Internet banking services have faced a considerable expansion in terms of the number of users in the last few years. This makes Internet as a financial service delivery platform witness a number challenges. One of these is offering better-quality services to existing customers as the quality of service is a key factor in the success of any organisation. Previous research studies indicate that a strong theory to understand this form of service is lacking. A comprehensive review of previous and contemporary literature on service quality suggests the need for the development of a valid instrument for measuring service quality from the end-user perspective in the specific context of Internet banking services. This research study proposes a revised and modified SERVQUAL model which incorporates several variables that reflects the industry-specific attributes of Internet banking services. A survey based research is used to collect primary data on the basis of Internet banking services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A multiple regression analysis is employed to examine the influence of the adapted determinants on service quality. Focus-group interviews are also conducted as a follow-up to the questionnaire study. The findings of both fieldworks indicate that reliability, responsiveness, website design, and personalisation determine service quality in the Internet banking context. This study presents the main findings derived from the research model which can be used by a wide range of financial institutions, which make use of the Internet in their business dealings, to support each organisation’s decision-making processes. Also, this model can be used as a blueprint for an organisation’s strategic planning. In addition to the research model, the researcher employs Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) that reveals a large of number of implications for the quality of service, which were not obvious prior to undertaking the research. The knowledge of such implications will help managers and decision-makers when they are required to allocate resources to certain tasks or functions.

This study addressed three research objectives related to non-Muslim nurses’ experiences providing health care to Muslim patients in Saudi Arabian hospitals. These objectives included: first, understanding what it is like to care for Muslim patients considering both religion and culture; secondly, exploring what it is like being cared for by non-Muslim nurses. In order to address these objectives, the study has employed a qualitative approach, represented in hermeneutic phenomenology. The target groups in this study were Muslim patients and non-Muslim nurses who were interviewed using interviews and focus group discussions. The study found that religious, cultural and linguistic factors have a negative effect on non-Muslim nurses’ experience of care in Saudi Arabia, which included a personal impact, and a practical impact resulting from working practices. However, the results indicated that nurses had some problems with family members who interfered in decisions related to patients, and that they also encountered disrespect from patients’ relatives and friends. The study results indicated that non-Muslim nurses, to some extent, have an understanding of the different aspects and practices of Islam, such as praying, fasting and spirituality. The study results also revealed a significant relationship between spirituality (Islamic faith) and the provision of health care. Nurses believe that religious and spiritual practices have an effect on care. However, they failed to understand the importance of religion and spirituality to Muslims in general and patients in particular. The lack of training and orientation concerning specific issues of religion and culture negatively affected not only the communication between nurses and patients, but also the provision of health care. It was envisaged that this study would have a positive impact on the delivery of nursing training and education, because it highlights the need to tailor this to specific contexts. The study distinguishes itself from other studies conducted in the same field by investigating non-Muslim nurses’ and Muslim patients’ confusion between religion and culture. The study stressed an overlap between religion and culture in Saudi society, which consequently affected nurses’ provision of health care. It was essential in this study to investigate the differences between religion and culture, to see of non-Muslim nurses would understand religion and culture are not the same; while in some cases they complement one another, in other cases they contradict. Furthermore, the study addressed the issue of professionalism when caring for Muslim patients’ and non-Muslim nurses’ point of view. Although nurses claimed to provide healthcare in professional way, they were not fully aware of Saudi local culture or the impact of religion on patient’s daily life It can be concluded, in general, that non-Muslim nurses are facing challenges to providing healthcare to Saudi Muslim patients, due to a lack of understanding of the importance of cultural values and religious practices, and the lack of training and alignment on such issues.

