British University in Dubai

Event streams have become a core abstraction for building modern software systems, from cloud services and IoT deployments to cyber-physical and data-intensive applications. In such settings, developers and operators increasingly need runtime conformance monitoring: assessing whether ongoing executions comply with a prescriptive model or constraint set while decisions can still be taken. Classic offline conformance checking is ill-suited because streams are potentially unbounded, arrivals may be delayed or out of order, and monitoring must satisfy strict operational requirements, such as bounded state, low latency, and robustness to imperfect observations and evolving behaviour.This survey reviews the state of the art in online conformance checking. We derive a baseline of functional and non-functional requirements for online conformance checking and introduce a taxonomy that organises approaches across imperative, declarative, and emerging object-centric paradigms. Assessing the surveyed approaches against this baseline, we synthesise recurring design patterns and clarify the trade-offs that shape deployability on stateful stream-processing platforms. We find that existing techniques typically address only subsets of the requirements, and we identify underexplored challenges, including standardised benchmarking, principled state eviction, object-centric monitoring at scale, integrated handling of concept drift and model evolution, and unifying infrastructural robustness with expressive conformance feedback. Finally, we propose a reference architecture that maps these requirements to standard streaming operators and managed state, providing a blueprint for implementations and a concrete agenda for future research.

The factors influencing customer citizenship behavior (CCB) are critical in the hospitality literature. This area is worth investigating, considering the potential value CCB generates for the company. This study aims to examine brand authenticity's direct and indirect influence on CCB and identifies critical antecedents of CCB. Also, this study investigates the mediating role of brand self-connection and brand prominence in the relationship between brand authenticity and CCB. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire, which surveyed 415 hotel guests. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to analyze the data. The findings supported the role of brand authenticity, self-brand connection, and brand prominence in predicting the CCB in hospitality services. This study enhances the theoretical underpinning of brand authenticity and CCB in consumer behavior research by acknowledging the significance of self-brand connection and brand prominence and applying them in the hospitality sector.

This study examines the firm-specific factors associated with the level and quality of compliance with the International Integrated Reporting Framework (IIRF) among companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an emerging economy characterized by a growing sustainability-oriented institutional context. Although the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) mandates listed companies to publish an integrated report, it does not prescribe a specific reporting framework. As a result, alignment with the IIRF and the depth of disclosure remain largely discretionary. Using a sample of 89 non-financial firms listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), an Integrated Reporting Disclosure Score (IRDS) was constructed through content analysis based on 43 criteria derived from the IIRF. Regression and dominance analyses were employed to examine the relationship between firm characteristics and the level of IIRF compliance. The results indicate that firm size, profitability, board size, and gender diversity are positively associated with higher levels of IIRF alignment and disclosure quality, while financial leverage and board independence are not significantly associated with disclosure levels. The dominance analysis further shows that firm size, board size, gender diversity, and profitability account for the majority of the model's explanatory power. Overall, the findings contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence on voluntary compliance with international integrated reporting standards beyond mandatory reporting requirements in an emerging market context.

PurposeDespite global governmental efforts to promote entrepreneurship and create opportunities, many individuals remain hesitant to seize these opportunities. This study employs a configurational approach to examine key features that contribute to entrepreneurial hesitation.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the Regulatory Focus theory, the study analyzes data from 1,458 individuals in the United Arab Emirates sourced from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor database, focusing on five features: innovativeness, long-term career planning, pessimism, fear of failure, and entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.FindingsThe analysis identifies three distinct profiles of individuals associated with high entrepreneurial hesitation, labelled as "Innovative Bystanders", "Sceptical Planners" and "Disillusioned Innovators."Practical implicationsUnderstanding these profiles provides a foundation for developing diagnostic tools aimed at customizing government support and guidance, moving away from a one-size-fits-all strategy.Originality/valueThis study examines the complexities of entrepreneurial hesitation and offers new insights into the intricate profiles of individuals who exhibit a high level of hesitation.

Background: Preschool children with speech and language (S&L) impairments are at an increased risk of developing phonological awareness (PA) deficits, impacting language and literacy outcomes beyond their early years. Aims: This qualitative study explores how preschool teachers perceive the effectiveness of PA instruction for children with S&L difficulties. Methods and Procedures: Forty teachers working in private preschool settings in Dubai, UAE, were recruited. Following an initial survey to ascertain their knowledge about PA instruction, teachers participated in a 4-week online training programme to develop PA skills in preschool children with S&L difficulties. Post-intervention, 30% of the sample completed semi-structured interviews or a questionnaire. Thematic analysis was applied and involved a process of manual coding to construct and interpret themes about the perspectives of participants based on patterns that emerged from the data. Findings: Preschool teachers lack the knowledge and skills to effectively provide PA assessment and intervention for children with S&L deficits. They identified gaps in teacher training programmes and highlighted the value of collaborating with speech and language therapists (SLTs). Significant measures are warranted by policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that early educators are better equipped to improve literacy outcomes for children most at risk of persistent reading difficulties.