Search

In the light of Bandura's (Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive perspective, Princeton-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1986) social cognitive theory (SCT), we investigated the roles of four different entrepreneurial factors: entrepreneurial qualities (EQ), entrepreneurial knowledge (EK), perceived entrepreneurialism (PE) and entrepreneurial inspiration (EIN), in entrepreneurial intention (EI) formation. Alongside, this paper explored the unique role played by entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a mediator among the list of determinants and EI. The study approached with a sample of 1062 final year engineering student from 15 premier technical institutes in India. The findings show that the effects of EQ, PE, and EIN on EI are partially mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy whereas a full mediation between EK and EI, which is consistent with the SCT framework. The implications suggest for improving the EK delivery system, which in turn will make students feel self-efficacious toward being entrepreneurial. The article argued on various pedagogical as well as the policy-related context of business venturing at Indian technical institutes.

In the present work, thin films of bimetallic palladium–silver (Pd50Ag50 and Pd70Ag30) alloy on silicon substrates are deposited by direct current magnetron cosputtering in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of 10−7 Torr. The formation of the alloy is confirmed by the shift of x-ray diffraction peaks as compared to the pure phases of the metals. The films are subjected to rapid thermal annealing at 500 °C for 120 s. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is performed for low level detection of two analytes: crystal violet (dye) and tetryl (an explosive). The SERS signals are observed only in the case of the rapid thermal annealed films. The lowest concentration of the dye detected with Pd50Ag50 is 100 μM. In comparison, it is 250 μM for Pd70Ag30, indicating that a higher content of silver in the alloy is desirable from a SERS perspective due to its more robust plasmonic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article investigates the complex relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) and investment efficiency in the BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Through the lens of signaling theory, the study examines how CSRD serves as a signal to stakeholders and influences firms' investment decisions. A comprehensive dataset spanning 9240 firm‐year observations from 2011 to 2021 is analyzed to derive insights. The study reveals a multifaceted association between CSRD and investment efficiency. Initially, CSRD is found to increase signal costs, resulting in higher investment inefficiency. However, this effect is observed only up to a certain threshold. Beyond this point, CSRD starts reducing investment inefficiency, primarily due to improved signal benefits and perceived value. Additionally, the study introduces CSR assurance as a crucial moderator that influences the complex interplay between CSRD and investment efficiency. In summary, this research offers valuable insights into the strategic role of CSRD in BRICS economies, highlighting the significance of signal dynamics and the moderating impact of CSR assurance. Such insights can guide businesses and policymakers in these economies as they navigate the intricate landscape of CSR disclosure and its implications for efficient resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the influence of gender differences in the formation of entrepreneurial intention. Specifically, we investigate how culture and gender influence factors responsible for entrepreneurial intention development. A sample of 414 science and technology students from the world's fourth most prominent entrepreneurial university completed surveys. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. Results show that the influence of social learning on entrepreneurial intention was mediated both by personality traits and entrepreneurial knowledge, whereas the effect of university-level determinants on entrepreneurial intention was mediated only through entrepreneurial knowledge. Strong support for the moderating role of gender was found.

