Kawther Mousa, Zhenglian Zhang and Eli Sumarliah
The scarcity of literature related to the PPP (public-private partnership) barriers in construction projects within war areas, and hence the dearth of information to deliver…
Abstract
Purpose
The scarcity of literature related to the PPP (public-private partnership) barriers in construction projects within war areas, and hence the dearth of information to deliver viable and effective strategies to those barriers, are the primary causes for the failures of PPP schemes in such areas, particularly in Palestine. Financial and non-financial investments are more problematic in war zones than non-war nations and may escalate barrier for projects' success. The investigation purposes to discover proper answers to the barriers of PPP infrastructure schemes and highlight the execution of barrier reactions.
Design/methodology/approach
Specialists were asked to deliver approaches to alleviate 21 barriers and recommend the period needed for applying them. Later, the relevance of alleviation events was examined through prioritization according to the results attained from three elements, i.e. the impact of every barrier and the strategy's viability and efficacy.
Findings
While the most unfavorable barrier was finalized to be the unfeasibility of delivering physical security, the most valid answer was associated with the lack of government cohesiveness and responsibility to perform its duties. The discovered barriers are typical within warring nations, but the paper concentrated on Palestine.
Originality/value
This study is an initial effort to examine PPP barriers in Palestinian infrastructure projects. The presented strategies can be applied as a novel set for barrier reaction improvement in occupied nations such as Palestine. Moreover, the results can develop the usage of PPP and enhance the barrier sharing in this scheme.
Details
Keywords
Arshad Hasan, Usman Sufi, Mahmoud Elmarzouky and Khaled Hussainey
This study examines the influence of corporate governance indicators (CGIs) on the textual tone of nonfinancial firms in a developing economy.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the influence of corporate governance indicators (CGIs) on the textual tone of nonfinancial firms in a developing economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The data from 1,250 annual reports of listed nonfinancial firms in Pakistan are collected for 10 years. The narrative disclosure tone (NDT) is derived using the sentiment analysis of annual reports, resulting in six distinct NDT scores. The CGIs data are also extracted from the annual reports. The fixed effects model is used as the primary analytical tool, supplemented by machine learning-based linear regression. System GMM and two-stage least squares regressions are employed for robustness checks.
Findings
The findings reveal that most CGIs significantly influence all six NDTs. These results align with the existing theoretical literature, except those related to audit committee independence and gender diversity.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the use of annual reports as a source of narrative disclosures. Future research might employ other sources, such as earning press releases and social media.
Practical implications
Within the unique regulatory environment of Pakistan, the study offers insights for regulators to enhance the efficacy of independent directors, discourage concentrated ownership and promote the inclusion of women in board subcommittees to establish the authenticity of textual disclosures.
Originality/value
The study adds to the limited literature on the determinants of NDT. It underscores the importance of understanding textual tone for informed investor decision-making and restoring investor confidence. Moreover, it contributes by focusing on six NDTs and exploring the interplay between CGIs and textual tone.
Details
Keywords
M.K. Alkam, M.A. Al‐Nimr and Z. Mousa
This study aims to numerically investigate the transient forced convection of non‐Newtonian fluid in the entrance region of porous concentric annuli. The hydrodynamic behavior of…
Abstract
This study aims to numerically investigate the transient forced convection of non‐Newtonian fluid in the entrance region of porous concentric annuli. The hydrodynamic behavior of the flow is assumed to be steady and it is modeled using the non‐Darcian flow and the power law models. The transients in the thermal behaviors result from sudden changes in the boundary temperatures. The effects of different fluid flow and solid matrix parameters on the thermal behavior of the annular are investigated.
Details
Keywords
Mohamed Mousa, Hala Abdelgaffar, Islam Elbayoumi Salem, Ahmed Mohamed Elbaz and Walid Chaouali
This study aims to investigate the perceptions of female tour guides’ lower and top levels of management in travel agencies about how misunderstanding Islam and its culture may…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the perceptions of female tour guides’ lower and top levels of management in travel agencies about how misunderstanding Islam and its culture may engender the poor representation of women in the tour guide profession.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research method is used, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 full-time female tour guides working at several travel agencies in Egypt. Thematic analysis helped extract main ideas from the transcripts.
Findings
The representation of female tour guides in travel agencies is shaped by the following three determinants: religious (familial obligations and marital status), contextual (nature of tour guide activities, poor representation of women in senior tourism-related jobs, cronyism, sexual harassment and spread of foreign female tour guides) and media influence. Understanding these three factors may enable a more comprehensive representation of female tour guides.
