There is a growing global interest in social responsibility and sustainability across all sectors. Other than economic performance, stakeholders are now also concerned about the social and environmental impacts of corporations. Additionally, stakeholders are obtaining a higher salience level and expect organisations to operate sustainably. The banking sector has not been an exception, as banks can have significant impact on their customers, employees, and society in various ways. Given the intertwined links of Islam and ethical principles, it is expected that (...) Islamic banks will show a high level of commitment towards social responsibility (SR) and ethical practices. The current study investigates this issue by examining the annual reports of three fully-fledged Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia over the period of 2007 to 2011. It was found that only two of the investigated banks had continuous improvement in their SR disclosure. Additionally, it was revealed that the highest disclosures have been for ‘corporate vision’ and ‘board of directors and top management’, while the lowest disclosures were evident for ‘environment’ and ‘product, services and fair dealing with supply chain’. (shrink)

The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 has been studied more as a global event than a moment of change for Indonesia. The eruption has a prominent place in world history and many interdisciplinary studies of both site and event, positioned as a moment that was pivotal to the advancement of volcanology as a field of study and the establishment of infrastructure that enabled colonial knowledge-making. Little is known about the site before the colonial period. Further obscuring historical changes in sociopolitical (...) governance of the archipelago resulting from the eruption is the undue attention paid to religious, particularly Muslim, extremism as a disaster response. This essay, however, argues that the instrumentalization of science, not religion, was central to statist management of the volcano in the twentieth century. The Krakatau eruption posed a management challenge for the state, which attempted to insulate the surrounding populations from risk while sanctioning visits on the site for science and tourism. This essay surveys state-led efforts to corral, conserve, and commercialize the volcano from 1921, when the Dutch colonial state first declared the site as a nature reserve, to 1991, the year the Ujung Kulon Marine National Park that encompassed the Krakatau area was formally established. The modern management of the site and its attendant politics created new vulnerabilities even as the state moved toward domesticating and (imperfectly) anticipating its hazards. (shrink)

The literature describes religious coping as an important predictor of mental well-being. Present study is aimed at extending this knowledge by assessing whether specific religious coping regulates specific cognitive emotional responses to improve well-being during Covid pandemic, an extreme international event with significant impacts on individuals and communities. A sample of young adults responded to self-report measures of negative and positive religious coping, positive reappraisal, self-blaming, and mental well-being. Results revealed that positive religious coping was a positive predictor of mental (...) well-being and positive reappraisal mediated this positive link. Also, gender and physical health status significantly interacted with positive reappraisal to predict mental well-being in these mediational associations. More specifically, indirect effects of positive reappraisal were positive and significant for men and for participants with better physical health compared with women and those with poor physical health. However, negative religious coping was not a significant correlate of mental well-being but a positive correlate of self-blame. Results suggest that positive religious coping facilitates positive regulation of emotions for improved mental well-being in young adults and particularly young men. (shrink)

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in national economic growth and contribute significantly to GDP, acting as the backbone of economies in competitive markets. However, ethical issues in SMEs are often overlooked compared to those in large organisations due to limited public financial exposure and minimal media coverage. Research on ethical culture is still limited, particularly in SMEs, as past studies have predominantly focused on large organisations. To gain deeper insights into the ethical culture of SMEs, more (...) qualitative research is needed to uncover the complexities of ethical conduct and organisational dynamics in SMEs. Therefore, this study employs a qualitative approach to explore the elements of ethical culture implemented in Malaysian SMEs. The data, gathered through in-depth interviews with eleven SME managers in Malaysia, revealed that ethical culture is reflected through formal systems, informal systems, leadership, and the newly highlighted element of religiosity. These four elements were explained with three goals for each element: communication, training, and management. The ethical issues faced by SMEs (favouritisms, selling company inventories, and disrespect towards female-led managers) were also highlighted. Accelerators (family influence, customer retention) and barriers (financial constraints) in implementing ethical culture were identified. Interestingly, this study highlights the significant role of religiosity in the ethical culture of SMEs, contributing to the literature and serving as a framework for future research. It aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and stakeholders seeking to promote a robust ethical culture within the context of Malaysian SMEs. (shrink)

