Soud Mohammad Almahamid

Aim: This study aimed to understand the role of workforce agility as a coping strategy to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The study reviewed and integrated two lines of literature to develop a theoretical framework to help business organizations to respond, adapt, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Results: The results showed that there are several commonalities between the workforce agility literature and the crisis management literature, mostly manifested in the speed of responding to uncertain and unpredictable, adverse events in the business environment. A thorough review of key themes in both kinds of literature led to developing a theoretical framework that links crisis drivers, crisis enablers, crisis capabilities, and response strategy. Workforce agility can be used as a coping strategy to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Both kinds of literature evolve to respond to any crisis; the crisis management literature focuses on Meso-level (organizational level) or collective actions to mitigate the crisis, while the workforce agility literature focuses on the Micro-level (individual level). However, the successful response to any crisis requires the synergy of both actions. Future Studies: The results of this research are of prime importance for both researchers and practitioners. Researchers can use the theoretical framework as a baseline for building empirical research design. The current study also sets the context for future researchers who are interested in workforce agility to test the validity of agile work behaviors in real adverse context. It also opens a new stream of debate by deconstructing understudied links between workforce agility, resilience, and crisis management. Mangerial implication: For practitioners to ensure a successful response to any impending crisis, they must develop their employees’ agile behaviors. Practitioners can also redesign their recruitment strategy to select the right individuals with the right agile attributes, abilities, and behaviors to easily alter their behaviors according to the progressing crisis phases. Finally, practitioners can design continual learning interventions to include required agile skills and competencies to prepare their employees for future crises.

This study examined the relationship between compulsory new ways of working (flexible work design, workplace design at home, advanced information and communication technology [ICT]‐based communications and culture of innovation) and faculty members' innovative work behaviour. The mediating role of work–life balance and employees' satisfaction with new ways of working in the relationship between new ways of working and innovative work behaviour was also examined. Building on established measurement scales, a questionnaire‐based deductive approach was used to collect data. In total, 457 faculty members were randomly selected from universities in countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. New ways of work and innovative work behaviour were confirmed as multidimensional concepts. The study participants were clustered in three profiles according to their level of perception of the research variables. New ways of working practices apart from advanced ITC‐based communications were significantly positively related to innovative work behaviour, and work–life balance was significantly positively related to satisfaction. Satisfaction with new ways of working and work–life balance is a vital mechanism of innovative work behaviour, and satisfaction mediates work–life balance and innovative work behaviour. Our research theoretically extends understanding of the compulsory new ways of working and innovative work behaviour in higher education institutions. It provides insights into how new ways of working affect innovative behaviour via two mediating mechanisms: work–life balance and satisfaction. This contingent perspective has not yet been explored in prior studies. Educational policy and decision makers can benefit from the results of this study by reorganizing their work activities according to faculty members' need to foster innovative educational solutions.

Purpose: The study aims to develop an innovative work behavior (IWB) scale for the faculty members and faculty leaders of universities in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC). This research is intended for assessing the level of IWB in higher education and evaluating its psychometric properties.Design/methodology/approach: The study targets academic staff of universities in the GCC region, and out of 810 questionnaires that were distributed, only 773 valid responses were obtained of which 517 were responses from males and 256 from females whose ages range between 33 and 67 years.Findings: The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used and confirmed a five-factor structural model (opportunity exploration, idea generation, idea promotion, idea realization and idea sustainability), and the model has a satisfactory fit. The scale consists of 27 items with high Cronbach's alpha value of 0.87, demonstrating good internal consistency. Preliminary results suggest that the IWB scale has adequate convergent and divergent validity.Practical implications: The IWB scale can be a useful tool for evaluating and developing a high level of innovative work behavior that maintains university services' sustainability and increases industries' competitiveness.Originality/value: This research provides insights into the importance of IWB in achieving tangible success to the educational institutions. It provides a new method to confront sudden and unexpected circumstance such as what has happened during COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Purpose: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic with unique regional logistics management (RLM) challenges to respond to the chaos created by the crisis and to restore normality for operations and supply chains in home nations. The purpose of this article is to explore RLM in times of crisis from the perspective of public authorities responsible for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The article also discusses the significance of crisis-driven RLM for humanitarian logistics and supply chain (HLSC) management.Design/methodology/approach: Grounded on an inductive case study logic and guided by a constructivist perspective, this research involves semi-structured interviews with 15 managers and strategists responsible for the RLM of COVID-19 to capture lessons learnt so far from mitigating the transmission and spread of COVID-19. Underpinning the research is a conceptual RLM model premised on coordination, communication, and containment mechanisms (the 3Cs of crisis-driven logistics), as crisis response.Findings: The study finds that the triggering of regional logistics in times of crisis for the COVID-19 case involves taskforce teams with centralisation for crisis readiness, information infrastructure with digitalisation for crisis protocols, and capacity calculations with orchestration for crisis scenarios. The study also finds that navigating the challenges for the 3Cs of crisis-driven logistics entails forward-thinking leadership for culture-based commitments, first-hand clarity for compliance-based campaigns, and far-reaching solidarity for compassion-based contributions.Originality/value: This article addresses the gap in knowledge on RLM and potential priorities that underpin crisis-driven RLM strategies for HLSCs. The research is original in its argument for regional perspectives on logistics strategies that contribute to the “viability” and “integrity” of HLSCs. The research also uniquely focuses on RLM in times of crisis and proposes a conceptual RLM model of strategies for enhancing HLSCs.

This study aims to understand the features of an effective audit committee and its role in strengthening financial reporting. A questionnaire based survey was circulated to public listed companies on the Amman Stock Exchange (Banking, insurance, and financial institutions). The study was aimed at internal audit managers and finance managers. Out of 156 questionnaires, we received 110 back which represents a 71% response rate. The study results show that the research respondents have a good level of education and experience. In addition, there is a relationship between internal controls, international standards on auditing, institute of internal audit; Jordan securities commission requirements, external audit, understanding of audit committee functions, and financial reporting. Furthermore, the internal control, international standard on auditing and institute of internal audit, Jordan securities commission requirements, External audit, understanding of audit committee functions can explain a significant amount of the variability in financial reporting. Finally, the research results also show that age and gender make a difference for our respondents when they evaluate financial reporting. The study like other cross sectional studies is not free of limitations. Managerial implications and new avenues of future research are supplied. Future research also can borrow the research model and apply a longitudinal study to solve the cross sectional study problems.

This study empirically explores the determinants of user continuance intention to use e-government. A questionnaire was developed based on the e-government continuance to use literature. A convenient sample of Jordanian citizens was chosen. The results of data analysis revealed that the continuance intention to use e-government services is a function of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, PISE, and perceived information quality. This research has not taken into account the possibility of any intervening, mediating, and moderating relationships that influence the hypothesised relationships at the research model. This research gives policy makers and decision makers insight into improving continuance intention in e-government applications.