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Fiscal democracy is the capacity of the legislature to make budgetary choices in response to the emerging needs of citizens. This study indicates that, in Middle Eastern countries, there are specific limitations to fiscal democracy in the process of law-making: most notably the lack of attention to financial impact assessments (FIAs). Without systematic FIAs, mandatory out-of-budget allocations are inadvertently included in public spending, as they do not require parliamentary approval within the regular budgeting process. The low level of effective citizens' engagement in the process of law-making worsens the situation. Budgetary decisions are not well informed by national priorities and preferences. This study utilizes the dataset of the Open Budget Index (OBI) to measure the quality of the law-making process of the budget law in a sample of Middle Eastern countries. The study concludes with recommendations on mapping the law-making process to increase budget transparency.

This Research Note provides an assessment of the burgeoning interdisciplinary literature surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on both individuals and firms, with a particular focus on the heterogeneity in government responses and their implications for international finance and IB research. In particular, we discuss disparities in vaccine distribution, government policy responses, and impacts in low-income versus high-income countries, as well as lessons learned from the pandemic. We describe an important source of data in this area and provide ideas for future research.

Whistleblowers are a vital means of protecting society because they provide information about serious wrongdoing. And yet, people who speak up can suffer. Even so, debates on whistleblowing focus on compelling employees to come forward, often overlooking the risk involved. Theoretical understanding of whistleblowers’ post-disclosure experience is weak because tangible and material impacts are poorly understood due partly to a lack of empirical detail on the financial costs of speaking out. To address this, we present findings from a novel empirical study surveying whistleblowers. We demonstrate how whistleblowers who leave their role as a result of speaking out can lose both the financial and temporal resources necessary to redevelop their livelihoods post-disclosure. We also show how associated costs involving significant legal and health expenditure can rise. Based on these insights, our first contribution is to present a new conceptual framing of post-disclosure experiences, drawing on feminist theory, that emphasizes the bodily vulnerability of whistleblowers and their families. Our second contribution repositions whistleblowing as a form of labour defending against precarity, which involves new expenses, takes significant time, and often must be carried out with depleted income. Bringing forth the intersubjective aspect of the whistleblowing experience, our study shows how both the post-disclosure survival of whistleblowers, and their capacity to speak, depend on institutional supports or, in their absence, on personal networks. By reconceptualizing post-disclosure experiences in this way—as material, embodied and intersubjective—practical implications for whistleblower advocacy and policy emerge, alongside contributions to theoretical debates. Reversing typical formulations in business ethics, we turn extant debates on the ethical duty of employees to speak up against wrongdoing on their heads. We argue instead for a responsibility to protect whistleblowers exposed to vulnerability, a duty owed by those upon whose behalf they speak.

As global pig production becomes increasingly intensive and consolidated, the economic and health risks associated with disease outbreaks in swine farming are rising. While biosecurity measures are recognized as essential for disease prevention and antimicrobial use reduction, their economic sustainability remains underexplored. This study aims to assess the current state of knowledge on the economic aspects of biosecurity in pig farming through a systematic literature review supported by bibliometric, network, and content analyses. A total of 586 scientific publications referring to economic aspects of biosecurity in pig farming, published from 1995 to 2023, were retrieved from Scopus, PubMed, and the Web of Science using PRISMA guidelines. Bibliometric analysis highlighted a growing academic interest in the topic, with an average annual growth rate of 13.89% and a notable publication peak in 2022. Network analysis identified four thematic clusters for the selected publications: swine health and virology, public health and food safety, animal disease management, and epidemiology. A more attentive focus on socio-economic issues related to biosecurity has emerged in recent years. To investigate more specifically the economic impacts, a content analysis was conducted on 25 studies reporting quantitative data on biosecurity costs. These studies were classified by supply chain phase, disease type, epidemiological design, and biosecurity measures. The majority focused on fattening farms and farrow-to-finish systems and examined internal biosecurity practices such as hygiene, disease management, and access control. While implementing biosecurity incurs upfront costs—particularly for infrastructure—these are often offset by reduced disease-related losses and increased productivity. However, cost-benefit ratios vary significantly by region, farm size, and disease prevalence. Findings indicate that, although economic evidence supports the long-term value of biosecurity, adoption remains limited, particularly among small-scale producers. This review underscores the need for more targeted and economically informed biosecurity strategies. Future research should prioritize cost-effectiveness analyses, policy tools to encourage adoption, and support mechanisms for vulnerable farms. A better understanding of the financial dimensions of biosecurity can help align health and economic sustainability goals in the swine sector.

