Purpose: Education plays a key role in socio-economic development and globalization has increased the numbers of students wanting to study abroad. Attracting international students is therefore an important objective for universities as international students open up opportunities to bring economic, cultural and academic benefits to both the universities themselves and to the countries in which they are located. This study therefore aimed to assess student satisfaction with a Jordanian university using the dimensions of quality contained within the established SERVQUAL model.Design/methodology/approach: To achieve these goals, quantitative data was collected from international students attending one university located in Jordan via a questionnaire survey, using a randomized sample. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the construct validity, and correlations between student satisfaction and the different dimensions of quality were tested.Findings: Consistent with other studies, the findings demonstrated that the five dimensions of service quality, i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, and the university of study, have a strong relationship with student satisfaction. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between country satisfaction and the tangibility and assurance sub-dimensions of quality.Practical implications: Practical implications – The findings of this study are of interest and practical benefit to university leaders in developing their quality and student acquisition strategies.Originality/value: This study makes a useful contribution to the growing body of evidence of service quality in higher education set within the context of a developing country.

Purpose: This study aims to focus on how the design of an organization influences employee sustainability. It also highlights how top management support can mediate this relationship.Design/methodology/approach: In order to examine the role of employee quality of life on performance sustainability, a quantitative survey approach was adopted. A questionnaire was distributed using simple random sampling to the employees working in the hotel sector.Findings: Results suggest that organizations can enhance employee sustainability, including performance, commitment, motivation and retention, by investing in values that align with their employees, providing suitable health and wellness initiatives, and adopting in career growth policies. In that, values, health and wellness and human development are confirmed to be core determinants of employee sustainability, with a negligible role of fair compensation and physical artifacts. Top management support is found to mediate the relationship between employee quality of life and sustainability.Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to a better understanding of how organizational design for quality of life can assist employee sustainability with the mediation role of top management support. The study recommends that the hotel organizations should consider designing their work environments to promote their employee quality of life, which affects their sustainability within the hotel industry.Practical implications: This study contributes to a better understanding of how organizational design for quality of life can assist employee sustainability with the mediation role of top management support. The study recommends that the hotel organizations should consider designing their work environments to promote their employees’ quality of life, which affects their sustainability within the hotel industry.Originality/value: While there is ample research in business and management literature on the economic and environmental factors of sustainability, social sustainability has received less concentration. This study gives more attention to how employee social sustainability can be affected by the managerial and organizational factors of ensuring work life balance and top management support.

This study investigates the role of servant leadership in a high-power culture to minimize organizational inequalities and enhance employee innovative behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect quantitative data from employees working in Jordanian hotel organizations in a high-power cultural context. Simple random sampling helped target and collect data from participants. The findings established a relationship between servant leaders and innovative employee behavior and how servant leadership reduces inequalities, consequently fostering innovative behaviors. A high-power culture also affects the relationship between servant leadership and employee innovative behavior. This study confirms that servant leaders can reduce hierarchical structures, contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10–10.2), and foster employee innovation in Jordan's hotel industry. Hotel managers should emphasize active listening, employee development programs, and leadership training aligned with cultural norms to enhance employee performance. This study underscores the significance of servant leadership in fostering innovation and reducing inequalities in high-power cultures. Servant leaders can bridge hierarchical gaps and enhance employee engagement by promoting active listening, employee development, and inclusive leadership. Additionally, diversity training, transparent promotion criteria, and innovation-driven policies contribute to a more equitable and dynamic work environment.

This study investigates the key determinants of bank financial performance in the Arab Levant region from 2017 to 2023, focusing on profitability and market valuation, while analyzing internal and external factors, including inflation, capital adequacy, and bank size, amid the unique regional economic dynamics post-Corona Virus Disease in 2019. The study sample comprises 15 Jordanian, 6 Palestinian, 5 Lebanese, and 13 Syrian banks. A descriptive analytical method and STATA were used for the hypothesis testing. The results reveal that inflation, bank type, country, bank size, and capital adequacy positively influence profitability, whereas liquidity ratio negatively affects profitability. Other variables, such as gross domestic product growth rate, country, bank age, operational efficiency, coronavirus, and financial inclusion, have no significant impact on profitability. Additionally, the pandemic and financial inclusion had a statistically negative effect on market valuation, whereas the other variables had no significant influence. This study provides fresh insights into bank performance in the rarely studied Middle Eastern markets by exploring profitability and market valuation within a unique pre- and post-pandemic context, thus enriching our understanding of bank performance in emerging economies. It offers actionable strategies for policymakers and managers to enhance profitability, market value, and resilience by focusing on fintech and equitable financial practices to support societal resilience and economic stability in conflict-affected, emerging economies.