Issue #2 (Volume 19 2024)

This bibliometric analysis examines the evolution of academic research on banking risk management over the past four decades. The research maps publication trends, influential works, authorship, geographical distribution, conceptual themes, and future research directions using quantitative analysis of 286 English-language articles from the Scopus database. Since the 1990s, publication output and citations have been on the rise, with peaks in 2012 and 2019, indicating a rise in scholarly interest. The focus of research has expanded beyond credit risk to include operational, liquidity, and other key risks. Governance and culture are also expanding areas of emphasis. Geographic diffusion is revealed by bibliometric mapping, shifting from the early dominance of U.S. and European scholars to the increasing contributions of Asia and other emerging economies. Analysis of frequently occurring keywords illustrates the importance of fundamental risk management concerns. Six conceptual domains are identified by cluster analysis: operational risks, governance, liquidity risks, commercial bank risks, credit risks and performance, and market risk interactions. Based on the bibliometric analysis and research findings, three promising future research directions are proposed: the impact of pandemics and natural disasters on bank risk management; emerging threats such as cybercrime and climate change; and the impact of risk culture and governance on outcomes.

Acknowledgment
It is crucial to recognize everyone who contributed to the success of this study, notably the Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, Vietnam.

While adhering to the unique principle of Islamic value, Islamic banks are subject to any occurring crisis, just like other banks in common. After the end of the COVID-19 crisis, it is important to determine whether Islamic banking can demonstrate its resilience based on the unique values it upholds. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to capture how Islamic banks performed during the unprecedented challenge posed by COVID-19. By utilizing the data generated from financial reports, this study employs the RGEC (Risk Profile, Good Corporate Governance, Earnings, and Capital) method that was introduced by Indonesia Central Bank and SCnP (Sharia Conformity and Profitability) measurement. The findings show that by utilizing RGEC, the study classifies Islamic banks into tiers of health, distinguishing 7 as very healthy, 5 as healthy, and 2 as fairly healthy. Meanwhile, SCnP sheds light on the balance between Sharia conformity and profitability, highlighting 2 Islamic banks with commendable equilibrium, 5 displaying a tilt towards high profitability and low conformity, 4 with a tendency towards Shariah conformity with low profitability, and 3 struggling with challenges in both aspects. The study concludes the overall financial resilience of the majority of Islamic banks in Indonesia during the pandemic while noting that some banks faced challenges in achieving a harmonious balance between profitability and Sharia conformity.

Fintech services such as mobile banking are gaining significant acceptance among the citizens in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aims to explore the determinants that influence banking service users’ decisions to accept and use fintech services such as mobile banking in an emerging market, specifically in Bangladesh. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to individuals actively using banking services in Bangladesh. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to individuals who have active bank accounts. This study obtained a total of 315 valid responses that were deemed suitable for inclusion in the data analysis, with a response rate of 78.75%. Furthermore, a five-point Likert scale was utilized to evaluate the responses to the item-based questionnaire. To evaluate the hypotheses, a significance level of 5% was applied, and the data pertaining to the subject matter and purpose of this study were examined using the SPSS v.29. The results of the study display that the acceptance of mobile banking (fintech) services is pronouncedly shaped by perceived trust, privacy, and security but not by perceived risk. Importantly, perceived security (β value = 0.302) has the greatest impact on mobile banking acceptance among customers compared to other variables. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the propensity of using Fintech services within the context of mobile banking.

Today, the development of financial technologies and their application in the banking sector have changed the processes of economic growth in general and commercial banks in particular, giving them an innovative orientation. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the banking infrastructure, innovation, and economic growth in Kazakhstan based on panel data. The study relies on information extracted from annual publications issued by the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the World Bank Database, and the Bureau of the National Statistics of Kazakhstan from 2004 to 2022, and also uses a regression model. Within this framework, variables used in the study, the number of ATMs, the number of bank branches, and the share of innovative products, are explanatory variables, and the gross domestic product per capita is the dependent variable. The study showed that both business innovations and the prevalence of ATMs have a significant and noticeable impact on the economic landscape of Kazakhstan, as evidenced by the impressive value of the R-square of 0.890. Moreover, the regression model demonstrates reliable stability and reliability, which is confirmed by the p-value of 0.001. In light of these findings, it is important to contribute valuable insights and evidence-based recommendations to enhance Kazakhstan’s economic growth strategy by leveraging the synergistic potential of its banking infrastructure and innovation ecosystem.

