Impact of Organizational Structure on Effective Communication Flow : The Case of Sharp-Roxy Corporation

Effective communication complements managerial effectiveness in organizations and is also a means of achieving organizational objectives. The settings in large organizations often makes effective communication difficult. One source of this lies in the characteristics of organizational structure. This study confines to the impact of organizational structural variables on effective communication in organizations. The communication channels created by the organizational structure serve specific functions through downward, upward and lateral communication. Thus an organization’s structure must facilitate this effective flow of communication. This study examined the relationship of selected variables of organizational structure and the informal structure to effective communication flow among the managerial ranks at Sharp-Roxy Corp. (M) Sdn. Bhd. in Sungei Petani, Kedah. The organizational structural variables examined were specialization, departmentalization, hierarchical level, span of control, spatial dispersion, formalization and centralization, and the informal structure. Additionally, the demographic factors of gender, age, race, position, years of company experience, and emplacement were investigated to determine their impact on communication effectiveness as well as the differences among the various groups classified by the demographic factors. The study thus sought answers to the following research questions: 1. Did selected demographic factors influence the effective communication flow? 2 . Did the organizational structural variables and informal structure contribute significantly to the effective communication flow among the managerial ranks? This study was conducted on a sample of 68 respondents from various managerial ranks and departments of Sharp-Roxy Corporation (SRC), who completed the Communication Opinion Questionnaire. This instrument recorded the respondents’ perception of communication effectiveness along the dimensions of organizational structural variables. The major finding of the study was the impact of the organizational structural variables on communication effectiveness. The seven independent variables of organizational structure, explained 67.2 percent of the dependent variable of communication effectiveness. Of the variables examined, formalization and specialization, emerged as most significant in explaining the variance in effectiveness. It was concluded that the existing levels of the organizational structural variables facilitated effective communication flow in the organization. There was no significance found for effectiveness by demographic factors of gender, race, position, or years of company experience. However, significance was found for age groups, where respondents between 40-49 years old perceived the most effectiveness in communication flow. Significance was also found for the variable of emplacement where respondents among selected departments of SRC perceived differences in communication effectiveness. Opinions on communication climate and channels of communication were also sought. The responses conveyed that conflicts were handled through proper communication channels, trust with senior management and among co-workers was fairly high, and that not enough training programs in communication were conducted by the organization. The channels of communication most used and most preferred were face-to-face and the telephone.The study also made some suggestions and recommendations for further research in this field of inquiry. Of note are the need to study other intrapersonal and interpersonal factors affecting communication effectiveness. Also, research on a longitudinal scale in various organizational settings is needed

The All Pay. Common Value Auction as a Model of Contests

An all pay, common value auction is proposed as a model of contests. The common value of the prize is ex-ante unknown, but each contestant has private information about its true value. These private information are affiliated. Unlike in the symmetric winner pay auction model of Milgrom and Weber (1982). The affiliation assumption is not sufficient to ensure the existence of an increasing equilibrium bid. The all pay auction is shown to require a stronger condition; a joint restriction on the expected valuation of the prize and the beliefs bidders have of each other’s estimates of the prize. Equilibrium bids are increasing if there is not too strong a degree of affiliation and the expected value of the prize is increasing sufficiently rapidly in each bidder’s type. When there exists an increasing equilibrium, the equilibrium is unique even in the asymmetric bidder case. The results extend to the all pay private values auction which is obtained as a special case. The all pay and winner pay auctions are then compared at the symmetric equilibrium. With increasing equilibrium bids, it is possible to order the expected revenues from the two auctions. This was first proposed by Amann and Leininger (1994). It is shown by way of an example that although sufficient, monotonicity of equilibrium bids is not a necessary condition for the ordering. Without monotonicity, however comparing the two auctions can lead to conclusions which are not robust. Two examples are provided to compare the role of affiliation and the effects of nonmonotonicity in the all pay and winner pay auctions

