Odeh Al Jayyousi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Odeh Al Jayyousi

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Discourse Analysis on Climate Change in a Globalized World: The Nexus of Islam and Sustainable Development

Sustainability

The interplay between climate change and society requires the cultivation of deeper insights into... more The interplay between climate change and society requires the cultivation of deeper insights into the interdisciplinary connections between faith and development. This study seeks to undertake a grounded theory analysis of the Islamic narrative among policy makers about climate change and Islamic values. A focus group panel of key experts was conducted on the topic of sustainability and faith, using a climate policy canvas to gain insights into the role of faith in shaping perceptions and policies to mitigate climate change. The results showed that Islamic values can be in positive interaction with environmental responsibility and ecologically friendly behavior. Despite the divergent narratives between the Global South and North with regard to equity and liability, policy makers are mindful of the ecological imperatives and the need to mainstream ethical values in order to influence climate policy. This research reveals that Islamic values can influence the perceptions on and practi...

Research paper thumbnail of Reevaluating national innovation systems: An index based on dynamic-network data envelopment analysis

Socio-economic planning sciences, Jun 1, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Open Innovation and Governance Models in Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Studies in systems, decision and control, Oct 3, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review

Sustainability, Aug 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Acceptance of Using e-SIHI System at King Khalid University Hospital in King Saud Medical City in Riyadh

Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the worl... more Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has taken clear steps towards applying electronic health records for the development of services in the health sector. Saudi Arabia has developed development plans and delivered high quality health services programs to cope with current developments within Vision 2030.

Research paper thumbnail of Water as a Human Right: Towards Civil Society Globalization

International Journal of Water Resources Development, Jun 1, 2007

This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a hu... more This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a human right. The transformations of how water was viewed and acknowledged in the 20th century are addressed in light of globalization and the emergence of the concept of water as a social good with an economic value. The relevance of 'water as a human right' to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be discussed. Water governance and its implications on human rights are discussed to demonstrate the necessity for strengthening water governance models and setups to ensure the appropriate implementation of water as a human right. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined with an emphasis on the value of seeing the synergies in the threeglobal visions which are water for people, food and nature. Background After the Rio Earth Summit, it was observed that the implementation of the international commitments with respect to environment and water was limited. This was attributed to the fact that the breadth of the challenge was not matched by strengthening of governance systems, investment and political commitment. The notion of sustainable development was challenged as a means to reconcile the interdependence between conservation and development. The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set specific targets to achieve in terms of poverty alleviation, health, education, water and environmental sustainability. The 1992 Dublin Water Conference, Principle 4 stated that "water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good". This was recently confirmed in the World Water Vision, which calls for full-cost pricing to encourage water conservation, to ensure more water is available to go around, and to pay for the proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure, including sewage treatment to prevent water pollution (Cosgrove & Rijsberman, 2000). Civil society movements argue that because water is a vital social need, governments should provide water free or greatly discounted to the poor. Furthermore, they see an inherent contradiction between the idea that water is a fundamental human right and social good and that potentially it could be allocated like any other commodity-only to those who can afford it.

Research paper thumbnail of إدارة المياه فى الإسلام

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge Management Processes and Service Innovation: Key Insights from Saudi International Airports

International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 2021

This study aims to examine the influence of knowledge management processes and organizational cre... more This study aims to examine the influence of knowledge management processes and organizational creativity on service innovation for international airports in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a convenient sample of 315 respondents. The results extend the “spiral” knowledge assumption to include knowledge sharing and application processes. The study finds that knowledge creation has a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing, which in turn influences knowledge application. Moreover, knowledge management processes have a significant positive impact on organizational creativity, whereas organizational creativity does not have any impact on service innovation.

