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UNDERGRADUATES’ INSPIRED RESEARCH

is a biannual undergraduates’ research newsletterpublished by the

School of Management, Faculty of Business & Management,

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation, Malaysia.

Editorial boardEDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Navaz Naghavi

DEPUTY EDITORNadiah Suki

DESIGNERLim Zheng Yi

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UNDERGRADUATES’ INSPIRED RESEARCH is published biannually by the School of Management, Faculty of Business & Management, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation, Malaysia. Reproduction is part or whole is allowed provided UNDERGRADUATES’ INSPIRED RESEARCH is duly acknowledged. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor, UNDERGRADUATES’ INSPIRED RESEARCH, School of Management, Faculty of Business & Management, Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Telephone: +603 8996 1000; Fax: +603 8996 1001; E-mail: info@apu.edu.my

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1. Predictive Analysis of Internet and Mobile Shopping BehavioursPang Pui Kei; Supervisor: Dr.Mudiarasan Kuppusamy

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2. A Study of Motivation and Key Success Factors of Women Entrepreneurs in TanzaniaRuwaida Ali;

Supervisor: Dr. Lim Li Chen

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3. Impact of Job Security, Job Embeddedness, and Employee Engagement towards Job Performance Among Employees in Kuala LumpurFoo Choi Ling; Supervisor: Dr. Jugindar Singh

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4. An Explanatory Study of Employee Development, Organisational Stress, and Performance Appraisal towards Employee Performance among the Small and Medium Enterprises Employees in Pekanbaru Marylin Stevany Gonardo; Supervisor: Sueraya Binti Mohamad Alwie

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5. A Study on Job Satisfaction, Training and Development, and Job Stress towards Employee Job Performance: A Comparative Study on Bank A (Indonesia) and Bank B (Malaysia)Alvin Naldo Grady; Supervisor: Kantharow A/L Appravu

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6. Introducing New Air Infused Braking System in Automotive IndustryJawwad Ul Islam; Supervisor: Dr. Benjamin Chan Yin Fah

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7. An Explanatory Study of Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Reward toward Employee Performance among the Small and Medium Enterprises Employees in Seri Kembangan, MalaysiaMahamat Abakar Ibrahim; Supervisor: Shailaja Kumar A/P Kumar

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8. A Study on Campus Resources, International Student Attitudes and Cross- Cultural Competence towards Academic Performance of International Students in Malaysia.Amina Yussuf Balozi;Supervisor: Han Kok Siew

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9. A Study on Campus Environment, Curriculum, And Extra-Curricular Activity towards Employability Among APU GraduatesAndy Edyanto;Supervisor: Nadia Suki

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PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERNET AND MOBILE SHOPPING BEHAVIOURS

Pang Pui Kei

Supervisor: Associate Professor Dr.Mudiarasan Kuppusamy

BackgroundMobile devices have really infiltrated the essential dynamics of human life. Its intensity can be observed from the fact that a person on average spends more than ten hours a day on a mobile device. In terms of mobile shopping, 46% of the world’s global population are mobile shopping patrons. Rapid growth of Internet and mobile shopping have become a global phenomenon. Owing to such flabbergasted growth, it is becoming increasing important to study digital shoppers’ behaviour especially using predictive analysis. The use of predictive analytics is important as it has been rarely applied in the context of internet and mobile shoppers’ profiling. The study captures behaviour by modelling different paths of alternatives, especially in terms of who are the core users of the Internet, and the interactions between such users’ demographics for Internet use and mobile shopping events. Knowing which user will take which path when it comes to the Internet and mobile shopping would be of assistance to different stakeholders, especially marketers. Thus, this study intends to fill such a research gap. Against this backdrop, the aim of this study is to undertake a predictive analysis of millennials’ internet and mobile shoppers’ behaviours. MethodsThis research approach is an extension of an exploratory research. The research adopted a quantitative method, using self-administered close-ended questionnaires, consisting of 29 questions. Total of 304 responses were collected from a private university located within Klang Valley, Malaysia. The data collected in the study was then mined using the classification technique. Predictive analysis using the decision tree technique was chosen via the RapidMiner software as the tool to generalize relationships between the predicted target variable with all other attributes chosen within the data set.

