Modifying the Saudi Basic Law of the Government;

This study focuses on modifying the Saudi Basic Law of the Government. The Basic Law is the Saudi written constitution. The importance of this paper lies in its relation with the Saudi constitutional law of which very few researchers have explored its deep rules and regulations. This study tries to answer several questions about modifying the Saudi constitution. What is the nature of this constitution, is it flexible for modifications, who enacted this constitution and how, does the King have the authority to withdraw such constitution, is it right to modify all its constitutional rules or are there any rules that must not be modified? This study answers these questions and compares these questions’answers with aspects relating to several constitution

Self-concept and Its Relationship with Depression among Older Women in Riyadh City

The current study aimed to identify one of the factors that contribute to the emergence of depression among the elderly women, to identify the correlation between self-concept and depression among the elderly women, to identify the differences of self-concept among older women which is attributable to demographic variables, to identify the differences in depression among older women which are attributable to demographic variables, and to identify the possibility of using the self-concept in predicting the depression which the elderly women are suffering from. In order to achieve the objectives of the study; the researcher has used the descriptive and analytical approach. The study population consisted of all the elderly women in the Riyadh city, where the sample of (200) elderly women was selected from the Prince Salman Social Center in addition to some of the places of teaching the Koran in Riyadh. The study found a range of results, including; there were no differences in the degree of depression among older women attributable to the demographic variables (age, education level, marital status, economic level), there are no differences in self-concept among older women attributable to demographic variables (age, educational level, Marital status), and there are differences in the degree of self-concept among older women attributable to the economic level for the benefit of older women with the better economic level. The study also found the existence of a negative relationship at the highest limits of statistical significance between depression and self-concept among older women, as well as the Low self-concept is useful in predicting the depression among older women. The researcher has proposed several recommendations, such as, the attention to developing physical older women through establishing programs that offer material support for older with low-income, in addition to create an elderly Association specialises in sponsoring the elderly women's rights, and provide psychological and moral support to them.    Keywords: Self-Concept, Depression, Older, Wome

Rights of tenderers and contractors under Saudi public procurement contract regulations: a comparative study with England and Wales

This thesis is a comparative study in which the rights of tenderers and contractors and related procurement regulations are discussed and compared under Saudi public procurement contract regulations and those of England and Wales. This thesis does not aim to be a comprehensive comparative study, but presents examples to illustrate the issues under discussion. A central aim of the study is to consider whether Saudi public procurement contract regulations are suitable to protect the rights of tenderers and contractors and to solve their problems in the rapid development of the country. Is the Purchasing Law, in particular, able to cover the rapid development in procurement and the economy in Saudi Arabia and the world? This question is asked in order to examine the weaknesses of current procurement regulations and to explore procurement claims that the Purchasing Law fails to address tenderers' and contractors' rights and concerns. Many criticisms have been raised regarding Saudi public procurement contract regulations, especially the Saudi Purchasing Law. Although the Saudi government has called for the procurement sector to play a greater role in national development, the Purchasing Law does not support this aim. It has remained unchanged since it was enacted in 1979, despite rapid economic changes in the country. Contractors, traders, banks, and Saudi Chambers of Commerce have complained that they are too constrained by the provisions of the Purchasing Law. The ten chapters of this thesis examine the rights of procurement tenderers and contractors throughout the procedures to prepare and award a public procurement contract. In addition to identifying the principles of procurement regulations, this study investigates the rights of tenderers and contractors from the first steps of tendering procedures to the awarding of the contract and afterwards. Once the contracting authority selects a successful contractor this study highlights his rights to obtain his financial payment and to obtain remedy if the contracting authority breaches its contractual obligations. The study examines case law, procurement regulations, circulars and governmental procedures in procurement. The study results indicate that Saudi public procurement contract regulations in general and the Purchasing Law in particular are inadequate to keep pace with development requirements in the country. More specifically, the findings show that current Saudi procurement regulations are in fact obstacles to the development of the procurement sector, and a main reason for contractors' unwillingness to enter the governmental procurement market

The influence of website design features and consumer characteristics on internet banking adoption in Saudi Arabia

