Narrow Results

The paper presents knowledge residence to be only in the mind and rejects the orthodox definition of the knowledge types which has been used till now by most knowledge management (KM) gurus and authors — in which knowledge exists inside and outside the human body — and presents an alternative model for such. Yet, unlike other papers that reject this classical view, this paper does not doubt the importance of the field nor underestimate the role of its originators. Alternatively, it emphasises the significance of KM and provides practical insights for its effectiveness. The paper concludes by addressing the importance of understanding the essence of knowledge in the public sector through proposing a pragmatic concept that could be easily applied. We have chosen a city that has an existing platform that can support the application of such concept — Dubai — especially with its current expanding endeavours towards “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, which is its Expo theme in 2020.

The paper presents an earthquake hazard study for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The seismicity of the area is outlined and discussed in terms of available earthquake data and published earthquake catalogues. Strong motion estimation models are also discussed and a specific model is selected and extended to meet the defined requirements for the study. The hazard assessment is carried out to evaluate peak ground acceleration and uniform hazard response spectra corresponding to 5% and 2% probability of being exceeded in 50 years. Simulated earthquake ground acceleration records are derived for the purposes of dynamic response history analysis. The implications of the hazard from near and far earthquakes is explored with regard to the dynamic response of tall buildings and other long-period structures common in the study area.

This study explores the relevance of established organisational determinants of innovation practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the emerging market of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Drawing upon data from 200 SMEs, the findings suggest that management orientation, technology orientation, alliance and cooperation and market orientation are important antecedents to SMEs' innovative practices, but question the importance of organisational culture. This study is the first to examine the organisational determinants of innovation in both an SME and emerging market context. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered to both scholars and practitioners.

Climatic extreme events will occur more frequently, which will seriously threaten the life safety of residents in arid and semi-arid areas. Cairo, Algiers and Dubai are located at the crossroads of the global climate pattern. Climatic extreme events will seriously threaten the lives of local residents. Therefore, it is of great value to study the impact of the Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) scheme on these metropolises. Based on the HadGEM2-ES model simulations of the MCB scheme, we used six climatic extreme indices, the hottest days (TXx), the coolest nights (TNn), the warm spell duration (WSDI), the cold spell duration (CSDI), the consecutive dry days (CDD) and wettest consecutive five days (RX5day), to analyze the impact of MCB schemes on the extreme climate in Cairo, Algiers and Dubai in this study. Compared with an RCP4.5 scenario, the implementation of the MCB scheme from 2030 to 2059 would increase the mean annual RX5day index in Cairo by 1.98mm, decrease the average annual WSDI index in Algiers by 26 days and decrease the average annual WSDI index in Dubai by 70 days. The implementation of the MCB scheme is of great significance to mitigate climatic extreme events in Cairo, Algiers and Dubai.

Using data from a survey of 1,500 households in Dubai City, this chapter explores the impacts of social, cultural, and religious factors on female labor force participation (FLFP) and finds that marriage and conservative cultural norms constitute the primary cause of economic inactivity among women. Secondary and tertiary education show positive impacts on FLFP. The impact of children is not always significant. Being expatriate has a positive impact on FLFP. Marriage has a significant negative impact on female participation. The findings suggest that changing perceptions and actions coexist with many old cultural and social norms, but also that the growing tendency is to accept the public presence and labor market participation of women. The women survey respondents expressed more conservative views than men, and expressed more support than men for cultural norms that allow for male control and limit women's freedom to move and choose employment. The younger generation (aged 15–24) expressed more conservative views than older people, despite being better educated than previous generations.

This study explores the relevance of established organisational determinants of innovation practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the emerging market of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Drawing upon data from 200 SMEs, the findings suggest that management orientation, technology orientation, alliance and cooperation and market orientation are important antecedents to SMEs’ innovative practices, but question the importance of organisational culture. This study is the first to examine the organisational determinants of innovation in both an SME and emerging market context. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered to both scholars and practitioners.