AHMAD GHANDOUR

Qualifications and Training

2010 PhD University of Otago, New Zealand (Graduated 21 August, 2010)

Thesis title eCommerce Website Evaluation Framework: An Owner’s

Perspective. The thesis provides a scaling of items that can be used to
diagnose the performance of eCommerce websites as a business task.
Abstract of the thesis is attached below.

2003-2005 Master in Management Information Systems, Amman Arab

University, Jordan
1991-1993 BSc in Military Science, Jordan Command and General Staff College,
Jordan
1980-1984 BSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Bath, UK

Employment

2006-2010
• PhD Candidate, Department of Information Science, University of Otago
• 2007 - Tutor, Department of Information Science, University of Otago
COMP111: Information and Communication Technology
BSNS 106: Information and Communication in Organisation
• 2008 - Postgraduate Representative, Department of Information Science,
University of Otago
• 2009 - Research Fellow – HEDC, University of Otago
• 2009 - Peer Study Leader, Student Learning Centre, University of Otago
2002-2005
• Technical Manager, Middle East Advanced Semiconductor Inc. (MEASI)
• Oversaw field projects in communications and IT
• Sales and marketing, securing purchase orders and establishing business relations
with new customers and suppliers including TAIT radio communications, New
Zealand
• In charge of client management throughout the project
1984-2002
• Communication Engineer, Jordan Army, Jordan
• Commanded units of up to two hundred personnel
• Undertook planning and delivery of training to officers and training wings
• Chief Information officer: responsible for all systems within a military directorate
 Summary of Competencies and Attributes
Teaching and Tutoring
• Teaching, tutoring and training to army personnel
• Delivering courses and preparing curriculums.
• Tertiary teaching and tutoring at University of Otago.

Management
• Taking responsibility for others – experience in commanding up to 200 personnel
• Experience in training, supervising, advising and evaluating the work of others in
the ICT Sector
• Work in multi-national contexts and with government policy
• Experience in sales and marketing
• Excellent organisational, prioritising and time-management skills

Self-management
• Planning and organising skills demonstrated in preparing and delivering
curriculum subjects at university level
• Able to remain calm and work to a high standard when under pressure
• Proven ability to work independently
• Committed, hardworking, self-motivated and enthusiastic

Adaptable and Flexible

• Active member of the community, including assistance for new arrivals in
Dunedin
• Patient and tolerant, with skills in encouraging and motivating others
• Successful tertiary study completed in three different countries
Communication and Language
• Fluent in spoken and written English and Arabic
• Great communication skills in two languages (fluent in English and Arabic)
• Has trained at tertiary level and in military contexts – able to successfully explain
technical matters convey information to people with varied levels of
understanding and in two languages
• Has published research in academic journals (see Appendix 1)

Community services
• Team member: Get Smart Program: Otago Chamber of Commerce and the
University of Otago/School of Business providing free business advice
every Friday
• Working with the University of Otago disability centre

Personal Interests and Activities

• Family
• Web technology
• Community involvement
• Travel and sightseeing

Ahmad Ghandour 2
Thesis Abstract
In New Zealand, many businesses are investing in setting up their websites to sell goods and
services as online trading becomes more popular. This action has caused disillusionment for
some companies as it is difficult to clearly articulate the real benefits which could be derived
from being online. This is may be due to the lack of an evaluation framework that enables
owners to diagnose the performance of their eCommerce website. Current evaluative
approaches presented in the literature are based on the users’ experience and fail to address
the owner’s concerns. The research for this PhD was focussed on how to evaluate eCommerce
websites based on the owner’s experience point of view.

Data were collected from 225 New Zealand businesses that have an eCommerce website
through an online survey.

The key findings of the research showed that there are four factors that explain the change of
performance in the website. These factors are: website offer (value created at the website),
usage, financial returns, and owner satisfaction. The study concluded that websites could be
evaluated along those four factors the effectiveness of which could be monitored along their
measurement scales. It is also premised on the same variable that these factors function in a
serial manner and the ultimate measure of effectiveness is owner satisfaction. The study also
concluded that these factors explain the success of a website; each factor is necessary but not
sufficient on its own to explain the success of a website.

