Digital Commons Network^™

The Mediating Role Of Innovation Between Family Influence And Business Performance Of Public Listed Family Businesses In Malaysia / Chong Wei Ying, Wei Ying Chong

Student Works (2010-2019)

Innovation is a sine qua non for many businesses in today’s competitive, complex and capricious environment. Plenty researches have highlighted that innovation is closely linked with business performance. Yet, to date, scant attention has been given to innovation in the world dominant form of business - family business. Even pertaining researches carried out in the past, the focuses are normally on the family versus nonfamily business dichotomy on innovation performance. However, in reality, family influence on business is multidimensional and continuous. The involvement and pattern of family influences vary from business to business. This dissertation seeks to fill these gaps …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Global Economy In Strategic Texts / Mustafa, M. Mustafa

Student Works (2010-2019)

A contentious question in critical discourse analysis has been whether and how ideology is embedded in discourse. This question has attracted attention from scholars within humanities and social sciences. A number of scholars argue that there is a dialectical relationship between discourse and ideology. Discourse internalizes and is internalized. By referring to discourse analysis as an explanatory critique, this study examines the discursive strategies in ideological construction of global economy in strategic texts. A discursive strategy is defined as the tool by which a discourse is given meaning and force and through which its object is described. It is a …

Ethnolinguistic Vitality Of The Malays Of Singapore / Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz, Mohamed Pitchay Gani Mohamed Abdul Aziz

Student Works (2010-2019)

This thesis describes the ethnolinguistic vitality of the indigenous Malays of Singapore forty-five years after Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. The study sets out to explore the vitality of the Malay language in Singapore and the factors that influence it. It also seeks to know whether the Malay language has really come to a deficit in Singapore, in terms of language use. The general literature on this subject shows that sociolinguistic researches in Singapore are more focused on socio-psychological framework, especially when dealing with the Malay language-use situation. Such approach lacks the sociological framework that together would provide a holistic look …

An Inquiry Into Privatisation’S Impact On Healthcare Services In Malaysia / Latifa Bibi Binti Musafar Hameed, Latifa Bibi Musafar Hameed

Student Works (2010-2019)

Malaysia has experienced significant improvements in the delivery of healthcare services since independence. The Malaysian healthcare system has transformed into a resilient dual-tiered parallel system, with a sizable and booming private sector. The unprecedented growth of the private medical sector has had wide ranging implications for the Malaysian health care system. This thesis seeks to examine the consequences of privatisation on the delivery of healthcare services in Malaysia by following the analytical themes associated with the process. The first analytical theme addresses the consequences of the policy on healthcare expenditure borne by the public and private sectors. The second analytical …

The Influence Of Family Communication, Television Viewing And Peer Communication On The Orientation Of Materialism Among Young Adult Consumers / Eric Vincent Bindah, Vincent Bindah Eric

Student Works (2010-2019)

Materialism among today’s youth has received strong interest among educators, parents, consumer activist and government regulators. Although materialism has long been of interest to consumer researchers, it is not clear whether specific socialization agents in general, and communication environment in particular, can instil materialism in people. The overall objectives of this study are to analyze the effect of family communication, television viewing, and peer communication on young adults’ orientation towards materialism. The theoretical foundation of this study lies on several established theories, which include consumer socialization theory, social comparison theory, social learning theory, cultivation theory, self-determination theory, Maslow’s human need …

Essays On The Co-Operatives’ Performances In Malaysia / Azmah Binti Othman, Azmah Othman

Student Works (2010-2019)

Renowned for the potential in alleviating poverty, co-operative movement has been encouraged and supported by the government. This research investigates co-operative performances and efficiency in Malaysia using quantitative and qualitative methods. The first essay revealed that co-operatives’ role in economic development is still relevant. Credit and banking co-operatives had contributed to the movement’s growth and development. The National Co-operative Plans are important blueprint for co-operative development in the country. Investigation on factors influencing co-operative membership in the second essay revealed that membership is favourable to the older age groups as compared to younger age groups. Those working in government sector …

Social Media Usage For Civic Engagement / Anne Marie Warren, Anne Marie Warren

Student Works (2010-2019)

In the field of Information Systems, much is known about social media as an Information Technology artefact and its influence, offering various understandings of online human behaviour, particularly for business, psychology and sociology implications. Frequently, research on social media usage can be classified into internal (e.g. entertainment and satisfaction) and external factors (e.g. connection benefits). While these studies on motivations generated a clear link between internal and external factors for social media usage, they did not relate clearly the motivations to the contributions made in terms of civic engagement behaviour. Although there have been calls for research in understanding social …

