World-class System Research Articles

THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND READINESS FOR CHANGE ON LANGUAGE EDUCATORS’ WORKPLACE COMMITMENT IN MALAYSIAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY NETWORK (MTUN)

Higher learning institutions aim to ensure continuity and feasibility in the academic sphere for the benefit of academic leaders, language educators, and students. Local governments and international organisations recognise higher learning institutions as contributors to achieving long-term academic aspirations through competent top management and realistic alternatives to current concerns and difficulties. The Malaysian government's educational aspirations require top management to prioritise language educators' potential and improve the language learning environment. Academic leaders are accountable for providing the best academic culture, structure, and environment for language educators, influencing other academic professionals, and aiding the Ministry of Education in raising the standard of language education in Malaysia to a world-class system. The study focuses on determining the level of workplace commitment among Malaysian Technical Universities (MTUN) language educators if their leaders adopt a transformational leadership style. Transformational leaders inspire language educators to prioritise the institution's goals and have a significant impact on their workplace commitment. The study also examines the influence of readiness for change on the relationship between MTUN academic leaders' transformational leadership and MTUN language educators' workplace commitment. The findings from these studies demonstrate that readiness for change mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and language educators' workplace commitment.

Research on the Impact of Organization Commitment on Traditional Chinese Medicine University Teachers' Innovative Work Behaviour

As a result of an imbalance of innovation, several countries' increase in productivity has stopped, which is why Education 4.0 promotes development. A world-class system of education that develops outstanding learners and cutting-edge concepts is essential, and talented teachers serve a key role in development—results from the current study on Innovative Work Behaviour (IWB) at Traditional Chinese Medicine University. Professors are discussed online. These research outcomes show that HE institutions significantly impact Organisation Commitment (OC) and IWB, with OC functioning as an initial step towards IWB. The paper intended to provide insight into how Higher Education (HE) institutions in the nation of China employ the principles of Traditional Chinese Medical Education Innovative Work Behaviour (TCMEWB) along with factors that might impact IWB analysis. The medical education on-the-job teachers' TCMEWB is investigated regarding their respective emotions, strengths, and adaptability. Similar to previous studies and current hypotheses, outcomes show that stress and unreasonable assumptions affect the relationship between self-confidence and TCMEWB, with both theoretical and practical impacts. The investigators in the southwest region of China analysed 500 teachers (F=75.5%; M = 24.5% ) and reported that IWB and the impact of OC dramatically improved academic achievement. The results of the study were examined using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and SPSS. Studies from the two statistical tests of weight (t-test and analysis of deviation) indicate that the mean OC of teachers at China's Traditional Chinese Medicinal Higher Education Institutions depends on demographic factors such as Experience, Education, and Salary. In order to figure out the level of OC among teachers, investigators evaluated several factors, including emotions, strength, and adaptability. The correlation and coefficients for these factors vary from 0.24 to 0.57.

Anti-interference hemoglobin analysis system by high performance liquid chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is currently the mainstream technology for detecting hemoglobin. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a gold indicator for diagnosing diabetes, however, the accuracy of HbA1c test is affected by thalassemia factor hemoglobin F (HbF)/hemoglobin A2 (HbA2) and variant hemoglobin during HPLC analysis. In this study, a new anti-interference hemoglobin analysis system of HPLC is proposed. In this system, the high-pressure three-gradient elution method was improved, and the particle size and sieve plate aperture in the high-pressure chromatography column and the structure of the double-plunger reciprocating series high-pressure pump were optimized. The system could diagnose both HbA1c and thalassemia factor HbF/HbA2 and variant hemoglobin, and the performance of the system was anti-interference and stable. It is expected to achieve industrialization. In this study, the HbA1c and thalassemia factor HbF/HbA2 detection performance was compared between this system and the world's first-line brand products such as Tosoh G8, Bio-Rad Ⅶ and D10 glycosylated hemoglobin analysis system. The results showed that the linear correlation between this system and the world-class system was good. The system is the first domestic hemoglobin analysis system by HPLC for screening of HbA1c and thalassemia factor HbF/HbA2 rapidly and accurately.

