Mehran Nejati | Edith Cowan University (original) (raw)

Books by Mehran Nejati

Over the past few years, a significant number of books have been published on the topic of corpor... more Over the past few years, a significant number of books have been published on the topic of corporate governance and social responsibility (see e.g. . The current volume is one of the latest of this set. The book presents the scholarly work of contributors based in Brazil, Canada, France, Malaysia, Romania, Turkey, and the UK. The purpose of the book is to investigate the impacts of businesses in a globalised world and recognize the foundations of good governance and elements of a global market, by taking a cross-cultural interdisciplinary perspective to governance in the business environment. It forms part of the wider literature on institutions and international business . Overall, the book is well-written and combines theoretical and empirical aspects of corporate governance in an organized manner. The increasing numbers of scandals such as management frauds have focused the attention of the stakeholders of the firm on the impact of corporate governance (CG) on the performance of firms . In turn, this has resulted in growing attention being paid to CG by managers, practitioners and stakeholders as a necessity for the long-term growth and survival of any firm. As editors of the book argue, in reaction to all the corporate scandals that we have witnessed in the past decade, an increasingly number of firms are making statements about their governance in their annual reports and corporate websites. The first part of the book is dedicated to some theoretical developments concerned with good governance in the new business arena, while the second part of the book aims to provide a better understanding of the issues and controversies stemming from practices of governance in various locations. The theory part covers a range of issues such as the governance of markets and how it has led to recent global crisis, shape of future society and the impact of technology on governance, CSRmarketing relations and the critical importance of social responsibility programmes in times of recession, mapping the activities of current and emerging multinational corporations and their compliance level with the current corporate governance frames, failures in governance, and importance of understanding the root causes of failures. The practical part of the book first brings about insights from the Japanese car manufacturing industry by investigating the impact of the crisis on the corporate governance of Japanese automakers and the role of culture in this regard. Then, corporate governance and social responsibility in China, which is the world's second largest economy, are discussed and the influence of China's political, social, and economic developments on global economy are investigated. By discussing the concept and dimensions of globalization and providing insights from leading private institutions in Mauritius, the

Papers by Mehran Nejati

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 2014

There is a growing global interest in social responsibility and sustainability across all sectors... more There is a growing global interest in social responsibility and sustainability across all sectors. Other than economic performance, stakeholders are now also concerned about the social and environmental impacts of corporations. Additionally, stakeholders are obtaining a higher salience level and expect organisations to operate sustainably. The banking sector has not been an exception, as banks can have significant impact on their customers, employees, and society in various ways. Given the intertwined links of Islam and ethical principles, it is expected that Islamic banks will show a high level of commitment towards social responsibility (SR) and ethical practices. The current study investigates this issue by examining the annual reports of three fully-fledged Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia over the period of 2007 to 2011. It was found that only two of the investigated banks had continuous improvement in their SR disclosure. Additionally, it was revealed that the highest disclosures have been for 'corporate vision' and 'board of directors and top management', while the lowest disclosures were evident for 'environment' and 'product, services and fair dealing with supply chain'.

Global Business and Management Research an International Journal, Apr 1, 2013

Procedia Economics and Finance, 2015

International Journal of Green Economics, 2014

Social responsibility towards the community is one aspect of the social obligations that an Islam... more Social responsibility towards the community is one aspect of the social obligations that an Islamic organisation is expected to fulfil. This study aims to investigate the social responsibility towards the community by Islamic financial institutions. A content analysis of the annual and sustainability reports of 37 Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia for the year 2012 was undertaken to examine the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure on the community dimension. The CSR disclosure was then prioritised into vital and recommended items based on an Islamic CSR (i-CSR) index that was developed. The results revealed that the Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia were targeting their CSR activities towards the social development of the community and were mainly concerned about improving the level of education of the community. Moreover, their focus towards the eradication of poverty by donating to the permanent and very poor is consistent with the requirements of Shariah.

Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility, 2014

Th is study investigates the perception of locals residing on two touristic islands in Malaysia a... more Th is study investigates the perception of locals residing on two touristic islands in Malaysia about the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of tourism development. Additionally, the importance of local engagement in tourism development was also investigated from the perspective of residents. A total of 371 responses were collected (183 local residents on Perhentian island and 188 local residents on Redang island). Results of the study reveal that while residents on both islands perceive the highest environmental impacts of tourism on water quality, wildlife, and air quality, the environmental impacts are perceived to be lower for residents of Redang island than in Perhentian island. Besides the detrimental impacts of tourism on environment, majority of the locals perceive the positive economic, social and cultural impacts of tourism to be larger than its negative impacts. Additionally, the study found that residents perceived the engagement of locals in tourism development to be important. Th e fi ndings of this study provide invaluable implications to tourism development managers and policy makers.

Students' commitment plays a very important role in their academic achievement. This paper seeks ... more Students' commitment plays a very important role in their academic achievement. This paper seeks to investigate how various aspects of students' empowerment influence their commitment, by investigating a sample 59 undergraduate students. Results of the study revealed that out of the four categories of empowerment, only self-determination significantly enhanced students' commitment. Hence, it was argued that to enhance students' commitment, which can consequently result in their improved sense of belongingness, schools need to enhance their students' perceived sense of having selection in initiating and regulating actions within the school setting. Findings of this study provide invaluable insights for educational administrators and school deans to enhance students' empowerment, which might be through engaging them in school affairs and involving them in some of activities and decisions of the school.

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2014

Stakeholder theory portrays the responsibility of a business towards its stakeholders. This paper... more Stakeholder theory portrays the responsibility of a business towards its stakeholders. This paper studies the association between the pressure of financial stakeholder of palm oil companies and the stakeholder integration on the basis of stakeholder theory. For this study, 80 companies were selected from the roundtable on sustainable palm oil (RSPO), in order to help understand the factors affecting the level of stakeholder integration. The role of creditors in affecting the level of stakeholder integration was found to be weak. The study also revealed that shareholders may have the power to influence the management, particularly when shares are widely dispersed among shareholders. Moreover, company size was found to be positively associated with stakeholder integration.

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2014

This study aims at examining the nature and extent of voluntary human capital reporting in the an... more This study aims at examining the nature and extent of voluntary human capital reporting in the annual reports of 27 banks out of 30 listed banks on Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh. By using the content analysis framework of theme, form, amount and location; the study finds that all the banks report HC in their annual reports, where 'employee training and development' has been found to be the highest reported theme. This study, perhaps for the first time, has uncovered that five Bangladeshi banks offers dedicated sections for reporting HC in their annual reports. Moreover, this study unfolds that approximately 93% of the sample banks report HC quantitatively. The HC reporting themes highlighted in this study can be used as a model by the banks of Bangladesh and other emerging economies in augmenting their HC reporting in the annual reports.

British Food Journal, 2013

Purpose -This study seeks to examine the influence of hedonic and utilitarian values on customers... more Purpose -This study seeks to examine the influence of hedonic and utilitarian values on customers' satisfaction and behavioural intentions for dining out in the context of fast-casual restaurants in Iran. Design/methodology/approach -A total of 379 surveys were collected (342 deemed usable) from respondents who had experienced dining out in a fast-casual restaurant at least once within one month prior to the survey collection time. A research model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the research hypotheses. Findings -Results of the study revealed that both hedonic and utilitarian values significantly influenced satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Besides, satisfaction was also found to have a significant positive influence on behavioural intentions. The study also showed that utilitarian value has a more powerful influence on the behavioural intention of customers in the context of fast food restaurants.

