Norliya Ahmad Kassim

Organizational learning culture and customer satisfaction: The mediating role of normative commitment

Purpose – The aim of this study is to develop a theoretical framework with which to investigate the inter-relationships between organizational learning culture, normative commitment and customer satisfaction through the use of empirical investigation across the service sector. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based survey was given to 297 Malaysian employees in different service organizations. Findings – First, instruments were checked regarding its uni-dimensionality by applying confirmatory factor analysis and then structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the model. SEM confirms that organizational learning culture not only directly influences customer satisfaction, but also has an indirect influence through normative commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study selected samples from Malaysia, the results might be different if samples are taken from a geographically different area. Practical implications – The study has theoretical and practical implications for H...

Resource-sharing through an inter-institutional repository: Motivations and resistance of library and information science scholars

– The purpose of this paper is to be concerned with the motivations and resistance among an institutional repository (IR) stakeholder – the Library and Information Science (LIS) academicians – with respect to Green Road open access publishing in an inter-institutional repository. , – The answers were identified from 47 LIS faculty from three library schools in Malaysia who reported awareness of what an IR is and having had experience in contributing resources to digital repositories. Data were collected using survey and interviews. , – The results highlighted the LIS faculty on their motivation to share their intellectual profile, research and teaching resources in an inter-institutional repositories and why the reluctance in contributing. The study reveals that the major motivation to share resources for those practicing self-archiving is related to performance expectancy, social influence, visible and authoritative advantage, career benefit and quality work. The major resistance to share scholarly research output through self-archiving in institutional repositories for those practicing self-archiving is concern on plagiarism, time and effort, technical infrastructure, lack of self-efficacy and insularity. , – Knowing what conditions predict motivation and resistance to contribute to IRs would allow IR administrators to ensure greater and more effective participation in resource-sharing among LIS academic community. If this resistance is addressed aptly, IRs can be of real benefit to their teaching, scholarship, collaborations, and publishing and to the community that they serve. , – The first study that has explored the ways LIS academics respond to a situation where knowledge sharing in academe has now been made mandatory through an IR and what makes them resist to do so.

Transformational, Transactional or Laissez-Faire: What Styles do University Librarians Practice?

The main objective of the study is to identify the leadership style that is being practiced by librarians in university libraries. In this quantitative study, questionnaire was used to collect data from 201 librarians of four universities in Malaysia. The results indicate that librarians are practising more on transformational leadership style ((M = 4.01) followed by laissez-faire leadership style (M = 3.73). Transactional leadership style (M = 3.67) is the least practised as compared to the transformational and laissez-faire leadership style. In addition, transactional leadership style showed significant difference among age groups. The result further indicated that there were significant differences on transformational leadership and transactional leadership between levels of positions and working experience of respondents. The outcome of this study is expected to assist practitioners to recognise their styles of leadership and find other factors that can help them to engage with subordinates in the organisation.

Evaluating digital reference service in university libraries

Digital reference service is a network that placed expertise or skill, human intermediation and resources at the disposal of users in an online environment, employs automated tools and allowing human experts to concentrate or focus on difficult questions. It is viewed that digital reference service occurs when a question is received and responded electronically. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to examine unobtrusively the quality of university libraries in formulating responses to questions asked via asynchronous digital reference service. Asynchronous digital reference service is assessed based on its responsiveness, style and scope of answers, communication process, quality of the answers and service evaluation. The findings of this study implies that library needs to apply Digital Reference Guidelines from International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and Guidelines for Cooperative Reference Service Policy Manuals from Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) in providing digital reference service. Besides, the researchers also recommend that the Malaysian university libraries should follow the way of international university libraries in serving information to their users since international university libraries provide faster and prompt response to the questions given by the users. In future, this study will lead to construct a guideline towards excellent digital reference service and a model of good library staff that provides services efficiently and effectively at all times.

Adopting patron-driven acquisition (PDA) in e-book selection practices at Malaysian academic libraries

The selection practice in academic library is changing with the emergence of electronic resources such as e-book and e-journal. There is a paradigm shift in the acquisition department at the library. The department act as a catalyst in selecting and providing information resources for university in achieving its mission and vision. The introduction of Patron-driven acquisition (PDA) enables faculty, staff and students to select the books they feel are most needed for their research. This paper presents a conceptual framework of e-book selection practices and librarys return on investment (ROI) based on the literature reviews. The main focus is on resource sharing, accessibility, sustainability, support distance education and collection features. The soft dollar saving, the intangible benefits and Just-In-Time are also included in the discussion. The paper will lead to adopting of patron-driven acquisition in e-book selection practice. The framework developed from various empirical studies and literature reviews will be a great contribution to any research done in this area in the near future.