Gap analysis and determination of the necessary improvements in the production of the world-class system (Case Study: Iran Khodro Raje)

This article aims to investigate and identify gaps in the manufacturing system of world-class (WCM), In the auto industry and to establish the necessary adjustments to the systems in the organization using the critical performance analysis (IPA). This study presents a blend of the theoretical and practical framework as stated in the literature study and integrates the experts' viewpoints. The critical characteristics of Iran Khodro Company's world-class production system were defined. Then the essential elements for improving the company's world-class production system were defined and addressed utilizing critical performance analysis (IPA). Performance Analysis was used to acquire the gap analysis findings and identify areas for improvement (Importance performance analysis). Using this model system in world-class manufacturing in the Iran Khodro Company, assist the supreme managers and supervisors in identifying areas in the company that require improvement, and after implementing improvement measures in these areas, ensure the success of this system's establishment and ability to make the best decisions in the area of world-class production. Without a doubt, this article will be one of the most effective techniques for determining and analyzing organizational improvements and the development and implementation of WCM. For the experts, there will be a plethora of options

Can ATMs get out the vote? Evidence from a nationwide field experiment

We report on a large-scale (randomized) field experiment we designed and conducted to assess ATMs’ (automatic teller machines) capacity to “get out the vote”. This is a heretofore unexploited method of voter mobilization. Our experimental design used the full universe of functioning ATMs in Portugal, which benefits from a sophisticated world class system, with wide national coverage. We randomly selected a set of treatment civil parishes, where a civic message took over the totality of ad time in ATMs, which we compare with a set of control civil parishes where advertisements ran as usual. The ATM campaign we follow was active for three days immediately before and during the 2017 local elections in Portugal. When we consider the intensity of treatment, for both the entire campaign period and the weekend, results show a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of voting. All three proxies for treatment intensity we employ deliver robust positive coefficients. Placebo tests using turnout rates in previous elections do not show significant coefficients, strengthening our interpretation of the experimental results.

Analysis of necessary developments in the automotive industry in a world-class system

Analysis of necessary developments in the automotive industry in a world-class system

Marilyn Lake. Progressive New World: How Settler Colonialism and Transpacific Exchange Shaped American Reform.

Marilyn Lake’s Progressive New World: How Settler Colonialism and Transpacific Exchange Shaped American Reform is a fascinating story of exchanges and collaborations between reformers in the United States and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand, but mostly the former) who embarked on creating a new social order based on progressive ideals. What they envisioned was a more expanded democracy in which the state promoted social, political, and economic justice. The self-governing Australasian colonies’ state initiatives inspired American reformers to work for an active state, electoral reform, women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, mothers’ pensions, and children’s services. What bound the reformers across the Pacific was a sense of themselves as frontier pioneers in charge of planting “novel kinds of democratic societies” in the New World that were superior to the Old World class system they morally abhorred (6). But this is only half of the story. What makes Progressive New World stand out...

Play With Purpose at the Hillsboro Public Library

The Hillsboro Public Library (HPL) has two very active branches that serve the robust youth population of Hillsboro. Our Vision Statement is “Welcoming and inclusive, the Hillsboro Public Library is a world-class system where our entire community gathers, connects, and explores.” Our mission is simply: “For Everyone/Para Todos.” We were ready to live up to our vision of a world-class system for our community.

