How Islamic Has the “Islamic State” Been?

Two principal views have emerged on the nature and operations of the so-called Islamic State or khilafat. One contends that IS had nothing to do with Islam in both its ideological disposition and practical operations. The other view claims that IS was the embodiment of a Salafist?Wahhabi version of Islam, and therefore it was Islamic. Whereas the first view recognizes the fact that Islam like any divine faith is open to a range of interpretations and applications, the second perspective has treated Islam as a monolithically adaptable doctrine, ignoring the diversity within the Muslim world. The question is: Was IS Islamic or not, or did it exude a form of political Salafism and Islamism of our time?     

A New Test of Randomness for Lehmer Generators Based on the Manhattan Distance Between Pairs of Consecutive Random Numbers

This article considers the Marsaglia effect by proposing a new test of randomness for Lehmer random number generators. Our test is based on the Manhattan distance criterion between consecutive pairs of random numbers rather than the usually adopted Euclidian distance. We derive the theoretical distribution functions for the Manhattan distance for both overlapping (two dimensional) as well as non-overlapping cases. Extensive goodness-of-fit testing as well as empirical experimentation provides ample proof of the merits of the proposed criterion.     

Bayesian identification of double seasonal autoregressive time series models

ABSTRACT

Seasonal autoregressive (SAR) models have been modified and extended to model high frequency time series characterized by exhibiting double seasonal patterns. Some researchers have introduced Bayesian inference for double seasonal autoregressive (DSAR) models; however, none has tackled the problem of Bayesian identification of DSAR models. Therefore, in order to fill this gap, we present a Bayesian methodology to identify the order of DSAR models. Assuming the model errors are normally distributed and using three priors, i.e. natural conjugate, g, and Jeffreys’ priors, on the model parameters, we derive the joint posterior mass function of the model order in a closed-form. Accordingly, the posterior mass function can be investigated and the best order of DSAR model is chosen as a value with the highest posterior probability for the time series being analyzed. We evaluate the proposed Bayesian methodology using simulation study, and we then apply it to real-world hourly internet amount of traffic dataset.     

Ratio- and difference-type estimators for estimating finite population variance

We consider the problem of estimating finite population variance of a study character when information on an auxiliary character is available. We define ratio- and difference-type estimators and obtain the mean-squared error of them approximately. Using a numerical study, we compare the performances of the proposed estimators with some existing variance estimators.     

Emphasizing the experiences of researchers after RCR instructions: Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to highlight the experiences of individuals who participate in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training program held at various universities in Malaysia. In response to a mailing request sent to 40 individuals who had undertaken a RCR training program, 15 participants agreed to be interviewed. The results of the study showed that the three main reasons for participating in the training were as follows: anticipation for knowledge gained; personal experience with research misconduct; and establishing a new network of researchers. In terms of the positive effects gained from undertaking the training, the participants highlighted an increased awareness of the issues and problems related to research misconduct; the need to promote integrity in research conduct; a change in the way they conduct their research; and a change in the way they confront and address misconduct. The findings of this study should be valuable for policy makers and those involved in the management of research programs and ethics, as it demonstrated the importance of RCR training in equipping researchers with the necessary knowledge to conduct research responsibly, and to avoid research misconduct.     

The Multi-dimensional Effect of Household Debt on Urban Individual Well-Being in Klang Valley Malaysia

Social Indicators Research - Debt is beneficiary to individuals and households when their consumption can be extended with credit. However, the benefits gained from availability of credit have...     

Motivating Operations in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management: Review and Discussion of Relevant Articles

Every article published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management from 1982 through 2012 that contained the term motivating operation (or a related term) was examined. Seventy-six articles used a relevant term. Authors used the term in attempts to categorize and explain the behavioral effects of many aspects of interventions (e.g., rules, feedback, goal-setting), everyday occurrences in organizations (e.g., nicotine deprivation, top management support), and characteristics of behaving individuals (e.g., optimism, personality state), which on the one hand suggests that the motivating operation concept has been of value in organizational behavior management research as published in the journal. On the other hand, none of the articles demonstrated the successful use of a motivating operation as the term was initially defined, which suggests that the MO concept has been substantially expanded or widely misused by authors of the evaluated articles.     

Brand image and equity: the mediating role of brand equity drivers and moderating effects of product type and word of mouth

In today’s competitive landscape, organizations are progressively searching for valuable practices to create strong consumer-based brand equity. Managers must remain vigilant and receptive to factors that influence brand equity. Accordingly, this paper addresses this issue. Specifically, the paper empirically investigates the mediating roles of three drivers of brand equity in the brand image—consumer-based brand equity relationship and explores the moderating roles of product type and word of mouth (WOM) on the linkages between brand image and brand equity. In order to understand these relationships, a questionnaire survey was administered among brand consumers, yielding a total of 321 responses. Confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were utilized to estimate the validity and reliability of the measures. Structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation was employed to test the hypotheses. The authors find that brand image positively affects brand attachment, brand attitude, and brand awareness. Brand attachment and attitude positively influence consumer-based brand equity. The findings show that brand attachment and brand attitude partially mediate the relationship between brand image and brand equity. Product type and WOM have a significant moderating effect on the relationships among brand image, drivers of brand equity, and brand equity. The authors discuss the limitations of the study and provide future research directions.