Fair play and empathy： A research study with student teachers

Empathy for difficulties that students have in learning and for their emotional well-being is an essential but difficult skill that teachers must develop. Shields and Bredemier （1994） have emphasized the necessity of empathic skills in physical education classes given the wide range of abilities that students bring to those classes. One of the emphases in the current training of physical education teachers is on sports ethics generally and fair play specifically. The relationship between moral development and the ability to empathize has been suggested （Grief ＆ Hogan, 1973）. Therefore, it may be argued that fair play education heavily focusing on moral behaviors in sports can contribute to the development of empathic skills of student teachers. This study outlines findings from a study of the impact in a class on the importance of fair play in sports on the development of empathy among 50 Turkish student teachers enrolled in the Physical Education and Sports Teaching Department at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index （IRI） developed by Davis （1983） was administered during the first week of class and again after during the final week of class in order to examine the impact of a class on fair play on empathic skills. A comparison between the before class and after class scores indicate that student teachers reported significantly more empathic skills at the end of the class as compared to what they had at the beginning.     

Followership： The Forgotten Kingmaker for Effective Leadership

Extensive studies have been carried out and theories expounded on leadership, yet no agreement has been reached on both definition and standards of leadership. The researcher takes the view that all the effort put on the study of leadership should have been directed toward the study of＂followership＂. The characteristics and types of followers are central to the success of any leadership in the particular environment. In this study, followership is classified as voluntary and not coerced. The leadership would therefore depend on the nature of the followers and their expectations, meaning that followers predetermine the nature of leadership. Critical to this is the nature of the power used by the leader in relation to the power of the followers. A continuum of followership is constructed along the extremes of transactional and transformational leadership styles. The continuum is a useful tool and model for effective leadership, effective leadership is therefore dependent on the level of the maturity of the followers and the agreeableness and congruency between the leader and the followers. The article concludes that effectiveness of leadership is a direct result of the willingness of the followers to be led in that particular fashion. Broadly speaking, effective leadership styles are customised to meet the followers＇ demands and expectations.     

Adaptability of Kuwaiti Public Administration Employees to Total Quality Management Requirements

This exploratory study examines the infrastructure of total quality management （TQM） in Kuwaiti public administration. The research was based on a questionnaire administered to a random sample consisted of 600 government officials from various Kuwaiti ministries. The basic elements of TQM which were investigated relate to work relations, administrative procedures, and professionalism. The objective of the study is to improve quality of public services through diagnosing and strengthening positive points, shedding light on the negative aspects, and giving recommendations on how to enhance services＇ quality. The study results showed that public administration employees are highly adaptable to TQM requirements. Statistically significant variations were found in adaptability to TQM requirements due to gender, age, educational level, job level, and work relations with regard to many aspects. It is recommended that decision makers in Kuwaiti public administrators take some measures to enhance TQM orientation such as simplifying administrative procedures, making greater compatibility between employees and type of work, investing more resources on continuing education of public administration employees and conducting field studies concerning adaptability of other government bodies （public institutions, public companies, etc.） to TQM requirements to see similarities and differences between them and the ministries in this regard and draw appropriate lessons.     

The equalization pattern and process of gender educational inequality in Taiwan： Some evidence for the threshold hypothesis

The existing literature on women＇s educational attainments and gender inequality in education excludes the pattern and process of gender educational equalization. In this research, we review the relevant literature first and then set hypotheses to be tested based on the different expectations of modernization theory and the threshold hypothesis. We have access to the 1990-2001 data files of the Taiwan social change survey and the 1950-2000 data files of the Statistical abstract of national income in Taiwan to obtain the information which is used in this research. We employ the bi-variate logistic regression model to estimate the net effect of gender on the likelihood that the subject completes his or her high school education or earns a degree from a college or a university from 1950 to 2000. Our empirical results show that, when compared with the educational attainments of men, the women＇s relative disadvantage in terms of educational attainment diminishes with economic development, but the extent of such a decline varies with the different levels of economic development and stages of educational expansion. This indicates that the equalization pattern of gender inequality in education is not linear, but rather ladder-like, and is consistent with the assumption of the threshold hypothesis. Furthermore, the equalization process of gender educational inequality differs according to socio-economic backgrounds. A boy with an upper class background is more likely to complete his high school education or obtain a degree from a college or a university than a girl with an upper class background, followed by a lower class male, and a lower class female, respectively.     

