Gwendolyn Rodrigues

Factors that influence consumer adoption of e-government services in the UAE: A UTAUT model perspective

ABSTRACT The objective of this research study is to identify the constructs and factors important to the user-centric transformation of e-governments. The research design follows the comprehensive Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. The primary data for the research were collected from potential and current users of e-government services in the United Arab Emirates. Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the important constructs from the 19 factors identified from the literature. Regression analysis was used to identify the influence of individual constructs on overall satisfaction, while correlation analysis was used to identify the relationship between Internet usage and user satisfaction. Analysis of variance and t-test were used to identify potential differences among demographic factors and their overall satisfaction with e-government services. This study identifies confidentiality and users’ trust and attitudes toward using technology as key determinants of overall satisfaction and the subsequent adoption of e-government services. The study also identifies significant differences in how different genders adopt the use of e-government services.

E-Government users’ privacy and security concerns and availability of laws in Dubai

The purpose of the study was to review privacy and security concerns and their impact on e-government adoption in Dubai. The research analyzed the literature on e-government, security and privacy concerns of e-government adoption and the legislative provision relating to privacy and security protection. A survey on e-government user concerns on privacy, security and ease of use was also carried out. The data for the survey in this research were collected from 190 respondents in Dubai. The results of the analysis revealed that perceived security, privacy and perceived ease of use were important constructs in e-government adoption. The analysis of legal framework showed that the Federal Constitution, the Penal Code, the new Data Protection Act and the Computer Crime Act could be used to address various privacy and security concerns. Thus, it is important that the policy makers facilitate an appropriate awareness campaign of the existence of both information privacy and security to attract more participation towards the e-government services.

Stem For Girls From Low Income Families: Making Dreams Come True

ABSTRACT:Sixty two million girls are being denied education worldwide (Yousafzai, 2015). Unfortunately, this is not a new trend. Neither is it a diminishing one. In the UAE, although on an average more girls are enrolled in schools than boys, with approximately 126000 girls to 112000 boys, about 1100 girls dropped out of school when compared to 460 boys between years 2013-2014 (Hanif, 2015). There have been host of initiatives within the country by government and non-government agencies to increase awareness towards female education and particularly towards STEM higher education and employment opportunities. However, these initiatives do not often reach the schools that target low-income families in the country. This paper reports findings from the phase one of a pilot study carried out with 235 female students belonging to low-income expatriate families living in the UAE. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, based on Microsoft Corp. survey on students that commissioned Harris Interactive to carry out two national surveys of K-12 parents and students on STEM education (Microsoft Corp., n.d.), a five-year plan is followed in this study. As a result, it highlights the significant gap in knowledge and understanding of parents in lower income bracket towards STEM education for girls. It also reports on the successful transition of 43% of the girls into STEM school education all the way to STEM higher education through dedicated summer workshops and internships provided through consulate grounds and local universities, as opposed to typical choices between completing high school and getting married, or going into non-STEM field such as social/fashion/business studies/etc. This research result highlights the strength of holistic, non-profit initiatives and approaches that can still bring in the desired results in increasing number of girls from low-income families pursuing STEM education and career, which can definitely be incorporated into educational policies of a country.

Gold Valley Chemical Corporation Dubai

Subject area – Entrepreneurship, innovation, change management.Study level/applicability – Undergraduate and Postgraduate Business and Management.Case overview – This case study focuses on the development of a young entrepreneur in an indigenous industry in Dubai, United Arab Emirate. His entrepreneurial zeal resulted in the creation of a culture of innovation. His fascination for change spurred him to develop new products and he won accolades for innovation.Expected learning outcomes – This case can be used to teach entrepreneurial development, innovation and change management.Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are also available.

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.