Identification of surface water and groundwater relationship at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Campus

Descriptions of the surface water and groundwater relationships are required for enhanced water resource management. The increase in population and rapid development has boosted the demand and use of water supply each year in Parit Raja. Moreover, no further research related to relationships between both sources has been carried out in this flat topography area. Thus, the descriptions of surface water and groundwater relationships are required to enhance water resource management in UTHM campus in order to meet the future demands. The Schlumberger array was used for Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) during data acquisition to identify potential shallow aquifers and suitable locations for boreholes which function as observation wells. Three new boreholes were installed and the ERI results showed that this area recorded low resistivity values less than 10 Ωm with potential groundwater at varying depths between 10 to 30 m. Meanwhile, in hydrochemical analysis the chemical properties of major cations (Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+) and anions (Cl-, SO42-, NO3-) were analysed to characterise surface water and groundwater. The result showed that all surface water is characterized by Ca2+ - Mg2+- Cl- - SO42- types of fresh water, while the groundwater is characterized by Na-Cl type of saline water due to seawater intrusion which indicated that the interaction of surface water and groundwater were not occur in this study area and the recharge areas might be located outside this area. This result interpreted that the lakes and swale were remained in good quality whereas groundwater at this aquifer was seriously intruded by seawater. Even though, the isotopic composition for δ18O and δ2H values of surface water were relatively similar to that of groundwater samples in Station A and Station C as they varying between -4.32%o to -9.74%o for δ18O and from -33.86%o to -65.82%o for δ2H, these surface water samples had low salinity (Cl- 3000 mg/l). This result could be explained by effects of evaporation and seawater intrusion on these groundwater samples rather than interaction with surface water. Thus, the relationships of surface water and groundwater might not occur in UTHM campus and the recharge areas might be located outside this area

Exploring the Problem-Finding and Problem-Solving Approach for Designing Organizations

An emerging problem-finding and problem-solving approach suggests that management's discovering problems to solve, opportunities to seize, and challenges to respond to, are vital to organizations. This paper explores the extent to which the problem-finding and problem-solving approach can provide a foundation for joining the capabilities, dynamic capabilities, and governance perspectives as a way to help scholars and practitioners to coherently design organizations from the perspective of design science. The problem-finding and problem-solving approach offers a unit of analysis and a set of behavioral assumptions that enable us to address open questions within the extant literature and to propose new questions in management research.

Strategic-decision quality in public organizations : an information processing perspective

This study draws on information processing theory to investigate predictors of strategic-decision quality in public organizations. Information processing theory argues that (a) rational planning practices contribute to strategic-decision quality by injecting information into decision-making and (b) decision-makers contribute to strategic-decision quality by exchanging information during decision-making. These assumptions are tested upon fifty-five Flemish pupil guidance centers. Rational planning practices are operationalized as strategic planning, performance measurement and performance management. Information exchange by decision-makers during decision-making is operationalized as procedural justice of the decision-making process. Results suggest that procedural justice, strategic planning and performance management contribute to strategic-decision quality while performance measurement does not

Comparing alignment factors in SMEs and large organizations: a planning integration perspective

Measurement of the alignment between business strategies and information systems (IS) has demonstrated positive impact for the organizational performance. The factors that have proved relevant when assessing the maturity level of alignment are: communication, competency/value measurement, governance, partnership, architecture & scope, and skills. Existing research, however, has focused on the assessment of these factors on large organizations and has barely explored their impact on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). This paper uses the data provided by 127 participants from large and SMEs in order to identify whether the aforementioned factors are also relevant for assessing the level of alignment maturity in SMEs. The results from this research suggest that there are not significant differences between large organizations and SMEs when assessing those factors. In addition, this research also explored the relation between different planning integration of alignment (independent, sequential and simultaneous) in order to measure the perceived relevance of the factors. The results suggest that the planning integration identified on SMEs and large organizations has a positive correlation on how these factors are ranked. For both SMEs and large organizations where the formulation is simultaneous, the relevance of the factors is higher perceived than it is for those where the formulation is independent or sequential

Project benefit management: a conceptual framework of target benefit formulation

Successful realization of project benefits is strongly associated with organizational performance. Formulating project target benefits is regarded as the first and critical step in the benefit management process. In this study, we drew upon relevant theories and conducted in-depth interviews with senior managers in Australia to develop a conceptual framework of project target benefit formulation and corresponding propositions. Our findings highlight the important role of project target benefits in funding decision-making and suggest seven criteria for their appraisal (strategic fit, target value, measurability, realism, target date, accountability and comprehensiveness) and four constructs which improve the formulated target benefits (a formal benefit formulation process, senior executive leadership, senior executive supports, and public service motivation). These findings extend the current literature on project benefit management by providing a holistic view on how project target benefits should be formulated and appraised

Toward Strategy Implementation Success: An Empirical Study of the Role of Senior-Level Leaders in the Nevada Gaming Industry

The study is an investigation of the relationship between effective leadership behavior and successful strategy implementation in the Nevada casino industry. The study\u27s findings mostly agree with earlier research on the concept of strategy implementation and reaffirm the role that strategic consensus plays in the strategy implementation process. The study also reinforces findings that frequent communication up and down the organization structure enhances strategic consensus through the fostering of shared attitudes and values. In addition, it reaffirms the concept that an organization which ties rewards to the success of the strategy employed is rewarded with higher levels of organizational performance and concludes that strategy implementation plans must be clearly developed, indicating particular tasks for individuals, with clear-cut time frames, and identifying the people responsible for task completion

Human Resources Strategy: The Era of Our Ways

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss some of the main features and trends in human resources (HR) strategy. Inasmuch as people are among the most important resources available to firms, one could argue that HR strategy should be central to any debate about how firms achieve competitive advantage. But this “people are our most important asset” argument is actually fairly hollow in light of the evidence. Far too many articles on HR start with this premise, but the reality is that organizations have historically not rested their fortunes on human resources. The HR function remains among the least influential in most organizations, and competitive strategies have not typically been based on the skills, capabilities, and behaviors of employees. In fact, as Snell, Youndt and Wright (1996:62) noted, in the past executives have typically tried to “take human resources out of the strategy equation--i.e., by substituting capital for labor where possible, and by designing hierarchical organizations that separate those who think from those who actually do the work.

Relationship between Market Orientation,Firm Innovativeness and Innovative Performance

The paper examines the issue of interrelationships between market orientation, firm innovativeness and innovative performance. Three dimensions of market orientation, namely collection and use of market information, development of market oriented strategy and implementation of market oriented strategy are measured. Factor analysis used to validate the measures of market orientation, firm innovativeness and innovative performance . A correlational analysis is performed to determined whether market orientation is associated with firm innovativeness and innovative performanc