The Effect of Corporate Governance on Corporate Performance in the Financial Industry in Nigeria

The business environment in which the financial industry operates is full of uncertainty and limitations. The inability of some firms in this sector to produce capable management that can guide the interests of shareholders in the light of ethics and values has generated frequent cases of business downturn. This has compelled the industry to adopt the strategy of corporate governance which hinges on the intellectual honesty of directors and management to promote transparency, equity, and accountability, and provide leadership that will guide the industry in the right direction. The major objective of this paper is to ascertain whether corporate governance is a strategy for corporate performance. The study made use of both primary and secondary sources of data. The survey research method and the data analysis techniques comprised of simple percentages and chi-square derived from Kendal coefficient. It discovered that corporate governance is a strategy for corporate performance and the financial sector has failed to improve their performance using this strategy. It was recommended that the regulatory agencies should constantly review the acts that ensure good corporate governance and embark on constant monitoring in order to sanction any defaulting bank.     

The Pragmatic Research Approach： A Framework for Sustainable Management of Public Housing Estates in Nigeria

The paper is based on a research which tries to explore, explain and develop a framework that would be used in the sustainable post-construction management of public housing estates. Literature review provides evidence of the extent of unoccupied, unfinished, vandalized, and abandoned social housing estates in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, signifying that the availability and management of decent public housing estates in the Niger Delta of Nigeria are lacking because the post-construction management practice is not as good as it should be. The aim of this paper is to assess and set out the methodology and rationale for adopting a strategy to the research. It further, thus, examines case study design strategy that follows exploratory and explanatory methods and other research worldviews as alternatives in philosophy, approach and in research methodology. In addition, the paper draws out the significance of pragmatism as current practical world thinking that is a better answer to a research study aim, objectives and questions which focus on real-life situations. It argues that the development of a framework for use in the post-construction management of social （public） housing estates in a sustainable manner is needed; and that, using a pragmatic philosophical perspective and approach of worldview through a mixed method （qualitative and quantitative） in a case study design line of inquiry in the research methodology would be a better proposition to adopt in the study. The paper recommends that the issues of sampling, validity, reliability, the relationship between the researcher and the subject and other research quandaries are vital when deciding on an appropriate method.     

Capacity building of sea level and climate monitoring in the Pacific region： Fiji case study

In order to enhance capacity building in the Pacific region, and to raise awareness on climate change and sea level issues, teaching and training modules were made available to the Pacific community through the ＂South pacific sea level and climate monitoring project＂ funded by AusAID. Numerous training workshops have been conducted through the project since its inception in 1991 and the project is now in its fourth and final phase. It was hoped that the goals of capacity building for the stakeholders on correct information of climate change and sea level have been understood and taken heed of. In addition, ＂The scientific educational resources and experience associated with the deployment of Argo＂ （SEREAD） project was also set up especially for ocean science in the Pacific island schools in 2001. However, it has been realized that the data from this project is more relevant to tertiary level rather than to secondary level students. Consequently, a survey was carried out to gauge the students＇ outlook towards the physical side of marine science. The survey revealed that more than 80% of both tertiary level and high school non-physical science students decided not to take the physical aspect of marine science sighting reasons that it is either a difficult subject, boring, too hard to understand or difficult to pass in the examination. Even amongst students taking physical science, only about 50% believe that the physical aspect of marine science is enjoyable. A minority of students at USP and high school take science as a subject and a small proportion from them take the physical science. From this scenario, it can be predicted that there will be a shortage of physical science graduates in the future. The confidence of the Pacific community in the work of scientists is built on faith. They appreciate the effect of science on their lives and support it but are unaware of the scientific methods involved. Therefore, for the sustainability of physical aspect of marine science in the future for the Pacific region, public awareness of climate change and sea level is vitally important and it should be widely promoted in the community as a matter of urgency.     

Can Minimum Wage Standards Reduce Wage Inequality in China？

Along with rapid economic growth over the past several decades in China, wage and income inequalities have also widened over time. This paper analyzes the relationship between the labor market institutions and the labor market outcomes by focusing on the effects of China＇s compulsory minimum wages on wage inequality. The study chooses the year of 2004 as a starting point in consideration of the fact that the new regulation of minimum wages begun to implement in 2004. The main purpose of the study is to utilize quantitative methods to investigate whether the new regulation played a role in preventing wage inequality from further widening. The results show that, without the increases of minimum wages from 2004, the overall wage inequality could further widen in 2006. This observation holds true for male and female workers and for different regions. The paper concludes that China＇s compulsory minimum wages might raise the wages of poor-paid workers, but the system itself is only one instrument in helping poor-paid workers. To a large extent, the rise of workers＇ wages depends on tripartite collective wage bargaining. For China, where the real function of trade union has been questioned, solving the issues of widening wage and income inequalities still has a long way to go.     

A wave of psychological forces in second language learning： An Arabic experience at IIUM

Psychological bases of success deal with relatively inner-self factors. The paper presents basic understandings of learning process as well as a model of identifying factors of second language learning success. There are a number of reasons why some students learn Arabic much more quickly than the others. Learner＇s psychological situation is one of the most expected determination factor. Therefore, its nature has to be described, its function needs to be identified and analyzed, especially in term of motivating students to have better performance in learning Arabic as a second language in the context of International Islamic University Malaysia （IIUM）.     

