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Customer reviews of mobile banking (m-banking) apps contain the most direct and first-hand accounts of customer experiences with m-banking. However, surprisingly little effort has been made to understand m-banking service quality using these reviews. Therefore, this study aims to discover m-banking service quality dimensions from customers' reviews of the m-banking apps through a text mining approach.

Reviews of m-banking apps of 24 banks operating in Pakistan were scraped from Google Play Store. Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) method was applied to discover the dimensions of m-banking service quality from 24,529 positive and 29,569 negative useable reviews.

Different dimensions of m-banking service quality are discussed in positive and negative reviews. Positive reviews focus on security, convenience, ease of use, continuous improvement, usefulness and app attributes, whereas negative reviews discuss system availability, responsiveness, faulty updates, login problems and reliability.

The results are based only on customer reviews in one country and generalization may not be possible. Moreover, due to the unavailability of demographic information about reviewers, the effect of demographic characteristics on users' perceptions of m-banking quality could not be determined.

The study provides managers with useful insights to improve the service experience of m-banking customers. The study also demonstrates how managers can employ text analytical techniques to assess and improve the quality of m-banking services.

In addition to enriching the understanding of m-banking quality based on direct and first-hand user experiences, the current study also provides initial evidence for the two-factor structure of m-banking service quality.

As a little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing users’ intentions to adopt blockchain-based telemedicine (BBT), it is important to investigate BBT acceptance as incorporation of blockchain technology can solve telemedicine-related issues. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing behavioral intentions (BI) to adopt BBT.

An integrated model comprising the constructs taken from technology–organization–environment framework, technology acceptance model, unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and theory of planned behavior based on their relevance to the context and the objectives of the study has been used for this research. A quantitative approach has been used to test the hypotheses, for which the data was collected from 324 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling has been used to test the hypotheses.

The results of the study show that relative advantage, perceived usefulness, trust and perceived ease of use have a significant impact on BI to adopt BBT, whereas regulatory support, subjective norms and facilitating conditions do not have any significant impact on the same.

As the concept of BCT in Pakistan is at its nascent stage and literature regarding this technology’s adoption is also limited, researchers and scholars can apply it to several other fields in Pakistan. For example, this study can be extended to explore the factors influencing blockchain adoption in areas such as education, logistics, transportation, finances and management. This research only considers the direct effects of constructs on BI to adopt BBT and does not consider any mediation and moderations constructs. Future researchers can also study the influence of mediation and moderation constructs on BI to adopt BCT.

Although studies on the acceptance of telemedicine exist, there is a gap concerning the acceptance of BBT, which the current study helps to bridge. From a practical standpoint, the current study makes a highly valuable contribution toward understanding acceptance factors for BBT projects, leading to help policymakers devise policies to promote telemedicine.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the heat and mass transfer with entropy generation during magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow of non-Newtonian Sisko nanofluid over a linearly stretching cylinder under the influence of velocity slip, chemical reaction and thermal radiation. The Brownian motion, thermophoresis and activation energy are assimilated in this nanofluid model. Convective boundary conditions on heat and mass transfer are considered. The physical model may have diverse applications in several areas of technology underlying thermohydrodynamics including supercritical fluid extraction, refrigeration, ink-jet printing and so on.

The dimensional governing equations are nondimensionalized by using appropriate similarity variables. The resulting boundary value problem is converted into initial value problem using the method of superposition and numerically computed by employing well-known fourth-order Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg approach along with shooting technique (RKF4SM). The quantitative impacts of emerging physical parameters on the velocity, temperature, concentration, skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, Sherwood number, entropy generation rate and Bejan number are presented graphically and in tabular form, and the salient features are comprehensively discussed.

From graphical outcomes, it is concluded that the slip parameters greatly influence the flow characteristics. Fluid temperature is elevated with rising radiation parameter and thermal Biot number. Nanoparticle concentration is reported in decreasing form with activation energy parameter. Entropy is found to be an increasing function of magnetic field, Brownian motion and material parameters. The entropy is less generated for shear-thinning fluid compared to shear-thickening as well as Newtonian fluids in the system.

Till now no study has been documented to explore the impact of binary chemical reaction with Arrhenius activation energy on entropy generation in an MHD boundary layer flow of non-Newtonian Sisko nanofluid over a linear stretching cylinder with velocity slip and convective boundary conditions.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of board characteristics on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure in the energy industry of emerging economies.

