Theses for Project Management

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Developing a Framework for Implementing Public Private Partnerships in a Research Reactor Project in the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-04) Almarri, Khalid
Public private partnerships (PPP) procurement instruments have been very popular tools for developing projects around the world. This is largely due to their success in bringing quality, efficiency, innovation, funds, experience, and most importantly risk sharing to the projects they are involved in. The UAE is currently developing a peaceful nuclear energy program in response to the future demands. Research is required to support nuclear energy generation projects in order to maximize their performance. Research of this type will require a research reactor to be developed, which will also benefit other industries such as transportation, health services, construction, petro chemicals, in addition to technical colleges and R&D facilities. Collaborations between government and private parties through public private partnerships (PPP) can maximize the benefits expected from the adoption of a research reactor project. The aim of this research is to develop a framework for establishing a research reactor (RR) project in the UAE through the utilisation of public private partnerships (PPP). The aim of this study was arrived at in three steps. The first step was thorough literature research of detailed investigative works to identify the best practices in PPP implementation globally and customizing it for the establishment of a generic PPP framework for the UAE. Through the qualitative content analysis approach, assisted by Nvivo software, a five-stage generic framework was produced. Second, a questionnaire was used to draw data for the establishment of the PPP critical success factors for the UAE, in which data was collected from 30 participants from the UAE and 62 participants from the UK. The participants were PPP practitioners or researchers. This enabled the comparative analysis process to add a local dimension to the generic framework. Finally, semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 experts in the field of research reactors, using grounded theory method, established the success factors for research reactors. These factors would be unique in the sense that they complement the implementation of the PPP framework in the research reactor project while staying within the UAE context. The findings of the comparative analysis of the two samples between the UAE and the UK showed a significant similarity in PPP practice trends between the two in the three areas analysed; attractive factors, value for money factors, and the critical success factors. The core phenomenon that impairs the success of research reactors was identified to be underutilization. Causal conditions that stemmed from project initiation work were found to be the main sources of said underutilization. This included the reduction of government intervention to help mitigate the risk of underutilization. The contextual conditions responsible for creating these circumstances were of both local and regional contexts and viability. The practical implications of this research are mainly related to the development of the first PPP framework for the UAE, and more specifically for a research reactor project. The contributions of this research to the body of knowledge are related to the highlighted similarities and differences in the practice between the UAE and the UK, which opened areas for future consideration. In the research reactor field, the identified causal, intervening, and contextual conditions opened new areas for future research.
Factors Impacting the Adoption and Implementation of Business Intelligence and Analytics Projects in Organizations
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-05) Amer, Noha Tarek
The main aim of this research is to increase the understanding of why some organizations invest in and adopt Business Intelligence and Analytics (BI&A) projects while others do not. BI&A projects are defined in this research as a set of tools responsible for analyzing data. This research is thus interested in understanding the adoption process of BI&A projects. The scope of this research is organizations operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf region. Several models have been proposed to explain the adoption process in organizations. The technology adoption process could be summarized into three main phases: preadoption, adoption, and post-adoption. As most organizations undergo their endeavors in the form of a project, it is important to discuss the technology adoption process for a project. Thus, this research proposes three main stages to adopt BI&A projects in organizations: front-end management, project portfolio management, and project success. The literature has also identified different factors that impact each of the stages in this process. Specifically, the Technology-Organization- Environment (TOE) framework will be used to examine the impact of several technological, organizational, and environmental factors on the three project management stages (front-end management, project portfolio management, and project success). Therefore, this research proposes a research model that explains the adoption factors and process of BI&A projects in organizations.The initial validation of the research model is conducted through the synthesis of the main factors that impact the adoption process of BI&A projects in organizations. The resulted research model is then validated through questionnaires and statistical analysis. The results suggest (1) a BI&A project would be likely initiated in the the front-end management phase if: (a) the BI&A project is not complex, (b) the BI&A project is perceived as advantageous, (c) the BI&A project is perceived as compatible with the organization, (d) the organization has top management support, (e) the organization has good strategy and project management practices, (f) the organization has appropriate experience, (g) there is pressure from competition, and (h) there is good vendor support. The results suggest that (2) a BI&A project is likely to be included in the project portfolio and implemented if: (a) the BI&A project is perceived as compatible, (b) the BI&A project is perceived as advantageous, (c) the organization has good top management support, (d) the organization has a supportive culture, (e) the organization has good strategy and project management practices, (f) the organization has enough resources, (g) the organization has appropriate experience, and (h) there is pressure from competition. The results suggest that (3) a BI&A project is likely to be successful if the BI&A project is (a) compatible with the organization, (b) the organization has good top management support, (c) the organization has a supportive culture, (d) the organization has good strategy and project management practices, (e) the organization has enough resources, (f) the organization has appropriate experience, and (g) the organization has qualified infrastructure. This research contributes to the existing body of literature by proposing a BI&A adoption process for projects specifically for organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf.
