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A majority of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Oman, and internationally, have adopted English as the language of education, driven by its power and its globally accepted status as the language of knowledge and communication. Such an internationalisation policy has been inadequately evaluated to examine its actual effects. This paper aims at analysing the existing literature with a view to hypothesise the effects of adopting English as a medium of instruction (EMI) on establishing intellectual capital in the Omani context.

The paper employs a case study design that draws on data generated through a systematic review of 94 peer-reviewed papers that are synthesised using thematic analysis.

The findings indicate that EMI negatively affects the optimal creation of intellectual capital through limiting access to HE, hindering knowledge transfer, impeding Omanis' employability and hindering faculty's professional growth. EMI leads HEIs to mirror the supplying countries' cultures in terms of materials, ideologies and standards. It affects teaching and research quality, training and communication, the sense of equity, belonging and self-worth amongst students and the relationships amongst faculty members. It also increases reliance on external stakeholders.

The paper highlights the interconnection between the forms of intellectual capital and how some components are antecedents to the creation of the intellectual capital forms. It establishes the moderating role the language of instruction plays in relation to the three sub forms of intellectual capital in higher education.

The paper calls for maximising higher education intellectual capital through adopting bilingual rather than monolingual higher education. It calls upon policymakers to revisit the assumptions underlying higher education systems in order to optimise their outcomes.

The paper is the first one that sheds light on the role of language in intellectual capital construction. Such a moderating role has received almost no attention in the higher education literature that is largely busy quantifying its outcomes rather than ensuring they are actually sustainably generated.

Current research aims to investigate whether it would be possible to identify all information security policy (ISP) writing styles and how these would influence ISP compliance. Almost all businesses use ISPs to establish boundaries and require secure behaviour from their employees. Unfortunately, professional surveys and academic research demonstrate a high level of non-compliance with the ISP. While the justification for the employee’s behaviour has been discussed, very few research papers have investigated whether the ISP writing style impacted the intent to comply with ISP. The research methodology incorporates content analysis and a quantitative descriptive review of published papers on ISP and non-IS policy compliance. The theoretical research allowed the identification of five major ISP writing styles: belonging, deterrence, goal, motivation, and specialist, as well as writing style influencers such as timeliness and readability. To achieve a higher level of compliance with the ISP, it was suggested that the writing styles of belonging, goal, and motivation be used primarily. Deterrence is generally discouraged. The study enabled us to determine when ISP writing styles were mentioned and the type of influence on the intent to comply with ISP. It also allowed for comparison and possible differences in ISPs versus standard workplace policies. There are proposals on which writing styles to put forward, along with recommendations on creating an ISP.

In this chapter, I present a concept named Diversity Icebreaker® where the participants in a seminar are categorized along red, blue, and green dimensions based on a psychological assessment. The participants co-create the meaning of the dimensions in mono-colored groups due to their dominant scores where they describe themselves and others from inside and outside perspectives. Blue is more task and detail oriented. Green is more holistic and future oriented. Red is more social and communicative oriented. The language as a metaphorical structure as well as the seminar builds a culture of inclusivity. The simplicity and easiness of mastery of the categories make it easy for everyone to apply the categories. The social co-creation of the categories makes every participant at an even level. The colors are defined reciprocally strengthening the needs of the others. Everyone has all colors which makes it easier to connect and see commonalities that build cohesion. In the seminar, participants experience uncertainty followed by dialogues with others. Positive emotions and insight reinforce the script of “dialoguing with others when uncertainties arise.” The positivity and humor in the seminar reinforce the behavior of being together. The closure is a collective reflexivity process where all participants have even possibility to contribute due to their unique perspectives on their shared experience. I end this chapter with reflections and questions on leadership models in this seminar that has evolved in a Norwegian context and their relevance in a global context.

Language plays a complex role in coaching, facilitating communication, comprehension and meaning construction. Yet, the implications of coaching in a non-native language are uncertain and under-researched. This study explores the role of non-native language (NNL) in dyadic workplace coaching practice. Specifically, it explores how working in a NNL influences the coaching experience from the coach’s perspective.

A qualitative approach was chosen to explore the way coaches view coaching in a NNL. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches experienced in coaching in NNL. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) was applied for data analysis.

