Open University Malaysia

= .349). Implications for stress-reducing music interventions are discussed.

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is one of the most widely used methods of multivariate data analysis. Although previous research has discussed different aspects of PLS-SEM, little has been done to explain the attributes of the various PLS-SEM statistical applications. The objective of this editorial is to discuss the multiple PLS-SEM applications, including SmartPLS, WarpPLS, and ADANCO. It is written based on information received from the developers via emails as well as our ongoing understanding and experience of using these applications. We hope this editorial will serve as a manual for users to understand the unique characteristics of each PLS-SEM application and make informed decisions on the most appropriate application for their research.

We review research on work-nonwork balance to examine the presence of the jingle fallacy-attributing different meanings to a single construct label-and the jangle fallacy-using different labels for a single construct. In 290 papers, we found 233 conceptual definitions that clustered into 5 distinct, interpretable types, suggesting evidence of the jingle fallacy. We calculated Euclidean distances to quantify the extent of the jingle fallacy and found high divergence in definitions across time and publication outlet. One exception was more agreement recently in better journals to conceptualize balance as unidimensional, psychological, and distinct from conflict and enrichment. Yet, over time many authors have committed the jangle fallacy by labeling measures of conflict and/or enrichment as balance, and disagreement persists even in better journals about the meanings attributed to balance (e.g., effectiveness, satisfaction). To examine the empirical implications of the jingle and jangle fallacies, we conducted meta-analyses of distinct operational definitions of balance with job, life, and family satisfaction. Effect sizes for conflict and enrichment measures were typically smaller than effects for balance measures, providing evidence of a unique balance construct that is not interchangeable with conflict and enrichment. To begin to remedy concerns raised by our review, we propose a definition of work-nonwork balance drawing from theory, empirical evidence from our review, and normative information about how balance should be defined. We conclude with a theory-based agenda for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study investigates the influence of organizational culture on attitudes toward organizational change in Malaysia. Based on the work of Goffee and Jones and Dunham et al. , a structured questionnaire was developed and self‐administered to 258 companies listed in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing directory. The results showed that there is an association between organizational culture and the affective, cognitive, and behavioral tendency of attitudes toward organizational change. The findings also showed that different types of organizational culture have different levels of acceptance of attitudes toward organizational change. This means that certain type of organizational culture could facilitate the acceptability of change, while other types of culture could not accept it. The implications of this research are also discussed.

(1993). Situated Cognition and Cognitive Apprenticeship: Implications for Classroom Learning. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 1-41.

ICTACT Journals are peer reviewed International Journals published quarterly. With the objective of creating Indian-based Journals of International quality and to build up local research content, ICTACT Journals exists for the purpose of providing a quality peer-reviewed platform for Scientists, Researchers, Academicians and Engineers who carry out their original research. The Journals will highlight the continued growth and new challenges in both basic research and application development.

AIMS: To examine the relationships between nurses' empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in culturally and developmentally different societies. BACKGROUND: Employment and retention of sufficient and well-committed nursing staff are essential for providing safe and effective health care. In light of this, nursing leaders have been searching for ways to re-engineer the healthcare system particularly by providing an environment that is conducive to staff empowerment, job satisfaction and commitment. METHODS: This is a descriptive correlational survey of 556 registered nurses (RNs) in two teaching hospitals in England and Malaysia. RESULTS: Although the Malaysian nurses felt more empowered and committed to their organization, the English nurses were more satisfied with their job. CONCLUSION: The differences between these two groups of nurses show that empowerment does not generate the same results in all countries, and reflects empirical evidence from most cross cultural studies on empowerment. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing management should always take into consideration cultural differences in empowerment, job satisfaction and commitment of nursing staff while formulating staff policies.

BACKGROUND: The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme catalyzes the reduction of 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and methyl donors. The methyl donors are required for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Mutation of MTHFR 677 C > T disrupts its thermostability therefore leads to defective enzyme activities and dysregulation of homocysteine levels. METHODS: This case-control study (n = 367) was conducted to investigate the correlation of the MTHFR gene polymorphism [NM_005957] and psoriasis vulgaris amongst the Malaysian population. Overnight fasting blood samples were collected from a subgroup of consented psoriasis vulgaris patients and matched controls (n = 84) for the quantification of homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels. RESULTS: There was no significant increase of the MTHFR 677 C > T mutation in patients with psoriasis vulgaris compared with controls (χ(2) = 0.733, p = 0.392). No significant association between homocysteine levels and MTHFR gene polymorphism in cases and controls were observed (F = 0.91, df = 3, 80, p = 0.44). However, homocysteine levels in cases were negatively correlated with vitamin B12 (r = -0.173) and folic acid (r = -0.345) levels. Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels in cases were also negatively correlated (r = -0.164). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that there was no significant association between the MTHFR gene polymorphism and psoriasis vulgaris in the Malaysian population. There was no significant increase of the plasma homocysteine level in the psoriasis patients compared to the controls.

