Research Title: Examining the Relationship between Corporate Governance and Banks' Performance, and Risk in Saudi Arabia

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2013

European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 59

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Corporate Governance has become one of the most important concerns in the business world. Although the corporate governance topic has been studied recently, the impact of corporate governance on banks' performance and risk is not clear yet, especially in developing countries. Using a panel data regression model on a sample of 11 banks listed in Saudi Stock Exchange for the fiscal year 2008 to 2013, this study examines the relationship between corporate governance and banks' performance and risk in Saudi Arabia. This study employed seven independent variables, which cover four conventional measures of corporate governance, and three measures of ownership structure. The main findings from the study are: board's size, ownership concentration and institutional ownership have a significant impact on bank's performance and risk, but committees of the board of directors have a significant impact only on bank's performance. The outcome of this study offers empirical evidence on the impact of corporate governance on banks' performance and risk. This evidence provides beneficial information for supervising authorities, stakeholders and academics.

Keywords: Corporate governance, banking performance, banking risk, Saudi Arabia

Research Title: Factors Affecting Adoption of Electronic Banking: An Analysis of the Perspectives of Banks' Customers

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2012

International Journal of Business and Social Science, 13

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Electronic banking services are being used with increasing frequency in most countries, including Jordan. Although previous studies have confirmed the importance for such services for both banks and customers, the level of electronic banking services' adoption in Jordan is still low. This study aims to identify and understand factors that affect bank customers' use of electronic banking services. This study integrates technology acceptance model (TAM) with the theory of planned behavior model (TPB) and incorporates five cultural dimensions and perceived risk to propose a theoretical model. The primary data were collected from 387 valid questionnaires which were distributed to random banking customers in all 26 licensed banks in Jordan. Multiple regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The main findings of the study are: uncertainty avoidance has a positive and significant impact on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Perceived risk has the stronger impact on customers' attitude, which in turn influences customers' intention to use electronic banking services.

Keywords: electronic banking, banking customers, culture, perceived risk, Jordan

Research Title: The Impact of E- Banking on The Performance of Jordanian Banks

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2011

Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 16

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Electronic banking has become one of the most important and modern applications that has witnessed a substantial expansion during the last years. This study examines the impact of electronic banking on the Jordanian banks' performance. Empirical analysis has been conducted on a panel data of 15 Jordanian banks for the period 2000-2010. Accounting data were used to measure the banks' performance and regressed on relevant variables using OLS regression. The results show that electronic banking has a significant negative impact on banks' performance. Electronic banking has not improved the performance of these banks. Banks' customers in Jordan depend on traditional channels to carry out their banking operations. As a result, costs associated with adopting electronic banking are still higher than revenues from provision electronic services. Hence, banks should focus its work to promote the confidence of electronic banking services and encourage the customers to use this kind of services.

Keywords: electronic banking; internet banking; banks' performance; Jordanian banks

Research Title: A Genetic Based Approach for Reducing Null Values In Object-Oriented Database

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2010

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: In databases, the Null Values considered as one of major problems; where it affects results accuracy and database consistency. This problem affects all databases types: relational, object oriented, object relational, etc. And researchers are unanimous on three reasons that cause null values for attributes: value unknown, value unavailable or inapplicable attribute. But they didn’t observe that the presence of alternative attributes for the same entity may cause null values, which can be solved using the Alternation and the Selection concepts. In this paper we improved the structure of classes used in current object-oriented database model to accept the alternation concept. And we changed the genetic program concept, which is used in a genetic approach to select attributes using rules, to simpler selection technique by improving the structure, without the need to change the depth first strategy for applying the selective inheritance concept. So as result, the null values (by alternation) were removed, and selective inheritance in object-oriented database was introduced.

Keywords: Alternation, Alternatives, Attributes, Classes, Class Hierarchy, Classification, Database, Genetic Approach, Genetic Program, Multiple Inheritance, Null Values, Object Oriented Database, Selection, Selective Inheritance, Syntax Classification.

Research Title: Enhancing the Web Application Security Using Aspect-Oriented Programming

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2010

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: Web applications open the window of security concerns; more used, more attacked. The web security problems can occur in the web server and the data that is on it, or within the information transferred between the web server and the user, or in the end-user's computer and other devices that people use to access the Internet. The AOP approach has already been the subject of several related efforts that addressed the SQL injection and Cross Site Scripting (XSS). These two problems are in the top ten problems for web application security. This paper proposes a solution for a third common problem that was not addressed before which is the broken authentication and session management. The solution consists of an AOP methodology to make web applications more secure. As a result, web applications may be secured and reliable without the need to change their existing code. The security code and the web application code are clearly separated. The security is insured by applying it. In this way the aspect will be able to progress independently. The remote address is used to recognize the real user beside the Session ID.

