Combining the strength of both Mixed Data Sampling (MIDAS) Regression and realized variance measures, this paper seeks to investigate two objectives: (1) evaluate the post-sample performance of the proposed weekly Realized Variance-MIDAS (RVar-MIDAS) in one-week ahead volatility forecasting against the established Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model and the less explored but robust STES (Smooth Transition Exponential Smoothing) methods. (2) comparing forecast error performance between realized variance and squared residuals measures as a proxy for actual volatility. Data of seven private equity mutual fund indices (generated from 57 individual funds) from two different time periods (with and without financial crisis) are applied to 21 models. Robustness of the post-sample volatility forecasting of all models is validated by the Model Confidence Set (MCS) Procedures and revealed: (1) The weekly RVar-MIDAS model emerged as the best model, outperformed the robust DAILY-STES methods, and the weekly DAILY-GARCH models, particularly during a volatile period. (2) models with realized variance measured in estimation and as a proxy for actual volatility outperformed those using squared residual. This study contributes an empirical approach to one-week ahead volatility forecasting of mutual funds return, which is less explored in past literature on financial volatility forecasting compared to stocks volatility.

This paper analyzes the comparative advantages and development prospects of the China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Based on a SWOT analysis method, this study finds that the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone has a set of comparative advantages, including location advantage, rich resources, industrial transformation and new industries, technological innovation capabilities, new patterns for development, and policy support. In recent years, by leveraging its key resources, Anhui Province has been committed to developing an open economy. Furthermore, its economic vitality has increased significantly under preferential policies such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe International Freight Shuttle, and the Yangtze River Economic Belt Development Plan. As a result, the total foreign trade has continued to grow. The findings of this study highlight that the comparative advantages are of great significance to the development of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone, which helped expand the scope and openness of the regional economy and foreign investment. However, to achieve the development objectives of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone as planned, these comparative advantages must be developed and converted into a set of sustainable competitive advantages for the regional economy. Therefore, a few development suggestions are put forward.

The exchange rate is an important macroeconomic variable that influences internal and external balances. Nepal follows a dual exchange rate such that the Nepali rupee (NPR) is pegged with the Indian rupee (INR) but floats with the United States dollar (USD) and all other currencies. There have been very few studies on the exchange rate of Nepal, of which the majority focus on the bivariate relationship between exchange rate and another variable. However, this paper analyses the multivariate relationship between the USD-NPR exchange rate and major macroeconomic variables. Determinants of Nepal's exchange rate have been derived with multiple regression using the ordinary least square (OLS) approach. Since the explanatory variables could not significantly capture the movement of the dependent variable, a long-run relationship between Nepal and India's exchange rate has been analyzed using Engle-Granger cointegration to establish a relationship as suggested by a graphical representation. This explains that Nepal's exchange rate long run is determined by India's exchange rate than its own fundamentals. In addition, the macro-linkages of Nepal's macroeconomic variables have been analyzed using Standard Vector Autoregressive models followed by impulse response analysis which is useful for policy decisions. Some policy implications indicating the sustainability of Nepal's pegged regime have been drawn based on the empirical analysis.

This paper analyzes the advantages and opportunities of regional development prospects of the China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone. In addition, it provides suggestions for the future development of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone. The establishment of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone is a major platform for Anhui Province, China, to serve the nation's opening-up strategy to the world and an opportunity for the Anhui region to enhance the level of an open economy. The development plan points out that the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone 1) takes institutional innovation as the core, 2) complies with the requirements of the innovation-driven development and promotion of the Yangtze River Delta regional integration development strategy, and 3) plays a vital node role in promoting the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and 4) accelerates the construction of scientific and technological innovation sources, advanced manufacturing and strategic emerging industries. The findings of this study highlight three critical achievements as follows: 1) optimization and improvement of the business environment have progressed, 2) the conversion rate of scientific and technological innovation achievements has increased, and 3) advanced high-tech manufacturing and strategic emerging industries are clustered and developed.

Commercial banks have a significant impact on the economy of Vietnam because they provide the majority of transactional capital. Therefore, the operational efficiency of commercial banks is a viral topic for the study of the Vietnamese banking system. The research aims to examine the efficiency and inefficiency of joint-stock commercial banks in Vietnam from 2016 to 2020 and then classify them into the efficient group and inefficient group. The study employs the time series data of 29 joint-stock commercial banks during the period 2016-2020. Based on the data collected from the annual audited financial statements of 29 Vietnamese joint-stock commercial banks, the authors select input and output variables for the standard DEA models and anti-efficient DEA models. This research uses two stages, first, by applying the standard DEA model, we investigate the efficient banks; second, by employing the anti-efficient DEA model, we find out the inefficient banks. The results reveal that the average efficiency score of 29 joint-stock commercial banks tends to increase in the period 2016-2018 and decrease gradually in the period 2019-2020. The findings of this study suggest that several small and medium-sized banks in the Vietnamese banking sector have both promising and risky performances and the efficiency of state-owned commercial banks has also improved significantly during the study period.

