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The purpose of this paper is to propose a robust correntropy assisted blind channel estimator for multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) for improved channel gains estimation and channel ordering and sign ambiguities resolution in non-Gaussian noise channel.

The correntropy independent component analysis with L₁-norm cost function is used for blind channel estimation. Then a correntropy-based method is formulated to resolve the sign and order ambiguities of the channel estimates.

Simulation study on Gaussian noise scenario shows that the proposed method achieves almost the same performance as the conventional L₂-norm based method. However, in non-Gaussian noise scenarios performance of the proposed method significantly outperforms the conventional and other popular estimators in terms of mean square error (MSE). To solve the ordering and sign ambiguities problems, an auto-correntropy-based method is proposed and compared with the extended cross-correlation-based method. Simulation study shows improved performance of the proposed method in terms of MSE.

This paper presents for the first time, a correntropy-based blind channel estimator for MIMO-OFDM as well as simulated comparison results with traditional correlation-based methods in non-Gaussian noise environment.

This paper aims assess to the perceived importance (PI) and actual implementation (AI) of five preliminary knowledge management (KM) success factors, i.e. business strategy, organizational structure, knowledge team, knowledge audit, and knowledge map in the Malaysian telecommunication industry.

A questionnaire survey was conducted on telecommunication organizations located in the capital of Malaysia. Data were analyzed using indices and parametric statistics.

The results show that the organizations are aware of the importance of all the KM factors but fall short of implementation. The implemented factors consist of business strategy, organizational structure, and knowledge team. Knowledge audit and knowledge map are perceived as important but are the least implemented factors.

This study was conducted in only one industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, it focuses on the preliminary success factors of KM implementation rather than on learning and knowledge utilization.

Telecommunication organizations have to overcome resources problems and enhance implementation level in order to narrow the gaps for effective, full scale KM implementation in the later stage. Such viable practice will significantly help the industry not only to compete more effectively within Malaysia, but also to position itself as a global player in the world.

This study is perhaps one of the first to address the preliminary steps to be dealt with prior to KM implementation. Moreover, it attempts to compare the PI and AI of the five proposed success factors, which has received very little attention to date.

Singapore’s health-care infrastructure is suffering from increasing pressure due to population growth and a rapidly ageing population. This paper aims to assess the resilience of hospital facilities in Singapore’s health-care industry. The main attribute of resilience is adaptive capacity, which is also associated with vulnerability. Vulnerability is defined as the system’s susceptibility to threats that cause damage and affect its normal performance, while resilience is defined as the ability to anticipate and the capacity to change before a setback becomes obvious.

A questionnaire survey was adopted for the study, with respondents drawn randomly from both the health-care professionals as well as the public. The questionnaire survey results from 83 respondents, consisting of 31 health-care professionals and 52 members of the public, are analysed in this pilot study.

Ninety-one per cent of the respondents perceived bed shortage as an indication of vulnerability. The survey results showed that bed shortages, high bed-occupancy and long waiting hours were perceived as indications of vulnerability. The top three vulnerabilities identified were Singapore’s ageing population, the fast-growing population and the increasing trend of chronic diseases in its population. From the results, respondents appeared doubtful about the resilience of Singapore’s public hospitals. On a positive note, Singapore residents are still, relatively speaking, confident of the quality of Singapore’s health-care delivery system, which can be translated as one with relatively strong community resilience.

In conclusion, it appears fair to say that the public perceive hospital facilities in Singapore’s health-care industry to be reasonably resilient, but expect further improvements to ensure continuous delivery of quality health-care services.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

To tap into the global market, it is important to evaluate and predict the trends of the acceptance of non-Muslims towards halal food products. This review paper aimed to evaluate the evidence relating to the potential barriers to the acceptance of halal food among non-Muslim consumers.

The authors searched ScienceDirect, Scopus, Emerald and JSTOR databases. The search for the studies was performed without restrictions by using the terms “Non-Muslim” OR “Jews” OR “Christian” OR “Hindu” OR “Buddha” AND “halal” OR “halalan toyyiban” OR “sharia compliance” AND “food” OR “dietary” AND “perception” OR “opinion” OR “attitude” OR “barrier”. Quantitative studies were included, and the quality of the studies was assessed with the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool.

Two themes were identified to be the potential barriers in the acceptance of halal food among non-Muslim consumers. There were two major factors: weak intention (negative attitude, perceived low behavioural control and perceived low subjective norms) and lack of food safety awareness, whereas the minor factors were as follows: perceived low food quality, halal logo/brand, lack of halal awareness, religious belief, animal welfare, consumer motive, low confidence level, lack of proper marketing/promotion, bad cognitive dissonance, bad food assurance and poor product judgement.

By realising these potential barriers, it will benefit many parties including stakeholders and the food industry to improve their strategy to expand the halal market, especially for non-Muslims.

Based on the findings, the authors believe that while research towards halal needs to continue and improve its basis in theory and design, researchers and food marketers can be confident that intention of purchasing halal food products can be increased by securing the aspect of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control as well as food safety awareness. Based on the identification of these potential barriers, this review hopes to further explain effective methods of communication for conveying halal concept in different parts of the countries.