Foreign direct investment in Malaysia: Trends and prospects

This paper reports on a study analyzing recent trends, pattern and prospects of the foreign direct investment (FDI) in Malaysia in the post-1997 financial crisis period. Among the ASEAN-4 countries, Malaysia continues to remain as the main centre for attracting FDI.The macroeconomic variables such as GDP, exports and employment are found to be positively influenced by the growth of FDI in Malaysia. To enhance the positive effect of FDI on the growth process of the Malaysian economy the flow of FDI into export-oriented sector and use of domestic inputs by the foreign oriented firms need to be encouraged.It is suggested that for sustained flow of FDI, continual price stability, macroeconomic balances, good governance and economic liberalization reforms are crucially important in the country.In the event of declining inflows of FDI, Malaysia has to shiR towards inward looking policies and search other alternatives to sustain its growth and economic prosperity by seeking more investment oufflows as a global player

Enhancing institutional capacity building of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community based organizations (CBOs): Impact of an innovative initiative

This paper attempts to unpack the notion and process of institutional capacity building of NGOs / CBOs in rural and semi-urban areas if the Sindh province. Several NGOs / CBOs and other organizations tend to take initiatives embedded in the ‘first order’ changes which are of incremental nature and have failed to contribute substantially towards enhancing their institutional capacity building. In 1999, the AKU-IED was engaged in enhancing institutional capacity building of selected NGOs and CBOs in Sindh through ‘second order’ changes for promoting education in general and female education in particular. The process of the transformational development of these NGOs / CBOs began in October 1999 through the participation of their staff members in various contextualized Professional Development Programmes at AKU-IED directed at initiating ‘second order’ changes. The focus of these programmes was to develop and promote an academic leadership and collaborative culture among the participants so that they are able to demonstrate themselves as a ‘community of learners’ in their own contexts. These programmes eventually contributed towards enhancing the institutional capacity building of NGOs / CBOs for managing the ‘second order’ changes in their contexts. Within three years, these NGOs / CBOs conceived and provided contextually viable and financially feasible professional pltform in the shape of Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) for their teachers and others continuing professional development. Sixteen LRCs were established by the respective NGOs / CBOs. These are functioning effectively with the minimum resources. Although, these LRCs are small in their nature and size, their impact for building institutional capacity has been found quite substantial. This innovation has led to develop an indigenous model of professional development of teachers and others that can be easily replicated in the similar contexts of Pakistan. This paper further discusses the role and impact of LRCs in relation to institutional capacity building of NGOs / CBOs in Sindh. These LRCs have developed innovative and relevant Professional Development Programmes for their staff and others to provide access for professional development at grass-roots level which eventually improve the quality of education to a great extent

Population Firm Interaction and the Dynamics of Assimilation Gap

The paper shows that the interaction between population and firm knowledge produces a non-monotonic change in the assimilation gap. The assimilation gap follows a convex curve experiencing an upward slope driven by imitation and the downward slope by knowledge spillovers. Changes in the characteristics of innovation shift its peak across time. The relative advantage and compatibility shift the peak towards the left and the complexity shifts it to the right. The model is tested in a simulated environment and offers insights into the differences in temporal trajectories of the various adopter groups

Parental Choice: Facilitators and Barriers of Utilizing Childcare Centers in Karachi, Pakistan

This qualitative study explored parental perceptions regarding parent's choice of quality childcare centers in urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Sixteen participants were selected from two centers in different geographical areas. For parents, the most common reason for selecting the childcare centers was the lack of other available options such as family support. Availability and accessibility of childcare centers were reported as supporting factors, while lack of family support, lack of information, and violent city conditions were identified as barriers to choosing childcare centers. In addition, husband support was perceived as a facilitator and a barrier to choosing childcare centers