A reformation model of compliance to improve the property tax revenue generation in Malaysian local governments

This study is aimed at proposing an extension on Fisher’s model of compliance behavior based on empirical findings on property tax revenue generated in Malaysian local government. Adequate delivery of facilities and services alongside community engagement can significantly influence property tax revenue generation. The methodology adopted is a quantitative approach. Questionnaires are administered to about 300 respondents (taxpayers). The findings reveal that poor provision of facilities and services combined with lack of community engagement in local government delivery process results in poor property tax revenue generation. The negative effect is as a result of non compliance in property tax which increases proportionally with inadequate provisions of facilities and services within the local government set-up. This established the fact that in order to improve compliance behavior there is absolute need for adequate delivery of facilities and services alongside community engagement. This requires the need for an extension of the existing Fisher’s Model of compliance behavior which is applicable within the context of the case study area. Therefore, an extension of Fisher’s Model of compliance proposed is based on these requirements. The proposed model can assist the local governments in dealing with issues associated with noncompliance. Sufficient provision of facilities and services in conjunction with community engagement will motivate the taxpayers to settle their tax obligations. This will certainly encourage community development and improve property tax revenue generated. This study introduces a new property tax compliance model which emphasized on a new approach to property tax by interfacing provision of facilities and services with community engagement within the framework of Fisher’s Model

A Relationship of Project Management Process Factors with SMEs Performance

Main problems of SMEs in UAE are lack of talented and experienced people and funding difficulties. Beside that the prevailing negative economic outlook also affecting SMEs. Several studies found that SMEs are reluctant to apply project management technique due to lack of talent, this paper present a study to connect project management process with SMEs performance in the UAE. A structural model on the relationship between project management factors with SMEs performance was developed and validated. Data used for this modelling was from the questionnaire survey involved 260 respondents from the SMEs employees. The results presented four measurement models of project management process factors that affecting the SMEs in UAE. All the measurement models had undergone evaluation using CFA analysis in AMOS software and found that the models had achieved the acceptable level of fitness. Then these models were tied up into structural model. The evaluation of the structural model was done using path analysis of the software. The results of the structural model indicated that all the hypotheses are significant.  It can be concluded that all the four project management processes factors which are scope, cost, communication and risk are significantly can affect the SMEs performance in UAE

Potential Implementation of Lightweight Steel Panel System in Affordable Housing Project: Developers Perspective

Utilization of Industrialized Building System (IBS) becomes increasingly dominant in the construction of affordable housing in Malaysia.  Theoretically, utilization of IBS system can benefit to reduce the affordable housing price due to the less labor involvement and short constructions time.  However, current IBS usage in housing construction still cannot fulfill the affordable housing demand especially in term of price and housing quality.  Recent study reveals the lack adoption of IBS component in construction industry mainly caused by poor perception among stakeholder toward the system.  Hence, some alterations in the supply of the IBS component essential to being prepared in order to reach the price target to permit all middle-income groups to own the quality house.   Construction industry also can explore the other types of IBS system focusing on lightweight types such as wood or steel system which clearly could give benefit to the housing industry on faster works and high housing quality.  Due to strong and durable characteristic of lightweight steel panel, it can be seen as an alternative component to be explored to enhance construction practices of affordable housing project.  Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to identify the potential of lightweight steel panel system to be implemented for affordable housing project.  Accordingly, for the highlight in reducing affordable housing price integrate with provision of good quality housing this research focus on feedback from developer about the proposed lightweight steel panel system. This research conducted an interview with six project managers with more than three years working experience in housing construction project at South of Peninsular Malaysia.  Developer’s experience in affordable housing project mainly for landed house is coinciding because of lightweight steel panel system suitability for not more than two stories house.  The result reveals that, respondent prefer to the advantages of lightweight steel panel system in term of faster installation works, low maintenance work, flexibility and smart construction.  In conclusion, the ability of the system to decrease housing price at the same time sustain the desired quality of housing will increase ability and satisfaction for middle-income earner to own the house

