Sourour Ben Saad and Lotfi Belkacem
This paper has three main purposes. First, this paper aims to study the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firm financial performance. Second, this study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper has three main purposes. First, this paper aims to study the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firm financial performance. Second, this study aims to examine how mandatory CSR disclosure impacts financial performance. Further, this paper aims to investigate the intervening role of capital structure decisions on the relationship between CSR and financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a sample of French non-financial listed companies over the period 2006–2017, this study uses structural equations modeling and a difference-in-differences approach to highlight these effects.
Findings
This paper finds that CSR has a significant positive association with financial performance. In addition, although the mandate does not require firms to spend on CSR, the socially responsible firms experience an increase in profitability subsequent to the mandate. Finally, this study argues and finds evidence that the relationship between CSR and financial performance is mediated through the capital structure channel.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study provides a new research stream by examining the effect of mandatory CSR disclosure on firm financial performance. Second, is to knowledge the first to examine whether and how CSR affects financial performance through the capital structure channel.
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Samira Boussema and Lotfi Belkacem
This paper aims to study the role of ethics in the social innovation process and its effect on entrepreneurial passion. It explores the factors that encourage social entrepreneurs…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the role of ethics in the social innovation process and its effect on entrepreneurial passion. It explores the factors that encourage social entrepreneurs to innovate by examining the concepts of harmonious and obsessive passion and ethics.
Design/methodology/approach
The database consists of 97 entrepreneurs who benefited from the services offered by the support organizations for social entrepreneurs. The data are analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results show that Islamic ethics has a positive effect on social innovation. This effect can be further amplified by harmonious passion (HP). Such passion certainly strengthens social entrepreneurs throughout the innovation process and consolidates the implementation phase of their projects.
Practical implications
This study highlights the importance of ethics in the process of social innovation. Ethics acts directly or through HP to stimulate social innovation. This passion enables taking actions and favors the creation of innovative social projects.
Originality/value
These findings add value to the previous literature by introducing ethics into the entrepreneurial passion theory and exploring new factors that promote social innovation.
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Sourour Ben Saad and Lotfi Belkacem
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the indirect relationship between board gender diversity and capital structure decisions and to examine whether the capital structure…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the indirect relationship between board gender diversity and capital structure decisions and to examine whether the capital structure is affected by the type of approach used to promote women’s participation in the boardroom.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a sample of French non-financial listed companies over the period 2006–2019, this paper uses structural equations modeling, difference-in-differences using propensity score matching and chow test to highlight these effects.
Findings
This paper finds that the relationship between the board gender diversity and the capital structure is mediated through the information transparency channel and firm risk taking channel. Furthermore, the results show that the effect of board gender diversity on capital structure decisions varies through the approach adopted (voluntary, enabling or coercive).
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study is to the knowledge the first to examine whether and how board gender diversity affects capital structure decisions through two mediations channels, namely, the information transparency and the firm risk taking. Second, the study is one of the first to examine whether the capital structure is affected by the type of approach used to promote women’s participation in the boardroom: coercive, enabling or voluntary approach.
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Mohamed Sahbi Nakhli and Lotfi Belkacem
The purpose of this paper is to test the performance of momentum strategies and identify the sources of their profits.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the performance of momentum strategies and identify the sources of their profits.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify the main source of momentum profits, first, the bootstrap method with replacement was used. Then, to eliminate the existence of the small sample bias, the bootstrap method without replacement and the block bootstrap method were employed. In this case, when the authors draw the observations without replacement the random effect is reduced, whereas the resampling procedure is based on the random draw.
Findings
The empirical results show the existence of a small sample bias in the bootstrap method with replacement, and that the time‐series relations of stock returns are the main source of momentum profits.
Originality/value
To ensure the random effect of the draws, the authors develop a new resampling procedure called the mixed bootstrap method.
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Kaouther Toumi, Jean-Laurent Viviani and Lotfi Belkacem
The income is attributed to PSIAU holders after setting aside the reserves (PER and IRR) and deducting the bank's share of income called mudarib share.
William Sun, Céline Louche and Roland Pérez
Since Thomas Kuhn (1962), a historian of science who gave ‘paradigm’ its contemporary meaning, the term ‘paradigm’ has been widely used in science and social sciences to refer to…
Abstract
Since Thomas Kuhn (1962), a historian of science who gave ‘paradigm’ its contemporary meaning, the term ‘paradigm’ has been widely used in science and social sciences to refer to a theoretical framework or thought pattern in any given discipline, or broadly, a set of experiences, beliefs and values that affect individual perceptions of a reality and their subsequent reactions. A dominant paradigm is the widely held system of thought in a society at a particular period of time. For Kuhn, a dominant paradigm can be changed and replaced by a new one, which often occurs in a revolutionary manner in science. In social sciences, ‘paradigm shift’ implies the changing ways of understanding and organising a social reality.
Rajul Garg, Harishchandra Thakur and Brajesh Tripathi
The study aims to highlight the behaviour of one-dimensional and two-dimensional fin models under the natural room conditions, considering the different values of dimensionless…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to highlight the behaviour of one-dimensional and two-dimensional fin models under the natural room conditions, considering the different values of dimensionless Biot number (Bi). The effect of convection and radiation on the heat transfer process has also been demonstrated using the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin (MLPG) approach.
