Sokongan francaisor, kompetensi pengurusan, teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi, kepercayaan dan prestasi francaisi di Malaysia

Franchising is one of the keys to worldwide entrepreneurial growth strategy. However, the system faces challenges in sustaining performance, especially for newly established brands. After several years of operation, too many registered franchises have become inactive in Malaysia. This scenario is due to the franchisee’s failure to meet the franchisor’s performance standards. Hence, this research aims to identify factors that influence the performance of franchisees in Malaysia. To achieve the objective, a conceptual model based on the Resource-Based View Theory and the Social Exchange Theory was proposed to explain frthe relationships between variables in this research. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed by mail to franchisees in Malaysia. There were only 97 usable responses obtained and used for data analysis. The data were analysed using a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) or SmartPLS3. The results reveal that seven hypotheses are significant, which supports the findings. The findings show significant relationships between managerial competencies, trust, franchisor support and franchisee performance. However, the benefits of information and communication technology, as well as franchisee performance, were not significant. Additionally, this study found a significant relationship between managerial competence, benefits of information and communication technology, and franchisor support, but not the relationship between trust and franchisor support. The results also show that franchisor support mediates the relationship between managerial competencies and information and communication technology benefits with franchisee performance, but not on the relationship between trust and franchisees’ performance. Finally, this research also discusses the contributions, limitations and suggestions for future research related to the factors that influence the franchisees’ performance in Malaysi

Kecenderungan keusahawanan dalam kalangan Orang Asli

Poverty among indigenous people is a challenge for the government in its efforts to deal with it. Various plans have been implemented, but the community is still plagued by poverty. The government aims to increase Aboriginal participation in entrepreneurship, which is considered as a development strategy that is easy and fast to improve the economy of a community. Accordingly, researchers have put forward the five indicators of personality pro-active, innovative, risk considerations, financial support and family support to be evaluated as factors influencing entrepreneurship among indigenous peoples. The study was conducted using the questionnaire instrument towards 115 respondents of Aboriginal from Kampung Lubok Legong, Baling Kedah. These surveys were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The T-Test and ANOVA test for examining the differences between demographic factors and entrepreneurship intention. Other tests such as Correlation were used to identify the relationship between pro-active personality, innovation, risk taking consideration, financial support than family support towards entrepreneurship intention. Moreover, the Regression test was to determine the influence of the factors on entrepreneurship intention among indigenous peoples. The findings showed that the influence of the entrepreneurial propensity among Aboriginal from Kampung Lubok Legong only to the degree of 42 percent that was contributed by pro-active personality factor and financial support factor. Factors such as the innovative, risk taking considerations and perceived family support does not lead to entrepreneurship among indigenous peoples

The Mediating Role of Web 2.0 Usage in the Effect of Psychological Empowerment on Innovative Work Behavior among Academia in Malaysian Research Universities

Innovative work behavior is crucial to fulfill the demands for a lecturer’s research activities especially at research universities. Prior literature indicated that psychological empowerment is an important predictor for innovative work behavior. Meanwhile, Web 2.0 is an indispensable tool for innovation among lecturers to facilitate their research activities. Thus, social cognitive theory was used to support the conceptual framework in identifying the mediating role of Web 2.0 usage in the effect of psychological empowerment on innovative work behavior. This study utilized quantitative approach using questionnaire as a tool to gather data from 393 lecturers of five research universities in Malaysia. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the direct and mediation effects of the variables in the conceptual framework. Web 2.0 usage was identified as the mediator for the effect of psychological empowerment on the realization of new ideas in innovative work behavior, specifically for the dimensions of meaning, competence and self-determination. Based on the results of the study, use of Web 2.0 is important among lecturers to enhance innovative work behavior

The effect of web 2.0 on innovative work behaviour among academia in Malaysian Research Universities

