Factors Underlying Technology Adoption in Academic Libraries in Kuwait

The study analysed factors shaping adoption of technology in academic libraries in Kuwait. The research was based on interviews conducted with library directors, staff and users, combined with observation and document analysis. A major aspect of the Kuwaiti context was a relative lack of financial restraints and an enthusiasm for technology within society as a whole. Other important influences shaping technology adoption specifically within libraries were the top down decision making style and a quest for prestige, in a context of a lack of library culture among users, shortage of professional staff and a strong, perhaps exaggerated, faith in technology as a solution to problems

Academics' knowledge and use of electronic information resources (EIR) at the University of Bahrain

Electronic Information Resources (EIR) can be seen as invaluable teaching and research tools, which complement print-based resources and enhance the learning and research processes in any academic institution. The aims of this research were to investigate, analyse and discuss the use of and needs for EIR and existing training in promoting and enhancing the quality of teaching and research activities amongst academic staff at the University of Bahrain. Extensive quantitative, qualitative and theoretical methods were used to identify and analyse academic staff EIR skills, knowledge and awareness. The population of the study is made up of all the full-time faculty members working at the University of Bahrain. A total of 593 questionnaires were distributed and 466 completed ones were returned, giving an overall response rate of 78.5%, and these were used for the purpose of the study. The result of the study revealed that printed resources are the sources of information most used for teaching and research. The colleges of Law, Art and Education had the lowest percentages of usage of EIR compared with other colleges. Work overload, lack of awareness, low skill levels, slow servers, ineffective communication systems, language barriers and a preference for print resources were among the primary constraints that affected academic staff uptake and use of electronic resources in teaching and research. One-to-one training was the preferred training method for those academics wishing to enhance their EIR skills. It was recommended that there is a need for greater promotion from the upper level decision-makers at the university if they wish to see greater use of electronic resources in teaching and research. Strategic conceptual models designed to provide solutions to the current problems and to help in setting policies and decisions for the effective use of EIR in teaching and research are given

E-Commerce Adoption and Acceptance by Firms: Exploratory Study

This study attempts to explore the internal and external factors affecting the adoption and acceptance of e-commerce by businesses in developing countries. It provides an exploratory analysis of surveying 524 firms in Abu Dhabi. In an attempt to specify the factors that encourage/deter e-commerce adoption by businesses, 14 factors (8 internal and 6 external) were surveyed. The results indicated that most of the firms were either at the first or second stage on the e-commerce 5-stage adoption ladder. This indicated that the e-commerce adoption is not matching and far less than the IT readiness of both the firms and the country

Towards an improvement of LIS graduates ICT skills and employability needs in Kuwait

The aim of this research was to explore the ICT skills of LIS students in Kuwaiti HE that are potentially defined by the job market. These skills are deemed essential for the employment of LIS graduates in different job market sectors. As a result, the ICT skills of current LIS students, the needs of employers, and the LIS curriculum in Kuwait were all investigated. In addition the factors that had an impact on students ICT skills were also investigated. To fulfil the research aim and objectives, mixed research methods were employed. The research subjects were employers, LIS students, and teaching staff. Their views were sought through qualitative and quantitative methods that included: 54 semistructured interviews; 225 self-administered questionnaires; these were supplemented by three focus groups; and content analysis of relevant web sites, reports, and LIS syllabus to provide further documentation and analysis. The main findings of the research were: (1) overall the students had knowledge and basic ICT skills, but they lacked advanced searching and internet navigation skills. 85% of the students did not have enough ICT skills; their ICT skills level was selfrated as intermediate or beginner ; (2) the research investigated negative factors such as: unsuitable teaching and learning environment, negative attitudes, social influences, and lack of resources; (3) the students most preferred teaching and training method was group training ; (4) the employers identified further ICT skills and non-ICT skills that LIS graduates should possess for employability; (5) gaps were found in the curriculum and in teaching and training the ICT courses such as: course content was inconsistent; did not reflect the needs of the job market and were outdated; an imbalance between theory and practical training, courses had different outline and little use of the English language hindered the students ICT skills improvement and ICT use. In addition, work placement needed careful consideration. Recommendations based on the research findings and conclusions were made to the DLIS in Kuwait and stakeholders. Future ideas were identified for further research