Efforts for investigating perception towards tourism and its perceived negative impacts have main... more Efforts for investigating perception towards tourism and its perceived negative impacts have mainly been conducted from the perspective of locals, often ignoring the perception of tourists on the negative environmental outcomes associated with tourism and its link with the perceived importance of sustainable tourism from the eyes of tourists. This study investigated the perception of tourists of the potential impacts of tourism on the natural environment. Additionally, it examined the influence of perceived environmental impacts of tourism on the perceived importance of sustainable tourism. The study model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) based on data collected from 469 tourists visiting two attractive islands in Malaysia, namely Perhentian Island and Redang Island. Findings of this research revealed that perceived impacts of tourism on vegetation, water quality and wildlife had significant influence on the tourists' perceived imp...

While earlier studies have shown the role of family affiliation on increased social responsibilit... more While earlier studies have shown the role of family affiliation on increased social responsibility of firms, there is a dearth of literature on how family group affiliation moderates the link between company's characteristics and social responsibility disclosure. This study aimed to investigate this moderating effect through performing a moderated multiple regression (MMR) analysis on empirical data gathered from 73 most active shareholding companies in Yemen. Findings from the study indicated that family group affiliation has a significant moderating effect on the relationships between company's characteristics and corporate social responsibility disclosure; where the relationship was found stronger for family group affiliated companies as compared to the non-family group affiliated ones. The study has bridged the literature gaps by offering empirical evidence and new insights on the significant moderating effects of family group affiliation in the relationships between company's characteristics and corporate social responsibility disclosure using the Yemeni samples.

International students undertaking higher education in foreign countries bring with them some per... more International students undertaking higher education in foreign countries bring with them some perceived beliefs about academic conduct. These beliefs are often in contrast with the host countries’ academic practices, which may generate confusion and frustration among international students, affecting their learning behaviours. As a consequence of intercultural interactions in a foreign country, international students’ beliefs and behaviours may change. Since Malaysia has emerged to be a hub of educational excellence in the region by transforming its higher education, thereby attracting increasing number of international students, this paper aims to investigate whether international students’ acculturation-oriented attitudes impact their ethical academic conduct pertaining to research, exams and assignments in a public university in Malaysia. The results reveal that students adjusting to the local academic norms demonstrate significant positive commitments to host country’s academic norms concerning research, exam and assignments. However, students upholding the norms of their home countries tend to show non-significant attitudes towards host country’s academic norms. These findings have strategic policy implications for the host educational institutions that are highlighted in the paper. The paper also identifies its limitations and explores future research potential.

In an effort to achieve sustained competitive advantage, organizations strive to attract the best... more In an effort to achieve sustained competitive advantage, organizations strive to attract the best talents. This study aimed to investigate the role of green human resource management (Green HRM) in shaping job seekers’ perceptions toward the attractiveness and prestige of a company, resulting in intention to pursue job application. The proposed framework was empirically tested using a sample of 162 job seekers from Malaysia and analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS SEM). The findings revealed that among different dimensions of green HRM, training was the most prominent one as it could positively influence job seekers’ perception toward attractiveness and prestige of a company. Additionally, reward was found to have a positive impact on company’s attractiveness, whereas job position description had a positive impact on company’s prestige. Moreover, it was revealed that both company’s attractiveness and prestige resulting from green HRM practices could significantly influence job seekers’ intention to pursue their application with a company. Study implications have been explained.

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 2014

Global Business and Management Research an International Journal, Apr 1, 2013

Procedia Economics and Finance, 2015

International Journal of Green Economics, 2014

Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility, 2014

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2014

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2014

British Food Journal, 2013

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2011

This study examined the influence of attitude towards environment and subjective norms on the ec... more This study examined the influence of attitude towards environment and subjective norms on the ecological purchase intentions of Iranian consumers. The study subsequently investigated the influence of ecological purchase intentions on actual purchase behaviour of consumers and explored the key factors resulting in the lack of tendency for purchasing ecological products by Iranian consumers. Out of the three conjectured hypotheses, two were supported, which partially supported theory of reasoned action proposed by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980). Findings of the study revealed that the subjective norms significantly influenced ecological purchase intentions, which in turn significantly resulted in purchase behaviour. However, the influence of attitudes towards environment on ecological purchase intentions was not significant.

