Compared with face-to-face communication, Facebook use may provide opportunities for greater interaction in a relatively uncensored environment. This research aimed to critically investigate how Saudi university students are using these opportunities. It employs a theoretical framework drawn from uses and gratifications theory, social penetration theory, and social role theory. A mixed methods approach was used over three sequential phases. The research began with a quantitative questionnaire completed by 372 Saudi university students to investigate the gratifications they obtained from using Facebook and to identify a typology of Facebook users. This was followed by thematic and quantitative content analyses of profiles of a sub-sample of 50 students to explore the status updates they generated and the types of information they disclosed. To investigate in greater depth the themes that emerged from the previous phases, a final qualitative interview was conducted with 20 of the students. The results revealed that, Saudi students used Facebook as a virtual space within which they engaged in several activities. It allowed for cross-cultural and cross-gender communication. Facebook also enabled them to be citizen journalists, sharing, discussing, and analysing current affairs. They as well used Facebook to defend their religious beliefs and advocate Islamic values. Saudi university students showed that they are willing to jeopardise the privacy of their personal information to maximise the rewards they obtain from using Facebook as long as these rewards outweigh the expected costs from such disclosure. Despite belonging to a gender-segregated society, analysis of gender differences conducted across all three research phases revealed that the gap between genders in their Facebook usage is narrower than in offline settings.

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This study identified a gap in the adoption of electronic (e)-commerce in Saudi Arabia in particular and developing countries in general and hopefully, provides some useful insight regarding e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. This study is limited to a small nation or group which makes generalization not essential (Bryman 2008,p.391). But at the same time, it provides a good base for further work that can be based on the findings of this study. Businesses across the world are launching e-commerce to increase sales by reducing costs, and extending their activities to serve their clients anywhere in the world. The literature, however, shows that in many developing countries e-commerce projects have failed due to a lack of consumers' readiness to adopt it whereas consumers in the developed countries have already incorporated e-commerce into their daily lives. In order for e-commerce to be successful in developing countries, consumers need to accept and adopt this service. This gap is addressed by this study so that developing countries come to benefit from e-commerce and avoid possible failures. The study presents the key factors (enablers and barriers) that affect consumers' adoption of e-commerce. It aims to understand consumers' perspectives, move theoretically to obtain suppliers' comments on consumers' viewpoints, gather any new aspects mentioned by them and finally to combine the two perspectives together to arrive at the final findings. The researcher investigated a number of research methodologies to find the one appropriate for this study. As a result, a qualitative research approach was adopted, which was used to understand and explain the phenomenon under investigation. Grounded theory methodology (GT) was used since it uses theoretical sampling that helped to achieve the study's goals by moving theoretically from the first empirical study to the second. The study used various techniques to collect evidence such as semi-structure interviews, observations and official documents. The two empirical studies of this research offered a good understanding and further insights into e-commerce adoption among consumers. It reveals a roadmap for suppliers and governments that enable them to adopt e-commerce among consumers in developing countries. The findings of this study are divided into the following dimensions: cultural, telecommunication infrastructure, technical, suppliers' responsibilities, financial, awareness, legal, delivery, tangible and intangible end-user characteristics, security, geographical and government's responsibilities dimensions. Government's responsibilities have been found to be the core category that affects most of the factors that are germane to this study. These factors can help decision makers understand the issues that are involved and effectively address them. The final paradigm model presented in chapter 8 illustrates the phenomenon, its causes, conditions, specifications and the required strategies that help to increase e-commerce adoption among consumers.

