Search results

The purpose of this study was to prepare partially methylolated polyacrylamide-guar gum via graft copolymerization of acryalmide and guar gum using the potassium bromate/thiourea redox system.

Using HCHO (40 per cent), amide groups in the composite are converted to reactive composite. The reactive composites (N-methylolated [PAam-GG]) were used as pastes for printing cotton fabrics with pigment dye, under a variety of conditions. Variables studied include the amount of binder incorporated into the printing paste and different catalysts incorporated into the printing paste.

Characterization of printing samples under different conditions, including amount of the beneficial effects of varying conditions of printing on the color strength (K/S); the color parameters L, a, b, h and c; and the change in color difference (ΔE) were also investigated. The Fourier transforms infrared spectra of printed cotton fabrics has followed each condition of printing. The obtained results indicate that the improvement in the printing process may be due to change in molecular configuration as a result of the variation in chemical bond.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate three Arylfuranylnicotinamidine derivatives against corrosion of carbon steel (C-steel) in 1.0 M HCl by chemical and electrochemical means. The inhibition efficiency (%IE) increases with increasing the dose of inhibitors. The tested compounds exhibited improved performance at elevated temperature, with %IE reaching 93 percent at 21 µM. Tafel polarization method revealed that the tested compounds act as mixed-type inhibitors. The inhibition action was rationalized due to chemical adsorption of inhibition molecules on C-steel surface following Temkin’s isotherm. Surface examination was carried out by AFM and FTIR techniques. Further, theoretical chemical approaches were used to corroborate the experimental findings.

Experimental and computational methods were applied to investigate the efficiency of these new compounds. These studies are complemented with spectral studies and surface morphological scan by AFM. The theoretical results indicate good correlation with experimental findings.

The tested derivatives are promising corrosion inhibitors for C-steel in the acid environment. The molecular scaffold of this class of compounds can be used to design new highly efficient inhibitors by screening its activity by modeling studies.

The studied compounds are safe inhibitors and greatly adsorbed on Fe surface. The action of compounds is enhanced with temperature, which means these compounds can be used in higher temperature systems. The new compounds are effective at very low concentration.

This study aims to explore how the structure of the board of directors is influenced by national informal culture values and the strength of formal institutional environments, as measured through legal regulations, market conditions and investor protection regulations.

This study analyzes data from 432 companies listed in the S&P Global 1200 index using structural equation modeling. National cultural dimensions from Hofstede’s (2011) framework capture informal cultural aspects, while the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators assess formal institutions. This study examines board structure in terms of leadership style, board size, board independence, board committee structure and board diversity.

The results reveal that national cultural values are negatively associated with rule of law institutions, indicating that culture can substitute for legal institutions, acting as “soft” regulation. Cultural values establish social norms and accountability when legal frameworks are weak. In addition, national culture positively relates to open market institutions, enhancing transparency, fairness and competition in strong markets. The findings also show that national culture and formal institutions significantly shape managerial perceptions of the board’s role and structure, impacting how firms prioritize monitoring versus resource provision.

The findings offer valuable insights for managers in diverse institutional contexts, enabling them to adjust board structures according to cultural and institutional factors.

The research advocates for tailored governance practices that fit specific institutional and cultural contexts. Multinational corporations can benefit from customizing their governance structures according to the cultural and institutional environments of the countries in which they operate.

This paper contributes to existing literature by focusing on complementarity as well as substitution mechanisms between national cultural characteristics and formal institutions in shaping board structure.

This paper scrutinizes the nexus between firms’ board characteristics; environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and industry sensitivity, with the aim of examining how the impact of board diversity on ESG performance would vary among sensitive versus non-sensitive industries and identify which board characteristics are more influential on ESG performance in these industries.

A large sample of 31,255 firm-year observations in 5,471 companies listed in the G-7 countries from 2010 to 2022 is examined using a Heckman two-stage least squares (2SLS) approach to address the potential endogeneity concerns within our proposed relationships.

The findings show that the positive influence of diverse boards on a firm’s ESG performance is particularly amplified in sensitive industries and may be attributed to the greater need of these industries to address stakeholder concerns (as posited by the stakeholder and resource-dependence theories) and mitigate agency conflicts (supporting agency theory). Interestingly, the impact of diversity in board gender and education qualifications appears to be particularly influential and remains robust across a series of regression analyses.

This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries. For practitioners and firms, the results allow for better understanding of firms’ tendency towards sustainability practices, particularly in the context of sensitive industries.

This study has important implications for policymakers and legislators as it provides guidelines pertaining to the composition of boards operating in sensitive industries.

This study contributes to the increasingly growing literature that investigates the nexus between industry sensitivity, board characteristics and ESG performance.

This study examines the impact of female directors on cash holdings in Egyptian listed firms, particularly in light of Decree 123/2019, which mandates female board representation. This study aims to determine if female directors mitigate agency conflicts related to cash holdings and how these dynamics shift post-quota implementation.

Using a panel fixed-effects model, the research analyzes 1,563 firm-year observations from 223 non-financial Egyptian firms listed on the EGX between 2014 and 2022. The robustness of the findings is tested through additional analyses using alternative proxies for cash holdings, different sample periods and a two-stage least squares approach to address endogeneity concerns.

This study finds a significant negative association between female directors and cash holdings, suggesting that female board members may promote more conservative cash management practices. However, this relationship weakens post-quota implementation, becoming statistically insignificant. This implies that while quotas increase female representation, they do not necessarily enhance corporate governance effectiveness regarding cash management. The pre-quota positive link between female directors and excess cash holdings also becomes insignificant post-quota.

The study focuses on female directors’ impact on cash holdings, excluding potential effects on other board subcommittees or functions. It does not capture long-term benefits of increased female representation, which may emerge as the pool of qualified female directors grows. Future research should explore broader implications of gender diversity guidelines and other diversity dimensions across various corporate governance aspects and institutional contexts.

This research provides empirical evidence from an emerging market context on the understudied impact of gender diversity on cash holdings. It critically evaluates the unintended consequences of mandatory gender quotas, highlighting the complexity of regulatory interventions in corporate governance. The study stresses the need for policymakers to address factors limiting the effectiveness of such quotas and to consider potential suboptimal outcomes when increasing female board representation without a corresponding increase in the supply of qualified female directors.