As an economic pillar, the high quality banking service in Lebanon is the highest single contribu... more As an economic pillar, the high quality banking service in Lebanon is the highest single contributor to the GDP. This Lebanese service-based sector was neither investigated for the quality of banking services from the customers' perspective, nor for analyzing the key strategic advantage of customer satisfaction in this highly competitive sector. Based on Cronin & Taylor's (1992) SERVPERF, this study analyses the customer perceived service quality's effect on the bank customers' satisfaction, and suggests a novel model to measure perceived service quality that is culture and industry-specific, and includes online banking. The tool is tested with 1049 respondents providing thorough statistical evidence that culminate into putting forth a developed model of the original SERVPERF labelled the Lebanese Bank Quality Tool (LEBANKQUAL).
Lebanon, Social, Political & Economic Issues, 2017
It is common knowledge that effective leadership is usually the outcome of positively adapting to... more It is common knowledge that effective leadership is usually the outcome of positively adapting to the needs and changes of the environment. Such needs result from a number of social alterations: technological advancement, cultural diversification, short product cycle, increased competition, increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the global economy. The literature indicates two approaches for examining leadership. The first focuses on the leader as an individual: qualities, behavior, and response in specific situations. This approach concentrates on the qualities and capabilities of leaders; leaders stand for guidance. The other approach opposes the belief that an individual leader guarantees or enables a general understanding of leadership. Furthermore, this approach rejects the concept that leadership is a set of qualities and behaviors of individuals in upper levels of the organization. This second approach assumes that leadership is the technique used by this individual and not his/her position. The important question is “what is leadership?” rather than “who is a leader?”
International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2018
The study examines the effect of perceived healthcare information system users' performance on th... more The study examines the effect of perceived healthcare information system users' performance on their job satisfaction, and the moderating role of employees' perception of the healthcare information system's quality on the relationship. The results show that the perceived quality of the system coupled with their perceived performance using the system affects their job satisfaction. Moreover, in these facilities, health information systems add value to their services at the expense of the employees' workload and perceived performance, and thereby satisfaction. Therefore managers and administrators need to provide inclusion programs as well as training workshops and follow-up sessions. In addition, these healthcare facilities can build internal marketing programs to boost employees' perception of the system's quality and use. Biographical notes: After a long executive career, Bassem E. Maamari joined the academic world as a Full-time Faculty (Assistant Professor) at the Lebanese American University's Adnan Kassar School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in consulting in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management of SMEs. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence, and the impact of technology on people. An information system specialist with a long work experience in IT, Johnny C. Chaanine holds a DBA from Grenoble School of Management. His current career focuses on university teaching in the areas of MIS, technology applications and management, as well as on technological innovation use. Impact of perceived HIS users' performance on job satisfaction 61 His research spans from motivation and job satisfaction of employees to consumer behaviour, interaction and use of the new technologies for work or social behaviour.
Lebanon, Social, Political & Economic Issues, 2017
In a swiftly evolving world, technology is now considered as the cornerstone of any newly introdu... more In a swiftly evolving world, technology is now considered as the cornerstone of any newly introduced innovation affecting work life conditions of employees worldwide which are in turns in a continuous change too. Since the beginning of 2010, a huge political turmoil has swept across many parts of the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) thus creating waves of refugees fleeing from war zones to safer regions. Lebanon is still considered one of the safest countries in the region; hence receiving hundreds of thousands of refugees escaping from their homeland at war in search for peace for their families; however, being a safe shelter has had also its negative consequences, this chapter will cover the burden refugees have created on the economical, political and societal environment in Lebanon mainly the healthcare sector. It will also study the influence of the increasing number of patients (Lebanese and now refugees) in the Lebanese healthcare sector on employees' job satisfaction at work and the effect of the information system on making those employees feel at ease performing their daily tasks. The results of this research were twofold. A 5-item scale to measure the relationship of the designed model was developed. The tested model was based on the existence of one independent variable ‘implementation of healthcare information system’ and one dependent variable ‘employees’ motivation and satisfaction’ with the existence of one moderating variable ‘the refugee impact’. The research included 611 usable questionnaire form different hospitals all over the country (Lebanon) having 26.4% male respondents and 73.6% female respondents. The findings shows a strong relationship between a successful implementation of healthcare system on employees satisfaction at work whereas no impact of Syrian refugees were recorded that would moderate the relationship; this is due to several factors mainly that bed occupancy rate in Lebanese healthcare institution is very high thus employees work is not changing, in addition to other factors discussed in details in this research.