Practical implications
Female tour guides could work closely with tourism policymakers in Egypt to shape the media messages about them. This might include elaborating on the main challenges faced by female tour guides. Social support from families and friends may allow female tour guides more freedom and empowerment.
Originality/value
This study contributes by filling a gap in tourism, human resources management and gender studies in which empirical studies on the representation of females in travel agencies have been limited so far.
Details
Keywords
Mohamed Mousa, Ahmad Arslan and Katarzyna Szczepańska-Woszczyna
This paper aims to specifically analyse the extent to which talent management practices in the post-COVID-19 era differ from those before the pandemic in the extreme work context…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to specifically analyse the extent to which talent management practices in the post-COVID-19 era differ from those before the pandemic in the extreme work context of Egyptian hospitality sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an exploratory qualitative research approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 full-time employees working at hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt). Moreover, thematic analysis was undertaken on the interview transcripts.
Findings
The findings revealed that in the post-COVID-19 era, the case hotels exclusively use the inclusive talent management approach, in which all staff are recognised by the management as talents with the same workplace privileges. This approach helped to mitigate the negative influences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the findings highlighted the criticality of competencies such as multitasking along with in hospitality sector employees in relation to extreme context necessitated by COVID-19. The findings further established that when facing extreme events, such as COVID-19, a shift in training activities towards activating positive mental health and effective shock management among employees is also needed. This study found that organisational support and continuous learning play a vital role in individual employees’ resilience development, which also helped in retaining them.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the pioneering empirical studies on the relationship between talent management practices in extreme contexts and the influences of global disruptions resulting from COVID-19. Moreover, it is one of the few studies to specifically undertake a comparative assessment of the differences in talent management practices pre- and post-COVID-19 time period in the hospitality sector. The study findings contribute to multiple literature streams including extreme context, hospitality, human resource management and transaction stress model.
Details
Keywords
Mohamed Mousa and Georges Samara
Through addressing academics in four public business schools in Egypt, the authors of this paper aim to uncover how meaningful work might shape the mental health of the addressed…
Abstract
Purpose
Through addressing academics in four public business schools in Egypt, the authors of this paper aim to uncover how meaningful work might shape the mental health of the addressed academics post COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach
The author employed a qualitative research method through semi-structured interviews with 44 academics from four business schools selected from among 25 public institutions of higher education in Egypt. The author subsequently used thematic analysis to determine the main ideas in the transcripts.
Findings
The authors’ findings show that business academics usually consider meaningful work as playing a major role in shaping their mental health, especially after a crisis. This indicates that the more they perceive their jobs as valuable and worthwhile, the more they can deal with limitations and mental health issues (e.g. anxiety, stress, inadequate sleep, etc.) that accompany crisis. The findings also show that during the time of the COVID-19 crisis, employees (business academics in this case) have not placed so much importance to their autonomy (ability to choose and/or participate in decision-making processes) in the workplace. Instead, they care more about their relatedness (sense of belongingness) and their level of competence (sense of capability). Accordingly, the authors show that having academics that develop a sense of purpose for their academic duties in a time of crisis has less mental health disorders. Subsequently, post crisis, business academics can feel a continuous sense of relatedness and find ongoing opportunities to work and learn.
Originality/value
This paper contributes by filling a gap in HR management, in which empirical studies on the relationship between mental health and meaningful work have been limited so far.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Alta'any, Salah Kayed, Rasmi Meqbel and Khaldoon Albitar
Drawing on signalling and impression management theories, this study aims to examine a bidirectional association between managerial tone in earnings conference calls and financial…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on signalling and impression management theories, this study aims to examine a bidirectional association between managerial tone in earnings conference calls and financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample includes non-financial firms listed in the FTSE 350 index during the period 2010–2015. Managerial tone was measured using positive and negative keywords based on the Loughran-McDonald Sentiment Word Lists, while return on assets was used as a proxy for firms’ financial performance.
Findings
The findings indicate that current financial performance positively affects the managerial tone in earnings conference calls. Likewise, the results also show that there is a positive relationship between managerial tone in earnings conference calls and firms’ future financial performance.
Practical implications
The results have important implications for top management to use more virtual communication media (i.e. earnings conference calls) to continue managing their relationships with financial stakeholders and helping them better understand financial performance, especially in countries where holding such calls is not yet part of firms’ policy.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies that explore the relationship between managerial tone in earnings conference calls and financial performance. Overall, this study contributes to managerial tone literature and holds significant theoretical and practical implications.
