https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/issue/feedInternational Journal of Social Science Research2024-03-26T20:24:18-07:00Emily Williamsijssr@macrothink.orgOpen Journal Systems<img style="float: right; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px;" src="/journal/public/site/images/ijssr/ijssr1.gif" alt="" width="300" /><p>International Journal of Social Science Research (Online ISSN: 2327-5510) is an international, double blind peer-reviewed, open-access academic research journal, published semiannually by Macrothink Institute.</p><p>The mission of the journal is to provide an academic forum for discussing the issues of significant public interest across the world.</p><p>The journal publishes research articles, literature review articles, commentaries, opinion pieces, case studies, case reports, etc. Contributions are welcome from all fields of social sciences. The typical topics include, but are not limited to the following fields:</p><ul><li>Anthropology</li><li>Sociology</li><li>Economics</li><li>Education</li><li>Criminology</li><li>Linguistics</li><li>Law</li><li>History</li><li>Communication Studies</li><li>Political Science</li><li>Human Geography</li><li>Psychology</li></ul>https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21247Reflection as a Tool for Improving English Language Skills at the Tertiary Level2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Soo Kum Yokesooku607@uitm.edu.myNur Izzah Jamilnurizzah@uitm.edu.my<p>This research paper explores the effectiveness of reflection as a tool for improving English language skills at the tertiary level. This skill is often overlooked for teaching language skills, but studies have shown positive outcomes to their implementation in professional career advancements. The study was conducted among students at a local university who were enrolled in English language courses at the diploma and degree levels. The data were collected through questionnaires after implementing reflection activities in two diploma classes and a degree class after a 14-week semester. The findings of the study revealed that reflection has a significant impact on improving English language skills at the tertiary level. This suggests that educators should incorporate reflective practices in their teaching strategies to enhance the learning outcomes of students.</p>2023-11-02T04:13:52-07:00Copyright (c) 2023 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21268Constructs for Safe-use of Natural Health Products Among Malaysian Consumers2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Nur Syamila Mohd Rozimanp116490@siswa.ukm.edu.myWardah Mustafa Dinp116490@siswa.ukm.edu.myZurina Mahadip116490@siswa.ukm.edu.myFarida Islahudinp116490@siswa.ukm.edu.myMazlina Md. Saidp116490@siswa.ukm.edu.my<p>Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, people have become more health-conscious and thus felt responsible for taking care of their own health for long-term well-being. The public is more aware to seek extra health measures with alternative therapies as awareness of sustainable lifestyles was promoted before the vaccine was introduced. The term “natural” brings a positive attitude towards the product since most consumers perceive natural as safe even though it does not necessarily mean safer or better. There are many reports on natural health products that are adulterated with harmful substances, and many still do not have data on their efficacy, hence it is pivotal that consumers know the safe-use elements of natural health products. It is important for consumers to know and have the right knowledge regarding the safety of natural health products to prevent any adverse effects in the future. The objective of this study is to identify the safe-use elements perceived by consumers for natural health products. A qualitative approach of Focus-Group Discussion (FGD) is employed to elucidate the safe-use elements, and thematic analysis is being done on the qualitative data to explore the objective. There are 11 safe-use elements of natural health products mentioned by consumers. However, there is only 1 safe use element that is in line with the current regulation in Malaysia. A complete guideline on the safe use of natural herbal products for consumers is pivotal to maintain their general health and well-being.<strong></strong></p>2023-11-02T04:13:52-07:00Copyright (c) 2023 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21241Cyber Insurance in Malaysian Organisations: An Introductory Journey2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Rajeswari Rajusrirajes1519@gmail.comNur Hidayah Abdul Rahmanhidayarah97@gmail.comSritharan Sangaransritharan78@gmail.comSharifah Nurulhikmah Syed Yasinnurulhikmah@uitm.edu.myZeti Darleena Erizetid415@uitm.edu.my<p>Over the past century, many profound technological, economic, and social transformations have occurred. 21st century emerged as of technology and the borderless world; businesses have embraced more strategic ways to handle risk in computing; Cyber Risk Management (CRM) has become one of the essential components in risk management initiatives that seek to mitigate and analyse the multitude of new risks. One risk mitigation process is investing in cyber insurance to safeguard IT assets from cyber threats by transferring such risks to another party known as the insurer. However, implementing cyber insurance in Malaysia is still a considerable organisationsal gap. Unlike any other insurance purchased by default due to financial obligations, many organisations in Malaysia are still lackadaisical towards cyber insurance. The research looks into the factor that contributes to the gap. The study starts with identifying the research background and problem statement and then collecting the data. 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data was collected from 30 experienced Malaysian organizations in the public and private sectors. Finally, the outcome is analysed and concluded.