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Prior studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and performance have frequently used unidirectional, single-equation regression although the literature recommends the reciprocal association of CSR with firm performance. This paper aims to elucidate the interactive relationship of CSR spending with financial inclusion (FI) and firm performance. The study also explores the moderating impact of the level of FI on the CSR-firm performance relationship.

This study uses a simultaneous equations model to capture the FI, CSR and firm performance relationships and apply a three-stage regression approach and generalised method of moments approach to address possible endogeneity.

The results confirm a positive association of CSR spending with performance but a negative relationship of FI with performance. This paper also finds that FI negatively moderates the CSR spending-performance relationship.

The positive impact of CSR spending and the negative impact of FI on performance in mandatory CSR regimes provides valuable input in policy formulation. The results of the study will also be useful to national and international organisations, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

This study uses a simultaneous equations model to capture the reciprocal association of CSR spending with firm performance, whereas prior studies on CSR and performance have frequently used unidirectional, single-equation regression. This paper also finds that FI negatively moderates the CSR spending- performance relationship. Including FI and exploring the moderating impact of the level of FI on the CSR-firm performance relationship is novel.

Psychological therapies are increasingly being made available to adults with intellectual disabilities. However, little is known about service user satisfaction with this type of intervention. The aim was to ascertain quantitative and qualitative data on user satisfaction with the psychological therapy they had received.

In total, 20 recipients of psychological therapy completed the Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale – Revised (STTS-R; Oei and Shuttleword, 1999) and the Experience of Service Questionnaire (Commission for Health Improvement, 2002). The scales were adapted for language and administered in an assisted completion format by an independent researcher after a course of psychological therapy had been completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.

Generally, recipients were highly satisfied with their therapist and the therapy they received.

The results confirm previous findings from two small-scale qualitative studies. Service user satisfaction is a key quality outcome measure and can be collated in routine practice for people with intellectual disabilities. The collation of qualitative responses in addition to quantitative measures is important to enable the expression of dissatisfaction and greater detail in order to inform service improvement.

This chapter provides a comprehensive description of special education in Bangladesh. It begins with the early origins of special education and then proceeds with definitions of and prevalence of current disabilities in Bangladesh. This section is followed by governmental policies and legislation related to the right to education for all students with disabilities. Next, educational intervention methods are delineated along with a description of governmental special schools and teacher training and preparation of special educational professions. Early intervention practices and working with families is also discussed. The chapter ends with the progress that Bangladesh has made and the challenges that remain.

This study aims to examine the role of information and communication technology (ICT)-based communication technologies to create a sustainable recovery strategy through Build Back Better practice in the existing policy framework of Bangladesh. Its purpose is to analyse the problems associated with the current recovery process of the country and how the ICT-based communication technology can improve the situation. Nevertheless, the aim also extends towards the limitation of the technology and the infrastructures and possible adjustments in this regard.

To achieve the aim, the study conducted an extensive literature review of numerous grey literature, policy papers and scientific/academic articles in an exploratory approach.

The result shows that the disaster recovery process of Bangladesh is slow, and there are some mismanagements (the lengthy risk assessment using ancient data generation processes, lack of accessibility and report-based data product) which was a cause behind the massive destruction done by recent cyclones. The ICT-based methods (proper database, many to many communications, GIS) can make this response faster, transparent and easy to access.

The research results may lack generalizability due to the research approach of the study. Thus, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

The study includes some possible adjustments to the argument for the existing policy infrastructure and scope of communication technology to bridge the theory and practice.

The study also includes some suggestions to engage society in disaster recovery processes.

This paper urges to study the implication of technology in terms of disaster recovery on a broad scale.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between destination brand equity and tourist's revisit intention towards health tourism destinations. The study also examines the mediating effect of destination brand association between destination-based brand equity and travellers' revisit intention for health tourism destinations.

A survey instrument is used to examine the relationships in the proposed model using the co-variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The collected primary data from two hundred forty-six respondents (n = 246) are analysed to test the relationship amongst exogenous, mediating, moderating and endogenous constructs articulated in the proposed structural model.

Empirical findings reveal that destination brand equity influences the revisit intention of a traveller for health tourism via destination brand association. The perceived trust, reliability and soft issues of a traveller moderate the relationship between destination brand equity and destination brand association. Enduring travel involvement also proves a significant moderation effect on the relationship between destination brand association and the revisit intention of a traveller for a health tourism destination.

This paper is an initial attempt to develop and empirically examine a conceptual model of the intention of a traveller to revisit a health tourism destination in a dynamic process of information search using the data collected from current travellers after medical tourism-related trips. Results suggest that stakeholders must focus on hedonic and utilitarian factors of the destination that are recognised by travellers to encourage revisit for medical tourism.

Although there have been numerous studies on health tourism. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is a pioneer in the healthcare tourism literature that links destination brand equity, brand association and revisit intention of a traveller for health tourism. These findings extend the knowledge of how healthcare tourism that is embedded with destination brand equity and destination brand association. The study findings potentially benefit the marketers for gaining competitive advantages through considering the experience of a traveller.

During the pandemic, two types of fear were identified that occur significantly in all groups or profiles of people. The aim of this paper is to determine which of the two types of fears exist in certain psychological groups, and which of the fears strongly influence the decision to travel.

The VALS 2 method and standardized questionnaire were used for the segmentation of the tourist market or for the determination of the psychographic profiles of the consumers, and three additional questions were joined to it as they were vital for the research of the type of fear and its impact on the decision for traveling. When the reliability of the questionnaire and the validity of the sample were determined, the data were further processed using a computer program package IMB AMOS SPSS 21.00, and then, based on the theoretical suppositions and hypotheses, the SEM structural model was created.

