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Article
Publication date: 10 August 2012

Stella Anasi and Hussaini Ali

The purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers to effective resource sharing among academic libraries in Nigeria.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers to effective resource sharing among academic libraries in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Professional librarians from six randomly selected federal university libraries representing the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria were surveyed using a descriptive survey research design. Questionnaires were sent to 124 librarians; 85 were returned and found to be usable, for a response rate of 68.5 per cent.

Findings

The study revealed that the prospect for resource sharing among university libraries in Nigeria is high. However, factors that hinder effective resource sharing include inadequate funding, a dearth of skilled librarians, power outages, an absence of web‐accessible OPACs, uneven development of libraries, and slow progress of library automation. It is recommended that each university library have a specific annual budget allocation for ICT development and maintenance and for training of librarians to pilot resource sharing projects.

Originality/value

This paper presents resource‐sharing challenges facing academic libraries in Nigeria. It encourages information professionals to embark on capacity building for effective resource sharing. This paper was prepared for the 12th Interlending and Document Supply Conference, held in September 2011.

Details

Interlending & Document Supply, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-1615

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2014

Stella Ngozi Anasi and Hussaini Ali

– The aim of this paper is to examine and discuss academic librarians’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of adopting e-learning for continuing professional development.

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine and discuss academic librarians’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of adopting e-learning for continuing professional development.

Design/methodology/approach

To elicit the necessary information, this study adopted a descriptive survey design, using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The study population consists of five tertiary institutions – two universities, two polytechnics and one college of education, selected as sample using the purposive sampling technique. The study also conducted a literature review on studies done on benefits and challenges of e-learning for professional development. The literature review is built on resources from online and offline.

Findings

Academic librarians in Lagos State were unanimous in their perception of benefits and challenges of adoption of e-learning for continuing professional development. The major benefits of e-learning were that e-learning opens up new frontiers for professional learning, supports knowledge generation and management and gives librarians an opportunity to broaden their knowledge. However, the major challenges to adopting e-learning for continuing professional development were inadequate power supply, inadequate knowledge of how to operate e-learning tools and limited bandwidth.

Practical implications

This paper establishes that the role of academic librarians in the provision of information for learning and study in academic institutions places them in an advantageous position to engage in e-learning activities for professional development. It also extols the need for top library management to deploy all resources within their reach to develop technology-enhanced learning system. This should also be complemented with the development and implementation of e-learning curriculum in library schools in Nigeria to inculcate e-learning culture.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to empirical research on e-learning for continuing professional development among librarians in Nigeria. Librarians who are interested in professional development will find this article useful.

Details

New Library World, vol. 115 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Keywords

Abstract

Subject area

Corporate strategy and family business management.

Study level/applicability

The case is designed for usage in senior-level undergraduate courses of strategic management and managing family businesses.

Case overview

This case study relates the story of the launch and development of Zayed Al Hussaini Group, a family business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The business had been established a year after the unionization of the different Emirates by the founder, Zayed Al Hussaini, in partnership with his brother. Following a series of strategic moves, such as acquisitions and divestures, and adverse family-related events, the Group was led solely by the founder himself. Over the years, Zayed Al Hussaini Group has grown to become a successful family business in various industries of its operation, but following the death of the founder's son, the company activities have been struck with chaos. Zayed's nephew, Ahmed, who had left the family business to continue his studies and work at McKinsey & Company in London, has been called back home after eight years to take the lead of the entire Group. However, he is faced with several challenges, such as dealing with the family gap he has developed over time and balancing family and business priorities. Will Ahmed be able to make the right decisions in the role and responsibilities that have been bestowed upon him?

Expected learning outcomes

To analyse the process of launching a family business and making strategic decisions for managing its development over time.

To assess the potential difficulties and challenges which are associated with managing a family-run organization.

To evaluate the effectiveness of decisions with regards to the company's growth and succession management planning.