An Uncertainty Based Genetic Algorithm Approach for Project Resource Scheduling
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-10) ALKETBI, SAIF
This research is tackling the issue of complex resources scheduling in project management. In traditional planning tools, resource allocation is sequence based. This normally results in a very simple baseline schedule. However, in reality, the problem of project scheduling is more complex and it depends on a multitude of factors. For example, project scheduling when combined with resources constraints and activities duration uncertainty is an interesting research problem that has recently has attracted the effort many researchers. Previous research has developed a simulation-based approach to solve the problem by optimizing resources resource allocation decisions on starting specific project activities at specific times. Several nonlinear optimization models were developed for this purpose assuming uniform resource availability and sequence based project tasks. The work presented in thesis add to the existing literature in a proposing the use of a genetic algorithm uncertain approach to resource- scheduling in projects. This research focuses on one of the most important aspects, which is uncertainty. The uncertainty aspect was not incorporated effectively in in the previous resource modeling models. The uncertainty of time estimation is one of the most important problems which reduce any resource scheduler effectiveness. Genetic algorithm was chosen as the main methodology to build resource scheduler. The results showed the proposed methodology outperformed existing algorithms in optimizing project durations and resources allocation. The main contribution of the proposed scheduler is its ability to incorporate uncertainty in scheduling process. Results proofed effectiveness and outperformance of the proposed solution. The genetic algorithm was tested on several projects from the existing databases and on one new project to the validity of the approach. The proposed algorithm out performed fairly well the results that exists from previous studies. One major contribution of this research is the incorporation of uncertainty to optimize project duration based on resource allocation.
Project Managers’ Competencies in Managing the People Elements of Change within the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-02) Al Falasi, Saoud Saif Ateeq
The aim of this research is to investigate the roles and competencies of project managers in managing change in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study focuses on people management. While some of the previous research argues that project managers are not effective managers of change, other studies, emphasize that they, in fact, are key players in managing change. These differing views are the main motivators for this research which aims to fill the gaps, clarify the issue and focus on its relevance in the UAE. In doing so, this research also aims to generate a better understanding of the role of project managers in managing change and the people involved in change. The objectives are also to shade some light the roles that project managers could play in promoting effective and successful change. In pursuing this research, we endorsed and adopted a research approach that is both qualitative and quantitative. The reason for using both approaches is because neither of these, alone, is sufficient to capture the key issues and provide answers to the main research questions being investigated. Hence data was collected using both interviews and survey questionnaires. We targeted project managers, including professionals and department managers serving a selected number of UAE organisations that have experienced major change in recent years. The main focus was to examine project managers’ roles in enhancing people’s commitment, participation, and motivation in the change process. In addition to this, and due to the importance of leadership and information management in change management, the project managers’ roles as leaders and as communicators was also considered. The study also looks at the role of project managers in managing stakeholders. To this end, we developed and explored two main research questions which translate into eight main hypotheses. The main findings of the study confirmed our hypotheses and revealed that there is no difference between the respondents’ ratings of the competencies needed for managing change initiatives. The findings also revealed that planning change competencies (PC1, PC2, PC5, EC1, EC2, MC1, MC2 and CC1) are associated with achieving the PM objectives. The study also found that evaluating the performance of change projects competencies (EPC2 and EPC7) is associated with achieving the PM objectives. The study also found that managing change projects competencies (MP1, MP2, MP3, MP5 and MP9) is significantly associated with achieving PM objectives. In addition, we also found that measuring the success factors competencies (PQC1, [viii] PQC2 and PQC5) is strongly associated with achieving the PM objectives. Regression analysis revealed that project managers’ performance in terms of achieving objectives is highly dependent on PC2, IC1, EC2, EPC1, EPC5, EPC6, EPC7, MP3, MP5 and PQC2. The above findings have significant practical implications. Based on these, and in order to minimize resistance to change, it is strongly recommended project managers are fully involved in planning activities right from the start. The responses of the project managers and the department managers revealed several activities embedded in the daily project management practices. Future study in this area would reveal more benefits of project managers’ reporting activity and would result in the highlighting of additions to reports related to people management. A future study may also investigate the reporting activity as part of the communication process.
Determinants of Employee Resistance to Change for Optimised Organisational Performance in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-02) ALHUMAIRI, ALI
Employee resistance is one of the most important problems in organization restructuring management. It has a huge impact on how any proposed change initiative in the organization will succeed. Employee’s cooperation with any change initiative is essential for such initiative to be successful. Problem of employee resistance can be very difficult and complex to study and analyze due to several factors and elements affecting the severity of the problem. These factors can expand over a space with large number of dimensions where some dimensions are work-related. This research limits its investigation on factors of employee’s resistance which emerges in work environment because they can be manipulated by management in ways that reduce their negative impact. Experimentation of this research was conducted in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai Municipalities in United Arab Emirates where 192 subjects was involved. Analysis of acquired experimentation data was performed based on advanced numerical tools such as Factor Analysis, Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis. Supportive Work Environment Variables found to have a positive influence on Resistance to Change. The research found The Influence of Employee Commitment on Resistance to Change is mainly based on Employee Satisfaction and Employee Loyalty. Only Employee Participation cluster found to have a positive influence on Resistance to Change. Further the study found Internal Training cluster have an influence on Resistance to Change. The main contribution of this research in literature is providing a highly-needed investigation on elements affecting employee attitude toward change initiatives. Based on this investigation, policies and practices can be proposed to reduce negative effects of employee resistance to change initiatives. Therefore, these valuable findings will be cornerstones in any solution proposed to handle such issue.
