Open University Malaysia, abbreviated as OUM, is the 7th Malaysian private university and it is owned by the Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations (METEOR) Sdn. Bhd, a consortium of 11 Malaysian public universities. It leverages on the quality, prestige and capabilities of its consortium.The main campus is at Menara OUM, Kelana Centre Point Kelana Jaya. In addition to this, there are more than 30 learning centres throughout Malaysia, out of which 10 are regional learning centres.As the first open university in the country, OUM initially opened to 753 learners in 2001. A decade later, OUM has over 100,000 students in more than 50 academic programmes. The MQA Rating System for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia for 2011 (SETARA’11) has rated OUM as a Tier 5 (Excellent) institution.
Intense technological advancements and market liberalization have intensified competition in the telecommunication industry, challenging established operators to innovate continuously. This study investigates how transformational leadership drives creativity and innovation and, consequently, organizational performance, focusing on its four dimensions: inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation. Data were collected from 314 executives and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation significantly enhance creativity and innovation, whereas idealized influence shows no direct effect. Creativity and innovation further mediate the relationships of inspirational motivation and individualized consideration with organizational performance, highlighting their critical role in translating leadership behaviors into tangible performance outcomes. The findings advance theoretical understanding by clarifying the pathways through which transformational leadership fosters innovation and creative engagement. Practically, the study provides actionable insights for organizational leaders to cultivate a culture of creativity and innovation to sustain competitive advantage, and informs policymakers and regulators in supporting organizational performance and sectoral development.
This study aims to investigate the impact of carbon management on environmental performance. By applying the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) and Legitimacy Theory, this study examines key dimensions of firm-level carbon management that influence the environmental performance of manufacturing firms in Malaysia A questionnaire survey was conducted among 220 manufacturing firms registered with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers to achieve the research objectives. Data were analysed using structural equation modeling revealed that carbon governance (beta=0.424) had the strongest impact, followed by carbon disclosure (beta=0.339), carbon operations (beta=0.360), and carbon accounting (beta=0.280). Policymakers and industry players can leverage these insights to refine carbon management practices, improve operational efficiency, and achieve long-term cost savings, thereby enhancing manufacturing firms' environmental performance and overall competitiveness.
This study investigated the structural relationship between instructional leadership and teacher problem solving in Ghana using a sample of 840 respondents. Through Path Analysis, the research examined how instructional leaders’ aims influence their objectives, and the extent to which these aims and objectives influence teachers’ problem-solving skills, further exploring the mediating role of objectives. Findings revealed that instructional leadership aims significantly drive school objectives. While both aims and objectives predict teacher problem-solving skills, results confirm a full mediation model: a leader’s vision only enhances teacher skill when systematically translated through specific, supportive objectives. The study concludes that instructional leadership acts as a nexus between national goals and classroom challenges. It recommends that the Ministry of Education prioritize instructional leadership over administrative inspection, ensuring headteachers effectively transform noble educational aims into measurable school objectives and resilient teacher problem-solving competence in school.
As digital transformation becomes a lifeline for business survival, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies face increasing pressure to sustain performance through innovation. Despite growing interest in cloud computing, empirical evidence on its role in enhancing SME sustainability remains limited. This study investigates the factors influencing SMEs’ sustainability through cloud computing adoption in Nepal. Data collected from 410 employees across 200 SMEs, with multiple respondents per firm, were analysed using structural equation modelling, revealing that cost reduction, reliability, ease of use, sharing and collaboration, security and privacy, and trust significantly enhance sustainability outcomes. Firm size further moderates these relationships, with larger firms deriving greater benefits due to superior resources and technological readiness. The findings highlight the combined influence of key cloud adoption factors on sustainable performance and offer actionable insights for managers, policymakers, and cloud service providers to support equitable digital transformation among SMEs.
Pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak merupakan satu pendekatan pedagogi yang menekankan penglibatan aktif kanak-kanak, pembelajaran melalui pengalaman, serta mengambil kira keperluan dan minat individu kanak-kanak. Kajian ini bertujuan mengenal pasti tahap pengetahuan, tahap amalan serta hubungan antara kedua-duanya dalam kalangan guru PASTI di Selangor, yang berkaitan dengan pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Seramai 127 orang guru prasekolah PASTI di Negeri Selangor telah dipilih sebagai sampel kajian. Data kuantitatif dikumpulkan menggunakan soal selidik. Selain analisis deskriptif, data juga dianalisis secara inferensi menggunakan ujian korelasi Pearson bagi mengenal pasti hubungan antara tahap pengetahuan dan tahap amalan guru terhadap pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Analisis ini dijalankan menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 27.0 bagi menentukan tahap pengetahuan dan amalan, dan hubungan antara kedua-dua pemboleh ubah tersebut. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak diamalkan secara konsisten dalam kalangan guru PASTI tanpa mengira faktor umur dan kelayakan akademik walaupun terdapat sedikit variasi dalam tahap pengetahuan dan amalan. Dapatan juga menunjukkan bahawa terdapat hubungan positif dan signifikan antara tahap pengetahuan dan amalan guru (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), menunjukkan bahawa semakin tinggi tahap pengetahuan guru mengenai pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak, semakin tinggi juga tahap amalan mereka dalam melaksanakan pendekatan tersebut di prasekolah. Kesimpulannya, program latihan dan pembangunan professional secara berterusan adalah penting untuk memperkukuh pengetahuan serta amalan pedagogi guru terutamanya dalam strategi pendekatan berpusatkan kanak-kanak. Implikasi kajian menunjukkan bahawa pengetahuan guru memainkan peranan penting dalam membentuk amalan pedagogi mereka. The child-centered approach is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes children’s active involvement, experiential learning, and consideration of their individual needs and interests. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge, the level of practice, and the relationship between both among PASTI teachers in Selangor regarding the child-centered approach. A total of 127 PASTI preschool teachers in Selangor were selected as the study sample, and quantitative data were collected using questionnaires. In addition to descriptive analysis, the data were analyzed inferentially using the Pearson correlation test to determine the relationship between teachers’ level of knowledge and level of practice regarding the child-centered approach. The analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. The findings showed that the child-centered approach was consistently practiced among PASTI teachers regardless of age and academic qualifications, although slight variations existed in the levels of knowledge and practice. The results also indicated a positive and significant relationship between teachers’ level of knowledge and practice (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), demonstrating that the higher the teachers’ level of knowledge regarding the child-centered approach, the higher their level of practice in implementing the approach in preschool settings. In conclusion, continuous training and professional development programs are essential to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical practices, particularly in child-centered teaching strategies, as teachers’ knowledge plays an important role in shaping their pedagogical practices.
