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This paper aims to examine how gender diversity and women’s empowerment influence the performance of family entrepreneurships and explores the role of firm characteristics as a moderating factor.

The study used a structured questionnaire as the survey tool to collect data from 91 women managers working in family entrepreneurships, which originated from entrepreneurial initiatives, located in various Lebanese regions. The validity of the construct was assumed using the fitness of extracted index, incremental fit-index, non-normal fit-index, root mean square of residuals and standard root mean square residual. Composite reliability, Cronbach's alpha and value confirmatory factor analysis were used to measure the internal consistency. Data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method.

This study reveals that gender equality, education level and family support significantly affect women's empowerment while an insignificant association was found between empowerment and earning social status and achieving financial independence. This paper also showed a significant interaction between women’s empowerment and the performance of family entrepreneurships. Additionally, the results showed that women holding managerial positions in family entrepreneurships is positively associated with firm performance. Finally, it was concluded that the location of the family firm moderates the relationship between gender diversity and firm performance.

This research contributes to theory and practice regarding the role of women in family entrepreneurships and sheds light on gender differences influencing family entrepreneurships and women empowerment issues.

This research addresses the critical challenge of fostering customer loyalty within the highly competitive landscape of the insurance industry. The study investigates the interplay between customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the influence of technology and service quality in the context of insurance services and in periods of crisis.

A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire distributed among diverse insurance customers in Lebanon during crisis conditions. The data were analyzed using SPSS-Amos, incorporating descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM).

This research emphasizes the crucial role of customer satisfaction in fostering loyalty in the insurance sector, especially during crises. High satisfaction levels, influenced by user-friendly online platforms, positively correlate with increased customer loyalty. Technology plays a vital role in maintaining and improving satisfaction, making it a key driver during challenging times. Positive interactions between service quality and satisfaction further highlight the multifaceted impact of technology on shaping customer loyalty.

The research findings provide valuable insights with practical implications for insurers aiming to boost customer loyalty. The study recommends strategic investments in critical areas like claims processing, customer service, communication strategies, digitalization initiatives, and employee training. The study provides insights applicable particularly to insurance companies navigating crisis conditions.

This research contributes both to academic understanding and practical applications by shedding light on the distinctive challenges and opportunities faced by insurers in cultivating customer loyalty within the insurance industry during crisis. The elucidations provided serve as a foundation for developing targeted strategies to address these challenges and to leverage opportunities for enhanced customer loyalty.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Insurance companies may seek to utilize technology to boost customer service functions, but these methods can lead to reduced service levels and a significant reduction in customer loyalty.

The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Exploiting a sample of 80 conventional banks (CBs) and 35 Islamic banks (IBs), this study aims to distinguish the IBs’ performance from their conventional peers in 7 Middel East and North Africa (MENA) economies over the period 2005–2014 covering the 2008 GFC.

To avoid misleading results, this research used panel-corrected data from outliers effects by quantile method. Then, following the use of the two-sided Student’s t-test and the discriminant function analysis (DFA), we adopt nonlinear panel models (Random Logit and Pooled Probit) to further distinguish between banks. Then, we focus on the stability side through dynamic Generalized method of moment (GMM) linear models and interaction variables to capture the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) impact on IB performance.

Univariate tests show that IBs are, on average, less profitable, more liquid and capitalized, less stable, have higher credit risk and are more solvent than CBs. In addition, the difference between the two types of banks was significant pre- and post-GFC; IBs are more profitable pre-GFC and more solvent post-GFC. In accordance with the univariate t-test results, the nonlinear pooled probit model (random logit) confirms that banks, which have more liquidity, are better capitalized, more solvent and less stable (less stable) are more likely to be IBs. From the DFA, stability was the first financial ratio important to discriminate between the two types of banks. In line with the DFA results, from the dynamic models, once the interaction variables are integrated, the GMM estimation result suggests that stronger macroeconomic stability and higher profitability, capital adequacy ratio (CAP) and liquidity are linked to increased IBs stability in the 7 MENA economies post-2008 GFC.

The present study contributes to the ongoing debate by conducting a formal empirical analysis, taking account of a range of considerations (outliers correction, interaction variables and 2008 GFC impacts) that to the best of our knowledge have not been considered by prior studies for the MENA zone.