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1 – 10 of 327Turgul Oktay, Mehmet Konar, Murat Onay, Murat Aydin and Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed
The purpose of this paper is to increase flight performance of small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using simultaneous UAV and autopilot system design.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to increase flight performance of small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using simultaneous UAV and autopilot system design.
Design/methodology/approach
A small UAV is manufactured in Erciyes University, College of Aviation, Model Aircraft Laboratory. Its wing and tail is able to move forward and backward in the nose-to-tail direction in prescribed interval. Autopilot parameters and assembly position of wing and tail to fuselage are simultaneously designed to maximize flight performance using a stochastic optimization method. Results are obtained are used for simulations.
Findings
Using simultaneous UAV and autopilot system design idea, flight performance is maximized.
Research limitations/implications
Permission of Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Turkey is required for testing UAVs in long range.
Practical implications
Simultaneous design idea is very beneficial for improving UAV flight performance.
Originality/value
Creating a novel method to improve flight performance of UAV and developing an algorithm performing simultaneous design idea.
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Khaled Nasri, Mohamed Anis Ben Abdallah and Fethi Amri
This study aims to investigate the impact of job loss on the mental health of individuals in Tunisia during the COVID-19 crisis.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of job loss on the mental health of individuals in Tunisia during the COVID-19 crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, the authors use the counterfactual decomposition technique and the potential outcome approach. In the first part, the authors calculated mental health indicators for all individuals included in the sample based on the World Health Organization-5 items. The individuals were then grouped into two subpopulations: the first group included those who had lost their jobs and the second group included individuals whose status in the labor market had remained unchanged. In the second part, the authors used the Blinder and Oaxaca decomposition to explain the mean difference in the mental health scores between the two groups and determine the factors contributing to this difference.
Findings
The empirical results identified symptoms of depressed mood, decreased energy and loss of interest in several individuals. Based on these three symptoms, the authors were able to classify individuals into three types of depression: mild, moderate and severe. In addition, it appeared that job loss had significantly contributed to the worsening mental health of the individuals.
Originality/value
Although the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak among health-care professionals has been the subject of other studies in health literature on Tunisia, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has addressed the impact of job loss on the mental health of Tunisian workers. Thus, this study fills this gap in the literature.
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This paper aims to support academic advising, which plays a crucial role in student success and retention. The paper focuses on one of the most challenging tasks involved in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to support academic advising, which plays a crucial role in student success and retention. The paper focuses on one of the most challenging tasks involved in academic advising: individual course scheduling. This task includes not only careful planning for different courses over several semesters according to students’ preferences and goals but also must conform to many student constraints and administrative regulations, some of which may rely on student-specific cases..
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces a novel approach that tries to provide meaningful support to decision makers involved in the course scheduling problem. The approach uses optimization algorithms to perform a pro-active analysis of the impact of different problem aspects and eventually suggests a balanced study plan that tries to satisfy both student preferences and advisor recommendations without violating any constraints.
Findings
An initial application of the proposed system is used to discuss its benefits.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a novel approach that uses optimization techniques to support making efficient decisions during the academic advising process.
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Malek Bakheet Elayan, Jamal Abdelrahman M. Hayajneh, Mamdouh Abdallah Mohamed Abdellatif and A. Mohammed Abubakar
As technology accelerates, the pace of innovation and product and process life cycles have significantly decreased. Firms seek to leverage their employees' efforts, particularly…
Abstract
Purpose
As technology accelerates, the pace of innovation and product and process life cycles have significantly decreased. Firms seek to leverage their employees' efforts, particularly through knowledge-based HR practices and intellectual skills, to attain innovative performances. Despite extensive research, the scope and role of p-shaped skills have yet to be considered; this is an important oversight. Through the lens of a knowledge-based perspective, this study examines the association of knowledge-based HR practices, p-shaped skills and innovative performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper tested the hypotheses using data obtained from large and SMEs in Riyadh, Saudi. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to analyze the data.
Findings
The results of the PLS-SEM algorithm suggest that knowledge-based HR practices result in increased p-shaped skills, and p-shaped skills result in increased innovative performance. Accordingly, p-shaped skills mediate the association between knowledge-based HR practices and innovative performances.
Originality/value
This is among the first study to operationalize a p-shaped skills scale. The paper extends its functionality as a predictor for innovative performance and the outcome of knowledge-driven HR practices. This research offers valuable theoretical and practical implications.
