SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
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Item Restricted Responsibility for Online Harms: A Critical Analysis of Cyber Governance in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-03) Alsaiedi, Yara M; Basu, Subhajit; Walker, CliveThis thesis investigates the topic of internet governance within the context of Saudi Arabia. It focuses on the component of ‘Responsibility’ for internet governance when applied to the policy area of combating online harms. As such, the research work investigates and evaluates the present framework of responsibility devised to address online harms, considering the assemblage which regulates online content and cybersecurity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This approach aims to facilitate the prevention and mitigation of the harmful effects of online activities and content, thereby aligning with the objectives outlined in the Saudi state’s long-term project known as Vision 2030. The thesis adopts the hypothesis that effectively addressing online harms requires a primary objective of establishing a robust responsibility structure. This method can best be achieved by facilitating the active participation of all stakeholders in the strategic deployment of responsive – including preventive – measures. Consequently, the thesis advocates a multistakeholderism approach with reference to governance for the prevention and mitigation of online harms in Saudi Arabia. It evaluates the effectiveness and fairness of the responsibility structure in fostering cybersecurity and mitigating the harmful effects of online content in the Saudi context. The formal study employs semi-structured interviews with elite figures and authorities from governmental and private organisations, internet content and service providers, as well as corporate users, which are the small and medium enterprises (SME) as internet users. Additionally, it integrates the policy transfer methodology to draw insights from the experiences of the United Kingdom in the realm of internet governance. In sum, the thesis proposes areas of improvement to develop a comprehensive online harms governance framework in Saudi Arabia. Such amendments are expected to contribute to the recognition and realisation of the declared Vision 2030 goals related to internet governance in the Saudi realm.2 0Item Restricted The Ianguage Attitudes of Saudi Arabic Speakers Towards the Speech of Other Major Vernacular Varieties of Arabic(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-03-03) Albogami, Haitham; Griffiths, MarkLanguage attitudes research in Saudi Arabia is in its early stages, and rarely goes beyond the boundaries of Saudi Arabia. There remains a gap in our knowledge of Saudis' attitudes towards non-Saudi dialects. This study examines Saudi Arabic speakers’ attitudes toward the speech of five major vernacular varieties of Arabic: Gulf, Iraqi, Levantine, Egyptian, and Maghrebi. The findings revealed a clear hierarchy of attitudes. Gulf Arabic was rated the highest across most labels, while Maghrebi Arabic was the lowest. Iraqi, Levantine and Egyptian competed in the middle spots, with an association of humour and closeness to MSA with Egyptian and Levantine Arabic respectively. Using a verbal guise technique (VGT) combined with a semantic differential scale and ranking tasks, this study collected and analysed quantitative and qualitative data from Saudi participants. The results suggested that attitudes toward these dialects are influenced by a combination of linguistic, sociopolitical, and cultural factors. Exploratory Factor Analyses were conducted on the five speakers, revealing five different dimensional models. These factor structures uncovered patterns of attitudes, offering a deeper look into stereotypes associated with the five varieties. By integrating culture-specific constructs (e.g., Sadr al-Majlis as a social status indicator), this study highlights the need for culture-appropriate instruments in language attitudes research. The findings highlight how media, cultural proximity, and stereotypes shape these attitudes.8 0Item Restricted Exploring Physiotherapists' Perceptions and Practices in the Use of Psychological Interventions in Sports Rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia: A Survey Study(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-02-24) Alharbi, Abdulelah; Knott, SianBackground: Sports injuries impact athletes both physically and psychologically, causing issues like anxiety, depression, and fear of re-injury. Incorporating psychological interventions and emotional support in rehabilitation enhances recovery outcomes. Physiotherapists, due to their close interaction with athletes, play a key role in addressing these psychological aspects and providing comprehensive care. Aim of the study: Explore the psychological interventions in sports injury rehabilitation among physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia, focusing on their practices, perceptions, and referral behaviours. Design: A quantitative descriptive survey study. Methods: This study included 160 physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia, with 53.8% (n = 86) males and 46.3% (n = 74) females. The Physiotherapist and Sport Psychology Questionnaire (PSPQ) was distributed through social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn, between 29 October 2024 and 29 November 2024. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: A total of 18.1% of physiotherapists reported "always" observing psychological impacts on athletes following injuries, with 36.3% observing this "often." Over half (53.8%) of physiotherapists rated addressing the psychological aspects of injuries as "extremely important." Athletes who coped successfully with injuries were commonly characterized by "realistic expectations" (M = 5.04, SD = 2.260) and "patience with themselves" (M = 5.00, SD = 2.226). In contrast, poor coping was associated with traits such as "anger/aggression" (M = 5.54, SD = 2.166) and "poor concentration" (M = 5.07, SD = 2.108). Among the most frequently employed techniques were “encouraging effective communication” (M = 4.40, SD = 0.841), “enhancing self-confidence” (M = 4.29, SD = 0.908), and “setting short-term goals” (M = 4.26, SD = 0.894), all of which were described as "always used." Additionally, the techniques physiotherapists most valued for further development included “setting realistic goals” (M = 4.40, SD = 0.841) and “enhancing self-confidence” (M = 4.29, SD = 0.908). Despite this, 85.6% lacked access to sports psychologists, 80% had never referred athletes, and 89.4% reported an absence of referral guidelines. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant psychological impact of injuries on athletes, as observed by physiotherapists. Physiotherapists demonstrated a high awareness of the importance of addressing the psychological aspects of rehabilitation. Skills such as “setting realistic goals” and “enhancing self-confidence” were identified as the most valued techniques for both current use and further learning. However, the lack of access to sports psychologists and the absence of formal referral guidelines remain major barriers, with most physiotherapists reporting no referrals or collaboration with psychologists. These findings emphasize the urgent need to integrate psychological support into sports injury rehabilitation to improve outcomes for athletes.3 0Item Restricted The impact of IT flexibility and IT capability on Business-IT strategic alignment: An empirical study in Saudi Arabia(The University of Manchseter, 2025) Alharbi, Nawal Olayan; Mamman, AminuPublic and private organisations face many challenges to attain the objectives of providing services and products to their clients. Most organisations adopt many enablers customised technological tools to tackle their unique operational issues and achieve their strategic goals. Therefore, IT is considered one of the most enablers for organisations to help overcome their challenges. Higher education institutions have developed strategies and are relying more on their IT systems in delivering most of services to their stakeholders. The roles of IT strategy and business strategy in any organisation are often incorporated. However, the organisations’ objectives are likely not to be attained if the business strategy and IT strategy are not aligned in an effective manner. Business and IT strategic alignment has been considered as IT application in which match the business objectives, goals, and requirements. To improve the efficiency and performance of alignment, IT flexibility and IT capability provide a robust lens to assess their impact on organisational objectives. Although, strategic alignment has been the interest of many researchers, investigation of such issue in Saudi higher education sector is still to be undertaken. To address this issue, the aim of this study was to examine how IT is used in Saudi Arabian higher education to attain their organisational objectives. This aim was pursued by meeting the following objectives: First, to investigate the connection between flexibility and capability of IT dimensions. Second, to investigate the effect of IT flexibility and IT capability on the business strategy and IT strategic alignment. Third, to investigate how business strategy and IT strategic alignment have influenced organisational performance. The research employed the University of Hail as a case study to conduct an extensive examination of IT flexibility, IT capability, and IT strategic alignment with business strategy. A qualitative research approach was utilised to collect data through various methods, including interviews and document analysis. The study participants comprised the Deanship, Strategy department, IT department, Heads of Schools, faculty members and students. This study found a significant shift from viewing IT as merely a support function to recognising it as a strategic enabler for achieving organisational goals. It delved into the interrelated nature of IT flexibility, IT capability, business-IT strategic alignment, and organisational performance. These interconnections allowed the organisation to effectively leverage IT for performance enhancements, as evidenced by improvements in key areas such as student services, research output, administrative efficiency, and university ranking. The study made a significant contribution to addressing gaps in IT research and enhanced the understanding of educational and business organisations regarding the effective implementation of Business-IT strategic alignment.30 0Item Embargo Evaluating Audit Quality through Audit Quality Disclosure: An Examination of Audit Committee Practices in Saudi Arabia(Royal Holloway, University of London, 2025-02) Almutawa, Waleed; Napier, Christopher; Stadler, ChristianThis thesis explores current practices that audit committee members and audit committee attendees (ACMs) from a developing nation, Saudi Arabia, perform when trying to evaluate the audit quality of the audit firm. It also examines current approaches and challenges encountered while utilizing Key Audit Matters (KAMs) and Transparency Reports (TRs), and the necessity for Audit Quality Indicators (AQIs) (referred to as the audit quality disclosure). I conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 29 ACMs and those who have influence over the practices of the audit committee. I used documents to triangulate different sources and add credibility and trustworthiness to the findings. Theoretically, the study draws on the institutional logics perspective to understand the logic behind the current practices and beliefs. This study found that ACMs mainly use signals and clues that are obtained through the public domain, proposals, private sources, interactions with the auditors, and audit outputs to assess audit quality. The findings clearly show the predominance of professional logic among the majority of ACMs, and naïve stakeholder logic among ACMs of small companies and ACMs who lack audit literacy in large companies. The majority of the study participants do not utilize KAMs and TRs and do not support disclosing AQIs as transparency logic