The Government of Indonesia has modernized the toll road transaction system by implementing the multi-lane free-flow (MLFF) project, set to operate commercially by the end of 2024. This project leverages Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology to identify vehicles using toll roads and establish a transaction mechanism that allows the MLFF Project Company to charge road users according to distance, vehicle category, and tariff levels. The project has result in a complex business arrangement between the Indonesia National Toll Road Authority (INTRA), Toll Road Companies (TRCs), and the MLFF Project Company. The aim of this paper is to review the regulatory and institutional framework of the MLFF project and analyze its challenges. The methodology employed is a qualitative framework for legal research, utilizing international literature reviews and current regulatory frameworks. The study assesses the proposed transaction architecture of the project and identifies commercial, political, and other risks associated with its implementation. Based on the analysis, the research identifies opportunities for regulatory improvements and better contracting arrangements. This research provides valuable insights into the regulatory landscape and offers policy recommendations for the Government to mitigate the identified risks. This contribution is significant to the academic field as it enhances understanding regulatory and institutional challenges in implementing advanced toll road systems.
This study investigates the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), capital structure, and financial distress in Jordan’s financial services sector. It tests the mediating effect of capital structure on the CSR-distress linkage. Utilizing a panel data regression approach, the analysis examines a sample of 35 Jordanian banks and insurance firms from 2015–2020. CSR is evaluated through content analysis of sustainability disclosures. Financial distress is measured using Altman’s Z-score model. The findings reveal an insignificant association between aggregated CSR engagement and bankruptcy risk. However, capital structure significantly mediates the impact of CSR on financial distress. Specifically, enhanced CSR enables higher leverage capacity, subsequently escalating distress risk. The results advance academic literature on the nuanced pathways linking CSR to financial vulnerability. For practitioners, optimally balancing CSR and financial sustainability is recommended to strengthen resilience. This study provides novel empirical evidence on the contingent nature of CSR financial impacts within Jordan’s understudied financial services sector. The conclusions offer timely insights to inform policies aimed at achieving sustainable and stable financial sector development.
Sustainable development has attracted widespread attention worldwide, and the circular economy has become one of the essential policies of many countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises are important drivers of world economic growth and can significantly impact the environment. Therefore, SMEs are critical players in implementing a circular economy as the basis for creating a sustainable society. Although a wealth of research on SME environmental management issues can be found in the literature, more must be known about the infusion of green practices in SMEs. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the green practice infusion of Taiwanese SMEs, a context that is particularly relevant due to Taiwan’s strong focus on environmental sustainability and its circular economy industrial development policy. Through a questionnaire survey, this study examined the factors that influence green practice infusion behavior in Taiwanese SMEs and the impact of green practice infusion on circular economy performance. The findings show that the relative advantages and compatibility of the circular economy, organizational support, human resource quality, regulatory pressure, and government support significantly impact the green practice infusion of Taiwanese SMEs. The effects of complexity, customer pressure, and environmental uncertainty on SMEs’ infusion of green practices are not statistically significant. Circular economy performance is positively correlated with green practice infusion. This study can broaden the research scope of SMEs’ environmental management and contribute to a deeper understanding of SMEs’ green practice infusion and circular economy.
Background: Traditional education in neurosurgery primarily relies on observation, giving residents and interns limited opportunities for clinical practice. However, the development of 3D printing has the potential to improve this situation. Based on bibliometrics, we analyze the application of 3D printing technology in neurosurgery medical education and surgical training. Methods: We searched the publications in this field in Web of Science core collection database from September 2000 to September 2023. VOS viewer, Citespace and Microsoft Office Excel were used to visually analyze and draw knowledge graphs. Results: A total of 231 articles and reviews were included. The United States is the country with the largest volume of articles and Mayo Clinic is the leading organization in this field. Partnership between countries, authors and institutions is also presented. World Neurosurgery is the journal with the highest number of publications. The top three key words by occurrence rate are “3D printing”, “surgery” and “simulation”. Conclusions: In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the research in this field. According to bibliometric analysis, “accuracy” and “surgery simulation” are the research focuses in this field, while “augment reality” is the potential research target.
Islamic banking is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the financial industry. Several works have been written in this field, but none attempt to learn the entire Islamic banking and financial system. Furthermore, the study could not locate any publications investigating the conceptual and intellectual foundations of this emerging field of inquiry. The current study uses bibliometric methodologies to assess the current state of Islamic banking, financial research, and the upcoming trends. For the people who choose interest-free investments, the current research examines a conceptual research context on Islamic banking and finance at various planning and decision-making stages. One thousand research studies appearing in scholarly journals between 2005 and 2023 were reviewed for the purpose. In order to examine the works on Islamic banking and finance, bibliometric techniques were used, including analysis of citation network, content, co-citation, keyword, and publishing trends. By suggesting thirteen clusters, to enhance research on Islamic banking and finance to help interest-free investors learn more, the goal of the research is to promote the body of knowledge. The field of Islamic banking and finance has grown from a young lot to a prominent teaching and research tool. Investigating and identifying current research trends in this area is crucial. As institutions and society are placing more emphasis on Islamic banking to raise individual citizens’ responsibilities in developing interest-free investing strategies, the findings are crucial to the community of interest-free financiers. Further research urges with the studies not restricted to a thousand researches only.
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