International Journal of Educational Management, 2017
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the basic research question “Do highly emotional... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the basic research question “Do highly emotional intelligent teachers increase student’s satisfaction in the universities?” Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a quantitative study using self-reporting questionnaires applied on 283 students and 10 faculty members. Findings – The paper shows the importance of having high emotional intelligent teachers in the universities to increase students’ emotional intelligence (EI) and, therefore, their satisfaction. The results show that the primary factor that will increase the EI of students is not what most of the scholars mentioned, the EI of teacher, but the class interactions. Practical implications – the paper makes a recommendation to universities to hire emotionally intelligent teachers who stress on increasing the EI of students. Universities, by increasing the EI of their students, will improve their business situation, since if students are happy they will remain in the universities, spending, therefore, more money and encouraging other students to do so. Originality/value – No such research was previously conducted in Lebanon where still few people understand the meaning or the importance of EI. This study, therefore,is fulfilling a gap, a brick in the wall of knowledge on class interaction in bridging the link between teachers and students.
Lebanon, Social, Political and Economic Issues, 2017
Majadalani has graduated with a DBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management, France. With a long work e... more Majadalani has graduated with a DBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management, France. With a long work experience in education, training and research, she is today the General Manager of a family business since 2003, and a part-time instructor at several universities in Lebanon. Her research interests include the emotional intelligence of employees, faculty, and students. In parallel, she is running a number of field studies on EI, customer satisfaction, and consumer behavior. She can be contacted on 2 After a long executive career, Bassem E. Maamari joined the academic world as a full-time faculty at the Lebanese American University's School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence, and the impact of technology on people. He can be contacted on
Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation in the Middle East, 2017
The sustainability of family businesses with their integral component of entrepre-neurial venturi... more The sustainability of family businesses with their integral component of entrepre-neurial venturing are the result of decades of developmental processes. The role that these family businesses play in any economy can only be described as massive. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect or play a role in the success and continuity of these firms is important, and assessing the level and role of corporate governance in this perspective remains a challenge. The interplay of systems, leadership , accountability, transparency and remuneration, is proving to play a role in family business sustainability.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis , 2018
Purpose –This paper seeks to highlight the importance of organizational culture on the leader's s... more Purpose –This paper seeks to highlight the importance of organizational culture on the leader's style and the effect of the chosen leadership style on the team's performance. It surveys a strata of leaders from the Middle East in the current turbulent environment. Design/methodology/approach – A research paper based on a quantitative data collection in the service sector from a large number of stratified sampled firms and respondents. Findings –The cross sectional data from forty service companies reveal some interesting results highlighting the interrelationships between these three variables. The findings suggest that managers need to build on this concept finding in providing further training and development of employees’ skills in addition to an organizational culture of acceptance, adaptation and diversity. Research limitations – Electing to use a specific set of criteria in sampling might have resulted in eliminating a meaningful different direction in the results. Moreover, the size of the survey tool limited the number of variables to test with the study. Practical implications –A number of implications are worthy of mention. First, devising reward programs that are fairly attractive to both genders independently of each other should be a managerial priority, along with the creation and development of strong organizational cultures. Social implications –Finally, a coupled performance and organizational culture of efficiency at the work-place, if not paralleled with a proper leadership style that fosters positive results, will only result in partial improvements in the big organizational picture, resulting in the persistence of the old prejudice and discrimination along the gender and age lines. Originality/value -The study examines a suggested model in a new environment that is known to be deeply rooted in old-fashioned paternalistic managerial behavior, and where change, if occurring, is extremely slow to introduce.
Journal of Construction Project management and Innovation , 2017
The article analyses the influence of business premises and workplace design factors on employees... more The article analyses the influence of business premises and workplace design factors on employees' satisfaction with the workplace, and the influence of satisfaction of employees on the overall health of employees. The purpose of the research is, firstly, to assess the influence of business premises, and, secondly, to facilitate improvement of employee health, through application of base parameters, and subsequent adequate changes to the workplace and work processes. The quantitative research was carried out in Slovenia in 2012 among 1,038 employees from the service sector. The results were statistically analysed using factor analysis and applied structural equation modelling. The results show that business premises factors of the workplace have an impact on the satisfaction of employees, and consequently on their health. With the aid of factor analysis and structural equation modelling, significant links with the following factors were established: orthopaedic problems, past health problems, cardiovascular problems, and state of health. The research covers a need that is becoming more important, as the focus on health and well-being issues is increasing. Implementing aspects of better workplace conditions introduces a better base of value for employees and employers.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2017
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the leader’... more Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the leader’s applied leadership style (mediator) and the effect of this style on the employees’ organizational citizenship (responsibility,reward and warmth and support). Design/methodology/approach – The researchers are proposing a model that highlights the mediating role of leadership style on the relationship between leaders’ EI and employees’ feeling of organizational climate. The study follows the quantitative process. A survey is prepared for data collection and for statistically testing the proposed model. Findings – The results show that the leaders’ EI does affect his/her leadership style. Moreover, the leaders’ style affects directly the respective employees’ feeling of organizational climate to varying levels. The variance between different styles is found to be small. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study include the minimal cross-check interviews. The sample size’s limitation resulted in the researchers’ inability to compare the different sub-sectors of the economy (labelled as the type of work of the firm) to derive deeper conclusions by economic/ business sector. Practical implications – Thestudyrevealsanumberofpracticalimplicationsaffectingcommunication, performance,stability and tenure,and thereby lower turnover. Social implications – The social implications of this study include the social relationships within the work-setting,higherempathyandhigherlevelsofnormingasadirectresultofimprovingtheleader’sEIlevel. Originality/value – Thepaperisbasedonasampleofrespondentswithanewmodelsuggestedandtested scientifically,followingarigorousprocess.ItassessestheimpactofbothEIandorganizationalclimatewith leadership style.
