The Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Quality of Working Life Among Information Systems Personnel

Increasing demand against the limited supply has forced the IS personnel to be responsible for multitasking with a higher workload. This trend appears to exert pressure and leads to dehumanised work environment which has substantial impact on their QWL. Lack of attention from management on issues related to psychosocial factors is one of the reasons. Thus, in light of humanising workplace, this research was initiated to investigate the relationship between psychosocial factors and QWL among the fastest growing workforce which will be responsible to transform Malaysia into a developed nation. A total of 453 valid responses were used from a sample of 600 questionnaires sent to randomly selected IS personnel employed in MSC organisations. The 76% of return rate was due to multiple approaches practised in collecting the survey questionnaires. The data collected were first explored using Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and reliability test prior to employing descriptive and inferential statistics using the SPSS.This study found that most of the IS personnel employed in MSC organisations experience moderate to high level of QWL. Organisational support, job dimension, job control and job demand show significant positive relationship with QWL. The components of organisational characteristics (co-worker support) and job characteristics (autonomy, task identity, task significance, psychological demand, emotional demand and skill discretion) are the major contributors of QWL. All the selected psychosocial factors, namely, job dimension, job control, organisational support, and job demand, are the major contributors of QWL. However, growth need strength (GNS) was not the major contributors. The selected psychosocial variables explained 49.3% of variance in QWL. The selected socio-demographic variables; personal profile (gender, age, educational level and monthly income); professional profile (total work experience, occupational category and work practices); and organisational profile (year of operations and nationality of the workforce) show significant difference in the mean of QWL. A highly demanding job with substantial control and support creates an active working condition that provides a continuous learning environment for continuous improvement. Hence, the IS personnel experience better QWL. This study recommends that the relevant authorities take precautionary action to maintain a higher level of QWL among IS personnel. Future research should include wider scope of psychosocial variables across various industries before providing additional input for strategic human resource planning for IS personnel in the country

Perception of Management Personnel on the Introduction of Home Office System in Their Organisations

Drastic development in the telecommunication and computer technology has encouraged the computerisation of private and public sectors in Malaysia. Advancement of this new information technology provides new opportunities for Malaysians and encourages the government to build an information-rich society by the year 2020. In vision 2020 development of home environment computer networking will be emphasised. This study was conducted to determine the perception of top managerial personnel on home office system. A total of 78 management personnel from organisations listed in KLSE participated in this study. Data were collected through structured mail questionnaire and analysed using SPSS ver. 7.5 (W). The findings showed that management personnel were highly favourable towards adopting home office system. The study found a negative and weak relationship between perception and perceivable barriers. The assumption is that there is a basic demand and eagerness among the organisational practitioners in adopting home office system in their organisation. However the management need to be willing to exert considerable effort in introducing the system in their organisations. The present situation in their respective organisations strongly indicative that, utilisation of information technology is fundamental for employees' personal development and job satisfaction. This study concluded that home office system improve their employees job satisfaction and personal development. Therefore the management personnel should develop a policy to build a productive virtual workforce with the consideration of the existing perceivable barriers in order to be successful in introducing the system in their organisations

First report of Colleothrichum spp causing diseases in Capsichum spp in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Blackish or orange liquid-like spots were found on (n=100) fruits of chillies (Capsicum) sold in five local markets in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. capsici were identified as the causal agents of an anthracnose disease. This is the first report of Colletotrichum spp. as the causal agent of anthracnose infected chillies in Sabah

Distribution and ethnomycological knowledge of wild edible mushrooms in Sabah (Northern Borneo), Malaysia

