Business Administration (PhD) / Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (PhD)

Purpose: This thesis embarks on a comprehensive examination of Lebanon's financial and banking sector in the context of the 2019 financial crisis, aiming to uncover its root causes, analyze its impacts, and propose pragmatic solutions to foster financial resilience, economic development, and long-term stability. The research addresses the precarious state of Lebanon's financial system, exploring key factors that exacerbated the crisis. It also seeks to offer recommendations for governance reforms and economic recovery strategies. Design Methodology/ Approach: A mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative analyses, was employed to provide a holistic understanding of Lebanon’s financial instability. The qualitative component involved comparative case studies of financial crises several countries and semi-structured interviews with policymakers, economists, and financial professionals, while the quantitative analysis utilized regression models based on the Mundell-Fleming framework. Findings: The study's findings confirm that Lebanon's financial crisis was primarily driven by governance failures, political patronage, and ineffective financial frameworks. Empirical testing of the hypotheses revealed that fiscal policies (H1) and public debt levels (H4) significantly destabilized the economy, while monetary policy adjustments (H2) had mixed impacts. Trade imbalances (H3) further weakened the exchange rate and economic stability, while the effect of tax policies (H5) on stabilizing the economy was minimal. The research highlighted that political factors and institutional weaknesses were more influential than monetary interventions, reinforcing the need for comprehensive fiscal reforms and governance improvements to stabilize Lebanon's financial system. Originality: This research provides a novel contribution by integrating Keynesian Economics and Institutional Economics to analyze the intersection of economic theory with the realities of Lebanon's political and institutional landscape. The dual theoretical framework offers a fresh lens for understanding how political corruption and weak institutions fuel economic crises. 5 Furthermore, the study's comparative analysis of international financial crises broadens its applicability, suggesting that Lebanon’s situation is part of a broader global challenge facing nations with fragile political and economic systems. Practical Implications: The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in governance, fiscal management, and institutional accountability in Lebanon. Recommendations include currency stabilization measures, a revitalization of the banking sector, and fiscal deficit resolution. The thesis also advocates for multi-dimensional strategies focusing on SME and productive sector empowerment, market competition, and digital economy development as pivotal to fostering economic growth. Conclusions/ Recommendations: A multifaceted approach is essential to resolving Lebanon's 2019 crisis. Recommendations include dismantling political patronage networks, implementing fiscal reforms, enhancing regulatory oversight, and promoting financial governance transparency. By prioritizing these measures, Lebanon can build greater financial resilience and establish a pathway toward sustainable recovery and economic development, providing insights for policymakers in fragile states. Limitations: The primary limitation of this thesis stems from Lebanon's rapidly changing political and economic environment, which made it challenging to maintain the timeliness and accuracy of data. The country's internal instability and external geopolitical pressures created a shifting landscape, complicating the ability to draw fast and definitive conclusions. The dynamic nature of key variables required frequent recalibration of the analysis. Additionally, the lack of transparency in Lebanon's financial institutions, especially in the banking sector, led to reliance on estimations and indirect inferences. To address this, real-time data collection and continuous monitoring were employed, along with a multi-perspective approach to enhance analysis resilience. Bias in interview data was minimized by selecting a diverse group of interviewees and using standardized protocols