PTSD and female military returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan： What does the evidence tell us？

In the United States of America, women make up almost 15% of active duty forces, while they form 11% of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also the first time in history that women have been directly involved in torturing men, with sexual identity and gender being used as instruments of torture. This paper focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder （PTSD） and female veterans by reviewing the available literature. Studies examining the psychological and physical health of women veterans as well as women＇s working and living conditions in the army are presented. The paper highlights the psychological processes women marines go through to establish themselves in the male dominated army environment and the implications such processes may have on their perception of female identity and on their psychological well-being. Studies on deployment experiences in relation to the emergence of PTSD in female military personnel are presented. Finally, the effects of veterans＇ PTSD on their familial relationships and psychological adjustment of family members are also considered, stressing the lack of relevant research with female veterans. In this new historical reality and as these women are called on, upon their return home, to resume female care giver roles, to become the primary caregivers to children, the elderly and those who are ill, we conclude by highlighting the urgent need for further research into the emergence of PTSD in female military returnees from and on their families. Iraq and Afghanistan and the effects this may have on them and on their families.     

Customizing English Language Program for EFL Learners

This paper discusses the importance of having a customized instructional approach specifically for students who are learning English as a Foreign Language （EFL） in the foreign language setting. Most of the innovations introduced by the Education Ministry of Malaysia such as the Communicative Language Teaching （CLT） and phonics are suitable for ESL （English as a second language） learners, while the EFL learners are still left behind. A suitable teaching approach which customizes the needs of the students in EFL setting, especially in the state of Terengganu should be introduced. The main focus of the program exploits reading and writing skills in providing language input since these two skills are more dominant in terms of utility and functions among the EFL students as compared with the ESL students who are enable to exploit speaking and listening skills because of the natural setting. The research investigates the prospect of developing a suitable language teaching program based on 10 basic sentence patterns （10SP） which are exploited through the principles of transformational generative grammar and customized learning experiences focusing on reading as a bridge in acquiring other language skills such as writing, listening, and speaking.     

Children and boxing in Thailand： Preserving national heritage vs. exploiting national future

Children involving in boxing were highlighted as a problem in the country report of Thailand to the UN committee on the rights of the child. At present, there are approximately more than 20,000 children under 15 years old practicing Thai boxing. This thesis is designed to test the hypothesis that it is essential to bring human rights-based approach into the notion of children boxing in Thailand in order to find the possible solutions over the child protection in boxing areas, and that banning is not the absolute solution to solve the child boxing problem but should be done by applying children rights and ＂the best interest of the child＂ to the amendment of the laws and its enforcement. The research methodology of this study is mixed of qualitative and quantitative. The samples survey comprised 400 Thai people randomly on the subject of public awareness of this issue. The observation part was conducted on the random method by visiting 6 boxing camps; 3 in Bangkok and the other 3 in Kalasin province （northeastern area） and 3 children boxing matches; 2 local boxing stadiums and 1 national boxing stadium. Based on data gathering, although it was found that children practicing boxing are proved as dangerous and considered as child labor, they can hardly be banned because people in the boxing business, including children themselves, sees it as a necessity to practice at the young age and as a mean to escape poverty. In addition, a number of public opinion saw this as a benefit to preserve national cultural heritage. Therefore, allowing children to continue professional boxing, the government and sport authorities must implementing child rights in the professional boxing context based on law enforcement. The principle of the best interest of the child, based on the Article 3 in the Convention of Children Rights, has to be applied. This study recommended for the emendation of the National Boxing Act 1999 to provide specific chapter concerning children＇s engagement in boxing as a separate section from adult boxers.     

Effects of Assets Structure on the Financial Performance： Evidence From Sultanate of Oman

The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of assets structure （fixed assets and current assets） on the financial performance of some manufacturing companies listed on Muscat Securities Market （MSM）. The methodology of the study is content analysis of annual reports of a sample of 28 out of 70 （40%） companies for the period 2008-2012. The assets structure is measured by fixed assets turnover and current assets turnover while the financial performance is measured by return on assets （ROA） and return on equity （ROE）. The study examines two main hypotheses. The first one examines the effects of total assets turnover on ROA whereas the second one examines the effects of total assets turnover on ROE. The overall result for the study is that the structure of assets does not have a strong impact on profitability in terms of ROE. This result means that if the structure of assets is changing then the ROA will not change. Another result of the study indicates that only the fixed assets have impact on ROE unlike ROA. Another result of the study suggests that the effect of asset structure has an impact on ROE only in petro-chemical sector.     

