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Article
Publication date: 29 November 2018

Kwok Hung Lau, Tri Khai Lam, Booi Hon Kam, Mathews Nkhoma and Joan Richardson

The purpose of this paper is to propose a scalable quantitative approach to evaluate alignment within and between courses and programs in higher education for benchmarking purpose.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a scalable quantitative approach to evaluate alignment within and between courses and programs in higher education for benchmarking purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

The revised Bloom’s taxonomy, which combines a cognitive process dimension and a knowledge dimension, is used as a basis for categorizing national standards, program and course learning outcomes (CLOs) and assessment methods. Alignments between programs and national standards, programs and courses and assessment tasks and courses are then measured using a series of Cohen’s κ statistics. Two undergraduate business programs offered at an Australian university were used as examples to demonstrate the proposed method as an alignment evaluation tool.

Findings

The findings reveal that the two sample programs are better aligned with national standards than with their respective constituent courses. The degree of alignment between CLOs and assessment methods varies from course to course within the programs. This might be related to the lack of clarity of some learning outcome statements and the complexity of certain assessment methods.

Research limitations/implications

This study lends insight into the use of an alignment mapping for benchmarking academic programs in higher education. To serve mainly as an illustration of the proposed approach, the case study is limited to two undergraduate business programs offered at the same university.

Practical implications

Universities can use the proposed approach to benchmark their academic programs against the national standards and similar programs offered by other competing educational institutions. The alignment indices can also serve as yardsticks to continuously improve the consistencies within and among academic programs to ensure quality.

Originality/value

The proposed method offers a consistent basis to compare the degrees of alignment of different higher education programs with national standards and their respective constituent courses, hence enabling benchmarking for continuous improvement. It also reveals how the alignment between different parameters in teaching and learning can be improved, thereby facilitating incremental learning and enhancing student performance.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 November 2023

Hamed Abdelreheem Ead

The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, math, geology, astronomy and engineering. The paper highlights the struggles and successes of these scientists, as well as the cultural, social and political factors that influenced their lives and work. The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and make their own contributions to society by presenting these scientists as role models for hard work and dedication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to promote the importance of science and its impact on society.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this review is to present the scientific biographies of Egypt's most distinguished scientists, primarily in the field of Natural Sciences, in a balanced and comprehensive manner. The work is objective, honest and abstract, avoiding any bias or exaggeration. The author provides a clear and concise methodology, including a brief introduction to the scientist and their field of study, an explanation of their major contributions, the impact of their work on society, any challenges or obstacles faced during their career and their lasting legacy. The aim is to showcase the important achievements of these scientists, their impact on their respective fields and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers.

Findings

The group of outstanding scientists in 20th century Egypt were shaped by various factors, including familial upbringing, education, society, political and cultural atmosphere and state support for scientific research. These scientists made significant contributions to various academic disciplines, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering. Their impact on their communities and cultures has received international acclaim, making them role models for future generations of scientists and researchers. The history of these scientists highlights the importance of educational investments and supporting scientific research to foster innovation and social progress. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals, preserving Egypt's scientific heritage and honouring the scientists' outstanding accomplishments.

Research limitations/implications

The encyclopedia preserves Egypt's scientific heritage, which has been overlooked for political or other reasons. It is a useful tool for a variety of readers, including students, instructors and education professionals, and it offers insights into universally relevant scientific success factors as well as scientific research methodologies. The encyclopedia honours the outstanding scientific accomplishments of Egyptian researchers and their contributions to the world's scientific community.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this paper are several. First, it highlights the importance of education, family upbringing and societal support for scientific research in fostering innovation and social progress. Second, it underscores the need for continued funding and support for scientific research to maintain and build upon the accomplishments of past generations of scientists. Third, it encourages young people to pursue scientific careers and make their own contributions to society. Fourth, it preserves the scientific heritage of Egypt and honors the contributions of its outstanding scientists. Finally, it serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals seeking to understand the factors underlying scientific success and research methodologies.

Social implications

The social implications of the paper include promoting national pride and cultural identity, raising awareness of the importance of education and scientific research in driving social progress, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers, reducing socioeconomic disparities and emphasizing the role of society, politics and culture in shaping scientific researchers' personalities and interests.

