Ever since China’s implementation of the open-door policy in 1978, there has been a remarkable transformation in the nation’s economic landscape. Undesirably, amidst the rapid…
Abstract
Purpose
Ever since China’s implementation of the open-door policy in 1978, there has been a remarkable transformation in the nation’s economic landscape. Undesirably, amidst the rapid urban development, the importance of prioritising and nurturing rural development in China has not received unwavering attention. Nevertheless, the Chinese government has embarked on many ventures to bridge the disparities existing amidst urban and rural areas, revitalise the rural economy, and enhance overall productivity. This paper enunciates the role of the Chinese government in prospering rural areas by implementing policies that align with the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs)- 1, 2 and 12.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a comprehensive methodology encompassing both primary and secondary research techniques to procure valuable insights and reviewed various Chinese government policies pertaining to rural revitalisation.
Findings
The study results demonstrate that throughout the policy implementation, China has contributed to the livelihoods of the rural communities and achieved SDG-1 (ending poverty) by 2030, ten years ahead of Agenda (2030). The country has also substantially improved its rural agricultural system by integrating modern science and technology and aiming to achieve SDG-2 (ensure food security) with the alignment of SDG-12 (sustainable production and consumption). The findings of this research indicate that despite some limitations in China’s rural revitalisation strategy, overall progress is seen in many aspects, particularly in achieving SDG-1, 2, and 12.
Research limitations/implications
The Chinese government has made significant efforts to promote ecological, social, and economic development in rural areas through various national initiatives such as the “New Countryside” and “Rural Revitalisation” strategies. These initiatives have successfully alleviated poverty, increased food production, and ensured sustainable production and consumption. The discoveries presented within this article possess immense value, as they provide profound insights for policymakers, rural planners, and researchers who are fervently searching for viable solutions to tackle the intricate interplay between rural development and sustainability. Therefore, this study has the potential to greatly benefit policymakers from various nations, as they can adopt China’s rural revitalisation model as a means to successfully achieve SDGs 1, 2, and 12.
Originality/value
This study found that despite numerous initiatives to improve rural landscapes, China’s rural revitalisation approach still poses concerns as local governments are likely to focus on increasing income capacity rather than concentrating on establishing environmental governance.
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Md Reiazul Haque, Saiful Islam, Sourav Paul Chowdhury, Md. Alamgir Hossain and Md Ziaul Hassan
This study aims to investigate the potential link between prior-year banking performance and a change in the number of board of directors’ meetings in the current year and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the potential link between prior-year banking performance and a change in the number of board of directors’ meetings in the current year and understand how changes in board meetings might impact subsequent bank performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample is drawn from 42 banks in Bangladesh from 2011 to 2019, and the data are analyzed using multivariate regressions. Potential endogeneity concerns are addressed using the entropy balance matching approach.
Findings
This study presents two key findings: first, the change in the number of board meetings in a year is influenced by bank performance in the last year, where poor performance leads to more meetings, and second, an increase in the number of board meetings contributes to enhanced bank performance.
Originality/value
This is one of the few studies to explore the reasons behind changes in the board of directors’ meeting behavior and whether such changes benefit banks. The results highlight that a decline in bank performance prompts the board to meet more often, and this proactive response helps banks overcome the poor performance problem. Thus, this study underscores the significance of the board’s adaptive behavior in tailoring the number of meetings according to the bank’s specific circumstances.
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Md. Sariful Islam, Sabiha Ferdousy, Sonia Afrin, Md. Nasif Ahsan, Mohammed Ziaul Haider and Debasish Kumar Das
Recent studies suggest extensive use of environmental resources in agrofarming degrades ecosystem significantly. In this backdrop, this study aims at assessing ecoefficiency of…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent studies suggest extensive use of environmental resources in agrofarming degrades ecosystem significantly. In this backdrop, this study aims at assessing ecoefficiency of paddy farming. Because ecoefficiency links up between economic performances and environmental resources supporting the provision of goods and services for the society, this study further investigates the effectiveness of attending Farmers' Field School (FFS), an agroenvironmental program, in conserving environmental resources through improving farm-level ecoefficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
In a dataset of 200 randomly selected paddy farmers from three districts of the southwestern Bangladesh, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied to compute both radial and pressure-specific (nutrient balance, energy balance, irrigation and pesticide lethal risk) ecoefficiency scores. Furthermore, propensity score matching (PSM) technique is applied to examine the impact of FFS program on farm-level ecoefficiency.
Findings
The DEA results suggest that paddy farmers are highly eco-inefficient. The computed radial eco-efficiency score is 0.40 implying farmers could reduce around 60% of environmental pressure equiproportionally even by maintaining the same level of value addition. In addition, the PSM results suggest farmers' participation in FFS program led to around 22.5% higher radial ecoefficiency and 7–25% higher environmental pressure-specific eco-efficiencies. Furthermore, simulation exercises reveal that FFS participation in interaction with farm size would lead to around 32–40% reduction of all environmental pressures.
