Towards understanding stakeholder relationship during strategic planning: the case of an airline company

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis research investigates the relationship among the stakeholders during the strategic planning process in an airline company. The concept of involving stakeholders in strategic planning is based on the assumption that engaging stakeholders in a meaningful way will increase the benefits for both the organization and the stakeholders. The growth trend of the company investigated has resulted in complexity due to the growth of its internal and external stakeholders and the influence that their relationships can have on strategic planning. Whereas studies have identified a number of factors that can influence stakeholder relations, it has also been suggested that relationships could further be influenced by host of other stakeholder-related attributes. It is in this context that the study answers the following research questions: (1) how do stakeholders understand their responsibilities in strategic planning?; (2) how do they perceive the importance of communication and coordination to their relationship during the planning process?; and (3) how do the stakeholders‘ expectations shape the challenges faced by the company and their relationship during strategic planning? The study employs the qualitative method of research using the interview technique to collect data to gain insights into how the participants perceive and make sense of their relationships during strategic planning in their company. The conceptual dimension of the study is premised on the two streams of meaning of relationships and the dynamics of stakeholder relations during strategic planning projected in the literature. The methodological dimension is premised on the importance of lived experience as a significant source of knowledge. In this respect, the study draws on phenomenology using narrative analysis and inductive content analysis in the treatment of data. Accordingly, the study found that stakeholders bring to the table a plethora of responsibilities which have significant upward and downward influences during strategic planning. There is a consensus among stakeholders on the general importance of the relational benefits of coordination and communication. Real time coordination and communication with external stakeholders is differentially perceived within the range of poor to excellent. Likewise, there is differential perception of the relational importance of communication in terms of organizational context. Whether the coordination among stakeholders is perceived as excellent or poor, the bottom line is that stakeholder relations in the company remains a challenge. Stakeholders have multiple expectations of the company strategic plan and the strategic planning process which further raises multi-faceted challenges to the company. Based on the findings the study came up with a model that highlights the streams of thought pursued in the study. The findings affirm the view that relationships result from what transpires, happens, or occurs during strategic planning. Likewise, the inherent connectivity that results from the social nature of individuals involved in the planning process is affirmed. The former is on account of the responsibilities of the stakeholders and the latter on account of the inherent value that stakeholders place on strategic planning. The quality and extent of stakeholder relations however is moderated by extent and quality of coordination and communication before and during the planning process

TIFL Games in the Arab world:How the Baby Olympics is used as a pathway for sport promotion and Olympic education?

In the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, the Arabic term ‘tifl’ is used to refer to both baby and child. The aim of this research study was to understand the motives of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the MENA region to invest, organise and promote the ‘Tifl Games’, also known as ‘Baby Olympics’. The toddlers compete for the ultimate prize in various sport events which try to embody the core Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. The situational analysis methodology based on qualitative data after the digital review of the events was utilised for the study. The NOCs of the MENA region were observed through the official websites, social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter), news and digital reports. The results show that the opportunity to develop consumer engagement and future talent identification are the main reasons for the organisation of the events. The existence of misconceptions in the MENA region regarding the practise of sports by toddlers was also highlighted in this study. The lack of elite athletes or high-performance sports programmes opened a new door to promote the message of Olympism for the youth generation. The conclusions alert that it is necessary to avoid the precocious training or competition in early age stages. Unconventional training regimes coupled with the inhumane treatment the young athletes are subjected to shed light on the great lengths some countries are willing to go to claim supremacy in the sporting arena. The ‘Tifl Games’ are an excellent opportunity for sport participation, sport promotion and Olympic education in a region with a deficit of sport for development though care should be taken by the NOCs to protect the human rights, adhere to the child protection policy and avoid exploitation of the young athletes

Hydrochemical processes determining the groundwater quality for irrigation use in an arid environment: The case of Liwa Aquifer, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

© 2018 Evaluation of groundwater quality is very important in arid regions like United Arab Emirates where high evaporation rates and absence of present-day recharge coupled with increasing groundwater extraction may limit its use for irrigation purposes. The liwa aquifer in Abu Dhabi Emirate is known for its intensive agriculture activities which depend on groundwater exploitation. The objective of the study was to determine the hydrochemical processes governing the groundwater chemistry, evaluation of groundwater quality and suitability for irrigation use. In the present study, 41 groundwater samples were collected from Liwa area in Abu Dhabi and analyzed for various physiochemical parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, CO3−, HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, NO3- and heavy metals. Electrical conductivity varies between 328 and 3003 uS/cm with an average value of 1478.5 uS/cm. Results show that changes in the groundwater chemistry is mainly controlled by rock weathering, to some extent evaporation and agricultural activities. The sodium ion was the main cation with an average value of 2923.2 mg/L, while the chloride ion was the dominant anion with an average value of 5670.8 mg/L. The water in the study area is mostly saline due to the dominance of these two ions. According to piper diagram, the main groundwater type in the study area was Na-Cl-SO4 type. The suitability for agriculture use was assessed using sodium absorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), residual sodium concentration (RSC), Kelley\u27s ratio, and magnesium hazard. Results showed that the groundwater quality in the study area is not suitable for irrigation

Barriers of Appropriate Antibiotic Prescription at PHCC in Qatar: Perspective of Physicians and Pharmacists.

