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Research has demonstrated that high percentages of undergraduate college students self-report they engage in academic procrastination which has significant adverse effects on academic progress with relative consistency. The present study was designed to help English as a foreign language (EFL) procrastinators study on a regular basis, and also to extend the learning of the high achievers. To do so, seventy English as a Foreign Language students in the study were classified by level of procrastination based on scores on the Procrastination Scale (Tuckman, 1991). Half of the students experienced the student-led seminars condition; the other half experienced the assignments condition. Although the student-led seminars condition produced significantly higher scores overall on a final achievement examination than the outline condition did, a significant interaction between condition and student procrastination level reflected an almost 14% advantage for the student-led seminars condition among high procrastinators. There was almost no difference between student-led seminars and assignments conditions for medium and low procrastinators. In addition, the qualitative data revealed high levels of satisfaction among students in the experimental group regarding the seminars and the instructor, as well as the perceived amount of new information learned.

ﻟﻘد أﺛﺑﺗ ت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﺎ ت اﻟ ﺳ ﺎﺑﻘﺔ ا ر ﺗﻔﺎ ع ﻧ ﺳ ﺑ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﺳ وﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى ط ﻼ ب اﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣﻌﺎ ت و ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ه اﻟ ﺳ ﻠﺑ ﻲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗﺣﺻ ﯾﻠ ﮭم ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾ ﻣ ﻲ. ﻟذ ﻟ ك ﺗم ﺗﺻﻣﯾم ھذه اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ﻟﻐر ض ﻣﺳﺎ ﻋدة اﻟﻣﺳوﻓﯾ ن أﻛﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﯾ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ وﻛ ذﻟ ك ﻟﺗﻌزﯾ ز ﻣ ﺳﺗ و ى اﻟ طﻼب ذو ي اﻟ ﺗ ﺣﺻ ﯾل ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾﻣﻲ اﻟﻣرﺗﻔﻊ. وا ﺷﺗﻣﻠ ت ﻋ ﯾ ﻧ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ث ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺳ ﺑ ﻌ ﯾ ن ط ﺎ ﻟ ﺑ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻟ ﻣ ر ﺣ ﻠ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣ ﻌ ﯾ ﺔ . وﺗ م ﺗﻘ ﺳﯾم اﻟ طﻼب ﺑﻧ ﺎ ء ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣﻘ ﯾﺎ س اﻟﺗ ﺳوﯾ ف ) Tuckman, 1991 ( اﻟ ﻰ ﺛﻼث ﻣ ﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت: ﻋﺎﻟ ﻲ، ﻣﺗ وﺳط، وﻣﻧ ﺧﻔ ض ، وﺗم ا ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟﺣ ﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ و دھ ﺎ اﻟط ﺎﻟ ب ﻣﻊ إ ﺣ د ى اﻟ ﺷ ﻌ ب اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ) 30 طﺎ ﻟ ب(، وﺗم أ ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟ وا ﺟﺑﺎ ت اﻟد را ﺳﯾﺔ ﻣﻊ طﻼب اﻟ ﺷﻌﺑﺔ اﻷﺧر ى. أظﮭر ت اﻟد را ﺳﺔ ﻓﺎﻋ ﻠﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺣ ﻠﻘﺎت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ ودھﺎ اﻟ ط ﺎﻟ ب ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﻷ دا ء ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى اﻟ ط ﻼب ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣﺟﻣوﻋﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ و ﺧ ﺻ و ﺻ ﺎً ﻟ د ى ا ﻟ ط ﻼ ب ذ و ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ى ا ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻲ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺳ و ﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ) 14 %( . ﻛذﻟ ك أ ظﮭر ت اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ر ﺿﺎ اﻟ طﻼب ﻋن اﻟ ﺣﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ و أ ﺳ ﺗﺎ ذ اﻟﻣﻘ ر ر و ﻛذﻟ ك ﻛﻣﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻣﻌر ﻓﺔ اﻟﺟ دﯾدة اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﺗم ا ﻛﺗ ﺳ ﺎﺑ ﮭﺎ.

This study deviates from the predominantly feminist/critical school of thought associated with existing gender studies to apply an interpretivist approach to investigate gender-reporting practices in Saudi Arabia, an Islamic country in the Gulf region and one of the fast-moving emerging economies both in the Middle East and globally. The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of reporting on gender and the drivers behind this practice using the content analysis method.

This study contributes to the literature by adopting a rarely used three-lens conceptual framework to expand our understanding of reporting on gender in Saudi Arabia. Eleven companies were chosen based on their voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in Saudi Arabia. The CSR and annual reports of selected companies were analysed using NVIVO Pro 11.

The results indicate that gender disclosures in the Saudi context are driven by legislation, location and international reporting frameworks. Although the number of disclosures increased over time, they were not adopted consistently and systematically because of their voluntary nature.