This study examines the impact of Islamic Work Ethic on organizational citizenship behaviors and knowledge-sharing behaviors among university employees in Pakistan. A total of 215 respondents from public sector educational institutions participated in this research. The findings suggest that IWE has a positive effect on OCBs. In other words, individuals with high IWE demonstrate more citizenship behaviors than those with low IWE. The findings also suggest a positive effect of IWE on KSBs. Individuals with high IWE exhibit more KSBs than (...) those with low IWE. The paper also discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. (shrink)

This paper provides a critical review of economic outcome metrics used in healthcare value assessment, emphasizing the evolving landscape of resource allocation, patient-centered approaches, and standardization efforts. With healthcare costs rising globally, the efficient allocation of limited resources is essential. Metrics like Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICERs), and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) are central to guiding funding decisions, influencing insurance coverage, and shaping treatment prioritization. Emerging trends, such as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) (...) and big data, are enhancing the precision of these assessments, while patient-centered metrics underscore the importance of patient satisfaction and quality of life. Additionally, there is a growing push for the standardization of these metrics to create consistent frameworks across diverse health systems. This paper explores case studies, practical applications, and future directions to provide insights into how healthcare systems can adopt more effective, globally aligned economic assessments. (shrink)

This Focus section introductory essay makes a case for new histories of volcano science. While studies of individual volcanoes are pervasive and well known, the twentieth-century history of volcanology remains largely written by practitioners. The essays in this focus section—written by scholars with specialisms in the history of science, the environment, culture, agriculture, and geography—draw out the wider significance of volcano science in a range of regions including Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, and Antarctica. The essays highlight the significance of imperial (...) and colonial contestation in the formation of volcano science and the fraught relationship between Western, Indigenous, and local forms of volcano knowledge. The essays also point to the importance of volcano science to new conceptions of earthly evolution and history. The introduction concludes with reflections on potential new research directions in the historiography of volcano science. (shrink)

The earlier volume in this series dealt with two religions of Indian origin, namely, Buddhism and Jainism. The Indian religious scene, however, is characterized by not only religions which originated in India but also by religions which entered India from outside India and made their home here. Thus religious life in India has been enlivened throughout its history by the presence of religions of foreign origin on its soil almost from the very time they came into existence. This volume covers (...) three such religions—Zoraoastrianism, Judaism, and Islam. In the case of Zoraostianism, even its very beginnings are intertwined with India, as Zoroastrianism reformed a preexisting religion which had strong links to the Vedic heritage of India. This relationship took on a new dimension when a Zoroastrian community, fearing persecution in Persia after its Arab conquest, sought shelter in western India and ultimately went on to produce India’s pioneering nationalist in the figure of Dadabhai Naoroji ( 1825-1917), also known as the Grand Old Man of India. Jews found refuge in south India after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. and have remained a part of the Indian religious scene since then, some even returning to Israel after it was founded in 1948. Islam arrived in Kerala as soon as it was founded and one of the earliest mosques in the history of Islam is found in India. Islam differs from the previously mentioned religions inasmuch as it went on to gain political hegemony over parts of the country for considerable periods of time, which meant that its impact on the religious life of the subcontinent has been greater compared to the other religions. It has also meant that Islam has existed in a religiously plural environment in India for a longer period than elsewhere in the world so that not only has Islam left a mark on India, India has also left its mark on it. Indeed all the three religions covered in this volume share this dual feature, that they have profoundly influenced Indian religious life and have also in turn been profoundly influenced by their presence in India. (shrink)