With increased pressure for higher levels of performance and output, human resources managers are... more With increased pressure for higher levels of performance and output, human resources managers are seeking new ways for matching employees' competencies with job requirements and fitting employees into the best positions for maximising outputs. As a result, emotional intelligence appears to have an important role in fitting the customer service employees. This study is conducted in Lebanon and compares the front-desk to the back-office employees using the financial sector for field. The results of statistical analysis, correlations and regressions, reveal a number of interesting findings that if applied, may impact the performance of both front-desk and back-office employees. Biographical notes: After a long executive career, Bassem Maamari joined the academic world as a full-time faculty at the Lebanese American University's School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence and the impact of technology on people. Micheline Shouweiry holds an MBA in Management Studies. She is a bank employee interested in improving managerial perceptive attitude. Joining her work experience to her research interest, she played a major role in completing this research field study. Her current plans include several studies on human behaviour and the role of the employee in the customer's decision at the bank.
Although much research in knowledge management has linked tacit knowledge with its two dimensions... more Although much research in knowledge management has linked tacit knowledge with its two dimensions, the cogni-tive and technical, with innovation performance in firms, but exploring a new dimension for tacit knowledge is still a core tenet. In this study, we propose effectuation as a new dimension of tacit knowledge and empirically test a quan-tifiable model with 331 respondents in the service industry in Lebanon. So our objective is to discover whether this new dimension can enhance the potential of tacit knowledge in affecting innovation performance and thus can very likely be considered a development to the theory of tacit knowledge.
This research is important in its contribution to shedding some light on this vital economic sect... more This research is important in its contribution to shedding some light on this vital economic sector of the Lebanese economy that is yet to be thoroughly analyzed. This, keeping in mind that previous research on extensive information technology users report contradictory results. They are motivated in different ways than other employees [4], and have a high turnover rate [5]. Thus this chapter will highlight the results of the research on the impact of the use of information technology on the job satisfaction of the commercial banks’ employees in Lebanon
Today, the strength of firms is embodied in their capability to survive within an increasingly co... more Today, the strength of firms is embodied in their capability to survive within an increasingly competitive environment, or face failure. Innovation is studied by scholars at different levels of analysis in firms, including gender. Some consider 'innovation' to be a revolution in the world of new ideas and concepts, where others focus on innovation adoption. In this effort to pursue the missing variables, it might be useful to adhere closely to Sarasvathy's (2001) concept by examining the role of effectuation between males and females through an in-depth quantitative study in a Lebanese media small and medium enterprises. In a paternalistic society, supported long-rooted habits and norms, this study seeks to examine gender innovation through the lens of effectuation, and whether this relationship leads to positive outcomes in the firm's performance and its innovative capability. The results clearly stand out with respect to effectuation and innovation in this media service enterprise.
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of pay on job satisfaction. Moreover, it stud... more Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of pay on job satisfaction. Moreover, it studies the changes in the structure of the work force, as well as in the way work is done, on the pay to job satisfaction relationship. Design/methodology/approach – A confirmatory survey is conducted, and results are presented. Findings – The study suggests that gender is a variable affecting the relationship of pay to employees' job satisfaction. It highlights the roles of education and training in user participation and system usage. The study investigates the current situation in Lebanese commercial banks. Research limitations/implications – The outcome of the study could have significant implications on managerial decision-making in the process of implementing novel technologies in banks. It also points to policy changes needed at the human resource management levels. Practical implications – The study findings suggest a needed change at the policy-making levels of corporate human resource management, as more and more employees are becoming extensive information system users on the job. Social implications – If the suggested practical implications are applied, the social implications derived therefrom will generate a social drift in attitude toward gender differentials. Originality/value – The paper is based on a large sample collection from the services sector, commercial banking in Lebanon. The quantitative survey results highlight a number of correlations and tests a suggested model. It puts forth a linear relationship between the different variables under consideration and suggests recommendations for practitioners.
In an increasingly competitive business environment, organizations seek to improve efficiency thr... more In an increasingly competitive business environment, organizations seek to improve efficiency through hiring highly skilled employees and managing talent. A corporate goal has always been the avail of clear and applicable HR policies. However, today's successful organization needs to retain talented professionals, manage their development, and provide a systematic work environment where HR policies are transparent and equitable. The results of this study reveal a number of relationships, but most importantly, the existence of a statistically significant moderating role of the talent management efforts in the relationship between hiring highly skilled employees and HR policies, with a visible difference between genders.
