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A Framework for Information Extraction, Storage and Retrieval
(2004) El-Beltagy, Samhaa R.; Said, Mohammed; Shaalan, Khaled F.
This paper presents a set of tools that were developed in order to facilitate and speed up the process of building information extraction and retrieval systems for documents that exhibit a set of predefined characteristics. Specifically, the work presents a simple framework for extracting information found in publications or documents that are issued in large volumes and which cover similar concepts or issues within a given domain. The paper presents a simple model for defining background knowledge and for using that to automatically augment segments of input documents with metadata in order to assist users in easily locating information within these documents through a structured front end. The model presented makes use of both document structure as well as dynamically acquired background knowledge to achieve its goals.
Machine Translation of English Noun Phrases into Arabic
(2004) Shaalan, Khaled F.; Rafea, Ahmed A.; MONEIM, AZZA ABDEL; BARAKA, HODA
The present work reports our attempt in automating the translation of English noun phrase (NP) into Arabic. Translating NP is a very important task toward sentence translation since NPs form the majority of textual content of the scientific and technical documents. The system is implemented in Prolog and the parser is written in DCG formalism. The paper also describes our experience with the developed MT system and reports results of its application on real titles of theses from the computer science domain.
An Interactive System for Association Rule Discovery for Life Assurance
(2004) Rafea, Ahmed A.; Shafik, Suzanne S.; Shaalan, Khaled F.
This paper uses prior domain knowledge to guide the mining of association rules in life assurance business environment. This approach is used in order to overcome the drawbacks of data mining using rule induction such as loss of information, discover too many obvious patterns, and mining of overwhelmed association rules. A data mining interactive rule induction algorithm is introduced to mine rules at micro levels. The mined rules describe the impact of different insurance policies attributes, customer profiles, and market channels on company portfolio growth. A system was built based on this algorithm and was tested and verified on real data set in Misr Insurance company, which is the leading insurance company in Egypt.
An expert system for the best weight distribution on ferryboats
(2004) Shaalan, Khaled F.; Rizk, Mohammed; Abdelhamid, Yasser; Bahgat, Reem
There are some problems that need expertise in order to get a satisfactory solution. Ferryboat carries goods, fresh water, diesel oil, luggage and storing rooms up to its permissible draft in order to maintain safety according to the international safety regulations. The best weight distribution on ferryboat needs human expertise to handle many variables, such as the amount of the bunker and fresh water that allow us to use more rooms for charging in order to maximize the profit. This sort of problems can be classified under Configuration Problem. In this paper, we address the development of a ferryboat expert systems (WDFB) using CommonKADS knowledge engineering methodology. We propose a reusable problem-solving approach, which is an enhancement of the structure-oriented approach, capable of solving the ferryboat configuration problem. The proposed model includes heuristics that make the search of suitable configuration more efficient, taking into consideration the transformation knowledge and the optimality criteria. The results of testing the system on a real-world data from National Navigation Company, Suez, Egypt, were satisfactory.
A Multiagent Approach for Diagnostic Expert Systems via the Internet
(Elsevier, 2004) Shaalan, Khaled F.; Rafea, Ahmed A.; El-Badry, Mona
In recent years there has been considerable interest in the possibility of building complex problem solving systems as groups of co-operating experts. This has led us to develop a multiagent expert systems capable to run on servers that can support a large group of users (clients) who communicate with the system over the network. The system provides an architecture to coordinate the behavior of several specific agent types. Two types of agents are involved. One type works on the server computer and the other type works on the client computers. The society of agents in our system consists of expert systems agents (diagnosis agents, and a treatment agent) working on the server side, each of which contains an autonomous knowledge-based system. Typically, agents will have expertise in distinct but related domains. The whole system is capable of solving problems, which require the cumulative expertise of the agent community. Besides to the user interface agent who employs an intelligent data collector, so-called communication model in KADS, working on the client sides. We took the advantage of a successful pre-existing expert systems—developed at CLAES (Central Laboratory for Agricultural Expert Systems, Egypt)—for constructing an architecture of a community of cooperating agents. This paper describes our experience with decomposing the diagnosis expert systems into a multi-agent system. Experiments on a set of test cases from real agricultural expert systems were preformed. The expert systems agents are implemented in Knowledge Representation Object Language (KROL) and JAVA languages using KADS knowledge engineering methodology on the WWW platform.
