The Internationalization of the Business Administration Curricula in Arab Universities

Abstract

This is a study of the extent of the internationalization of the business administration curricula in Arab universities. It is based on a survey of 110 Arab colleges of business that comprise more than half of the overall population, 35% of whom responded. The study found that Arab colleges of business appear to be only moderately internationalized in their curricula, that they do have future plans incorporating internationalization, and that offering specialized IB courses is the norm. As to impediments, the lack of adequate staff is the most frequently mentioned obstacle. The study points to its own limitations.     

A Study of Exhibitor Firms at an Arabian Gulf Trade Show

Abstract

The 11th Joint Exhibition of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States provides a focus for a study of emerging market firms' behavior at a trade show. The exhibition industry continues to grow around the world. The purpose of the article is to expand the knowledge about exhibition behavior in different regions. Factor analysis is applied to investigate the underlying dimensions of the exhibition goals, the exhibition selection criteria and firms' perceived problems. Few differences were found between Gulf firms and firms previously studied in the USA, Canada and the UK. Implications for exhibitors, exhibition organizers, and researchers are presented.     

Debt Service Capacity Revisited

Abstract

Debt Service Capacity (DSC) is revisited within a new framework, i.e., Neural Networks (NN), an established method in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). A select group of traditional models that have been used to predict DSC is also reviewed and the logit approach is chosen for comparison with NN.

Ten measures (indices) are constructed as determinants of DSC. To keep the comparison simple, empirical applications of the two models are controlled by employing the same data sample and the same holdout and estimation groups in both models. A few drawbacks of the traditional approaches, especially the presence of multicollinearity, are pointed out. It is shown that when multicollinearity is present, the exponential of the coefficients cannot be explained as the odds ratio.

A number of tests and sensitivity analyses are performed to exhibit the attributes and the performance of the two models.     

Logistics Outsourcing in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This paper examines the usage of third party logistics services in the United Arab Emirates using empirical research, which explores (a) the extent of usage of logistics services by companies, (b) the duration of such usage, (c) antecedent decision-making processes and (d) consequent impact on the organization. Data collected from 142 firms indicate that more than 90% of firms are satisfied with their service providers and regard the usage of third party logistics services favorably. Almost 85% of firms surveyed indicate a moderate to substantial increase in their usage of logistics services in the five years preceding the collection of data. Finally, this paper outlines implications for logistics managers based on evidence gathered.     

内蒙古图牧吉自然保护区春季迁徙水鸟多样性研究

2011年4月5日~5月5日,在内蒙古图牧吉国家级自然保护区对春迁徙水类多样性进行了调查,共记录到鸟类7目13科45种99567只次。共记录到国家级重点保护鸟类13种26899只。应用鸟类多样性公式对春季水鸟多样性进行了分析,其多样性指数、均匀性指数和物种丰富度指数分别为1.849641、0.336797、和0.00042。并对水域、沼泽、草甸和农田水鸟多样性进行了比较;结果表明其多样性为水域（1.791485）>沼泽（1.789785）>草甸（1.629579）>农田（0.098193）;均匀性指数为草原（0.701821）>沼泽（0.368422）>水域（0.330151）>农田（0.098193）;物种丰富度指数为草原（0.037313）>农田（0.003175）>沼泽（0.000951）>水域（0.00063）。本研究为今后水鸟资源管理和濒危物种的保护提供了科学依据。     

The Influence of Cultural Orientation and Communication Style on Consumer Behavior: A Comparative Study of the Arab World and the United States

ABSTRACT

Hall (1976) argued that “Culture is communication and communication is culture” (p. 169). Because cultures are dynamic, they are subject to change due to a variety of influences, and while cultural change is usually slow and takes years or sometimes generations to materialize, the authors believe the new media technologies may shorten this time of change. The purpose of this report is to examine the cultural orientation of the Arab world and the communication styles used there as they relate to advertising persuasion and compare it to that of the United States. The results suggested the some changes in the well-known Arabic culture may be taking place.     

基于SSH框架技术的物流公共信息平台的设计应用

针对于物流公共信息平台开发的复杂性以及多系统接入的复杂性,文中描述了基于MVC模式及JavaEE企业级应用开发平台上,整合Struts、Spring和Hibernate框架技术设计了多层的物流公共信息平台。通过此种设计方案使得代码大大简化,程序逻辑清晰简单,达到事半功倍的效果。     

孟浩然《春晓》英译赏析

本文对孟浩然五言绝句《春晓》的四种英译文作了剖析，认为古典诗译成英文应尽可能保持原诗简练的风格及韵律的效果。     

Between the traditional and the contemporary: careers of women managers from a developing Middle Eastern country perspective

Informed by Institutional Theory, this study adopts an exploratory, qualitative, in-depth interviews-based approach as it explores the self-reported career paths of 32 women managers in Lebanon. The results indicate that in contrast with the majority of Western-based literature, the traditional-organizational career path in comparison to contemporary career patterns is still relevant, and continues to exist for Lebanese women managers as they progress in their managerial careers. At the same time, the findings suggest that women selectively adopt some aspects of contemporary, flexible careers to navigate their career paths amidst the macro-national economic and sociocultural factors and institutional challenges. The overall results and the implications for various stakeholders are further discussed in light of the related literature. This study suggests that scholars interested in women's careers in under-researched developing nations need to further integrate the agentic process – and the role played by women's individual agency in constructing their careers as they respond to institutional mandates – into their career models in more details. Similarly, multinational companies currently operating or interested in expanding their operations to the developing Arab Middle East region should incorporate these factors into their management and human resource practices.     

Work–family conflicts and job attitudes of single women: a developing country perspective

This study addresses work–family conflicts and job attitudes of white-collar single women and the ensuing work-related attitudes in a developing country context. After an overview of gender roles in Arab society, several hypotheses were advanced and tested. Although married females reported higher family–work conflicts than single females, the latter group faced a host of strains, which are presented and analyzed. Despite being educated, single females were underpaid and their upward mobility seemed to be significantly hampered. They reported lower job satisfactions and had high intentions to leave their organization. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.