bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Training needs assessment in Islamic banking sector
Authors: Asrar Mirza Amna , Riaz Sumaira 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe training needs assessment is a significant activity for the training and development function. A human resource generalist or a specialist should be proficient in performing a training needs assessment. The purpose of this paper is to explain the training and development function in the Islamic banking sector and how the needs assessment of Islamic banking fits into the process, followed by an in‐depth look at the core concepts and levels involved in conducting a training needs assessment.Design/methodology/approachA research design is the structure for investigation and way of answering the research question. The authors have conducted this research under the umbrella of quantitative paradigm, using the cross‐sectional way of obtaining responses as it saves time and cost, and the strategy adopted for data collection was “survey questionnaire technique”. In this study, Performance Analysis. Job Analysis, Career Development and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities were taken as independent variables and Training Needs Assessment as the dependent variable. The sample size of 100 employees was selected without any preference among the employees. Random sampling technique was used and appropriate stratification was undertaken to represent both male and female.FindingsThis study was conducted to know about training need assessment in Islamic banking in Pakistan. The authors found that the process of needs assessment identifies more than one training need; the training manager, working with management, prioritizes the training based on the urgency of the need (timeliness); the extent of the need (how many employees need to be trained); and the resources available. Also, the authors learned that training needs assessment is more crucial for performance analysis and for job analysis. Based on this information, the training manager can develop the instructional objectives for the training and development program.Originality/valueThe paper's findings will be beneficial for the training and development sector of Islamic banking. The results of the study would help training and development practitioners, showing how better planning and implementation of the training need assessment process could save their costs and time.
Risk‐taking behaviour of Islamic banks: application of prospect theory
Authors: Alam Nafis , Boon Tang Kin 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe paper aims to gain an insight into behavioural characteristics of Islamic banks and how they influence the risk‐taking decisions of Islamic banks in financial markets within the prospect theory context.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs review and application of prospect theory in Islamic banking industry across the globe, making use of 99 Islamic banks across 14 countries.FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that Islamic banks located above target risk level tend to show risk‐adverse behaviour, while banks below target risk level inclined towards risk‐seeking attitude. Results also highlighted that banks which have higher loans to total asset ratio tend to take on lower risk.Practical implicationsIslamic bank regulators will be better prepared to monitor the Islamic banking system if they understand risk‐taking behaviour of Islamic bank managers. The findings will provide more effective bank regulatory oversight, thus preventing Islamic bank failures in future.Originality/valueSince there are relatively few studies conducted in risk‐taking behaviour of Islamic banks, specifically global Islamic banking, this study will broaden the scope of the literature by providing novel empirical evidence on risk‐taking practice of Islamic banks worldwide.
Rewards in faith‐based vs conventional banking
Authors: Muhammad Khan Ghauri Shahid , Sabah Obaid Qambar Amal 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of conventional and Islamic paradigms of banking through profitability. Profitability of conventional and Islamic banks is compared through four authentic methods of ratio through reliable statistical data from seven countries. The healthier bank spread in the Islamic way of banking is analyzed and compared with the conventional trend of banking.Design/methodology/approachProfitability of two‐streams of banking are analyzed through bank spread, bank margin to total assets, non‐interest‐based costs to total assets and relationship of bank‐spread and NPBT&Z of conventional and Islamic banks. Data from 87 banks belonged to seven countries were analyzed to obtain results, of which 35 were following Islamic principles‐based products and services. Countries are selected among those which are following binary‐banking systems simultaneously. Statistical data are gathered from audited‐annual reports of these sample banks.FindingsIslamic banks are found to reflect marginal bank spread but bear higher operational (non‐bank margin) costs.Research limitations/implicationsStatistical data are gathered from audited annual accounts of banking companies. Foreign banks are excluded in this analysis due to non‐availability of published accounts for most of such banks at country level. Further NPLs of sample banks were not available in most of sample banks, which could provide actual statistical figures for earning assets of bank.Originality/valueThe paper will be helpful in analyzing the business approach of the global, growing trend of Islamic banking.