The authors adopt the Bloomberg ESG rating to measure the extent of ESG disclosure using a sample of 1,260 observations from BRICS emerging economies. Multiple regression techniques were used to estimate the effect of board characteristics on ESG disclosures of a sample Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) listed companies between 2010 and 2019.

The authors find a relatively low (at 37%) level of ESG disclosure among the sampled firms and a relatively high degree of variability. The authors also find that board gender diversity, board composition and board diligence are positively related to the level of ESG disclosure while the study documents no relationship between board size and ESG disclosure.

The study’s findings highlight the importance of corporate board attributes in influencing strategic decisions such as the level of ESG disclosure and the findings may be useful to regulators, policymakers and investors in making informed investment decisions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts at examining the impact of board characteristics on ESG disclosure in the energy industry in emerging economies. The paper provides new evidence on the relationship between board characteristics (BC) and ESG disclosure in the energy industry of emerging BRICS countries within a panel multi-country research setting.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between female leaders at board and executive levels and e-waste reduction in firms listed on the FTSE All-Share Index.

The study uses a sample of nonfinancial firms listed in the FTSE All-Share Index between 2004 and 2021, comprising 2,523 firm observations. The primary technique used is ordinary least squares, with subsample analysis and the two-stage least squares method used to address endogeneity concerns.

This study suggests that the presence of female directors and executives can bring a more comprehensive and diverse approach to e-waste management, which can contribute to improved e-waste reduction initiatives. However, the study also highlights that the impact of female leadership on e-waste reduction may vary based on factors such as the size of the firm and the industry’s carbon footprint.

The practical implications of this research have noteworthy implications for companies and policymakers alike. By placing importance on gender diversity, companies can reap the benefits of diverse perspectives and approaches when addressing environmental challenges. Policymakers, on the other hand, can contribute to positive environmental outcomes by advocating for gender diversity in corporate leadership.

The novelty of this research stems from its discovery that having female directors and executives in a firm leads to a broader and more varied approach to managing e-waste, ultimately enhancing efforts to reduce it. This underscores the significance of gender diversity in advancing sustainable practices within organizations. The study highlights the distinct viewpoints and experiences that women offer when tackling environmental issues in the corporate sphere.

The corporate communications literature recently focused on corporate board gender diversity, specifically looking at two central aspects: gender quotas and equitable target percentages for women on corporate boards. This paper extends the debate by focusing on board gender diversity and critical mass theory.

The paper gives a conceptual viewpoint on the issues raised in the literature on board gender diversity through a critical mass theory lens.

Following the 2022 European Union (EU) directive, all EU member states will have to attain a 40% women representation on large corporate boards to achieve board gender diversity and what has been termed a “critical mass”. However, the literature indicates that gender diversity benefits may not be achieved if a critical mass is not composed of independent women directors who create a voice that produces a collective action. The authors highlight why a critical mass may not be achieved. The inconsistency in prior research linking corporate board gender diversity to economic performance may result from the critical mass of women directors not reflecting an independent collective action. However, as gender-diverse boards evolve, the authors argue that women will not just be seen as female directors but will be accepted on equal terms with their male counterparts and have an equal voice; gender will no longer be an issue and critical mass theory may then become irrelevant.

From a corporate communications perspective, this study will focus the minds of human resources (HR) professionals on the importance of the composition of women on corporate boards if the HR professionals wish to obtain the full potential benefits of board gender diversity. Theoretically, this study highlights the importance of critical mass and collective action when researching the economic benefits of corporate board gender diversity. Investment analysts may wish to look more closely at the structure of corporate boards and not just the numbers.

This paper gives a conceptual viewpoint on the critical mass theory and corporate board gender diversity, identifying that it is not just the numbers that are important but also the issue of minority independence and collective action, and this is, therefore, unique in this respect. Future research should identify if a critical mass (not just numbers) of women on corporate boards has been achieved. Only then that the linkage, based on critical mass theory, between board gender diversity and corporate performance/profitability can be made. Knowing whether board sizes are being increased to accommodate the added female directors would be also interesting, or will the new female directors replace existing male directors? However, the most important research question, once gender diversity has been achieved, could be: Is critical mass theory relevant with respect to board gender diversity?

This study aims to examine whether information asymmetry (IA) mediates the relationship between women directors and the cost of equity (COE). Specifically, this study posits that women directors tend to lower the COE through the channel of IA.