ResultsThe findings revealed the following profound significant relationship between Generation Y’s Internet Use and mobile shopping behaviours, which further leads to effective behaviour-based marketing for Generation Y’s mobile shopping. Results also highlight millennial significant use of intent and mobile for online shopping.

ConclusionsThis study investigated relationship between demographic profiles and Internet use behaviour by taking data form the millennials users. This study concludes a significant influence of internet use on the online buying behaviour of millennials. It provides an insightful overview of Internet use and mobile shopping behaviours in Malaysia, which could also be applicable to other developing countries in similar regions. This study further analyses the connections between the Internet use behaviour with the mobile shopping behaviour in terms of adoption, frequency, and spending power on mobile shopping. In short, findings obtained revealed that there are significant connections between Internet spending hours and mobile shopping behaviour.

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A STUDY OF MOTIVATION AND KEY SUCCESS FACTORS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN TANZANIA

Ruwaida Ali

Supervisor: Dr. Lim Li Chen

BackgroundEntrepreneurship offers a vehicle for Tanzanian women to achieve economic parity. Approximately 18% of Tanzanian women of the 9,887,000 Tanzanian working women are self-employed (National Bureau of Statistics, 2014). Although Tanzanian men have a higher average monthly income than women, the differences in earnings are primarily a result of differences in the economic activities of men and women (National Bureau of Statistics, 2016). This study aims to determine motivating and key success factors of women entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Women entrepreneurs at Dar-es-Salam, the country’s largest city, are chosen as respondents of this study, thereby contributing to our understanding of women entrepreneurship in Tanzania. MethodsStudy developed a closed-ended, self-administered questionnaire. It was distributed among respondents through snowball sampling technique. A total of 76 respondents, comprised of women entrepreneurs in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania, completed the questionnaires. Data collected were analysed, using descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviations. The means of each statement were used to generate order of the ranks to determine the most influential factor that motivated Tanzanian women entrepreneurs and the key success factors.

ResultsThe findings revealed that the most influential factors that motivated Tanzanian women entrepreneurs are (i) to increase their income, and (ii) to achieve their own satisfaction and growth. The key success factors of women entrepreneurship are (i) internal motivation, (ii) to obtain personal freedom, (iii) to support family, and (iv) to gain business experience. Tanzanian women entrepreneurs believe that the positive reviews left by their customers for their products and services augment their intention to be entrepreneurs.

ConclusionsTo be a woman entrepreneur in Tanzania, you should have a strong intrinsic motivation, such as to increase your income, to achieve personal satisfaction and growth, and to gain related business experience. It is evident that these personal factors have helped these women to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and succeed.

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IMPACT OF JOB SECURITY, JOB EMBEDDEDNESS, AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS JOB PERFORMANCE

AMONG EMPLOYEES IN KUALA LUMPUR

Foo Choi Ling

Supervisor: Dr. Jugindar Singh

BackgroundThis study examines the relationship between Job Security, Job Embeddedness, and Employee Engagement towards Job Performance of employees in Kuala Lumpur. Past research has shown human capital as a critical resource for organizations to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. However, less has been focused on the effects of job security, job embeddedness, and employee engagement on job performance.

MethodsStudy deployed a survey strategy associated with a quantitative method, using a self-administered questionnaire for data collection. Data was collected through a convenience sampling technique from 140 employees of various organizations. Study applied correlation and multiple linear regression for hypotheses testing.

ResultsThe findings revealed that all three independent variables had a significant impact on job performance. Job embeddedness was the strongest predictor of the job performance. This was followed by employee engagement as the second predictor towards the employees’ job performance. Job security had the lowest impact on job performance.

