Explore the vast range of titles available.

The study investigates the role of market-based finance and public financial support in aiding scaling up by European SMEs. First, we analyse the impact of public loan guarantee schemes on firms’ access to market-based instruments. Second, we study whether firms’ access to market-based finance and the use of public grants boost a firm’s (ex post) growth. The analysis is based on a unique and original dataset of about 31,000 Eurozone firms in the 2009–2020 period. The study finds that firms’ access to market-based finance is (i) driven positively by the previous use of public financial support schemes and (ii) has a positive effect on subsequent growth. In particular, SMEs display relatively higher growth in fixed assets, while for large firms, growth is mainly driven by current assets. Moreover, SME issuers using public grants achieve significantly stronger growth than comparable firms.

This research evaluates the importance of government support in the financial and environmental performance of SMEs with the mediating role of differentiation and cost leadership strategy. For testing the model, data were collected from 315 owners/managers of Pakistani SMEs through a survey. The results of the structural equation modeling spectacle that both financial and non-financial incentives of government have a significant positive influence on financial performance, environmental performance, differentiation and cost leadership strategy. Differentiation strategy partially mediates the paths between government incentives (financial and non-financial) and firms’ performance (financial and environmental). However, cost leadership strategy fully mediates the relationship between government financial incentives and environmental performance, while it partially mediates the connection between government non-financial support and environmental performance. In addition, the cost leadership strategy partially mediates the path between government incentives (financial and non-financial) and financial performance. This research recommends the government and policymakers to provide financial and non-financial incentives to the industrial sector that can configure their competitive advantage and performance. In turn, these firms will able to contribute to environmental and economic growth. Additionally, firms need to build ties with the government to get valuable resources that are beneficial for competitiveness as well as environment and financial performance.

PurposeTo help firms with their international operations, governments often create policies and support mechanisms, but its influence on the firm's exit decision has so far been ignored. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of home-country governmental support on the firm's exit decision.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test their conceptual model using multiple informants as well as secondary data from China. The sample consists of 360 valid questionnaires from 180 firms. Binary logistics regression is used to test the conceptual framework.FindingsBy demonstrating that resource-based and institutional constructs are highly dependent, the authors show how home-country governmental support interacts with the foreign affiliate's past performance to explain the decision to remain or exit a foreign market. The results indicate that while governmental financial support reduces the likelihood of exiting a poorly performing business in the foreign market, governmental non-financial support surprisingly has an opposite effect.Originality/valueWhile there has been an increasing number of firms exiting foreign markets, this area of research is still limited. The study also contributes to the literature by focusing on home-country governmental financial and non-financial support to explain the firm's exit decision – an issue that has been ignored and is expected to be particularly relevant for firms from emerging economies.

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to describe the sources of informal financial support used by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors and how financial toxicity and demographic factors were associated with different types and magnitudes of informal financial support. Methods This analysis is part of a larger health insurance literacy study that included pre-trial interviews and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) for AYA cancer survivors. Eligible study participants were 18 years of age, diagnosed with cancer as an AYA (15–39 years), insured, and for the RCT sample less than 1 year from diagnosis. Interview audio was transcribed, quality checked, and thematically analyzed. RCT baseline and follow-up surveys captured informal financial support use. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess differences in informal financial support type use and frequency by financial toxicity and AYA demographics. Results A total of N  = 24 and N  = 86 AYAs participated in pre-trial interviews and the RCT respectively. Interview participants reported a variety of informal financial support sources including savings, community, family/friends, and fundraisers. However, only half of participants reported their informal financial support to be sufficient. High financial toxicity was associated with the most types of informal financial support and a higher magnitude of use. The lowest income group accessed informal financial supports less frequently than higher income groups. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that AYA survivors experiencing financial toxicity frequently turn to informal sources of financial support and the magnitude is associated with financial toxicity. However, low-income survivors, and other at-risk survivors, may not have access to informal sources of financial support potentially widening inequities.

