CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Editors

Roselina Ahmad 8auft Mohd 8afri 8aiman Fumitaka Furuoka

HUMAN CAPITAL IN MALAYSIA CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

HUMAN CAPITAL IN MALAYSIA CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Editors

Roselina Ahmad Saufi Mohd Safri Saiman Fumitaka Furuoka

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH KOla Kinabalu • Sabah • 2008 http://www.ums.cdu.my/pcncrbit

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List of Tables List of Figures Preface Acknowledgements

Chapter One Introduction

CONTENTS

Roselina Ahmad Saufi Haji Kasirn Haji Mansur Mohd. Safri Sairnan Fumitaka Furuoka / wao KalO

Chapter Two Performance Appraisal Acceptance: Factor and Its Measurement Arnat Taap Manshor Mohd. Shukri Ab. Yajid

Page

vii viii ix x

1

11

Chapter Three 35 Managing Absenteeism: A Quo Vadis? Wu Hili Chin Joseph 0. T. Odusanya Rose/ina Ahmad Saufi

Chapter Four 49 Competenc -Based Training and Work Performance: A Case Study of a Telecommunication Company Zaino/ Abu Zarirn

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hapt r iv 63 chi vi ng on tructi n . cid nl R du lion in ~lalay ia

S. 'aray lI1all

flri I Claire de CII::man

hapt r i. Office Ergonomi mpl a li a li on and P rformanc Abdlll Kadir OIIIl1UIII

Md. Lehan Parill//lII Mohd. Khir:all Bad::1i Ab R 1h/1/all Sam /lddill ~ allab

hapter c n Part-Time Job amon g

n xploratory tudy in Ca ra lin Ce rho Vivin VillceJ1l handrail Balan Ralhakri hllall

Chapter Eight

nd rgrad ual : ni r iIi ~Iala )' ia

Producti it Growth and Human ap il a l: A e\ Approach to th Producli il y Analy i FUl1Iilaka Furuoka Molld. Safri Saiman Rozil e rl id Bealri e Lim Flli Y;

Roslillah 1ahmIld

Li t of ontributor (nd x

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3

1 3

113 115

LIST OF TABLES

Table

2.1 Profi Ie of respondents 2.2 Characteristics of perfol1nance appraisal system 2.3 Varimax-rotated factor loadings matrix for the independent

variables 2.4 Means of factor scores for the independent variables 4.1 CBT modules / competencies and employee perfol1nance 5.1 Causative factors for accidents at constructions sites 5.2 Potential accidents for different construction activities and sites 5.3 Breakdown of fatal accidents in UK 5.4 Major causes of death 5.5 Statistic for construction and industrial accidents and deaths in

Malaysia 5.6 Comparison of enforcement in US and Malaysia 5.7 Accidents per thousand registered employees in different states 5.8 Accident agent study 6.1 Differences in performance dimension by level of

government/agency 6.2 Differences on environment satisfaction and job satisfaction 6.3 Di fferences on ergonomics dimensions 7.1 Distribution of the respondent based on gender 7.2 Di tribution of the respondent based on schools 7.3 Distribution of the respondents based on academic year 7.4 Distribution of the respondents based on race 7.5 Distribution of the respondents based on age group 7.6 Distribution of the respondents based onjob distribution 7.7 Distribution of the respondent based on the reasons for taking

up part-time job 7.8 Distribution of the respondent based on the information

obtained about the part-timejob 7.9 Distribution of the respondent based on the number of

days they work 7.l0The distribution of the respondent based on the wage rate per hour 7.11 The average CGPA by work status

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Page

19 20 21

25 58 63 64 67 69 70

73 73 74 82-83

86 87 96 96 97 97 97 98 98

98

98

99 100

LI T R ·

Figur Page

.1 Profile ofre pondent by bu inc t.:gment 3 4.2 Profile of re pondent by gender 4.3 Profileofre pond ntbyage 4.4 Profile of re pond nt by e r in e i e "5 4.5 Percei cd u efulne of CB pr g m 4.6 CBT program me t the re pond nt • exp tion 56 4.7 Le elof ati faction \ ith BT progT m 56 4.8 Re pondent ' r pon e that BT prog m hould b ominu d 5 4.9 Re pondents' perc ption that BT progr m hould be e tend d "7

to oth r employee 5.1 Gro thinG DPandcon lru tion 19 pn) 71 5.1 a umb r 0 in pection 1995-2003) 71 5.1 b on rruclion a cident indu tri I ident 72

PREFACE

Increasingly sophisticated technologies and rapid progress of science have transfonned economies allover the world from being industrial to becoming increasingly knowledge­based. In this transition, human capital plays a crucial role. Human capital represents the knowledge, skills, potential, drive and all other vital components of success that people possess. Effective development of human capital promotes evolvement ofa well-rounded, flexible and adaptable individual who is able to master existing technologies and ensure future technological progress. Investment in human capital is the foundation for success of any company, organization or economy.

Besides representing human capital, people are the embodiment of intellectual capital which is grown and amassed through education and training. A knowledge­based economy calls for wider knowledge dissemination. Continuous education and job-related training help to condition employees to become knowledge workers in the knowledge economy. The importance of training and educational programmes on the job cannot be overestimated. On-the-job-training contributes in an important way to the development of workers , skills and abilities and keeps them infonned about the latest trends and advancements in their respective fields or specializations. To reach this objective, training programmes must be relevant to the needs of workers and their fonnat and contents need to be constantly updated and re-evaluated.

New sophisticated technologies and an unprecedented progress of science not only put stress on knowledge acquisition but also emphasize a holistic approach to knowledge application. People are not mere collectors of new skills and the users of latest technological achievements. A knowledge worker must possess a creative mind to ensure that the frontiers of human knowledge constantly expand. Creativity is essential for changing conventional ways of production or management style. At a time when Malaysia undergoes a transfonnation into a knowledge-based economy a greater need arises for an innovative and versatile workforce. People that continuously perfect their skills, develop their talents and keep on reinventing themselves are crucial for Malaysia's successful transfonnation to a knowledge-based economy. Evolvement ofthe top class human capital able to manage increasingly sophisticated technologies and create new ones is high on Malaysia's national agenda.

Roselina Ahmad Saufi et at. School of Business and Economics Universiti Malaysia Sabah 2008

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In the course of editing this book, we have benefited immensely from the advice and encouragement of numerous people. First of all, we are very grateful to the academic and administrative staff of the School of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) for their help.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Dean of the School of Business and Economics, Associate Professor Dr. Haji Kasim Haji Mansur for his valuable suggestions and assistance during the preparation of this book. We are also indebted to the Deputy Deans of the School of Business and Economics, Associate Professor Dr. Remali Yusoff and Pengiran Dr. Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul for their kind assistance.

We are also grateful to two lecturers from Human Resource Economics Program (HEll), namely, Ms. Beatrice Lim Fui Vee and Puan Roslinah Mahmud, for their help in editing this book.

We are indebted to anonymous reviewers for providing us the in-depth comments. The reviewers gave us lucid and insightful suggestions in order to strengthen the ideas and discussion in this book.

Last but not least, we are very grateful to officers and the staff of U MS Publication Unit for their assistance. We would also like to express our special gratitude to Professor Dr. Mohd . Sarim Hj . Mustajab for his kind and insightful suggestions in providing guidelines for academic writing. Also not to forget, Puan Ainun Jamil for her time coordinating the editing of this book.

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