The first limitation is the disadvantage associated with interpretivism related to the subjective nature of the investigation and room for bias, and hence, the results cannot be generalised. The second limitation is the sample size; future investigations may increase the sample size by including other service and manufacturing sector firms to have more comprehensive insights.

This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence suggesting that in Saudi Arabia, state legislation is the driving force behind reporting on gender issues. Although workplace disclosures dominate, companies are opening dialogues with other stakeholders (especially the community) by disclosing performance data, and thus emphasising their commitment to this social change.

This empirical contribution to the CSR literature will provide rich historical and interpretive data on the emergence of gender transformation in society, and how that is reflected in corporate reports, thus, contributing to the understanding of the purpose of voluntary disclosures.

Employee-related disclosures in corporate reports are very common. However, issues such as diversity and equal opportunities tend to be overlooked. This study explores gender equality and female empowerment disclosures and practices in the emerging market of Saudi Arabia while focusing on whether the social, political and legal changes in Saudi Arabian society have affected these disclosures in corporate reports. There is a lack of qualitative analysis of gender disclosers globally and in emerging economies particularly.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of the Takaful insurance firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and do a relative analysis for its different units.

This paper analyzes the technical, pure technical, cost and allocative efficiency of Takaful firms in the GCC countries using data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology.

The Takaful insurance industry in GCC is highly technical and pure technical efficient. However, it is moderately cost efficient, and there is a large opportunity for improvement. UAE and Qatar score the highest technical efficiency, while Saudi Arabia and UAE are the most cost efficient among the GCC countries.

The primary contribution of this paper is to provide the first DEA analysis of the Takaful industry in the GCC countries. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study on the Takaful insurance industry that uses different types of efficiency measures, namely technical, pure technical, allocative and cost efficiency, in the GCC countries. This paper also contributes in the literature of the inputs and outputs selection for the Takaful insurance efficiency calculation.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of takaful operators in Malaysia.

The study applied the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique and the ratio analysis, using secondary data available on Malaysian Takaful operators’ annual reports. The study period for the analysis ranged from 2013 to 2016.

Based on both analyses, the performance of Takaful operators was affected due to the additional cost imposed by the goods and services tax (GST) implementation. Results showed a decline in average technical efficiency for takaful operators upon GST implementation.

The data were taken from the annual audited reports for selected firms that were available on the firm’s website only, which was limited. The data were taken till 2016, even though the GST is omitted from Malaysia on 1 June 2018. This study has applied Ratio analysis and DEA constant returns to scale (CRS) technique; the future study may adopt both DEA CRS and DEA carrying returns to scale model to evaluate along with other methods to identify the specific factors.

These findings may associate policymakers in identifying the shortcomings of GST or new tax implementation in a new and emerging industry. So, the policymakers and central banks may adopt necessary initiatives to support the industry. Because the Malaysian government is trying to push the takaful industry along with Islamic banking and finance in the competitive market, takaful operators may be exempted from the current sales and service tax (SST). In addition, takaful operators may use these findings to enhance their operational activities efficiently to improve performance. This paper might help the researchers and practitioners to learn the impact of GST. Even though GST seems not relevant anymore as the government has replaced it with SST, the trick is still the same as it is a kind of tax or costs incurred by the Takaful operators in running their business. Takaful managers may identify their efficient level in managerial aspects as well as the optimal scale of resources by the findings of this study.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is original in terms of data that is gathered directly from the annual report of the company during the GST period.

This study aims to investigate the productivity level of family takaful in Malaysia and Indonesia from 2014 to 2019. Productivity can support corporate sustainability, which is one of the company’s goals.

The measurement of the productivity level in this study involved applying the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) method. The input variables used consisted of equity, total expenses and total investment. The output variables consisted of total profit and investment income. In addition, this research used the orientation of the output and intermediation.

Throughout the study period, the Indonesian family takaful had an average total factor productivity change (TFPCH) of about 0.945. In other words, it did not reach optimal productivity. It is more due to the low value of technological change (TECHCH). On the contrary, family takaful companies in Malaysia had called productivity, showing a TFPCH of about 1.041. Again, this is mainly due to an increase in TECHCH and efficiency change, but it is still low in pure technical efficiency change.

This study focuses on factors that exist in internal takaful companies. Neither micro- nor macroeconomic variables that can affect productivity levels have been measured. In addition, this study only analyzed two countries out of the 11 countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Family takaful companies can use the productivity index as one of the bases of evaluation in managing their resources to enhance optimal output. Furthermore, the management of family takaful companies in Indonesia needs to focus more on technological innovation and delivery of services to increase productivity. Meanwhile, family takaful companies in Malaysia can maintain their technology usage and efficiency to operate productively. The government in both countries is expected to actively accelerate the growth of family takaful companies by producing regulatory products that strengthen the industry. Specifically, the government in Indonesia needs to make regulations that support technology improvement.

There is still not much research that examines family takaful’s productivity level using the MPI. The MPI is an appropriate tool to evaluate the productivity of family takaful companies. Thus, family takaful companies can improve their quality by assessing the productivity index value.