Prof.Faruk Balli

Massey University, New Zealand

Brief: Faruk received his PhD from University of Houston in 2007. Prior to joining Massey University, he worked as a research Economist in Central Bank of Qatar, in Dubai University as Assistant Professor and in University of Houston as a Teaching Fellow. His research interests lie on the edge of international macroeconomics and international finance. His research areas mainly cover but not limited to the topics of international finance, macroeconomic aspects of international finance, international portfolio allocation, income and consumption smoothing, and modelling the volatility in asset prices. Currently, Faruk has a number of publications in the selected finance and economic journals including; Canadian Journal of Economics, Economics of Transition, World Economy, International Review of Finance, Empirical Economics, Economic Modelling and Applied Economics. He has acted as a referee more than 15 different journals and currently serves on the editorial boards on the editorial board of International journal of Bonds and Currency Derivatives. Some of his selected works have been presented at the European Finance Association, FMA Annual Meetings, and American Economic Association Meetings.

A. Prof. Dragana Ostic

Jiangsu university, China

Brief: Dr. Ostic has a strong research background in the field of management, with a focus on the impact of social media, technology adoption, and innovation on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With a particular interest in emerging economies, Dr. Ostic has conducted extensive research on the relationship between social media use and SME performance, exploring the effects of various factors such as entrepreneurial orientation, innovation capabilities, and technological-organizational-environmental factors.

Dr. Ostic has published several papers in renowned academic journals including Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Managerial and Decision Economics, and Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, and Frontiers in Psychology. Their research has been recognized in the academic community, with publications appearing in reputable indices such as the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE).

Title: Green Leadership, Eco-Innovation, and Responsible Production: Empirical Evidence from MENA Manufacturing Firms

Abstract: As global sustainability pressures intensify, identifying leadership-level drivers of responsible consumption and production (RCP) has become a critical priority for researchers and policymakers alike. This study examines how CEO green experience influences firms' adoption of RCP practices, exploring the mediating role of eco-innovation and the moderating role of environmental institutional pressures. Drawing on upper echelons theory, the resource-based view, and institutional theory, the study proposes an integrative multi-level framework linking executive sustainability orientation to SDG 12-aligned firm outcomes. Using a panel dataset of 321 listed manufacturing firms from 18 MENA countries over the period 2012–2022, the study employs the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator to address endogeneity, heteroskedasticity, and cross-sectional dependence. A novel RCP Index developed through content analysis of corporate sustainability reports and grounded in SDG 12 targets and GRI disclosure standards is introduced as the primary dependent variable. The results confirm that CEO green experience significantly and positively enhances RCP outcomes. Eco-innovation mediates this relationship, positioning it as a strategic resource that translates executive sustainability orientation into measurable operational outcomes. Both normative and regulatory institutional pressures amplify the positive effect of CEO green experience on RCP adoption. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that female CEOs with green experience generate stronger RCP outcomes than their male counterparts. The findings carry important implications for corporate governance, ESG policy design, and sustainable development strategy in emerging economies, offering actionable guidance for firms and regulators committed to responsible production aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.