This study aims to explore investment, financial, and trade freedom impact on banks’ risk-taking. A unique dataset of large commercial banks of the USA covering the period 2002-2018 is used. The findings prove that financial freedom reduces the bank’s risk-taking whereas investment and trade freedom increase the risk-taking of large commercial banks in the observed period. The behavior of risk-taking due to financial, trade and investment freedom of under-capitalized and low-liquid banks seems to be marginally less impacted as compared to well-capitalized and high-liquid banks. The findings are robust using loan loss reserves as a risk measure and subclassification of a sample. The results suggest that the intervention of the government is decisive in developing the degree of economic freedom for the stability of the financial system.

Purpose: The impact of emotional labor on organizational outcomes is contingent upon numerous factors. Moreover, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, the implications of emotional labour practices, especially among physicians, have become more uncertain. This study aims to address these notions by examining the multigroup moderating effect of social and enterprising personalities and gender on a model of emotional labour. The aim is to determine whether emotional labour affects emotional exhaustion and well-being varies across these groups. Methodology: Serial mediation and multigroup moderation methods were employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Data was collected from 400 physicians across Pakistan. Snowball sampling method was adopted for data collection. Structural equation modelling, including serial mediation and multigroup moderation techniques were employed for data analysis. Main Findings: Physicians with highly social personalities and low enterprising personalities are more likely to experience detrimental effects of surface acting. Genuine emotions improve well-being for high social and enterprising as well as low enterprising personality physicians. No across-group differences exist for deep acting. For gender, females are found to be more susceptible to negative repercussions of emotional labor than their male counterparts. Positive effect of genuine emotions remains somewhat the same for both. Implications/Applications: This study assists healthcare organizations in making the right choices during the recruitment and selection process to choose the most suitable candidates for tasks involving emotional labor, i.e., ones whose personality and gender attributes are aligned with the affective or emotional component of work. This would aid in ensuring doctors’ high psychological and physical well-being at work. Novelty/Originality of this study: This research proposes a model of emotional labour strategies and their effects on physicians' emotional exhaustion and well-being. Multigroup moderating effects of two personality types, i.e., social and enterprising, and gender, are investigated with respect to the proposed model to see if there lie any differences between physicians belonging to various personality or gender groups.

Application of configurational approach and fuzzy set theory on social and behavioral science variable models needs more attention. Few social science researches have employed configurational methods of research to empirically investigate a research question. On the front of exploring unique and innovative ways of investigation, this paper discusses the application of fuzzy set theory in social sciences. The study primarily takes a model of emotional labor and employee well‑being as a case example to depict how configurational models are developed. The study examines emotional labor and well‑being, not as predictor or criterion variables, but rather as conditions and outcome. The study also distinguishes between correlational and configurational method of research and adopts a descriptive approach by taking five research papers that examine social and behavioral science constructs from a configurational approach. Scarcity of literature in the crossover between the mathematical models and social sciences, particularly for the respective variables, call for a study that can clarify the initial queries surrounding fuzzy set models and pave the way for future empirical studies. The research concludes that utilizing mathematical models like fuzzy set theory, configuration and qualitative comparative analysis in social sciences can break monotony and bring newness in approaching as well as addressing a research query. This paper draws attention towards exploring new avenues in research methodologies. Application of newer methods would not only increase the rigor and precision of research findings but also assist in approaching a research area from multiple angles thereby enhancing the research quality.

This study's basic premise is to examine the retail investor perspective regarding the decision usefulness of the corporate website. Corporate social media play a vital role in determining stakeholder behavioral intentions. This study's concern is to evaluate how a corporate website, as a corporate social media tool affects retail investor behavioral intentions. The technology acceptance model and signaling theory conjunction provide the foundation for developing the proposed theoretical framework. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) has been carried out to examine the strength of the measurement model statistically. The study's findings suggest that the corporate website as a social media toll positively influences the retail investor behavioral intention. The perceived ease of use positively impacts the actual usage intention of the corporate website by investors to effectively make their investment decisions. Similarly, the perceived usefulness of corporate websites significantly impacts the investor's behavioral intentions to engage in corporate social media. The proposed model is novel to insight the retail investor investment decision in the context of Pakistan. The study has implications for retail investors, listed companies on the stock exchange and regulators to understand how corporate websites remain robust for informed asset allocation decisions. Keywords: Corporate Social Media, Corporate Website, Retail Investor, Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Impulsive buying is a dream segment for retailers and marketers. Stimulants in retail environment evoke a sudden urge for the acquisition of products spontaneously. This desire for immediate possession and instant gratification may get an effect from the religious orientation and various beliefs of an individual. This study seeks to examine the influence of religiosity on impulsive buying behavior through various beliefs. Based on the theoretical assumption underpinning Values-Attitudes-Behavior (VAB) hierarchy and theory of consistency, this study examines religiosity as an antecedent of materialism, risk aversion, life satisfaction which ultimalty drive impulsive buying tendencies. A self-administrated survey questionnaire was used to collect the data by using mall-intercept approach. The sample size consisted of 272 consumers of apparel products. Structural equation modeling technique was carried out to establish the reliability, validity of measures and to examine the relational paths. In general, results are in support of propositions that the religiosity precedes various types of beliefs that turn into impulsive buying tendencies. Inner individual spiritual meanings and exterior social meaning of religious values condemn materialistic beliefs and enhance the risk aversion and life satisfaction of customers. Furthermore, customers with higher-level materialistic beliefs are more inclined towards impulsive tendencies, while the less risk-takers and satisfied with their life have lower impulsive tendencies. It requires incorporating the aspect of religious beliefs with behavioral outcomes. The findings of the study have significant implications for retailers of developing countries.