LSC Researchers Quarterly 2(4) Dec 2014 by LSC Research Center

Vol. 2, Issue 4 I December 2014

RESEARCH CENTRE

Research Centre The LSC Research Centre aims to provide research training in business, management, information systems and eBusiness through doctoral level qualification, to produce research applicable to the needs of entrepreneurs and companies, governments and institutions involved in promoting and regulating business enterprise. The LSC Researchers Quarterly is the publication of the LSC Group of Colleges. It publicizes the activities of the LSC Research Centre and seeks to promote research training through reflective practice. Editor Dr. Nandish V Patel Research Degrees Programme Leader Professor Don Harper Director, Research Degrees Programme Mr Sheku Fofanah PhD Administrator Abimbola Dada and Siona Cynthia Ndeh Editorial Assistants

Evidence-based supervision is effective. Supervisors seek evidence to ensure that their research students are making satisfactory progress. At the monthly supervision meeting, the research student should bring the PhD Progression Record file. This file should contain all the formal progression documents required by the LSC and the University, including the monthly Record of Progression forms. Evidence helps supervisors to provide guidance on focusing the research topic and determining methodological choices. Significantly, this includes the ongoing literature review chapter, as well as the other chapters of the thesis, all as work-in-progress. Evidencebased supervision is more effective to ensure progress towards the final draft Thesis. With the Progress of Record forms as evidence in research studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; file, as well as the actual draft chapters and research instrument design, supervisors an judge whether satisfactory progress is being made, or even excellent progress. This can then be used to make the required judgment of progress in the AMR to determine whether the research student remains registered.

Evidences Evidence-based supervision consists of tangible evidences. This includes the minimum satisfactory completion or ongoing development of: The Research Degree Proposal; systematic and critical literature review chapter, that identifies the research gap and potential contribution; conceptualization of the research problem and design of the research methodology chapter; actual data collection, analysis and interpretation, and ongoing writing of the other thesis chapters. The Quarterly is available on ISSUU: (http://issuu.com/lsc-research-center). Also, the LSC Research Center is now on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lscresearch follow us @lscresearch.

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) ÂŚ December 2014

RESEARCH LED TEACHING As a supervisor on the doctoral programme, Dr Uma Mohan transfers her research insights to the MSc Information Technology and BSc Computing programmes which she leads. With her incisive focusing, her postgraduate students benefit by undertaking research into highly pertinent topics such as crop disease databases for farmers and information systems to manage Ebola. She has guided her postgraduate students’ dissertations on these topics and Google Glass to successful publications.

An Exploratory Study of Key Features of Mobile Application Development Tools for Android OS when Building Application for Google Glass Device Focusing on the Developmental Infrastructure Aspects

Uma Mohan, Saloomeh Tabari and Nursultan Keneshbekov ABSTRACT The main aim of this research is to highlight the names of each development tool for Glassware, its core functions and instructions on how to best use those tools to develop and launch the application. Google Glass is new generation wearable technology developed by Google in 2012 and officially launched in June 2014.Google Glass is powered by Android OS and apps that run on this device are called Glassware. The current research identified several options to build Glassware and each option was explored more on its suitability for the particular type of Glassware. The different types of IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) have been identified and each IDE was elaborated more on its suitability for the developers from different skill levels. The best practices of testing and distributing the Glassware were explored in detail. Primary and secondary data have been gathered and interpreted, leading to a few recommendations made to Google‟s official online Glassware development portal in terms of assisting the developer in choosing the best option to build Glassware and suitable IDE. In order to take a photo user has to pronounce the command “Okay Glass, take a photo”, and camera immediately takes a snapshot of the vision that user sees on that moment. User doesn‟t need to worry about scrolling through the phone or camera, as users are able to align the pictures using their own eyes (Tang, 2014). One of the interesting findings of the survey was that strong contingent of people would share their obtained data from their wearable with third parties, given suitable incentives. About 25% of them would give their data in exchange for health insurance benefits and other similar incentives. Around 35% would be willing to share their data with UK‟s NHS (National Health Service). They believe that it would increase the quality of care, keep patient records accurate, and provide early warning of upcoming health issues (Goldsmith University, 2014). Keywords: Google glassware, technology, launching process, remote and wireless teaching technologies

An Evaluation of Competitiveness and Effectiveness Of Nepal‟s E-Tourism: Case of Tourism Website Saloomeh Tabari , Uma Mohan and Wangchuk Sherpa ABSTRACT Focus of this paper is to explore E-tourism development in Nepal and examine the factors that determine the effectiveness of the tourism websites, its comprehensiveness, enhanced engagement and better visual appeal. In addition, it is intended to understand the significance and differences between variation of services provided by E-tourism websites and the traditional tourism approaches. Authors‟ attempt is to highlight the relationship between the tourism industry and the E-commerce approach that enhance tourist satisfaction. Furthermore, researchers have attempted to make recommendations for further improvements regarding Etourism in terms of user friendly websites to enhance tourist satisfaction in terms of development of Nepal‟s tourism industry. Keywords: E-tourism, e-commerce, Service provider, user friendly website, official tourism website, Nepal tourism Track: Tourism Marketing 44th EMAC Annual Conference taking place in Leuven, Belgium from May 26-29, 2015.