Details
Keywords
Swati Dwivedi and Ashulekha Gupta
Purpose: Significant structural changes are currently occurring in the Indian labour sector. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are redefining the…
Abstract
Purpose: Significant structural changes are currently occurring in the Indian labour sector. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are redefining the activities and skill requirements for various jobs in the healthcare sector. These adjustments have been accelerated by the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19, along with other considerations.
Need for the Study: Skills shortages, job transitions, and the deployment of AI at the company level are the three main challenges confronting the Indian labour market. This chapter aims to discuss policy alternatives to address a rising need for health workers and provide an overview of changes to the healthcare sector’s labour market.
Methodology: A review of the available literature was conducted to determine the causes of the widening skill gap despite a vibrant and prodigious young population. The background of the sustainable labour market is examined in this chapter, with a focus on workforce migration and mobility.
Findings: This chapter gives a comparative review of recent policy papers and evidence, as well as estimates of the health workforce and present Indian datasets. Furthermore, it highlights how important it is for all people concerned to invest in today’s workforce to close the skill gap and create better future opportunities.
Practical Implications: This chapter’s findings imply a severe shortage of human intellectual capital in India and a need to bridge this gap in the Indian labour market.
Details
Keywords
Majid Al‐Taee, Ayman Z. Zayed, Suhail N. Abood, Mohammad A. Al‐Ani, Ahmad M. Al‐Taee and Hussein A. Hassani
An arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation remains indispensable tool to assess and monitor critically ill patients in the intensive care unit or other critical care settings…
Abstract
Purpose
An arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation remains indispensable tool to assess and monitor critically ill patients in the intensive care unit or other critical care settings. This paper proposes a mobile‐based interpreter for ABG tests with the aim of providing accurate diagnosis in face of multiple acid‐base and oxygenation disorders. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A rule‐based expert system is designed and implemented using interpretation knowledge gathered from specialist physicians and peer‐reviewed medical literature. The gathered knowledge of ABG tests are organized into premise‐explanation pairs to deliver reliable evaluation with the appropriate differential in a timely manner.
Findings
Performance of the developed interpreter prototype was assessed using a dataset of 74 ABG tests gathered from medical literature and clinical practice. The obtained results demonstrated that the identified acid‐base and oxygenation disorders and their differential diagnoses are accurately correlated with those assessed manually by consultant specialist physicians.
Research limitations/implications
This application is foreseen to be an everyday tool for clinicians at various levels; however, further studies are needed to evaluate its eventual impact on patients’ outcomes.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is the development of a new ABG interpreter which combines both the acid‐base and oxygenation disorders in a single application. Unlike existing ABG interpreters, it is comprehensive and capable of accurately identifying all kinds of acid‐base disorders and their combinations. In addition, it utilizes urine electrolytes which are useful tools in the differential diagnosis of normal anion gap metabolic acidosis and metabolic alkalosis. The interpretation algorithm is also designed to be flexible for some clinical settings which lack some input test data.
Details
Keywords
Miltiadis D. Lytras, Afnan Alkhaldi and Sawsan Malik
In this chapter, we present an introductory and definitive discussion of transformative leadership as a holistic and bold approach for the next generation of higher education. We…
Abstract
In this chapter, we present an introductory and definitive discussion of transformative leadership as a holistic and bold approach for the next generation of higher education. We integrate this concept with the idea of sustainable innovation. The chapter is divided into four sections, each addressing essential aspects of transformative leadership in higher education. In Section 1, we introduce a high-level integrated approach to transformative leadership in higher education institutions. We define and discuss the diverse pillars that form the foundation of this leadership style. In Section 2, we propose a contextual framework for transformative leadership as a value space. This framework provides guidelines and principles for crafting a transformative leadership strategy, and we offer indicative actions and initiatives for its deployment in higher education. To support the documentation of the transformative leadership strategy, Section 3 outlines simple designs for tools and instruments, including the transformative leadership scorecard and the systematic overview of the portfolio of transformative educational programs. We also emphasize the significance of social impact, research, innovation, and sustainability aspects within the strategy. In Section 4, we summarize the key takeaways from this chapter. Our contribution is manifold, as this chapter can serve as a valuable reference for administrators seeking to design and execute transformative leadership in universities and colleges. Additionally, it offers guiding principles for researchers interested in making further contributions in this domain.