ABSTRACT
The situation where one can practise working from home is not easy for some people in Malaysia, especially those with limited space at home. Working from home (WFH), on the other hand, needs to be rethought and thoroughly examined for individuals in the bottom 40 percent (B40) for a variety of reasons. A total of 144 samples from low-income households in Shah Alam responded to the structured questionnaire. The questionnaire focuses on two main investigations: (1) the WFH conditions in terms of space and environment among the B40;and (2) how they manage WFH distractions in connection to the house space and environment. According to survey results, most respondents prefer working in a bedroom or living room since it is a more pleasant environment. The availability of electrical plugs, internet access, and adequate ventilation are further considerations that influence their choice of workspace. The survey's findings indicated that the lack of a comfortable workspace made the majority of respondents unhappy about practising WFH. The majority of responders suggested that future bedrooms be larger to guarantee that those practising WFH are comfortable. The results of this study are expected to enhance the planning and design of residential living space and pave the way for future low-cost housing development that places greater emphasis on the well-being of the urban poor. © 2022 by MIP.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed human nature. The Malaysian government declared the Movement Control Order as a measure to control the spread of COVID-19 with various restrictions. The Movement Control Order has affected daily routines as well as commercial activities. Therefore, the study will focus on the impact of movement control orders during the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations, supply of materials and products, as well as finances of commercial activities at a district level. The town of Muar, Johor, has been identified as the commercial area for this study. The data collection was accomplished by a questionnaire survey and by using convenience sampling with 100 respondents answering the questionnaire. A cross-table analysis and a Pearson's chi-squared test analysis were used to examine the Movement Control Order‘s implications on commercial activities' operations, supply of materials and products, and finances. The findings indicated that the Movement Control Order had a substantial impact on commercial activities. The study concluded that cash flow for survival needs critical attention due to this unprecedented outbreak, which led to the economic downturn. It is recommended that the government offer training courses on digital marketing and e-commerce to boost commercial activities as part of a new business strategy and financial management plan, particularly for new businesses at the district level. © 2022 by MIP.
ABSTRACT
The Movement Control Order (MCO) has forced significant segments of Malaysia's economy to shut down or scale back operations in a nationwide effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, one segment of the population that is perhaps more susceptible to the adverse economic effects of the pandemic is the mental well-being of those who need to work remotely at home. This study expands on previous research by examining workers' perceptions of remote working practices at home and their impact on a person's mental condition. The reviewed literature presents four (4) main indoor environmental quality factors: spatial and thermal comfort;noise distraction and privacy;visual comfort;and overall satisfaction with their home and its relation to the work stress level, in addition to the emergence of the new norm of working during the pandemic. This study has shown that the quality of the indoor environment plays an important role in ensuring comfort when working from home, as the practice could have a negative or positive impact depending on the IEQ. From the results, most of the IEQ score values were more than 1, and the mean was the highest, which demonstrates a positive scale. The input from respondents on IEQ also indicates their mental well-being due to the fact that IEQ strongly affects workers' stress and productivity levels when working from home. This paper recommends extending the study on gender and productivity level, as well as mental well-being (Factor 3), when working from home, and how this relationship may affect an organisation when such a policy is implemented. © 2022 by MIP.