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Antinutrients such as phytic acids, tannins, saponin, and enzyme inhibitors are phytochemicals that can decrease the bioavailability of micro- and macronutrients, thus causing them to be unavailable for absorptions in the digestive system. Antinutrients are a major concern especially in countries where plant-based commodities such as wheat, legumes, and cereals are staple foods, for the antinutrients can cause not only mineral deficiencies, but also lead to more serious health issues. Although various thermal and non-thermal processing methods such as cooking, boiling, and fermentation processes have been practiced to decrease the level of antinutrients, these processes may also undesirably influence the final products. More advanced practices, such as ozonation and cold plasma processing (CPP), have been applied to decrease the antinutrients without majorly affecting the physicochemical and nutritional aspects of the commodities post-processing. This review will cover the types of antinutrients that are commonly found in plants, and the available processing methods that can be used, either singly or in combination, to significantly decrease the antinutrients, thus rendering the foods safe for consumption.

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the awareness level of university students on energy conservation by focusing on their knowledge, attitude and practice. Energy awareness is a feasible energy conservation measure, but an inappropriate approach can cause the wastage of resources. The current number of reported awareness studies especially among the university student is quite limited, and focus is more given to the awareness on renewable energy, instead of energy conservation. Design/methodology/approach A paper-based survey using a set of questionnaires that involved 2,857 respondents. There are four sections in this questionnaire, which are basic background information of respondents, knowledge (yes/true or no/false choice of responses), attitude (a scale of 1–10, where 10 indicates “strongly agree” and 1 chooses “strongly disagree”) and practices (a scale of 1–10, where 10 indicates “Always” and 1 selects “Never”). The evaluation includes the correlation analysis of all awareness variables with an educational background to disclose the most critical aspects that should be highly considered in the forthcoming awareness campaign. Findings This research revealed that university students have a high level of awareness of energy conservation. They hold a high knowledge level and show a positive attitude with very good energy conservation practices. However, some issues require serious attention in preparing energy management plans. Effective approaches should be taken by considering the field of study, gender and family economic status to enhance the awareness level of the university students on energy conservation. Originality/value The absence of appropriate references complicates the preparation of energy management plans including the establishment of energy policy and strategies. The findings of this research can contribute some contextual information in the local perspective to ensure the effectiveness of the energy management program and strengthen academic leadership by emphasising the element of sustainability. This is crucial for developing an energy saving culture among the young generation that will be our future scholars and leaders.

PurposeMicro-enterprises have a vital role in the development of a nation by creating employment, encouraging entrepreneurship, balancing social income and educating the workforce. Yet, micro-enterprises face significant operational challenges such as low productivity, high production costs and long changeover times. These challenges are often overlooked by researchers and practitioners but have a drastic impact on micro-enterprises' operational performance. With over 95% of the economy consisting of micro-enterprises, it is vital to improve operational performance and competitiveness of the micro-enterprises.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the data availability and practical challenges of gathering data from micro-enterprises, an action research methodology was selected as a suitable research method. Following the initial diagnostic visits, planned interventions were prepared and results were observed to gather data and draw conclusions.FindingsFindings suggest that commonly adapted performance improvement initiatives by large enterprises cannot be directly applied in micro-enterprises to enhance operational performance. Micro-enterprises lack the critical resources and company culture to easily adapt these initiatives. On the other hand, when these performance improvement initiatives are filtered according to specific needs of micro-enterprises, continuous improvement initiatives were often found to be effective in improving operational performance. Specifically, 5S, single-minute exchange of dies (SMED), suggestion schemes, layout improvements, management coaching, visual management, empowerment were found to be useful and suitable to address command and control culture, low productivity, unorganised workspace, undelegated authority, low skilled employees and unwillingness to take responsibility problems.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is required to investigate the specific factors that affect the adaptation of continuous improvement initiatives such as culture and industry type.Originality/valueThis research extends and contributes the current literature on continuous improvement initiatives by revealing how performance improvement initiatives need to be filtered according to the specific needs of micro-enterprises, and how these initiatives can be used to address specific problems to improve operational efficiency. It provides a conceptual framework to guide the decision-making process on operational performance improvement in micro-enterprises.

