The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between board size and CEO duality, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). A total of 91 public listed companies from Bursa Malaysia representing the sample of the current study were selected. Secondary data were used and sourced from annual report on the companies. Using descriptive statistics, the existence and the extent of CSR disclosure on Malaysian companies were ascertained. An analysis of the quantitative data was then made using the Partial Least Squares (PLS). The findings from this research show that the role of board size suggest a significant and positive relationship with CSR disclosure. On the other hand, CEO duality on CSR disclosure indicates a negative relationship. This research contributes to the existing literature in terms of the roles of board Size and CEO duality on CSR initiatives. Furthermore, It highlights the necessity of following the new trends in corporate governance field by investigating its mechanisms with the new trendsin financial Industry from Islamic perspective as this might be positively added to the field of corporate governance due to the high significant role for these two fields.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the influence of the determinants (pricing, type of structure, Shariah auditing, Shariah risk and Shariah documentation) and the sukuk legitimacy among Islamic financial institutions using a qualitative approach. The paper further explained the significance of the determinants on legitimacy, evaluated the relationship between sukuk characteristics and sukuk legitimacy and examined the moderating effect of Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) on the relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study used a purposive sampling technique to select the target respondents required for the survey (semi-structured interview). This technique is applied by selecting members of SSBs among Islamic financial institutions. A total number of ten members are selected as the sample size for the study based on their experience and basic knowledge of Fiqh Al-Mua’malat and its application in Islamic financial institutions. Findings The findings revealed that the determinants have a significant impact on the sukuk legitimacy, meaning that there is a positive and significant relationship between the determinants and the sukuk legitimacy. In addition, this study indicates the empirical evidence of the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship between the determinants and the sukuk legitimacy. Practical implications This study has added to the literature by examining the determinants of sukuk legitimacy while evaluating the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship. Besides, this might add benefits to the numerous Islamic financial institutions relating to the amendment of its regulatory frameworks with the view to pushing the sukuk market investors to move toward asset-backed structure. In addition, the SSB in central banks must also focus its attention regarding the sukuk legitimacy and its application among the various Islamic financial institutions. Originality/value This study has added a new discussion to the body of knowledge, i.e. examining the sukuk legitimacy and its relationship with sukuk determinants; hence, an approach that is not widely discussed in the previous studies. Furthermore, conducting such research in the field of Islamic finance provides novelty in the literature among both emerging and developed economies including Malaysia. This is because to the best knowledge of the researchers, there was no empirical study (within the literature) that combined these variables and evaluated their empirical significance. Accordingly, this would enlighten the Islamic Ummah and propel the society’s intensity toward contributing to knowledge and might further provide clarification on the determinants and the sukuk legitimacy to prospective scholars, precisely on the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship between determinants and legitimacy of sukuk.

The objective of this research is to investigate, in emerging markets Jordanian non-financial firms, the effect of two main measurements/indicators of board feature on a firm's growth/capital structure. The two main measurements are: the non-executive directors; and the board of directors' size. In addition, for this research the analysis was by using a cross-sectional study. The hypotheses were made by statistical analysis from collection data sample of 100 firms that was made available by nonfinancial sector in Jordan. Statistical Software programs were used by the current research; SPSS and EViews to analyze the data. Multiple regressions were utilized to test the hypotheses of the effect of the number non-executive directors appointed to a board of directors and the board size on the growth/ capital structure of firms taking in the consideration industry type as a control variable. The data of the present research used the annual reports to obtain th 1 e data that issued by ASE for the year 2014. To measure the dependent variable of the current research; growth/capital structure, the present research chose financial leverage. The results showed that increasing the number of non-executive directors in the board, in another meaning increasing size of the board, has a negative and significant effect on financial leverage. Therefore, greater financial leverage is a result of the existence of small board. Yet, a testing of independent boards (non-executive directors) showed that non-executive directors have insignificant effect on capital structure. Moreover, the type of industry, as a control variable, has no impact on capital structure of the non financial firms. The present research practically presents evidence to different interested parties in emerging markets, such as scholars, policy makers and academics especially in Jordan context. The current study contributes to the literature in the middle East because it is the first study in Jordan to investigate board composition in non-financial sector (industrial and service firms) particularly from the perspective of capital structure and Manuscript independent boards (non-executive directors). In that, using data from undeveloped country that has an inefficient financial market, this study provides an important view insight on the international debate on the effects of board composition on corporate decisions.

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Islamic Sukuk have a key impact and high influence in different economic and banking transactions where they have got an estimable position in financial markets and international money. Recently, sukuk have been considered as one of the fastest industries in its growth in international financial landscape and also considered as the most successful financial products among the Islamic financial institutions. Institutions should be giving more attention to sukuk development and to ensuring that these sukuk are compliant with Sharia requirements. The main objective of this paper is to determine the factors which influencing on sukuk legitimacy. A total of 54 Islamic sukuk Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia representing the whole population were selected. Secondary data was used and sourced from the sukuk shariah report. Using descriptive statistics, the existence and the extent of existence of legitimacy in Islamic sukuk in Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia was ascertained. The research found that the selected factors influence on sukuk legitimacy are could be used as subjects of references in determining the existence of legitimacy in shariah pronouncements.