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Maysa Ali Mohamed Abdallah and Nayera Adeldayem Eltamboly
This study aims to identify the main factors that drive the differences in the levels of forward-looking information disclosure (FLID) across four countries. This study goes…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the main factors that drive the differences in the levels of forward-looking information disclosure (FLID) across four countries. This study goes beyond the firm-specific characteristics to the countries-specific factors to explain the observable differences in the level of FLID among the UK, Italian, Hong Kong and Chinese American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) firms trading in US Exchanges.
Design/methodology/approach
To validate the levels of FLID, corporate financial information environment (CFIE)-final reports structure extractor (FRSE) was conducted on the annual reports of a sample of 353 listed firm observations in 2020 across four different countries. Also, the ordinary least square regression model was used to examine the proposed relationships.
Findings
The empirical results indicate that the level of FLID is highest among the Chinese ADRs firms trading in US Exchanges and UK listed firms. Also, ownership concentration and gender diversity have a positive correlation with the level of FLID. Additionally, long-term orientation positively influences the level of FLID. Considering the moderation effect of power distance and masculinity dimensions, countries with larger power distance tend to have a lower impact of ownership concentration on the level of FLID, whereas countries with higher masculinity tend to have a lesser positive relationship between gender diversity and the level of FLID.
Originality/value
Notwithstanding, this study provides novel and persuasive evidence regarding the effects of firm- and country-specific characteristics as possible determinants of forward-looking disclosures, drawing on evidence from international companies with free floats, boards with female quotas and cultural values including masculinity and long-term orientation. This work offers unique insights from the upper echelons lens, which implies that firms need to obtain a critical mass of gender diversity to achieve a more balanced forward-looking perspective on their annual reports.
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Bechir Mokline and Mohamed Anis Ben Abdallah
The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of organizational resilience to the capacity of companies to cope with the COVID-19 crisis in a real organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of organizational resilience to the capacity of companies to cope with the COVID-19 crisis in a real organizational context through an empirical study of 16 Tunisian companies affected by the crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a qualitative study based on 16 semi-structured interviews to describe better the functioning of the processes of resilience in a real organizational context.
Findings
The real contribution consists in confirming a positive contribution of resilience to resistance in the face of the COVID-19 crisis in a Tunisian context through exceptional measures that have not previously been adopted by the companies concerned by this study.
Originality/value
The authors believe that they are the first to study the theme of resilience as a resistance mechanism in the face of the COVID-19 crisis in a Tunisian context. From this comes the originality of the research.
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Bringing tangible improvements to the economy will be a major challenge for Sudan’s new transitional government. Economic hardship and anger over perceived government corruption…
Details
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB246670
ISSN: 2633-304X
Keywords
Geographic
Topical
While a huge step towards a possible democratic transition, the real challenge facing Sudan’s revolution will come in its implementation phases.
Mohamed Behery, Salam Abdallah, Mohammed Parakandi and Sai Kukunuru
The purpose of this paper is to understand the implications of psychological contract on employees’ intention to leave and their relationship with employee commitment and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the implications of psychological contract on employees’ intention to leave and their relationship with employee commitment and satisfaction. The study focuses on measuring these attributes in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) multicultural workforce.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a total of 373 employees from government, semi-government and private organizations covering different hierarchical levels across various industries. Structural equation modeling was used to test the predicted relationship.
Findings
The study reveals that the relational component of psychological contracts plays a significant role in developing strong employer–employee relationships and reducing employee intentions to leave the organization. The study has also demonstrated the partial mediation effect of organizational commitment and employee satisfaction between the independent and dependent variables. Finally, our finding stresses the moderating effect of gender and citizenship demographics on the relationships between the independent and dependent variables.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study was the fact that data collection was conducted in the context of economic crisis which is accompanied by downsizing of organizations. Another factor being the survey is restricted to the UAE which limits the generalizability of the results outside the region.
Originality/value
As little is known about the potential effect of psychological contracts on the intention to leave in the Middle Eastern context, this paper is expected to provide empirical evidences that will make significant contributions to the employee engagement literature in the Middle Eastern contexts.
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The highly contentious vote has been described by opposition parties as a dictatorial power grab by Union of the Comoros President Azali Assoumani.