Warehouse management system and business performance: Case study of a regional distribution centre

This paper examines Warehouse Management System (WMS) practices and their effects on operations. This study analyses the relationship between adoption of WMS to its impacts on business performance and competitive advantage of a regional distribution centre.In terms of business performance, the focus is placed on various competitive cores of distribution centre.WMS was found has a positive impact on companies' performance on operations management measures.To adopt the MIS, wireless barcode embedded WMS in specific, it is necessary to have corporate culture that supports complex operational activities.WMS implementation is crucial in bringing cost reduction in operational level, effective management in management level, as well as improvement of the company's competitiveness in strategic level. Companies that manage warehousing of their products are expected to implement WMS in order to maintain their competitive edge in the global market place

Evaluation of occupational safety and health policies in Malaysia / Au Yong Hui Nee

The initial Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) legislation in Malaysia was constructed by the British administration. Malaysia continued to improve the legislation's scope to ensure that it continues to support the nation's growth. Workers in the warehousing and storage industry or third party logistic providers in some cases suffer high rate of occupational accidents as reflected in considerable share of occupational fatalities and lost-time injuries. OSH of workers should be integrated into the management plans so as to yield the benefits of high efficiency workforce. The main OSH national policy in Malaysia is the enactment of Factories and Machinery Act (FMA) 1967 and Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994. Other legislation was also formulated to address specific issues and concerns. This paper reviews their implementation and various impacts on OSH in Malaysia. Data were obtained from official sources. This paper discusses the current OSH status of warehousing and storage industry. The OSH problems are tied largely to the companies' organization and how the work is performed. Occupational accidents happened which resulted from many factors including poor OSH management system, inadequacies in access to information, inadequate training of personnel, machinery was not provided with appropriate tools and improper adoption of personal protective equipment, while the employees lacked awareness and knowledge of OSH and emergency response. Recommendations to improve OSH level are discussed in the paper. Potential solutions are such as enhancement in labor-management OSH planning and management, training of employees, adoption of new technologies, up-to-date regulation, and continuous health monitoring

The Roles of Organization Innovation and Aging Workforce in Maysian Manufacturing Sectors' Readiness for Industry 4.0

The manufacturing sector is an indispensable part of a country's economic system. For Malaysia, it not only helps in transmuting raw material to finished goods but also an essential driver to the country's economic growth. Owing to this sector, Malaysia holds a remarkable position in exports across the world. It is also a principal contributor to the employment of the country. Although, the manufacturing industry is deemed as the backbone of a country's growth, however, the industry also faces many challenges with technological advancements due to the industrial revolution known as Industry 4.0.The aim of Industry 4.0 is to realize productivity and improve efficiency. Its potential disruptive technologies are altering the way of work. Correspondingly, it poses challenges for organizations to innovate and in analyzing their readiness for Industry 4.0. Thereby, current research aimed to investigate the key role of organization innovation and its enablers including electronic human resource management, knowledge-oriented leadership and decentralized organization structure. In addition, change in demographics has shaped another snag in the form of an aging workforce for manufacturing companies. Ergo, the moderating role of the aging workforce was gauged in support to readiness for Industry 4.0 by using Structural Equation Modelling.A quantitative method was adopted to establish the relationship between the variables. By using self-administered questionnaire, a total of 218 useful responses from manufacturing companies of Malaysia were collected and examined through SmartPLS 3 software. The results highlighted the important dual role of organization innovation for readiness of Industry 4.0. It further confirms the moderating act of aging workforce in relationship between organization innovation and readiness for Industry 4.0.Current research contributed to the body of knowledge a detailed vision of Industry 4.0 and its significance for manufacturing sector in Malaysia. The research findings confirmed a noteworthy knowledge concerning high dependency of readiness for Industry 4.0 on organization innovation and moderating effect of aging workforce between them. Additionally, electronic human resource management and knowledge-oriented leadership were also identified as an enabler of organization innovation through empirical examination. The moderating role of organization innovation is of high interest for keen researchers. Current research provides a directive for practitioners to pave the way for successful implementation of Industry 4.0. Forbye, the research outcomes are thoughtprovoking to national policymakers which can aid in development of impressive policies for Industry 4.0 while considering the vital role of organization innovation and aging workforce