Sukuk investment
Authors: Jamilah Abdul Jalil Mariam , Abdul Rahman Zuriah 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether the amount of profits gained from musharakah mutanaqisah model using coupon rate of 4.5 per cent, price at par and tenure of five years was greater than using ijarah principle where the price is at a discount. Also to compute and compare the profits obtained from sukuk investment in ijarah and musharakah mutanaqisah for 3.5 per cent coupon rate and price at par for a sukuk with tenure of 12.5, 15, 17.5 and 19 years.Design/methodology/approachIn total, two models were used to calculate profit. These models are based on ijarah and musharakah mutanaqisah principles. Formulas are derived from ijarah and musharakah and mutanaqisah principles used in sukuk.FindingsSukuk investment using ijarah principle is found to be a better investment alternative than musharakah mutanaqisah principle, regardless of the number of years of the sukuk, as long as it is a long‐term tenure. However, for short‐term tenure, the latter is preferred based on the amount of profits generated.Research limitations/implicationsThe formulas and results shown in this research are just one of the mathematical approaches that can be used for decision making in sukuk investment. There are other approaches which may deemed to be more effective in decision making. This research was applied only to ijarah and musharakah mutanaqisah types of investment.Practical implicationsThe results in the research will assist in making a quick decision on what type of sukuk investment for the investors and issuers and which will be suitable given the amount of financial resources and duration of the investment period.Originality/valueMany researchers have attempted to study the implications of using mathematical formulas to guide decision making on the choice of sukuk investment and this research has, to a certain extent, concurred with and complemented the works of past researchers. Additionally it will create awareness and provide more information to potential investors on better sukuk investment alternative principles from a mathematical point of view.
Efficiency of Islamic banks: case of North African Arab countries
Authors: Al‐Khasawneh Jamal Ali , Bassedat Karima , Aktan Bora , Darshini Pun Thapa Priya 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold. The first and the most important is to examine the efficiency of Islamic banks relative to conventional banks operating in North African Arab countries, in terms of cost and revenue efficiency. The second objective is to assess more evidence regarding the banking system efficiency trend and dynamics in each single country, and to compare such trends among countries included in the study.Design/methodology/approachThe non‐parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to estimate cost and revenue efficiency scores assuming variable returns to scale (VRS). The sample consists of nine Islamic banks and 11 conventional banks.FindingsThe results indicated that Islamic banks achieved higher average revenue efficiency scores over conventional banks in this region, while the growth rate of revenue efficiency score of Islamic bank was less than conventional banks. In terms of cost efficiency, the results varied from country to another. The results also showed that both groups of banks were close to each other, with an advantage to conventional banks, which suffer less cost efficiency loss over time compared to Islamic banks.Research limitations/implicationsThe very limited data sources (banks' web sites) was was the main limitation faced during preparing for this research. Another limitation was the non‐regularity of annual reports.Practical implicationsIslamic banks are highly challenged in finding investment opportunities/avenues that comply with Islamic regulations, unlike conventional banks that can invest in fixed income securities. There is a serious need for some countries to deregulate their banking systems more, in order to enhance the compatibility and the efficiency of their banking, such as the case of Sudan.Originality/valueGiven the previously mentioned difficulties, decent data set were collected. The value of this paper is the use of nonparametric DEA to analyse cost and revenue efficiences in the countries of this region.
Syariah accounting and compliant screening practices
Authors: Soke Fun Ho Catherine , Masood Omar , Abdul Rehman Asma , Bellalah Mondher 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the syariah compliant screening methods that are practiced by prominent Islamic finance users, in terms of qualitative and quantitative screening.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses comparative analysis to recognize the similarities and differences of methods among 15 users.FindingsAnalysis reveals that there is a need to set the universal standards, not only for the investors but also to discourage the misunderstanding between investors and scholars. After analysis of qualitative and quantitative screening, recommendations for both methods have been made for the shariah compliant board and users.Originality/valueThe paper is useful for Islamic finance users, as well from the academic point of view and is new and unique in its nature.
History and critical marketing studies
Authors: Tadajewski Mark 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that the function of history in critical marketing studies centres on the issue of contextualisation. It aims to put forward the idea that historically informed critical marketing studies highlight that key institutions, actors and scholarly writings have all helped to constitute, perform and destabilise marketing theory, thought and practice in ways that reflect multiple constellations of interests.Design/methodology/approachBy way of an engagement with various strands of the literature, it is suggested that the history of marketing thought and marketing history are riven with power relations. They include economically derived power relations and culturally significant changes in the social environment. However, while important, they are only part of a more pluralistic tapestry of factors that come from sometimes completely unrelated areas that helped constitute the conditions which fostered a given area of inquiry, debate and so on, in marketing and consumer research.FindingsWeaved into accounts such as those articulated within critical marketing studies are attempts to rethink aspects of theory, concept formation, thought, practice and institutions that have assumed a taken‐for‐granted status.Originality/valueThis account is based on a detailed reading of interdisciplinary debates read into the history of marketing thought and marketing history.