This study investigates the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) and the cost of financing for firms in emerging economies. Results show that CSRD initially reduces the cost of equity financing but increases equity costs beyond a certain threshold. Firms should weigh the trade‐offs of signal cost and benefits when choosing financing strategies. Moreover, investors in the debt market perceive a higher level of board independence as less risky, which consequently has a negative impact on the relationship between CSRD and the cost of debt. Thus, companies should streamline their CSR disclosures to reduce their cost of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal power generation based on coal has been identified as the second largest polluting industry due to the greenhouse gas emissions caused by coal combustion. The pollution caused by this industry is not limited to power generation, but it also manifests itself throughout the use of products. Although a huge emphasis has been placed on replacing coal-based power generation with renewable resources, we showed that Indian power generation will depend on coal for more than fifty percent of its demand in the near future. In our study, we utilized a combination of linear cointegration, non-linear cointegration, ARIMA, and the VECM to forecast the use of coal based on the Indian industrial index and the amount of electricity generated through coal combustion required to meet the demand. Given that pollution and carbon emissions are inherent in the coal usage cycle, we drafted policy implications and recommendations to mitigate the consequences, green the coal usage cycle, and improve the coal supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the non-monotonic (U-shaped, inverted U-shaped or curvilinear) relationship between the corporate governance (CG) and bank performance of commercial banks operating across four countries whose CG framework is based on the OECD principals of CG. Using a dataset of 4230 bank-years observation from 2012–2021, the study shows that governance–performance relations may be non-monotonic but not U-shaped using a two-line approach and the Robin Hood algorithm. In addition, this study, using feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), empirically shows that the interaction effect of CEO duality on governance–performance relations in financial institutions is curvilinear and significantly moderates and reverses these impacts. The findings reveal that, in financial institutions with CEO duality, there is a far more modest association between CG and performance, which has an inverted-U shape and is curvilinear. The findings are consistent with arguments advanced by resource dependence and stewardship theory that, although duality might increase bank performance through joint leadership, it can benefit the bank in the presence of unity of command. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can reveal conformational states of a protein in physiological conditions. However, sparsely available NMR data for a protein with large degrees of freedom can introduce structural artifacts in the built models. Currently used state‐of‐the‐art methods deriving protein structure and conformation from NMR deploy molecular dynamics (MD) coupled with simulated annealing for building models. We provide an alternate graph‐based modeling approach, where we first build substructures from NMR‐derived distance‐geometry constraints combined in one shot to form the core structure. The remaining molecule with inadequate data is modeled using a hybrid approach respecting the observed distance‐geometry constraints. One‐shot structure building is rarely undertaken for large and sparse data systems, but our data‐driven bottom‐up approach makes this uniquely feasible by suitable partitioning of the problem. A detailed comparison of select models with state‐of‐art methods reveals differences in the secondary structure regions wherein the correctness of our models is confirmed by NMR data. Benchmarking of 106 protein‐folds covering 38–282 length structures shows minimal experimental‐constraint violations while conforming to other structure quality parameters such as the proper folding, steric clash, and torsion angle violation based on Ramachandran plot criteria. Comparative MD studies using select protein models from a state‐of‐art method and ours under identical experimental parameters reveal distinct conformational dynamics that could be attributed to protein structure–function. Our work is thus useful in building enhanced NMR‐evidence‐based models that encapsulate the contextual secondary and tertiary structure variations present during the experimentation and expand the scope of functional inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acromegaly is a clinical syndrome with isolated cases globally. Patients may remain undiagnosed for several years after the onset of initial signs and symptoms. Timely diagnosis and initiation of its treatment play a crucial role in patients with acromegaly. In this article, we present physical, biochemical, and radiological characteristics in a set of 6 cases that may aid in prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of acromegaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to theoretically and empirically extend the debate of the curvilinear linkage between corporate sustainability performance and its reporting practices (CSPR) and corporate financial performance (CFP) over its linearity assumption. The study focused on the financial and non‐financial metrics of the top global energy firms from 2006 to 2018 to accomplish this objective. It employed an estimated generalized least square method on the balanced panel of 3211 firm‐year observations. The findings assert the existence of a curvilinear relationship by spurning the linearity assumption. Further, results revealed a significant inverted U‐shaped relationship between CSPR and CFP. In addition to this, the investigation reveals that this relationship exists with the environmental and social attributes of CSPR. While the governance attribute was initially insignificant, however, it also exhibits a significant inverted‐U relationship after interacting with earnings. As a result, it adds to the existing literature by identifying earnings as a significant moderator in explaining the curvilinear relationship between CSPR and CFP. The inverted U‐shaped relationship may assist top management in developing a sustainable social and environmental policy based on a reactive strategy and help in formulating strategies to balance the value‐cost trade‐off for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]