In many countries, non-profit organisations provide enormous help to the public in the form of services, aid, education, advocacy, and many other humanitarian supports. However, despite the important work of many non-profit organisations in their fields, there has been little research about the role on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in facilitating aid distribution. In an effort to improve understanding of non-profit organisations working in charitable programmes, this research assesses the impact of ICTs in charitable organisations in the State of Kuwait. One of the purposes of this study is to provide guidelines to improve the use of ICTs in order to meet the needs of charities, their donors and beneficiaries, and their ability to comply with state legislation. This research uses a multi-methodology approach, which employs two system methodologies in tackling the research problem. The research methodologies that have been applied are Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and Effective Technical and Human Implementation of Computer based System (ETHICS). The participants of the research included charities, authorities, staff, beneficiaries, and donors. The results showed that the current services and activities do not meet the needs and satisfaction of the charities, donors, and beneficiaries. The results also showed that the charities fall short in coping with the national and international compliance requirements. Consequently, there is a need for an appropriate change in systems and procedures, which include database system, communication, technical, confidentiality and security of donors and beneficiaries, co-operation and coordination, and awareness and attitudes of authorities. The study provides the changes needed to improve the current situation in Kuwaiti charities. As one of these changes, a novel design of a web-based Information Exchange System amongst Kuwaiti Charity Organisations (IESKCO) has been developed. This web-based system will combine all Kuwaiti charitable programmes in to one appropriate system, which offers the highest level of benefits at the lowest cost for their clients. In order to ensure that this new system meets the users' needs, an empirical evaluation method has been chosen to evaluate the IESKCO prototype. The results revealed that the users' needs are met using the application. This research has also led to conclusions and directions for further research on the impact of ICTs in charitable sectors.

This research was carried out in order to gather information on the current situation and practices of libraries in Kuwait so as to investigate the possibly of designing a model for establishment of a national bibliographic network in the State of Kuwait. As context for the research, background is provided on national bibliographic networks in developed countries and in the Arab World, together with consideration of the role of a national library in such a network. In order to gather data, three questionnaire surveys (for library administrators, cataloguers and automation specialists) were distributed to all types of libraries in Kuwait. Information was sought on the composition and training of staff, the nature and extent of library resources and databases, the degree of automation of systems and services, and the nature of co-operation and resource sharing. Opinions were also sought on the feasibility of establishing centralised cataloguing and the implementation of a national bibliographic network. Follow-up interviews were also carried out, and professionals in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were consulted for advice on practical solutions and recommendations for an effective national bibliographic network. The findings of the questionnaire surveys indicated some deficiencies that Kuwait libraries face: the absence of a leadership role by the national library; lack of a deposit law for national publications that would ensure a collection that would provide central focal point for a national information infrastructure; coverage by the national bibliography is neither comprehensive nor adequate; there are no formal systems of co-operation for resource sharing; implementation of standards for bibliographic services has been ineffective; many libraries still lack automated systems; lack of professional staff was noted by all sectors. Nevertheless, respondents were positive in their concern for needing strong leadership, adequate financial support for the national library, and expressed a desire for co-operation, which was felt to be possible even under the current circumstances. Based on the findings of the survey and experience described in the literature, it is concluded that a national library is the most appropriate body to develop and maintain the bibliographic databases that would be the centre of national bibliographic network. A model for such a network is presented, discussing the links to different libraries in the country and the duties and responsibilities of the national and other libraries in attaining successful functioning of the network. Recommendations are made for the functioning of the proposed national bibliographic network.

This thesis analyses economic change among the bedouin of northern Arabia by examining four factors: the trade in camels; intertribal raiding; large-scale attacks by the Akhwan (Ikhwan); and trade and smuggling. Many writers have assumed that the sale or hiring out of camels for transport by camel-herding tribes was their main source of income, and that the spread of modern transportation caused a decline in the demand for camels, resulting in lower prices for the animals and an economic crisis for the bedouin. The well-documented case-studies in this thesis demonstrate that this assumption is flawed. The bedouin economy was more complex than the portrayals in many sources, and the reasons for economic hardship and political decline among the camel-herding tribes are more varied. In the story of how the wheel overcame the camel, it is clear that while transportation technology had some effect, even more important were such factors as drought, the rise of new states, colonial policies, intertribal politics and the varied factors pulling nomadic peoples to become sedentary.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / The 1991 Gulf War caused massive environmental damage in Kuwait. Deposition of oil and soot droplets from hundreds of burning oil-wells created a layer of tarcrete on the desert surface covering over 900 km'. This research investigates the spatial change in the tarcrete extent from 1991 to 1998 using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and statistical modeling techniques. The pixel structure ofTM data allows the spatial analysis of the change in tarcrete extent to be conducted at the pixel (cell) level within a geographical information system (GIS). There are two components to this research. The first is a comparison of three remote sensing classification techniques used to map the tarcrete layer. The second is a spatial-temporal analysis and simulation of tarcrete changes through time. The analysis focuses on an area of 389 km' located south of the Al-Burgan oil field. Five TM images acquired in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1998 were geometrically and atmospherically corrected. These images were classified into six classes: oil lakes; heavy, intermediate, light, and traces of tarcrete; and sand. The classification methods tested were unsupervised, supervised, and neural network supervised (fuzzy ARTMAP). Field data of tarcrete characteristics were collected to support the classification process and to evaluate the classification accuracies. Overall, the neural network method is more accurate (60 percent) than the other two methods; both the unsupervised and the supervised classification accuracy assessments resulted in 46 percent accuracy. The five classifications were used in a lagged autologistic model to analyze the spatial changes of the tarcrete through time. The autologistic model correctly identified overall tarcrete contraction between 1991-1993 and 1995-1998. However, tarcrete contraction between 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 was less well marked, in part because of classification errors in the maps from these time periods. Initial simulations of tarcrete contraction with a cellular automaton model were not very successful. However, more accurate classifications could improve the simulations. This study illustrates how an empirical investigation using satellite images, field data, GIS, and spatial statistics can simulate dynamic land-cover change through the use of a discrete statistical and cellular automaton model.