NNL coaching presents a paradoxical mix of negative and positive tensions for the coach and coachee in communication, relationship and insight. NNL coaching is nuanced and may be accommodated using coaching competencies to mitigate the potential for misunderstanding and relationship rupture. It offers alternative perspectives to existing worldviews, eliciting deeper insights. Coaches’ confidence in coaching in a NNL varies from a challenging struggle that perceptually hinders performance, through ambivalence, to a sense of greater resourcefulness.

The study contributes to the stream of literature on language in international business, sociolinguistic research and how meaning is constructed in a coaching process. First, the work develops a distinction between coaching in a native language (NL) and a NNL. Second, study results indicate that the context of NNL creates challenges as well as opportunities in a dyadic coaching process, particularly regarding aspects of the coach–coachee relationship and insight elicitation via alternative perspectives. Moreover, several practical implications of the study for the coaching practice are discussed.

This study aims to delve into the interplay between didactic audiovisual translation (DAT) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), exploring their combined impact on the development of intercultural competence (IC) among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL).

Using a quasi-experimental approach with a quantitative research design, the study analyses the outcomes of a questionnaire answered by 147 students across 15 language centres in Spanish Universities. These participants actively engaged in completing the lesson plans of the Traducción audiovisual como recurso didáctico en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras project, a Spanish-Government funded research initiative aimed at assessing the effects of DAT on language learning.

The current study confirms the reliability of the instrument developed to measure students’ perceived improvement. Beyond validating the research tool, the findings of the current study confirm the significant improvement in intercultural learning achieved through DAT, effectively enhancing students’ motivation to engage in language learning.

The current research solely examines students enrolled in higher education language centres. This paper closes with a CALL for additional research, including participants from other educational stages, such as primary or secondary education. In the broader context of CALL research, this study serves as a valuable contribution by exploring the potential of DAT in fostering IC in EFL settings.

This research confirms the potential of DAT and CALL to promote students’ learning process, as the combination of these approaches not only yields linguistic benefits but also intercultural learning.

The paper enriches the understanding of the principal challenges faced in future lawyers' education in Mexico considering global trends, particularly from the perspective of skills creation in diverse areas of legal practice.

The framework used draws on trends identified within an international collaborative research study in which both authors participated, titled “Developing a Blueprint for Global Legal Education”. This current paper stems from the premise that these recommendations can be further developed and better utilised if explored within a specific context. The methodology designed for this research consisted of two main components: a thorough analysis of the norms that regulate the education system and the professional practice in Mexico, and an extensive literature review that provided insights into the state of global trends in legal education.

This paper reveals that in Mexico having a well-designed and comprehensive legal framework is the first step to promote the creation of high-quality educational models.

The study analyses the current situation in Mexico within four global trends: (1) regulation of legal education and access to the profession; (2) building professional practice skills; (3) internationalisation of education and (4) incorporation of technology and responsible innovation.

The reflections are intended to promote better training of law students in the skills required to face the various challenges that the legal profession currently involves. This is under an approach that analyses global challenges and identifies the best practices to connect learning processes with in-demand professional skills.

This autoethnographic article presents the adaptation of collage—an arts-based method traditionally used in face-to-face settings—into an online research tool. It emphasizes the increased relevance of such a transition in the wake of the digital shift and the Covid-19 pandemic. The work aims to reveal how digital collages can facilitate in-depth participant responses in a time when conventional research settings are inaccessible.

The article incorporates autoethnographic vignettes, which are identified in italics, that offer insights into my personal reflections on the transition and adaptation to an online mode. Firstly, I review how collage can be a valuable tool to include in focus groups and for elicitation during semi-structured interviews. Secondly, I review the challenges I experienced when conducting focus groups online to create the collages. Thirdly, I explore, in more detail, three examples of collages that reflect the diverse ranges that were produced and the insightful discussions that emerged from the participants describing the visual elements of their collages. Finally, the reflective nature of my autoethnographic vignettes provides an insight into the world of the researcher during this turbulent time.