ConclusionsStudy aims to analyse the impact of job embededness, employees’ engagement and job security on job performance. Results showed a significant positive influence of these variables on job performance. The results concur with extant scholastic work supporting the results from earlier studies. The findings have significantly contributed to the advancement of knowledge, as it is evident that employees’ job security, job embeddedness, and employee engagement facilitate job performance. It is recommended that organizations place emphasis on job embeddedness and implement suitable human resource policies when motivating and developing the right candidates.

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AN EXPLANATORY STUDY OF EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT, ORGANISATIONAL STRESS, AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

TOWARDS EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AMONG THE SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES EMPLOYEES IN PEKANBARU

Marylin Stevany Gonardo

Supervisor: Sueraya Binti Mohamad Alwie

BackgroundEmployees play an apex role in a company’s success. Understanding the strategies to manage employees can help companies to improve their performance. While analysing the employees’ performance, there are three aspects that can be of vital importance. These are employees’ development, organizational stress, and performance appraisal. Knowing the influence of these factors on employees’ performance can provide an important input for raising organizational performance. Against these hues, this study aims to examine the impact of employee development, organizational stress, and performance appraisal on the employee performance among the employees in Pekanbaru.

MethodsUsing closes ended, Likert scale bases questionnaire, study collected the data from 103 respondents. The respondents were selected using convenience sampling procedure. The sampled respondents belonged to several SMEs in Pekanbaru city of Indonesia. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation test.

ResultsThe findings demonstrate the following: (1) when the organisation provides opportunities for employees development, the employees’ performance increases, (2) high stress among employees’ deteriorate their performance requiring organization to manage the employees’ organisational stress, , and (3) balanced performance appraisal elevate their employees’ performance.

ConclusionsThe over-arching of this study is to analyse antecedents of employee performance among the employees of SMEs in Pekanbaru. Results concluded significant profound influence of employees’ development, organisational stress, and performance appraisal on organization’s performance. Importantly, study depicts stress level of the employee can also affect their performance. Furthermore, a good performance appraisal of the company will also greatly impact the employees’ working performance.

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A STUDY ON JOB SATISFACTION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND JOB STRESS TOWARDS EMPLOYEE JOB PERFORMANCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON

BANK A (INDONESIA) AND BANK B (MALAYSIA)

Alvin Naldo Grady

Supervisor: Kantharow A/L Appravu

BackgroundNowadays, the performance of an employee is the major issue and concern of any type of business organisations. Most organisational leaders have realised that an employee’s job performance is the most important asset for an organisation because, as the employee’s job performance increases or decreases, it will absolutely affect the organisation’s performance, whereby it could make the organisation win or lose to its competitors, whether it is in terms of capabilities, competitive advantages, or others. The selected factors examining the employee’s job performance are job satisfaction, training and development, and job stress.

Methodology The sample of this study comprises of employees working in Bank A (Indonesia) and Bank B (Malaysia). Quota sampling under non-probability sampling was employed in this study. The quota sampling will be controlled by the sex (two cells) factor, which for male employees are 40 and female employees are 60. Therefore, in this study, the total of 200 respondents from both banks will be collected randomly by using quota sampling. The SPSS software was used for descriptive and inferential testing as well as Pearson correlation.

ResultsFirst, from Bank A (Indonesia), it shows that in terms of job satisfaction, there is a significant and strong positive correlation with job performance. Subsequently, in terms of training and development, there is also a significant and strong positive correlation found between training and development and job performance. Last but not least, in terms of job stress, there is a significant and moderate negative correlation. The results from Bank B (Malaysia) show that in terms of job satisfaction, it is found that there is a very strong positive correlation with job performance. In terms of training and development, it is revealed that there is a weak positive correlation between training and development and job performance. Finally, in terms of job stress, it is revealed that there is a significant and moderate negative correlation between job stress and job performance.