Practical implications
Promoting FFS programs among paddy farmers could be an effective policy option to improve eco-efficiency through environment-friendly farming paradigm.
Originality/value
This study is probably the maiden effort that has examined the impact of attending the FFS program on ecoefficiency improvement in Bangladesh. This study contributes to both the concern literature by adding useful information and the policymakers by providing new insights about the reduction of environmental resource usage with maintaining the same value addition from agrofarming.
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Sonia Afrin, Mohammed Ziaul Haider and Md. Sariful Islam
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of financial inclusion on the enhancement of paddy farmers’ technical efficiency (TE). The impact was evaluated rigorously…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of financial inclusion on the enhancement of paddy farmers’ technical efficiency (TE). The impact was evaluated rigorously from different dimensions which could be useful in the policy discussion for enhancing efficiency in utilizing productive resources.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional data of randomly selected 120 paddy farmers from Khulna district in the Southwest region of Bangladesh were collected for this study. Initially, a stochastic production frontier approach was used for estimating farmers’ TE. Thereafter, ordinary least squares and quantile regression models were applied for unveiling the existing relationship between TE and various dimensions of financial inclusion after controlling all other socio-economic characteristics.
Findings
The study findings revealed that farmers were around 86 percent technically efficient and amongst them, credit takers were more efficient than non-credit takers. A non-monotonic relationship between TE and amount of credit was observed where TE was maximized at amount around 20,000 Bangladeshi Taka (USD255), a medium credit in terms of its amount. In addition, credit literacy was identified as a significant factor for improving TE. Though difference in the choice of sources for accessing credit had little impact on mean TE, its effect was found significantly higher for low scored technically efficient farmers compared to high scored farmers.
Practical implications
The policy toward widening the coverage of financial inclusion would be more effective than providing larger amount of credit to a limited number of farmers for improving their TE.
Originality/value
Such an in-depth assessment of the impact of financial inclusion on TE is probably the first effort in the Khulna district of Bangladesh.
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Keywords
Md. Sariful Islam and Mohammed Ziaul Haider
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between poverty and technical efficiency (TE) of paddy farmers in presence of their heterogeneous selling behaviours…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between poverty and technical efficiency (TE) of paddy farmers in presence of their heterogeneous selling behaviours. This paper explains how such behavioural heterogeneity affects this relationship in south-western Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
Translog production frontier model was used to estimate TE since it fitted the data set better. On the other hand, poverty indices were constructed by using P-α method. Then, multinomial logit models examined the existence of heterogeneous selling behaviours. It revealed adequate evidences in favour of behavioural heterogeneity. Finally, the authors employed a series of two stage instrumental variable regression models to relate poverty and TE with and without considering the behavioural heterogeneity.
Findings
The study finds that around 18, 39 and 44 per cent of households exhibit autarkic, non-wholesaling and wholesaling behaviour, respectively. Market failure due to transaction cost and credit constraints leads to emergence of such heterogeneity. Across these heterogeneous behaviours, impact of improving TE on poverty status significantly differs. Without controlling behavioural heterogeneity, TE significantly improves the poverty status of the rural farm households. However, scenario is changed after controlling this heterogeneity. After behavioural segregations, TE improves poverty status only for wholesalers. In contrary to prior expectation, it worsens the poverty situation for both autarkic and non-wholesaling households. Simultaneous failure in both credit and product market for these households might be the plausible reason behind this heterodox finding. Credit market failure compels these households to borrow from local money lenders with costlier terms. This effort might improve their TE. But, product market failure makes their additional production due to improved TE unsold. Thus, repayment of credit directly reduces their consumption expenditure. Therefore, an effort to improve TE might increase prevalence and depth of poverty when market failure exists. Henceforth, the improvement of TE appears as an effective policy instrument only when households exhibit wholesaling behaviour.
Originality/value
The earlier studies show the relationship between TE and poverty status but did not account behavioural heterogeneity. The authors attempt to overcome this shortcoming and show how market failure induced behavioural heterogeneity affects the effectiveness of TE on improving poverty status of farm households.
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Mohammed Ziaul Haider, Ismat Ara Earthy, Sk. Faijan Bin Halim and Md. Karimul Islam
Presenteeism is the productivity loss due to working with ill health. This paper aims to develop a presenteeism scale for students (PSS) and reveals its association with the…
Abstract
Purpose
Presenteeism is the productivity loss due to working with ill health. This paper aims to develop a presenteeism scale for students (PSS) and reveals its association with the academic achievement of undergraduate (Bachelor) students.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a cross-sectional study based on a reputed public university in Bangladesh. The study collected data from 164 undergraduate students by relying upon the systematic random sampling technique.