This study will focus on explaining the dynamics of Saudi Arabia’s national security. In explaining these dynamics, the study will consider two of Buzan’s frameworks for analysing national security. Further enhancement will be given by conceptualising specific assumptions about Saudi Arabia’s national security – these will be based on the manner in which certain features are utilised within the Saudi state. Semistructured interviews will be utilised to examine the findings from the adapted frameworks. By studying the state’s domestic, regional and international concerns, as well as the specific threats that each level pose with regards to several security sectors (including the: social, political, economic, militant and environmental), this study will provide a distinctive analysis of national security within the Saudi state. Initially, this study acknowledges that only a few studies have been conducted into Saudi Arabia’s national security; furthermore, these have focused on the internal perspective by considering Saudi national security in terms of its military and strategic partnerships. Secondly, the study proposes that Saudi Arabia is unique (and unlike any other state) as it holds various important social and religious aspects that are not fully understood by external sources. Consequently, this study conceptualises Saudi national security from the internal perspective by considering the Saudi state’s specific features.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become a common feature in contemporary Higher Education institutions worldwide. LMS literature shows that the level of interest and/or knowledge among academics towards the importance and usefulness of these systems, and the opportunities they can bring to the teaching process are key factors affecting the degree of use of LMS in HE. To date, most of these studies have taken place in the context of developed countries, and there is only limited research in other areas. In recent years, LMS have been adopted widely in Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education sector, however, there are no strong and detailed data regarding the subject in this context, which could impede future developments. On the other hand, academics were chosen as the main focus of this investigation because studies have revealed that they have the most vital role in promoting and enhancing the use of LMS. Therefore, this research investigates academics’ adoption and usage of LMS in Saudi Arabia’s universities; it aims to understand the adoption conditions and identify what factors truly affect the adoption process and to what level are the systems being used and why. The investigation was guided by Grounded Theory research principles. Initially, a review of the literature identified the nature of LMS along with the issues confronting academics when they are trying to use it to its full potential in supporting the delivery of their courses. Afterwards, questionnaires were employed to further explore the phenomenon in its examined context, i.e. Saudi higher education. The generated data and concepts were then used to guide the research process and to develop interview questions. The interviews were carried out at three Saudi universities with a range of stakeholders, which signified the primary data source in this investigation. Analysis revealed that LMS did not emerge as a well-established component of academics’ activities in Saudi universities despite the positive view respondents expressed towards it. Findings also explained why LMS was either considered a secondary method to support face-to-face teaching, or under-utilised in fully online courses. Furthermore, findings revealed the primary factors influencing academics’ level of use of LMS. Moreover, there were issues identified in relation to the academics’ development and training for LMS, which had a significant effect on the academics’ level of use of LMS. Findings were then integrated into a substantive theory and a theoretical model, which represents the research primary outcome. The theoretical outcomes offer abstract explanation of the phenomenon about adopting innovatory systems in Saudi universities, LMS in this instance. In conclusion, suggestions for improving the current provision of LMS in Saudi Universities are made. Overall, this study provided an insight into the environment surrounding the early adoption phases of LMS in Saudi universities, which offers a better understanding of the phenomenon. Subsequently, this will help enhance the adoption process in current contexts and assist in the better future utilisation of these systems in similar situations.

Swedish arms exports is a controversial topic. Sweden is one of the world's leading arms exporters. In connection to an investigation conducted by the Eko in 2012, which is a program of the Swedish Radio, Sweden's long arms negotiations with Saudi Arabia. This became a big debate, because Sweden isn't supposed to negotiate with non-democratic countries. The Swedish government decided to appoint a committe to study this subject and come up with stricter laws on arms exports. The purpose of this paper is to see which theory that dominates the committe investigation. it turns out that liberalism dominates the investigation, although even in small tensile characterized by realism. Liberalism is the theory which dominates them abandoned the proposals, the view of democracy as the consequences that a more restrictive regulation would entail.

This research aims to explore how representations of Saudi Arabia in German travel literature, pilgrimage accounts and online media have transformed the Saudi Arabian space and its place in the European imagination. German travelers, pilgrims, and expatriates enter the foreign Saudi Arabian space, and decipher it in their narratives. The diachronic analysis of several representative texts by German authors from the 18th and 19th centuries narrating their journey to what is today known as Saudi Arabia, shows that the images conveyed in their writings should be conceived in a multidimensional way beyond the lens of historical analysis, taking into account notions of gender, personal motivations, nationality and religion. Analysis of pilgrimage accounts by German converts from the 20th and 21st century reveals an unreflected representation of Western societies and German people in the Middle East. These narratives play a fundamental role in building a bridge connecting Muslim immigrants living in the diaspora with German converts. However, to quote Marcia Hermansen (1999) "even though Western Muslim narrators avoid the excesses of their Christian precursors, they are not completely free from a colonial gaze and "Orientalist" attitudes": in their narratives both the desert and the Bedouins become an imagined and fictionalized trope. In the last part of my dissertation I explore the blogosphere produced by German expatriates living in Saudi Arabia, arguing that expatriate blogs have become a space for cultural representation and othering, that share similarities with the genre of travel writing.