Recent years have seen rapid growth of Internet technology and its incorporation into many areas, including banking. Despite the potential advantages offered, however, adoption of Internet Banking (IB) has been relatively low. This thesis aims to enhance understanding of customers' adoption of IB, with particular reference to commercial banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It investigates the rationale for and current status of IB in the KSA. Then, taking as a framework the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB), with the additional construct of website features, it investigates what factors may influence Saudi customers' adoption of IB, including the potential impact of website features at different stages of the customer's decision-making process (DMP).The research targeted policy makers, IB managers and clients in all 11 commercial banks operating in KSA. Data were collected in two phases, each containing qualitative and quantitative elements. In phase one, focused on the bank perspective, interviews were held with 11 bank officials, to explore the thinking behind their IB provision and website design. Then, content analysis was used to investigate the features of 22 websites – 1 corporate and 1 individual site for each bank. In phase two, semi-structured interviews (N = 40) were used to explore bank clients' perceptions of IB, and their responses used to inform a survey, delivered online and through bank branches, of IB users' (N = 651) and non-users' (N = 409) attitudes and behaviours in relation to IB.Results showed that bank managers attempted to attract and support clients throughout the DMP, and this was reflected in website content. However, support was constrained by some erroneous assumptions about clients, and the regulatory environment. Obstacles to IB use included psychological, marketing, educational, technical, cultural and linguistic barriers. IB non-users' intention to try IB was influenced by Trust and Subjective Norms, while users' intention to continue was influenced by perceived Relative Advantage and Compatibility, Ease of Use, Self-Efficacy, Resource Facilitating Conditions and Website Characteristics. Attitudes to IB also differed by clients' gender, age, income, education and Internet experience.Implications are drawn for technology adoption and e-marketing theory, and recommendations are made to government, the central bank and commercial banks to enhance the functionality and attractiveness of IB

The influence of website design features and consumer characteristics on internet banking adoption in Saudi Arabia

Recent years have seen rapid growth of Internet technology and its incorporation into many areas, including banking. Despite the potential advantages offered, however, adoption of Internet Banking (IB) has been relatively low. This thesis aims to enhance understanding of customers' adoption of IB, with particular reference to commercial banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It investigates the rationale for and current status of IB in the KSA. Then, taking as a framework the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB), with the additional construct of website features, it investigates what factors may influence Saudi customers' adoption of IB, including the potential impact of website features at different stages of the customer's decision-making process (DMP). The research targeted policy makers, IB managers and clients in all 11 commercial banks operating in KSA. Data were collected in two phases, each containing qualitative and quantitative elements. In phase one, focused on the bank perspective, interviews were held with 11 bank officials, to explore the thinking behind their IB provision and website design. Then, content analysis was used to investigate the features of 22 websites – 1 corporate and 1 individual site for each bank. In phase two, semi-structured interviews (N = 40) were used to explore bank clients' perceptions of IB, and their responses used to inform a survey, delivered online and through bank branches, of IB users' (N = 651) and non-users' (N = 409) attitudes and behaviours in relation to IB. Results showed that bank managers attempted to attract and support clients throughout the DMP, and this was reflected in website content. However, support was constrained by some erroneous assumptions about clients, and the regulatory environment. Obstacles to IB use included psychological, marketing, educational, technical, cultural and linguistic barriers. IB non-users' intention to try IB was influenced by Trust and Subjective Norms, while users' intention to continue was influenced by perceived Relative Advantage and Compatibility, Ease of Use, Self-Efficacy, Resource Facilitating Conditions and Website Characteristics. Attitudes to IB also differed by clients' gender, age, income, education and Internet experience. Implications are drawn for technology adoption and e-marketing theory, and recommendations are made to government, the central bank and commercial banks to enhance the functionality and attractiveness of IB

Exploring female academic perceptions and practices utilising learning and communication technology in the Languages Faculty at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia

High-quality education and more effectively supported learning can be achieved through the appropriate use of efficient, effective, and appropriate technology. Indeed, such enhancement of the education system is the primary objective of educational technology. Thus, the present study explores the perceptions of Saudi female tutors at King Khalid University (KKU) in Saudi Arabia regarding the adoption of Learning and Communication Technology (LCT) by the higher education sector. In addition, it examines the impact of these perceptions on the teaching practices of participant academic members who were enrolled in the College of Languages and Translation.A mixed-method research design was adopted to safeguard against the inherent limitations associated with the use of a single approach. Moreover, a broader and more generalisable set of quantitative data was also used to affirm the reliability and validity of the present study and, moreover, to counter the disadvantages of the qualitative focus.The findings of the data analysis showed that most of female academics who participated in the study tended to use various tools and educational technology in their language-learning classes. The results also showed that participant academics’ utilisation of LCT was positively affected by a set of factors like for instance, ease of use, usefulness, student reactions, and motivation. However, the results indicated that the effective utilisation of LCT by academic members participating in the study was inhibited by a group of factors such as the fact that methods which might work with some students would not necessarily work with others in the same context, and so there was a need to use both kinds of teaching, traditional and technology based. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the failure among female participant academics to move away from traditional methods of teaching towards the use of LCT was often due to a number of factors including a lack of facilities, lack of support mainly for junior academics, and lack of female technicians to help in solving technological problems on the female campus, in addition to a set of cultural issues related to the privacy of females. In light of these findings, the present study hopes to contribute to the research literature by shedding light on academics' perceptions about the level of LCT utilisation in Saudi higher education institutions, on one hand, and on their teaching practices using LCT in various contexts. It also hopes to help people in charge at universities and policy-makers in Saudi Arabia to plan carefully for successful investment in education besides the positive and expected returns on education for the whole society

