Inderscience is a global company, a dynamic leading independent journal publisher disseminates the latest research across the broad fields of science, engineering and technology; management, public and business administration; environment, ecological economics and sustainable development; computing, ICT and internet/web services, and related areas.

This work aims to evaluate the level of adherence to the information suggested by the international integrated reporting structure of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), by analysing financial reports information. Moreover, it intends to analyse the impact of this adherence on firms' financial performance, using an econometric model. For it integrated reports of Portuguese and Spanish firms between 2019 and 2021 are analysed. Results show that most of the firms in the sample disclose information suggested by the IIRC's international integrated reporting framework. However, the level of adherence does not directly impact financial performance. At an indirect level, the presence of external verification of non-financial information by a Big Four auditor positively influences financial performance. These results can be supported by legitimacy and institutional theories, as companies may publish non-financial information to obtain legitimacy for their activity from the society due to growing social, political, and economic pressures.

Inderscience is a global company, a dynamic leading independent journal publisher disseminates the latest research across the broad fields of science, engineering and technology; management, public and business administration; environment, ecological economics and sustainable development; computing, ICT and internet/web services, and related areas.

Inderscience is a global company, a dynamic leading independent journal publisher disseminates the latest research across the broad fields of science, engineering and technology; management, public and business administration; environment, ecological economics and sustainable development; computing, ICT and internet/web services, and related areas.

Inderscience is a global company, a dynamic leading independent journal publisher disseminates the latest research across the broad fields of science, engineering and technology; management, public and business administration; environment, ecological economics and sustainable development; computing, ICT and internet/web services, and related areas.

Inderscience is a global company, a dynamic leading independent journal publisher disseminates the latest research across the broad fields of science, engineering and technology; management, public and business administration; environment, ecological economics and sustainable development; computing, ICT and internet/web services, and related areas.

Financial and social inclusion are emerging as critical facilitators of economic growth and development that significantly drive away poverty. The purpose of this paper is to model and quantify the link between financial and social inclusion. Data were collected, and the hypotheses of this study were analysed using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS software. The findings from the study showed that financial inclusion has a significant and positive effect on social inclusion. Given the limited existing research on this topic, this paper contributes by establishing connections between distinct dimensions of financial and social inclusion, offering guidance for future research. The insights gleaned from this study can assist financial service providers, policymakers, and regulators in crafting more effective financial products and social inclusion policies aimed at serving marginalised communities.

The paper aims to examine factors that influence capital structure decisions of sugar and cement sector firms of Pakistan. The research incorporates specific firms along with macro-economic determinants of capital structure. As a test case, 29 sugar sector and 17 cement sector firms, listed in Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), were selected. The data consists of a ten year period, covering the years 2010-2021, using PLS technique. The results showed a significant impact of GDP, INF, GO and PROF on the capital structure decision of sugar sector firms whereas for the cement sector, FS and PROF are significant factors. The results supported trade-off as well as pecking order theories, indicating that no single theory completely explains the situation of the capital structure of Pakistan sugar and cement firms. Firms should consider the impact of selected variables while making capital structure decisions as ultimately it affects cost of capital which in turn influences shareholders' wealth.

The network of well-functioning commercial banks in a country ensures financial stability and accelerates economic growth. Due to increasing non-performing assets (NPAs) and bad loans, the profitability of commercial banks is declining continuously which results in lower revenue and interest income of banks, raising operational costs and loss of assets. The financial crisis resulted in loss of assets of banks, the decline in the value of business, customer dissatisfaction, and slow business growth. Therefore, it is necessary to control NPAs to improve the financial ability of the banking system. The study identifies determinants responsible for NPA problems in commercial banks. The research deploys multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques 'total interpretive structural modelling' (TISM) and 'cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification' (MICMAC) to develop a hierarchical model and to study the cross inter-relationship among these factors. The study finds two crucial paths which explain how NPAs problem can be controlled through improving 'credit efficiency' and 'operational efficiency'. The proposed novel hierarchical model would enable practicing managers, service providers, financial consultants to plan better to enhance the credit risk management efficiency of financial institutions.

International audience