Past studies on the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on firms have been inconsistent, highlighting the significance of examining how CSR affects the performance of Malaysian government-linked companies (GLCs). The study aims to investigate the impact of CSR dimensions (economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic) on firm performance from 2016 to 2020 using a sample of 31 GLCs from the top 100 companies under the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia. A total of 35 GLCs were selected as the study sample size based on the top 100 businesses listed under the board of Bursa Malaysia as of 31 December 2020. The study employed correlation and multiple linear regression models to examine the relationship between CSR dimensions and firm performance. Financial performance is evaluated using accounting-based models of return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) and market-based models of earnings per share (EPS) and market value (MV). The CSRHub database was employed to collect information on the performance of company CSR dimensions. The findings suggested a significant positive relationship between ethical and philanthropic CSR and firm performance regarding ROE. Thus, GLCs prioritized ethical and philanthropic CSR over other dimensions.

The aim of this paper was to analyze the determinants of the extent of individual credit rationing at Can Tho Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB). The data was collected from 150 customers according to the systematic random sampling method listed in the bank. This study employed quantitative analysis methods, and Tobit regression model, to test the proposed hypotheses. The results showed that the average loan amount of an individual customer was 1,181.3 million VND, the average credit limit was 48.6%, and the average interest rate was 10.9% per year. Most of the individual customers borrowed money to buy properties. In addition, the analysis results also indicated that individual borrowers still faced some difficulties in accessing bank credit, such as cumbersome procedures, long waiting times, insufficient collateral assets, and loan documents. The results of the Tobit model pointed out that there were five factors affecting the degree of credit rationing to individual customers at the bank, including (1) Collateral, (2) Income, (3) Credit history, (4) Loan purpose, (5) Relationship between borrower and bank. Based on the empirical findings, the possible solutions for the bank and individual borrowers to improve credit efficiency for individual customers at commercial banks are obtained.

Nowadays, learning management systems (LMS) are an effective and efficient tool for providing students with a high-quality education. The current study examines the effect of different factors on the use of the blackboard application on mobile phones. The study selects four important factors after factor analysis, such as facilitating factor, performance factor, satisfaction factor, and difficulties factor. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire from 45 students as a sample in the college of business administration at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University. The study uses a logistic regression model to examine the empirical relationship between LMS adoption and different factors associated with blackboard adoption. The results show that 71 percent of the respondents are between the age of 18-20 years, and 100 percent of students have experience in using blackboard. The empirical results show that the satisfaction factor is positive and significant at the 10 percent level of significance and the difficulties factor is also positive and significant at the 1 percent level of significance. The results conclude that the students are satisfied with using the blackboard on mobile, nevertheless, the difficulties factor which is positive and significant shows that students are facing some difficulties in using the blackboard on their mobile.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused serious impacts not only on human health but also on the economies around the world. Enterprises play an important role in the development of every country but it is also one of the most affected sectors during the pandemic. Drawing on panel data of 131 enterprises listed on the Vietnamese stock exchange from 2016Q1 to 2021Q3, this study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on firm performance. Enterprises are classified into seven industries including Agriculture, Material, Industry, Real estate and Construction, Energy, Consumer, and Service. The paper also analyzes the variation of the effects among companies, focusing on differences in revenue and capital structure. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affects business performance. In addition, the empirical findings indicate that revenue and debt decreasing can cause deterioration of firm performance during the pandemic period. The decrease in revenue has a direct impact on firm profitability. The reduction of debt levels affects the corporate leverage leading to adverse effects on firm performance. The negative effect is more pronounced for companies in some specific sectors including industry, real estate, construction, consumption, and services.

The study aims to examine the interaction of formal and informal institutions for strengthening economic development, particularly entrepreneurship growth. The research will also assess the impact of control variables on political index within the formal and informal markets. The research is quantitative, which analyses panel data of 6 years in 22 countries comprising middle and high-income countries with diversified and unique political, economic, and social systems. The findings suggested that reducing the entry regulation and promoting the social capital within the formal and informal institutions would grow formal and informal entrepreneurship and be a greater source for new venture creation. Moreover, the political index, a control variable, was found significant in the relationship of institutional mix with formal and informal entrepreneurship. Entry regulations in formal and informal institutions are a complex phenomenon in the entrepreneurship literature, moderated by the political development index as tested by the current study. The time horizon for this paper is much longer since it analyzes 6 years (2014-2019) of data on 22 developing and developed countries to see the entrepreneurial growth across multiple regions on different income levels, geographic conditions, and contrasting political and social systems.

