Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted ‘Evolving Dynamics of Sustainability Disclosure in Saudi Arabia: A Documentary Analysis’(Saudi Digital Library, 2024) Azouari, Shatha; Bhuiyan, FarukThis study investigates how the sustainability disclosure practices of Saudi Arabian companies have evolved and how they are influenced by Saudi Vision 2030, international pressures and local regulatory frameworks. This study is built upon the stakeholder theory to gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of different stakeholder requirements on sustainability disclosure. It investigates the extent to which this reporting is transparent and accountable. The study adopts a qualitative methodology focusing on sustainability and annual reports from 18 Saudi Arabian companies in 9 sectors, including energy, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications. The selected companies were chosen based on their market value and the availability of relevant sustainability disclosures for the years 2022 and 2023. The key findings indicate that significant progress has been made in advancing sustainability disclosures in Saudi Arabia. This is through the incorporation of sustainability practices into corporate strategies with a primary focus on Vision 2030 objectives, Tadawul's regulations and growing international pressures. While certain sectors, particularly energy, utilities, materials, and finance, show significant progress in their approach, healthcare and insurance lag in ESG integration and international standards, highlighting a need for improved governance frameworks and more consistent regulatory oversight. As a new and interesting finding, the study underscores the importance of Vision 2030 and Tadawul Disclosure Guidelines as catalysts for change and calls for enhanced capacity-building and regulatory support to ensure that Saudi companies can meet national and international sustainability expectations. The study provides theoretical and managerial insights into the broader discourse on corporate transparency and sustainable development, offering invaluable insights for academic communities, managers, and policymakers in Saudi Arabia.4 0Item Restricted Investigating the Implementation of Governance Through the Adoption of the Universities Law in Saudi Higher Education(ASTON UNIVERSITY, 2025) Alowaid, Othman; Hall, MatthewThis research investigates the implementation of the new Universities Law in Saudi Arabia and its implications for higher education governance. The primary aim is to develop a comprehensive governance framework tailored to Saudi universities' unique sociocultural, political, and economic context. This study provides a robust theoretical foundation for understanding governance dynamics within Saudi higher education by synthesising agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories. There has previously been an in-depth exploration of adapting governance in Saudi higher education through the new Universities Law; hence, this research examines the two universities that first implemented the new law. The study explores the governance framework of Saudi higher education, the adaptation processes, and the challenges encountered. A qualitative case study approach allowed participants to describe their experiences. Data collection involved two main methods: document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The key documents analysed were the previous Higher Education and Universities Council Law and the new Universities Law. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from the two universities and the Universities Affairs Council, considered the body supervising universities. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on higher education governance by demonstrating the novel combination of agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories and revealing the limitations of existing governance frameworks when applied in isolation. This study addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative. Additionally, it addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative.13 0Item Unknown Transparency in Supply Chains: Analysing Stakeholder Consultations and Evidence Under the Modern Slavery Act 2015(The University of Manchester, 2024) Algarni, Afnan; Sidiqqui, JavedThis dissertation critically examines stakeholder consultations on the Transparency in the Supply Chain provision of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, employing stakeholder theory to identify key themes and assess how the evidence supports stakeholders' positions. Through thematic analysis, the study reveals three main themes: the importance of transparency and reporting, the debate between voluntary and mandatory regulatory approaches, and the role of corporate responsibility in eradicating modern slavery. The findings highlight divergent perspectives, with corporate stakeholders favouring flexible reporting standards and academics and NGOs advocating for stricter measures. The analysis also underscores the use of empirical evidence, legislative models, and corporate practices in shaping stakeholder arguments. This research contributes to the literature by applying stakeholder theory to explore the consultative processes that influence the Transparency in Supply Chains provision and emphasizes the need for ongoing stakeholder engagement and further research to refine the Act and enhance its effectiveness in combating modern slavery.12 0Item Unknown The Impact of Corporate Governance on Financial Performance in Saudi Listed Companies(University of Sussex, 2024-09) Madini, Numair; Madini, NumairThis dissertation investigates the impact of corporate governance on the financial performance of Saudi-listed companies, focusing on key governance elements such as board independence, executive compensation, audit committee effectiveness, transparency, and internal controls. With Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 serving as a backdrop, this study aims to understand how recent governance reforms and practices contribute to the financial outcomes of companies in a rapidly evolving economic environment. The research adopts a quantitative approach, analyzing data from a representative sample of Saudi-listed firms across various sectors. The findings reveal that robust corporate governance practices are strongly correlated with improved financial performance. Specifically, the presence of independent directors