An analysis of sustainability report assurance statements

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 578-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Rossi ◽  
Lara Tarquinio
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Legitimacy Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Assurance Services ◽  
Higher Rank ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Sustainability Report ◽  
Theory Framework

Purpose This paper aims to achieve the following objectives. First, through a longitudinal study, the authors explore the trend of voluntary external assurance of sustainability reports among Italian listed companies from 2008 to 2012. Thus, the authors aim to analyse the content level of the assurance statements and to test whether it is affected by certain corporate variables and by the type of practitioner chosen. Design/methodology/approach A legitimacy theory framework is adopted to investigate the phenomenon of sustainability report assurance services in Italy. The authors developed an assurance statement disclosure index (ASDI) constructed on the basis of the standards ISAE 3000 and AA1000AS. Thus, the authors tested whether the ASDI is affected by certain corporate variables using an ordinary least square (OLS) regression model. To test how each specific item is related to the assurance provider, a contingency table was developed. Findings The results of this paper show many differences in the assurance statements content in particular with reference to the criteria used, conclusive comments and recommendations. The presence of a corporate social responsibility committee and an expert who serves on it is positively related to a higher rank on the ASDI. In contrast, Big4 firms seem to be associated with a lower disclosure rank. Finally, Big4 are positively associated with the indications of the provider’s characteristics and negatively with their conclusive comments and recommendations. Originality/value This paper presents some findings in an area where little evidence exists, that is, the effects of some variables on the quantity of information disclosed in the assurance statements.

Users’ perception of cybersecurity, trust and cloud computing providers’ performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjiang Xu ◽  
Sakthi Mahenthiran
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
Computing Literature

Purpose This study aims to develop a scale to measure the cloud provider’s performance and it investigates the factors that impact that performance from the users’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a research framework, develops hypotheses and conducts a survey to test the framework. Findings The results from both ordinary least square regression and structural equation modeling analyzes indicate that information technology complexity negatively and significantly affects users’ perception of the cloud computing providers’ performance. Additionally, the trust in the supervisor significantly enhances the otherwise insignificant positive relationship between providers’ cybersecurity capability and users’ perception of their providers’ performance. Originality/value The research makes important contributions to the cloud computing literature, as it measures users’ perception of the cloud computing provider’s performance and links it with cybersecurity, technical complexity and incorporates both the trust in the client firm’s supervisor and the strength of cybersecurity offered by cloud computing provider.

Influence of remittances oncapital endowment of Tibetan refugees in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-309
Author(s):  
Tenzin Namgha ◽  
Ganesh L. ◽  
Amalendu Jyotishi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Least Square Method ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Tibetan Refugees ◽  
Capital Development

PurposeAn issue concerning Tibetan refugees in India is the poverty and unemployment among Tibetan youth. This often leads to households adopting a strategy of sending one of its members abroad towards North American or European countries in search of better income opportunities. Incomes in the form of remittances from these forward migrants have numerous impacts on living standard of left behind families. This study aims to focus on the influence of forward migrant’s remittances on livelihood in terms of human, financial and social capital development of Tibetan refugees in India.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes 400 households from high-economic and low-economic-access regions of Tibetan settlements in India. Ordinary least square method was used to study these impacts.FindingsFindings show that remittances have significantly influenced human and financial capital development. However, it was found to be statistically not significant for social capital development.Originality/valueThe present paper is original work.

Estimating the price of apartments in Tehran using extracted compound variables

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Koohpayma ◽  
Meysam Argany
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
House Price ◽  
Housing Price ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Hedonic Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Different Types ◽  
High Inflation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Housing price is a barometer of a national economy. In recent years, Iran experienced high inflation in its economy, which affects everything, including housing. The purpose of this study is the estimation of the value of residential apartments of Tehran using ordinary least square (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) methods. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposed a method for determining the compound variables and used them to estimate and evaluate the prices in the district six of Tehran city. Also, this paper compared the GWR and OLS methods with different types of factors and their influences in house price estimations. Findings During the high inflation period of the study period, the age of buildings, inflation, parking, storage room and their locations are the most critical factors that affect the price of apartments in district six of Tehran. Besides, compound variables have the most influence on the prediction of the prices. Research limitations/implications The exact location of the apartments in the study area were unknown. Therefore, the positions are extracted from their addresses. The uncertainty of location forced us to ignore the neighborhood terms in the hedonic method. Practical implications The exact locations of the apartments in the study area were unknown. Therefore, the positions are extracted from their addresses. The uncertainty of location forced us to ignore the neighborhood terms in the hedonic method. Originality/value The originality of the proposed method is that it used a different approach to determine the valid variables of the apartment prices. Also, the evaluation of the method showed that the proposed variables are significantly useful.

