In the global trend toward economic integration, Vietnamese enterprises desire to attract investment and increase competitiveness in the global market, so they have been required to provide transparent, high-quality financial reports following the International Financial Reports Standards (IFRS). Based on the roadmap drawn by the Vietnam Ministry of Finance, the foreign-invested enterprises, listed enterprises and state-owned enterprises will be applying IFRS in 2030. However, some enterprises in Vietnam have applied IFRS in the presentation of financial statements at the request of related parties for a while. The main research objective of this paper focused on examining the factors affecting the implementation of IFRS in Vietnamese enterprises through descriptive statistics tools, Cronbach’s Alpha testing, EFA and logistics regression analysis with the sample collected from 254 Vietnamese enterprises. The methodology in this research was the mixed qualitative and quantitative method. The results show that the higher the profitability, debt ratio and firm size of the enterprise, the more likely it is to apply IFRS. From the results of this study, the appropriate recommendations have been made to promote the implementation of IFRS by Vietnamese enterprises effectively and following the IFRS application roadmap of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam.

This study examines the cost and benefit (i.e., income) of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) rubber plantations in Thailand. The study attempts to identify the challenges to the implementation of FSC standards in rubber plantations in the country. A total of 60 rubber farmers in two Southern provinces, namely, Songkhla and Rayong, were interviewed through a standardized questionnaire to gather primary data. The study found that small-, medium- and large-sized FSC rubber plantations were worth investing in. All sizes of rubber plantations had similar values of benefit cost ratio (BCR). It was also found that the values of the discount payback period (DPP) of the three forms of FSC rubber plantations were 9-12 years, while the large rubber plantations had the highest internal rate of return (IRR) (19.0%). It implies that the large-size plantations had the highest values. The rubber farmers in the study area reported that they are facing a number of problems and hardships in implementing FSC standards, lacking knowledge and understanding of FSC, especially for preparing documentation. Therefore, the Thai government should take proper policy initiatives to remove all the problems and barriers in implementing FSC standards for the sustainable rubber production in the country.

The purpose of this study is to analyze integrated reporting disclosure and its implications on investor reactions. The population in this study is all manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia stock exchange from 2017 to 2019, totaling 171 companies, and the sampling technique used is purposive sampling method. The method used in this research is a quantitative description using the financial statements of manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia stock exchange. The data analysis method used is multiple regression analysis with intervening variables using AMOS 24 software. The results of this study show a positive and significant effect of profitability (X1) and company size (X2) on integrated reporting (IR); a positive and insignificant effect of stakeholder pressure (X3) on integrated reporting (IR); a positive and significant effect of profitability (X1) and stakeholder pressure (X3) on investor reactions (Y); a positive and insignificant effect of firm size (X2) and integrated reporting (IR) on investor reactions (Y). Suggestions are that in further studies, we can increase the sample size by including other industries, and in addition to using annual reporting, we can also use other sources such as websites, press releases, and prospectuses to improve the robustness of this study by relying on other data sources.

Independence is a factor which has a significant impact on auditing quality, especially in the recent times where the marketplace is increasingly demanding transparency. The independence of auditors is assessed based on the main criteria such as the reliability of the audit opinions, the accuracy, truthfulness of financial reports, and the objectivity in the opinions of the auditor. The study investigates the effects of non-audit services (NAS) on auditor independence in emerging economies such as Vietnam. Non-audit services include taxation services, management advisory services and outsourcing internal audit services. Based on previously relevant researches, the authors develop hypotheses and a regression model about non-audit services (independent variables) and audit independence (dependent variable). The research collects data by 5-scale Likert questionnaire. The findings indicate the relationship between NAS and auditor independence. Specifically, the results reveal two main factors that have influence on auditor independence, namely, taxation services and management advisory services. The results of our research can be considered as new findings and can be compared to previous researches in Vietnam, which establishes a new viewpoint about the relationship between the NAS and the independence of the auditor. This result can be implemented for countries or jurisdictions which are similar to Vietnam.

As the millennials continue to mature and enter the workforce, it is important that employers understand what this generation expects from all aspects of their employment and leadership preferences in order to prepare them to be the next millennials leaders. The purpose of this research is to determine the generic attributes of the new millennial leaders in Malaysia. The survey is distributed among executives in the selected government-linked, multinational, and public-sector companies in Malaysia, with 237 (72%) of whom being millennials. Partial least square (PLS-SEM) via software SmartPLS 3.0 was applied to evaluate the measurement model and the structural model. Results from this study indicate that the attributes of the millennials leader are innovative (0.213), inspiration (0.128), and visionary (0.122). Thus, organization can focus on those attributes in preparing the millennials for being the next generation of leaders. This study offers important implications to researchers as well as practitioners, and highlights the leadership attributes that could help in enhancing millennials leadership. This study produces a new millennials leadership attributes model for millennials leaders in Malaysian companies; with millennials becoming the fastest-growing age groups in the organizations, this study will promote effective and efficient skills for the millennials.

