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Examining the reasons why Albanians use internet banking services is the focus of this paper. Due to recent technological developments, Albania's banking industry is utilizing technology for an increasing number of banking procedures. We started by presenting some of the key elements that have been identified as having a significant impact on the literature regarding the adoption of online banking, including demographic, socioeconomic, and other elements based on the technology adoption model (TAM). For our empirical research, we used primary data that was collected through surveys that various bank customers in Albania completed. The decreased desire to utilize cash appears to be a key element influencing the rise in the usage of online banking applications and services. Other important factors are the application technical issues and reduction of banking operations time as well as the application security level. The findings of this study will help banks better understand their customers' needs and will provide them with suggestions on how to make technology development plans easier.  

This paper analyzes the total factor productivity developments in the Middle East banking, by drawing on the experience of Jordanian banks at the start of the new millennium. In order to control for the effects of different specifications of banking technology on the results, this study estimates the productivity and efficiency growth scores under two alternative approaches, production and intermediation models. On average, under the former model, we found 79% technical efficiency and 3.2% productivity growth, while under the later model we found 92% technical efficiency and 3.3% productivity growth for the sector. One implication is that the Jordanian banks can obtain considerable resource savings if they can catch up with the best practice banks. Among the organizational forms operating in this emerging market, we found that commercial banks generally outperform both investment and Islamic banks in terms of efficiency and total factor productivity growth.

By drawing on Ukrainian experience, this paper analyzes the anatomy of bank efficiency in a transitional economy. Acknowledging the vast disparities in the business technology of different size banks, in this comprehensive study, we innovatively estimate group-specific (distinct) frontiers for small, medium, and large size banks. The results from separate frontiers reveal that Ukrainian banks record 38% technical inefficiency, 26% pure technical inefficiency, and 17% scale inefficiency on average. Apparently, banks in transition waste about the two fifths of their factor inputs during the production of financial services. The cardinal source of sub-performance in transitional banks seems to be managerial inefficiencies. We also found that banks operating in areas with more political influence and more developed infrastructure outperform the banks operating in politically and economically weaker regions. The results also indicate that larger banks, enjoying public trust in a risky business climate, dominate smaller banks in all forms of efficiency. However, such bias for size causes large banks to suffer from decreasing returns to scale and small banks from idle capacity. Consequently, the policies promoting consolidation between small and large banks may alleviate the excess (idle) capacity for large (small) banks in a transitional economy.

Understanding the effects on the overall well-being of the communities affected by the Pak Mun Dam construction would fill in the gaps in existing knowledge and facilitate a deeper discussion of the factors that impact overall wellbeing. The Pak Mun Dam was finished in 1994 and from that point on there have been changes affecting local residents. This study attempts to understand the impact of those changes from a well-being perspective using primary data collected from residents in villages close to the dam site. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was a method for this research analysis.  Results from a structural model show that social and economic well-being are important factors that impact the overall well-being of the affected residents from the Pak Mun Dam area. Furthermore, we discuss how information from 20 items within seven dimensions of the well-being measurement model can be used to develop more efficient strategies and policies to increase well-being capital.

Using a large sample of U.S. firms during 1987–2011, we find robust evidence that the issuance of seasoned equity is associated with abnormally high future stock price crash risk. The association between seasoned equity offerings and crash risk is stronger among offerings that involve the sale of secondary shares (existing shares sold by insiders or large blockholders). We also find that recent seasoned equity issuers are far less likely to experience sudden positive price jumps relative to firms that have not recently issued equity. Our findings of elevated crash risk and diminished jump risk, when taken together, are consistent with a heightened propensity for firms to hoard bad news but not good news when issuing equity.

This paper aims to explore how Traditional Healers (THs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period in Soweto, Johannesburg. Traditional healing remains a central part of maternal healthcare in South Africa, where cultural beliefs and accessibility influence women’s health-seeking behaviours. Using a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design, data were collected through key informant interviews with eight participants (five THs and three TBAs) selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in traditional knowledge, practices, and beliefs related to maternal healthcare. Findings revealed that THs and TBAs play an essential role across the maternal care continuum. In the diagnostic phase, they identify fertility challenges, breech pregnancies, and spiritual causes of illness through ancestral guidance, bone divination, and dreams. During the antenatal period, they provide herbal remedies such as isihlambezo to cleanse and strengthen the womb and perform protective rituals against witchcraft and evil spirits. In the perinatal stage, TBAs assist with labour management, delivery, and placental expulsion using culturally informed methods. Their postnatal care includes uterine cleansing, breastfeeding support, newborn care, and follow-up home visits. These practices, grounded in indigenous knowledge systems, coexist with biomedical care and remain vital due to their cultural resonance and accessibility. The study concludes that strengthening collaboration between traditional and biomedical health systems could enhance culturally sensitive, community-based approaches to maternal healthcare in South Africa.