The thesis examines the efficacy of the provisions of Saudi Company Law 1965 in terms of protecting the rights of minority shareholders in joint stock companies (JSCs). The aim is to assess the effectiveness of the current form of SCL 1965 in this regard and to suggest a reform scheme. This research finds that SCL 1965 does not adequately provide minority shareholders with all the rights that they should enjoy. Accordingly, minority shareholders are often subject to the controlling influence of majority shareholders, who are generally in charge of the company’s management. As a result, minority shareholders either do not exercise or do not enjoy certain rights, and they therefore forfeit their natural and intended role under this law, which is to oversee and control the activities of the board of the company, and in so doing to defend their interests. Despite the Saudi government intentions to conduct a range of reforms, particularly in the field of trade, SCL 1965 has not been modified to any significant degree; it is still not sufficiently effective, and does not address many important points relating to shareholders’ rights in listed companies. Therefore, there are important decisions that need to be made on the part of the Saudi legislature in terms of improving the investment environment in KSA, including improving the level of protection for investors in JSCs; these decisions will help to attract more investors into the Saudi financial market. This thesis suggests ways in which to improve the level of protection for minority shareholders in Saudi listed companies against any encroachment on their interests within the company. In this respect, it suggests recasting the provisions relating to minority shareholders, especially SCL 1965.

Background There are concerns over the low proportion of young people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA] who regularly participate in physical activity [PA] (Al-Hazzaa, 2004; Al-Hazzaa, et al., 2011). Schools have a unique opportunity to promote PA and provide adequate PA opportunities for young people via the formal/informal curriculum, school sports programmes, and out-of-hours PA (Dobbins et al., 2009). However, implementing effective PA promotion programmes in schools is a challenge and requires consideration of a range of factors. In Saudi Arabia context, the secondary boys school PE programme comprises two main elements: 1) the PE curriculum which is compulsory for all students and includes one 45 minute PE lesson per week; 2) the extra-curricular programme which is optional and comprises the Internal Physical Activity Programme (IPAP) and the External Physical Activity Programme (EPAP). The IPAP activities occur during breaks between lessons whilst the EPAP takes place after school. Both are delivered by PE teachers. Research Aims The aims of this study were: 1) To investigate the nature and extent of the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. 2) To explore physical education teachers perspectives on the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. 3) To identify the factors that influence the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for the study was based on Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997) which presumes that PA behaviour is influenced by: personal characteristics; behavioural factors; and environmental factors. In addition, the Active School model (Cale, 1997; Cale & Harrris, 2005) was utilised as a conceptual framework, guiding the investigation of PA promotion within schools and the analysis of data. Methodology In order to investigate the research questions, a two phased mixed method (Creswell, 2009) research project was carried out. Phase one involved a detailed survey questionnaire, informed by the Active School model, which was designed to gather information about PE teachers policies, practices and views with respect to the promotion of PA. The questionnaire s validity was enhanced via a number of Saudi experts who confirmed its appropriateness for use in the Saudi context. Moreover, a pilot study was undertaken to obtain valuable feedback relating to the format, content and clarity of both the survey questionnaire and interview schedule before the main study. The questionnaire was distributed to all secondary boys schools in Riyadh in KSA (N=181 schools). The response rate was 52%. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was employed in the analysis of the data. Phase two involved semi-structured interviews. Prior to conducting these, the interview schedule was piloted at one secondary school. Six PE teachers drawn from the survey sample were interviewed and the interview data were then transcribed and analysed using MAXQD10 software. Research Findings The survey revealed that two thirds of the secondary boys schools had a plan or policy for the promotion of PA, and almost 70% of PE teachers thought that their school significantly contributed to the promotion of PA. Games activities (e.g. football) dominated the PE curriculum, and the majority of schools also organised inter-school games competitions (e.g. league). In contrast, exercise and fitness-related activities (e.g. circuit training) were less common within the schools PE curricula. The PE curriculum was viewed by the teachers as the most important avenue to promote PA, followed by the IPAP and EPAP (95%, 91% and 73% respectively). Sports/activity facilities varied between schools, particularly in terms of indoor facilities, and over half of the PE teachers considered their indoor and outdoor facilities to be inadequate for promoting PA (54% and 57% respectively). The vast majority (90.3%) of the schools did not offer PA opportunities to parents/families. Furthermore, three quarters of the teachers expressed a need for professional development specifically in the area of PA promotion. On a positive note, headteachers and local PE supervisors were reported to be supportive of efforts to promote PA in the schools and provided support for both the IPAP and EPAP. All PE teachers, who were interviewed, considered the time allocated to PE programme to be insufficient for promoting PA amongst pupils. Further, some teachers viewed PE lessons as time off from serious school subjects and entertaining time . Most teachers reported that parents considered PE as unimportant and/or playtime . Discussion/Conclusion PE teachers views on role of schools in the promotion of PA were generally positive. The ways in which the teachers practiced the promotion of PA varied and maybe have been due to their narrow understanding of the whole school approach to PA promotion. The teachers focused on the PE curriculum and the PE extra-curricular programmes as the main avenues through which to promote PA within their schools, and gave less attention to other avenues such as the whole school environment. Almost all of the teachers had a sporting philosophy for PE leading them to privilege competitive sports. Although the teachers reported to have support from head teachers and local PE supervisors, many schools were not as conducive to PA promotion as they could be due to the narrow range of physical opportunities on offer, and the teachers lack of relevant professional development, the limited sports facilities and the insufficient maintenance of these. In addition, the status of, and time allocated to PE were found to be an issue influencing the promotion of PA in schools. It was concluded that actions could be taken to broaden PA promotion within Saudi schools. For example, policy update and development for PA promotion could be improved to address clothing and changing, traffic/transport, and playground bullying; establish links with outside sports agencies and professionals; and increase PA opportunities before or after school, or at weekends. The findings suggest that if the descriptor comprehensive which is widely used to distinguish whole school approaches from curriculum-only models of PA promotion is to be fully realised, schools need to make a clear and explicit effort to promote PA within the social/cultural environment. Further that research is needed on the social and cultural values, norms and perspectives affecting PA promotion in schools.

