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The purpose of this paper was to examine rural women’s perceived quality of antenatal care (ANC) and its influence on the extent of ANC in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 women attending postnatal care at selected public health facilities. Structured interviews were used to obtain data. Crude odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was generated to determine the odds of women’s utilisation of ANC with their perceived service quality. The association between women’s background characteristics and ANC use was determined and assessed using Pearson’s χ² (2) test.

Majority of the women (58.3 percent) utilised ANC for at least four times during pregnancy. Women’s education (p=0.027), religious affiliation (p=0.006), source of income (p=0.012) and insurance status (p=0.023) all had a positive relationship with ANC use. Women who perceived ANC quality as good were three times more likely to have four or more ANC visits than those who perceived quality as poor (OR= 3.042, 95% CI=0.181–0.647, p=0.001).

Ghana has had numerous policy interventions that address the accessibility and quality of ANC service. However, little is known about the extent to which they are observed and about the quality of service from users’ perspective. Most existing literature on ANC use in Ghana focusses on socio-economic factors that influence utilisation. This paper will be the first to examine the perceived quality of ANC provided, and its influence on the extent of ANC visits among rural women in Ghana.

Using a multinational corporation (MNC), Nestlé Ghana Limited (NGL) that operates in a developing economy (Ghana) as a case study, this paper aims to examine the influence of customers’ CSR awareness level and their perception of NGL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) motives on the firm’s non-financial performance (image and reputation).

A quantitative approach, using questionnaires and simple random sampling method, was used to survey 300 customers. Structural equation model-partial least square (SEM-PLS) was used to analyse the data.

The results show that customers’ CSR awareness levels have a positive impact on NGL’s image and reputation. In contrast, the study revealed that customers’ perception of NGL’s CSR motives has a negative impact on NGL’s image and reputation.

NGL should maintain a balance between customers’ perception of its CSR motives and its image and reputation to project the firm’s CSR position as posted in the firm’s create shared value report.

The study is one of the few studies in sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Ghana, about how an MNC’s CSR engagements influence its image and reputation in a developing economy context. It further makes a contribution to CSR literature in Ghana.

Through the “Going Digital Initiative,” the Ghanaian government has introduced policies that aim at improving the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure of the country. These ICT policies have benefited numerous sectors of the Ghanaian economy. In logistics management, ICT has impacted drone medical delivery in the healthcare and maritime sectors. However, the importance of ICT is not realized in the motorcycle goods transport (MGT) industry, regardless of its popularity and high economic dependency. Second, all research on motorcycles is focused on diverse social concerns, and no study has attempted to analyze ICT implementation for MGT operations. This is a significant gap in logistics management. Hence, the study aimed to investigate the impact of ICT on Ghana's MGT industry empirically.

The study adopts a two-phase data collection approach to collect the data. The authors use partial least square structural equation modeling to analyze the study's measurement and structural assessment model.

ICT positively impacts MGT and the drivers considered. The drivers positively influence MGT. The study further analyzes novel results on the relationships between the drivers and their mediating roles in enhancing MGT performance.

The study's originality is the extension of ICT adoption and usage in MGT. The lack of literature on the importance of ICT for MGT services makes this study the primary source of literature, and the relationships investigated are unique as the research area is unexplored.

Public listing of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stimulates unremitting transformations into their corporate governance (CG) practices. These transformations in CG are likely to impact the financial performance (FP). The current study examines how individual corporate CG mechanisms and their mutual interactions (configurational approach) stimulate the FP of listed SMEs. The study selects promoters’ ownership (PO), the board (B-INX) and information disclosures (DISC) as individual CG mechanisms. In addition, market competition (COMP) is considered a form of external governance/regulation.

The study uses five years of panel data (2018–2022) of 80 SMEs listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE) SME listing platform in India. Panel data fixed effects and cluster robust standard errors estimated. In addition to the impact of individual CG mechanisms, their mutual interactions (configurational approach) are tested using moderated hierarchical regression and confirmed by slope tests.

The results signify the ineffectiveness of individual CG mechanisms when acting in silos. However, their mutual interactions drive the FP. A hierarchy of results is obtained. PO is the dominant form of internal CG, negatively influencing the relevance of B-INX and DISC. B-INX tends to adhere to good governance by positively moderating the impact of DISC on FP. Lastly, COMP acts as external governance that dominates the ownership effects. Findings reveal that the interactions among individual CG mechanisms are essential to the FP of listed SMEs. Such interactions adjust the agency theory dynamics of CG in these firms.

The study takes a holistic approach to investigate the agency theory dynamics via the mutual interactions among multiple CG forms. It highlights how the presence of a dominant form of CG can adjust the financial effect of others, thereby adjusting agency theory dynamics.

