Contractor Intention on Contractors’ All Risk Takaful Product in Malaysian Construction Industry

Objective – Contractors’ All Risks (CAR) Takaful is completely different from CAR conventional insurance. CAR conventional insurance involves elements of usury (riba), gambling (maysir) and uncertainty (gharar) in their resources and operations which is prohibited by Shari’ah. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between attitude, awareness, understanding, religiosity, subjective norm, service quality and role of agents with contractor’s intention in choosing CAR Takaful products based on theory of planned behaviour (TPB). In addition, this paper aims to address the most influential factors that affect contractor’s intention in choosing CAR Takaful products. Design/methodology – Using primary data collection method, 421 questionnaires were distributed to target respondents comprising Bumiputera contractors in Malaysia except for Sabah and Sarawak, who are registered with CIDB from grade G1 to grade G7 and also a member of Persatuan Kontraktor Melayu Malaysia (PKMM). The data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25. Results – This study's results reveal a significant relationship between attitude, awareness, understanding, religiosity, subjective norm, service quality, and role of agents with contractor’s intention in choosing CAR Takaful product. In addition, this research also verifies that attitude is the most important factor that affects contractor’s intention in choosing CAR Takaful products. Contribution – This paper will bring significant benefits to the Takaful operators and Takaful agents in Malaysia to formulate additional strategies, policies and service quality to attract Bumiputera contractors to choose CAR Takaful product.

Do Auditor Firm Size and Financial Expertise of Audit Committee Affect Voluntary Disclosure of Nigerian Banks?

Objective – This study explores the effect of auditor firm size and audit committee financial expertise on voluntary disclosure of Nigerian listed banks. Design/methodology – The correlational research design is adopted. The secondary data source was obtained from the audited annual financial statement of the banks from 2008 to 2018. The study sample size is 13 listed banks drawn out of a population of 15 Nigerian listed banks as reflected in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) fact book as at 31st December, 2018. The study employed the robust ordinary least square (OLS) regression technique to analyze the panel data obtained for the study. Results – The finding reveals that auditor firm size has a significant positive effect with voluntary disclosure of Nigeria banks. Similarly, financial expertise of audit committee has a significant positive effect on voluntary disclosure of the banks in Nigeria. The result suggest that the choice of big audit firms by clients, regulators and users of audited financial statement against their counterparts (non-big four) is warranted. The management should ensure that the audit committee members with accounting and finance expertise possess requisite knowledge of the industry. Originality – Extant studies are foreign based. However, findings from such studies may not be applicable in Nigeria due to different requirements, given environmental disparities amongst others.

Determinants of Stock Prices: Evidence of Manufacturing Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

Objective – This study aimed to test and analyze the effect of the audit opinion, audit report lag, profitability, and leverage on stock prices in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) for the period of 2012-2018, either simultaneously or partially. Design/methodology – A total of 55 manufacturing companies were the samples of this study, and they were collected using a purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression. Results – This study indicates that simultaneously audit opinion, audit report lag, profitability, and leverage can affect stock prices. Partially, auditing report lag and profitability calculated using ROA can affect stock prices. Meanwhile, audit opinion and leverage partially do not affect stock prices. Contribution – this study provides evidence on the factors influencing the stock prices specifically within the environment of listed manufacturing companies in Indonesia.

Do Tax Knowledge, Level of Trust, and Religiosity De-termine Compliance to Pay Property Tax?

