BUiD Doctoral Research Conference 2024
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Item Regulatory and Governmental Drivers of Eco-Innovation(Springer Cham, 2025) Ali Al Hammadi; Edward OchiengThis paper Aimed at exploring the role of innovation in CSR through environmental regulation and government support. The paper used a six stages systematic literature review on CSR and Eco-innovation to examine the relationship between various factors effecting the innovation within CSR. The findings showcase a close relation between innovation and CSR, manifesting in various fields including Eco-innovation. It was found that Environmental regulation has a significant effect on Eco-innovation products and processes. The literature also revealed that government support positively impacts Eco-innovation. The paper concluded that corporate social responsibility (CSR), implemented through innovative projects, which is mainly driven by environmental regulation coupled with government support, has a major impact on the success and sustainability of an organization. Finally, the paper presented three practical implications.Item Risk Identification of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projects: A Systematic Review(Springer Cham, 2025) Yifei Sheng; Kamal Qazi; Amir RahbarimaneshIntroduction: Carbon emissions and energy poverty have prompted the British government to invest in the electric vehicle industry. Despite financial support, nearly half of the charging infrastructure projects in the transportation sector experience cost overruns. Methods: With the aim of identifying risk factors within electric vehicle infrastructure projects, a review on the risk identification of electric vehicle infrastructure projects is conducted using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) approach and classification analysis of literature. This resulted in the evaluation of 104 critical articles collected from two online databases (Scopus and Web of Science). Findings: This research identified 24 risk factors during electric vehicle infrastructure construction process and classified them based on PESTLE model. The research findings indicate that the public–private partnership models have evolved from initial employment systems to collaborative approaches. Inflation, which can directly result in soaring prices, will trigger a series of problems including worker strikes, public opposition, and unsatisfactory services. Conclusion: These risk factors do not operate in isolation; rather, they dynamically influence each other. In the future, interview and survey will be conducted to identify the strategies which minimize the risk in electric vehicle infrastructure projects.Item Stakeholder Management in Construction Projects: A Systematic Literature Review(Springer Cham, 2025) Lantian Liu; Amir Rahbarimanesh; Mohamed Abadi, Kun WangStakeholder management (SM) is critical in project management. However, SM was less effective in the construction industry. Given the critical role and complexity of Stakeholder Management in Construction Projects (SMCP), this research has used a systematic literature review approach to select 56 articles for bibliometric and content analysis. Findings of this research provide a clear understanding of the state-of-the-art study on SMCP. These include communication as one of the major topics, the trend of this area is to integrate sustainability and BIM in SMCP. In addition, this study identified critical challenges in SMCP: (1) Dynamic management of stakeholders. (2) Increasing interest in the construction industry to promote digital transformation in SMCP. (3) Integrate sustainability into SM. Although the limited search scope reflects the overall development of SMCP research trends, it may overlook some research not included in them. Overall, this comprehensive review of SMCP provides valuable insights for researchers, giving them a detailed view of previous studies and it recommends future research agenda.Item The Effectiveness of the Universities Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Shaping the Students’ Entrepreneurial Career Choices: Evidence from UAE Context(Springer Cham, 2025) Rania Gamal El Din Sheir; Husam-Aldin N. Al-MalkawiThis study investigates the factors that influence the establishment and functioning of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem (UEE) and its impact on the student entrepreneurial career choice. This research utilises the case-study methodology to conduct an evidence-based analysis of the current theoretical framework. It aims to validate the role of its elements through empirical experience, which is gathered from semi-structured interviews with 7 respondents from three private universities in Dubai. The results shows that the business incubators programs have a greater favourable influence on student entrepreneurship compared to official courses and various tiers of networks can facilitate the flow and interchange of resources. In addition, the findings reveal that culture has a crucial role in shaping and fostering individual entrepreneurial behaviour and their clustering in the UEE. Furthermore, the UEE's creation and progress are significantly influenced by strong entrepreneurial vision and enduring commitments, particularly in terms of leadership.Item The Impact of Distance Learning on Identifying Primary Students with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) During COVID-19 in Two Schools in Ajman City in the UAE(Springer Cham, 2025) Mona Abuhattab; Eman GaadThe purpose of this study is to highlight the impact of distance learning on identifying primary students with specific learning disorders (SLD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in two private schools in Ajman city in the UAE. The present paper is a small-scale study that employed the qualitative design method to gather responses to the research question, depending on semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was used to analyze data collected from 101 