scholarly journals Political connections and corporate social responsibility reporting in Portugal

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1203-1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Bianchi ◽  
Patrícia Monteiro ◽  
Graça Azevedo ◽  
Jonas Oliveira ◽  
Rui Couto Viana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Political Connections ◽  
Legitimacy Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relation between firms’ political connections and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in Portugal. The authors argue that in settings where the existence of political connections are viewed as damaging collective interests of stakeholders, political connected firms can deal with legitimacy issues from such connections by resorting to CSR practices and the reporting thereof. Design/methodology/approach Using archival data from a panel sample of 36 firms from Portugal between 2009 and 2012, the authors examine the relationship between political connections and CSR reporting by way of regression analysis. Findings The authors find a positive relationship between political connections and CSR reporting. Originality/value This study draws on legitimacy theory to highlight that CSR can be used to deal with stakeholder activism and vigilance pertaining to suspicion related to the existence of political connections.

Is Giffen behaviour compatible with residential demand for cooking gas and kerosene?

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-59
Author(s):  
Damilola Felix Arawomo
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Education Demand ◽  
Ondo State ◽  
Residential Demand ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the compatibility of Giffen behaviour with residential demand for kerosene and cooking gas. Design/methodology/approach In total, 600 questionnaires were administered on selected households in Ondo State while 485 were retrieved. Both ordinary least square and instrumental variables (IVs) were estimated, while, the IV estimated result was preferred. Findings The result showed that Giffen behaviour is compatible with the demand for kerosene in Ondo State, but not for cooking gas. As regard to other factors, prices of the alternatives to kerosene and cooking gas have positive but insignificant impact on the demand for the respective products. Age of the household has a positive significant impact on the demand for kerosene and cooking gas. Household in which the heads has tertiary education demand for kerosene and cooking gas more than those without any form of education. Larger households consume more of both commodities than smaller households. Research limitations/implications Based on these findings, the authors recommend that government should continue to subsidize either the production or consumption of household kerosene. Practical implications Consumers should not mind the initial expenditure in purchasing cylinder for cooking gas as subsequent expenditure would be lower than that of kerosene. Social implications Regulators should brace to ensure that kerosene and cooking gas be made available at government-regulated prices, particularly by checkmating the activities of the “black-marketers.” Originality/value Two outstanding knowledge gaps that this paper filled are in the novelty of this paper regarding the application of Giffen behaviour to kerosene and cooking gas. Second, previous studies did not account for the potential endogeneity problem that is inherent in the joint demand for kerosene and cooking gas. This paper took care of this by estimating the model using IVs.

What drives the boom in outward FDI from India?

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 899-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munmi Saikia ◽  
Khanindra Ch. Das ◽  
Saundarjya Borbora
Keyword(s):  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Stage Model ◽  
Outward Fdi ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Stage Process

PurposeThe Indian economy has experienced a boom in outward FDI (OFDI) in 2006. The study aims at exploring the factors that drive the boom in OFDI of Indian firms.Design/methodology/approachThe participation of a firm in OFDI is a two-stage process -first, the decision to internationalization and second, how much to invest. We employ a two-stage model to decompose the effects on the decision to internationalization from effects on how much to invest. The two-stage model has the advantage of allowing us to estimate separately the probability of internationalization by a firm – Pr(OFDI > 0) – and the expected volume of investment, E(OFDI|OFDI > 0). The former is estimated by the probit model and the latter is estimated by the ordinary least square model.FindingsThe study finds that prior experience and institutional advantage can strongly drive the internationalization of Indian multinationals. The study also examines the relative importance of two aspects of prior knowledge – length of prior knowledge and depth of prior knowledge on OFDI of Indian firms. The study finds that the depth of prior knowledge is a must influential driver of OFDI in comparison to its length.Originality/valueThe present study is a novel attempt to investigate, ‘What drives the boom in OFDI from India?’