Previous study indicates the user’s degree of Web 2.0-ness is positively associated with his or her behavior. However, there is a paucity in examine the effect of Web 2.0 especially on innovative work behavior among academia in research universities even though it is imperative to be identified due to it demanding research nature. Web 2.0 are technologically driven and designed to allow people to communicate, share information and create online communities. Meanwhile, innovative work behavior refers to the creativity and involvement in bringing changes and new ideas in duties or in solving problems especially among academia in research universities which become the focus in this study. Innovative work behavior consists of generation, promotion, and realization of new ideas. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effect of Web 2.0 on innovative work behavior among academia in research universities. In our endeavor to this matter, we view the issue in a positivist paradigm with quantitative approach. This approach used surveys as research strategy by adapting questionnaires technique. The data collection has been conducted among 393 lecturers in five research universities and emphasize on the lecturer’s research and development. Accordingly, data collected were analyzed using SPSS and SEM AMOS by looking at the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), model fit, and path analysis. The result of this study indicates that the Web 2.0 has positive and significant relationship with the idea generation, idea promotion and idea realization of innovative work behavior

Diversity of microfungi in ornithogenic soils from Beaufort Island, continental Antarctic

This paper presents the results of a biodiversity study of microfungi in ornithogenic soils from Beaufort Island (Ross Sea, continental Antarctic). During the 2004/05 austral sum-mer, we sampled a wide range of soil habitats from an abandoned penguin rookeries to examine the biodiversity of soil microfungi. Beaufort Island is predominantly ice and snow covered, isolated, difficult to access and known to have been visited only infre-quently. Warcup's soil plating method was used for fungal cultivation. A total of ten fungal taxa were isolated, consisting of seven ascomycetes, two anamorphic fungi and one yeast. In terms of their thermal classes, a total of four psychrophilic, five psychro-tolerant and 1 mesophilic fungi were isolated. Thelebolus microsporus, Geomyces sp. and Thelebolus sp. were the most common isolated fungi. Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and 18S rDNA sequences were obtained from 17 fungal isolates, confirming their identification as Thelebolus microsporus, Thelebolus sp., Phoma herbarum and Geo-myces sp

南海4种珊瑚附生可培养真菌多样性分析

本研究利用从南海采集的4种珊瑚分离附生真菌,并通过菌株的分类鉴定及系统发育分析获得珊瑚附生可培养真菌的多样性信息.选用酵母麦芽糖琼脂培养基(YM)、马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂培养基(PDA)、马丁氏培养基(Martin)、察氏琼脂培养基(CDA)和孟加拉红培养基(RBM)等5种培养基,采用平板涂布法培养分离附生真菌,基于ITS-rRNA基因序列对真菌菌株进行鉴定和系统发育分析.从4种珊瑚上共分离获得10个属的120株真菌,分别是:青霉属(Penicillum)56株、曲霉属(Aspergillus)25株、枝顶孢属(Acremonium)2株、枝孢属(Cladosporium)5株、毕赤酵母属(Meyerozyma)14株、隔孢伏革属(Peniophora)2株、拟茎点霉属(Phomopsis)1株、裂褶菌属(Schizophyllum)1株、梗孢酵母属(Sterigmatomyces)13株、篮状菌属(Talaromyces)1株.通过对不同珊瑚品种分离获得的附生真菌的比较,发现小叶鹿角珊瑚(Acropora microphthalma)和花鹿角珊瑚(Acropora floride)上分离到的菌株多样性最高,包含6属10种.进一步的分析发现不同珊瑚样品上真菌种类分布有较大差异,隔孢伏革属和裂褶菌属真菌均分离自小叶鹿角珊瑚,梗孢酵母属和篮状菌属均分离自角孔珊瑚(Goniopora sp.),扁脑珊瑚(Platygyra sp.)上则分离到拟茎点霉属.同时还发现不同培养基分离真菌的能力不同,YM培养基分离的菌株最多,CDA培养基分离真菌的多样性最多.以上的研究结果表明,南海珊瑚上存在大量且丰富的真菌资源,可以为后续生物活性物质的开发利用提供良好的菌种资源.国家海洋局第三海洋研究所基本科研业务费专项资金资助项目(海三科2015020,海三科2016039);;国家国际科技合作专项资助项目(2015DFA20500

Spatial variability of soil nutrients in Punta Fort William, Greenwich Island, maritime Antarctic