This study investigates how financial resources and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) may influence the performance of small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Twenty-seven interviews were conducted and evaluated using the method of GABEK® (A GAnzheitliche BEwältigung von Komplexität – holistic processing of complexity). The research demonstrated that access to financial resources has significantly mediated EO’s effect on the SMEs’ performance. The study found that financial autonomy, enhanced through both personal financing and availability of external finance sources, plays a central role in supporting the EO dimension of autonomy and enhancing the SMEs’ performance. In particular, the other EO dimension of risk-taking is stymied by lack of funds with which to take commercial and market opportunities. However, when an innovation strategy is pursued and adopted, access to finance can be facilitated, either through financial institutions or through other governmental funding programs attracting high potential innovators. Furthermore, financial barriers, difficulties accessing bank financing, and legal issues have a detrimental impact on SMEs’ growth. The study has implications for policy-makers in the UAE, specifically in terms of sending a signal for lending institutions to consider strategies that provide access to affordable financial services to satisfy SMEs’ needs.

Investing in the tax-benefit funds is the best way for the inexperienced investors who do not have knowledge, expertise, and the time to research the information by themselves. This study describes the benefits of tax-benefit funds in Thailand. The tax-benefit funds consist of retirement mutual funds (RMFs) and super saving funds (SSFs). There are many kinds of funds investment policies on offer. The tax-benefit funds provide the opportunity to investors, which they are able to invest a small amount and draw more benefits. They hire fund managers to manage their money. These funds are able to help investors to meet their goals. The RMFs are suitable for investors who want to have money for retirement, investing every year, and getting tax exemption. The investors who invest in RMFs are able to deduct the tax income by including other retirement funds not exceeding THB500,000.00 per year. The SSFs match for the investors who need to obtain the tax exemption and long-term investment for at least ten years. The SSFs provide the benefit to investors that they are able to deduct taxable income not more than THB200,000.00 per year. Finally, these funds are tax-except and promoted for retirement savings.

Batik industry is a business activity oriented towards customer loyalty and is demanded to show an increasing diversity of products with various motives designed to prevent customers from moving to other companies. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical approach in solving problems in the relationship between service quality and product diversity on satisfaction and word of mouth (WoM) and its impact on customer loyalty. Furthermore, this study also examined the mediating effects of satisfaction and WoM in the relationship between service quality and product diversity on customer loyalty. This research’s object took the customers of Batik Semarangan Craftwork, Indonesia, with the phenomenon of always developing creative and innovative Batik motif designs that can be accepted by the market without leaving Semarang’s uniqueness. The total sample was 98 customers. The results of the study showed that service quality and product diversity positively affected satisfaction and WoM and had a positive effect on customer loyalty. Besides, satisfaction and WoM had a mediating effect on the effect of service quality and product diversity on loyalty. Thus, it is essential for management to create and increase customer loyalty by paying attention to service quality, product diversity, satisfaction, and WoM.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the antecedents of student loyalty which included Servicescape University, relationship quality, university image, and student satisfaction. The research was conducted in three universities with Islamic atmosphere under Al Washliyah Foundation in Medan, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Data analysis in this study includes descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that: (1) Servicescape university influences university image, student satisfaction, but does not influence student loyalty; (2) Servicescape university through university image influences student loyalty, (3) Servicescape university through student satisfaction influences student loyalty, (4) Relationship quality influences university image, satisfaction Students, but does not influence student loyalty, (5) Relationship quality through university image influences student loyalty, (6) Relationship quality through student satisfaction influences student loyalty, (7) University image influences student loyalty, and (8). Student satisfaction influences student royalty. The findings of this study suggest that the antecedent of student loyalty in universities with Islamic atmosphere which was examined in this research includes four factors: Servicescape university, quality relationship, university image, and students’ satisfaction.

The focus of this research was on Bali, Indonesia as an international tourist destination. The survey strategy involved self-administered questionnaires distributed to collect data and information supporting this research. The sampling method was non-probability convenience purposive sampling, which means that only those respondents who had visited Bali as a destination for more than two times for their holiday by the time the research was conducted were eligible to fill in the questionnaires. There were 300 questionnaires distributed, only 254 of which were valid. Interview was also conducted for data collection in this research. The structural equation modelling approach was used to analyze the data obtained from respondents, who had visited Bali at least two times. The outcomes of this research reveal a positive influence of push and pull motivational factors on tourist satisfaction. Moreover, a positive, significant correlation between satisfaction and destination loyalty can be seen in this research. With the aim to sustain and enhance destination competitiveness, the results of this research will be beneficial for stakeholders of Bali as a destination. This study helps stakeholders identify push and pull motivational factors in order to better prepare marketing strategies and utilize indicators of push and pull motivation that affect tourists’ experience during their stay.