Towards Resolving Ambiguity in Understanding Arabic Sentence
(2004) Rafea, Ahmed A.; Shaalan, Khaled F.
Ambiguity is a major reason why computers do not yet understand natural language. We have made great deal strides towards developing tools for morphological and syntactic analyzers for Arabic in recent years. The absence of diacritics, which represent most vowels, in the written text creates ambiguity which hinders the development of Arabic natural language processing applications. Thus, ambiguity increases the range of possible interpretations of natural language. In this paper, we give a road map of solutions to common ambiguity problems inherent in parsing of Arabic sentence.
Consumers’ behavioural intentions after experiencing deception or cognitive dissonance caused by deceptive packaging or slack filling
(Emerald, 2016) Wilkins, Stephen; Beckenuyte, Carina; Muhammad Mohsin, Butt
Purpose The purpose of this study is to discover the extent to which consumers are aware of air filling in food packaging, the extent to which deceptive packaging and slack filling – which often result from package downsizing – lead to cognitive dissonance and the extent to which feelings of cognitive dissonance and being deceived lead consumers to engage in negative post-purchase behaviours. Design/methodology/approach The study analysed respondents’ reactions to a series of images of a specific product. The sample consisted of consumers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the UK. Five photographs served as the stimulus material. The first picture showed a well-known brand of premium chocolate in its packaging and then four further pictures each showed a plate with a different amount of chocolate on it, which represented different possible levels of package fill. Findings Consumer expectations of pack fill were positively related to consumers’ post-purchase dissonance, and higher dissonance was negatively related to repurchase intentions and positively related to both intended visible and non-visible negative post-purchase behaviours, such as switching brand and telling friends to avoid the product. Furthermore, consumers with low product involvement were less likely to repurchase the brand, and were more willing to engage in visible and non-visible negative behaviours. Research limitations/implications The key message from this study is that consumers’ post-purchase dissonance is likely to damage the firm. Although firms may initially achieve increased sales through deceptive packaging and slack filling, these practices risk damaging a brand’s reputation and consumer loyalty to the brand. Firms need to strike a balance between packaging size and content, and as consumer expectations are likely to vary across different products, individual companies should engage in market research and substantive market testing. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates antecedents and consequences of cognitive dissonance experienced by consumers which was caused by perceived deceptive packaging and/or slack filling.
Country of origin and country of service delivery effects in transnational higher education: a comparison of international branch campuses from developed and developing nations
(Taylor and Francis, 2016) Chee, Chiu Mei; Butt, Muhammad Mohsin; Wilkins, Stephen; Ong, Fon Sim
Over the last decade, international branch campuses have been established by universities from developing countries as well as developed countries. Little research has been conducted into students’ perceptions of branch campuses from different countries, or how universities from different countries compete in the increasingly competitive market. A framework incorporating the concepts of country of origin and country of service delivery is adopted to assess how potential undergraduate students in Malaysia perceive the home and international branch campuses of universities from the United Kingdom (UK) and India, which are used to represent universities from developed and developing nations. It was found that for a university from a developing nation, students perceived the image, reputation, quality and brand equity of its home campus more positively than its international branch campus. The results suggest that although all universities must devise and implement strategies that enhance the image and reputation of their international branch campuses, institutions from developing countries should seek niche markets where they do not have to compete directly with prestigious universities from developed countries.