This study aims to identify and prioritize the barriers and strategies to improve halal certification accessibility for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Indonesia. The paper utilized the analytic network process (ANP) to model interrelationships among barriers and strategies. Data were collected through structured interviews and surveys involving representatives from halal certification bodies (e.g., BPJPH), government agencies (e.g., DKUM Depok), and experts from academia specializing in halal certification and MSE development. The findings highlight three major barriers: financial constraints, regulatory complexities, and limited awareness among MSE owners. Financial constraints include high certification fees and costs associated with compliance. Regulatory complexities stem from the intricate procedures and bureaucratic inefficiencies in the certification process, which deter small businesses from participating. Additionally, limited awareness and understanding of halal certification’s importance and procedures exacerbate the problem, particularly among MSEs in rural or underdeveloped regions. Financial support, regulatory reforms, and educational programs emerged as the most critical strategies for overcoming these barriers. Specifically, reducing certification fees and simplifying regulatory procedures were deemed essential to increase the uptake of halal certification among MSEs. By integrating actionable insights, this study provides a roadmap for policymakers to foster a supportive ecosystem for MSEs in the halal economy. The recommendations emphasize a balanced approach that combines financial assistance, regulatory reforms, and educational initiatives to address the multifaceted barriers. This analysis contributes to the broader discourse on enhancing MSE participation in the halal market, offering implications for both local and international stakeholders seeking to optimize the halal certification process. Acknowledgment The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendikbudristek RI) for providing financial support for this investigation. This study would not have been possible without their generous funding and commitment to advancing research in Indonesia. We also extend our appreciation to all the respondents and participants who contributed valuable insights and data for this study, as well as to the institutions involved for their support and collaboration.

Entrepreneurship has long been a key driver of economic development across various countries. Investigating the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour is essential for making a meaningful contribution to sustainable development. This study investigated the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour among university of technology and TVET college students in South Africa, utilising the modified theory of planned behaviour. Specifically, the study explored how risk-taking propensity, financial and non-financial support, media, and gender influence perceived behavioural control, entrepreneurial intention, and behaviour. Additionally, the study tested the direct effects of perceived behavioural control on both entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behaviour, as well as the direct effect of entrepreneurial intention on entrepreneurial behaviour. An online, structured, self-administered questionnaire was utilised to gather data from 496 finalyear diploma students at a university of technology and a TVET college, using a convenience sampling technique. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyse the data and test the postulated hypotheses. The findings revealed that non-financial support positively affected entrepreneurial intention, perceived behavioural control, and entrepreneurial behaviour, while financial support did not. Risk-taking propensity significantly influenced perceived behavioural control, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial behaviour. The results revealed that the gender was negatively related to perceived behavioural control, and female students exhibited lower perceived behavioural control than their male counterparts. However, gender showed no significant association with entrepreneurial intention or entrepreneurial behaviour. Media had a positive influence on both entrepreneurial intention and perceived behavioural control but did not significantly affect entrepreneurial behaviour. Additionally, both entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behaviour were positively influenced by perceived behavioural control, while entrepreneurial intention also was positively associated with entrepreneurial behaviour. These findings underscore the critical role of fostering a supportive entrepreneurial environment in shaping entrepreneurial behaviour. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators to cultivate an environment that supports students in developing as entrepreneurs. The results can inform policymakers in implementing support interventions aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial capacity among the youth. Promoting entrepreneurship is vital in achieving sustainable development goals through job creation and poverty alleviation.

In Australia, debates around school funding tend to focus on comparisons of funding between school systems and what this means for equity. In this paper, while we look at school- level funding between systems, our emphasis is on private funding in public schools with a particular emphasis on the relationship between private funding and ICSEA. Using data provided by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, we present a series of analyses that document the current funding arrangements of Australian schools. In particular, we focus on how private income and parental contributions are mediated by sector (Government, Catholic and Independent), system (States and Territories) and educational advantage. These analyses show that government schools are generating notable private funding per student with the majority coming from parental fees, charges and other contributions. We further demonstrate that these private contributions advantage may exacerbate inequalities within public systems across Australia. [Author abstract]

