BackgroundRecent studies have revealed that nursing staff turnover remains a major problem in emerging economies. In particular, nursing staff turnover in Malaysia remains high due to a lack of job satisfaction. Despite a shortage of healthcare staff, the Malaysian government plans to create 181 000 new healthcare jobs by 2020 through the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). This study investigated the causal relationships among perceived transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction among nurses and medical assistants in two selected large private and public hospitals in Malaysia. This study also explored the mediating effect of empowerment between transformational leadership and job satisfaction.MethodsThis study used a survey to collect data from 200 nursing staff, i.e., nurses and medical assistants, employed by a large private hospital and a public hospital in Malaysia. Respondents were asked to answer 5-point Likert scale questions regarding transformational leadership, employee empowerment, and job satisfaction. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the measurement models and to estimate parameters in a path model. Statistical analysis was performed to examine whether empowerment mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction.ResultsThis analysis showed that empowerment mediated the effect of transformational leadership on the job satisfaction in nursing staff. Employee empowerment not only is indispensable for enhancing job satisfaction but also mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction among nursing staff.ConclusionsThe results of this research contribute to the literature on job satisfaction in healthcare industries by enhancing the understanding of the influences of empowerment and transformational leadership on job satisfaction among nursing staff. This study offers important policy insight for healthcare managers who seek to increase job satisfaction among their nursing staff.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of competitive market environments on the firm’s decision to adopt green supply chain management (GSCM) practices, while checking to see if the firm’s commitment to particular types of GSCM practices improves its performance. Design/methodology/approach To confirm a positive link between the firm’s GSCM practices to its performance, the authors collected the data from 322 Korean firms via questionnaire surveys and then analyzed these data using the structural equation model. Findings Among various types of GSCM practices, green purchasing has the greatest impact on both manufacturing and marketing performances. Also, internal environmental management positively influenced both manufacturing and marketing performances, whereas cooperation with customers and reverse logistics had no significant impact on the firm’s manufacturing and marketing performances. Originality/value To provide a practical advice for firms which are hesitant to embrace green supply chain practices due to skeptical views about their true managerial benefits, this paper discerned more effective GSCM practices from less effective GSCM practices. In so doing, this paper is one of the few studies which pinpointed what types of specific GSCM practices are most effective in enhancing firm performance.

Small-and medium-sized suppliers (SMSs) have experienced customer pressure to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. However, capabilities are needed for SMSs to respond to such pressure. To explore how SMSs can be effectively motivated to make CSR efforts under customer pressure, based on the theory of dynamic capabilities (DCs), this paper identifies five factors of DCs-knowledge accessing (DC1), codevelopment (DC2), supply chain partner development (DC3), supply chain rebuilding (DC4), and flexibility (DC5). Moreover, this paper develops a conceptual model assuming that the five DCs moderate the relationship between customer pressure and CSR practices among SMSs. Using questionnaires collected from 333 Chinese SMSs in manufacturing industries, hierarchical statistical results demonstrate the moderating effect for three of four identified CSR practices. An interaction analysis further reveals that a certain level of DCs is necessary. The results provide managerial implications for large customers and SMSs to improve CSR-related DCs among SMSs.

As a growing number of customers tend to view corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a key purchase decision criterion, demands for CSR including environmental sustainability have accelerated in today's business world. To meet such demands, many firms consider embracing environment-friendly business practices. However, many firms are still hesitant to implement those practices due to sceptical views about their real managerial benefits. Although the previous literature confirms the positive link between a firm's commitment to environmental sustainability and its performance, the varying degree of impact of different kinds of environment-friendly supply chain practices on the firm's operational performance is still unknown. To fill the void left by prior research, this paper aims to classify various types of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and then assess the impact of each of these distinct types on the firm's operational performances (especially manufacturing and marketing performance). Also, this paper examines how the firm's organisational profiles such as firm size affect the particular firm's choice of GSCM practices. Our experimental results reveal that the chosen type of GSCM practices influences the firm's performance differently.

With the advancement of technologies, industries tries to adopt the advantages of the technology. Customers are busy in their daily life, and the online platform is the best option for retail, whereas traditional customers still prefer to visit the retail shop. Few customers choose the product online but buy it online or vice-versa. Owing to all those circumstances, current study focuses on an intelligent dual channel (online-to-offine) strategy in industry to arrange the optimal services for customers. The selling price of the product vary with different channel, which helps to determine the demand of product for entire supply chain. Two important factors, backorder and lead-time are examined precisely through marginal value which helps to arrange optimal service and calculate the exact profit. The profit for a centralized and decentralized case are computed for both the players. Some propositions are developed to prove the global optimality. Numerical results prove that a centralized case provides 7.77% better pro t than a decentralized case due to bonding between the players.

Abstract-Environmental management system, EMS has been the most researched theme of late. Proponents of EMS claimed that EMS brings much benefit to organizations. However, most of the organizations are slow to adopt this new form of management. Employee's resistance to change has been cited by many as one of the impediments to EMS adoption. As such, employee's views must be sought to ensure successful adoption of EMS. 214 manufacturing firms were surveyed using the modified PORC instruments to access employee's perceptions of firm's implementation of EMS. Factor analysis conducted yielded four factors i.e. work impact, management support, implementation support and EMS survival; were found to have significant contribution towards EMS adoption. Recommendations were also provided to ensure better adoption of EMS in manufacturing firms.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive students to use Facebook for educational communication and explore the impact of Facebook use for educational communication on perceived academic achievement. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from student Facebook users at a large technology and engineering university in Malaysia. Partial least squares path modeling was used to test the hypotheses in the research model. Findings This empirical study showed that Facebook use in educational communication is determined by subjective norms and purposive value. Facebook use in educational communication positively affected perceived academic achievement. Practical implications The findings provide useful insight for higher institutions and educators regarding the potential academic effects of integrating Facebook into higher education learning. Moreover, this study provides insight into the factors that drive Facebook use in educational communication. Originality/value Prior studies have largely investigated the determinants and the effects of Facebook use among university students. However, little research has focused on educational communication phenomena. This study investigated determinants and academic achievement effect of Facebook use in educational communication among university students.