Ahmad Ghandour 3
Appendix 1: Academic Publications

1. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2011. " A framework of

eCommerce Website Success " Book chapter submitted for publication

2. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2011. " eCommerce Website

Evaluation Issues and a gap" Book chapter submitted for publication

3. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2010. "eCommerce Website

Value Model," Submitted for publication

4. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2010. " Measuring the

Performance of eCommerce website," Submitted for publication

5. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2010. " eCommerce website

Metrics," Submitted for publication

6. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2010. " The relationship

between website metrics and the financial performance of online businesses,"

Submitted for publication

7. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. L., and Deans, K. R. 2010. "Measuring

eCommerce Website Success," Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary

Research in Business (IJCRB) 1(12).

8. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. and Deans, K. R. (2010). The relationship between

website metrics and the financial performance of online businesses, The

International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) 2010, 12-15

December 2010, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.

9. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. and Deans, K. R. (2010). Metrics for eCommerce

website, The 12th International Conference on electronic Commerce roadmap

for the future of Electronic Business, 2-4 August 2010, Honolulu, Hawaii.

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10. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G. and Deans, K. R. (2010). Measuring the

Performance of eCommerce website, 14th Pacific Asia Conference on

Information Systems (PACIS2010), 9-12 July 2010, Taipei, Taiwan.

11. Ghandour, A., Benwell, G., Deans, K. R. and Pillai, P. (2008). Measuring

eCommerce website success, 19th Australasian Conference on Information

Systems, 3-5 December 2008, Christchurch, New Zealand.

12. Ghandour A., Deans K. R. and Benwell G. (2007). The Impact of Customer

Focus to the Success of Ecommerce Systems Among Small and Medium

Enterprises: A Conceptual Framework, Conference Proceedings Australia and

New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC), University of Otago,

Department of Marketing, Dunedin, New Zealand.

13. Ghandour A., Benwell G. and Deans K. R. (2007). The contribution of goal

setting to the success of eCommerce systems among small and medium

enterprises in New Zealand, Pan-Pacific Conference XXIV of the Pan-Pacific

Business Association, 2-4 June 2007, Dunedin & Queenstown, New Zealand.

14. Ghandour A., Benwell G. and Deans K. R. (2007). The contribution of

Leadership to the success of eCommerce systems among small and medium

enterprises, Small Enterprise Conference, Building Sustainable Growth in

SMEs, 23-26 September 2007, Waikato University, NewZealand.

Ahmad Ghandour 5
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS CONTRIBUTIONS (UNPUBLISHED)

1. Information Science Post Graduate Group (ISPG) Seminar. Dept. of

Information Science/ University of Otago/ Dunedin on 28th April 2006.

2. Information Science Post Graduate Group (ISPG) Seminar. Dept. of

Information Science/ University of Otago/ Dunedin on 15th September 2006.

3. School of Business PhD colloquium. University of Otago Dunedin/NZ Oct.

2006.

4. Pan Pacific Conference XXIV 2007 Doctoral Consortium Dunedin/NZ June

2007.

5. Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems 2007 (PACIS07) Doctoral

Colloquium Auckland/New Zealand on 3rd July 2007.

6. Small Enterprise 20th Conference Doctoral colloquium Auckland/New

Zealand September 2007.

7. Postgraduate day, Department of Information Science/ University of Otago/

Dunedin on 26th October 2007.

8. Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC),

10th Doctoral Consortium. University of Otago, , Dunedin, New Zealand 1-2
December 2007.

9. Performance Management Colloquium. Department of Accounting/ University

of Otago, Dunedin, December 2007.

10. Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2008 (ACIS08) Doctoral

Consortium Christchurch New Zealand on 2nd December 2008.

11. School of Business Doctoral Colloquium. University of Otago, Dunedin New

Zealand on 4th September 2009.

12. I presented my thesis in three minutes. University of Otago three minutes

thesis presentation, November 2009.

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