Sustainable manufacturing practices in Malaysian palm oil mills

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilyana Abdullah ◽  
Wan Hasrulnizzam Wan Mahmood ◽  
Hafidz Fazli Md Fauadi ◽  
Mohd Nizam Ab Rahman ◽  
Saiful Bahri Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Revealed Preferences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Strategy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implementation of sustainable manufacturing practices in Malaysian palm oil mills (POMs) by comparing the status of their current achievements and the levels of priority placed on their practices. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was used to collect data about 20 sustainable manufacturing practices from 51 POMs located in Malaysia. A five-point Likert scale was considered for recording variations in priorities and current practices with regard to sustainable manufacturing. A Cronbach’s α reliability test and a binomial test were undertaken to assess the internal consistency and the validity of the survey data. Spearman’s ρ correlation analysis was employed to determine the linear correlation between each of the sustainability practices identified. Factor analysis was conducted to reduce the number of sustainable manufacturing practices based on factor loading and to derive a clustering of these factors. Findings The results showed that employees’ well-being has the highest level in terms of both priority and current achievement. However, for other sustainable manufacturing practices, there was a difference where the current achievement of these practices in the Malaysian POMs was seen to be slightly lower than the priority given to them. Strong correlation of significant value was observed between the minimization of production waste and pollution prevention practices. From factor analysis, 15 practices of high factor loading were grouped into a proactive sustainability strategy and a preventive sustainability strategy. Research limitations/implications The study was still relatively exploratory. Future studies could investigate the barriers to the implementation of sustainable manufacturing practices at Malaysian POMs. The sample, which consisted of 51 Malaysian POMs, represented an important sector of the Malaysian economy. Reliance on stated, rather than revealed, preferences may limit the implications of the analysis undertaken for this study, but it does represent a major step forward in understanding the past in what was a highly recommended sector for investigation due to the paucity of extant data. A more broadly based, random sample of POMs from other countries would provide a better understanding of issues related to sustainable manufacturing practices. Practical implications The results of this study can be used by practitioners to adjust the sustainable manufacturing practices currently applied and further studies may go on to examine the reasons and implications for discrepancies between priorities and desired sustainability goals in more detail. Originality/value The survey conducted about sustainable manufacturing practices amongst Malaysian POMs was focussed on the three dimensions of sustainability, namely, the economic, environmental, and social elements involved.

Voluntary simplicity: a content analysis of consumer comments

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petek Tosun ◽  
Selime Sezgin
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Meaningful Experiences

Purpose The voluntary simplification (VS) movement has stemmed from Western societies and gained momentum in the 1980s, but the trend has failed to become a primary perspective for most consumers. The accompanying concepts of conscious consumption, minimalism and accepting that sometimes “less is more” are still vivid in the digital era. The purpose of this study is to provide a deep and recent understanding of the consumer comments about minimalism in Turkey and examine their associations with the prominent themes in the VS literature. Design/methodology/approach Consumer comments posted on online platforms were analyzed by content analysis and word frequency analysis. Findings Consumer comments were in parallel to the themes in the VS literature and were classified under personal growth, material simplicity, sustainability, proper technology usage and self-sufficiency categories. Personal growth, material simplicity and sustainability were the first three dimensions mentioned. The prominent sub-themes that emerge from data were psychological well-being, inner peace, freedom, meaningful experiences and getting rid of belongings. A word frequency analysis pointed out that “life” and “owning” were the evident words in the personal growth category, “purchasing things” were mostly mentioned in the material simplicity category and “plastic litter” and “excessive consumption” were the prominent concerns in the sustainability category. Originality/value VS required further research in different national contexts. Besides, an analysis of the dimensions of VS was needed. This study contributes by providing recent and rich findings from a developing country, connecting them with the VS themes in the literature and suggesting a conceptual framework enriched by sub-themes that emerged from data.