Ethnomycological knowledge is a combination of biological resources, cultural and human patterns, in particular collective traditional uses and the importance of fungi in daily life. Despite the large number of ethnic groups in Sabah, the native ethnomycological knowledge of wild edible mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms are poorly documented. This study attempted to document wild edible mushrooms and their ethnomycological uses and practices in the tropical rainforest of Sabah, Borneo. Opportunistic samplings and ethnomycological surveys were made within the indigenous communities of Sabah. Collectively, 50 respondents from four different ethnic communities i.e. Dusun, Kadazan, Orang Sungai, and Bisaya were interviewed. A total of 25 wild mushroom species were documented as edible mushroom for food, and five species for medicinal uses. The highest number of wild edible mushroom collected and reported were of the Pleurotaceae family (five species), followed by Polyporaceae family (three species) and Auriculariaceae family (three species). The results also showed that Schizophyllum commune (Kulat Kodop), Volvariella volvacea (Kulat Sawit), Pleurotus spp., (Cendawan Tiram) Auricularia spp., (Kulat Korong) and Marasmiellus species were mostly consumed by the indigenous people of Sabah as part of their daily diet. Local names, culinary, and the edibility types were distinct among the different local communities. Elderly indigenous people possess vast knowledge on uses of wild mushrooms compared to the younger generation. Women play an important role in wild mushroom collection and its edibility, uses and practices. The findings from this study showed that ethnomycological knowledge of wild mushroom in Sabah is still lacking and more attention is needed. A study on the ethnomycological aspect in Borneo is a necessity in creating awareness among the public on edible and poisonous mushrooms, and its culinary and medicinal properties

Work Condition and Predictors of Quality of Work Life of Information System Personnel

Dynamic and continuous developments of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have brought significant changes to work condition. This revolutionary work condition has created pressure and led to various work consequences at workplace. Therefore, it is essential to examine the Quality of Work Life (QWL) among the Information System (IS) personnel those who are heavily involved in ICT work environment. Data from a sample of 453 IS personnel employed in Malaysian ICT organizations were gathered via self-administered mail questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. This study utilized Job Demand-Control-Support Model to examine the work condition. The results were discussed based on the four types of work condition namely, passive, active, low strain and high strain work conditions and their consequences for QWL. The results show IS personnel fall in the active quadrant that allows them to experience better QWL. Based on regression analysis, it was found that variables of work condition, namely job demand, job control and social support were significant predictors of QWL among IS personnel

Ohcratoxin producing Aspergillus spp. isolated from tropical soils in Sarawak, Malaysia

Aspergillus strains isolated from tropical soils were selected for additional characterization and for ochratoxin analysis, which was determined by ELISA method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiles. Because of its great morphological variability and mycotoxin production availability, 18 isolates of Aspergillus species were selected for this study. Only two isolates of these tropical soils, A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius, showed positive results for ohcratoxin (OA) in lower concentration (0.05-0.10 µg/ml). Ochratoxin production by these species was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. HPLC analysis for ochratoxin producing A. sulphureus and A. carbonarius showed retention time, Rt value = 4.417 and Rt value = 4.081 respectively

A critical analysis of the role of stakeholder engagement in establishing the renewable energy sector in South Africa

Stakeholder engagement-dialogue is proposed as a method of responding to the sustainable energy challenges facing South Africa. Establishing the renewable energy sector requires constructive engagement including consumers, energy suppliers, regulators and government. The purpose of this research is an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the stakeholder engagement process - specifically dialogue - being used by government to establish the renewable energy sector. It evaluates the effectiveness of the current dialogue and the role this dialogue can play in establishing the renewable energy sector. Initially, the study analyses the dialogue contained in fifty public domain internet articles on renewable energy. This data is validated by face-to-face interviews with nine stakeholders. The analysis focuses on comparing the dialogue against an acceptable dialogue framework. Evidence from both sets of data suggests that the dialogue, although inclusive and open, lacks tolerance, empowerment and transparency. The study further found that effective dialogue should contain clarity, policies and trust. Moreover, findings from the research indicate that stakeholder dialogue can play a vital role in establishing the renewable energy sector but this dialogue needs to be with relevant stakeholders. This research adds to the existing literature in dialogue in that it proposes three additional dimensions for effective dialogue. CopyrightDissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)unrestricte

Revision of Protohydnum (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota)

Three species currently addressed to Protohydnum (Auriculariales) are studied with morphological and DNA methods. The genus Protohydnum is retained for the type species only, P. cartilagineum, recently re-collected in Brazil. The European species, P. piceicola, is not congeneric with P. cartilagineum and, therefore, placed in its own genus, Hyalodon, gen. nov. Another Hyalodon species, H. antui, is described from East Asia. The third member of Protohydnum sensu lato, P. sclerodontium from South-East Asia, is transferred to Elmerina.Peer reviewe

The Effect of Islamic Legislation on Contemporary Arab Islamic Architecture

تُعد العقائد إحدى الموجهات الفكرية الأكثر تأثيراً في العمارة، وبذلك تشكل العقيدة الإسلامية بأبعادها الفكرية والعملية المؤثر الرئيس في النتاجات المعمارية شكلاً ومضموناً وتمثل الشريعة الإسلامية الجانب التطبيقي لهذه العقيدة، فلكلِ مجتمعٍ ثقافتهُ وعاداته وتقاليدهُ , لذا فإنَّ التشريع الإسلامي يُعدْ منظومة متكاملة تحكم تصرفات هذا المجتمع ونتاجه على المستويين المادي والروحي وإنَّ هدف الدين الإسلامي والشريعة السمحاء تحقيق وحفظ المقاصد الخمس :الدين,النفس,المال , العرض والنسل فضلاً عن تحقيق العدل والمساواة وإصلاح حياة الإنسان وتُعدْ العمارة من أكثرُ الوسائلِ التي يقوم بها البشر كي يحققوا تلكَ المقاصدِ فضلاً عن كونها الأكثر تعبيراً عن ثقافة المجتمعات قوة وتأثيراً بالمجتمعات الأخرى مما يستتبع الأثر الديني في التصميم المعماري وبذلك تتشكل المشكلة العامة للبحث . إنّ ما عكسته التشريعات الإسلامية المستمدة من النصوص القرآنية الكريمة والأحاديث الشريفة وعلى الأعمال العمرانية التي قام بها الرسول (ص) والتي شَكلتْ المشكلة الخاصة للبحث ومن دراسة مجموعة من الدراسات تم تحديد مشكلة البحث بالآتي :( وجود قصور معرفي لأَثر التشريع الإسلامي في بلورة النتاجات المعمارية المعاصرة على مستوى الفكر والتطبيق) , ويهدف البحث إلى إغناء المعرفة بخصوص دورُ التشريع الإسلامي في بلورة عمارة عربية إسلامية ذات مضامين جوهرية معبرة عن روح العصر وإعتمد البحث المنهج الوصفي التحليلي والتي تضمن بناء إطاراً مفاهيمياً ومعرفياً وبناء إطار نظري الذي يُعد أولى خطوات حل مشكلة البحث . واهم ما توصل إليه البحث هو( بين التواصلية والإستمرارية يتوجه الإنسان المعمار إلى خلق نتاجات إبداعية ترتبط بإصول العمارة ذات الصبغة الإسلامية وقدرة تلك النتاجات على مواكبة المعاصرة من خلال تحقيق حاجة الإنسان ورغباته المتغيرة بتغير الزمان والمكان) ليختم البحث بالإستنتاجات والتوصيات والمصادر.                                                                     Religion is one of the most effective intellectual guides in architecture. Thus, the Islamic religion, with its intellectual and practical dimensions, is the main effective of architectural products in form and substance. Islamic legislation represents the practical aspect. Each society has its own culture, customs and traditions. Therefore, Islamic legislation is an integrated system that governs the actions and results of this society, and that the goal of the Islamic religion and legislation is to achieve and save the five purposes: religion, self, money, supply and birth as well as justice, equality and human life reform. Architecture is one of the most effective means by which human beings achieve these goals, as well as being the most expressive of the culture of societies, which is powerful and effective in other societies, which entails religious influence in architectural design it is the general problem of research As well as the Islamic legislations derived from the Quranic texts and the noble Hadiths on the urban work which formed the special problem of the research and the study of a group of studies. The research problem was identified by: (the lack of knowledge of the impact of Islamic legislation on the crystallization of architectural products Contemporary at the level of thought and application), and the study aims to enrich knowledge about the role of Islamic legislation in the development of Arab Islamic architecture with the contents of the essence of the spirit of the age and the research adopted the descriptive analytical methodology, which includes the construction of a conceptual framework and the construction of a theoretical framework, which is the first step in solving the research problem . The most important of the research findings is (between communication and continuity, the human architecture to create creative products linked to the architecture of Islamic architecture and the ability of those products to keep up with contemporary through the realization of human needs and desires changing time and place) to conclude the research conclusions, recommendations and source