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The purpose of this study is to examine faculty perceptions of the aim/structure of the United Arab Emirate's Qualifications Framework (QF Emirates) and its impact on academic practices in order to support policymakers on how to better implement the framework.

The study applied a mixed-methods approach to obtain quantitative and qualitative feedback from faculty members from two of the largest higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), namely the UAE University (UAEU) and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). A questionnaire was used to capture broad insight from a sample of 788 faculty members from both institutions. In addition, semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 faculty members to offer more in-depth analysis of how to improve QF Emirates strategies in light of the current challenges and future aspirations.

The study revealed that faculty members have an overall “average” to “high” perceptions of the general aim/structure of the QF Emirates and its impact on teaching, learning and assessment. Moreover, the study revealed that faculty from the HCT have a significantly higher perception of the QF Emirates implementation compared to faculty from the UAEU. The study concluded with proposing a number of solutions to support in improving the QF Emirates implementation, including raising awareness across stakeholders, identifying and communicating faculty roles in the process, and developing polices, guidelines and systems to support consistent integration of QF Emirates into academic practices.

The outcomes of this study would add to the existing body of knowledge pertaining to the role of stakeholders (e.g. faculty members) in the implementation of the national qualifications framework. It addition, it can drive future professional development activities and add to the discourse around the conceptual framework of NQFs. Outcomes of the study could also provide additional information on the use of the QF Emirates as a supporting instrument. Last but not least, this work could provide insight to policymakers in regard to institutional support that would promote effective adoption of the QF Emirates.

This research aims to examine the role of green intellectual capital (GIC) dimensions in promoting sustainable healthcare as reflected by sustainable performance. The mediating effect of green absorptive capacity (GAC) and moderating role of environmental turbulence were also explored.

Structural equation modeling was utilized for hypotheses testing of a survey data set of 387 at healthcare organizations operating in Iraq. The data were collected using purposive sampling with expert judgment from senior managers and professionals.

Contrary to previous studies, the findings showed that only green human and relational capitals predict green performance and only green human capital predicted economic performance. GAC was related to green human capital, green structural capital and performance, and played a significant mediating role on the relationships.

Even though the research was limited to one region of a single country, Iraq, GAC can be modified by managers to enhance GIC for sustainable healthcare performance. This action must be viewed in terms of the future timing of the impact while managers display strong conviction for sustainability commitment. Managers will find GRC least associated with performance, but that GIC dimensions work best in unison.

The examination of GIC with GAC as moderated by environmental turbulence contributes nascent theoretical insights in sustainable healthcare.

The objective of this research is to propose an immersive framework that integrates virtual reality (VR) technology with directives international safety training certification bodies to enhance construction safety training, which eventually leads to safer construction sites.

The adopted methodology combines expert insights and experimentation to maximize the effectiveness of construction safety training. The first step was identifying key considerations for VR models such as motion sickness prevention and adult learning theories. The second step was developing a game-like VR model for safety training, with multiple hazards and scenarios based on the considerations of the previous step. After that, safety experts evaluated the model and provided valuable feedback on its alignment with international safety training practices. Finally, the developed model is tested by senior students, where the testing format followed the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) working safely exam structure.

An advanced immersive VR safety training model was developed based on extensive lessons learned from the literature, previous work and psychology-informed adult learning theories. Model testing – through focus groups and hands-on experimentation – demonstrated significant benefit of VR in upgrading and complementing traditional training methods.

The findings presented in this paper make a significant contribution to the field of safety training within the construction industry and the broader context of immersive learning experiences. It also fosters further exploration into immersive learning experiences across educational and professional contexts.

The Egyptian Premier League (EPL) holds a prominent place in Egypt’s sporting culture and serves as the stage for some of Africa’s most competitive soccer clubs. However, the actual competitive balance in this league has come under scrutiny in recent years as the two historically dominant Cairo clubs, Ahly and Zamalek, continue to retain the EPL championship. A major concern is that the competitive imbalance of the EPL may actually be hampering the league’s progress and the progress of soccer in Egypt. In order to more closely assess this situation, the purpose of this paper is to use historical EPL performance data to conduct a series of competitive balance analyses on league results from 1948 to 2014. The findings revealed that competition in the league is almost nonexistent as Ahly and Zamalek continue to enjoy a number of direct and indirect financial benefits that are unrealized by their competitors. The dominance of these clubs has compromised the elements of match uncertainty and drama that are traditionally viewed as being important to the prestige and financial achievements of leagues and teams. Discussion is therefore offered for how the EPL could go about resolving some of its organizational and competitive balance issues.