Educational Policy Implementation: Adaptation Differences among Secondary School Teachers in Malaysia

Malaysia has undergone various transformations in education since its independence in 1957. The work environment plays an important role in teacher adaptation, so this study aimed to identify the differences in the level of teacher adaptation to change in Malaysian education policy in National Secondary Schools (SMK) and Government Funded Religious Schools (SABK). This quantitative research which used a simple random sampling technique was conducted at the randomly selected National Secondary Schools (SMK) and the Government Funded Religious Schools in the state of Kelantan. A total of 300 samples were involved in answering the distributed questionnaire which was an adaptation of Samale (2016) built on the Measure of Adaptive Performance (MAP) instrument by Lillard et al. (2012) and the Individual Adaptability Theory (I-ADAPT) instrument by Ployhart and Bliese (2006). The findings showed that the level of teachers' adaptation was high and there was no difference in the level of adaptation between SMK and SABK teachers. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used as a reference specifically to school administrators and the education ministry towards improving teachers' adaptation to a very high level. This is important because teachers are the leading implementers of education policy in schools and individuals who can fulfil the aspiration of the Ministry of Education to place education in Malaysia on par with the world-class system.

Optimization of Maintenance Activity Using the World-Class Maintenance System in Skidder Forest Operations

The objective of this paper was to evaluate technical and economically the use of a world-class maintenance system (WCM) in the forest skidding operations. The study was performed in a forest company located in the state of Paraná, inside forest plantations of Pinus taeda and Eucalyptus grandis. For the purpose of analysis, the mechanical availability, hydraulic oil consumption, average time between failures, average repair time, proactive maintenance index and maintenance costs were evaluated during 18 months, considering the stages of implantation, maturation and stabilization of the WCM system. As a result, there was an increase in the percentage of mechanical availability and reduction of 47.0% in the consumption of hydraulic oil from Skidder in the maturation stage. Also, the average time between failures and repairs increased in the maturation stage, caused by a quality improvement of maintenance activities. Moreover, in the maturation stage there was an increase of 45.0% in the proactive maintenance index. Additionally, it was verified that the hourly maintenance cost was reduced by 8.0% between the maturation and stabilization stages, underlining the WCM system’s potential to improve maintenance activities in the forest skidding operation. These results show that the WCM system can contribute to safety in wood harvesting operations, increasing the Skidder mechanical availability and a reducing the production costs.

How do we strengthen the health workforce in a rapidly developing high-income country? A case study of Abu Dhabi's health system in the United Arab Emirates

BackgroundThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing high-income country that was formed from the union of seven emirates in 1971. The UAE has experienced unprecedented population growth coupled with increased rates of chronic diseases over the past few decades. Healthcare workers are the core foundation of the health system, especially for chronic care conditions, and the UAE health workforce needs to be fully prepared for the increased rates of chronic diseases in the adult population. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate in terms of land mass and population size, and the purpose of this paper was to assess how the health system has been using the Chronic Care Model to improve its capacity to reach out to all patients in the population.Case presentationThe Abu Dhabi health workforce has twice the number of doctors (52.4 vs. 23.2 per 10 000 population) and nurses (134.7 vs. 50.4 per 10 000 population) compared to the entire UAE health workforce. In addition to an overreliance on expatriate workers, there is an excess of some specializations such as general medicine and gynecology and a severe undersupply of other specialties including trauma and injury, and medical oncology. The digital infrastructure and skills of the health workforce need to be improved to minimize the proportion of the appointment time required to complete administrative tasks for a health insurance system and maximize the doctor-patient face-to-face interaction time for consultation and lifestyle counseling.ConclusionsA greater emphasis needs to be placed on developing self-management support strategies using a combination of nurse health educators and community-based patient-led health programs. The UAE Vision 2021 includes developing a world-class healthcare system, and full implementation of the Chronic Care Model seems to facilitate the detailed planning and preparation of healthcare services and workers required to achieve this goal.

