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Learn - the process never end! 

Malaysian Management Review:
A STUDY OF THE READING HABITS AND INTERESTS OF URBAN WORKING PROFESSIONALS, EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS
Irene Ong Pooi Fong - Department of Management, The University of Sheffield Programme, Taylor's Business School

ABSTRACT
 
This study was undertaken to examine the reading habits and interests of urban working professionals, executives and managers in the Klang Valley. With an overall insight into the reading behaviour of this group, it is greatly hoped that there will be a greater awareness among corporate individuals and organizations as regards the importance of reading in knowledge acquisition and knowledge management. Reading is a vital behavioural factor in a knowledge-based society and an emerging knowledge economy.
 
A total of 299 responses were collected in this study. Generally, the reading attitude is very encouraging and a wide ariety of materials was read, ranging from local newspapers, magazines, journals and books to foreign publications. There are also significant relationships between the gender, race and
level of management of respondents and their reading pattern.
 
The results of this study indicated that seniority plays quite a major role in influencing the reading pattern. It was also revealed that there is a strong possibility of the presence of five major categories of readers based on the attitudes and intensity of their reading activities.

Importance of reading
 
Reading has come to hold the most significant place in education as a means of communication in a highly literate society. Mann, in his study (1971), stressed that the book is still very much part of people's lives in our modern society and in spite of the invention of the latest audio-visual materials, the book in its ordinary conventional form is still the most important means of communication ever invented. Mann further stressed that reading is important for acquiring knowledge and information. The enrichment in knowledge would, in turn, enable one to present oneself more confidently.
 

According to Dato' Dr Salleh Mohd Nor in his paper, "Reading in the Context of Management", which was presented during the National Seminar on the Promotion of Reading Habits in Malaysia held from 20-21 June 1994, there is no substitute for reading when it comes to gathering information or keeping abreast of development. Information may appear in different media but the point is that one still has to read. The great advantage ofreading is that there is much more material written in all forms than that on tape and video that one would listen to, and the perception of the ear to respond to critical information is notas effective as that to the eye.

Thus, a culture of continual lifelong learning and continuous improvement needs to be cultivated. Our companies must become learning organizations. We need to develop our capabilities and knowledge quickly if we want to stay ahead and advance to the next stage of industrialization. According to Stan Davis, author of the best-selling book, 2020 Vision, information and knowledge are vital success factors to have in any business (Yeoh, 1995). Therefore, the quest for knowledge should never end.

On the local scene, the habit of reading does not appear to be a prominent feature in the lives of most Malaysians. This situation was validated when Prof. Atan Long conducted a study on reading habits and interests of Malaysians in 1982. In his study, Atan Long found that Malaysians had poor reading habits and did not like reading. He warned that the apathy towards reading, if allowed to carry on, would create wide rifts in the socioeconomic and intellectual development of segments of the population.

 

 

More recently, Dato' Dr Salleh (1994) reminded the public, especially individuals involved in management, such as the executives and managers of the corporate society, to emphasize reading. Furthermore, with the Information Super Highway and the Multimedia Super Corridor under construction, these professionals would be engrossed heavily in networking and managing information. Dr Salleh warned too that if they were not capable of reading the appropriate information in a timely manner intelligently, they would not be able to go side by side with development.
 
This situation would have to be looked into seriously as we enter the 21st century because reading for knowledge and information will become a critical source for competitive advantage besides development (Yeoh, 1995).