Academic Buildings and Their Influence on Students’ Wellbeing in Higher Education Institutions

The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of students about aspects of academic building that affect their wellbeing. The study adopts focus group discussion using semi structured interview guide to elicit their responses. Six different groups of students participated in the study. Interviews were recorded using digital audio recorder and were later transcribed to text. The qualitative data obtained was analysed through content analysis. Six key themes that emerged from the analysis are: comfort; health and safety; access and quality of facilities; space provision and adequacy; participation and inclusiveness; interaction. These six items are considered as parameters that are important to students’ wellbeing in relation to academic buildings. The most emphasised aspects of academic building that are essential to meeting students need include thermal conditions, internet access, furniture, duration of access, availability of refreshment facilities, availability of discussion room and availability of personal workstation. This implies that facilities managers in higher education institutions should give adequate attention to these identified aspects of academic buildings as they can potentially affect students output.     

The Impact of in-Service Training and Motivation on Job Performance of Technical & Vocational Education Teachers: Role of Person-Job Fit

In-service education and training (INSET), motivation and person-job fit of workers are considered vital for the performance of employees. The focused purpose of the study is to examine the associations between in-service training and motivation impact on job performance of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers, while examining the moderating role of person-job fit. Using convenience sampling technique, data is collected from TVET teachers in South Asia. The finding of this study revealed a significant impact for in-service training and motivation on job performance. This research study is useful for the HR managers and practitioners to utilize their employee’s true potential to get the desired results.

     

The analysis of policy implementation models in higher education: the case study of Indonesia

This paper aims to analyse and understand the models of policy implementation in Indonesian state universities during the ongoing process of market-driven reforms and how academics respond to these models. The research undertaken was in the form of qualitative study using semi-structured interviews as instruments to collect data. Interviews were conducted with 30 academics in three state universities in Indonesia. The research demonstrated that policy implementation in Indonesian state universities takes largely a dialectical form which takes place both at macro and micro levels, suggesting a blended application of top-down and bottom-up approaches. The results of this study also confirmed that the interaction between policy and local systems plays an important role for the successful implementation of the policy. Indonesian academics perceived that each of these models has its strength and weaknesses particularly in relation to the aspect of collegiality. It is anticipated that the study will both contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics between governments as policy makers and academics as street level bureaucrats in the implementation of a policy, and offer guidance for policy makers in the formulation and enactment of relevant policies in higher education sectors both in Indonesia and other contexts implementing policy implementation.     

Optimized estimation for population mean using conventional and non-conventional measures under the joint influence of measurement error and non-response

Most of the research work in the theory of survey sampling only deals with the sampling errors under the assumptions: (i) there is a complete response and (ii) recorded information from individuals is correct but in practice it is not always true. Non-sampling errors like non-response and measurement errors (MEs) mostly creep into the survey and become more influential for estimators than sampling errors. Considering this practical situation of non-response and MEs jointly, we proposed an optimum class of estimators for population mean under simple random sampling using conventional and non-conventional measures. Bias and mean square error of the proposed estimators are derived up to first degree of approximation. Moreover, a simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of new estimators which proves that proposed estimators are more efficient than the traditional Hansen and Hurwitz estimator and other competing estimators.     

Effective International Tourism Management: A Strategic Approach

The objective of the study was to explore the relationship between international tourism indicators, crime rate, and vulnerability in a panel of 16 tourist-oriented countries over the period of 1990–2014. The study constructed a vulnerability index by using three socioeconomic factors, (1) poverty, (2) income inequality, and (3) unemployment rate. The results show that crime rate and vulnerability both decreases international tourism demand, which were mediated through inadequate education and health resources. Trade openness moderately supported the international tourism demand under the crime rate and vulnerability index. The results confirmed the crime Kuznets curve that turned into inverted U-shaped relationship between crime rate and per capita income, while this relationship was not confirmed for vulnerability index. The panel causality relationships confirmed the unidirectional causality between crime-vulnerability and international tourism. Growth-fueled tourism demand was analyzed under a crime and vulnerability index. The study concludes that international tourism is an implied solution to reduce human costs by involving tourists to in pleasure activities to at tourists’ destinations.     

The Impact of Organizational Change on Employee Turnover Intention: Does Stress Play a Mediating Role?

This study examined the relationship between change interventions and employee turnover intention to see if change interventions lead to increased employee turnover intention. Moreover, the mediating role of employee stress was tested. Data were collected from 162 respondents working at various administrative positions in a large public organization. The results indicate that employee turnover intention is positively correlated to human process, techno structural, human resources, and strategic interventions. Limitations and direction for future research are provided.     

关于21世纪阿拉伯与中国的合作

21世纪,阿拉伯与中国合作的话题,具有非常重要的意义,因为中国的实力不断增长,中国的政治、经济作用也不断扩大.中国强调,21世纪中国人民的三大任务是继续加快现代化进程,完成祖国统一大业,维护世界和平以促进共同发展.这将使她在减轻美国霸权、军事和经济重压以及单边主义等方面发挥特殊作用.阿拉伯地区是中国周边战略的延伸,从公元8世纪伊斯兰鼎盛时期起,就与中国相邻,伊斯兰世界的边境还与中国的西部地区接壤.     

A new bivariate exponential distribution for modeling moderately negative dependence

This paper introduces a new bivariate exponential distribution, called the Bivariate Affine-Linear Exponential distribution, to model moderately negative dependent data. The construction and characteristics of the proposed bivariate distribution are presented along with estimation procedures for the model parameters based on maximum likelihood and objective Bayesian analysis. We derive Jeffreys prior and discuss its frequentist properties based on a simulation study and MCMC sampling techniques. A real data set of mercury concentration in largemouth bass from Florida lakes is used to illustrate the methodology.     

Minimal circular balanced repeated measurement designs in unequal period sizes

Abstract

Repeated measurement designs (RMDs) are widely used in medicine, pharmacology, animal sciences and psychology. In these fields, there are several situations where these designs should be used in periods of different sizes. With the use of RMD, residual effects or carry over effects may arise and balanced RMDs are solution to this problem. In this article, therefore, some infinite series are developed through method of cyclic shifts to obtain circular balanced repeated measurements designs in periods of two different sizes.