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THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF EASE OF DOING BUSINESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC DEBT AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN ARAB COUNTRIES
Get PDFThis study examines how the ease of doing business in Arab countries mediates the relationship between public debt and infrastructure. According to previous research, one way to encourage the start-up of new infrastructure projects that boost economic growth and reduce debt build-up is to improve the business environment. The results showed that the relationship between public debt and infrastructure is fully mediated by the ease of doing business, using panel data for 19 Arab countries from 2000 to 2020. Based on the general least squares method, infrastructure was statistically negatively affected by public debt. By reducing the harmful effects of public debt on infrastructure, the study confirms that the ease of doing business leads to a more positive relationship between the two. This is due to the fact that a business-friendly environment can attract investment and boost the economy, which can help counteract the harmful effects of public debt on infrastructure. The paper provides recommendations for policymakers in Arab countries to create a favorable business environment that increases investment in infrastructure and reduces the effects of public debt. They need to promote good governance, which would curb corruption, strengthen institutions, and implement reforms to improve the ease of doing business, as some Arab countries still lag behind in many aspects of doing business, hindering business prosperity, proper infrastructural investment, and debt sustainability
A TWO-WAY TRAFFIC BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Get PDFThe World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of ailment or infirmity, and mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual is aware of his or her own abilities and is able to contribute to his or her community. On the other hand, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declares that everyone has the right to a standard of living suitable for the health and well-being of himself and of his family. Therefore, mental health is a right and is protected by law. However, violations of human rights are abundant, causing a lot of drawbacks on different walks of life. Besides, abuse in all of its forms is the backstage culprit in mental disorders and maladjustment with the society. For this reason, it should be counteracted by psychology, education and psychotherapy whose impact is magnified when protected by the power of law.
These facts triggered the authors’ interest to investigate how each domain, psychology and human rights, can contribute to maintaining mental wellbeing and protecting humans from discrimination. For this aim, the authors reviewed the literature and legislations and depended on field observation and personal experience and deduced that prominent benefits can be obtained when both domains cooperate together. Practical recommendations that can lead to tremendous progress on both the short and long terms are presented
FACTORS INFLUENCING POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN LEBANON: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED CONGRUENCE
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This study analyzes the factors that influence political participation. These factors include: political information efficacy, political interest, community engagement, political party affiliation and perceived congruence. Moreover, this study addresses the mediating role of perceived congruence on the relationship between political interest, community engagement and political participation. A quantitative survey method was used and structured questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 412 respondents. The findings of this study revealed that political interest, community engagement, and political party affiliation have a positive effect on political participation. In addition, the results indicated that perceived congruence has no direct or mediate effect on political participation. The current study enhances marketing literature to understand political behaviors under unusual political situations. In contrast, this research supports both political parties and governments for better understanding the factors that influence political participation which guide them to fulfill their political marketing objectives and gain citizens’ support
ONLINE CONSUMER PURCHASING DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19: AN APPLIED STUDY IN LEBANON
Get PDFTechnological development essentially transformed the foundation of global businesses. Business operations started to move from traditional to advance digitalized practices which gave rise to the e-commerce business, making the online environment more competitive. Despite such changes, there remains a consumer that is not involved in online shopping especially in developing countries. The spread of COVID-19 pandemic has caused radical changes to the way the consumer form intention and behavior toward digitalized solutions. This paper analyzes the impact of buying impulse, attitude, subjective norms, enjoyment and trust on consumer purchasing intention during the pandemic using a sample of 306 Lebanese citizens. SPSS version 24.0 is applied as a statistical technique used; results found positive effect of all factors on consumer purchasing intention. Then, discussions, conclusions and recommendations are presented
BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE MIXES USING RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONFINED WITH STEEL SECTIONS
Get PDFRecycled Concrete Aggregate (RAC) is a form of recycled concrete that has been studied for green building for the past 50 years. It can be used to create strong structures, such as seismic retrofitting of earthquake-prone structures. Studies have attempted to experimentally study the effect of using recycled aggregate in concrete, but the literature lacks the use of recycled concrete aggregate rapped with steel rings. This study examines the behavior of circular concrete columns with different percentages of recycled aggregate. It examines the behavior of a column with different percentages of recycled aggregate, one without jacketing, one with partial jacketing, and one with full jacketing. The suggested approach is stimulated, and the samples are modeled using ABAQUS software to demonstrate a comparison between experimental and numerical analysis.
The study on Behavior of Concrete Mixes Using Recycled Aggregate Confined with Steel Sections is pivotal for sustainable construction, conserving resources, and lowering carbon emissions. It also aligns with circular economy principles and compliance with sustainability regulations, fostering eco-friendly, cost-effective practices. Furthermore, the incorporation of jacketing and steel sections not only supports sustainability but also strengthens communities by enhancing earthquake and heavy load resistance, ensuring both environmental responsibility and the safety of structures in vulnerable regions.