Originality/value

The paper's originality/value lies in its comprehensive documentation of the scientific biographies of Egypt's most prominent scientists in the 20th century, providing unique insights into the factors that contributed to their development and their impact across various academic disciplines. It preserves Egypt's scientific heritage and inspires future generations of scientists and researchers through the promotion of educational investments and scientific research. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for education professionals seeking to understand scientific success factors and research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for scientific development.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-279X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 June 2019

Mohamed Othman Elkhosht

The purpose of this paper is to draw a map of the general features of epistemological and critical concerns in contemporary Islamic philosophy. This study will not be confined to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw a map of the general features of epistemological and critical concerns in contemporary Islamic philosophy. This study will not be confined to the domain of academic philosophy or to those who are professionals in the field of philosophy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopted the critical rational approach in dealing with contemporary Islamic philosophy in the Arab world. The scope will include scholars from different fields of epistemology who tried to present a “vision” of the attitude that should be adopted in facing the challenges of the age and the problems of the nation on the epistemological level or the political, economic and social levels.

Findings

There is a need for a philosophy of action and progress rather than a philosophy that is based on abstract ideas and theories and of words/rhetoric. The ethics required to accomplish this ought to identify the attributes of the citizen who can reach self-actualization through legitimate means based on a progress agenda with theoretical and philosophical foundations.

Research limitations/implications

Because a critical rational approach can be dealt with from different perspectives, this paper will adopt the classification of the principal intellectual trends: the reformist, secular and liberal.

Practical implications

This paper covers a long time span to determine whether the philosophical projects have been effective.

Originality/value

This paper, which criticizes the philosophic projects that are theoretically unsound and that do not address real social problems (like poverty), argues the need for a philosophy of progress and action. This will lead to devising an agenda that addresses the challenges the society is facing and to finding alternative and creative solutions resulting in development.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-279X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 June 2021

Amany Abdellatif Osman

This paper aims to analyze the Egyptian revolution as an anti-systemic movement. It illustrates how Egypt’s position in the world-economy has affected its political economy…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the Egyptian revolution as an anti-systemic movement. It illustrates how Egypt’s position in the world-economy has affected its political economy orientation and led to the marginalization of critical masses, who launched the revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows Wallerstein’s world-system analysis focusing on the anti-systemic movement concept. The paper analyzes the Egyptian case based on Annales school’s longue durée concept, which is a perspective to study developments of social relations historically.

Findings

The Egyptian revolution was not only against the autocratic regime but also against the power structure resulting from the neoliberal economic policies, introduced as a response to the capitalism crisis. It represented the voice of the forgotten. The revolution was one of the anti-systemic movements resisting the manifestations of the capitalist world-economy.

Originality/value

This paper aims at proving that the Egyptian revolution was an anti-systemic movement; which will continue to spread as a rejection to the world-system and to aspire a more democratic and egalitarian world. The current COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the crisis of the world-system.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN:

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2008

Mostafa Kamal Hassan

This paper seeks to understand the role of financial accounting regulations in a less developed country in transition, Egypt. It explores the social, political as well as economic…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to understand the role of financial accounting regulations in a less developed country in transition, Egypt. It explores the social, political as well as economic contexts that underlie the processes of setting the Egyptian Financial Accounting Regulations (EFAR) in a harmony with International Accounting Standards (IASs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on in‐depth interviews and an analysis of documents. It relies on Habermas' notions of society's lifeworld, institutional steering mechanisms and systems in order to link the changes in EFAR to the changes in the wider social, political and economic contexts wherein organizations operate. The paper also explores the role of EFAR, as “regulative” or “constitutive” steering mechanisms, throughout two longitudinal episodes; starting with the beginning of socialism and extending to liberalism.

