This thesis presents Islamic modernism in Malaya as reflected in the life and works of Sayid Syekh al-Hadi (1867-1934). Having first described and evaluated the previous writings mentioned about al-Hadi, it outlines the main characteristics of Islamic modernism, and discusses al-Hadi's life and his thought covering four topics namely: ritualism, education, woman and politics. / The study has shown that al-Hadi was a Malayan Muslim modernist. He seriously advocated Islamic modernism to overcome what he had perceived as the causes contributing to Malayan Muslim decadence and backwardness. He believed that Malayan Muslims could advance and progress even though they were under British rule because Islamic teachings are practicable and realistic.

Photocopy of typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1974. / Bibliography: leaves 202-211. / Microfilm. / xv, 211 leaves ill. (some col.), maps

The present study examined the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and business success in the context of SMEs in Australia and Malaysia. A “mixed-method” approach was adopted whereby two studies were conducted in a sequential fashion (Study 1 and Study 2). In Study 1, a qualitative method was adopted in which individual interviews were conducted with 20 entrepreneurs – 10 from Australia and 10 from Malaysia – who operated SMEs in the manufacturing and service sectors. The aim was to elicit behaviours that delineate competencies, and thus enable the identification of entrepreneurial competencies that are context-specific and of relevance in the current business environment. A content analysis of the interview data identified 12 competency domains: Strategic; Commitment; Conceptual; Opportunity; Organising and Leading; Relationship; Learning; Personal; Technical; Ethical; Social Responsibility; and Familism. Importantly, nine of these categories were well represented in existing models of entrepreneurial competencies, thereby providing evidence that these models offer a reasonable degree of cross-cultural generalisability. However, three new categories emerged, namely, Ethical, Social Responsibility, and Familism (broadly concerned with the role of “family” in building business success). There was evidence for Ethical and Social Responsibility competencies in both the Australian and Malaysian data, whereas Familism was specific to the Malaysian data and may well reflect the collectivist orientation of Malaysian culture. The identification of these additional categories of entrepreneurial competencies suggests that the existing models may need to be revised to further enhance their applicability to the measurement of entrepreneurial competencies in different cultural contexts. Study 2 Part 1 proceeded with validating the model of entrepreneurial competencies. This involved determining the psychometric rigour of the model and establishing the psychometric properties of all dependent variables (measures of business success) and covariates (i.e., business environment and entrepreneurs’ cultural orientations) using a sample of 391 SME entrepreneurs (179 Australians and 212 Malaysians). The two best fit models of entrepreneurial competencies – the “Comprehensive” model and the “Parsimonious” model – are fully described. The Comprehensive model revealed that all twelve competency areas were perceived as relevant to SME outcomes by entrepreneurs in Australia and Malaysia, even though the behaviours that defined the Organising and Leading competency domain, as well as the Familism competency domain (later renamed “Supporting and Cooperating” for Australia due to the omission of items related to “family”) were somewhat different. The other 10 competency areas identified in the Comprehensive model appeared to be invariant across countries. On the other hand, the Parsimonious model of entrepreneurial competencies showed that, although some competency areas were universal in nature (i.e., Conceptual, Opportunity, Learning, and Ethical), others were country specific (i.e., Relationship, Social Responsibility, and Familism). It was argued that the differences could be traced to cultural variations between the countries, in particular the extent of Individualism versus Collectivism. Study 2 Part 2 tested the causal pathway between entrepreneurial competencies and business success and the possible influence of covariates using a structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure. The results showed that entrepreneurial competencies were strong predictors of business success in SMEs for both Australia and Malaysia. It was also found that both Benign and Stable business environments were significantly related to business success in Australia whereas only a Stable environment was significantly linked with success in Malaysia. Moreover, environmental variables showed a less strong path to success than competencies. When the Parsimonious model of entrepreneurial competencies was used in the model estimation, the association between entrepreneurial competencies and business success was more strongly evident in Hostile and Dynamic environments than in more Benign and Stable environments (for both Australia and Malaysia). The results also showed that cultural orientations (both Collectivism and Tolerance for Ambiguity) have positive effects on entrepreneurial competencies in Malaysia but not in Australia (i.e., Individualism and Tolerance for Ambiguity). The effect of education on entrepreneurial competencies was mixed; significant for only the Comprehensive model for Australia but significant for both Comprehensive and Parsimonious models for Malaysia. The effects of training before and after start up, as well as previous work experience on entrepreneurial competencies appeared to be nonsignificant in both contexts. On the basis of the results of the thesis, it was concluded that self-reported entrepreneurial competencies are predictive of self-reports of success in both Malaysian and Australian SMEs. The models that describe success in both countries are consistent with existing models of entrepreneurial competency although differences in the behaviours that define a domain are evidenced between countries as are the domains that successfully define a parsimonious model in each country. These results are interpreted as supporting a training agenda that identifies entrepreneurial skills as a critical pre-requisite to business success for SMEs. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1297548 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Graduate School of Business, 2007

