This study is aimed at analyzing the effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on the financial performance of Chinese listed companies. We applied pooled ordinary least square (OLS) regression as a baseline methodology to determine the effects of COVID pandemic on the financial performance of Chinese listed companies. We found that the small‐ and medium‐sized companies are most affected by this pandemic, in addition to that our analysis has revealed that serious‐impact areas and industries which were worst hit by the COVID‐19 experienced a sharper decline in financial performance as compared to other industries. The findings of this study have broad implications for policymakers, as it is evident that governments, banks, regulatory bodies, and central banks must combine forces to tackle the financial and economic impacts of COVID‐19 crises. They should come up with comprehensive policies to tackle the adverse impact of such crises in the future as well. Actions such as proving loans and rescheduling existing loans to worst‐hit sectors such as tourism, airline industry, etc. are starting point. The disclosure of facts and figure by officials regarding the status of health care number of infections can reduce the chances of panic situations in the future.

University social responsibility (USR) is an important assessment criterion of the QS Stars. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the social orientation of universities as intellectual leaders in the development of society gains particular importance. The research purpose is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the university activity directions in the framework of strategies (USR). An empirical assessment of the level and complementary factors of USR in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) was conducted, using the method of integral and expert assessment. Grounded on scoring according to the principal component analysis, the structure of the factors of the USR development in the BRICS countries was determined. Multifactor regression modeling allowed substantiating the priority of factors stimulating the development of USR in the BRICS countries in modern conditions and arguing the main barriers to introducing the concept of social responsibility into university activities and expanding the stakeholders’ circle in it. The research results showed that the university management creativity, effective communication with the public and stakeholders, the quality of the educational process and the development of scientific activities stimulate USR development in the BRICS countries and should be used as the basis for the strategic planning of activities in the context of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Conceptual trends in the USR development can be useful for universities in the studied countries when adapting strategic development plans regarding the social needs of modern society.

Financial technology (FinTech) represents an innovative shift in the financial services industry, transforming the business model from traditional to technological, notably through digital wallets (e-wallets). Despite mobile payments becoming increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a scarcity of studies on this topic. Small companies faced numerous challenges during the pandemic, including layoffs, absenteeism, reduced sales, financial crises, weakened consumer demand due to closures, movement restrictions, and supply chain disruptions. Consequently, companies are actively seeking effective solutions to mitigate these impacts, such as adopting new FinTech. This research aims to investigate how environmental factors influenced the adoption of e-wallets by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors will base the conceptual model on the technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) framework (Tornatzky et al., 1990). The study will employ an electronic survey method to gather data from a community of small companies in Jordan, with a sample size of 600. The study will analyze five environmental factors that affect the decision to adopt e-wallets, including competition pressure, customer, supplier, and government pressure, support from government and technology suppliers, related technologies, and network externalities. This research will contribute to the literature by providing insights into the environmental challenges faced by SMEs during the pandemic and offering a model to explain the key factors that influence the adoption of e-wallets. Furthermore, it will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers in the financial sector to promote the adoption of e-wallets and other FinTech solutions.

This study tried to examine the factors that influence students’ choice of accounting at X Private University. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data for the five hypotheses which were tested in this study related to the factors of reputation of the university or college, personal interests, job prospect, family members and peers, and media. The findings of the study revealed that personal interests, personality, job prospect, reputation of the university and media did not have a significant influence on the students’ choice of accounting as a major. On the other hand, data analysis shows thatfamily members and peers, significantly related to the students’ choice of accounting as a major. In other words, hypotheses H1, H2, H3, and H5 are rejected, whereas hypothesis H4 is accepted. This research contributes to literature by identifying the relationship between the independent variables (reputation of the university, personal interests, job prospect, family members and peers, and media) and the dependent variable (student’s choice of accounting as a major), and the results of the study give valuable information to university's management to know how they can influence families to increase the number of students enrolling in such university, especially accounting students. This research also tested a new variable, which is reputation of the university – a variable that is expected to influence students’ choices.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyse the role of internal social capital and external social capital in determining the financial and non-financial performance of the firm and the effect of manager’s intangible capabilities on internal social capital and external social capital of firm in the context of the manufacturing sector of India. Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study is collected from 417 managers of manufacturing firms through a structured questionnaire and is analysed through SPSS and AMOS by performing confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings: Findings reveal that a manager’s business experience, financial literacy and intellectual capital significantly enhance the firm’s internal and external social capital. Furthermore, it has been found that the internal social capital of the firm has the potential to enhance the performance of the firm in financial and non-financial terms. The external social capital also significantly derives from the firm’s financial performance; however, it has not significantly impacted its non-financial performance in the current study. Research limitations/implications: These findings provide many implications in theoretical and practical terms because the literature regarding social capital and the linkage among social capital, intangible capabilities and firm performance will be enhanced. The strategymakers and policymakers can also benefit from this study’s implications for making better strategies and policies regarding social capital and the firm’s performance. Originality/value: Past studies, though, examined the influence of social capital on business performance. However, no prior research addresses the phenomenon through which social capital can determine business performance while undertaking the role of a manager’s intangible capabilities in such a model. Therefore, the current study is the first to study the interrelationship among the manager’s intangible capabilities, social capital, and firm performance.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of financial leverage impact on customer satisfaction and marketing costs including research and development (R&D) and advertisement costs. Furthermore, the authors aim to investigate whether customer satisfaction as well as financial distress moderates the effect of financial leverage impact on customer satisfaction and marketing costs including R&D and advertisement costs.Design/methodology/approach: The statistical population of this study consists of listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange manually obtained from different industries in 2017. Multivariate regression based on data compilation methodology is used to test research hypotheses.Findings: The results indicate that financial leverage is negatively and significantly associated with customer satisfaction and this negative relationship is more pronounced in companies with lower sale growth. Furthermore, the authors' results suggest that customer satisfaction negatively (positively) and significantly affects firm value in companies with lower (higher)-financial leverage. The authors also demonstrate that there is no significant relationship between financial leverage caused by financial flexibility and firm value caused by customer's satisfaction (CS). The authors' findings also suggest that financial distress significantly affects the relationship between financial leverage and customer satisfaction. Finally, the authors' find that financial leverage significantly affects firms' R&D and advertisement costs.Research limitations/implications: Since the fundamental institutional assumptions underpinning the Western and even East Asia financial models are not valid in the institutional environment of Iran, the authors' findings could provide substantial implications for the authors' understanding of the relationship between finance and R&D costs and contribute substantially to customer satisfaction and firm value literature as well. The sample country of the present paper has recently experienced a spate of financial collapses that somewhat contributes, indirectly, to financial distress incurred by the Iranian firms. Moreover, R&D costs are growing among the Iranian quoted firms.Originality/value: Since the fundamental institutional assumptions underpinning the Western and even East Asia financial models are not valid in the institutional environment of Iran, the authors' findings could provide substantial implications for our understanding of the relationship between finance and R&D costs and contribute substantially to customer satisfaction and firm value literature as well. The sample country of the present paper has recently experienced a spate of financial collapses that somewhat contributes, indirectly, to financial distress incurred by the Iranian firms. Moreover, R&D costs are growing among the Iranian quoted firms.