The use of MOOCs in transnational higher education for accreditation of prior learning, programme delivery, and professional development
(Emerald, 2016) Annabi, Carrie Amani; Wilkins, Stephen
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how, and the extent to which, massive open online courses (MOOCs) might be used in the accreditation of students’ prior learning, in programme delivery at international branch campuses, and for lecturers’ professional development (PD) in transnational higher education. Design/methodology/approach The data were obtained from two international branch campuses in the United Arab Emirates. The research adopted a qualitative methodology that involved 20 lecturers participating in semi-structured interviews and ten lecturers participating in a focus group. A rigorous process of content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data. Findings Lecturers in transnational higher education perceived that MOOCs were not suitable for accredited prior learning but that they might be useful as a supplementary resource for student learning and for personal PD. There was a strong belief that as international branch campuses offered a commodified product, MOOCs were unlikely to be adopted as a replacement for traditional programme delivery methods, as students strongly prefer face-to-face teaching and support. Practical implications The research has identified a number of recommendations for higher education institutions operating in transnational settings, which might improve both institutional and individual performance. Institutions that intend to use MOOCs in programme delivery should consider how their students and staff would react to such a move, and how this might impact upon institutional image and reputation. Originality/value Surprisingly, there has been little academic research published on the use of MOOCs in higher education, and to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in a transnational education setting. The uniqueness of the environment in which international branch campuses operate, as well as their different objectives and student profiles, provide the rationale for this research.
The effects of social identification and organizational identification on student commitment
(Taylor and Francis, 2016) Wilkins, Stephen; Butt, Muhammad Mohsin; Kratochvil, Daniel; Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens
The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of social and organizational identifications on student commitment, achievement and satisfaction in higher education. The sample comprised 437 students enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme in business or management. A model was developed and tested using structural equation modelling. It was found that organizational identification is a stronger predictor of student commitment, achievement and satisfaction than social identification. Although organizational identification was a strong predictor of student satisfaction, student commitment was better at explaining student achievement. The implications for higher education institutions are discussed. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study to examine the effects of organizational identification on student commitment, achievement and satisfaction. The key contribution of the research is in providing support for the hypothesis that organizational identification can influence the attitudes and behaviour of higher education students, as it has been shown to do with employees and consumers.
Establishing international branch campuses: a framework for assessing opportunities and risks
(Taylor and Francis, 2016) Wilkins, Stephen
At the start of 2016, there were 230 international branch campuses operating worldwide, but of the campuses that were established since the mid-1990s, around 10 per cent have failed. The purpose of this article is to propose a framework that the strategic decision makers in higher education institutions can refer to when evaluating opportunities to develop branch campuses in foreign countries. The framework derives from empirical evidence that was the product of a rigorous search of the literature and other secondary sources, and it has drawn upon business management theories such as institutional theory, Porter’s industry-based view, and Barney’s resource-based view. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following themes, or influencing factors, in the data: environmental, industry, and organisational. The framework provides higher education managers with an analytical tool to guide a process of systematic data collection and analysis, which includes reflection on institutional objectives, resources, and competencies. It is likely that the systematic, data-driven approach promoted by the framework will in future reduce the number of international branch campus failures.
Issues and challenges for small countries in attracting and hosting international students: the case of Lithuania
(Taylor and Francis, 2016) Urbanovič, Jolanta; Wilkins, Stephen; Huisman, Jeroen
At the start of 2016, there were 230 international branch campuses operating worldwide, but of the campuses that were established since the mid-1990s, around 10 per cent have failed. The purpose of this article is to propose a framework that the strategic decision makers in higher education institutions can refer to when evaluating opportunities to develop branch campuses in foreign countries. The framework derives from empirical evidence that was the product of a rigorous search of the literature and other secondary sources, and it has drawn upon business management theories such as institutional theory, Porter’s industry-based view, and Barney’s resource-based view. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following themes, or influencing factors, in the data: environmental, industry, and organisational. The framework provides higher education managers with an analytical tool to guide a process of systematic data collection and analysis, which includes reflection on institutional objectives, resources, and competencies. It is likely that the systematic, data-driven approach promoted by the framework will in future reduce the number of international branch campus failures.
