Search results

The adoption of smart classroom is increasing in higher education around the world. Yet, factors affecting smart classroom adoption have not been sufficiently explored. Based on the innovation diffusion theory and external pressures, the present study developed a model to investigate the main drivers of smart classroom adoption.

SEM-AMOS was used to analyse the data collected from a sample of 1,208 educators.

The findings revealed that innovation diffusion theory and external pressures provide an appropriate model for understanding smart classroom adoption.

The findings offer important implications for higher education institutions, IT managers, and are likely to stimulate further research in the area of smart classrooms.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that used innovation diffusion theory external pressures to understanding smart classroom adoption.

The growing interest in the development of entrepreneurial intention (EI) that has increased the importance of theories that explain and anticipate the tendency among individuals to start a new business. However, most of these theories focus on the relationship between entrepreneurs perceptions and their intention and ignore the cognitive and psychological characteristics that might configure their perceptions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to integrate the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with the entrepreneurial event model (EEM) and to extend the combined model to include the personality characteristics of an entrepreneur that might shape the perceptions and intentions.

This study uses a sample of 688 senior university students (Emirati nationals, 91.2 per cent and expatriates, 8.8 per cent) and employs positivist research with a quantitative approach, adopting a survey strategy through questionnaires and structural equation modelling.

The results demonstrate the relevance and robustness of the suggested combined and extended model in the prediction of intention on the part of senior university students to become entrepreneurs (explained variance=73.3 per cent) based on survey data (2017; n = 688).

The main contribution of this paper lies not only in the integration of the TPB and the EEM, but also in extending the two theories on which it is based through adding entrepreneurial personality characteristics and an explanation of the mechanism through which entrepreneurial perceptions and EI develop.

The growing popularity of mobile technology has led governments across the world to develop mobile business models and encouraged the transition from the electronic government (e-government) to the mobile government (m-government). However, only a small amount of data is available regarding m-government implementation in developing countries and users’ behavioural intentions (BIs) with respect to the utilization of such services. To address this issue, this study attempts to identify factors that affect m-government acceptance among citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to examine the relationships between m-government service characteristics and m-government technology characteristics by analysing their perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, user attitudes towards m-government usage and corresponding BIs with respect to utilization of m-government services.

This study is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 326 users of m-government services in the UAE. The responses were tabulated on a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed model and verify the hypothesized relationships between its constructs.

Overall, the research findings indicate that: users’ intention to use m-government applications has three determinants – attitude towards m-government use, m-government ease of use and m-government usefulness; m-government usefulness and ease of use have a significant influence on user attitudes towards m-government; and perceived ease of use of the service, currency of the services, the accuracy of the provided information, the security concerns associated with the utilization of the m-government services, trust in the m-government services and the risks perceived in using the m-Government service are antecedents of users’ perceptions of the m-government services.

This study has improved our understanding of the critical mobile technology factors that are needed to improve user acceptance of m-government services. The study presents important implications for both theory and practice.

This study akims to investigate the effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy for Islamic capital markets by studying the impact of decrease in policy rates on seven Islamic equity indices for the period 1996–2019. The transmission mechanism may be different for sampled indices, as they are exposed to Shariah screening that discards certain business sectors and puts limit on debt in capital structure.

This study uses Markov Switching dynamic regression approach of Hamilton (1988).

The results show little effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy in both Bear and Bull states, for most of the sample indices.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has made use of dynamic models to assess the association between monetary policy rate and Islamic index prices. Similarly, the authors found no work exploring the effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy actions in different regime for Islamic Indices. This investigation is important in unraveling whether, in the presence of limitations on selection of business activity and choice of capital structure, monetary policy can change the market sentiment, or it will be ineffective. The present study fills this gap.

This chapter proposes a multiobjective model to design a Closed Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) network. The first objective is to minimize the total cost of the network, while the second objective is to minimize the carbon emission resulting from production, transportation, and disposal processes using carbon cap and carbon tax regularity policies. In the third objective, we maximize the service level of retailers by using maximum covering location as a measure of service level. To model the proposed problem, a physical programming approach is developed. This work contributes to the literature in designing an optimum CLSC network considering the service level objective and product substitution.

The purpose of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews the literature on the subject matter, focusing on western economic literature and the Islamic economic paradigm, including the Quran, Sunnah, jurisprudence and Islamic philosophy thinking, to illustrate the origins of the Islamic approach to monetary systems. The money interest rate and its studies are explained, and the role of money and credit in the production function is considered. Then, it is shown that money maintains the demand for money in the overlapping generation model, as well as the consumption behavior of households. It is followed by an explanation of general Pareto optimality and the role of the money interest rate in inefficiency and nonoptimality for households and firms. Finally, Section 4 concludes the paper.