SPECIAL INTEREST RESEARCH GROUPS For some time now Nandish and I have been discussing the possibility of establishing a number of specialist research groups. The aim of these groups would be to stimulate discussion, research and publications through the collaboration of supervisors, DoSs and students working in related academic areas. Each Research Group would need a Chair who would exercise leadership and coordinate a programme of meetings and other activities. We would like to see Research Groups in the major business areas - for example, Human Resource Management, Finance and Accounting, Banking, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Management and Business Strategy, International Business. It would be up to the Research Groups themselves to formulate specific titles that would reflect the collective interests of the group. For example Dr Eugene Kozlovski has proposed a group entitled “Global Business Strategy” that he has volunteered to co-ordinate. Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi has volunteered to lead a group in the area of Banking and Finance. We would like others of you to propose groups that would be likely to attract a significant number of participants.

If you would like to become involved in one of the groups either as a member or as a Chairman please contact Nandish or myself. Prof Don Harper Director, Research Degrees Programme London School of Commerce prof.d.g.harper@lsclondon.co.uk

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) ¦ December 2014

The PhD confirmation interview Eleri Jones School of Management, Cardiff Metropolitan University

A critical part of the PhD process at LSC is the confirmation of PhD enrolment which takes place about 12-18 months into a student's candidature. The confirmation interview is equivalent to the transfer process for students initially registered on MPhil/PhD programmes. It builds on the research degree proposal which is submitted about six months into the candidature. Most LSC students enter the programme with a Masters level qualification and are able to register directly on PhD programmes so do not need to undergo the transfer process - however, we feel that there is a lot of merit in the transfer process and it helps students move their work forward constructively. The confirmation interview is chaired by a DoS with significant experience of PhD supervision and examination. It also involves an independent assessor and one or both members of the supervisory team. The discussion takes a question and answer format and focuses on the potential contributions of the study, its PhDness and the perceived potential of the student to deliver the project to a PhD outcome. To prepare for the interview a student is required to submit four draft chapters of his/her thesis: a chapter one providing the point of departure and the rationale for the study; the research question(s); a statement of the significance of the research; the aims/contribution and objectives of the study; an overview of the

The most common outcome of the confirmation interview is that students are required to strengthen their work to address any shortcomings and are given an appropriate length of time to complete such amendments. Other possible outcomes are that the proposed study or the candidate do not seem to have the potential to deliver a PhD outcome in which case the candidate would be advised to withdraw from the programme. Most students find the experience positive, even enjoyable. It should be an extension of the supervisory process and provides an opportunity to take an overview of the project and its coherence. It allows a candidate to articulate his/her ideas and is excellent preparation for the viva voce examination. Good luck in preparing for, and participating in, your confirmation interview. Enjoy.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It should be an extension of the supervisory process and provides an opportunity to take an overview of the project and its coherence.â&#x20AC;?

THE FORM OF POWER: THE RDP ONE FORM TO RULE US ALL, ONE FORM TO HAUNT US, ONE FORM TO BRING US ALL INTO LSC TO BIND US Mrs. Nihal Ismail Ahmed Ayad Doctoral Researcher LSC, London, UK Senior Teaching Assistant in the AASTMT, Cairo, Egypt

No I am not going to talk about the epic high fantasy novel written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien or the ring of power, but I am going to describe a similarly grueling and heart breaking journey, which is writing the RDP. Every journey starts with a dream and mine is to become a renowned Doctor, expert in marketing, hence my journey started with the LSC on the 1st of March 2014. After six months of seminars, meetings, reading, reading, reading and then MORE reading; it was time to prepare the first student presentation (RDP presentation). My presentation was on the 14th of October 2014 and the Chair, Professor Peter Abell attended it and commented: „this is a very interesting piece of research; very ambitious‟. Then came the questioning part where my colleagues asked me many questions. Then Professor Peter Abell followed them with more questions. My colleagues where interested in knowing the reasoning behind my sample structure, the chosen model and the „no-generalisation‟ issue. I eagerly answered and rebutted them in their comments, stating that my intention was not to generalise but to explore a certain phenomenon which needs a more purposive sampling technique. This technique led to my sample structure and model choice.

Professor Abell supported my choice of a purposive technique but had a minor comment on the model‟s statistical representation and a main concern that the results highly depend on the sample and that I need to be consistent in my choice. So it can be safely assumed that the presentation was a great success. I even had a standing ovation from my colleagues, which was more than just motivational, it was euphoric.

from working as a teacher for ten years that helped me recognize the following golden rules about presentations: Just because you chose a topic doesn‟t mean you love it. Loving your topic doesn‟t mean you understand it. Understanding it well doesn‟t mean you can clearly explain it.

