THE EFFECT OF TEACHING PUNCTUATION MARKS EXPLICITLY ON OMANI EFL LEARNERS WRITING ABILITIES

This is a research study about teaching punctuation marks explicitly and its effects on EFL learners` writing abilities. To do this, 40 Omani EFL learners at intermediate level from Sohar College of Applied Sciences, Oman were selected. Ministerial placement test homogenized students according to their level of proficiency. A pretest was applied to ensure students similar knowledge on the basis of punctuation marks. Then, treatment was provided for the experimental group of learners and finally another writing test as a posttest was applied to measure the results. Results revealed that teaching punctuation marks explicitly doesn’t have any effect on the learners` writing abilities in that college.  Article visualizations

Organizational resilience through quality management: a study on the impact of the implementation of quality management principles on resourcefulness

As Darwin noted, “it's not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change”. Organizations have long been investing heavily to ascertain a better future, in particular, they have embraced quality management systems in pursuit of their goals. However, change and adverse conditions necessitate not only quality and high performance, but also resilience. This research aims to investigate the relationship between quality management and organizational resilience. It examines the impact ISO 9001 implementation has on resourcefulness (the main component of resilience) in public organizations. It also examines how organizational structure affects the relationship between ISO 9001 implementation and resourcefulness. Using semi-structured interviews, the research seeks to address the gap in the literature regarding the potential impact quality management initiatives have on resourcefulness. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by integrating and expanding the literature on resourcefulness. It will also provide empirical evidence on the proposed relationships. For more robustness, an insider-outsider approach is used for knowledgeable reflection on the findings by a senior and experienced member of the studied organization. The findings show that ISO does positively impact resilience within the context of the research. However, the impact attenuates under routine-based environments, while it flourishes under process-orientation. The findings demonstrate that the organizational structure plays the most important role when it comes to organizational resilience, indirectly by facilitating the implementation of the quality management system and directly by enhancing resourcefulness; thus, resilience

The Appropriation of Western Management Concepts and Methods in Omani Higher Education

The government of Oman continues to invest heavily in Western management methods and experts. While there is increased interest in exploring ways to maximize and align such Western importations in the developing state of Oman, there is a lack of research on how Omanis actually perceive and negotiate Western philosophies. Scant attention has been given both to the imported nature and the impact of Western methods in education. This study employs a mixed methods research strategy, comprising an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to examine the specific ways people at different levels of the Omani education system understand and appropriate Western methods. The study proceeds progressively through three levels of penetrating analysis: a quantitative-qualitative analysis of the questionnaire (n= 168) that identifies the perceptions of end users; a content analysis of the interview data (n= 17) that identifies the perspectives of an elite group of top officials, decision makers and senior managers in higher education institutions; and an additional Foucauldian discourse analysis of the same interview data designed to identify the specific narratives and rhetorical strategies adopted by the interviewees as they reflect and are influenced by their level of power and positions. The study reveals that end users of the system use a variety of arguments and narratives: identity defensiveness, scepticism, pro-Western pragmatism, the adoption of a middle position, or topic avoidance. However, the elite interviewees approach the practice with narratives of defence, disapproval, compliance or tension, which are influenced by their level of authority within the higher education landscape. This wide disparity of views reflects the continued division in Muslim-Arab thought towards the West and the continued dilemma of how to reconcile the demand for modernisation whilst preserving traditional Islamic culture. The study findings contribute to the general field of international education and the specific issue of the extension of Western management methods in Omani education. Finally, the study adds to the understanding of Omani society as part of the broader Arab Middle East

The Effect of Human Resources Practices on Sport Organization’s Performance in Oman: The Mediating Role of Leadership Style