This paper explores the key factors influencing the business performance of enterprises, specifically women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. The extant literature on factors affecting the business performance of women-owned SMEs in Vietnam is still quite scarce. The researchers used a self-administered questionnaire to achieve a sample of 265 female SME owners in Vietnam to find these factors. The obtained data was analyzed by using SPSS 20.0. Cronbach's α test and factor analysis have been carried out to test the reliability of data and validate the hypothesis. The results showed that these enterprises' performances had a significant positive relationship with the business management competencies of the directors of the business, quality of human resources, financial access, socio-cultural factors, and government policy. Also, the study showed no relationship between the enterprise's business network and business performance. The results suggest that female business owners should improve their business management capacity, focusing on training activities to improve the quality of human resources of enterprises. The Government needs policies to support small and medium enterprises in accessing financial and other resources and propagate to reduce gender stereotypes.

The relationship between applying knowledge management and accepting environmentally managed accounting is more complicated than previous studies suggested. Knowledge management is both an antecedent and a consequence of implementing environmentally managed accounting in the workplace. Nonetheless, none of the prior studies have systematically investigated this relationship. The current article attempted to scrutinize the reciprocated multifaceted tie between environmental managerial accounting and knowledge management by utilizing the methods of directed graph searches as well as directed acyclic graphs. The research data was gathered from 342 publicly-listed corporations in Vietnam's key stock markets. The empirical findings disclose that implementing knowledge management can lead to adopting environmental managerial accounting in business, which is, in turn, an antecedent of accepting knowledge management. More importantly, the current research found that the adoption of knowledge management is the first factor to affect the research model. Nonetheless, the usage of knowledge management in business can, in turn, have a positive effect back to the implementing extent of environmental managerial accounting. The findings are beneficial to scientists and particularly to executives by shedding new insight into this reciprocated bond, which can lead executives to make sound decisions regarding knowledge management and environmental managerial accounting for businesses to acquire competitive advantages.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the principal's democratic leadership style, teacher competency, work discipline, and work environment on teacher performance during the pandemic. Using the proportional random sampling strategy, a sample of 468 respondents consisted of kindergarten teachers, elementary school teachers, junior high school teachers, junior high school teachers, and high school/vocational school teachers. The study revealed that the principal's democratic leadership style, teacher competence, work discipline, and work environment substantially impact teacher performance. However, the principal's democratic leadership style does not affect teacher performance, whereas teacher competence, work discipline, and work environment have a minor impact on teacher performance. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, work discipline is the most critical variable influencing teacher performance. The findings of this study suggest that the principal's democratic leadership style, teacher competence, work discipline, and work environment have a positive impact on teacher performance during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, work discipline is the most important variable influencing teacher performance. Considering that democratic leadership has no effect on teacher performance and that this leadership style is widely used by school principals in the world of education, it is assumed that there is no effect on teacher performance.

To measure economic performance, customer satisfaction indices are constructed. This study proposes an index for banking and telecom, a significant evaluative system for comparing and enhancing customer satisfaction across the industries. The study suggests and examines amendments and improvements to the prior indices and incorporates ignored indicators to propose a punier index for Pakistan. The study is a pioneer in integrating online and offline indices into a single comprehensive model. The study is enriched by the Theory of Reasoned Action and Technological Acceptance Model. A sample of 320 respondents was used. The sample was divided based on gender and marital status. To authenticate the theoretical model, PLS-SEM was applied. We discovered nine latent variables that define customer satisfaction and conclude that a single model can be utilized for e-commerce enterprises as well. The index scores are comparable to the American index for banking and the Turkish index for telecom. Multi-group analysis (MGA) was used to comprehend the differences among the groups. This reveals that customization, design, reliability, and responsiveness induce satisfaction in telecom male and married customers. For the banking industry, the difference exists in complaint handling, customization, corporate image, perceived price, reliability, responsiveness, sentiments, convenience, and security to satisfaction links, image and complaint handling to loyalty links.