The aim of this study is to identify the readiness factors of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) for the food manufacturing industry. A multi-method qualitative approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve quality practitioners and three case food companies to identify and explore the LSS readiness factors in the food manufacturing industry. Twenty-eight factors were identified and classified into six LSS readiness factors (RF) in the food manufacturing industry context, namely, management support and leadership, organisational culture readiness, process management, project management, employee involvement, and external relations. This study could benefit managers in the food business as a diagnostic tool to evaluate their readiness to implement LSS prior to investing in the programme. The proposed framework identifies LSS readiness dimensions and their attributes to enable food businesses to conduct readiness level self-assessments, thereby contributing to the successful implementation of LSS in the food manufacturing industry. The determined readiness factors will potentially enable an organisational transformation to be better understood, making the implementation of LSS practices in food businesses more successful and sustainable.

Cavendish banana is the second most cultivated species in Malaysia due to its high potassium and vitamin B6 content. However, there has been little commercialisation of Cavendish banana in jam making to date because of its unappealing physical characteristics and unsavoury taste. In the present study, response surface methodology was used to determine the optimum quantity of sugar (175-275 g)-pectin (3-7 g)-citric acid (150-234 mL) (SPC) on water activity, °Brix, colour analysis, pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), and sensory attributes of formulated banana jams. The amount of sugar-pectin-citric acid was found to have an effect on the TTA and pH of the banana jams. Conversely, water activity and °Brix were only affected by the amount of sugar. The lightness, L* of the banana jams was influenced by the quantity of pectin and the volume of citric acid added. Sensory analysis using 30 panellists showed that there were changes in the colour, taste, aroma, texture, and overall acceptability of banana jam depending on the amount of sugar used. In a shelf life study, banana jams stored at 4 °C were found to have a longer shelf life compared to those stored at 25 °C. Overall, the optimal formulation for a high-quality banana jam was 281.79 g of sugar, 4.13 g of pectin, and 264.66 mL of citric acid. This study constitutes the first report on the potential pre-commercialisation formulation for Cavendish banana jam production.

The development of liveable space made from shipping containers becomes a trend even in Malaysia with the hot and humid climate persisting throughout the year. For sustaining the indoor comfort, building insulation is well adapted to increase thermal resistance and reduce the dependency on the mechanical cooling systems. The prospective of a shippingcontainer as an efficient construction material and bamboo as a sustainableinsulation material is well documented but basic information on the internal environment that has an impact on a person, particularly risk potential towards sick building syndrome (SBS) has been absent. Therefore, the measurements of both indoor and outdoor temperatures, relative humidity and CO2concentration with two different conditions were done by using different sets of dataloggers for at least 70 days under each condition. The firstcondition is a bareunit of the shippingcontainer and followed by the installation of untreated bamboo as insulation for the secondcondition. This research reveals that high temperatures were recorded up to 40°C in both conditions and untreated bamboo as insulation increased the relative humidity levels up to the maximum, 100%. The mean values of CO2concentration are in the range of 1,869 ppm to 2,938 ppm and they reach up to 5,000 ppm at the most of the intervals, indicating a significantcontribution to SBS. The condition of the equatorial climate denies the compatibility of the shipping container to be used as the building material of liveable space. The quality and treatment of the bamboo must be the ultimate priority

In a commercial oyster mushroom farm, from 300 g of the total harvest, only the cap and stem of the fruiting body parts are harvested (200 g) while the unused lower section called fruiting-body-base (FBB) is discarded (50 g). A new antioxidative FBB flour (FBBF) conversion to mixed-ratio chicken patty was recently developed which converts 16.67% of FBB into an edible flour. At the initial stage, pretreatments of FBBF were optimized at particle size (106 µm) and citric acid concentration (0.5 g/100 mL) to improve flour antioxidant responses. Such pretreatments boosted total phenolic content (2.31 ± 0.53 mg GAE/g) and DPPH (51.53 ± 1.51%) of pretreated FBBF. Mixed-ratio chicken patty containing FBBF (10%, 20%, 30%) significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness of the patties. However, only the hardness and chewiness increased proportionally with the increase FBBF in concentration. Notably, 60 panellists considered that 10% FBBF-chicken patty sensory attributes, including lightness, redness, and yellowness, is acceptable to consumers. This information could be used to market any type of commercial mushroom farm waste as alternative food products. Practical Application: This study shows that unused harvested mushroom waste from a local farm can be used to make an antioxidative chicken patty that is acceptable to consumer panellists. The converted mushroom waste into flour suggests that smaller particles and citric acid pretreatment can increase its nutritional value. This information can be used for waste conversion into new product development from any type of mushroom farm. © 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®