Background Care coordination is considered important for patients with rare conditions, yet research addressing the impact of care coordination is limited. This study aimed to explore how care coordination (or lack of) impacts on patients and carers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients and carers/parents in the UK, representing a range of rare conditions (including undiagnosed conditions). Transcripts were analysed thematically in an iterative process. Results Participants described a range of experiences and views in relation to care coordination. Reports of uncoordinated care emerged: appointments were uncoordinated, communication between key stakeholders was ineffective, patients and carers were required to coordinate their own care, and care was not coordinated to meet the changing needs of patients in different scenarios. As a result, participants experienced an additional burden and barriers/delays to accessing care. The impacts described by patients and carers, either attributed to or exacerbated by uncoordinated care, included: impact on physical health (including fatigue), financial impact (including loss of earnings and travel costs), and psychosocial impact (including disruption to school, work and emotional burden). Overall data highlight the importance of flexible care, which meets individual needs throughout patients’/carers’ journeys. Specifically, study participants suggested that the impacts may be addressed by: having support from a professional to coordinate care, changing the approach of clinics and appointments (where they take place, which professionals/services are available and how they are scheduled), and improving communication through the use of technology, care plans, accessible points of contact and multi-disciplinary team working. Conclusion This study provides further evidence of impacts of uncoordinated care; these may be complex and influenced by a number of factors. Approaches to coordination which improve access to care and lessen the time and burden placed on patients and carers may be particularly beneficial. Findings should influence future service developments (and the evaluation of such developments). This will be achieved, in the first instance, by informing the CONCORD Study in the UK.

History records show that pandemics and threats have always given new directions to the thinking, working, and learning styles. This article attempts to thoroughly document the positive core of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) and its impact on global social psychology, ecological stability, and development. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the hypotheses and comprehend the objectives of the study. The findings of the study reveals that the path coefficients for the variables health consciousness, naturalism, financial impact and self-development, sustainability, compassion, gregariousness, sympathy, and cooperation demonstrate that the factors have a positive and significant effect on COVID-19 prevention. Moreover, the content analysis was conducted on recently published reports, blog content, newspapers, and social media. The pieces of evidence from history have been cited to justify the perspective. Furthermore, to appraise the opinions of professionals of different walks of life, an online survey was conducted, and results were discussed with expert medical professionals. Outcomes establish that the pandemics give birth to creativity, instigate innovations, prompt inventions, establish human ties, and foster altruistic elements of compassion and emotionalism.

A bibliometric study was performed to explore the financial and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SCOPUS database was sourced, and VOSviewer version 1.6.20 was used to generate visualizations. Articles published between 2020 and 2024 were targeted, resulting in 1257 papers used in the analysis. The comprehensive bibliometric analysis conducted in this paper was guided by the keywords “COVID-19”, “pandemic”, “financial crisis”, “financial impact”, and “economic impact”, which revealed critical insights that contribute to the body of knowledge on the financial and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The outputs belong to topical areas of economics, finance, business, and management. Keyword mapping and clustering methods were employed to analyze links between the financial crisis, economic impact, and COVID-19 themes. A co-occurrence network analysis identified key thematic clusters, including economic and financial analysis; COVID-19 research and impact; social, environmental, and corporate responsibility; regional studies and disease-related research; and economic challenges and policy responses. This study reveals an annual publication decline of 62.94% and an average citation rate of 20.13 per document. The findings suggest an abundance of global collaboration networks and authorships. This study contributes to a better understanding of the multifaceted financial and economic impact of the pandemic from a bibliometric perspective, offering a foundation for future research and the application of financial strategies and effective crisis management.

The coronavirus crisis has unquestionably been a challenge globally and felt like an economic and psychological shock caused by the high number of illnesses and deaths caused by the virus. The drastic measures of physical distance and isolation have led to major economic effects. In this regard, our paper is trying to answer to the question if the unconventional methods would be effective in saving the economy burdened by the pandemic crisis and especially if \"launching money from the helicopter\" strategy is viable for the economy. We presented a series of government measures taken by countries affected and the analysis of the literature of the concept of \"helicopter money\". At the same time, the article reveals the exposure of the economic consequences resulting from the application of this unconventional solution, meant to restart afflicted economies.

Purpose This research study aims to examine the impact of boycott movements, particularly the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, on firms supporting Israel in the Middle East, focusing on their accounting and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a mixed-method approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to examine the impact of the boycott movements on the firm performance of companies supporting Israel in the Middle East. Integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods allows for a holistic understanding. Purposive sampling was utilised to ensure that only targeted companies by BDS were included in the considered sample. Findings It signified that targeted companies such as HP, Siemens, AXA, Puma and Sabra face substantial reputational risks, requiring operational adjustments and financial strategies to mitigate adverse effects. The findings revealed that these firms have progressively adopted enhanced transparency and reviewed investment policies to mitigate negative impacts and align with international laws and ethical standards. Originality/value The obtained discoveries will highlight the economic and governance-related consequences of boycott movements, offering insights that can be employed by business leaders, policymakers and scholars concerned with understanding the interplay of economics and politics. The findings will also highlight the obligation for resilient governance practices necessary for enduring external pressures and the adequate sustenance of firm performance in a progressively politicised market atmosphere.