Scandinavian work-life balance experience: its implementation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) happiness context

Employee happiness and satisfaction are unanimously correlated to enhanced levels of productivity and efficiency, making them important for employees and employers. Scandinavian countries consistently rank highly on the world happiness index and correspondingly possess comparatively happier employees in their workplaces. Aside from the structural setting, internal components, and atmosphere of the workplace, it is primarily understood that the initiatives undertaken by Scandinavian countries in relation to the concept of work life balance are significantly important. The concept of work-life balance is cognizant of an employee’s struggle in maintaining equilibrium between work and personal life. This study could aid the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in identifying, implementing, and emulating similar strategies to reap comparable benefits. This research encompassed a quasi-experimental mixed method design which sought to reveal and establish the impact, link, and correlation of numerous independent variables upon employee happiness. The theoretical model guiding this study highlighted four key areas, including organizational, people, job factors, and work-life balance. The qualitative aspect involved dividing these categories into 14 sub-components and utilizing more than 100 academic studies to collect requisite data to determine their theoretical purpose and supposed effect upon employee happiness and productivity. The quantitative aspect involved a corresponding survey conducted in UAE public sector. The data collected were evaluated using the statistical technique of regression analysis to estimate relationships between variables, which was eventually tied with the qualitative research to either confirm or refute the conclusions reached earlier. Each section of the survey was assessed using the Cronbach Alpha Score. It was concluded that countries possess the skill of augmenting workplace factors to achieve the desired result of increased productivity. Such factors and strategies are not yet well understood nor endorsed in the UAE. As such, this research sought to clarify the value and influence of work-life balance and other components on employee happiness, revealing areas of improvement in the UAE work environment

Cutting governments spending: An analysis of the budget cuts within the Federal Government of the United States and the United Arab Emirates

This paper gives an overview of the historical changes in the budgets of the U.S. and U.A.E.; discusses the nature of national government spending and outlines how and why government budgets in both countries have changed ove time

An Immersive Learning Model

Our overarching goal is to provide children with immersive game-based learning environments to support Arabic linguistic skills acquisition. We postulate that immersion in- creases learning. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a model and built an implementation of an educational virtual environment (EVE) that supports immersion and thus, induces effective learning. Experimental results confirm our hypothesis. Our model integrates learning content, learning activities, immersion and gameplay. Based on our analysis of various curricula, specifically the United Arab Emirates grade one curriculum, we identified the nature of the learning content in order to satisfy the curriculum requirements. This content is conceptually structured to support gradual and independent learning. Acquiring knowledge from the learning content involves a learning process that we operationalize as a set of well-defined cognitive activities, which are categorized as perception, recognition, association, composition and recall. Accordingly, gameplay events and actions are designed to afford and instantiate these activities to engage the learner. Besides gameplay, engagement is explicitly addressed by modeling immersion using three different dimensions (sensory, imaginative and challenge-based). Our implementation is a 3D virtual reality game that captures various learning environments, each of which provides adventure, exploration, and learning. The gameplay engages players into learning activities that stimulate their senses, challenges them, and keep them absorbed in their quests. The implemented system runs on PC’s with Oculus and on smart phones with virtual glasses. These configurations were used in experiments in the lab- oratory, at a primary school, and in informal settings to measure immersion and learning. Results show that our model contributes effectively to immersion and learning

Impact of Ramadan on Emergency Department Patients Flow; a Cross-Sectional Study in UAE

Introduction: Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is, to Muslims, the holiest month of the year. During this month, young, able-bodied Muslims are commanded to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. Objective: The objective of the study is to analyze emergency department (ED) patients flow during the holy month of Ramadan and compare it to non-Ramadan days. We hypothesized that Ramadan would affect ED attendance by altering peak hours, and expected a dip in attendance around evening time (after sunset). Methods: In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, a retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital (2014-2016). The data was strategically separated and patient presence was analyzed year-wise, weekday basis and based on the hourly presence of the patients in the ED of the chosen hospital. Results: A total of 45,116 ED’s patient visits were analyzed over the mentioned study period. There was a difference in the total volume of Ramadan and non-Ramadan patient between the years 2014-2016. In all of the years, the highest percentage of visits was during the non-Ramadan days and this had a small fluctuation from 53% in 2014 to 52% in 2016 (p=0.001). It was observed from the collected data that 53% of the patients were present in the hospital during the fasting hours whereas 47% were present during the non-fasting hours (p<0.001). Conclusion: We were successfully able to derive a pattern from the data of 3 years in relation to the patient flow in the ED of the hospital. Moreover, we observed the difference in the patient arrival pattern between the Ramadan and non-Ramadan days in the hospital along with the predominant categorization of patient chief complaints.  Our study identified a unique pattern of ED hourly visits during Ramadan