Acknowledgments
The study was funded by the Committee Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Investigating the impact of macroeconomic, political, and digital processes on financial sustainability of Kazakhstan” No. AP19674948.

This paper investigates the interaction between decentralized financial services and the traditional banking system by building VAR models, conducting Granger causality tests, building impulse response functions, and performing variance analysis. To implement the model, banking indicators of the USA, India, and Great Britain were selected: the volume of commercial and industrial loans, interest rate, consumer price index, total liabilities and capital of banks, aggregate deposits, federal funds rate (for the USA), and repo rate (for India). The study examined central bank data of the specified countries from July 2018 to January 2024 with the TVL indicator, which measures the sum of all assets locked in DeFi protocols. The results of the impulse response function (IRF) for countries demonstrate different interactions between TVL and bank indicators. The US response to TVL shocks demonstrates a stimulative monetary policy, with significant Fed rate reductions and increased commercial lending to boost economic activity. In contrast, India’s monetary stimulus, marked by declining repo rates and growth in banking sector liabilities and deposits, aims to enhance economic resilience. The UK, however, adopts a conservative monetary approach, with sharp bank rate increases and mixed lending and deposit responses, prioritizing financial stability. Analysis across these nations highlights different impacts of financial indicators on TVL. In the US, the evolving relationship between TVL and bank indicators reflects the financial system’s complexity. India’s sensitivity to monetary policy, credit conditions, and inflation significantly influences TVL. In the UK, central bank decisions, particularly the bank rate, play a crucial role in financial market dynamics.

Acknowledgment
The authors appreciate the assistance in the preparation of the article provided by the University of Debrecen Program for Scientific Publication and the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The concept of circular economy-based performance has gained significant interest within the highly competitive business arena and environment-concerned stakeholders. This study assumes that environment oriented HRM practices have significant effects on circular economy-based performance. This study aims to investigate the contributory effect of five selected components of green HRM on the circular economy-based performance of environment-concerned banking organizations. A total of 418 managers of commercial banks are the unit of analysis, and data were derived using a structured questionnaire from the respondents who are working in managerial positions in banking organizations in Bangladesh. The gathered data has been encoded by SPSS and analyzed through PLS-SEM 4. The results of this study reveal that all components of green HRM, i.e., green employment design, planning, staffing, training, and benefits significantly contribute to the circular economy-based performance of the banking sector. Thus, green HRM effectively promotes the circular performance of banks to provide a distinctive perspective for adding value to the environmental concerns in an emerging economy.

Acknowledgment
The authors appreciate the support in preparing the article provided by the University of Debrecen Program for Scientific Publication.

This study aimed to find out the influence of Accounting Information Systems on the performance of Jordanian commercial banks, and the degree to which internal audit moderates this relationship. This was a current quantitative study designed to be at a descending trend of the survey conducted primarily on 12 major Jordanian banks’ accounting departments using descriptive and cross-sectional designs. From a total distribution of 358 questionnaires, 249 were returned, and after screening only 243 were deemed valid. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used as a statistical tool for data analysis, which is appropriate when exploring convoluted relationships and testing hypotheses. The findings indicate that there is a clear positive relationship between the implementation of AIS systems and improvement in the performance metrics at Jordanian banks; thus, hypothesis 1 is corroborated at a significant level of p < 0.01. More significantly, the findings suggest that internal audit highly strengthens the positive effect of AIS on bank performance, thereby supporting hypothesis 2 at the same significance level. This dual realization reiterates the needed adoption of advanced AIS by Jordanian banks and a general improvement to the internal auditors of the mechanisms that ensure they maximize on the benefits accruing in performance. More fundamentally, the findings underscore the dire urgency to incorporate efficacious AIS alongside with robust internal audit mechanisms in banking strategies, thereby providing crucial implications for bank managers and sectoral policymakers.

Green banking is a long-term business strategy with the main target of achieving sustainable benefits and preserving the environment. Determining the ability of corporate governance to influence green banking disclosure in banking companies in Indonesia was the aim of the study. Annual reports and sustainability reports of banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange are used as secondary data. 84 data were used after selection using the purposive sampling method. The technique used to analyze the research data is SmartPLS. The findings show that good corporate governance can improve green banking disclosure. Financial slack and human resource slack, as moderating variables, can moderate the influence of corporate governance on green banking disclosure. The results also indicate that green banking disclosure has the potential to encourage positive changes in sustainable banking practices and information transparency. In the end, good corporate governance can stimulate bank management to care more about environmental issues. Financial and human resource slack in banking strengthens the relationship between the two and increases a company’s role in maintaining environmental and social sustainability.