Generating of idea is thinking skills activity which require high level of creative thinking and actions. Hence, the purpose of this research was to analyse the needs of learning higher order thinking skills for generating ideas among technical students based on the opinions of academic staffs. The findings indicated that deadlock of ideas is the most important factor in the difficulty in generating ideas among these students. The difficulty of generating ideas is a key factor in affecting the achievements of the students’ assignments. Thus, students need to learn higher order thinking skills to address the difficulty in generating ideas.

Abstract This article explores teachers' reactions to changing management cultures and argues for a complex reading of their responses. Data from an ethnographic study of a primary school are used to illustrate the restructuring of the teachers' work since the mid‐1980s. Different teacher strategies were developed in response to changes in the managerial control of their work and dominant management constructions of professionalism. Whereas teachers in an occupational culture, the 'old professionals', largely resisted the changes but subsequently left the school or left teaching, the 'new professionals' complied with some of management's changed expectations of them, but resisted others. In the new managerialist culture the teachers experienced new forms of control and their roles increasingly included managerial tasks. The article concludes by suggesting that measures for policing teachers' work, such as inspection and school self‐management may limit the spaces in which teachers can use strategies of resistance within accommodation.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors which will contribute to consumers’ purchase intention on skin care products. Four factors, namely, brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty, were included in this study. Design/methodology/approach In total, 150 sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed to students in a local private university in Melaka. Convenience sampling was used and data collected were analysed using SmartPLS to perform the measurement model and structural model. Findings Findings have showed that there are positive relationships between brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty and consumers’ purchase intention towards skin care products. Furthermore, it is concluded that perceived quality is the most significant factor in influencing consumers’ purchase intention. Originality/value Firms are able to benefit from this study by formulating their brand management tactics referring to the findings to have competitive advantage over their competitors.

E-learning readiness is an important part of distance education as it is conceivably related to the success of e-learning initiatives. Policy makers and regulatory bodies have to be cognizant of the degree of e-readiness of a populace in order to design and implement efficient e-learning programmes. This paper reports on a study that was carried out to determine the e-readiness of a group of Open University Malaysia receivers (learners) and enablers (tutors) to provide significant information to the respective teaching-learning community. Data were gathered with the use of the e-learning Readiness Research Tool from a sample of 93 receivers and 35 enablers. The findings related to learner readiness are discussed in this paper. (Authors' abstract)

Learning styles and higher order thinking skills are an important aspect in teaching and learning especially at higher education institutions. The purpose of this research was to analysis the disparity in learning styles on the level of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) among technical students. A total of 375 technical students from four technical universities in Malaysia were randomly selected as samples. The Kolb Learning Styles Inventory and a set of questionnaires adapted from Marzano Rubrics for Specific Task or Situations were used as research instruments. This is a quantitative research and the gathered data was analyzed using SPSS software. The findings indicated that the most dominant learning style among technical students is Doer. The findings also depict none of the students perceived their thinking skills’ levels to be high. Only four Marzano HOTS, namely comparing, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning and investigation are rated at the moderate level. On contrary, nine Marzano HOTS are rated as low. The Cramer V analysis showed that there is a very low relationship between Kolb Learning Styles and the level of 13 Marzano HOTS. Besides that, the findings revealed that there is statistically significant difference in Kolb Learning Styles on the level of 13 Marzano HOTS. However, only two Marzano HOTS are significant difference in Kolb Learning Styles. Therefore, the identification of learner's learning styles could serve as initial guide in developing more effective and conducive teaching-learning environment for learning HOTS.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether patients' perceptions exceed expectations when seeking treatment in private healthcare settings in the Klang Valley Region of Malaysia. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A survey was conducted among 191 patients in the Klang Valley Region of Malaysia to measure service quality of the private healthcare setting in Malaysia using SERVQUAL 5 dimensions model by Parasuraman et al. and three additional dimensions of the human element, when it comes to rendering good healthcare services, i.e. courtesy, communication and understanding of customers. FINDINGS: The results revealed that the customers' perceptions did not exceed their expectations, as they were dissatisfied with the level of healthcare services rendered by private healthcare settings in that they felt that the waiting time of more than an hour to receive the service was excessive and, when there was a problem, the healthcare provider did not provide a response fast enough. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Only eight service quality dimensions were studied. The sample investigated is relatively small, where three private healthcare settings were selected. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: It is recommended that hospital management should look into highlighted areas for which patients have high expectations. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper adds to the existing body of research on healthcare service quality, particularly on patients' perceptions and expectations. Survey results should be useful for continuous quality improvement.