These results hold practical significance for SMEs in multiple ways. SMEs should embrace configurational approach to comprehend their agency dynamics. The configurational approach of CG mechanisms is the way forward for SMEs, which are known to be financially constrained. In other words, the fact that the resiliency of SMEs is very often questioned calls for the configurational approach, where different CG mechanisms coexist to drive FP.

The study is by far the first of its kind to investigate the CG of listed SMEs against the backdrop of the configurational approach. The findings will benefit industry practitioners, academics and regulatory bodies to visualize the governance practices through the lenses of configurational approach.

This study aims to analyse consumers' preferences for domestic chicken cut parts and the premium they are willing to pay for the various parts using data from a contingent valuation survey of individual chicken meat consumers in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area of Ghana.

The willingness to pay premiums are obtained using the double-bounded dichotomous choice approach. Determinants of the consumers' willingness to pay amounts are identified through a multivariate Tobit regression analysis.

The study finds that the wing is the most preferred chicken part by the consumers followed by the thighs. All consumers who express interest in a particular domestic chicken cut part are willing to pay a premium. Age, sex, years of formal education, household size and income level of the consumers as well as convenience, product availability and perceived wholesomeness of the product are identified as the key factors that influence the willingness to pay amounts.

The findings and recommendations of this study could serve as a guide to domestic poultry meat producers and investors in Ghana and other developing countries on how to process or package the meat for the market or consumers. This could further contribute to policy formulation regarding the development of the domestic poultry meat industry.

The uniqueness of this study is seen in the contributions it makes to the literature on consumer preferences and willingness to pay for chicken cut parts from a developing country perspective where the market for these products is virtually non-existent.

The paper aims to investigate the empirical impact of working capital management (WCM) on firm performance (FP) in the emerging markets of Africa. This paper also aims to investigate this relationship during the global financial crisis of 2008 (GFC, 2008).

The sample of this study comprises two leading emerging markets in Africa (Egypt and South Africa) based on the MSCI world market classification list for the period 2007–2020. The study employs various regression techniques such as fixed effect and system generalized method of moments. In addition to baseline regressions, the authors applied various preliminary tests and, finally robustness measures. Besides the dependent, independent variables, the study uses firm-level and country macroeconomic-level explanatory variables.

The study's results indicate that (1) WCM and FP exhibit a direct relationship and (2) the WCM components such as cash conversion cycle, average collection period and the average age of inventory, have a significant inverse relationship, whereas the average payment period has a direct relationship with FP. The robustness results are assessed based on the selection of an alternative proxy for FP measurement, controlling for industry, country, year effect and the exclusion of the GFC 2008.

This study has various implications in terms of theoretical, societal and practical application for practitioners, managers, investors and regulators. In terms of theoretical implications, this is the first study that contributes to the existing body of knowledge in corporate finance and managerial accounting in relation to the examination of this relationship in the African region. Finally, practitioners, including regulators, can benefit from the study's findings while devising investment policies for investors in the region. More specifically, the financial sector conduct authority (FSCA) in South Africa and the financial regulatory authority (FRA) in Egypt can consider these findings to devise financial policies that aim to foster the FP.

Society benefits from the study's findings too. The efficient management of the WCM components will raise firm profits and investment opportunities for the society in Egypt and South Africa. A firm with good performance levels will increase salaries and will provide compensation to their employees in terms of bonuses. These compensations are one of the sources for achieving FP, which is evident from existing literature as well in the case of corporate governance studies. These compensations have psychological impacts as well. As society has its basic needs and goods, compensation levels will be tilted less toward societal ethical issues.

This study has various distinguishing features, which prior studies mostly lack, as most of these studies are on an individual country dataset, shorter periods, mixed results, lesser explanatory variables and no country-related control variables. The authors addressed all these challenges and provided robust results based on various measurement alternatives for the African markets. The study's results confirm a direct relationship between WCM and FP for South Africa and Egypt reflecting the emerging markets in Africa.

This study aims to examine the influence of some prominent corporate governance (CG) mechanisms such as board size (BS), board independence (BI), role duality (RD), board’s gender diversity (GD), ownership concentration (OC), audit committee independence (ACI), nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) and risk management committee (RMC) on voluntary disclosure (VD), as well as different types of VD after controlling the effect of some firm-specific factors for Indian firms.

The study selects market capitalization-based top 100 non-financial and non-utility firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange as on 31st March 2014. Data are drawn from the Capitaline Plus database over the period of 2014–2018. Appropriate panel data regression model is applied to examine the influence of CG on VD.