The role of educational strategies in human development： An example of using key word method in teaching Arabic as a second language in Malaysia

This paper is an attempt to discover and recognize the important role of educational strategies in developing human capital in which they become positive agents of human society, such as academic achievement, intellectual abilities, interpersonal skills and also self-esteem. These will be measured using a survey instrument that classifies learning performance via test scores, to test the hypothesis that learning a language will lead to comparable positive self-development, but indirected language learning will affect academic achievement negatively. Therefore, key word methods in learning Arabic language will be used as directed Arabic language learning to measure the significant correlation to both academic and non-academic development of the learners in which the effectiveness of mnemonic strategy in vocabulary memorization is associated with the self-consciousness and personal psyches of the learners. Consequently, they appreciate the knowledge and values they gained from their learning activities, which help them to perform better than students who did not use this type of learning strategy in learning Arabic language. Teachers, on the other hand, would also able to observe the important impact of Arabic language learning on learners＇ academic performance and personality development. Therefore, education is simply a process of acquiring a new knowledge in creating an environment in which students and teachers learn something for themselves.     

Effective Communication and Frame Persuasiveness for Food Safety Controversies： The Young Male Consumer＇s Perspective

This study explored effective risk communication for food safety targeting young male consumers who frequently dine outside by examining the controversy of US beef importation in Taiwan in 2012. Guided by risk perception theory and framing theory in issues management, the researcher developed a risk profile of young male consumers based on interview data. Persuasiveness of message frames used by the government was analyzed according to three distinct communicative objectives： to reduce risk perception, to motivate beef consumption, and to gain support for beef importation. The study suggested that the young male consumer＇s knowledge of US beef was formed by news reports and information from family members with experts as the most trusted source. They perceived US beef as risky but safe to eat if they wished. They seldom actively sought information about the beef. The new media were the most used by them for seeking and receiving such information. Frame persuasiveness varied across communicative objectives and was associated with the schemata employed in the configuration of risk-benefit trade-offs for each targeted behavior.     

Bribery Problem in Kuwaiti Public Administration

This empirical study examines the bribery, problem in Kuwaiti public administration, its conception, magnitude, reasons, and its consequences. The study is a field research which is based on a random sample consisted of （600） people from various spheres of life in society. Study findings have shown that bribery in Kuwaiti administration is widespread and increasing, transcends nationality, gender, position, education level, and agencies in Kuwait which require paying attention to what kind of measures need to be taken to eradicate it. Recommendations are suggested on ways how to eradicate this problem in order not to become a phenomenon.     

Fuel Distribution in Brazil： Profile and Stability of Plural Governances

This paper is dedicated to the study of governances adopted by fuel distributors in their transactions with gas station retailers in the State of Sgo Paulo. With the deregulation of the market, plural forms were allowed and have been a recurring presence. The main aim of the paper is to investigate why these plural forms have remained on the market The main hypothesis of this paper is that the plural forms found are transitory, not as a result of increased efficiency and reduced transaction costs, but because plural forms have become a key strategic step in securing business partners and promoting greater growth of the firm. Moreover, it is argued that the institutional environment has a significant influence on the coordination of plural forms, directly interfering with their stability. The research method was qualitative research with a group of 25 distribution companies which account for about 80% of sales of ethanol and gasoline in the domestic market.     

Insurances as a Method of Reducing the Financial Consequences of Environmental Disasters

On the market of industrial customers in the European Union （EU） as well in Poland have not yet been disseminated information related to environmental threats. The purpose of this study is seeking understanding and analyzing the functioning of business insurance as a method of financing the effects of environmental disasters, potential environmental threats, the costs of restoring the polluted environment to its original form. The design of the article was subordinated to the thesis according to which business insurance can be a method of financing the risk of environmental damages and prevention for protecting against the effects of these disasters. According to the subject of discussion it used： elemental analysis--if the object of study requires the distribution of the elements without looking for mutual dependence between them; casual analysis--when there was a need of looking for the cause-effect relationships between the elements of the object of the study.     

Educational challenges after year 2007 post election violence in Kenya

This paper sorts to examine the effects of post election violence on education in Kenya, after the presidential election results were disputed over by the two main presidential candidates. The rationale of the paper is due to the fact that among many other aspects of society that were affected in such a case is education. All levels of education were affected, and particularly primary and secondary education could not proceed on schedule as had earlier been planned. Other issues raised in this paper include the trauma experienced by students, loss of parents and guardians among others. The objectives of this paper therefore include： （1） To determine the effects of political violence on the education system in Kenya; （2） To establish the challenges facing students in Kenya after the post election violence; （3） To analyze individual attitudes of students towards the role of education in promoting national unity; （4） To determine how to re-imagine the role of education in promoting peace and peaceful coexistence in Kenya.