Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

About: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is a education organization based out in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Membrane & Control theory. The organization has 21644 authors who have published 39500 publications receiving 520635 citations.

Does financial development intensify energy consumption in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Using annual data for the period 1971–2011, this study explores the relationship between financial development and energy consumption for Saudi Arabia by endogenizing economic growth, capital and urbanization as additional determinants in the energy demand function. The combined cointegration test proposed by Bayer-Hanck (2013) is used to estimate the long-run and short-run relationships among the series. The robustness of cointegration results is also tested by employing Pesaran’s et al. (2001) Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model accommodating structural break in the series. Both conventional and structural break unit root tests are applied in order to test the stationarity properties of the series. The causal relationship between the variables is further investigated by applying Innovative Accounting Approach (IAA). Both Bayer-Hanck’s combined cointegration and Pesaran’s ARDL bounds testing models confirm the presence of cointegration among the series. After confirming the existence of cointegration among the series, the overall results from the estimation of an ARDL energy demand function reveal that in the long-run, financial development adds in energy demand in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, while economic growth is negatively related to energy consumption, urbanization and capital are the key factors leading to increased energy demand in the long-run. The findings also confirm the non-linear and inverted U-shaped relationship between financial development and energy demand for the Saudi Arabian economy. Finally, an evidence of unidirectional causality running from financial development to energy demand is found. These results urge for the attention of the policy makers in Saudi Arabia to design a comprehensive energy conservation policy to minimize the consequences of massive energy consumption on environmental quality and energy export-driven revenue by adding financial development, urbanization and capital as main explanatory determinants in the energy demand function.

A review of research on augmented reality in education: Advantages and applications

Abstract: Technology in education can influence students to learn actively and can motivate them, leading to an effective process of learning Previous research has identified the problem that technology will create a passive learning process if the technology used does not promote critical thinking, meaning-making or metacognition Since its introduction, augmented reality (AR) has been shown to have good potential in making the learning process more active, effective and meaningful This is because its advanced technology enables users to interact with virtual and real-time applications and brings the natural experiences to the user In addition, the merging of AR with education has recently attracted research attention because of its ability to allow students to be immersed in realistic experiences Therefore, this concept paper reviews the research that has been conducted on AR The review describes the application of AR in a number of fields of learning including Medicine, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Geography, Biology, Astronomy and History This paper also discusses the advantages of AR compared to traditional technology (such as e-learning and courseware) and traditional teaching methods (chalk and talk and traditional books) The review of the results of the research shows that, overall, AR technologies have a positive potential and advantages that can be adapted in education The review also indicates the limitations of AR which could be addressed in future research

Transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of employee empowerment

Abstract: Recent studies have revealed that nursing staff turnover remains a major problem in emerging economies. In particular, nursing staff turnover in Malaysia remains high due to a lack of job satisfaction. Despite a shortage of healthcare staff, the Malaysian government plans to create 181 000 new healthcare jobs by 2020 through the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). This study investigated the causal relationships among perceived transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction among nurses and medical assistants in two selected large private and public hospitals in Malaysia. This study also explored the mediating effect of empowerment between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. This study used a survey to collect data from 200 nursing staff, i.e., nurses and medical assistants, employed by a large private hospital and a public hospital in Malaysia. Respondents were asked to answer 5-point Likert scale questions regarding transformational leadership, employee empowerment, and job satisfaction. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the measurement models and to estimate parameters in a path model. Statistical analysis was performed to examine whether empowerment mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. This analysis showed that empowerment mediated the effect of transformational leadership on the job satisfaction in nursing staff. Employee empowerment not only is indispensable for enhancing job satisfaction but also mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction among nursing staff. The results of this research contribute to the literature on job satisfaction in healthcare industries by enhancing the understanding of the influences of empowerment and transformational leadership on job satisfaction among nursing staff. This study offers important policy insight for healthcare managers who seek to increase job satisfaction among their nursing staff.