This paper presents the findings of a cross-cultural comparison of the effects of ‘best practice’ HRM using employees from a matched sample of local government service departments in England and Malaysia (England n = 569, Malaysian n = 453). The paper tests the universal ‘best practice’ thesis, and also assesses the perceived level of up-take of HR practices in the two samples. The research also considers the effects of the psychological climate and employees' perceptions of trust on five work-related outcomes, namely job satisfaction, motivation, organizational citizenship behaviour, stress and quit intentions. The findings reveal that the Malaysian workers perceived the up-take of HR practices to be higher in comparison to their counterparts in England. A less consistent pattern emerged with regards to perceptions of climate. OLS regression revealed that consistent with the universal thesis, a bundle of HR practices significantly predicted employee outcomes in the hypothesized directions in both samples. Therefore, these findings provide strong support for the universal thesis.

The present study investigated the impact of learning styles on the academic achievement of secondary schoolstudents in Iran. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory (1999) was administered in eight public schools in Tehran.The mean of test scores in five subjects, namely English, science, mathematics, history and geography, wascalculated for each student and used as a measure of academic achievement. A total of 285 Grade 10 studentswere randomly selected as sample of this study. The results of the analyses of variance show that there is astatistically significant difference in the academic achievement of the Iranian students that correspond to the fourlearning styles [F(3, 285) = 9.52, p < .05]; in particular, the mean scores for the converging and assimilatinggroups are significantly higher than for the diverging and accommodating groups.

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the level service quality from the perspective of food manufacturers. Malaysia is gearing towards becoming a major player in the world Halal market. Its Halal certification is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). The process of awarding Halal certificates involves not only an official site inspection of production plants but also the examination on the Halal status of raw materials. In 2007, JAKIM only approved 75 percent of the total number of applications for Halal certification. Design/methodology/approach A total of 547 small and medium‐sized enterprise manufacturers in Malaysia represented the population for this study. SERVQUAL gap analysis was used to measure the gap between clients' expectations and their perceptions of JAKIM's services. Findings The results of the analysis indicate that the biggest gap was in the empathy dimension, followed by responsiveness, reliability, assurance and tangibles. The results show that JAKIM had not met food manufacturers' expectations in all five service quality dimensions, especially the empathy dimension. Practical implications Practical implications extend to food policy decision makers involved in JAKIM to develop and formulate appropriate strategies to meet the needs of its clients more effectively. Originality/value JAKIM could design training programs by emphasizing on the issues of human factors in service delivery, in particular the requirements of customer care, work ethics and human relations skills. Training in customer relationships is important and this applies to employees at all levels.

Consumers' buying decisions are invariably influenced by their religion and culture. In Islam, the foods they consume must be halal or permissible according to the Islamic principles. However, there are other food attributes such as brand, price, promotion, and safety assurance that may also influence consumers' decisions. This article aims to evaluate consumers' preferences toward various attributes of the manufactured halal food sold in supermarkets. The focus is on halal certification because consumers, especially Muslims, need the assurance that the food they purchased is really halal. Two hundred eighty-eight people agreed to participate by providing their perceptions and preferences toward food product attributes. Certified halal food product gained the highest utility score and was the most important attribute.

Malaysians have long realised the importance of being competent in English as one of the success factors in attaining their future goals. However, English is taught as a second language in Malaysia, and it is not easy to teach under such a foreign context, because authentic input may not exist beyond the classroom, especially in Chinese private schools. In this scenario, English is learnt as a subject with 10 sessions per week, which is considered insufficient for students to master the language effectively. Past research highlights the significance of motivation in English language acquisition. Motivated students tend to put in more effort in their academic endeavours by showing more persistence in their learning process. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyse whether instrumental or integrative motivation plays a more important role in promoting Form Four ESL students’ English language learning. Furthermore, examine the areas of problems that affect ESL students’ motivation towards English language learning. This study was a qualitative case study that used focus group interviews to elicit data from 12 students in a secondary school in Penang. The findings of this research indicate that students are more instrumentally motivated than integratively motivated in ESL learning. Instrumental motivation is found to have a greater impact on students’ English language learning. This research also highlights that vocabulary and grammar are the biggest areas of problems that are encountered by students during their ESL learning process, which further influence their speaking and writing skills.

This article describes Open University Malaysia’s efforts at enhancing the blended learning approach for undergraduate distance learners with the successful implementation of the Mobile Learning via SMS initiative. The pilot project was implemented in the May 2009 semester, and this coming January 2011 semester will be in its sixth consecutive semester. Aspects such as the conceptual model, the process flow of group messaging, and challenges faced, as well as effectiveness of the initiative, are discussed.