“Be more critical! More analysis needed! That‟s what my tutors say about my essays. I‟m not really sure what they mean” The first trick is to be passionate about your topic because it is YOURS. You chose this topic after months and months of observations, searches and readings. Be confident about your choice and love it. Secondly, you must be well informed about your research topic and have a critical way of analysing and understanding it. As a Senior Teaching Assistant I always hear these statements from my students:”Be more critical! More analysis needed! That‟s what my tutors say about my essays. I‟m not really sure what they mean" Or ”I thought I had written a really good assignment this time. I did so much reading and preparation for it, but my tutor‟s feedback is „not enough argument.‟ I‟m not sure what to do now. I mean, I‟m not an argumentative person and I don‟t really want to be”. One of the most important skills you will need to learn is the ability to think critically and objectively about an issue and to present a well-constructed argument. An argument here doesn‟t mean disagreement or unpleasantness. It simply means presenting a strong case to support a point of view. You don‟t have to be an argumentative person to do this: on the contrary, good critical writing means using reasons and evidences to support your viewpoint. Once you do that you will have a clear research aim.

The experience of doing a good presentation came LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

Now you finished reading, analysing and understanding your topic (which isn‟t as easy as it sounds). I remember meeting my supervisor at least once per month and sending her emails on a weekly basis or even more. She helped me refine my thinking and writing skills, guided me in my reading and explained to me my points of weaknesses and strength to overcome or use them. As for my DoS, he always opened my mind for more concepts, discussed my research aims and objectives to refine them and encouraged me to publish my work. Using their comments needed a very important skill, listening. I had to learn how to listen to all the criticism and advise given to me by the LSC staff, my peer support network, my colleagues in London and Egypt and my family. This helped me refine and structure my literature review and research methodology chapters over and over again. What‟s next? Well you need to present what you know in a way that “changes the audiences‟ behaviour”, as commented by Dr Nandish Patel in the research seminar. In order to do that you need to fully comprehend the extent of your research then acquire the ability to describe it in a simple, clear and precise form. This can be done through practice, practice and practice in front of as many people as possible who have different backgrounds, interests and knowledge. This is where the RDP came in action because that is its philosophy, to describe your research in a simple, clear and precise form. I had to keep writing and rewriting it to make it as straight forward and to the point as possible. One of the best advice I had was when Dr Nandish Patel reviewed my RDP and told me to read my three year old daughters' books and mimic their way of telling a story in one line. In the end, I had a clear-cut research background, aim, objectives and plan of work that was translated into the presentation. So when all of

your supervisors, peers, friends and even strangers understand what you want to project in your research, this means you succeeded.

“One of the best advice I had was when Dr Nandish Patel reviewed my RDP and told me to read my three year old daughters' books and mimic their way of telling a story in one line” In conclusion, I worked, read, wrote, asked for help, listened, and utilised all the possible resources in order to create my master piece, yes master piece since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"*. I had my ups and downs and was not always ready for it all. On days I was so depressed I wouldn‟t even read an article, on other days I would read 40! My advice is to embrace the PhD pressure not as a hindrance but as a way to show your true worth and to shine like a rock put under immense pressure to show the diamond within. * Hungerford, M.W.(1895)Molly Bawn. A. L. Burt Co.

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THE “FIFTEEN MINUTES” PHD CONFIRMATION INTERVIEW Thuy Thu Nguyen PhD Student, LSC

My confirmation interview lasted less than 15 minutes, with the comments of “no requirements” and “no recommendations”.

Every achievement must have a story behind it. Hence, I decided to write this piece to share with you some experiences that hopefully can be helpful to your first stage on the PhD road. It will take less than 3 minutes to read, but as a pay-off, it may save you 30 minutes from your coming PhD confirmation interview.

How was My Transfer Interview?

However, it is well said that what must be, must be. Whilst I did prepare myself for an at-least-1hour-interview (as experienced by other students), mine started from 1 pm and finished around 1.15 pm!!! Prof. Eleri Jones strictly gave me just enough time to think forward by her nonstop intense questions, no time to be nervous. About three minutes questioning about my thesis; remaining time was spent for discussing about some typographic errors. And, that‟s it! That‟s the way I made it! The Story Behind… Before starting any task, I often make a list of targets for myself, which will accordingly go with its own deadline. So does the PhD thesis. However, always remember to set up a gap (around two weeks) between your own deadline and the School deadline, if you do not want to be the last minute student. Enjoyably Settle Down to Study

I got ready for my transfer interview on a prearranged day and my Director of Studies agreed to be there to support me. One day before the official date, I received an unexpected call from LSC to ask whether I am able to attend the interview two hours later. I did not have time to think twice, and then I decided to go for it.