Sustainability strategy of Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil industry: a qualitative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratna Wardhani ◽  
Yan Rahadian
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
Study Results

Purpose Global palm oil production is growing rapidly, especially in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia and Malaysia as the biggest producers. Despite significant contributions to these countries’ economies, environmental and social aspects continue to be debated within this industry. The sustainability strategy is very important for the palm oil industry. This study aims to explore the sustainability strategy using six elements, namely, stakeholder engagement, governance and leadership, sustainability view and the economic, environmental and social strategies of Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil companies. Design/methodology/approach This study observes 21 Indonesian palm oil companies and 44 Malaysian palm oil companies from 2014 to 2018 with a total observation of 280 firm years. The methodology used in this study is a qualitative content analysis of six themes based on the sustainability strategy elements, which was further developed into 40 indicators. Content analysis is carried out on information published in annual reports and sustainability reports. Findings The study results indicate that stakeholder engagement, governance and leadership and strategic view of the palm oil companies in Indonesia and Malaysia are still likely to be weak. Palm oil companies have not demonstrated their focus on implementing economic, environmental and social strategies. Although the results indicate that there is a greater emphasis on environmental and social strategies than on economic issues, attention to both issues is still very low. Practical implications Palm oil companies need to integrate sustainability strategies in their business models and communicate them well to stakeholders to increase their competitive advantage in the palm oil industry. The government also needs to issue stricter rules and incentives to encourage companies to implement sustainability strategies. Social implications The study results provide implications for the communities around palm oil plantations to provide better social control so that companies can implement sustainability strategies in their business processes. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of sustainability practices integrated into palm oil companies’ business models, which have not been well implemented in the palm oil industry in the world’s largest producing countries.

Social isolation: development and validation of measures

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1905-1920
Author(s):  
Sushant Ranjan ◽  
Rama Shankar Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
External Criterion ◽  
Validity Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development And Validation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate items on social isolation. The comprehensive literature review of existing studies on the measures of social isolation, loneliness and the related construct was conducted. The paper seeks to conceptualize, validate and present items to measure social isolation. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on theoretical and empirical investigation of the measures of social isolation, loneliness and related constructs such as social others, social loneliness and feeling of sociability. The items were generated through theoretical exploration of previous literature and later modified. The author examined the items through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and further checked for external criterion validity. Data collected from 128 individuals, in India, were examined to design and validate the scale. Findings The finding of the paper is a ten-item social isolation scale. Using structural equation modeling, we have found extraversion and well-being significantly associated with final items in the present study, confirming the external quality of the scale. Practical implications Organizations may benefit by close examination of the presence of social isolation in employees along with providing support and assistance to employees so as to reduce negative consequences of social isolation and can address the well-being of the employee. Originality/value There is a dearth of developed and validated measures of social isolation in the literature. The study reveals the conceptualization and empirical validation of measures of social isolation in the Indian context so that researchers can move forward to develop theories on social isolation.

Performance obstacles in sustainable manufacturing – model building and validation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-566
Author(s):  
Priyanka Pathak ◽  
M.P. Singh ◽  
Gaurav Kumar Badhotiya
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
Critical Literature ◽  
Performance Obstacles

PurposeManufacturing organization has adopted the concept of sustainability to improve the performance of product and process as well as to focus on environmental issues. Despite technological advancements and awareness, there exist several performance obstacles for the implementation of sustainable manufacturing in an organization. The objective of the current study is to identify the performance obstacles, propose a structural model and validate the proposed model.Design/methodology/approachTwelve performance obstacles are identified through critical literature review and discussion with field experts. Primary and secondary factor analysis, that is, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), are used for the creation of the structural model, and further, structural equation modeling is used as a validating tool. EFA deals with the categorization of all performance obstacles in four major criteria, and CFA works for proposing a model for a relationship among all obstacles.FindingsA validated structural model is provided through hypothesis acceptance for structural equation modeling. The outcome of this study can be helpful for decision-makers to incorporate sustainable practices in the manufacturing organization.Originality/valueThis study has extracted and identified performance obstacles for the implementation of sustainable manufacturing based on critical literature review and discussion with field experts. The study proposes as well as validates the structural equation model.

Health harm of work from the sustainable HRM perspective: scale development and validation

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 924-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sugumar Mariappanadar
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Study Item ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a health harm of work scale from the sustainable HRM perspective. Design/methodology/approach A three-dimensional model was proposed for the health harm of work scale and validated (Total n=527) using a five-part study (item generation, item reduction, convergent, construct and discriminant validity). Findings Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported that the three dimensions (restrictions for positive health, the risk factors for psychological health and the side effect harm of work) simultaneously tap into different aspects of the health harm of work construct. The results from the construct validity revealed that health harm of work as a phenomenon has manifested itself in different facets of health harm of work intensification. Finally, the discriminant validity study revealed that the overlap between the dimensions of the health harm of work scale and the dimensions of recovery experience from the work questionnaire is low and it provides support for the discriminant validity of dimensions between these two scales. Practical implications The proposed measure can be used as potential leading indicators for negative occupational health to prevent or delay the onset of work-related illness manifestation or health consequences (sick leave, absenteeism, presenteeism, etc.). Originality/value This is the first study to validate a measure of health harm of work and to provide tangible evidence of health harm of work which will subsequently trigger organizations to introduce a planned intervention to improve occupational well-being to promote sustainable HRM.