Judicious modeling of an energy system can help provide insights as to how elements of the energy system might be configured in the longer term. The current and future electricity and water desalination systems of each GCC country were represented using a full-cost based optimization tool called MESSAGE and the following scenarios were examined: 1. The business as usual scenario (BAU): current energy system is extended into the future without any changes. The energy system structure and characteristics are kept the same. The fuel prices are also kept at the current subsidized levels. 2 - The netback-pricing scenario: all fuel costs are increased to the international market price. The freed amount of fuel is assumed to be available for export to the international market. Moreover, this scenario examines different carbon tax options of 0, 20,30 ,40 and 50 dollars per kilo tons of CO2 emissions. 3 - The Nuclear hub scenario: examines the idea of a “nuclear hub” state for the GCC region that can have all the “know-how” and logistics to provide sufficient nuclear energy for the GCC through the Interconnection Grid “GCCIG”. Results shows that fossil fuels will continue to play an important role in a least cost future for the region. This is due, in no small part, to the cheap natural gas resources in the GCC. Despite the high renewable energy technologies potential, their penetration – given the study assumptions - proved to be important, but limited in the GCC. On the other hand, nuclear energy shows clear economic potential.

Kuwait is planning for huge infrastructure and development projects through long term strategies and visions from 2007 until 2035 to overcome the needs for the welfare housing and to move the country to be the region’s top commercial and financial hub. These goals wouldn’t be achieved without having a strong partner (private sector) to drive the economy by participating in construction mega projects. Public-private partnership (PPP) is the framework which engages both parties to successfully achieve long term plans to deliver what the country and citizens need. To attract the private sector to participate and provide the services needed with the expected high qualities and techniques, the public sector needs to improve the environment to facilitate PPP implementation. This research investigates the existence of critical success factors of PPP project in construction sector of Kuwait: Effective procurement, Project implementability, Available financial market, Government guarantee and Favorable economic conditions and give recommendations to focus on improving them to achieve successful PPP projects.

The Middle East is a large geographical area, and while people think of it as a homogeneous area in terms of language and culture, the region IS actually more of a melting pot of ethnic, religious, racial and linguistic groups. Understanding the distinctions between these groups is of paramount importance to understanding the region. Historical rivalries between some groups, for example, Sunni and Shia Muslims, go back hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Yet, people continue with life. How do countries continue to deal with each other when there are open, unsettled questions, such as boundaries or control of islands? Is there a resolution method that will finalize these issues for once and ever? Chapter One will discuss methodology and research implementation. Chapter Two will review theories of conflict resolution as described in the literature. Chapter Three will review the historical background of conflict in the Middle East in general, these four conflicts in particular and the role that Kuwaiti diplomats played (to the limited extent that it can be determined). Chapter Four offers overall conclusions and suggestions.

This dissertation traces the circulation and consumption of Japanese anime, or Anime, in Kuwait to examine the changing consciousness of normativity regarding gender and sexuality for audiences and fans. Anime has been distributed and accessible since the 1970s in Kuwait. Nonetheless, with the advent of "New Anime" after the 2000s, the audience has widely accepted characters and protagonists that deviate from the existing representational practices portraying active men and passive women. Drawing from gender and sexualities studies, media and anime studies, Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony as well as Raewyn Connell's theory on masculinities, this study critically investigates "hegemonic masculinities" in Kuwaiti society to argue the ways in which the reception and practices of Anime help to erode them. / 博士(アメリカ研究) / Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

