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Over the last decade, the Nigerian government has undertaken a wide ranging policy, institutional, and legal initiatives to enhance the country’s public service delivery. Despite these efforts, the nation has grappled with a myriad of issues that still undermine good governance and political security. These challenges include weak institutional capacity, corruption, poor leadership, inadequate public service delivery, political instability, limited resources, poor infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled human resources. This paper examines the strategies and mechanisms employed by public administrators in Nigeria to enhance good governance and political security, analyses the impact of effective public administration on political stability and security and identifies the challenges affecting the implementation of good governance principles through public administration in Nigeria. The study has adopted the New Public Management Theory proposed by Hood in 1991 and relied on secondary data. Findings from the study show that Nigerian public administration has undergone a series of reforms to enhance good governance and political security through various strategies and mechanisms such as capacity building, international cooperation, and ethical conduct. The study also reveals that corruption and lack of accountability, bureaucratic bottlenecks and insufficient capacity among others have been identified as challenges of the implementation of good governance principles in Nigeria. The paper recommends that the encouragement and promotion of transparency and accountability be given top priority; citizen participation should also be encouraged in the planning and decision-making process; empowering local governments through the allocation of adequate resources to foster political security. The paper also recommends the establishment of a proper recruitment base to promote professionalism and meritocracy in the public service.

This study investigates the moderating role of corporate governance in the relationship between political connections and investment efficiency. Using a sample of Malaysian publicly listed firms from 2001- 2017, we find that political connections are negatively correlated with firm investment efficiency. Moreover, the relationship is robust with the inclusion of corporate governance mechanisms, which moderated the potential consequences of agency problems in politically connected firms. The evidence suggests that corporate governance appears to be an effective mechanism to improve investment efficiency in politically connected firms. Consistent with the agency costs of free cash flow theory, we also discover that political connections have a more significant detrimental impact on overinvestment compared to their positive influence on underinvestment. Nevertheless, the interaction results in corporate governance hold regardless of overinvestment or underinvestment. Further analysis reveals that domestic institutional ownership, Big Four auditors, and audit committees are effective governance mechanisms, whereas similar observations do not hold for foreign institutional ownership, board size, board independence, and director ownership. Resultantly, high direct policy relevance is provided for governance practitioners and policymakers in monitoring the investment activities of PCFs.

The higher education institutions (HEIs) in Oman have witnessed rapid development over the last decade; and yet, the quality of their training programs programmes has not yielded the anticipated results. The desired outcome, which failed to meet expectations, pertains to the effectiveness of these programs in enhancing employee job performance. This study aims to investigate the influence of self- efficacy, trainee familiarity with training content and employees’ performance in Oman’s higher education sector. Additionally, the study explores the moderating effect of training effectiveness on employee’s performance. The researcher examined 184 academics as well as administrative employees that participated in a training program sponsored by Takatuf, a consulting firm responsible for assessing, training, and developing employees in Oman. Results indicated that self-efficacy and familiarity with training content contribute to high employee job performance in the country’s HEIs, confirming the significant moderating role of training effectiveness in this relationship. Furthermore, the study suggests two implications for human resource practices. First, it is crucial for managers to provide comprehensive training-related information aimed at increasing self- efficacy before the actual training program. Second, HR managers and individuals can jointly improve the performance effectiveness by creating suitable methods for fostering self-efficacy. The findings suggest that organizations can enhance job performance and reduce turnover intention intentions by improving the effectiveness of training programs for employees. There is limited research linking self-efficacy, training effectiveness, and job performance in HEIs, particularly within member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This research contributes to the expansion of theoretical and managerial doctrines regarding the relationships among the identified variables. Therefore, this research represents a unique attempt to determine the effectiveness of training programs in HEIs grappling with transitional challenges.

As organizations strive to maintain a competitive edge, the need for a more agile workforce has become increasingly apparent. Performance-based reward systems have emerged as a powerful tool to facilitate this transformation, by aligning employee motivation with the organization’s strategic goals. However, the overemphasis on individual performance metrics may inadvertently promote unhealthy competition and undermine collaboration. Hence this study examines the effect of performance-based reward system on organizational agility in the banking industry. Specifically, the study seeks to determine how competence-based reward system will affect organizational agility; to examine the impact of reward and incentives on organizational agility. The study has adopted a survey research design to obtain data from a population of 221 staff members of the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), which represent the broader banking industry in Nigeria. A sample of 142 was drawn through Taro Yamane and sampled randomly. The study used primary data and questionnaires. Multiple regression was used to test the hypotheses. The study found that organizational agility was affected by the competence-based reward system; and incentive and reward proxy by continuous improvement incentives, teamwork reward, and balancing reward objectives determines the organizational agility of the GTB and the broader banking industry in the country. In conclusion, the performance-based reward system has a significant effect on organizational agility in the banking industry in Nigeria. Thus, the study recommends that banks and other financial organizations should adopt the following aspects of a competence- based reward system such as continuous learning, cross-functional collaboration, and skill development as a strategy for achieving a high level of organizational agility in the GTB through its employees.