tools for assessing audit quality, although some younger interviewees show some inclination towards them. This thesis aims to broaden our understanding of the crucial role that audit committees are expected to play, particularly in evaluating audit quality. This role was broadly investigated in the audit committee effectiveness literature before. Furthermore, existing research on KAMs and TRs has largely overlooked their use in evaluating audit quality. Additionally, the literature on AQIs is scant, focusing mainly on identifying suitable AQIs and assessing their impact. Thus, this study attempts to shed light on these neglected but important realms of research.24 0Item Restricted The Challenges and Opportunities in Organisational Arrangements for Disaster Preparedness during Hajj(Coventry, 2025) ALdwsari, Mater; shibani, AbdualssalmPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the challenges and opportunities in the organisational arrangements for disaster preparedness during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. This paper explores the complexities of managing disaster risks during this mass gathering event, focusing on operational frameworks, stakeholder coordination, and the integration of modern technologies. Design/methodology/approach – This research was undertaken from a secondary approach and analysed existing literature, government reports, and past incident case studies for Hajj. It evaluated inter-agency coordination, health preparedness, and technology use for the management of risks and how disasters could possibly improve response during the pilgrimage period. Findings – The major challenges that really come forth comprise but are not restricted to the following: poor inter-institutional co-operation; very little application of some digital technologies; and impeding the rich social and cultural diversity regarding the stakeholders under consideration. On the contrary, available opportunities would include the following areas: better disaster simulation, improvement in public health strategies, and efficient crowd control and emergency response operations by using technology. Practical implications – The report presented some recommendations on enhancing organizational arrangements for disaster preparedness during Hajj. It includes creating a centralized command structure, investing in integrating technology, offering cultural competency training for stakeholdersin more disaster simulation exercises to boost operational readiness. Originality/value – This working paper uniquely reflects the study of preparedness for disaster in the Hajj pilgrimage in operational management challenges as well as opportunities for improvements. Findings and recommendations are useful for other large-event management and disaster preparedness exercises across the world.43 0Item Restricted The Entrepreneurial Orientation of Females in Saudi Arabia: The Associations with Informal and Formal Institutions(University of Glasgow, 2025-05) AlMarri, Salem; Wei, Yang; Trevor, BuckWhile entrepreneurship is considered a critical factor in developing economies, it is essential to note that the focus on entrepreneurship has broadened from investigating key individual characteristics influencing entrepreneurship to exploring the influence of institutional factors such as policies, education, financial support and other informal factors. Therefore, this study examined the impact of national culture (NC) represented by Hofstede’s dimensions, namely power distance tolerance (PD), uncertainty avoidance (UA), individualism (IND), masculinity (MAS) and long-term orientation (LTO), on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) among female Saudi entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. The study also examined the moderating effect of access to finance (ATF) on the relationship between cultural dimensions and EO. The study revealed valuable results, including the fact that female entrepreneurs reported a quite different set of cultural values from those of Saudi Arabia as a whole, and that their IND and MAS positively influenced their EO respectively. In contrast, their LTO, UA and PD showed no significant association with EO. Furthermore, the hypothesised moderating effect of ATF on the relationships between NC and EO was not supported. The findings emphasise various important conclusions. For example, as ATF was not significant here, there may be a need to provide comprehensive support systems to enhance EO, such as mentorship programmes, customised entrepreneurial training, and other market access initiatives. Saudi policymakers may focus on combining financial and non-financial support, including capacity-building and support, which can be done by developing multi- faceted strategies that enhance entrepreneurial ecosystems and manage entrepreneurs' challenges. Furthermore, multi-faceted strategies developed by policymakers may wish to address gender-specific challenges by implementing tailored entrepreneurial training programmes, increasing female representation in leadership roles, and creating inclusive networking opportunities.37 0Item Restricted Addressing risk, challenges, and solutions in Megaprojects: A case study of Neom Smart City in Saudi Arabia(leeds beckett university, 2024) Alluqmani, Waleed Salem; Omotayo, TemitopeNeom Smart City is designed as a high-tech city with sustainable living and renewable energy sources such as solar power and autonomous transportation systems. The City aims to become an attractive destination for talents and investment Mega Projects are more common in the 21st century due to global population growth, urbanisation, and technological innovation that requires the establishment of big projects. The aim of this research is to focus on risks, challenges, and solutions that may occur at the Neom Smart City project in KSA, and provide insights for the effective management of megaprojects. A positivist philosophy and a deductive research approach was used in this research. The overarching methodology was quantitative. The data-gathering procedure involved questionnaire