Bank Efficiency Dynamics and Market Reaction around Merger Announcement

We study, using the non-parametric data envelopment approach, we investigated the long-run profit efficiency dynamics and the short-run market reaction of nine pre-classified merger deals of merging and non-merging U.S. banks over the time period from 1992 to 2003. Our main results are as follows: First, merger deals that match least efficient acquirers with the least efficient targets could improve their profit efficiency four years following the merger event, unlike all other merger deals. Second, we find that mergers match least efficient acquirers with the least efficient targets could also achieve significant positive cumulative access returns (CARs) while all other deals were followed by significant negative CARs. Third, we find that, in general, that large-size acquirers have and maintain higher and efficiency scores than targets and non-merging banks. Fianally, the value-maximizing mergers are mostly large in size and match banks with clear chances to increase their future efficiency rankings

The Role of the Quality of Banking Services and Their Impact on Improving the Competitive Advantage for the Islamic Banks An Empirical Study of the Islamic Banks Operating in Jordan

This study aimed to identify the quality of banking services dimensions, and the concept of competitive advantage for the Islamic banks, as well as measure the impact of the quality of banking services on improving the competitive advantage for the Islamic banks. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher prepared a tool for the purpose of data collection included on (34) item, was to make sure the sincerity of the tool by presentation at a group of arbitrators, as was confirmed reliability using the coefficient (Cronbach alpha), so the reliability coefficient overall tool is (0.91). The study found a number of results, among them the following: 1. The evaluation level of the study sample in Islamic banks operating in Jordan was a (positive), and each dimension of quality of the banking services dimensions (Tangible materialism aspects, reliability, response, trust and safety, attention and sympathy), and the competitive advantage. 2. There exist a statistically significant impact at the significance level (? = 0.05), for three dimensions of the quality of banking services (Tangible materialism aspect, reliability, trust and safety), on improving the competitive advantage in the Islamic Banks. The study recommended in work to increase the attention of all employees in the Islamic banks, about all dimensions of quality banking services, due to their access to evaluate degree (medium) from the viewpoint of the bank customers. Keywords: Quality of banking services, Competitive advantage, Islamic banks, Jordan

The Comprehensive Islamic Banks as it should be

The study aimed to identify the extent of the desire of Islamic banks switching to the comprehensive Islamic banks through the identify the services are comprehensive banks submitting in addition to identify the most important of the impediments may prevent the work of comprehensive banks, and represented the importance of the study at they highlight on the services that offered by the comprehensive banks because of its role in enhancing of the banking performance and revitalize the institutional investment for banks. The findings of this study refer to the comprehensive Islamic banks are  more efficiently to meet the challenges and changes which emerged emerging newly as a challenge of globalization and the resulting of competition from a giant institutions with the ability to offer the banking services efficiently and effectively, and there are some impediments the  work of the comprehensive banks such as a weakness of science idiosyncratic legitimate among some employees of the Islamic banks, and that some customers with Islamic banks are seeking to deal with it in order to obtain the item or criticism by any means which drives them to circumventing on the procedures and submit the  documents and information delusional not true, ignoring the legitimate aspects of the treatment carried out by the bank. Keywords: Comprehensive Islamic Banks, Banking Performance, Institutional Investment, Jordan

An intercultural study of euphemistic strategies used in Saudi Arabic and American English

People often use euphemistic utterances or expressions to avoid offensive or tabooed topics, to make them more implicit and considerate. This paper explores the euphemistic strategies used in Saudi Arabic and American English. The sample of this study includes 145 college students (78 Saudis and 67 Americans). A questionnaire adopted from Rabab’ah and Al-Qarni (2012) was used to collect the data of the present study. The results revealed various strategies used by the participants, such as deletion, synonyms, metaphor, understatement, part-for-whole, overstatement, and jargons. The most frequent strategies used by the Saudis were ‘part-for-whole’, ‘understatement’, and ‘general- for-specific’. The American participants tended to use ‘taboo words’, ‘general-for-specific’ and ‘synonyms’ more frequently than the other strategies. The findings also showed that there is no relationship between strategy choice and gender. The findings suggest that Saudi Arabic seems to use euphemistic strategies more than the Americans. These results could be referred to cultural and religious beliefs and values. The study recommends raising the awareness of euphemism strategies for more active communication

The Effect of Continuing Improvement Strategy on Tourist Organization Resources in Accomplishing Total Quality: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Case Study

The purpose of the present study was to identify the satsifaction level among personnel at the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities regarding the continuing imrpvement of (human, financial, physical, technological, knowledge/information) resources strategy; and to identify the effect of applying the stategy of continuing imprvement of resources on the total quality for the personnel at the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities; and further to identify whether there were statisitically significnat differences in the employee's statisfaction levels regarding the continuing improvement of resources strategy by the demographisc characterisitcs: gender, job level, tenure, and placement at the Minsitry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A). Population (N=150) consisted of all staff memebrs assuming managerial, supervisory, and technical positions at the directorates supervised by the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A) in the four Northern Districts of Jordan. Out of 150 questionnaires sent to participants, only 144 questionnaires were returned back, and four were found unusable for statisitcal analysis. The 140 questionnaires used for statitical analysis accounted for 93 per cent of population. Most salient results from this study were that low satisfaction level among Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities employees regarding the continuing improvement of human resources strategy except for collaboration and breaking the ice between subordinates and subordinates; and regular evaluations for purpose of correction rather than punishing. In addition, the study found positive impact of the continuing improvement strategy of individual resourceson total quality at the Minsitry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A) in Jordan with the knowledge resources were raked top followed by the technological, financial, physical and finally human resources. This study found no statisically signficnat differences of the satsifaction levels among Minsitry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A) employees regarding the continuing improvement of resources strategy by gender, job title, job level, and placement at the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A). Nonetheless, the study found statisically significant differences in the satisfaction levels of Minsitry of Tourism & Antiquities (MOT&A) employees regarding the continuing imof physical improvement of physical resources attributed to service years. Key words: Continuing Improvement, Resources, Total Quality, Jordan Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Modern Incentives Management Practices and Impact on Job Performance of Employees at Jordanian Commercial Banks

