This study empirically examines the relation between profitability and liquidity, as measured by current ratio and cash gap (cash conversion cycle) on a sample of joint stock companies in SaudiArabia. Using correlation and regression analysis the study found significant negative relation between the firm's profitability and its liquidity level, as measured by current ratio. This relationship is more evident in firms with high current ratios and longer cash conversion cycles. At the industry level, however, the study found that the cash conversion cycle or the cash gap is of more importance as a measure of liquidity than current ratio that affects profitability. The size variable is also found to have significant effect on profitability at the industry level. Finally, the results are stable over the period under study.

In this research, the authors present a model that demonstrates that motivating managers to change unpopular or irresponsible corporate behavior may be required when the stakeholders desire such a change. Using agency theory, they then test part of the model and demonstrate why it may be necessary for an organized protest to impact on share prices before managers choose to change the behavior. Investors' reactions to announcements of product boycotts and stock divestitures made over the 23-year period 1969-1991 were examined. Announcements about boycotts were associated with significant negative market reactions, whereas divestiture announcements resulted in no significant market responses. From a pure stock market perspective, boycotts appear to be a more effective tool in influencing managers to change a company's behavior.

This paper provided an analysis of the attitude towards three banking services technologies in Sudan, namely ATMs, mobile banking, and internet (online) banking. The paper started by conducting an exploratory factor analysis, on the valid responses received from a random sample of bank customers in the Sudan, towards the three technologies. The study employed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a conceptual framework to investigate the factors that influence customers' acceptance and intention to use bank technologies. The study found that customers attitude toward various bank technologies is not the same, and is influenced by relatively different factors. The results show that bank customers who are users of ATMs are influenced by its convenience, ease of use and service quality, while credibility is not considered as a significant driver. Mobile users are found to be more influenced by benefits and ease of use and service quality while internet customers are influenced by benefits and ease of use and credibility of the systems. Under the three models, attitude emerged as a fully mediating factor for customers behavioral intentions.

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the common performance traits of banks operating in a whole Islamic banking system in Sudan. Sudan is among the few economies in which a whole Islamic banking system is in place.Design/methodology/approachNine banks representing the most active and large banks are used as a sample for this analysis. The study applied factor analysis to a large set of financial ratios that are commonly used in financial analysis of banks.FindingsThe study found that six factors are able to explain most of the variation of the financial ratios used in the study. These factors ranked according to the percentage of variation explained are: liquidity risk, coverage, efficiency (utilization), profitability, capital adequacy, and control. The study also tested for the stability of these factors over time and found that both the extracted factors and their loadings are stable over time.Practical implicationsThus, this study provides a reduced set of indicators of performance of Islamic banks that operate in a total Islamic banking system that may be beneficial to a large group of stakeholders and parties that have interest in Islamic banking.Originality/valueThis study provides an opportunity to interested researchers in the area of Islamic banks about an important aspect of a total Islamic banking system, such as Sudan.