Operation Management articles list

This study demonstrates main reasons for choosing The National University of Malaysia (UKM) by international students and their needs and expectations toward the University. The study also shows the obstacles faced by those students and their satisfaction towards UKM. A total of 108 questionnaires were distributed in the main campus to the respondents who came from ten diffident countries. The main reasons for choosing UKM were its high ranking, reasonable tuition fees, faculty, programmes, and lecturers respectively. The results revealed that the main obstacles faced international students were tough visa procedures, improper hostels, social isolation and discrimination, and bureaucracy. Both the facilities and services of UKM and the studying approach have met the expectations satisfaction of international students. Yet, both social relationship and participation in activities and living conditions in UKM hostels have disappointed international students and did not meet their satisfaction. This study suggested that UKM should establish counselling unit and organise regular meetings to listen to the problems and suggestions of those students. Volunteer and pre-enrolment activities should be organised to introduce the Malaysian culture and gather international students with their local peer. Moreover, international students should be provided upon their arrival to UKM by hostels that combine proper conditions of living at a reasonable price.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

Crises are unavoidable which makes response an imperative matter. Thus, the proactive style becomes an indispensable part of the readiness and preparedness in any potential crisis and can help prevent it. Besides, the reactive style is still important to deal effectively with a crisis especially regarding its recovery. Proactive and reactive styles were needed by Palestinian Presidents due to the occurrence of various crises faced by them. This study examines both proactive and reactive styles used by the Palestinian Presidents leadership during crisis. Besides, it examines how the Palestinian Presidents used these styles to deal with different crises at different times. This study used content analysis on the news stories from the New Straits Times. A total of 313 stories from1996 to 2016 pertaining to proactive and reactive styles used by Palestinian Presidents were found. The stories that included reactive style figured 67.7%, while the stories that included proactive style totaled 32.3%. For President Arafat, a total of 63% of the stories included reactive style compared to 37% of the stories that included proactive style. For President Abbas, a total of 78.4% of the stories contained reactive style compared to 21.6% that contained proactive style. Proactive style has been used only in political crises, while reactive style has been used in all crises. Providing various scenarios in dealing with crises allows other organizations and individuals to be initiative in dealing with any similar future crises. This study serves as a guideline for choosing proper prospective measures and responses to crises.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

Effective crisis communication response through using the proper strategies is critical to cope with crises and to protect the reputation and existence of the involved parties. Usually, aviation accidents receive great attention from the media and the public. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) which was shot down over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014 during its scheduled flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur received global attention. This attention was due to the involvement of several countries either at the level of the countries of victims or the countries accused of the attack. Image repair theory proposed by William Benoit, the widely used in crisis communication response was implemented in this study. The Russian response to the international accusation, especially from the Western world on supporting the attackers of MH17 has been examined in this study. This study implemented both quantitative and qualitative content analysis to achieve its aims. A total of 306 news stories from the online New Straits Times newspaper Website from the years 2014 to 2019 were analysed. A total of 191 strategies were included in 123 news stories since some stories combined more than a strategy. Out of 191 strategies, 43.5% were simple denial, followed by shift the blame and attack accuser with 35.1% and 21.5% respectively. The results revealed that the image repair effort by Russia was effective and successful.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

The very first recruitment for a public relations practitioner in Malaysia was encountered in 1948 and was advertised by the federal government of the British Colony in Malaya. This paper examines the subsequent advertisements after Malaya sought independence from the British colonial government. A total of eleven recruitment advertisements were found before the formation of Malaysia on the 16th September 1963. This paper outlines the advertisers, the titles of positions, as well as their qualifications and duties. The results show that the job requirement mainly came from the federal and local governments. Generally, the duties were related to information services and some specific responsibilities.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

The study has examined the similarities and differences in the coverage of two Palestinian news agencies Ma’an and Palestinian Information Center (PIC) on the reactions of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s regarding relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The study has also aimed to explore the use of four function of framing by Entman 1993 in the news stories of both agencies. Qualitative content analysis has been adopted to achieve the aim of this study. The total sampling number was 9 news stories; 3 stories have been retrieved from Ma’an, and the other 6 have been retrieved from PIC. The time frame has started from December 5, 2017 which marked the day of informing Abbas by Trump’s decision to move the Embassy until December 22 2017 which was a day after gaining a sweeping victory in UN by President Abbas through a resolution that rejected the decision. Both of the news agencies were supportive to President Abbas in their coverage and none of them has any negative coverage about him. From the sampling number it can be seen that PIC has paid more attention for the coverage of this issue than Ma’an. However, PIC has ignored the success of President Abbas for achieving UN resolution against Trump’s decision. Morover, all the news stories has included “define the problem” while excluded “diagnose causes” functions. However both “make moral judgment” and “suggest remedies” have been included in all news stories of Ma’an, and only half of news stories of PIC.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