To apply relevant theoretical concepts to the analysis of complex situations in the specific context of family businesses.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2015

Mariam Al Khaja, Mouza Al Muhairi, Mariam Al Yousuf, Alyazi Al Mazrouei, Mostafa Ibrahim Ali and Eunice Taylor

This paper aims to describe the process of developing, implementing and evaluating an innovative solution to enhance food safety and promote Hazard Analysis and Critical Control…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the process of developing, implementing and evaluating an innovative solution to enhance food safety and promote Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-based food safety management techniques in small independent restaurants. It is the fifth article in a Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes theme issue presenting a comprehensive government strategy for improving food safety management standards across the hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This article outlines the essential design principles that were established by Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority for creating a food safety management system (FSMS) for independent restaurants, following international benchmarking and extensive in-depth local research. It charts the process of designing and approving the documents and records that make up the system, and identifies a methodology for implementation and evaluation.

Findings

Salamt Zadna, the FSMS developed, conveys risk-based food safety requirements through photographs communicating simple, practical steps. It minimises record-keeping with a picture-based diary and has an implementation strategy involving inspector support, after an extensive period of capacity building.

Originality/value

The article demonstrates an effective model for creating an FSMS for small businesses, along with the main components required and their impact on industry. It also includes details of a phased implementation strategy for achieving success in practice, utilising trained government inspectors. It will be of value to practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the food industry.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 August 2021

Mutahar Qassem

This paper aims to investigate seven prominent translations of the Qur'anic verb-noun collocations into English (Pickthall, 1930; AL-Hilali and Khan, 1977; Ali, 1934; Arberry…

1826

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate seven prominent translations of the Qur'anic verb-noun collocations into English (Pickthall, 1930; AL-Hilali and Khan, 1977; Ali, 1934; Arberry, 1955; Shakir, 1999; Sarwar, 1981; Saheeh International, 1997) to unfold their renditions of the style and meaning of such Qur'anic verb-noun collocation into English.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows a corpus-based research in a sense that the study is conducted on seven translations of the Noble Qur'an that have been taken form The Qur'anic Arabic Corpus, using linguistic and exegetical analyses. Based on Reiss’ model of text analysis (2000), the author analyses the intralinguistic and extralinguistic features of the Qur'anic verb-noun collocations.

Findings

Findings reveal that linguistic and exegetical analyses are perquisites for adequate rendition, which prevent deviation in meaning and translation loss. It is also found that Qur'anic collocations use unique literary techniques and devices, which hinder their natural and adequate renditions into English.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study lies in studying the architectural design of the Qur'anic verb-noun collocations in terms of the unique selection of words and style. Such unique architectural design of such collocations creates monumental hindrances in their rendition into other languages, which have not been given due attention in translation studies.

Details

PSU Research Review, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2399-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 May 2021

Umar Bello Umar, Abdulsalam Mas’ud and Sadisu Abdulazeez Matazu

The study aims to identify a gap within the extant literature on the inadequacy of earlier extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) to…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to identify a gap within the extant literature on the inadequacy of earlier extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) to accommodate the peculiarity of Muslims majority countries that experiencing poverty growth in modeling the factors influencing the acceptability of Islamic financial products and services. To address this gap, this study expands the aforementioned theories through the integration of customer financial condition through the analyzes of both direct and indirect effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative research design was deployed through data, which was collected from samples of microentrepreneurs within the agricultural sector of northwestern Nigeria. The data from this sample was analyzed through hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The findings confirmed significant direct effects of all the original TPB variables; attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on acceptance intention of Islamic microfinance. More pioneering, the study established a significant direct negative effect of customer financial condition on the acceptance of Islamic microfinance among agribusiness customers. It further established the indirect (moderating) effects of customer financial condition on the influence of subject norms and perceived behavioral control on acceptance intention of Islamic microfinance, however, such indirect effect was not established in relation to the influence of attitude.

Research limitations/implications

The findings implied that the providers of Islamic financial products and services should target Nigeria’s frontier market as a potential avenue for expanding their existing market share. More specifically, the agricultural sector of northwestern Nigeria could be given focus in such a marketing strategy. In terms of social impact, providing necessary finances to the agricultural sector will further enhance employment creation and reduce poverty in the northwestern region.

Originality/value

Despite several extensions of TRA and TPB in various settings, this could the first study which examined both direct and indirect effects of customer financial condition not only in relation to the acceptance of Islamic microfinance but also all other Islamic financial products and services.