Research paper thumbnail of Towards understanding the influence of innovative work behavior on healthcare organizations’ performance: the mediating role of transformational leaders

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research

PurposeThe study's aims are to identify healthcare innovation variables, explore innovative w... more PurposeThe study's aims are to identify healthcare innovation variables, explore innovative work behavior’s (IWB's) influence on Saudi health sector companies and evaluate the mediating function of transformational leadership in the link between IWB and healthcare organizations. In this backdrop, the purpose of the current research was to investigate the impact of creative work behavior on organizational performance and the role of transformational leadership in this process.Design/methodology/approachThe objective of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine, according to 587 participants, the perceived elements of creative work behavior (RQ1). In various 10 departments of the 5 Dammam Health Network (DHN) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, online questionnaires were used to collect data. SmartPLS 3 software was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings indicated that healthcare professionals perceive the elements of autonomy, competence, relatedness,...

Research paper thumbnail of The pan-Africa water initiative : improving livelihoods and reducing poverty by caring for the environment in the management of Africa's water resources

Research paper thumbnail of Islamic values and rural sustainable development

Rural 21, 2009

... perspectiva islámica trata de añadir valor a la vida a través de la responsabi-lidad social, ... more ... perspectiva islámica trata de añadir valor a la vida a través de la responsabi-lidad social, de desarrollar la comuni-dad, de no dejar una pesada huella en la tierra (Zohd) y de eliminar el desperdicio y el consumo excesivo (israf). For further reading: Al-Jayyousi, Odeh (2008). ...

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating the transition to renewable energy in the GCC

The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf

Research paper thumbnail of A Proposed Methodology for Measuring SME Innovation

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research

Exploring a suitable methodology for measuring SME's innovation is critical to managing and d... more Exploring a suitable methodology for measuring SME's innovation is critical to managing and directing economic growth. The Middle East countries such as Gulf Cooperation Counsels GCC embarked on finding an innovative methodology to support economic sustainability and prosperity transformations, which has led to a rise in the services sector fields and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) activities and its profit returns. This study aims to evaluate the innovation outputs of SMEs activities in the sport and fitness sector in particular, Kuwait & Bahrain for the period 2015-2019. In addition, it focuses on the Fuzzy Logic Set methodology used to benchmark the SMEs› innovation performance and to identify the degree of innovativeness in SMEs. The proposed assessment methodology consisted of three methods, i.e. innovation audit, mapping innovation, and Fuzzy Logic Set. The study applied Fuzzy Logic to measure innovation activities outputs in twenty SMEs in the fit...

Research paper thumbnail of Re-Thinking Sustainable Development within Islamic Worldviews: A Systematic Literature Review

Sustainability

Many models of economic growth and sustainable development like circular economy, doughnut econom... more Many models of economic growth and sustainable development like circular economy, doughnut economy, and sharing economy were articulated to address the global issues including poverty, climate change, and inequity. However, these models were not informed by traditional value-based worldviews. This systematic literature review aims to gain insights on the different models, practices, and drivers for Islamic sustainable development to inform a new discourse for sustainability. Besides, it intends to define emerging themes in sustainable development and explore the viability for adopting Islamic development models to promote inclusive, pro-poor, and human-centred development. The methodology adopted is systematic literature review to identify sustainability models, practices, and drivers in Islam. Policy recommendations and strategic directions are outlined based on the review.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Acceptance of Using e-SIHI System at King Khalid University Hospital in King Saud Medical City in Riyadh

Sixth International Conference on Advances in Computing Communication and Information Technology CCIT 2018, 2018

Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the worl... more Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has taken clear steps towards applying electronic health records for the development of services in the health sector. Saudi Arabia has developed development plans and delivered high quality health services programs to cope with current developments within Vision 2030.

Research paper thumbnail of Technology-Driven Innovative Municipalities

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability, 2019

The chapter sheds light on the linkages between technology-driven innovation, innovative capabili... more The chapter sheds light on the linkages between technology-driven innovation, innovative capabilities, activities, and their impact on innovation performance in Dubai Municipality. The methodology adopted is qualitative research using various sources of data, including reports, academic papers, and a survey of visitors and residents. The chapter aims to depict the relationship among a set of elements that foster innovation in the urban context, which is an integral part of an overarching strategy for mainstreaming public sector innovation. Leadership, culture, and infrastructure are critical determinants for an innovative municipality. A set of policy recommendations concludes the chapter to enhance innovation performance and sustainable innovation in cities by investing in digital transformation, smart infrastructure, and e-governance.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-criteria evaluation of renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2019

