izan Md Nor

Job Satisfaction Amongst Employees in Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) in the Manufacturing Sector: A Malaysian Case

ABSTRACT In the era of global business, quality of human resources, skilled and knowledgeable employees are highly essential. It is frequently noted that quality human resources act as a prerequisite for competitive advantage and competitive edge of any business. This is especially so in the case of small and medium industries (SMIs), considered as “the seeds” from which large organizations and big corporations are grown. Similarly, previous studies indicate that high turnover of employees undeniably affects production, productivity, profitability and hence hinders further growth of any business, small, medium and large alike. While there are a number of empirical studies on employees, their working environment, and job satisfaction, only a few have based their data on SMIs. In view of this, a survey was carried out on 243 employees of SMIs in Kuala Terengganu in late 2004 to address some of the issues above in the context of SMIs. Interestingly, the study found that the surveyed employees were relatively young, unmarried, new in the length of service and low educational attainment as well as low level of income. Surprisingly however, they were generally satisfied with their working environment and job, including their salary, task, co-worker, supervision and promotion. Furthermore, it was found that occupational categories correlate significantly with level of job satisfaction. That is, the higher the occupational categories are, the higher the level of job satisfaction. The study concludes that while SMIs should upgrade skills among their employees, government policies should also be more favorable so that a more conducive working environment and job satisfaction in SMIs could be created.

An Indicator-Based Approach to Sustainability Monitoring and Mainstreaming at Universiti Sains Malaysia

This chapter presents the results of the research we have been doing to develop a new methodology to monitor and mainstream sustainability throughout Universiti Sains Malaysia, in keeping with our new vision of “Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” We have focused both on global sustainability challenges and on campus sustainability. In the first part of our research we developed a new tool, a Sustainability Assessment Methodology (SAM), to assess the sustainability content of courses and projects. This method involves a screening step, consisting of three generic questions; an identification step, with 24 more specific questions; and a classification step, in which the results of steps 1 and 2 are used to classify courses and projects as either Green (High), Yellow (Medium), or Red (Low) in terms of sustainability. When we used SAM to do a USM Sustainability Audit, out of 2671 courses examined, 44 % were found to have elements of at least one pillar of the “Triple Bottom Line” sustainability model, 27 % had elements of two pillars, and 9 % had elements of all three pillars. In the second part of our research, we developed a Framework with Four Worksheets that presented targets, tasks, and timelines for sustainability infusion at all levels of USM’s activities. The outcomes of this part of our research provide feedback and guidance to all practitioners to build sustainability content in their mission activities. This may include reorienting existing courses or designing and managing new research and community-oriented projects. Together, the results may be used either for rating or ranking sustainability performance, though we have used them only for rating at this stage.

Antarctic values and Malaysia's involvement in Antarctica: perceptions among young citizens of Malaysia

Lack of support and interest among the public is one of the major challenges in strengthening and sustaining the future national agendas on Antarctica. The main goal of this study is to identify the perception of Malaysias public with regard to Antarctic values and Malaysian involvement in the region. A survey on Malaysias young citizen perception on Antarctic has been conducted for mapping out the future landscape of Malaysian involvement in the Antarctic region. Surveys have been conducted on respondents from secondary schools and universities in Malaysia. A questionnaire was designed to seek respondents’ knowledge and awareness on the values of Antarctica and their opinions on Malaysias involvement. The results of the study showed that respondents had a high level of awareness of Antarctic environmental issues. However, general knowledge about the Antarctic region was still intermediate. On the other hand, the results of this study showed that the young citizens had positive and strong support for strengthening Malaysias Antarctic involvement. This study hopes to contribute as baseline data on the matter. Such background information will reflect on the national strategy in strengthening Malaysias current policy and future involvement in Antarctica.

Strengthening the Capacity of Flood-Affected Rural Communities in Padang Terap, State of Kedah, Malaysia

The communities in the district of Padang Terap, Kedah, were not used to flood events even though they had been living in the area for generations. Since 2000, flooding in this area had become a common occurrence as a result of the increased intensity and frequency of rain due to global warming and climate change. Recognizing the need to address the vulnerability and adaptation of the communities and relevant agencies, the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), carried out a project based on university-community engagement and education for sustainable development (ESD) in this area. The stakeholders involved in this project were from different entities, consisting of experts from USM, residents, local officials, and selected schools in the district. The project identified that the communities of Padang Terap needed counseling for trauma victims, training in handling and maintaining flood-related equipment, accredited flood rescue training, and the establishment of a formal community flood disaster committee consisting of village leaders and the local authorities. In addition, CGSS also addressed public awareness of the dangers of flooding via ESD activities implemented in schools and villages. Close cooperation and positive contributions from academia, local officials, and local communities ensured that the project was successful.