Malmquist indices of productivity growth for Islamic and conventional banks in Malaysia

This paper studies the total factor productivity （TFP） of banks in Malaysia with the emphasis on comparing the relative productivities of Islamic and Conventional banks. The Malmquist index approach is used to decompose productivity growth into technical efficiency and technological change. The productivity growth is measured and decomposed into technical change and efficiency change. The efficiency change is further decomposed into pure efficiency change and scale efficiency. It is found that Islamic banks＇ productivity growth is limited by its lack of technological change compared to its conventional counterparts. Nonetheless, both types of banks are operating at the correct level in terms of scale or size.

Loneliness or Materialism, Which Is a Better Predictor of Internet Addiction?

In recent years, the widespread prevalence of loneliness, materialism, and Internet addiction have been widely studied. Studies have addressed either loneliness or materialism and its relationship with Internet addiction. However, to date, no study has addressed all three concepts in a single study. The purpose of this study was: 1) to investigate whether loneliness or materialism is a reliable predictor of Internet addiction and 2) what is the nature of the relationship among these variables across gender. Data were collected from a crosssectional online-survey, which consisted of US adults (N = 311). The survey consisted of 42 items related to the key constructs. Additionally, some demographic variables were also included in the survey. Loneliness was not associated with Internet addiction. On the other hand, materialism was strongly associated with Internet addiction. The aforementioned relationship was valid across gender. Between loneliness and materialism, materialism was a strong predictor of Internet addiction.

Be Called and Be Healthier:How Does Calling Influence Employees’Anxiety and Depression in the Workplace?

Despite limited studies have found the negative relationships between calling and mental health symptoms,its underlying mechanism is still unknown.Drawing on the conservation of resources theory(COR),this study developed the resources model that explains the relationships between career calling,anxiety and depression,and the underlying mechanism.With a sample of 628 employees from the two-wave survey,the theorized model was tested.The results showed that career calling was able to decrease the levels of employees’anxiety and depression,and two important resources(i.e.,personal growth,and meaningful work)provided explanatory mechanisms for the relationships.The findings highlight the importance of spirituality in the workplace.Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Private banking development in China under two organizational structures:Economic analysis from an organizational innovation perspective

This paper investigates optimal decisions for private banking development in China under two innovative organizational structures—the big retail mode(BRM)and the independent development mode(IDM).Under the BRM,the retail and private banking divisions form a cooperative relationship wherein the former transfers highnet-worth customers to the latter.In addition,retail banking receives a share of private banking revenues.We investigate the optimal revenue-sharing ratio between the two divisions and the optimal effort by private banking to serve transferred customers within the cooperative relationship.The analytical results show that as the private banking division becomes more developed,the optimal revenue-sharing ratio decreases,and the private banking division’s optimal effort to serve transferred customers decreases because it puts more effort into acquiring new customers.Under the IDM,the two divisions form a competitive relationship since they compete to acquire customers independently.We investigate customer acquisition efforts in this interdivisional competition.Optimal customer acquisition efforts by both divisions increase in potential assets and rates of return.This paper contributes to the literature by(1)analyzing financial innovation by private banks from an organizational perspective;(2)providing an economic analysis for private banking development in China.

Who Benefits More from Physical Exercise?On the Relations between Personality,Physical Exercise,and Well-Being

Although employers believe that encouraging and supporting physical exercise activities by purchasing fitness equipment and building sports venues can improve employees’well-being,the utilization rate is rather low.Since most of the evidence of the well-being promotion in the workplace concentrated on the perspectives of organizational factors and psychosocial factors and focused on the reduction of the negative affect of well-being,it is still an open question whether physical exercise has benefits on both negative and positive affect of well-being and who benefits more from physical exercise.Thus,the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of physical exercise on occupational well-being(job burnout and work engagement)and examine whether effectiveness depends on personality traits.Online questionnaires were distributed.The sample included 671 participants from different enterprises in China.Results showed that the effectiveness of physical exercise was also applicable to well-being in the workplace.Physical exercise was negatively correlated with job burnout and positively correlated with work engagement.The effectiveness was different among employees with different personality traits.Contrary to our expectation,individuals with neuroticism were more likely to improve their work engagement through physical exercise.Extroversion and conscientiousness weakened the benefits of physical exercise.Therefore,differences of effectiveness among different personality traits emphasize the need for a more personalized strategy in physical exercise interventions.

Predicting new firm survival and growth:The power of alternative data

This paper demonstrates that the alternative data of manager turnover can provide investors and policymakers with a more timely and available predictor of new firm performance beyond the traditional financial information.This paper constructs a comprehensive alternative dataset of manager turnover that covers a near-population sample of new firms in the United Kingdom.It shows that manager departures and appointments can predict new firms’survival and growth,even after controlling for firm financials.In addition to the within-firm prediction,the average manager turnover in other firms of the same industry can cross-predict individual firm performance.The within-firm prediction is more pronounced for non-family firms,smaller firms and firms incorporated during or after the Great Recession,and the cross-firm prediction is stronger for younger firms.This paper sheds light on the power of alternative data in the prediction of firm performance,particularly for new firms that often do not have available information.

The future of artificial intelligence:Time to embrace more international collaboration

In an era of rapid artificial intelligence(AI)growth,there is both excitement and concern about its impact.While AI poses ethical challenges,it also offers unprecedented opportunities to address global issues like climate change,health crises,and urbanization.Given this dual nature of AI,international collaboration is essential,particularly between leading nations like the US and China.We propose creating a specialized international organization to develop and enforce ethical AI guidelines.This organization would facilitate global cooperation,data sharing,and joint research and development(R&D),ensuring that AI advancements serve the collective benefit of humanity.

Quantifying the Temporal and Spatial Spread of COVID-19:Empirical Evidence from Shanghai

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has caused a grave threat to human life, health, and socio-economic development. It is of great significance to study the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 and evaluate the effect of epidemic prevention policies. This paper employs a spatial dynamic panel data(SDPD) model to analyze the temporal and spatial spread of COVID-19, incorporating the time-varying features of epidemic transmission and the impact of geographic interconnections.Empirical studies on the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai during early 2022 show that the intra-regional transmission of COVID-19 dominated the cross-regional one. Additionally, strict policies are found to effectively reduce the transmission risk of COVID-19 and curb the spillover effect of the epidemic in Shanghai on other regions. Based on these results, we provide three policy suggestions. Furthermore,this research methodology can be extended to investigate other infectious diseases, thereby providing a scientific framework and theoretical basis for evaluating the spread risk of pandemics and formulating appropriate strategies.