Effects of Technology Transfer on Malaysian-Based Electronic Firms

This study was carried out to determine effects of technology transfer on Malaysian-based electronic firms by examining whether the factors found to be inherent (i.e. corporate culture, organisational structure and system, skills, language, flow of communication, attitude and behaviour of manager and employee, and transfer of personnel) in technology transfer in the West were applicable in the technology transfer process in Malaysian firms. The study focused on two types of firms, which were electronic-based, i.e. Japanese and American firms. Investigations were also made to elucidate the influence of information technology (IT) on technology transfer.Data for this study were obtained through personal interviews, structured questionnaire and secondary sources. Results showed that the inherent factors operating in the technology transfer process in Malaysia were in conformity with those found in technology transfer processes occurring in the West. Comparatively, it was found that the Japanese firms underwent more intense changes in their organisational aspect in order to adopt new technologies. The American firms, on the other hand, were found to be agreeable to the notion that IT influenced the technology transfer process. This was because the Americans were more exposed to the usage of IT in the said area as compared to the Japanese. This study showed that human and organisational aspect of a firm were important in ensuring successful implementation of new technologies in the respective firms. However, further research should be carried out to determine the degree of importance of the inherent factors, which are responsible in ensuring successful technology transfer

Kinetic energy recovery and power management for hybrid electric vehicles

The major contribution of the work presented in this thesis is a thorough investigation of the constraints on regenerative braking and kinetic energy recovery enhancement for electric/hybrid electric vehicles during braking. Regenerative braking systems provide an opportunity to recycle the braking energy, which is otherwise dissipated as heat in the brake pads. However, braking energy harnessing is a relatively new concept in the automotive sector which still requires further research and development. Due to the operating constraints of the drivetrain architecture and the varying nature of the braking conditions, it is unlikely that all the stored kinetic energy of the vehicle can be recovered during braking.The research work in this thesis addresses the effect of braking conditions on kinetic energy recovery enhancement of the vehicle. The challenge in kinetic energy recovery enhancement lies in braking conditions, power/torque handling ability of the electric propulsion system, managing the dual braking systems, employed energy conversion techniques, and energy storage capacity. In this work a novel braking strategy is introduced to increase the involvement of the regenerative braking system, so as to increase the kinetic energy recovery while achieving the braking performance requirements. Initially mathematical modelling and simulation based analysis are presented to demonstrate the effects of braking power variation with respect to braking requirements. A novel braking strategy is proposed to increase the kinetic energy recovery during heavy braking events. The effectiveness of this braking strategy is analyzed using a simulation model developed in matlab- simulink environment. Anexperimental rig is developed to test various braking scenarios and their effects on kinetic energy recovery. A variety of braking scenarios are tested and results are presented with the analysis. At the end, suggestions are made to further continue this research in the future

