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The purpose of this study is to examine the association between non-audit service fees provided by the auditor and auditor independence in stable and unstable economic conditions. Further, this study investigates whether client importance impairs auditor independence in two different Australian economic environments.

This study focuses on financially distressed firms listed on the Australian Stock Exchange from 2005 to 2014. The data is obtained from SIRCA and the Morning Star databases. The probit method is used as a baseline regression model, the two-stage least squares and the sensitivity of control variable tests are used to control for any endogeneity and self-selection bias concerns.

This study shows that in stable economic conditions, non-audit service fees provided by auditors impair auditor independence. This suggests that economic bonding between auditor and client serves as a threat to the auditor’s independence, perhaps because of the importance given to the larger clients. In contrast, the authors find no association between non-audit service fees and auditor independence in unstable (highly regulated) economic conditions largely because of higher litigation risk. The results of this study are robust to alternative model specifications and endogeneity concerns.

This study provides an important implication to regulators that macro-economic conditions influence the strength of incentives related to non-audit services for auditors. Furthermore, this study enhances the understanding of regulators (Australian Security Investment Commission) and the strategies adopted by Australian auditors in response to economic incentives and market-based incentives.

The authors contribute to the existing literature by providing evidence that there is a tradeoff between market-based incentives (i.e. lower litigation costs) and economic incentives (i.e. non-audit services fees) with economic uncertainty influencing the importance of these incentives to auditors.

The study aims at examining whether or not poor macro-economic conditions can lead auditors to change their risk management policies when performing an audit.

The present study is based on a questionnaire distributed to auditors working at the branches of the big four audit firms in Egypt over two rounds under different economic conditions. The responses in each of the two rounds were analyzed to identify any similarities or differences in auditors' behavior when performing analytical procedures under different economic conditions.

Auditors appear to alter their risk management strategies during challenging economic times. The present study results suggest that auditors increase their dependence on non-financial data and information as supporting evidence when assessing audit risk during times of economic difficulties. The findings also show that when the macro-economic trends are declining, audit firms tend to assign the performance of analytical procedures to more experienced audit personnel (i.e. senior auditors, audit managers and partners) with less of this work being done by the audit staff.

The present study is based on a sample of 40 respondents. It is recommended for future research to use a larger sample size as results may differ for a greater sample. The present research did not consider the effect of auditors' specialization in a certain industry on the audit judgment during an audit engagement. Future research would examine the impact of auditors' industry specialization on audit judgments during periods of unfavorable economic conditions. The present study is based on a survey that aims at capturing auditors' perception. Further research would use other research techniques (e.g. laboratory experiment) to examine the effect of the general economic conditions on auditors' assessment of audit risk.

Auditors need to give sufficient attention to the analyses of non-financial information of their audit clients during the performance of the analytical procedures under unstable economic conditions rather than depending solely on financial information. Moreover, audit firms could use a much richer labor mix for audit teams through increasing their reliance on experienced senior auditors, audit managers and partners during periods of deteriorating macro-economic conditions to mitigate risk and improve audit judgment.

This study adds to the scarce literature in developing countries investigating the influence of external economic factors on the audit process. The present research provides information to practitioners and educators about risk management policies that could be considered in case of performing analytical procedures during an audit conducted under poor economic conditions.

Examines the conditions and different structural settings in which a retailer is likely to apply an international reference price strategy to an imported product. We define the term “international reference price” as an external reference price that reflects the product’s price in different countries. It can be set by providing true but incomplete information rather than by outright manipulation of the reference price, which may involve providing consumers with false information. This study offers a model that describes both the consumer’s utility calculations regarding price information seeking and the retailer’s utility calculations regarding the application of international reference price. It is shown that instability of economic markets combined with access to information technology motivate consumers to seek information about prices. It is also shown that in unstable markets retailers have incentive to provide true but incomplete information about the product’s price in another market. In this setting, the retailer’s use of an international reference price might actually damage consumer welfare. This potential damage may be reduced by international cooperation to establish economic agreements.

This study aims to determine the role of gold as a safe haven, hedge and asset diversification for Shariah stock in conditions of extreme stock market declines.