This study aimed to produce sourdough bread using an encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter culture without the addition of baker's yeast. The bioactive metabolites of kombucha sourdough starter and sourdough starter without kombucha were identified using 1 H-NMR analysis with multivariate analysis. The physical properties, including loaf volume, specific loaf volume, firmness, and water activity were determined following standard methods. The shelf life and consumer acceptability of the bread were also being evaluated. The principal component analyses showed the presence of 15 metabolites in kombucha sourdough starter. The major compounds that contributed to the differences from sourdough starter without kombucha were alpha-aminobutyric acid, alanine, acetic acid, riboflavin, pyridoxine, anserine, tryptophan, gluconic acid, and trehalose. The encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter increased the loaf volume (976.7 ± 25.2 mL) and specific loaf volume (4.38 ± 0.12 mL/g) compared to yeast bread. Thus, significant (P < 0.05) reduction was observed in the crumb firmness (116.07 ± 6.28 g) compared to traditional sourdough bread and yeast bread. The encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter extended the shelf life of bread by 5 to 10 days at room temperature. The sourdough bread prepared using the encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter demonstrated significantly (P < 0.05) higher taste and overall acceptability scores compared to the other bread. The findings indicate that the encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter is promising to produce functional sourdough bread with extended shelf life and improved quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Encapsulated kombucha sourdough starter culture that appropriately refreshed can be used primarily as a dough leavening agent in the bread industry without the addition of baker's yeast. This starter culture applied in sourdough bread production extended the shelf life and improved the biological function of sourdough bread.

Contribution of renewable energy (RE) in current Malaysian energy mix is limited despite of the abundant biomass from its agriculture and sufficient sunshine and rainfall throughout the year. As future leaders, the acceptance of young generation towards RE reflects the most important public decision and policy especially in reducing dependency on fossil fuels. In order to optimise the successful of an awareness program, a set of questionnaire has been used to examine the perception and interpretation of university students towards RE. A total of 2,863 completed questionnaire were analysed according to educational background (science and non-science) and family economic status classified as Bottom 40 (B40), Middle 40 (M40) and Top 20 (T20). The results revealed that most of them have positive perception and optimistic on the usage of RE. Unfortunately, more focus and attention should be given to students with non-science educational background and those who came from Bottom 40 economic group in understanding renewable energy. There is also a gap on interpretation that indicates the need for more intellectual activities that covers information on development, technologies and benefit of RE.

This study aimed to discover the supply and demand of entry-level job competencies, particularly from the perceptions of human resource managers in 4- and 5-star hotels. Also, the gap between the supply and demand of the entry-level job competencies were identified. This study applied the qualitative approach through a semi-structured interview and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Findings of this study showed that human resource managers perceived the competencies of fresh graduates supplied to the hotel industry in both positive and negative views were communication skill, technical skill, cognitive skill, and interpersonal skill. In contrast, the critical competencies demanded in the hotel industry for the entry-level job were interpersonal skill, communication skill, technical skill, leadership, information management, teamwork, and cognitive skill. Out of the four competencies supplied to the industry, the employers perceived only one positive competency was supplied to them, and the other three were regarded as insufficient. It is anticipated that the findings obtained from this study may enhance the collaboration between the hospitality industry and universities to bridge the competencies gap of fresh graduates.