Diffusion of ICT Innovations in UAE Public Schools and The Role of Stakeholder Engagement
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-03) AL-ALI, WALEED AHMED HASSAN
ICT innovations played a vital role in driving last century developments characterised as the digital revolution introducing unprecedented opportunities across different life sectors. This digital revolution is expected to further evolve to encompass the fourth industrial revolution that was characterized by a fusion of technology. Internationally there is consensus on the need for a paradigm shift in education reforms to meet these future developments where it is fundamentally believed that ICT innovations will play vital role in redefining learning and the overall educational experience. The traditional model of education is losing its former binding character as ICT extended learning opportunities and access to knowledge is not bounded by time, place or pace. The challenge is that introducing ICT innovations into traditional schools requires high investments and considered complex process due to the complexities around changes related to education. To achieve the enhanced educational objectives, the literature emphasised that diffusing ICT into schools shall not be considered an abstract technology deployment rather than an educational change process that shall be effectively planned and managed. This research attempts to fill this gap by focusing on an actual ICT innovation diffusion project that is taking place in UAE public schools. The first objective is to understand the ICT innovations diffusion in education. The second objective is to extract from literature main dimensions to explore the ICT innovations diffusion process and status in UAE public schools. Third objective is to explore the status of the ICT innovations diffusion in UAE public schools. Fourth objective is to explore the process of the ICT innovations diffusion in UAE public schools. The fifth objective is to study the interactions between the stakeholders over the ICT innovation diffusion project lifecycle activities. Finally, the sixth research objective is to develop a framework to support effective diffusion of ICT innovations in UAE public schools that address the changing stakeholder dynamics over project lifecycle. This explorative research adopted qualitative research methods to gain insights into the process and status of ICT diffusion in UAE public schools. A list six constructs composed of 26 dimensions were identified by combining literature from innovation theory, stakeholder theory, technology acceptance and project management. These dimensions were used to develop the research framework and guide the explorative study based on the semi-structured interviews. a total of 55 interviews conducted with stakeholders from different levels, from MoE, local education authority, MBRSLP, schools and suppliers related to this project in UAE. The review examined four years of ICT innovations deployment phases in UAE public schools and the findings were analysed using Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM), heat maps, and Social Network Analysis (SNA) techniques. The research contributed to the body of knowledge by developing and an understanding for the phenomenon of ICT innovation diffusion project in UAE public school. The research provided rich findings extracted through qualitative investigation providing details on the process and status of the ICT in UAE public schools. In addition, the research provided a contribution the theory by developing a holistic approach based on framework composed of 26 dimensions to explore the process and status of ICT innovation diffusion in UAE public schools. Another contribution to theory is the use of DSM, heat maps and SNA techniques for data analysis within project management which support the viability of these new techniques in research. Moreover, the research findings provided contribution to practice specific to the UAE project and some conclusions applicable to similar projects beyond UAE. On the other hand, no research without limitations, this research has some limitations including the geographical limitation in UAE schools as Abu Dhabi schools were not since they are not falling under the federal MoE of UAE, parents and students were excluded from interviews although they are considered a key stakeholder educationally and in the context of ICT in education, and successful ICT diffusion was not linked to academic performance.
The effect of stakeholder integration on open innovation in construction projects
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-04) ALHARMOODI, SHAIMA
This thesis investigates the effect of stakeholder integration on innovation effectiveness in an open innovation context in sustainable construction projects. It delivers an original contribution to knowledge by developing an empirically validated conceptual model that consists of the main factors that have an influence, and are influenced by, stakeholder integration. These factors, namely leadership for innovation and team identity, were identified and synthesized through a comprehensive review of the existing literature. This specific research intent arose from the noticeable lack of empirical studies relating these aspects and the continuous pressure on the construction sector to keep up with the competitiveness in the market as nations have raised their awareness of sustainable development, globally. The multidisciplinary and multi-party nature of construction projects, especially larger projects, necessitates a well-established framework to integrate the complex network of stakeholders for delivering successful innovation in their projects. To facilitate the analysis of the conceptual model, the research adopts a constructivist qualitative approach and analyses data obtained from three case studies through 38 semi-structured interviews. To ensure the validity, triangulation of three methods of data collection was obtained and rich and thick description of the three cases was provided. The validated conceptual model concludes that stakeholder integration in innovation projects is highly induced by leadership and that these two aspects influence the identity of the team and their perception about the innovation, which consequently affect the effectiveness of the innovation. These factors are in turn influenced by the extent of personal interest in the innovation. The findings of this research provide critical understanding of how stakeholder integration can lead to better management of innovation in general and the conceptual framework can assist construction firms and projects with diagnosing the contextual conditions of their innovation practices. It also can guide firms on their innovation strategies and ultimately increase their effectiveness by identifying the factors that enhance leadership for innovation, stakeholder integration, team identity, and consequently achieve an effective innovation.
