In this study, we are interested in WCM (working capital management) strategies and profitability in the UK furniture manufacturing sector. Observing the period from 2007 to 2023 of public companies panel data has found that extreme (aggressive and conservative) and moderate (moderate) WCM approaches are associated with firm performance. The results indicate that a conservative WCM investment policy augments liquidity and profitability and thereby confirms that maintaining liquidity is conducive to operational efficiency. Novel to the literature and considering economic externalities and technological progress, the analysis carries important implications for academics and working capitalists concerning profitability enhancement via better WCM.

This article emphasizes the importance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and large companies in driving economic growth. SMEs are labour-intensive and agile, creating more jobs, while large companies are capital-intensive and rely on technology, having more resources for research and development. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, SMEs contribute significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and job opportunities, while large companies dominate specific sectors. The research employs a multidisciplinary approach using an extensive literature review to summarize the current literature, highlight the economic impact of SMEs and large companies in GCC, and highlight the importance of large companies in developing local citizens. Policy-makers must consider these differences to integrate these dynamic changes for effective support policies. This study examines the economic impact of SMEs and large companies in the GCC region, providing recommendations to support large businesses. It addresses challenges and opportunities related to employment, household earnings, economic output, and value addition. Promoting the economic impact of SMEs and large companies can lead to sustainable economic growth and development in the GCC region. Also, this article pointed out the importance of large companies and their economic impact in the GCC region; policy recommendations will help the governing bodies in decision-making towards promoting sustainable economic growth.

Our study investigates the relationship between firm profitability, board characteristics, and the quality of sustainability disclosures, while examining the moderating effects of financial leverage and external audit assurance. A key focus is the distinction between Big 4 and non-Big 4 audit firms. Using data from Malaysia’s top 100 publicly listed organizations from 2018 to 2020, we analyze sustainability reports based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. Unexpectedly, our results indicate a negative association between firm profitability and board characteristics, challenging traditional assumptions. We find that non-Big 4 audit firms significantly enhance sustainability disclosure quality, contradicting the widely held belief in the superiority of Big 4 firms. Our finding introduces the “Big 4 dilemma” in the Malaysian context and calls for a reassessment of audit firm selection practices. Our study offers new perspectives on the strategic role of board composition and audit firm selection in advancing sustainability disclosures, urging Malaysian organizations to evaluate audit firms on criteria beyond the global prestige of Big 4 firms to improve sustainability reporting.

The subject of traditional institutions cannot be undermined in the project of sustainable leadership and good governance in Nigeria given the locus and crucial role of the institution in the past and modern Nigeria. It is incontrovertible that traditional and aboriginal values are held highly with reverence and respect in virtually all parts of Nigeria. To discountenance their relevance will be too costly in any leadership-cum-governance discourse. Towns, villages and cities were duly recognized and protected as the harbingers of culture, mores, norms and values. The contemporary government structure in Nigeria duly recognizes the importance of traditional institutions by having a Commission for Local Government (LG) and Chieftaincy Affairs at all State levels. Moreover, 5% of allocations to LGs go statutorily to the tradition institution in the State. Hitherto, the recklessness and abuse of the native authority system of local government administration in the 1950s–60s had led to the moderation and reforms of the system, which has continued to affect traditional institutions to date. To this end, the paper argues that traditional institutions hold so much values and cohesive practices as well as socially integrative potentials for nation-building so much that the State can leverage on them for sustainable leadership and overall good governance. The methodology adopted for collecting data for this study is descriptive research method, which relies on primary direct observation (eye-witness) account and relevant secondary materials such as texts, journal articles, official documents and internet materials. The data collected were analyzed and presented using thematic analysis and tables. National and international data already analyzed were found essential to drive home the argument of this study. The outcome of the paper provides useful information on how traditional institutions serve as a veritable platform for sustainable leadership and good governance in Nigeria. The paper concluded that traditional institutions, with its rich culture, values and practices, possess sufficient merits to propel the country towards sustainable leadership that would concomitantly induce economic, technological and political growth in Nigeria.

Fitzgerald is one of the most important American writers in the 20^th century. The publication of The Great Gatsby shows his great talent in American literature. Eliot, a famous poet and literary critic, once said that it was the first step in the development of the art of the novel since the age of Henry James. Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, focuses on Jazz Age New York in the 20th century, depicting the people in the different classes of the society. Besides, love is an eternal theme in literature. And the reality and humanity shown in The Great Gatsby are also of great significance to today's society.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly restricted household resilience, particularly in developing countries. The study investigates the correlation between livelihood capital and household resilience amid uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in Bekasi Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. Livelihood capital encompasses social, human, natural, physical, and financial, which are crucial in shaping household resilience. This study used the SEM-PLS method and utilized a survey of 120 respondents (household heads) from four villages in two districts (Muaragembong and South Tambun) in Bekasi Regency to identify critical factors that either enhance or impede rural household resilience during and after the pandemic. Findings reveal that households possessing human capital, financial capital, and empowerment are more adept at navigating socioeconomic difficulties during and after the pandemic. However, this research stated that trust and social networks enhance household resilience during the pandemic, whereas social norms are crucial for rebuilding household resilience in the post-pandemic phase. The finding revealed that social cohesion adversely affected household resilience during and after the pandemic, while trust diminished household resilience in the post-pandemic COVID-19 phase. These findings offer insight to policymakers, scholars, and other stakeholders aiming to foster household resilience during and in recovery efforts after the pandemic.