Cedwyn Fernandes

Impact of organisational justice in an expatriate work environment

Purpose – This study analyses the impact of organisational justice as encompassed by three components, distributive justice, procedural justice and interactional justice on self assessed performance and job satisfaction of employees in an expatriate environment. The study investigates the impact of these justice measures on expatriates and United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals.Design/methodology/approach – The organisational justice measures developed by Niehoff and Moorman were used to test their impact on employee performance and job satisfaction amongst the two groups; expatriates who work in the UAE, and UAE nationals. Data were collected from employees working in the UAE. Descriptive statistics, inter correlations and regression analyses was used to examine the data.Findings – For the UAE nationals group, distributive and interactional justice has a significant impact on both satisfaction and performance. All justice constructs had an impact on satisfaction for the expatriate group, but surprisingly n...

Understanding Student Satisfaction and Loyalty in the UAE HE Sector.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to verify and estimate the impact of the antecedents of Programme satisfaction and to explore its link with student loyalty in the higher education (HE) sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approach – A Programme Experience Questionnaire (PEQ) was developed, based on the National Student Survey (NSS), which surveyed 187 graduates at a British university based in the UAE. Cronbach alpha tests were conducted to test the reliability of the variables and correlation and regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship and significance of the variables.Findings – Teaching quality and variables directly associated with the students’ programme of study had the most significant impact on student satisfaction; thus emphasizing the need for recruitment and development of high quality academic faculty members. Academic feedback, library and IT resources did not have a significant impact. The link between Programme satisfaction and satisfaction w...

Analysis of counterfeit fashion purchase behaviour in UAE

Purpose – The purchase of counterfeit fashion products in the UAE is increasing and government agencies have focused mainly on the supply side. To curb demand for counterfeit products would require an understanding as to what motivates a buyer to willingly buy a counterfeit product. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the demand for counterfeit products.Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework was based on Ajzens Theory of Planned Behavior and relevant variables identified from previous studies. The questionnaire was designed based on established scales and administered to students at a business school in Dubai, UAE. The Cronbach alpha test is used to test the reliability of the constructs and the hypotheses are tested using correlation and regression.Findings – Lack of ethical judgement, self ambiguity, value consciousness and being susceptible to the opinions of others are some of the key reasons for purchasing counterfeits.Research limitations/implication...

Natural resource dependence: a macroeconometric model for the United Arab Emirates

This study constructs a macroeconometric model to analyse the problems of regions that exhibit dependence on nonrenewable resources (e.g. oil). The role of the oil sector in the UAE and the extent to which it subsidizes the rest of the economy is evaluated. The macroeconometric model constructed consists of four sectors, has 25 equations and is evaluated and calibrated employing dynamic simulation techniques. Counter–factual and policy experiments are carried out and the instruments–targets approach is used to analyse the impact of the oil sector. The article highlights the continued dependence of the UAE economy on oil and the urgency to diversify the economy and securing more nonhydrocarbon sources of revenue.

Estimating elasticity of demand for tourism in Dubai.

This study estimates the elasticity of demand for inbound tourism from 24 countries to Dubai with a view to understand the factors that influence this demand. The variables tourist arrivals, real per capita income, relative prices, and accommodation costs were tested for panel unit roots, and panel cointegration was employed to determine the specification of the models to be used. These models were estimated employing Fixed Effects and Random Effects approaches. The choice between Fixed and Random Effects models was made using the Hausman Test. Determinants of the elasticity of demand for the entire panel are consistent with theory. Within the subgroups there are differences. Arab countries and countries of the Indian subcontinent have an income elasticity of demand >1. Tourists from the developed countries seem to be the most sensitive to relative prices and the cost of accommodation is significant only for tourists from the Arab and Indian subcontinent countries. Income elasticity of tourism especially from Arab countries and countries of the Indian subcontinent is high, indicating that marketers should tailor their strategies accordingly. Accommodation costs have negative impact on demand, highlighting the need for more budget hotels. Relative increase in prices has a negative impact on tourism demand, highlighting the need to control domestic inflation.

Assessing UAE's oil dependence: an optimal control approach

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to understand the impact on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) economy of the objective of reducing its dependence on oil, trying to achieve the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) fiscal convergence criterion and the inevitable depletion of oil resources.Design/methodology/approach – An 18 equation compact macro‐econometric model is constructed and is evaluated and calibrated employing dynamic simulation techniques. Optimal control techniques are used to analyze the economic impact of the three objectives listed above.Findings – Each of the optimal control experiments that has been carried out has served to reinforce the fact that the UAE is still critically dependent on oil. An increase in the share of the non‐oil sector, adhering to the GCC fiscal criterion and any reduction in oil output production will affect government finances adversely.Research limitations/implications – The macro‐econometric model developed is for the UAE and further research is needed to see if...

Extent of globalisation in MENA countries: an empirical analysis

This paper estimates the extent of globalisation for the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries using the Kearney/foreign policy approach for the period 1995-2005. This index is composed of four components: economic integration, technology, personal contact and political engagement and it is used to identify the extent of globalisation of MENA countries and to show how globalisation has evolved over time in these countries. UAE, Bahrain and Malta are ranked as the three most globalised countries in the MENA region while Algeria, Libya and Djibouti are among the lowest. As far as the sources of globalisation is concerned the technology and the economic integration play a key role in the globalisation process in the region followed by personal contacts while the political engagement exhibits negligible role. Our results also show a strong positive association between globalisation and economic growth for the MENA countries.