Key performance indicators for excellent teachers in Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Hussein Amzat
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Teaching Philosophy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Education ◽  
Teaching Objectives ◽  
Excellent Teachers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to create a key performance indicator (KPI) that can be used as the benchmark tool for teaching performance and practices of both excellent teachers (ETs) and non-ETs and to investigate the possible interrelationships between the five thinking domains (teachers’ teaching philosophy, teaching objective, pedagogical content knowledge, teachers’ expectations and management style). Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative approach with a sample of 306 ETs from eight states including the Federal Territory. Exploratory factor analysis was used to validate the instrument and confirmatory factor analysis for model fit. Findings The findings showed that an excellent classroom management style was the most significant domain for KPI with the highest factor loading, followed by ETs’ teaching philosophy and objectives. It revealed that there was no significant relationship between ETs’ expectations and their classroom management style and that the relationships between the other domains were weak. Originality/value With this research creating a KPI model for excellent teaching practices, it is suggested that an in-depth review should be conducted concerning the standardization of the classroom management and the national teaching objectives in Malaysia. Perhaps representatives from the Ministry of Education and the school principals could go into the field to determine whether the excellent and non-ETs are fulfilling the national education objectives and meeting the expectations. This could lead to setting KPIs for achieving teaching objectives among the ETs.

Types of organizational innovativeness and success in Austrian hotels

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1707-1727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kessler ◽  
Christoph Pachucki ◽  
Katharina Stummer ◽  
Michael Mair ◽  
Petra Binder
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Organizational Innovativeness ◽  
Different Types

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify different types of organizational innovativeness in Austrian hotels and analyze their connection to (innovation) success. In the face of growing international competition, innovation is becoming increasingly important for Austria’s hotel industry. A prerequisite for innovation is organizational innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a quantitative survey of 255 Austrian hotel businesses with a minimum of five employees. Innovativeness was measured by three dimensions (willingness, ability and possibility to innovate) and success by five dimensions (overall performance: financial, market and employee-related success; innovation success: product and process innovations). Findings were obtained by combining an exploratory factor analysis with a cluster analysis. Findings – Factor analysis reveals five factors determining organizational innovativeness: “cooperation as trigger for change”; “acceptance of change”; “resource based scope for change”; “pluralism as trigger for change”; and “loose coupling and error-tolerance”. The cluster analysis identifies four types of hotels regarding organizational innovativeness indicating differences regarding the success dimensions: “potential innovators hindered by scarce resources and unsupportive structures”, “well-resourced conservatives”, “potential innovators hindered by a haphazard approach” and “cautious idea hunters”. On the whole, results show that a balanced configuration of organizational innovativeness combined with a cautious approach is connected with greater (innovation) success. Research limitations/implications – Key-informant and survivor biases have to be considered as all items in the questionnaire were evaluated by self-assessment of the hotel management and only successful hotels (in the sense of survival) were analyzed. One important implication is that (innovation) success depends on the system that enables it; therefore, organizational innovativeness is a precondition of successful innovations. Nevertheless, there is little research on organizational innovativeness in the service sector so far. Practical implications – This paper supports tourism businesses in understanding the concept of organizational innovativeness and its relation to (innovation) success. SMEs, which dominate the Austrian hotel industry, tend to focus on the financial aspect of innovativeness and, in general, do not consider the range of factors that constitute an organization’s innovativeness (willingness, ability and possibility to innovate) and the various outcomes. Originality/value – By combining organizational innovativeness and (innovation) success, the paper applies an important element of innovation theory to the Austrian hotel industry. The characterization of different types of hotels regarding organizational innovativeness and success enables a (self-) assessment for hotel businesses and the deduction of customized implications.

scholarly journals DEVELOPING ITEMS FOR MEASURING QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AMONG MALAYSIAN ACADEMICS: AN EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS PROCEDURE

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1295-1309
Author(s):  
Amauche Ehido ◽  
Zainudin Awang ◽  
Bahyah Abdul Halim ◽  
Chukwuebuka Ibeabuchi
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽  
Research Universities ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Quality Of Work Life ◽  
Quality Of Work

