A cluster of skyscrapers photographed from below

Knowledge platform: Applied Finance and Governance

Addressing issues in finance, governance and sustainability through our interdisciplinary approach.

Research overview

Our research offers interesting insights for businesses, policymakers and researchers. We focus on two key research areas.

Corporate governance and sustainability

  • Analysing how diversity, environmental factors, and sustainability initiatives might impact corporate financial performance and decision-making processes.

  • Exploring the interaction of environmental, social and governance factors in financial decision-making frameworks. 

Applied finance

  • Assessing financial policies, banking practices and innovations in fintech

  • Examining the dynamics of stock markets and their responses to different events

  • Exploring contentious issues in fintech and machine learning, and their implications for financial markets

  • Research objectives

    Empirical investigation of corporate governance in the finance and accounting context

    • To investigate and empirically analyse the role of corporate governance in the context of finance and accounting. 

    Integration of environmental considerations in strategic decision-making

    • To empirically explore the significant integration of environmental factors into strategic decision-making processes. 

    Empirical examination of applied finance in developed and emerging markets

    • To empirically assess the importance of ‘applied finance’ in developed and emerging markets. 

    Exploration of debated issues in fintech and machine learning

    • To explore the debatable issues related to fintech and machine learning, employing empirical methodologies to derive insightful conclusions. 

    Empirical analysis of stock markets and their responses to various events

    • To comprehensively investigate stock markets and their dynamic reactions, offering investors and financial practitioners valuable insights.

Research outputs

We publish research in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including but not limited to:

  • British Journal of Management

  • Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money

  • World Business

  • Quantitative Finance

  • Journal of Environmental Management

  • International Review of Financial Analysis

  • Key publications
    • Abdulrahman, Z., Ebrahimi, T., &Al‐Najjar, B. (2023). Exploring the nexus between Islamic financial institutions Shariah compliance disclosure and corporate governance: New insights from a cross‐country analysis. International Journal of Finance & Economics.
    • Alam, A., Banna, H., Alam, A. W., Bhuiyan, M. B. U., & Mokhtar, N. B. (2024). Climate change and geopolitical conflicts: The role of ESG readiness. Journal of Environmental Management, 353, 120284.
    • Al-Najjar, B., & Salama, A. (2022). Mind the gap: Are female directors and executives more sensitive to the environment in high-tech us firms?. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 184, 122024.
    • Alshater, M. M., Kampouris, I., Marashdeh, H., Atayah, O. F., &Banna, H. (2022). Early warning system to predict energy prices: The role of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Annals of Operations Research, 1-37.
    • Areneke, G., Adegbite, E., Tunyi, A., & Hussain, T. (2023). Female directorship and ethical corporate governance disclosure practices in highly patriarchal contexts. Journal of Business Research, 164, 114028.
    • Boasiako, K. A., Manu, S. A., & Antwi-Darko, N. Y. (2022). Does financing influence the sensitivity of cash and investment to asset tangibility?. International Review of Financial Analysis, 80, 102055.
    • Develay, E., Wang, Y., & Giamporcaro, S. (2023). The effect of CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities on CEO compensation: The mediating role of shareholder say on pay votes. International Journal of Finance & Economics.
    • Li, Zezeng, and Al‐Najjar B. “Impact of Board Composition on Pension De‐risking Strategies.” British Journal of Management 33.3 (2022): 1304-1322.
    • Malik, M. F., Nowland, J., & Buckby, S. (2021). Voluntary adoption of board risk committees and financial constraints risk. International Review of Financial Analysis, 73, 101611.
    • Nasim, A.,& Downing, G. (2023). Energy shocks and bank performance in the advanced economies. Energy Economics, 118, 106517.
    • Tunyi, A. A., Areneke, G., Tob-Ogu, A., & Khalid, S. (2023). Doing more with more: Women on the board and firm employment. Journal of Business Research, 154, 113385.
    • Ullah, S., Agyei-Boapeah, H., Kim, J. R., &Nasim, A. (2022). Does national culture matter for environmental innovation? A study of emerging economies. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 181, 121755.
    • Virk, N. S.,& Butt, H. A. (2022). Asset pricing anomalies: Liquidity risk hedgers or liquidity risk spreaders?. International Review of Financial Analysis, 81, 102104.
    • Virk, N., Javed, F., Awartani, B., & Hyde, S. (2024). A reality check on the GARCH-MIDAS volatility models. The European Journal of Finance, 30(6), 575-596.

Our research team

Contact information

Contact us

You can contact individual members of the team through their staff profiles.

If you have questions about the Applied Finance and Corporate Governance knowledge platform, contact Professor Basil Al-Najjar.

b.al-najjar@mmu.ac.uk