Investigating e-procurement barriers within six Saudi Arabian SMEs

Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Bedfordshire.This study aims to investigate factors affecting the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The study adopted the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model as a theoretical framework and foundation for the research to investigate current status and readiness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived critical success factors and perceived future organisational performance. Through an extensive literature review and detailed data analysis, the study extended the model to incorporate perceived cultural and external factors that were found to be necessary for the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. Through case studies and AHP analysis, the proposed model elements were validated and prioritised in the Saudi Arabian context. Three different methods were adopted for data collection. First, an exploratory study was conducted to understand the current status of e-procurement and provide an overview of the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement using the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model.Second, a detailed survey was conducted to find the relative importance of various factors related to each of the five elements of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. Third, detailed interviews were conducted across four selected SMEs to gain an insight into the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. The results of the exploratory study were helpful in identifying perceived factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. Detailed survey analysis using AHP validated the theoretical framework and the relevance of the factors of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. However, some of the factors were found to be more important than in the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model, while others were less important. Results of the qualitative study (interviews) found additional factors that were relevant to each of the five elements of the GN model. They further suggested that “Current e-procurement activities” was an additional factor in the “current status and readiness” element and “Increased transparency” was an additional factor in the “perceived benefits” element. Similarly, the analysis of the qualitative results found two additional factors in the “perceived barriers” element (i.e. absence of e-procurement specific laws and regulations and lack of trust in the electronic transfer of funds), three additional critical success factors (i.e. cost-benefit analysis of the solution, technical maturity of the marketplace and user-friendliness of the solution) and two additional factors in perceived future organisational performance (i.e. strategic alliance and networking and knowledge management and data warehousing). Further, analysis of the qualitative findings revealed two additional elements (i.e. perceived external and perceived cultural factors). The study thus suggests that organisational culture, cultural inertia and business culture of the country are three important cultural factors that are perceived to affect the adoption of e-procurement, while government support, having one’s own postal addresses and delivery services, providing secure and trustworthy online payment options, low cost and high speed internet connection, suppliers’ willingness and readiness, pressure from competitors, policy and regulations are the seven important perceived external factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The results of the qualitative data analysis led to the development of an extended Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model to incorporate perceived culture and perceived external factors. The study has significant implications in terms of further e-procurement research for SMEs in Saudi Arabia and also its adoption in the developing world in general

Strategies to Reduce Cost Overruns and Schedule Delays in Construction Projects

Senior managers fail to control time and costs of construction projects despite available advanced project management tools. Based on project management theory, the objective of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies senior managers use to reduce cost overruns and schedule delays in construction projects. Primary data were obtained from semistructured interviews with 3 senior managers from different construction project management companies who have successfully managed construction projects in Qatar. Data analysis process included a modified Van Kaam method. The transcribed interviews were interpreted and coded to generate themes and were validated through member checking and archival documents. The most centralized themes included (a) master planning, (b) processes and procedures, (c) managing design stage, (d) procurement management, (e) use of proper software, (f) setting project cost and time, and (g) deciding clear scope. A construction project may not succeed without appropriate planning for all stages of the project lifecycle. Managing the approval of the project components during the design stage contributes to reducing changes during construction, which is helpful to control cost and time. The project processes and procedures are meaningful roadmaps for the managers and decision makers. The implications for positive social change include the potential to maintain a cleaner Earth by reducing design and construction wastes. Reducing wastes improves the cost of construction and provides opportunities for people to own property at more affordable costs