This is a study on the growth of public relations in Malaysia based on the advertisements placed in the newspapers during the colonial period. Tracing the historical development serves to make a better understanding about the nature of public relations practice. This paper therefore aims at exploring the development of the public relations profession by studying the advertisements placed in the nationwide newspapers, the Straits Times and the Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser from 1939 which included the early advertisement that contained the phrase “public relations” to 1956 a year before the independence of the Federation of Malaysia. An analysis of the advertisements was made to fully understand the historical development of public relations in Malaya or then Malaysia. The very first advertisement that was identified was on 31 January 1948, which was placed by the Department of Public Relations of the federal government. The British colonial government had placed another four advertisements in 1949 and 1950. A British mining Co. was the first corporation to hire an information & public relations officer in 1956. The results showed some differences and similarities through the analyses of advertisements in the job specification, which included qualification, duties, and salaries. The results revealed that those who had higher education and experience obtained a higher salary. The results also showed that some advertisers companies/ organizations had substituted academic qualifications for working experience) when advertising for their public relations personnel.

Mohammed Fadel Arandas

An online travel agent is one of the platforms that has evolved throughout this digital era, including Tiket.com. Unfortunately, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, online travel agents were affected the most. Now it is time for Tiket.com to evaluate its marketing strategies to increase the customers' purchase decisions. This research aims to analyze which strategies among Perceived Trust, E-Service Quality, Online Rating, and Online Review have the biggest influence on customer’s Purchase Decision on Tiket.com. This study is conducted from September to December 2022, using a quantitative method with purposive sampling by distributing an online questionnaire to 50 customers of Tiket.com. The data is analyzed for multiple regression analysis to find the influence of each independent variable on the dependent variable. Results show that E-Service Quality, Online Rating, and Online Review have a positive and significant influence on Purchase Decision while Perceived Trust has a positive but insignificant influence on Purchase Decision. Further, Online Rating is found to have the biggest influence on Purchase Decision. Thus, it is important for Tiket.com to pay attention to its Online Rating and Review, E-service Quality, and Perceived Trust.

Lila Maria Kaban

For many decades, the lean concept has been praised for improving efficiency, maximizing productivity, and minimizing waste in manufacturing operations. Lean production is expected to create an industrial ecosystem that is more cost-efficient and accountable for optimizing resources and processes. However, in the context of lean manufacturing, new challenges have emerged as a result of the recent emphasis on sustainability. This study aims to show several criticisms of lean implementation and propose a holistic approach to achieve a more sustainable operation. The green-lean model, sustainable manufacturing, agile supply, and Lean 4.0, are approaches for integrating lean practices and sustainability. This will foster a culture of continuous improvement, employee empowerment, long-term collaboration with suppliers, added value for customers, and increased innovation in the economy.

Lila Maria Kaban

Research Aim: This study investigates the influence of workload and work environment on employee performance, with work stress serving as the mediator Approach: The study employed a quantitative approach using SEM-PLS analysis. The sample included 75 factory workers selected through census sampling conducted from February to June 2023 at PT PSB, a manufacturing firm in Medan, North Sumatra Findings: Findings reveal that workload and work environment positively impact employee performance, mediated by work stress Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This research contributes to the literature by exploring work stress as a mediator in enhancing the understanding of employee performance within the manufacturing sector Policy Implication: Recommendations include PT PSB and similar companies prioritizing plant workers' stress levels, monitoring workload, and fostering a healthy workplace environment Research Limitation: The scope of the study was limited by the number of respondents and the factors considered in assessing employee productivity

Lila Maria Kaban

Family businesses must harness the full potential of their human resources and maintain employee loyalty to achieve the companies’ objectives effectively. This study examines the influence of transformational leadership on employee commitment through work-life balance and workplace social support. The research was conducted from August to December 2023 using an online questionnaire distributed to employees in a family firm in Medan, Indonesia. The data were then analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results show that transformational leadership significantly effects employee commitment, work-life balance, and workplace social support. However, although workplace social support mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee commitment, work-life balance fails to do so. It was also found that work-life balance has no direct influence on employee commitment. Using an IPMA analysis, this study highlights the importance of transformational leadership and workplace social support in the family business environment. Transformational leadership has also been shown to have the best performance and effect on employee commitment. Managers should prioritize these aspects to reduce employees’ stress levels, improve psychological well-being, and increase job satisfaction, leading to a more committed, high-performance workforce.

Lila Maria Kaban