The Enron scandal, a significant event almost twenty years ago, intensely impacted the financial sector, revealing the severe consequence of unregulated corporate misbehavior. Following this catastrophe, major reforms were introduced, such as implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and creating the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). These measures aimed to restore confidence in financial markets. However, despite these changes, financial and accounting deceptions continue to occur, creating doubt about the reliability of corporate financial reports. Prominent investors, such as Warren Buffett, known as the Oracle of Omaha, have also been affected by financial fraud. This highlights the persistent difficulties in detecting and preventing financial fraud. It underscores the importance of comprehensively grasping the root causes of financial fraud. The main goal of the current study is to provide a framework to explore the risk factors (i.e., pressure, opportunity, and rationalization) within the domain of financial statement fraud (FSF) with a focus on how national culture and prosperity indices moderate this relationship. The research faces three primary challenges: The complexity of financial fraud, which arises from the multifaceted aspects of fraudulent practices; the high volume of existing (FSF) literature; and the diverse results across studies. To address these challenges, this study employs three interrelated methodological approaches: Bibliometric analysis, Systematic review, and Meta-analysis, each tailored to address distinct challenges. Bibliometric Analysis addresses the challenge of the overwhelming volume of literature by mapping the landscape of (FSF) research. This method systematically evaluates trends, author groupings, country contributions, and key journals using quantitative measures like citation counts and keyword co-occurrences. The use of machine learning, specifically Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, uncovers emerging trends and thematic clusters within two decades of (FSF) research, providing a structured overview of the research domain. Systematic Review tackles the complexity of financial fraud by critically evaluating and synthesizing existing studies according to predefined criteria. This approach filters out irrelevant studies and focuses on high-quality research that directly investigates (FSF) risk factors. Meta-analysis addresses the heterogeneity of research findings by quantitatively combining results from individual studies. This method calculates effect sizes and by aggregating data across studies, meta-analysis harmonizes disparate findings and enhances the reliability and validity of conclusions drawn about the (FSF) landscape. Additionally, countries globally have been clustered based on their fraud scores, using the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) as an indicator, along with cultural Hofstede scores and prosperity indices. These results help managers understand how various cultural and economic factors influence the risk of financial fraud in different regions. By recognizing these moderating effects, managers can tailor their fraud prevention and detection strategies to be more effective, considering the specific attributes of the countries in which they operate. Based on this explanation, the current study contributes to the literature in four ways. First, this study pioneers the combination of bibliometric analysis with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling in the field of finance. This integration helps uncover emerging trends and thematic clusters within two decades of FSF research, providing a structured and innovative way to analyze a vast amount of literature. Second, this study identifies key risk factors associated with (FSF), both quantitatively and qualitatively, as a comprehensive framework to detect and mitigate fraud occurrence. This allows for a more precise estimation of the effectiveness of the fraud risk factors concerning (FSF). Third, the study provides insights into the moderate effect of country-specific features, including national culture and prosperity factors, on (FSF) occurrence. These insights contribute significantly to behavioral forensics, a subfield of forensic accounting that focuses on understanding human aspects. Examining these country-specific factors helps gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between human behavior and the environment within financial fraud. Fourth, this study clusters countries globally based on their fraud scores, cultural dimensions, and prosperity indices. This clustering helps to identify patterns and differences in how various countries' features moderate the financial risk factors and detection of financial fraud across different regions. Recognizing these moderating effects will enable managers to develop more effective fraud prevention and detection strategies tailored to the cultural and economic attributes of different countries. This will enhance global efforts to reduce financial fraud. Keywords: Fraud Triangle, SAS No. 99, Meta-Analysis, Bibliometric Analysis, Topic Modeling, Smart Literature Review. Declaration of Work: This thesis represents my original work, embodying a genuine effort in scholarly research. I take full responsibility for its content and conclusions.

Purpose: A growing number of studies have explored the potential benefits of employee wellbeing concerning employee active mobility, job satisfaction, and other aspects of job performance and organizational commitment. However, little has been done to investigate the benefits accrued for employees who use active mobility to commute to work, as well as the impact on employee well-being, job performance, and organizational commitment. As a result, a need emerges to assess current knowledge of this topic on linking employee wellbeing to job performance. This research investigates the correlations between employee wellbeing and other variables, such as employee active mobility, organizational commitment, and job performance. The scope of the present study is to examine the impact of employee active mobility (actively commuting to work) on employee wellbeing and job performance. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a Systematic Literature Review, a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) was developed, following the System Dynamics Methodology, which was conducted on prominent studies on employee active mobility and its contribution to employee well-being and other aspects of job performance. Additionally, a conceptual model was developed to investigate employee active mobility and its influence on employee wellbeing and job performance. The research sample was drawn from employees who work in organizations, specifically those working in the Administration of the 1𝑠𝑡 Health Region of Attica under the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity. The sample consisted of 303 employees. Also, an investigation was carried out on employees’ opinions by utilizing a Group Model Building (GMB) technique. Interviews with the participants were conducted to gain more accurate and specific data. The questionnaire was the instrument that was used for data collection. The questionnaire was located and selected using the composition of different questionnaires, modification of existing questionnaires, or selection through the international literature. Findings: This research provides a novel view of the dynamics of employee well being and job performance. This allows for further understanding of the links between employee active mobility and job performance, as well as the role and responsibility of organizations based on the costs, profit, and benefits to be gained. The present study revealed significant relationships between job performance and well-being, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Additionally, no statistically significant results occurred for the influence of employee active mobility on employee well-being, job performance, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Originality/value։ This review suggests that active mobility was not a significant factor in the explanation of employee well-being and job performance. However, a need emerges to clarify the factors which are preventing employees in Greece from commuting by walking or bicycle to work and the positive outcomes on employee well-being, job performance and organizational commitment.