Findings show that collage, whether physical or digital, remains an effective tool for eliciting nuanced understandings from participants. The research contributes to the arts-based research narrative by showcasing how the digital adaptation of collage methods can yield profound insights into participants' perspectives, therefore enriching the data beyond what traditional interviews could unveil.

These observations can provide support for other researchers who are contemplating the adoption of online arts-based research methods. Understanding how traditionally face-to-face arts-based research methods can be adapted for the digitally evolving landscape is important for shaping the future of online research.

Neurostrategy is an abductive decision-making process developed from the knowledge generated within the network of decision-makers. It links cognitive style with the team's decisional adaptability in relation to the organization's purpose. Neurostrategy differs from traditional methods, in which it addresses negative utility or decisional trauma, highlighting the variety of interests that are the main cause of team misalignment and allowing for the development of strategies to address them. Neurostrategy enables the classification of strategy deficiencies based on cohesion, coordination, communication and conduction (Co4).

This paper introduces a novel approach called relational neurostrategy (RNS) to elucidate the knowledge processes influencing decision-making. RNS aims to “capture” the intricate processes guiding decisions, enabling the network's decisional plasticity in both forms and contents. This adaptability is crucial for effectively addressing posed challenges, while simultaneously mitigating the impact of diverse interests. The methodology also ensures transparency in the decision-making process and generates an effective solution strategy.

The RNS addresses two critical aspects of the decision-making process. Firstly, it reduces unnecessary variety stemming from multiple interpretations and secondly, it minimizes the adverse impact of diverse interests within the decision-making network. This approach results in strong and credible decisions that reflect the collective intelligence, cooperation and collaborative efforts of the network, rather than being imposed as absolute truths.

The RNS stands out as a distinctive decision-making method, setting itself apart from existing approaches. Its uniqueness becomes evident in its ability to address the question “what prevents the authors from … ?” from this inquiry, RNS successfully integrates unrequired variety and negative utility. By doing so, it strategically narrows down the search field to the universe of distinctions that truly constitute the problem. This innovative process not only enhances efficiency but also fosters a high level of participation in the strategic design of potential solutions. In essence, RNS brings unprecedented value by effectively navigating the intricacies of decision-making and maximizing the relevance of the identified problem space.

This study assesses the impact of smart destination implementations in Malaga. Thus, this study aims to guide the transformation of destinations into smart destinations as well as the introduction of smart destination concept in the literature.

Malaga was selected because it was one of the two winners of 2020 European Capital of Smart Tourism competition as well as the winner in the accessibility category of the 2019. The research population lives in Malaga and has been professionally involved in smart destination implementations. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview of 14 smart-tourism experts in different career fields. Content analysis was applied to the findings.

Malaga has become a successful smart destination while it has had a great success in improving its attractiveness and competitiveness due to the developments in the past 20 years. Now, its citizens and tourists are very satisfied and have a higher and more attractive quality of life. Moreover, Malaga has become a leading destination, especially in accessibility and mobility.

Although smart destination is becoming popular topic day by day, almost all the studies are created to introduce the approach with secondary data. There are still only limited research studies conducted by primary data on a real smart destination case. Furthermore, Malaga is a quite good example to understand the importance of smart destination approach since the city has achieved to become an attractive and popular destination for both tourists and local residents.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a year-long writing intervention located in an urban high school in partnership with a university teacher education professor and the students. The goals were as follows: to increase student self-efficacy about writing overall; to increase the number of students who successfully improve scores on writing assessments; and to increase ACT exam scores, making students more qualified candidates for college admission.

The main method used for the research is a quantitative longitudinal study method, which involves collecting from each student, at pre-intervention and post-intervention, a writing sample. There are 54 students in the study.

Findings showed an increase in student proficiency overall, with an increase of 0.53 holistically. Effective writing instruction asks students to write often to develop their writing will and skill. There are many more factors beyond the teaching of “ACT prep” writing skills that must be considered, particularly when teaching marginalized groups. This study found that the following are important: building and sustaining positive rapport; using their language as part of the learning process; creating space for students to write regularly; writing on a variety of topics; reflecting on and monitoring their writing; and receiving timely and targeted feedback.

This paper discusses the impact of the writing intervention and describes the practices that were a part of the intervention for marginalized students in an urban school to increase their writing scores.