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This study aims to seek, on the basis of Hofstede's culture consequences, to explore the notion that regional characteristics may influence the prioritisation of certain types of public-private partnerships (PPP) contract governance skills over others. It further sets out to determine which skills are considered the most critical between the groups of respondents surveyed.

To bring this important and neglected perspective into the mainstream of PPP discussions, the study, being of an exploratory nature, relied on a survey of 340 respondents from around the globe. The respondents are a rich mix of public policy experts, economists, construction professionals, project finance experts, lawyers and academic researchers in PPP.s.

Analysis revealed that, regional characteristics was an important factor influencing skills prioritisation. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis with Monte Carlo principal component analysis (PCA) confirmation revealed that project management, contract design, negotiations, performance management and stakeholder management skills were very critical for successful contract management of PPP projects.

The findings indicate that the design and implementation of regulatory governance for infrastructure PPPs should be context-specific rather than the current one-size-fits all model. Training should be tailored to reflect regional specific characteristics.

Studies are increasingly pointing to the absence of critical PPP skills among institutions responsible for managing PPP contracts. This lack of capacity has resulted in poor oversight of private companies providing public services resulting in poor services, and financial recklessness, which threaten the sustainability of service provision.

The purpose of this study is to explore the skills required by regulatory agencies for effective governance of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts from the perspective of Malaysian regulators. There is a growing literature indicating that there is poor public sector expertise in managing PPP projects.

The study, being an exploratory one, relied on a questionnaire survey of the Malaysian PPP unit (UKAS) and five Malaysian regulatory agencies responsible for regulating service delivery across a number of sectors.

The results of the exploratory factor analysis returned six factor groupings, indicating that the most important skills are procurement, auditing and forensic accounting, lifecycle costing, sector-specific, negotiation analysis and performance management. It was also found that academic qualifications, profession, years of experience and the regulatory agency had no mediating effect on the rankings.

The findings show that infrastructure regulation training programs should be tailored to reflect regional and country-specific characteristics. This is because a similar study with a globalised set of respondents gave a different result from the current study.

There is a growing trend towards remunicipalisations and contract cancellations globally. This is the very outcome that regulatory agencies were created to prevent. Studies including government reports are increasingly pointing in the direction of poor skills set among public sector staff managing PPPs. This lack of capacity has resulted in poor oversight, which now threatens the sustainability of service provision.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the skills required for effective contract management of public–private partnership (PPP) projects over their contract duration. The growing body of literature indicating the lack of expertise in managing PPP-related projects within the public sector prompted this study.

The study, being an exploratory one, relied on a survey of 207 survey responses from a sample of PPP experts across the globe. The data from the survey are a rich mix of responses from public policy experts, construction professionals, project finance experts, lawyers and academic researchers in PPP.

It was found through exploratory factor analysis that project management, financial engineering, negotiations, risk management, forecasting, stakeholder management and technical skills were very critical for successful contract management of PPP projects. It was also found that regional characteristics influence skills prioritisation.

The results of this study can be validated on larger data sets in specific countries and across regions, sectors and variety of PPP projects. Currently, the authors conducted a general survey using convenience sampling.

The results send a clear signal to practitioners that infrastructure regulation training programs cannot be generalised. Training should be tailored to reflect regional and country-specific characteristics.

The increasing failures and remunicipalisations of privately financed infrastructures is a cause for concern. Little attention has been given to the complicity of PPP regulatory institutions responsible for contract governance of such projects. Studies are increasingly pointing to the absence of critical PPP skills among institutions responsible for managing PPP contracts. This lack of capacity has resulted in poor oversight of private companies providing public services resulting in poor services, and financial recklessness which threaten the sustainability of service provision.

The purpose of this research is to assess how full-time tenured academic staff promotion practices (SPP) in Malaysian private universities (MPUs) influence academic staff engagement (SE) and academic staff performance (SP).

The research used quantitative and descriptive methods, focusing on MPUs' academic staff as the unit of analysis. Sampling involved simple random and stratified techniques, with 314 academic personnel surveyed. Participant data was collected through a questionnaire, and study hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via a bootstrapping approach.

