Vol. 2 Issue 2, June 2011

Article 1: CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ISO 9000 MAINTENANCE, pp. 1-13
By: Roslina Ab Wahid, Universiti Teknologi MARA
James Corner, University of Waikato, New Zealand and Research Fellow, Bordeaux Management School, France

The purpose of the ISO 9000 standards is to facilitate the multinational exchange of products and services by providing a clear set of quality systems requirements. It is also to assist organisations of all sectors and sizes to implement and operate an effective quality management system (QMS). The generic nature of the standards allows interested companies to determine the specifics of how the standards apply to its organisation. Registration or certification to the standards demonstrates to customers that the supplying organisation has achieved a basic level of quality assurance by the formalisation and documentation of its quality management system. However, there is a lacking in the literature on the post-certification period as most of the published work focuses on how to obtain certification and the impact of certification on ISO 9000-certified companies. Thus, studies do not generally address what happens after the companies have obtained their certification.
Keywords: ISO 9000 maintenance, quality systems, quality management systems

Article 2: MP3 IN MALAYSIA: CREATIVITY OR PRIRACY?, pp. 14-24
By: Fadli Fizari Abu Hassan Asari, Khadijah Nik Muhd Naziman and Tismazammi Mustafa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Terengganu

In Malaysia, MP3 was started in late 1990s when locals developed some websites for Malay MP3. Rising numbers of these websites and CDs sold throughout the nation has produced a new dilemma. MP3 stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer III, which was on track in the mid-1980s, at the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany. Is this MP3 a form of creativity or piracy? Is it legal to have this MP3 format while at the same time there is no royalty earned by the music industry and income collected by the government? Should the consumer be punished for using the MP3 format while in chorus there is almost no MP3 produced by the music industry? This paper contains the history, production and distribution stages, advantages, as well as the pros and cons of this issue. The argument will be based on the Copyright Act 1987 (Amendment 2002) and Optical Disc Act 2000, with the focus on local MP3.
Keywords: MP3, creaticity, priracy, Malaysia

Article 3: REVISITING FINANCIAL DISTRESS PREDICTION IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTOR IN MALAYSIA, pp. 25-38
By: Mohd Norfian Alifiah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Norhana Salamudin and Ismail Ahmad, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

This study revisited the prediction of financial distress companies in the development sector in Malaysia using PN4 companies as the dependent variable and financial ratios or accruals-based ratios as the independent variables. Logit Analysis was used because the dependent variable is binary or dichotomous in nature. This study found that only debt ratio can be used to predict financial distress companies in the development sector in Malaysia. The findings from the internal validation showed that the prediction model provided a more than 50% chance that the model is accurate. Furthermore, the findings from the external validation showed that the model might be able to be used outside the estimation time period because the overall percentage accuracy were more than 50% for five years before distress. This study not only provides the prediction model of financial distress companies in the development sector in Malaysia but it also validates the findings internally and externally. Internal and external validations were seldom conducted in previous studies on the prediction of financial distress in Malaysia due to lack of data.
Keywords: Bankruptcy, financial distress, development sector, Malaysia

Article 4: DETERMINING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIMENSIONS AMONG WORKERS: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE IN MALAYSIAN ZAKAT INSTITUTIONS, pp. 39-48
By: Rozman Md Yusof, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka, Malaysia
Abd Hair Awang, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Arifin Md Salleh, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka, Malaysia
Mustafa Mohamad, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

This study explored the emotional intelligence dimensions (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills) of employees employed in Zakat Centers. Data were collected from 113 randomly selected from three zakat centers: Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor using self-administered questionnaires of Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) (108 items) that measured emotional intelligence. Overall, the study revealed that the employees’ emotional intelligence and its dimensions level: self-awareness, social-awareness and social skills are proficient, except for self-management, which was slightly low proficient. T-tests revealed that there was a significant difference in the self-awareness, social awareness and social skills between male and female of zakat personnel. One-way ANOVA test found that there was a significant difference in the mean score of social awareness across the work load of zakat personnel. Posthoc Turkey test also revealed that there was a significant difference in social awareness between the two groups being compared, Low level and Moderate level of work load of zakat personnel.
Keywords: Zakat personnel, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, social skills

Article 5: THE THEORIES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF MIGRATION. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE SCOTTISH EXPERIANCE?, pp. 49-60
By: Baayah Baba, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