</p>2023-11-22T23:36:41-08:00Copyright (c) 2023 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21487A Novel Analysis of the Relationship Between Caste and Adherence to Medical Treatment2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Ahsan Abdullahahsan1010@yahoo.comMeher Abdullahahsan1010@yahoo.comMuhammad Saad Abdullahahsan1010@yahoo.com<p>In clinical practice the adherence to medical treatment of patients with regard to their caste has not been well-studied. This study is based on 193 outdoor patients having mean age of 43.65 years (range 18–87 years), median age of 45 years at three government hospitals located next to Islamabad. First the patients considered were asked to answer a 13-item questionnaire concerning the factors that could have affected adherence to the recommended medical treatment. Subsequently, each patient answered the Urdu language version of the Morisky Medical Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) questionnaire. After data preprocessing, the response of each participant was scored to ascertain the adherence to the recommended medical treatment and finally all variables were statistically analyzed. The overall mean MMAS-8 score was 4.55.</p><p>The adherence to medical treatment of patients in clinical practice with relation to their caste has not been well researched. This study is based on 193 outdoor patients from three government hospitals near Islamabad; patients having median age of 45 years and a mean age of 43.65 years (range 18–87 years). First, a 13-item questionnaire based on the variables that could have impacted adherence to the prescribed medical therapy was given to the patients under consideration. After that, each patient responded to the Morisky Medical Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) questionnaire in Urdu. Following data preparation, each participant's response was assessed to determine compliance with the prescribed medical therapy, and all variables were then statistically analyzed. The mean MMAS-8 score across the board was 4.55. Three variables were found to be considerably associated with low adherence i.e. i) number of dependent children (p = 0.005) ii) age (p = 0.02) and iii) caste (p = 0.03) for three major castes of 63 patients. Moreover, patients having higher education appeared to be more adherent as compared to those patients that had no schooling.<strong></strong></p>2023-11-22T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2023 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21592Analysis of Cognitive Domain on Exercises in Numbers and Operations for Year 3 Mathematics Books2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Peter Chien Chze Kongp116571@siswa.ukm.edu.myRoslinda Roslip116571@siswa.ukm.edu.my<p>Pupils’ low achievement in Numbers and Operations topics in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 has been a concern for the development of mathematics education in Malaysia. Therefore, the quality of mathematics textbooks and activity books, especially in the cognitive domain of exercises, is essential to ensure effective learning of mathematics contents. Thus, content analysis was performed to identify the cognitive domain of exercises in Numbers and Operations topics in the Year 3 mathematics textbook and activity book based on the TIMSS 2023 Mathematics Framework. In this study, the exercises in Numbers and Operations were categorised based on types of exercises and cognitive domain aspects. Results showed that most of the exercises of both the mathematics textbook and activity book topics are in the domain of knowing. The findings suggest that the percentage of exercises in applying and reasoning should be increased and aligned to the suggested percentage by the TIMSS 2023 Mathematics Framework. This situation should be aware by curriculum developers to enhance mathematics learning resources for Malaysian pupils towards the international level.</p>2024-01-05T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21379Gauging the Impact of the Digital Ecosystem and Skill on SMEs’ Performance2024-02-06T18:45:30-08:00Zuriyati Ahmadzuriy271@uitm.edu.myRosman Mahmoodrosmanma@uitm.edu.myZatul Iffah Mohd Fuzazatul710@uitm.edu.myFatimah Nur Mohd Redzwanfatima804@uitm.edu.myDhona Shahrezadhona.shareza@gmail.com<p>Mastering the digital ecosystem has become crucial to a business’s continued success in recent years. Therefore, Malaysia has started producing entrepreneurial graduates with high entrepreneurial characteristics. To assess the effectiveness of the Malaysian university curriculum in entrepreneurship, this paper therefore tries to gauge the impact of the digital ecosystem and digital skills on the performance of university graduates in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Primary data was collected from 321 university alumni who are entrepreneurs using purposive sampling. Findings demonstrated that digital ecosystem factors such as knowledge management, e-readiness, and ICT utilization influence SME performance. Digital skill also depicts a positive significant relationship with SME performance. Overall, the findings imply that management involvement in fostering the empowerment of the digital ecosystem and digital skill in business management is required. In addition, universities’ curricula must prioritize the focus areas and strategies for developing a more positive digital ecosystem and digital skill. <strong></strong></p>2024-02-06T18:43:05-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21427A Phenomenological Exploration on Three Skill Area for Employment: Industry Practitioners’ Insights2024-02-17T23:11:37-08:00Nurul Kamalia Yusufnurulkamalia@uitm.edu.myHusnul Rita Arishra_08@uitm.edu.my<p>Career readiness among graduates has become an intense focus for higher learning institutions. With the increasing reliance on technology, digital literacy cannot be the only skill that matters in the workplace. Employers and industry leaders became more vocal in highlighting the inability of graduates to confront the skill mismatch and imbalance between the university and fundamental work skills. Along with declining labour markets and the devaluation of degree qualifications as among the impacts of the COVID-19 slump and digitalization, universities are pressured to enhance their graduates’ employability. The study aims to explore the debatable work skills through the lived experiences of industry practitioners. The exploration provides a possible framework for work-demand-driven education. A descriptive phenomenological research design was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the practical skills at work as demanded by the practitioners. A two-tiered method of interviews was employed to establish the context, relay specific details of the participants’ experiences, and contemplate the meaning of their experiences. Results show that a mainstream discourse describes human skills (communication), technical skills, and conceptual skills that help employees thrive in their careers in the brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible (BANI-world) new age of work. Finally, a suggested framework to promote future work skills-related learning is provided for higher staff and learners of higher education.