In recent decades, emerging nations have grappled with significant societal challenges in reshaping certain cultural norms, that are both ethically objectionable and detrimental to human well-being, such as the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). These deeply ingrained cultural practices lack valid justification, yield no discernible benefits, and result in persistent health risks and physical harm. FGM, acknowledged worldwide as a grave violation of human rights, is a form of violence directed towards women and girls, emblematic of gender inequality. Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have substantially committed to addressing these societal concerns by employing scientific methodologies to eliminate these detrimental traditions. FGM, also referred to as female circumcision, remains one of the most alarming practices within underdeveloped and developing nations. It encompasses excisions or genital cuts, encompassing procedures that involve partial or complete removal of external female genitalia for non-medical purposes. The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes female genital mutilation as deliberate procedures that cause modifications or injuries to female genital organs for non-medical motives. This practice carries an array of complications, ranging from urinary problems and bleeding to infections, and can even lead to childbirth-related complications resulting in newborn fatalities. Typically conducted between infancy and age 15, this practice breaches girls' rights to make vital decisions about their sexual and reproductive well-being, as it is often performed without consent and frequently against their will. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) addresses the issue of FGM powerfully in Sudan. Numerous programs were issued by different NGOs besides UNICEF in order to mitigate the practice of FGM in Sudanese society. This inspires me to evaluate how society's attitudes towards FGM have shifted following the implementation of social marketing interventions. Despite the existing body of research on assessing the effectiveness of such programs in influencing the behavior of individuals subjected to FGM, there remains a gap in comprehensively measuring the influence of awareness programs on shaping the overall societal behavior regarding FGM. The objective of this study is to bridge this gap by creating and assessing an integrated conceptual framework. This framework draws upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), along with insights from social psychology including the Unified Theory of Acceptance and TAM2 to create a model that quantifies the degree of behavioral change. The aim is to establish a comprehensive structure for investigating the influential factors that shape adopting the newly introduced behavior of discontinuing FGM within Sudanese society. Furthermore, this framework examines how Hofstede's four cultural dimensions at an individual level, along with a range of personal distinctions, moderate the key determinants impacting the behavioral intention to embrace the advocated practice of abandoning FGM. The study gathered a total of six hundred questionnaires from a representative sample of individuals who have enrolled in awareness programs addressing the risks associated with FGM. To ensure reliability and validity, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed, and the hypothesized conceptual model was assessed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in conjunction with multi-group analysis techniques. The findings of this study reveal that the independent variables Subjective Norms (SN), Facilitating Conditions (FC), Voluntariness (VOUL), and Experience (EXP), in addition to other cognitive dimensions such as Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU), will be the significant determinants of Behavioral Intentions (BI) and the Actual Use of FGM abandonment (AU). Also, the findings prove that there are differences between ethnic groups in terms of PEOU, PU, FC, SN, BI, and AU. The results of the Multiple Group Analysis (MGA) reflect that demographic factors have a moderation effect on the adoption of the new behavior of abandoning FGM. Collectively, the proposed model achieves an acceptable fit and explains 26.32% of the variations of the direct determinants in the actual adoption (AU) of the promoted behavior. The outcomes indicate that when it comes to understanding people's intentions and the contexts in which adoption occurs, factors at the individual, social, cultural, and organizational levels play a crucial role. Furthermore, this study contributes to existing knowledge by demonstrating that the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can be effectively applied in countries like Sudan, and it offers noteworthy insights that hold significance for theoretical advancement and practical implementation across individual, organizational, and societal dimensions.

With the rapid growth of technology and communication, the number of companies engaging in international trade has increased substantially, resulting in a more efficient way to achieve success, sustainable growth and to respond to an extremely demanding market. However, due to practical and financial aspects, exporting has been the most popular and fastest growing mode of international market entry. The current empirical research has been conducted by using a longitudinal case studies approach, as this method it is considered more accurate and valid for qualitative research. The primary qualitative data/information has been collected in two distinct phases (descriptive phase which was conducted using in depth personal interviews & site visit observations, and exploratory phase which was performed by adopting semi structured interviews). In addition, the researcher has a follow up interview with the six Cypriot juice companies that participated in the in-depth personal interviews to validate and confirm the proposed model/classification as well as the derived factors comprised the model. Overall, the key findings suggest that the major barriers and constraints that the six Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations face, when engaged in export business, are largely consistent with the findings of previous works in this area. However, the empirical evidence from the study strongly suggests that the maturity export stage of the organisation can contribute positively to the company’s export development. This along with constant investment in process and procedures enables the organisation to minimize or even to eliminate the level of strength of those barriers and having successful results in the potential foreign market. Furthermore, after having identified forty-five barriers and constraints the author proposed a detailed 6-stage export model/classification as a contribution of the theoretical framework to the Cypriot manufacturing exporting organizations. Additionally, this study contributes to academia by extending current research about export and aims to give more thorough insights into the narrow export literature on the Cyprus case. Lastly, the findings of the current updated study provide some useful theoretical and practical implications to enterprises and policy makers for further development. This research aims to drive best Practices approaches for the Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations to become successful exporters. The objectives of this study is four-fold. (1) To critically review the current literature review for international trade and export activities. (2) Commence a longitudinal case studies approach insight the Cyprus juice industry. (3) To analyse and evaluate primary data and to develop Best Practises for the Cyprus export industries. (4) The identification and ranking of the success factors that adopted by the Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations.