Search Results (40)

The current study examines the application of advanced machine learning (ML) techniques for forecasting credit risk in Islamic (participation) and traditional banks in the United Kingdom in 2010–2023. Leveraging an equally weighted panel dataset and guided by robust empirical literature, we integrate structural econometric modeling—i.e., the stochastic frontier approach (SFA) to measuring the Lerner index of market power—with current best-practice tree-based ML algorithms (CatBoost, XGBoost, LightGBM, and Random Forest) to predict non-performing loans (NPLs). The results show that bank-level financial performance measures, particularly loan ratio, profitability, and market power, outperform macroeconomic factors in forecasting credit risk. Among the models tested, CatBoost was more accurate and explainable, as confirmed by SHAP-based explainability analysis. The implications of the research have practical applications for risk managers, regulators, and policymakers in terms of valuing the explanatory power of explainable AI tools to enhance financial oversight and decision-making in post-crisis UK banking. Full article

The recent transformation in Libya’s banking industry, driven largely by the Central Bank of Libya, has led to increased financial inclusion, enhanced banking services, and the adoption of digital banking technologies. While most banks have rapidly transitioned from traditional data analysis methods to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for daily transaction analysis, the impact of AI on sustainable innovation performance and organizational learning remains underexplored. This study, grounded in dynamic capabilities theory, investigates the mediating role of organizational learning in the relationship between AI adoption in the banking sector and sustainable innovation performance. Data were collected from 401 employees across Libya’s conventional and Islamic banking sectors using a judgmental sampling technique. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS–SEM) was used to analyze the data and assess the relationships among the variables. The findings indicate that AI adoption significantly and positively influences sustainable innovation performance and organizational learning. Additionally, organizational learning was found to have a significant positive effect on sustainable innovation performance and to partially mediate the relationship between AI adoption and innovation performance. The study recommends that bank management teams implement training programs to enhance employees’ understanding of AI applications, sustainability objectives, and innovative financial services to improve overall efficiency. Full article

This study examines the performance and resilience of Islamic banks during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by unprecedented global economic disruption. Drawing on empirical data and a comparative analysis with conventional banking institutions, the research evaluates key financial indicators—liquidity, profitability, asset quality, and capital adequacy—to assess how Islamic banks responded to the crisis. The unique principles of Islamic finance, including risk-sharing, asset-backed financing, and the prohibition of interest and speculative activities, provide a distinct framework for crisis response. By analyzing how these features influenced bank performance during the pandemic, the study offers valuable insights into the relative robustness of Islamic versus conventional banking models. The findings contribute to the academic discourse on financial stability and risk management, offering practical implications for policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders to strengthen financial systems against future global shocks. Full article

The study documents the achievements of the Islamic Banking Services Industry (IBSI) in light of Islamic finance objectives (including commercial performance, financial stability, and wealth distribution). A balance sheet analysis of IBSI in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 33 quarters (2013 Q4–2021 Q3) is conducted, focusing on sources and uses of funds, as well as documentation of commercial performance. The findings suggest that the UAE IBSI has remained successful in achieving its micro/primary objectives (commercial performance) and made progress towards partial achievement of its macro/intermediate objectives (financial stability and equitable wealth distribution). While evidence suggests achievements in the area of financial stability, the aspect of equity in wealth distribution requires more focus. The study recommends that regulators develop a legal framework focusing on the business models for IBSI, aimed at achieving broader economic objectives. It is also recommended that managers of UAE IBSI include profit and loss-sharing contracts in deposit collection, financing and investment portfolios. The contribution to the literature includes the documentation of findings on the achievements of UAE IBSI in financial performance, as well as its broader economic objectives within the Islamic financial system. Full article

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of environmental disclosure and corporate governance on the financial performance of Islamic banks in Saudi Arabia. This study highlights that sustainable practices are transparent with financial objectives using the religious framework of Islamic finance. This research is based on Worldwide Vision 2030, which covers sustainable development and promotes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, as well as corporate governance factors, such as board composition and Shariah Supervisory Boards (SSBs). We use a hybrid approach for our findings, with a dataset spanning 2011–2023 for the quantitative analysis and 20 semi-structured analyses conducted for a qualitative approach that aligns with objectives. We found that environmental disclosure boosts profits and stakeholder trust. Corporate governance structures, such as environmental boards and sustainability committees, improve the environmental disclosure of financial performance in Islamic banks. In this positive interaction, specialized governance drives Sharia-compliant sustainability initiatives. SSBs help Islamic banks integrate sustainability and meet religious and ESG environmental standards. Board diversity and dedication in the sustainability committee both play important roles in enhancing environmental disclosure practices; in return, these improved financial performances. The interaction of environmental disclosure and board environmental expertise has a positive impact on the overall performance, which indicates that governance structure supports sustainability-related decision-making, aligning with transparency. This study suggests that Islamic banks standardize ESG frameworks, improve board environmental expertise, and invest in real-time sustainability reporting digital solutions. Saudi Islamic banks can lead regional and global sustainable banking by adopting these strategies to align with global sustainability trends, improve financial performance, and meet ethical finance expectations. Full article