This research explores the nature and extent of training and development (TD) provision, as well as top managers' and TD personnel's attitudes towards the TD function within the medium and large-size private manufacturing organisations of Saudi Arabia. Extensive details of the TD situation are provided and assessed for their adequacy, covering among other elements a descriptive analysis of the main characteristics of the organisations concerned, an evaluation of their TD plans and policies, and a review of their budget allocation and funding. The research then proceeds to describe and discuss the extent to which such organisations are applying a systems approach to TD, both in terms of its design and implementation. Thereafter, the main factors impeding the effectiveness of TD programmes are examined, followed by a consideration of the future challenges that are likely to increase the importance of TD for the organisations in question. The research has adopted a mainly descriptive approach and uses both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods. The required data were gathered through a combination of semi-structural interviews with a number of top managers, and survey questionnaires addressed to the persons responsible for TD within the targeted organisations. The sampling strategy was disproportional stratified random sampling. In total 16 senior executives, 132 medium-size organisations and 94 large-size organisations took part in the study. The findings reveal that although attitudes towards the value of TD are generally favourable, in practice in the majority of cases TD is under-resourced, unplanned and patchy, hardly the ideal features of a systematic model of TD that will enable private manufacturing business to successfully meet the challenges of the future ahead. The research ends with a number of specific and practical recommendations intended to improve the effectiveness of TD in the private manufacturing sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as a number of suggestions for further research.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be a most efficient tool which is able to push economic and social development to experience significant progress and development as they offer useful services to consumers, and provide much needed employment. With this in consideration, they are useful for training, acquiring experience and technical and managerial skills. The objectives of this research are to identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Based on the literature review, 20 factors have been identified and subsequently structured into three groups, namely entrepreneurial, enterprise and environmental factors. The study also focuses on the SMEs Support Programme by identifying the current situation and accordingly providing recommendations based on those made by the support providers. Data have been collected by utilising a mixed method approach: first, 146 postal questionnaires with SME owners/managers have been analysed by using SPSS; second, in order to gain further understanding of the situation and particular challenges, 15 in-depth interviews with support providers have been conducted; and third, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been used to analyse the pairwise comparison of the factors. The main findings of this study are that, for the CSFs for SMEs in Saudi Arabia, three factors are deemed to be important both for owners/managers and support providers. These factors are quality of the product and service, customer satisfaction, and business planning. The findings also indicate that there are many 'important support gaps' which show that existing support needs to be addressed in order to improve and develop the support structure.