Dr. Hussain Muhammad

Hussain Muhammad joined the School of Business at AURAK in the fall of 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Accounting. He earned his Ph.D. in Accounting, Management, and Business Economics (AMBE) from the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. He has also been a visiting researcher at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Canada. His academic credentials also include an MS in Management Sciences, an M.Sc. in Economics, and a BBA (Hons). Additionally, he has earned a Diploma in Information Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management. Before his current role, he was a researcher in the Department of Management and Business Administration at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, where he distinguished himself in research and teaching.

His primary research interests lie at the intersection of corporate governance mechanisms, corporate finance, and various corporate decisions, such as firm performance, R&D investment, firm risk-taking, financial and non-financial reporting, and ESG-related issues. He has published articles in Meditari Accountancy Research, Industrial and Corporate Change, Sustainability Accounting Management and Policy Journal, and Journal of Management & Organization, among others. He also serves as a reviewer for several reputed peer-reviewed academic journals.

Ph.D. in Accounting, Management, and Business Economics (2021), University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy.

Research Interests

Dr. Hussain’s research spans multidisciplinary areas, including corporate governance, board gender diversity, climate governance, corporate social responsibility, capital structure, R&D investment, and ESG-related issues. He investigates how these factors intersect to influence corporate decision-making, financial strategies, and sustainability efforts, with a focus on promoting long-term value and responsible business practices.

• Hussain*, M., & Tadele, H. (2025). Corporate governance and ESG controversies: a quantile regression approach. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society. http://bit.ly/4mcrLmM
• Paolone, F., Debellis, F., Hussain, M., & Migliori, S. (2025). Women directors and R&D investment in family firms: The mediating role of debt financing. Journal of Product Innovation Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12799
• Hussain*, M., & Farooq, M. (2025). The effectiveness of board gender diversity and sustainability committees in mitigating ESG controversies. Meditari Accountancy Research. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-07-2024-2565
• Hussain, M., Paolone, F., & Migliori, S., (2025). Board gender diversity and accounting conservatism: the role of corporate social responsibility. Sustainability Accounting, Management, and Policy Journal, 16(1), 107-136. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-11-2023-0835.
• Hussain*, M., Migliori, S., & Di Berardino, D. (2025). CSR as a catalyst: Examining the effects of board gender diversity on earnings management. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(1), 963-983. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2986.
• Hussain*, M. (2025). CEO gender and ESG controversies. Economic Paper: A journal of applied economics and policy, 44(1), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1111/1759-3441.12430
• Hussain*, M. (2025). Strategic Change Through Governance: A Gender Diversity Perspective. Business Strategy and Development. 8 (3), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70206
• Hussain*, M., & Ali, S. (2025). The interplay of board gender diversity, debt financing, and sustainable investment: evidence from Europe. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 15(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2024.2414245.
• Hussain*, M., Migliori, S., & Consorti, A. (2024). Corporate governance and SME performance: Is technological capability a missing link? Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-02-2023-0040
• Hussain*, M., Migliori, S., & Consorti, A. (2024). Corporate governance and R&D investment: does firm size matter?. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 36(3), 518-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2022.2042508
• Hussain*, M., Migliori, S., & Mohsni, S. (2023). Corporate governance and firm risk-taking: the moderating role of board gender diversity. Meditari Accountancy Research, 31(3), 706-728. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-07-2020-0949
• Hussain*, M., & Migliori, S. (2023). Effects of board gender diversity and sustainability committees on environmental performance: a quantile regression approach. Journal of Management & Organization, 29(6), 1051-1076. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2022.8
• Hussain*, M., Migliori, S. & Mohsni, S. (2022). Corporate governance and R&D investment: the role of debt financing. Industrial and Corporate Change, 31(3), 628-653. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtab056

To further explore Dr. Hussain’s research contributions and editorial activities, please visit the links below.

Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&pli=1&user=akUVHeoAAAAJ

ORCID Profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8952-1958

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS/PARTICIPATIONS

• “Corporate governance mechanisms, board gender diversity, and strategic change” paper presented at the 1^st International Conference on Business Management, Entrepreneurship, and Circular Economy (Springer)” held from November 4-6, 2024, at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
• “Corporate governance and ESG controversies: A quantile regression approach” paper presented at the 1^st International Conference on Business Management, Entrepreneurship, and Circular Economy (Springer)” held from November 4-6, 2024, at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
• “Board gender diversity, corporate social responsibility, and earnings management: Evidence from Europe” paper presented in the ASFAAG American Chapter Conference 2024 on “Planet, People & Profits: Promoting Sustainable Businesses for Triple Bottom-Line” held on 29th February – 2nd March 2024, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.
• “Board gender diversity, debt financing, and sustainable investment: Evidence from Europe” paper presented at the 2023 Cross Country Perspective in Finance (CCPF) Sustainable Finance Special Theme Conference on November 11-12, 2023, at the School of Economics and Management, Shanxi University, and Shanxi Financial Research Institute, China.
• “Capital structure decisions and R&D investment: the contingency role of firm size” paper presented at the First Annual Meeting of International Society for the Advancement of Financial Economics (ISAFE-2022) conference, December 5-6, 2022, Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, Vietnam.
• “The role of capital structure decisions on the link between R&D investment and SMEs performance” paper presented at the 2^nd International Conference on Accounting, Auditing and Finance (ICAAF-2022), November 21-23, 2022, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
• “Board gender diversity and accounting conservatism: the role of corporate social responsibility” paper presented at the 19^th European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) conference on Corporate Governance, November 8-9, 2022, EM Strasbourg Business School, Strasbourg, France.
• “Corporate Governance and SMEs Performance: Is Technological Capability a Missing Link?” paper presented at the 38^th Eurasia Business & Economic Society (EBES) Conference, January 12-14, 2022, University of Warsaw, Poland.
• “A comparative study of banking sector performance before and after merger & acquisition: Evidence from Pakistan” paper presented at an International Conference on “Corporate Governance: Search for the Advanced Practices” February 28, 2019, Roma Tre University, Italy.

• Principles of Financial Accounting
• Principles of Managerial Accounting
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Macroeconomic Policy