While prior research has established direct relationships between strategic risk integration and ESG performance in banking, critical gaps remain in understanding the transformation mechanisms, particularly in emerging markets. This study investigated how banking innovation capacity mediates the relationship between strategic risk integration and ESG performance in Jordanian banks. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory and questionnaire data from 165 banking executives (71.7% response rate), the results revealed that strategic risk integration significantly influences ESG performance both directly and indirectly through banking innovation capacity. The multi-group analysis showed institutional invariance between commercial and Islamic banks, suggesting the generalizability of these relationships. The findings advance dynamic capabilities theory by demonstrating innovation capacity’s role as a transformative mechanism in banking sustainability and provide practical insights for emerging market banks seeking to enhance ESG performance through integrated risk management and innovation strategies. Full article

This study documents the comparative financial performance of the Islamic Banking Services Industry (IBSI) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. After drawing the performance evaluation framework (based on the CAMEL framework), the research conducted data analysis of the Islamic Banking Services Industry (IBSI) in the GCC region for 31 quarters (2013Q4–2021Q4). The analysis examines capital adequacy, asset quality, management performance, earnings, and liquidity management. Objectively classified data trends are reported through graphs. Additionally, the research documents internal determinants of financial performance. Findings suggest that the GCC-IBSI has shown overall progress in achieving primary objectives (commercial performance), including healthy capital adequacy, cost control, equity returns, and liquidity management. Capital adequacy, cost control, and liquidity management significantly contribute to financial performance. Managerial implications include cost control, reduction in non-performing loans, and prudent liquidity management. There exist opportunities in the GCC-IBSI for investors, given the mismatch in demand and supply of Islamic financial services. This study contributes to the literature by documenting findings on the achievements of the primary objective of IBSI in multiple GCC-IBSI markets comparatively. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between ownership structures and dividend policies for 46 Islamic and 75 conventional banks from 12 MENA and Asian countries between 2012 and 2020. Logit regression is employed to estimate the regression equation, centering on the moderating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and national culture. Our findings remain robust as we tackle the endogeneity issue using probit and logistic regression models. Asset growth and GDP growth serve as proxies for investment opportunities. Additionally, dividend per share acts as a proxy for dividend policy. Our findings emphasize how the ownership structure impacts dividend payouts in both banking systems. We observed positive relationships between dividend payouts and foreign ownership, bank size, age, and performance. Conversely, concentration of ownership and leverage negatively influence dividend payouts. The COVID-19 pandemic directly boosts the dividend policy for conventional banks and alters the relationship between foreign ownership and distribution policy in Islamic banks. Specifically, COVID-19 interacts with foreign and state ownership to reduce dividend payouts, but concentration of ownership does not show this effect. This study furnishes evidence affirming the significance of the ownership structure in shaping the dividend payout policy within Islamic and conventional banking. The results maintain their reliability across various estimation approaches. Moreover, this study accounts for the crisis period as a moderating factor influencing dividend payments. Full article

This study examines the impact of Internet Banking on banking profitability in Saudi Arabia in a sample of conventional and Islamic banks. The study uses Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) as key metrics to measure profitability in a sample of 10 Saudi conventional and Islamic banks observed over the 2013–2022 period. The used regression analysis reveals a significant effect of Internet Banking on the profitability of both conventional and Islamic banks, as indicated by the ROA and ROE metrics. These findings have implications that underscore the strategic importance of adopting Internet Banking, emphasizing its substantial contribution to the financial performance of both conventional and Islamic banks in the Saudi Arabian banking landscape. This study offers critical insights into the strategic significance of Internet Banking for Saudi Arabian banks’ profitability and future planning, in line with the 2030 Vision goals. This research also supports informed decision making in the digital era, emphasizing the pivotal role of Internet Banking in shaping the future of the Saudi Arabian banking industry. Full article

The development of public transport in Surakarta City can be seen from the existence of Batik Solo Trans Corridor-6. This route passes through several types of land uses so that the passengers are very diverse. This article is focused on analyzing the user characteristics and their assessment of the service performance and operations. The data required consist of: bus arrival/departure time, number of passengers getting on/off, distance between stops, number of passengers, and occupancy rate. Data were collected by distributing questionnaires offline on the bus to obtain respondents. The performance analysis refers to the Minister of Transportation Regulation, and the World Bank. The analysis results show that the majority of respondents were female, aged 15–25 years, and students. Other results show that most BST users change modes once, using private vehicles and walking, and come from the Timuran to the Al Islam High School Bus Stop. Operational parameters that meet the standards are headway, travel speed, and stopping time, while those that do not meet the standards are the load factor and travel time. However, the respondent satisfaction level obtained was 76.78%. This value states that the service is still in the good category according to what is felt when using the service. Full article