This paper studies the effects of money issuance and bank creation on Pareto optimality. In explaining the origins of the Islamic approach to monetary systems, the literature review, it focuses on western economics’ literature and Islamic economics paradigms such as the Quran, sunnah, jurisprudence and Islamic philosophy thinking. In modeling section, the authors show how banks’ fractional reserve credit is profitable. The authors also examine how the introduction of the money interest rate can change the Pareto optimality. In this regard, the comparison between two situations, namely, financing by the stock of money and borrowing in the credit market, indicates that welfare is reduced by the creation system and is inefficient (or nonoptimal). The result is that no money and no credits are created. The provision of this system compensates money by increasing the real money supply or deflation. To ensure Pareto optimality, it has been proven in the field of microfoundation that there should be no fixed money contracts and no money interest rates. It is necessary that the interest rate on consumption credit is zero or Qarz-al-Hasna is broken. Moreover, profit sharing is offered in the production sector.

As a result, the authors proved mathematically that the money interest rate must be zero to ensure productivity and Pareto optimality. On the other hand, the introduction of money or credit through loanable money leads to inefficiency, both in production and households and in the general equilibrium. The inflation generated by the credit system stimulates the change in the price level and perpetuates this inefficiency. Thus, if the authors want to return to the optimality condition, the interest rate on consumption credit must be zero or Qarz-al-Hasna is breached. However, the behavior of the fractional banking system and the credit mechanism teaches us that the money interest rate is an integral part of credit and loanable funds. Thus, the elimination of the money interest rate from the banking system without bank creation is implausible. Finally, to ensure Pareto optimality, it has been mathematically proven in the field of microfoundation that there should be no fixed money contracts and no money interest rate. It is necessary that the interest rate on consumption credit is zero, or Qarz-al-Hasna is broken. Moreover, profit sharing is offered in the production sector. The result is that no money and credit are created. The provision of this system compensates money by increasing the real money supply or deflation.

The capitalist theory of the definition of interest plays a decisive role in economic science. In this context, the authors are dealing with different vocabularies and terms for the interest rate. These different vocabularies have their origin in the different economic situations and especially determine the thinking of the schools. Because of the relationship between future and spot, the authors have to transform the variable “level” into the variable “interest rate” in the dynamic space. Finally, the exact explanations for the movement and evaluation of the economy are revealed by the correlation of the different interest rates.

This paper aims to investigate the effects of eliminating Riba in foreign currency transactions. Riba or interest arises when foreign currencies are bought and sold at different rates. From the Islamic perspective, the difference between the buying and selling rates of foreign exchange will constitute Riba. Also, this paper examines the effects of eliminating such Riba on major macroeconomic variables.

This study is based on the hadith which imply that if buying and selling rates of currencies or foreign exchanges are same, i.e. if one sells BD1 = Dh10 and Dh10 = BD1 on spot, there will be no Riba. This can be guaranteed if the Islamic banking system introduces the technology, often known as FinTech interest-free foreign exchange bank machines (IFfexBM), which will automatically dispense BD10 for Dh100 and vice-versa, both locally and globally, and it will have tremendous positive effects in the economy. Furthermore, the effects of introducing FinTech for eliminating Riba will be analyzed on economic and international trade activities by using aggregate expenditure (AE) and aggregate output model within the tenets of Islamic principles.

If Islamic banks (IBs) can introduce FinTech global network system where any client can buy or sell foreign currency at the same rate without any markup, it will increase the market share for IBs by increasing the number of customers and number of branches, and it will increase the inflow of funds and volumes of transactions, especially in international trade, global financial transactions and cross-border shopping. Such an increase in transactions will increase AE and AE will continuously shift up. Such an upward shift will have positive effects on equilibrium output, employment and prosperity.

This is, perhaps, one of the latest attempts to eliminate Riba from foreign exchange transactions by introducing FinTech IFfexBM in each and every locality. Such elimination of Riba will not only reduce the cost of cross-border transactions but it will also reduce cost in international trade and financial transactions among nations, and therefore, it will have expansionary effects on equilibrium output, employment and global prosperity.

This paper aims to explore Istisna’a as a tool of monetary policy (MP) and examines its effectiveness in achieving full employment income and price stability.

This paper uses Istisna’a as a tool of MP and examines its effects on key macroeconomic variables on purely theoretical ground. The effectiveness and the impact of Istisna’a-based MP is examined by using aggregate output and aggregate expenditure model, embedded with Islamic economic principles, including zakat function.

Istisna’a-based MP immediately creates well paid jobs, positively contributes and expands the size of the manufacturing sector, increases capital per person employed, labor productivity and thus increases output, employment and promotes industrialization. Increase in the size of manufacturing sector will not only increase manufactured value-added exports but also cut high valued manufactured imports and thus increases positive trade balance and eventually reduces trade deficits. Increase in labor productivity will improve the standard of living, and eventually the economy will yield sustainable high growth rates, full employment and prosperity.

This is probably one of the first attempt to systematically develop the Istisna’a-based MP with detailed MP transmission mechanism. This new contribution in the field of Islamic MP will unveil the horizon of sustainable economic growth, creation of well paid jobs, expansion of manufacturing sector, rapid industrialization and the increase in capital per person employed across the economy, and eventually Istisna’a-based MP will be one of the most effective tool of MP for transforming an economy into a relatively higher and sophisticated stages which will eventually promote sustainable development.