Findings

The paper finds that the EFAR have had a constitutive tendency during the Egyptian transformation towards a market‐based economy. Although there are remarkable changes in political philosophy in Egypt, the regulators' motivations and the processes of the accountancy profession that mobilized the formulation of EFAR in harmony with IASs, those regulations were acted upon to constitute organizational members' values, norms and knowledge in order to overcome the persistence of the socialist accounting practices. The regulations were also aimed at enhancing professional conduct and, at same time, increasing organizational members' adherence to the processes of privatization as a part of a wider movement towards transparency, democracy, full disclosure and liberalisation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper emphasises the interface between a macro social transformation and micro organizational responses in order to understand the role of EFAR. However, it does not stress how the actual implementation of those regulations is implicated at a micro organizational change level. Furthermore, the paper covers a timeframe – 1952 to 2000 – that extends from the start of socialism extending to liberalism. Although the IASs are now known as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the paper covers a period in which such IFRS were not applicable in Egypt.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the understanding of the social, political as well as economic role(s) of financial accounting regulations in a transitional country during that country's transformation towards the market economy.

Details

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1832-5912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2012

Joel Indrupati and Tara Henari

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of online social networking by entrepreneurs in the Arabian Gulf.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of online social networking by entrepreneurs in the Arabian Gulf.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive research is conducted by interviewing a number of entrepreneurs in the Arabian Gulf who use online social networks as a method of promoting their products.

Findings

It is found that social networking is a cheap and easy method of advertising and gives all entrepreneurs a better chance of reaching their target market and, thereby, in succeeding in their ventures.

Social implications

With the rise in the use of social networking, entrepreneurs can now target their markets using online social networks. Social networking web sites allow businesses to introduce their products to specific market segments, with low expense, and with a low chance of failure. This rising phenomenon of web‐based social interaction can change the way businesses operate in future.

Originality/value

The paper explores the possibilities of entrepreneurial success with this new element, in electronic media, within integrated marketing communications.

Details

Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-7983

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2014

Talaat El-Sayed El-Danaf, Mfida Ali Zaki and Wedad Moenaaem

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of extension to the variational iteration and the Adomian decomposition methods for solving nonlinear Huxley equation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of extension to the variational iteration and the Adomian decomposition methods for solving nonlinear Huxley equation with time-fractional derivative.

Design/methodology/approach

Objectives achieved the main methods: the fractional derivative of f (x) in the Caputo sense is first stated. Second, the time-fractional Huxley equation is written in a differential operator form where the differential operator is in Caputo sense. After acting on both sides by the inverse operator of the fractional differential operator in Caputo sense, the Adomian's decomposition is then used to get the power series solution of the resulted time-fractional Huxley equation. Also, a second objective is achieved by applying the variational iteration method to get approximate solutions for the time-fractional Huxley equation.

Findings

There are some important findings to state and summarize here. First, the variational iteration method and the decomposition method provide the solutions in terms of convergent series with easily computable components for this considered problem. Second, it seems that the approximate solution of time-fractional Huxley equation using the decomposition method converges faster than the approximate solution using the variational iteration method. Third, the variational iteration method handles nonlinear equations without any need for the so-called Adomian polynomials. However, Adomian decomposition method provides the components of the exact solution, where these components should follow the summation given in Equation (21).

Originality/value

This paper presents new materials in terms of employing the variational iteration and the Adomian decomposition methods to solve the problem under consideration. It is expected that the results will give some insightful conclusions for the used techniques to handle similar fractional differential equations. This emphasizes the fact that the two methods are applicable to a broad class of nonlinear problems in fractional differential equations.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 24 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2012

Ahmed M. Al‐Sabagh, Salah A. Khalil, Abdellatief Abdelrahman, Notaila M. Nasser, Mahmoud R. Noor Eldin, Marwa R. Mishrif and Mohamed El‐Shafie

No one particular fluid has cooling and lubrication properties suitable for every metalworking application. The purpose of this paper is first, to investigate the effect of…

Abstract

Purpose

No one particular fluid has cooling and lubrication properties suitable for every metalworking application. The purpose of this paper is first, to investigate the effect of anionic and nonionic mixed emulsifier system in stabilization of cutting fluid formulations and second, to study the interaction synergism of the fulfill additives of metalworking fluids to achieve low scar diameters, high stability, anti rusting and corrosion properties.

Design/methodology/approach

A lot of set mixtures in this work were formulated to get the demand needed for soluble oil metalworking fluids. It was based on a blend of emulsifier package (anionic‐non ionic), and in order to reach acceptable manufacturing conditions, coupling agent, stabilizer, biocide, base oil and anti‐rust additives were added to the formulation. Different percentages of these components were incorporated to optimize the stability of the emulsifier system. Standard tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions as lubricating and cooling fluids in machining operations. The evaluation was drawn in five factors; oil stability, emulsion stability, pH, anti‐rust (corrosion inhibition), biological activity and extreme pressure performance tests.