teachers, parents, special education teachers, and coordinators. In light of the results, the study revealed that schools faced obstacles, which hindered the effective identification during distance learning. Findings referred these barriers to lack of knowledge and awareness about students with SLD, lack of instructions, resources, and data, as well as lack of assessment reliability and validity and poor student evaluation. In addition, there was lack of communication and coordination among teachers, special education teachers, coordinators, and parents. Lastly, the absence of a team of experts and trained teachers in the field played an important role. The study wrapped up with a list of recommendations for effective identification in an online environment such as training teachers on inclusive education, establishing a well-articulated and efficient policy for identification methods in the schools, and raising awareness within the school community. Stakeholders and policymakers are urged to examine the problem from different perspectives to overcome all the barriers hindering effective identification. Finally, various factors posed limitations to the study, including restricted access to schools, restrictive rules of social interaction during the pandemic, and having to rely solely on semi-structured interviews. The significance of this study arises from the sacristy of research, at least locally, and the increasing numbers of cases of learning difficulties, as well as the lack of awareness among all stakeholders on dealing with such cases.Item The Impact of Flexible Organizational Structure on Universities Employee’s Performance and the Moderated Role of Commitment Culture(Springer Cham, 2025) Esraa AwawdehIn today's volatile environment, where effective interaction with organizational structures is essential, flexibility plays a pivotal role in providing organizations with a competitive edge. This research aims to investigate how the flexibility of organizational structures impacts the performance of employees in universities in the UAE, moderated by commitment culture. This quantitative study tests a hypothesized model using data from 100 university employees. The findings indicate that flexible organizational structure significantly influences employee performance; an increase in organizational flexibility correlates with enhanced employee performance. However, the study reveals that commitment culture does not strengthen the relationship between flexible organizational structure and employee performance.Item The Impact of Organizational Learning on Business Continuity Through the Moderating Effect of Organizational Culture: A Study of UAE’s Public Sector Organizations(Springer Cham, 2025) Loubna Saad Saoud; Muna Al Suleimani; Jude EidDespite the UAE’s vast growth, its public sector remains essential to its stability, where effective crisis management and fast change are unique challenges. It is crucial to understand the relationship between organizational learning (OL), business continuity (BC), and organizational culture (OC). This paper examines the OL and BC relationship through the moderating role of OC, specifically the hierarchical culture that is applied in the UAE's public sector. The study aims to expand OL and BC literature. Empirical data was collected using the questionnaire method. The study hypothesized that OL has a positive impact on BC and that OC moderates the relationship between OL and BC. The study findings indicate that the OL process has a direct and positive impact on BC in the context of the UAE public sector. However, the study reveal that the OC does not moderate the relationship between OL and BC, which sheds light on the complexity of this relationship and can guide future research. Thus, the study findings have the potential to assist UAE public sector organizations in developing their OL activities, fostering an OC, and enhancing effective strategies for BC.Item The Indirect Impact of Enterprise Architecture on Successful Project Management in UAE Healthcare Organizations(Springer Cham, 2025) Hadeel Atallah; Rajish PaiThe purpose of this research was to examine the indirect impact of enterprise architecture on successful project management in the UAE healthcare sector under the mediating role of effective decision making. The current research adopted a quantitative methodological framework to rigorously examine the subject matter above and study the phenomenon of the proposed relationships in the case of UAE healthcare entities. A survey was distributed to 500 high level healthcare practitioners and decision makers across the UAE (mainly, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah). The findings of the study revealed that, the variable of effective decision making positively mediated the relationship between enterprise architecture and successful project management in the UAE healthcare industry. The combined path regression value for the independent variable of enterprise architecture, through the mediating variable of effective decision making, to the dependent variable of successful project management, was R = 0.789, at a p value of < .0001. These findings revealed that when the enterprise architecture is synchronized through effective decision making, then implementing any change project and managing it to a successful end would not be a challenge. In agreement with evidence from literature, the findings of the current study further illuminated why it is critical to have synergy across organizational functions through a fully integrated enterprise architecture. The challenge of lack of integration and the bottlenecks it can cause to successful project implementation were implied by virtue of the findings confirming the importance of effective decision making across the enterprise as an enabler of success.Item The Influence of Green Innovation and Digital Transformation Strategy on the Relationship Between Sustainability and Service Sector Project Success in the Context of UAE(Springer Cham, 2025) Abdulazeez