Work engagement amongst academics in Jordan

This study examined the direct relationship between workload, work pressure, autonomy, social support, performance feedback and work engagement. The study also investigated the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between workload, work pressure, autonomy, social support, performance feedback and work engagement. Finally, the study examined the moderating effect of trust on the relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement. A total of 700 questionnaires were personally distributed to respondents from four universities in Jordan (Mu’tah University, The University of Jordan, The Hashemite University and Yarmouk University) after permission was granted by the university management. Out of the 700 questionnaires distributed, 567 questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 81%. However, only 532 questionnaires were usable for further analysis. The hypotheses for direct and mediating effect were tested using multiple regression analyses, and the hypotheses for interacting effect were tested using hierarchical multiple regression. The results for direct relationship showed that workload and work pressure were negatively related to work engagement and job satisfaction, while, autonomy, social support and performance feedback were positively related to work engagement and job satisfaction. The results also showed that job satisfaction was positively related to work engagement. Meanwhile, the findings for mediating effect showed that job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between workload, work pressure, autonomy, social support, performance feedback and work engagement. Furthermore,the results from hierarchical multiple regressions showed that trust quasi moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement. The research results reported in this study suggest the need for autonomy, social support and performance feedback to enhance academics’ work engagement and satisfaction, whereas, too much workload and work pressure will decrease academic’s work engagement and satisfaction. Apart from that, the university management also need to consider the role of job satisfaction and trust when planning for enhancing academics’ work engagement

The Impact of Employee Empowerment on Managerial Creativity: An Empirical Study in the Ministry of Information Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The present study aimed to examine the impact of the employee empowerment (delegation authority, teamwork, training and motivation) on managerial creativity in in the Ministry of Information Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The research adopted the descriptive research design and the quantitative approach to answer the research questions and to test the hypotheses. The population of this study is a total of 1528 employees in the Ministry of Information Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. For the purpose of this research, questionnaire as a data collection tool which was prepared based on previous studies that dealt with the research variables where it was distributed to 320 workers through self-administered survey. Overall, a total of 300 employees responded giving a response rate (94%). The analysis was conducted using multiple and simple regression to test the hypotheses. The results of this study indicated that the employee empowerment have significant impact on managerial creativity. Furthermore, the results revealed that delegation of authority had the highest impact on employee empowerment, while the training had the lowest impact on employee empowerment. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence to support the relationship between employee empowerment and managerial creativity. The present study provides the number of conclusions, recommendations and future studies

The Impact of Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence on Employee Retention inPrivate Universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The present paper aims to examine the impact of leaders emotional intelligence (self-awareness, emotional management, and emotional sensitivity) on employee retention in private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The research adopted the descriptive analytical quantitative approach to answer the research questions and to test the hypotheses. The population comprised (632) employees with leadership positions (academic and/or management responsibilities) in 10 private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The questionnaire was prepared in light of previous studies. 300 questionnaires were distributed through self-administered survey. 278 employees with leadership positions (presidents, vice-presidents, deans, vice deans, heads of departments and other directors) responded giving a response rate (92.6%). The analysis was conducted using multiple and simple regression to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that leaders’ emotional intelligence had a significant impact on employee retention in private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Furthermore, self-awareness had the most impact on employee retention, followed by emotional sensitivity, and emotional management

Does Green Supply Chain Management Influence to Suppliers’ Performance? Mediating Role of Social Capital

Present study is ascertain to elaborate the role of green supply chain management towards the suppliers’ performance. Further, the role of social capital as a potential mediator is also explored in the Thai business to business (B2B) context. Data was collected by using the survey questionnaires. Different statistical tests for measurement model and hypothesis testing respectively. Findings highlighted that suppliers’ performance both in environmental and operational terms improves due to the GSCM practices. Furthermore, it also appeared to be the major interpreter for the social capital (rationale and structural). In addition, results also supported the multidimensional impact of social capital on suppliers’ performance. Lastly, both dimensions of the social capital proved to be significant mediator for the relationship between green supply chain management practices and suppliers’ performance. This study comes with the valuable insights to develop understanding about the key role of green supply chain practice and social capital to enhance the suppliers’ performance

Job demands as predictors of academician's work engagement

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between job demands, namely academic workload, work pressure and work engagement.Data were gathered through questionnaire from a sample of academicians (n = 532) who worked in four public universities (Mu’tah University, The University of Jordan, The Hashemite University and Yarmouk University) located in the southern, middle and northern region of Jordan.Results indicate that both academic workload and work pressure were significant factor in influencing academicians work engagement.These findings generally supported past findings, which suggested that employees are less likely to engage with their work if they are given higher workload and work pressure.The findings were discussed and implications were also put forward

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE'S GROWING INFLUENCE ON DECISION MAKING

Purpose:  The purpose of this study article is to investigate the impact of AI (system capability, user behavior, training and development, and expert availability) on decision making in Bahrain telecommunications company. Theoretical framework:  The deployment of AI systems has expanded tremendously in recent years, and decision making is no exception to its disruptive potential (Jones et al., 2022). AI algorithms and technologies are being used by organizations and individuals to assist and improve decision-making processes. To fully reap the benefits of AI, however, a thorough knowledge of the intricate interplay between AI and decision making is required. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, a quantitative research design is utilized since it permits statistical tools to be used to assess the association between variables. This quantitative study's research approach will be cross-sectional, with the goal of examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in decision making. Data were collected by questionnaire from a sample of 195 employees from a Bahraini telecommunications company. Findings:  The results show that there was an association between all the artificial intelligence components and decision making. This finding is consistent with the previous studies, which claims that artificial intelligence lead to decision making (Prasanth, et al., 2023; Ferreira & Monteiro, 2021; Jarrahi, 2018). Research, Practical & Social implications: The AI has .the potential to totally revolutionize the way organizations make decisions. However, in order to preserve customer confidence and prevent unforeseen repercussions, enterprises must use AI responsibly and transparently. The use of AI for decision-making, both for businesses and consumers, is undeniably the way of the future. Originality/value: The value of the study understanding the impact of AI on decision making is becoming increasingly crucial as the technology advances. AI system integration can improve decision-making abilities, increase efficiency, reduce risks, offer access to expert information, and raise ethical concerns and obstacles in organizations

The Influence of Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Work Engagement

The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of Human Resources Man-agement (HRM) practices (employee communications, employee development and rewards and recog-nitions) on employee engagement. Employee engagement has emerged as one of the most important topics in the sphere of human resource management. The aim of this paper is to examine and gain bet-ter understanding of the drivers that influence employee engagement in a printing company. Employee communication, employee development, rewards, and recognitions were selected as independent varia-bles. Sample for the study consists of 151 staff from manufacturing. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23. Throughout the statistical analysis, it is found that there is a significant relationship between the two independent variables with the dependent variable. In conclusion, it is observed that HRM practices have an influence on the employee work engagement. This shows that employers need to develop proper and well-structured HRM policies in attaining high work engagement level among the employ-ees