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Readability of Modules and its Relationship with Student Performance in Open Distance Learning (ODL)
No full textUsing Random Parameter Logit in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Institutions in Malaysia
No full textAttention has been drawn to Open Distance Learning (ODL) as a mode for teaching and learning with the advancement in communication via the Internet. Education today has expanded the role of ICT in learning and knowledge generation, leveraging on Internet technology to transmit education across the country. Due to the advancement of technology and the introduction of ODL in education, a much heated competition among these private higher education providers in Malaysia has been created. ODL mode offers a flexibility form of learning. Learners of ODL tend to be more challenging to fulfill their needs as they have other commitments in life, therefore, these learners will have certain criteria when choosing their choice of learning education institution. The aim of this study is to investigate the vital attributes that contributes in choosing an ODL higher education institution in Malaysia and to explore the consumers' socioeconomic with consumers' willingness-to-pay fees. Although there are studies on the attributes that influence student choice of a university, but has failed to use the choice experiment method to examine the attributes that influence choice of ODL education provider. The sample population was 320 using face-to-face interview. The results would be able to provide highlight to ODL education provider in Malaysia to make the right marketing strategy. (Abstract by authors
Relationship of individual and organizational factors and employee performance : moderating effects of psychological empowerment in the ceramic tile industry (Abstract and Table of content only)
Get PDFThe Malaysia ceramic tile industry is facing many challenges which include competition from cheap imported tiles from China, increasing costs to procure raw materials as well as the continual increases in natural gas prices, hence causing the production costs to be very high which will have an impact on the industry’s survival. Therefore, one way to boost productivity in order to reduce the labour costs is to have a team of high performing employees. For this reason, this research was initiated to study the factors that could optimize individual employee performance in this industry. Factors that had an influence on employees’ performance in this research were divided into two categories, the first being the independent variables or organisational factors consisting of rewards, procedural justice, organizational culture and psychological empowerment and the second category were the individual factors or demographic factors consisting of employees’ academic background and their tenure at their organizations. Psychological empowerment was also studied to see if it could moderate the relationship between rewards, employees’ academic background and their tenure at their organizations, and employee performance. Based on the factors above, 10 research hypotheses were developed to study their relationships with employee performance. The respondents, totalling 600 employees, were from the supervisory level as they play a significant role in the success or failure of any organization. Questionnaires were given to all respondents and the response rate was 39 %. The completed questionnaires were analysed using SPSS version 20. The results obtained showed that all the independent variables and demographic factors influenced individual employee performance. However, when all the variables were combined together, rewards and employees’ academic background were unable to influence employee performance. The study also found that psychological empowerment did not moderate the relationship between employees’ tenure and their performance. The theoretical implication of this study was that expectancy and goal setting theories were observed by the respondents. The practical implication to employers is that the respondents highlighted the importance of feeling psychologically empowered in order to perform well on their job. The limitation of this study was that it only looked at the supervisory level in the ceramic tile manufacturing sector. Therefore, future research could consider different levels of management and different industries to determine whether if there is any similarity with the results from this study. Besides, this research considered psychological empowerment as a variable and did not study the impact of the four cognitions separately. [ABSTRACT BY AUTHOR
Factors Affecting Retention Intention Among Spa Therapists In Malaysia
No full textThe emergence of the spa industry had created opportunities for the industry to lead in the tourism
sector, as discussed in the 2012 Global Spa and Wellness Summit in Bali. The wellness tourism has
contributed $106 billion in the global industry and generated more revenue than any other sector in
the tourism industry for example, medical tourism. In Malaysia, the spa industry has grown over 200%
since 2002 and has the potential to continuously proliferate. Under the Malaysian Economic
Transformation Program (ETP), among the 12 initiatives budgeted for tourism development, the spa
industry development had caught the attention of private sectors. However, the industry is not without
its problems. Besides competition from neighboring countries like Bali and Thailand, the spa industry
in Malaysia has to also address issues regarding the lack of therapist expertise and service quality.
The “lack of talent” in the spa industry is caused by high staff turnover when compared with the other
services or other products in the tourism industry. Past studies had indicated that retention intention
of employees is highly correlated to the overall job satisfaction. There are limited studies conducted in
Malaysia in relation to spa therapist intention to remain in their job. Other factors that may influence
retention are job related and lack of communication competencies. Personality is also an important
factor where dissatisfaction may occur when it does not go well with the job. [ABSTRACT BY AUTHORS
The Role Of Lifelong Learning In Human Capital Development: The Malaysian Blueprint
Get PDFThe introductory line “lifelong learning is the third pillar in human capital development” is the resounding and definitive statement from the Blueprint on Enculturation of Lifelong Learning for Malaysia (2011-2020). Unveiled in November 2011, the Blueprint represents the country’s first manifest address of this increasingly important component in the nation’s educational agenda. As the country braces herself for 2020 – a landmark year when we hope to achieve developed nation status, lifelong learning and the education of working adults and the labour force play a crucial role in any initiative leading to national development and economic progress. This is the fundamental reason behind the enhancement of human capital development – ensuring a knowledgeable and skilful workforce is a crucial factor for a robust and competitive economy. Now more than three years since the unveiling of the Blueprint, acculturating lifelong learning in Malaysia is still an ongoing process and there is much for all education stakeholders and other relevant agencies must accomplish in order to help Malaysia achieve her national aspirations. Such strategies to further the cause of lifelong learning include reviewing our current nationwide status; learning from global examples; and leveraging on various approaches to learning, including open and distance learning (ODL) and work-based professional development. This keynote address will describe lifelong learning and human capital development in the Malaysian context as well as introduce the Blueprint as an important document in this agenda. This paper will also introduce several global examples in lifelong learning that can help guide Malaysia to greater success in acculturating lifelong learning and ensure that this educational agenda can be translated into tangible outcomes. Finally, this paper will also briefly share some of the lifelong learning initiatives put forth by Open University Malaysia (OUM) with the hope of contributing to the overall development of the nation’s human capital
Investigating the Role of Perceived Brand Quality and Normative Influence on Prestige Branded Apparel Purchase Intention of Youths in Malaysia
No full textLuxury or prestige brands have been bought by consumers for various reasons such as to project status or to
project an identity. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between perceived quality of prestige
brands and apparel purchase intention. Additionally, the relationship between normative influence and apparel
purchase intention is also investigated. The focus of the study is on the effects of the constructs stated on
purchase intention among youths in Malaysia. The study specifically focuses on youths in Malaysia due to the
fact that Malaysia is considered a demographically young nation with 60 percent of the population under the
age of 30 and having a population where the median age is 28. Questionnaires were distributed using a
convenient sampling method to students from a local university. Descriptive analysis was done on the data
collected and the stated constructs were tested on reliability and validity. The relationship between the
constructs was then tested using structural equation modeling. Findings of the study indicated that the perceived
quality of prestige brands and normative influence have a positive relationship with apparel purchase intention
behavior among youths in Malaysia. The study provides insights to apparel retailers on the role of perceived
quality of prestige brands and normative roles towards apparel purchase intention. [abstract by authors
The effect of Total Productive Management practices on manufacturing performance through SECS/GEM Standard for electronic contract manufacturing companies (TOC, Abstract, chapter 1 and Reference only)
Get PDFIn an environment of intense global competition, it pays to consider both creative and
proven systems that can be used to bring about effective and efficient manufacturing
operation. Many electronic contract manufacturing companies have put forth huge
amounts of effort and resources to achieve precise and reliable measurement of
equipment performance. The objective of a concise measurement is to optimise this piece
of asset for every dollar invested. However, it has failed on numerous attempts to achieve
the desirable result due to hardware limitations, low degrees of data accuracy and the
need for manual intervention. Integrating Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
methodology with SEMI Equipment Communication Standard (SECS) with Generic
Equipment Model (GEM) enables data acquisition in a concise manner and keeps track of
all real-time transactions that have taken place between the operator and the equipment.
To achieve this integration process, a fast-track TPM implementation approach is
required by re-engineering the TPM implementation process. The Re-Engineered TPM
approach comprises of three TPM pillars (Asset Productivity (AP), Autonomous
Maintenance (AM) and Planned Maintenance (PM)) instead of the original eight pillars.
Apart from three TPM pillars, also included are SECS/GEM standard, direct and indirect
labour utilisation hours, material and overhead cost. The main objective of this study is to
determine whether the re-engineering effort, based on these three TPM pillars,
SECS/GEM standard together with labour and cost, are able to minimise losses in
production process and have positive impact on Output (Manufacturing Performance).
The study also aims at evaluating whether the SECS/GEM standard integration with
Autonomous Maintenance has the capability of real-time monitoring equipment
performance on the production floor. Furthermore, the study aims to assess the impact on
productivity, namely, the Output (Manufacturing Performance).
The three years, monthly data for the study was collected from ten Electronic Contract
Manufacturing (ECM) companies in Johor, Malaysia. The data was analysed through
descriptive statistics, regression analysis and panel data analysis. Based on the panel data
analysis, the Hausman Test revealed that the Fixed Effects model was found to be the
optimal model for this study. The result shows that six independent variables were
significant, while one independent variable was not. The insignificant independent
variable was SECS/GEM standard integration with Autonomous Maintenance. Further
analysis was conducted through a qualitative study. The additional analysis shows that
ECM companies do not fully understand the possible application of the SECS/GEM
standard integration with Autonomous Maintenance in their manufacturing environment.
Therefore, minimum effort was deployed by ECM companies in incorporating this
standard into their equipment maintenance platform. However, these days many ECM companies have started to purchase equipment with SECS/GEM standard in order to
facilitate smoother future integration with Autonomous Maintenance or with other TPM
pillars. This total integration of TPM (three pillars), SECS/GEM standard, labour and
cost provides an avenue to monitor and address the operational losses in the production
equipment in a timely manner. This system paves the way to improving Output
(Manufacturing Performance)
Employers’ Expectation and Satisfaction of Open and Distance Learning Graduates
Get PDFIn this new age of globalization, human capital investment is crucial in
preparing a workforce that meets the rapidly changing industry needs. There
is now a critical need to re-examine the function of Open University
Malaysia as a higher education provider which provides opportunities for the
further re-skilling and up-skilling of people who are already employed. Open
University Malaysia is able to contribute significantly to lifelong learning
efforts for these working adults, however, these institutions have constantly
been regarded as ‘the lower quality alternative’ with their flexible entry policy
and flexible delivery and learning modes. This paper examines the extent to
which Open University Malaysia, the country's premier ODL university trains
and develops its graduates to meet employers' expectations with regard to
the different types of skills required at the workplace. Printed questionnaires
were sent via postal mail to employers of the December 2013 graduates of
the Bachelor degree programmes. Responses of 109 out of a total of 600
(18.2%) employers were analysed using quadrant and gap analysis for four
dimensions of employability skills namely, Knowledge and Understanding,
General Qualities, General Skills and Specialized Skills. Quadrant analysis
indicates that General Qualities fall in the strength quadrant, followed by
General Skills, but to a lesser extent. Specialized Skills and Knowledge and
Understanding were placed in the low priority quadrant. In the overall
evaluation, 90.8% of employers were “satisfied” and “very satisfied” with
employee’s knowledge and skills; 59.6% indicated that general performance
of the OUM graduates are “better” and “much better” compared to others
and 89.0% are likely to employ graduates from OUM. The positive findings
serve as evidence on the success of OUM in fulfilling its role in enhancing
general qualities and skills that are synonymous to lifelong learning skills
expected by employers. [ABSTRACT BY AUTHORS
Learners’ Perception of an Institution’s Reputation: Quantitative Evidence from the OUM 2014 Tracer Study
Get PDFThe objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between
curriculum, assessment system, teaching staff, facilities,
knowledge and skills, effectiveness of study programmes against
the learners' perception of the institution’s reputation at Open
University Malaysia (OUM). The data was derived from an online
tracer study conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE),
Malaysia via a set of standard questionnaire, which in part,
evaluates the responses from Malaysian graduates on the
reputation of their alma maters. This paper presents the results of
the study conducted on a total of 1,273 respondents of the 2014
batch of OUM graduates. A total of 933 usable data from the
online survey was used for analysis. Focus group discussion was
undertaken to provide justification for the content validity of the
instrument. A regression analysis was conducted and the result
shows that assessment system, teaching staff, and effectiveness
of study programmes have a significant effect on learners'
perception of the institution’s reputation. [ABSTRACT BY AUTHORS
Visualizing the Invisible: Social Constructions of Straight Identified Men Who Have Sex With Transsexuals and Feminized Gay Men On/Off Malaysian Film
No full textAbstract
This article examines an “invisible” group of Malaysian men who—although straight identified and gender socialized to eroticize and have sexual relations with natural-born females—also secretly have sex with transsexuals and/or feminized gay men, incidentally or occasionally. Specifically, the article looks at how these otherwise heteronormative men are socially constructed in 2 forms of social texts, namely, Malaysian films and interview-derived narratives of transsexuals and feminized gay men. These social texts are parsed through Simon and Gagnon’s (1986) theory of sexual scripting to yield 4 constructions of the men under focus: the accidental, the repentant, the volitional, and the cloacal. The contention of this article is that the invisibility of these men is causally linked to the prevailing cultural scenarios in Malaysia that are heavily shaped by political Islamism and weighted in favor of the heteronormative male gender/sex. The article argues also that the invisibility of these men does not render them static and that their sexual practices and the meanings they attach to them have been evolving radically since the mid-1990s, even as the cultural scenarios in Malaysia are becoming increasingly intolerant of nonheteronormative genders and sexualities. (Abstract by author