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Disruptive behaviour among health care providers in high stress areas such as the perioperative setting has been linked to negative patient safety. Conflicts of power, role and personality lead to communication failure, which are identified as the leading root cause of medication errors and wrong site surgery. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the factors underlying registered nurse (RN) interactions in a tertiary healthcare perioperative area. A non-experimental, descriptive, exploratory study with self-administered survey using a quantitative approach was used. The total population of N=52 participants working in the perioperative area of a Middle Eastern tertiary healthcare centre were invited to participate in the study and the response rate was n=44, 85%. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Reliability and validity was assured by means of a pilot study and consultation with nursing experts and a statistician. The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch approved the study. Permission for the study to be done in the tertiary care centre was obtained from the Internal Ethical Review Board and the Nursing Executive. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants. Anonymity and confidentiality was respected. The data was analysed with the assistance of a statistician and presented in frequencies, tables and histograms. The responses were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal- Wallis ANOVA and Spearman’s Rank correlation, on a 95% confidence level. Only one factor showed a significant result, following Spearman’s Rank correlation that an association exists between work experience and lateral violence (p≤0.045239). The open-ended questions were categorized into themes and respect and communication emerged as factors necessary in teamwork and task management The level of respect and open communication between RNs were seen as important factors for interacting with colleagues in the workplace and if poor, affects team work. An area of concern was the high number of neutral responses to the statements on morale and conflict. Underpinned by the literature and the outcomes of this study, it is recommended that strong leadership is required to implement regular team building activities. Furthermore, perioperative staff should be monitored for emotional fatigue which results from conflict situations in order to avert adverse patient care events. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Steurende gedrag onder gesondheidsorgwerkers in hoë gespanne areas soos in die perioperatiewe omgewing, word gekoppel aan negatiewe pasiënt veiligheid. Konflikte van mag, rol en persoonlikheid lei tot mislukking van kommunikasie wat geïdentifiseer word as die hoofoorsaak van foute by die toediening van medikasie en verkeerde plek vir chirurgie. Die doel van die studie was om die faktore te ondersoek en te beskryf wat onderliggend is aan geregistreerde verpleeg (GV) interaksies in ’n tersiêre gesondheidsorg perioperatiewe area. ’n Nie-eksperimentele, beskrywende, ondersoekende studie met ’n self-administrerende opname deur ’n kwantitatiewe benadering, was gebruik. Die totale populasie van N=52 deelnemers wat in die perioperatiewe area van ’n Midde-Oosterse tersiêre gesondheidsorgsentrum werk, was uitgenooi om deel te neem aan hierdie studie en die responskoers was n=44, 85%. ’n Gestruktureerde self-administrerende vraelys was gebruik om die data te kollekteer. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid was verseker deur die gebruik van ’n loodsprojek en konsultasie met verpleegdeskundiges, asook ’n statistikus. Die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het die studie goedgekeur. Toestemming vir die uitvoer van die studie by die tersiêre gesondheidssentrum was verkry van die Interne Etiese Oorsigraad en die Uitvoerende Verplegingsbestuur. Ingeligte geskrewe toestemming was verkry van die deelnemers. Anonimiteit en vertroulikheid was gerespekteer. Die data was geanaliseer met die hulp van ’n statistikus en aangebied in frekwensies, tafels en histogramme. Die response was vergelyk deur van Mann-Whitney U-toets, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA of Spearman se Rangkorrelasie op ’n 95% vertroulikheidsvlak gebruik te maak. Slegs een faktor het ’n beduidende resultaat getoon, dat daar ’n assosiasie bestaan tussen werkservaring en laterale geweld (p≤0.045239), deur Spearman se Rangkorrelasie te volg. Die ope-vrae was gekategoriseer in temas. Respek en kommunikasie het as noodsaaklike faktore vir spanwerk en taakbestuur na vore gekom. Die vlak van respek en ope kommunikasie tussen geregistreerde verpleegsters was gesien as belangrike faktore vir interaksie met kollegas in die werkplek en indien dit swak is, affekteer dit spanwerk. ’n Area van besorgdheid was die hoë aantal neutrale response op die stellings oor moraal en konflik. Ondersteun deur die literatuur en die uitkomste van die studie, word dit aanbeveel dat sterk leierskap vereis word om gereelde spanbou aktiwiteite te implementeer. Verder behoort perioperatiewe personeel gemonitor te word vir emosionele moegheid wat spruit uit konfliksituasies, ten einde nadelige pasiëntsorg af te weer.