Along with the development of global digitalization, international financial transactions are also advancing. In response, Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) collaborated with Malaysia and Thailand by launching Local Currency Settlement (LCS) integrated with Quick Response (QR) codes to reduce the use of dollars in cross-border transactions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the Indonesian customer (Indonesian expatriates) preferences for payment methods provided by Bank Indonesia, specifically in the context of facilitating cross-border transactions. The number of research participants was 50 Indonesian expatriates (36 in Thailand, 14 in Malaysia), who were purposefully selected based on the criteria of being Indonesian traveling, studying, or residing in Thailand and Malaysia while maintaining Indonesian bank accounts. To identify these preferences, this study uses qualitative research using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Based on the Hierarchical analysis, the results show that the main alternatives in payment method preference in Thailand and Malaysia show that Visa is still the most dominant in cross-border transactions. Across hierarchical criteria, including trust, speed, usability, installment flexibility, timing, and offering interest-free installment plans, Visa consistently outperformed QR Codes and Cash. Nonetheless, it is essential to highlight that QR Codes scored the highest in the criteria of Ease of Use in Malaysia. While in Thailand, QR codes achieved the highest score in terms of cost-effectiveness.

The study delves into the factors that influence the capital structure of commercial banks in Vietnam. Capital structure, measured by the net debt-to-asset ratio, is a key indicator of bank leverage. The study uses pooled OLS, fixed effects, and random effects models to analyze the impact of factors such as net interest-earning rate, Corporate Income Tax rate, and liquidity on commercial banks’ profitability and their capital structure. Data from 26 banks during the 2010–2022 period in Vietnam was collected for the analysis. The results indicate that factors such as Tax, ROA, growth, and liquidity have significant impacts on the capital structure of the banks. Specifically, Tax has a beta coefficient of –0.05967, ROA has a beta of –0.01796, growth has a beta of 0.000509, and liquidity has a beta of –0.00045. The study found that ROA, Tax, and liquidity are negatively related to the capital structure of Vietnamese commercial banks, meaning that an increase in these factors leads to a decrease in the banks’ total debt-to-total assets and vice versa. The empirical results suggest that commercial banks can manage their capital structure through these factors to reduce their debt-to-asset ratio, resulting in reduced credit risk, improved asset quality, and increased business efficiency. However, lowering the debt-to-asset ratio may also lead to reduced profits from lending activities, particularly when interest rates are high.

The decline in bank liquidity due to slowing economic growth in Indonesia has decreased bank profitability. COVID-19 and the increase in the number of non-performing loans increased the level of bank liquidity risk and decreased capital. Hence, the purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of banking liquidity risk on profitability in the Indonesian banking sector and to examine the role of capital adequacy ratio as a moderating variable. The method section explains panel data analysis using the random-effect model in analyzing the influence of liquidity risk on profitability and the role of capital adequacy ratio as a moderating variable. The results of the analysis show that liquidity risk has a significant positive influence on profitability at the 1% significance level. Moreover, the t-statistic value for capital adequacy ratio as a moderating variable is 2.59 at a 1% significance level. This result shows that the capital adequacy ratio can moderate the relationship between liquidity risk and profitability. Furthermore, the robustness test results show that the deposit risk ratio is a good indicator for estimating liquidity risk. In addition, this study is useful for the banking sector in managing its capital adequacy ratio and as a reference for the government in setting policies related to banking capital.