This study uses the US-listed firms’ data from 2002 to 2014, comprising 11,189 firm-year observations. This study measures the COE by aggregating the four unique market-based COE models and apply pooled ordinary least square to estimate our results.

This study documents that women directors are linked to IA, and that IA is linked to the COE. Furthermore, in the mediation test, IA fully mediates the relationship between women directors and the COE. This study's results also validate the critical mass hypothesis, as the IA shows full mediation between the critical mass of women directors and COE. This study also discusses the limitations and major implications of the results along with possible future directions.

This study also supports the positive role of females in improvising the economic performance of the firms and supporting the sustainable development goals-5 (gender equality).

The originality of this study lies in its theoretical as well as empirical contributions. First, this study follows the line of inquiry of the mediation analysis, thereby contributing by examining whether the relationship between women directors and financial value, i.e. COE, is indirect. Second, in addition to ex post measures of the COE, this study used four ex ante unique market-based models to measure the COE. Most of the prior studies just rely on book-based measures or use a single market-based mode. Third, the findings contribute insights into how women directors add value and benefits firms.

This paper aims to investigate a mathematical model with numerical simulation for bacterial growth in the heart valve.

For antibacterial activities and antibodies properties, nanoparticles have been used. As antibiotics are commonly thought to be homogeneously dispersed through the blood, therefore, non-Newtonian fluid of Casson micropolar blood flow in the heart valve for two dimensional with variable properties is used. The heat transfer with induced magnetic field translational attraction under the influence of slip is considered for the resemblance of the heart valve prosthesis. The numeral results have been obtained by using the Chebyshev pseudospectral method.

It is proven that vascular resistance decreases for increasing blood velocity. It is noted that when the magnetic field will be induced from the heart valve prosthesis then it may cause a decrease in vascular resistance. The unbounded molecules and antibiotic concentration that are able to penetrate the bacteria are increased by increasing values of vascular resistance. The bacterial growth density cultivates for upswing values of magnetic permeability and magnetic parameters.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate a mathematical model with numerical simulation for bacterial growth in the heart valve.

The purpose of this study is to present the significance of Joule heating, viscous dissipation, magnetic field and slip condition on the boundary layer flow of an electrically conducting Boussinesq couple-stress fluid induced by an exponentially stretching sheet embedded in a porous medium under the effect of the magnetic field of the variable kind. The heat transfer phenomenon is accounted for under thermal radiation, Joule and viscous dissipation effects.

The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed to the nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by using some appropriate dimensionless variables and then the consequential nonlinear ODEs are solved numerically by making the use of the well-known shooting iteration technique along with the standard fourth-order Runge–Kutta integration scheme. The impact of emerging flow parameters on velocity and temperature profiles, streamlines, local skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number are described comprehensively through graphs and tables.

Results reveal that the velocity profile is observed to diminish considerably within the boundary layer in the presence of a magnetic field and slip condition. The enhanced radiation parameter is to decline the temperature field. The slip effect is favorable for fluid flow.

Till now, slip effect on Boussinesq couple-stress fluid over an exponentially stretching sheet embedded in a porous medium has not been explored. The present results are validated with the previously published study and found to be highly satisfactory.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of chemical reaction and thermal radiation on mixed convection flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics of nanofluid through a wedge occupied with water–TiO₂ and water–Al₂O₃ made nanofluid by considering velocity, temperature and concentration slip conditions in present investigation.

Using acceptable similarity transformations, the prevailing partial differential equations have been altered into non-linear ordinary differential equations and are demonstrated by the diverse thermophysical parameters. The mathematical model is solved numerically by implementing Galarkin finite element method and the outcomes are shown in tables and graphs.

The temperature and concentration fields impede as magnetic field parameter improves in both water–Al₂O₃ and water–TiO₂ nanofluid. While there is contradiction in the velocity field as the values of magnetic field parameter rises in both nanofluids. The non-dimensional velocity rate, rate of temperature and rate of concentration rise with improved values of Weissenberg number.

Nanofluid flows past wedge-shaped geometries have gained much consideration because of their extensive range of applications in engineering and science, such as, magnetohydrodynamics, crude oil extraction, heat exchangers, aerodynamics and geothermal systems. Virtually, these types of nanofluid flows happen in ground water pollution, aerodynamics, retrieval of oil, packed bed reactors and geothermal industries.