instruments. The sample involved twenty participants including project managers, while the data analysis technique used was descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS and crucial ethical considerations were confidentiality and informed consent. Descriptive analysis of the findings have revealed that the participants perceived financial risks to be the most important concerns, followed by legal and construction risks. The result from the study also shows poor planning, political failures, and the lack of high-performing teams were the most significant contributor to the failure of megaprojects. The inferential statistics have revealed that there is a significant positive correlation between design risks and legal risks, contractual risks, construction risks and operational management risks. Financial risks are linked to construction risks, political risks, and leadership risks. Empirically, financial risks are influenced by contractual risks, poor leadership, and poor planning. The outcomes also suggest that stakeholder collaboration has a statistically significant impact on construction risks.7 0Item Restricted Investigating the Implementation of Governance Through the Adoption of the Universities Law in Saudi Higher Education(ASTON UNIVERSITY, 2025) Alowaid, Othman; Hall, MatthewThis research investigates the implementation of the new Universities Law in Saudi Arabia and its implications for higher education governance. The primary aim is to develop a comprehensive governance framework tailored to Saudi universities' unique sociocultural, political, and economic context. This study provides a robust theoretical foundation for understanding governance dynamics within Saudi higher education by synthesising agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories. There has previously been an in-depth exploration of adapting governance in Saudi higher education through the new Universities Law; hence, this research examines the two universities that first implemented the new law. The study explores the governance framework of Saudi higher education, the adaptation processes, and the challenges encountered. A qualitative case study approach allowed participants to describe their experiences. Data collection involved two main methods: document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The key documents analysed were the previous Higher Education and Universities Council Law and the new Universities Law. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from the two universities and the Universities Affairs Council, considered the body supervising universities. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on higher education governance by demonstrating the novel combination of agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories and revealing the limitations of existing governance frameworks when applied in isolation. This study addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative. Additionally, it addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative.13 0Item Restricted ASDLAF: An Innovative Framework for Adopting Learning Applications for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Saudi Arabia(University of Sussex, 2024) Almazni, Yahya; Natalia, BeloffBackground: Learning tools have been recognized as an effective approach to enhance the skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who face interaction, social and communication challenges. Relevant studies highlight that most of the ASD learning applications (LAs) are designed for children, but few investigate tools designed specifically for adults. Additionally, studies show that many applications are developed for the Western users which lack Arabic language support. Saudi Vision 2030 emphasises enhancing the quality of life including through digital transformation, which presents a promising opportunity to address the discussed challenges by investigating the factors that impact the adoption of ASD LAs. Aims and Objectives: The study aims at investigating the intention of the Saudi adults with ASD to use LAs by exploring the current challenges and barriers they face and identifying the most influential factors that impact the adoption of ASD LAs. These factors focus on three elements––technological, cultural and pedagogical which shape the ASD users’ engagement with LAs. To achieve this, the ASDLAF framework was developed to evaluate the 16 factors to assess the unique needs of ASD individuals. The thesis also captures the perspectives of the ASD caregivers who work closely with this population. Methods: This study employs a mixed-methods approach combining the quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methods. In the quantitative phase, a structured survey was distributed among ASD individuals gathering date from 412 respondents. Prior to the analysis, the validity and reliability of the survey instrument were assessed using SPSS software to ensure accurate analysis results. The descriptive analysis was conducted to provide an overview of the data gathered, which was followed by conducting the statistical analysis, aiming at assessing the significance of each factor within the ASDLAF framework. After that, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with ASD caregivers and experts to understand their perspectives into the adoption of ASD LAs. By integrating quantitative and qualitative data, the thesis was able to provide valuable recommendation and insights. Results: The results of this study reveal that ASD LAs are in their infancy within the Saudi context, though a significant intention to adopt exists among ASD individuals. The findings also provide insights into the factors that most influence LAs adoption by highlighting the key aspects such as usability, accessibility, privacy and motivation, which positively impact the adoption intention. Recommendations based on these insights aim to guide LA developers and caregivers in designing and assessing technological tools. Additionally, they offer valuable insights for policymakers focused on enhancing the quality of life of ASD individuals.12 0