Chen-Chen Yong

Does total quality management reduce employees' role conflict?

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the total quality management (TQM) practices of both manufacturing and service firms in order to determine the relationship between the multidimensionality of TQM practices and role conflict of employees., – Questionnaires are distributed to 433 employees of 98 different firms from manufacturing and service industries in Malaysia., – The results support significant negative correlation among all TQM practices (i.e. leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, human resource focus, process management and information analysis) and role conflict. By employing multiple regression analysis, leadership, process management and information analysis are found to have significant and negative relationship with role conflict. Human resource focus is reported to have a significant and positive relationship with role conflict., – This model is ideal for practical usage by managers to evaluate the perceptions of role conflict of employees in TQM‐oriented firms. The findings suggest that firms should look into ways of developing the major roles of leadership and process management as well as improving efficient use of information analysis in order to reduce the detrimental role conflict of employees. This finding may also help administrators and individuals to attain a fine‐grained understanding of different dimensions of TQM in relation to role conflict., – TQM practices appear to be related to role conflict, addressing an apparent noticeable gap in the literature of TQM and the psychological well‐being of employees. This paper also lays the foundation for formation of a theoretically based model which integrates the elements of TQM and role conflict.

Multidimensional and mediating relationships between TQM, role conflict and role ambiguity: A role theory perspective

This study examines the multidimensional and mediating relationships between six total quality management (TQM) practices, role conflict and role ambiguity. Survey data are collected from 422 employees from ISO-certified firms in Malaysia. With the use of structural equation modelling, the findings indicate that higher levels of process management and information analysis lead to lower levels of role conflict. The presence of a quality-oriented human resource focus induces higher levels of role conflict. Strategic planning is negatively related to role ambiguity. Customer focus and role conflict are found to be independently and positively related to role ambiguity. Role conflict is found to be a full mediator between the following: human resource focus and role ambiguity; process management and role ambiguity; information analysis and role ambiguity. The research model serves as a diagnostic tool for the organisational administrators to manage the individual employee stress behaviour by leveraging current TQM practices, and fine-tune the right characteristics to reduce undesirable role conflict and role ambiguity. The study and its findings have filled a research gap in the literature of TQM and psychological well-being of employees. The inclusion of mediating effects in this study is an important aspect that other studies have not considered.

The determinants of vertical intra-industry trade in SITC 8: The case of ASEAN-5 and China

The bilateral trade between Asia and United States (US) was diluted since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. On the other hand, trade ties between Asia and China has been strengthened as China has emerged as the regional and global manufacturing powerhouse attributable to her abundance of labor and aggressiveness of open door policies. In light of the rapid development of regional production networks, vertical intra-industry trade (VIIT) has become increasingly important in Asia. The dynamic changes of Asia’s trade networking have reinforced ASEAN-5’s (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) desire to boost the development of VIIT with China in manufactured products. This study seeks to identify the determinants for VIIT between ASEAN-5 and China in the miscellaneous manufacturing sector (SITC 8). The VIIT indices, computed using the decomposition type threshold method, were subjected to panel data analysis using spatial panel model. The explanatory variables consists of ASEAN-5’s FDI in China (FDI), differences in GDP between each ASEAN-5 country and China (DGDP), trade openness (TO) and spatial interaction effect of VIIT (SVIIT). Spatial panel model is adopted in this study as it is strongly believed that spillover effects among ASEAN-5 countries are present. The data used comprise annual statistics from 1993 to 2009. The econometric results show that trade openness is the significant determinant of VIIT as it reduces trading costs and service costs and provides greater opportunity for production fragmentation and results in greater intensity of VIIT between ASEAN-5 and China. The econometric results also confirm the presence of spatial interaction effects among ASEAN-5 as SVIIT is significant. The negative coefficient of SVIIT signifies intense competition among ASEAN-5 countries on VIIT with China in SITC 8. To transform the competition into complementation, ASEAN Economic Community can play a pivotal role as it is a good channel for each ASEAN-5 country to leverage their comparative advantage respectively, and sustain the bilateral trade with China in SITC 8.

A paradigm for developing TQM-Role Stressors model and index

TQM practices have been increasingly implemented in both manufacturing and service organizations, yet research has neglected the study of role stressors induce from the implementation of TQM practices. Drawing from the extant TQM and role stressors literature, this paper examines the relationship between TQM and role stressors by addressing three critical gaps: (1) conceptualizing the multidimensionality of TQM practices as a preventive approach to role stressors; (2) formulating TQM-Role Stressors index for the use of industrial benchmarking; and (3) constructing a model for assessing the nonlinear influences of TQM on role stressors. This study concludes with a discussion of potential practical applications of the TQM-Role Stressors index and model for longitudinal study aimed at deepening our understanding of the role of TQM practices in reducing undesirable role stressors experienced by employees.

The impact of exchange rate regimes on economic growth: Empirical study of a set of developing countries during the period 1974–2006

ABSTRACT An increment in the quantity of services/goods manufactured per-head of the population over time denotes economic growth of a country. Exchange Rate Intermediate Regimes are unable to continue under conditions of capital movement. To examine the relationship between exchange rate regimes and economic growth. This study has kept its focus on the economic growth of a set of developing countries during the years (1974–2006). Fixed effects and pooled regression for 16 developing countries have been incorporated as the methodologies techniques for data. Analysis of data was performed through SPSS. A relationship between exchange rate regimes and economic growth has been identified through statistical approaches. The results indicated that as compared to flexible exchange regime, growth rate was higher by 1.2% when fixed exchange regime was adopted; and a growth rate of 0.64% was achieved under the intermediate regime when compared with the flexible regime. A positive impact has been identified in exchange rate regimes upon economic growth of the developing countries. Countries following the flexible exchange rates are facing scarcity for the existence of advanced financial systems, which deprives them of enjoying the benefits of flexible regime.

Work satisfaction among nurses in a private hospital

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine job satisfaction and its contributing factors among nurses in a Malaysian private hospital. A survey was carried out on 209 nurses in a Malaysian private hospital. The Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS) developed by Stamps was adopted to measure the level of job satisfaction among nurses. The overall IWS was 11.7. Nurses below 30 years old had lower IWS than those aged 30 and over. The low level of job satisfaction among nurses was reflected by the lowest scores on pay, task requirements, and organizational policies, all in the second quartile of satisfaction level. This survey shows low job satisfaction among nurses from a private hospital, especially with the low pay. Nurses are more concerned with aspects that affect their personal well-being directly. Hence, hospital management should consider a more attractive remuneration, as well as other incentives to increase job satisfaction among the nurses.

SPATIAL PANEL ANALYSIS ON ASEAN–CHINA TRADE LINKS

The change of trade structures from the dynamic development of production networks globally had caused processing trade to become more prominent in China. This change drives ASEAN5 to be more aggressive in developing vertical intra-industry trade (VIIT) with China. This study aims to identify the catalysts that strengthened the VIIT relationship between ASEAN5 and China for manufacturing sub-sectors. Both decomposition-type threshold method and spatial panel econometric modelling are used and the results show that foreign direct investment (FDI) and difference in gross domestic products (DGDP) are the influential determinants of VIIT although their impacts vary across manufacturing sub-sectors. The results also confirm the presence of spatial interaction effects among ASEAN5 countries in relation to China’s trade. These suggest that deeper economic integration among ASEAN5 countries is vital in strengthening bilateral VIIT with China. Moreover, to foster the value chain between the two regions, emphasis on performing similar tasks with differentiated varieties of products is essential as the two regions have similar comparative advantages.

Cost estimation and planning for HIV/AIDS oral healthcare services: a Malaysian experiment

Background Reuters reported that 8400 HIV cases were detected in the voluntary screening of drug addicts in Harm Reduction Programmes, and screening in prison and Narcotics Rehabilitation Centers in 2011. However, dental treatment for HIV inmates is highly constrained by high uncertainty resulting from the changes of epidemic profile after receiving medical treatment, relative inadequacy of dental treatment and rules and regulations. Thus institutional HIV dental care cost could pose challenges to government healthcare expenditure. Methods The marginal cost for dental treatment is estimated based on the case scenario of prison X in Malaysia. Based on literature review and economic reasoning, an integrated cost planning model is formed to address the current needs in cost planning. Results The marginal cost for prison dental treatment is estimated to increase by at least 3 folds for prevalence cases and by at least 7 folds for surveillance case in short run. The cost pyramid is formed with the base of cost-consequences, cost efficiency and cost effectiveness planning followed by cost benefit and financial risk planning at the second layer, and cost utility planning at the peak layer. All cost planning components are integrated vertically and horizontally. Conclusion HIV dental care costs for inmates will be at the expense of government revenue if the increased marginal cost is above the average cost. Therefore, cost estimation coupled with the integrated cost planning model is essential for evaluation, monitoring and budget allocation enhancement.