Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
11 results
Search Results
Item Restricted Financial Integrity in the Digital Age: How Technology Aids in Fighting Financial Crimes in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia(University of Leeds, 2024) Altalhi, Abdullah; Montagu-Cairns, StevenThe primary objective of the current research is to determine the impact of technological advancements on eliminating and preventing money laundering, fraudulent activities and other illegal acts with emphasis on United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The research employs a legal perspective to gain understanding and comprehension about the study. Furthermore, the in-depth analysis of the findings revealed that different technologies including machine algorithms, data analytics, surveillance system, biometric identification and forensic accounting etc. play a pivotal role in detecting frauds earlier and resolve them. Moreover, the outcomes of the research depict that different legislations have been implemented for resolving criminological activities. This implies that the authorities of both the UK and Saudi Arabia are integrating technological advancements with legal systems for tackling the issues of fraud and money laundering. Thus, the study concludes that technological integration with legal system is contributing significantly towards resolving the issue financial offenses.26 0Item Restricted Horizon Scanning: Futurology(Unniversity of Bath, 2023-09-04) BAKHASHWAIN, FAISAL; DE SA FIALHO, GUILHERME CALAIS GRILO; SENTHILKUMAR, PRAVEEN; SUN, SHUSHEN; NAGVEKAR, TANAY; ZHOU, XUAN; HAASZ, ANDYBMT's service covers many products and consulting services, with business spread across the globe, thus possessing a solid market position. However, it simultaneously faces inherent risks tackled through scenario planning. BMT faces a problem which is a slow and often inconsistent futurology process. The aim is to optimise this practice, offering a faster and more consistent solution. Futurology is the activity of overlooking the future, in efforts to prepare for dynamic changes. Scenario planning is a futurology tool that creates pictures of current trends to predict future states. Academic scenario planning frameworks can be divided into two areas: those that base scenarios on key drivers and those that don’t. The trade-off between them is consistent, so the team has incorporated ideologies from both types within the proposed framework. Findings from existing frameworks showed that two of the best processes are Shell and the UK Gov. toolkit. Therefore, factors from both are integrated into the proposed framework. The proposed framework has been divided into three main areas, enabling a more targeted and methodical approach, and ensuring that all relevant factors are considered. Challenge assessment pairs technology with potential challenges. The pair analysis evaluates whether a pair is feasible to enter the next stage, which saves time as it eliminates unnecessary items. Finally, devising scenarios serves as the scenario-building stage. 1. Challenge assessment a. SCAMPER: a creativity tool that guides the critical analysis of technology. b. Sector tree: aids in predicting technology transformation. c. Delphi: synthesizes expert opinions through iterative rounds of questionnaires. 2. Pair analysis: utilises a scoring table to evaluate pairs. 3. Devising scenarios a. Cross-Impact method: a comprehensive and structured tool, however the lacking creativity and time-efficiency. b. 4 Questions: the intermediate choice regarding tool trade-off. c. Scenario archetypes: a creative and time efficient tool, however lacking comprehensiveness. However, upon usage, it was discovered that the process was still quite slow. Henceforth, the process was fully digitalised, to decrease time and increase engagement. This resulted in two deliverables: an explanatory word handbook and a digital guidebook. This proposal has proven to save 50% of BMT’s time during their scenario planning process while producing similar/better results. Moreover, this framework is expected to maximise engagement and consistency, optimising decision-making.23 0Item Restricted Perceptions of Marketing Students Using Smartphone Applications (Apps) in Distance Education in the College of Business Administration at Umm-Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia(Niagara University, 2024-08-23) Alazwari, Maha Abbas; Polka, WalterOur world is a rapidly changing society, surrounded by local and global challenges, the most important of which are technological and technical developments, and global openness represented by the spread of communication networks, the Internet, and others. Perhaps the most important of these technologies is what is known as smartphone applications (apps), through which millions of people participate, each according to his/ her interest and inclinations. Digital technology in general and smartphone apps on the network in particular are among the new innovations in human society that have changed human communication patterns. Considering that distance education is one of the components of this society, and one of its basic elements in the process of promotion and development. The educational system must know how to benefit from the use of smartphone apps in education in order to raise the level of knowledge and promote sustainable development. According to the Saudi government's Vision 2030, digital transformation is a crucial, conclusive, and practical approach that intends to facilitate and hasten the government's transformation in an efficient manner. One of the key goals of this vision is to enhance the quality of higher education in Saudi Arabia by adopting innovative technologies and approaches, including the use of digital platforms in education. KSA is planning on ranking at least 5 Saudi universities among the top 200 universities in the world by 2030. In the past, Saudi Arabia's education policy was entirely based on traditional education, with no consideration for digital platforms. There are specific previous studies looking at the use of educational smartphone apps in distance education by marketing students. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of using smartphone apps as an educational tool on learning goals and learning outcomes of Marketing students' in the College of Business Administration at Umm Al-Qura University. Also, this study was to explore the impact the usefulness and ease of use of smartphone apps on the adoption of smartphone apps in distance education within the College of Business Administration at UQU Saudi Arabia. There were 240 responses from marketing students in the quantitative part, and 8 faculty members participated in the qualitative part of the study. Overall, the results showed strong support for the hypotheses especially when isolating ease of use and usefulness: learning goals and learning outcomes are indeed significantly mediated by ease of use and usefulness thereby driving adoption and learning outcomes. Direct effects of gender as a moderating variable were found for learning goals and adoption: females were less inclined to feel that apps were well integrated into learning goals but nevertheless were inclined to engage in greater adoption of the app. Future studies could delve deeper into individual motivations, attitudes, and contextual factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of gender differences in technology acceptance within educational settings.28 0Item Restricted A Scoping Review On Employing Virtual Reality (VR) Exposure-Based Therapy For Anxiety Disorders(Bangor University, 2024) Dammak, Faisal; Rogers, AndrewVirtual reality (VR) technology has shown promise in the treatment of anxiety disorders by providing a secure and immersive environment for exposure-based interventions. This scoping review explored the scope of evidence on the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) interventions in the treatment of different anxiety disorders, such as specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder. Second, it aimed to explore the methodological limitations and give recommendations for future research accordingly. The review was conducted based on the guide for conducting scoping reviews developed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Both primary and secondary studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. Studies with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods can be included. Several databases were used, including the Wiley Online Library, Science Direct, Web of Science, the Bangor University Library, Scopus, MedLine, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. The review yielded 27 studies. Findings showed that the use of VR can be a promising intervention for decreasing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and specific phobias (fear of flying, snakes, spiders, and agoraphobia). The effects of virtual reality on the symptoms of anxiety disorders were not only maintained in the long term, but they were maintained in the short term. The use of VR was associated with high satisfaction rates, engagement, and acceptability. A wide range of recommendations for future research were given, including the necessity to conduct studies with a qualitative design, a mixed-methods design, a longitudinal design with a long follow-up, and comparative studies. Further, studies should be conducted across different cultures, as this can increase generalizability. Moreover, there is a need for addressing the variability in VR platforms and technology, studying potential confounding variables, mediators, and moderators, requiring consistent outcome measures, and addressing the heterogeneity in study designs.32 0Item Restricted Islamic Studies Teachers' Perspectives of Applying Technology in Saudi Arabia Elementary Schools(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-08-19) Alsaif, Amal Abdulmohsen; Garner, BretteIn recent years, the use of technology in education has been on the rise around the world, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. The integration of technology in Saudi education has the potential to enhance the quality of education, increase access to education, and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It also has the potential to facilitate collaboration between students and teachers, both within and outside the classroom, and to promote lifelong learning. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate Islamic Studies teachers' perceptions of using technology in their classrooms in elementary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The collection of survey data and interview outcomes is part of this study. First, an electronic survey was distributed to Islamic Studies instructors in Riyadh elementary schools to determine their views on the use of technology in education. Following that, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a number of Islamic Studies teachers in order to better understand their perspectives on the use of technology in teaching and learning processes. The goal of gathering survey and interview data was to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the information received. Findings show that Islamic Studies teachers are willing to use technology in their teaching and are keen to use it to enhance students’ learning. However, the teachers expressed some of the obstacles they face, such as the lack of technical resources and the absence of technical support. Additionally, the study found that the teachers' beliefs influenced how they used technology. Ultimately, this study presents a deeper look at the teachers' opinions on teaching Islamic Studies in elementary classrooms using technology to present a comprehensive picture of the Saudi educational system to teachers, teacher preparation departments, and policymakers in the Ministry of Education.25 0Item Restricted The Effects of Technology- and Non-Technology-Based Vocabulary Learning Ac-tivities on Saudi EFL Learners’ Pushed Output Vocabulary Learning(Newcastle University, 2023-09-22) Albaqami, Saad Eid; Albaqami, Saad EidSince the output hypothesis was originally developed by Swain (1985; 1993), it has retained its relevance for teaching and learning. Pannell et al (2017) subsequently embedded the output hypothesis firmly in language studies and teaching and saw it as critical for encouraging learn-ing. Pushed output was defined by Ellis (2003, p. 349) as “output that reflects what learners can produce when they are pushed to use target language accurately and concisely”. Similar to the output hypothesis, technology adoption in the classroom is also becoming recognised as a via-ble – indeed crucial - tool for students and teachers (DFE, 2019). However, there is a gap in the research revolving around how technology and pushed output can be combined to engender improvements in vocabulary learning. This thesis will thus compare three conditions (pushed email, a pushed class and a non-pushed class) in terms of their effects on vocabulary learning. These three conditions are within-subject design, so all the participants in the study experienced the same conditions in a different order. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect the data. The thesis used a productive test, a vocabulary knowledge scales test and a questionnaire to seek answers to the set research questions. The participants were 54 adult Saudi EFL students recruited from third-year English specialisation classes at Albaha University, Saudi Arabia. The design of the study consisted of three groups, three conditions and three target vocabulary sets to compare learners being taught via traditional methods without pushed output, learners being taught with pushed output, and learners using email pushed output. In both the productive and vocabulary knowledge scales tests, the results reveal that learners who did vocabulary learning exercises via pushed output significantly outperformed those who completed exercises without pushed output, in both the short and long terms. Moreover, the results reveal that students who completed their exercises via email outside the class using pushed output had a greater effect size than those who engaged in pushed output in the classroom. Additional analysis compared the students’ work to determine the impact of language instruction on vocabulary size and lex-ical errors. It analysed the students' lexical choices in their writing and the form of their errors in a pushed email, a pushed class, and a non-pushed class. It was found that pushed email re-sulted in larger vocabulary capacities. Both a pushed class and a pushed email were found to be optimal scenarios for improving lexical choices and form of error over time. In terms of vocabulary size, the results showed pushed email to be the optimal condition for vocabulary use vis-a-vis a pushed class and a non-pushed class. The questionnaire confirmed that the students had positive attitudes towards using email for learning vocabulary. The results suggest additional research is needed into technology-en-hanced vocabulary learning activities for speaking skills over the long term using the pushed output approach. Such studies could increase the sample size and conduct comparative research with other countries across the Middle East.22 0Item Restricted An investigation of AI in talent management in luxury hospitality in the UK (United Kingdom)(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-09-29) Alshalah, Zahra; Marinakou, EvangeliaAn investigation has been conducted into the implementation of artificial intelligence in the luxury hospitality sector of the United Kingdom. Digitalization is influencing the business operations of the hospitality sector from a variety of perspectives, including talent management. Managing talent is critical to the success of business operations in the luxury tourism sector, since it is a fundamental component of providing a better level of service to customers. There is no doubt that the hospitality industry is one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Hoteliers have been assisted greatly by artificial intelligence in managing their talent in recent years. Yet most human resources managers in luxury hotels in the United Kingdom are unaware of the existence of this technology, which is the reason for their slow growth. The purpose of this specified dissertation paper is to provide an in-depth analysis and discussion regarding the various challenges that various HR managers are undergoing while implementing AI technology within the hospitality industry in the UK. As well as the variety of approaches through which these challenges can be mitigated, this article discusses various ways through which all of these challenges can be mitigated. Artificial intelligence has been found to be able to facilitate the recruitment process. By doing so, Human Resources professionals have been able to reduce their workload. Additionally, it is used to train employees, make cognitive decisions, and select resumes for employment.99 0Item Restricted Exploring AI Technologies In project Management: The Rise of Automated Leadership(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-09-04) Alshamrani, Abdullah; Pagano, RosaneThe paper examines the changing environment of project management in the age of fast technological breakthroughs, focusing on the revolutionary impact of AI technology and robotic leadership. The study is driven by the urgent need to comprehend the integration of AI in project management practises and its consequences for decision-making, resource allocation, risk assessment, and overall project success. The research builds on a thorough analysis of