Leadership Functions in Managing a Parent Teacher Association

This inquiry studied the nature of leadership in Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and how it functions in the management of the organisation. The study used qualitative case study as the methodology. The informants were PTA exco members, teachers and parents. Semi-structured interviews which were recorded act as the primary data of this inquiry. Each recorded interview was transcribed verbatim into the computer. There searcher has also used documents provided by informants to support the findings. Data were managed using a personal computer and the 'cut and paste' method. The study found that the PTA leadership focused more on the task related activities than the relationship activities. Teachers were found to be more actively involved than parents. The communication between parents and teachers was minimal and stunted the efforts of developing a PTA which balances between carrying out various activities and simultaneously building a close knitted relationship among members

Moving on in academia : exploring the career experiences of professors at a UK university

This study was aimed at providing a better understanding of academic socialisation. Informed by a biographical research approach, the study explored the career experiences of 12 professors from 12 academic departments at a UK university through a series of indepth, semi-structured qualitative interviewing interviews, documentary analysis and a literature review. It set out to highlight how the academics in the study reflexively construct their academic identities and to provide some answers to the question: What is the history of how people have come to be professors? This study suggests that the transformation of these individuals' identities as academics was the outcome of active participation in various communities of practice throughout their careers. Academics continuously learn to position themselves within the various communities of practice that they choose to participate in. The professors' career stories reveal how they make sense and negotiate their identities as academics through accommodating with the power relations, ideology, cultures and ways embedded within the communities of practice of which they are members. Instead of looking at academics as passive participants, the findings provide evidence of individuals' voluntarism and agency in constructing their academic identities. This study contributes to the continuing discussion on academic socialisation through describing the experiences of academics moving through different stages in their careers. The in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviewing approach offers a fuller appreciation of the challenges and opportunities involved in academic socialisation. Demystifying the career experiences of academics may benefit others in academia in navigating their future career undertakings

PhD student' experiences of thesis supervision: 'management' as acceptance and strategy for action.

Relationships with supervisors are regarded by graduate students the world over as the most important aspect affecting the quality of their overall university research experience. With the global increase in attrition rates of graduate students, much research is being conducted on understanding the nature of supervisory relationships in an attempt to develop ways of reducing attrition and improving PhD students’ and supervisors’ experiences of the PhD process. Despite this trend, from the perspective of graduate students, managing supervisory relationships is a topic that has received only scant coverage in the extensive literature on graduate supervision. In response to this gap, eighteen students from diverse backgrounds studying at one Malaysian university were interviewed using a combination of in-depth, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions. The results illuminated the central theme of ‘management’ of the supervisory relationship and included both management of self and supervisor. Managing the supervisory experience was further reduced to two streams: 1) acceptance of the situation, and 2) responding proactively to the situation so as to optimize the PhD research experience. The findings raise several issues related to the role of managing one’s experience in the context of professional development at the PhD level

Moving on in academia : exploring the career experiences of professors at a UK university

This study was aimed at providing a better understanding of academic socialisation. Informed by a biographical research approach, the study explored the career experiences of 12 professors from 12 academic departments at a UK university through a series of indepth, semi-structured qualitative interviewing interviews, documentary analysis and a literature review. It set out to highlight how the academics in the study reflexively construct their academic identities and to provide some answers to the question: What is the history of how people have come to be professors? This study suggests that the transformation of these individuals' identities as academics was the outcome of active participation in various communities of practice throughout their careers. Academics continuously learn to position themselves within the various communities of practice that they choose to participate in. The professors' career stories reveal how they make sense and negotiate their identities as academics through accommodating with the power relations, ideology, cultures and ways embedded within the communities of practice of which they are members. Instead of looking at academics as passive participants, the findings provide evidence of individuals' voluntarism and agency in constructing their academic identities. This study contributes to the continuing discussion on academic socialisation through describing the experiences of academics moving through different stages in their careers. The in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviewing approach offers a fuller appreciation of the challenges and opportunities involved in academic socialisation. Demystifying the career experiences of academics may benefit others in academia in navigating their future career undertakings.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceUniversiti Putra MalaysiaMalaysia. Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam [Public Service Dept.]GBUnited Kingdo

PhD Students\u27 Experiences of Thesis Supervision in Malaysia: Managing Relationships in the Midst of Institutional Change