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1997

Hamid S. Atiyyah

The purpose of this article is twofold: to identify the characteristics of research on organisation and management in Arab countries and to find out whether research results…

Abstract

The purpose of this article is twofold: to identify the characteristics of research on organisation and management in Arab countries and to find out whether research results support the culture‐free hypothesis or not. A thorough search of sixteen journals, research monographs, books and theses produced only 35 empirical studies. Most of these studies were exploratory, descriptive, and used small convenient samples. Although some findings supported the culture‐bound hypothesis, major conceptual and methodological weaknesses in these studies throw doubt upon the validity of their results.

Details

Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7606

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2017

Habibullah Khan, Syed Karamatullah Hussainy, Kamran Khan and Abdullah Khan

The purpose of this paper is to find the applications, advantages and challenges of human resource information system (HRIS) from different sectors of Pakistan. It also finds the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find the applications, advantages and challenges of human resource information system (HRIS) from different sectors of Pakistan. It also finds the demographic perspective of HRIS.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire was adopted from previous studies. Responses were gathered through social websites and physically. The questionnaire was sent to 491 respondents from which only 99 responded. Reliability, t-testing and chi-square were used for the analysis.

Findings

Result shows that HRIS is widely used in Pakistani organizations for the purpose of accessing employees’ information, absence monitoring and performance appraisal to get quick responses to information, reduction of error and paperwork. It helps standardizing the program and manpower requirement, but lack of commitment by the lower management is the most significant barrier for its implementation because of fear of change by them. It is also found that there is no association between gender and adoption of HRIS but different employment position perceives differently the adoption of HRIS.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to the Pakistani organizations. The research paper is useful for the Pakistani human resources professionals, as it gives the local perspective of HRIS.

Originality/value

The previous results are from the developed countries and there is merely any reliable paper found on the several aspects of HRIS in Pakistani context. The research has also focused on the demographic variables that are employment position and gender with respect to their perception on the adoption of HRIS.

Details

VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, vol. 47 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5891

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2022

Kamran Khan, Irfan Hameed, Umair Akram and Syed Karamatullah Hussainy

Human health, food safety and environmental concerns are growing issues for policymakers, firms and the general public. Food without chemicals and pesticides is healthy for the…

Abstract

Purpose

Human health, food safety and environmental concerns are growing issues for policymakers, firms and the general public. Food without chemicals and pesticides is healthy for the human body and hence, relevant motives to promote organic food consumption needs to be explored. This study used three motivational factors, i.e. hedonic, gain and normative motivations proposed by goal-framing theory (GFT) that affect sustainable consumption. Considering the local scenario, constructs like normative triggers and knowledge have also been incorporated into the model. Therefore, this study attempts to explore whether normative triggers and motivations influence the intention to purchase organic food with the application of GFT

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 467 consumers using the purposive sampling technique. The span of the collection of data collection was around five months. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) has been applied and after checking the validity and reliability indicators, bootstrapping has been used for hypotheses testing.

Findings

All the motivational factors were found significant and positive to consumers' intentions toward organic food. Moreover, normative triggers also influence intentions. The construct knowledge was not found in a direct relationship with intentions; however, a moderating role was established between gain motivations and intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The study validated and extended the concepts presented in the GFT. Motivational constructs were found important and can be implied in low-cost product categories. The policymakers are suggested to take appropriate measures, based on empirical results.

Originality/value

The study provides an understanding of motivational factors, normative triggers and knowledge in the organic food consumption extent. This will help administrative authorities, marketers and producers of organic food in making their policies, communication strategies and production preferences.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2005

Robert C. Moussetis, Ali Abu Rahma and George Nakos

This paper examined the relationships between national culture and strategic behavior in the banking industry in Jordan and U.S. The study first developed a strategic posture and…

Abstract

This paper examined the relationships between national culture and strategic behavior in the banking industry in Jordan and U.S. The study first developed a strategic posture and secondly a cultural profile for the top management of the research domain. The strategic posture suggested the readiness for strategic response from managers. The degree of readiness was correlated with the constructed cultural profile of the managers and financial performance of the banks. The study found significant relationships between certain national cultural strategic characteristics, (risk propensity, time orientation, and openness to change, uncertainty avoidance and managerial perception of control over the environment) strategic behavior and financial performance.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

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