Integrated waste recycling framework for municipal solid waste generated (MSWG) in Bauchi Metropolis, Nigeria

An audit survey of quantities and compositions of municipal solid waste generated (MSWG) is important to plan an effective waste management in any locality. Resource recycling of solid waste materials is more preferable than waste disposal in landfills, which is the last choice consideration. In Bauchi metropolis, the resource recycling possibilities from MSWG are rarely explored as evident in the observed mixed waste disposed-off in the final dump sites in the study area. In Bauchi as in most Nigerian cities mixed waste is disposed without segregation into open dump sites as a typical method for waste management. This study has investigated the MSWG in Bauchi metropolis and explored the possibilities of integrated waste recycling (IWR) due mainly to lack of waste characterisation studies. An IWR system combines recycling with composting methods as a strategy to achieve optimum recovery of inorganic and organic wastes respectively from the MSWG. This study is a quantitative analysis of MSWG in the three residential zones within Bauchi metropolis. Stratified random method was used to select 400 household units as sample size for data collection and 368 of the screened data was found valid for detail analysis. The result revealed waste composition that supported IWR method and can recover up to 76.55% of MSWG in Bauchi the study area. This study concludes that IWR possibilities are large from the compositions of MSWG in Bauchi metropolis. Therefore, IWR framework is proposed to implement these possibilities as a prelude to effective management for MSWG in Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria

Measurement Models of M-Government Services for Abu Dhabi Government

This paper presents a formulation and assessment of measurement models which was intended for the study M-Government services by using service quality and customer satisfaction for UAE government. The study was conducted amongst users of Abu Dhabi Police smart application. In this study seven measurement models were identified. Five of the models which are Tangible; Reliability; Responsiveness; Assurance; Empathy are under the cluster of service quality. The other two which are M-services and overall customer satisfaction. A total of 250 questionnaire sets were considered adequate in accordance with the simple random sampling methods used to determine the sample size. The collected data was used in Structural Equation Modeling-AMOS for establishing and analysis each of the measurement model. The results found that all the seven models has achieved all the stipulated fitness criteria for the measurement model. Hence with all the model achieved the fitness level, these models can be used to develop structural model amongst them

Overview of the operational service quality in UAE Government

Government service providers now play a growing important role in the general economy of some countries. The purpose of this study is to determine the operational service quality in United Arab Emirates (UAE) government. Fundamentally, there is a need to identify the issues of impact of government operational service quality towards service quality in the UAE. The most popular model used among general instruments for evaluation of service quality is SERVQUAL, which is being the most effective and mostly used model in service quality evaluation. Service quality is a sort of dimensions that reflects several things, such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangible etc. In order to understand the research phenomenon of the operational service quality in UAE government service, this research basically emphasizes on the precedent literatures. Since this is a conceptual paper, this study establishes the need the operational service quality in UAE government service by empirically and theoretically. In depth findings show that, effective measurement of service quality and excellence for various dimensions of Government service could be very useful in the segmentation of customers and the allocation of resources. Government sectors could focus on different customer needs and the service quality dimensions, which are crucial in achieving operational service quality

The factors influencing municipal solid waste generation in bauchi town, Nigeria

This study investigated the factors influencing municipal solid waste generation (MSWG) in Bauchi town, the administrative headquarters of Bauchi state, Nigeria. The study used quantitative method, while experiments and questionnaire surveys, were used as the major instruments for data collection. Data on solid waste generation and the socioeconomic attributes of residents from 400 households were collected from residential zones within Bauchi town, the study area. Descriptive statistics, Correlations and Standard Multiple Regressions (SMR) were computed for data analysis using SPSS 2.2 software. Twelve (12) socioeconomic factors were computed in SMR to determine the significant factors of MSWG in the study. The results showed that five factors, namely: household size, income, education, house head age and occupation have exerted significant influence on MSWG in the study area. The results also showed that F (5:362) = 84.058 at p ≤ 0.01 and adjusted R² = 0.531; which indicated that the factors in the SMR model have sufficiently explained the variance in MSWG in Bauchi town. The study concluded that the five significant predictor factors have adequately explained the variance of MSWG in the study area. Therefore, the factors have implications for planning of effective waste management system in Bauchi town, Nigeria