The findings show that SE somewhat mediates the connection between SPP and SP and that SPP significantly influences SP.

This study emphasizes the importance of impartiality and transparency within university administration when promoting academic staff. Universities should adopt modern strategies and approaches for advancing their employees to higher positions, doing so will motivate employees to fully invest in their work, leading to sustained high-performance levels.

This research has substantially improved the understanding and the practical utilization of literature about SP, SPP and SE. This improvement can potentially facilitate the development of models, theories, research initiatives, and practical strategies geared toward enhancing staff efficiency.

The dependence on the use of information systems for nearly every activity and functions in the internet is increasingly high. This form of interconnectedness has bolstered national economies, enhanced how governments interact with their citizens and how ordinary people connect with friends and family. However, this dependence has equally resulted to a high rise in vulnerability, threat and risk associated with more use of information and communication technology. Cyber-attacks that have the potential to disrupt or damage information system infrastructure are getting more complex with some level of sophistication. Traditional protection of information system infrastructure is no longer sufficient; systems have proven to be immune to failure or incidents. This paper aims to ensure that there is a continuous availability of services through a fail-safe proof.

MYSQL replication technique was used to develop a model based on three-tier layers using the principle of network interdependency and the replication techniques. Tier 1 depicts a Telecom organization serving as service provider that provides internet service to Tier 2 organization – a Bank; Tier 3 is the financial App that can be used by bank staff and customers. The fail-safe mode integrated mechanism enables Tier 3 to continue to render its services in the event of an attack on Tier 1 such as DDoS without disruption.

This technique succeeded in mitigating the loss of data if cyber incident occurred or reception of uninterrupted services is countered, which give rise to future master-to-master architecture.

The study conducted is limited to the design and development of a fail-safe system for interdependent networks or systems using MYSQL replication technique.

In an interdependent environment such as the cyberspace, the sectors are interdependent for optimal results. The originality of the work ensures that there is availability of services which is sustained and that data integrity is assured using the fail-safe technique based on MySQL replication method.

The purpose of the study is to explore contributions made in Islamic economics methodology, particularly in the use of mathematical models used to build Islamic economic theories.

The methodology adopted is a survey by means of literature review.

Overuse of mathematical models in economics has it apparent weakness in simplifying complex realities and use of impracticable assumptions. But, that notwithstanding, they have a role to play in the development of Islamic economics. Empirical analysis in Islamic economics has weaknesses, including the very fact that moral phenomenon in Islamic economics is difficult to quantify, but its contribution, just like mathematics, is needed to develop the field. Islamic economics adopt mathematical models that do not cause obstacles in achieving the aim of Islamic economics, which is Falah. Where it is harmful, it is discarded. Islamic economics has yet to have a universally accepted research methodology; instead, numerous methodologies are used today. The poor use of mathematics in Islamic economics by new researchers, among other factors, may be due to young researchers’ poor background in mathematics.

The paper is unique in looking at the topic of Islamic economic methodology from the angle of application of mathematical models.

This chapter investigated tendering in stealth construction, emphasising innovative approaches and methodologies that prioritise environmental protection, safety, efficiency, and aesthetics. It began with an overview of the construction industry’s tendering processes, followed by an in-depth examination of various tendering types, including competitive and negotiated methods. The study highlighted contemporary trends such as electronic tendering, Building Information Modelling (BIM), green and sustainable procurement, risk management, data analytics, artificial intelligence, lean construction practices, and blockchain technology. Moreover, with a specific focus on stealth construction, the chapter further analysed certain criteria, including building cross-section development, visibility, radio frequency emission, and countermeasures. It explored integrating functional construction systems, including environmental, safety, health, and quality management. Additionally, it discussed methods like green building, modular construction, and low-impact techniques. Lastly, the chapter emphasised the strategies to achieve environmental protection, safety, speed, economy, and aesthetics in tendering for stealth construction.