Undoubtedly, the time waiting outside the room was so pressured; I looked around and just saw other anxious faces. Some of them were there for their re-submission interview. One came to me and wondered why I did not wait until tomorrow.

For me, a good atmosphere can be a good start to boost my studying motivation. Hence I started by searching around for the best place to suit my study. I have tried LSE, UCL and even the local libraries before I found the British Library – an extremely busy place with lots of visitors, students and academia. My favorite, is to stay in the reading rooms, where I can feel the serious attitude at work from others, and where I can find thousands of sources, both physical and online. Then I manage at least 6 hours per day there to work on my thesis, three in the morning and three in the afternoon. Taking a short break is important to relax myself at midday. Roughly, it is more than 30 hours studying per week.

C-RDC Dates for RDPs 23 February 2015 and 27 April 2015 Your RDP submitted by these dates for consideration by the L-RDC

L-RDC Dates The LSC RDC will meet on the 2 March 2015 and 5 May 2015

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really perfectly. Time Management Strategies Loss of motivation It is a common problem for any mature student, referring to the trade-off that you are willing to suffer among three major angles of your life – family, career, and academia. Some of you may wish to retain your part-time job while doing PhD. Some of you also must take care of your children and your whole family. It is not always easy to keep the balance. So what I did, I choose the way to study intensively whenever I can and always plan schedule for a week ahead. For example, I used to target to complete one chapter within a month. Then I arrange a whole month to prioritize reading, taking notes and writing up just one chapter – no other major task – until I complete it, even not

Different people may find different ways to cheer up their mood for studying. For me, I have found two activities, rather than staying and getting bored in the library: conferences and my PSN group. Attending relevant conferences (including some about introducing updated research techniques) helps me strengthen knowledge on my area as well as expand my professional network. Joining the PSN group provides me an amazing chance to discuss with other researchers, share ideas and learn from their experiences.

Develop your professionalism & professional network LSC Research Centre researchers develop valuable links with established researchers. They interact with them to help them focus their research and learn about appropriate research methodology.

Researchers are encouraged to develop their professional networks too. You may also find the Vitae website useful: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/

Loss of communication with supervisors Sometimes, as understandable, you may feel loss of communication with your supervisory team, either DoS or supervisor. However, it is worth remembering that no one will finish your thesis except yourself. Plan your own schedule and plan your own study strategy, as you are a mature student, with at least an MSc or MBA degree in hand. Do listen and respect the supervisory team, always keep the regular communication with them, but do not totally rely on them or claim their responsibilities to do your work.

Writing-up Chapters English is not my first language. I also have never done a huge academic work (with approx. 60-70 thousand words) before. So there should be a plan. To start, I construct the table of contents for all chapters to make clear what I want to do. My order of writing to prepare for the confirmation interview is going from literature review, conceptual framework, methodology, and back to introduction.

If you desire to explore more about how to start academic writing and how to write your thesis beautifully, I really suggest that the academic writing classconducted by Prof. Nandish Patel will be extremely helpful. Also notice that, the gap – or the lacking element of the existing research – is one of the most fundamental roots of any research. A tabulation of the literature review can subsequently help me show the gap either in research data or research methodology. A comprehensive table also gives me ideas to group papers (then transfer to different sub-headings) to write up this literature review chapter.

Furthermore, credited to my DoS‟s recommendation, reading newspapers relevant to my study area has become my new habit, not only to improve my knowledge of practice, but also gradually develop my lacking academic vocabulary. Interview Preparation After completing first four chapters (mine is approximately 30 thousand words), you will surely have much more confidence about your research area, then accordingly more confidence to answers diverse questions. However, good preparation beforehand is always vital. Go through all examples of questions provided on the portal if you can. You may have idea of how the interview will be and then try to answer those typical questions. Otherwise, discuss with your PSN group and your supervisory team will also help enhance your defense skills. Additionally, you may identify lacking information from your preparation through others. I was stunned for a while when someone asked me some “strange” terminologies right before my transfer interview, like “paradigm”, “deductive or inductive”, “exploratory or action research”… since I had not paid attention to those parts in the methodology chapter yet. Nevertheless, it was good to know, and then to be better prepared. Last but not least, I am sure that not all PhD students have a pleasant first year. So if you think you are under the worst time ever, you are not the only one. Over all, be ambitious if PhD is what you are pursuing, set your goals and keep going ahead. Time is always short, so draw up your schedule, and start to write up from now. As I learnt from someone else, it is more important to complete your target than to strive for perfection.

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MY RESEARCH PRESENTATION

the pitfalls to avoid. On many occasions I asked questions just to make sure I understand what is being presented.

Benjamin Imuh

In the end after attending many presentations, I produced a number of slides and sent them to my supervisor and DOS. I got feedback within days, in fact, I had a special meeting with my supervisor about the presentation, and took the critical comments on board. My presentation slides were simple and to the point, it outlined the important details such as the research problem and how to go about solving it. In bullet points I included the research objectives, the methodology, the contribution to knowledge and the conceptual framework - I deliberately avoided lengthy texts. My methodology was even presented in diagrammatic form!

