Omar Bataineh, Tarek Al-Hawari, Hussam Alshraideh and Dorid Dalalah
The purpose of this paper is to improve production effectiveness of equipment by facilitating the implementation of the key principles of total productive maintenance (TPM).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve production effectiveness of equipment by facilitating the implementation of the key principles of total productive maintenance (TPM).
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential TPM-based scheme consisting of 13 procedural steps is proposed. The steps cover the basic aspects of a generic improvement system, i.e. planning, implementation, checking, corrective action and control.
Findings
The proposed scheme was effective in increasing the overall equipment effectiveness by 62.6 percent over a nine-month period only. This was a direct reflection of improvements in equipment availability, efficiency and product quality. A positive feedback regarding the smooth implementation of the scheme was also received from the responsible maintenance staff.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed scheme is intended mainly to the manufacturing industrial sector, which utilizes failure-prone equipment in running operations.
Originality/value
This study presents an original scheme that tries to avoid the many barriers of success frequently encountered during the implementation of TPM schemes, as reported in the literature. This scheme is unique in integrating between 5S and safety, health and environment initiatives, by capitalizing on the close relation between the two initiatives, and simplifying procedures for measuring how well the two initiatives are implemented in an organization in one score card. Different from previous studies, the scheme treats both “education and training” and 6S as a foundation to the core TPM principles.
Details
Keywords
Omar Ikbal Tawfik, Abdelbaset Queiri and Sameh Reyad
This paper aims to examine the extent to which board composition and ownership structure (OS) affect a firm’s dividend payout (DP) policy.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the extent to which board composition and ownership structure (OS) affect a firm’s dividend payout (DP) policy.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample comprises a total of 1,432 firm-year observations for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nonfinancial firms. Total 179 firms were analyzed from 2009 to 2016. To test the research hypotheses, the paper used panel data analysis (i.e. fixed effects model) and instrumental variable method to ensure the robustness of results against endogeneity effects.
Findings
Corporate governance (CG) variables were found to significantly impact DP. Specifically, independent directors on board, institutional ownership and royal ownership were positively associated with DP. In contrast, board size, management, government and family ownership had a negative association with DP. The empirical evidence presented in this study supports that CG elements can be both an outcome and substitute of DP as a disciplinary mechanism.
Research limitations/implications
This study excluded financial firms from the sample list. Future studies should carry out on financial firms to observe if the findings are different. Future research is suggested to incorporate more CG mechanisms. Future studies are suggested to use a dynamic panel regression due to its advantages.
Practical implications
Practitioners, such as investors and lenders operating in GCC markets, can derive valuable insights from this study regarding the influence of board components on DP policy. The study also provides information about the investment and business environment in GCC.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study lies in providing empirical evidence regarding the impact of CG mechanisms and OS on DP in GCC countries.
Details
Keywords
Hanady Bataineh, Amneh Alkurdi, Ala’a Adden Abuhommous and Mohammad Abdel Latif
This paper aims to explore the extent of corporate social responsibility disclosure (hereafter CSRD) in Jordan and also examine whether ownership structure, board of directors and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the extent of corporate social responsibility disclosure (hereafter CSRD) in Jordan and also examine whether ownership structure, board of directors and audit committee characteristics influence CSRD.
Design/methodology/approach
The extent of CSRD is measured by constructing a CSRD index for industrial firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from 2016 to 2021. Panel regression analysis is used to examine the potential effect of ownership structure, board of directors and audit committee on the level of CSRD.
Findings
This study provides empirical evidence that diverse groups of shareholders have different effects on CSR engagement, and board characteristics (board size, board independence and gender diversity) play a vital role in increasing voluntary disclosure, including CSR information. There is no evidence to support that CSRD is influenced by audit committee characteristics.
Practical implications
This study recommends that corporate regulators and policymakers can improve CSRD practices by expanding the scope of existing disclosure requirements related to CSR and developing a structured CSRD index to measure the degree of CSRD practices for comparative purposes. Encourage firms to actively participate in social responsibility programs by granting tax incentives and government facilities to firms with the best CSR reports. Policymakers should introduce initiatives that support female’s representation on board. Finally, firms should restructure their boards by increasing board size and the percentage of independent directors to enhance their effectiveness to support CSRD.
Originality/value
This paper contributes further insights into the literature on CSRD practices and disclosure by analyzing data from developing market contexts.
Details
Keywords
Mahdi Dahmardeh, Aveen Mohammed Hasan, Poune Muhammadi and Fathiya Al-Rashdi
This study aims to explore how gender is represented in 64 English Language Teaching (ELT) coursebooks used in schools across seven Middle Eastern countries. It examines whether…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how gender is represented in 64 English Language Teaching (ELT) coursebooks used in schools across seven Middle Eastern countries. It examines whether these materials promote gender equality, as outlined in the official curriculum.
Design/methodology/approach
The coursebooks were analysed through content analysis, focusing on their texts, visuals and themes. This approach helped uncover how males and females are portrayed and whether gendered language or stereotypes are present.
Findings
The results reveal a clear gender imbalance. Males are often shown in dominant and diverse roles, while females are frequently confined to stereotypical ones. Gender-biased language and imagery appear throughout the materials, which may affect how students see themselves and interact with others. Such biases could impact not just academic performance but also social development. The findings suggest that schools in the sampled countries, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq (Kurdistan), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, are not doing enough to promote gender equality through these coursebooks.