The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the firms’ Financial Performance and Value Creation: the case of Publicly Listed firms in the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-05) ABDULLAH, SAHAR MANSOUR
CSR is the Corporate Social Responsibility of a business which includes the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of corporate at a given point in time. Several studies have sprung out to develop investment criteria in relation to a spectrum of CSR practices, such as corporate governance, environmental and societal ethical issues. Empirical analyses of the relationship among corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance (FP) initiated before about thirty years ago, and the findings of these analyses still in contention. These studies suffer from several limitations in the sense they were unable to view CRS as a vehicle for a high financial performance (FP) and also value creation. Thus, the aim of this thesis is to extend our understanding of the CSR determinants those contribute to financial performance and value creation of the firms publicly listed in United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research carried out an exhaustive literature research with a focus on contemporary academic research in the field of CSR practices and financial performance and value creation in order to examine the main theories and seminal authors from the following aspects: origins of CSR notion, classification and development of its definition, determinants of CSR, evolution of studies examining the relationship among CSR and financial performance. This research was able to advance the existing literature by classifying the CSR practices into 4 groups and identify 97 CSR determinants/questions; these groups are including: Corporate Governance (CG) CSR practices; Economic (EC) CSR practices; Environment (ENV) CSR practices; and Social (S) CSR practices. The study also put forward an integrated framework for assessing the financial performance and the value creation of the firms through CSR practices. The most important CSR practices were evaluated for their potential to value creation through questionnaires in the firms studied. Several statistical methods were used to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that only “Economic Value - ECN1” is associated with “Stakeholder Relationships - VC2”, while “Wealth Distribution - ECN2” is associated with “Reputation of the firm - VC1”. On the other hand, “Environmental Practices - ENV1” is associated with “Price to Book Ratio -PB”, while “Environmental Policies - ENV2” is associated with both “Price to Book Ratio - PB” and with “Reputation of the firm - VC1”. Also, “Reputation of the firm - VC1” is associated with “Share Price - SP”. The study observed that the CSR practices of the UAE firms in their current structure are not the significant predictor of their profits with comparing to other important variables such as debt ratio, origin of the firm, firm growth and firm size. However, involvement in CSR activities should be happened in simultaneous with other variables that have a major influence on firms’ Financial Performance. This study found a positive association between UAE firms’ CSR practices and their Financial Performance “Share Price (SP)”. The results of this research have important practical and theoretical implications. In practical, the research results revealed that decision makers should put more resources and efforts on their CSR practices as their firms will be rewarded by their stakeholders and the long-term profitability. In theoretical, further research should aim to develop further CSR determinants and confirm the association proposed this study framework.
An investigation into the Impact of Operational Readiness Factors on the Success of Airports Projects in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-05) Al-Mazrouie, Jumah Rashid
In traditional project management literature, we notice the absence of a dedicated phase for operations and maintenance preparation and support for the newly completed product. Consultants, contractors and project managers do not interfere with the operation phase or with how the project will run after completion, as their contractual scope is to deliver the project on time, on schedule and within budget. Operational problems may appear once the project is set for operations and these problems could be the results of mistakes that were made during the project life-cycle phases, which were not picked up during the commissioning phase of the project. Scholars in the literature further argue that in the initial phase of operations, problems may start to surface that result in a decline or low level of performance vis-à-vis the services provided, which results in a reputational and financial impact on the project’s owner and other operational stakeholders. This study explores the factors that impact upon the operational readiness success of com-plex multi-stakeholder airport projects. The study uses mixed methods (triangulation), comprising firstly a focus group categorisation assessment of operational readiness fac-tors based on a study of the existing literature (enabling the design of a survey instrument). Emergent from this process were four readiness factors with 68 operational readiness items. To support the study, the Delphi method was employed for categorisation assess-ment of operational readiness. The second step of the methodology was to conduct a sur-vey among 900 airport stakeholders and project managers working across four interna-tional airports based in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai International Airport, Al-Mak-toum International Airport-Dubai, Abu Dhabi International Airport and Sharjah Interna-tional Airport). Statistical tools of SPSS/AMOS are employed to analyse the quantitative data collected from the questionnaire. In particular, statistical analysis was undertaken vi V7.0 Operational Readiness along with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The study finds a significant correla-tion between operational readiness and project success. The study also confirms that op-erational readiness is a second order variable consisting of four factors. These were facil-ities readiness, people readiness, technology readiness and organisation readiness. Emergent from the study will be the development of a conceptual framework that can assist operations readiness practitioners to enhance the success of the transition of com-pleted projects to fully operational endeavours, in particular on the first day of operation. The main contribution of the study is the development of the Airport’s operational readi-ness framework and the list of confirmed items that can be used to support operational organizations to prepare for operating new airport’s facilities within UAE. It is also noted that available studies explicitly contextualised within complex multi-stakeholder infra-structure projects (such as in the case of airports) remain sparse. Thus, it is argued that this doctoral study might serve as the basis for much wider empirical studies on the notion of ‘operational readiness’ within the context of operations and more specifically, project management.