Finanzkapital and consumers: how financialization shaped twentieth century marketing
Authors: Dholakia Nikhilesh 
Published: August 2012

PurposeBy tracing the history of the links of financialization to consumer behaviors and marketer actions in the twentieth century, this paper aims to show that consumer market phenomena are often shaped by the imperatives of finance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs selective historical overviews, mainly focusing on the USA, of four tranches of the past century: the run up to the Great Depression; from post‐Depression to the Second World War; the post‐Second World War Bretton Woods system and its collapse in the 1970s; and the increasingly risk‐charged last three post‐Bretton Woods decades of the twentieth century.FindingsThe historical review shows that the financial sector's interest in profiting from consumer markets emerged and grew fairly early in the twentieth century, experienced some slowdown and forced retrenchment due to the military‐industrial build up prior to and during the Second World War, and re‐accelerated in the post‐Second World War period – reaching an unsustainable risky zenith by the closing years of the century.Practical implicationsFindings and arguments from this paper can be of value to citizen and consumer advocates seeking to bring Finanzkapital activities under popular and democratic control.Social implicationsInsights from this paper should motivate us to study in greater depth how established and seemingly autonomous consumer and marketer behaviors, in the ultimate, may be guided by, and have to conform to, the dictates of financial capital.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper is an elaboration of how financial capitalism has shaped consumption styles and marketing practices in the last century.
Marketing and feminism in historic perspective
Authors: Maclaran Pauline 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThis article aims to give a short overview of the relationship between marketing and feminism.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on a literature review of key studies contributing to the debates on whether marketing activities exploit or empower women.FindingsThe findings illustrate the changing nature of feminist attitudes to the role of the market in women's lives.Research limitations/implicationsAs a short overview, this analysis necessarily shortens topics that merit more in‐depth investigation.Originality/valueThree waves of feminism are overviewed in relation to feminist attitudes in the marketplace.
Depression and anxiety symptoms: measuring reliable change in alcohol and drug users
Authors: Delgadillo Jaime 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThis study aims to describe and to compare the reliability and accuracy of different methods of measuring psychiatric symptom changes in the context of substance use.Design/methodology/approachA group of 60 patients in routine methadone treatment were followed‐up during a “watchful wait” period of four to six weeks. Diagnoses of common mental disorders meeting International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐10) criteria were established using the CIS‐R structured diagnostic interview. Brief questionnaires for depression (PHQ‐9) and anxiety (GAD‐7) were used to measure symptom changes between test and retest. It was hypothesised that the accuracy of symptom changes measured using brief questionnaires may be compromised by methodological artefacts such as poor specificity, regression to the mean and measurement error. These assumptions were tested empirically.FindingsIt was demonstrated that measuring change using conventional cut‐offs in brief symptom questionnaires tends to overestimate the prevalence of common mental disorders and the rates of improvement. Using higher cut‐off scores calibrated in samples of alcohol and drug users, in combination with a reliable change index results in more conservative and reliable estimates of symptom change.Originality/valueThis paper presents a considered discussion on the relative merits and limitations of alternative psychiatric symptom measurement methods. These methodological recommendations may be of interest to research and clinical practice concerned with evaluating changes in comorbid depression and anxiety. Important questions are also raised about the modest degree of symptom changes typically observed during a watchful wait period.
Can 12 step fellowship and cognitive behaviour therapy work together? A hypothesis on an integrated treatment approach for mild dual diagnosis
Authors: Brown Cameron 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate research in the field of addictions utilising CBT and 12 step fellowship methods and to create an evidence base for an integrated treatment method utilising both approaches.Design/methodology/approachResearch on CBT and 12 step fellowships and their current applications in addiction treatment are presented. Models of severe mental illness are referenced and the use of directive and guided referrals are used as a basis to build the paper's hypothesis. A mode of action how the treatments may work together is presented.FindingsFindings indicate that guided treatment approaches for dual diagnosis are more likely to lead to long term therapeutic gains. Discussion involves the practical implications of this treatment and its ability to create a synergistic approach.Practical implicationsImplications include the potential for streamlined treatment approaches which have the potential to increase treatment adherence and outcomes. Implications, such as the joint use of social reinforcement techniques between 12 step fellowship approaches and CBT, are also discussed.Originality/valueThere is no previous research on the application of CBT and 12 step treatment modalities working together in a structured manner. Previous work has focussed primarily on severe mental illness. The current paper aims to provide an approach to treatment which utilises several modes of treatment to create more robust treatments for people suffering from dual diagnoses.
