EDITORIAL

Volume 16, Issue 5, 2021

1. Instructional Guidelines for the Design of Compelling Online Courses

-Kalliopi Selioti

Online training has the advantages of reduced costs by not needing premises or travel and less administration. However, the principles of learning need to be followed. Learners' attitudes are important (e.g. do they want to improve their skills, or just get through the test? Are they confident, or will they give up easily? Are they conscientious,? etc.). However, as well as that, the courses need to invite learning. Gagne puts forward nine steps to make a course compelling. First, gain interest; second, set out objectives; third, pair these with existing knowledge; fourth, present the content in easy-to-digest chunks; fifth, additional guidance such as storytelling, images, games, discussions; sixth, practising, checking understanding; seventh, feedback; eighth, evaluation, and ninth; repetition, more practice, relating learning to future situations, and feedback from learners.

 

2. Silver Bullet, or Smoke and Mirrors? An Examination of Learning Transfer in Unconscious Bias Training and Recommendations for Improvement

- Siana Byfield

We are all shaped by our experiences of life, and carry round assumptions that fit our own culture. These can be invisible blocks to effective training, as cultural assumptions are often unchallenged, and may be too deep-seated to reach our awareness. This creates a number of ‘isms’ – racism, sexism, ageism, etc. When cultures clash, it may be because differing invisible assumptions create conflict. This is unconscious bias, which can bring unconscious resistance to training. This in turn can prevent learning gained in training programmes from being transferred to the workplace. A possible solution is specific training in recognising and mitigating unconscious bias. Success can be increased at three levels: The organisation can foster a climate of openness to change and rethinking. The training itself can be designed to show the relevance of the course content in the workplace. And how far the individual believes that the training will be effective, has an effect on how effective it turns out to be.

 

3. Comparison between Cultural Characteristics of the Middle East and the Westr

- Dr. Mohammed Issa Ala eddin
dr.moh.issa71@gmail.com

Global enterprise has brought the problem of culture-clash. Companies expand to other countries, and discover that what is acceptable, even taken for granted, in the home country, is greeted with shock in the host country. Old imperialism ignored this and enforced their own culture, genuinely believing that this was best. Times have moved on with the realisation that different does not mean better or worse, it means there are varied approaches, all of which have pros and cons. It may be difficult for both sides to see advantages in each other. This paper explores these problems, with reference to Hofstede's model of national cultures.

 

4. Factors Affecting Acceptance Of Islamic Retail Banking In Malaysia: A Case Study On Maybank Islamic Berhad

- Dato' Dr Jelani bin Hamdan

This paper looks at factors that affect the acceptance of Islamic retail banking in Malaysia. Religious belief is the main driver - bank practices must be compatible with Islam principles to keep deeply religious customers. The less strict may also choose these banks for good and speedy service of the type they want; they may also be subject to social pressure, or be influenced by advertising. It is important to know which factors predominate for effective decision-making. As in any business, good service is going to attract customers and retain them. Ethics is also gaining in importance in other areas, for example, green credentials are an example for customers of any religion. The rise of corporate social responsibility has also advanced this.

 

5. The Sources of Competitive Advantage in the Automotive Aftermarket Parts and Components Industry

- Teh Boon Ang

Competitive advantage is an intangible benefit that sets a business above its rivals. It means that customers are likely to prefer that business above others providing similar goods or services, because of its particular features. There are numerous possible reasons for this, such as speed of delivery, attention to detail, ecological credentials, and many others. This paper looks specifically at innovation, human capital and information technology, in the automotive aftermarket parts and components industry in Malaysia. Innovation is crucial in times of rapid change, which shows no sign of abating. Human capital are at the root of production, whether the end-products are goods or services. Information technology includes a wide range of essential processes which must work well. Although this study is very specific, the principles behind customer preference are likely to be similar elsewhere.

 

6. User Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots in Shopee, Malaysia: A Case Study

- Morakinyo Olanrewaju Dotun

Resistance to change is a common phenomenon, even when there are clear advantages. With any change there is an unknown factor, which is exciting to some and alarming to others. Weizenbaum, in the 1960s, showed how a computer program, called Eliza, was able to give the appearance of two-way conversation without grasp of the context. AI has come a long way since then and has many applications, for example, it can be helpful in making complex decisions in many fields. For AI to reach its full potential, it needs to become a trusted resource, and for that, it has to demonstrate that it can successfully augment human input and thereby bring valuable results, with minimum risk, at least as low as similar processes without AI. This paper looks at these issues in relation to chatbots – computer programs designed to simulate conversation.