This study intends to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Pakistan’s banking sector, CSR disclosure practices and their impact on financial performance. For the study, relevant data was collected from the banks’ annual reports, financial websites, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE) from 2008 to 2018. The methods utilized in this research study were content analysis and panel data techniques. The results indicate an increase in overall CSR disclosure by all banks in the sample and the findings suggest the involvement of commercial banks in CSR activities, and its proper disclosure has helped to improve their accounting-based financial performance proxied by the return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). The research findings contribute to a better understanding of the CSR practices in the financial sector of an emerging country, which makes a dynamic effort to develop its financial culture and can encourage rapprochement with Pakistan’s financial sector.

The 2020–2021 global pandemic has brought significant changes to social and economic life. Companies must begin to rethink their business models and values to meet these new challenges. Given the process of intermediation, which has an indirect and catalytic impact, banks have a responsibility and opportunity to transform the economy by, for example, lending to projects that encourage decarbonization and/or green energy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the MagNet Hungarian Community Bank’s approach as a values-based bank in order to compare how the operation of the bank differs from that of traditional ones—even if these apply the Corporate Social Responsibility approach. The findings of an exploratory study of MagNet’s responsible and sustainable way of doing business can help other sectors and companies cope with the global crisis and be a part of the transition to an inclusive, fair, and decarbonised economy. The data for this study were collected using semi-structured interviews with eleven bankers and three customers of MagNet Bank in 2019, as well as bank documents. Using this information, we created a business model for the bank, using the Business Model Canvas method. Within the business model we highlighted how MagNet Bank integrates principles of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, with the aim of truly integrating sustainability into the core of their corporate genetic makeup, instead of as a partial or insincere measure. With the projection of the models onto each other, we emphasize the role of values in the business model. The combination of the models indicates potential learning points for the further development and long-term success of the bank and serves as an example of good practices for others. This is especially relevant when considering the greater need for improved crisis and risk management due to the pandemic and for the integration of sustainability considerations into business operations which have increased the impetus in the financial sector towards sustainability.

Exchange rate fluctuations play a vital role in influencing macroeconomic variables including economic growth via the channels of net exports and investments. This study claims to be the first in assessing the asymmetric effect of exchange rate fluctuations on G.D.P. in Pakistan whose currency had the title of ‘worst currency of South Asia’ in 2018 after more than 20% depreciation in just three months. In this study, we employ a recently developed technique of Non-linear A.R.D.L. by Shin, Yu, and Greenwood-Nimmo ( 2014 Shin, Y. , Yu, B. , & Greenwood-Nimmo, M. (2014). Modelling asymmetric cointegration and dynamic multipliers in a nonlinear ARDL framework. In Festschrift in Honor of Peter Schmidt (pp. 281–314). New York, NY: Springer. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] ) to test for possible asymmetric effect of exchange rate on G.D.P. along with the proxies of fiscal and monetary policies. Both A.R.D.L. and N.A.R.D.L. are applied on annual data range from 1972 to 2014. The results of A.R.D.L. are found poor and co-integration relationship lost when the assumption of symmetry is taken into consideration. On the contrary, Non-linear A.R.D.L. technique carry more rich information related to the issue at hand and co-integration relationship is confirmed. From the results we found that week currency hurts G.D.P. growth, while strong currency adds to growth. Besides these, we confirm asymmetric impact of exchange rate on G.D.P. growth in Pakistan and find the evidence of short-run, long-run and adjustment asymmetry. To achieve the objective of sustained growth, exchange rate management should focus to restore stability and go for more strong currency in Pakistan. Future research needs to consider capital flows and exchange rate regimes in the form of ‘Sudden Stop hypothesis’ when investigating the asymmetric impact of exchange rate.

Corruption is a curse for any country, as it negatively affects the economic activities and drags the whole society to worst conditions by increasing the poverty and social inequities. Recently the most critical factor for doing business in Pakistan is corruption. In order to give a comprehensive picture of corruption in Pakistan this article (1) critically analyses the literature regarding corruption, its impact on society and the business environment specifically in Pakistan, (2) focuses on business-related factors of corruption, (3) presents various anti-corruption initiatives of Pakistani companies and foreign good examples. Based on our research this study emphasizes that the government should take corrective actions and strengthen institutions and should work in collaboration with the private and civil sector to control the uprising corruption problems. Awareness against corruption in business sphere and general public is very much needed and implementing possible anti-corruption tools, companies can positively contribute to the fight against corruption and Pakistan's economic and social development.

ROLE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY AMONG DISABLE PEOPLE