Originality/value
This research sheds light on an important issue: how educational materials shape students’ understanding of gender roles. By analysing gender representation in 64 ELT coursebooks used in seven Middle Eastern countries, the study reveals biases that call for immediate changes to create more inclusive resources. While gender representation in ELT coursebooks has been studied globally, this is the first time scholars from different Middle Eastern countries have compared gender portrayal in coursebooks where English is a foreign language. This is an important step towards fostering equality in classrooms across the region.
Details
Keywords
Amarilis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo Gallardo, Caio Pompeu Cavalhieri, Sofia Julia Alves Macedo Campos and Omar Yazbek Bitar
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of mitigation measures adopted in a scheme of EIA follow-up by examining their performance in reducing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of mitigation measures adopted in a scheme of EIA follow-up by examining their performance in reducing geo-environmental impacts in earthwork activities during the Rodoanel southern section construction in São Paulo, Brazil. This environment is fragile in terms of affected watersheds because the highway crosses two important reservoirs that supply most of the metropolitan water demand. Therefore, this research also aims at promoting water quality control.
Design/methodology/approach
This study combines complementary sources as evidences in the literature and field checks, tests and monitoring. The methodology was supported by criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures in the case study approach.
Findings
The EIA follow-up activities contributed to the maintenance of environmental conditions in the majority of the control points at the end of the construction phase. Water quality parameters were not statistically different before and during the construction of the highway. The choice and arrangement of mitigation measures were successful in ensuring water quality control by avoiding siltation.
Practical implications
A robust scheme for designing and evaluating mitigation measures contributes to the improvement of their effectiveness and is pivotal to the success of the EIA follow-up.
Originality/value
This case study serves as an example for extending EIA follow-up practice in special to the improvement of the design and evaluation of mitigation measures in similar contexts.
Details
Keywords
This research aims to explore the relationship between sustainable manufacturing practices (SMP) and financial performance (FP) by considering the mediating role of green product…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to explore the relationship between sustainable manufacturing practices (SMP) and financial performance (FP) by considering the mediating role of green product innovation (GPI) and the moderating effect of digital transformation (DT).
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes a research model grounded in a practice-based view and a resource-based view and conducts empirical tests by using a sample of 244 manufacturing firms.
Findings
This study revealed that SMP influences GPI, and GPI mediates the SMP–FP link. In addition, findings demonstrated that DT strengthens the impact of SMP on GPI, and moderates the mediation impact of GPI on the relations between SMP and FP.
Originality/value
Although overwhelming environmental concerns cause SMP to be considered increasingly crucial, there is a dilemma regarding its impact on FP. Moreover, due to the strategic importance of DT, there is a lot of interest in its relationship with sustainability-related issues. Nevertheless, this association is still not clarified. This study addresses the research gaps, provides an extended understanding of how SMP affects FP and offers a novel insight that reveals the role of DT.
Details
Keywords
Mijail Naranjo-Zolotov, Tiago Oliveira and Sven Casteleyn
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how citizens’ perception of empowerment can influence the intention to use and intention to recommend e-participation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how citizens’ perception of empowerment can influence the intention to use and intention to recommend e-participation.
Design/methodology/approach
A research model is evaluated using structural equation modelling. An online survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 210 users of e-participation.
Findings
The results show that psychological empowerment influences the intention to use and recommend e-participation. Performance expectancy and facilitating conditions were the strongest predictors of intention to use; effort expectancy and social influence had no significant effect on the prediction of intention to use e-participation.
Research limitations/implications
The use of psychological empowerment as a higher-order multidimensional construct is still insufficiently researched. Future research may explore the effect of each dimension of psychological empowerment in different scenarios of e-participation adoption. Caution is needed when generalising our findings towards the adoption of e-participation in different locations or with different participants.
Practical implications
The findings can help the local governments to design strategies for the promotion and diffusion of e-participation amongst the citizenry. Those strategies should focus on citizens’ perception of empowerment, thereby creating a positive attitude towards intention to use and recommend e-participation.
Originality/value
An innovative research model integrates the unified theory of acceptance, use of technology and psychological empowerment; the last as a higher-order construct.
Details
Keywords
Taha Almarayeh and Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán
This study aims to assess the board of directors’ effectiveness in curbing earnings management (EM) in Jordan, a country where Islamic religious values strongly influence…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the board of directors’ effectiveness in curbing earnings management (EM) in Jordan, a country where Islamic religious values strongly influence corporate practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 51 Amman Stock Exchange-listed firms from 2012 to 2022, generalised least squares regression is used to examine the association between board characteristics and EM.
Findings
Most board characteristics do not significantly affect EM. Interestingly, board activity is significantly and positively associated with EM, suggesting that the board’s monitoring function has been relegated to a secondary role.
Research limitations/implications
Formal corporate governance mechanisms may prove ineffective, as their effectiveness in limiting EM is undermined by informal rules.
Practical implications
Regulators should adapt corporate governance rules to the context in which they are embedded. Greater attention to religious dynamics could improve board oversight effectiveness.
Originality/value
This study provides a new perspective to analyse the relationship between corporate governance and EM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies to explore this issue within the context of Islamic countries.