on company boards is associated with higher returns on equity and assets, underscoring the importance of unbiased oversight in corporate governance. Similarly, executive compensation that aligns with company performance positively influences long-term financial success, although the design of such compensation packages must carefully balance short-term and long-term incentives. Effective audit committees, characterized by their independence and financial expertise, play a critical role in ensuring the integrity of financial reporting and internal controls. The study also highlights the importance of transparency in financial reporting, with companies that adhere to stringent disclosure practices attracting more investment and enjoying lower capital costs. Additionally, strong internal controls and proactive risk management practices are essential for 2 maintaining financial stability and resilience in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment. The dissertation concludes that as Saudi Arabia continues to pursue its Vision 2030 goals, the adoption of global best practices in corporate governance will be crucial in achieving sustainable growth, attracting foreign investment, and ensuring the long-term success of its corporate sector. The findings provide valuable insights for corporate leaders, policymakers, and researchers, contributing to the ongoing development of corporate governance practices in Saudi Arabia and other emerging markets.26 0Item Unknown The firm-level impact of corporate governance mechanisms on firm performance of listed non-financial companies in Saudi Arabia.(universaty of Liverpool, 2024-09) Aljebreen, Sultan; Abuzeid, MostafaThere has been increased focus on desirable corporate governance practices linked with improved performance and firm stability. Therefore, this study sought to explore the influence of board factors as the determinants of the firm’s performance. Corporate governance mechanisms included board composition, audit committee features, and ownership, while profitability measured firm performance. The dissertation employed a quantitative research approach, and panel data was compiled from the Tadawul (Saudi Stock Exchange) for the period 2020-2023. Panel regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and firm performance. The research results imply that the board of directors size has a significant positive influence on a firm’s performance, which could suggest that a large board, which in most cases differs in skills and experience, helps in developing strategic decisions that can enhance financial performance. On the other hand, CEO duality, meaning that the CEO is the same as the board chairman, was discovered as having a marginally negative influence on performance. This could be an indication of the problems with excessive concentration of power, hence diminishing the independence and efficacy of the board. Although other governance factors, including audit committee characteristics and ownership structure, were examined, they were not significantly linked to firm performance. Therefore, there may be a need for further studies to validate their influence on the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance in Saudi Arabia. Overall, the study offers significant insights to policymakers and corporate leaders in developing best practices for improving corporate governance in Saudi Arabia.36 0Item Restricted A Cross-country Study of Stakeholder Pressure on Oil and Gas companies’ Environmental Performance and Disclosures(RMIT University, 2024-06-25) Alomar, Tareq; Khan, TehminaThe oil and gas industry is a vital aspect of the global economy and is considered the main economic resource in many countries. However, this industry is responsible for numerous environmental issues, such as global warming, air pollution, hazardous discharges and catastrophic environmental events. These environmental issues have put pressure on oil and gas companies to be more environmentally responsible. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of stakeholder pressure on voluntary environmental disclosures (VEDs) and environmental performance (EP) in oil and gas companies. It will employ stakeholder theory and the new institutional perspective of institutional theory to do the analysis. The research is a cross-country study in two phases. The first phase is a quantitative content analysis to investigate the impact of governmental environmental policies, board size, company size, and company leverage on the VEDs of 189 companies for 2019-2020 from 14 of the top oil producing countries in. Multiple regression was used in this stage to investigate the impact of independent variables on VEDs. The second phase is a questionnaire survey. Primary data is collected to investigate the impact of pressure from governments, customers, NGOs, shareholders, employees, and the pandemic on EP. The participants of the survey are managers and high-level employees linked to environmental practices of oil and gas companies. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to link the factors with the dependent variable (EP). The findings of the study will reveal that company size and board size have a significant positive impact on VEDs. Also, there has been a significant increase in oil and gas company 2 VEDs in 2020 compared to 2019. However, it would appear that governmental environmental policies, leverage, and profitability have a statistically insignificant influence on VEDs. On the other hand, governmental pressure, customer pressure and employee pressure have a significant positive effect on the EP of oil and gas companies. Pressure from NGOs, shareholders and the pandemic is statistically insignificant. This research contributes knowledge about voluntary environmental disclosures and environmental performance, specifically in the global oil and gas industry. Also, it contributes to a better understanding of the role of stakeholder group pressure and their impact on environmental practices and disclosure in this industry. This study also investigates the impact of the pandemic on environmental practices in the oil and gas industry. This study is one of the first academic studies to consider the pandemic's impact on the oil and gas industry’s VEDs and EP. Lastly, it provides an example of combining stakeholder theory and institutional theory to investigate the impact of stakeholders on a firm’s environmental performance and disclosure.19 0