Machine learning in internet financial risk management: A systematic literature review.

Internet finance has permeated into myriad households, bringing about lifestyle convenience alongside potential risks. Presently, internet finance enterprises are progressively adopting machine learning and other artificial intelligence methods for risk alertness. What is the current status of the application of various machine learning models and algorithms across different institutions? Is there an optimal machine learning algorithm suited for the majority of internet finance platforms and application scenarios? Scholars have embarked on a series of studies addressing these questions; however, the focus predominantly lies in comparing different algorithms within specific platforms and contexts, lacking a comprehensive discourse and summary on the utilization of machine learning in this domain. Thus, based on the data from Web of Science and Scopus databases, this paper conducts a systematic literature review on all aspects of machine learning in internet finance risk in recent years, based on publications trends, geographical distribution, literature focus, machine learning models and algorithms, and evaluations. The research reveals that machine learning, as a nascent technology, whether through basic algorithms or intricate algorithmic combinations, has made significant strides compared to traditional credit scoring methods in predicting accuracy, time efficiency, and robustness in internet finance risk management. Nonetheless, there exist noticeable disparities among different algorithms, and factors such as model structure, sample data, and parameter settings also influence prediction accuracy, although generally, updated algorithms tend to achieve higher accuracy. Consequently, there is no one-size-fits-all approach applicable to all platforms; each platform should enhance its machine learning models and algorithms based on its unique characteristics, data, and the development of AI technology, starting from key evaluation indicators to mitigate internet finance risks.

Crisis and environmental governance decisions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from European countries.

This study investigates the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on environmental governance decisions within publicly listed European companies. It utilizes a comprehensive analysis of publicly available data regarding these firms and check the environmental governance practices during the pandemic, informed by risk society theory which describes modern societies marked by ongoing risks and uncertainties primarily stemming from technological and scientific advancements. The regression and robustness analysis has been performed on how companies have responded to the crisis, specifically in terms of their approaches to environmental sustainability and governance. Covid-19 has a significantly positive impact on environmental governance (EG), with a coefficient of 18.73 and a p-value of .000. Other variables like human development (HD), size, and free cash flow (FCF) positively affect EG, while corruption (Corrupt) and leverage (Lev) have a negative influence. Robust analysis confirms the negative impact of Covid-19 on EG, with a coefficient of 18.46 and a p-value below .01, consistent across different subsamples. However, it also underscores the challenges companies have encountered in upholding their sustainability efforts amid the crisis. In sum, this research offers valuable insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected environmental governance decisions, with potential implications for policymakers, regulators, and business leaders striving to advance sustainability in the post-pandemic landscape.

Unravelling trends, patterns and intellectual structure of research on bankruptcy in SMEs: A bibliometric assessment and visualisation.

Despite the burgeoning interest among academics in investigating the factors contributing to the high business failure rate among SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), the systematic synthesis of the literature on bankruptcy in SMEs is restricted. This article aims to significantly advance the understanding of the causes and repercussions of bankruptcy in SMEs and the preventative actions that may be taken to avoid it. This review assesses 282 articles from 175 outlets employing quantitative and statistics-based bibliometric tools. This bibliometric assessment helped delineate the citation and publication trends and the top contributors to the domain. The underlying thematic clusters of research on bankruptcy in SMEs were also identified, deciphered and elaborated, along with charting the future research vistas through the lens of theory, context, and methods framework. The authors believe this bibliometric variant of systematic literature review makes a significant contribution to bankruptcy and SME research by highlighting the development of the literature and some of the most active research fronts in the domain by offering insights that were not clasped thoroughly or assessed by prior literature assessments.

Research trend in Sustainable Development Goals reporting: a systematic literature review.

This paper examines the common themes delivered in studies on corporate reporting in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Articles of the aforesaid studies were mostly acquired from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) archives from year 2015 to 2022 in which the contents were carefully reviewed for selection. To systematise the literature, PRISMA 2020 statement is used. Descriptive analysis reveals an increase in publications on corporate SDG reporting, although most are focused on developed nations. The analysis also shows a scarcity of studies on the consumer goods, agricultural, fishery, and forestry sectors. Furthermore, current studies have yet to adopt a qualitative or mixed-method approach. There are fundamentally six themes that emerged from the review of literature-the degree of SDG engagement, the quality of SDG reporting, the determining factor in SDG reporting mechanism, the consequences of SDG reporting, the legitimisation approaches, as well as the institutional/stakeholder pressure. For determinants of SDG reporting, it is observed that environmental governance is not explored. This paper identifies the least addressed SDGs that businesses can focus on to accelerate their SDG contribution rate. This paper guides future research and informs decision-making by organisations and stakeholders interested in promoting sustainable development through SDG reporting.

ESG performance in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: cross-country evidence.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in developing and developed countries prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic; the study also seeks to reveal the impact of the COVID-19 on the performance of ESG during the pandemic period. Based on a large international panel dataset of 12,325 company-year observations covering 2016-2021, panel regression analysis examined the study hypotheses and achieved the study objectives. The findings indicate that companies have taken precautions against the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring compliance with ESG performance to prove their ethical behavior during a crisis. Our findings call into question the notion that companies in developed countries outperform companies in developing countries in terms of ESG performance. As a result, companies in emerging markets outperform companies in developed markets regarding environmental performance, while developed markets focus on social performance. Besides, the ESG performance is positively and significantly affected by the COVID-19, which indicates that during crises, it is important for companies to comply with ethical behavior and the most acceptable in societies. Also, the pandemic has a positive impact on both environmental and social performance, while it has a negative impact on governance performance alone. A considerable body of the literature has addressed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of a company's financial and non-financial practices. However, limited effort was given to ESG performance. The current study fills this gap by evaluating the direct effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the ESG performance in developing and developed countries. It also provides insight into the ESG performance and corporate behavior and obligations.

Sustainability assurance practices: a systematic review and future research agenda.

Although firms increasingly publish sustainability reports, assuring such reports is relatively new. This study reviews the literature of sustainability assurance to evaluate the intellectual development of the field and provide recommendations for future studies. It also demonstrates the role of assurance to enhance the credibility of sustainability reports and corporate reputation. This paper systematically reviews 94 papers obtained from the Scopus database between 1993 and August 2021. Our study shows that there is an increase in the number of studies published in recent years. We also found that some countries have received limited attention, such as the USA. The scant literature examining sustainability assurance in private institutions and non-profit organisations should be reinforced. Likewise, the sustainability research also provides limited evidence on the governance debate. The vast majority of research is not based on theoretical grounds. The need for assurance of sustainability reports not only enhances the reputation but also adds more value to the organisation's planning, monitoring, and accountability. We highlight several new research suggestions that may enhance the understanding of sustainability assurance practices.