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The purpose of the paper is to investigate the influence of soft factors on quality improvement and performance and also to examine the link between quality improvement and organizational performance.

The paper uses data from perceptions from managers in 255 electrical and electronics (E&E) firms in Malaysia and it develops regression and correlation analysis to test the relationships between soft factors, quality improvement and organizational performance.

The following soft factors were found to have significant influence on quality improvement: management commitment; customer focus; employee involvement; training and education; and reward and recognition. Organizational performance was significantly influenced by the following soft factors: management commitment; customer focus; and employee involvement. Finally, this paper empirically shows that firm performance will increase when the organizations implement more quality improvement practices.

The results of this paper can be used by managers to prioritize the implementation of the soft factors. For instance, those factors that are found to have a positive impact on quality improvement practice and performance can be recommended to managers so that they can allocate resources to improve these factors to achieve higher organizational performance.

This paper identifies the soft factors that can influence the quality improvement practice and organizational performance in E&E Malaysian firms.

While much is known generally about predictions of customer‐perceived service quality, their application to health services is rarer. No attempt has been made to examine the impact of social support and patient education on overall service quality perception. Together with six quality dimensions identified from the literature, this study seeks to provide a more holistic comprehension of hospital service quality prediction. Although 79 percent of variation is explained, other than technical quality the impact of the remaining factors on quality perception is far from constant, and socio‐economic variables further complicate unpredictability. Contrary to established beliefs, the cost factor was found to be insignificant. Hence, to manage service quality effectively, the test lies in how well healthcare providers know the customers they serve. It is not only crucial in a globalized environment, where trans‐national patient mobility is increasingly the norm, but also within homogeneous societies that appear to converge culturally.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for measuring public sector managers' career success.

The theoretical foundation used in this study is social cognitive career theory. To conduct a literature search, several keywords were identified, i.e. career success, objective and subjective career success, managers, managerial career development and social cognitive career theory. Several electronic databases available in the university's library, such as Emerald, EBSCOHost, SAGE, Science Direct and Blackwell Synergy, were used to search for resources. Literature includes sources written in both English and Malay.

The four factors that have predictive potential on managers' career success are individual‐related factors, organizational‐related factors, managerial competencies‐related factors, and the person‐environment fit factor. Career success should be operationalized using both objective and subjective career success.

The study was exploratory, based on a literature review. Empirical study is needed to examine the predictive potential of the four key factors (i.e. individual‐related factors, organizational‐related factors, managerial competencies‐related factors, and person‐environment fit factor) for public sector managers' career success.

Strengthening the HRD framework through organizational development, personnel training and development and career development may develop and unleash individual potential which leads to positive career outcomes (objective and subjective career success).

The research constructs a theoretical framework which outlines the predictive potential of four key factors on public sector managers' career success. The four key factors can be developed through HRD practices.

The paper examines terrorism in its relationship to the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to review research findings and propose a model of the effects of terrorism on work-related outcomes.

A literature review was undertaken mainly using academic sources.

Potential or actual terrorist attacks create a significant fear level for the individual, causing negative work attitudes. In turn, negative attitudes lead to undesirable work behaviors.

Relatively little research has been conducted to determine how organizations may be affected by terrorism via the reciprocal relationship between employee and organizational well-being.

This paper explores important yet still under-researched areas of management and organizational interventions to mitigate the deleterious effects of workplace terrorism.