Examines the career goals and career management strategy among information technology (IT) professionals. With regard to career goals, found that IT professionals seek to advance…
Abstract
Examines the career goals and career management strategy among information technology (IT) professionals. With regard to career goals, found that IT professionals seek to advance their careers in three ways. The first two involve standard career paths. The third career path, termed technopreneurship, involves IT professionals setting up their own technology‐related business. With regard to career management strategy, the results showed that: career planning is positively related to career strategy; career strategy is positively related to professional enhancement; and professional enhancement is positively related to career satisfaction. One important implication is that it is important for computer professionals to plan and strategize their own career. This would lead to greater career satisfaction.
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Prior research has used career plateau to account for employees’ work outcomes. Owing to recent de‐emphasis on organizational careers, however, employees may have changed their…
Abstract
Prior research has used career plateau to account for employees’ work outcomes. Owing to recent de‐emphasis on organizational careers, however, employees may have changed their attitudes toward career plateau. This research argues that professional plateau—defined as the point where employees find their jobs unchallenging and that they provide few opportunities for professional development and future employability—can enhance the explanation for employees’ work outcomes. The major hypothesis of this research is that professional plateau will account for a significant variance in three work outcomes—namely, career satisfaction, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Data collected from a questionnaire survey were used to test the hypotheses in this research. The results show that professional plateau accounted for a significant variance in the three work outcomes. The results are significant because they add another dimension to our understanding of plateau.
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This paper seeks to identify the cultural obstacles or what discourages the setting‐up of businesses among Singaporeans.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to identify the cultural obstacles or what discourages the setting‐up of businesses among Singaporeans.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus group method.
Findings
Four obstacles: being over‐compliant, too left‐brained, over‐pampered, and afraid of failing, are identified. They are assessed as stemming from two key trends: chiefly, a safe, orderly and affluent society and Singapore Government's father‐leadership style. Several recommendations are then made.
Research limitations/implications
Limitation: time and costs constraints – otherwise more focus group sessions could have been held. Future research, if a budget permits, can employ separate recorders to take notes, freeing the researcher to facilitate the discussions, extracting more information.
Practical implications
The paper implies the need for several cultural changes: Singaporeans can be more entrepreneurial by taking a paradigm shift, adopting the “backpack mentality”; embracing globalised thinking and networking; and tapping the melting‐pot edge.
Originality/value
The article provides a continuing perspective on entrepreneurship in Singapore.
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Tat-Huei Cham, Boon Liat Cheng and Caryn Kar Yan Ng
The clothing industry is one of the earmarked industries in many countries following the rising demand and consumption of clothing products among millennials. Malaysia and…
Abstract
Purpose
The clothing industry is one of the earmarked industries in many countries following the rising demand and consumption of clothing products among millennials. Malaysia and Thailand are known to be promising markets for this industry in the South East Asia region. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of psychological and marketing factors on clothing interest among Generation Y consumers, as well as the interrelationships between self-confidence, product attitude and purchase intention. The impact of nationality was also examined as a moderator on the investigated relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The data was collected among Generation Y consumers using a survey questionnaire, which had successfully gathered a total of 388 usable cases from the capital cities of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Thailand (Bangkok). These cities were selected for being the largest cities in its country which contain the highest number of shopping malls, offices and Generation Y population. Data analysis was then performed using both the SPSS and AMOS software.
Findings
Findings obtained acknowledged the importance of both psychological (i.e. fashion innovativeness, self-concept, fashion consciousness and need for uniqueness) and marketing (i.e. social media marketing and fashion advertisement) factors towards the clothing interest among Generation Y consumers. Consequently, clothing interest would influence their product attitude, self-confidence and purchase intention, with product attitude and self-confidence as the mediators between clothing interest and purchase intention. Multigroup analysis confirmed that there are differences between Generation Y consumers in both Malaysia and Thailand, where Thai consumers hold a stricter emphasis concerning the influence of social media marketing on clothing interest and self-confidence on purchase intention.
Originality/value
This study is one of the very few studies that explored the minimally investigated territory on the consequential importance of clothing interest within the clothing industry, specifically, through extending the literature on the influence of psychological and marketing factors towards the individuals’ clothing interest. Moreover, this study also successfully highlighted the mediation role of product attitude and self-confidence in the relationship between clothing interest and purchase intention.
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Tat Huei Cham, Boon Liat Cheng, Mei Peng Low and Jason Boon Chuan Cheok
Following promising growth of the international medical tourism industry, competitions within the global market have escalated tremendously with increased involvement by numerous…
Abstract
Purpose
Following promising growth of the international medical tourism industry, competitions within the global market have escalated tremendously with increased involvement by numerous healthcare providers to acquire a share of its disposable income. The brand reputation would hereby play a determining role as a competitive strategy. Specifically, this paper aims to investigate the impact of social and marketing aspects on the brand image of medical tourism-based hospitals, alongside its relationship toward service quality. In turn, the influence of perceived service quality on satisfaction and the perceived value was examined, in view of further potential behavioral intention among medical tourists on healthcare providers in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through a survey questionnaire among medical tourists, with 596 successful cases collected via 6 major private hospitals at 3 popular Malaysian medical tourism locations. Data analysis was then performed using both SPSS and Smart PLS software.