Risk factors for population relocation as a result of severe catastrophes are increasing on a global scale. The frequency of catastrophic weather events is rising, infrastructure is getting older, the population is expanding, and urbanization is increasing. This study explores the influencing factors of livelihood, vulnerability, and livelihood resilience of climate-induced displaced people in developing countries, particularly in South Asia. A mixed-method approach comprising a systematic review and a narrative review has been applied in this study. A systematic review guided by PRISMA has been used to identify the relevant documents and the extracted information has been described through a narrative review approach. This study reveals that climate-induced displaced people are generally vulnerable to maintaining their livelihood, but there are a few exceptional cases where displaced people could diversify their livelihood strategies. The major influencing factors of their livelihoods are riverbank erosion, loss of assets and properties, food insecurity, seasonal hunger, low access to finance, and low job opportunity. This study argues that climate-displaced people have a long struggle to enhance their livelihood resilience, but it is a challenging task for them, particularly at the household level. The major influencing indicators under adaptive, absorptive, and transformative capacities of livelihood resilience are income and food access, agricultural and non-agricultural assets, sensitivity, climate variability and hazards, basic services, social safety nets, and institutional participation. Appropriate governance in the structural and non-structural transformation of livelihood capitals can enhance the livelihood resilience of climate-induced displaced households. In the case of Bangladesh, the coastal and Riverine Island communities are the key victims of climate-induced hazards, so they migrated frequently to reduce their vulnerability and enhance livelihood resilience. The study recommends ensuring transparency and accountability, proper coordination among stakeholders for promoting the resettlement, disaster-resilient housing and infrastructure, and Khas land (government-owned land) to the displaced people can enhance their livelihood resilience.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of talent management (TM) practices on employee performance (EP) and to explore the mediating role of employee engagement (EE) on the relationship between TM practices and EP in Malaysian private universities (MPUs).

The paper used both descriptive and quantitative approaches, and the unit of analysis of this research consists of MPUs academic staff. The research sample consists of 314 MPUs academic staff, and a questionnaire was used to collect data from the target respondents, while partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the study hypotheses through bootstrapping approach.

The research outcome revealed that TM practices that comprise of talent recruitment practice (TRP), training and development practice (T&DP), compensation practice (CP) have a significant effect on EP. Furthermore, EE partially mediates the relationship between T&DP, CP and EP, while EE does not mediate the relationship between TRP and EP in MPUs.

The research suggests that universities management should focus on TM practices as a tool to achieve and maintain EE and positive attitudes (EP) in relation to work.

The research makes substantial contributions to the literature by investigating the effect of TM practices on EP through the role of EE as mediation in MPUs. The research is one of the very few studies undertaken in MPUs. Therefore, the results of this research serve as a guide for the universities management to develop their institutional strategies and policies in a manner in which their employees’ success can be achieved and encouraged.International Journal of Business and Society.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that will demonstrate how the integration of Salam (exclusive agricultural commodity trade) with Takaful (micro-Takaful – a subdivision of Islamic insurance) and value chain can address major challenges facing the agricultural sector in Kano State, Nigeria.

The study conducted a thorough and critical analysis of relevant literature and existing models of financing agriculture in Nigeria to come up with the proposed model.

The findings indicate that measures undertaken to address the major challenges fail. In view of this, this study proposed Bay-Salam with Takaful and value chain model to solve a number of challenges such as poor access to financing, poor marketing and pricing, delay, collateral requirement and risk issues in order to avail farmers with easy access to finance and provide effective security to financial institutions.

The paper is limited to using secondary data. Therefore, empirical investigation can be carried out to strengthen the validation of the model.

The study outcome seeks to improve the productivity of the farmers through enhancing their access to finance. This will increase their level of production and provide more employment opportunities. In addition, it will boost financial inclusion, income generation, poverty alleviation, standard of living, food security and overall economic growth and development.

The novelty of this study lies in the integration of classical Bay-Salam with Takaful and value chain and create a unique model structure which the researchers do not come across in any research that presented it in Nigeria.