This paper examines the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) and its impact on home inflation in Bangladesh, particularly in the post-pandemic era. Examining important economic factors including the nominal exchange rate (NER), money supply (M2), industrial production (IP), and global commodity index (GCI) using monthly data from January 2002 to August 2023 helps one to grasp their combined influence on consumer price inflation (CPI). By means of Johansen cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approaches, the study reveals important short-term and long-term dynamics. Contrary to patterns in many emerging nations, the results show that changes in exchange rates have apparently little impact on home prices. Rather, changes in the money supply and world commodities prices mostly influence inflation; the latter becomes a major factor. The study also exposes an unexpected positive link between industrial production and CPI, implying complexity in Bangladesh's production-driven economic structure. Moreover, this investigation underlines how complex monetary expansion, external commodities shocks, and devaluation of money interact to shape inflationary pressures. These results offer legislators important new perspectives and support strong monetary policies and focused involvement in world commodities markets to help to lower inflation. This study clarifies ERPT in developing countries and provides direction on inflation control techniques for Bangladesh.

Workplace stress and nurse retention are critical challenges in healthcare, affecting organizational stability and public health outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of stressors and job satisfaction on nurses’ turnover intentions in the western region of Ghana, with a focus on the moderating role of transformational leadership. Methodologically, a descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 364 registered nurses working in four hospitals. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring stress factors, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and transformational leadership. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyze the data using Mplus 8.3. The results revealed stressors (stress from workload, superiors, and coworkers and daily life) significantly increased nurses’ turnover intentions while negatively influencing job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was inversely associated with turnover intentions, and transformational leadership moderated this relationship, reducing the likelihood of such intentions. The findings highlight the importance of fostering job satisfaction and implementing transformational leadership strategies, such as mentorship and effective stress management, to alleviate workplace stress and enhance nurse retention. These insights offer valuable guidance for hospital administrators and policymakers in designing interventions to improve nurse retention and overall organizational performance.

The fraudulent claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) have also risen massively in the United States especially during the onset of COVID-19 pandemic with billions of dollars that were lost. These approaches applied formerly in fraud detection and prevention have been challenged by new and advanced fraud systems. For this reason, AI, Big Data and Predictive Analytics are now crucial for improving fraud mitigation in UI programs. The aim of this research is to understand how far AI, Big Data and Predictive Analytics have been utilized, for how effective they are and the barriers they pose in tackling unemployment insurance fraud in the United States. An online quantitative self-administered questionnaire was administered where 200 participants from the unemployment insurance agencies of the U.S, covering fraud investigators, IT personnel, data analysts and policymakers, were included in the study. Data were analyzed to establish the correlation between technology adoption to application of anti-fraud measures using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and regression analysis. The survey shows that about 42.5% of agencies actively use AI and 34% of them use Big Data very often. However, difficulties like high costs, integration troubles and limited availability of specialized staff are still issues that make adoption a problem. The results of using AI and Big Data were moderate and optimistic but rather elevated, as seen through regression analysis; on the other hand, predictive analytics demonstrated large potential when applied successfully. The study’s results indicate that AI, Big Data and Predictive Analytics present enormous potential for mitigating UI fraud, although broad integration will not be possible without overcoming essential infrastructural and resource limitations.

Using A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2010 to 2019 and the density of Confucian temples and schools near sample company headquarters, this paper uses regression analysis to estimate the impact of Confucian culture on corporate environmental governance.  Enterprise environmental capital investment as a percent of total assets is the dependent variable used as a proxy for environmental governance. The log of the number of the number of Confucian temples and Confucian academies within a 200-kilometer radius of the company's registered location plus one is the independent variable. This study finds that the environmental capital expenditures increase by 0.007% for every unit increase in the independent variable. Similar results are found when the radius is expanded to 300 kilometers. The greater the influence of Confucian culture is, the more inclined enterprises are to participate in corporate environmental governance. Additionally, environmental governance information disclosure can be a key influence path for this correlation.  Further analysis finds that the relationship between Confucian culture and environmental governance is stronger with more experienced managers, a more developed institutional environment, and after 2015 following the People's Republic of China’s enactment of the Environmental Protection Law.  This study expands the literature on the factors that influence Confucian culture on corporate environmental governance, enriches the empirical evidence of the influence of the informal system of corporate environmental governance on enterprise decision-making, and confirms the modern commercial value of Confucian culture.