Corporate governance has become a significant policy issue in Nigeria, especially with many developments such as the volatility of corporations on the Nigerian Exchange and the rise in the population of stockholders, which have increased the relevance of corporate governance measures. This study examined the nexus between corporate governance and Nigerian Deposit Money Banks’ (NDMBs) financial performances using a period from 2012 to 2019. Using a judgmental sampling technique, out of 25 NDMRs, 15 NDMRs were selected as a sample size. Secondary data were extracted from the annual reports of the selected banks. Descriptive research design and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings offer empirical evidence to refute the five null hypotheses and found that the financial performance of NDMBs as measured by Tobin Q and corporate governance proxies (i.e. board meetings, the board size, CEO duality, audit committee independence, and board independence) is statistically related. This study found that the nexus between Nigerian deposit money banks’ financial performance and CEO duality is negative and significant. The nexus between Nigerian deposit money banks’ financial performance and board independence is negative and significant. Nigerian deposit money banks’ financial performance and audit committee independence have a positive and significant nexus. The nexus between Nigerian deposit money banks’ financial performance and board size is positive and significant. The nexus between Nigerian deposit money banks’ performance and board meetings is positive and significant. This study concluded that corporate governance and financial performance of NDMBs are related.

Acknowledgment
Whichever contributors to this publication, both non-researchers and scholars, are much acknowledged.

This study explores the intricate relationships between bank value, tax avoidance, and profitability, which significantly affect the stability and strategies of financial institutions worldwide. Understanding these connections is vital for comprehending the financial dynamics of banks, key players in economic growth and stability. The study focuses on these three factors due to their intertwined roles in shaping fiscal policy effectiveness, shareholder satisfaction, and overall financial health. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between the bank value, tax avoidance and profitability aiming to clarify their interactions and their impact on the Jrdanian banks. Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis is employed using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative regression analysis and qualitative assessments. The study results reveal a significant direct link between bank tax avoidance and profitability. The increase in Return on Assets is associated with a substantial increase in tax avoidance. In the expanded model, bank value and size did not exhibit statistically significant incremental information over profitability in explaining tax avoidance. Profitability emerges as a dominant factor, overshadowing the potential impact of size and value. The results underscore profitability as a key driver in bank tax strategies, highlighting a potential area for regulatory scrutiny and strategic realignment. In conclusion, the study underscores the pivotal influence of bank profitability on tax avoidance strategies. Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers are encouraged to recognize the prominence of profitability in formulating tax strategies.

This study aims to empirically examine the influence of bank-specific determinants, macroeconomic factors, and governance factors on profitability in Iraq’s banking industry. In addition, bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants were included in the analysis. In terms of governance, the average of corruption control and rule of law was used. Different pre-estimation tests were used to check the properties of the data. The method of moment quantile regression was used as the baseline model. The PCSE and FGLS techniques were used for robustness checks. A sample of balanced panel data consisting of nine commercial banks listed on the Iraq stock exchange from 2012 to 2021 was selected. The results suggested that liquidity and total debt to total shareholders’ equity ratios have a significant positive relationship with ROA. Inflation and openness negatively impact bank profitability only at the 50th and 90th quantiles. Institutional governance appeared to be a positive and significant contributor to bank profitability. The findings suggest that a certain level of liquidity is required for a continuous increase in ROA. Moreover, institutional governance emerged as a noteworthy and positive factor influencing bank profitability.

This study delves into the significant role of innovative work behavior among bankers in achieving competitive superiority and addressing contemporary business needs. It uncovers a research gap in understanding the influence of bankers’ innovative work behaviors and the factors driving these behaviors. This study proposes to examine ethical leadership’s direct and indirect effects on innovative work behavior through the mediating role of bankers’ resilience and the moderating role of a manager’s gender. The study collected perceptual cross-sectional data from employees across Thailand’s ten largest commercial banks via self-administered questionnaires, analyzing 960 responses using structural equation modeling. Anchored in social learning theory, the study’s regression analysis found significant positive effects of ethical leadership on bankers’ innovative work behavior (B = 0.197, p < 0.001), ethical leadership on bankers’ resilience (B = 0.388, p < 0.001), and bankers’ resilience on their innovative work behavior (B = 0.649, p < 0.001). Furthermore, it identified that bankers’ resilience mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior (B = 0.240, p < 0.05), with the gender of leaders moderating the impact of ethical leadership on innovation. These findings suggest that banks can enhance their competitive edge by fostering ethical leadership and resilience, highlighting the strategic importance of these factors in promoting innovation within the banking sector.