This study adopted four basic measures of competitive balance to conduct descriptive analyses on EPL data that were collected from egyptianfootball.net and the Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation. These analyses began with the EPL’s inaugural season (1948-1949) and extended to the conclusion of the 2014-2015 season. During this timeframe, seven seasons were canceled due to global and political tensions and four more went unfinished. Because these seasons were excluded, the total sample size consisted of 56 seasons, each of which contained between 10 and 24 EPL teams. The data were analyzed using variations of the following competitive balance measures: the range and standard deviation of winning percentages, the ratio of the standard deviation/Noll-Scully approach, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, and five-club concentration ratio.

The results confirmed that the league is largely imbalanced, leading the authors to recommend systemic and structural changes that could help promote competitive balance in the league. The call for competitive balance in the EPL was bolstered by a literature review of studies that advocated for parity in professional sports leagues. In the end, the researchers recommend the EPL to improve its organizational policies and consider a revised revenue-sharing system that would allow the small-market teams to survive and thrive.

The EPL holds a prominent place in Egypt’s sporting culture and serves as the stage for some of Africa’s most competitive soccer clubs. The primary purpose of this study was to perform a series of competitive balance analyses on EPL results from 1948 to 2015 in an effort to better understand the various degrees of competitiveness in the league during this time.

This study aims to analyze the factors that influenced the stability of Islamic banks in Asia.

The panel data consisted of 16 Asian countries operating Islamic banks from 2010 to 2019. The data were analyzed through dynamic panel regression using Arellano–Bond generalized method of moments (GMM).

This study provides novel insights into the factors influencing the stability of Islamic banks in Asia. The findings suggest that past financial stability, liquidity risk, loan risk, inflation, gross domestic product, government effectiveness, rule of law and control of corruption are all significant contributors to Islamic bank stability. Notably, political stability, voice and accountability and regulatory quality did not show a significant association.

The current study’s focus was solely on Islamic bank stability in Asian countries, which leaves room for further exploration. Future research could benefit from expanding the scope to encompass all nations with active Islamic banking institutions. In addition, incorporating a broader range of macroeconomic variables, such as exchange rates, interest rates, profit-sharing equivalents and investment rates, could provide deeper insights into the factors influencing Islamic bank stability across diverse contexts.

This study has significant practical implications for policymakers, bank managers and regulatory authorities seeking to enhance the stability of Islamic banks in Asia. By implementing robust risk management frameworks, adopting prudent regulatory policies, and actively fostering economic growth, policymakers can create an environment conducive to the sustained development and prosperity of Islamic banking institutions. Notably, promoting good governance practices and instituting effective crisis prevention measures can further bolster the resilience of the Islamic banking sector, enabling it to play a more dynamic role in contributing to the overall development and welfare of Asian societies.

The findings of this study carry significant social implications, highlighting the need for governments in Asian countries to prioritize public policies that promote good governance and ethical practices within the banking industry. Such policies, coupled with efforts to attract foreign investments and foster a stable and transparent banking sector, have the potential to generate far-reaching positive effects on society. Through economic growth stimulated by a robust Islamic banking sector, Asian countries can create new employment opportunities, improve living standards and ultimately enhance the overall well-being of their citizens.

This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on Islamic banking stability by offering novel insights and expanding the empirical knowledge base in this field. The dual application of robust regression methodologies – namely, GMM dynamic panel data models – presents a unique analytical framework for investigating the complex interplay between diverse variables and Islamic bank stability. This methodological choice fosters deeper understanding of the dynamic relationships at play, advancing our understanding of how specific factors influence the sector's resilience and performance. In addition, the study uses rigorous empirical techniques and engages with the extant literature to provide fresh perspectives and nuanced interpretations of the findings, further solidifying its contribution to the field's originality and richness.

COVID-19, an infectious disease first identified in China, has resulted in an ongoing pandemic all over the world. Most of the countries have been experiencing a difficult period during the fighting of this pandemic. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of privacy concerns and cultural differences on public opinion related to the pandemic. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of public opinion in the US and in China as a case study, in order to determine the results.

National policies on important issues faced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and in China were examined through a comparative analysis. The authors used text clustering and visualization to mine public opinion on two popular social media platforms, Twitter and Weibo. From the perspectives of concern for privacy and of national culture, this study combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to discover the acceptance level of national policies by the public in the two countries.

The anti-pandemic policies and measures of the US and China reflect the different characteristics of their respective political systems and national cultures. When considering the culture of the US, it is hard to establish and enforce a rigorous regulation on either mask wearing in public or home quarantine on the national level. The opinions of US people are diverse, regarding national COVID-19 policies, but they are rather unified on privacy issues. On the other hand, Chinese people show a high acceptance of national policies based on their mask-wearing customs and their culture of collectivism.

Prior studies have paid insufficient attention to the ways in which user privacy and cultural difference affect public opinion on national policies between the US and China. This case study that compares public opinion on current and topical issues which are closely bound up with public life shows originality, as it innovatively provides a cross-cultural perspective on the research of public opinion dissemination during emergencies by considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.