State-owned companies are typically trapped in a bureaucratic system that means they experience difficulties undertaking changes and adapting to environmental changes. Whenever these companies attempt a strategic maneuver, a series of complex bureaucratic procedures must be followed. As a result, the companies are late in responding to environmental changes. This study discusses how the state-owned companies transform their organization with the support of dynamic capabilities. XT Square, a company owned by the local government in Indonesia, is used as the subject of analysis. XT Square is engaged in property. During the course of its organizational transformation, the company found it difficult to fit with customers’ needs because of the difficulties in understanding market conditions. The company then established alliances with other firms to overcome resource shortages. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the process of building these alliances was not linear; rather, it was iterative in nature. At a certain level, XT Square is required to undertake trial and error. At the end of the paper, a suggestion for further research is provided.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a technique for business improvement that has flourished over the past decade due to its ability to minimise variations and increase efficiency, which enhanced the business performance and market credibility. However, LSS in the food industry was far away behind compared with other manufacturing settings. This paper focuses on the stage of LSS preimplementation, with an intent to fill in the gap in the literature as to what type of competency is necessary to implement LSS in the food manufacturing settings. The objective of this study is to identify factors that influencing the readiness of LSS implementation in the food manufacturing industry. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve food industry practitioners involved in quality management activities. Six LSS readiness factors are customised for the food manufacturing industry identified through 29 nodes. This study helps develop the LSS readiness framework and self-assessment tool, which can be a future reference for quality practitioners in the food industry.

The sustainability of food security is a global concern, and one of the priorities related to it is the ability to identify effective efforts that can protect food security along the food supply chain (FSC). The present study demystifies the relation of sustainability and food security and structurally identifies the sustainable drivers, and the pragmatic interventions that can critically contribute to the sustainability of food security within each stage of the FSC. A systematic review of articles from six databases was implemented. Thematic analysis was engaged to detect the sustainable drivers and interventions practised at each stage in the FSC for food security purposes. Six main themes of the drivers and interventions were derived from the analysis: food security governance involvement, input resource management, output management, information sharing, income, and technology. The result identifies the potential that quality management has on the mediating effect towards sustainable food security, through which a conceptual model for sustainable food security in the FSC was thus developed. It is deduced that mapping and categorizing the drivers and intervention of sustainable food securities could help deepen the understanding of effective and innovative practices towards food security in the FSC.

This study aims to examine how small and medium enterprises manage the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency. Organizational agility is a multidimensional concept where each of its components can interact differently with efficiency. The tensions between other capabilities have been explored in many previous studies, yet there is a lack of research exploring the roots of the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency, how the actors interpret these tensions and what dimensions of organizational agility are causing the tensions. A multiple case study research design with an inductive approach was used to explore how two SMEs manage the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency to serve customers from abroad. Despite the relationship between the agility and efficiency seeming contradictory, our analysis demonstrated that the interaction between the two concepts is complex, depending on the object of the tensions, the actors involved and the context. In fact, two actors at the same level of the organizational hierarchy can have identical perceptions about a tension, but they can arise from different logical reasoning. Moreover, due to the multidimensionality of organizational agility, a meta-capability of organizational agility is more likely to dominate the interaction with efficiency. This study contributes to the limited empirical evidence on how actors in SMEs perceive and manage the various tensions emerging from organizational agility and efficiency.

In a commercial oyster mushroom farm, fruiting body base (FBB) was not harvested compared to the common cap and stem of the fruiting body parts, and thus remained as waste. In the present study, unused FBB was powdered and subjected to proximate analysis as floured FBB (FFBB). FFBB was found to contain 71.2% carbohydrate, 8.93% moisture, 7.18% fibre, 5.72% ash, 5.57% protein, and 1.4% fat, while raw-FBB (RFBB) contained 7.57% carbohydrate, 84.4% moisture, 5.17% fibre, 5.72% ash, 1.54% protein, and 0.85% fat. The high carbohydrate content of FFBB was subjected to hot-water extraction and yielded 7.40 g of FFBB polysaccharide (FFBBP). Total phenolic content (TPC) of FFBBP contained 1.80 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g, exhibiting the reducing activity of 1.74 mM Fe(II)/g by ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, and reduced the stable 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical forms at IC50 of 25.08 mg/mL, which was comparable with other parts of oyster mushroom species. Different percentages of FFBB mixtures were utilized in the production of cookies (10% and 20%) and steamed buns (10%, 20% and 30%). Thirty-seven panellists were selected for sensory testing, which showed that 10% of FFBB in a steamed bun was more acceptable than 30% of FFBB, while the overall acceptance of cookies with 10% FBB was insignificant (p > 0.05) but 20% FFBB in cookies was significantly different from control (p < 0.05). This study indicates that potential value of FFBB as an economical antioxidative flour in the development of functional foods.