This thesis is set in the inter-war years, when Britain retained her control over the Arab world by various devices - mandate, protectorate, colony. At the geographical, strategic and religious heart of the Middle East lay Saudi Arabia, an independent state. Despite her sensitive location, the acknowledgment of Saudi Arabia's independence suggests a different type of relationship with Britain.This thesis seeks to examine that relationship by pursuing certain paths of enquiry, based on how Britain responded in an, imperial age to an independent Arab state situated in the middle of an area of near exclusive British control. Britain had to adjust to the contrast between the personal stature of King Ibn Saud and his remote and barren Kingdom. She bad to ascertain whether; as was popularly believed, he was basically well-disposed towards Britain. She had to consider whether to support his regime when, for dynastic and religious reasons, it sought territorial expansion in the mandatss and the Gulf sheikhdoms. In addition, Britain had to consider whether her interests were best served by encouraging the opening-up of Saudi Arabia to the outside world, or by retaining her own pre-eminent influence by excluding external penetration wherever possible.These issues are tackled by concentrating on four central featuresof British policy. Consideration is given, firstly,.to the political machinery and diplomatic channels engineered to facilitate relations with the Saudi state. Secondly, territorial disputes constituted the greatest area of concern for British policy, affecting Britain's strategic objectives in the Middle East. Territorial disputes in all four corners of the Saudi Kingdom are analysed. Thirdly, Britain's responses to various sources of external interest in Saudi Arabia are considered; Italian imperialism; American economic speculation; German intrigue; possible Saudi membership of the League of Nations; and Saudi Arabia's connections with Palestine and pan-Arabism. Finally there is the matter of oil, and whether it played a central or peripheral role in British policy towards Saudi Arabia between 1925-1939.

E-government represents a fundamental change in the whole public sector structure, values, culture and the ways of conducting business by utilising the potential of ICT as a tool in the government agency. It fundamentally alters the way public services are delivered and managed. More and more governments around the world are introducing electronic government (e-government) as a means of reducing costs, improving services for citizens and increasing effectiveness and efficiency in the public sector. Therefore e-government has been identified as one of the top priorities for governments across the world. However, the introduction of e-government is about a radical change within government and about the relationship between a government and its citizens. Hence, the adoption of e-government raises important political, cultural, organisational, technological and social issues which must be considered and treated carefully by any government contemplating its adoption. Findings of several studies indicate that despite high costs of e-government projects, tangible and intangible, many e-government efforts are failing or are slowly diffusing. This study explores and investigates empirically how an e-government system can be adopted in developing countries taking the Saudi Arabian initiative as a case study. The key technological and organisational issues that affect systems development are investigated; and how these issues could be treated in practice. Following a review of the relevant literature in Information Systems, E-commerce and E-government, a theoretical framework is formulated. The framework is then applied in a real-world case study to support further data collection and to establish a view of e-government adoption at both national and agency levels. Based on the data collected the initial framework is then revised by using the interpretive case study approach where triangulated data are extracted. As a result, a comprehensive framework including details about the key factors that affect e-government adoption is developed. The framework can be used as a tool to determine the road ahead for adoption an e-government system at national and agency levels and to identify the main practices and key conditions to move towards successful implementation especially for governments in developing countries that are seeking to adopt an e-government system.

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The Saudi Arabian natural gas industry and its downstream activity, particularly petrochemicals, is characterized by its dependence on the country's crude oil production. This is because the main input into these industries is associated natural gas. Most of the Saudi gas-based petrochemical products are sold in international markets where their cost advantage over naphtha-based products is directly proportional to the crude oil price. The profits from Saudi natural gas and its dependent industries are influenced by two countervailing factors. The first is that of the level of crude oil production which determines the utilization level of the gas industry. The second is the international crude oil price on which the returns from petrochemicals, liquified petroleum gases and natural gasoline are directly proportional. This creates a tradeoff situation and necessitates finding a crude oil production level subject to optimizing the country's gas utilization system. A linear programming model is constructed to establish this level and to investigate possible ways to satisfy the country's future gas requirement. The results of the model indicate that the associated gas produced in conjunction with 6.78 million barrels of crude oil per day is needed to operate the gas utilization system at capacity. However, the model estimates that gas associated with a daily crude oil production level of 4.35 million barrels produces the highest returns from the system. Furthermore, to meet the country's gas requirements for 1990 and 2000, based on 4.35 million barrels per day of crude oil, the current daily nonassociated gas capacity should be expanded to 2.27 and 3.15 billion cubic feet, respectively.

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