Ananda Sabil Hussein: PLS for Decision Making, Do not Stuck Only in Numbers

PLS training by Libyan Students UnionPLS (Partial Least Squares) is statistics which is widely used in social or exact science research. Decision making which is based on quantitative perception measurement also use PLS widely. Ananda Sabil Hussein, PhD delivered this regard when he was a speaker at “PLS for Academic Research” training. The event was held by Libyan Students Union on Saturday (03/Mar/2018) at Faculty of Economics and Business Brawijaya University.

Quantitative research for social and business science research is widely using regression. Unfortunately, regression is not giving comprehensive results because normal distributed data is necessary. Repetition is conducted in relatively large sample numbers, 30 samples minimally. Independent and dependent factors relation is also linier, instead nothing is linier in social science. Therefore, PLS is an alternative, among others because it can analyze relations of several dependent and independent factors.

Delivered by Ananda, PLS steps are including outer model evaluation, inner model evaluation and hypothesis test. “PLS is the easiest SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) form in accuracy level which began reliable,” he affirmed. Out of six Scopus publications he produced in the last two years, Ananda use PLS in all those works.

Alumni of doctoral program of University of Canterbury New Zealand advised to be careful in dissertation writing for business management program. Since the doctors are asked to find novelty in building new concept. “PhD is not only a degree but also there is a demand for contributions towards society and knowledge,” said Ananda. Originality and novelty are also a demand of scientific publishing so as able to be published at Scopus. “To be listed in Scopus is very difficult,” he said. Of his experience, to produce a Scopus publication needs 1.5 years.

Particularly Ananda advised not too stuck in statistics numbers. What business management needed, according to him is capability in numbers interpretation for decision making. Ananda also confessed not to compulsory his students in going deep into statistics, since the most important according to him is capability in reading statistics number and its interpretation.

Head of Libyan Students Union, Abdul Kalifa, delivered this training aims to improve participants’ knowledge who entirely are master’s and doctoral program students. They are from business management, Islamic Economics, Engineering, Science, Islamic Science and Medicine. “Finally all these sciences are going to be contributed for society thus statistics will support that, such as in decision making,” he said. Libyan Students Union is not only followed by Libyans, but also Sudanese, the Gambia, Iraqis and Indians. [Denok/Humas UB/trans. Denok]