This study aims to report baseline soil nutrients, specifically the organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus profile, in soil samples collected from Punta Fort William on Greenwich Island in maritime Antarctic. Samples were collected along two transect lines during the early summer of 2008. Ward’s method of hierarchical agglomerative clustering was employed to group the sampling points based on their physico-chemical properties. In this context, the soil samples can be grouped into three major clusters: (1) Samples with intensive biological activities, (2) samples from the area recently exposed by glacial retreat and (3) samples from barren and dried areas. Nutrient contents in Punta Fort William are driven by the intensity of biological activities as well as melt water from the Quito glacier

Temperature and pH Profiling of Amylase from Antarctic and Arctic Soil Microfungi

While diversity studies and screening for enzyme activities are important elements of understanding fungal roles in the soil ecosystem, extracting and purifying the target enzyme from the fungal cellular system is also required to characterize the enzyme. This is, in particular, necessary before developing the enzyme for industrial-scale production. In the present study, partially purified α-amylase was obtained from strains of Pseudogymnoascus sp. obtained from Antarctic and Arctic locations. Partially purified α-amylases from these polar fungi exhibited very similar characteristics, including being active at 15 °C, although having a small difference in optimum pH. Both fungal taxa are good candidates for the potential application of cold-active enzymes in biotechnological industries, and further purification and characterization steps are now required. The α-amylases from polar fungi are attractive in terms of industrial development because they are active at lower temperatures and acidic pH, thus potentially creating energy and cost savings. Furthermore, they prevent the production of maltulose, which is an undesirable by-product often formed under alkaline conditions. Psychrophilic amylases from the polar Pseudogymnoascus sp. investigated in the present study could provide a valuable future contribution to biotechnological applications

Optimisation of biodegradation conditions for waste canola oil by cold-adapted Rhodococcus sp. AQ5-07 from Antarctica

Background: The potential waste canola oil-degrading ability of the cold-adapted Antarctic bacterial strain Rhodococcus sp. AQ5-07 was evaluated. Globally, increasing waste from food industries generates serious anthropogenic environmental risks that can threaten terrestrial and aquatic organisms and communities. The removal of oils such as canola oil from the environment and wastewater using biological approaches is desirable as the thermal process of oil degradation is expensive and ineffective. Results: Rhodococcus sp. AQ5-07 was found to have high canola oil-degrading ability. Physico-cultural conditions influencing its activity were studied using one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) and statistical optimisation approaches. Considerable degradation (78.60%) of 3% oil was achieved by this bacterium when incubated with 1.0 g/L ammonium sulphate, 0.3 g/L yeast extract, pH 7.5 and 10% inoculum at 10°C over a 72-h incubation period. Optimisation of the medium conditions using response surface methodology (RSM) resulted in a 9.01% increase in oil degradation (87.61%) when supplemented with 3.5% canola oil, 1.05 g/L ammonium sulphate, 0.28g/L yeast extract, pH 7.5 and 10% inoculum at 12.5°C over the same incubation period. The bacterium was able to tolerate an oil concentration of up to 4.0%, after which decreased bacterial growth and oil degradation were observed. Conclusions: These features make this strain worthy of examination for practical bioremediation of lipid-rich contaminated sites. This is the first report of any waste catering oil degradation by bacteria originating from Antarctica

Employees’ Turnover Intention in Malaysian Manufacturing Company

Employee turnover is a significant issue in human resource management, which refers to the employees’ willingness to leave their current organization within a predetermined time frame. Thus, it is essential to pinpoint the factors affecting this decision, which include salary, working environment, employer-employee relationship, and leadership styles.  The primary data was collected from a sample of 136 employees from a manufacturing company in Johor, Malaysia, and all questionnaires were successfully collected from the respondents. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23, and Pearson Correlation and regression analysis were carried out to investigate the influences between the variables. The results from the correlational study revealed that all independent variables have a negative relationship with the dependent variable. Multiple regression analysis showed that the four independent variables substantially explain 54% of the variance for employee turnover intention. However, when assessing the coefficient for each independent variable, only salary, employer-employee relationships, and leadership styles were significant, and the remaining variable was insignificant. For future research, it is recommended that an explicit sample size should be adopted so that the findings can be generalized to other similar populations