Ethical issues in transnational higher education: the case of international branch campuses
(Taylor and Francis, 2017) Wilkins, Stephen
The establishment of an international branch campus can impact upon a diverse range of stakeholders in both home and host countries. Many of the arguments against international branch campuses are based on ethical issues, such as the lack of academic freedom and civil liberties in host countries. Ignoring ethical issues may deny institutions the achievement of legitimacy, which can result in financial losses and reputational damage. Thus, the purpose of this article is to identify the ethical issues that higher education managers should recognise and address when considering the establishment of an international branch campus. A framework based on analysing how home and host country stakeholders might be impacted by the establishment of an international branch campus – and how they might influence higher education institutions – is proposed. It was found that institutions which are flexible, quick to learn, and possess the dynamic capabilities necessary to drive organisational change might be the institutions that have the greatest chance of success in foreign markets. Given that at the start of 2015, at least 24 new international branch campuses were planned or in the process of being built, it is concluded that higher education institutions will have to continue treading the thin line between trying to fit in with their host cultures while simultaneously trying to achieve academic freedom and improve local social, political, and legal conditions.
MNCs and religious influences in global markets: drivers of consumer-based halal brand equity
(Emerald, 2017) Muhammad Mohsin, Butt; Rose, Susan; Wilkins, Stephen; Ul Haq, Junaid
Purpose Multinational corporations (MNCs) that want to compete in markets worldwide should not underestimate the influences of religion on consumer demand. Almost one quarter of the world’s population is Muslim so it is important for MNCs to get into the Muslim mind set when operating in countries where Islam has a large influence. The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which consumer-based brand equity in a religious market results from the psychological and behavioural characteristics of consumers rather than from product characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey method was adopted, using a total sample of 551 Muslim consumers in Malaysia and Pakistan. A holistic model conceptualising three potential psychological and behavioural predictors of consumer-based halal brand equity (CBHBE) was created and then tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The strength of an individual’s religious identity was found to be a strong predictor of consumer halal choice behaviour and perceived self-expressive religious benefits. Consumers’ halal choice behaviour and perceived self-expressive benefits directly predict CBHBE. Moreover, consumer halal choice behaviour partially mediates the relationship between self-expressive benefits and CBHBE. Practical implications The authors conclude that firms targeting Muslim consumers can maximise CBHBE by focussing their marketing strategies on the three psychological and behavioural constructs identified in the model. For example, by using halal certification logos and providing convincing information about the halalness of their brand, businesses can facilitate Muslim consumers’ search processes in relation to their choice behaviour. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing international branding literature in two main ways. First, it introduces and defines the concept of CBHBE. Second, it identifies and empirically validates the important psychological and behavioural predictors of CBHBE.
The effects of employee commitment in transnational higher education: the case of international branch campuses
(SAGE, 2017) Wilkins, Stephen; Butt, Muhammad Mohsin; Annabi, Carrie Amani
Higher education is a labor intensive activity and strong organizational performance depends upon employee commitment. This study analyses antecedents and consequences of employee commitment in universities that are involved in transnational higher education, with a focus on identifying differences between the employees at home and foreign branch campuses. The data for the study were obtained using a questionnaire that was completed by both teaching and non-teaching staff at three institutions in the United Kingdom, three institutions in Malaysia, and two institutions in the United Arab Emirates. A conceptual model was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that employees at international branch campuses are not as motivated and committed to their organizations as their counterparts at home campuses. The findings suggest that institutions need to employ different and customized human resource strategies at home and foreign campuses, specifically with the aim of improving employee commitment and performance at the foreign campuses.
Achieving legitimacy in cross-border higher education: institutional influences on Chinese international branch campuses in South East Asia
(SAGE, 2018) He, Lan; Wilkins, Stephen
All universities must achieve legitimacy, as this is essential to attract students, staff and resources, including funding. In order to achieve legitimacy in transnational higher education, universities must conform to the rules and belief systems in the host countries. Adopting a case study approach, this research aims to investigate the different institutional influences on three Chinese international branch campuses (IBCs) that operate in South East Asia. The institutional factors behind the strategies taken in establishing and operating such branch campuses are discussed, as well as the different legitimacy building strategies adopted to counteract the liability of foreignness in the host countries. It was found that legitimacy is established through three modes: legitimacy conformity, selective legitimacy conformity/nonconformity and legitimacy creation, which are adopted according to the IBC’s dependence on local resources and the strength of the institutional forces in the host country.
