This thesis presents an empirical inquiry that explicitly exposes the relationships between CSR practice in Malaysia and the scope of PR. This thesis embraced a critical approach which offers alternate readings in Malaysian PR literature which are dominantly quantitative in nature. The focus is on how socio-political, economic, cultural and organizational contexts shape the practice of CSR and affect the scope and function of PR in pursuing the practice. This thesis has contributed to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the underlying motives behind the pursuit of CSR among businesses in the country. It also offers empirical data on PR roles in pursuing CSR in Malaysia – something that has received very little attention in the literature despite PR’s perceived potentials in spearheading the function. This empirical work has employed semi-structured interviews among PR managers and CSR managers working in renowned CSR organizations in Malaysia. In addition, the thesis analyses executives’ messages in CSR reports and later triangulated with interview findings that helped to achieve a rich description of the topic under study. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was adopted in this thesis and made explicit the relationships between socio-political, economic and cultural dimensions that shape CSR practice and the scope of PR by taking into consideration the presence of power relations in this phenomenon. Fairclough’s (2010) three dimensional frameworks was adopted to enable interpretation go beyond texts that mainly applied to data from CSR reports. The literature revealed CSR practice is a recent phenomenon in Malaysia whereby the government has been a major driver in its development. Drawing from Malaysian experience, economic growth is fundamental to ensure a fair distribution of wealth among multi-races in Malaysia that perceived imperative to preserve national unity. In this respect, CSR initiatives have been largely undertaken to achieve the long term survival of businesses that consequently drive the nation’s economy in a long term. CSR has been primarily constructed as a means to create business competitiveness and a symbol for success. This has been widely accepted among business firms in Malaysia thus become ideological. At the same time, PR role was found dominant in promoting the practice of CSR that appears to be working to the advantage of the dominant groups i.e., business and government. Nevertheless, how PR promotes mutual interests of business and society through CSR remain obscure. This thesis also argues that the motivation to promote business interests serves as the key stumbling block for PR in creating sustainable impact and value to other than it paymaster and financial stakeholders. This thesis suggests that it is time for PR to reflect on this common practice particularly in terms of its ethical implications to both the organizations and the value of PR profession as a whole. This empirical study has significantly contributed particularly in the realm of PR role research in CSR within specific social-cultural, political, economic contexts of Malaysia and PR research from the critical perspectives.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1984. / Bibliography: leaves [259]-275. / Photocopy. / Microfilm. / xvii, 275 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 cm

Zugl.: Würzburg, Univ., Diss., 2008

Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is one of the most common maternal mental health problems for women worldwide. Yet the wide range of reported rates of PND in different countries raises questions about how PND is experienced by women in different cultures and whether interventions developed in western cultures are appropriate in very different settings. It is important to establish how PND is defined, experienced and managed in different cultures in order to create culturally relevant interventions. No previous studies of experience of PND and its management have been conducted in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences and healthcare practitioners’ (HCPs) perspectives of PND in a multicultural country, Malaysia. Methods: This was a qualitative study informed by a critical realist approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 33 women (from three different cultural backgrounds) attending for child or postnatal care and 18 HCPs in six purposively selected maternal and child health (MCH) clinics and a female psychiatric ward in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Findings: There were some differences in the women’s perceptions of PND experience across three different cultural backgrounds in Malaysia. Malay women were more likely to describe the symptoms of PND based on a combination of emotional and behavioural changes, whereas Chinese and Indian women talked more about emotional changes. Traditional postnatal practices were described as contributing to PND by some Malay women but were accepted as promoting maternal and infant well-being by the majority of Indian women. Religious activities were reported as an effective strategy for the Malay women but were not seen as helpful by the majority of Chinese women. Considering HCPs, it appeared that the absence of a clear and specific policy and guideline in the management of PND within the Malaysian healthcare system has resulted in a lack of professional ownership in the management of PND, especially among HCPs in MCH clinics. Conclusion: The women and the HCPs had distinct ways of conceptualising PND experiences, although they agreed on several symptoms and causal explanations. This study calls for a system-based enhanced PND care with an initiation of culturally appropriate care for PND within the healthcare system.

This thesis presents an investigation into the viability of Low Energy Earth Pipe Cooling Technology in providing thermal comfort in Malaysia. The demand for air-conditioning in buildings in Malaysia affects the country escalating energy consumption. Therefore, this investigation was intended to seek for a passive cooling alternative to air-conditioning. By reducing the air-conditioning demand, there would be a higher chance of Malaysia government to achieve their aim in reducing CO2 emissions to 40 per cent by the year 2020, compared to 2005 levels. The passive technology, where the ground was used as a heat sink to produce cooler air, has not been investigated systematically in hot and humid countries. In this work, air and soil temperatures were measured on a test site in Kuala Lumpur. At 1m underground, the result is most significant, where the soil temperature are 6oC and 9oC lower than the maximum ambient temperature during wet and dry season, respectively. Polyethylene pipes were buried around 0.5m, 1.0m and 1.5m underground and temperature drop between inlet and outlet were compared. A significant temperature drop was found in these pipes: up to 6.4oC and 6.9oC depending on the season of the year. The results have shown the potential of Earth Pipe in providing low energy cooling in Malaysia. A parametric study on the same experiment was carried out using Energy Plus programme. Energy Plus data agreed with the field work data and therefore, this confirms Energy Plus is reliable to investigate Earth Pipe Cooling in Malaysia. Furthermore, thermal comfort of air at the Earth Pipe outlet was analyzed and the result has shown that the outlet air is within the envelope of thermal comfort conditions for hot/humid countries

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Please refer to fulltext for abstract / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Buitelandse Direkte Investering (BDI) kan 'n beduidende rol in die ontwikkelingsproses van 'n land speel. Vir hierdie rede is gasheerlande begerig om investering te lok en wel vir die voordele wat dit bring. Meeste ontwikkelende lande promoveer hulleself vir hierdie doel. Voorbeelde hiervan is die liberalisering van wetgewing en regulasies om dit vir BDI aantreklik te maak soos die verskaffing van waarborge oor die repatriasie van winste en die skep van meganismes vir die beslegting van investeringsgeskille. Dit lei egter nie outomaties tot verhoogde investering nie. Oor die afgelope 10 jaar het die VN se Konferensie vir Handel en Ontwikkeling (VNKHO) byvoorbeeld bevind dat Suid-Afrika se beleggingspotensiaal nie ten volle benut word nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om uit te vind wat die redes hiervoor is. Oënskynlik beskik Suid-Afrika oor alle vereistes: 'n stabiele ekonomie en politieke sisteem en 'n goeie beleggingsklimaat. Ten einde die probleem beter te verstaan, is 'n vergelykende BDI studie met Maleisië onderneem wat veel meer suksesvol was. 'n Vergelykende metodologie is ontwerp wat gebaseer is op kriteria van die VNKHO se World Investment Reports en die World Association of Investment Promotion Agency (WAIPA). Beleide, vergelykende mededingendheid, handelsooreenkomste en belastingaansporings is ook by die vergelykings ingesluit. Dit is spesifiek gedoen omdat die kwessie van belastingaansporings 'n kontroversiële saak is. Lok dit regtig beleggings? Is daar dalk ander kostes hieraan verbonde? Die vergelykende metodologie het nuttige insigte opgelewer, ook hoekom BDI nie altyd plaasvind nie. Daar is vier faktore wat Suid-Afrika benadeel: arbeidshulpbronne, beperkte plaaslike en streeksmarkte in Afrika, politieke en ekonomiese onsekerheid, en yslike maatskaplike probleme met armoede en vigs. Daar mag egter ook ander faktore wees waarom spesifieke transnasionale korporasies nie belê nie. Dit is bevind dat die SA regering méér kan doen om aktiewe BDI te bevorder, selfs met gerigte aansporings. Dit is van die grootste verskille met Maleisië. Hierdie studie het ook bevind dat vergelykende metodologieë meer kan doen om van groot maatskappye te verneem waarom beleggingsbesluit geneem, of nie geneem word nie. Die volgende drie leemtes kan ook uitgewys word: wat is die spesifieke impak wat BDI op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie het? Dis onseker. Wat beplan die regering ten opsigte van BDI strategieë en aansporings? Geen nuwe beleide is die afgelope jare geformuleer nie. Laastens, behoort soortgelyke tersaaklike inligting in aanbevelings bevat te word wat Suid-Afrika se BDI prestasie verhoog.

The Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) magnetron sputtering process is one of the widely used techniques for depositing thin film coatings on substrates for various applications such as integrated circuit fabrication, decorative coatings, and hard coatings for tooling. In the area of coatings on cutting tools, tool life can be improved drastically with the application of hard coatings. Application of coatings on cutting tools for various machining techniques, such as continuous and interrupted cutting, requires different coating characteristics, these being highly dependent on the process parameters under which they were formed. To efficiently optimise and customise the deposited coating characteristics, PVD process modelling using RSM methodology was proposed. The aim of this research is to develop a PVD magnetron sputtering process model which can predict the relationship between the process input parameters and resultant coating characteristics and performance. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used, this being one of the most practical and cost effective techniques to develop a process model. Even though RSM has been used for the optimisation of the sputtering process, published RSM modelling work on the application of hard coating process on cutting tool is lacking. This research investigated the deposition of TiAlN coatings onto tungsten carbide cutting tool inserts using PVD magnetron sputtering process. The input parameters evaluated were substrate temperature, substrate bias voltage, and sputtering power; the out put responses being coating hardness, coating roughness, and flank wear (coating performance). In addition to that, coating microstructures were investigated to explain the behaviour of the developed model. Coating microstructural phenomena assessed were; crystallite grain size, XRD peak intensity ratio I111/I200 and atomic number percentage ratio of Al/Ti. Design Expert 7.0.3 software was used for the RSM analysis. Three process models (hardness, roughness, performance) were successfully developed and validated. The modelling validation runs were within the 90% prediction interval of the developed models and their residual errors compared to the predicted values were less than 10%. The models were also qualitatively validated by justifying the behaviour of the output responses (hardness, roughness, and flank wear) and microstructures (Al/Ti ratio, crystallographic peak ratio I111/1200, and grain size) with respect to the variation of the input variables based on the published work by researchers and practitioners in this field. The significant parameters that influenced the coating hardness, roughness, and performance (flank wear) were also identified. Coating hardness was influenced by the substrate bias voltage, sputtering power, and substrate temperature; coating roughness was influenced by sputtering power and substrate bias; and coating performance was influenced by substrate bias. The analysis also discovered that there was a significant interaction between the substrate temperature and the sputtering power which significantly influenced coating hardness, roughness, and performance; this interaction phenomenon has not been reported in previously published literature. The correlation study between coating characteristics, microstructures and the coating performance (flank wear) suggested that the coating performance correlated most significantly to the coating hardness with Pearson coefficient of determination value (R2) of 0.7311. The study also suggested some correlation between coating performance with atomic percentage ratio of Al/Ti and grain size with R2 value of 0.4762 and 0.4109 respectively.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

<p> </p><p>Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Thailand, have all chosen outward-oriented strat-egy over inward-oriented strategy to gain economic growth. This approach was due to the Asian miracles development. Therefore, protectionism had to cave in (Edwards, 1993).</p><p>This thesis aim with the help of income terms of trade and GDP_{CAP to study the relation between trade and growth for these countries mentioned. Therefore, see if income terms of trade would work as an engine of growth for these countries. The purpose is to find a posi-tive correlation between the variables. ITT capture the price and volume effects when trade increases. That is why, ITT is used in this thesis, for the purpose that exports alone cannot explain growth if imports are left out.}</p><p>Time series was conducted with help of a unit root test, co-integration, and Granger causal-ity test. In each test made, the result provided showed of statistically significant values, hence, ITT is of relevance for growth in these countries, during 1980-2006.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

The aim of this research is to examine the identities of youth from different cultural background in Malaysia that has been formed through consumption of media. The forces of globalisation reportedly have de-centred the self from the core, leading to multiple, fluid and contradictory identities. Individuals have been displaced from their backgrounds, and have emerged as individuals, in contrast to past collective identities. People are self-reflexive in constructing their sense of self, with the media playing a role in nurturing one s quest for self-identity (Thompson, 1995). This issue is of particular relevance to young Malaysians. Within this locality, young people s lives are deeply embedded in the collectivities of ethnicity, religion and national identity. At the same time, Malaysia has adopted an open economic market. The de-regulation of Malaysia s broadcasting services enables a mass penetration of the global media to influence young Malaysians. This study is interested in examining how these conditions have affected young Malaysians identities through media consumption. While other studies have explored identity through the consumption of the global media by local audiences, such studies have focused on hybridised cultural practices. This study takes into account de-centred identities by examining shifts in values among different ethnicities, as reflected in consumption of global and local television programmes, differentiating this from previous research works. This study draws on Giddens (1990) concept of reflexivity in examining this issue. This study found that the global media plays a significant role in young Malaysians questioning tradition against modernity. They admire life outside Malaysia, and view it as more modern and liberating, compared to the perceived closed life of Malaysian culture. Yet, this does not conclusively show that young Malaysians have completely abandoned local cultures and values. Rather, it shows they can fully adopt values they admire into their lives while continuing to live within the bounds of their parents and community. Young Malaysians have appropriated the various forms of global cultures derived from media consumption as a means of forging their sense of self, which articulates a need to project an individual self rather than emerging from their collectivity. Although religion and ethnicity remain important in their lives, these young people do not see themselves solely restricted by these identity markers alone. Their cultural identity contains characteristics of other global cultures as well. It is an intersection of various forms of identities, negotiated between religion and ethnicity within global youth cultures, diaspora, gender, lifestyles and taste. Young Malaysians can best be described as having in-between identities - global - local subjects borne out of the hybridisation of values from both sources. Ethnic minority Malaysians display two identities, due to their consumption of international programmes. First, overseas Chinese and Tamil television programmes enable youth to hybridise their youth identity into Western-Asian popular youth cultures instead of drawing solely from one or the other. Second, this type of exposure leads young Malaysian-Chinese to have feelings of cultural superiority over the local Malay films and drama.