Contractual arrangements and commitment in the Indonesian supermarket channel

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahara Sahara ◽  
Amos Gyau
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Building Trust ◽  
Contractual Arrangements ◽  
Contractual Relationships ◽  
Production Area ◽  
Actual Price ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the nature of contractual relationships between farmers and buyers in the traditional and supermarket channels, and to explore determinants of farmers' commitment in the two channels. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports the results of a field study of 602 chili farmers in the largest chilli production area in Indonesia, West Java Province. The contractual arrangements were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while determinants of farmers' commitment were examined using factor analysis and Ordinary Least square (OLS) regression. Findings – The contractual arrangements between farmers and traders in both traditional and supermarket channels are characterized by verbal agreements. Price is the main aspect of the contract in the traditional channel, while grading aspects are the most important aspects in the supermarket channel. Trust and satisfaction have significant influence on farmers' commitment in the two channels, while the actual price has no influence. Practical implications – To improve farmers' commitment, traders should not only focus on absolute price, but also on building trust and satisfaction. Trust can be improved by providing payments on time and following through with their promises. Satisfaction can be improved by offering fair prices for farmers' products and providing quicker responses in handling farmers' concerns. Originality/value – This study compares the trade relationships between traditional and supermarket channels. It incorporates actual price and behaviour variables in the analysis of farmers' commitment.

scholarly journals Do firm characteristics and ownership structure affect corporate philanthropic contributions in Jordan?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Husam Ananzeh ◽  
Hashem Alshurafat ◽  
Khaled Hussainey
Keyword(s):  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Firm Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
New Evidence

Purpose This paper aims to examine the drivers of corporate donations in Jordan. In particular, to examine whether firm-specific characteristics and ownership types affect corporate donations. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a sample of 94 Jordanian listed companies, drawn from the manufacturing and service sectors, over the period 2010–2016. This paper uses ordinary least square regression with a year and industry fixed effects to test the research hypotheses. Findings This paper finds that corporate philanthropic contributions are positively associated with company size, age, profitability, media exposure and governmental ownership. This paper also finds that corporate philanthropic contributions are negatively associated with financial leverage and family ownership. Originality/value The paper provides new evidence on the determinants of corporate philanthropic contributions in a developing country.

Does Ramadan influence the returns and volatility? Evidence from Shariah index in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-579
Author(s):  
Dharani Munusamy
Keyword(s):  
Abnormal Return ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeMuslim’s hope that the holy month of Ramadan will create something more valuable for them. Through fasting and good actions, they can get rewarded twice than they normally can achieve. With this motivation, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the holy month of Ramadan effect on the returns and volatility of the Shariah index in India.Design/methodology/approachUsing the ordinary least square methods, this paper examines the impact of Ramadan effect on the returns of the Shariah index in India. This paper further investigates the impact of the holy month of Ramadan effect on the volatility of the Shariah index by applying GARCH-modified models. This paper categorizes the Ramadan days into three parts, namely God’s Mercy, God’s Forgiveness and Emancipation from hellfire to examine the relationship between the Ramadan effect and the returns and volatility of the Shariah index in India.FindingsThe results show that the returns during the month of Ramadan as a whole are statistically significant. The results further motivate that its last ten days have high influences than other days over the period. Finally, the study examines the Ramadan effect on volatility by applying GARCH modified models and finds an evidence of Ramadan effect during the first ten days of Ramadan month.Originality/valueThe positive impact of Ramadan increases on the days associated with higher worship intensity. The study provides an important information to the ethical investors to invest in the Shariah stocks during Ramadan days. This information is very useful for the investors to get an abnormal return during the Ramadan days.

Management obfuscation through mandatory financial risk disclosure: evidence from European-listed banks

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Ferri ◽  
Alessandra Allini ◽  
Marco Maffei ◽  
Rosanna Spanò
Keyword(s):  
Financial Risk ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
Risk Disclosures

Purpose This study aims to investigate the readability of financial risk disclosure divulged by listed banks of the first five European countries according to gross domestic product. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the management obfuscation hypotheses and tests data gathered for a sample of 790 observations from listed banks in Europe covering the 2007–2018 period. This study uses a readability index (Gunning’s fog index) as the dependent variable for measuring the readability of banks’ mandatory financial risk disclosures. Moreover, it relies on a completeness index, discretionary accruals and several control variables for identifying the determinants of risk disclosure readability using ordinary least square regression for testing the hypotheses. Findings The findings show the existence of a positive relation\nship between readability and completeness of risk disclosure. In contrast, a negative relationship exists between readability and banks’ discretionary accruals. Originality/value This study expands the stream of accounting literature analyzing the lexical characteristics of narrative risk disclosure, and, by focusing on the financial risk disclosure of banks, it extends the readability-related debate, which has primarily concentrated on other types of disclosure to date. This study is relevant to regulators and policymakers for fostering reflections as actions for improving the financial risk disclosures readability. This study is also of potential interest for investors to better delve into the questions surrounding risk disclosure.

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