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.     

Investigating the Implementation of New Public Management in Lebanon Ideas and Realities

This paper is an exploratory study that investigates the status of new public management （NPM） and the obstacles to its implementation within the Republic of Lebanon. The study employs a qualitative approach that examines two complementary data sources. The first data source is obtained from an extensive review of documents related to NPM that are available in the public domain such as policy initiatives and governmental projects. The second data source is obtained from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 40 stakeholders. Data is analyzed, using an iterative thematic content analysis. The findings suggest that the main obstacles that have inhibited the implementation of NPM in most public agencies in Lebanon include： the politicization of administration in the public sector, the lack of stability in the country, the non-targeted inconsistent and insufficient training, several institutional dysfunctions and organizational challenges, the absence of a country-specific applicable model of public management and the unsystematic and non-institutionalized link between concerned international organizations and the Lebanese public agencies. This research is significant as it provides a foundation for institutional practices to improve the design and implementation of NPM in the country. It also contributes to the relevant academic literature and fills a gap in the research on NPM in Lebanon. The paper provides policy recommendations needed to respond to the recurrent calls for administrative reforms in the Arab world especially in the aftermath of the popular uprisings in many of its countries.     

Knowledge,innovation and sustainability： The implementation of voluntary environmental policies in Greece： The case of environmental management systems

The paper focuses upon the issues of knowledge, innovation and sustainability concerning the implementation of voluntary environmental policies in Greece, and in particularly, through assessing the implementation of environmental management systems （EMS）. The first part of the paper refers to the theoretical background of EMS, presenting selected aspects from the approaches of the new economic geography and the new regionalism and from ecological modernization theory. In the second part, the implementation of EMS in Greece is highlighted, mainly focused on the profile of the enterprises, the sectoral and regional distributional pattern and the main problems during the implementation. The third part presents the main results of the empirical research on the impact of EMS implementation, concerning sustainability （e.g., water and energy savings, alternative renewable resources, sound waste management）, innovation （e.g., product or process innovation） and participation. The role of knowledge, during the process of implementation of EMS, is analyzed in the forth part of the paper. In the last part, recommendations for future policies are described, aiming at promoting strategies of EMS in urban areas and enchasing the role of local government.     

Knowledge of the Earthquake and School Education in the Perspective of Active Citizenship

This paper presents part of a larger research on the consequences of an earthquake on the scholastic life of children aged 3-11. In May, schools abruptly closed due to the earthquake in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy （Italy）. Children and teachers fled from them, leaving school backpacks and books in the classrooms. Daily life was disrupted and the community gathered in tents set up by civil defence. Immigrant families returned to their countries of origin or shared life in the tent cities. The focus of theoretical sources of the research considers mainly： the vulnerability of the persons concerned; measures for risk reduction; environmental sustainability; community resilience; controversial human development between freedom of the person and economic globalisation. From methodological point of view, the interviews with teachers, school rectors, and citizens revealed the impact of the earthquake on community identity. Unexpected human solidarity and local responsible participation were part of the new educational plan of reconstruction based on hope, active citizenship, and historical memory.     

Educational figures as models for empathetic communication at school： An exploratory examination of an integrative assessment model

This paper presents an exploratory examination of a methodology deliberated to quantify empathetic modeling in Israeli schools. Approximately half a dozen disciples and 3-5 teachers in each of 102 elementary and high-schools from various regions of Israel, affiliated with different educational sectors, participated in the study, which was conducted by 40 well trained interviewers. Using sophisticated algorithms, integrative scores were extracted in order to represent each school＇s pupils-teachers fit in viewing the empathetic approach by the school＇s leading educational figures. The results are conceived as indicative of the viability of the to-be-evaluated assessment method and the construct of school-empathy. Applied implications are suggested and continued research deliberated to test the hypothesis of an inverse causal connection between school-empathy, and school-violence is proposed.     

Electronic government interoperability framework in Greece： Project management approach and lessons learned in public administration

The implementation of e-government is a burgeoning phenomenon across the globe. However, a review of the IS literature reveals the inability of public administration organizations to complete information technology projects successfully. Unless governments learn to manage the government transformation projects, these e-dreams will turn into global nightmares. The shortage of studies on e-government implementation presents a knowledge gap that needs to be plugged. This paper describes and analyzes the implementation and the project management approach of the electronic government interoperability framework （EGIF） in Greece. Our intent is to present an application of a goal-driven project management methodology named EGTPM （electronic government transformation project management） in order to use it as a methodological reference when navigating in the open sea of information technology project implementations in the area of public administration. The successful implementation of the specific project indicates that the application of EGTPM approach could provide a solution to achieve government transformation objectives more effectively and efficiently.     