The paper indicates the existence of established types of fears in humans, when it comes to pandemics and similar crisis situations. People are most afraid of infection during travel, and lack of funds and job loss during the critical period of the pandemic. The research conducted confirms that all groups of people, who are determined by the psychological technique VALS 2, react with a certain dose of fear and make decisions under the pressure of fears.

The research had limitations in terms of contact with people and conducting live surveys. The measures during the pandemic, which were carried out by the state, included social distance and limited movement of people.

The work can contribute to the community, along with similar research. The results of the research will be available, and it will be possible to see the behavior of people during crisis situations, and the impact of fears on making decisions, both travel decisions and decisions related to other areas of life.

The paper provides research results on a large sample of respondents, and can serve as a basis for further research in the field of tourism, psychology and similar fields. It is crucial to consider the type of fears, and the strength of the impact of these fears on the decision to travel, during crisis situations.

This study aims to determine direct and indirect ways of strengthening consumer’s halal buying behaviour. For this, the researchers explore the role of religiosity and consumers’ personal norms on consumers’ attitudes and halal buying behaviour. The study also reconnoiters the mediating role of consumer attitudes.

With a structured questionnaire, a survey was conducted to collect data on consumer attitudes, personal norms and halal buying behaviour. Finally, 229 valid questioners were retained for data analysis. The structural equation modelling technique was used for data analysis using SmartPLS 3.0 software.

The result of this study suggests that consumers’ attitude towards halal purchase depends on consumers’ personal norms and religiosity. Further, the role of consumer attitudes and religiosity on the halal buying behaviour of consumers is significant. However, the personal norm is not a significant predictor of halal buying behaviour. Consumer attitudes mediate the relationships between personal norms and halal buying behaviour, as well as religiosity and halal buying behaviour.

The findings of the present study indicate that consumers’ personal norms and religiosity are the important determinants of consumer attitude and behaviour towards halal purchase. Marketers of halal products and services should focus on strengthening consumers’ attitudes and religiosity to influence consumer behaviour towards halal purchase.

In light of recent research studies on the halal purchase, the present research finds the essential predictors of consumers’ halal purchase attitude and behaviour. The study also reveals that consumer attitude is an important role in strengthening halal buying behaviour, as it has both direct and indirect impact halal buying behaviour.

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that deter firms from pursuing foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh’s power sector.

The study uses a mixed-method approach comprising semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. A quantitative analysis including a one-way analysis of variance and analytical hierarchy process is also included.

The results reveal that political aspects are the most influential barriers impeding FDI in the power sector, followed by economic and financial, societal and regulatory aspects. Of the individual factors, land acquisition/rent/lease, corruption, political interference, an inadequate gas transmission system and a long independent power producers’ approval process are key obstacles deterring FDI in the power sector. The ownership structure matters in ranking decisions to conduct FDI.

The study can assist managers in identifying key factors that deter FDI in the power sector. It can also assist the government to establish the right policies for the sustainable development of FDI in the power sector.

This study is the first of its kind in Bangladesh’s power sector that analyzes the key barriers hindering FDI systematically. It also discusses policies on removing these barriers for sustainable development of FDI in the power sector.

This paper aims to investigate the presence of currency substitution in eight African countries.

This study investigates the presence of currency substitution in eight African countries – Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia – for the period 1976 to 2005 using both regional and US dollar as anchor currencies.

The paper finds that currency substitution is prevalent in Ghana and Nigeria when CFA franc is used as an anchor currency. However, when US dollar is used as an anchor currency there is no evidence of currency substitution in Ghana, but the presence of currency substitution in Nigeria is still observed. The paper also finds the presence of currency substitution in South Africa, but not in Egypt when the US dollar is the anchor currency. For Kenya, Tunisia and Zambia there is no evidence of currency substitution irrespective of the anchor currencies considered. In the case of Morocco, no evidence of currency substitution is observed when the Egyptian pound is used as anchor currency, but there is weak evidence of currency substitution when the US dollar is considered.

This paper provides useful information on the presence of currency substitution in African countries.

Does the issuance of Eurobonds carry enough information about favourable domestic conditions to warrant more FDI inflows? In this study, the authors investigate how FDI is responding to the rising levels of Eurobonds in sub-Saharan African (SSA).

The study uses the system GMM model to set up a panel with all 17 SSA countries with Eurobonds. The dataset was transformed into time series, and the VAR model and Granger causality were used to diffuse the doubt of a possible bi-causal relationship between Eurobonds and FDI. Additionally, the authors use the impulse response function to test the behaviour of FDI to a one-time shock to Eurobonds.

The study reports that Eurobond levels matter in explaining FDI receipts. Specifically, the authors report that the issuance of Eurobonds leads to a favourable increase in FDI inflows. The authors transform our data into time series and use the VAR model and Granger causality test to diffuse the doubt of a possible bi-causal relationship between Eurobonds and FDI. The authors’ findings from this exercise suggest that two lag levels of Eurobond are a good predictor of future FDI flows. More also, the authors use the impulse response function to test the behaviour of FDI to a one-time shock to Eurobonds and report that a one-unit standard deviation shock to Eurobonds will cause FDI to swell up over at least 8 years.

The study is limited in scope due to data availability. Future studies may consider using countries across the globe that have issued Eurobond to retest the current research objectives.

The study establishes grounds to suggest that the issuance of Eurobonds carry enough information to foreign investors in deciding on the location of FDI.

The study is uniquely opening a new frontier to the discussion on how one international capital can be used to bait other foreign capital. It also discusses signalling theory at the macro level.