Over the past two decades, a lot of interest has been given to the notion of emotional intelligen... more Over the past two decades, a lot of interest has been given to the notion of emotional intelligence and its outcome in general, and more specifically, in the academic field. Many studies are linking it to customer satisfaction which is also becoming a prior concern of marketers. This paper highlights what is emotional intelligence, what are the different models of emotional intelligence, the link between emotional intelligence and education, and how having teachers with high emotional intelligence will lead to high emotional intelligence students and high customer satisfaction. This paper also discusses group work activities, and how it enhances the emotional intelligence of students and their satisfaction. The study is conducted using a well-known instrument, the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) to measure emotional intelligence, and to identify changes in the emotional intelligence of students before group work and after group work.
In a globalized work environment, the heated discussion on performance and the role of job sati... more In a globalized work environment, the heated discussion on performance and the role of job satisfaction of employees is leaping forward as the options of these human assets are expanding more and more through the electronic social media. The labor market today is no more delimited by the geographical boundaries or cultural differences. As a result, job satisfaction and career orientation are hot topics on today’s human resources managers’ agenda. These managers need to plan for career paths, talent retention as well as continuous development of their people. Moreover, research has clearly indicated that job satisfaction decreases turnover, improves productivity while decreasing operating cost as well as recruiting and training costs in both time and money. This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing the similarities in job satisfaction patterns across five different nations with different cultural backgrounds, and that span around the globe, using a common research tool. The results of the study indicate a comparative total satisfaction that differentiates each setting while also revealing a number of similarities, thus allowing managers a certain level of formalization and uniformity
The article presents the influence of business premises’ factors of the workplace on satisfactio... more The article presents the influence of business premises’ factors of the workplace on satisfaction with the workplace and their impact on the state of health and health care of employees. The research compares respondents’ answers of Lebanon and Slovenia. The purpose of the research is to discover the influence and to facilitate the improvement of employee health through the application of base parameters and consequently the changes of workspace and work processes.
As an economic pillar, the high quality banking service in Lebanon is the highest single contribu... more As an economic pillar, the high quality banking service in Lebanon is the highest single contributor to the GDP. This Lebanese service-based sector was neither investigated for the quality of banking services from the customers' perspective, nor for analyzing the key strategic advantage of customer satisfaction in this highly competitive sector. Based on Cronin & Taylor's (1992) SERVPERF, this study analyses the customer perceived service quality's effect on the bank customers' satisfaction, and suggests a novel model to measure perceived service quality that is culture and industry-specific, and includes online banking. The tool is tested with 1049 respondents providing thorough statistical evidence that culminate into putting forth a developed model of the original SERVPERF labelled the Lebanese Bank Quality Tool (LEBANKQUAL).
Lebanon, Social, Political & Economic Issues, 2017
It is common knowledge that effective leadership is usually the outcome of positively adapting to... more It is common knowledge that effective leadership is usually the outcome of positively adapting to the needs and changes of the environment. Such needs result from a number of social alterations: technological advancement, cultural diversification, short product cycle, increased competition, increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the global economy. The literature indicates two approaches for examining leadership. The first focuses on the leader as an individual: qualities, behavior, and response in specific situations. This approach concentrates on the qualities and capabilities of leaders; leaders stand for guidance. The other approach opposes the belief that an individual leader guarantees or enables a general understanding of leadership. Furthermore, this approach rejects the concept that leadership is a set of qualities and behaviors of individuals in upper levels of the organization. This second approach assumes that leadership is the technique used by this individual and not his/her position. The important question is “what is leadership?” rather than “who is a leader?”
International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2018
The study examines the effect of perceived healthcare information system users' performance on th... more The study examines the effect of perceived healthcare information system users' performance on their job satisfaction, and the moderating role of employees' perception of the healthcare information system's quality on the relationship. The results show that the perceived quality of the system coupled with their perceived performance using the system affects their job satisfaction. Moreover, in these facilities, health information systems add value to their services at the expense of the employees' workload and perceived performance, and thereby satisfaction. Therefore managers and administrators need to provide inclusion programs as well as training workshops and follow-up sessions. In addition, these healthcare facilities can build internal marketing programs to boost employees' perception of the system's quality and use. Biographical notes: After a long executive career, Bassem E. Maamari joined the academic world as a Full-time Faculty (Assistant Professor) at the Lebanese American University's Adnan Kassar School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in consulting in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management of SMEs. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence, and the impact of technology on people. An information system specialist with a long work experience in IT, Johnny C. Chaanine holds a DBA from Grenoble School of Management. His current career focuses on university teaching in the areas of MIS, technology applications and management, as well as on technological innovation use. Impact of perceived HIS users' performance on job satisfaction 61 His research spans from motivation and job satisfaction of employees to consumer behaviour, interaction and use of the new technologies for work or social behaviour.