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations on Air, Sea, Land

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land is our fourth textbook in a series covering the world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS). (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2019) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020)The authors have expanded their purview beyond UAS / CUAS systems. Our title shows our concern for growth and unique cyber security unmanned vehicle technology and operations for unmanned vehicles in all theaters: Air, Sea and Land – especially maritime cybersecurity and China proliferation issues. Topics include: Information Advances, Remote ID, and Extreme Persistence ISR; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & How They Can Augment Mesonet Weather Tower Data Collection; Tour de Drones for the Discerning Palate; Underwater Autonomous Navigation & other UUV Advances; Autonomous Maritime Asymmetric Systems; UUV Integrated Autonomous Missions & Drone Management; Principles of Naval Architecture Applied to UUV’s; Unmanned Logistics Operating Safely and Efficiently Across Multiple Domains; Chinese Advances in Stealth UAV Penetration Path Planning in Combat Environment; UAS, the Fourth Amendment and Privacy; UV & Disinformation / Misinformation Channels; Chinese UAS Proliferation along New Silk Road Sea / Land Routes; Automaton, AI, Law, Ethics, Crossing the Machine – Human Barrier and Maritime Cybersecurity.Unmanned Vehicle Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land discusses state-of-the-art technology / issues facing U.S. UV system researchers / designers / manufacturers / testers. We trust our newest look at Unmanned Vehicles in Air, Sea, and Land will enrich our students and readers understanding of the purview of this wonderful technology we call UV.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1035/thumbnail.jp

An empirical assessment of consumption practices in a revolutionary epoch : the case of Egypt and Libya

The aim of this thesis was to determine the impact of the recent and ongoing Arab Spring phenomenon on consumption practices in Egypt (Cairo) and Libya (Tripoli). The purpose behind the research was to empirically analyse how the Arab Spring has been driven by consumption and the extent to which consumption has been affected by the Arab Spring. A study was conducted between March-April 2013 in two of the main cities associated with the Arab Spring; Cairo (Egypt) and Tripoli (Libya). Retrospective accounts were obtained to capture citizens past experiences, present experiences and future expectations in order to develop a greater understanding of changing consumption practices. This thesis is grounded firmly in the marketing discipline as much as it is in the social sciences, particularly since the consulted literature is of an interdisciplinary nature and the Arab Spring phenomenon is not only of interest to marketing academics and practitioners but also policy makers and sociologists alike.Change is central to this thesis and citizens are considered the anchor of change. The main findings to emerge from this research are that consumption was a call for the revolution but also a cause of it. Two streams of consumption have been identified. These are conservative and conspicuous consumption. While citizens in Cairo have become more conservative in the present epoch (time of data collection March-April 2013), Libyans have become more conspicuous and are excited to try new modes of consumption. Furthermore, a contention raised in this thesis is that marketing operations in times of flux are often neglected. However, the findings demonstrate that there is a greater opportunity to capitalise on new clientele in a state of flux and amidst the instability and insecurity. As a result of the data collected in flux, this study would seem to have particular value and interestingess in the marketing discipline and beyond.Contributions made in this thesis are of a revelatory nature due to the combination of multiple theoretical lenses and the findings marking a very early empirical contribution across the social science disciplines in understanding the impact of the Arab Spring on consumption practices as well as the development and ongoing epiphenomenal state of flux in the Middle East. To the author’s best knowledge, this study is the first to conceptualise the revolutions within the marketing discipline. The findings may be transferred to other contexts and settings to examine other societies in a state of flux such as Ukraine, Syria and Iraq. A conceptual framework is used to illustrate practices in flux. Emergent themes are proposed via a conceptual model to demonstrate how flux influences consumption practices. Moreover, a novel and unusual methodological approach is used by combining a systematic literature review (SLR) as an entry point into the literature alongside grounded theory methods to study matters of consumption practices

Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes (issue 47)

This bibliography lists 524 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1 and September 30, 1985. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economical analysis