Quantitative approach is used by applying the threshold generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (TGARCH) model to capture bad or good news in the market condition and quantile regression method to obtain the extreme values of stock returns in several market conditions. The data used were the daily closing price of gold and the Jakarta Islamic Index from January 2011 to October 2022.

The average conditions show gold does not have a hedge property and only acts as an asset diversification. Second, gold has a substantial, safe haven property in every economic condition. However, the safe-haven property of gold seemed to weaken during the most extreme stock market decline. Thus, although gold appears as a safe haven and asset diversification, it remains a risky investment and only provides a minor role in the face of the extreme stock market period.

This research provides a discourse and literature for Islamic investors and investor managers to choose the right investment instrument in various economic conditions where gold has a function as diversification and safe haven in their asset portfolio under any other asset portfolio conditions which is also in line with modern portfolio theory. For policymakers, the study can be used as material for consideration in making policies related to the accessibility of gold as an investment instrument.

This study presents the originality by using the price of Antam gold as a proxy for gold investment during the latest research year data and focusing on case studies in Islamic capital market in Indonesia. Moreover, this research provides quantile regression that sharply discussion in various economics condition.

Financial blogs provide an online platform whereby retail investors effortlessly gain access to an abundant array of investment guidance. Prior studies find that the market reacts to financial blogs and similar online venues but results are inconsistent and financial blogs, a growing area in new media and distinct from other online venues, have received little attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine the particular conditions in which financial blogs serve an infomediary role in capital markets; when information asymmetry is high, earnings quality is low, and during economic uncertainty. These are conditions in which retail investors may seek easily accessible advice for their investment decisions.

Abnormal returns for firms mentioned in blog posts on the SeekingAlpha.com financial blog are examined using a multivariate regression to determine whether or not the market reaction associated with these posts is related to information asymmetry, earnings quality, and economic uncertainty.

Results indicate that abnormal returns are associated with the SeekingAlpha.com financial blog when information asymmetry is high and during bearish market conditions, and in particular when buy recommendations are posted on the blog for firms with high information asymmetry. This association is strengthened for firms with low institutional ownership, a proxy for unsophisticated or retail investors.

Results are based on a sample collected during a specific time period in order to detect whether financial blogs serve an infomediary role during uncertain market conditions.

Results of this study can be useful to company executives who may want to monitor investment advice posted about their firm on financial blogs. Financial blogs and other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook are becoming the “new normal” in the investor information environment, a trend that is likely to continue.

Financial blogs provide an abundance of supplemental information demanded by investors. Financial blogs represent a form of “new media,” now considered a key component of firms’ information environment (Saxton, 2012). In contrast to prior studies which primarily investigate only whether the market reacts to financial blogs or similar online platforms such as stock message boards, this study attempts to understand the specific conditions in which the market reacts to financial blogs. The results provide a rationale as to when and why investors rely on financial blogs and whether financial blogs serve an infomediary role in capital markets.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Implementation and Disclosure in the Banking Sector: the case of banks with Islamic identity in Syria. This study aims to explore Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure (CSRD) in Syrian banks which have an Islamic identity, investigating their motivations when implementing and disclosing CSR and the challenges banks have faced. This study employed content analysis to extract knowledge from 33 annual reports published by three banks which have Islamic identity in Syria over the period 2008–2020. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with five participants who are aware of CSRD policy in the banks in the sample, in order to gain a fuller understanding of their motivations in relation to CSR and any challenges they faced. This article draws on the overlap between Stakeholder and Legitimacy theories in order to explain the motivations of the banks in question. The study found that banks which have an Islamic identity increased their levels of CSR implementation during the conflict crisis but were not publishing details on these activities because of a concern regarding the Islamic modesty around charitable actions and to avoid upsetting the sensibility of beneficiaries. Interviewees commented that in the time of conflict crisis, many Syrians needed relief and support. Because of this, banks in our research sample decided to take responsibility to lessen the negative impact of the conflict crisis on the Syrian community. In addition, the analysis revealed that banks engaged with Environment and Human Right issues after 2013 because they wanted to fulfil the requirements of their national partners.

