Abbas Abdelrahman Adam Abdalla

Purpose: This study applies the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability theory (DCT) to investigate the correlation between digital transformation (DT), human capital (HC) and firm performance (FP). Additionally, it employs mediation to analyze the role of HC in the relationship between DT and FP. Design/methodology/approach: A survey-based approach was utilized to gather quantitative data from the owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A total of 867 questionnaires were disseminated to SME owners and/or managers. In conjunction with the bootstrapping method, 356 responses were used to evaluate the framework using the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. Findings: Based on the findings, digital capabilities (DC) and management support (MS) substantially affect DT. At the same time, DT significantly and positively affected HC. In addition, HC had a significant impact on FP. Furthermore, this study’s findings verify that HC completely mediates the relationship between DT and FP. Originality/value: The findings show how digital transformation improves organizational performance through the intermediary effect of human capital. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate that national economic growth moderates the direct and indirect effects of the antecedents of digital transformation on business performance.

This study explores the relationship between institutional shareholders and climate-related disclosure (CRD) and how sustainability committees influence this relationship among publicly listed Malaysian firms. For the analysis, 990 firm-year observations were studied from 198 highly polluting firms from 2021 to 2024. A strong CRD index was designed using the recognized climate reporting frameworks and well-grounded literature to assess the level of climate-related disclosure. Fixed-effects and hierarchical panel regression models show that CRD increases when institutional investor ownership increases, meaning firms with more institutional investors disclose more information on climate-related topics. In addition, a sustainability committee at the board level greatly improves this relationship by highlighting the positive impact of strong internal governance. As a result, such committees establish climate management and improve communication with investors, making the firm’s actions more transparent. The findings of this study are consistent with agency and legitimacy theories because institutional investors assist in monitoring firms’ environmental performance, and sustainability committees help the company maintain these standards internally. Further, this study helps grow the understanding of corporate governance (CG) and sustainability by pointing out that the presence of institutional owners and sustainability committees can promote openness about climate matters. Accordingly, these findings can guide policymakers, investors, and business leaders in boosting responsible environmental reporting and sustainable business practices in developing countries.

This study investigates the impact of the board of directors' effectiveness (BODEF), audit committee effectiveness (AUDEF), and institutional ownership (IO) on carbon disclosure quality (CDQ) and examines the moderating effect of the environmental committee (EC) on such impacts. Thus, to evaluate CDQ, a self‐constructed index was established based on standards and recommendations stated in several Malaysian and international guidelines related to carbon reporting. This study employs panel data analysis on 200 publicly listed Malaysian firms observed from 2015 to 2019. The findings showed a significant positive effect of BODEF, AUDEF, and IO on CDQ. Additionally, the results showed that EC has an insignificant moderating influence on the impact of BODEF and AUDEF on CDQ; meanwhile, it strengthens the effect of IO on CDQ. The reported findings offer valuable insights to policymakers, enhancing their awareness of carbon disclosure practices in Malaysia and emphasizing the significance of corporate governance in this context.

This study assesses the effect of the board of directors' attributes, environmental committee (EC), and institutional ownership (IO) on carbon disclosure quality (CDQ) from the perspectives of legitimacy and agency theories in Malaysia. This study collects and analyzes data based on 1000 observations of firms from carbon‐intensive industries from 2015 to 2019. The effect of the board of directors' attributes, EC, and IO on the CDQ was observed using a panel data regression model. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between board independence, board size, female representation, EC, IO, and CDQ. These findings suggest that carbon disclosure awareness is rising in Malaysia as firms have gradually integrated corporate governance (CG) best practices into their business strategies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the factors that influence CDQ in Malaysian businesses. This study identified firms with a higher CDQ using a new global reporting initiative‐based carbon reporting index. This expands the literature on carbon disclosures. This study focuses on carbon‐intensive industries, which might not reflect Malaysia's current CDQ situation. Thus, future research should focus on other sectors to fully grasp the current state of the CDQ in Malaysia and offer new perspectives on emerging markets. The findings may benefit a vast group of regulatory bodies in assessing Malaysian firms' responses to local and international carbon guidelines.