The Influence of Managers’ Personality Traits on Taking Project Risky Decisions
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-06) RASHID, AHMAD MAHMOUD MOHAMMAD
Several studies had explored the topic of individuals’ risk propensity related to general life domains such as: health, career, financial, safety and social. Yet, there is little research that was conducted specifically on project managers’ risk propensity related to project domains. The existing literature emphasizes the need for researchers to analyze individuals’ traits differences and its effects on shaping their risk propensity towards project success criteria. It is well understood that project managers’ will take their risky decisions based on available information and on their tendency to take risks, i.e. risk propensity. Therefore, this research investigated the influence of certain project managers’ personality traits on their risk propensity and risky decisions in relation to specific project success criteria. Accordingly, this research is expanding the existing literature on personality traits related to risk propensity, risk propensity in project management literature, individual characteristics related to project managers and project management success criteria. This research employed a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the influence of 65 personality traits on project managers’ risky decisions in relation to project success criteria. Finally, the research examines the stability of project managers’ risk propensity across different project domains and in comparison to their general risk propensity.
Ambidexterity through Project Portfolio Management Resolving paradoxes in organizations
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-06) PETRO, YACOUB
This thesis aims to build an understanding of how ambidexterity can be achieved in Project Based Organizations (PBOs). Ambidexterity is the organizational ability to simultaneously explore market and exploit knowledge and resources to improve performance and drive through sustainability. This thesis proposes the use of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) practices to show the path to ambidexterity in dynamic, albeit project-based, environments. This study has significant implications for practitioners and scholars. In that, it proposes taking forward project portfolio management practices to establish a link with ambidexterity. This link can offer new methods for practitioners to enhance the performance of PBOs. Moreover, the theoretical outcome of this study generates the substance of a new paradigm shift in this area. This new shift in paradigm can be used as a foundation by scholars to build on for future studies.
Managing CSR projects and programmes in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-09) Al-Reyaysa, Meera
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly influential concept, which is usually claimed to be implemented more in the West than in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and MENA region, where it is portrayed as less developed and philanthropic. This research investigates developments of CSR in the UAE revealing different levels of awareness, engagement, and implementation. The study consists of data analysed from 29 interviews with CSR representatives of UAE-based organisations from 2011 to 2016, and a case study of a strategic youth engagement CSR programme. The varying degrees of sophistication and programmification of CSR activities in the UAE reveals a more developed stage of maturity than is implied in the literature. The use of project management to organise, implement, align and monitor CSR activity provides knowledge relevant to the UAE but also other countries. The study shows organisations with project management skills and governmental links are in a better position and under more pressure to undertake strategic CSR activity that is sustainable. Organisations linked to governmental organisations or leadership seem more aligned to national goals and so are more influenced to undertake strategic CSR activity that will contribute to these goals. CSR activity that is strategic seems to be projectised to achieve these goals as well. The research addresses a lack of knowledge on developments of CSR in the UAE, including the use of project management as a means to implement strategic CSR activity. Strategic CSR itself has not been associated with the region before, however the examination of CSR projects and programmes in the UAE has revealed that there are cases of CSR being strategically managed to achieve and contribute to organisational and not only social goals. Implications for project management theory drawn from the study include the application of project management to CSR activity, the CSR and PM theories are somewhat linked in the available literature, however not to the degree of which is presented in this study. The study provides an example of CSR and PM directly integrated to maximize success and achievement of organizational goals. Pellegrinelli (2002, p. 229) states that “Emergent thinking on programme management best practice has focused on the internal context, namely the marshalling of projects and resources to achieve the desired strategic and/or synergy benefits.” Most importantly, this research demonstrates the positive influence project management can have on implementation of CSR. The study sheds light on the institutional factors such as government pressure and peer pressure that influence the way CSR is perceived and managed in organisations in the UAE. Studying these factors in more depth will allow us to understand more on the way CSR in the UAE is developing and how it might be expedited further towards sustainable development. This area is recommended for future research; to produce more specific theory on institutional drivers that could further develop the CSR landscape.
Evaluating the role of environmental concern, risk perception and stakeholder salience in driving sustainable water consumption within sustainability project initiatives in the UAE hospitality sector
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-12) ElShafei, Rasha Abd El Nafea
The global water scarcity problem and unsustainable water consumption hinders the realisation of sustainability goals, therefore, the aim of this thesis is to empirically examine the influence of individual and stakeholder factors on the success of sustainability project initiatives in relation to sustainable water consumption in the UAE hospitality sector. Within a quantitative research approach, individual determinants of sustainable water consumption were identified. Stakeholder action framework is developed and designed as a questionnaire in an effort to collect and statistically analyse data from managers in UAE hospitality sector. The results indicate that individual determinants were significantly associated with sustainable water consumption strategies and practices. Albeit, the role of stakeholders salience attributes were critically important in this association. A significant positive influence on the association was shaped by power, urgency and legitimacy attributes. Moderation effect was manifested by the urgency and legitimacy attributes. Government and business stakeholders were the most salient stakeholders whereas; customers’ saliency was not detected. This thesis shifts sustainability research focus from individualistic paradigm to stakeholder paradigm. Findings will be cornerstone in achieving sustainability goals as it guides on factors contributing to sustainability project initiatives success. The study is limited to UAE hospitality sector; therefore, generalisation of results to other sectors is challenged.