The banking industry plays a crucial role in driving the Indonesian economy. Therefore, any financial upheaval within this sector would have a significant influence on the overall economy. Hence, this study examines the capital composition of banking institutions in Indonesia to assess the financial soundness of the banks. A bank’s susceptibility to default will adversely affect client confidence in the bank. This study investigates the influence of governance attributes, such as board size, board meeting frequency, risk committee presence, institutional ownership, and independent committee existence, on the capital structure of Indonesian banks. 31 samples were intentionally chosen using purposeful sampling. Data estimation was performed using a two-step Arellano-Bond Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator. The findings suggest that the bank risk committee, institutional ownership, and independent committee exert a notable and favorable influence on the capital structure of banks in Indonesia. Nevertheless, the size of the board and the frequency of board meetings do not exert a substantial impact. The size of the board and the use of leverage have no substantial impact. Developing efficient corporate governance procedures is essential for ensuring the bank’s financial stability. This involves maximizing the effectiveness of the risk committee, institutional ownership, and independent committee.

Acknowledgment
This paper is funded by PPM-PTM Grants of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of 2023 (03/SP2H/RT-MONO/LL4/2023).

This study aims to investigate the effects of different corporate social responsibilities (CSR) on the organizational performance of the banking sector. The target population of this study was bank employees working at various bank branches in Bangladesh. In this investigation, the data gathering procedure was conducted utilizing a Google Form distributed via email, accompanied by a cover letter, to facilitate participation among bank employees. The study collected data from the current bank employees of several banking institutions in Bangladesh. They were sent a survey invitation to participate, and after their approval, their responses were gathered. A five-point Likert scale was used to determine the item-wise questionnaire, with ‘1’ indicating ‘Strongly Disagree’ and ‘5’ indicating ‘Strongly Agree’. The final sample size was 263. Moreover, to evaluate the hypothesis, a 5% significance level and SPSS software were used to analyze the data for research purposes. The outcome of this study shows that internal and external CSR activities have a positive and significant impact on the organizational performance development of Bangladesh’s banking sector. These factors can account for 52.70% of the variability observed in forecasting the performance of bank organizations. External CSR initiatives (β = 0.318; t = 5.937) have the highest effect on a bank’s performance. Additionally, a substantial correlation coefficient (r = 0.436) is present between internal CSR and bank performance. This study might provide significant clues to the management committees of the banking sector that can severely influence a bank’s performance development.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the peculiarities of banks’ business models and assess their risks, which is especially relevant in the context of the war in Ukraine since 2014. The information base is the published statements for each month of 63 Ukrainian banks for the period from 1 January 2018 to 1 January 2024. The number of indicators is chosen in an empirical manner. Business models are investigated using the method of structural-functional groups of banks, which allows estimating large arrays of financial indicators, grouping banks with similar characteristics and drawing conclusions about the main risks. It is convenient to use neural networks, namely Kohonen’s self-organizing maps, to estimate large data sets. The largest group of banks places a significant part of assets in government securities and has an unstable resource base. The share of these banks in the system as of January 1, 2024 is 38% and total assets are 10%. The second group by number of banks is focused on corporate lending with a high share of current resources in liabilities, and includes 21% of banks, whose assets account for 31% of total assets. State-owned banks, PrivatBank and OschadBank, account for 35% of total assets. The business models of these banks are characterized by dependence on retail funds, a high share of investment operations, and high credit and currency risks. Ukraine’s banking system has significantly developed a risk-oriented approach to management, which allowed it to maintain stability in the face of a full-scale war.

Banking operations have always evolved in tandem with developing technologies in all fields, providing new services to customers and facilitating easier banking transactions. Many banks have adopted modern financial technology, which has immensely impacted their financial performance, often linked to their operation markets and client bases. This study aims to examine the relationship between financial technology and bank performance using panel data for 21 Arabian banks, from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, from 2015 to 2022. Financial technology was determined by the frequency with which digitalization terminology appeared in annual reports. Bank performance is measured by return on assets and return on equity. Ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares were applied to achieve the objective. The findings reveal that financial technology positively impacts the return on assets for Arabian banks, where a one-unit increase in fintech causes a 0.37 increase in ROA. In addition, financial technology positively impacts return on equity for Arabian banks, where a one-unit increase in fintech leads to a 0.29 increase in ROE. To confirm the study results, robustness was examined for the regression results using sub-period analysis before and during COVID-19. The results obtained using the two sub-periods show that financial technology positively impacts banks’ financial performance in the two sub-periods before and during COVID-19. In addition, financial technology’s impact on financial performance in model 1 and model 2 during COVID-19 (0.78 and 0.47) is higher than its impact before COVID-19 (0.49 and 28).