Education Quality in the UAE - Factors in Creating a Knowledge-Based Economy

Although a variety numerous approaches have been adopted to measure and manage quality within education institutions, little consensus exists on the best way to approach this. Thus, this paper presented an analytic review of current education provision in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The review identified a reliance on quality management models that are applied with only partial success and suggested ways to enhance the quality of teaching and learning within education. Throughout the UAE education has become a top priority as it attempts, through various reform projects, to develop a world-class system which puts students first. This review paper looked beyond the quantity of education provision in the UAE and focused on how the quality of education could be improved. It first provided the context for this discussion, followed by a review of situational and operational actors, paying particular attention to the results of international standardised assessments. The missing link between the education system and the labour market was considered, with a number of recommendations offered that could help policymakers improve the quality of education in the UAE in order to create a truly knowledge-based economy.

Shipping and Receiving: Expanding What You Do to Ensure Compliance

Another section of the mandates from the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is now in place, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issuing the long-awaited rule to regulate transportation of food items, “Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food.” This rule is also a mandate from the 2005 Sanitary Food Transportation Act. In this column, Stier discusses how the sanitary transportation rule and its emphasis on monitoring temperatures during refrigerated shipment of foods mandates what the industry has deemed good shipping practices for many years. Further development and implementation of best practices in shipping and receiving will help ensure that companies involved in each stage of the food transportation process are in compliance with the new regulations. If all loaders, receivers, and carriers strive to implement best practices and target a world-class transportation system, the whole industry and consumers will benefit.

Building a World-Class System in Ireland's Financial Crisis

Irish higher education faces particular difficulties given the severity of its economic crisis. Like other countries, it is engaged in significant system restructuring coupled with managed policy direction. Where Ireland does differ is in its emphasis on a 'whole of country strategy' and commitment that teaching and research go hand-in-hand. This paper looks at the fortunes and mis-fortunes of Irish higher education.

Sustainability and Affordability: Is There a Magic Bullet?

The transformation in the higher education landscape worldwide has been nothing less than dramatic. Underpinning these developments has been the remarkable growth in demand for higher education. When the first issue of International Higher Education was published, there were approximately 68 million tertiary students enrolled worldwide. Today, there are 196 million students with estimates of almost 430 million by 2030. Over the same time frame, the enrollment rate for 20–29 year-olds in Organization for Economic Coooperation and Development (OECD) countries has grown by 10 percentage points on average, with some countries (notably Denmark, Finland, Greece, and Iceland) enrolling more than 40 percent. As restructuring of the global-labor market continues apace, people will spend more time in education. All this illustrates that we are moving rapidly to becoming high participation societies, where the vast majority of the population is educated to advanced levels, because of the significance for social and personal achievement. Yet, ironically, at the moment our societies are increasingly dependent upon an educated citizenry, the costs associated with being an active player in the global economy are also rising. While some countries can expand or at least maintain their expenditure, others are under severe pressure from public and private debt and a public critical of high(er) taxation and expansive public services. This is leading to situations in which expenditure per student is not keeping pace with expanding demand. Overall, the OECD (in 2013) says the share of the total cost covered by public funds for higher education has declined from 77 percent in 1995 to 68 percent in 2013. Nothing that I have said here will be new to this audience. However, providing high-quality universal higher education at a time of decreasing public funding and escalating global competitiveness is the most important challenge facing us in the coming two decades. Using global rankings to guide us will inevitably lead to increased inequality. The top 100 universities represent less than 0.5 percent of the current total of almost 18,000 higher education institutions. This in turn represents approximately 0.4 percent of total-tertiary students worldwide. As demand grows, selectivity is accelerating. This is because while overall student numbers are increasing, student numbers among the top 100 are relatively stable. Thus, each year, top rankings represent a decreasing overall percentage of the total number of students. Some countries have sought to balance these demands by seeking to raise quality by concentrating resources, in a few “world-class universities,” in the expectation that the benefits will trickle down to others. A minority of countries, such as Finland, have pursued a “world-class system” strategy, spreading the benefits of excellence equitably across its vast landmass, while ranking among one of the top-performing countries in the world. What is the appropriate balance between educating the majority of our citizens, to be smart, creative, and entrepreneurial individuals, while ensuring the ability of the nation to compete in world science? Have we reached the end of the current model of mass public higher education?