Lebanon, Social, Political & Economic Issues, 2017
In a swiftly evolving world, technology is now considered as the cornerstone of any newly introdu... more In a swiftly evolving world, technology is now considered as the cornerstone of any newly introduced innovation affecting work life conditions of employees worldwide which are in turns in a continuous change too. Since the beginning of 2010, a huge political turmoil has swept across many parts of the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) thus creating waves of refugees fleeing from war zones to safer regions. Lebanon is still considered one of the safest countries in the region; hence receiving hundreds of thousands of refugees escaping from their homeland at war in search for peace for their families; however, being a safe shelter has had also its negative consequences, this chapter will cover the burden refugees have created on the economical, political and societal environment in Lebanon mainly the healthcare sector. It will also study the influence of the increasing number of patients (Lebanese and now refugees) in the Lebanese healthcare sector on employees' job satisfaction at work and the effect of the information system on making those employees feel at ease performing their daily tasks. The results of this research were twofold. A 5-item scale to measure the relationship of the designed model was developed. The tested model was based on the existence of one independent variable ‘implementation of healthcare information system’ and one dependent variable ‘employees’ motivation and satisfaction’ with the existence of one moderating variable ‘the refugee impact’. The research included 611 usable questionnaire form different hospitals all over the country (Lebanon) having 26.4% male respondents and 73.6% female respondents. The findings shows a strong relationship between a successful implementation of healthcare system on employees satisfaction at work whereas no impact of Syrian refugees were recorded that would moderate the relationship; this is due to several factors mainly that bed occupancy rate in Lebanese healthcare institution is very high thus employees work is not changing, in addition to other factors discussed in details in this research.
International Journal of Educational Management, 2017
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the basic research question “Do highly emotional... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the basic research question “Do highly emotional intelligent teachers increase student’s satisfaction in the universities?” Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a quantitative study using self-reporting questionnaires applied on 283 students and 10 faculty members. Findings – The paper shows the importance of having high emotional intelligent teachers in the universities to increase students’ emotional intelligence (EI) and, therefore, their satisfaction. The results show that the primary factor that will increase the EI of students is not what most of the scholars mentioned, the EI of teacher, but the class interactions. Practical implications – the paper makes a recommendation to universities to hire emotionally intelligent teachers who stress on increasing the EI of students. Universities, by increasing the EI of their students, will improve their business situation, since if students are happy they will remain in the universities, spending, therefore, more money and encouraging other students to do so. Originality/value – No such research was previously conducted in Lebanon where still few people understand the meaning or the importance of EI. This study, therefore,is fulfilling a gap, a brick in the wall of knowledge on class interaction in bridging the link between teachers and students.
Lebanon, Social, Political and Economic Issues, 2017
Majadalani has graduated with a DBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management, France. With a long work e... more Majadalani has graduated with a DBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management, France. With a long work experience in education, training and research, she is today the General Manager of a family business since 2003, and a part-time instructor at several universities in Lebanon. Her research interests include the emotional intelligence of employees, faculty, and students. In parallel, she is running a number of field studies on EI, customer satisfaction, and consumer behavior. She can be contacted on 2 After a long executive career, Bassem E. Maamari joined the academic world as a full-time faculty at the Lebanese American University's School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence, and the impact of technology on people. He can be contacted on
Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation in the Middle East, 2017
The sustainability of family businesses with their integral component of entrepre-neurial venturi... more The sustainability of family businesses with their integral component of entrepre-neurial venturing are the result of decades of developmental processes. The role that these family businesses play in any economy can only be described as massive. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect or play a role in the success and continuity of these firms is important, and assessing the level and role of corporate governance in this perspective remains a challenge. The interplay of systems, leadership , accountability, transparency and remuneration, is proving to play a role in family business sustainability.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis , 2018
Purpose –This paper seeks to highlight the importance of organizational culture on the leader's s... more Purpose –This paper seeks to highlight the importance of organizational culture on the leader's style and the effect of the chosen leadership style on the team's performance. It surveys a strata of leaders from the Middle East in the current turbulent environment. Design/methodology/approach – A research paper based on a quantitative data collection in the service sector from a large number of stratified sampled firms and respondents. Findings –The cross sectional data from forty service companies reveal some interesting results highlighting the interrelationships between these three variables. The findings suggest that managers need to build on this concept finding in providing further training and development of employees’ skills in addition to an organizational culture of acceptance, adaptation and diversity. Research limitations – Electing to use a specific set of criteria in sampling might have resulted in eliminating a meaningful different direction in the results. Moreover, the size of the survey tool limited the number of variables to test with the study. Practical implications –A number of implications are worthy of mention. First, devising reward programs that are fairly attractive to both genders independently of each other should be a managerial priority, along with the creation and development of strong organizational cultures. Social implications –Finally, a coupled performance and organizational culture of efficiency at the work-place, if not paralleled with a proper leadership style that fosters positive results, will only result in partial improvements in the big organizational picture, resulting in the persistence of the old prejudice and discrimination along the gender and age lines. Originality/value -The study examines a suggested model in a new environment that is known to be deeply rooted in old-fashioned paternalistic managerial behavior, and where change, if occurring, is extremely slow to introduce.
