The ongoing dissemination of globalization and digitalization may suggest that personal relationships are becoming less crucial in the context of retail banking and financial services. In Hungary, in addition to private banking, which is associated with high income levels, personal banking also plays an important role. The objective of this study is to develop a model that can identify the factors that determine customer satisfaction and their relative importance. Furthermore, the aim is to incorporate gender and age as moderator variables to identify demographic differences in satisfaction. The analysis was conducted via a questionnaire survey in October to November 2023 employing a purposive sampling approach in a university environment, as the respondents are likely to possess the highest level of existing financial knowledge within this population. The 214 valid responses were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, with the objective of contributing to the development of theory in this field of study. The results demonstrate that perception (β = 0.519) and reliability (β = 0.253) collectively explained 51.8% of the variance in satisfaction. Moreover, the results indicate that perception accounts for 49.2% of the variance in reliability, suggesting the existence of an indirect effect on satisfaction. Therefore, the findings suggest that, despite the advent of digital banking, face to face service remains a pertinent concern in Hungary, and financial institutions should prioritize the factors that shape customer satisfaction. The study contributes to the literature and to the development of customer loyalty strategies for banks based on these findings.

The projects of the IT industry are considered successful when they are completed within the timeline, budget, and client satisfaction on a specific project. Although client relationship is not given much importance in the delay of a project, through several studies it has been seen that the project is delayed in the IT industry due to a lack of awareness about the project to the client. The objective of this study is to inspect the impact of client relationships on project delay. Drawing on stakeholder theory and agency theory, this study investigates how client relationship influences project delay through project awareness and the role of project governance as moderator. A deductive approach of reasoning was used to test the hypotheses formulated under the current research work and proceed by using the quantitative method. This study employed a cross-sectional research design, where data was collected at a specific point in time through a survey strategy. Data was collected from the sample of 288 respondents from the IT companies of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The data was collected using a convenience sampling technique. The demographics of the respondents were analyzed through the IBM-SPSS software program. The assumptions and the reliability of the model were also tested in SPSS. In this study, it was discovered that effective management of client relationships significantly reduces project delays, with project awareness being a crucial factor in this mitigation process. The results revealed that client relationship was negatively associated with project delay and project awareness. Whereas this linkage was mediated by project awareness. This study concludes that adequate project awareness and fruitful project governance reduce project delays and lead to positive client relationships.

Using company size as a moderator, this article examines the MENA region’s gender balance on boards and how it influences capital structure. The study uses the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimate technique to analyze data from a sample of 556 non-financial organizations across 10 MENA countries from 2010 to 2023. The results show that a lower debt ratio is connected with a higher percentage of female board members. Further steps towards debt reduction include increasing the number of independent female board members and decreasing the board’s overall size. The opposite is true for larger enterprises, more profitability, more expansion opportunities, and macroeconomic variables like inflation and GDP growth, which tend to raise the debt ratio. Capital structure decisions in the MENA area are influenced by gender diversity on boards and business characteristics. Therefore, Companies in the MENA area would do well to support initiatives that increase the representation of women on corporate boards. One way to achieve this goal is to establish gender diversity targets or launch programs to increase the number of women serving on boards of directors, particularly in positions of power.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities and the performance of Thai listed firms. The moderating roles of board size and CEO duality on this relationship are also assessed. The ESG score provided by LSEG (formerly Refinitiv) is chosen to measure ESG activities, both as an overall ESG combined scores and as Environment, Social, and Governance pillar scores. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the impact of ESG on firm performance while the PROCESS macro is used to test the moderating effects. Results reveal that the overall ESG combined score demonstrates no statistically significant effect on firm market-based performance. However, it shows the significant effects on firm performance for both the ESG combined score and the Environmental and Social pillar scores when moderated by board size and CEO duality; Governance pillar score exhibits no significant effect. Additionally, it is found that when the CEO operates only as the managing director and small board size and average board size are evident, higher ESG disclosure scores enhance firm performance. However, when the CEO serves as both managing director and chairman of the board of directors, and where there is a large board size, higher ESG disclosure scores diminish firm performance. This study contributes to the ESG literature and encourages companies to enhance their performance by implementing ESG combined activities with good governance policies.

This research attempts to investigate the effect of audit quality on firm value in the high corporate governance context. In addition, this study seeks to examine the role of institutional shareholders as a moderating variable on the relationship between audit quality and firm value. Dataset includes the 95 (out of 575) Thai listed companies which fully and completely implement the Corporate Governance Code (CG Code) voluntary disclosure recommended by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in 2021. Multiple linear regression and Hayes’s regression-based analysis are done using market capitalization as the dependent variable. The research results illustrate that audit quality relates to firm value in a negative way, while profitability and institutional shareholders relate to firm value in a positive manner. Moreover, the interaction effect between audit quality and institutional shareholders wields a significant negative impact on the association between audit quality and firm value, which indicates that the negative effect of audit quality on firm value is stronger when more firm shares are owned by institutional shareholders. The results of this study would potentially be very useful to managers, financial advisors, and policymakers to observe the nature and vagaries of audit quality in high corporate governance environment, especially when institutional shareholders hold a significant proportion of firm shares. The study offers practical suggestions and recommendations for audit quality and institutional shareholders, which are essential for overall operating efficiency and firm value. The outcomes can help improve corporate governance practices, which in turn enhance the share price and profits.

Vietnam has experienced an impressive period of economic growth since implementing an export-oriented economic policy. Vietnam’s international economic integration is deepening, and the output of the export sector has been continuously improved with a double-digit growth rate in recent years, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to study the impact of trade liberalization on export intensity of Vietnamese exporters as well as the moderating role of the location. In this study, data was collected from 80 exporters listing in Vietnam stock markets from 2007 to 2022. Further, regression test was carried out by applying GMM model. The results show that trade liberalization outcomes have a positive impact on export intensity. We, however, do not find enough evidence of the moderating effect of the location factor. These findings support Resource-based View theory, and trade liberalization policy. The findings imply that Vietnam government should continue to implement trade liberalization policy to support export sector growth.