the existing literature on automated leadership, artificial intelligence, and project management. In light of this, the study's five primary goals are as follows: assess the current level of AI adoption in project management; examine the effect of AI- enabled decision-making on project outcomes; look into the efficacy of automated resource allocation; investigate the role of AI in project risk assessment; and make suggestions for the incorporation of automated leadership. The study takes a quantitative approach, collecting data using well-designed questionnaires and analysing it statistically with the help of SPSS. To investigate the connections between AI and automated leadership, we performed evaluations of reliability, correlation, and regression. The results prove that AI technologies are crucial for project management. Affirming H1, we find that "Use of Artificial intelligence" greatly affects "Project success in project management." The research shows that AI technologies have progressed from simple aids to essential resources for contemporary project management. In contrast, the nuanced view presented by Hypothesis 2, which suggests the impact of "Automated leadership," becomes clear. There is a delicate balance between human-guided leadership and computerised directions, and although automated leadership plays a part, its influence is very limited. The third hypothesis, that "Use of Artificial intelligence" is strongly correlated with "Automated leadership," is supported by statistically significant evidence from the correlation study. It exemplifies how AI technology and automated leadership in project management are complementary rather than competitive. The ramifications go far and wide, touching on the work of professionals, politicians, educators, and researchers to promote ethical AI adoption and lifelong education in the ever- changing field of project management.43 0Item Restricted The Adoption Factors of Commercial Electric Vehicles: The Impact of Policy(2023) Alali, Laila; Gagliardi, Dimitri; Niesten, EvaThis thesis presents novel evidence on the factors that affect firm adoption of electric vehicles. In doing so, this thesis provides both theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature. These contributions add new insights to the limited but growing literature on electric vehicle adoption by businesses. This thesis consists of three journal-style research papers. The first paper of this thesis analyses the factors that impact firm adoption of alternative fuel vehicles. In doing so, we develop a theoretical framework on Firm Adoption of Sustainable Technologies (FAST), by combining several technology adoption models with the attribute of ‘perceived risk’. Through FAST, we analyse 53 academic studies on firm adoption of alternative fuel vehicles. Our results show that the main enablers for firms to adopt are linked to efficiency, environmental, economic, and strategic gains. The main barriers to adoption are limited knowledge, organisational policies, as well as operational and economic factors. The second paper examines the effect of UK financial purchase incentives on new registrations of electric fleets while moderating for gross domestic product (GDP) change. Our results show that financial purchase incentives positively impact new registrations of electric fleets, and this effect is positively moderated by GDP change. Marginal analysis reveals three categories of adopters that purchase electric fleets at different levels of policy and GDP change: insensitive adopters, standard adopters, and sensitive adopters. Overall, financial incentives are more effective in fostering the adoption of electric fleets when GDP change and financial purchase incentives are above their average level. The third paper examines the effect of the mix of financial policy incentives on the adoption of electric vehicles by businesses in the UK. Specifically, we examine the instrument mix characteristics: consistency and comprehensiveness. Overall, our results show that consistency and comprehensiveness positively influence the adoption of commercial electric vehicles16 0Item Restricted Investigating Saudi Arabia University Teachers’ Level of Self-Efficacy in The Components of The Tpack Model(2023-06-23) Alghamdi, Nouf; Serenka, Jo FrannyThis study aims to investigate the level of self-efficacy among instructors regarding the various components of the TPACK model in their teaching within Saudi Arabia. TPACK represents a viable nexus between technology and educational content, creating successful educational technology integration. Existing research demonstrates a need to study TPACK further in the context of instructors’ level of self-efficacy in the components of the TPACK model (Lee and Kim, 2017). However, this dissertation will investigate instructors’ level of self-efficacy towards utilizing technology in their classrooms. In doing so, the study will adopt a quantitative approach using a survey to gain insights into instructors’ self-efficacy. This study is significant because TPACK is a critical part of the Saudi Arabian education system. Instructor’s level of self-efficacy is essential as they shape not only the future of educational delivery, but also the future of each learner. Moreover, the growing implementation of TPACK in universities in KSA is exclusively dependent upon the instructors’ performance with this model. The findings revealed that instructors demonstrated high levels of self-efficacy across all components of TPACK. They also exhibited confidence in using technology to enrich content, support student inquiry, and organize teaching and student learning. However, there were some areas where participants indicated a lack of self-efficacy or uncertainty. The research recommends that educational institutions support instructors through mentoring programs, collaborative learning communities, and peer observations (Marx, 2005).46 0