A Study of Organizational Quality Climate in Public Sector

This study was carried out to look at the concept of “Quality First” in the Service organisations in the public sector. For this study, the analysis was done on the dimensions and the factors that influence the organisation’s quality climate. Analysis of the assessment of the climatic factors such as Strategic Focus, Leadership and Management, Work Force, Customer-orientation, and Communication in organisations required the sending out of questionnaires to 97 government organisations in Alor Setar, Kedah Darul Aman. The score of 5.039 was obtained in this study which exceeded the target score of 3.5. This indicates that the organisation climate in the government sector is favourable and conducive for quality improvement effort. The survey showed that managers in the public sector are committed to the quality improvement that the government emphasised upon. Analysis of the factors that influenced the organisation climate shows that there is no significant difference to the size of the work force, size if its budget, the level of government, its function or mission, past performance of total quality effort, and the perception of managers regarding their organisation’s performance. This shows that the organisations in the public sector are the same since they are required to follow the guidelines that the government has put forward in the various circulars pertaining to the quality improvement and implementation. Thus, it can be concluded that public agencies in the govermnent have favourable quality climate which is suitable for any total quality improvement effort required by the government. However, the agencies should nor rest on their laurels but still need to strive for continuous improvement in its total quality effort to achieve the country’s vision 2020

The Effect of Capital Structure on Firm's Profitability: A Case of Listed Malaysian Industrial Firms

This paper attempts to examine the influence of capital structure, particularly in the presence of market imperfections on firm's profitability. The effect of corporate taxes, interest expense, debt level and equity size is analyzed using OLS estimates and correlation analysis. The research model justifies that capital structure changes in response to market imperfections which subsequently affect profitability. This findings empirically implies that: (a) higher debt level result in a lower profitability; (b) higher profitability associates positively with taxation expense but negatively with interest expense

Orientasi Sikap Keusahawanan di Kalangan Pelajar Politeknik di Malaysia

Objektif kajian ialah untuk mengetahui orientasi sikap keusahawanan di kalangan pelajar politeknik di Malaysia serta mengenal pasti hubungan faktor demografi, latar belakang pendidikan, pengalaman responden, pendidikan ibubapa dan pekerjaan dengan orientasi sikap keusahawanan. Dalam konteks ini, masyarakat telah memberikan harapan yang tinggi kepada politeknik sebagai satu dari institusi pengajian yang utama untuk mengembangkan keusahawanan di kalangan pelajar. Isu mengenai sikap pelajar politeknik terhadap bidang keusahawanan telah mendapat perhatian di kalangan pendidik dan kerajaan. Untuk memahami dengan lebih jelas mengenai faktor-faktor yang boleh mempengaruhi orientasi sikap keusahawanan maka satu model pembentukan orientasi sikap keusahawanan telah dicadangkan. Dalam kajian ini instrumen ujian orientasi sikap keusahawanan dan soalselidik mengenai demografi responden telah digunakan. Kajian ini dibuat ke atas pelajar tahun akhir di enam buah politeknik di Malaysia. Walaupun pelajar dari keturunan Cina telah dikatakan mempunyai sikap keusahawanan yang tinggi kerana latar belakang keluarga, kajian ini tidak mendapati bahawa pelajar-pelajar dari keturunan Cina mempunyai orientasi sikap keusahawanan yang tinggi. Penemuan kajian ini telah memperlihatkan bahawa pelajar wanita, pelajar berasal dari kampung, anak petani dan pengalaman mengendalikan akaun adalah kumpulan pelajar yang mempunyai sikap keusahawanan yang tinggi. Mengenai hubungan di antara gred mata pelajaran di peringkat Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia dengan orientasi sikap keusahawanan pelajar, kajian ini mendapati bahawa gred mata pelajaran Bahasa Malaysia dan Matematik Tambahan mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan dengan sikap keusahawanan yang tinggi

The Relationship of Quality of Work Life Programmes and the Influence of Socio-Demographic Factors with Employee Job Satisfaction and Job Involvement: A Case Study of SIRIM

