How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Principles of Language Learning and Teaching

Impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita Le cause e le responsabilita dei cambiamenti climatici sono state trattate sul numero di ottobre della rivista Cda. Approfondiamo l’argomento presentando il documento: “Cambiamenti climatici 2007: impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita” votato ad aprile 2007 dal secondo gruppo di lavoro del Comitato Intergovernativo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Si tratta del secondo di tre documenti che compongono il quarto rapporto sui cambiamenti climatici.

/pdf/climate-change-2007-impacts-adaptation-and-vulnerability-31xc1cf4d3.pdf

Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity

Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (2nd ed.)

Literature on QWL is limited and several studies commonly correlates with job satisfaction but no study on QWL has associated with career related factors. This empirical study was done to predict QWL in relation to career-related dimensions. The sample consists of 475 managers from the free trade zones in Malaysia for both the multinational corporations (MNCs) and the small-medium industries (SMIs). The result indicates that three exogenous variables are significant: career satisfaction, career achievement and career balance, with 63% of the variance in QWL.

Quality Of Work Life: Implications Of Career Dimensions

The aim of this study was to determine the level and relationship between qualities of work life (QWL) with career-related variables. The sample consists of 475 executives from the electrical and electronics industry in the free trade zones in Malaysia for both the multinational corporations (MNCs) and the small-medium industries (SMIs). The selection of respondents using stratified random sampling technique involves a complete list of industrial firms registered with Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA). Construct validity and discriminant validity were conducted on the instruments. Three exogenous variables were studied. The result indicates that the three exogenous variables are significant: career satisfaction, career achievement and career balance with 63% of the variance in QWL. The respondents appeared to be satisfied in respect to the level of QWL (49.5%), career achievement (70.3%), career satisfaction (63.8%), but less so for career balance (36.6%). These findings contribute to an understanding of ways by top management in attempts to attain a career fit between the needs of the employees and the needs of the organization. The role QWL plays in organizations is an understudied issue. The present study opens an avenue for more studies in this direction.

An Analysis of Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Career- Related Variables

This paper describes how knowledge is created and transferred in organizations. It also discuses conditions required in promoting knowledge creation, the techniques used to capture knowledge in organizations, the nature of learning organizations and how it can influence knowledge creation and transfer. By utilizing previous studies, the researchers present an integrated view of how learning organization affects knowledge creation and transfer.

/pdf/knowledge-creation-and-transfer-role-of-learning-3llcxdv9xe.pdf

Knowledge Creation and Transfer: Role of Learning Organization

Employee turnover is crucial to be investigated since it diminishes organization effectiveness and impedes the capacity to meet its goals. This study was conducted to test the mediating effects of work-family facilitation and family satisfaction on the relationship between job characteristics, and intention to stay among 240 single mother employees in Malaysia. Data was collected using self-administered research questionnaire on simple randomized respondents whereby six out of 24 single mother associations were selected to obtain research samples. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to describe the respondents and Pearson Product Moment Correlation to determine the relationships among variables. Structural Equation Modeling using AMOS version 16.0 was utilized for model testing and to check the presence of mediation effects in the relationships between independent and dependent variables. The Soble’s z-test was used to test whether the mediators carry the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The findings indicated that single mothers have moderate levels of job characteristics in their lives, so as their levels of work-family facilitation, family satisfaction and intention to stay. There were positive and negative significant relationships among variables. The results also established the presence of mediation effects between the independent and dependent variables. Organizations may utilize work-family facilitation and family satisfaction as mechanisms to promote longer retention among employees.

/pdf/job-characteristics-as-antecedents-of-intention-to-stay-and-2ht8t3smrx.pdf

Job Characteristics as Antecedents of Intention to Stay and Mediating Effects of Work Family Facilitation and Family Satisfaction among Single Mothers in Malaysia

Purpose




The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the use of spiritual intelligence into women academic leadership practices. The study designed to provide a clear understanding of the effectiveness of the use of spiritual intelligence practices within women academic leadership practices. In addition, the study will be an ideal for women in academic environment, considering that more women will have the opportunities to hold leadership positions in higher learning institutions. Understanding the unique skills and attributes of spiritual intelligence could increase their confidence towards taking on leadership positions in future. This study will also provide greater clarification on how spiritual intelligence when translated through leadership practice will contribute to a more balanced and harmonious working environment.




Design/methodology/approach




The study assimilated a qualitative approach guided by phenomenological inquiry to explore the effectiveness of the use of spiritual intelligence practices among the women leaders. Phenomenology best fit the researchers’ assumptions that it is possible to know, define and categorize women academic leader’s experiences in a more structured manner. It is by entering into their field of perception that the researcher pursues to understand spiritual intelligence as the leaders saw it.




Findings




The finding established three main effectiveness of integrating spiritual intelligence into leadership practices: employees inspired by vision; increase credibility and long-term sustainability of institution; and heightened moral values and reduces ethical issues. The authors conclude that bringing the attributions of spiritual intelligence will transform the workplace into a more meaningful and purposeful atmosphere by constructing balanced and harmonious relationship within employees.




Research limitations/implications




The study rely profoundly on women academic leaders as a primary source of data. Due to their higher position, there may be some elements of their works which are similar to each other or different compared with other women leaders who may not have reached the higher position. The responses was mainly based on the self-perception of women academic leaders grounded on their insight of leadership and experience. This experiences probably could not be verified by others to see if their perceptions of leadership were in line with how others perceive them. The study also limited in terms of generalizability as the sample was purposively selected.




Practical implications




The study will be applicable for human resource personnel to develop policies and procedures that are needed to improve the holistic strategies of leading not only in public university but also throughout all the other higher educational institutions. The study assist researcher and the practitioner in the Human Resource Development (HRD) field to understand the issues related to leadership practice in current era. Hence, the information in this study could be used to aid them in advocating employee training programs and formulating HRD intervention remedial programs input for designing and facilitating of intervention for professional academic leaders, academicians and change agent to understand and analyse the characteristics of personal and organizational situation in order to contribute to the long run survival of the higher educational learning institutions.




Originality/value




This paper has provided unique evidence of women leadership particularly in Malaysian higher educational context on their experiences of spiritual intelligence and its effectiveness into their leadership practices.

Khairuddin Idris

Papers

Quality Of Work Life: Implications Of Career Dimensions

An Analysis of Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Career- Related Variables

Knowledge Creation and Transfer: Role of Learning Organization

Job Characteristics as Antecedents of Intention to Stay and Mediating Effects of Work Family Facilitation and Family Satisfaction among Single Mothers in Malaysia

Effectiveness of the use of spiritual intelligence in women academic leadership practice