Cues adopted by consumers in examining corporate website favorability: an empirical study of financial institutions in the UK and Russia

The purpose of this paper is to explore, reconcile and depict corporate website favorability (CWF), its antecedents and consequences in the financial setting in the UK and Russia context. To achieve the goals of this study, the research adopted a mixed method research design by using a survey, which is supported by insights from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied to gain insight into the various influences and relationships. The paper develops and empirically validates the framework of CWF antecedents and consequences. The paper indicates essential guidance for cross-functional managers and designers regarding the integrated and holistic utilization of building favorable corporate websites as part of the corporate identity management. The paper adds to the understanding of CWF and discusses the antecedents of CWF by drawing upon the existing literature. Furthermore, it offers possible consequences of CWF and provides a framework for future testing

A holistic framework of corporate website favourability

This paper extends the current knowledge of corporate website favourability (CWF) by developing a comprehensive conceptual model of its influence on corporate image, corporate reputation, loyalty and identification. The paper reviews previous studies on corporate websites from the perspectives of marketing, management, corporate identity and corporate visual identity in order to inform our understanding of the antecedents and consequences of CWF. The propositions and the conceptual framework present an approach by which a corporation can design and manage a favourable corporate website. A number of important contributions are offered: First, the paper adds to the understanding of CWF; second, it discusses the antecedents of CWF by drawing upon the existing literature; third, it is beneficial for practitioners in shaping CWF strategies, and fourth, it offers possible consequences of CWF and provides a framework for future testing

Understanding Teachers’ Informal Professional Development in Virtual Communities of Practice in Saudi Arabia

The current study aims to understand how computer science (CS) teachers’ participation in an informal Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) supports Teacher Professional Development (TPD). Adopting an interpretive epistemological stance, digital ethnography was undertaken in a naturalistic setting to explore an informal VCoP’s nature and the factors influencing teachers’ participation. The VCoP under investigation is a Telegram group formed and owned by a volunteer CS teacher. The group provides an open space, enabling CS secondary teachers from anywhere in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to interact, discuss, and mutually support each other. Two data collection methods were implemented across two stages. The initial stage involved collecting the teachers’ informal online interactions (TIOI) within the VCoP throughout an entire academic year. The VCoP included 1,800 participants when data collection began. The interactional data collected was subject to quantitative analysis using crawler software programmed using Python language. The crawler made it possible to: (1) assess the level of participation by individuals (measured by number of posts per individual), identifying the most active members and ‘lurker’ members; (2) analyse the rate of participation monthly (measured by number of posts per month); and (3) identify newcomers (members who joined after the academic year commenced). Each of these criteria served as the basis of a sampling technique, determining the data set analysed qualitatively using Thematic Analysis (TA) and Discourse Analysis (DA). To attain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under investigation, and to corroborate findings from the first stage, the second stage incorporated semi structured interviews with 11 CS teachers selected based on the findings of the first stage. The interviews were analysed using TA only. The study concludes that exploring the nature of informal environments, such as VCoPs, can reveal teachers’ previously unexamined needs. Furthermore, that VCoPs 3 constitute a productive environment supporting professional development, by covering pedagogy, computer science curriculum content, distance learning, administrative procedures, and group administration topics. In addition, diverse dialogic forms were identified within the informal online interactions including enquiry, response, feedback, and independent posts. The informal online interactions were cumulative rather than exploratory, and four tacit agendas were observed; i.e., seeking empathy, providing reassurance, self-marketing, and pursuing religious reward. Furthermore, factors that both encourage and impede teachers’participation were identified, offering insights to improve future utilisation of VCoPs as informal contexts to support TPD.King Saud University in Saudi Arabi