Network marketing in Indonesia, especially in a time of crisis, is massively rising and has become a popular opportunity among other industries. Network marketing organizations, consists of partnership and trust, a community of connections and contact between individuals. This article has tried to examine the potential strategy to mitigate low trust in network marketing organizations specifically in the Indonesia market, where no studies on the subject has been done before. In doing this research assignment employed a secondary research methodology by reviewing previous academic literatures, by exploration and evaluation. For the purpose, 6 main articles and 25 relevant supporting articles were selected, there is an interesting and prominent research in an effort to repair trust in the perspective of the organization’s efforts to build trust and control trust framework in strategy trust repair. The result of this analysis showed that the application of trust-building activities studies reveals how trustbuilding behavior is related to controls and how the efforts towards fostering subordinate cooperation are motivated by different types of controls and display of trustworthiness. It can be concluded that by implementing this trust repair model consistently and with a full commitment, it can gradually restore people’s trust in the network marketing industry, sustain industry existence and exalted purpose of this industry can be achieved.

Work motivation is critical for ensuring sustainability of any business firm. Motivated personnel essentially helps an organization achieve its organizational goal and objective. Hence, it has become an essential duty for business managers and management committees to identify the motivating factors that would strongly affect their employees. The purpose of the current research is to identify which are the factors that motivate service employees most at their workplace in Bangladesh. The study has used survey questionnaires to collect data from service employees. Convenience sampling is used for data collection. A total of 240 questionnaires were distributed and 183 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate: 77%). The study used purposeful motivating factors, which are ranked (from 1 to 10) by the service employees according to the significance of the factors. Mean value is applied to determine the most crucial motivating factor, where the factor with lowest mean value is considered as the highest significant motivating factor. Results reveal that job certainty, career growth and advancement opportunity, and quality working environment have been the most crucial and influential motivating factors for the service employees. The study adequately underlines the necessity of motivational factors and provides some guidelines to keep employees motivated.

The research objective was to find out how Total Quality Management (TQM) mediates antecedents of employee performance variables? The research was conducted with a quantitative approach while the research design was cross sectional. The research model was tested using the structural equation modeling approach with partial least square analysis tools to test the influence among research variables. The research sample consisted of 315 respondents who answered a questionnaire in August-September 2019 at manufacturing companies in East Java. The results showed that situational leadership did not affect employee performance, but did affect the successful implementation of TQM. The performance measurement system has no direct effect on employee performance. The performance measurement system has a direct effect on employee performance. Organizational culture has a direct effect on both employee performance and the application of TQM, so that the application of TQM can improve employee performance. TQM implementation variable acts as a mediation between situational leadership and organizational culture on employee performance. The relationship that was originally a direct influence turned into an indirect effect through TQM. The TQM variable is not proven to be an intervening variable between the performance measurement system and employee performance. There is a direct relationship between these two variables.

Investors from the whole world are looking for those stock markets that are less affected by interest rates. Pakistan is a good place to invest and the investors from the whole world are considering Pakistan for future ventures. The current study, therefore, aims to analyze the factors affecting investors’ decision making in Pakistan with the interaction effect of locus of control. The primary data are gathered from 300 respondents. Structural equation modelling (SEM-PLS) is used to analyze the interactions among variables. The study finds positive impact of availability and representative biases on investment decision making. The study could not find any moderating role of locus of control. The results imply that decisions made by Pakistani investors are driven by the most easily or currently available information and they trust on the information obtained from family and friends without any authentication and verification. One possible description of insignificant moderation effect of locus of control can be the sample traits used in the study, e.g., personal characteristics, that change from culture to culture. Another description of these findings may be the association between heuristic biases, including availability, representative and psychological biases and decision-making regarding investment is not personality specific.