Knowledge and promotion of teacher leadership: An Abu Dhabi exploration

This research is an exploratory, quantitative examination of the knowledge, understanding and promotion of teacher leadership in a public school in the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Within Abu Dhabi education has become a top priority as it attempts, through a massive reform project, to develop a modern, innovative, world-class system which puts students first. Teacher leadership is thought to be one way in which a reform project can be supported and student learning can be improved. The participants in this study were drawn from an Abu Dhabi all-female primary school with both expatriate and Emirati teachers. Though some dissimilarities between the Emirati and expatriate teachers emerged, overall findings indicated that teacher leadership as it pertains to improving classroom practices through professional development was the focus and preference of teachers. However, they felt that teacher leadership was most commonly represented through teachers performing additional administrative duties. Therefore, professional development opportunities and structures must be developed to allow faculty, both Emirati and expatriate, to emerge as teacher leaders and positively impact school reform and student learning.

The economy as a driver of change in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River basin

The economic capacity of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River basin rivals the largest industrialized economies in the world today. Abundant natural resources, an efficient transportation system, binational economic integration through a complex network of supply chains, and a world-class system of higher education have all helped the region generate considerable wealth. Despite its historic success, the region's economy is undergoing a transition. The service sector continues to account for a growing proportion of regional employment and economic activity while manufacturing accounts for a declining share of the economy. As was the case historically, the region's natural endowments, especially the Great Lakes themselves, continue to be important economic engines. However, certain sectors such as agriculture, heavy industry, and trans-oceanic shipping have negatively impacted the health of the Great Lakes while other sectors such as tourism and sport fishing impact the lakes very little but are directly reliant on Great Lakes ecological integrity. To achieve a vibrant and sustainable economic future, investments must be made in: education, infrastructure, new high-growth manufacturing, and environmental restoration. Such investments will help the region to attract and retain a young, talented, and innovative workforce to be competitive in emerging global markets. These investments are also necessary to bolster the region's exports, an important component of long-term economic vitality. We used a scenario building approach to illustrate potential economic futures for the region. The scenarios can aid in planning and decision-making as Great Lakes communities and governments strive to lead the region toward a desirable economic future.

Towards world-class science and innovation system: on culture of excellence and integrity, mentoring and collaboration

China places a great emphasis on boosting its innovative capability, which it says is key to meeting the challenges in economic development and global competition. At the heart of the matter is how the country could produce its own agent of innovation-creative graduates and postgraduates.

Sustainable financing of rail systems: the case of Singapore

For many years, many governments have tried to find a sustainable way to finance rail systems. Many have failed, for one reason or another. This paper traces the long history of various common modes of financing rail systems and then presents the Singapore model as a case study. Although it is a world-class rail system, the Singapore model still has its faults, and there have been recent attempts to strengthen the system, particularly in its maintenance regime. Importantly, this paper highlights that without a proper financing framework, infrastructure asset management is doomed to fail.

Structural modelling and analysis of world-class maintenance system: a graph theoretic approach

This aim of this paper is to develop an integrated system model for the structural modelling and analysis of world-class maintenance system (WCMS) in terms of its systems and interactions between the systems and the subsystems and performance measurement as a possible means of achieving increased organisational change. Using graph theory and matrix algebra, world-class maintenance system is first modelled with the help of a graph theory, then by a variable adjacency matrix and then by a multinomial known as a permanent function. Different structural attributes of the WCMS are identified to develop a graph theoretic model, a matrix model, and a multinomial permanent model of the maintenance. The study suggests that the tool can be used to quantify the gap between existing maintenance systems priorities and their perceptions of organisations performance. The present paper introduces the graph theoretic approach to the maintenance management. The design graph is the first mathematical model to consider all the structure aspects in an integrated and concurrent way in the proposed methodology.