The Development of Good Practices in Cooperation With the Use of Educational Offer of Academic Centers for Employees of an International Corporation

The paper describes the genesis of the industry＇s needs for training employees whose main purpose is to stimulate ones to be more innovative. Responded to this demand, academic centers helped in the development of training strategies and concepts. The paper brought the closer concepts of training in range and effect that they have brought. An attempt was made to approximations, summary, and evaluation of programs that have been implemented in the framework of academic consortia, among governments founds, academic development, and companies competing in the regional and international telecommunication markets. Analyzed cases of such cooperation, for programs in which several people were involved, as well as beneficiaries of the projects in which were several thousand employees. Efforts made in these programs indicate good practice for those who would like to emulate or improve programs. Experiences that were collected and described in this paper are the ideal start for similar initiatives that may be taken without regard to the scale and location of economic participants.     

Social development,community development and participation

Unlike social development, community development could not be achieved without participation. Participation is participating in decision making, to choose a community project, plan it, implement it, manage it, monitor it and control it. People can make a contribution to the planning process at the implementation stage, only if they are presented with a well articulated and feasible framework of approaches, objectives, alternative, etc. The paper focuses on the definition of social development, community development and participation in order to elaborate them. Main question of this article is： Participation is a vehicle to achieve development that community members can be involved directly in development process. This is theoretical research that method of data collection is document method.     

Educational Leadership＂ What Can China Teach the West About Inclusive Decision-Making Practices

This paper focuses on educational decision-making in a Chinese context, but starts from a critique of distributed leadership educational theory as an instrumentalist and Western device of analysis. It is based upon a 2012 research project which reports on the academic insights of 51 Chinese school leaders who were also students studying ＂Masters of Educational Leadership＂ at an Australian university. The project explored these Chinese school leaders＇ perceptions of decision-making in education settings. It considered who would make decisions and how those decisions would be made in various hypothetical education scenarios. A unique feature of this research is the significant number of female school leaders from China who were in the participant cohort, so this study offers a rare insight into their thinking. Overall, this research offers an important first step in broadening out the theoretical discussions on leadership decision-making into a non-Western education environment. It also shows how educational research in the 21 st century is shifting away from Western---only analysis and instead broadening out to explore what the unique and important trends are in an Asian nation that is a global powerhouse.     

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.     

Does the multi-phased high school entrance program affect the equity of educational opportunity？

The Taiwan Government has proposed many educational reform programs in these years. Since 2000, in addition to the joint high school entrance examination, new ways of entering senior high school have included recommendation, application, register-and-distribution, as well as direct promotion. In 2001, the joint high school entrance examination was further annulled for good. However, contrary to the Taiwan Government＇s anticipation, the multi-phased high school entrance program has been severely criticized due to its controversial operating process. Based on our in-depth interviews and analyses of data collected by the Taiwan Education Panel Survey, the results demonstrate that the multi-phased high school entrance program has divided the selection process into several critical parts. Firstly, students have to face the requisition both on and off campus. Secondly, the selection and recommendation criteria are not uniform among different schools. Thirdly, students with better family backgrounds are still benefiting from the advantages of being recommended to public senior high schools. Finally, the selection process and related criteria can easily be influenced by the parents or relatives of students with higher socio-economic status. We therefore argue that the issues related to the selection and recommendation criteria, timing of assignments, school categorizations, as well as the review process for the multi-phased high school entrance program should all be re-considered.     

China＇s Political Stability and Comprehensive National Power： A Case Study of the Conflict in Xinjiang

The concept of comprehensive national power （CNP） is proposed and developed by several Chinese scholars and academic institutions. Many material capabilities, for example, economic growth and military might, are incorporated into the concept to measure China＇s national power vis-h-vis other major powers, especially the U.S. This paper, however, contends that understanding China＇s CNP through material capabilities is only part of the story. Yet, China＇s political stability is by no means assured and fully incorporated into the concept. China has undoubtedly faced many threats and challenges to its political stability. Apart from the Two Ts＇ problem （Taiwan and Tibet）, the conflict in Xinjiang not only threatens China＇s political stability since the establishment of the People＇s Republic of China （PRC） in 1949, but also affects its CNP as a whole. This paper concludes that measuring the genuine CNP should be based on the factors from which a country would earn or benefit, and also on those of which it would have to pay a price. Needless to say, the conflict and political instability in Xinjiang are an example of the price which China has to pay.     

The European Union Faced With the Challenges of Food Safety： Solutions Proposed in the Framework of the Common Agricultural Policy （CAP） and Strategies of the Actors Concerned

Within the framework of Common Agricultural Policy （CAP）, how has the European Union （EU） responded to new challenges emerging at the end of the last century？ The overall picture shows that the process of improving health conditions includes various players. The overall objectives of the CAP are specified in Article 39 of the Treaty of Rome： to increase agricultural productivity and ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community. The word ＂security＂ here refers to the stability of supply. The first major reform came in 1992, linked to the Uruguay Round Cycle of initial responses to consumes expectations regarding food safety and the prevention of health risks. The centrepiece of EU food policy, European Food Safety Authority （EFSA） is consumed with all maters effecting food safety, nutrition, animal health and welfare, and plant health. The controversy around the need for reforms and their implementation has featured prominently in the public debate. The paper analyzes these debates by drawing on scientific studies carried out by multidisciplinary laboratories.     