This thesis draws upon the qualitative findings of 20 interviews undertaken with female teachers in order to explore the topic of workplace friendships between women in an all-female organisational setting. The interview data sheds light on these friendships within the all-female workplace context, examining how the workplace setting can influence the forms of friendship women build with one another. This thesis explores this topic across three main areas: 1) the way in which women develop workplace friendships, and the forms that women-women relations take in all-female workplaces; 2) the importance of workplace friendships and the meanings attached to these friendships; and 3) the blurred boundaries between family and friends, which result in unique workplace-friendship relationships. This study contributes to current knowledge on friendship development and, specifically, the issues associated with women’s development of friendships within the all-female workplace context. The findings highlight the difficulties that some women experience in creating and developing friendships based on cultural boundaries. The findings also emphasise the weaker utility in female friendships, which remains both unacceptable and unchallenged yet nonetheless recognised by women. Furthermore, women are argued to create “other-self” friends and to experience another form of suffusion process in the workplace context. This study also contributes to the current literature on the barriers and opportunities associated with female friendship-building by highlighting how female misogyny employed in the workplace and that workplace friendship is a surviving tool used, adopting a sociological perspective to explore and analyse the findings.

Introduction: Medication errors are a major cause of illness and hospitalization of patients throughout the world. This study examines the situation regarding medication errors in the Armed Forces Hospital, Kuwait since no literature exists of any such studies for this country. Several types of potential errors were studied by physicians, nurses and pharmacists. Their attitudes to the commission of errors and possible consequences were surveyed using questionnaires. Additionally, patient medical records were reviewed for possible errors arising from such actions such as the co-administration of interacting drugs. Methods: This study included direct observations of physicians during the prescribing process, pharmacists while they dispensed medications and nurses as they distributed and administered drugs to patients. Data were collected and compiled on Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyses were performed using SPSS. Where applicable, results were reported as counts and/ or percentages of error rates. Nurses, pharmacists and physicians survey questionnaires: From the 200 staff sent questionnaires a total of 149 respondents comprising nurses (52.3%), physicians (32.2%) and pharmacists (16.1%) returned the questionnaires a total response rate of 74.5%. All responses were analyzed and compared item-by-item to see if there were any significant differences between the three groups for each questionnaire item. All three groups were most in agreement about their perception of hospital administration as making patient safety a top priority with regard to communicating with staff and taking action when medication errors were reported (all means 3.0 and p > 0.05). Pharmacists were most assured of administration support when an error was reported whereas nurses were least likely to see the administration as being supportive ( p < 0.001), and were more afraid of the negative consequences associated with reporting of medication errors (p = 0.026). Although nurses were generally less likely to perceive themselves as being able to communicate freely regarding reporting of errors compared to pharmacists there was no significant difference between the two groups. Both however were significantly different from physicians (p< 0.001). Physicians had the most favorable response to perceiving new technology as helping to create a safer environment for patients and to the full utilization of such technologies within the institution in order to help prevent medical errors. Scenario response - Responses to two scenarios outlining possible consequences, should a staff member commit a medication error, tended to be very similar among the three groups and followed the same general trend in which the later the error was discovered and the more grievous the patient harm, the more severe would be the consequences to the staff member. Interestingly, physicians saw themselves as less likely to suffer consequences and nurses saw themselves as more likely to suffer consequences should they have committed a medication error. All three groups were more likely to see themselves as facing dismissal from their job if the patient were to die. RESULTS OF ALL THREE OBSERVATIONS: Result of Nursing observations: For 1124 doses studied, 194 resulted in some form of error. The error rate was 17.2% and the accuracy was 82.8%. The commonest errors in a descending order were: wrong time, wrong drug, omission, wrong strength/ dose, wrong route, wrong instruction and wrong technique. No wrong drug form was actually administered in the observational period. These were the total number of errors observed for the entire month period of the study. IV Result of Pharmacist observations: A total of 2472 doses were observed during the one month period. Observations were done for 3 hours per day each day that the study was carried out. The study showed that there were 118 errors detected which were in the following categories respectively: 52 no instructions, 28 wrong drug/unordered, 21 wrong strength/dose, ignored/omission 13, shortage of medication 3 and expired date 1. Result of Prescribers in Chart review for drug-drug interactions: The analysis of the drug-drug interactions showed that out of a total of 1000 prescriptions, 124 had drug-drug interactions. None were found to fall into the highest severity rating i.e. 4 (contraindicated). Only twenty-one interactions were rated 3 (major), 87 interactions were rated moderate and 15 interactions were rated minor according the modified Micromedex scale. Patient education: All health care such as physician, pharmacist, and nurses have a responsibility to educate patient about their medication use and their health conditions to protecting them from any error can occur by wrong using drugs. Conclusion This study has contributed to the field of medication errors by providing data for a Middle Eastern country for the very first time. The views and opinions of the nurses, pharmacists and physicians should be considered to enhance the systems to minimize any errors in the future.