The residential sector is well known to be one of the main energy consumers worldwide. The purpos... more The residential sector is well known to be one of the main energy consumers worldwide. The purpose of this study is to select the best renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building by using a new integrated fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making method. In renewable energy decision-making problems, the preferences of experts and decision-makers are generally uncertain. Furthermore, it is challenging to quantify the reel performance of renewable energy alternatives using a set of exact values. Fuzzy logic is commonly applied to deal with those uncertainties. The method proposed in this paper combines different methods. First, the Delphi method is used in order to select a preliminary set of renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation as well as a preliminary set of criteria (economic, environmental, social, etc.). Then, the questionnaire is used to study the renewable energy alternatives preferences of the residents of the residential building'. Later, the FAHP (Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process) is implemented to obtain the weighs of the criteria taking into consideration uncertainties in expert's judgments. Finally, the FPROMETHEE (Fuzzy Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) global ranking is performed in order to get a complete ranking of the renewable energy alternatives taking into account uncertainties related to the alternatives' evaluations. The originality of this paper comes from the application of the proposed integrated Delphi-FAHP-FPROMETHEE methodology for the selection of the best renewable energy 2 alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building. A case study has validated the effectiveness and the applicability of the proposed method. The results reveal that the proposed integrated method helps to formulate the problem and is particularly effective in handling uncertain data. It facilitates the selection of the best renewable energy alternatives in a manner that is participatory, comprehensive, robust, and reliable.

Research paper thumbnail of Integral Innovation

Integral Innovation, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate Governance: Impulses from the Middle East

Transition Studies Review, 2008

The sheer fact that the concept of Corporate Governance is not yet as widely spread in the countr... more The sheer fact that the concept of Corporate Governance is not yet as widely spread in the countries of the Middle-East as in Western economies, may lead to our labelling, once again, this region as underdeveloped. The purpose of this article, however, is to lead the reader to let go of this Western perspective and to discover the distinctive impulses that the Arab-Muslim region has to offer for the further development of the human-social dimension of corporate governance, if not to ultimately transform it in such a ''Middle-Eastern'' light. We start then, in this article, by revealing some of the general limitations to corporate governance, before moving onto the specific impulses provided by the Muslim-Arab context. Islamic management is a new domain of knowledge that will be addressed in this paper to shed some light on how Islam can inform reform and transform the notion of corporate governance.

Research paper thumbnail of Water as a Human Right: Towards Civil Society Globalization

International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2007

This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a hu... more This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a human right. The transformations of how water was viewed and acknowledged in the 20th century are addressed in light of globalization and the emergence of the concept of water as a social good with an economic value. The relevance of 'water as a human right' to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be discussed. Water governance and its implications on human rights are discussed to demonstrate the necessity for strengthening water governance models and setups to ensure the appropriate implementation of water as a human right. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined with an emphasis on the value of seeing the synergies in the threeglobal visions which are water for people, food and nature. Background After the Rio Earth Summit, it was observed that the implementation of the international commitments with respect to environment and water was limited. This was attributed to the fact that the breadth of the challenge was not matched by strengthening of governance systems, investment and political commitment. The notion of sustainable development was challenged as a means to reconcile the interdependence between conservation and development. The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set specific targets to achieve in terms of poverty alleviation, health, education, water and environmental sustainability. The 1992 Dublin Water Conference, Principle 4 stated that "water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good". This was recently confirmed in the World Water Vision, which calls for full-cost pricing to encourage water conservation, to ensure more water is available to go around, and to pay for the proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure, including sewage treatment to prevent water pollution (Cosgrove & Rijsberman, 2000). Civil society movements argue that because water is a vital social need, governments should provide water free or greatly discounted to the poor. Furthermore, they see an inherent contradiction between the idea that water is a fundamental human right and social good and that potentially it could be allocated like any other commodity-only to those who can afford it.