The Essential Factors of TQM Principles Implementation in Small Industries in Indonesia

The research aims to describe and identify Management） principles in small industries in the essential factors in implementation of TQM （Total Quality Indonesia. It was conducted by explorative and qualitative methods. Assessment of the implementation of TQM principles is done using the EFQM （European Foundation for Quality Management） Excellence Model. The result shows that the principles of TQM have been implemented in small industries in Indonesia especially in small industries which have QCC （Quality Control Circle）. This implementation is supported by evidences in each principle. The implementation of TQM in small industry should be done through a process of adaptation, which is important because each organization is tailored, so each organization will differ in implementing TQM.     

Autonomy and Performance of Agentification： Cases of Nine Independent Agencies in Thailand

Facing the limitations of bureaucracy and the pressures of crisis and change, the government reforms in many countries adopted a discipline of new public management （NPM） by separating autonomous agencies （agentification） in the public sector. Nonetheless, there are still very few empirical studies of performance assessment of this type of agency. This paper has two main objectives： （1） to explore the governance and autonomy of nine independent agencies under the Ministry of Industry （MOI） in Thailand; and （2） to present performance assessment of these nine independent agencies. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches in collecting data, including three focus groups, 37 in-depth interviews, and 3,428 questionnaire surveys. The paper applies the concepts of agentification of NPM to examine the multidimensions of autonomy and to evaluate the performance of the nine agencies, covering effectiveness, financial self-reliance, and the impact on industrial development. Finally, this paper discusses the effects of agentification and suggests policy and managerial implications as well as further research directions.     

Management Control,Performance Factor in Moroccan Universities ＂Case of the University Hassan I of Settat＂

The reform of higher education and the promulgation of the Law 01-00 in 2000 were a solid foundation of governance renovated in Moroccan universities. In 2009 the emergency plan has come to supplement and reaffirm the achievements of this reform. Indeed, following the deployment of the emergency plan and the introduction of an approach to contracts and projects in public education, Moroccan universities have moved from a logic means to a logic of results. Faced with this situation, and in order to ensure effective control, effective and efficient emergency plan, management control is then the ＂backbone＂ to meet the challenge of all reforms and make successful its deployment.     

Developing the school financial audit model

This paper examines the development of school＇s financial audit model. The overall sample consists of 100 school auditors in Malaysia. Field work covered 4 states in the northern part of the Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., Perak, Pulau Pinang, Kedah and Perlis. A structured questionnaire with 41 closed ended items was used to collect the data. This study uses quantitative method such as correlation, chi-square and multiple regression analysis to test the variables. The finding confirms that the school financial audit model consists of general standard, audit work standard and reporting standard. This model can be used by various parties including private entities, state education department and other government agencies.     

The Impact of Exchange Rate on the Growth of Nigerian Economy From 1960 to 2010

This paper examined the impact of exchange rate on the growth of Nigerian economy using time series data from 1960 to 2010. The paper utilized secondary data and explored various econometrics and/or statistical analytical （E-view 7.0） method to examine the relationship between exchange rate and economic growth. The paper tested the stationarity--through unit root test （ADF）, Vector Autoregressive Estimates （VARs）, cointegration test, Granger-Causality test of Nigeria＇s time series data, and used an error correction model through over-parameterization and parsimonious model to determine the long-run relationship among the variables examined. It was discovered from the findings that the growth rate of national income was directly related to domestic investment and economic growth. The paper recommended based on the econometric results among others that the government should ensure that prevailing economic situation in Nigeria is tolerable in order to reap the full benefit/advantage of exchange rate policy, encourage domestic production of goods and services to enable the domestic economy to benefit from the exchange rate policy, ensure the stability of macroeconomics variables, and ensure the exchange rate policy which is to encourage exports and discourage imports in order to avoid cash drain （or flight） in the economy.     

A study of Spanish companies＇ hedging strategies in Latin America

This paper looks at the impact that unanticipated changes in the exchange rate, specifically the currency crises that took place in Latin America between 1998 and 2004, had on the value of Spanish companies in this emerging region. It also studies the strategies, decisions, measures and initiatives that these firms made to improve the effectiveness of their hedging activities. Building upon previous studies in industrialized countries, the study applies a broad perspective as it takes a cross-functional approach by including finance, strategic planning, marketing, and operations management in the analysis. The data was collected from interviews containing structured and open-ended questions with senior managers and directors of the largest Spanish investors in Latin America and then analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative study involves a time series regression to calculate a foreign exchange exposure coefficient. The qualitative analysis uses a systematic approach to develop categories from the data gathered in the interviews. The research results suggest that foreign companies exposed to exchange risks in emerging markets gain resilience when decentralizing the decision-making and implementation of hedging initiatives to subsidiaries to： （1） Elaborate scenarios, （2） assess possible impacts of exchange rate variations, （3） design pre-emptive measures, and （4） set alternative strategies to mitigate potential impacts. This multi-functional and systemic approach to manage risks seems to offer companies higher flexibility and new knowledge that can be shared among subsidiaries working in similar economic and political environments.