With over 15,000 Thai restaurants worldwide and 5,342 in the USA alone, Thai cuisine has been repeatedly internationally acclaimed for its taste, flavors, smell, and nutritional values. The Thai Ministry of Commerce has also established a global objective to find and award the best Thai food restaurants using Thai Select Premium (TSP), Thai Select Unique (TSU), and Thai Select brand labels. Therefore, using systematic random sampling, 620 diners were selected from certified Thai Select restaurants (TSR) in either Los Angeles, New York, Miami, or Chicago to ask for their opinions concerning factors important to each restaurant's service loyalty (SL). The four constructs, 18 observed variables, and six hypotheses were analyzed using LISREL 9.1. Results revealed a significant positive effect (88% R²) on the causal factor interrelationships on TSRs' SL. Additionally, the three factors affecting SL the most were service tangibility, taste perceptions, and brand image, with total effect values of 0.94, 0.43, and 0.31, respectively. Finally, when each US diner was asked why they chose to eat Thai food, respondents overwhelmingly indicated that taste (49.50%) and healthiness (32.90%) were most important. The study also adds to the literature by highlighting the importance of Thai cuisine contributing to healthier lifestyles.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of split ratings on earnings management through cost adjustments based on asymmetric cost behaviors. Using a sample of 2,027 Korean firm-year observations over the 2002-2019 period, we analyze whether a firm deliberately reduces discretionary costs, such as selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses, to improve profits when it receives multiple ratings from credit rating agencies (CRAs). While examining earnings management incentives in the presence of split ratings, we also investigate the moderating effects of Chaebols, Korea's unique corporate governance structure. We find that split-rating firms show less stickiness in SG&A costs compared to non-split-rating firms when sales decrease. This result implies the deliberate reduction of discretionary costs to improve earnings in the presence of split ratings, which are more likely to change in future credit assessments. We also find that the incentives for earnings management of split-rating firms are limited in Chaebol firms, which have high levels of socio-economic surveillance and support affiliated firms through the internal market of corporate groups. This study contributes to existing research by identifying new determinants of cost behavior by using the framework of asymmetric cost behavior in relation to earnings management incentives.

The agricultural sector has an important contribution to the economic development of Vietnam in particular and other countries in general. The growth of enterprises in the industry is an important bridge in promoting the economic development of the country. Currently, the policies of the Government of Vietnam always create favorable conditions for enterprises to conduct business, especially enterprises in the agricultural sector. The study aims to assess factors influencing the profitability of listed firms in Vietnam's stock market. Using 40 enterprises in the agricultural industry listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange and the Hanoi Stock Exchange and using advanced econometric modeling, dealing with defects in the regression model, the research results show that large-scale firm has higher economic efficiency than small-scale firm. In addition, a firm with higher use of loan capital is associated with a more efficient firm, reflected in the relatively good debt management ability of enterprises in the agricultural sector. Adversely, growth and age do not have any impact on firm performance. Macroeconomic factors do not impact profitability. Finally, the study has some policy implications for developing agricultural businesses in the case of Vietnam.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between agricultural insurance, agricultural loans, and the agricultural industry and find ways to consolidate and improve the interactive development between these three systems. We collected relevant data from 2009 to 2019 in 15 provinces of China and constructed a coupled coordination model to analyze the data. The results are as follows: First, the eastern part of China was ahead of the central and western parts in terms of agricultural loans and the agricultural industry, while the western part was ahead of the central and eastern parts in terms of agricultural insurance. Second, the coupling degree of the three systems in all 15 provinces reached an extremely high level. Third, all 15 provinces showed an overall continuous rise in coupling coordination degree. In 2019, eight provinces reached the medium-level coupling coordination development, and seven provinces were in a state of barely coupling coordination development. The three systems formed a mutually reinforcing relationship and basically entered a state of coordinated development. Finally, there was a great development gap between different regions of China concerning the coordinated development of the three systems, therefore, innovative development is urgently needed to further promote the coordinated development level.

This study aims to analyze the economies of scale of the cottage industry for coconut sugar production in Banyumas, Indonesia. This study applies a survey method to coconut sugar craftsmen. Data analysis was performed by regression analysis based on the Cobb-Douglas production function approach. The findings indicated that decreasing returns to scale was a problem for the domestic production of coconut sugar. These findings show that the production of coconut sugar is not very productive. Labor and financial capital inputs have a significant positive share but the resulting increase in output is less proportional than the increase in the two inputs. Social capital, experience, and education do not affect industrial performance. To increase input productivity and production efficiency, it is necessary to apply more effective production techniques and technologies to produce quality products so that the selling price can be higher. Additionally, it is required to enhance the sap's quality through its extraction methods and the regrowth of high-yielding coconut tree varieties. From the institutional aspect, the development of this industry requires stronger partnerships with related parties such as local governments, exporting companies, cooperatives, and universities through research and development.

