Salam....haiii...how's your day today??hee....today i will post my chapter one for my proposal...hee...sorry for being late...just because i am not feeling well.... :-( so, this is my first chapter... :-)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.0 CHAPTER DESCRIPTION

This first chapter consists of an introduction and background to the study towards the factors that influenced student’s satisfaction.  This chapter also includes the problem statement, objectives of the study.  Besides that, it also briefly discusses the significance of the study and limitations during the process in completing this study.

1.1  BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Higher education has become a vibrant business in Malaysia and it is importance to cultivate the creative and innovative intellectual human capitals that are needed for the future growth of the economy. Today, higher education is no longer the privilege of the wealthy few, but providing opportunities to all qualified students, both locally and internationally. The demand for education will rise as people or parents have higher aspirations for their children’s future.

This study aims to uncover the factors that affect student’s satisfaction in UiTM Shah Alam. Therefore, students from higher education institutions are considered as the main customers to be satisfied and need of valuable educational experiences and marketability. In the other words, the students have the right as a client to receive the service quality provided relying on the fact they are paying for it.

1.2  INTRODUCTION

Students’ satisfaction surveys are important in ascertaining whether colleges and universities are fulfilling their mission. It is well known that the most important product of educational institutions is qualified graduates. In order to best prepare students so that they are sought after by employers upon graduation, an effective curriculum is needed. Students must understand the value of their education and be satisfied with their overall experience in order to promote and support their higher educational institution as a student and as an alumnus.

According to Kotler (2012), Customers usually face a broad array of products and services that might satisfy a given need. In choosing these markets offering, customers form expectation about the value and satisfaction that the offering will give. Satisfied customers will raise the possibility to buy or to tell others about their experiences. Dissatisfied customers often switch to competitors and disparage the product to others.

According to Mei and Teong (2003), customer satisfaction can be measured by after the service had been provided or during on-going after sales activities. In the case of higher education, Mei and Teong stated that students shall be given a set of survey before and after the course sessions of the semester. 

1.3  PROBLEM STATEMENT

A few studies had been done focusing on the how student satisfaction factors affect perceived learning in higher education institution. However, there is still a need for a study that focuses on the factors affecting student’s satisfaction among this type of institution. This is due to the fact that the globalization has taken place in the atmosphere of higher education in Malaysia. The emergence of national and international private universities and colleges has increase the scope of selection made by the students. This is based on the belief of they are paying for the certificate that they will be receiving. In this scenario, the academic staffs are the one to be put under pressure as they are bound to customer-company relationship motto which is “customers always right”. Therefore, institution would face the tendency of higher rate of turn over.  This will eventually affect the performance of the institution.

1.4  RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

The purpose for this study is to identify the level of satisfaction among undergraduate students in UITM Shah Alam. The specific objective of the study is to investigate the most factors that affect student’s satisfaction among undergraduate students in UITM Shah Alam.

1.5  RESEARCH QUESTION

Research questions are a statement of the purpose of a study.  Research questions is about what the researcher want to investigate and study besides the questions become a beginning in doing the research and have to be answer in the end of the study. This paper has a several questions that researcher want to find out the answer. The questions include:

i.          What is the level of satisfaction among undergraduate student in UITM, Shah Alam?

ii.         What are the most factors that affect student’s satisfaction among undergraduate students in UITM Shah Alam?

1.6  SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

In the context of public higher education, the students are considered as the main customers to be satisfied. In other words, students’ need of valuable educational experiences and marketability have to be fulfilled. The measurement of student satisfaction can be useful to post-secondary institutions, to help them to pinpoint their strengths and identify areas for improvement. Satisfaction ratings go beyond teaching assessments, which have a narrow focus, to include broader aspects of the student learning experience. To grasp the complexity of that learning experience, it is not enough to know the degree to which students are satisfied, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to student satisfaction.

1.7  LIMITATION OF STUDY

The limitation of this study is small population of samples which are 98 undergraduate students from Faculty of Business Management, UITM, Shah Alam. UITM is a public higher education institution in Malaysia. So the perceptions received are very limited just only among the undergraduate students in that university. Research will be expected to involve a larger sample so that the data obtained can reflect the situation of the most close to the real situation. If time allow good also if researchers involves the entire population. Because the information obtained through the questionnaire is limited, interviews and observation methods should also be used to the purpose of obtaining more detailed data.

1.8  CONCLUSION

In conclusion, every higher education institution must know the factors that can affect student’s satisfaction in learning process. 

Salam everyone....sorry for not updating my blog...hee...actually i have change my topic...that's why i am not updating my post...sorry....so, for my latest topic is to investigate the "FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S SATISFACTION IN UITM SHAH ALAM". The reasoned why i choose this topic and change my topic is because there are no much info for my first topic that is about GST or Good and Service tax in Malaysia. it is because, GST is new in Malaysia and have just implemented on 1st April 2015. Therefore, the information about GST is not much as another country that have been implemented GST for a long period. 

my first proposal : chapter one!! ;-)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1       CHAPTER DESCRIPTION

This first chapter consists of an introduction and background to the study towards the effects of GST towards consumer.  This chapter also includes the problem statement, objectives of the study.  Besides that, it also briefly discusses the significance of the study and limitations during the process in completing this study.