This dissertation examines the impact of advertising self-disclosures (present versus absent) and advertising message appeals (hard sell versus soft sell) which is moderated by innate personal traits within the context of financial services advertising. In particular this study investigates the impact of self-regulatory focus (i.e. innate personal traits) on self-disclosures and advertising message appeal with regards to cognitive (knowledge), affective (attribute evaluation) and conative (buying intention) responses of retail investors. The industry concerns private retirement schemes (PRS). The theoretical framework is based on Higgins (2012) regulatory focus theory on chronic personal disposition inherent in an individual (i.e. prevention/promotion), and how this disposition might mitigate with self-disclosures and message appeal contained in advertisements in terms knowledge, attribute evaluation (i.e. attitude) and buying intention. ANOVA results from a between subjects experiment indicated that the individual regulatory orientation interacts with the effects of advertising self-disclosures and message appeals. Specifically, when exposed to hard sell advertisements with self- disclosures (soft sell advertisements with self-disclosures) perceived knowledge, attribute evaluation and buying intention towards the PRS is favorable to prevention oriented investors (promotion oriented investors). In addition the effect is greater on prevention subjects in comparison to promotion subjects. This study proposes theoretical, managerial, public policy implications and future research directions.

The popularity of natural rubber as an important raw material was distorted in the post-World War Two period. It received heavy competition from synthetic rubber. The main purpose of this paper is to determine and to study supply elasticity and demand elasticity of natural rubber in the case of Malaysia. The main aim of analyzing the period since 1971 is that both price and quality competitiveness of Malaysian natural rubber have drastically improved. Therefore, in order for Malaysia to maintain her position as the leading producer and exporter of natural rubber in the world, supportive policies and incentives from the government would further enhance the prospects for improvements in this industry.

No description available.

This study involved the design and testing of the Rural Urban Mortality Measurement (RUMM) technique. The technique generates independent estimates of rural and urban mortality for all age-groups by segregating death registration data into areas of similar characteristics to urban and rural areas. These areas are referred to as inferred urban and inferred rural populations in the study. In order to assess the reliability and validity of the RUMM technique, it was applied to the Philippine death registration data of 1975 and 1980, and to the 1980 death registration data . for Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. This application followed several procedural stages involving evaluation and assessment of the reliability and completeness of death and population data. Application of the RUMM technique to Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia allowed the comparison of inferred urban arid inferred rural mortality estimates to the estimates generated for urban and rural areas. This is because Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia have rural and urban data on death registration. The assessment procedure which compared the closeness of the patterns and levels of mortality between inferred urban and urban areas, and between inferred rural and rural areas, showed no difference. The differences in survival ratios for each age-group and the mean differences were found to be close. to zero. This led to the conclusion that the mortality estimates for inferred urban and inferred rural populations are valid representations of· levels and patterns of mortality found in urban and rural areas. Therefore, in cases where rural and urban tabulations of deaths do not exist, RUMM technique provides a valid method for calculation of mortality estimates. This study also presented the strengths and weaknesses of the technique especially when applied to sub-national populations. Mainly, weaknesses result from using the Brass Growth Balance Equation to assess completeness of death registration. Substitution of alternative estimates of death registration completeness tends to strengthen the technique. Finally, this study showed the robustness of the RUMM technique as well as its non-dependence on any specific index of urbanization arid on any technique of assessing completeness-of death registration. / Ph. D.

This thesis examines the shifting relationship between the state and its subjects with regard to responsibility for and entitlement to care. Using Malaysia as a case study the research engages with international medical travel (IMT) as an outcome of the neoliberal retrenchment of the welfare state. I offer a critical reading of postcolonial development strategies that negotiate the benefits and challenges of extending care to non-national subjects. The research draws from relevant media, private-sector and governmental documents and 49 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with IMT proponents and critics representing federal, state and urban governmental authorities, professional associations, civil society, private medical facilities and medical travel agencies in Malaysia’s principal IMT regions (Klang Valley, Penang and Malacca). Across four empirical chapters, the thesis demonstrates how ‘Malaysia’ gets positioned as a destination within a range of imagined geographies of care through a strategic-relational logic of care and hospitality. I argue that this positioning places ‘Malaysian’ subjects and spaces into lucrative global networks in ways that underscore particular narratives of postcolonial hybridity that draw from Malaysia’s ‘developing country’, ‘progressive, moderate Islamic’ and ‘multiethnic’ credentials. In considering the political logics of care-giving, I explore how the extension of care can serve as a place-making technology to re-imagine the state as a provider and protector within a globalising marketplace in which care, increasingly commodified, is tied to the production of new political, social, cultural and economic geographies.

No description available.

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