Despite the universal social policies of Sweden’s welfare state, recent decades have seen decreasing public benefits and increasing socio-economic disparities, affecting the financial wellbeing of older adults and their younger family members. This repeated cross-sectional study explores the development of intergenerational financial transfers in Sweden over the past two decades, examining transfers involving older parents and their children and grandchildren, and patterns related to gender and social class. It utilises data from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old, from 2002 to 2021, along with descriptive statistics and logistic regression models, to study shifts in donor–receiver proportions and gender/social-class disparities. The findings revealed that approximately one in four parents provided financial support to younger generations, while very few received such support. Downward financial transfers increased over time, with growing focus on grandchildren. No significant gender differences in providing were identified; however, women’s contributions increased in frequency and amount, compared to previous cohorts of women. Men’s contributions remained relatively stable over time. Parents in higher social classes were more inclined to provide financial support than parents in lower classes; this difference grew over time. Additionally, parents in higher social classes more frequently provided higher amounts than their counterparts. In conclusion, this study underscores changing gender and social-class patterns in financial contributions made by parents to their children and grandchildren in contemporary Sweden. Understanding these levels and subgroup differences is crucial for shaping policies and mitigating the potential growth of socio-economic inequality in future generations.

This article combines theories of racialized organizations with insights on institutionalization to empirically analyze the role of grantmakers in unsettling postsecondary racial inequity. Using longitudinal data on federal grantmaking to institutions of higher education, we examine whether and how grantmaking policies (re)produce or diminish institutionalized racial inequities. To do so, we develop and apply the concept of the \"frame-enactment bundle\"--a multi-part unit of analysis--as a mechanism that either supports or challenges the (re)production of racialization. First, we ask how does a federal grantmaking agency's frame-enactment bundle shift over time? Second, did a 2013 change to the frame-enactment bundle have a causal effect on funding in terms of the types of colleges and universities that benefit? We use archival analysis to trace the agency's changing frame-enactment bundle over time. We then test the effects of these bundles on grant distribution using a difference-in-difference-in-differences critical quantitative analysis. We find the adoption of an equity-conscious frame increased grant funding to minority-serving institutions after years of under-resourcing this organizational type. And yet, the grantmaker's enactment of that frame created novel and more deeply institutionalized mechanisms for maintaining racialized access to resources and agency. This article exposes the deleterious trade-offs policymakers create when they center inequity in their framing, even as they create new organizational mechanisms of racialization via policy enactment. We mark this as the process of institutionalizing inequity anew.

Background The prevalence of chronic conditions increases rapidly among older population. However, it is unclear how different chronic conditions progression contributes to the health care utilization, and whether intergenerational support modified this relationship. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal link between chronic condition progression and health care utilization, and examine whether intergenerational financial support is a moderator in this relationship among Chinese rural older people. Methods Data was derived from the Shandong Rural Elderly Health Cohort (SREHC), which was conducted from 2019 to 2020. A total of 2,785 participants were included in this study. Kruskal-Wallis rank tests and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were employed to analyze the association between chronic condition progression and health care utilization. Moderating effect analysis was performed using GEE model and margins plot. Results Older people with progressive chronic conditions used more outpatient (no chronic condition to emerging multimorbidity: OR = 1.83; p  = 0.028; one chronic condition to emerging multimorbidity: OR = 2.17; p  < 0.001; remained multimorbidity while chronic conditions increased: OR = 3.26; p  < 0.001) and inpatient services (no chronic condition to emerging multimorbidity: OR = 2.76; p  < 0.001; one chronic condition to emerging multimorbidity: OR = 3.40; p  < 0.001; remained multimorbidity while chronic conditions increased: OR = 5.32; p  < 0.001) than those remained no chronic conditions. Intergenerational financial support may alleviate outpatient utilization of older people with multimorbidity (remained multimorbidity × intergenerational financial support: OR = 0.40; p  = 0.013; remained multimorbidity while chronic conditions increased × intergenerational financial support: OR = 0.35; p  = 0.019). Conclusion This study showed that the changes of chronic condition were associated with health care utilization, and intergenerational financial support moderated this relationship. It is vital to continuously monitor and timely intervene the chronic condition progression among rural older people.