Rice commodity is becoming increasingly important for most countries worldwide, particularly those where rice is the main staple meal. This study examines the socioeconomic attributes of farmers, their perspectives on management practises, and the implementation of paddy machinery technology in the four MADA (Muda Agricultural Development Authority) regions in Malaysia. The study aims to determine the main factors effecting paddy productivity in the MADA regions. Primary data was collected from paddy farmers in the four MADA zones using a standardised questionnaire. The data was collected from 673 respondents from four regions of MADA. The analysis employed both descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The results indicate that variables such as land area, selection of paddy planting as the primary occupation, increased time spent on paddy farms, gender, and the educational background of farmers have a significant impact on paddy productivity in the MADA regions. The findings also show that, only a small percentage of respondents (6.2%) followed the crop schedule, and 93.8 percent of them were late. The utilisation of machinery in paddy cultivation achieved the following results: nine farmers achieved a success rate of 85.71 percent, while a majority of farmers (662 farmers) achieved a 71.43 percent utilisation rate, with one farmer earning the lowest usage rate of 57.14 percent. In conclusions the study has found that it is imperative to promote the use of management practises and advanced machinery technologies among paddy farmers to effectively increase productivity.

The study sought to ascertain corporate governance reforms that foster sustenance of the SOEs in Zimbabwe and how such reforms can be implemented. This study has used a mixed-methods technique and a pragmatist philosophy. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, whereby structured questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Top and middle management, board members, board chairpersons, and CEOs of Zimbabwe’s SOEs made up the target population. For quantitative data, a sample size of 351 people was obtained using the sample process created by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). Interviews were done with sixteen (16) people until saturation was achieved. Stratified random sampling was used in the study to choose respondents for the quantitative data collection. To choose interview subjects for the qualitative data, purposeful sampling was applied. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and NVivo version 12, respectively. According to the study, the primary corporate governance reforms for the survival of the SOEs in Zimbabwe included the following: open nomination processes for the SOEs; removal and resignation of directors who did not comply with best corporate governance practices; limitations on board member compensation; and changes to the executive directors’ terms of service. This research has shown that best corporate governance practices in the SOEs are brought about by reforming the Board Appointments Board (RAB). In order to ensure that corporate governance reforms are implemented effectively, the present study has suggested that term limits, with a maximum of ten (10) years, in Chief Executive Officer Employment contracts be strictly enforced.

The study examined how information technology affects internal control systems in tertiary institutions in Osun State. Specific goals were to ascertain whether or not information technology has a significant impact on the internal control systems and internal audit processes of tertiary institutions. A survey research design was chosen. A sample size of 100 respondents participated in the study. This study used the stratified sampling method and a regression technique was used for data analysis. The findings showed that internal control systems and internal audit procedures in tertiary institutions in Osun State were highly influenced by information technology with t= 20.02 P< 0.0 and t= 19.049p

The evolving landscape of global trade and economic cooperation has spurred the establishment of Special Border Economic Zones (SBEZs) as a comprehensive strategy to catalyse economic growth and enhance collaboration between neighbouring countries. These zones have developed as a distinctive economic strategy to harness the potential of cross-border collaboration, while addressing the particular socio- economic difficulties of border regions as globalisation continues to change the dynamics of global commerce and investment. However, the main challenge to such an effort is understanding how to fully tap the potential of the SBEZs to facilitate cross-border trade, drive economic development, and advance regional integration while simultaneously minimising potential hazards and unfavourable effects. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between Malaysia and Thailand and the relevance of a SBEZ between the two neighbors. It aims to pursue these objectives: (1) To delve into the historical trajectory of economic progress in the relationship between Malaysia and Thailand, (2) To critically examine the importance of the SBEZs in the Malaysia-Thailand context from various aspects, and (3) To critically evaluate the SBEZs by comparing the economic development of Malaysia and Thailand and by analysing the factors that led to the Thailand-Malaysian SBEZ. Content analysis was used to analyse the secondary data obtained from journals, publications, and official reports. The findings are as follows: 1) There have historically been several economic periods in the relationship between Malaysia and Thailand; 2) In the Malaysia-Thailand region, Special Border Economic Zones are significant in terms of their role in trade facilitation, economic growth, investment, industrialisation, and regional economic balance; and 3)Three factors had an effect on the development of the SBEZs.

