There is fast growth of digital banking services in Saudi Arabia clearly shows the necessity of well-considered legal decisions. However, there is an obscurity with respect to protecting consumers’ rights and creating a reliable atmosphere for digital finance through legal framework in the digital banking sector in the Kingdom. The primary aims and objectives of this research is to scrutinize the digital banking consumers’ protection legal framework being overseen in Saudi Arabia, analyzing its content, mechanisms, and impact on different stakeholders. Similarly, the study tires to determine its efficacy as well as identify the roadblocks which can prevent its success. Through an extensive review and examination, the evaluation defines key issues, difficulties and finalizes statements about the legal field. The content analysis methodology was used to help address issues emanating from the existing literature. Various scholarly articles, policy documents, and regulatory guidelines were explored. In other words, data for this study were collected through different search sources such as journals, traditional articles of Google Scholar, policy documents, and library sources. A total of 25 articles were explored and contributed immensely to unveiling various aspects of the legal framework of digital banking as well as consumers’ protection in the Kingdom. The findings of this investigation have identified three basic themes on the domestic legal regulation of consumers’ protection in the digital banking system in Saudi Arabia. First, the study has analyzed various legislations such as: consumer protection law, sector-specific regulations, among others concerning the rights and duties of consumer protection. Second, legal obligations in seeking remedies when there is a discriminatory treatment in digital banking services. Third, it has been established that Saudi Arabia have taken a proactive step towards a robust safety cushion to protect the consumer rights and minimizing the risks involved in cybersecurity in the context of Saudi Arabia. Theoretically, on one hand, the study highlights the paramount significance to consumers’ protection legislations in the Kingdom. On the other hand, practically, the Kingdom’s witness of rapid economic growth and technological advancement, ensuring robust consumer protection measures becomes increasingly paramount to foster trust, promote fair business practices, and enhance consumer confidence in the marketplace. Nonetheless, some limitations such as insufficient consumers’ education and regulatory inadequacies were noted which need national coordination between stakeholders. Notwithstanding the fact that the legal framework exhibits strong points especially in addressing vital issues, its timely evaluation, amendment, and enforcement is deemed as a key to solve the emerging challenges and obtain confidence of consumers when it comes to digital banking.

Financial literacy and financial intermediation are vital tools for all businesses, particularly women micro-entrepreneurs. Even with modest means, they have been shown to considerably contribute to economic independence at the family, national, and international levels. Since Indonesian women microentrepreneurs still have trouble getting bank loans (being unbanked), the majority of them join cooperatives. Cooperatives are without doubt the financial intermediation institutions of choice for micro-communities; nonetheless, research on the subject is still scarce, particularly in developing nations. In order to bridge this gap, this study looks at the role of cooperatives as financial intermediation organizations. Examining the impact of financial literacy through cooperative financial intermediation on the financial performance of Indonesian women microentrepreneurs is the main goal of the study. The cross-sectional data were identified using purposive approaches and processed with the use of Smart PLS as part of an explanatory research approach. The direct influence test results demonstrate that enhancing financial performance and financial intermediation are directly impacted by financial literacy. Additionally, financial intermediation (cooperatives) was successful in influencing the impact of financial literacy on the financial performance of micro-entrepreneurs in Indonesia, according to the findings of the mediation effect test.

This study examines the relationship between board diversity (in term of percentage of female board members, educational qualification, independent directors, interlocking directorship, and financial literacy) and earnings quality of listed insurance companies in Nigeria. The study used secondary data from the stock exchange fact books and audited financial statements of the selected companies. We adopted a quantitative research design in which data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Three variants of regression model, namely pooled ordinary least square, fixed effects and random effects models were estimated. Results revealed that significant differences exist in board diversity and earnings quality across the listed insurance companies in Nigeria. Also, the impact of board diversity on earnings quality is positive and strong. That is, the higher the company’s board diversity the better the ability to generate quality earnings. The results suggest than insurance companies with large number of women on the board are more likely to generate higher quality earning than those dominated by men. The paper draws the attention of management of listed insurance companies to the need to comply with the code of corporate governance on board diversity to increase the number of women on the board and ensure that the board consists of educationally qualified members, and financial literate members. The study also draws the attention of Nigeria Stock Exchange Group (NSGG) and other regulatory authorities to the need for regulation that will make disclosure of directors’ personal information a regulatory disclosure.

This article examines the overseas corporate social responsibility (CSR) patterns of Chinese international contractors (CICs). Adopting an institutional and political economy approach, a unique dataset is constructed with country-specific contents drawn from CSR-related reports and website information of 50 top CICs. This dataset provides a foundation for systematic content analysis of CICs’ overseas CSR practices, revealing that both political legitimacy-seeking and strategic competitiveness-seeking motivations drive CICs’ CSR activities abroad, characterized by the prioritization of customer and community engagement. The findings highlight the coexistence of the exogenous pressures for the national image-building purpose and the endogenous awareness of CSR strategic importance for corporate internationalization. The hybridization of political and economic rationales is presented as the defining feature of CICs’ current overseas CSR patterns, with the balance between them being determined by stakeholder type and internal business needs influenced by corporate internationalization experience.

Access to affordable and quality medicines plays a vital role for achieving Universal Health Coverage and in reducing out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) for households especially in developing nations such as India. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), a Government of India initiative, aims to make low-cost and quality generic drugs and surgical equipment accessible to all segments of the population through its dedicated store outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK). In this study, a pilot survey comprising 20 stores/PMBJKs and 150 citizens was undertaken in the Bengaluru Urban District, India to understand various aspects of the PMBJKs including availability of drugs, stock-outs, accessibility to stores, perception and awareness levels along with challenges faced by store owners and citizens/beneficiaries. Based on the survey results, we capture the availability of drugs for 35 medicines and consumables belonging to 12 therapeutic categories across 20 store outlets. We also provide valuable insights and interdisciplinary recommendations on several facets including adopting technology-based measures for day-to-day functioning of stores, need for in-depth supply chain analysis for ensuring availability of drugs, encouraging prescription of generic medicines, increasing awareness levels in addition to promoting grassroot-level research, surveys and feedback mechanisms. These suggestions are expected to find their utility in policy-making, strengthen the implementation of the PMBJP scheme across Bengaluru and India as well as contribute towards achieving related Sustainable Development Goals.

This research explores the relationship between the independent variables (need for achievement, risk-taking, family support, economic factors, and the dependent variable of women’s enterprises’ success) and examines the moderating influence of socio-cultural factors. A survey-based methodology was adopted. One hundred sixty-nine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Palestinian West Bank were surveyed using structured questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted by using the Smart-PLS program. The results indicate that women entrepreneurs’ success in SMEs is positively and significantly impacted by the need for achievement as an internal factor and economic factors and family support as external factors. Furthermore, sociocultural factors did not show any significant moderating influence. By gaining knowledge about the relationship between internal and external factors and the success of women-owned SMEs, this study adds to the body of literature already in existence. These factors can be considered in the success of these enterprises, particularly in an environment full of political and economic fluctuations. Furthermore, the research is said to be the first of its type in Palestine, particularly concerning SMEs run by women. It also supports entrepreneurs by providing them with resources that might aid in the growth and success of their businesses.