1.2       INTRODUCTION

GST means Goods and Services Tax and it is a consumption tax based on the value-added concept. GST Malaysia is imposed on goods and services at every production and distribution stage in the supply chain including importation of goods and services. GST will replace the present consumption tax comprising the sales tax and the service tax (SST).The difference between GST and the present consumption tax is in terms of its scope of charge which is more comprehensive, inclusive of the manufacturing and distribution stages as well as providing a tax credit claim for GST paid on business inputs. When compared with the present consumption tax system, the sales tax is imposed only at the manufacturing stage that is at the time when the goods are manufactured or when the goods are imported. On the other hand, service tax is imposed on specific services at the time when the services are provided to the consumer.

1.3       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The concept behind GST was invented by a French tax official in the 1950s. In some countries it is known as VAT, or Value-Added Tax. Today, more than 160 nations, including the European Union and Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Singapore and China practice this form of taxation. Roughly 90 percent of the world's populations live in countries with VAT or GST. Goods and Services Tax (GST Malaysia) will be implemented with effective from 1 April 2015 and GST rate is fixed at 6 (%) per cent.  Sales tax and service tax will be abolished. Currently, Sales tax and service tax rates are 10% and 6% respectively.

The introduction of GST is part of the Government's tax reform programmed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing taxation system. GST is proven to be a better tax system as it is more effective, efficient and transparent and business friendly and could spur economic growth as well as increase competitiveness in the global market. GST is capable of generating a more stable source of revenue to the nation because it is less susceptible to economic fluctuations. It is important to replace the existing SST in order to eliminate its inherent weaknesses such as cascading and compounding effects, transfer pricing and value shifting, no complete relief on goods exported, discourage vertical integration, administrative bureaucratic red tape, classification issues and etc.

1.4       PROBLEM STATEMENT

This research is conducted to study the factors that affect consumption and investment in Malaysia.  The determinants effects studied for GST is the consumer decision, consumer price index (CPI) and inflation rate. The Malaysian people have attracted the attention of various research groups in different disciplines.  This group has become the target of research in similar form, mainly due to this group of the population comprises of the large demographic segment of consumers with high spending power.  The reason is consumer purchasing behavior might be influenced by some other factors such as gender, level of income of the individual and quality of environment the individual is living and others. 

Malaysia’s population has just touched 30 million. However, only about 5.6% or 1.7 million of the country’s population pay income tax. This comes to just 14% of the 12 million employed Malaysians. This is very low and means that 5.6% of the country is supporting the other 94.4%. No country can sustain its growth and development on this drastically imbalanced ratio.

Everyone has to share this burden of paying tax. The burden should not be placed on the shoulders of just 5.6% of the population. So how do we do this and make sure that some people who are less financially capable are not burdened while those who have the means end up paying pittance? Because Malaysians are so focused on opposing the GST, no one is bothering to look at how to make it fair or fairer and not become a burden to the lower income Malaysians. This, I believe, is what politicians should be looking at because there is no way the government is not going to implement the GST unless we want to see Malaysia going broke 10 years or so from now.

1.5       OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.5.1        To examine the relationship between each of independent variables with dependent variable

1.5.2        To study which is the most significant variable that effect of GST towards consumer

1.6       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Research questions are a statement of the purpose of a study.  Research questions is about what the researcher want to investigate and study besides the questions become a beginning in doing the research and have to be answer in the end of the study.

This paper has a several questions that researcher want to find out the answer. The questions include:

        i.            What is the relationship between GST and Consumer Decision?

      ii.            What is the effect GST towards the Inflation Rate?

    iii.            What is the impact between GST with the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

1.7       RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

In this study, the hypotheses were built to examine the relationship between independent variable and dependent variable.  The hypothesis can be defined as a logically conjectured relationship between two or more variables expressed in the form of a testable statement.  There are two types of hypotheses.  The first type is null hypothesis (H0) and the other hypothesis is known as alternative hypothesis (Ha).  Null hypothesis is a proposition that states a definitive, exact relationship between two variables.  In general, the null statement is expressed as no (significant) relationship between two variables or no (significant) difference between two groups.  The hypothesis will come out such as follows:

INFLATION RATE

H0 = There is no significant relationship between inflation rate and GST

Ha = There is a significant relationship between inflation rate and GST

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

H0 = There is no significant relationship between CPI and GST

Ha = There is a significant relationship between CPI and GST

CONSUMER DECISION

H0 = There is no significant relationship between consumer decision and GST

Ha = There is a significant relationship between consumer decision and GST

1.8       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research is significant to:

        i.            As a researcher:

Researcher can gain a lot of information together with brilliant knowledge that can be used in variety situation.

      ii.            To student:

The research can help the other students who want to study about GST, so they can use this research as a reference or as an example.

    iii.            To public:

People can get extra information that can be used as a guide to them involve in the investment in the future or as general knowledge.

    iv.            To consumer:

Consumer can get extra information that can be used as a guide to them involve in the investment in the future or as general knowledge.     

1.9       SCOPES OF THE STUDY

The study only focuses on the effects of GST towards consumer.  The scope of the study involves the relationship between consumer decision, consumer price index (CPI) and inflation rate and GST as the dependent variable.

1.10     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is to explain the effects of GST towards consumer in general.  There are several independent variables that the statistical could be found from the website.  Moreover, through this managed, people managed to see whether there is a relationship between dependent variable and independent variable and does the correlation really exist between them.

However, there are also a few of limitation in order to conduct this study, such as:

a)         Financial constraint

Financial sources are limited since this research will be conduct by a single person.  The researcher will facing with this constraint in order to conduct this study.

b)         Lack of knowledge and information

Information sometimes is limited in this research since this topic is general, so the knowledge and information must be valid and updated.

c)         Lack of data

Data sometimes is limited in this research since this topic is general, so the data must valid and updated.