The systems thinking approach to problem solving is a dynamic and productive approach. However, emphasizing only the objective aspects of a phenomena and neglecting their subjective aspects can decrease its problem solving power. In order to enhance the problem solving power of systems thinking, it is proposed in this article to enrich systems thinking by using the hermeneutic loop. This applied research adopts practical aspects of systems thinking and hermeneutics in understanding and solving problems more effectively. The proposed approach is comprised of an additive loop, named the hermeneutic loop, concerning simultaneously “the whole system and its parts” and “subjectively and objectively”. Requirements of systems thinking are highlighted involving the holism and life cycle of the system. A summary of the considerations for systems thinking regarding holism and lifetime are as follows: (1) feedback in lifetime, (2) feed forward, (3) combining human and tools, (4) resources, (5) stock and flow and (6) carrying capacity (saturation). The utilization of this enriched systems thinking is investigated in three real engineering design processes, including case studies for designers in the field of remote communication. As the result, the proposed enriched systems thinking provides an improved understanding of the whole, which improves the solving power of the designers of components, and adds subjective product design to the objective design.

The palm oil industry in Malaysia has faced issues of lower palm oil price and limited land area, and these issues have created a challenging environment for plantation companies to operate in. Plantation companies are constrained in maximizing their profits. Thus, this paper aims to examine the Economic Value Added (EVA) and the factors that influence the EVA of different value chain activities. The dynamic generalized method of moments (DGMM) estimators were adopted for the analysis and the focus was on the -40 Malaysian plantation companies that were listed in the Bursa Malaysia from 2010 to 2018. The results revealed that both downstream integrated activities, namely oleo-chemicals/biodiesel and refineries activities had a significant influence on the plantation companies’ EVA, with the coefficient value 1.12 and 0.09 respectively. Other factors such as the gross margin, crude palm oil price, and exchange rate also significantly influenced the plantation companies’ EVA. The empirical results which were based on the plantation companies’ EVA were influenced by different value chain activities as expected. The findings show that the downstream integrated activities like refineries, and oleo-chemicals/biodiesel activities have played a significant role in increasing the EVA of plantation companies.

This study aims to provide insight into the publication trends of microcredit programmes from 2000 to 2021. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 1,241 scholarly works related to microcredit programmes as recorded in the Scopus database in September 2022. Specifically, this paper will analyse the evolution of microcredit programmes research by examining (a) document and source types, (b) year of publications and languages, (c) types of sources and subject area, (d) keyword analysis, (e) geographical distribution and citation analysis as well as (f) citation clustering analysis. The results of the bibliometric study provide important information on publications’ current and future trends in the field of microcredit programmes. Based on the data, the number of publications on microcredit programme research has fluctuated over 21 years since 2000. The results, also, present the United States as the largest contributor to microcredit programmes research, followed by India. Meanwhile, the Journal of World Development published the most publications related to research on microcredit programmes. The implications of this study indicate the evolving nature of microcredit programme research and the need for continuous exploration and analysis in this field. Understanding publication trends, identifying leading contributors, and to considering additional databases for research can contribute to the development of current and future studies on microcredit programmes.

Pembiayaan kewangan dan sikap usahawan dilihat memainkan peranan penting dalam membantu pertumbuhan perusahaan bersaiz mikro, kecil dan sederhana (PKS). Kajian ini dijalankan bagi melihat sejauh manakah perkara ini memberi kesan secara langsung dan tidak langsung ke atas prestasi PKS. Tumpuan kajian diberikan kepada perusahaan bersaiz mikro Bumiputera di Pulau Pinang. Sejumlah 350 orang usahawan mikro Bumiputera di Pulau Pinang yang menerima pembiayaan kewangan mikro daripada pelbagai agensi dan institusi kewangan telah dipilih sebagai sampel kajian melalui kaedah pensampelan bola salji. Kaedah regresi berbilang digunakan bagi menerangkan pengaruh faktor pembiayaan dan sikap usahawan ke atas prestasi usahawan mikro Bumiputera di Pulau Pinang. Dapatan kajian mendapati pembiayaan mikro dan sikap usahawan memberikan pengaruh secara langsung yang signifikan positif ke atas prestasi perusahaan mikro Bumiputera. Hasil kajian dapat memberikan sumbangan kepada institusi kewangan dalam menilai keberkesanan kemudahan pembiayaan mikro di samping memberikan manfaat kepada usahawan mikro dalam membantu mengenal pasti faktor sikap yang dapat menyumbang kepada peningkatan prestasi perusahaan. ABSTRACT It is believed that microfinance and entrepreneurial attitudes contribute significantly to the expansion of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). This study was conducted to determine the direct and indirect effects of these factors on the performance of Bumiputera micro-enterprises in Penang. A total of 350 micro Bumiputera firms in Penang which received microfinance from various agencies and financial institutions were chosen as the sample through the snowball sampling approach. The influence of microfinance and entrepreneur attitude on the performance of Bumiputera micro companies in Penang is explained using multiple regression analysis. The regression study predicted that microfinance and entrepreneurial attitude have a direct and significant favourable effect on the performance of Bumiputera micro companies. The findings of this study can be used by financial institutions to evaluate the efficacy of microfinance facilities and by microbusinesses to identify attitude that contribute to enhancing enterprise success. Keywords: Bumiputera, micro-enterprises, microcredit, entrepreneur attitudes, Penang.