Leadership behaviour styles and the UAE municipalities employees motivation through entrepreneurial mindset

The United Arab Emirates is looking to be one of the highly effective countries in the world. Therefore,creating programs to enhance a leader's capabilities and monitoring their progress can be beneficial for the overall effectiveness of a government and its leadership. Excellence awards can also serve as incentives and recognition for those who demonstrate outstanding performance. UAE organisations follow different leadership behaviour styles which are impactful on their performance standard. The UAE municipalities suffer from low employee motivation, which attributes to the leadership behaviour styles. This research aims to examine the impact of four leadership behaviour styles: directive style, supportive style, participative style, and achievement-oriented style. These four leadership behaviour styles are retrieved from the Path goal theory, which considers the employee motivation determinants by the expectancy theory. The association between the leadership behaviour styles suggested by the Path-Goal Theory primarily emphasizes leadership behaviors and their impact on employee motivation, it may not explicitly address certain factors like the entrepreneurial mindset, which stands on the thinking that enables the employee to overcome challenges, be decisive, and accept responsibility.The mediation effect of the entrepreneurial mindset factor is tested by this research to fill this gap and contributes significantly to the body of leadership behaviour styles knowledge. The study also validates the proposed conceptual framework using a structural equation modelling, then uses smart PLS with the data collected from 341 employees from the UAE municipalities to test the constructed hypotheses of this research. The finding of this research revealed a positive and significant relationship between achievement-oriented style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE, a positive and significant relationship between entrepreneurial mindset and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE, a positive and significant relationship between participative style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE, and positive and significant relationship between supportive style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE. With regard to the mediation effect of the entrepreneurial mindset factor, there was a mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between directive style and employee motivation, no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between achievement-oriented style and employee motivation, no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between participative style and employee motivation, and no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between supportive style and employee motivation. It is important for the employees to be appreciated verbally or in writing for their activities in the municipalities, to increase their powers and responsibilities and provide training and career development opportunities. All of these are the main leadership behaviour styles and motivational factors that provide employees with psychological and social support rather than just economic benefit.This research will add to the body of information regarding leadership behaviour styles in the Full Range Leadership behaviour styles Model by determining the preferred leadership behaviour styles in the municipal public sector from the employees' perspective. It can be stated that psycho-social motivation ties employees more. The findings can assist managers in determining which type of leadership behaviour styles is most suitable in terms of outcomes, as well as how they can adjust their leadership behaviour styles to make them more successful and result-oriented

Beware of Titles: Analysing Media Reporting of Cybercrime in UK and UAE

In this paper, media reporting of cybercrime victims (with a specific focus on organisations) was examined. For this purpose, data were collected from media outlets in the UK and UAE. A basic premise of this paper is that media has the ability to restrict readers to either ‘opposing’ or ‘favouring’ views about the subject of the news. Research findings demonstrated that victim organisations were mostly shaped within a negative media frame in a given time period. Comparative analysis between UK and UAE news media showed the usage of similar language in portraying victim organisations