This paper investigates the association between board of director (BOD) structures and CEO equity-based compensation (long-term incentive) for commercial banks (conventional and Islamic banks) in MENA countries. Specifically, we take board size and board independence to measure the board structure. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of board structure on the association between CEO equity-based compensation and financial performance. Moreover, we compare conventional and Islamic banks in testing these relationships. Using a sample of 65 banks in MENA countries for the period between 2009 and 2020, we show a significant positive association between board size and CEO compensation. However, we find the same association between these variables for IBs, but the effect of board size on CEO compensation is less. We also show that board independence is negatively correlated with CEO compensation. Nevertheless, the relationship between board independence and CEO ownership is positive for IBs. For the moderating test, we find that effective board structure provides more incentives to the CEO, leading them to achieve higher financial performance. The Islamic bank’s business model (based on Shari’ah principles) contributes to the different influences of board structure on CEO compensation. Our results provide the insight that a strong and effective board is important for managing the executive’s compensation system. The findings of this study have implications for financial firms, policymakers, and regulators. Specifically, the study may help in understanding the benefits of different compensation structures relative to different types of financial firms. Full article

The rising adoption of FinTech is changing the financial sector. However, the determinants of FinTech have not been examined thoroughly. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether corporate governance is related to FinTech products in the banking sector, given that governance may influence the quantity and quality of innovation. Specifically, we investigate the association between the size of the board of directors, the percentage of independent directors on the board and FinTech services. Furthermore, we show how the composition of the board can influence the association between FinTech services and a bank’s performance. Using a sample of 12 Saudi banks for the period 2014–2019, we find that board size is significantly and negatively associated with a bank’s FinTech score. We further show that independent members on the board contribute to performance by bringing more FinTech services (innovation development) to the banks. As the first study examining the determinants of FinTech in the Saudi banking sector, this paper may help regulators to better understand the drivers of FinTech and its quality in the banking sector. Full article

The development of halal tourism in Indonesia is the focus of the Indonesian government and MSMEs have an important role in supporting the development of halal tourism in Indonesia. This study aims to examine the relationship between marketing communication and Islamic financial literacy on Islamic financial inclusion and MSME performance in the halal-tourism sector. A covariance-based SEM technique utilizing LISREL software was used to analyze the data from this investigation. Nonprobability sampling was employed to collect the data, and the sample consists of 152 halal-tourism entrepreneurs. This study found a positive and significant association between Islamic financial inclusion and business performance. This study also found that there is a positive and significant association between Islamic financial literacy and Islamic financial inclusion. Marketing communication and Islamic financial inclusion have a positive relationship, but it is insignificant. This study implies that to establish a halal-tourist ecosystem for long-term development in Indonesia, commercial actors must lend their full support. This study demonstrates that they can thrive when MSMEs in the halal-tourist ecosystem are backed by Islamic banking and Islamic rural banks. As a result, a more accommodating approach from Islamic banking is required to provide access to halal finance for business actors in Indonesia’s halal-tourism ecosystem. Full article

The primary purpose of the research is to investigate the effect of the quality of corporate governance in Islamic banking on the agility of Iraqi banks. For this purpose, the structural-equation-modeling (SEM) method was used to investigate the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The statistical population of this study is all managers, employees, and customers of the public and private banks of Iraq, and a total of 70 questionnaires were included and analyzed to test the paper’s hypotheses. The research results indicate that corporate governance in Islamic banking has a positive impact on the agility of Iraqi banks, meaning that with an increase in corporate-governance mechanisms in Iraqi Islamic banking, the capability of banks to make timely reactions to potential changes is likely to increase. In this regard, the provision of various services in a flexible and snap manner to a wide range of customers, the acceptance of innovation and IT-related processes, the identification and application of environmental opportunities, and having a culture of learning and cooperating are expected to be realized by improving the quality of corporate-governance mechanisms. Our findings may apply to policymakers to improve market efficiency through designing regulations and bank managers to increase their general performance. The current paper is among the initial attempts to determine the influential factors on bank agility in emerging markets. Full article

This study explores the implications of merging two fundamentally different types of banks: Islamic and conventional banks. The research aims to provide insight into the unique opportunities and challenges presented by such a merger and to offer strategic guidance for future mergers. A balanced scorecard-based strategic analysis using a Quantum Spherical Fuzzy Decision-Making Approach was used to develop short- and long-term strategic plans for the merged bank. The balanced scorecard included 12 key performance indicators (KPIs) in 4 groups, and the methodology incorporated several questions to guide the analysis. The results of the study offer valuable insights into the potential opportunities and challenges of merging these two types of banks, as well as strategic recommendations for stakeholders at all levels. The study serves as a useful guideline for future mergers between similar or different types of banks. Overall, the findings suggest that a well-planned merger strategy is essential for avoiding challenges and maximizing the benefits of merging Islamic and conventional banks. By integrating the strengths of both types of banks, a merged entity could create a competitive advantage and potentially improve financial performance. However, this requires careful consideration of cultural differences, regulatory challenges, and other factors that could impact on the success of the merger. Full article