Towards Practical Model of Public Private Partnership (PPP) Implementation in E-Government in Jordan: Field Assessment*

Purpose: The main aim of this study is to evaluate the adoption of Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach in E-Government programs in Jordan which is considered a developing country, by evaluating the second stage of the three-stage model of PPP developed by (Al-Shqairat, 2009).  Design/methodology/approach: A mixed quantitative and qualitative research approach was adopted. Qualitative data was collected using semi structured interviews with eleven IT managers working in public organizations. Quantitative data, on the other hand, was collected using a questionnaire designed and validated for the current study. A total of 109 questionnaires were distributed to participant working in 13 different public entities. These participants were also directly involved in Public Private Partnership projects in these entities. The response rate of 56.88% percent was adequate for accuracy and the results were useful and representative of the target population. The questionnaire data was analyzed using parametric statistics including mean analysis.Findings: The main findings of this study shows significant support for the proposed implementation stage. Furthermore, the survey and the interview analysis highlighted that the benefits and obstacles are more important than any other aspect of the implementation stage. Originality/ value: This study is one of the few studies that attempted to propose and validate an empirical model of PPP Implementation in E-Government projects that could be adopted by governments while planning for a successful PPP approach in implementing E-Government initiatives in specific or an ICT related projects. Keywords: Public Private Partnership (PPP) implementation; E-Government; Jordan; Public Sector, Private Sector, PPP forms, PPP mechanisms

CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND CORPORATE PERFORMANCE EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE PUBLIC JORDANIAN SHAREHOLDINGS FIRMS LISTED IN THE AMMAN STOCK MARKET

The study investigates the effect of capital structure on the performance of the public Jordanian firms listed in Amman stock market. The study used multiple regression model represented by ordinary least squares (OLS) as a technique to examine what is the effect of capital structure on the performance by applying on 76 firms (53 industrial firms and 23 service corporation) for the period(2001-2006).The results of the study concluded that capital structure associated negatively and statistically with firm performance on the study sample generally. In addition, the study found out that there was no significant difference to the impact of the financial leverage between high financial leverage firms and low financial leverage firms on their performance. Finally, the study also showed that the effect of financial leverage on the basis of the growth that there is no difference between the financial leverage of high growth firms and low growth firms on the performance, which it was negatively and statistically

The Compatibility of the Study Plans and the Courses with the Internal and External Labor Markets: An Empirical Study on the Department of Business and Marketing of the College of Planning and Administration at Balqa` Applied University

The aim of the study is to clarify the relation between the study plans and the courses and between the internal and external labor market and to highlight a light on one of the most important department (business and marketing) in the college of planning and administration at Balqa Applied University. The population of the study consisted of all the graduates of the department of business and marketing since its establishment at Balqa Applied University in 1997 with its different titles. A simple random sample was 20% of the statistical society (520 graduates), which is (106 graduates).The study found that there is statistically significant relation between the compatibility of the study plans and the courses of the department of business and marketing at Balqa Applied university and between the administration of the internal and external labor market. Also the study explain that there is that the administration of the plans and the courses of the department of business and marketing at Balqa Applied University relied on the functional efficiency to the needs of the internal and external labor marketThe study recommend that there must be a professional development to the academic staff and which becomes later a legal and a basic demand to cope with the developments of the labor market in one hand. The study conclude that that most of the graduates of the department of business and marketing in Balqa Applied University have the best chance to obtain a job opportunity. Key words: BAU; Compatibility of the study plans; The course; The labor market; The study pla

Low temperature microwave pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials for renewable fuels and chemicals

Microwave pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials (cellulose, lignin, xylan, white birch) were investigated at the relatively low temperatures of 200-300ᴼC and low power of 300 W. Effects of temperature, microwave absorber (activated carbon and water), closed/open microwave, and cellulose crystallinity on yield and product distribution were examined. Microwave results were compared with higher temperature (250-475ᴼC) conventional pyrolysis using pyrolysis-gas chromatography. Results from both microwave and conventional method revealed that increasing temperature produced more bio-oil at the expense of biochar. Bio-oil yields with microwave pyrolysis from cellulose, xylan and white birch at 260ᴼC were 45%, 47%, and 17%, respectively, while lignin required microwave heating up to 280ᴼC to give only 4% yield. Torrefaction improved the quality of bio-oil but also increased the biochar yield while reducing bio-oil. High yields of useful levoglucosan were obtained from microwave pyrolysis of amorphous cellulose. Addition of the adsorbent water increased bio-oil production by 25%

Bioremoval of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solutions by Green Algae (<i>Bracteacoccus</i> sp.) Isolated from North Jordan: Optimization, Kinetic, and Isotherm Studies

Algae provide an alternative, sustainable, and environmentally beneficial method of dyetreatment. In this study, algae were successfully used to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The effects of several parameters, such as initial concentration of MB (5–25 mg L−1), algae dosage (0.02–0.1 g mL−1), temperature (4, 20, and 30 °C), and contact time (24, 48, 72 and 84 h), on MB removal were investigated. In addition, the characterization of MB before and after treatment was achieved using UV-spectrophotometer and Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The experimental data were applied to three kinetic models, namely pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Elvoich. Moreover, Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Raduskevich (D–R), and Temkin isotherm models were tested. The maximum removal efficiency of MB (~96%) was accomplished at optimum conditions at the initial concentration of MB (15 mg L−1), temperature (30 °C), and algae dosage (0.06 g mL−1) after 60 min of contact time. The removal of MB follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.999), and the experimental data is best fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.9300)

Optimizing Reductive Degradation of PAHs Using Anhydrous Ethanol with Magnesium Catalyzed by Glacial Acetic Acid

Targeted degradation of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) constituents like anthracene, may offer cost effective and efficient cleaning of coal tar-contaminated sites. Thus, a reductive degradation procedure of anthracene using activated magnesium with anhydrous ethanol at room temperature was developed and optimized. To determine the optimum conditions for anthracene, such as effective magnesium concentrations, glacial acetic acid volumes, and exposure time for the anthracene reduction, the experiments were designed using the response surface methodology based on the central composite design. The design also minimized the number of experiments. The main product from anthracene reduction is 9,10-dihyrdoanthracene. Optimum conditions for 98% degradation capacity of anthracene (2.80 × 10^–3 mmol) were 30 mg of Mg powder (1.20 mmol), 60 μL of glacial acetic acid (1.05 mmol), and 30 min exposure time. When the optimized method was tested on the coal tar specimen, twice as many reagents (i.e., Mg and glacial acetic acid) were required to obtain a 90% degradation of anthracene and fluoranthene from the coal tar. This method of using activated Mg and anhydrous ethanol selectively reduces PAHs in coal tar; in particular anthracene and fluoranthene are most efficiently removed