The Impeding Drivers of Risks at Private Higher Education Institutions in Jordan: An Analytical Approach

This study provides an in depth assessment of the main drivers of risk impeding private higher education institutions in Jordan. The study adopts an analytical approach that incorporates reviewing available literature and conducting interviews and discussions with some shareholders and board of trustees' members in addition to faculty members and students of private universities. The analysis revealed that although private universities in Jordan are making progress and provide important contributions to the economy, however, they face important strategic and operational risks in addition to other compliance, financial and reputational risks. These risks include educational delivery systems, quality of academic programs, executive management, competition, and utilization of new technologies, compliance with accrediting agencies, financial issues, societal perception, students' violence, and demographic challenges. The study concludes that private universities need to place risk management plans to effectively deal with the all risk indicators analyzed in the study. Recommendations on how to implement a risk management plan are also presented and highlighted

Beyond Arab Spring: Societal Context and Prospects for a New Paradigm of Arab Management

This study investigates the defining characteristics of Arab management and takes into account the impact of societal and cultural factors on Arab managerial practices that provoked different opinions in the field of management thought. The proposition merits investigation because it takes place in the wake of the Arab Spring that emphasizes democratic change in Arab leadership styles and political systems. Hence, any evaluation of the underlying causes of this turmoil would recognize that a fundamental transformation in Arab management and leadership styles is also required; a transformation that creates an acceptance and eagerness to do things differently, and to keep pace with the rapidly developing societal and cultural environment. To achieve its objective, the study adopts a qualitative content analysis that incorporates the review and analysis of different studies that highlight features of Arab societal culture and the varied perspectives of Arab management styles. The study also considers some of the underlying causes and possible outcomes of the current Arab uprising as a possible basis for re-positioning Arab management in a new paradigm of management

The Role of Corporate Culture in Maintaining Organizational Operations during the Global Financial Crisis

Abstract: The global financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 presents leaders and managers with many challenges. Yet, the lessons of this crisis also present opportunities to create more responsive and flexible organizations capable of overcoming the risks and troubles more effectively. However, in the midst of this crisis it is apparent that most of the attention seems to be devoted to changing regulatory structures and rules that affect corporate governance and the financial markets. This paper argues that the root causes of such crisis are deep and unlikely to be addressed through public policy or external means alone. Most of the problems during this financial crisis can be traced to that most CEOs and executives did not actually pay attention to their company's culture as they did with regard to their profits, assets, brands, and quality of products and services. The paper then explores the vulnerability of firms whose executives fail to manage their company's culture at the time of crisis with as much thoroughness as they apply to managing their financial, operational or technology risks. Finally, the paper lays out a leadership and management strategy based on the strengths of maintaining a strong corporate culture guided by adherence to the core values of the organization

Depression, anxiety, distress and somatization in asthmatic patients

Objective: There is evidence that asthma is associated with an increase in psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, distress and somatization). The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of psychiatric disorders in adult asthmatic patients and to examine its relationship to asthma control. Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted on 134 subjects (65 healthy volunteers, 69 asthmatic patients). The asthmatic patients were divided into 3 groups, according to GINA guidelines (GINA, 2010) [2] criteria for asthma control, and were subsequently compared to control groups in terms of demographic, clinical, and spirometric data, as well as The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire to assess psychological symptoms. Results: The sample was predominantly female 49 patients (71%). Of the 69 patients, 32 (46%) were classified as having uncontrolled asthma. Somatization, anxiety, depression, distress levels were higher among asthma patients compared to control and the difference was statistically significant (p  0.05 and p > 0.05, respectively). High levels of anxiety were found among uncontrolled and partially controlled asthma cases compared to controlled cases with no statistically significant difference. Low grade depression levels were noticed among controlled cases. High levels of anxiety were found among uncontrolled and partially controlled asthma cases compared to controlled cases with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05, respectively). There was a negative weak correlation between psychiatric symptoms and age, duration of asthma and forced expiratory volume in the first second (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Asthmatic patients are at high risk of psychiatric problems, particularly depression, anxiety and somatization. Asthmatic patients need psychotherapy besides their medication of asthma to obtain better asthma out come and management

EEG-based neural networks approaches for fatigue and drowsiness detection: A survey

Drowsiness is a state of fatigue or sleepiness characterized by a strong urge to sleep. It is correlated with a progressive decline in response time, compromised processing of available information, more errors in short-term memory, and reduced vigilance behaviors. The electroencephalogram (EEG), a recording of the brain’s electrical activities, has demonstrated the most robust association with drowsiness. As a result, EEG is widely recognized as a dependable indicator for evaluating drowsiness, fatigue, and performance levels. In this survey paper, we thoroughly investigate the application of shallow and deep neural network approaches utilizing EEG signals for the detection of fatigue and drowsiness. As far as our knowledge extends, this is the pioneering survey paper dedicated to exploring this specific research domain. The paper presents a comprehensive overview of the diverse EEG features utilized in the detection of fatigue and drowsiness, the different types of neural networks, and the reported performance of these methods in the literature. Additionally, the paper thoroughly examines the challenges and limitations associated with EEG-based fatigue and drowsiness detection and highlights directions for future research. The survey aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the existing methods in EEG-based fatigue and drowsiness detection, serving as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working in the respective field