Rationale for the provision of student personnel services in Malaysian Universities

This study attempts to examine the situational specific dynamics of administration or student personnel services in Malaysian universities in response to the various issues raised in relevant literature. Majority of literature done in the field of student personnel services have focused primarily on the significance of educational pursuit and personal development as the main justification for its provision. However, the findings of this study indicate that there are a variety of additional influential factors at work within the context of a university, all of which contribute to the development and expansion of the services. The evolution of the services is influenced by a variety of factors including the history of the university, the political situation, economic situation, social and cultural environment and legal requirements of the country. This study, therefore strongly suggests that arrangement for the provision of services be reconsidered to suit indigenous needs

Penswastaan: Kajian Kes di Unit Kesihatan Pelajar, Universiti Utara Malaysia

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk melihat konsep penswastaan Unit Kesihatan Pelajar (UKP), Universiti Utara Malaysia. Bagi tujuan penyelidikan ini, tiga bentuk analisis dilakukan iaitu analisis keberkesanan kos, analisis kepekaan dan analisis faktor yang mempengaruhi kehendak dan keperluan pelajar-pelajar UUM terhadap entiti rawatan perubatan. Analisis keberkesanan kos memerlukan penyelidikan faktor-faktor kos penyediaan perkhidmatan UKP, kos penggunaan dan kos kakitangan yang menyediakan perkhidmatan kesihatan. Nisbah kos perkhidmatan pengeluaran awam UKP adalah 0.64, dan bolehlah dirumuskan bahawa pengeluaran perkhidmatan kesihatan yang dibekalkan oleh UKP kurang keberkesanan kos. Analisis kepekaan mengkaji kos perkhidmatan swasta daripada sudut ekonomi melalui keberkesanan kos. Nisbah keberkesanan kos untuk dua klinik swasta yang dikaji adalah 1.08 untuk ’Pembekal Satu’ dan 1.19 untuk Klinik Won. Dapatlah dirumuskan bahawa pengeluaran swasta adalah lebih kos efektif dari pengeluaran UKP. Analisis faktor yang mempengaruhi kehendak dan keperluan memerlukan borang soalselidik diedar kepada 19 1 responden, yang terdiri daripada pelajar-pelajar Tahun Dua dan Tiga. Di dalam memilih entiti rawatan perubatan, pelajar-pelajar UUM bersetuju bahawa reputasi, kualiti dan bidang-bidang khusus perkhidmatan dan kebersihan, penampilan dan susunatur atau perhiasan entiti rawatan perubatan sangat penting dalam mempengaruhi pilihan mereka. Faktor lokasi, sikap kakitangan dan kos perkhidmatan kurang mempengaruhi pilihan pelajar-peiajar UUM terhadap entiti rawatan perubatan. Kesimpulannya, kos pengeluaran swasta adalah lebih keberkesanan kos dari pengeluaran awam, UKP. Jelaslah penswastaan adalah cara yang lebih berkesan bagi membekalkan rawatan perubatan kesihatan UKP. Di dalam mencapai sesuatu keputusan untuk penswastaan UKP, adalah diharap penggubal dasar mengambil perhatian terhadap faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kehendak dan keperluan pelajar-pelajar terhadap sesebuah entiti rawatan perubatan

Analysis and decentralised optimal flow control of heterogeneous computer communication network models

General closed queueing networks are used to model the local flow control in multiclass computer communication networks with single and multiple transmission links. The problem of analysing multiclass general closed queueing network models with single server and multiserver is presented followed by the problem of the centralised optimal local flow control of multiclass general computer communication networks with single and multiple transmission links. The generalised exponential (GE) distributional model with known first two moments has been used to represent general interarrival and transmission time distributions as various users have various traffic characteristics. A new method of general model reduction using the Norton' s theorem for general queueing networks in conjunction with the universal maximum entropy algorithm is proposed for the analysis of xix large general closed queueing networks. This extension to Norton 's theorem has an advantage over the direct application of the universal maximum entropy approach whereby the study of a subset of queueing centres of interest can be done without repeatedly solving the entire network. The principle of maximum entropy is used to derive new approximate solutions for the joint queue length distributions of multiclass general queueing network models with single server and multiserver and favourable comparisons with other methods are made. The decentralised optimal local flow control of the multiclass computer communication networks with single and multiple transmission links is shown to be a state dependent window type mechanism that has been traditionally used in practice. The maximum number of packets in transit within the system corresponding to a maximum throughput and can be determined from a preassigned upper bound on the mean time delay, the average allowed load and the parameters of the underlying systems. The direct dependence of the maximum throughput on the mean time delay is also determined. The optimal local flow control with global objectives results in a team decision that does not favour any individual user, and depends only on the relative order of their packet generation rates. Numerical examples provide useful informations on how critically system behaviour is affected by (i) the distributional form of the interarrival and transmission patterns, (ii) the maximum input rate. The analytic results described in this thesis suggest that (i) analytical analysis for general closed queueing networks which are used to model computer communication networks can be analysed using the principle of maximum entropy, (ii) congestion problems in computer communication networks with non-exponential data flows should be examined in terms of maximum throughput under a time delay constraint where the offered load appears only as a parameter

Awareness and Perceptions of Managers in a Manufacturing Organization Regarding Total Quality Management (TQM)

A survey concerning managers’ awareness and perception of TQM was carried out in a manufacturing organization to examine: the awareness of managers regarding TQM; the perception of managers regarding the Critical Success Factors; and the difficulties perceived by managers in getting commitment to TQM. The awareness and perception of TQM are based on two models - Model for TQM implementation and Critical Hierarchy Model.The sample comprised of 261 top, middle and lower managers from 13 departments (Personnel and General Affairs, Cost Control, Accounts, Purchasing, Shipping, Electronic Data Processing, Value Engineering, Engineering, Production/ Operations, Production Control, Production Engineering, Quality Control, and Parts Control). The alternative hypotheses developed for this research are: Awareness of managers regarding TQM differ according to level of management and departments; Perception of managers regarding the critical success factors differ according to level of management and departments; and The difficulties perceived by managers in getting commitment to TQM differ according to level of management and departments. Findings revealed that no statistical significant differences exists for: managers’ awareness regarding TQM among levels of management; managers’ perception regarding the CSF among levels of management; and managers’ perception of difficulties/barriers among levels of management and departments. Findings revealed that statistically significant differences exists for: managers’ awareness regarding TQM among departments and managers’ perception regarding CSF among departments. Satisfying external customers/clients is what TQM means to most managers. Managers considered necessary management behaviors as the most critical factor in TQM implementation. Results reflect that TQM is partially practiced in the organization. Findings of this study were discussed in relation to previous research and literature on TQM