Purpose: This paper examines the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on organizational performance, with mediating role of leadership style.   Theoretical framework: This study integrates theoretical perspectives on HRM practices Namely (the recruitment selection process, incentive system, and training & development), Leadership style and organisational performance. The conceptual model for this study was developed based on previous research in the field of HRM practices and leadership styles globally. The conceptual model has HRM practices as an independent variable (IV), Leadership style as a mediator and organisational performance as a dependent variable (DV).   Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey questionnaire instrument was employed to collect data from 156 employees working at sport organisations in Oman. SPSS was used for analysing the data, and Smart-PLS were used to test the proposed hypotheses.   Findings: The result revealed that human resource practices are significantly related to organisational performance. Also, leadership styles mediated the influence of HRM practises on organisational performance.   Research, practical & social implications: The finding of this study provides valuable insights into sport organisations in Oman can enhance their HRM practices to improve organisational performance and achieve their goals. Moreover, it has been recommended that organizations use a leadership style that enhances organizational performance. The results come from a cross-sectional study which was done at the convenience of the researcher. The results may not be generalized across the country. The application of the results to other organisations must be done with maximum care.   Originality/Value: This study adds to the literature on the effectiveness of HRM practices, Leadership style in enhancing organisational performance in a specific context namely the sport organisations in Oman. The study also highlights the mediating role of leadership style in the relationship between HRM practices and organisational performance

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES IN OMANI PENAL LEGISLATION – THEORY AND PRACTICE

Punishment is considered a very old penal procedure and it is implemented widely across the globe. The modern theory in the studies of criminal penalty has changed due to the implementation of precautionary measures which plays an important part in the present criminal legislations, whether it is for the replacement of punishment or its implementation in case of loss of responsibility due to mental disease or minor age. This research discusses and explains the precautionary measures in the Omani legislation – theory and implementation through the identification of precautionary measures, its characteristics or features and conditions of implementation are discussed in the first part and in its second part, the situation of the Omani penal legislation towards the precautionary measures is discussed. Moreover, the research adobts the analysis methods by referring to the legal expression, analyzing it and finding its origin and legal content

Cranioplasty in Oman: Retrospective review of cases from the National Craniofacial Center 2012–2022

Objectives: Cranioplasty is a complex craniofacial and neurosurgical procedure that aims to reinstate the architecture of the cranial vault and elevate both its aesthetic and neurological function. Several reconstructive materials have been thoroughly explored in the search for the optimal solution for cranioplasty. This study aimed to evaluate different material used for cranial reconstruction in Oman. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients who had had cranioplasty procedures performed at Khoula Hospital, Muscat, Oman, from 2012 to 2022. Demographic information, the characteristics of the cranial defect and any complications that occurred post-operatively were analysed. Results: A total of 47 patients were included in this study. The most common cause of cranial defects was craniectomy following traumatic head injury (70.2%) along with excision of fibrous dysplasia (10.6%). The most frequently utilised material for cranial repair was autologous bone grafts (n = 28), followed by polyetheretherketone (PEEK; n = 14). Interestingly, the replacement of bone grafts from previous craniectomy showed a notably high resorption rate (71.4%), in contrast to split calvarial grafts (0%) and other types of bone grafts (14.3%). Additionally, delayed graft infection was observed in 3.6% of the bone graft group and 7.1% of the PEEK group. Conclusion: Patient-specific alloplastic implants such as PEEK have gained popularity for large and complex cranioplasty, as they provide excellent aesthetic outcomes and leave no donor site morbidity. In contrast, bone grafts remain the gold standard for small to medium-sized cranial defects. Keywords: Bone Grafting; PEEK; Oman

Understanding Omani students

The aim of this paper is to present the survey details conducted among the students of an Engineering college in Oman, relating to the student

Nanoscale volume confinement and fluorescence enhancement with double nanohole aperture

International audienceDiffraction ultimately limits the fluorescence collected from a single molecule, and sets an upper limit to the maximum concentration to isolate a single molecule in the detection volume. To overcome these limitations, we introduce here the use of a double nanohole structure with 25 nm gap, and report enhanced detection of single fluorescent molecules in concentrated solutions exceeding 20 micromolar. The nanometer gap concentrates the light into an apex volume down to 70 zeptoliter (10 −21 L), 7000-fold below the diffraction-limited confocal volume. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and time-correlated photon counting, we measure fluorescence enhancement up to 100-fold, together with local density of optical states (LDOS) enhancement of 30-fold. The distinctive features of double nanoholes combining high local field enhancement, efficient background screening and relative nanofabrication simplicity offer new strategies for real time investigation of biochemical events with single molecule resolution at high concentrations. Plasmonic nanoantennas realize a new paradigm to concentrate light energy into nanoscale dimension