Purpose Statistical process control (SPC) is widely applied for control and improve processes in manufacturing, but very few studies have reported on the successful application of SPC in the food industry, in particular. The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the status of SPC in the UK food manufacturing industry and to suggest future research avenues. Design/methodology/approach A research project was carried out in the UK food manufacturing sector through questionnaires. The results of the study were analysed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests to be applied in the hypothesis testing. Findings Findings revealed that 45 per cent of the respondents are SPC users and x ¯ -R and x ¯ -S charts are the most commonly applied SPC charts in this industry. It was determined that top management commitment is the most critical factor, while lack of SPC training is the most alarming challenge, and lack of awareness of SPC and its benefits are the main reasons for the food companies not implementing SPC. Research limitations/implications The study considered only the food manufacturing companies. Future research could be addressed toward the food service and food supply chain. Practical implications The paper provides information to food companies in the UK on most common practiced and important quality tools, SPC charts and critical success factors in the food industry. Moreover, the most challenging factors of SPC implementation in the food industry are presented. Originality/value This study depicted the current state of SPC practices in the food industry and the process performance in SPC and non-SPC companies is compared.

Underutilized mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum BCCM 31549 has been a significant source of a glucan sulfate (GS) possessing therapeutic activities. GS have been evaluated for their antifungaldemelanizing properties and nitrite oxide production from stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. GS exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger A60 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 60 mg/mL and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 100 mg/mL. At 60mg/mL (sublethal) and 30mg/mL (subinhibitory) doses of GS, the mycelium of A. niger A60 was successfully demelanized with a conidiophore head and black pigment reduction. Additionally, GS successfully stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells at a concentration of 500 mu g/mL to produce 0.45 mu M of nitric oxide. The GS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were morphologically similar to those treated with lipopolysaccharide. The results highlight a novel bifunctional property of mycelial GS from G. lucidum.

In the era of digitalisation, the measurement, monitoring and controlling of quality processes is vital and considered the critical dimension in the Six Sigma application toward process excellence. Despite the importance of quality in the food processing, there is a dearth of systematic procedure of process control practices in this industry due to the lack of awareness and guidelines available. Therefore, the purpose of this study are to develop step-by-step guidelines to implement Statistical Process Control as one of the Six Sigma approaches for process control, determine the tools appropriate at each step of the implementation and identify the critical elements toward the success of its application in the food industry. The method used was the “action-research (AR)” approach since the researchers were actively involved in the briefing the SPC awareness and implementation. There are six steps of an implementation of an SPC pilot project, where along the implementation, specific tools are appropriate at each stage The SPC application in this paper provides insights into practical implementation experience in a food manufacturing operation, as well as lessons learned. Until now, most research addressed the case study of the application of SPC. However, this study critically develop a guideline of the implementation and determine the critical element of implementing SPC pilot project.

In submerged-liquid fermentation, seven key parameters were assessed using one-factor-at-a-time to obtain the highest GABA yield using an industrial soy sauce koji Aspergillus oryzae strain NSK (AOSNSK). AOSNSK generated maximum GABA at 30 °C (194 mg/L) and initial pH 5 (231 mg/L), thus was able to utilize sucrose (327 mg/L of GABA) for carbon source. Sucrose at 100 g/L, improved GABA production at 646 mg/L. Single nitrogen sources failed to improve GABA production, however a combination of yeast extract (YE) and glutamic acid (GA) improved GABA at 646.78 mg/L. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C8:N3) produced the highest cell (24.01 g/L) and GABA at a minimal time of 216 h. The key parameters of 30 °C, initial pH 5, 100 g/L of sucrose, combination YE and GA, and C8:N3 generated the highest GABA (3278.31 mg/L) in a koji fermentation. AOSNSK promisingly showed for the development of a new GABA-rich soy sauce.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the strain of oyster mushroom (OM)Pleurotus sapiduscultivated in a local (commercial) farm, and to generate a total quality index (TQI) on the strain using different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) gas mixtures.Design/methodology/approachA phylogenetic tree was constructed using the MEGA software to identify the specific strain ofP. sapidusgrown in a local farm. The effects of MAP on fresh fruiting bodies of the identified strain were determined under three conditions: high carbon dioxide packaging (HCP: 20 per cent CO2, 15 per cent O2), low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP: 2 per cent CO2, 30 per cent O2) and high nitrogen packaging (HNP: 85 per cent N2, 15 per cent O2). All samples were stored at 4oC for up to ten days, and subjected to total phenolic content (TPC), colour retention (CR) and sensory analysis. Quality parameters such as chewiness and odour were used to obtain the TQI.FindingsFrom the phylogenetic analysis, a new strain (P. sapidusstrain QDR) with 99 per cent similarity toP. sapiduswas identified. Among the three MAP treatments, HCP recorded the highest TPC (2.85 mg GAE/g) and CR (60.36) after ten days, although only its CR was significantly different (pOriginality/valueScientific evidence has revealed that packaging trend for commercially grown OM affects consumer’s acceptance.