Institutionalization Of State Policy: The Role Of State-Owned Enterprises, Provinces And Municipalities In China’S Urban Housing Market / Zhang Miao, Miao Zhang

Student Works (2010-2019)

The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge in China, which has The allocation of urban housing remains a serious challenge …

Role Of Effective Communication To Ensure Community Participation In Ngos' Projects: A Comparative Study Of A Malaysian And A Pakistani Ngo / Mumtaz Ali, Mumtaz Ali

Student Works (2010-2019)

In today‟s world social issues can be seen in the form of conflict, discrimination, poverty, low quality human resources and unequal distribution of resources, thereby leaving communities marginalized and deprived. Community development is one way of building the capacity of people and involving them in finding the solutions to such problems. Community development also has much potential to build community cohesion by facilitating and supporting a community‟s commitment and strengthening connections among individuals, organizations and local groups. Community participation in development projects is important and vital for the success of any initiative. To have a successful outcome, effective participation is …

An Examination Of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Systems Model Of Creativity In Selected Plays Of Postwar English Political Theater / Hossein Safadaran, Hossein Safadaran

Student Works (2010-2019)

This thesis explores through scholarly discourse of creativity in the workings of Postwar English Political Theater from 1976 to 1984. Particularly it tries to specify to what extent the selected plays are congruent with Csikszentmihalyi‘s Systems Model of Creativity. While English Political Theater in the 1970s was distancing itself from the discourse of insanity, a scholarly discourse of creativity was evolving. In this context, I will try to scaffold four less explored political works, Edward Bond‘s The Fool, Tom Stoppard‘s Professional Foul, Howard Brenton‘s The Genius and Howard Barker‘s Scenes from an Execution by projecting the Systems Model of Creativity …

Secondary School Esl Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices In The Teaching Of Pronunciation / Shanina Sharatol Ahmad Shah, Shanina Sharatol Ahmad Shah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Despite the emphasis on the role of pronunciation in obtaining proficiency in the English Language and the rightful place it has been given in the Malaysian Secondary School English Language syllabus, pronunciation still struggles to gain the attention it deserves in the ESL classrooms. Thus, it is the purpose of this study to investigate the beliefs of selected ESL teachers that have led to their decisions on their classroom practices in pronunciation instruction. This study focuses on three aspects of the teachers’ beliefs; firstly, the beliefs of their roles in learning and teaching pronunciation. Secondly, the beliefs they hold about …

Tafsir Aliran Pembaharuan Di Indonesia : Kajian Perbandingan Antara Tafsir Al-Azhar Oleh Hamka Dan Tafsir Al-Misbah Oleh M. Quraish Shihab / Muhammad Ikbal, Muhammad Ikbal

Student Works (2010-2019)

Disertasi ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pendekatan pentafsiran al-Quran yang dihasilkan oleh dua orang tokoh tafsir Nusantara yang terkenal, iaitu Prof. Dr. HAMKA dan Prof. Dr. M. Quraish Shihab. Kitab tafsir mereka telah memberi sumbangan besar terhadap Umat Islam dan menjadi solusi bagi permasalahan-permasalahan yang berkembang di tengah masyarakat. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa pendekatan tafsir aliran pembaharuan yang dibawa oleh kedua tokoh ini adalah pendekatan yang sesuai dengan realiti semasa yang berkembang di tengah masyarakat Nusantara. Kesimpulan ini mengkukuhkan pembaharuan pentafsiran terhadap ayat-ayat al-Quran yang berhubungkait dengan akidah, ibadah, dan mu’amalah. Kerana perubahan zaman menuntut para mufassir untuk melahirkan karya tafsir …

Representation Of Transsexuals In Malaysian English Print Media / Thiba A/P Naraina Chetty, Thiba Naraina Chetty

Student Works (2010-2019)

The current study, in combining Butler’s (1999) performativity theory and Reisigl and Wodak’s (2009) discourse-historical approach, attempts to ascertain the discursive practices that help shape and construct the identities of Malaysian transsexuals. The study examines editorial and opinion editorials that were published in two English print media in Malaysia to understand the way argumentation schemes and linguistic means are deployed in the construction of transsexuals’ identity. The analysis of the data depicts that the print media have generally intensified the representation of transsexuals as heavily discriminated group through the use of negative and emotionally charged language. Although the articles were …

Identity Construction On Facebook Among Young Malaysians / Tan Jenny, Jenny Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