Use of social media to enhance personal learning environment in learning of statistics

A Personal Learning Environment (PLE) has been discussed from the past few years as PLE empowers students to take charge of their own learning to match their personal learning style and pace. Many students in tertiary education face difficulties in learning statistics and mathematical skills because of its complexity, lack of self motivations and learning supports. The objective of this study is to verify on how online learning tools such as social media can serve as platforms for PLE integrating both formal and informal learning and fostering self-regulated learning for statistics learners. A survey questionnaire was tested among students from a private university. Likert-scale type format and open-ended question were used. Findings from this study show that most learners are accessing internet. However, its use for learning was still low and required further improvement. Spending more time in social network was found correlated with receiving a stronger intrinsic motivation. Instructors should use social media integrated in the LMS with interesting course content. Results from this pilot study have contributed to the questionnaire for future full implementation

IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ORGANISATIONAL INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A STUDY OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

The manufacturing industry is an indispensable part of the economy, especially for Malaysia. The manufacturing sector in Malaysia is not only transforming raw material into products, but also contributing significantly to the country’s economy. Malaysia has attained a significant position in the world by exporting its manufactured goods. However, the production services always require innovation to meet the ever-changing customer demands. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry faces constant challenges such as the innovation capability of organizations, and swift and frequent shifts in the use of technology. These issues may hamper the efforts of manufacturing firms to fully participate in Industry 4.0 Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the influence of knowledge-oriented leadership, electronic human resource management (E-HRM), and decentralised organisational structure on organizational innovation. The current research has adopted a quantitative method to establish the relationship between these three variables and innovation in organizations. A total of 218 samples were collected from manufacturing firms located in Malaysia. Data collected through a self-administered questionnaire was examined by using SmartPLS software. The results of this research has added to the body of knowledge in the respective field by highlighting the significance of knowledge-oriented leadership and E-HRM in predicting organizational innovation. It can further help stakeholders to plan a way forward in facing Industry 4.0 through the development of innovation competencies

Facilitating the Malaysian Manufacturing Sector in Readiness for Industry 4.0:A Mediating Role of Organization Innovation

The manufacturing sector of Malaysia is an essential part of its economic system. Malaysia holds a remarkable position in the global market through the exports of manufacturing products. However, this sector faces challenges such as organizational capability to innovate due to rapid technological and business environment changes in line with Industry 4.0. These challenges may prevent manufacturing firms from embracing Industry 4.0 and thriving in their businesses. Therefore, this research aims to identify the role of organizational practices such as knowledge-oriented leadership, electronic human resource management, and decentralized organization structure in support of organization innovation to prepare manufacturing firms for Industry 4.0. A quantitative method was applied to 218 samples collected from Malaysian manufacturing firms. The results of this research are interesting for keen researchers and helpful for decision-makers and practitioners to successfully pave the way for Industry 4.0 implementation in manufacturing firms by developing innovation capabilities.</p

Achieving Community Happiness through Affordable Eco-Friendly Smart Houses

The significant lack of affordable house is contributed by urbanization, economic power, and population growth. Accessible housing views having different types of houses at variety of costs to suit the needs of different levels of household income. This paper proposes to resolve the unaffordable house issues by constructing eco-friendly smart houses. Eco-friendly smart houses play a vital role in developing affordable houses because it will minimize construction costs, minimize negative environmental impact and reduce energy consumption. Besides, it was suggested that those houses will lead to community happiness. This study identifies the determinants for buyer intends to purchase the houses and make recommendations on the impact of the houses towards community happiness expectation. Questionnaires have been distributed to the potential buyer using the online application. The results conclude that attitude, perceive behavioral control and social media influence potential buyer intention to purchase the affordable eco-friendly smart houses. The findings further reveal that purchase intention leads to expectation on community happiness. This study contributes in two ways. First, it contributes to sustainable development goals agenda and offers a new approach in constructing affordable houses. Second, it contributes to theoretical development on the linkage between purchase intention and expectation on community happiness