Background The increasing pressure from the customers, governmental regulations and fierce market competition forced food companies to pursue powerful quality improvement technique. Although Statistical Process Control is widely known for its effectiveness in process control, many food companies faced difficulties to adopt such technique, where being in the state of not ready has always been the reason. There has been a debate about the importance of deciding the state of readiness of a company to initiate their CI techniques such as SPC towards the successful implementation and sustainability of such technique. Scope and approach This paper emphasises the importance of SPC readiness towards its implementation in the food industry and determines its factors. The SPC readiness factors were identified based on the current literature review and complemented with a three-round Delphi study involving the SPC experts (academics, industry and consultants). Key findings and conclusion The SPC readiness factors identified are top management support, sense of urgency, measurement system, employees involvement and organisational culture readiness. The developed conceptual self-assessment readiness tool enables food practitioners to identify the current state of organisational readiness and facilitate the companies to plan strategic changes and preparation activities for the adoption of SPC in their businesses.

In this study, four selected commercial strains of Aspergillus oryzae were collected from soy sauce koji. These A. oryzae strains designated as NSK, NSZ, NSJ and NST shared similar morphological characteristics with the reference strain (A. oryzae FRR 1675) which confirmed them as A. oryzae species. They were further evaluated for their ability to produce γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by cultivating the spore suspension in a broth medium containing 0.4 % (w/v) of glutamic acid as a substrate for GABA production. The results showed that these strains were capable of producing GABA; however, the concentrations differed significantly (P

Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most highly used quality control techniques in the industry. The lack of specific implementation guidelines makes it the least applied quality control technique in the food industry. This paper presents a five-phase SPC implementation conceptual roadmap in the food industry developed based on a critical review on current literature of various SPC deployment methods. It considers six critical factors for the SPC implementation in the food industry. This paper makes unique contributions by presenting a systematic approach for the managers of this industry to successfully deploy SPC in their organisations.

This paper is a systematic review of the literature on statistical process control (SPC) implementation in the food industry. Using systematic searches across three decades of publications, 41 journal articles were selected for the review. Key findings of the review include motivations: to reduce product defects and to follow the food law and regulations (benefits); barriers: high resistance to change and lack of sufficient statistical knowledge; and (limitations) an absence of statistical thinking and a dearth of SPC implementation guidelines. Further findings highlight the predominance of publications from the USA and the UK within this topic. Future research directions concerning SPC implementation issues as well as a ready reference of the SPC literature in the food manufacturing industry are also discussed.

Previous studies indicate that employee’s job satisfaction plays a major role in organizational performance. This study draws upon qualitative investigation with offshore catering employees; the main aim was to explore their satisfaction with the job. Although there have been a numerous number of studies, the area remains to experience range of grasps and ambiguity in this discourse. Shifting the focus from usual job setting where job satisfaction is commonly studied, researchers draw on the findings to gain insights into these differing understandings of offshore catering employees as they engaged in secluded and confined workplace. The pilot interview was carried out as impetus for a dissertation in constructing a bespoke job satisfaction instrument. In this small-scale pilot study, this study explored the job satisfaction experiences of Mark and Karl, two offshore catering employees. Data in the form of in-depth, semi-structured interviews identified 44 codes, indicating 10 dimensions of job satisfaction derived from the emerging themes. Evidently, the qualitative findings present meaningful attributes of job satisfaction among offshore catering employees. Apparently, findings of this study shed light on the need for future research to extend the scope of the study, bringing diverse cultures in order to improve the understanding of job satisfaction across a broader spectrum.