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Discourse Analysis on Climate Change in a Globalized World: The Nexus of Islam and Sustainable Development

Sustainability

The interplay between climate change and society requires the cultivation of deeper insights into... more The interplay between climate change and society requires the cultivation of deeper insights into the interdisciplinary connections between faith and development. This study seeks to undertake a grounded theory analysis of the Islamic narrative among policy makers about climate change and Islamic values. A focus group panel of key experts was conducted on the topic of sustainability and faith, using a climate policy canvas to gain insights into the role of faith in shaping perceptions and policies to mitigate climate change. The results showed that Islamic values can be in positive interaction with environmental responsibility and ecologically friendly behavior. Despite the divergent narratives between the Global South and North with regard to equity and liability, policy makers are mindful of the ecological imperatives and the need to mainstream ethical values in order to influence climate policy. This research reveals that Islamic values can influence the perceptions on and practi...

Research paper thumbnail of Reevaluating national innovation systems: An index based on dynamic-network data envelopment analysis

Socio-economic planning sciences, Jun 1, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Open Innovation and Governance Models in Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Studies in systems, decision and control, Oct 3, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review

Sustainability, Aug 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Acceptance of Using e-SIHI System at King Khalid University Hospital in King Saud Medical City in Riyadh

Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the worl... more Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has taken clear steps towards applying electronic health records for the development of services in the health sector. Saudi Arabia has developed development plans and delivered high quality health services programs to cope with current developments within Vision 2030.

Research paper thumbnail of Water as a Human Right: Towards Civil Society Globalization

International Journal of Water Resources Development, Jun 1, 2007

This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a hu... more This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a human right. The transformations of how water was viewed and acknowledged in the 20th century are addressed in light of globalization and the emergence of the concept of water as a social good with an economic value. The relevance of 'water as a human right' to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be discussed. Water governance and its implications on human rights are discussed to demonstrate the necessity for strengthening water governance models and setups to ensure the appropriate implementation of water as a human right. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined with an emphasis on the value of seeing the synergies in the threeglobal visions which are water for people, food and nature. Background After the Rio Earth Summit, it was observed that the implementation of the international commitments with respect to environment and water was limited. This was attributed to the fact that the breadth of the challenge was not matched by strengthening of governance systems, investment and political commitment. The notion of sustainable development was challenged as a means to reconcile the interdependence between conservation and development. The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set specific targets to achieve in terms of poverty alleviation, health, education, water and environmental sustainability. The 1992 Dublin Water Conference, Principle 4 stated that "water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good". This was recently confirmed in the World Water Vision, which calls for full-cost pricing to encourage water conservation, to ensure more water is available to go around, and to pay for the proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure, including sewage treatment to prevent water pollution (Cosgrove & Rijsberman, 2000). Civil society movements argue that because water is a vital social need, governments should provide water free or greatly discounted to the poor. Furthermore, they see an inherent contradiction between the idea that water is a fundamental human right and social good and that potentially it could be allocated like any other commodity-only to those who can afford it.

Research paper thumbnail of إدارة المياه فى الإسلام

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge Management Processes and Service Innovation: Key Insights from Saudi International Airports

International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 2021

This study aims to examine the influence of knowledge management processes and organizational cre... more This study aims to examine the influence of knowledge management processes and organizational creativity on service innovation for international airports in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a convenient sample of 315 respondents. The results extend the “spiral” knowledge assumption to include knowledge sharing and application processes. The study finds that knowledge creation has a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing, which in turn influences knowledge application. Moreover, knowledge management processes have a significant positive impact on organizational creativity, whereas organizational creativity does not have any impact on service innovation.

Research paper thumbnail of Towards understanding the influence of innovative work behavior on healthcare organizations’ performance: the mediating role of transformational leaders

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research

PurposeThe study's aims are to identify healthcare innovation variables, explore innovative w... more PurposeThe study's aims are to identify healthcare innovation variables, explore innovative work behavior’s (IWB's) influence on Saudi health sector companies and evaluate the mediating function of transformational leadership in the link between IWB and healthcare organizations. In this backdrop, the purpose of the current research was to investigate the impact of creative work behavior on organizational performance and the role of transformational leadership in this process.Design/methodology/approachThe objective of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine, according to 587 participants, the perceived elements of creative work behavior (RQ1). In various 10 departments of the 5 Dammam Health Network (DHN) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, online questionnaires were used to collect data. SmartPLS 3 software was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings indicated that healthcare professionals perceive the elements of autonomy, competence, relatedness,...