Objective – This study aims to test the effect of tax knowledge, level of trust and religiosity on taxpayers' compliance in paying property tax (PBB) in Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh, Indonesia. Design/methodology – The population of this study are all property taxpayers in Aceh Singkil Regency for the year 2018 with a total of 34,000 taxpayers. Non-probability sampling technique was utilized to draw the research sample which results in 396 samples. Primary data was obtained through questionnaires distributed to the respondents and analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Results – The results showed that tax knowledge, level of trust and religiosity affect the compliance of the taxpayers of property tax in Aceh Singkil Regency, Indonesia. Partially, tax knowledge affects the compliance of property tax paying of taxpayers while the level of trust affects the compliance to pay property tax of taxpayers in Aceh Singkil Regency. Nevertheless religiosity does not affect the compliance of paying property tax of taxpayers in Aceh Singkil Regency. The findings of this study interestingly provides an evidence of the lack of role of religion in influencing the tax payers’ compliance towards property tax.

Capital Structure and Firm Financial Performance: Moderating Effect of Board Financial Literacy in Nigerian Listed Non-Financial Companies

Objective – The study examined the moderating effect of board financial literacy on the relationship between capital structure and firm financial performance of listed non-financial companies in Nigeria. Design/methodology – Capital structure was measured by long term debts to total assets, short term debts to total assets equity to total debt ratio and board financial literacy was measured by ratio of board members that have professional and academic qualification in accounting, finance and economics. Meanwhile financial performance was measured by return on assets. Secondary data was extracted from the sampled firms annual report and accounts and analyzed using Panel Least Square. Results – The study revealed a positive and significant relationship between long term debt and ROA. It also shows that board financial literacy moderate capital structure significantly and increase firm performance. The study recommended that the management of Nigerian listed non-financial firms should optimize the capital structure in order to increase the financial performance. They can do that through ensuring that their capital structure is optimal by using more of current debts and non-current debt than equity. The Board of Directors of Nigerian listed company should be concerned about the level of long term debt, short term debt and include members that are financially literate who will contribute in financing decision of firm in order make optimal capital structure for better financial performance. This is because the findings of this study revealed a positive significant moderating relationship between long term debt, short term debt and financial performance.

Do Environmental Performance and Disclosure Contribute to the Economic Performance? The Moderating Role of Corporate Action

Objective – The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of environmental performance and environmental disclosure on economic performance of the Indonesian listed manufacturing companies by using corporate action as a moderating variable. Design/methodology – This study used secondary data obtained from the official website of the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia. The sample consisted of manufacturing companies that are listed and follow the Company Performance Rating Assessment Program (Program Penilaian Peringkat Kinerja Perusahaan/PROPER) issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for the period of 2011-2016. The study employed a purposive sampling approach, which includes 22 companies with 132 observations. The multiple linear regression method was used for data analysis. Results – The results indicated that environmental performance has a significant positive effect while environmental disclosure has a significant negative effect on economic performance. The testing of corporate action as a moderating variable demonstrated that it could not strengthen the effect of environmental performance on economic performance. However, it could enhance the effect of environmental disclosure on economic performance.

Board Features and Timely Disclosure of Audited Accounts of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

Objective–This study examines the moderating effect of company age on the relationship between board features on timely disclosure of audited financial statements. Specifically it tests the effects of board size, proportionate audit committee size, board independence on timely disclosure of the banks under study; and assess the influence of age as a moderator of board size, proportionate audit committee size, and board independence respectively as they affect timely disclosure of the listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. Design/methodology–The sample of 10 banks out of 15 listed deposit money banks in Nigeria were used. Secondary data was gathered from the sampled banks’ annual accounts and reports. Correlational research design was used to examine the relationship between the studied variables. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were eventually carried. Results –This study finds that board size and proportionate audit committee size are negatively related to timely disclosure of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria with the later exerting significant effect on the dependent variable. Furthermore, company age moderates both corporate governance and timely disclosure. Therefore, this study recommends that companies should strategize ways to improve corporate governance practice in order to inspire confidence on investors by timely disclosure of the financial report. Contribution – The study has been able to provide evidence on age as a moderator to some corporate governance determinants of timeliness disclosure peculiar to Nigerian Deposit Money Banks. It has also addressed the measurement issue regarding audit committee size, introduced a new term known as ‘proportionate audit committee size’ as a variable.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Mobile Payment Method among Generation Z: the Extended UTAUT Approach

