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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the aircraft pushback operations to predict and manage human errors, particularly those associated with the complex team work of carrying out the pushback operation. This should improve air ramp operations reliability.

The study applied the human reliability assessment “Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach” that involved a total of 60 semi-structured interviews with practicing experts. Past ramp accident reports were also reviewed to provide more in-depth insights to the problem.

Some of the key performance reliability-degrading errors identified relate to some frequent critical technical inabilities within the team of headset operator and tug driver, as well as the vulnerable intra-team communications. Several best practices were similarly identified.

Based on its findings, this study proposes a new technological concept that can help enhancing safety of aircraft pushback operations. This should enhance reliability of aircraft ground handling and improve aircraft availability. It also provided a generic methodological approach to improve safety-critical operations within high-risk industries.

This study responses to the increasing trend in ramp accidents worldwide.

The research conducted to date in this area is still quite limited compared to that of flight and aircraft maintenance safety. The relevant existing studies focus more on ramp safety holistically, and do not go into the details of how safety and reliability of a ramp operation can be improved. The current paper aims at filling this gap.

This paper aims to identify the pre-design critical success factors CSFs pertaining to different types of construction projects in the rapidly growing city of Dubai, by adopting one of the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

A mapping process was utilized to filter and categorize CSFs gathered from a literature review. A total of 5 main and 27 sub-main criteria were derived following RIBA's Plan of Work 2020 (Royal Institute of British Architects). A questionnaire was distributed among experts in the construction industry to assess the development in vicinity of the Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR). An analysis was conducted to prioritize the CSFs as per experts' judgment.

According to the experts' combined judgment, CSFs linked to client requirements (CR) are the most significant at 22.9% priority weight. Overall project review (OPR), project team (PT), project preparation (PP), previous projects feedback and experience (PPF) success factors achieved 21.4, 19.5, 18.9 and 17.2%, respectively. Within CR, sub-CSFs of client consultation and acceptance (CCA), responsibly matrix for stakeholders (RM), client track record (CTR) and client level of service (CLS) were prioritized by the experts.

This work was carried out by respondents based in UAE only, and focused on one urban stretch of Dubai, this could be replicated by employing experts from other countries and other case study areas within Dubai.

This study would significantly have an impact on the education of current and future project managers, planners, engineers, architects and, most importantly, decision-makers on helpful pre-design strategies for enhancing their project success. This research could assist, direct and educate management, as the management provides/manages the necessary resources for projects. Furthermore, management also has the authority to choose project leaders/consultants that will make the project successful.

Consolidating Dubai's phenomenal growth requires prioritizing socio-economic strategies in future development projects at the pre-design and pre-construction stage, which will improve the city's business environment and the quality of life for Dubai's residents. This opens up fresh possibilities over the next few years for integrating robust procedures for successful execution, monitoring and evaluation of future construction developments from the outset.

Although many studies have identified various factors as important for successful building projects, few appear to have done a complete analysis using pre-design criteria to systematically categorize professional views on the relative relevance of CSFs. There is a lack in research examining the factors that led to Dubai's successful construction projects. This study attempts to bridge this gap and provide a prioritized framework reference model to assist project/asset managers and decision-makers.

Business management, quality management, service quality and customer service in public sectors.

This case is most relevant to upper-level undergraduate business students taking quality management, strategy and service management courses. It is also relevant to practitioners working in similar positions. The case is based on primary and secondary data, and all materials mentioned were taken from real work environments.

In contemporary competitive markets, all entities face a growing challenge to retain customers by satisfying them. In this case study of Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA), which is a public entity which was started in 1988 with the aim of boosting industrial development in Ajman, it is seen that the entity (AFZA) recognized a competitive advantage by improving service quality. However, AFZA focused on implementing various service quality improvement initiatives for not only customers, but also for other stakeholders as well (e.g. employees, strategic partners, suppliers and society). AFZA sought to understand stakeholders' needs, which led to service excellence. The purpose of this case is to highlight how AFZA differentiated itself by using initiatives that focused on disparate stakeholders to achieve customer satisfaction. The concepts of service quality (SERVQUAL), total quality management (TQM) and continuous improvement offer insights into how to improve organizational performance. It highlights how AFZA used Stakeholder Theory to identify and then collaborate with stakeholders to attain best service quality outcomes. The case study is developed using both secondary and primary sources.