The objectives of the study were to examine the level of effectiveness in quality of work life (QWL) programmes and the influence of socio-demographic factors on employee job satisfaction and job involvement in Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM). The findings indicated that SIRIM had effective QWL programmes. However, its employees were found to be moderately satisfied with their job and they were also involved in their jobs. In addition, its effective QWL programmes had significantly influenced 43 percent of the variance in employee job satisfaction ratings, with a positive relationship on adequate and fair compensation, continued growth and security, and safe and healthy working conditions, as significant predictors. These findings also explained 25 percent of the variance in employee job involvement ratings, with a positive relationship on social relevance of work life, adequate and fair compensation, and an inverse relationship on safe and healthy working conditions, as significant predictors. With effective QWL programmes, the socio-demographic factors were found to have no influence on employee job satisfaction. However, marital status and service tenure both had significant influence on employee job involvement. In order to increase the level of job satisfaction and involvement among the employees, the findings suggest the following recommendation: a) revise its compensation system comparable with the private sector; b) review its assessment of training and development needs; c) initiate fair evaluation of performance; d) review its rewards system; e) encourage job enrichment and job rotation; f) examine work load revision; g) develop effective standard work guideline; h) establish special motivational training for target groups (unmarried employees, and those with service tenure fewer than four or between 10 to 12 years); and i) encourage increasing awareness of the importance of the social relevance of work among employees

Sistem Pengangkutan Bas Satu Kajian Kes : Perkhidmatan Bas dalam Kampus Universiti Utara Malaysia Sintok, Kedah Darul Aman

Rungutan dan keluhan pengguna-pengguna perkhidmatan pengangkutan bas dalam kampus seringkali terdengar justeru ketidakcekapan dan ketidakberkesanan pihak yang mengendalikan operasi bas berkenaan. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini dilakukan bagi menilai keberkesanan sistem pengangkutan bas dalam kampus Universiti Utara Malaysia dari segi kualiti perkhidmatannya. Pembolehubah bersandar di dalam kajian ini ialah kepuasan pelajar terhadap kualiti perkhidmatan bas dalam kampus, manakala pembolehubah-pembolehubah penentu yang dipertimbangkan ialah masa menunggu bas, kekerapan penggunaan bas, keselesaan dan kemudahan bas, maklumat mengenai jadual perjalanan bas dan sikap pemandu-pemandu bas. Keadah pengumpulan data diperolehi melalui pengagihan soalselidik. 409 orang pelajar iaitu lebih kurang 5 peratus daripada keseluruhan jumlah pelajar Universiti Utara Malaysia (termasuk pelajar-pelajar Matrikulasi) telah dipilih dengan menggunakan kaedah persampelan secara sistematik. Ujian korelasi dan analisa regresi berganda telah digunakan bagi menganalisa data untuk menguji beberapa hipotesis yang berkenaan. Hasil kajian telah menunjukkan 27 peratus dari varians di dalam kepuasan pelajar terhadap kualiti perkhidmatan bas telah dijelaskan oleh kelima-lima pembolehubah penentu yang berkaitan. Masa menunggu bas dan maklumat mengenai jadual perjalanan bas merupakan pembolehubah-pembolehubah yang paling signifikan di dalam meramalkan tahap kepuasan pelajar terhadap kualiti perkhidmatan pengangkutan bas dalam kampus. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan tahap kepuasan, masa menunggu bas, keselesaan dan kemudahan bas, jadual perjalanan bas dan sikap pemandu-pemandu bas adalah saling berhubungan di antara satu dengan yang lain. Beberapa cadangan telah disarankan bagi memperbaiki dan meningkatkan keberkesanan kualiti perkhidmatan bas dalam kampus. Antaranya termasuk: 1. Menyediakan satu model jadual perjalanan bas yang bersesuaian dengan persekitaran di dalam kampus dan boleh mewujudkan kompromi di antara keselesaan penumpang dan kos perkhidmatan. 2. Mempamerkan jadual perjalanan has di tempat-tempat yang strategik. 3. Memperbaiki penjadualan bas, penjadualan pemandu-pemandu bas dan penjadualan penyenggaraan bas bagi meningkatkan kepuasan pemandupemandu bas. 4. Memperbaiki rangkaian laluan bas ke tahap yang optima; dan 5. Para pelajar hendaklah lebih berdisiplin dan jangan suka mengulangi perbuatan menaiki bas pada saat-saat terakhir waktu kuliah akan dimulakan. Kaedah penyediaan jadual perjalanan bas telah dikemukakan secara terperinci di dalam laporan kajian