Permit me some space in this issue of the Research Quarterly, to discuss briefly about my recent presentation experience. I suppose this is an opportunity for a personal reflection of my performance and an avenue to eagerly welcome comments from colleagues, lecturers and supervisors, opinions which I believe would ultimately contribute to my continued learning at this level. Before setting out like many before me, I had attended several research presentations organised by the LSC and presented by other students. For me, these were not just presentations that needed to be attended; I paid rapt attention to them and got more engrossed with the ones I regarded as good presentations. On one occasion, I requested the slides from the student after his presentation and with his permission, kept it for my use. From other studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presentations, improved my knowledge of the key challenges of a PhD research, such as clarifying the research problem, stating succinct research objectives and articulating a valid rationale. In addition to the contents, I paid attention to the presentation skills of the researcher and the order of presentation of the sections such as the research overview, contribution to knowledge and conceptual framework. I was also interested in the presentation aids used including powerpoint slides and I familiarized myself with the projector and the connected computer. Finally, I watched and listened to the critical comments made by the Chair Professor Abell, and regularly modeled a picture of exactly how I want my presentation to be, and

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, these were not just presentations that needed to be attended; I paid rapt attention to them and got more engrossed with the ones I regarded as good presentationsâ&#x20AC;? Finally, not to bore you with too much details, I tidied up my work, went through it a couple of times and rehearsed it in front of colleagues in my cohort - I thank them for their cooperation and patience! After that, I was good to go. My presentation did go well, I did get a few candid criticisms from the Chair but overall it was fine. My lengthy preparation, I suppose, paid off. I have my supervisor, colleagues who presented before me, and the rest of my colleagues to thank for it. Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments on this please do not hesitate to contact me.

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32ND CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ECONOMIC CRIME

International Director (Middle East) of the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, Dr Lu'ayy AlRimawi, having a side conversation with His Excellency Sheikh Dr Khalid Al Thani at the official dinner hosted by the Cambridge Symposium

Director of Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at LSC, Dr Lu‟ayy Minwer AlRimawi, has chaired a session on anticorruption in the Middle East, as well as another session on Shari’a and its approach to protecting investors at the recently held Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime. Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi is also the International Director (Middle East) of the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, which is considered to be the largest on-going specialized forum on economic crime. The University of Cambridge and countless other international universities, as well as a number of leading anti-corruption and international regulatory agencies in the UK, EU and the USA formally support this distinguished international forum. This year‟s theme was on the role of information, whether electronic or standard, and the impediments of utilizing it when confronting economic crime –both at a national jurisdictional level and globally.

The Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime takes place annually at Jesus College (Cambridge University) and has been held consistently for the past 32 years. His Excellency Sheikh Dr Khalid Al Thani was this year a Guest of Honour of the 32nd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime. Sheikh Dr Khalid, who is a leading businessman from Qatar with multibillion business interests, is according to Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi is also a noble and an erudite dignitary who has strongly supported corporate governance and fairness in business in the Arab Gulf and elsewhere. In a generous contribution to the LSC‟s doctoral research community, the International Director (Middle East) of the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi, announced that he would be happy to nominate a distinguished student to present a paper in the forthcoming September 2015 Cambridge Symposium. Next year‟s theme is on the risk for non-financial compliance – political, economic, corporate, institutional, systemic, etc.

Dr Lu'ayy Al-Rimawi with senior delegates and Guest of Honour to the 32nd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime. These include His Excellency Sheikh Dr Khalid Al Thani, Co-Chairman and Director of the Cambridge Symposium; Professor Barry Rider OBE; Mr David Green QC, Head of UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

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LSC RESEARCH FELLOW & DIRECTOR OF STUDIES Dr Lu’ayy Al-Rimawi’s distinguished efforts formally appreciated by LSC The distinguished efforts of Director of Studies and Visiting Research Fellow, Dr Lu‟ayy Minwer Al-Rimawi, with his doctoral students have recently been formally acknowledged and appreciated by Dr Nandish Patel (Research Degrees Programme Leader & Vice -Chair Research Degrees Committee). Indeed in appreciation of his distinguished efforts at LSC, Dr Nandish wrote on 4th December 2014to Dr Al-Rimawi congratulating him warmly on the solid performance of his students under his guidance: “Dear Dr. Lu'ayy: You have guided your students very well. Congratulations!! Our programme has benefited greatly from your involvement. You have made a significant contribution and added value to both your research students and our research environment. Thank you for your support for the LSC.” Despite his heavy engagements outside LSC, Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi has made substantial contribution and has given his utmost attention to developing his doctoral students. His students now are among the best achievers at LSC with solid foundation and clear direction regarding their respective PhD topics –which range from

Dr Luayy Al Rimawi (Director of Studies, Doctoral Programme, LSC) during a media appearance in the UK.