Objective– Rapid advances in financial technology have tremendously changed both the way of life and the way of doing business over recent decades. The ubiquitous usage of the internet is fostering new forms of enterprise. Mobile payment is a new way to conveniently and effectively conduct financial transactions through digital platforms. This study analyzes the factors influencing the adoption of mobile payments as a method of payment utilized by Generation Z. Generation Z represents the successor of the generation of our society and the generation that interacts the most with internet technology. Design/methodology– Using the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, this study sampled 100 respondents of Generation Z from Jakarta and surrounding areas (JABODETABEK) and further analyzed using the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). Results – The results show that factors relating to Performance Expectancy, Social Influences, Facilitating Condition, Perceived Enjoyment, and Trust significantly affect the Behavioral Intention to use mobile payments to conduct online transactions. Effort Expectancy shows no significant effect. Contribution – This study provided the evidence about the factors influencing the Generation Z’s intention behavior to adopt mobile payment technology as a tool in online purchasing, using the extended UTAUT model. This stems from extended UTAUT and applies it to explore how the Behavioral Intention of Generation Z in adopting mobile payment technology.

An Empirical Analysis on COVID-19: Lockdown Impact on Nigerian Economy

Objective – Objective of this study is to analyze the lockdown effect on economic activities in Nigeria as the lockdown response measure to COVID-19 pandemic claim to pose a serious and potentially long term socio-economic threat to individuals, households, businesses as well as public sectors in Nigeria. Design/methodology – This study considered four regions in Nigeria (Northwest, North-Central, South-South and Southeast) and adopted a quantitative research approach which entails systematic evaluation of individuals’ behavior towards an unprecedented economic shock and their response to the manner in which the situation might unfolds by lifting the lockdown measure in Nigeria. This is achievable with a systematic random sample and a well-structured survey questionnaire. All these regions experienced the imposition of lockdown measure by their respective state authorities. Results – The results indicated that most socio-economic challenges including job loss, increase social vices, rise in poverty level, fall in economic activities, as well as fall in the level of GDP faced by individuals was not a resultant of the lockdown. Consequently, authority’s inefficiency was also challenged in spite of their efforts to mitigate and control the emerging economic consequences faced by households during the lockdown periods.Recommendation - The study recommends that lifting of lockdown would be the best action for the government to take for socio-economic resilience. The study also revealed that both public and individuals need to establish democratic preferences, and trust on health professionals or experts. Further to this, government should decide on effective measures needed to contain the continuous spread of the virus especially through development of research based and healthcare institutions.

Trend Analysis of the Link Between Tax Reveneue, Non-Tax Revenue and Public Expenditure in Nigeria

Objective – The paper is aimed at examining the relationship between government tax revenue, non-tax revenue and government expenditure in Nigeria. Design/methodology – Quantitative research design was employed. Secondary data were collected from Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin, World Bank, World Data Atlas and Federal Inland Revenue Service. The study covers the period of 2010 to 2018. Meanwhile descriptive statistics was used to analyzed the data. Results – The findings of the study discovered that, there is a relationship between government revenue and government expenditure, and the Nigerian government revenue and expenditure is in line with the spend-and-revenue hypothesis. That is government revenue only respond to previous changes in expenditure. Thus, government is expected to generate enough tax revenue to enable it meet government expenses as revenue from oil is decreasing. This signifies that whenever there is high government expenditure, it is required that government must raise higher revenue, and in Nigeria, government expenditure is always higher than the revenue resulting to budget deficit. In addition, tax revenue was found to have been increasing even though at a slower rate. Limitation/Suggestion - The study recommends that Nigerian government should cut down current expenditures on wages, acquisition of goods and services that are unnecessary and increase capital expenditure. Increase in capital expenditures on education, infrastructures and health care will boast the economic activity and which will in turn increases government tax revenue.