The Ministry of Public Health in Qatar developed the NAP (National Action Plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in collaboration with WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO/EMRO). Among the major factors shaping AMR is antimicrobial prescribing and use. Tailoring Antimicrobial Resistance Program is a behavior change methodology that is utilized to adapt behavior change in relation to antimicrobial use. This study explores barriers of appropriate antibiotic (AB) prescription from the physicians’ and pharmacists’ perspectives at primary healthcare centers in Qatar. Data were collected from 50 participants across two PHCCs: 30 physicians and 20 pharmacists. Two different interview guides were constructed: One for physicians and one for pharmacists. In-depth, face-to-face, five focus groups were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Inductive qualitative analysis, involving discovering the themes in the interviews, was followed. Data were analyzed using constant comparative techniques. The Major themes arose from the analysis revealed that patients, practitioners mainly physicians, and the organization itself, played a role in shaping these barriers in the two primary healthcare centers. The findings would help develop and pilot behavior change interventions among patients, physicians and pharmacists with the aim of optimizing appropriate antibiotic prescription and use, which would support the implementation of the antibiotic stewardship program. Effective behavior change interventions should consider multiple factors including individual and organizational factors to optimize appropriate antibiotic prescription

Development of a calculated panel reactive antibody calculator for the United Arab Emirates: a proof of concept study

Abstract Calculated panel reactive antibody (CPRA) is used to help increase sensitized patient’s access to transplantation. United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a diverse resident population hence we developed a UAE–CPRA calculator based on HLA antigen frequencies of the different ethnic groups that represent the UAE population. HLA antigen frequencies at serological split antigen level for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 of 1002 healthy unrelated donors were performed. We subsequently compared the performance of the UAE CPRA calculator with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the Canadian CPRA calculators in 110 Kidney Transplant waitlist patients from January 2016 to December 2018. Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient showed a moderate agreement between the UAE and OPTN calculator (Rc = 0.949, 95% CI 0.929–0.963) and the UAE and Canadian calculators (Rc = 0.952, 95% CI 0.932–0.965). While there continued to be a moderate agreement (Rc = 0.937, UAE versus OPTN calculator) in the lower sensitized group, a poor agreement (Rc = 0.555, UAE versus OPTN calculator) was observed in the higher sensitized group. In this study, we provide a template for countries to develop their own population-specific CPRA calculator. Implementation of the CPRA algorithm based on HLA frequencies of the multi-ethnic UAE population will be more fitting to increase access to transplantation and improve transplant outcomes. Our study demonstrates that the CPRA calculators developed using the data from the western population had poor correlation in our higher sensitized patients disadvantaging them in potential organ allocations systems. We plan to further refine this calculator by using high resolution HLA typing to address the problem of a genetically diverse population

The strategic plan for combating antimicrobial resistance in Gulf Cooperation Council States

Summary: The Gulf Cooperation Council Center for Infection Control (GCC-IC) has placed the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on the top of its agenda for the past four years. The board members have developed the initial draft for the GCC strategic plan for combating AMR in 2014. The strategic plan stems from the WHO mandate to combat AMR at all levels. The need for engaging a large number of stakeholders has prompted the GCC-IC to engage a wider core of professionals in finalizing the plan. A multi-disciplinary group of more than 40 experts were then identified. And a workshop was conducted in Riyadh January 2015 and included, for the first time, representation of relevant ministries and agencies as well as international experts in the field. Participants worked over a period of two and a half days in different groups. International experts shared the global experiences and challenges in addressing human, food, animal, and environmental aspects of controlling AMR. Participants were then divided into 4 groups each to address the human, animal, microbiological and diagnostic, or the environmental aspect of AMR. At the end of the workshop, the strategic plan was revised and endorsed by all participants. The GCC-IC board members then approved it as the strategic plan for AMR. The document produced here is the first GCC strategic plan addressing AMR, which shall be adopted by GCC countries to develop country-based plans and related key performance indicators (KPIs). It is now the role of each country to identify the body that will be accountable for implementing the plan at the country level. Keywords: Strategic plan, Antimicrobial resistance, AMR, GCC, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwai