Hasliza Abdul Halim

An exploratory study on cost of quality implementation in Malaysia: The case of Penang manufacturing firms

The main purpose of this study is to explore the cost of quality implementation, the motivation to implement it, and its effect on Malaysian manufacturing firms. A mail survey using a structured questionnaire was used to gather data. The population of the study covers manufacturing firms located in Penang that were listed on the investPenang website [Invest-in-Penang Berhad. (2008). InvestPenang directory. Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://investpenang.gov.my/biz_dir.php] and in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers [(2007). FMM Directory 2007: Malaysian industries (38th ed.). Author] directory. Quality managers and finance managers were selected as key informants because they were deemed to be knowledgeable about the practice of cost of quality. The results show that the implementation of quality costs plays an important role among manufacturing firms, particularly in Penang, as the implementation has helped to reduce customer complaints, rework, warranty expenditure, failure costs, and total quality costs as well as improving the sales volume. The findings suggest that implementation improves firm performance; as such more companies should look at the implementation of cost of quality as a viable alternative to improve their bottom lines. This study adds to the literature by providing a background to the current status of cost of quality implementation in the Malaysian manufacturing sector.

Bridging the Gap of Green IT/IS and Sustainable Consumption

‘Greening’ of business has gained attention across industries and academia. Green information technology (IT) is a critical domain of green information systems (IS) as utilization of environmentally sustainable information and communication technologies (ICTs) facilitates informed decision-making. Green IT and IT for green are at the growth stage among developed countries and at the infancy stage among developing countries. The absence of an established theoretical framework that anchors present and future studies necessitates an examination of peer-reviewed journals and proceedings that are published online. With reference to 10 organizational theories, this study presents an overview of Green IT/IS applications and discusses noteworthy research questions that may guide forthcoming empirical investigations to identify determinants or prospective outcomes of Green IT/IS. Frameworks of a firm’s readiness to go green via eco-sustainable IT practices are discussed from diverse theoretical viewpoints to ground implications, in pertinence to heterogeneous approaches towards the adoption of Green IT/IS. The review also presents practical business opportunities to IT managers of socioeconomic-oriented organizations. As journals and conference papers are the foremost source of reference, emerging developments of this study may also appear in books and white papers. This article establishes linkages between organizational theories and Green IT/IS implementations and presents suggestions on further extensions for those who wish to investigate this field.

HR outsourcing success: does partnership quality variables matter?

Recently, increased attention has been paid to partnership quality in outsourcing strategy. However, research of partnership quality on the outsourcing of human resources (HR) is very limited. Therefore, this research aims at examining the relationship between partnership quality variables (business understanding, trust, commitment, communication and top management) and the success of HR outsourcing. The sample is obtained from a cross sectional survey and the sample studied are 96 manufacturing organizations in Penang, Malaysia. Results indicate that most of the organizations that outsourced HR functions were from electronic and electrical industry. The analyses also show that partnership quality variables such as trust, business understanding and communication have significant positive impact on HR outsourcing success. The study concluded that HR outsourcing as a competitive strategy in Malaysia is still relatively new and probably many of its potential benefits are not fully understood. Therefore, by understanding the relationship with the service providers, the organizations are able to achieve outsourcing success by identifying areas of expected benefits and improvements.

Ethical and Socially Responsible Practices among SME Owner -Managers: Proposing a Multi-Ethnic Assessment

Building on the stakeholder theory, this paper proposes a conceptual framework that looks into the effects of ethical and socially responsible practices on the financial and non-financial performance of SME in Malaysia. This paper argues that ethical and socially responsible commercial practices are seen critical in order to build a strong ground for harmonious business dealings among the multiracial community in Malaysia which could subsequently affect the overall performance of the SMEs. The varying commercial interests, distinct cultural perspectives, and historically distinct skill and trades could provide a rich perceptual framework for understanding the ethical and socially responsible practices in commercial settings. Even though it has been reported that there is minimal cultural distance between Malays, Chinese and Indians, it is likely that the various challenges faced in the commercial settings have some bearings on their perception of ethics and social responsibility. It is envisaged that this research will provide a better insight into the intercultural variation in regards to values, ethical and socially responsible practices among entrepreneurs in Malaysia and promote a better understanding of the linkage of personal values held by three racial groups in Malaysia and their business practices.

The Outsourcing Dilemma on Decision to Outsource Among Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia

Making a decision on outsourcing has posed many difficulties among many organizations, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The outsourcing dilemma surrounds the issue on the factors that influence the outsourcing decisions. Therefore, this study attempts to examine what factors may influence the decision of the SME owners to outsource their business processes. A data sample of 100 SMEs was analyzed to examine the relationship between the factors (business owners’ characteristics, environmental dynamism and strategic orientation) and the decision to outsource more of their business processes which is measured through degree of outsourcing of the respondents. The analysis was then conducted via partial least squares. The results showed several interesting findings: (i) business owners’ characteristics encouraged SME founders/owners to outsource more of their business processes, (ii) environmental dynamism has a negative significant impact on the degree of outsourcing and (iii) the relationship between strategic orientation and outsourcing was not supported. Rational explanations of the unexpected findings were then discussed in this study.

The assessment of Internet addiction among university students: some findings from a focus group

Original scientific paper The university student population has been regarded as one of the most susceptible to developing Internet addiction among all demographic groups of Internet users. This paper reports the findings obtained from a focus group study conducted among 8 undergraduate students on the issue of Internet addiction. Data and insights were sought from the undergraduates regarding their Internet use patterns as well as their response to the Generalized Problematic Internet Usage Scale 2 (GPIUS2). Findings revealed that Internet use patterns have changed in recent times and that the GPIUS2 is an appropriate measurement tool for Internet addiction among students. Other implications from the findings are duly discussed in this paper.

Open and Closed Innovation and Enhanced Performance of SME Hospitals—A Conceptual Model:

Abstract Small and medium hospitals account for 70 percent of private hospitals in India. They account for some 40 percent of the total number of beds and cater to both rural and urban populations. However, despite its prevalence, the performance of small private hospitals is sub-standard leading to many questions regarding the efficiency of its operations. Despite having operated for a long time, there is a dearth of literature regarding the performance of small and medium hospitals in India. Recent innovation practices like open innovation have been used successfully in small and medium enterprises in the manufacturing and service industries and are regarded as a useful tool for improving firm performance. However, after a thorough review of the literature, and upon considering the uniqueness of the medical care industry, the authors argue that closed innovation practices would also play an important role in improving the performance of small and medium hospitals. This research conceptualized a model based on principles of open and closed innovation that could be used to enhance the performance of small and medium hospitals.

Handbook of research on small and medium enterprises in developing countries

Smaller companies are abundant in the business realm and outnumber large companies by a wide margin. Understanding the inner workings of small businesses offers benefits to the consumers and the economy.The Handbook of Research on Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries is an essential handbook for the latest research on the intentions, performance, and application models of independent firms.Featuring exhaustive coverage on a broad range of topics such as green IT, entrepreneurial ventures, and social capital, this publication is ideally designed for researchers, academicians, and practitioners seeking current research on the different opportunities and challenges in relation to this specific sector of business around the globe.

The Ecosystem of Entrepreneurial University: The Case of Higher Education in a Developing Country

In recent times, the propensity to establish a reciprocal association between universities and industries through an interchange of knowledge is becoming greater. In developing countries, the perception of academicians in entrepreneurial universities, however, is mixed. This research aims to satisfy a clear gap in the main field of research whereabouts only recent studies analysed the challenges imposed by knowledge management. The main objective looks into the factors contributing towards advancement of entrepreneurial university paradigms in a developing country, Malaysia. This study carried out a survey among academicians who are currently employed in 15 public and private universities. The majority of the respondents believe their university contains strong elements of entrepreneurism. With respect to previous literature, this study is useful for government and university authorities to formulate guidelines and policies to implement and reinforce the concept of entrepreneurial universities, in order to extend debates concerning the creation of entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Dwelling into Service Innovation Management Practices: A Comparison Between Telecommunication Industry in Malaysia and Bangladesh

In the multifaceted as well as vibrant telecommunications industry, service innovation management is a relatively new paradigm, which has attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners. Thus, this study embarks on to compare the practices of service innovation management between Malaysia and Bangladesh telecommunications industry. The strategy, process, organization, tool/technology and system (SPOTS) model with 26 indicators was employed to compare the management practices among these two countries. A total of 176 managers (98 from Malaysia and 78 from Bangladesh) participated in this research through survey questionnaires. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the 26 indictors on management practices for Malaysian and Bangladesh telecommunications industry. The findings indicated that the management practices were operationalized differently in these two countries. Bangladesh put more emphasis on each of the innovation management practices when compared to Malaysia. It indicates that innovation management is practiced more in the country where the market is in the process of development. The results enable the firms to better compete in an environment which requires innovative changes and global discipline. In fact, the findings provide guidelines for the service sectors in both countries in terms of implementation of innovative enterprises, especially in Bangladesh where innovation is the basis for survival.