Nowadays, entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship (SE), is drawing the attention o... more Nowadays, entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship (SE), is drawing the attention of so many scholars, researchers and policy makers. Social entrepreneurs play a critical and significant role in any economy. They are known as social change agents, which are able to make fundamental contributions to economic and social development. However, there is not a common view about the topic, especially in the field of SE. This paper seeks to elaborate the concept of SE, as a unique and distinct concept. In order to do so, the paper reviews the existing literature on SE and proposes a model to put together the concepts and ideas and provide a comprehensive and common view for the beneficiaries of this phenomenon. This paper will rebuild the existing view of the SE as a two-sided fact, which includes 'Social' and 'Entrepreneurship' dimensions.

International Journal of Consumer Studies, 2015

Despite the availability of extensive research on a wide range of consumer-related areas, some so... more Despite the availability of extensive research on a wide range of consumer-related areas, some socially sensitive consumer issues have still remained relatively unexplored. Since literature review revealed a gap in the conceptualization of consumer social responsibilities, this article conceptualized, developed and validated a measurement scale for consumer social responsibility (CnSR), using a rigorous methodology suggested in the scale development literature. The study responded to the scholarly calls for further research in this area. Using a total sample of 491 respondents (53 respondents for pilot, 207 for exploratory survey and 231 for confirmatory survey), the study proposed a six-dimensional measurement scale for CnSR, including: (1) social impacts, (2) solidarity, (3) critical appraisal, (4) supporting business growth, (5) environmental impacts and (6) action. It is argued that with ever growing impacts of corporate social responsibility on business practices, the validated measurement scale will contribute to the advancement of research in this nascent consumer area.

International Journal of Management Practice, 2015

In accordance with companies' efforts to position themselves as socially responsible firms, the a... more In accordance with companies' efforts to position themselves as socially responsible firms, the application of Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) has been growing as a helpful marketing tool. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of significant prior studies in understanding what factors influence the success of such prosocial marketing campaigns and their impacts on consumers' purchase intentions. This research attempts to investigate the influence of perceived cause importance, cause proximity, cause-brand fit and consumers' involvement in CRM on consumers' purchasing intention. Findings of the study indicate the positive and significant impact of cause importance, cause proximity, and cause-brand fit on consumers' purchase intentions, while consumers' involvement in CRM was not found to have any significant role to play. Study limitations and implications have also been outlined in the paper.

Management Decision, 2014

Given the uprising interest in the environmental responsibility issues among small businesses, th... more Given the uprising interest in the environmental responsibility issues among small businesses, the purpose of this paper is to design to probe into the relationship between stakeholders’ influence and environmental responsibility of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), and its consequent outcomes in an emerging economy. A sample of 110 MSME owners participated in this study. Data were collected by means of questionnaire designed to measure the 12 constructs of focus. In order to test the hypotheses and examine the relationships proposed in the research framework, structural equation modelling was performed using SmartPLS. This study revealed that among the primary stakeholders, only employees and customers significantly influenced environmental responsibility practices of MSMEs. Besides, it was found that environmental responsibility results in financial improvements and better relations with employees and customers. This study is limited to MSMEs in Malaysia. Despite the relatively low response rate, which is common in MSME research, the geographic and sector distribution of samples provides a basis for generalizability of the results. Since many MSME owners/managers are sceptical about the benefits of environmental practices, the findings of this study provided empirical support from an emerging economy about the positive outcomes of environmental practices. By examining the key determinants that foster environmental practices in MSMEs, the current study provides important insights for policy makers to encourage MSMEs to initiate such responsible practices, which can lead to environmental preservation. Other than enriching a systems-based view of firms’ environmental behaviour, this study empirically tests a research framework on role of stakeholders in determining environmental responsibility of small firms and their outcomes on firms’ performance.