Estimating cost savings through adoption of the best-practice technique: Evidence from the Malaysian manufacturing sector

By using the input-output approach, this article attempts to estimate costs of production by using the 1978 vintage and best-practiced techniques, based on the vintage hypothesis that as time progresses and price rises, adopting the best-practice technique will give more cost saving and use less amount of inputs for each unit of output produced, rather than the old techniques. This paper has identified three component production costs of vintage technology, domestic materials, imported input, and labour. It was found that costs of production for the best-practice technique are less than those of the older one (vintage), supporting the vintage hypothesis. Thus, there is a strong argument for the economy to adopt the best-practice technique because it is absolutely a considerable advantage in terms of saving in the per unit cost of production

Sectoral Price Effects of the Malaysian Economy

The interdependence among industries makes prices of a commodity become costs to other commodities. The structural matrix of an economy may indicate such interdependence. This paper- analyses the effects on Malaysian sectoral prices of changes in the salary and wages, commodity taxes, non-wage incomes and intermediate imports. It further examines whether the price changes are significantly due to the volume of added value and industrial linkages. The results affirm the above question

Crowdfunding as Financial Option for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria

Abstract Small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) act as a promoter of economic development of the developed and under developed nations. Developing countries like Nigeria that, require sustainable economic growth and development must pay attention to the SMEs sectors in order to reduce unemployment, poverty and improve the standard leaving of its society. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, SMEs have underperformed despite that, 90% of the Nigerian businesses are small scales but their contribution to the Nigerian GDP is below 10%. The main reason for this low contribution of SMEs to Nigerian GDP could be attributed to poor funding, lack of management expertise and lack of access to modern technology among others, with proper finance the SMEs can acquire modern technology and employed qualified staff.  Thus, this paper focuses on crowdfunding as financial option for small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. However the paper is based on conceptual framework.

Parallel Homologous Search With Hirschberg Algorithm: A Hybrid MPI-Pthreads Solution.

In this paper, we apply two different parallel programming model, the message passing model using Message Passing Interface (MPI) and the multithreaded model using Pthreads, to-protein sequence homologous search. The protein sequence homologous search uses Hirschberg algorithm for the pair-wise sequence alignment

How Does Green Human Resources Management Practice Influence The Job Pursuit Intention of Millennial Generation in Indonesia and Malaysia?

Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practice is a set of activities in human resources that involve environmental aspects in their implementation. In 2020, with the millennial generation making up the largest proportion of the workforce, they will wield significant influence over business trends. Previous research indicates that job pursuit intentions are influenced by organisational attributes, emphasising the need for companies to understand the important values held by their future workforce. The purpose of this study is to measure millennials' perceptions of the influence of GHRM practices on their intention to seek employment in Indonesian and Malaysian companies and to analyse the impact of the implementation of GHRM practices in the company on millennials' intention to seek employment, using pro-environmental consciousness as a moderator. The data used in this research were primary data obtained through questionnaires with the Likert scale and the scenario-based study, and secondary data from the central statistical board and other literature that supports the research. The respondents in this study were final-year students at IPB University Indonesia and University Putra Malaysia. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, hierarchical linear regression analysis, and bootstrapping in SPSS 22. The results show that GHRM is positively significant with job pursuit intention (JPI), whereas personal pro-environmental consciousness was not given the significant effect between GHRM and JPI. Implementing GHRM practices is indispensable for companies seeking to attract millennial talent. These practices can be implemented using both push and pull strategies, embedding pro-environmental aspects

A revised proposed methodology to investigate shari'ah compliance in the formation of construction contract

A study is being currently undertaken to examine the current practice of construction procurement with specific reference to contract formation and appraises the practice in terms of its compliance with the Shari'ah. The focus of this paper is on the methodology being proposed i.e. to study the practice of the offer and acceptance during contracting out construction works whereby the research model is presented herein.1 The study is expected to determine whether the current practice of the offer and acceptance in the formation of construction contract in compliance or otherwise with the Shari'ah. The proposed methodology combines two key data sources" i.e. (i) literature review; and (ii) series of focus group discussions with people who are considered as experts in the fields of construction procurement and fiqh al-muamalat. Comments and recommendations are neede in order to improve the methodology

Publish Or Perish: Evaluating And Promoting Scholarly Output

Scholarly output, particularly in the form of journal publication is a key indicator in various levels of university performance. It contributes to university ranking, faculty ranking and academicians’ scholarship credentials. Therefore, scholarly output has become a standard measure used to determine intake, promotion and tenure renewal of academicians at the faculty and university levels. In this paper, the Dean’s office of an education faculty in a Malaysia university collected and analyzed the faculty members’ journal publication outputs in 2011 as a way to determine the directions to move forward. From an integrated quantitative and qualitative investigation, research supervision and group publication were identified as the major catalysts for research publications. The findings informed the importance of project development and training in these two areas

The critical flaw in the implementation of GPS tracking system in express bus industry

Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) in Malaysia has made it mandatory that GPS tracking systems installed in every express buses since 2008 so that the speed can be monitored and recorded based on real-time. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of the system is under question when Malaysia was startled by a series of bus accidents each killed close to 10 lives while several others were seriously injured. This study is undertaken to identify the critical flaw in the implementation of the GPS monitoring system and propose a way to improve the existing monitoring system. Result from the interview session on top management of three express bus companies has found that the real-time record-keeping, which is a corrective measure, have been carried out instead of real-time monitoring, a preventive measure. Therefore, the existing model of speed management needs to be remodeled to alert the bus driver and the passengers who really concern about their own safety. A device and its main features which exploit the real-time monitoring ability of GPS are proposed for effective and systematic implementation of this new model

The role of employee knowledge and behavior towards sustainable development: an investigative study based on readymade garments industry of Chittagong, Bangladesh

The sustainable development topic of readymade garments sector speaks to a flawed picture considering distinctive sustainable issues as ecological impressions, workplace or factory security and labor rights. Therefore, sustainable point of view mostly in the readymade garments industry has distinguished as a noteworthy subject because of upsurge responsiveness related with ecological and social impacts of concern industry mainly at developing countries such as Bangladesh. In fact the present authoritative culture of focused industry is kind of dynamic and complex where the complicacy of employee behavior and concerns connected with sustainable development issues that may deliver misconception in regards to how to approach employee contribution plans towards sustainable goals. Therefore the objective of present research is to recognize the level as well as the impact and relationship among employee knowledge and behavior of sustainable development in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study has consumed mixed method approaches considering participants from BGMEA enlisted industries of Chittagong. The obtained outputs show that reflected participants hold moderate level of knowledge and behavior towards sustainable issues. It has also been identified that knowledge has significant impact on behavioral pattern of employees and both variables contain a positive connection. The acquired insights may encourage both employee and concern management to find the basic elements to start efficient association towards sustainable development practices