PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of board and audit committee characteristics on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Iranian companies listed in stock exchanges.Design/methodology/approachThis is a descriptive-correlational and an applied research. The statistical population of this research is all companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange and the research period is from 2012 to 2018. Using screening method a sample of 150 companies was selected. Multivariate regression and the software Eviews 10 were used for data analysis and hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results indicated that board size had a significant effect on CSR; board independence had a significant effect on CSR; managerial ownership did not have a significant effect on CSR; CEO duality did not have a significant effect on CSR; audit committee size had a significant effect on CSR; audit committee independence had a significant effect on CSR; and financial expertise of audit committee members had a significant effect on CSR.Originality/valueThe present study is the first research performed on the effect of board and audit committee characteristics on CSR in Iran. The results of this study contribute to the literature on the effect of board and audit committee characteristics on CSR and provide suggestions for capital market participants. CSR helps reduce asymmetric distribution of information among the internal and external organizational entities and reduce agency problems and conflicts among different groups. Based on the results, an effective audit committee as an effective mechanism enhances the credibility of financial and non-financial reporting such as social responsibility, which means that an effective audit committee can improve the level of voluntary disclosure of information through effective oversight of the reporting process. It is also suggested that companies focus on audit committee characteristics to increase the level of CSR.

PurposeThe main objective of the paper is to examine the relationship between managerial attributes (e.g. managerial entrenchment, managerial myopia and managerial overconfidence) and firm risk-taking on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).Design/methodology/approachThe study’s sample comprises 150 companies listed on the TSE from 2011 to 2017. Risk-taking is calculated as the standard deviation (SD) of stock return. Explanatory factor analysis was performed to calculate the weight of each of the five variables managerial ownership, board independence, chief executive officer (CEO) tenure, board compensation and CEO duality as a proxy for managerial entrenchment. The study by Anderson and Hsiao (1982) was also used to calculate managerial myopia, and the study by Schrand and Zechman (2012) was used to calculate managerial overconfidence.FindingsThe results indicate that the effect of managerial entrenchment and managerial myopia on risk-taking of listed firms on the TSE is positive and significant, implying that an increase in CEO entrenchment is likely to give rise to risk-taking. The authors conjecture that this finding could be due to the investment projects impairing the firm performance in the long run. Furthermore, the effect of managerial overconfidence on listed firms' risk-taking on the TSE is significantly negative. Since overconfidence is one of the traits of narcissism and corporate managers tend to be encouraged and admired, it is implied that they tend to make efficient and low-risk investments that ultimately reduce the firm risk-taking.Originality/valueSeveral theoretical studies show that managerial behavior is a determining factor in the economy. One of the reasons which justify the originality of this study is the context and institutional environment. Undoubtedly, managerial behavior (e.g. managerial entrenchment, managerial myopia and managerial overconfidence) is expected to have some significant variations in developing countries compared to prevailing in developed countries, particularly in the Iranian stock market the economic sanctions. Furthermore, due to the direct impact of individuals' psychological and behavioral characteristics on their decisions and the effect of companies' risk-taking on increasing and decreasing shareholders and companies' wealth, this research is essential. Given the function of designed behavioral criteria for assessing risk-taking behaviors, the relationship between managerial attributes and firms' risk-taking is still unclear and investigated in this study.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the predictability of firm level data for determining macroeconomic indicators such as unemployment. Design/methodology/approach This study uses quarterly GDP and unemployment data manually collected from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI). Accounting numbers are also collected from the Tehran Stock Exchange library for the 2004-2015 period. Dispersion of earnings growth provides related data about labour reallocation, unemployment change and finally aggregate output. To summarize, this study attempts to examine the effect of these variables using classical and Bayesian approaches. Findings At a firm level, our results suggest that sectoral shift in previous years is likely to increase labour reallocation in subsequent years. At the macro level, the results reveal that dispersion of earnings growth and labour reallocation has a negative and positive impact on unemployment changes, respectively. However, the study suggests no significant relationship between stock return and unemployment changes. Consequently, we determine that the real estimates of macroeconomic indicators have predictive power because nominal estimates are not statistically associated with firm-level details. Finally, the results obtained from classical and Bayesian approaches suggest similar findings, thus confirming the robustness of our conclusions. Note that, based on Bayesian approach, the nominal reallocation has predictive power in unemployment rate. Originality/value The study is the first conducted in a developing country and the results provide important insight into current line of accounting literature.

The early identification of COVID-19 is critical to prevent the disease from spreading at the community level. Cloud computing allows healthcare providers to enhance patient care, exchange information more quickly, increase operational efficiency, and save expenses. Thus, this research investigates cloud computing applications in the context of an outbreak. We gathered, summarized, and evaluated scientific papers on cloud computing throughout an outbreak that were released between 2020 and April 2022 for this Systematic Literature Review (SLR). We employed a pre-defined review methodology to examine commonly known electronic datasets. Keywords were used to look for all publications connected to the subject. 18 papers were chosen for this SLR after thoroughly following the research selection method. This review paper offers current state-of-the-art outcomes and methodologies on cloud computing throughout an epidemic, outlining research gaps and providing directions for future research. The results showed that cloud computing plays a crucial role in addressing and relieving side effects in vital situations such as the coronavirus epidemic. We tried to provide a comprehensive study, but non-English articles were not included in this study, so future studies can provide a more comprehensive study by considering all articles in Chinese, Japanese, etc.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of board characteristics on money laundering in Iranian listed companies. Design/methodology/approach This was a descriptive-correlational study, and in terms of purpose, it was an applied research. The statistical population of this study was all companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during the years 2012-2018. A sample of 150 companies was selected by screening method. Data analysis and hypothesis testing were performed using logistic regression and Eviews 10. Findings The results indicated that the board bonus and CEO duality (chief executive officer duality) had a significant effect on money laundering. CEO gender also had a significant effect on money laundering. Originality/value Sound management of risks related to money laundering by the board of directors is associated with stability, soundness and overall health of a country's financial system, which enables the integrity of the international financial system by meeting the Basel Committee goals, including strengthening the regulations, monitoring and improving current procedures, promoting financial stability and maintaining and enhancing a good corporate reputation; however, banks and other financial institutions are exposed to more serious risks, especially the reputation risk, operational risk, etc., if management does not play an effective role in the fight against money laundering. If management considers efficient and risk-driven policies and procedures in the fight against money laundering, then many problems and losses as well as many costs, including failure to collect receivables and to bring legal proceedings, can be prevented.