Two recent modifications of ranked set sampling (RSS) pull in opposite directions: the truncation-based scheme (TBRSS) concentrates measurements on the extreme ranks, while the except-extreme scheme (EERSS) never measures them at all. This paper puts the two together. Starting from sets of size m+2, the true minimum and maximum are discarded, and truncation, governed by a coefficient k, then operates inside the remaining pool of ranks {2,…,m+1}; we call the result truncation-based except-extreme ranked set sampling (TB-EERSS). EERSS is the case k=0 and an except-extreme analogue of extreme RSS the case k=⌊m/2⌋. For symmetric parents the TB-EERSS mean estimator is unbiased and never less efficient than simple random sampling (SRS) at the same number of measured units, and its variance is given in closed form. Exact efficiencies are obtained for the uniform, normal and exponential distributions, and a Monte Carlo study covers the logistic, Laplace, Weibull and gamma cases. The construction matters most for heavy right tails: because the true extremes are never measured, TB-EERSS does not inherit the breakdown that TBRSS suffers under the exponential, and its efficiency stays above one for every k and peaks near k≈m/3. At the small set sizes m=3,4,5,6 it beats RSS in every case and TBRSS in nearly everyone, by a wide margin under skewness. Against EERSS the coefficient k acts as a tuning knob, larger for skewed parents and small for light symmetric ones. The same picture holds for the median. Imperfect ranking erodes the gains slowly: they fall as the correlation ρ with the ranking variable drops but stay above SRS throughout ρ∈[0.5,0.9], and TB-EERSS keeps its edge over RSS and TBRSS apart from the short-tailed uniform. Two real datasets confirm the findings.
This paper examines the bidirectional relationship between competition and systemic risk in dual financial systems where Islamic and conventional financial institutions operate side by side. Using a sample of publicly listed financial institutions from the Asia-Pacific, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions from 2000 to 2019, we estimate systemic risk through Delta CoVaR and competition using the Lerner index. Employing a panel vector autoregressive framework, we analyse how this relationship evolves across different economic phases, with particular focus on the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). We find that lower competition is consistently associated with reduced systemic risk, with this effect being stronger-by approximately 25%-in conventional financial institutions. Notably, the competition-risk relationship is asymmetric and time-varying. Put simply, competition enhances stability pre-crisis; it amplifies systemic risk during the GFC, especially in the conventional sector. Post-crisis, this fragility effect persists in conventional institutions but dissipates in Islamic ones. Our findings contribute to the literature on competition, systemic risk, and comparative banking by highlighting how alternative financial models and economic conditions jointly shape financial stability.
PurposeThis paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of how corporate social responsibility (CSR) improves corporate financial performance (CFP). It also examines whether employee attitudes, as measured by job satisfaction, mediate the CSR-CFP relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes a sample of an unbalanced panel of 1,261 firm-year observations listed on the S&P Global 1200 Index, covering the period from 2009 to 2019. Data were sourced from the DataStream of Thomson Reuters-ASSET4. Multivariate regression analyses are used to examine the linkage between the variables.FindingsThe results show that CSR is positively related to employee satisfaction. Furthermore, the authors find a significant positive association between CSR and CFP, and interestingly, this positive association remains significant even after considering the effect of employee satisfaction. These findings suggest that employee satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between CSR and CFP.Practical implicationsThe empirical results could be valuable for important managerial choices. Firms might implement internal strategies through CSR initiatives that promote efficient human resource management to boost employee satisfaction, which can enhance corporate performance and ultimately support environmental and social well-being.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the ongoing debates regarding the economic consequences of CSR activities. It develops a new framework that identifies employees' satisfaction as an important factor influencing the association between CSR and CFP, representing a novel contribution to the literature.
OBJECTIVES:Physical activity (PA) provides immediate and long-term health benefits during pregnancy. While some related work exists, comprehensive evidence on PA levels and determinants during pregnancy in Jordan remains limited. This study explored PA levels and associated factors among pregnant women in northern Jordan. METHOD:A cross-sectional design was used. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, health, and pregnancy history were collected using questionnaires, including the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants were recruited from major hospitals in northern Jordan. RESULTS:The sample comprised 199 pregnant women, with a mean age of 30.69 (±5.32) years and a mean gestational age of 30.50 (±6.32) weeks. Mean weekly energy expenditure was 232.64 (±137.90) metabolic equivalent hours (MET-h), and 83.4% met the World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 recommendation (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] ≥7.5 MET-h/week). Weekly energy expenditure by intensity was 50.33 (±38.18) MET-h/week sedentary, 118.06 (±57.91) MET-h/week light, 62.51 (±74.25) MET-h/week moderate, and 1.25 (±3.97) MET-h/week vigorous. Household/caregiving, occupational, and sports/exercise activities accounted for 135.19 (±77.94), 39.25 (±87.66), and 4.80 (±6.75) MET-h/week, respectively. Linear regression showed that being employed (β = 142.08, P < 0.001), longer time since last pregnancy (β = 0.92, P = 0.011), and leg cramps (β = 37.25, P = 0.044) were associated with higher PA scores, whereas receiving household assistance (β = -34.78, P = 0.038) and higher depression scores (β = -5.90, P = 0.023) were associated with lower PA scores. CONCLUSION:Most pregnant women in northern Jordan met the WHO 2020 MVPA recommendation, but overall activity was dominated by light-intensity household/caregiving tasks with minimal sports/exercise. The results identified potential strategies to increase physical activity levels among pregnant women in northern Jordan.
Life satisfaction is widely used as a social indicator to direct governmental interventions that target individuals’ quality of life. Issues of dimensionality and equivalent functioning of common measures such as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) may negatively implicate inferences and decisions derived from those measures. Using a cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of 255 Polish managers (mean age = 48.9 ± 8.2 years, 22.6