Research paper thumbnail of The pan-Africa water initiative : improving livelihoods and reducing poverty by caring for the environment in the management of Africa's water resources

Research paper thumbnail of Islamic values and rural sustainable development

Rural 21, 2009

... perspectiva islámica trata de añadir valor a la vida a través de la responsabi-lidad social, ... more ... perspectiva islámica trata de añadir valor a la vida a través de la responsabi-lidad social, de desarrollar la comuni-dad, de no dejar una pesada huella en la tierra (Zohd) y de eliminar el desperdicio y el consumo excesivo (israf). For further reading: Al-Jayyousi, Odeh (2008). ...

Research paper thumbnail of Navigating the transition to renewable energy in the GCC

The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf

Research paper thumbnail of A Proposed Methodology for Measuring SME Innovation

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research

Exploring a suitable methodology for measuring SME's innovation is critical to managing and d... more Exploring a suitable methodology for measuring SME's innovation is critical to managing and directing economic growth. The Middle East countries such as Gulf Cooperation Counsels GCC embarked on finding an innovative methodology to support economic sustainability and prosperity transformations, which has led to a rise in the services sector fields and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) activities and its profit returns. This study aims to evaluate the innovation outputs of SMEs activities in the sport and fitness sector in particular, Kuwait & Bahrain for the period 2015-2019. In addition, it focuses on the Fuzzy Logic Set methodology used to benchmark the SMEs› innovation performance and to identify the degree of innovativeness in SMEs. The proposed assessment methodology consisted of three methods, i.e. innovation audit, mapping innovation, and Fuzzy Logic Set. The study applied Fuzzy Logic to measure innovation activities outputs in twenty SMEs in the fit...

Research paper thumbnail of Re-Thinking Sustainable Development within Islamic Worldviews: A Systematic Literature Review

Sustainability

Many models of economic growth and sustainable development like circular economy, doughnut econom... more Many models of economic growth and sustainable development like circular economy, doughnut economy, and sharing economy were articulated to address the global issues including poverty, climate change, and inequity. However, these models were not informed by traditional value-based worldviews. This systematic literature review aims to gain insights on the different models, practices, and drivers for Islamic sustainable development to inform a new discourse for sustainability. Besides, it intends to define emerging themes in sustainable development and explore the viability for adopting Islamic development models to promote inclusive, pro-poor, and human-centred development. The methodology adopted is systematic literature review to identify sustainability models, practices, and drivers in Islam. Policy recommendations and strategic directions are outlined based on the review.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Acceptance of Using e-SIHI System at King Khalid University Hospital in King Saud Medical City in Riyadh

Sixth International Conference on Advances in Computing Communication and Information Technology CCIT 2018, 2018

Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the worl... more Health care is at the heart of the health system and its foundation in most countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has taken clear steps towards applying electronic health records for the development of services in the health sector. Saudi Arabia has developed development plans and delivered high quality health services programs to cope with current developments within Vision 2030.

Research paper thumbnail of Technology-Driven Innovative Municipalities

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability, 2019

The chapter sheds light on the linkages between technology-driven innovation, innovative capabili... more The chapter sheds light on the linkages between technology-driven innovation, innovative capabilities, activities, and their impact on innovation performance in Dubai Municipality. The methodology adopted is qualitative research using various sources of data, including reports, academic papers, and a survey of visitors and residents. The chapter aims to depict the relationship among a set of elements that foster innovation in the urban context, which is an integral part of an overarching strategy for mainstreaming public sector innovation. Leadership, culture, and infrastructure are critical determinants for an innovative municipality. A set of policy recommendations concludes the chapter to enhance innovation performance and sustainable innovation in cities by investing in digital transformation, smart infrastructure, and e-governance.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-criteria evaluation of renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2019