trade-unionism and minimum wage in Nigeria, to ILO implementation in Cameron, to the role of central banking in Pakistan in setting the foundations for Islamic banking over there, to legal aspects of implementing Islamic banking in Uzbekistan, to Islamic investor protection in the Bangladeshi financial services industry, etc. Director of Studies, Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi, has brought wide practical and academic interests to the Doctoral Programme at LSC. He has served as an executive civil servant at Her Majesty‟s Home Office in London, having also lectured law, in various capacities at the LSE, Harvard and Cambridge. Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi has recently returned from Harvard Law School having taken up his formal appointment as a Visiting Fellow in Harvard‟s Islamic Legal Studies Programme. He is also a senior international legal consultant having advised some of the UK‟s most prestigious law firms.

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

He is also the Founder, Proprietor and Director of the Cambridgeshire Multimillion Residential Fund, with assets in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Cumbria. This is also in addition to Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi‟s senior doctoral supervisory roles at other UK universities and his co-directorship of the LLM (Master‟s) Programme in Islamic Financial & Business Law at BPP University. Dr Lu‟ayy was also Chairman of the Committee on Child Abduction Trans-Jurisdictional Aspects Pertaining to the Middle East: Recommendations to UK Judges, convened upon the formal invitation by the Official Solicitor to the UK Supreme Court (1999-2000). He is also the Regional Director of Research (Middle East), Centre for International Documentation on Organised and Economic Crime (CIDOEC), Jesus College (Cambridge University), as well as Senior Research Fellow, Institute of British Securities Laws.

“What LSC found most fascinating about Dr Lu‟ayy is his down-to-earth approach and his unique ability to connect with all of his students, motivating them and building up their confidence”

Yet despite all the above what LSC found most fascinating about Dr Lu‟ayy is his down-to-earth approach and his unique ability to connect with all of his students, motivating them and building up their confidence –making them feel valuable and capable to undergo their respective PhD research. This is especially as Dr Lu‟ayy was recently the only Director of Studies at LSE who successfully initiated setting the Peer Group Support System (PGSS) for his doctoral students. As we all know now, Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi‟s initiative in setting up PGSS is now widely emulated at many levels within the LSC‟s doctoral programme.

Dr Lu’ayy Al-Rimawi is also the author of the internationally acclaimed legal -textbook: “Raising Capital on Arab Equity Markets: Legal and Juridical Aspects of Arab Securities Regulation”, Kluwer Law International (2012). He has equally had numerous studies and refereed articles published in leading UK and EU law journals. These include: The Company Lawyer, European Business Law Review, European Financial Services Law, Journal of Financial Regulation on Compliance, Journal of Money Laundering Control, CCH Financial Services Reporter, Arab Bank Review, International and Comparative Corporate Law Journal, Journal of Financial Crime, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, The Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law.

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

VISITING FELLOWSHIP AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL Dr Lu’ayy Al-Rimawi returns from his Fellowship at Harvard Law School and attends the Eleventh Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance particularly procedural and micro-aspects that are often described as technical albeit being at the very heart of Islamic Finance. Dr Lu‟ayy AlRimawi made valuable contributions, especially in after-presentation discussions on the question of Islamic insurance elaborating his views on the role of Musharaka Mutanaqisa and its vital role in the Islamic financial services industry through Islamic mortgages and project financing.

Dr Luayy Al-Rimawi surrounded by delegates from the 11th Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, including Dr Nazim Ali, Acting Director of the Islamic Legal Studies Programme at Harvard Law School

Director of Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at LSC, Dr Lu‟ayy Minwer Al-Rimawi, has recently completed a prestigious Visiting Fellowship at Harvard Law School. This was a formal appointment by Harvard Law School and entailed that Dr Al-Rimawi was formally associated with the Islamic Studies Programme at Harvard Law School. Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi was the only academic from the UK this year to have been chosen to join this highly prestigious, formal appointment at Harvard University. During his Fellowship, Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi conducted research on comparative aspects of prospectus liability, looking in particular at civil liability under Shari’a, UK and US when investors are faced with fraudulent an negligent statements in the prospectus –i.e.: when public holding companies offer their shares to the public through IPOs and public offers. Dr Lu‟ayy Al-Rimawi also gave a formal lecture at Harvard Law School sharing his findings with Harvard law students, academics and the general public. Dr Lu‟ayy Al Rimawi also attended the Eleventh Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, tackling questions relevant to Islamic Finance

Dr Lu'ayy Al-Rimawi giving a lecture at Harvard Law School

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

Publications Dec 2014 Dear Dr. Nandish, I just want to share with you good news. I have received a letter of acceptance to publish my paper "Macroeconomic Determinants of Stock Market Returns: A Review of Empirical Literature" on the 8th Asia-Pacific Business Research Conference (that will be held in Malaysia, Feb 2015) after double blind review peer. They also invite me to have a presentation at the conference. This paper will be published online with ISBN via the website: http://www.wbiworldconp ro.com/ and will be considered on their journal if I want. Such good news as this is the first time I try to submit paper to an international conference. Then I hope that you will feel happy for me too :) Thank you for your encouragement all the time :) Best regards, Thuy