Findings
Nearly 70 percent of the study population have reported some health problems, with male students reporting frustration (59.6 percent) and female students reporting migraine (61.2 percent) as the most prevalent issues. Predictors such as gender, living status, television and social media use, absenteeism, physical activity, BMI (body mass index), hygienic meal intake, exhaustion score and PSS score have significantly influenced presenteeism and reduced academic performance. As many students face multiple health issues, it is recommended that the issue of presenteeism on university campuses be addressed.
Originality/value
This study breaks from the conventional approach of studying presenteeism in business settings and expands knowledge in the education domain. Additionally, it examines the interconnection of primary health conditions, work impairment score, presenteeism and academic performance.
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Zakir Hossain, M. Ishaq Bhatti and Mohammad Ziaul Hoque
The focus of this paper is to develop an econometric model that measures the changes in GDP for the OIC states.
Abstract
Purpose
The focus of this paper is to develop an econometric model that measures the changes in GDP for the OIC states.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper focuses on the development of an econometric model which measures the changes of gross domestic product (GDP) for the members of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries. In particular, we analyze the growth of GDP in the OIC countries and their implications for expanded marketing opportunities for goods and services. We also discuss some challenges the marketers may face in future if the formation of OIC countries block become an economic identity and set up some sort of confederation.
Findings
The problem of multi‐collinearity needs to be solved if the model is not going to change.
Originality/value
The recommended solution is to acquire more data on the countries that were absent from the original sample. This may be hard to obtain due to some countries not having a process for collecting accurate statistics.
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Harun Sencal and Mehmet Asutay
As an essential component of Islamic governance for ensuring religious compliance, Shari’ah annual reports (SARs) play an important role in providing communication between…
Abstract
Purpose
As an essential component of Islamic governance for ensuring religious compliance, Shari’ah annual reports (SARs) play an important role in providing communication between Shari’ah board (SB) members and stakeholders. This paper aims to determine the ethical disclosure in SARs to identify how close the Shari’ah disclosure to the standards set by AAOIFI and also substantive morality of Islam. The research also aims to examine the factors determining disclosure performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Two disclosure indices are developed to generate data from the SARs: the AAOIFI standards for Shari’ah governance index for form related approach, an Islamic ethicality augmented index reflecting on substantive morality approach. The sample consists of 41 Islamic banks from 15 different countries for the period of 2007–2014. Sampled 305 SARs were examined through disclosure analysis in line with the two indices developed for this study. The econometric analysis was run to identify the factors determining disclosure performance.
Findings
The findings suggest that AAOIFI guidelines have an influence on the level of disclosure, even if Islamic banks have not adopted them. However, the level of disclosure for the ethically augmented index is found to be very limited with reliance on general statements in most of the cases. As part of determining factors, the popularity of Shari’ah scholars is significant for both indices, while the existence of an internal Shari’ah auditing department holds some explanatory power. The adoption of AAOIFI standards at the country level, the regulatory quality and the duration of Sharīʿah-compliance are particularly deterministic factors in terms of complying with AAOIFI standards for SARs.
Originality/value
Although SB is the most crucial division of corporate governance in Islamic banks in terms of securing the “Islamic” identity of these institutions, their most important communication instrument, namely, SAR, has not been explored sufficiently, alongside an insufficient attempt to constitute Islamic corporate governance. Initially, this study attempted to constitute an Islamic corporate governance framework as a theoretical construct, which provides context for the empirical part of the research and this should be considered a novel approach. Second, the empirical part of the research aims to fill the gap observed in the literature such as small sample size and index construction-related matters. This research is conducted with a larger sample size as compared to the available studies in the literature and it has developed two indices for disclosure analysis along with developing an Islamic morality-based index beside an index based on AAOIFI standards.
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Mohammed Ziaul Hoque and Md. Nurul Alam
The purpose of the paper is to examine the influence of consumers' perceived knowledge, knowledge discrepancy and confusion on the intention to purchase farmed fish (FF) via a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to examine the influence of consumers' perceived knowledge, knowledge discrepancy and confusion on the intention to purchase farmed fish (FF) via a survey design regarding perceptions, buying and consumption practices of urban households in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
The samples of 498 households were selected from a stratified cluster from the Chittagong city and were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data have been analysed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results show that consumers' subjective knowledge (SK) is significant for purchase intention whereas objective knowledge (OK) is not. Again, consumers' SK, OK, knowledge discrepancy and confusion have no influence in forming consumers' attitude towards FF. However, consumers who overestimate their actual level of knowledge hold negative attitude towards FF and vice versa. Furthermore, consumers' OK affects their confusion inversely although it does not influence the purchase intention significantly.
Practical implications
If the marketers can frame a more engaging means of communication and knowledge enhancement plan, consumers' attitude and purchase intention regarding FF will be signified.
Originality/value
This is the first study that fundamentally contributes to the scientific research in that it measures the knowledge discrepancy of consumers regarding FF. In addition, this study substantiates that low objective knowledge leads to confusing consumers at the time of purchasing. The effect of overestimating the level of knowledge as well as underestimating the level of knowledge in explaining the purchase intention of FF would be a supplementary addition.