Findings
The findings from the present study acknowledged the importance of both social (e.g. social media and word-of-mouth communications) and marketing (e.g. hospital advertisement and price perception) aspects toward establishing brand image among medical tourism-based hospitals. Consequently, the brand image would influence perceived service quality among medical tourists; further entail positive impact on behavioral intention, with satisfaction and perceived value as mediators between both factors. Following PLS predict analysis confirming this model’s high predictive capability, it demonstrated close representation to actual medical tourism scenario in Malaysia.
Originality/value
This study is one of the very few studies that explored the minimally investigated territory on the consequential importance of hospital branding within the medical tourism industry; specifically through extending the literature on the influence of social and marketing efforts toward the formation of brand image.
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The efficiency of each of an organization’s individual workers determines its effectiveness. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource management (HRM…
Abstract
Purpose
The efficiency of each of an organization’s individual workers determines its effectiveness. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational effectiveness with employee performance as a mediating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 800 police officers in the Greater Accra and Tema regions. The data were supported by the hypothesized relationship. Construct reliability and validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results show that career planning and employee performance were significantly related. Self-managed teams and employee performance were shown to be nonsignificantly related. Similarly, performance management and employee performance were shown to be nonsignificantly related. Employee performance significantly influenced organizational effectiveness. The results further indicate that employee performance mediates the relationship between HRM practices and organizational effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s police service focus and cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
The study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers for the police administration in the adoption, design and implementation of well-articulated and proactive HRM practices to improve the abilities, skills, knowledge and motivation of officer’s to inordinately enhance the effectiveness of the service.
Originality/value
By evidencing empirically that employee performance mediates the relationship between HRM practice and organizational effectiveness, the study extends the literature.
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The purpose of this paper is to explain why Singapore has succeeded in curbing the problem of police corruption and to identify the six lessons which other Asian countries can…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain why Singapore has succeeded in curbing the problem of police corruption and to identify the six lessons which other Asian countries can learn from Singapore's experience.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyzes the causes of police corruption in Singapore during the British colonial period and describes the measures adopted by the People's Action Party government after assuming office in June 1959 to curb police corruption. The effectiveness of these measures is assessed by referring to Singapore's perceived extent of corruption according to three international indicators and the reported cases of police corruption from 1965 to 2011.
Findings
The Singapore Police Force has succeeded in minimizing police corruption by improving salaries and working conditions, cooperating with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, enhancing its recruitment and selection procedures, providing training and values education for its members, and adopting administrative measures to reduce the opportunities for corruption. Other Asian countries afflicted with rampant police corruption can learn six lessons from Singapore's success.
Originality/value
This paper will be of interest to those policy makers, scholars, and anti-corruption practitioners, who are interested in learning how Singapore has succeeded in curbing police corruption.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the value of diversity in business in Kazakhstan, analysing the possible opportunities, benefits and, if any, negatives…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the value of diversity in business in Kazakhstan, analysing the possible opportunities, benefits and, if any, negatives or downsides for companies that diversity can bring.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus groups and interviews.
Findings
The position of women and minorities were uncovered. The findings also show how open are the Kazakhstani people to foreigners and to what extent are foreigners accepted in Kazakhstan.
Research limitations/implications
Though supplemented with interviews, more focus groups may be applied. The study has been limited to Almaty, the most diverse city in Kazakhstan. Perhaps it would have different results if it had been conducted in other major cities.
Practical implications
Allows a survey of the possible opportunities/benefits and threats/costs of diversity that may be reaped by the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Originality/value
Provides continuing perspectives on the issue of diversity, which is one of the globalisation impacts or waves affecting organizations.
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Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Garry Wei-Han Tan, Keng-Boon Ooi and Nick Hajli
The present study aims to propose a framework elucidating the attributes of mobile augmented reality (AR) shopping apps (i.e., spatial presence, perceived personalization and…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study aims to propose a framework elucidating the attributes of mobile augmented reality (AR) shopping apps (i.e., spatial presence, perceived personalization and perceived intrusiveness) and how they translate to downstream consumer-related outcomes (i.e., immersion, psychological ownership and stickiness to the retailer).
Design/methodology/approach
By conducting a questionnaire-based survey, 308 responses were collected, and the data were submitted to partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analyses.
Findings
A few important findings were generated from the present study. First, attributes of mobile augmented reality shopping apps (i.e., spatial presence, perceived personalization and perceived intrusiveness) influence stickiness to the retailer through immersion and consumer empowerment in serial. Second, immersion positively influences psychological ownership. Third, the optimum stimulation level moderates the relationship between spatial presence and immersion. Lastly, a post-hoc exploratory finding yielded by the multigroup analysis uncovered the moderating effect of gender.
Originality/value
This study offers a novel contribution to the smart retail literature by investigating the role of mobile AR shopping apps in predicting consumers' stickiness to the retailer. A holistic framework elucidating the serial mediating effect of immersion and consumer empowerment, and the moderating roles of optimum stimulation level and gender were validated.