There are many theories of migration. The human capital, search and the gravity models are among the most widely referred to by researchers. The influence of house prices, job vacancies, wage differentials on the migration decisions have widely been noted and have the expected signs. However, in a study done using the Scottish data the house price variables seem to give an opposite sign that contradicts previous findings. This could be due to the change in the determinants of migration whereby it is not just available house or accommodation that matters, it is something more than that. This finding could lead to further research on why there is a change in the determinants of migration in Scotland and what can Asians learn from the Scottish experience.
Keywords: Migration, house prices, real wage, job vacancy

Vol.2 No. 1, March 2011

Article 1: AN ENQUIRY INTO IMPACT OF HR ARCHITECTURE ON HUMAN CAPITAL POOL, pp. 1-13
By: Jyotirmayee Choudhury, Utkal University Vanivihar, India
Suresh Ch. Nayak, Silicon Institute of Technology, India
Noorlaila Yunus, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

The present study stands on its view that the architectural perspective of HR (HR configurations) is consistent with the uniqueness and value of employee knowledge and skills, employment mode, and employment relationships. Designing of the HR architect can enable in managing human capital of an organisation strategically and harnessing and leveraging their knowledge and experience and expertise more systematically to attain competitive advantage. The purpose of this research—which yielded more than 466 respondents—was to identify the idiosyncratic context of HR practices and policies followed by various IT organisations to strengthen their human capital pool. The research is carried out primarily on the basis of field survey and designed to study and analyse the extent to which HR practices and procedure practised in various Indian IT organisations are boosting development of human capital of that particular industry and found that both acquisition and developmental HR configuration has significant contributions for the development of the human capital of the organisations under study.
Keywords: Intellectual capital, knowledge economy, acquisition HR configuration, developmental HR configuration, human capital.

Article 2: CONSUMERS' PREFERENCE AND CONSUMPTION TOWARDS FAST FOOD: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA, pp. 14-27
By: Farzana Quoquab Habib, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Rozhan Abu Dardak, MARDI, Malaysia
Sabarudin Zakaria, Multimedia University, Malaysia

This study aims to understand consumer preference relating to the fast food in Malaysian market. Moreover, this paper also seeks to investigate the trend and pattern of fast food consumption and the importance of various factors affecting the choice of fast food among Malaysian consumers. Finding suggests that expenditure for fast food mostly goes to fried chicken, while instant noodles are the least. Moreover, food safety, speed in delivery and food taste suitability have been found as the main influential factors for purchasing the fast food, while, quality, freshness, easy to cook cleanliness are the second priority. Furthermore, ‘Halal’ status has been indicated as the most important factor for the Muslim consumers. A survey method using convenience sampling has been carried out for conducting this study. Therefore, further research targeting a more diverse group of consumers employing random sampling can provide greater generalizablity.
Keywords: Consumer preference, fast-food consumption, Malaysian consumers

Article 3: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIRECT TAXES AND GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (GNP): MALAYSIAN CASE, pp.28-37
By: Juliana Abdul Kadir and Mustaffa Idris, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Johor Malaysia
Zulkifli Mohamed, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kelantan Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to investigate different types of Indirect Taxes that effect to GNP by using Multiple Regression. This study proposed that different taxes respond differently to the Gross National Product (GNP) with the largest responses by import duties and excise duties.
Keywords: Economics growth, indirect taxes and Malaysia

Article 4: WAQF REPORTING TO FULFIL STAKEHOLDER ATTRIBUTE IN WAQF ISLAMIC COUNCILS, pp. 38-53
By: Dalila Daud, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Rashidah Abdul Rahman, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia
Zaluddin Sulaiman, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to propose an accountability model that may overcome the attributes of non-reporting. Moreover, the current study redefining specifications of stakeholder theory to fulfill the waqf requirement which proposed the 3ts concept that based on Tawhidic approach.
Keywords: Accountability, waqf, Reporting, stakeholder theory, Islamic councils, triple accountability

Article 5: PRE-IPO CHARACTERISTICS AND POST-IPO OPERATING PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIA, pp. 54-64
By: Catherine S F Ho and Raja Aerol Shariza Raja Amir Hamzah, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

The objective of this study is to identify the determinants of post IPO operating performance. The pre-IPO factors include pre-IPO profitability, dilution of ownership, age and size of firm. The post-IPO operating performances include: return on asset, return on sales and asset turnover. Findings confirmed that pre-IPO profitability and firm size are the key predictors of post-IPO performance. The results obtained provide useful information and caution for prospective investors in new issues.
Keywords: Pre-IPO characteristics, post-IPO operating performance, Malaysia