Although networking behavior is an effective job search method to students, far too little attention has been paid to mechanisms explaining the antecedents and networking behavior. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the effect of the HEXACO personality dimensions on graduated students’ job search networking behavior through their network size. A survey of 773 participants was conducted to assess personality traits, network size, and networking behavior. All constructs in the study were measured by 5-point Likert scales. This study employed a structural equation model to examine the proposed conceptual model and the correlations among variables. Results showed that the personality of emotionality negatively influence students’ network size, while extraversion and agreeableness are positively associated with the scope of their social network. Second, the findings confirmed that network size is directly related to the level of looking-for job behavior, particularly networking behavior. Finally, our results explored that network size played the mediating effect on how personality traits affect networking behavior. These findings suggest that network size is a dynamic mechanism that helps to understand the correlation between personality traits and job search networking behavior. The theoretical and practical implication of the study, as well as the future research direction were discussed.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficiency of research institutes of futures companies, and to promote the development of futures market and real economy. This study employs DEA-solver software to conduct super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (SE-DEA), and also selects 40 representative futures research institutes in China as decision-making units (DMUs). For data of input and output indicators, we collect from the China Futures Association, Futures Daily, Hexun.com and Webstock.com respectively, and the time duration is the 103 trading days between from October 2019 to February 2020. Then the indicator for the strategy accuracy rate is calculated separately by analyzing the strategies published by each DMUs in public media. In conclusions, most institutes have excessive investment in human resources, and also have insufficient strategy accuracy rate and insufficient published research reports. The findings of this study suggest that Chinese futures companies need to improve the efficiency of research institutes, and better meet the demand of the financial market. In fact, the analysis of the efficiency of the futures company research institute has not been found in the literature worldwide, Application of DEA model in efficiency analysis of securities and futures research institutions and establishment of indicators are the innovations of this paper.

This study examines factors of unemployment and career path challenges commonly faced by youth in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The study employed a quantitative approach which involved a total of 1,083 youths in Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu selected at random. Descriptive and multiple regression analysis (OLS) methods were used to analyze demographic distribution of youth in determining factors influencing unemployment among them. The results reveal that the majority of youth respondents in the East Coast states of Malaysia are still unemployed and actively seeking employment. Demographic profiles are based on the survey results, youths seeking employment with 36 per cent distribution in Kelantan, 34 per cent in Pahang, and 30 per cent in Terengganu. Majority of the respondents were youths aged 20 to 24 years with a 40.9 percent percentage. The findings show that there are differences in factors affecting youth unemployment in the three states of East Coast, Malaysia. For Kelantan (age, experience, work mobility, marital status), Pahang (experience, marital status) and Terengganu (experience, gender, marital status, training). This study suggests that youths should be wise in preparing for their career by choosing the right career as well as doing side jobs to gain experience before they pursue for a real job.

The performance of a teacher has an important role in the success of education in general. This study aims to determine the factors that affect the decline in teacher performance in one of the junior secondary schools in Indonesia. Based on the literature review, four exogenous variables were identified, namely, training, utilization of information technology, intellectual intelligence, and emotional intelligence. This study uses primary data, collected from a questionnaire distributed to respondents. The questionnaire items are measured using a Likert scale. The sample in this study were all teachers at MTS Darul Falah Sirahan, totaling 32 people. The analysis technique used in testing the hypothesis of this study is multiple regression analysis. Statistical product and service solutions are used as analysis tools. The results of this study indicate that only the variable ‘utilization of information technology’ has a positive and significant effect. However, the variables ‘training,’ ‘intellectual intelligence,’ and ‘emotional intelligence’ did not have a significant effect. This finding contradicts the literature in general. Therefore, this study recommends improving training methods, both those carried out internally by schools and by related agencies, and schools still need to optimize guidance and potential for teacher’s intelligence in improving performance.

Employability has recently become the first target of the national higher education. Its model has been updated to catch the new trend of Industry 4.0. This paper aims at analyzing and ranking the determinants of undergraduate employability, focusing on business and economics majors in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In-depth interviews with content analysis have been primarily conducted to reach an agreement on a key group of factors: human capital, social capital, and identity. The Stochastic Fractal Search Algorithm (SFSA) is then applied to rank the sub-factors. Human capital is composed of three major elements: attitude, skill, and knowledge. Social capital is approached at both structural and cognitive aspects with three typical types: bonding, bridging, and linking. The analysis has confirmed the change of priority in employability determinants. Human capital is still a driver but the priority of attitude has been confirmed in the contemporary context. Then, social capital with the important order of linking, bridging, and bonding is emphasized. Skill, knowledge, and identity share the least weight in the model. It is noted that identity is newly proposed in the model but a certain role has been found. The findings are crucial for education strategies to enhance university graduate employability.

This study analyzes human development convergence and the impact of funds transfer to the regions using σ and β-convergence analysis method. Observations were made in all Indonesia’s provinces in the period 2010-2019. The coefficient of variation calculation shows a dispersion in the inequality of human development, which means that convergence occurred. This is also documented by the clustering analysis results developed in the study. The results are in line with the hypothesis of neoclassical theory, which shows the tendency for provinces with lower human development levels to grow relatively faster. The dynamic panel data approach with the GMM model shows that a model built with explanatory variables for transfer of funds to regions may lead to the process of convergence of human development – 2.21% per year or 31 years to cover the half-life of convergence. This is a consequence of the Special Allocation Fund and the Village Fund, which positively impact the convergence process, and the General Allocation Fund and the Revenue Sharing Fund with negative signs slowing the convergence process. This evidence opens opportunities to review the justification of the weighting component in determining the amount of funds transferred to the region to accelerate the convergence process of human development.