As a futuristic emblem, smart cities represent a goal to provide all of the services required for a high-quality existence while conserving natural resources to the maximum extent possible. It turns out that the "Line City in Saudi Arabia" is the most famous and modern of these smart cities in terms of preserving 100 percent natural life, owing to the fact that they rely totally on natural energy and do not use any automobiles. The issues and challenges that have been (...) highlighted will assist in the improvement of municipal management. One of the most generally implemented projects in the field of smart cities is the technological and integrative developments of the use of sensors and data collecting in conjunction with rising difficulties aimed at enhancing human well-being and improving human livelihood. This is especially true in Saudi Arabia, where visitors can arrive quickly by just walking through the checkpoints, resulting in a journey of little more than a few minutes to reach any regular destination. It also splits the city into many different levels of the ground, enabling for the conservation of natural excess energy. (shrink)

River conservation is rooted in the importance of managing watersheds (D.A.S.) in Indonesia, with 42,210 watersheds forming the basis for management policies. To ensure ecosystem sustainability, these policies consider various aspects such as land conditions, water quality, and regional land use. However, the reality on the ground shows that rapid urbanization and a lack of public awareness have led to river pollution and damage to riverbanks. Therefore, more robust conservation efforts are required to achieve environmental justice. This research employs a (...) normative juridical method and focuses on the Cirebon area. The findings reveal that implementing urban river conservation policies in Cirebon includes controlling illegal construction, conducting community outreach on the importance of river protection, and executing environmental rehabilitation programs to raise awareness of the negative impacts of unauthorized development. Despite progress in data collection and action planning, challenges such as community resistance and budget constraints continue to hinder the effectiveness of policy implementation. Collaboration between the Government, communities, and other stakeholders is essential to ensure the success of these conservation efforts. (shrink)

Some children may face some developmental problems in one ormore areas of their developmental milestones. One of them is speech delay. Todate, a screening tool for speech delay early detection among children is stilllacking, especially in Malaysia. Parents do not know where to refer and whichorganisation can help them especially for first-time parents. The objective ofthis paper is twofold. First, this paper analyses existing screening system orapplication for speech delay in children. Second, this paper proposes a mobileapplication designed for Malaysian (...) parents to help them detect speech delayin their children. A qualitative expert review was used to design and build theapplication. The screening application proposed is for early detection and tourge parents to seek for early intervention through appropriate assessments. Inconclusion, early detection in speech delay is critically important to increasethe chances for improving speech and communication skills. Thus, a speechdelay screening tool is needed for parents to seek proper treatment for theirchildren. (shrink)

Errors have been the concern of providers and consumers of health care services. However, consumers' perception of medical errors in developing countries is rarely explored. The aim of this study is to assess community members' perceptions about medical errors and to analyse the factors affecting this perception in one Middle East country, Oman.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare systems by improving operational efficiency, simplifying patient care procedures, and improving diagnostic accuracy. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, like machine learning and natural language processing, present previously unheard-of chances to quickly and accurately evaluate enormous volumes of healthcare data, assisting with clinical decision-making and enhancing patient outcomes. Aim thorough examination and analysis of artificial intelligence's impact on healthcare leadership, with a particular emphasis on present nursing trends and their implications for the future. The study (...) tries to uncover the advantages, difficulties, and consequences of AI integration by looking at how AI technologies including clinical decision support systems, predictive analytics, robots, natural language processing, and telehealth are being used in nursing practice. Method: A comprehensive analysis including research articles published between 2015 and 2024 was carried out. To give a thorough overview of AI's present and future uses in healthcare, major themes and trends were found and summarized. Results: By stressing AI's role in improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes, the study highlights the technology's major contributions to drug discovery, virtual patient care, and medical imaging. Human-centered design concerns, the necessity of educational changes, and ethical challenges surrounding the application of AI surfaced as crucial topics needing attention. Conclusion: AI has enormous potential to transform healthcare by enhancing operational effectiveness, optimizing the delivery of care, and increasing diagnostic precision. Still, ethical issues must be resolved, interdisciplinary cooperation must be promoted, and educational frameworks must be improved in order to provide healthcare workers with the necessary AI skills. (shrink)