OthmanThe aim of the study is to shed light on how green innovation and digital transformation strategies influence the connection underlying to sustainability practices and project success. Through an analysis of the moderating impacts of green innovation and digital transformation, the study will offer important insights into how these elements may boost project success in a sustainable way. The study will be using a quantitative methodology, distributing surveys to directors or executives and project managers in UAE service industries in public sector. Employing structural equation modelling, the gathered data will be analysed to look at both the direct and indirect implications of the suggested factors. The study is expected to determine the extent to which digital transformation and green innovation impact the correlation between sustainability and project success. The presentation will emphasize specific advancements in digitalization and environmentally-friendly innovations that, when integrated with sustainable practices, enhance the results of projects. This study project is distinctive since it concentrates primarily on analyzing the service industry in the public sector of the United Arab Emirates. The market has undergone considerable expansion and an increasing focus on sustainability. This study investigates the importance of digital transformation and green innovation as mediators in the association between project success and sustainability, aiming to fill the existing gap in knowledge. The findings will have a significant impact on organizational decisions and contribute to the development of optimal strategies for sustainable project management in the public sector of the UAE's service industry. Overall, this research has the capacity to stimulate positive transformation and ingenuity in the UAE service industry-public sector, creating opportunities for enhanced sustainability and prosperous initiatives in the future.Item The Relationship Between Bilingualism and Achievement(Springer Cham, 2025) Marwa Elkhouly; Tendai CharlesThis paper addresses the cognitive and academic impacts of bilingualism, particularly focusing on students in the UAE, where bilingual education programs have been significantly promoted. Bilingual students are hypothesized to have enhanced executive control and cognitive flexibility, potentially leading to superior academic performance compared to monolingual peers. Empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks such as Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and various cognitive development theories are explored to understand how bilingualism may affect academic achievement. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach, employing interviews and questionnaires among educators in UAE schools to gauge perceptions and real-world impacts of bilingual education on student achievement. Findings are expected to contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of bilingual education programs and provide insights into optimal instructional strategies in bilingual settings.Item The Role of Digital Transformation in Improving Intellectual Capital: The Context of Integrated Reporting(Springer Cham, 2025) Dania M. Kurdy; Farzana Asad MirBusiness operations and individual behavior have been transformed by digitalization. Businesses are expected to sustainably create value over time, while also adapting their business models to rapidly changing business environments. In order to demonstrate how knowledge management (KM) systems can direct corporate practices toward digital transformation and the adoption of digital technologies, this study explores whether integrated reporting (IR) supports the dissemination of Intellectual Capital (IC). A systematic review of the literature identified 42 peer-reviewed articles in English-language publications between 2013 and 2023. The results show that researchers have mainly concentrated on value creation, IR and IC; along with how these elements interact, and how digital transformation can potentially act as a tool to improve these existing relationships. The study highlights the importance of digital transformation in implementing IC dissemination models through KM systems, ultimately leading to improved access and utilization of intellectual capital.Item The Role of Judicial Precedent as a Source of International Investment Law(Springer Cham, 2025) Julius Galisonga; Abba Ali KoloThis paper examines the position of judicial precedent in international investment law in the context of international investment arbitration, interrogating its rationale and implications under the provisions of Article 38 (1) (d) of the ICJ Statute. The paper seeks to explain what appears to be an ‘over reliance’ on previous decisions by investment treaty arbitral tribunals in their task of resolving investor-state disputes. It argues that although in theory, previous decisions of courts and tribunals are non-binding on subsequent courts and tribunals as they constitute only a ‘subsidiary’ source of law, nevertheless in practice, investment treaty tribunals rely heavily on previous decisions in arriving at their own decisions arguably to promote a harmonious development of investment law and to meet the legitimate expectations of the community of States and investors towards the certainty of the rule of law. The paper demonstrates that investment tribunals have, through interpretation of treaties, created and defined remedies, rights, and obligations under international investment law much more than formal sources set out those rights thereby influencing content of treaty standards of the international investment law and the phrasing of the terms of the treaties. The paper proposes that to support the role of precedent in investment dispute resolutions, investment treaties should explicitly provide for application of precedent.Item Theoretical Estimation of the Dispersion Curves in an Orthotropic Composite Plate(Springer Cham, 2024) Abdellah Nouala; Faeez Masurkar; Alaa