Rafiq Hijazi and Taoufik Zoubeidi
The purpose of this study is to investigate the state of undergraduate business statistics education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and assess its alignment with the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the state of undergraduate business statistics education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and assess its alignment with the best practices in equipping business graduates with the knowledge and skills demanded by the labor market.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 108 instructors from 80 business schools in 17 MENA countries was conducted to gauge information on the delivery of business statistics courses. The survey results were benchmarked to a proposed framework for best practices in business statistics education.
Findings
The gap analysis identified deficiencies in the delivery of business statistics education in the region as compared to international best practices. This study revealed a need to revise statistics education as part of a comprehensive reform of business education with the aim to meet international quality standards in business education.
Research limitations/implications
The study relied on the self-reported responses of business statistics instructors in MENA. One hundred eight questionnaires were completed, corresponding to a response rate of 40 per cent. Moreover, the study did not measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning in business statistics courses.
Practical implications
Recommendations from the study are intended to guide business statistics instructors in improving the quality of business statistics education through adopting more effective ways to enhance student learning experience and graduate employability.
Originality/value
This study is the first of its kind to investigate and assess the business statistics education in the MENA region.
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Rafiq Hijazi, Taoufik Zoubeidi, Ibrahim Abdalla, Mohamed Al‐Waqfi and Nasri Harb
We provide an overview of the state of the higher education system in the UAE, and investigate its capacity to supply Dubai’s economy with skilled labor and achieve the emirate’s…
Abstract
We provide an overview of the state of the higher education system in the UAE, and investigate its capacity to supply Dubai’s economy with skilled labor and achieve the emirate’s strategic social development objectives. We examine various characteristics of the higher education sector and discuss their inherent strengths and weaknesses in light of Dubai’s labor market needs. Our findings reveal that the UAE higher education sector has witnessed an impressive growth since 1997 mostly led by a vigorous expansion of the private higher education sector. This situation led to a substantial growth in higher education opportunities for the UAE population. However, the lack of development of graduate studies and the lower quality of graduates, as perceived by both employees and employers, represent the main challenges to the capacity of the sector in fulfilling the needs of Dubai’s economy.
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M.Y. El‐Bassiouni, M. Madi, T. Zoubeidi and M.Y. Hassan
The purpose of this paper is to develop customer satisfaction indices for the services provided by inspectors in certain departments of Al‐Ain Municipality, the United Arab…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop customer satisfaction indices for the services provided by inspectors in certain departments of Al‐Ain Municipality, the United Arab Emirates.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is based on customer satisfaction models with SERVQUAL survey input to produce indices of satisfaction and the drivers and outcomes of satisfaction. The survey data were collected via a stratified random sample of the customers who visited Al‐Ain Municipality Customer Service Center (AMCSC) in spring 2008. Structural equation models were fitted to the data and goodness‐of‐fit was assessed.
Findings
The customer satisfaction indices and scores of customers’ trust were in the mid‐eighties, indicating high levels of satisfaction and client trust.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the current study include the small sample size and the use of one indicator of the latent variable trust. Further research may focus more on prioritizing future efforts, improving quality, and performing cross‐institutional benchmarking.
Practical implications
Opportunities for quality improvements were identified and some recommendations were provided.
Originality/value
Although the results lead to the conclusion that high levels of satisfaction and client trust were attained, there is a room for improvement. The AMCSC has to continuously improve the quality of its services in order to realize its mission.
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Mohamed Aldhaheri, Amal Bakchan and Maqsood Ahmad Sandhu
The purpose of this paper is to define and analyze causal factors shaping the effectiveness of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) major projects in meeting the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define and analyze causal factors shaping the effectiveness of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) major projects in meeting the product objectives, from the end-user’s perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey questionnaire was developed and administered to end-users working in major oil and gas projects. Data collection process was initiated on, around 275 end-users, and 213 responses were received, achieving a high response rate of 77 percent.
Findings
The results indicate that both alignment of objectives and end-user’s engagement factors exhibit a positive influence on effectiveness of EPC, with the former having higher contribution than the latter. In this context, the product success triangle reveals higher preference of the end-user’s team toward quality than schedule and cost objectives.
Research limitations/implications
Shifting the efforts of involving the end-user forward in time, starting from the planning stage, alleviates the adverse impacts of design changes as well as increases the ability to save cost, improve performance and increase end-user’s satisfaction.
Practical implications
The model raises the awareness of oil and gas industry practitioners toward the critical factors influencing the project effectiveness and proposes useful techniques for maintaining proper alignment between project and product objectives as well as facilitating end-user’s engagement at the site level. As such, it can serve as a motivation tool for aligning the objectives and acknowledging the engagement, with the aim of achieving the product success.
Originality/value
The effectiveness of EPC structural model was developed and tested using PLS–structural equation modeling statistical technique. The interpretation of the structural model demonstrated that both end-user’s engagement and alignment of objectives are essential to successfully achieve project effectiveness.