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1 – 7 of 7Rasha Ismail, Fadi Safieddine and Ashraf Jaradat
The setting up of e-university has been slow-going. Much of e-university slow progress has been attributed to poor business models, branding, disruptive technologies, lack of…
Abstract
Purpose
The setting up of e-university has been slow-going. Much of e-university slow progress has been attributed to poor business models, branding, disruptive technologies, lack of organisational structure that accommodates such challenges, and failure to integrate a blended approach. One of the stumbling blocks, among many, is the handling of evaluation process. E-university models do not provide much automation compared to the original brick-and-mortar classroom model of delivery. The underlining technologies may not have been supportive; however, the conditions are changing, and more evaluation tools are becoming available for academics. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper identifies the extent of current online evaluation processes. In this process, the team reviews the case study of a UK E-University using Adobe Connect learning model that mirrors much of the physical processes as well as online exams and evaluation tools. Using the Riva model, the paper compares the physical with the online evaluation processes for e-universities to identify differences in these processes to evaluate the benefits of e-learning. As a result, the models can help us to identify the processes where improvements can take place for automating the process and evaluate the impact of this change.
Findings
The paper concludes that this process can be significantly shortened and provide a fairer outcome but there remain some challenges for e-university processes to overcome.
Originality/value
This paper examines the vital quality assurance processes in academia as more universities move towards process automation, blended or e-university business models. Using the case study of Arden University online distance learning, the paper demonstrates, through modelling and analysis that the process of online automation of the evaluation process is achieved with significant efficiency.
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Miran Ismail Hussien and Rasha Abd El Aziz
The main subject of the research is to study the internet banking quality dimensions that affect customer satisfaction from the consumer and provider perspectives. This bridges…
Abstract
Purpose
The main subject of the research is to study the internet banking quality dimensions that affect customer satisfaction from the consumer and provider perspectives. This bridges the gap between theory and practice which is part from contributing to the body of knowledge, thus improve the service quality dimensions to attain better quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate how do users perceive e-banking quality dimensions in terms of their importance; how do decision makers in banks perceive and provide e-banking quality dimensions; whether each quality dimension directly affect users satisfaction of the service.
Design/methodology/approach
Structured questionnaires were randomly distributed over 300 bank clients, 133 valid questionnaires were returned. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS. Two key decision makers at the were interviewed to get the broader picture, where data were interpretively analyzed.
Findings
Results were integrated allowing authors to show that service quality has significant effect on customer satisfaction. bank could be considered a success story that provides a guide line for decision makers in banks that are less fortunate in providing high service quality, thus help them better address their customers’ needs.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this paper is that the research was conducted at one bank and thus a more comprehensive study, involving other banks in the industry could enable research generalize results.
Originality/value
This paper provides a valuable stakeholder analysis regarding e-banking service quality dimensions as viewed and ranked by service providers and users.
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Ayman Bahjat Abdallah, Rasha Zuhair Alkhaldi and Majed M. Aljuaid
The purpose of the current study is to address a debatable issue in the extant literature regarding lean management (LM), innovation and operational performance (OP) relationships…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the current study is to address a debatable issue in the extant literature regarding lean management (LM), innovation and operational performance (OP) relationships in the manufacturing SMEs. It conceptualizes LM in terms of social and technical aspects and investigates their effects on process innovation, management innovation and OP. The mediating roles of process and management innovations on social/technical-OP relationships are also explored.
Design/methodology/approach
The study analyzes survey data gathered from 268 manufacturing SMEs belonging to different industry types in Jordan. Validity and reliability tests of the first and second order constructs were performed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the study hypotheses.
Findings
Both social and technical LM were found to positively affect OP. Social LM positively affected both process and management innovations. However, the effect of technical LM on both types of innovation was not significant. In addition, process and management innovations positively mediated social LM-OP relationship. Nonetheless, neither type of innovation showed mediating effects on technical LM-OP relationship.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to highlight the proposed relationships, in general, and in the context of SMEs in a developing country context, in particular. It offers important implications for the managers of SMEs to benefit from LM implementation and avoid its failure, enhance innovation efforts by focusing on social LM practices and subsequently achieve higher levels of OP.
