship between the number of women on BoD and the ESG performance of European banks only up to a certain threshold of female directors (at least three women). The study also explores how the proportion of women on BoD influences the individual ESG pillars. The results show that the percentage of female directors has a positive and statistically significant impact on the social dimension of the ESG framework.

The investigation is highly relevant to investors considering ESG issues in their decision-making process. The overall findings support policymakers and regulators on how to improve ESG performance through the design and the application of corporate governance (CG) mechanisms. From a managerial perspective, the study suggests that managers and CEOs should focus their efforts on establishing the right gender combination of directors on bank BoDs.

This paper offers an in-depth examination of the CG practices of banks, and it attempts to bridge the gap in prior literature on the determinants of ESG issues in the European banking industry. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that investigates the relationship between the representation of women on BoDs and the ESG dimensions measured by the Refinitiv Eikon score. The use of critical mass theory adds a fresh perspective to the literature on ESG in Europe since the influence of board gender diversity on ESG performance of the European banks is still unaccounted for. This study addresses this pressing research issue drawing on resource dependence, agency and legitimacy theories.

This study aims to investigate the impact of environmental performance, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG) on bank performance (BP) in the Italian banking sector. It analyzes the relationships between 10 dimensions of ESG pillars and BP indicators during the period 2016–2020.

This study examines a sample of 105 Italian banks and develops three econometric models to verify the effect of ESG initiatives on BP indicators. The independent variables are the ESG dimensions collected from the Refinitiv database, whereas the explanatory variables are performance indicators measured through accounting and market variables.

The findings show that ESG policies negatively affect operational and market performance in the banking sector, suggesting that Italian banks have not fully embraced strong sustainability procedures. However, the relationships between ESG dimensions are mixed if measured individually. The results show a significant positive impact of emission and waste reductions on financial and operating performance, but regarding social aspects, it is proved that better product responsibility decreases accounting performance.

This study offers an in-depth examination of ESG practices in relation to current and future performance. In particular, the findings provide practitioners and academics with an actual set of predictors in the ESG area to improve BP.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study that has investigated the impact of ESG issues on BP in Italy. Few prior studies have used all dimensions of ESG policies at a disaggregated level to investigate their effect on various performance indicators.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between gender diversity and the risk profile of Italian banks during the period 2015–2019. This study examines whether the presence of female board directors or top executives has any significant effect on bank risk-taking.

To explore the influence of women on bank risk-taking, the authors analyzed a sample of 387 Italian banks and developed an econometric model applying unbalanced panel data with firm fixed effects and controls per year. Within a multivariate regression model, the authors considered five risk dimensions to verify the effect of gender diversity.

The findings suggest that female board directors and executives are considerably more risk averse and less overconfident than their male colleagues, thus confirming a negative causality between risk-taking and gender diversity. The results reveal that banks headed by women are less risky because they report higher capital adequacy and equity to assets ratios. As credit risk in female-led banks is no different from male-led ones, higher capital adequacy does not derive from lower asset quality because it is linked to the higher risk aversion of female directors and top managers.

From a theoretical standpoint, the results suggest that having women in executive positions entails different risk implications for Italian banks; from a managerial perspective, the results highlight conditions that may promote the role of women in the banking sector. The conclusions are of particular significance because they provide some support for the view that regulators should favor gender quotas in the board management of banks to reduce risk-taking behavior.

This paper offers an in-depth examination of the risk practices of banks and it attempts to bridge the gap in prior literature on the risk profile of the Italian banking industry given that few empirical studies have examined the determinants of risk-taking in this field, to date. The findings on the higher risk aversion of women directors advance the understanding of the determinants of risk-taking behavior in banks, suggesting that gender quotas in bank boards can contribute to reducing risk-taking behavior. This also unveils some policy implications for bank regulatory authorities.

This study explored how board diversity affects environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in the Italian banking sector. Specifically, this study examined whether the presence of specific corporate governance (CG) characteristics (board diversity) in Italian Cooperative Credit banks is related to ESG dimensions.

The authors examined a sample of 247 Italian Cooperative Credit banks for the period 2017–2021 and developed an econometric model by applying unbalanced panel data with firm fixed effects and controls per year. To verify the research hypotheses, the authors analyzed board diversity in terms of board attributes variables (size, gender diversity, age, activity, independence and corporate social responsibility/sustainability committee (CSR) and measured ESG dimensions using the ESG score provided by Refinitiv.

The findings suggest that board size, independence and the existence of a CSR/sustainability committee positively affect banks' ESG performance, while no significant relationship between board average age and ESG performance was found. The study also explored how the critical mass of women on a board affects ESG performance by testing the positive impact of gender diversity on ESG dimensions only up to a certain threshold of female directors.

This study is highly relevant to managers and investors who consider ESG issues in their decision-making processes. The findings support regulators by offering insights into ways to improve ESG performance through the specific design and application of governance mechanisms.

From a practical perspective, this investigation has implications for both practitioners and regulators, suggesting that chief executive officers (CEOs) and managers should pay more attention to CG aspects to improve ESG performance and that policy-makers should give greater consideration to these aspects of CG in their efforts to enhance ESG performance.