</p>2024-02-06T18:44:55-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21773Electoral Violence in Africa: An Analysis of Factors, Dimensions, Effects and Mitigating Factors2024-03-16T08:18:01-07:00Follah Placate Tachamplacatef@gmail.comMannjong Callistus Achoplacatef@gmail.com<p>Elections are key elements of democratic processes. This article aims at providing reasons for election-related violence in Africa, their dimensions, effects, and mitigating factors. Elections are supposed to provide for a transparent and peaceful change of government, the distribution of power, and the promotion of democracy, but most elections in Africa are characterized by violence at various stages of the process. In war-torn countries and even in some stable African countries, incumbents are often manipulating or believed to be tampering with the electoral processes. The opposition parties also have incentives to further their strength through the use of violence. Such violence is potentially damaging democratic processes and undermining progress towards democratization. Electoral violence has varied causes, as highlighted in this article. Beyond direct effects such as hindering people from casting their vote and preventing candidates from participating in the electoral process, electoral violence can have long-term effects. Thus, managing election-related violence would build a strong, democratic, and peaceful society based on the rule of law, accountability, and transparency. Various strategies are used by different actors to achieve this. This article uses a qualitative research design. Information on the research is gathered purely from the review of scholarly articles and reports on the topic. The information presented is based on a synthesis of findings from these sources. From the synthesis of information from other reviews, we have in this article gathered and presented the main causes, effects, dimensions, and some mitigating factors of electoral violence in Africa.</p>2024-03-14T00:00:00-07:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21774Fostering Digital Excellence: A Multidimensional Exploration of the Collective Effects of Technological Adaptability, Employee Competitiveness, and Employee Dynamic Capabilities on Employee Digital Performance in Chinese SMEs2024-03-16T08:23:58-07:00Guifang Wanggs63090@student.upm.edu.myZuraina Dato Mansorgs63090@student.upm.edu.myYee Choy Leongyee@upm.edu.my<p>This study is grounded in a specific Eastern cultural region, undertaking a multidimensional exploration. We meticulously examined the intricate interplay between employee competitive attitudes (ECA) and behaviors (ECB), employee dynamic capability (EDC), and Competitive climate (CC), converging these factors to redefine the contours of Employee Digital Performance (EDP). The survey data for this study were collected from SMEs in four Chinese provinces: Shanghai, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Anhui. The analysis was conducted utilizing CB-SEM (AMOS) to analyze the newly conceptualized framework. The research findings unveil a profound reality: in the digital era, Technological Adaptability (TA), Employee Competitive Attitudes, Employee Competitive Behaviors, and Employee Dynamic Capabilities all exert positive influences on Employee Digital Performance. The study indicates that technological adaptability, as a forward variable of employee competitive attitude and employee competitive behavior, positively influences employees' competitive attitudes and behaviors. Employees possessing competitive attitudes and behaviors enhance their dynamic capabilities, thereby promoting employee digital performance. Furthermore, the research indicates that the Competitive Climate moderates Employee Competitive Behaviors, and Employee Competitive Attitudes drive Employee Dynamic Capabilities, enhancing Employee Digital Performance. In the process of Chinese SMEs striving for digital advantages, this research provides a distinctive perspective. It offers actionable insights into harnessing employees’ traits and capabilities within the continually evolving digital ecosystem.</p>2024-03-14T00:00:00-07:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Researchhttps://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijssr/article/view/21802The Relationship Between Individual Social Capital and Life Satisfaction Among University Students in China: The Mediating Role of Resiliency2024-03-26T20:24:18-07:00Xiaomei Zhang66034383@qq.comSoon-Yew Ju66034383@qq.com<p>This present paper has aimed to investigate the university students’ life satisfaction in the city of Ji’nan in China. Due to the important role of university students, their life satisfaction has been valuable and necessary to be examined. The extent literature about students’ life satisfaction has left a blank for the three variables in the study. Therefore, this paper has tried to give an explanation for the relationship among university students’ life satisfaction and individual social capital by the mediating effect of resilience, which may be a new conceptual model seldom conducted in previous studies, especially in Ji’nan. As a non-experimental descriptive research design, a quantitative (deductive reasoning) technique has been employed to quantify the issue, in which survey questionnaire has been used to gather numerical data and then turned into practical statistics.</p>2024-03-26T00:00:00-07:00Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Social Science Research