Design/methodology/approach
It is true that MLPG method is time-consuming and expensive in terms of man-hours, as it is in the developing stage, but with the advent of computationally fast new-generation computers, there is a big possibility of the development of MLPG software, which will not only reduce the computational time and cost but also enhance the accuracy and precision in the results. Bi values of 0.01 and 0.10 have been taken for the experimental investigation of one-dimensional and two-dimensional rectangular fin models. The numerical simulation results obtained by the analytical method, benchmark numerical method and the MLPG method for both the models have been compared with that of the experimental investigation results for validation and found to be in good agreement. Performance of the fin has also been demonstrated.
Findings
The experimental and numerical investigations have been conducted for one-dimensional and two-dimensional linear and nonlinear fin models of rectangular shape. MLPG is used as a potential numerical method. Effect of radiation is also, implemented successfully. Results are found to be in good agreement with analytical solution, when one-dimensional steady problem is solved; however, two-dimensional results obtained by the MLPG method are compared with that of the finite element method and found that the proposed method is as accurate as the established method. It is also found that for higher Bi, the one-dimensional model is not appropriate, as it does not demonstrate the appreciated error; hence, a two-dimensional model is required to predict the performance of a fin. Radiative fin illustrates more heat transfer than the pure convective fin. The performance parameters show that as the Bi increases, the performance of fin decreases because of high thermal resistance.
Research limitations/implications
Though, best of the efforts have been put to showcase the behaviour of one-dimensional and two-dimensional fins under nonlinear conditions, at different Bi values, yet lot more is to be demonstrated. Nonlinearity, in the present paper, is exhibited by using the thermal and material properties as the function of temperature, but can be further demonstrated with their dependency on the area. Additionally, this paper can be made more elaborative by extending the research for transient problems, with different fin profiles. Natural convection model is adopted in the present study but it can also be studied by using forced convection model.
Practical implications
Fins are the most commonly used medium to enhance heat transfer from a hot primary surface. Heat transfer in its natural condition is nonlinear and hence been demonstrated. The outcome is practically viable, as it is applicable at large to the broad areas like automobile, aerospace and electronic and electrical devices.
Originality/value
As per the literature survey, lot of work has been done on fins using different numerical methods; but to the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is first in the area of nonlinear heat transfer of fins using dimensionless Bi by the truly meshfree MLPG method.
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Sidi Ahmed Djennas, Belkacem Benadda, Lotfi Merad and Fethi Tarik Bendimerad
– The purpose of this paper is to introduce to scientific community a new optimization technique and its application to the radiation synthesis case.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce to scientific community a new optimization technique and its application to the radiation synthesis case.
Design/methodology/approach
The immunity tactic is a new powerful optimization tool inspired by immune system. It was used with success to achieve the conformal antenna radiation synthesis in an acceptable processing time.
Findings
Radiation synthesis of conformal antenna arrays based on immunity tactic generates very good results compared with other optimization methods. The comparison is very satisfactory as regards accuracy and processing time.
Research limitations/implications
The improvement of convergence and accuracy will be done certainly by use of other variants of the technique or combination with others.
Originality/value
The paper exposes with details a new optimization technique based on immune system and its behavior. The results, for the special case of conformal antenna arrays radiation synthesis, are very satisfactory and very encouraging. The impact of the new technique will be, without doubt, positive on optimization field.
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Sabrina Chikh-Amnache and Lotfi Mekhzoumi
Female entrepreneurship discussions will broaden and diversify as a result of global shifts. Studies of female entrepreneurship must take into account differences between male and…
Abstract
Purpose
Female entrepreneurship discussions will broaden and diversify as a result of global shifts. Studies of female entrepreneurship must take into account differences between male and female entrepreneurs due to the historical, cultural and social specificity of developing countries to narrow gender gaps, identify barriers, fine-tune support systems, release dormant potential and provide information for policymaking. This paper aims to measure and estimate the most crucial socioeconomic characteristics that Southeast Asian countries leverage to advance women’s business initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a panel data model whereby the Female Entrepreneurship Indicator Score serves as the dependent variable and the ten most important socioeconomic indicators serve as the independent variables. Ten southeast Asian countries are analyzed using the panel fixed effects approach of Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR) from 1980 to 2021.
Findings
It has been found by empirical panel quantile regression using the MM-QR method that the following indicators positively affect female entrepreneurship in southeast Asian countries: the assets indicator, the pay indicator, the workplace indicator, the mobility indicator and the a woman can sign a contract in the same way as a man indicator. But the parenthood indicator, the unemployment indicator, the school enrollment indicator, the men and women have equal ownership rights to immovable property indicator and the marriage indicator all have negative effects.
Originality/value
This paper uses a new method called MM-QR to look at how the most important socioeconomic factors affect female entrepreneurship in Southeast Asian countries. The results obtained will also add to and broaden the small amount of research that has been done on female entrepreneurs in developing countries.