Modelling Risks for Physical Security Assets Development and Operation in High-Value Retailer Projects in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-12) ALSHEBLI, SULAIMAN RASHED SAEED SULAIMAN
As the drive towards efficiency and effectiveness in infrastructure spending intensifies, the topic of WLCC (Whole Lifecycle Costing) has taken added importance, aligned with the general mandate of providing the best value for money. The domain of spending on PSA (Physical Security Assets) thereby requires assessment not just regarding the cost but also in various dimensions of risk management, to fulfill the needs and requirements of the users. In addition to that, all elements connected with the PSA need to be analyzed and assessed with a holistic cost-benefit analysis framework. The research aims at undertaking a stochastic analysis of the whole ambit of costs associated with PSA (physical security assets) from feasibility to disposal, with the aim of generating output regarding economic and non-economic indicators. This exercise would generate thus a model which can be deployed by both the private and the public sectors for making better decisions regarding PSA investments, and obtaining best value. Data collection has been done through a survey and other sources, with probabilistic distributions derived for the relevant WLCC cost centers along with validation of the same through statistical tools. Monte Carlo simulation techniques have been used to provide the users with pre-defined parameters. Various sensitivity analysis measures have been incorporated to gauge the variability through changes to crucial inputs. The proposed WLCC model would enable the users to assess the factual overall running costs of investment in PSA, along with risk management parameters, thereby facilitating investment policy implementation. As opposed to deterministic forecasts, it would enable the users to quantify the associated risks with a relative level of certainty. It would, therefore, contribute towards the more efficient use of budgets, equipping the users with statistical results to confidently make the judgment calls regarding various options of investment in PSA.
The influence of project managers’ competencies on the delivery of successful innovation in projects
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-02) HASSAN, AFAF
This thesis investigates the influence of project manager innovation competencies on the delivery of successful innovation in projects in the United Arab Emirates. The objectives of this thesis are to critically investigate the impact of the project manager innovation competencies on the delivery of successful innovation in projects, and to analytically examine the mediation effect of the project manager innovation personality traits and the project manager innovation environment on the relationship between the project manager innovation competencies and the delivery of successful innovation in projects. The research employs a quantitative method, as data are collected using online questionnaires from employees working in different companies operating in the United Arab Emirates. The data analysis is performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and structural equation modelling (AMOS) by means of multiple-regression, path and mediation analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicate that there are four clusters for project manager innovation competencies that are impact and influence competencies, cognitive competencies, personal effectiveness competencies, and managerial competencies. There are six clusters for project manager innovation personality traits that are alertness and quickness, self-confidence, decision-making, openness to innovation, honesty and integrity, and energy and toughness traits. There are two clusters to measure the delivery of successful innovation in projects that are control of new scope and response to scope change. Yet, the CFA is not used for the measurements of the project manager innovation environment, as each variable has less than five observations. Thus, the measurements of project manager innovation environment are obtained from the literature review and they include four clusters that are stakeholders, resources, culture, and market. The findings indicate that all of the studied project manager innovation competencies have a direct positive impact on the delivery of successful innovation in projects. The results also reveal that the project manager innovation personality traits fully mediate the relationship between the project manager innovation competencies and the delivery of successful innovation in projects. Except that the project manager innovation personality traits partially mediate the relationship between project manager personal effectiveness competencies and the response to scope change in projects. At the same time, the project manager innovation environment fully mediates the relationship between the project manager innovation competencies and the delivery of successful innovation in projects. Except that the project manager innovation environment partially mediates the relationship between project manager managerial competencies and the response to scope change in projects. Thus, this research thesis contributes to both the diffusion of innovation theory and the threshold and high performance managerial competencies theory. It is also one of the first empirical studies to establish a relationship between project managers’ innovation competencies, innovation personality traits, innovation environment, and the delivery of successful innovation in projects.
The Knowledge-Evolving Project: An Exploratory Study of Knowing Acts in a Digitisation Project
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-03) DABBOUR, GHASSAN
The aim of this research thesis is to explore the knowledge exploitation practices that drive the knowledge evolution spiral of project knowledge management. This is different to the conventional knowledge creation spiral commonly drawn from organisational knowledge management which implies the need for knowledge to grow beyond the organisation. The argument of this thesis is that while a successful organisation applies knowledge to grow beyond its constraints, a successful project is one that applies knowledge to efficiently meet its constraints by developing and assimilating the guiding knowledge that has been predefined and established at the project outset. Since improvisation and spontaneity of knowing acts in projects are an inherent practice, the primary methodology this research deploys is Glaserian Grounded Theory, supported by qualitative analysis of secondary documents for triangulation. The empirical research is conducted on a ‘Maintenance Digitisation Project’ in an organisation that runs real estate and is part of a group of companies. The core categories that emerged were: Inscription, Technological Extension, Discussion, and Redundancy, which are the end products of the study; the knowledge evolving acts. Based on these findings, the study constructs the FRDA (Formalisation, Realisation, Deconstruction, and Assimilation) model–a knowledge management model of the knowledge-evolving project.