The advancement of technology allows people to communicate globally without barriers and thus, increases the usage of Computer-Mediated-Communication (CMC). One example of CMC is the social networking site. Social networking sites are popular and they continue to grow due to the large number of users. Many studies have been conducted to explore identity construction on the Internet and it was found that many users are publishing favourable images and information of themselves in order to maintain an ideal self among their audience. The purpose of this research is to examine how young Malaysians construct multiple identities and portray themselves in …

Translating Name Labels In Comics From English To Bahasa Malaysia / Chan Jin-Vei, Jin-Vei Chan

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research aims mainly to identify and describe the strategies used in the translation of name labels in the Spider-Man comic series from English to Bahasa Malaysia. This study will also assess the quality of the translation of the name labels given to the characters in the comics. The identification of the translation strategies will be based on Mona Baker‟s (2011) list of strategies which are, translation by using a more general word, translation by using a less expressive word, translation by using loan words, translation by paraphrasing using related words, translation by paraphrasing using unrelated words, translation by omission …

Intertextuality In Avatar : The Last Airbender / Tan Renjie, Renjie Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

The purpose of this dissertation is to study the intertextual references drawn from cultures and practices in our world that are incorporated into the formation of the fictional world of the Nickelodeon animation Avatar: The Last Airbender. This animation that was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon has enjoyed and garnered much success worldwide. This qualitative research uses the conceptual framework of intertextuality to code the data gathered from the animation into a manner that best illustrates the animation’s intertextual references that are drawn from the cultures in our world. The research design was …

Code Switching Among Teachers And Students In An Esl Classroom / Sarasvathy Annandarajah, Annandarajah Sarasvathy

Student Works (2010-2019)

English is a compulsory subject, which is taught as a second language (ESL) in Malaysian classrooms. Despite the Ministry of Education and school principals’ instructions against code switching in the ESL classrooms, code switching from English to Bahasa Melayu still occurs in some ESL classrooms. Hence, the objectives of this study are to investigate the reasons and analyze the functions of code switching among teachers and students in an ESL classroom. The sample comprises three English teachers and forty Form Two students from a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur. Data was obtained from a questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews. The …

A Genre-Based Study Of Moves Analysis And Layout In Car Print Advertisements / Nurulain Abdullah, Abdullah Nurulain

Student Works (2010-2019)

The increasing number of car sales in automotive industry has caused advertisers or companies to focus on more than just selling a car. The car companies or the advertisers need to differentiate themselves and create different strategies from other advertisers to promote/sell their cars. Therefore, it is interesting to examine how advertisers communicate or persuade the readers to buy a car. This study examines the move structure of car advertisements in a local newspaper which is The Star. This purpose of this study is to analyze the rhetorical structure and communicative purposes of car advertisements. This study adopted Kathpalia’s (1993) …

Speech Styles Of Migerian And Chinese Efl Learners In Malaysia / Pauline Mackenzie, Mackenzie Pauline

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study was motivated by previous research work done on the difference in language use between males and females particularly in the style of language use. The aim of this study is to investigate the speech style of male learners from Nigeria and China. Although Malaysia is a cosmopolitan country, not many studies have been conducted to examine the speech style difference of Nigerian and Chinese learners studying in Malaysia. To conduct this study, Lakoff’s (1973; 1975) ideas concerning linguistic features in gender differences were taken into account. Particular attention is given to the usage of three linguistic features; fillers, …

Supporting Early Child Bilingualism : The Role Of Parents With Limited English Proficiency / Nur Afifah Binti Addenan, Nur Afifah Addenan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Bilingualism is becoming a growing trend in Malaysia due to the role of the English language in this technological era and a necessity for today’s development. Bilingualism involving proficiency in English and any one of the local languages is now widely considered as an asset for socioeconomic mobility in Malaysia. The desire to be successful, both socially and economically nowadays is starting to force Malays into becoming Malay-English bilinguals. The position of English has influenced even parents with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in Malaysia into striving to embed the knowledge of both their native language and English in their children …

Black Existential Philosophy: Truth In Virtue Of Self-Discovery, James B. Haile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past 20 years, within the discipline of philosophy there has been a burgeoning interest in the fields of Race theory, Africana, and African American philosophy, especially in the scholarship and questions concerning the experience and meaning of black existence; that is, within black existential philosophy. Despite this interest, though, there has yet to be a sustained study of the categories of black existential philosophy nor its concepts--there seems to have been the acceptance of traditional European existential categories and concepts merely applied to the questions of black existence. This work, though, offers a sustained examination of the existential …

Parental Substance Abuse And Child Welfare Outcomes: A Study Of Biological Mothers And Their Children In Out-Of-Home Placement In Allegheny County, Courtney Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study uses logistic regression to examine whether parental substance abuse makes biological mothers more or less likely to have their children returned home if the children have been removed by the Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF). CYF handles the executive branch child welfare responsibilities for Allegheny County, which includes the city of Pittsburgh, PA. The sample in this study included children who had been removed from the home for the first time in 2012, and was split by age, creating two models. Parental drug abuse was found to make the child less likely to reunify in both …