The purpose of the present study was to identify level of employee job satisfaction regarding management practices adopted to incentive employees at the Jordanian commercial banks and their impact on employee performance. The study also sought to identify whether there were statistically significant differences in employees satisfaction level regarding the incentives management practices that vary by such variables as gender, job title, and years of experience; and further to explore the effect of the management practices on employee performance by gender, job title, and years of experience. Population consisted of the Jordanian commercial banks (N=13) listed at the Jordanian Banks Association. A representative sample of eight banks (61.5%) was randomly selected from the overall population. The sampled banks recruit (5564) employees in different organizational levels across all parts of Jordan. Out of employee pool, a sample of 556 (10%) employees was randomly selected. The questionnaire survey was the used to conclude results from the present study. Major results included that: Employee satisfaction level regarding management practices related to "employee integration and empowerment" was ranked top, whereas the domain "satisfaction level regarding management practices related to flexible work schedules" was ranked down. The domain "effect of incentives management practices related to "integration and job empowerment" on "job performance" was ranked first, whereas domain "effect of incentives management practices related to "flexible work schedules" on "job performance" was ranked last. There were statistically significant differences attributed to Job Title regarding employee satisfaction on the incentives management practices. There were no statistically significant differences as to the impact of the management practices on employee performance by gender. There were no statistically significant differences as to the impact of the management practices on employee performance by experience years. There were statistically significant differences as to impact of the management practices on employee performance by Job Title, Keywords: Modern Incentives Management Practices, Job Performance, Jordanian Commercial Bank

Effect of Article 11 of the Jordanian Electronic Crimes Law on Exercising Criticism Freedom for Journalists and Workers in the Digital Media

This study aims to know the impact of the Jordanian Electronic Crimes Law No. 27 of 2015 on the freedom of the press and the freedom to exercise criticism in the digital media represented in websites and social networks.The study uses the descriptive method to survey the opinions of journalists, employees and activists in digital media field through a governed survey. The sample was randomly selected 150 individuals interested in studying their opinions and studying the effect of the law on their freedom of practicing criticism in many websites and social networks .The study found that 88% of journalists and workers in the digital media suffer from restrictions on their press freedoms through the censorship imposed by the editor and also through the penalties imposed by the Electronic Crimes Law regarding publishing crimes. In addition, an average of 75% of those who saw clear imbalances in the Electronic Crimes Law never corresponded to the freedom of the journalist in criticism. The results also showed that journalists and employees in the digital media are aware of the freedom of criticism and related supervisory roles. Are aware of their rights and duties in this regard with an average of 75% of the total knowledge, and 46% expressed their disagreement with the arrest of journalists in accordance with article 11 of the Electronic Crimes Law. Keywords: Criticism of Electronic Crimes Law Article 11, Freedom of Information in Jordan. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/85-07 Publication date:May 31st 201

REFLECTING THINKING LEVEL FOR GYMNASTIC STUDENTS IN THE FACULTY OF SPORT EDUCATION IN YARMOUK UNIVERSITY, JORDAN – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The study aimed to identify the level of reflective thinking among physical education students enrolled in gymnastics training classes at Yarmouk University in Jordan, and to identify the impact of gender upon reflective thinking. The sample was taken from the students of the physical education college including males and females enrolled in gymnastics training course, with a total of (80). 40 were male students, whereas 40 were females. They were chosen using the intentional method. The results show a high level of reflective thinking among students enrolled in the gymnastics training course. Also male students was better than female students in reflective thinking just on meditation after the event domain. Whereas the degree of reflective thinking was similar in both male and female student on the total average score of the test and on the other domains.  Article visualizations

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE USED IN SAUDI NEWS HEADLINES RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Figurative language is a part of Stylistics and there was much research on how figurative language was used in different contexts. The present research aimed at analyzing the figurative language used in Saudi news headlines related to Coronavirus (COVID-19). A descriptive qualitative research design was used in this study. The data source of this study was the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), and the data were headlines related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) published from the period from February 15 to March 31, 2020. The obtained data from this study were organized, classified, and coded. The findings of this study revealed that there were seven speech figures used in this study ( personification, hyperbole, understatement, paradox, synecdoche, apostrophe, and metonymy). The most used speech figure was personification and the least used one was metonymy. Each type of these speech figures had its own function such as to expand meaning, create intense emotions, and express a lot in a limited space. The researcher provides some recommendations for future research work in order to get more insights and contributions to this topic