These results have to be adopted for their clear sustainability benefits, including resource conservation and waste reduction. Furthermore, the cost savings associated with using recycled aggregates make it economically attractive. Lastly, the enhanced mechanical properties of concrete contribute to more durable and resilient construction materials, aligning with both environmental, safety, and economic objectives
BELOVED & THE EROTICS OF TEMPORAL MUTILATION
Get PDF\u27Snatched and yanked\u27 the readers begin a journey in Beloved’s extravagant and meandering narrative—a narrative filled with repetitions and returns that mutilate time beyond recognition. This paper aims to map time in Beloved, to understand its narrative insurgence, and feel the foreign terrains it leaves the reader in. I depend on Peter Brooks’ essay “Freud’s Masterplot” to contextualize the patterns of repetitions and returns that mutilate time in the text through a psychoanalytic understanding. Crucial to the psychoanalytic understanding of the narrative is the comprehension of narrative desire, precisely how the death instinct can be at work in the narrative. Given the controversial status of the death instinct in psychoanalysis, I also rely on Matte Blanco’s “The Four Antinomies of The Death Instinct” to elucidate how the death instinct takes root in the narrative and interacts with time. This maimed temporal map of Beloved takes the reader from three-dimensional reality on an ever-deviating spiral downwards to reach the purest, undifferentiated mode of being
LITERATURE REVIEW ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN WORK SETTING
Get PDFThis study reviews the existing literature in training and development, which considered as essential practices in Human Resource Management (HRM); moreover, they constitute a necessary investment and a significant component of the organizations’ budgets. Training and development help organizations to accomplish competitive advantage, they are a must to go along with innovation and global issues, and most importantly, they work constantly as the organization is performing. This literature review focuses on the current knowledge about the determining factor and the importance of training and development in HR management in specific and in organizations in general. Furthermore, this paper aims to review the literature about existing knowledge and relevant theories about training and development and their relationship with competitive advantages, innovation, and organizations’ performance. It will add to the existing literature since it is a review based on evidence from previous literature reviews and studies related to this topic and suggests further future studies
GESTURAL DESIGN - HAND TRACKING FOR DIGITAL DRAWING
Get PDFComputational design is increasingly interested in the active feedback between the user/designer and the digital space. Often, our initial instinct as designers comes from a gesture, a movement of the hands that gets translated into sketches and 3D models via the tools available to us. While the physical realm allows for muscle memory, tactile feedback, and creative output via movement, digital design often negates the body of the designer as it sequesters us into a screen-mouse-hand relationship. Moreover, current CAD software tools often reinforce this standardization, further limiting the potential of physical bodily gestures as a vehicle for architectural form-making. Seeking new opportunities for a gestural interface, this research explores how Machine Learning and parametric design tools can be used to translate active movements and gestural actions into rich and complex digital models without the need of specialized equipment. In this paper, we present an open-source and economically accessible methodology for designers to translate hand movements into the digital world, implementing the MediaPipe Hands tracking library. In developing this workflow, this research explores opportunities to create more direct, vital links between expressive gesture and architectural form, with an emphasis on creating platforms that are accessible not only to design experts, but also the broader public
DEVELOPING A DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR THE MASS CUSTOMISATION OF HOUSING IN SAUDI ARABIA - A CRITICAL REVIEW
Get PDFThis paper explores the suitability of mass customisation (MC) technologies and techniques in order to provide affordable housing solutions for Saudi Arabia. In particular, the paper analyses ten articles filtered through 1.165 publications searched by using the keywords ‘mass customisation housing or off-site construction’ in the databases Scopus, CumlnCAD, ScienceDirect, and Engineer village and categorised them based on their suitability for the Saudi Arabian context. Our findings include a comparative analysis chart evaluating workflows, tools and technologies on their suitability for the MC design and an MC workflow proposal for including parametric design and digital fabrication tools and techniques
THE VIRTUALITY OF INTELLIGENT CITIES - THE ROAD TO HYBRIDIZING OUR NEW CITIES
Get PDFThe incorporation IoT into our social systems and the digitization of our everyday life has become the new norm for societies worldwide. This study posits that digitization should apply to our cities as well. The digital aspect of technology is not always tangible – even in the figurative sense of grasping a concept – and its allure lies in this virtual aspect. That is the starting point of discussion in this paper – the virtuality of intelligent cities, the intangible forces that make these new cities smart, and how said forces can be incorporated to create new smart hybrid cities that also aim to be intelligent, connected, and efficient. This research paper was designed to first set a strong theoretical base, which includes how the Circular City Actions CCA assessment framework works. This framework is applied to the three virtual methods, Sharing Economy, Smart Parking, and Virtual Power Plants VPP, as well as an international case study, the VPP in South Australia. The CCA framework was then applied to the data gathered for the local case study, the New Administrative Capital NAC in Egypt, which was chosen because it is the largest smart city being constructed currently in Egypt right now. Since it is still not fully operational, the data collected was based on governmental plans, proposals, and published papers about the city released within the last 5 years. After theoretically incorporating the proposed virtual methods into the NAC’s plans and reapplying the assessment framework, the results were greatly improved in different aspects. This study made it clear that the NAC has a strong hypothetical foundation to become an intelligent connected city, but there were some missed opportunities of incorporating virtual intelligent solutions to be implemented at different levels as the three proposed in this paper to reach its goal