Qualitative interviews offer rich and detailed information in understanding people’s experiences. However, qualitative inquiry might be difficult for inexperience researcher to adequately perform the interview. Piloting for interview is an integral aspect and useful in the process of conducting qualitative research as it highlights the improvisation to the major study. This article discusses the importance of pilot study, the methods undertaken and the lessons learnt throughout the process. The pilot interview was conducted with two offshore catering employees, as preparation for a dissertation in developing a job satisfaction instrument for offshore catering employees in Malaysia. The useful functions of pilot study are described and in highlighting the advantageous of pilot study, this paper describes the modification made for the major study as a result of the pilot work. These comprise (1) criteria for selecting potential participants, and (2) improving the interview guide, particularly the interview questions.

Purpose – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology that aims to reduce the costs of poor quality, improve the bottom-line results and create value for both customers and shareholders. The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical failure factors for LSS in different sectors, such as manufacturing, services, higher education, etc. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a systematic literature review of 56 papers that were published on Lean, Six Sigma and LSS in well-known academic databases from 1995 to 2013. Findings – There are 34 common failure factors of LSS cited in this paper. There are some common factors for failure, such as a lack of top management commitment and involvement, lack of communication, lack of training and education, limited resources and others. Many gaps and limitations are discussed in this paper and need to be explored in future research. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first systematic literature reviews to explore the critical failure factors of LSS and discuss the top failure factors from different angles, i.e. countries’ evolution, organisations’ size (small- and medium-sized enterprises and large organisations) and industry nature.

This paper presents a systematic review on the reported implementation of Statistical Process Control (SPC) in the food industry. The final selection comprehends 41 articles selected and comprehensively analysed to assess SPC development in the food industry through its motivations, benefits, challenges and limitations. Key outputs indicated from the review include: reduced process variability and conformance to the food regulations are the biggest motivations; resistance to accept SPC is the most cited challenge; lack of statistical knowledge is the most common limitation and the biggest benefits for implementing SPC in the food industry are improved food safety and reduced process variation.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is the most current quality management approach being applied recently in many industries to improve food quality and subsequently process excellence in the businesses. The objectives of this paper are to determine the barriers and resistance to change factors of implementing LSS approach in the food industry. This study was conducted as to determine the benefits of applying LSS and comparing the trend of quality management being used in the food industry. It is also based on the application of systematic review of 113 LSS articles, involving a structured approach of data collection and data extraction. The listed barriers and resistance to change factors shown are top management support, lack of quality improvement knowledge, poor training and insufficient skills amongst employees and lack of financial budget thus causing the limitation of LSS approach in the food industry. The result mapped the current quality management approaches implemented in the food industry. The academics and the food industry practitioners may have an insight from this paper by considering their critical success factors, barriers and resistance to change factors that could facilitate towards a successful LSS implementation.

The concept of saturation is deemed necessary in qualitative research;however, existing literature discussing the point of saturation is relativelyscant. Previous qualitative studies tend to describe the point of saturationbut fail to demonstrate how the saturation occurred. This article providesevidence on how qualitative research might report the point of datasaturation. The original study consists of a mixed method approach todevelop and validate an instrument for measuring offshore cateringemployees’ job satisfaction. Notably, this paper reports a part of thequalitative portion of a mixed-method study. Using the data from a studyinvolving 13 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study documentsthe degree of data saturation over the course of thematic analysis anddemonstrates how data saturation was operationalised. Although the studyreported 13 interviews, the saturation occurred within 12 interviews. Thestudy findings are not extensively discussed; however, adequate informationabout the study background, data collection and sample characteristics areincluded. The technique presented in this paper provides practical guidancefor qualitative researchers in reporting point of saturation. However, itis recommended that the evidence of data saturation occurred after 12interviews should be applied with caution due to several factors