Keywords: Application Programming Interface, Aspect-Oriented, Broken Authentication and Session Management, Methodology, Web Application, Web Security

Research Title: Bio-inspired Systems – An Integrated Model

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2010

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: The idea of applying the biological principle of natural evolution to artificial systems, introduced more than three decades ago, has seen impressive growth in the past few years. Usually these artificial systems group bio-inspired systems, evolutionary computation, artificial life, etc. This convinced all that nature has much we might be inspired by when designing our systems and the genetics is a promising inspiration. Extensive methodologies and systems, mapping it, were developed. But the mapping of the natural genetics to the artificial one has been however limited. The reasons for this are many, but one of the main problems has always been the lack of a universal platform, and of a proper methodology for such mapping. In this paper we aim to propose firstly a model for such universal architecture, integrating the POE framework components and develop them in more detailed and accurate way. And secondly an bio-inspired systems design methodology guidelines based on this integrated model. We first present the natural genetics process and the POE model. Then the development of the integrated model with its associated design methodology will be introduced and evaluated

Keywords: Artificial systems, Bio-inspired system, epigenesis, genetics, genome, genotype, immune systems, neural networks, ontogeny, phenotype, phylogeny, species

Research Title: Systems Versioning: A Features-Based Meta-modeling Approach

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2014

ICFSE 2014: International Conference on Forensic Software Engineering, UK

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: Systems running these days are huge, complex and exist in many versions. Controlling these versions and tracking their changes became a very hard process as some versions are created using meaningless names or specifications. Many versions of a system are created with no clear difference between them. This leads to mismatching between a user’s request and the version he gets. In this paper, we present a system versions meta-modeling approach that produces versions based on system’s features. This model reduced the number of steps needed to configure a release and gave each version its unique specifications. This approach is applicable for systems that use features in its specification

Keywords: Features, Meta-modeling, Semantic Modeling, SPL, VCS, Versioning.

Research Title: Supporting Aspect-Oriented Paradigm By Bio-inspired Concepts

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2011

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: The idea of applying the biological principle of natural evolution to artificial systems, introduced more than three decades ago, has seen impressive growth in the past few years. Usually these artificial systems group bio-inspired systems, evolutionary computation, artificial life, etc. This convinced all that nature has much we might be inspired by when designing our systems and the genetics is a promising inspiration. Extensive methodologies and systems, mapping it, were developed. But the mapping of the natural genetics to the software design has been however very limited. Actually, intensive efforts are being invested for upgrading programming tools from high level programming languages to design languages, including Aspect-Oriented Paradigm (AOP). The growing interest of AOP and its application in several domains necessitates its enrichment by strong concepts which are intended to support effectively the application domain diversity. This paper proposes such enhancement inspired from natural genetics. We first present Bio-inspired, Aspect-Oriented, and Subject-Oriented software design approaches. Then the enrichment of AOP, induced by a Bio-inspired approach, with its supporting design methodology will be introduced and evaluated.

Keywords: Bio-inspired modelling, Aspect-oriented programming

Research Title: A Methodology for AUML Role Modeling

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2011

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: An agent can play one or more roles. A role is a specific behavior to be played by an agent, defined in terms of permission, responsibilities, activities, and of its interactions with other roles. An agent plays a role by actualizing the behavior in terms of services to be activated and de-activated in dependence of specific pre-condition and post-conditions. So the need to develop a model representing formally role of an agent and its interaction with other agent is valuable. The need for a role model that expresses how agent assumes and change roles is essential and AUML is not completely supportive. The core parts of AUML are interaction protocol diagrams and agent class diagrams, which are extensions of UML's sequence diagrams and class diagrams, respectively. Agents are assigned to roles, belong to classes and an Interaction Protocol diagram shows interactions between these agents roles along a timeline. So, the majority of AUML problems are the lack of: (1) agent role definition methodology, (2) formal semantics to AUML role diagrams, (3) responsibilities (internal) agent role definition (only the external role is defined by sequence diagram), and the agent role control over the time. In this paper, we propose a solution to the above problems. We start by analyzing some significant actual approaches to agent role modeling, we introduce an enhancement to AUML by an agent role definition methodology, and we end by comparing our contribution with similar works.

Keywords: Multi-agent system, Agent role, control role, responsibility role

Research Title: A ROTATIONAL BLENDED LEARNING MODEL: ENHANCEMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

Author: Said Ahmad Ammar Ghoul, Published Year: 2013

Faculty: Information Technology

Abstract: Research on blended learning theory and practice is growing nowadays with a focus on the development, evaluation, and quality assurance of case studies. However, the enhancement of blended learning existing models, the specification of their online parts, and the quality assurance related specifically to them have not received enough attention. This paper presents in detail an enhancement, implementation, and evaluation of a rotational blended learning model. This model was adopted by the UNISCO Avicenna Virtual University. Also, its impact on some quality assurance criteria of the rotational blended learning model was presented. This research is unique in the sense that it specifies clearly the online part of the rotational blended learning model with its impact on the main quality assurance criteria

Keywords: Blended Learning, Rotational Model, Quality Assurance