The influence of organisational identification on employee attitudes and behaviours in multinational higher education institutions
(Taylor and Francis, 2018) Wilkins, Stephen; Muhammad Mohsin, Butt; Annabi, Carrie Amani
In order to operate effectively and efficiently, most higher education institutions depend on employees performing extra-role behaviours and being committed to staying with the organisation. This study assesses the extent to which organisational identification and employee satisfaction are antecedents of these two important behaviours. Key objectives of the research were to identify possible antecedents of organisational identification and to discover whether the consequences of organisational identification vary among the employees of multinational universities at home and foreign campuses. We developed a model that was tested using structural equation modelling, which assesses the influences of organisational identification on employee satisfaction, extra-role behaviours and turnover intentions. All of the paths in our model were significant, but employee identification, satisfaction and extra-role behaviours were lower at foreign branches than at the home campuses of universities, and turnover intentions were higher. These results suggest that higher education institutions need to implement different human resource strategies at home and foreign branches, with a focus on improving organisational identification at the foreign subsidiaries.
Transnational higher education: the importance of institutional reputation, trust and student-university identification in international partnerships
(Emerald, 2018) Wilkins, Stephen; Muhammad Mohsin, Butt; Heffernan, Troy
This research assesses the extent to which the critical relational variables of university reputation, student trust, and student-university identification influence student behaviour towards transnational education partnerships. Students undertaking British degrees at two transnational partnership locations (Hong Kong, n = 203 and Sri Lanka, n = 325) completed a quantitative survey questionnaire. A conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modelling. University reputation and student trust were found to be significant predictors of student identification with each partner institution, and student-university identification was a significant predictor of student satisfaction, loyalty, and extra-role behaviours toward both the local and foreign educational organisations. The findings suggest that student relationship management strategies should focus on strengthening the higher education institution’s reputation, and increasing the students’ trust and identification with the institution. Moreover, universities should also assess potential partners for these qualities when entering into transnational education partnerships. Drawing on theories of social and organisational identification, this is the first study to consider student-university identification as the linchpin between the exogenous constructs of reputation and trust, and the endogenous constructs of student satisfaction, loyalty, and extra-role behaviours in both the international education and international business literatures.
The benefits and drawbacks of transnational higher education: myths and realities
(2018) Wilkins, Stephen; Juusola, Katariina
The purpose of this article is to analyse some of the key ongoing debates in transnational higher education (TNHE). First, we discuss a selection of the claimed benefits and drawbacks of TNHE for home and host country stakeholders (students, governments and institutions), and then we suggest alternative realities, for which there appears to be evidence in practice. It is concluded that (1) recent TNHE developments on the provision side act as a counterforce to the spread of neo-colonialism; (2) international branch campus development continues but there is evidence that the forms, motives, and markets of these initiatives are changing; (3) distance/online/MOOC programs do not pose a threat to the sustainability of other forms of TNHE; (4) the majority of TNHE programs are of acceptable quality due to high levels of competition in international higher education markets and increased regulatory demands from quality assurance agencies; and (5) these forces also contribute to students generally being satisfied with their TNHE study experience.
International brand alliances and co-branding: antecedents of cognitive dissonance and student satisfaction with co-branded higher education programs
(Taylor and Francis, 2018) Wilkins, Stephen; Muhammad Mohsin, Butt; Heffernan, Troy
The study investigates how in international partnerships the brand credibility of each partner, student-institution identification with each partner, and perceived service quality relate to student satisfaction. A structured survey questionnaire was completed by 528 students taking a co-branded higher education program in Hong Kong or Sri Lanka. The results indicate that the brand credibility of a foreign institution is a stronger influencer on student identification with the foreign institution as compared to the relationship between credibility and identification with the local partner. The negative relationship between organizational identification and cognitive dissonance for each institution in the partnership is also stronger for the foreign institution. As the popularity of international partnerships and co-branded higher education programs continues to grow, the importance and dominance of foreign brand credibility and student identification with foreign institutions is recognized.

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