Analyzing Variables in Wheel of Participation a Synergy in Facilities Management for Enhancing Academic Performance

This study analyzed variables in the wheel of participation advocated by Davidson (1998); in this study, wheel of participation is adopted as synergy in facilities management for the maintenance of university community infrastructure and facilities, to examine the effects of synergy by the local community and the university authority in facilities management for enhancing academic performance in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU). 100 questionnaires composed on 5 level-Linkert scales were randomly distributed, Reliability analysis was conducted to check the level of internal consistency among the measuring items, while Multiple Regression Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS simultaneously analyzed the effects of the exogenous variables (information, consultation, participation & empowerment) on the endogenous variable (academic excellence) in ATBU. Estimates of the structural model revealed that information sharing, consultation with stakeholders, participation by local community members and empowering stakeholders do not influence academic excellence. While the regression analysis indicated a weak relationship between all the four predictor variables and the academic excellence; and with R2 of 0.029 meant that the predictor variables accounted for only 2.9 % of the variance on academic excellence, thus, 97.1 % is accounted for by other variables not covered in this study. Further studies are recommended to supplement more predictor variables like students´ talent, intuition, flair, willingness to learn (zeal), finance and so on; using the inductive approach

A review of residential segregation and its consequences in Nigeria

Residential segregation, the spatial separation of population sub-groups within a given geographical area, is a phenomenon which is prevalent in both developed and developing countries like Nigeria. This paper is aimed at reviewing residential segregation in Nigeria with specific reference to Northern Nigeria. The objectives of the paper are to review residential segregation from the pre-colonial to post-colonial era, and review its consequences in Nigeria. Prior to the colonial administration in Nigeria there existed no residential segregation based on race, ethnic or religious lines. The divide and rule policy of the British colonial administrators in Nigeria brought about residential segregation through the creation of ‘Sabon Gari’ settlements, which are occupied by the non-natives of Northern Nigeria. Residential segregation in Nigeria was reviewed in phases, that is, during the pre-colonial, colonial and the post-colonial era. In the final section of the paper the consequences of residential segregation in Nigeria, such as the socio-spatial division of households by income (high, medium and low density), inaccessibility of the poor to affordable housing, inadequate provision of infrastructure in the high density residential areas, and most importantly the cause of ethno-religious conflicts in across Nigeria, was discussed

Exploring the resource recovery potentials of municipal solid waste: a review of solid wastes composting in developing countries

Population explosion, high urbanization and improved living standards have induced rapid changes in quantities and materiacompositions of solid waste generation globally. Until recently solid waste disposal in landfills and open dump sites waconsidered more economical and it is the most widely used methods in developing countries. Hence the potentials in the othealternative methods such as the resource recovery and recycling and their integration into waste management have been scarcelassessed. However, the ever growing challenges posed by the rapidly increasing quantities and compositions of solid wastes ideveloping countries led to the searching for alternative waste disposal methods. In this regard the paper presented an assessmenof the resource potentials of municipal solid waste materials arising from cities in developing countries as a strategy fosustainable solid waste management. Using published data on solid waste composition the paper has identified that there is higpotentials of composting in the solid waste stream from cities in developing countries. In conclusion, it recommended the recoverof organic waste material and papers for composting and the recycling of plastic, metals, textiles and others to explore their resource recovery potentials. This will largely reduce the ultimate quantities of solid waste for disposal and lower the operatincosts. This strategy will achieve sustainable waste management in developing countries. It is hoped that the paper has provided useful guide for wastes management policy decisions in developing countries