ConclusionsThe main objective of this study is intended to compare employee job performance between Bank A in Indonesia and Bank B in Malaysia with several independent variables, namely job satisfaction, training and development, and job stress. As a result, it shows that there is no difference in terms of employee job performance between Bank A (Indonesia) and Bank B (Malaysia). However, even though there is no difference in terms of employees’ job performance between both banks, in terms of job satisfaction, training and development, and job stress, there is a difference between Bank A (Indonesia) and Bank B (Malaysia), whereby in terms of job satisfaction and training and development, Bank A (Indonesia) has the highest mean score, and in terms of job stress, Bank B (Malaysia) has the highest mean score.

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INTRODUCING NEW AIR INFUSED BRAKING SYSTEM IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Jawwad Ul Islam

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr. Benjamin Chan Yin Fah

BackgroundA spell of substantial innovation in automotive industry started in late 80s. These innovations were radical as well as incremental. Noteworthy among incremental innovation, was introduction of disk brakes consisting of different technologies, like ABS (Anti-lock Braking System). This braking system keeps the brakes from the jam disk, where it is more comfortable for drivers to steer the car while braking the vehicle. When the automobile is halted by using the brakes, they reach up to 1000ºC, and up to 1200ºC for race cars. In this exploratory, the area under analysis is a new braking system that especially caters to the luxury car market.

MethodsQualitative research design was applied in this study. Five semi-structured interview questions were conducted in the branches of the Toyota automotive company and the BMW automotive company, located in Malaysia. The concept of a new braking system was explained and the company representative responded the five queries that focus on their concerns for consumer use and the cost of developing positions.

ResultsResults of interview proclaim that high friction between the brake pad and brake discs might not last long, but the brake disc might have sufficient advantages. The reason is because companies can reuse the metal discs instead of using the ceramic braking discs, which will be more cost efficient for the companies. If the release between the brake discs is planned in a fan shape, it is more likely to provide resistance and give better cooling capability for the cross-drilled and cross-ventilated brake discs. Finally, interview results found that women usually press the brake paddle more often than men, and due to this phenomenon, the brake pads might have more wear and tear. But, if the new braking system is used, then it is more likely that the brake discs will be consumed less, which may increase the life span of the brake discs.

ConclusionsThis new braking system introduced by two automotive companies have received positive feedback. Some positive suggestions to improve the braking system were added in the final proposed model. The copyright application and business plan are going to make it a real business product in the automotive industry.

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AN EXPLANATORY STUDY OF MOTIVATION, JOB SATISFACTION AND REWARD TOWARD EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AMONG THE SMALL AND MEDIUM

ENTERPRISES EMPLOYEES IN SERI KEMBANGAN, MALAYSIA

Mahamat Abakar Ibrahim

Supervisor: Shailaja Kumar A/P Kumar

Background Employees are the key component of any organization, and the growth of the organization is propelled by the contribution of its employees. Analyzing employee performance can provide input to adopt changes for improving overall productivity. This analysis includes the role played by motivation, job satisfaction, and rewards on employee performance. This study attempts to examine the significance of motivation, job satisfaction, and rewards in relation to job performance among employees of SMEs in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia. 

Methods The study carries a quantitative approach. The primary data is collected through self-administrative questionnaire using convenient non-probability random sampling method. A five-point Likert-type scale questionnaire, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, was applied with a total number of 174 respondents from several SMEs in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia  participating in this research. The number of valid responses collected were 174 out of 174. The collected data was analyzed via correlation method.

Results The study found that motivation (r = 0.488, p= 0.000), reward (r = 0.564, p= 0.000), and job satisfaction (r = 0.600 p= 0.000) are significantly correlated to SMEs employee performance in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia. The level of the performance of SMEs employees in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia was at a high level, as well as the opinion toward the tested factors; the prediction ability was at 41.3% (R Square=0.413).