The residential sector is well known to be one of the main energy consumers worldwide. The purpos... more The residential sector is well known to be one of the main energy consumers worldwide. The purpose of this study is to select the best renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building by using a new integrated fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making method. In renewable energy decision-making problems, the preferences of experts and decision-makers are generally uncertain. Furthermore, it is challenging to quantify the reel performance of renewable energy alternatives using a set of exact values. Fuzzy logic is commonly applied to deal with those uncertainties. The method proposed in this paper combines different methods. First, the Delphi method is used in order to select a preliminary set of renewable energy alternatives for electricity generation as well as a preliminary set of criteria (economic, environmental, social, etc.). Then, the questionnaire is used to study the renewable energy alternatives preferences of the residents of the residential building'. Later, the FAHP (Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process) is implemented to obtain the weighs of the criteria taking into consideration uncertainties in expert's judgments. Finally, the FPROMETHEE (Fuzzy Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) global ranking is performed in order to get a complete ranking of the renewable energy alternatives taking into account uncertainties related to the alternatives' evaluations. The originality of this paper comes from the application of the proposed integrated Delphi-FAHP-FPROMETHEE methodology for the selection of the best renewable energy 2 alternatives for electricity generation in a residential building. A case study has validated the effectiveness and the applicability of the proposed method. The results reveal that the proposed integrated method helps to formulate the problem and is particularly effective in handling uncertain data. It facilitates the selection of the best renewable energy alternatives in a manner that is participatory, comprehensive, robust, and reliable.

Research paper thumbnail of Integral Innovation

Integral Innovation, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate Governance: Impulses from the Middle East

Transition Studies Review, 2008

The sheer fact that the concept of Corporate Governance is not yet as widely spread in the countr... more The sheer fact that the concept of Corporate Governance is not yet as widely spread in the countries of the Middle-East as in Western economies, may lead to our labelling, once again, this region as underdeveloped. The purpose of this article, however, is to lead the reader to let go of this Western perspective and to discover the distinctive impulses that the Arab-Muslim region has to offer for the further development of the human-social dimension of corporate governance, if not to ultimately transform it in such a ''Middle-Eastern'' light. We start then, in this article, by revealing some of the general limitations to corporate governance, before moving onto the specific impulses provided by the Muslim-Arab context. Islamic management is a new domain of knowledge that will be addressed in this paper to shed some light on how Islam can inform reform and transform the notion of corporate governance.

Research paper thumbnail of Water as a Human Right: Towards Civil Society Globalization

International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2007

This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a hu... more This paper aims to shed some light on the meaning and implications of the notion of water as a human right. The transformations of how water was viewed and acknowledged in the 20th century are addressed in light of globalization and the emergence of the concept of water as a social good with an economic value. The relevance of 'water as a human right' to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be discussed. Water governance and its implications on human rights are discussed to demonstrate the necessity for strengthening water governance models and setups to ensure the appropriate implementation of water as a human right. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined with an emphasis on the value of seeing the synergies in the threeglobal visions which are water for people, food and nature. Background After the Rio Earth Summit, it was observed that the implementation of the international commitments with respect to environment and water was limited. This was attributed to the fact that the breadth of the challenge was not matched by strengthening of governance systems, investment and political commitment. The notion of sustainable development was challenged as a means to reconcile the interdependence between conservation and development. The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set specific targets to achieve in terms of poverty alleviation, health, education, water and environmental sustainability. The 1992 Dublin Water Conference, Principle 4 stated that "water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good". This was recently confirmed in the World Water Vision, which calls for full-cost pricing to encourage water conservation, to ensure more water is available to go around, and to pay for the proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure, including sewage treatment to prevent water pollution (Cosgrove & Rijsberman, 2000). Civil society movements argue that because water is a vital social need, governments should provide water free or greatly discounted to the poor. Furthermore, they see an inherent contradiction between the idea that water is a fundamental human right and social good and that potentially it could be allocated like any other commodity-only to those who can afford it.