This paper aims to empirically investigate the differences and similarities on the implementation constraints in public–private partnership (PPP) in developing and developed economies/countries, represented by Ghana and Hong Kong, respectively.

A questionnaire survey was conducted with relevant experienced PPP practitioners in Ghana and Hong Kong. One hundred and three completed questionnaires were received for analysis. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance analysis, mean score ranking, Mann–Whitney U test and quartile grouping were used for data analysis.

The results show six implementation constraints with significant differences. Constraints related to the general investment climate of PPP projects (i.e. ecological conditions of PPP) are ranked higher in Ghana than in Hong Kong, whereas constraints related to the organisation and negotiations of PPP projects are higher in Hong Kong than in Ghana. Further, two constraints, lengthy delay in finalising negotiations and lengthy delay due to political debate, are very critical in both jurisdictions, whereas “negative public perceptions on PPP transactions” and “high use of unsolicited proposals” are of less challenge in the implementation of PPP in both jurisdictions.

The findings of this study contribute to knowledge on the international best practices of PPP. In addition, international private bidders would be informed of the mitigation measures to adopt when engaging in PPP arrangements in any part of the world, whether in a developing or developed economy country.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on the financial performance of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) listed firms.

Relying on a sample of 95 UAE listed firms affiliated to financial and non‐financial sectors, the paper performs a cross‐section regression analysis to test whether there is a significant relationship between governance mechanisms (voluntary disclosure, CEO duality, board size, board committee and audit type) and UAE firms' performance while controlling for firm size, industry type, firm listing years and leverage. The paper relies on data published on year 2008 and utilizes the accounting‐based measures of Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE) as well as the market measure (Tobin's Q) in order to measure the UAE firms' financial performance.

The empirical results show that voluntary disclosure, CEO duality and board size are significantly influencing the UAE accounting‐based performance measure, while none of the governance variables significantly affects firms' market performance measure. The results also reveal that firm size is the only control variable that significantly influences firms' performance. This paper provides evidence showing that the accounting‐based performance measures are more objective in the years where unstable economic conditions exist.

The paper's findings indicate that the underlying principles of corporate governance are applicable in emerging markets. The findings are important to regulators, investors, managers, and researchers aiming at developing new policies that establish better regulatory infrastructure that increases investors' confidence and attracting foreign investment.

The paper is one of very few studies that examine the relationship between corporate governance and firms' financial performance under economic turbulent in an emerging market economy, the UAE.

Economic risk plays a vital role in firm's cash holdings. We aim to determine the impact of economic risk on the firm's cash holdings.

The data is collected from the DataStream from 2002 to 2018, which covers 552 listed firms in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. We apply a two-step dynamic panel estimation to analyze the results.

We use the variance of inflation and variance of interest rate as proxies of economic risk. Our results show that variance of inflation has a significant and negative effect while the variance of interest rate has a significant and positive effect on firms' cash holdings in selected countries. Furthermore, we find economic risk negatively affects the firm's cash holdings in the country-wise analysis. Firms should maintain a reasonable amount of cash reserves to handle uncertain situations.

This study may provide insights to financial decision-makers of a firm for better cash management according the economic conditions of the country.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of tourists’ perceptions of political and economic instability and risks of terrorism on their intentions to travel to countries associated with various risks.

A total of 648 Greek, Israeli and Portuguese students completed a questionnaire focusing on their perceptions concerning factors that shape their travel decisions.

The findings showed that among tourists from Greece and Portugal, the experience of economic crisis and the salience of economic and political hardships mitigated their intentions to travel to destinations with similar problems. These factors had no effect on Israelis, who have not experienced such problems in their country. Frequent terrorist incidents diminished the intentions of Greek tourists to travel to destinations marked by terrorism, such as Israel. Thus, different factors affect tourists’ travel-related decisions in each of the three countries.

The study sheds light on how potential tourists construe the risks of traveling to specific destination countries based on hazards in their home countries, a topic that to date has received little research attention.