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The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive structural equation based service quality and patient satisfaction model taking into account the patient's condition before and after discharge. The authors aim to test for causality in a sample of patients from United Arab Emirates public hospitals.

Data were collected using questionnaires completed by adults discharged (n=244) from UAE public hospitals. The proposed model consists of five main constructs. Three represent service quality: quality of care (four variables); process and administration (four variables) and information (four variables). There is also one construct that represents patient's status (two variables – health status before admission and after discharge). Finally, there is one construct that represents patient's satisfaction with care (two variables – general and relative satisfaction). Structural equation modeling and LISREL using maximum likelihood estimation was used to test hypothesized model(s)/parameters(s) derived deductively from the literature.

The structural equation modeling representation provides a comprehensive picture that allows healthcare constructs and patient satisfaction causality to be tested. The goodness‐of‐fit statistics supported the healthcare quality‐patient status‐satisfaction model.

The model has been found to capture attributes that characterize healthcare quality in a developing country and could represent other modern healthcare systems. Also, it can be used to evaluate other healthcare practices from patients' viewpoints. The study highlights the importance of healthcare quality as patient satisfaction predictors by capturing other effects such as patient status.

The purpose of this paper is to show that, although there has been some research to identify the dimensions on which healthcare quality and in‐patient satisfaction should be measured, the confirmation of constructs and indicators that constitute an overall care quality and satisfaction remains unclear. The objective is to present several models of service quality and satisfaction in healthcare for discharged patients; and to test those models in a sample of discharged patients in public hospitals in the United Arab Emirates.

A detailed in‐patient survey (using interviews) was used. Data were collected with questionnaires from adult discharges (n=244) in public hospitals in the UAE. Several structures are proposed and tested. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and LISREL SIMPLIS using maximum likelihood estimation were used to estimate and test the parameters of the hypothesized models derived deductively from the previous literature.

Several models (with one, two, three and four constructs) with different structures were tested using CFA. The final recommended model is based on three constructs – quality of care, process and administration, and information. The goodness‐of‐fit statistics supported the basic solution of the healthcare quality‐satisfaction model.

The model has been found to capture attributes that characterize healthcare quality in a developing country such as the UAE and could represent other modern healthcare systems. It can be used as a basis for evaluation in healthcare practices from discharges (in‐patients) point of view. The study highlights the importance of patients' satisfaction with care as predictors of quality of care. The results also confirm the construct validity of the previously discussed healthcare quality scales.

A need exists for a readily usable tool for different scheduling strategies in an Emergency Room (ER) of a hospital. An ER simulation model incorporating the major activities has been developed. The primary goals of such a tool are to assess the effectiveness of the current system and to improve the emergency room′s ability to anticipate the impact of various changes in patient throughput flow. The model allows the evaluation of “what if?” questions through changing the values of the variables and simulating the results. The ER simulation model determines the effects of changes in the scheduling practices, allocation of scarce resources, patient demand patterns, and priority rules for serving patients.

Due to increasing global competition, the issue of country‐of‐origin has received a great deal of attention recently. Examines country‐of‐origin image stereotyping by businesspeople in the Gulf States of the Middle East. Assesses the attitude of businesspeople toward various products of seven countries: the USA, Japan, Germany, England, France, Italy and Taiwan, that are the most active in the Gulf States. To develop effective global marketing strategies, firms require decisionmaking support in the form of information about the perception of their products in the international markets. The study found that country‐of‐origin stereotyping is present in the Gulf States market. The study provided evidence that “Made in the USA, Japan, and Germany” clearly emerged as most favoured countries of origin. In addition, the image of English products trailed behind products from other European countries except Italy. Profile differences were analyzed statistically. Age, education, sex, and income level were variously related to consumers′ attitudes to products made in different countries.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytic hierarchy planning-based framework to establish criteria weights and to develop a school performance system commonly called school inspections.

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model uses pairwise comparisons and a measurement scale to generate the weights for the criteria. The validity of the approach is confirmed by comparing the outputs of school inspection and the outputs of the model in a sample of schools.

The framework proposed enables school management to address several issues pertaining to its competitive advantage with other schools, the two most important being establishing its performance ranking in the marketplace and identifying the service elements that most require improvement. This study develops a cohesive approach to identify which quality attributes or dimensions require attention.

For school inspections, the data collection and computational problems would increase with the increase in the number of criteria and sub-criteria, as well as the number of schools considered in the selection. Although the range of reported AHP applications is extensive in many disciplines, examples in school quality and inspection remain still rare; as a result, this study could not compare its results with other AHP applications in school inspection or assessment.

The AHP method has the distinct advantage that it decomposes a decision problem into its constituent parts and builds hierarchies of criteria. AHP enables assessors to capture both subjective and objective evaluation measures of school quality. By providing a useful mechanism for assessing the consistency of the evaluation measures and alternatives, the AHP reduces bias in decision making.

The AHP model also provides a more systematic evaluation of a given school’s qualitative performance criteria. The proposed AHP model is attractive to assessors and decision makers because its pairwise comparison procedure enables them to offer a relative (rather than absolute) individual criterion assessment on those qualitative factors.