Intellectual Capital, a valuable intangible organizational asset, is primarily linked to a company's financial performance and is divided into three categories: human, structural, and relational capital. This paper investigates the impact of intellectual capital on the financial performance of selected Pakistani companies in the Information and Communication sector, as this sector is heavily reliant on intellectual capital. The data for 11 firms was gathered from the State Bank's Financial Statements Analysis of Companies Listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2020. Pulić's (2004) Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAICTM) has been used to assess a company's IC efficiency. VAIC^TM and its components, the efficiency of intellectual capital, and the efficiency of capital employed are calculated. Financial performance is measured through return on assets, return on capital employed, and asset turnover ratio. Multiple regression, fixed-effect, and random-effect Panel Data estimation are used in the empirical study. The findings suggest that intellectual capital efficiency has a large impact on major profitability metrics, but little effect on company productivity. It can be inferred from the results that the companies must invest in advanced technology, the latest machinery, and well-equipped offices to improve financial performance and productivity and gain a competitive advantage.

Maintaining and expanding brand equity is regarded as an essential component of brand development. Effective management of brand equity leads to more opportunities for brand extension and the ability to draw in more customers. Brand equity, in particular, has a positive impact on consumer purchase intention. The purpose of this study is to look into the relationships between brand equity and consumption intention from the perspective of Vietnamese customers of India's COVID-19 vaccine products. Primary data is aggregated from 475 Vietnamese citizens with different occupations and backgrounds 18 years of age or older. The findings of the study show that consumption intention is positively inspired by brand equity, including brand association and brand quality. If consumers perceive high brand equity, it will have a higher impact on promoting consumption intention to the brand. India's COVID-19 vaccine needs to invest more in building brand equity in the Vietnamese market if it wants to increase the consumption choices of Vietnamese people. To create a good brand association and brand quality for India's COVID-19 vaccine, it is necessary to focus on communicating the good properties of the Indian-made vaccine such as safe, high protective effect, high immunity and protection, and long duration of immunity of vaccines.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of working capital policy and strategy on a firm's performance including profitability and market value. By applying One-Sample T-Test, working capital investment and financing policies were classified into the three sub-policies and strategies: aggressive, moderate, and conservative, unlike previous studies using two sub- policies and strategies. The results showed that the SET-listed companies in all seven industry sectors primarily adopted an aggressive working capital investment policy and a conservative working capital financing policy, so-called as moderate working capital management strategy (MWS), at 49.40%. While the firms adopted and conservative working capital management strategy (CWS), 45.70%, followed by the aggressive working capital management strategy (AWS), at 4.90%. When examining the impacts among three-sub policies and strategies on a firm's performance, it was found that the conservative working capital financing policy led to the highest profitability and market value in all industry sectors. The findings also revealed that the aggressive strategy has no impact on a firm's performance in terms of profitability and market value.

Over the last 20 years, the insurance industry in Vietnam has been rapidly growing with an average annual growth rate of 21%, one of the most active markets in Southeast Asia, raising the question of efficiency to managers, investors, and regulators. This article is one of the first research works using Data Envelopment Analysis combined with the Malmquist index over the period from 2016 to 2020 for 37 insurance firms in Vietnam to investigate the efficiency of this sector. The value-added approach is employed with total equity and operating expenses as inputs, finance income, and gross written premium as outputs. The findings reveal that most of Vietnam's insurance companies are operating quite effectively, and the non-life sector is more efficient than the life sector. There is also a regression in efficiency change, while there is a progression in technological change and total factor productivity change during the period examined. The goal of this research is to give a fundamental understanding of the overall efficiency of insurance firms in Vietnam, and help managers, investors, policyholders, and government agencies make better decisions regarding self-assessment, M&A activities, deregulation... Consequently, the insurance sector could improve in terms of efficiency and develop sustainably over time.

The study aimed to determine the impact of societal participation on the customer loyalty of Saudi banks and identify the statistical differences in customer loyalty according to sex, age, education level, and occupation type. The independent variable is corporate societal participation, and the dependent represents customer loyalty. Corporate societal programs have two dimensions: social participation and philanthropic participation. The research population consists of Saudi workers in three sectors: government, military, and private reached 3.58 million people in 2021. The unit of analysis is the Saudi employee in one formal industry and dealing with the Saudi banks that offered corporate societal participation programs. The research used the appropriate stratified sampling method, and the recommended sample size reached 387 respondents. A fully structured questionnaire is used. The study concluded that corporate social programs have not impacted customer loyalty, while corporate philanthropy programs strongly affected customer loyalty. On the other hand, there are no differences in customer loyalty according to demographics (sex, age, education, and occupation type). Finally, the study presents a set of recommendations in the field of corporate social responsibility and develops the local communities.