Mitigating housing glut: an application to the Malaysian housing market

Purpose – This paper aims to construct a model procedure to mitigate housing glut by using both qualitative and quantitative approach. The model applied in the Malaysian context analyzes the following: information contained in media articles and reports issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) on the housing market to extract the true picture of the housing glut issue; the relative impact (effectiveness) of housing affordability, housing prices and economic growth in influencing housing glut, and how it can be overcome so that appropriate preferential policies can be taken to mitigate the problem. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses quarterly data from 2000 to 2017 to conduct economic analysis, economic theory analysis and cointegrating regression, whereas information from mediapublished housing articles and reports issued by BNM are examined and interpreted to draw the true picture of housing glut.Findings – The results obtained from quantitative analysis show that housing affordability exerts very mild relative effect (0.0097) negatively on housing glut, whereas economic growth and housing price produce a relatively mild positive impact of (0.020) and (0.022), respectively, conflicting to the common consensus that the two factors have a significant effect on housing glut. Qualitatively, the results of this study show that housing glut seems to be relatively larger for affordable housing, which is contrary to the quantitative results, pointing to the existence of other influencing factors. Research limitations/implications – There is an imperative need for a third-party survey to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market conditions and buyers’ sentiment and preference. Originality/value – This study compares both quantitative and qualitative results with expected housing market movements and responses based on conventional wisdom

Understanding the Factors Affecting Pro-Environment Behavior for City Rail Transport Usage: Territories’ Empirical Evidence—Malaysia

The emerging population has increased travel demand and improved public transport mode in cities to connect the people. (1) Background: This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to assess the usage behavior for city rail transport with the factors attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control and its impact on pro-behavioral intentions to increase the actual usage of rail transports, i.e., LRT, MRT, and KTM commuter. (2) Method/Approach: To understand the antecedents of pro-environment behavioral intention, this study performed pilot testing, for which we collected the data through closed-ended questionnaires to test the instrument’s reliability, specifically from the Klang Valley in Malaysia. (3) Findings/Results: This study revealed that the public attitude due to environmental concern and subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are the strongest predictors for public transport usage through behavioral intention. The study estimated that most respondents would have agreed to choose public transport mode if quality of services increased. (4) Conclusion: In future research, the goal of this study could be extended as a strategic indicator for sustainable development through efficient mobility choice in Malaysia. The TPB model helps to present the factors involved in growing and retaining clients for rail transport. In terms of implications for policy, this study also provides policymakers with valuable information to maintain the current public transport passengers and attract new users through the perceived service quality and customer satisfaction of public transport

Impact of Management Practices on Organisational Innovation in The Digital Age: A Study of the Manufacturing Industry in Malaysia

The manufacturing industry is an indispensable part of the economy, especially for Malaysia. The manufacturing sector in Malaysia is not only transforming raw material into products, but also contributing significantly to the country’s economy. Malaysia has attained a significant position in the world by exporting its manufactured goods. However, the production services always require innovation to meet the ever-changing customer demands. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry faces constant challenges such as the innovation capability of organizations, and swift and frequent shifts in the use of technology. These issues may hamper the efforts of manufacturing firms to fully participate in Industry 4.0 Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the influence of knowledge-oriented leadership, electronic human resource management (E-HRM), and decentralised organisational structure on organizational innovation. The current research has adopted a quantitative method to establish the relationship between these three variables and innovation in organizations. A total of 218 samples were collected from manufacturing firms located in Malaysia. Data collected through a self-administered questionnaire was examined by using SmartPLS software. The results of this research has added to the body of knowledge in the respective field by highlighting the significance of knowledge-oriented leadership and E-HRM in predicting organizational innovation. It can further help stakeholders to plan a way forward in facing Industry 4.0 through the development of innovation competencies