Economics, politics and ecology of biotechnology in Malaysian agriculture

2014 Summer.Malaysia has been moving from an agricultural, resource extraction, and manufacturing based economy in the 1980s toward a service-oriented, post-industrial, knowledge-based economy, with greater emphasis on skilled human capital, technology, and intangibles. Assessing Malaysia's current economic and policy regimes are crucial to help chart the next course of actions for Malaysia to set its economic goals. The patent landscape analysis showed Malaysia's economy evolution over the past six decades. Primarily dependent on the chemicals and petroleum sector between 1953 and 1985, the economy, currently is dependent on two sectors, i.e., electronics, semiconductors and computing, and chemicals and petroleum. Generally, the commercial sector dominates the patenting activities in Malaysia, in the economy wide patenting arena and also in the agbiotech and agchemicals technologies. High patenting trends by foreign commercial entities is to avoid imitations to their inventions in the Malaysian market attributable to their high FDI investment and export share. Within the agricultural sector, patents in agbiotech are relatively low and overshadowed by patents in agchemicals. The higher number of agchemicals technologies patented in Malaysia is due to the long history of European MNCs in Malaysia. And, the low number of agbiotech patented in Malaysia, mainly by non-commercial entities is due to two reasons: (1) misalignment of policies promoting the use of modern biotechnology in the Malaysian agricultural sector, and (2) ecological risks of cultivating transgenic crops in Malaysia, a rich-biodiversity country. A political economy framework was utilized in understanding the misalignment of policies promoting the use of modern biotechnology and examining the influence of relevant stakeholder groups on the decision making process concerning regulations overseeing the cultivation of transgenic crops. Two Malaysian Giant conglomerates, Sime Darby Berhad and Felda Holdings Berhad, dominate world palm oil exports and local oil production, and inevitably, have a strong policy influence of the Malaysian agricultural sector. The world's two dominant agchemicals players, Bayer and BASF, also play a major role in the agricultural policy making process in Malaysia. Bayer is one of the leading players that dominate the agchemicals patents in Malaysia. BASF, meanwhile has formed a strategic alliance with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and developed a new herbicide resistant Clearfield rice variety to tackle weedy rice outbreak in Malaysia. These two special interest pressure groups, oil palm and agchemicals producers face large welfare impact if Malaysia adopts transgenic crops. With risk of losing their market shares in Malaysia and their relatively small number, these groups have been able to converge and exercise influence over the stalled commercialization process of transgenic crops. The other reason attributable to the low number of granted agbiotech patents in Malaysia pertains to ecological risk concerning deployment of transgenic organisms on Malaysia's rich biodiversity. Scientific assessments carried out on transgenic rice and papaya suggest that transgenic rice and papaya lines can potentially exert positive and/or negative ecological impacts, i.e., non-target organisms, transgene escape, heteroencapsidation, and RNA recombination. However, the studies reviewed in this dissertation call for long-term assessments to determine the longer term impact of transgenic rice and papaya on non-target organisms and transgene escape. In addition to this, majority of ecological studies carried out on non-target organisms have been limited to third trophic interaction. Considering the fact that Malaysia is a mega-diversity country, ecological studies concerning higher trophic level are required to assess the impact transgenic rice and papaya has on these populations and the food-web dynamics. Studies on heteroencapsidation and RNA recombination of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) resistant transgenic papaya is also limited even though PRSV-resistant transgenic papaya has been in the market for over fifteen years. Ultimately, while transgenic rice and papaya do carry ecological risks, the decision to cultivate these crops lies on the benefits brought upon by these crops. World food supplies demand intensive crop production due to increased population growth, climate change, pest and disease challenges, political unrest, deterioration of soil quality, drought and flood. Ultimately, the benefits and challenges in cultivating transgenic crops need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Cultivating transgenic crops has potential to decrease reliance on external inputs and reduce ecological risk. As such, until we can derive a balance between the two, we must strive to continue to improvise the transgenic technology to suit these two goals. For future research, it is recommended to determine the funding mechanisms of studies reviewed for the ecological assessments of transgenic rice and papaya in order to assess the objectivity of the study findings

Norsk-tamilske elevers holdninger til matematikk : En casestudie over seks faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever

Ifølge internasjonale og nasjonale komparative undersøkelser skårer minoritetselevene i norske skoler lavere enn majoritetselevene (se for eksempel PISA 2009, TIMSS 2007 og nasjonal prøver). Mulige årsaker til prestasjonsavviket er minoritetselevers svake norskkunnskap og sosioøkonomiske familiebakgrunn. Elever med minoritetsbakgrunn er ikke en homogen gruppe. Her har vi elever med ulik nasjonal, kulturell, språklig og religiøs bakgrunn. NOVAs Ung i Oslo 2006 viser at det er stor spredning mellom ulike elevgrupper. Enkelte grupper klarer seg godt i de ulike fagene, mens andre presterer dårlig. Dersom vi samler alle minoritetselever fra alle land i en sammensatt gruppe og sammenligner skoleprestasjonene med majoritetsgruppens skoleprestasjoner, skårer minoritetselevene lavere enn majoritetselevene. NOVAs Ung i Oslo 2006 viser at norsk-tamilske elever får signifikant bedre karakter i matematikk enn både norske elever og andre elevgrupper. Hva er grunnen til at disse elevens lykkes i matematikkopplæringen? Hovedmålet med denne oppgaven er å undersøke hvorfor utvalgte faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever oppnår gode resultater i matematikk. Problemstilling: Hvilke holdninger har faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever til matematikkfaget, og hvordan påvirker ulike faktorer (foreldre, venner, kultur, framtidig yrkesvalg og så videre) deres holdninger? I tillegg til å studerer holdninger og faktorer som påvirker deres holdninger, undersøker jeg hvilken betydning sosioøkonomisk status og norskferdigheter har for disse elevenes matematikk prestasjoner. Mine informanter består av seks norsk-tamilske elever som går på Vg2, og tre foreldre. Metoden jeg har brukt for å besvare min problemstilling, er casestudie av enkeltelever ved hjelp av intervjuer). Hovedfunnet i min masteravhandling er at de utvalgte elevenes holdninger varierer fra emneområde til emneområde, og at elevene opplever holdninger som resultat av prestasjoner.Videre viser det seg at norsk-tamilske elever gjør en stor innsats i faget, og at matematikk er blant de fagene foreldrene gir mest oppmerksomhet i. Ambisjoner, foreldres involvering i skolegangen og selvtillit i matematikkfaget kan være blant de mulige forklaringene på at utvalgte elever oppnår gode resultater i faget

Politics and Change in the Madras Presidency, 1884-1894: A Regional Study of Indian Nationalism.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the process of political change in South India during the decade following the establishment of the Madras Mahajana Sabha in May 1884. Although the inchoate manifestations of early political consciousness could be traced to the 1830's when the Hindus protested against the proselytizing operations of the Christian missionaries and their official allies, a protest which during the early 'fifties crystallized to give birth to the Madras Native Association, it was not until the formation of the Madras Mahajana Sabha that political activity in South India found its organized and self-sustaining momentum. The thesis attempts to reconstruct the events that led to the establishment of the Madras Mahajana Sabha against the background of political convulsions caused partly by the unpopular rule of Grant Duff and partly by Anglo-Indian opposition to Ripon's policies. The ferment that these events produced also precipitated the foundation of the Congress in 1885, though no attempt is made here at any exhaustive discussion of the origins of this body. However, the impact of the Congress on Madras politics is examined in some detail, especially in the light of attempts by the local Congress leaders to unify within the aegis of this organization the various communal and factional groups in the Presidency. The framework of political unity erected at the Madras Congress of 1887, as the closing chapters attempt to show, largely collapsed under the weight of successive crises that overtook the Congress during the early 'nineties. If communal suspicions and separatist tendencies led to the withdrawal of the Eurasians, Muslims and Panchamas, controversies arising from the Cross Bill and the Age of Consent Bill estranged the conservative Hindus and divided the inner circle of the Congress leadership in Madras. The thesis ends by assessing briefly the impact of these divisive factors on the nationalist movement in South India

Factors influencing consumption decision of fresh fruits from Malaysia: a case of foreign nationals in Malaysia

This study was carried out as a move to increase Malaysia’s fruit exports. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence the consumption decision of foreign nationals in Malaysia as move to understand their behavior and pattern in purchasing fresh fruits from Malaysia. This study was carried out in Malaysia among foreign nationals and it was found to be the first of its nature to be carried out in Malaysia. A total of eighty three respondents participated in six focus group discussions. Data was analyzed via exploratory factor analysis which is commonly used in examining consumer preferences and behavior. The three factors identified in influencing the consumption decision of Malaysian fresh fruits among foreign nationals were (1) price and fruit intrinsic attributes; (2) fruit physical aspects and uniqueness; and (3) occasion, familiarity and user status