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Manaf Al-Okaily, Rasha Alghazzawi, Abeer F. Alkhwaldi and Aws Al-Okaily
Recently, the increasing development of digital accounting systems has raised their effects on the quality of decision-making. Consequently, this research aims to evaluate the…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, the increasing development of digital accounting systems has raised their effects on the quality of decision-making. Consequently, this research aims to evaluate the effects of digital accounting systems success factors on the advancement of decision-making quality in Jordanian banks.
Design/methodology/approach
The questionnaires were sent to 187 decision-makers who are actual users of digital accounting systems in Jordanian banks. A quantitative research approach was adopted to test the proposed research model based on the partial least squares-structural equation modeling method.
Findings
The empirical results of the current research revealed that data and information quality had a significant impact on the overall decision-making quality with the digital accounting systems, whereas system quality had an insignificant impact on it. The results empirical also confirmed that information quality has mediated the relationship between data and system quality and decision-making quality. Eventually, analytical decision-making culture has moderated the relationship between information quality and decision-making quality.
Originality/value
The current research will provide attractive implications and recommendations for practitioners, accounting managers and decision-makers about evaluating the effect of digital accounting systems on improving the decision-making quality in Jordanian banks.
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Omneya Kandil and Rasha Abd El Aziz
There is a great deal of concern among the Egyptian economy that small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) potentials are not fully used although they dominate it and…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a great deal of concern among the Egyptian economy that small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) potentials are not fully used although they dominate it and contribute to its success. The question is what challenges are preventing those SMEs from performing efficiently. This research aims to focus on examining the issues regarding the supply chain of Egyptian SMEs, exploring the areas that need improvement and assessing the impact of technology in enhancing their performance and whether they afford applying it.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, semi-structured interviews were conducted at 14 Egyptian SMEs. Then, the business process at six of the fourteen SMEs was observed. After that, a representative sampling was applied and a company was chosen as a representative case company. Moreover, the selected company’s documents were analyzed to capture the full image of the current supply chain performance in Egyptian SMEs. Finally, the Six Sigma DMAIC approach was used to assess the effectiveness of the current supply chain and identify the problems faced and how to deal with these deficiencies.
Findings
The current process of the supply chain was analyzed and the result shows the obstacles and constrains facing SMEs in Egypt. Despite the clear benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Egyptian SMEs still do not use it to solve their problems due to its high cost and their low budgets. However, the investigation concludes that SMEs in particular can benefit from the RFID technology and will be able to pay back the cost of the system applied after a certain period of time that is measured by calculating the breakeven point of having the RFID system against the current situation. As a result, improvements were realized and recommended for the organization.
Originality/value
This research develops a model that suits SMEs in the Egyptian market. The use of a case study approach with a quality measurement tool, namely, the Six Sigma DMAIC approach, especially after surveying several SMEs, and observing the business process at some of them, makes this a thorough investigation which proves that even SMEs can use the RFID technology despite its high cost that hinders its utilization. Thus, this research helps decision-makers in Egyptian SMEs make better informed decisions and guides them to when will they be able to pay back the cost of the system applied.
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Ashfaq Hussain, Ghulam Shabir and Taimoor-Ul-Hassan
The purpose of this study is to compare the gratification sought and gratification obtained for cognitive needs from social media among information professionals in the limelight…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to compare the gratification sought and gratification obtained for cognitive needs from social media among information professionals in the limelight of uses and gratification theory. Cognitive needs are related to knowledge, acquiring information, comprehension etc., and gratification sought and gratification obtained are two distinct components of the uses and gratification theory.
Design/methodology/approach
For this quantitative research study, a self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants of the study. Sample of this study was 700 information professionals who are necessarily users of social media.
Findings
Finding of this study depicted that gratification obtained and gratification sought from social media for cognitive needs are different from each other, and information professionals need to revisit their social media use for cognitive needs.
Research limitations/implications
The present study is limited to gratification sought and gratification obtained for cognitive needs among information professionals.
Practical implications
This study has determined that information professionals need to revisit their social media use for cognitive needs, as the obtained gratifications are different from gratification sought from social media.
Social implications
Social media provides versatility of information in different forms and large numbers of information professionals are the users of social media around globe. Perceived use of social media for cognitive needs has been resulted into destructed gratifications. This study has brought the actual outcome of the use of social media to the audience so that they may rectify their social media use.
Originality/value
This study is a significant contribution for information professionals to review the gratifications sought and obtained from social media for cognitive needs. It has been established in this study that gratifications sought are significantly different from gratifications obtained from social media among information professionals.
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