Analyzing The Depictions Of The Multiracial Child Character In Children's Media, Rachael C. Jackson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The 2000 U.S. Census is the first in which a person could mark more than one racial identification box. Acknowledging this identity marks progress by recognizing an underserved population, but the media lags behind in the representation of Multiracial people in texts. My analysis of contemporary media examples (1) has the capacity to initiate conversations about the bigger social implication of race and diversity in the media; (2) sheds light on the rarity of Multiracial characters and the ways in which Multiracial characters are depicted; (3) suggests that greater access to Multiracial characters is granted to older audiences; (4) recognizes …

Max Scheler's Critical Theory: The Idea Of Critical Phenomenology, Eric J. Mohr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the way core elements of phenomenology map on to the critical theory program in order to demonstrate phenomenology's relevance for ideology critique. "Critical phenomenology" means putting the findings of phenomenology to work for the sake of social critique. I argue that phenomenology gains a critical edge precisely where many critical theorists suggest phenomenology withdraws from a critical function: on the basis of their theory of intuition. While Adorno takes phenomenological intuition to be another version of identity philosophy, he overlooks the significance of the way in which phenomenological givenness is incommensurable with, and at best only symbolized …

Toward A Community-Centric Approach To Address School Discipline Disparity, Jacqueline Roebuck Sakho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What you are engaging is more than a dissertation, but a dissertation in practice. It is a dissertation in community-centered practice for educational leadership. This is an agenda driven by the need to improve a problem of education practice that is a grave matter of social injustice.

This is a response to the persistent call for educational leadership to be community work, to be community-engaged, as community-centric leadership (centered in the community and central to the needs of the marginalized). The agenda is designed to deliver "site-specific" examples of problems of practice occurring in school settings. Site-specific examples are demonstrated …

Communication And Response-Ability: Levinas And Kierkegaard In Conversation, Beth A. Walter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project contends that hope for ethical communication in a postmodern age lies in the ability to rethink ethics in terms of "existential pathos." To that end, this study locates communicative responsibility in the responsive element of the self-other relation by relying primarily on the work of the twentieth-century Lithuanian-born French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. I maintain that Levinas's disruption of the philosophical tradition informs a communication ethic comprised of dialectical, dialogical, and rhetorical modes of interpersonal interaction that are fundamentally rooted in an existential understanding of human striving. Further, I assert that these dialectical, dialogical and rhetorical components are best …

The Underrepresentation Of Black Students In Advanced Placement Classes: A Local Response To A National Issue, Tia Wanzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A pertinent educational issue in our country is the black and white achievement gap. One specific program that has been developed and implemented over the last several years in an effort to provide strong academic curriculum and raise student achievement, including minority student achievement, is the College Board's advanced placement (AP) Program. The AP Program courses are widely recognized as providing students with academically challenging curriculum, facilitating their acceptance to colleges and supporting their preparation for post-secondary education. The emphasis of this work relates to the concern that although the AP program has been in existence for decades and is …

Parent-Teacher Engagement During Child-Centered Pedgogial Change In Elementary School: The Lived Experiences Of Teachers And Involved Parents, Cristiana P. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the advance of technology as a manifestation of our rapidly changing world, we often hear how difficult it is to be a parent with school-age children. The more knowledge and access parents have to technology, the better position they are in to collaborate with teachers and to help their children academically and behaviorally. However, the lack of updated technology may be a serious concern for children living in poverty. For these and many other reasons, it is imperative that educators provide parents with the knowledge base and the resources needed to facilitate parent engagement in helping their children with …

A Quiet War : Revising Heroism In Tamora Pierce's Tortall, Tess Hailey Grogan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Relationship Between Maternal Childhood Maltreatment History, Parent-Child Relations And Child Emotion Regulation, Chelsie D. Sampayan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Child maltreatment is an issue that has serious psychological and behavioral consequences in children now and in the future. This exploratory study used the developmental psychopathology framework to examine the relationships between maternal childhood maltreatment, parent-child relations, and child emotion regulation. I performed a secondary data analysis on 228 preschool-aged children (118 boys and 110 girls) and their biological mothers. Data was originally collected as part of a longitudinal study called the Child Regulation and Representation Project (CHiRRP). Mothers responded to a semi-structured interview, which was then coded for severity ratings of childhood physical abuse (CPA) and childhood sexual abuse …