Findings

All tests achieved excellent results according to the ASTM. From the obtained results, the formula (named EPRI 950) exhibited a good performance compared with the commercial cutting fluid.

Originality/value

This work investigates the effect of anionic and nonionic mixed emulsifier system in stabilization of cutting fluid formulations; and the interaction synergism of the fulfill additives of metalworking fluids to achieve low scar diameters, high stability, anti‐rusting and corrosion properties.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 64 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2023

Alaa Mashan Ubaid and Fikri T. Dweiri

This research paper aims to develop and validate an enhanced business process improvement methodology (EBPIM) by integrating the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper aims to develop and validate an enhanced business process improvement methodology (EBPIM) by integrating the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and control) and the comprehensive business process management (CBPM) methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review and analysis were conducted to prove the novelty of the research approach and identify the similarities, differences, strengths and weaknesses of the DMAIC and the CBPM methodologies. The EBPIM was proposed based on the analysis results. Then, a focus group approach was used to evaluate and validate the methodology.

Findings

The EBPIM consists of nine activities: preparation, selection, description, quantification, modeling, enactment, improvement opportunities selection, analysis and improvement and monitoring. The proposed methodology adopted the systematic and structured process of the DMAIC methodology by having one tollgate between every two activities to check the progress and authorize the team to go to the next activity. At the same time, it has the ability of the CBPM methodology to enhance the interaction between human activities and business process management systems (BPMS).

Research limitations/implications

The EBPIM was evaluated and validated by a focus group of academic professors. However, the main limitation of the proposed methodology is that it is still theoretical and needs to be empirically tested. Therefore, future work will focus on testing the EBPIM in different industries and organization sizes.

Practical implications

From the theoretical perspective, the proposed methodology adds value to the knowledge in the scope of business processes improvement methodologies (BPIMs) by integrating the DMAIC and the CBPM methodologies. It takes advantage of and combines the strengths of the DMAIC and CBPM methodologies. From the practical perspective, the proposed methodology presents a valuable tool that can facilitate the organization’s mission to improve the areas that need improvement using a systematic improvement methodology that will effectively enhance organizational performance (OP).

Originality/value

The BPIMs literature analysis proved that most of the reviewed methodologies could not support all phases of the business process improvement (BPI) activities. It was concluded that integrating the DMAIC and the CBPM methodologies is a novel approach. The proposed methodology will enhance the efficiency of both methodologies, fill the gaps that may exist in both of them and lead to better results in terms of BPI.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Marwa M. El-Ashmouni

This paper aims to examine the transformation of the concept of cultural tourism within the sociopolitical empowerments, changes of visual realms and normative contexts, which is…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the transformation of the concept of cultural tourism within the sociopolitical empowerments, changes of visual realms and normative contexts, which is embedded within museums as institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

These discussions will be conceptualized through investigating the shifts in the metamorphosis of the architectural vocabulary of Egypt's museums between nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This analysis will be highlighted through connecting both the notion of the “tourist reflexivity” of John Urry and Jonas Larsen in The Tourist Gaze 3.0 (2011) and the notion of the “interstitial spaces” and “new internationalism” of Homi Bhabha in The Location of Culture (1994). The analysis expands to interrogate these two notions as prelude for reflecting on representations of colonial and postcolonial museums in Egypt, starting from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo (c. 1863) to the most recent, the Egyptian Grand Museum, Cairo (c. 2002).

Findings

The analysis revealed that while colonial museums endeavored to stage external cultural authority and postcolonial ones staged traditions' liminality through “New internationalism”, they created spatiotemporal interstices. This finding, while is a timely example with the rising global cultural encounters that emerged during this transformative age, it challenges the collective imaginations of architects to liberate from traditional nationalism.

Originality/value

The paper offers novel theoretical and architectural analysis of Egypt's museums through the exigency of nationalism and “new internationalism”. The encounter between both notions is a timely example given the recent involvements by the “Modern State” and the recent pandemic upheaval that revealed the inevitability of globalism and the discursivity of such notions.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

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