A. AmeerIn this work, root-finding using the bisection algorithm is proposed to solve the transcendental dispersion relations and evaluate the dispersion curves of ultrasonic-guided waves propagating in an orthotropic composite plate. The implementation of the dispersion relations are accomplished via a coding scheme conducted in the MATLAB software. The obtained phase and group velocity dispersion curves from MATLAB using the in-house developed code are validated with a freely available Dispersion software and found to be in good agreement. Further, qualitative, and quantitative analysis is conducted considering different layers and fiber direction of the composite plate to verify the of accuracy of the obtained results.Item Towards Inclusive Education: A Critical Analysis of Inclusive Education Practices in Pakistan(Springer Cham, 2025) Kamal Nosheen; Eman GaadMany countries have adopted inclusive education policies addressing diversity, but implementation challenges remain, especially in Pakistan. Here, inclusive education reflects the country’s willingness to allow every student to study at quality institutions while recognizing cultural and intellectual differences. Major obstacles include public attitudes, infrastructure shortages, and unprepared teachers. This paper reviews sociocultural factors within policy frameworks and suggests strategies like awareness programs, professional training, and policy reform. Prioritizing inclusivity, equity, and social justice can help Pakistan create a fair system that fosters a tolerant community, allowing every individual to reach their full potential.Item Using XAI Techniques to Detect Targeted Data Poisoning Attacks on Healthcare Applications of Machine Learning Systems(Springer Cham, 2025) Eyad Dhaher Megdadi; Usman Javed ButtThis research study explores the application of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods for detecting targeted data poisoning attacks in healthcare machine learning systems. As machine learning becomes increasingly integrated into critical fields like healthcare, the integrity and security of training data have become paramount concerns. Data poisoning attacks, which manipulate training datasets to influence model behaviour, pose a significant threat to the reliability and effectiveness of these systems. Our study presents a novel approach that leverages XAI techniques, particularly focusing on global explanations of selected features, to identify signs of data manipulation. We propose a method of monitoring the impact level of carefully chosen features as an indicator of potential poisoning, using predetermined thresholds to trigger warnings when unusual patterns are detected. The research methodology involves applying global explanation method, to measure and monitor features impact in healthcare datasets, then explore the effectiveness of this approach using a case study on hypothyroid diagnosis, where data poisoning could lead to delayed treatment with potentially life-threatening consequences. Research findings suggest that XAI techniques can provide valuable insights into the behaviour of machine learning models, enabling more effective detection of subtle, targeted poisoning attacks. However, we also acknowledge limitations, including the need for some prior knowledge of potential attack goals and the risk of false positives or negatives.Item Utilization of a Grid Connected PV System to Power a Water Purifying Plant with Economic and Environmental Feasibility Analysis(Springer Cham, 2025) Ayman Rayees Mulla; Bashar AldbaiatGrid connected Photo Voltaic (PV) system is designed to power a water purification plant mounted on the roof of a commercial building. The system is scaled to the water plant's requirements, and the tilt angle of the panels is calibrated to produce the most energy possible throughout the year. The return on investment must be attained in less than six years from commissioning, which is a lofty goal. Net metering feature which allows exporting excess energy to the grid is discussed and emphasized. The viability of this technique is highlighted, and simulations of the designed system are shown to back up its theoretical promises. Throughout the course of the project, the building's carbon footprint is reduced as well by over 200 tons of CO2 emissions. The study provides an environmental analysis to showcase this improvement.Item Waste Management in the Construction Industry in Dubai—UAE(Springer Cham, 2025) Byan Aldeeri; Basim TouqanThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) focuses on achieving sustainable development. One of the main factors that has to be taken into consideration is the construction waste management techniques. This study focused on exploring the causes behind waste generation in construction sites and the effective techniques implemented to manage the construction waste at construction sites in the UAE. Also, it addresses the challenges that may face implementing effective strategies. This research focused on qualitative research methods to reach the findings. Initial site visits to Four construction projects were followed by interviews targeting contractors’ viewpoints on waste causes, waste reduction strategies, and their associated challenges. The data have been analysed using NVIVO software as a tool to conduct a thematic analysis approach. The findings highlighted that material waste stems from factors such as limited awareness, excess off-cuts, improper planning and coordination and rework due to changes in the design. Commonly used waste management practices include proper material storage, landfilling, reuse of some materials and just-in-time material delivery. Areas like waste coordinating and planning and segregation require enhanced efficiency to meet waste management and reduction objectives. Additionally, the study revealed that contractors mainly view waste reduction as a financial concern aimed at cost reduction, often overlooking the environmental impacts associated with waste management.