Journal of Construction Project management and Innovation , 2017
The article analyses the influence of business premises and workplace design factors on employees... more The article analyses the influence of business premises and workplace design factors on employees' satisfaction with the workplace, and the influence of satisfaction of employees on the overall health of employees. The purpose of the research is, firstly, to assess the influence of business premises, and, secondly, to facilitate improvement of employee health, through application of base parameters, and subsequent adequate changes to the workplace and work processes. The quantitative research was carried out in Slovenia in 2012 among 1,038 employees from the service sector. The results were statistically analysed using factor analysis and applied structural equation modelling. The results show that business premises factors of the workplace have an impact on the satisfaction of employees, and consequently on their health. With the aid of factor analysis and structural equation modelling, significant links with the following factors were established: orthopaedic problems, past health problems, cardiovascular problems, and state of health. The research covers a need that is becoming more important, as the focus on health and well-being issues is increasing. Implementing aspects of better workplace conditions introduces a better base of value for employees and employers.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2017
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the leader’... more Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the leader’s applied leadership style (mediator) and the effect of this style on the employees’ organizational citizenship (responsibility,reward and warmth and support). Design/methodology/approach – The researchers are proposing a model that highlights the mediating role of leadership style on the relationship between leaders’ EI and employees’ feeling of organizational climate. The study follows the quantitative process. A survey is prepared for data collection and for statistically testing the proposed model. Findings – The results show that the leaders’ EI does affect his/her leadership style. Moreover, the leaders’ style affects directly the respective employees’ feeling of organizational climate to varying levels. The variance between different styles is found to be small. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study include the minimal cross-check interviews. The sample size’s limitation resulted in the researchers’ inability to compare the different sub-sectors of the economy (labelled as the type of work of the firm) to derive deeper conclusions by economic/ business sector. Practical implications – Thestudyrevealsanumberofpracticalimplicationsaffectingcommunication, performance,stability and tenure,and thereby lower turnover. Social implications – The social implications of this study include the social relationships within the work-setting,higherempathyandhigherlevelsofnormingasadirectresultofimprovingtheleader’sEIlevel. Originality/value – Thepaperisbasedonasampleofrespondentswithanewmodelsuggestedandtested scientifically,followingarigorousprocess.ItassessestheimpactofbothEIandorganizationalclimatewith leadership style.
With increased pressure for higher levels of performance and output, human resources managers are... more With increased pressure for higher levels of performance and output, human resources managers are seeking new ways for matching employees' competencies with job requirements and fitting employees into the best positions for maximising outputs. As a result, emotional intelligence appears to have an important role in fitting the customer service employees. This study is conducted in Lebanon and compares the front-desk to the back-office employees using the financial sector for field. The results of statistical analysis, correlations and regressions, reveal a number of interesting findings that if applied, may impact the performance of both front-desk and back-office employees. Biographical notes: After a long executive career, Bassem Maamari joined the academic world as a full-time faculty at the Lebanese American University's School of Business. He brings a wealth of practical experience in the areas of sales management, finance, MIS and human resources management. He has a number of studies and his research interests include job satisfaction of employees, emotional intelligence and the impact of technology on people. Micheline Shouweiry holds an MBA in Management Studies. She is a bank employee interested in improving managerial perceptive attitude. Joining her work experience to her research interest, she played a major role in completing this research field study. Her current plans include several studies on human behaviour and the role of the employee in the customer's decision at the bank.
Although much research in knowledge management has linked tacit knowledge with its two dimensions... more Although much research in knowledge management has linked tacit knowledge with its two dimensions, the cogni-tive and technical, with innovation performance in firms, but exploring a new dimension for tacit knowledge is still a core tenet. In this study, we propose effectuation as a new dimension of tacit knowledge and empirically test a quan-tifiable model with 331 respondents in the service industry in Lebanon. So our objective is to discover whether this new dimension can enhance the potential of tacit knowledge in affecting innovation performance and thus can very likely be considered a development to the theory of tacit knowledge.
This research is important in its contribution to shedding some light on this vital economic sect... more This research is important in its contribution to shedding some light on this vital economic sector of the Lebanese economy that is yet to be thoroughly analyzed. This, keeping in mind that previous research on extensive information technology users report contradictory results. They are motivated in different ways than other employees [4], and have a high turnover rate [5]. Thus this chapter will highlight the results of the research on the impact of the use of information technology on the job satisfaction of the commercial banks’ employees in Lebanon
Today, the strength of firms is embodied in their capability to survive within an increasingly co... more Today, the strength of firms is embodied in their capability to survive within an increasingly competitive environment, or face failure. Innovation is studied by scholars at different levels of analysis in firms, including gender. Some consider 'innovation' to be a revolution in the world of new ideas and concepts, where others focus on innovation adoption. In this effort to pursue the missing variables, it might be useful to adhere closely to Sarasvathy's (2001) concept by examining the role of effectuation between males and females through an in-depth quantitative study in a Lebanese media small and medium enterprises. In a paternalistic society, supported long-rooted habits and norms, this study seeks to examine gender innovation through the lens of effectuation, and whether this relationship leads to positive outcomes in the firm's performance and its innovative capability. The results clearly stand out with respect to effectuation and innovation in this media service enterprise.