After reading and analysing this case study, the student will be able to identify stakeholders in a service-based entity; apply Deming's Cycle or SERVQUAL to suggest improvement programmes; describe relationships among all stakeholders; and describe initiatives that contribute to service excellence.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

The e-Government has a potential to entrench Good Governance in Pakistan. However, this technology could not be successfully developed and implemented in public sector – despite of efforts made by the Government. Consequently, public sector is suffering from bad Governance, which ultimately affects the Governance as well as e-Government ranking of Pakistan in the globe – as indicated by the UN surveys and other relevant indices. This paper aims to propose a novel techno-policy framework for its successful implementation by considering all relevant critical success factors (CSFs) and determining their relative importance from policymakers’ perspective. Further, it aims to excerpt the root causes of e-Government failure in Pakistan and to derive valuable policy implications for its success in the public sector.

The techno-policy framework was developed by identifying all the CSFs and assimilating them by deploying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach. The survey instrument was designed to compare all the CSFs on the basis of AHP scale and to collect the socio-demographic data. An interview based survey of all the concerned stakeholders was conducted to know their perspective about the proposed framework and to determine their relative importance about all the CSFs. Finally, the empirical estimations were performed by using the Expert-Choice decision-making system.

The analysis of empirical results depicts that among CSFs’ main-categories – Governance is the most important; whereas, the Management and Resources are relatively more important; however, the Socio-Economics is relatively less important for the e-Government success in Pakistan. Further, among CSFs’ sub-categories – Political, Managerial, Legislative, Non-Technical, and Technical are relatively more important than Social, Economic, and Scope for the e-Government success in Pakistan. Lastly, among all CSFs – Political Stability, Managerial Strategy, ICT Policies, Funding, Portal Technology, Education & Skills, Cost, and Autonomy are the most important factors of their respective categories, and which can positively affect the e-Government success in Pakistan.

This study fills the gap caused by paucity of literature in terms of empirical based techno-policy research in the e-Government domain – from implementation perspective. Further, it serves as a prototype for the prospective researchers, who aim to conduct policy oriented research toward e-Government development in their respective regions.

The key findings, policy implications & recommendations of this study are quite valuable and of practical significance for the government, policymakers, practitioners, researchers and all the concerned stakeholders and beneficiaries. Further, this study paves a way forward toward entrenching the Good Governance in Pakistan.

This study contributes in several ways. It highlights the significance of e-Government as a technology for attaining Good Governance in Pakistan. Further, it presents consolidated view of all the concerned stakeholders toward the successful implementation of all e-Government programs in Pakistan. Finally, it provides a guideline for the government agencies to formulate their e-Government policy and strategy as per the needs of all stakeholders in Pakistan.

This paper aims to explore the possibilities of economic diversification in the State of Qatar through the regeneration of built heritage post the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting sustainable tourism and creating a center for cultural heritage in Qatar, thereby enhancing the sense of identity both socially and physically among the nationals and residents. In light of the strategic goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is to diversify Qatar’s economy and minimize its reliance on hydrocarbon industries, if these ambitious goals are to be achieved, there is a necessity to maintain the local cultural identity, demonstrated through architecture and urbanism.

This study is an exploratory research based on qualitative methods of data gathering and investigation. The local communities who used to live in the scattered old villages were approached with surveys. At the same time, semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals in the field in Qatar and other individuals from the public, depending on their literacy levels.

This paper examines how to revive those villages and improve their current economic level. Finally, the study proposes some recommendations for these abandoned villages in an attempt to rejuvenate their built heritage and revitalize their socioeconomic status.

Economic diversification needs to be engendered through the services and products of Qatari society; this is possible by exploiting current resources such as the built heritage or historic sites in areas outside the emerging metropolitan cities. This study reveals the great potential of regenerating the old villages of the Gulf States by establishing nonprofit organizations and increasing the economic benefit of the abandoned historic structures.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the economic conditions and business strategy in the Arab countries are favourable for business incubation, and to suggest possible directions for establishing and implementing more business incubation in the Arab countries.

This study adopts quantitative strategy and uses a snowball approach for the distribution of designed questionnaire to the incubation units in Jordan and the UAE.

The findings of the research contribute to the literature of business support services, innovation and entrepreneurship development, which enhances the knowledge and skills within the incubation units.

The implementation and development of business incubators (BIs) is a key requirement for the high technology industry. As developing countries, Arab countries have to make efforts to accelerate the birth and growth of incubators, aim of catching up with technologically more advanced countries.

The study ensures the acceleration of successful development of young entrepreneurs and their businesses in the Arab countries through the establishment and implementation directives for BIs.