The study reveals a significant negative influence of BI on VD while GD and RMC exhibit a significant positive influence on the same. The remaining CG mechanisms such as BS, RD, OC, ACI and NRC appear to have no significant influence on VD. Analysis into the relationship between CG mechanisms and different types of VD reveals that BI, in particular, has a strong negative influence on corporate strategic disclosure (CSD) and forward looking disclosure (FWLD) while GD and RMC both exhibit a significant positive influence on CSD, FWLD, CG disclosure and financial and capital market disclosure. Notably, none of the CG mechanisms under consideration influence human and intellectual capital disclosure.

The study considers annual reports as the only medium of making VD and ignores all other sources such as websites and press releases. Besides, it mainly emphasizes on corporate board structure, board committees and OC while other ownership structure-related variables family ownership, managerial ownership are not covered, which can be analysed in future studies.

The study offers some important theoretical, as well as practical connotations for regulators and practitioners operating in India, as well as other emerging economies having similar institutional settings.

The study is the first of its kind in India that examines the influence of various CG mechanisms on different types of VD and thereby contributes novel findings in the context of an emerging economy.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance in the developing country, Jordan, whose cultural, economic and institutional context is very different from most previously analyzed countries’ context.

Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine the association between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance in a sample of 510 firm-year observations during the years 2009–2018. Generalized least squares estimation method was used to confirm that the results are robust.

The author provides new evidence that board gender diversity does not contribute to firm financial performance. The author also detects that there is a positive relationship between board compensation on firm financial performance.

This paper examines the under-researched relationship between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance. In so doing, the author tries to provide new insights into this relationship within the developing context, the case of Jordan that has a different environment from that of advanced markets. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this is almost certainly the first research to investigate the impact of board gender diversity and board compensation on firm financial performance in the Jordanian market. This manuscript is expected to be used as a reference by the regulators and policymakers – both in Jordan and other countries with a similar institutional, cultural setting – to provide a deep understanding of the impact of board gender diversity and board compensation on the firm performance.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of digital supply chain (DSC) technologies in automotive supply chain resilience (SCR) practices to improve the supply chain performance (SC-Perf.) objectives of companies operating in the automotive industry. This study also compares the results of the associated SC-Perf objectives before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation.

The authors undertook in-depth empirical research using a questionnaire survey to explore the performance of automotive supply chains. The sample for this study consisted of practitioners from supply chain entities such as automotive original equipment manufacturers, Tier-1 component manufacturers and lead logistics providers in Asia-Pacific (AP) emerging markets. Research questions, framework and hypotheses were developed using the literature review.

The research outcome from analysis of the data the authors collected from an emerging market context, specifically the automotive sector, emphasizes the role of DSC technologies and encourages the firm’s SCR practices which, in turn, supports the SC-Perf objectives. The DSC technologies competency moderates the SCR and SC-Perf objectives relation, and the moderation effect is higher for post-COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation than at prior state.

The scope of the study is restricted to the automotive firms in the AP region. The data were collected from a representative sample of the population through a questionnaire survey. The small size of the sample incurs a certain level of subjectivity.

This research provides practical insights for practitioners and academicians on DSC technologies’ influence in SCR practices to improve the firm’s SC-Perf. This research shares the literature insights on use of DSC technologies across the sector to allow the automotive firm to reassess the existing operational practices.

The paper adds insights on introducing or implementing DSC technologies across AP automotive firms to increase the operations’ performance by improving SCR practices and sustainability.

This study aims to examine the effect of gender board diversity on corporate fraud. Particularly, it is to gain empirical evidence whether firms with more female corporate leaders are more (less) likely to engage in corporate fraud.

The authors use data of fraud firms from Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases. As a focus of the study, the authors take the fraud sample observations from the last 10 years, from 2011 to 2021. The idea is that the number of firms sectioned due to corporate fraud reached a peak in such periods.

In the context of non-state-owned enterprise environments, the authors find female corporate leaders are less likely to engage in corporate fraud. However, among firms with a state-owned background, the authors’ empirical evidence shows that the roles of female corporate leaders remain under-represented in the boardrooms. As reported, the presence of female corporate leaders does not bring a significant impact on enhancing group ethical decision-making and governance quality. This situation does appear when political connections between firms and governments or politicians are prevalent.

This study has practical and theoretical implications. Given the increased pressure on companies around the globe to have more females in their boardrooms, this study provides insight into the effect of female corporate leaders on the prevalence of corporate fraud. As such, this study offers critical consideration for policymakers and regulators. Moreover, an analysis of whether and when the gender board diversity is associated with the firm’ propensity to perpetrate corporate fraud, particularly from the US corporate fraud, is sorely lacking. This study contributes to such gaps.

This study provides insightful discussion about the topical issue of whether, and under what circumstances, female corporate leaders influence (or do not influence) corporate fraud.