Purpose of the study: Quality of work life (QWL) is vital for all establishments to continue to hire and retain high-performance workers. However, from the review of previous literature on QWL, little is known about the dimensions that constitute high QWL among academics. Therefore, this study aimed at contributing to the literature by conducting a detailed validation of seven dimensions of QWL through the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedure. Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional research design to establish reliable measures for the QWL construct. The items were adapted and modified to suit this study. Study data was obtained using a structured questionnaire from 100 randomly selected academics from the five Malaysian research universities. The study further conducted the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedure using IBM-SPSS version 21.0. Main Findings: A total of 51 items were initially developed to measure QWL construct, however, from the EFA procedure, the study found that 8 items with factor loading below the cut-off point of .60 were deleted and 48 items with a factor loading above the cut-off point of .60 were retained and deemed suitable to measure the QWL construct. Applications of this study: This study validated the dimensions that lead to improved QWL. Therefore, this study is particularly useful to the Malaysian universities' management who aim to obtain benefits from super motivated and high-performance academics by making sure that the workers' overall well-being is protected in the workplace. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study established a validated and reliable instrument for measuring the QWL construct among academics in the Malaysian research universities.

Uncovering the dimensions of servicescape using mixed method approach – A study of beauty salons

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidhi Kampani ◽  
Deepika Jhamb
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Beauty Salons

PurposeThe purpose of this study aims to explore the dimensions assessing the servicescape of beauty salons and provides suggestions to improve the salon's servicescape.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method design is used in the sequence of thematic analysis through focus group technique followed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the beauty salon's servicescape.FindingsThe exploration of factors in beauty salons is determined with three dimensions: the substantive staging of servicescape, the communicative staging of servicescape and the social staging of servicescape. These dimensions are mentioned in the order of importance perceived by the customers. The substantive staging of servicescape was identified with five factors: ambient conditions, facility aesthetics, artifacts, provisions and spatial layout. Communicative staging of servicescape explored four factors: employee duties, employee commitment, employee–customer interactions and employee image. Social staging derived two factors: customer characteristics, customer-to-customer interactions.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings enrich the previous literature with the addition of new factors while assessing servicescape in beauty salons and the development of new items through qualitative research in the domain of servicescape.Practical implicationsThe study offers the managers to understand the importance of various factors affecting the servicescape in beauty salons. The salon managers can beautify the service environment through the implementation of the factors identified, thus resulting in enhancing the experience of customers at the salons.Originality/valueConsidering no research has been conducted on beauty salons scale development, this study serves as the first empirical research effort.

Development and validation of counterproductive work behaviour instrument

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-763
Author(s):  
Khahan Na-Nan ◽  
Peerapong Pukkeeree ◽  
Ekkasit Sanamthong ◽  
Natthaya Wongsuwan ◽  
Auemporn Dhienhirun
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Counterproductive Work Behaviour ◽  
Development And Validation

Purpose Counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) is a type of behaviour of an individual that works against an organisation or employer, and he/she is usually discretionary (i.e. individuals make conscious choices as to whether they want to commit aberrant work behaviour). To deal with CWB in different contexts, organisations need to both understand and continually measure their employees in terms of behaviour and work. This study aims to develop an instrument to measure CWB for small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in three stages to develop a measurement scale for CWB. First, 27 questions were developed as a questionnaire based on concepts and theories of CWB and then verified using exploratory factor analysis with three CWB dimensions, namely “poor behaviour”, “misuse of organisational resources” and “inappropriate communication”. The questionnaire surveyed a total of 386 individuals working in SMEs. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and convergent validity were examined following the three CWB dimensions. Findings Three dimensions were developed to measure CWB, including aspects of poor behaviour, misuse of organisational resources and inappropriate communication. Practical implications The CWB questionnaire has practical use for assessing employee behaviour and can assist organisations and practitioners to better understand the CWB of employees. This know-how will help practitioners to assess employee behaviour and can be used to manage or develop this into good behaviour as valued members of the organisation. Originality/value The validity of the CWB questionnaire questions will facilitate the future research on the boundaries with CWB assessments spanning different SMEs contexts. Empirical study results validated that CWB measurement offered new perspectives to explore vital employee behavioural deviation that are necessary for the inspection employee behavioural deviation. This instrumental support will also help researchers to effectively understand CWB and explore its potential in future studies.

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