The AHP model could become a sustainable component of overall school system quality improvement by maturing over time. The AHP annual scores could be used as realistic and measureable gauges for measuring school improvement.

The purpose of this paper is to validate the direction and strength of the relationships between school reputation, parental satisfaction and parental loyalty.

The paper reports the findings of a survey of 806 parents from Schools in Abu Dhabi – the United Arab Emirates. The paper builds mainly on previous work of Skallerud (2011) on measurement of school reputations. Structural equation modelling was used to validate the reputation measure and to test the proposed relationships. The model hypothesised and tested relationships linking school reputation to parental satisfaction and loyalty.

The results show strong support for a satisfaction-reputation-loyalty model and confirmed the four-dimensional scale (parental orientation, learning quality, safe environment and good teachers) for assessment of parent-based school reputation. Evidence was found that parents’ satisfaction significantly affects the four reputation dimensions. However, only three constructs of parent orientation affected parental perception of school loyalty. Additional personal or demographic variables should be included to improve the model.

The study was limited to parents of children attending public and private schools in Abu Dhabi. The model should be validated with other schools and in other Emirates and countries.

Identifying the antecedents of parent-based school reputation might aid school decision makers to better address parental satisfaction and loyalty. A careful examination of the causal relations between the various constructs could aid in crafting and implementing effective programs for increasing parental satisfaction and attracting future students.

The study adds to the limited body of research addressing the appropriate conceptualisation and measurement of school reputation. It also sheds light on a better understanding of the potential relationships among the constructs in the model.

Investigates the industrial location decision behaviour of firms. The behaviour was determined by an examination of the firms′ attitudes measured on “location variables”. Firms representing various countries that actually located in an international industrial park and those that considered but did not locate in the park, provided a sample frame for the study. Three models were developed from the data that supplement or complement traditional approaches to industrial location analysis. The models provide a method for management of an existing industrial site to develop an appropriate marketing strategy for the target firms, and to plan modifications based on firms′ attitudes. For those considering the construction or alteration of an industrial site the models can provide additional insight into the planning and development of the facilities.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the causal relationships in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Education Performance Excellence Criteria.

Using a sample of 220 respondents from 15 United Arab Emirates (UAE) universities and colleges, results of regression analysis and confirmatory structural equation modeling show that all of the hypothesized causal relationships in the Baldrige model are statistically significant.

A comprehensive “measurement model” grounded in the Baldrige Performance Excellence in Education Criteria for the 33 items of measurement is developed, tested, and found to be valid and reliable. Leadership is identified as a driver for all components in the Baldrige System, including measurement, analysis and knowledge management, strategic planning, faculty and staff focus and process management. All Baldrige components (categories) are significantly linked with organizational outcomes as represented by the two categories of organizational performance results and student, stakeholder and market focus. The paper also tests the statistical fit of the only Baldrige model dealing with higher education, which was published in 1998 by Winn and Cameron.

The data obtained are based on a sample of UAE higher education institutions. Studies in other countries should be conducted using the developed model to ensure the reliability of the results obtained.

A greater understanding of the linkages between the elements making‐up the MBNQA Education Performance Excellence Criteria model, facilitating the guiding role that the award models play in the implementation of quality management in higher education.

For the first time, an instrument of the MBNQA Education Performance Excellence Criteria is developed and tested. A new in‐depth and holistic perspective for examining the relationships and linkages in the MBNQA Education Performance Excellence Criteria model is provided.

The main objective of the study was to utilize SERVQUAL for identifying gaps in the chain of services provided by the information technology (IT) resources. SERVQUAL was applied to IT services in higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

Because of the many concerns and reservations raised with regard to using perception scores or gap scores, the appropriateness of the SERVQUAL measure to verify the anticipated structure of the instrument was also examined. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the structure of the perception scores (performance‐based model) and the gap scores (performance minus expectation‐based model) were examined.

The evaluation of model‐fit provided mixed results, but, in general, the results favored the perception scores. However, some statistical fit‐tests suggested that both models lacked the features necessary for a good fit. On the other hand, based on their feedback, respondents felt that SERVQUAL is a useful indicator for IT center service quality in institutions of higher education. SERVQUAL identified gaps in service quality for the three institutions. Empirical results of SERVQUAL scores for the IT centers in the three institutions are also presented.

The paper reassesses the structure and validity of the SERVQUAL model given its wide use and criticism, and applies the model to an important set of related, yet distinct service organizations such as information technology centers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of many factors on student evaluation of teaching.

The study analyzed 3,185 student evaluations of faculty from a newly accredited business program at the United Arab Emirates University using univariate and multi‐analysis of variance (ANOVA and MANOVA).

The findings support previous research regarding the existence of potential biasing factors. The results indicate that expected grade, actual grade, course level, class size, course timing, student gender and course subject significantly affect student evaluation of teaching.

Comparing individual faculty ratings regardless of other factors might not be fair. Our findings support the call of other researchers that ignoring these other factors may bias or make questionable the validity of student evaluation of teaching as a means of performance appraisal of faculty. Because of the possible existence of biasing factors in SET, there is a need to supplement it with other measures of teaching effectiveness