9143 research outputs found
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The efficiency of Islamic Bank in Malaysia and Indonesia : An analysis of DEA
Get PDFIslamic banking efficiency depends on a number of factors, including competition with conventional banks, regulatory frameworks, and business policies. There has to be an adequate methodological framework to ensure that efficiency is measured correctly to achieve a proper picture of bank performance. The present study takes into account the efficiency of Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic banks from 2006 to 2023, employing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate Technical Efficiency (TE), Pure Technical Efficiency (PTE), and Scale Efficiency (SE). 24 Islamic banks, 12 from each of two countries, were studied to evaluate financial performance, operating effectiveness, and efficiency trends. The results show considerable variations in banking efficiency across the two countries. In Malaysia, Islamic banks have shown consistent improvements in efficiency, with TE rising from 0.73 in 2006 to 0.97 in 2023. Most banks, including ALI, CITI and MBI maintained optimal levels of efficiency throughout reflecting good management and scale operations. Conversely, Indonesian Islamic banking sector experienced greater volatility, with TE declining significantly between 2015 and 2017 to a low of 0.58 in 2017. However, there has been a recovery trend since 2018, indicating efforts to enhance operating efficiency. While Malaysia’s banks benefited from stable regulatory frameworks and market maturity, Indonesian banks faced challenges related to scale inefficiencies and fluctuating financial conditions. The study contributes to understanding efficiency dynamics in Islamic banking and offers insights for policymakers, regulators, and banking institutions. It emphasizes the importance of effective asset management, operational strategies, and regulatory policies in sustaining efficiency. However, limitations such as data availability, external economic influences, and methodological constraints are acknowledge
The implementation of Ar Rahnu practices as a micro financing facility : a study of banking and non-banking institution
Get PDFAr-Rahnu, or Islamic pawn broking, is an alternative to conventional pawn broking based on Islamic principles. It provides a form of micro financing that adheres to ethical conduct, ensuring that no interest is charged. Through Ar Rahnu, individuals can access quick liquidity by pledging collateral. In a modern economy, there is no doubt that banks are a key contributor to the financial and economic prosperity. People, communities, and organizations depend on banks for the fulfillment of their financial resources and financial needs. Now, Ar Rahnu has been recognized and integrated to complement Islamic financial product offered by banking institutions. Simply put, Ar Rahnu is offered by banking institutions, in addition to Ar Rahnu institutions. Commonly, people access financing from banks. However, when it comes to accessing micro financing through Ar Rahnu, people tend to choose Ar Rahnu institutions over banks, even though the banks also offer Ar Rahnu services. This paper aims to critically review the current Ar Rahnu practices, the challenges faced by Ar Rahnu, and the solutions to Ar Rahnu challenges provided by both banking and non-banking institutions in the northern states of Perlis and Kedah. The study employed a qualitative approach by conducting in-depth interviews, and was restricted to a sample of only four different Ar-Rahnu providers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that the tawarruq concept is currently practiced and utilized among Ar Rahnu providers. All informants interviewed revealed different challenges, such as gold price volatility, fake gold pledged, and competition. Based on the results, several recommendations are made regarding the best practices for sustaining Ar Rahnu in the future
Instructional design model of mobile augmented reality for enhancing comprehension, learning engagement and perceived motivation in students with diverse spatial visualization abilities
Get PDFDespite various design models that have been proposed and adapted for mobile augmented reality (MAR) applications development, none has addressed the integration of comprehension, learning engagement, and perceived motivation elements in learning Computer System Organization (CSO) among polytechnic students’ students with diverse Spatial Visualization Abilities (SVA). This leaves a critical gap in the development of design models in educational technology for MARbased learning environments. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Mobile Augmented Reality Instructional Design Model (MARID) for polytechnic students with diverse SVA. Based on the MARID model, two MAR applications were designed and developed; Mobile Augmented Reality Functional Realism (MARCO-FR) and Mobile Augmented Reality Physical Realism (MARCO-PR). Both were designed for the CSO course. A quasi-experimental factorial design was used to examine the effects of the independent variables of MARCO modes, which were the MARCO-FR and MARCO-PR on the dependent variables: comprehension, learning engagement, and perceived motivation, moderated by the students’ SVA. This study involved 200 polytechnic students who were assigned to use one of the MARCO modes. Research procedures included pre-tests, post-tests, expert validation, and alpha-beta testing. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics which is ANOVA. Findings revealed that students using MARCO-FR demonstrated significantly higher performance in comprehension, learning engagement, and perceived motivation compared to those using MARCO-PR, across both high and low SVA levels. High SVA students showed exceptional improvements in comprehension and learning engagement with MARCO-FR, attributed to its visual realism and emphasis on spatial procedural knowledge. Low SVA students also benefited from both MARCO modes, although their performance gains were more pronounced with MARCO-FR. This study highlights MARID as an effective instructional design model for MAR to address diverse learning needs. MARCO-FR is recommended for students across SVA levels, while MARCO-PR offers potential for broader applications. This research contributes to integrating MAR into instructional design for technical education and advancing educational technolog
Selection of private early childhood education center in Alor Setar using AHP-TOPSIS method
Get PDFThe selection of a suitable Early Childhood Education (ECE) center is a complex decision influenced by multiple challenges and criteria. Selection of an ECE center that relies solely on subjective parental preferences can result in inconsistent and biased choices. This study aims to assist parents in selecting the most preferred ECE center in Alor Setar by proposing a comprehensive framework that integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to systematically evaluate and rank ECE centers. Based on a literature review and a pilot study, five main selection criteria were identified: fees, location, curriculum, learning methodologies, and safety. Six ECE centers in Alor Setar were evaluated: Little Caliphs, Brainy Bunch, Sinaran Montessori, Methodist Kindergarten, Span Kids, and Ilmi Orchard Montessori. AHP was used to determine the weight of each criterion based on pairwise comparisons between the criteria, while TOPSIS was applied to rank the ECE centers based on the determined criterion weights. Thirty parents participated in this study to assess the best ECE center according to their preferences. The result showed that safety (0.3711) was the most important criterion for parents when choosing an ECE center, followed by location (0.1792) and curriculum (0.1589). Meanwhile, Span Kids emerged as the most preferred ECE center in Alor Setar, followed by Methodist Kindergarten and Ilmi Orchard Montessori. This study provides clear guidance for parents in selecting an ECE center that aligns with their priorities, ensuring that children receive a safe and high-quality environment for their early development. Furthermore, the study offers valuable input to ECE center management to improve their service quality, which in turn positively impacts the community by providing better early childhood education
Hermite-Hadamard, Jensen’s, Fejér’s, and Simpson’s new inequalities for a merging between two convex functions
Get PDFInequalities are widely used to find the optimal solution for optimisation, engineering and linear programming problems. In previous works, only a single convex function such as s-convex, h-convex and g-convex functions were used to construct the inequalities namely Hermite-Hadamard, Jensen’s, Fejér’s, and Simpson’s inequalities. These inequalities use the properties of a single convex function but can only address a limited number of problems. By combining these convex functions, more problems can be solved, therefore their applicability to various fields. Thus, this study aims to construct new inequalities by combining three single convex functions namely sconvex, h-convex and g-convex functions. The approach of combining two or more
classes of convex functions to form hybrid convex function classes aims to extend mathematical inequalities. The findings of the study establish various extensions of the Hermite-Hadamard, Jensen’s, Fejér’s, and Simpson’s inequalities for new classes of functions with hybrid convexity properties. These results are further formulated as
theorems to derive error estimations for the Simpson’s, midpoint, and trapezoidal rules and also to determine the mean value of real numbers. These error estimations are found more accurate compared to the existing inequalities. Within the framework of convexity combinations, this study contributes significantly to the field by providing various extensions of the Hermite-Hadamard, Jensen’s, Fejér’s, and Simpson’s inequalities for hybrid convex functions. In conclusion, this study enhanced mathematical inequalities, optimizing solutions in various fields while preserving convexity properties and extending classical integral approximation methods
