Title: Identifying happiness index parameters in the United Arab Emirates to develop better user feedback tools

Authors: Laila Alawi Saleh Alsaadi; Sami Miniaoui

Addresses: College of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Dubai (UD), P.O. Box 1413, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Information Technology and Smart Solutions Projects Department, Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AJCCI), P.O. Box 12322, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ' College of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Dubai (UD), P.O. Box 1413, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: This study attempts to determine the concept and meaning of happiness for customers in the United Arab Emirates by understanding user preferences for governmental services. Focusing on three sectors, health, education, and utility, this study intends to highlight the main happiness indices and show how the level of priority or importance of these indices can differ between sectors. The results reveal that time is the most vital happiness factor for customers in the utility sector, followed by quality and cost. In contrast, in both the education and health sectors, quality is the most vital factor, followed by time and cost. Three models were generated for the selected sectors-based on keywords extracted from interviewee responses. Furthermore, customers in the United Arab Emirates prefer on-the-spot feedback tools to out-of-the-spot tools. The analysis results of the qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys can facilitate and guide the development and selection of appropriate feedback tools. Finally, some feedback tools are proposed based on the happiness indices of customers and the study results.

Keywords: happiness index; qualitative research; quantitative research; grounded theory; happiness index parameters; feedback tools; United Arab Emirates; customer satisfaction; smart cities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHD.2018.092044

International Journal of Happiness and Development, 2018 Vol.4 No.2, pp.123 - 136

Received: 24 Aug 2016
Accepted: 28 Apr 2017
Published online: 30 May 2018 *

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