Knowledge Acquisition through Social Media towards Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students

The purpose of the study is to investigate knowledge acquisition using social media among final semester students in the Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). This study used a survey method to collect data. A total of 173 respondents answered to this survey questionnaire which was a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire measures the methods of knowledge acquisition through social media, factors influencing knowledge acquisition through social media, and students’ academic performance who acquire knowledge through social media. The results showed that respondents quite agree on the methods of knowledge acquisition through social media (Mean=3.35) and factors influencing knowledge acquisition (Mean=3.49) and about their academic performance (Mean=3.83). The implication of the study is that the academic institutions and organizations can use this study in enhancing the students’ academic performance and productivity in the organization by using social media as a medium to acquire knowledge. For future study, the study can highlight on barriers in knowledge acquisition through social media and extending the target population to the employees in the organizations.

Systems Thinking and Shared Vision and Mission as Determinants of Organizational Learning Capabilities (OLC) in Academic Library

This study aims to examine the perceptions regarding systems thinking and shared vision and mission of librarians in an academic library in Malaysia. In this preliminary study, questionnaires were distributed to fifty academic librarians in one large public university in Malaysia. The result shows that respondents’ perception on shared vision and mission, systems thinking and knowledge performance are very similar and moderately positive. In addition, a strong relationship exists between shared vision and mission and systems thinking. Shared vision and mission has a higher correlation with knowledge performance than systems thinking. The result also shows that there are no differences in the perceptions between males and females, middle and senior management as well as between those with bachelor degree and master qualifications. The outcome of the study is expected to lead librarians to improve the skills to acquire knowledge and learning capabilities for better knowledge performance in the academic library.

Determining the level of knowledge in managing information among potential Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Malaysia

The paper aims to provide findings of an exploratory study that examines the level of knowledge in managing information among Malaysian Bumiputera potential entrepreneurs who desire to do business for a living. The study adopted a quantitative approach using questionnaire as the survey instrument. The sample comprised of Bumiputera potential entrepreneurs who had attended entrepreneurial development courses at Universiti Teknologi MARA. A self-developed questionnaire was distributed to 400 respondents of whom, 288 (72%) responded. Findings revealed that respondents perceive themselves to be knowledgeable in all the four components of information gathering, but are more knowledgeable in compiling information than in searching information, retrieving information, and identifying information needs. They consider gathering business information to be very important and perceive identifying information needs and searching for information relatively more important than retrieving information and compiling information. They also perceive themselves to be knowledgeable in managing business information. They are relatively more knowledgeable in using information than in storing information, disseminating information, and organising information. They consider managing business information to be very important and perceived using information to be very important followed by storing information, organising information and disseminating information. The level of knowledge in gathering and managing business information is found to be the same regardless of education level and age. The level of knowledge in gathering information and that in managing information are positively and fairly strongly correlated. The level of importance in gathering information and level of importance in managing information are positively and fairly strongly correlated. The findings of the study will be useful to supporting agencies related to entrepreneurship in Malaysia.

Teaching methods for islamic education Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching Primary School in Malaysia

Islamic Education is a type of education that restores humans to inventors and to achieve happiness in the world and in the afterworld. It is based on two main sources namely al-Quran and as-Sunnah. The Teacher Training Division (Bahagian Pendidikan Guru- BPG), Ministry of Education, Malaysia has enacted an Islamic Education curriculum that is offered in the Institute of Teacher Education (Institut Pendidikan Guru - IPG). It produces teachers who have skills in all aspects namely personality, knowledge, professional as well as spiritual value that are positively aligned with the National Education Philosophys aspiration. The curriculum objectives will become a model (Qudwah Hasanah) to students, parents, families and societies by carrying out the responsibility as Allahs caliph and serve for the development of the nation and race. Hence, the teaching method that is used in the teaching and learning process in every discipline must be given attention so that teachers can achieve this curriculum learning outcome.