Awards & Research Impact
Al-Ahliyya Amman University · Excellence G7 · Impact
SIRC · Excellence G7 · 2025–2026

Dr. Maha Shehadeh
Research Excellence & Publications

Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance — Al-Ahliyya Amman University. Internationally recognized for pioneering research at the intersection of FinTech, digital transformation, AI-driven finance, and sustainability reporting. Her work appears in leading Emerald, MDPI, and Springer outlets, positioning AAU at the forefront of global ranking indicators.

Accounting & Finance · Banking · FinTech
2024 – 2026 Publication Cycle
Emerald · MDPI · Springer · Taylor & Francis
32 Peer-Reviewed Papers
15.7× Mean FWCI
281 Conference Papers
40 Countries Represented
18 Dr. Maha's Publications
The Lab's impact combines citation performance, policy uptake, industry response, student innovation, international convening, and SDG alignment — with documented adoption by the Central Bank of Jordan, JoPACC, and leading commercial banks across the region.
Policy Adoption Outcomes
Central Bank of Jordan
Research Finding Adoption
Adopted the Lab's findings on the impact of FinTech on financial-sector performance.
JoPACC
Policy Recommendation Uptake
Adopted the bulk of the Lab's recommendations on digital payments and FinTech operations.
Al-Maha Dairy Products
Cross-Sector Disclosure
Collaborated with the Lab on digital transformation and innovation-related knowledge exchange within the industrial sector.
Commercial Banks
Disclosure Framework Interest
Several banks signaled intent to adopt the Lab's proposed digital-transformation disclosure framework.
SDG Alignment
SDG 4
Quality Education
Curriculum integration, student research, thesis redirection, and student innovation through the Lab's club.
SDG 8 & 10
Economic Growth and Inclusion
FinTech-enabled financial inclusion, SME relevance, and digital financial awareness.
SDG 9 & 17
Innovation and Partnerships
Digital finance infrastructure research, six formal MoUs, and two international university partnerships.
Edited Book
Edited Volume · 2025
From Digital Disruption to Dominance: Leveraging FinTech Applications for Sustainable Growth
Edited by: Maha Shehadeh, Khaled Hussainey
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited, 2025
doi.org/10.1108/9781835496084
Journal Articles · 2026
1
AI-Based Ensemble Learning Model for Financial Leverage Prediction and Risk Management in the Banking Sector
Shehadeh, M., Al-Nadabi, A. K., Yaseen, H., & Migdady, H.
Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting · 2026 · pp. 1–23
AI & FinTech Emerald DOI
2
Audit Firm Size and Firm Profitability: The Moderating Roles of Audit Committee Chair Experience and Overlap
Alsheyab, L., & Shehadeh, M.
Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting · 2026 · pp. 1–24
Audit Emerald DOI
3
The Intention to Adopt Metaverse in Islamic Banks: An Integrated Theoretical Framework of TAM and Religiosity Intention Model
Alshurafat H., Arabiat O., Shehadeh M.
Journal of Islamic Marketing · Vol. 17 No. 2 · 2026 · pp. 462–485
Islamic Finance Emerald DOI
4
Gender Dynamics and Banks' Performance: Does Cybersecurity Disclosure Matter? Evidence from Jordan
Shehadeh, M., Arabiat, O., Alshurafat, H., Hussainey, K., & Musleh Al-Sartawi, A. M. A.
International Journal of Financial Studies · Vol. 14(4) · 2026 · Art. 84
Gender & Governance MDPI DOI
Journal Articles & Book Chapters · 2025
5
Guest Editorial: Embracing a New Era: Digital Transformation in Accounting and Finance
Shehadeh, M., & Hussainey, K.
Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting · Vol. 23(2) · 2025 · pp. 437–443
Editorial Emerald
6
Disclosures on Digital Transformation Strategy and Financial Technology in Jordanian Banks: Innovations, Challenges and Opportunities
Shehadeh, M.
Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting · 2025 · ahead-of-print
FinTech Disclosure Emerald DOI
7
From Culture to Green Innovation: The Interplay of Social Capital, Entrepreneurial Leadership, and Green Knowledge Sharing in Moroccan Agricultural SMEs
Simmou, W., Shehadeh, M., Ed-Dafali, S., Hussainey, K., & Nandy, M.
Business Strategy and the Environment · 2025
Green Innovation Wiley DOI
8
The Role of Digital Transformation Capabilities in Improving Banking Performance in Jordanian Commercial Banks
Ali Alqararah, E., Shehadeh, M., & Yaseen, H.
Journal of Risk and Financial Management · Vol. 18(4) · 2025 · Art. 196
Digital Transformation MDPI DOI
9
The Moderating Role of FinTech in the Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Retention in the Banking Sector
Ajouz, M., Shehadeh, M., Issa, S., & Nawawra, H.
International Journal of Financial Studies · Vol. 13(4) · 2025 · Art. 226
FinTech MDPI DOI
10
Strategic Pathways to Corporate Sustainability: The Roles of Transformational Leadership, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation
Alqatan, A., Simmou, W., Shehadeh, M., AlReshaid, F., Elmarzouky, M., & Shohaieb, D.
Sustainability · Vol. 17(12) · 2025 · Art. 5547
Sustainability MDPI DOI
11
Exploring Cutting-Edge Algorithms in FinTech: Leveraging Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Achieving Sustainability
Shehadeh, M.
In: From Digital Disruption to Dominance · Emerald Publishing · 2025 · pp. 225–244
AI · ML Book Chapter DOI
12
The Macroeconomic Drivers of FinTech Development in Emerging Markets: An Empirical Investigation
Al-Assaf, G., Abdel-Halim, M., & Shehadeh, M.
Discover Sustainability · Vol. 6(1) · 2025 · Art. 863
FinTech Springer DOI
13
Digital Financial Literacy and Usage of Cashless Payments in Jordan: The Moderating Role of Gender
Shehadeh M., Dawood H., Hussainey K.
International Journal of Accounting and Information Management · Vol. 33(2) · 2025 · pp. 354–382
Digital Literacy Emerald DOI
14
Inverting the Paradigm: Digital Transformation's Impact on Firm Performance and the Counterintuitive Role of Gender
Shehadeh M., Alshurafat H., Arabiat O.
Competitiveness Review · Vol. 35(2) · 2025 · pp. 371–390
Digital Transformation Emerald DOI
Journal Articles · 2024
15
Another Look at the Price Clustering Behavior: Evidence from the Muscat Stock Exchange
Chebbi T., Migdady H., Hmedat W., Shehadeh M.
Review of Behavioral Finance · Vol. 16(5) · 2024 · pp. 773–791
Behavioral Finance Emerald DOI
16
Corporate Narrative Reporting on Industry 4.0 Technologies: Does the COVID-19 Pandemic and Governance Structure Matter?
Shehadeh, M., Hussainey, K., Alhadab, M., & Al_Kilani, Q. A.
Review of Accounting and Finance · 2024
Industry 4.0 Emerald DOI
17
Nexus between Corporate Governance and FinTech Disclosure: A Comparative Study between Conventional and Islamic Banks
Shehadeh, M., Ahmed, F., Hussainey, K., & Alkaraan, F.
Competitiveness Review · 2024 · ahead-of-print
Corporate Governance Emerald DOI
18
Macroeconomic Drivers of FinTech Development in Emerging Markets: An Empirical Investigation
Al-Assaf, G., Abdel-Halim, M., & Shehadeh, M.
Discover Sustainability · Vol. 6(1) · 2025 · Art. 863
FinTech · Macroeconomics Springer DOI
Dr. Shehadeh's research spans seven interconnected domains that collectively address the digital–financial–sustainability nexus. Each area directly contributes to AAU's evidence base across multiple ranking frameworks including QS, THE, and GreenMetric.
Financial Technology (FinTech)
Digital Transformation in Banking
AI & Machine Learning in Finance
Corporate Governance & Disclosure
Sustainability Reporting & ESG
Islamic Finance & Banking
Behavioral Finance
Gender & Digital Inclusion
Industry 4.0 & Metaverse Finance
Cashless Payments & Digital Literacy
Green Innovation & SMEs
Contributing Publisher Outlets
Primary Publisher
Emerald Publishing
JFRA, Competitiveness Review, IJAIM, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Review of Accounting and Finance, Review of Behavioral Finance — core Scopus/WoS-indexed outlets.
Open Access
MDPI Journals
Sustainability, IJFS, JRFM — high-visibility open access journals with strong citation metrics, maximizing AAU's research reach and discoverability.
Premium Publisher
Springer & Wiley
Discover Sustainability (Springer) and Business Strategy & the Environment (Wiley) — highly ranked interdisciplinary venues bridging finance and sustainability science.
Dr. Shehadeh's scholarly contributions have been recognized through editorial appointments, co-editorship of an Emerald volume, and guest editorial leadership in top accounting and finance journals. The following recognition highlights are drawn from her published record.
Recognition & Editorial Appointments
2025
Co-Editor, Emerald Monograph
Co-edited From Digital Disruption to Dominance: Leveraging FinTech Applications for Sustainable Growth — Emerald Publishing, with Prof. Khaled Hussainey (University of Portsmouth)
2025
Guest Editorial Leadership
Guest Editor for special issue on Digital Transformation in Accounting and Finance — Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, Vol. 23(2), Emerald Publishing
2024–2026
International Research Collaborator
Active multi-country research network spanning Jordan, UK (Portsmouth), Morocco, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia — recognized through 9+ co-authored Scopus publications
2025–2026
AAU G7 Excellence Representative
Designated research excellence contributor for AAU's Excellence G7 initiative — her publications directly support THE Awards 2026, QS Sustainability Hub, and institutional ranking submissions
2025
Springer Nature Authorship — Sustainability
Published in Discover Sustainability (Springer Nature) — a Q1 sustainability-focused journal — contributing macroeconomic FinTech research for emerging markets
2025
Wiley — Business Strategy & the Environment
Authorship in Wiley's Business Strategy and the Environment — a top-ranked ABS 3-rated journal bridging green innovation, SME leadership, and sustainability strategy