Pengaruh Koperasi di Tanah Rancangan: Satu Kajian Empirikal

Institusi koperasi telah diakui oleh kerajaan dapat mengatasi masalah sosio-ekonomi masyarakat luar bandar serta berupaya meningkatkan pendapatan ahli-ahlinya. Di setiap tanah rancangan, dua buah koperasi telah dibentuk. Sebuah koperasi yang menjalankan fungsi serbaguna (Koperasi Serbaguna FELDA) ditubuhkan oleh peneroka atas galakan serta sokongan oleh FELDA. Selain itu, FELDA telah menubuhkan Koperasi Permodalan FELDA (KPF) pada tahun 1980. Koperasi-koperasi ditubuhkan bagi menggalakkan tabungan peneroka dan mengadakan kemudahan-kemudahan pelaburan wang yang disimpan. Pada tahun 1993, mesyuarat agung KPF telah meluluskan pemberian dividen sebanyak 15 peratus. Jumlah ini lebih besar dari dividen dan bonus yang diberi oleh Amanah Saham Bumiputera. Pada kebiasaannya Koperasi Serbaguna FELDA (KSF) pula akan memberi dividen pada kadar 10 peratus setahun bergantung kepada kestabilan koperasi. Dividen-dividen ini sedikit sebanyak berupaya meningkatkan pendapatan peneroka. Melalui kertas penyelidikan ini, penyelidik cuba membincangkan impak penglibatan peneroka dalam aktiviti koperasi dan kesannya terhadap peningkatan pendapatan serta agihan pendapatan di setiap kawasan kajian yang telah dipilih. Agihan pendapatan sebelum dan selepas impak koperasi cuba diukur dengan menggunakan Keluk Lorenz dan Angkali Gini. Penyelidik cuba mendapatkan perhubungan di antara jangkamasa tanah rancangan telah diusahakan dengan peratusan sumbangan koperasi kepada pendapatan bulanan peneroka. Selain itu, kajian juga cuba melihat adakah wujud sebarang perhubungan di antara saham peneroka dalam KPF dengan pendapatan bulanan peneroka dan lamanya tanah rancangan telah diusahakan. Akhirnya, adakah impak koperasi ini akan mengurangkan peratusan pendapatan golongan miskin atau ia hanya memberi peluang kepada golongan kaya menambah pendapatan mereka

A Study of the Term ‘True and Fair View’ in the Context of Accountability

Historically, as companies grows in size, become more complex and involved in society, so to whom and for what their managers are accountable has also been extended. Until the 19th century, managers of companies and part of public bodies were required to produce accountability reports and submit them for audit. This is because the function of financial report has shifted from stewardship function to performance evaluation and decision usefulness function. Therefore, the auditor’s opinion is very important now since the accountability report audited is being used in making investment decision. A discussion over tbe need for an interpretation of the term used by auditors in expressing their opinion appears in the accounting literature. But, this does not change the inherent and long-standing vagueness and ambiguity of the undefined term, ‘true and fair’ view which has been used since it was introduced in the 1948 U.K. Companies Act. The term has a legal origin in the 18th Century, and it appears to have been translated into a legal definition concerning corporate accountability in the 20th Century. This change does not only apply in the private sector, but also in some parts of public sector bodies. From this historical study, it is apparent that the changes in the requirement of the disclosure and debate in searching the true definition of ‘true and fair’ was developed together with the accountability process in both sectors. The practitioners were also argued to give certain mystique in the opinion of TFV as a means of demonstrating their professionalism

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