Enablers and Barriers to Knowledge sharing in the UAE infrastructural projects
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-03) MOHAMED ALI AHMED, ALDHANHANI
The sharing of knowledge could be a catalyst for achieving organisational goals more quickly, or it could also be a means to a poor ending of a project. Recent researches have recognised the complications of knowledge sharing (KS) practices in projects due to their temporal nature and unaccountability of clients and beneficiaries in regard to projects. This thesis aims to examine how KS is successfully utilised to create successful projects in the infrastructure development sector. The research questions concentrate on addressing the integration of the KS process to improve project success within the infrastructure development sector of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data was collected using questionnaire survey method to examine the integration of KS in infrastructural projects in the UAE. The literature review is used to extract enablers and barriers of success in KS in UAE infrastructural projects. The extracted enablers are categorised into seven groups (organisational, motivation, processes, technologies, social networking, physical environment, and individual), whereas the barriers are categorised into three groups (individuals, organisational, and technological). The data was collected through a survey from 112 valid respondents. The respondents were drawn from specific organisations within the infrastructural sectors of the UAE. Several statistical methods were used for the data analysis, including descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, ANOVA analysis, correlation, and regression. The research outcomes indicate that three enablers influence the level of KS contributions to project success: the ability of social networks to simplify personal relationships and social interactions to facilitate the project KS process (E24); the characteristics of the physical environments such as the shape of the office spaces or relaxed and quiet environment (E30); and loyalty and hard work to increase project success via KS (E35). The research findings also show that four enablers are important for the benefits of timely KS in infrastructural projects: leadership commitment to support open and honest two-way communication in projects (E5), measurements of knowledge sharing before and after any project activities (E8), implementation of less formal resources such as social media to share embedded project knowledge (E11), and the ability to communicate between project stakeholders regarding the project through specific channels (E13). In addition, the results support that two enablers were assessed as important for the quality of the timeliness of KS in infrastructural projects, the first of which is a clear policy or strategy for project knowledge sharing (E1), and the second refers to sufficient assets and resources to support project KS processes (E12). The results appear to show that respondents believed that two enablers are relevant to the effectiveness of KS between stakeholders at each stage of the projects lifecycle: sufficient reward systems to share knowledge (E4) and sufficient assets and resources to support project KS processes (E12). In the barriers clusters, the respondents agreed that a lack of trust for others regarding sharing project knowledge (B3) impacts KS contributions to project success. Only one barrier was deemed important for the effectiveness of KS between stakeholders at each stage of a project’s lifecycle: lack of a motivation policy for knowledge sharing (B12). The ANOVA analysis findings offer a variety of interrelationships between the identified enablers and barriers based on respondents’ work sectors. The study’s conclusions support the vision that there is a need for more organisational commitment (E3), further leadership commitment arrangements to support open and honest two-way communication (E5), a wider range of communication channels organisational commitment to support the uses of KS in the project lifecycle (E13). In order to facilitate KS inside of the project, there is a need for sufficient funding, facilities, and technological resources (E28). Furthermore, it is very necessary to take further measures in order to facilitate communication between different stakeholders and to ensure the establishment of a culture of motivated KS in projects. Moreover, it is obligatory to address external or macro-environmental factors (B15) in this regard to support the uses of KS in infrastructural projects in the UAE. This research focuses primarily on KS inside the unique context of project management (PM) in the UAE region, so the results presented herein may not be fully applicable or generalisable to other countries due to existent cultural differences. This research is considered to be one of the earliest studies which addresses the existing knowledge gaps by providing a roadmap to investigate KS practices and tools that can be successfully utilised in PM processes to promote underpinning knowledge within the UAE area. In addition, this study provides industry practitioners with better perceptions and an empirical framework of KS to utilise the lessons that have been learned from the mistakes of previous projects. This research can be further expanded in the future by applying social networking tools to analyse the interaction of knowledge flows among different stakeholders.
Programme Management Success: A Study of the UAE Utilities Sector
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-03) IBRAHIM, MAHA MOHAMMAD
There has been increasing interest in programme management which is used as a means to implement strategy, develop and maintain new capabilities in order to manage change. This research aims to understand the phenomenon of programme success in the context of the government organisations based in GCC countries. Programme management is designed to create synergy between various projects and deliver a set of benefits by coordinating between projects. Programmes provide a transformational way for integrating projects as well as organizational strategies. The empirical research focuses on government organisations in the United Arab Emirates examining the various measurement dimensions/criteria used for assessing programme success. A case study is reported of three different programmes within the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA). These programmes are ‘Water’, ‘Electricity’ and the ‘IT Transformational Programme’. A list of six constructs of programme success criteria and nine success factors were identified from the existing literature on programme success and used to guide the exploratory study. The study is based on semi-structured interviews, observations and secondary document analysis. A total number of twenty interviewees were selected from different levels based on their experience within the organisation as well as the programmes under investigation. The interviews covered three main aspects in order to better understand the phenomenon of programme success in the three programmes namely, success criteria, success factors and programme context.