Despite the plethora of studies that have been conducted on PhD supervision, little qualitative investigation has been conducted with a diverse, non-Western sample of doctoral students in an attempt to understand how the supervisory relationship is experienced. In response, eighteen students from diverse, non-Western backgrounds studying at one Malaysian research university were interviewed. Results illuminated the theme of management of the supervisory experience and included two streams:(a) acceptance of the situation, and (b) response to the situation so as to optimize their experience. The two major themes further included four sub-themes that included managing personal relations, time and accessibility constraints, academic compatibility, and expectations. Implications for the development of international research universities where PhD supervision of a diverse student body is a critical factor for university success and development are discussed

PhD students' experiences of thesis supervision in Malaysia: managing relationships in the midst of institutional change

Despite the plethora of studies that have been conducted on PhD supervision, little qualitative investigation has been conducted with a diverse, non-Western sample of doctoral students in an attempt to understand how the supervisory relationship is experienced. In response, eighteen students from diverse, non-Western backgrounds studying at one Malaysian research university were interviewed. Results illuminated the theme of "management" of the supervisory experience and included two streams:(a) acceptance of the situation, and (b) response to the situation so as to optimize their experience. The two major themes further included four sub-themes that included managing personal relations, time and accessibility constraints, academic compatibility, and expectations. Implications for the development of international research universities where PhD supervision of a diverse student body is a critical factor for university success and development are discussed

'Tawheedic' based leadership: an extension of multi linkage contingency model from the Islamic perspective based on a study of a Muslim strategic leader in Malaysia

The article provide inputs to the proposed expended model of multi linkage contingency model by Kringer and Seng [1], in highlighting the latent variables and the meaning attached to the proposed expanded contingency model of leadership based on the inner values and religious traditions from the Islamic perspective. In this article it shows that "Tawheed" is the underpinning factor that binds and infuses the inner meaning and values in Muslim leaders. The "Tawheedic Paradigm" explored in this article can be seen as the fulfillment of contract (Amanah) between God and Man, in which man as servant of God and his vicegerent on earth (Khalifah) performs righteous deeds based on Islamic teachings

Attitude, knowledge and competency towards precision agricultural practice among paddy farmers

Previous research indicated that farmers’ attitude, knowledge and competency influenced the adoption of technology. Realizing the truth, this study was carried out with the purpose to find factors and answers to questions that influenced the adoption of Precision Agricultural Practice (PAP). The study was carried out on 119 paddy farmers at IADA Barat Laut, Selangor. Results indicated that attitude, knowledge and competency significantly influenced the adoption of the PAP. Hence, to change the farmers’ attitude, knowledge and competency are vital aspects in the adoption of the PAP

Relationship between transactional, transformational leadership styles, emotional intelligence and job performance

Claims about the significant relationship or the positive influence of emotional intelligence on performance are numerous, in both the commercial and scientific literatures. However, despite the intense interest of the media and business consultants in the field of emotional intelligence or EI, and its increasingly popular use in organizations, there is little empirical evidence to support these claims. In this study, we investigated the relationships between EI, leadership styles among 192 managers. Emotional intelligence was evaluated employing the Schutte emotional intelligence scale and while the Bass and Avolve leadership styles scale was also adapted. Finally, job performance was measured by immediate managers. Results showed that emotional intelligence was positively correlated with emotion in job performance. Surprisingly, it also appears that transformational leadership style was correlated with job performance. These results suggest that emotional intelligence may provide an interesting new way of enhancing productivity through job performance

Developing motivation to become leaders amongst undergraduates in institutions of higher learning

The management of academic and extracurricular programs to develop leadership skills amongst university students has become one of the top priorities in many universities since it is said that one of the core functions of universities is the development of future leaders (Astin & Astin, 2000; Zimmerman-Oster & Burkhardt,1999). While academic and extracurricular programs increasingly focus on the development of leadership awareness, character and skills, one of the missing links in the equation concerns the level of motivation to lead. This study reports on a study that involved 1860 undergraduate students in Malaysia in public and private institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) on their motivation to lead, as well as university factors and personal factors affecting their level of motivation to lead. Based on the general findings of the study, literature review, and the authors’ experiences in training student leadership, an integrated model of a student leadership development program is then proposed. This paper also makes several recommendations based on the research findings to managers of higher learning institutions (HEI) pertaining student leadership training and development programs