This study offers an in-depth analysis of banks' ESG practices and attempts to bridge the gap in the literature on ESG in the Italian banking industry. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between CG variables and ESG dimensions in this context.

This study aims to investigate the effects of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on Italian hospitality sector. The investigation attempts to explain whether hotel performance drops when the perceived economic uncertainty increases in the period 2018–2022.

The study examines the impact of EPU on hotel performance in a sample of 661 Italian luxury hotels. To establish the relationship between EPU and hotel performance, we employ the generalized estimating equations (GEE) technique on 3,305 hotel-year observations.

The results show that EPU has a negative impact on hotel performance. More specifically, the analysis reveals that EPU is negatively and significantly related to the revenue per available room (REVPAR), average daily rate (ADR) and hotel occupancy (OCCR). We also look at the role of hotel brand chain affiliation and the moderating effect of conference space and hotel wellness services on the relationship between EPU and hotel performance.

Results provide new evidence for academics to critically evaluate the behavior of luxury hotels under uncertain economic conditions. The investigation offers valuable information also for government, tourism policymakers, tourist hotel owners, hoteliers and tourism managers in their decision-making.

This study provides strategic implications for practitioners and operators in hospitality industry to evaluate the factors ensuring hotel profitability in periods of EPU.

This paper provides interesting insights into the characteristics and practices of profitable hotels in Italy. Few econometric studies empirically explored the effects of EPU in the hospitality field so far and no prior study investigated this topic in the Italian hospitality sector. Therefore, this paper tries to close an important gap in the existing literature improving the understanding of EPU in the Italian hospitality industry.

The aim of this paper is to review the main results of accounting research literature examining the role of fair value accounting (FVA) within financial crisis. This research analyzes theoretical and empirical studies on the controversial topic about FVA and its alleged pro-cyclicality in the context of the financial crisis to offer solid reflections for improving the fair value research agenda.

This paper consists of a descriptive literature review. Theoretical and empirical research studies were investigated and then systematized in a framework to guide a literature-based analysis and critique of the relevant literature published about this topic.

The review reveals that there has been only a limited amount of research into the role of FVA within the financial crisis. This topic has not been researched extensively, and there is no empirical evidence that FVA caused the financial crunch and the subsequent financial crisis.

The restricted amount of literature that directly deals with FVA in the context of the financial crisis is the main limitation of this paper. The specificity of the theme narrows the coverage. However, the adopted research methodology enabled the main contributions concerning this issue to be collected, to realize a concise and comprehensive portrait of the debate surrounding FVA and the financial crisis.

This paper can be of use to both researchers and practitioners interested in investigating strengths and weaknesses of the fair value concept for accounting purposes. The paper sets out the main findings of the academic literature and identifies future avenues of theoretical and practical research which may support standard setters to draw up improved accounting regulation.

Few existing studies consist of a literature review that examines theoretical and empirical researches on the influence of FVA on the financial system. This review offers a comprehensive overview on research literature concerning the responsibility of FVA in causing the financial crisis. The main contribution of this paper relates to further understanding the role and effects of accounting matters concerning fair value in a broad sense within the context of the financial crisis.

This study aims to analyze the factors that drive or prevent interorganizational data sharing in the context of digital transformation (DT). Data sharing appears as a precondition for companies to capture emerging opportunities in supply chain management and for product-related servitization; however, there are ongoing concerns, and data are often perceived as the “new oil.” It is thus important to gain a better understanding of the determinants of firms’ decisions.

The authors develop an embedded case study analysis involving 16 firms within an extended supply network in the automotive industry. The authors focus on the peculiarities of the new context, as opposed to elements highlighted by research prior to the advent of the latest technologies. Abductive reasoning is applied to the theoretical foundations of the resource-based view, resource dependence theory and the complex adaptive systems perspective.

Data sharing is largely underpinned by factors identified prior to DT, such as data specificity, dependence dynamics and protection mechanisms and the dynamism of the business context. DT, however, can influence the extent of data sharing. New factors concern complementarities whenever data are pooled from different sources and digital platforms, as well as different forms of data ownership protection.

This study stresses that data sharing in the context of DT can be explained through established theoretical lenses, providing the integration of elements accounting for new technological opportunities.

This study aims to investigate the effects of board cultural diversity (BCD) and board gender diversity (BGD) of the board of directors on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in the European banking sector using resource-based view (RBV) theory. In addition, this study analyses the linkages between BCD and BGD and knowledge sharing on the board of directors to improve ESG performance.

This study selected a sample of European-listed banks covering the period 2021. ESG and diversity variables were collected from Refinitiv Eikon and analysed using the ordinary least squares model. This study was conducted in the European context regulated by Directive 95/2014/EU, which requires sustainability disclosure. The original population was represented by 250 banks; after missing data were excluded, the final sample comprised 96 European-listed banks.

The findings highlight the positive linkages between BGD, BCD and ESG scores in the European banking sector. In addition, the findings highlight that diversity contributes to knowledge sharing by improving ESG performance in a regulated sector. Nonetheless, the combined effect of BGD and BCD negatively impacts ESG performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to measure and analyse a regulated sector, such as banking, and the relationship between cultural and gender diversity for sharing knowledge under the RBV theory lens in the ESG framework.