The relationship between Determinants of Risk Governance assurance and efficacy of the Public projects in the Government of Dubai from the perspective of Internal Audit Function
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-04) MUBARAK, ALIA MARJAN
The government of Dubai has been heavily focusing on the public sector and investing in the infrastructural development of mega-projects to support and increase the economic growth of the nation and have reliable alternatives to the gas and oil sector. These mega-projects may include the construction of major buildings, roads, railway lines and airports. The success of these public initiatives may create the course for the government to decrease its reliance on other sectors. However, not all of these projects are completed on time and adhering to the predetermined budget. Thus, the effectiveness of risk governance has to be analysed to assess the possible risk factors and eliminate them to ensure the success of the future projects. This study addresses a literature gap that exists for such research of global solutions for the local environment. While a significant sector of research is devoted to risk management in Europe and the United States, the unique culture, location and economy of the United Arab Emirates and Dubai, in particular, have to be incorporated into the understanding of local risk management in order to reach the best outcomes. Thus, risk governance issues, approaches and methods specific to Dubai and other emirates are the primary focus of the present study. The research presents a comprehensive literature review of different risk governance frameworks to assess and find the context that is most appropriate to use in the Dubai setting. Furthermore, the role of Internal Audit is highlighted as the main procedure impacting the quality and reliability of risk management processes. The study adopts a quantitative methodology and employs a research philosophy of positivism in order to evaluate the collected data objectively and obtain results that create a visual representation of the identified research problem. As a result, a questionnaire with 148 questions with answers based on the Likert scale was collected from 113 respondents working as the staff from the internal audit and risk management departments in the government of Dubai and some practitioners who were attending the Middle East Risk Management Forum. Then, a reliability test, factor analysis, analysis of variance and correlation analysis were undertaken to assess the answers and relate them to the formulated hypotheses. The results of the study confirmed the necessity of a specific approach in addressing risk management of the Dubai public sector. The questionnaire revealed that ten possible determinants could be identified in assessing risk governance, including strategy, risk communication, risk culture and financial capacity. By collecting the opinions of managers and executives working in the risk management sector, these factors were appraised and classified. Furthermore, different variables were analysed to find that some of them may be more significant than others. For instance, risk communication was established to be one of the principal factors in affecting risk management as it implies that issues are addressed appropriately and timely. Thus, a model for risk governance specific to the local sector in Dubai was created. This research has multiple practical implications. It may assist policymakers of the Dubai government to develop and implement systematic changes into the current risk management processes. Organisation management may also benefit from the study’s results as it presents a number of possible strategies for more successful risk governance. The presented research addresses the gap in the literature which includes specific needs and issues identified. Its identification of ten factors affecting risk governance in Dubai is based on opinions of professional working in the sector. The development of a detailed risk governance framework that incorporates the nations’ geography, history, economy, politics and culture can assist the government and management of Dubai, other emirates and other countries in approaching new mega-projects and securing their success.
Value Co-Creation using Activity Theory: Cord Blood Donor Recruitment in Hospitals
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-08) ALHASHIMI, FATMA HUSSAIN
Donor management involves major activities including recruitment, invitation, selection, and donation processes. Donor recruitment is one of the critical stages that ensures sufficient amounts of blood are received at blood collection sites. Donor recruitment and blood strategy management need to be researched according to the culture and social environment of the country concerned. Only a few studies have been conducted on a national scale on cord blood donor recruitment processes. Hematopoietic stem cells donations within public cord blood registries are highly important in Arab countries since, out of 20 million Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) donors registered globally, less than 50 are registered in the Arabian Gulf countries. This thesis uses the conceptual resources of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to identify potential mediating instruments between S-D logic and practice-based views. The research problem concerns how to combine these two views. The researcher argues that by using different models and tools of activity theory we will enhance our understanding of issues such as knowledge fragmentation, contradictions and different ambiguities that occur in healthcare contexts. Dubai Cord Blood and Research Center (DCRC) is the only governmental cord blood centre in the UAE. The DCRC provides expectant mothers two main cord blood-banking options which are private (family) banking of newborns’ UCB stem cells where the unit is kept for the family use, and public banking where one can donate their newborn’s UCB stem cells to be used by others for transplantation. This is the first study that combines activity-theoretical analysis with value co-creation processes in a particular service where activity theory is used as a tool to expand S-D logic for practice development in cord blood donor recruitment processes in hospitals. In conclusion, several common ingredients emerged between S-D logic and activity theory which include: the role of beneficiary (user), actors as dynamic systems, importance of context as human institutions, and importance of knowledge as an operant resource. This research provides a foundation for improvements to practice in voluntary cord blood recruitment. Knowledge about the importance of public cord blood donation is essential among community, expectant mothers and healthcare providers to develop reliable donor recruitment processes for public cord blood banks.

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