Faktor dan kesan struktural tadbir urus di Malaysia dalam konteks kerjasama Laluan Sutera Baharu China, 2013-2023
Get PDFInisiatif Jalur dan Laluan (BRI) merupakan sebuah strategi peralihan ekonomi yang direncanakan oleh Presiden China, Xi Jinping pada tahun 2013. Matlamat inisiatif ini adalah untuk mewujudkan ketersambungan dalam kerjasama maritim antara China dan negara-negara global, termasuk negara-negara anggota ASEAN. Didorong oleh manfaat berterusan yang boleh diperolehi daripada projek-projek BRI, Malaysia telah menunjukkan kerjasama positif dengan kerajaan China dalam merealisasikan projek pembangunan mega ini. Sememangnya penglibatan kerjasama yang berstruktur dan bersepadu antara kerajaan dan pihak ketiga, khususnya komuniti tempatan, adalah penting dalam memudahkan aliran pelaburan ekonomi China melalui BRI. Kedinamikan dualisme di antara kedua-dua entiti ini mengukuhkan agenda BRI China dalam menembusi ekonomi tempatan secara agresif. Persoalannya, adakah tadbir urus Malaysia dalam membangunkan projek-projek BRI melibatkan dualisme, terutamanya pihak ketiga, iaitu rakyat, seperti yang digariskan oleh Anthony Giddens dalam teori strukturasinya. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti jurang dalam amalan tadbir urus dalam pengurusan projek-projek BRI di Malaysia. Ia juga menganalisis strategi tadbir urus yang melibatkan proses dualisme dalam melaksanakan projek-projek ini. Kesan strukturasi tadbir urus terhadap projek-projek tersebut turut disintesiskan di dalam kajian ini. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan penyelidikan kualitatif dan mengumpul data primer melalui temu bual berstruktur dengan sepuluh informan utama yang dipilih. Selain itu, kajian ini memanfaatkan data sekunder untuk menghubungkan Teori Strukturasi dan Teori Birokrasi, sambil menjawab tiga persoalan kajian yang disasarkan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tiga penemuan utama berdasarkan tiga objektif kajian yang disasarkan: kegagalan merangka polisi, keraguan dan kekaburan di kalangan rakyat, serta isu lokalisasi dalam pelaksanaan BRI. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini menekankan kesan signifikan dualisme terhadap tadbir urus Malaysia dalam konteks kerjasama BR
Pengaruh kepimpinan autentik guru besar dan resiliensi motivasi pengajaran guru sekolah rendah di Negeri Terengganu
Get PDFDalam kepimpinan moden masa kini, usaha melestarikan pemimpin autentik bertaraf dunia menjadi keutamaan yang sejajar dengan perkembangan revolusi industri (IR) 4.0. Namun, motivasi pengajaran dalam kalangan guru dilihat semakin berkurangan disebabkan beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhinya termasuk kepimpinan autentik guru besar yang berkesan dan resiliensi guru yang rendah. Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan menguji pengaruh kepimpinan autentik guru besar dan resiliensi terhadap motivasi pengajaran guru sekolah rendah di Negeri Terengganu. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif melalui kajian tinjauan secara rentasan. Seramai 436 orang guru dari 64 buah sekolah rendah di sekitar Negeri Terengganu dipilih sebagai responden yang terdiri daripada guru-guru sekolah rendah yang bernaung di bawah Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. Sampel kajian dipilih menggunakan teknik pensampelan rawak berlapis. Manakala, instrumen kajian diadaptasi daripada Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Teachers’ Resilience Scale, dan Teachers’ Motivation Scale. Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif, statistik inferensi, dan Pemodelan Persamaan Struktur (SEM) dengan bantuan perisian IBM-SPSS-AMOS. Kepimpinan autentik guru besar diukur melalui empat dimensi iaitu Ketelusan Dalam Perhubungan, Penghayatan Nilai Moral, Keseimbangan Memproses Maklumat, dan Kesedaran Diri. Resiliensi guru pula diukur melalui empat dimensi iaitu Kecekapan dan Kebolehpercayaan Individu, Pengaruh Kerohanian, Rakan Sekerja, serta Kemahiran Sosial & Sokongan Rakan Sebaya. Manakala, motivasi pengajaran guru diukur melalui lima dimensi iaitu Efikasi Personal, Efikasi Pengajaran, Efikasi Keberhasilan, Mina, dan Usaha. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa kepimpinan autentik guru besar mempunyai pengaruh signifikan terhadap resiliensi guru. Manakala, resiliensi guru mempunyai pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap motivasi pengajaran guru. Kajian ini juga berjaya membangunkan sebuah Model Kepimpinan Autentik Guru Besar yang berpotensi memberi alternatif kepada guru besar dalam menjalankan fungsi kepimpinan autentik dengan berkesan. Implikasi daripada kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa peranan kepimpinan autentik guru besar adalah penting dalam meningkatkan resiliensi guru yang menyokong motivasi pengajaran guru di sekola
An improved partial comparison optimization for utilizing landfill facilities in a waste collection vehicle routing problem
Get PDFThe Waste Collection Vehicle Routing Problem (WCVRP) involves optimizing vehicle routes to minimize travel distance, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and the number of vehicles used. However, existing models often neglect distant landfill sites, leading to imbalanced landfill utilization and shortened facility lifespans. Thus, this study introduces a new constraint to ensure the effective use of all landfill sites in WCVRP. To integrate this constraint, an enhanced Partial Comparison Optimization (PCO) algorithm is proposed. PCO is a single-solution-based metaheuristic previously shown to be effective in solving Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP). The improved PCO incorporates a Nearest Greedy (NG) algorithm for initial solution construction, dynamic parameter adjustment, and two additional neighborhood operators. The algorithm is tested on datasets containing up to 2000 customers across three landfill capacity scenarios. Scenario 1 assumes unlimited landfill capacity, Scenario 2 distributes waste equally among landfills, while Scenario 3 assigns higher capacities to certain landfills. The results indicate that Scenarios 2 and 3 increase travel distances and vehicle counts compared to Scenario 1. However, both scenarios achieve a more balanced distribution of landfill usage. On average, NG produced 1157.37 kg of CO₂ emissions, reduced by 3.49% using PCO and 10.07% with improved PCO. Similarly, NG’s travel distance of 1208.11 miles decreased by 15.77% with PCO and 29.57% with improved PCO. Additionally, NG required 106 vehicles, which is reduced by six through PCO and improved PCO. These findings demonstrate that the improved PCO significantly outperforms both the NG and the existing PCO. Consequently, the proposed approach offers a more efficient and environmentally sustainable solution to WCVRP. This study provides valuable insights for waste management authorities in selecting operational strategies that optimize both resource utilization and environmental impact
The influence of job demand, organizational constraint, work life balance and proactive coping on job performance
Get PDFThis study examined the factors influencing job performance among academicians in Malaysia higher educational institutions. The factors influence namely job demand, organizational constraints, work-life balance and proactive coping. Job performance was measured by integrating task performance and contextual performance. A total of 396 academicians participated from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Sains Malaysia Universiti (USM) and Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) in this study. Regression analysis was performed to test the research hypotheses. The findings revealed that job demands and organizationa l constraints have a significant negative relationship with job performance, whereas work-life balance and proactive coping exhibit significant positive relationships. Discussions elaborated on the research findings. Additionally, this study also discussed theoretical and practical implications , limitations of the study, directions for future research, and conclusio
Investigating operational excellence in oil and gas upstream activities
Get PDFThe upstream oil and gas industry operates in a highly complex and volatile environment, facing challenges such as fluctuating oil prices, stringent regulations, and rising environmental and operational risks. These challenges necessitate strategic management of operational performance to ensure long-term sustainability and competitiveness. This study examines a key player company in the industry, focusing on critical performance determinants, including resource optimization, efficiency, and competitiveness. Guided by four research questions, this study explores performance management practices, the role of human resource strategies, the impact of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) protocols, and the effect of technology adoption. A qualitative research approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with 10 key respondents, thematic analysis, framed within the Resource-Based View, Human Capital Theory, Risk Management Theory, and Socio-Technical Systems Theory. Findings highlight that cost, quality, delivery, and flexibility are key dimensions of operational performance. Effective human resource strategies enhance employee engagement and adaptability, while HSE protocols mitigate risks and improve workforce morale. Furthermore, technological advancements such as automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) significantly enhance efficiency and resilience. The primary contribution of this study is the development of a tailored operational performance management framework, integrating strategic insights with practical recommendations. This framework provides the company with a roadmap to enhance efficiency and sustain a competitive edge. Broader industry implications emphasize the importance of aligning operational strategies with performance metrics to navigate industry complexities effectively. This research offers valuable insights for oil and gas firms striving to enhance operational effectiveness in an evolving market landscape