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of pay on job satisfaction. Moreover, it stud... more Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of pay on job satisfaction. Moreover, it studies the changes in the structure of the work force, as well as in the way work is done, on the pay to job satisfaction relationship. Design/methodology/approach – A confirmatory survey is conducted, and results are presented. Findings – The study suggests that gender is a variable affecting the relationship of pay to employees' job satisfaction. It highlights the roles of education and training in user participation and system usage. The study investigates the current situation in Lebanese commercial banks. Research limitations/implications – The outcome of the study could have significant implications on managerial decision-making in the process of implementing novel technologies in banks. It also points to policy changes needed at the human resource management levels. Practical implications – The study findings suggest a needed change at the policy-making levels of corporate human resource management, as more and more employees are becoming extensive information system users on the job. Social implications – If the suggested practical implications are applied, the social implications derived therefrom will generate a social drift in attitude toward gender differentials. Originality/value – The paper is based on a large sample collection from the services sector, commercial banking in Lebanon. The quantitative survey results highlight a number of correlations and tests a suggested model. It puts forth a linear relationship between the different variables under consideration and suggests recommendations for practitioners.
In an increasingly competitive business environment, organizations seek to improve efficiency thr... more In an increasingly competitive business environment, organizations seek to improve efficiency through hiring highly skilled employees and managing talent. A corporate goal has always been the avail of clear and applicable HR policies. However, today's successful organization needs to retain talented professionals, manage their development, and provide a systematic work environment where HR policies are transparent and equitable. The results of this study reveal a number of relationships, but most importantly, the existence of a statistically significant moderating role of the talent management efforts in the relationship between hiring highly skilled employees and HR policies, with a visible difference between genders.
Over the past two decades, a lot of interest has been given to the notion of emotional intelligen... more Over the past two decades, a lot of interest has been given to the notion of emotional intelligence and its outcome in general, and more specifically, in the academic field. Many studies are linking it to customer satisfaction which is also becoming a prior concern of marketers. This paper highlights what is emotional intelligence, what are the different models of emotional intelligence, the link between emotional intelligence and education, and how having teachers with high emotional intelligence will lead to high emotional intelligence students and high customer satisfaction. This paper also discusses group work activities, and how it enhances the emotional intelligence of students and their satisfaction. The study is conducted using a well-known instrument, the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) to measure emotional intelligence, and to identify changes in the emotional intelligence of students before group work and after group work.
In a globalized work environment, the heated discussion on performance and the role of job sati... more In a globalized work environment, the heated discussion on performance and the role of job satisfaction of employees is leaping forward as the options of these human assets are expanding more and more through the electronic social media. The labor market today is no more delimited by the geographical boundaries or cultural differences. As a result, job satisfaction and career orientation are hot topics on today’s human resources managers’ agenda. These managers need to plan for career paths, talent retention as well as continuous development of their people. Moreover, research has clearly indicated that job satisfaction decreases turnover, improves productivity while decreasing operating cost as well as recruiting and training costs in both time and money. This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing the similarities in job satisfaction patterns across five different nations with different cultural backgrounds, and that span around the globe, using a common research tool. The results of the study indicate a comparative total satisfaction that differentiates each setting while also revealing a number of similarities, thus allowing managers a certain level of formalization and uniformity
The article presents the influence of business premises’ factors of the workplace on satisfactio... more The article presents the influence of business premises’ factors of the workplace on satisfaction with the workplace and their impact on the state of health and health care of employees. The research compares respondents’ answers of Lebanon and Slovenia. The purpose of the research is to discover the influence and to facilitate the improvement of employee health through the application of base parameters and consequently the changes of workspace and work processes.
Advances in Business-Related Scientific Research , 2011
The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between big five personality traits and cult... more The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between big five personality traits and cultural intelligence factors. Data was collected from expatriates working in the USA. The results provided significant relations between specific personality traits and factors of cultural intelligence providing an empirical support to previous studies. Future research and limitations of the study are addressed.
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Papers by Bassem Maamari
competition, increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the global economy. The literature indicates two approaches for examining leadership. The first focuses on the leader as an individual: qualities, behavior, and response in specific situations. This approach concentrates on the qualities and capabilities of leaders; leaders stand for guidance. The other approach opposes the belief that an individual leader guarantees or enables a general understanding of leadership. Furthermore, this approach rejects the concept that leadership is a set of qualities and behaviors of individuals in upper levels of the organization. This second approach assumes that leadership is the technique used by this individual and not his/her position. The important question is “what is leadership?” rather than “who is a leader?”