Effective and mutually beneficial supervision results in publications. Many of the LSC doctorial programme supervisory teams have had their ongoing research published in peer reviewed journal papers and conference papers. Dr Gordon Bowen has had several publications with his research students. The latest is with Elly Nmecha whose research is into womenâ&#x20AC;&#x;s career progression. Elly Eleanor Nmecha and Gordon Bowen, Work Place Factors Impacting Women and its Effect on Progression. Seventh International Scientific Conference Role, Competences and Responsibilities of Public Institutions on Generating new Scope Towards European Integration, Kosovo, November 2014.

Professor Ezendu Ariwa has edited specialist book on green technology. Green Technology Applications for Enterprise and Academic Innovation Dr. Wilson Ozuem and Professor Geoff Lancaster have contributed chapters.

Computer-Mediated Marketing Strategies: Social Media and Online Brand Communities Editors, Gordon Bowen and Wilson Ozeum. For years, technology has been the impetus for progress in various processes, systems, and businesses; it shows no sign of ceasing further development. The application of technology-driven processes in promotionallyoriented environments has become more and more common in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x;s business world. Computer-Mediated Marketing Strategies: Social Media and Online Brand Communities brings together marketing approaches and the application of current technology, such as social networking arenas, to show how this interaction creates a successful competitive advantage. Focusing on qualitative research, various technological tools, and diverse Internet environments, this book is a necessary reference source for academics, management practitioners, students, and professionals interested in the application of technology in promotionallyoriented processes. The book is available online at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ComputerMediated-Marketing-Strategies-SocialCommunities/dp/1466665955

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

Dear Saloomeh Tabari, Uma Mohan and Wangchuk Sharpa, The International Interdisciplinary Business-Economics Advancement Conference (IIBA Florida, 2015) is pleased to inform you that your paper entitled “An Exploratory Study of Competitiveness and Effectiveness of E-Tourism: A Case Study of Official Tourism Websites of Nepal” has been accepted for presentation at the IIBA, 2015 conference. This decision is made based on a double-blind peer review process. The conference will be held in Ft.Lauderdale, Florida, USA, between 28 March-02 April, 2015. Authors of accepted papers are invited to register, make payment, attend and present their research paper at one of the conference sessions. Presented papers are eligible for publication in the printed conference proceedings book, and possibly in the “Supporting Journals” shown in our website. Please visit our website (www.iibaconference.org) for the formatting specifications. Sincerely, Cihan Cobanoglu, Ph.D. Conference Chair. Cihan Cobanoglu, PhD, CHTP McKibbon Distinguished Chair Professor & Dean College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership University of South Florida SarasotaManatee

Niyi Adetunji (2014) Government Policies in Relation to Quality Management Implementation: A Review of Nigerian Universities Principal Officers. Journal of Organisational Studies and Innovation Vol. 1, no.1, summer, 2014

Internet banking adoption in the emerging markets: The case of Kosovo Prof. (Dr.) Wilson Ozuem and Yllka Azemi ABSTRACT A number of theoretical and empirical evidences focus on business models of innovation diffusion from developed countries, where pre-existing product technologies are modified and disseminated into developing countries mass markets. This has prompted some questions on its nature and understanding in developing countries like Kosovo. Assessing modernist and postmodernist perspectives through phenomenological hermeneutics and a capability based model, this paper examines the level of technologically induced customer services in the banking services sector on salient issues in Kosovo.

Congratulations! ! This is indeed a great achievement. Double blind review means that you've achieved a good standard. (Editor)

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

The Application of Long Run Incremental Cost Model in the Jordanian Telecommunication Industry & its ability to Support the Financial Performance in these companies ( Descriptive & Comparative Study: Jordanian Telecommunication Industry) Abdullah Mahmoud Yousef Jwaifel, Robin Matthews, Robert Greenwood ABSTRACT This article aims to show the efficiency of application of LRIC (Long Run Incremental Cost) Model in the JTI (Jordanian Telecommunication Industry) at the financial level, especially in the scope financial performance, and the role of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) in the application of this model, and the extent of cooperation that has occurred between the companies and this Commission. This paper tries to highlight the legislations and the legal versions issued by Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and governmental entities and the extent of commitment of the Jordanian telecommunication companies towards these legislations & Legal terms. The study found a full compliance of these legislation and the regulations which were issued by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission by Jordanian telecommunications companies under study, Zain & Orange Telecom companies, as well as contribute to raising the level of financial efficiency on the financial performance scope. Finally, the researchers found that the Zain Company witnessed an increasing Growth in the item of: Customers, Revenue, EBITDA or EBIT and Net Income after apply the LRIC model. Also, the Gross Revenue had a negative Growth between the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. And there is an increase in the capital expenditures between 2011 and 2012.

COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Victor Mah Abstract It is currently estimated that over 40% of community-driven development projects are not properly functioning in developing countries despite several efforts made by international development agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to drive local communities into being self-reliant. This paper argues that coordination of resources between and among communities at grassroots level is a prerequisite for sustainable Community development in emerging countries. The paper identifies ways in which communityâ&#x20AC;&#x;s capability could be strengthened to respond to emerging and re-emerging management challenges facing local communities in developing countries, while emphasizing the importance of coordination of resources between local community stakeholders as key for sustainable community development. It concludes that real development occurs at the micro level when local conditions such as stakeholder networking and institutional strengthening for management as well as capacity building are respected. Key words: Sustainable community development, community-driven management, stakeholder networking, resources coordination, developing/emerging countries,

LSC RESEARCHERS QUARTERLY CALL FOR ARTICLES, FORMATION OF SPECIALIST RESEARCH GROUPS AND RESEARCH NEWS Directors of Studies, Supervisors and Researchers As you know the LSC Researchers Quarterly carries articles and news about the research activities of our Directors of Studies, Supervisors and research students. This includes research in progress, completed research, supervising research students, and research leadership and management. We have a large body of researchers in human resource management, finance, banking, information systems, international business, strategy, Islamic banking and finance, among other core business and management research specialism. Directors of Studies are encouraged to form specialist research interest groups covering their specialism by utilizing our large body of researchers. These researchers and their supervisory team have successfully published in journals and conference proceedings. Our research students have previously contributed articles in the following areas:  PSN experiences  Personal experiences encountered in the research process  Conference and Journal publications  Good supervision experiences  Challenges met and overcome in the course of conducting research  Research methods (Researcher‟s understanding of choice of methodology adopted and progress made so far)

Studies, Supervisors and research students to share their research; practical insight into the research process; challenges faced and overcome and to write opinion pieces. Peer Support Networks (PSNs) We would welcome your support in developing PSNs of your research students. Following the successful inception of PSNs and positive feedback obtained from members of these PSNs, the LSC Research Centre seeks to provide all the relevant facilities, tools and skills necessary for a successful research experience through PSNs. We welcome the creation of more vibrant and discipline focused PSNs, as a valuable contribution towards providing a research-driven environment, platforms for valuable academic exchanges and a rewarding addition to learning about research and researching. Previous issues of the LSC Researchers Quarterly can be viewed online here: http://issuu.com/lscresearch-center Dr. Nandish V Patel Editor Abimbola Dada Siona Cynthia Ndeh Editorial Assistants 5 December 2014

The Quarterly provides a platform for Directors of

LSC Researchers Quarterly I 2 (4) I December 2014

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES The research students‟ representatives meetings is an integral aspect of the Research Seminars Series. The students representatives are Ms Emem Charles and Mr Emmanuel T Balagumyetime. At the November Research Seminars they met with students to obtain comments and feedback on their experiences on a variety of topics and issues , such as facilities, supervision and printing, which they represented at the L-RDC. Please contact either Emem Charles (attahemem@yahoo.com) and Emmanuel T Balagumyetime (c0347jtejte0414@student.lsclondon.co.uk) to share your comments, experiences, requirements and opinions.

PEER SUPPORT NETWORKS Peer Support Networks (PSNs) set up by researchers have enhanced the research environment of the LSC Research Center. There are now several PSNs, including the PSN (II) Group and the Knowledge Hunters. PSNs meet as trusted researchers to support each others‟ research projects and learn together. They have learnt to organise schedules of meetings and determine areas of support they can provide to each other. In today‟s interdisciplinary research environment, they are learning to be collaborative researchers, rather than „ivory tower‟ individuals. Such collaboration requires the ability to setup purposeful networks of colleagues with requisite skills, which these PSN leaders have been able to do. Consequently, they are also acquire skills research leadership skills. Thus PSNs contribute to their personal development portfolio.

The members of the Knowledge Hunters PSN are: Zahed Al-Razi, Muhammad Amin ul Islam, Mohammed A I Chowdhury (Emdad) and Waqas Naeem. If you would like to join them, their email is: knowledgehunters2014@gmail.com

Members of the PSN (II) are: Thuy (Microeconomics), Stanley (Social Media Marketing), Gafur (Microfinance), Abimbola (Marketing - Electronic Word of Mouth), Tala Salah (Higher Education Quality Management) and Mostain Belal (Green Supply Chain Management)

“In today‟s interdisciplinary research environment, they are learning to be collaborative researchers, rather than „ivory tower‟ individuals”. LOCAL PSNs You may want to set up a local PSN, which can meet in the town or city your live. Provide your contact details to the Editor and we will advertise it in the Quarterly.

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Vol. 2, Issue 4 I December 2014

LSC Research Centre: http://issuu.com/lsc-research-center Twitter: @lscresearch