UAE-Saudi Arabia Border Dispute: The Case of the 1974 Treaty of Jeddah

In 1974, after forty years of negotiations over the disputed sovereignty of the Al-Ain/Buraimi region, Zararah/Shaybah, and Khor al-Udaid, the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE signed the Treaty of Jeddah, apparently ending the dispute. But the dispute was not settled as far at the UAE was concerned, owing to discrepancies between the oral agreement before the Treaty’s signing and the final text of the Treaty itself. The UAE government did not notice this discrepancy until 1975, likely due to the absence of lawyers, technicians, and geographers on its negotiation team. The UAE has attempted to bring Saudi Arabia back to the negotiating table ever since. In 2004, thirty years after the Treaty was signed, the UAE launched a public diplomatic campaign to persuade Saudi Arabia to revisit parts of the Treaty, especially the question of the Zararah/Shaybah oil and gas field. The public campaign has had a detrimental affect on UAE-Saudi relations and the border dispute remains unresolved to this day. This thesis seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the Treaty of Jeddah by examining the negotiations that led to its signing on 21 August 1974, focusing on the period of 1970-74, about which relatively little has been written. It explains the process of negotiations, the context in which they took place, the role and influence of Britain (as Abu Dhabi’s protecting power up to 1971), why Abu Dhabi signed a treaty it quickly came to regret, the resulting aftermath, and how the UAE might yet obtain the Treaty’s revision. This thesis argues that Britain, as Abu Dhabi’s protecting power, played different roles through the negotiation process, and that Britain did not always negotiate in Abu Dhabi’s interests –– particularly during the final years of British protection (1968-71), when it increasingly advised Abu Dhabi to compromise. It shows how Abu Dhabi’s position weakened substantially after the withdrawal of British protection in 1971, while Saudi Arabia’s position was strengthened considerably by the US government’s Twin Pillar policy. It argues that Saudi Arabia maintained an inflexible position during 1970-74, when it adopted a ‘controlled negotiating strategy’ with aggressive tactics (including the threat of military intervention) designed to force Abu Dhabi into a corner, giving it no choice but to sign the Treaty. This approach allowed for a ‘win-lose’ outcome only. Indeed, there were no ‘negotiations’ as such –– the huge differences in power between Saudi Arabia and the UAE enabled the former to more or less impose a settlement on the latter. Finally, this thesis argues that the UAE’s claim to Khor al-Udaid, which is the most visible aspect of the dispute since it can be clearly shown on maps, is not in fact the most important issue for the UAE –– it is the oil and gas sharing arrangements in for Zararah/Shaybah oil field, due to their huge economic implications

Posttraumatic Stress Among Syrian Refugees: Trauma Exposure Characteristics, Trauma Centrality, and Emotional Suppression

© Washington School of Psychiatry. Objectives: This study revisited the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and examined a hypothesized model describing the interrelationship between trauma exposure characteristics, trauma centrality, emotional suppression, PTSD, and psychiatric comorbidity among Syrian refugees. Methods: A total of 564 Syrian refugees participated in the study and completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Centrality of Event Scale, and Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. Results: Of the participants, 30% met the cutoff for PTSD. Trauma exposure characteristics (experiencing or witnessing horror and murder, kidnapping or disappearance of family members or friends) were associated with trauma centrality, which was associated with emotional suppression. Emotional suppression was associated with PTSD and psychiatric comorbid symptom severities. Suppression mediated the path between trauma centrality and distress outcomes. Conclusions: Almost one-third of refugees can develop PTSD and other psychiatric problems following exposure to traumatic events during war. A traumatized identity can develop, of which life-threatening experiences is a dominant feature, leading to suppression of depression with associated psychological distress

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Psychiatric Co-morbidity among Syrian Refugees of Different Ages: the Role of Trauma Centrality

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. It has been documented that trauma centrality is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity among Syrian refugees. Whether age would influence the levels of the above constructs and the association between trauma centrality and distress outcomes is unclear. This study compared age differences in 1) the levels of trauma centrality, posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity, and 2) models depicting the association between trauma centrality and distress outcomes among Syrian refugees. One thousand one hundred and ninety-seven refugees completed the Centrality of Event Scale, Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire-28. Age groups were divided into young, middle-aged adults and adults of 45 or above. No significant group differences were found in the proportion of refugees meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Controlling for demographic variables, all subscales of trauma centrality and psychiatric co-morbidity were significantly different between groups. Young adults reported significantly less trauma centrality and psychiatric co-morbidity than the other groups. Multiple-indicator multiple-cause modelling showed that trauma centrality was significantly correlated with PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. Multi-group analysis showed the model for the young adult group to be significantly different from the middle-aged group model. To conclude, age did not seem to influence the severity of PTSD among Syrian refugees. The war had a less severe impact on young adults’ sense of self and other psychological problems than those who were older. The way in which young and middle-aged adults responded to distress varied depending on environment and personal characteristics