Designing evidence‐based treatments for youth with multiple and complex needs: a modular practice elements approach
Authors: Fay Mitchell Penelope 
Published: August 2012

PurposeYoung people receiving services for substance use problems often experience high rates of other psychosocial problems in addition to mental disorders. This has implications for design of effective interventions. There is a lack of concisely organised practical information to help organisations serving this population establish contextually relevant and rigorous approaches to the design of evidence‐based interventions. This paper aims to focus on these issues.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on literature from clinical and implementation science, this paper describes a new approach to the development and implementation of evidence‐based practice (EBP). Contributions of innovators, early adopters, evaluators, and other scholars are reviewed and synthesized.FindingsTraditional approaches to EBP relying on manualised programs targeting discrete diagnoses have not yielded meaningful progress in the dissemination of EBP to services that specialise in treatment and support for young people experiencing complex psychosocial needs. Recent initiatives are moving away from reliance on manualised programs and adopting a modular practice elements approach that enables maximum flexibility in responding to the unique needs of individual clients. This approach has potential to mitigate barriers to implementation of EBP in resource poor environments.Originality/valueThe complexity of needs presented by young people with dual mental health and substance use problems is increasingly recognised, but there is little information available that supports the formulation evidence‐based interventions that directly address this complexity. This paper applies knowledge from research to the practical challenges faced by practice leaders in real‐world services.
Bendamustine compared with chlorambucil in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: updated results of a randomized phase III trial
Authors: Knauf Wolfgang U. , Lissitchkov Toshko , Aldaoud Ali , Liberati Anna M. , Loscertales Javier , Herbrecht Raoul , Juliusson Gunnar , Postner Gerhard , Gercheva Liana , Goranov Stefan , Becker Martin , Fricke Hans‐Joerg , Huguet Francoise , Del Giudice Ilaria , Klein Peter , Merkle Karlheinz , Montillo Marco 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe efficacy of bendamustine versus chlorambucil in a phase III trial of previously untreated patients with Binet stage B/C chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was re‐evaluated after a median observation time of 54 months in May 2010. Overall survival (OS) was analysed for the first time. At follow‐up, investigator‐assessed complete response (CR) rate (21·0% vs 10·8%), median progression‐free survival (21·2 vs 8·8 months; P < 0·0001; hazard ratio 2·83) and time to next treatment (31·7 vs 10·1 months; P < 0·0001) were improved for bendamustine over chlorambucil. OS was not different between groups for all patients or those ≤65 years, >65 years, responders and non‐responders. However, patients with objective response or a CR experienced a significantly longer OS than non‐responders or those without a CR. Significantly more patients on chlorambucil progressed to second/further lines of treatment compared with those on bendamustine (78·3% vs 63·6%; P = 0·004). The benefits of bendamustine over chlorambucil were achieved without reducing quality of life. In conclusion, bendamustine is significantly more effective than chlorambucil in previously untreated CLL patients, with the achievement of a CR or objective response appearing to prolong OS. Bendamustine should be considered as a preferred first‐line option over chlorambucil for CLL patients ineligible for fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab.
Survival analysis
Authors: Flynn Robert 
Published: August 2012

Aims and objectives.  This paper describes when and why survival analysis is used and describes the use and interpretation of the techniques most commonly encountered in medical literature. This is performed using examples taken from core medical journals.Background.  Survival analysis is widely used in clinical and epidemiological research: in randomised clinical trials for comparing the efficacy of treatments and in observational (non‐randomised) research to determine and test the existence of epidemiological association.Design.  This paper introduces the principles, practice and terminology of survival analysis.Methods.  References are made to examples from open‐access medical journals.Results.  Survival analysis is a well‐established series of methodologies that are widely encountered in medical literature for both observational and randomised studies.Conclusions.  Survival analysis represents a more efficient use of clinical data than other forms of analysis which rely on fixed time periods. One of the most widely used techniques is that developed by Kaplan and Meier. This involves the creation of life tables and the plotting of survival curves with comparison made between two or more groups. The log‐rank test is commonly used to establish whether there is a statistically significant difference between these groups. The Multivariate Cox proportional hazards extend this approach to give an estimate of effect size (the Hazards Ratio) and can adjust for any potential confounding variables. In this model, the assumption of proportional hazards is of key importance and should always be checked. More advanced techniques are the use of time‐dependent variables and the less widely used parametric survival techniques. Care should always be taken when considering the assumptions involved when using such methods.Relevance to clinical practice.  As survival analysis is widely used in clinical research, it is important that readers can critically evaluate the use of this technique.