 

Conclusions The aim of this study is to examine employee performance among employees of SMEs in Seri Kembangan, in relation to employee motivation, job satisfaction and rewards. The study results show that rewards, job satisfaction, and employee motivation were significantly related to the performance of SMEs employees in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia. This research also identified what factors SMEs managers should be focused on while motivating and managing their employees, and what small business managers need to focus on in order to improve business performance in the long-term. Providing good employee development can significantly elevate the employees’ performance.

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A STUDY ON CAMPUS RESOURCES, INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ATTITUDES AND CROSS- CULTURAL COMPETENCE TOWARDS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA.

Amina Yussuf Balozi

Supervisor: Han Kok Siew

ObjectiveEducation abroad, especially in technologically advanced countries, is considered one of the effective way to keep pace with contemporary developments. Therefore, it remains pivotal to investigate the factors profoundly influence the performance of students studying abroad. Against this backdrop, this study aims to analyse the effect of three major factors namely campus resources, students’ attitudes and cross-cultural competence on international students’ performance by taking Asia Pacific University, Malaysia as case study.

Methods Data has been collected by using self-administered close-ended questionnaire. A total of 100 students responded the questionnaire. Study used the descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression to test the hypotheses.

ResultsDemographic analysis of the respondents showed that 51% of respondents were female and 49% were male. Female respondents were between age bracket of 20 to 25 years and majority of them were pursuing their bachelor degree. Regression results revealed significantly positive influence of all three variables (campus resources, international students’ attitudes and cross-cultural competence) on students’ academic performance. Further results showed that both male and female students’ performance is equal influenced by these factors hence ruling out any difference by gender.

ConclusionStudy confirms the profound impact of campus resources, international student’s attitude and cross cultural competence on international students’ performance. Among these three variables, international students’ attitude appear to be the highest influencer. This pave the way for practical implications recommending universities to take measures to develop positive attitudes of international students for improving their performance. Likewise, study also recommends universities having international students to promote cross cultural competence and enhance on campus resources for effective improvement in the performance of international students.

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A STUDY ON CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT, CURRICULUM, AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY TOWARDS EMPLOYABILITY AMONG APU GRADUATES

Andy Edyanto

Supervisor: Nadiah Suki

BackgroundGraduates’ employability is a prevailing issue nowadays. Despite having completed higher education, graduates still experience unemployment. This poses a serious questions as to whether higher education institutions are playing their role properly to prepare students for professional life. Employability is a complex issue, as there are a lot of factors affecting it. As highlighted in the literature, institutions play pivotal role on graduates’ employability. Some institutional factors affecting graduates’ employability, considered in this study, are the campus environment, curriculum, and extra-curricular activity. This study specifically analyses employability of APU graduates affected by three factors: campus environment, curriculum, and extra-curricular activity.

MethodsThis study collected data from a 24-item online questionnaire, which was distributed through snowball sampling. A total of 85 respondents, who are APU graduates, completed the questionnaire and contributed to the results of this study.

ResultsThe findings reveal that the strongest factor out of the three affecting employability was Campus Environment, followed by Curriculum and Extra-Curricular Activity. Therefore, a better campus environment, designed to support undergraduates’ learning, higher emphasis on employability in the curriculum, as well as more participation in extra-curricular activity, lead to improve graduates’ employability.

ConclusionsThis study aims to look at the factors affecting graduates employability. The results of the study offer stakeholders, such as Higher Education Institutions, policy makers, and employers, an insight into some of the important factors affecting graduates’ employability. Study reveals that campus equipment such as an updated library and information and technological facilities, not only increases the undergraduates’ knowledge but also improves their soft skills. Consequently, the mentioned facilities increase the employability. Similarly, developing industry-relevant-curriculum, which can motivate undergraduates for in-class learning is pivotal factor to increase employability. Lastly, university approach for more involvements of undergraduates in extra-curricular activities to acquire soft skills boost the chances of getting job. The study contributes to the productivity and development of the economy as, it involves the quality of the workforce as one of the main engine of the economy.

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