The results of this research were twofold. A 5-item scale to measure the relationship of the designed model was developed. The tested model was based on the existence of one independent variable ‘implementation of healthcare information system’ and one dependent variable ‘employees’ motivation and satisfaction’ with the existence of one moderating variable ‘the refugee impact’. The research included 611 usable questionnaire form different hospitals all over the country (Lebanon) having 26.4% male respondents and 73.6% female respondents. The findings shows a strong relationship between a successful implementation of healthcare system on employees satisfaction at work whereas no impact of Syrian refugees were recorded that would moderate the relationship; this is due to several factors mainly that bed occupancy rate in Lebanese healthcare institution is very high thus employees work is not changing, in addition to other factors discussed in details in this research.
This study, therefore,is fulfilling a gap, a brick in the wall of knowledge on class interaction in bridging the link between teachers and students.
Design/methodology/approach – A research paper based on a quantitative data collection in the service sector from a large number of stratified sampled firms and respondents.
Findings –The cross sectional data from forty service companies reveal some interesting results highlighting the interrelationships between these three variables.
The findings suggest that managers need to build on this concept finding in providing further training and development of employees’ skills in addition to an organizational culture of acceptance, adaptation and diversity.
Research limitations – Electing to use a specific set of criteria in sampling might have resulted in eliminating a meaningful different direction in the results. Moreover, the size of the survey tool limited the number of variables to test with the study.
Practical implications –A number of implications are worthy of mention. First, devising reward programs that are fairly attractive to both genders independently of each other should be a managerial priority, along with the creation and development of strong organizational cultures.
Social implications –Finally, a coupled performance and organizational culture of efficiency at the work-place, if not paralleled with a proper leadership style that fosters positive results, will only result in partial improvements in the big organizational picture, resulting in the persistence of the old prejudice and discrimination along the gender and age lines.
Originality/value -The study examines a suggested model in a new environment that is known to be deeply rooted in old-fashioned paternalistic managerial behavior, and where change, if occurring, is extremely slow to introduce.
This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing the similarities in job satisfaction patterns across five different nations with different cultural backgrounds, and that span around the globe, using a common research tool.
The results of the study indicate a comparative total satisfaction that differentiates each setting while also revealing a number of similarities, thus allowing managers a certain level of formalization and uniformity
competition, increase in mergers and acquisitions, and the global economy. The literature indicates two approaches for examining leadership. The first focuses on the leader as an individual: qualities, behavior, and response in specific situations. This approach concentrates on the qualities and capabilities of leaders; leaders stand for guidance. The other approach opposes the belief that an individual leader guarantees or enables a general understanding of leadership. Furthermore, this approach rejects the concept that leadership is a set of qualities and behaviors of individuals in upper levels of the organization. This second approach assumes that leadership is the technique used by this individual and not his/her position. The important question is “what is leadership?” rather than “who is a leader?”
The results of this research were twofold. A 5-item scale to measure the relationship of the designed model was developed. The tested model was based on the existence of one independent variable ‘implementation of healthcare information system’ and one dependent variable ‘employees’ motivation and satisfaction’ with the existence of one moderating variable ‘the refugee impact’. The research included 611 usable questionnaire form different hospitals all over the country (Lebanon) having 26.4% male respondents and 73.6% female respondents. The findings shows a strong relationship between a successful implementation of healthcare system on employees satisfaction at work whereas no impact of Syrian refugees were recorded that would moderate the relationship; this is due to several factors mainly that bed occupancy rate in Lebanese healthcare institution is very high thus employees work is not changing, in addition to other factors discussed in details in this research.
This study, therefore,is fulfilling a gap, a brick in the wall of knowledge on class interaction in bridging the link between teachers and students.
Design/methodology/approach – A research paper based on a quantitative data collection in the service sector from a large number of stratified sampled firms and respondents.
Findings –The cross sectional data from forty service companies reveal some interesting results highlighting the interrelationships between these three variables.
The findings suggest that managers need to build on this concept finding in providing further training and development of employees’ skills in addition to an organizational culture of acceptance, adaptation and diversity.
Research limitations – Electing to use a specific set of criteria in sampling might have resulted in eliminating a meaningful different direction in the results. Moreover, the size of the survey tool limited the number of variables to test with the study.
Practical implications –A number of implications are worthy of mention. First, devising reward programs that are fairly attractive to both genders independently of each other should be a managerial priority, along with the creation and development of strong organizational cultures.
Social implications –Finally, a coupled performance and organizational culture of efficiency at the work-place, if not paralleled with a proper leadership style that fosters positive results, will only result in partial improvements in the big organizational picture, resulting in the persistence of the old prejudice and discrimination along the gender and age lines.
Originality/value -The study examines a suggested model in a new environment that is known to be deeply rooted in old-fashioned paternalistic managerial behavior, and where change, if occurring, is extremely slow to introduce.
This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing the similarities in job satisfaction patterns across five different nations with different cultural backgrounds, and that span around the globe, using a common research tool.
The results of the study indicate a comparative total satisfaction that differentiates each setting while also revealing a number of similarities, thus allowing managers a certain level of formalization and uniformity