Deceptive advertisement is a primary factor affecting customer loyalty because when people do not receive what they expect from advertisements, they tend to avoid using those brands. Although past researches have addressed the perceived deception in advertisements and its impact on customer loyalty, there is a lack of studies focusing on the mediating role of corporate trust, corporate image, and perceived deception in relation to customer loyalty. Household consumers were chosen as the target population due to their exposure to advertisements. A sample of 250 individuals participated in this study. Smart PLS was used for data analysis. This study confirms that perceived deception, corporate trust and corporate image play a significant mediating role in establishing customer loyalty. The findings of this study can assist marketers in developing new designs and strategies that do not mislead customers. It will also help marketers to identify the factors that should be considered when designing advertisements.

The unstoppable use of the Internet, especially in big cities, has led to changes in payment patterns and financial transactions. Originally, wallets have transitioned to electronic wallets, driven by perceived benefits, ease of use, and social influence among e-wallet users. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the intention to continuously use e-wallets among young people who have become accustomed to Internet usage. The method employed for processing the data collected through questionnaires is SEM-PLS. The research sample consisted of 240 young e-wallet users in Seoul and Jakarta who participated in the study. The results showed a discrepancy in the effect of perceived ease of use on the continuous usage intention of e-wallets among the young users in the two cities. Young users in Seoul found e-wallets easy to use, whereas users in Jakarta perceived the opposite. However, the perceived usefulness and social influence had a positive and significant effect on the continuous usage intention of e-wallets in both cities. This indicates that Generation Z believes e-wallets will continue to be used due to their benefits and the influence of social factors. This implication underscores the penetration of Internet users and mobile applications associated with e-wallet users. The findings of this research hold significant importance for the rapidly expanding e-wallet industry today, serving as a valuable reference for the development of the e-wallet market.

The e-wallet feature allows consumers to make payment by transferring digital money into their virtual wallets for in-application online payments or through Quick Response (QR) codes for physical purchases. This study examines the average usage, transaction size and factors influencing the intention to adopt e-wallet among consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 153 responses were collected and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to determine descriptive statistics and conduct multiple regression analysis to verify that performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and perceived security influence the intention to use e-wallets during the Covid-19 pandemic among consumers. Performance expectancy is the strongest factor while effort expectancy is the only factor that has no influence on the intention to use e-wallets during the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study reveals that due to the current situation, consumers are pushed to adopt e-wallets despite their security concerns, and they are willing to learn to use the platforms without considering the possibilities and risks. However, the usage of e-wallets as a medium of transaction is still low due to the lack of awareness and knowledge. The outcomes of this study to provided practical contributions for policymakers and service providers on the current acceptance of e-wallets in Malaysia and to help the e-wallet industry develop more reasonable business strategies.

Peningkatan pembelian secara dalam talian merupakan salah satu kesan daripada penularan wabak Covid-19 di Malaysia. Walaupun ia memudahkan urusan kehidupan harian, namun ramai yang beranggapan bahawa pembelian secara dalam talian merupakan suatu aktiviti yang berisiko. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan bagi melihat hubungan antara persepsi risiko dengan tingkah laku pengguna terhadap pembelian secara dalam talian. Responden kajian ini seramai 392 orang dan kesemua responden telah menjawab soal selidik secara dalam talian. Namun, hanya 373 borang soal selidik yang lengkap diterima dan boleh digunakan. Data daripada soal selidik ini dianalisis menggunakan kaedah analisis regresi berganda. Hasil analisis mendapati bahawa risiko kewangan mempunyai hubungan negatif yang signifikan dengan tingkah laku pengguna terhadap pembelian secara dalam talian di Lembah Klang. Risiko produk dan risiko penghantaran pula mempunyai hubungan positif, manakala risiko masa tidak signifikan. Hasil kajian memberikan input kepada syarikat e-dagang dan penjual dalam talian untuk menambah baik perkhidmatan mereka. Ia juga dapat membantu untuk mengenal pasti risiko yang mungkin menjadi ancaman kepada perniagaan mereka dan mengambil tindakan mitigasi bagi mengurangkan kemungkinan dan impak, sekiranya risiko yang dikenal pasti itu berlaku. ABSTRACT The increase in online purchases was one of the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia. Although it simplifies our daily life, many still think that buying online is a risky activity. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between risk perceptions and consumer behavior towards online purchases in the Klang Valley. A total of 392 respondents answered an online questionnaire, but only 373 questionnaires were completed and could be used. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using the multiple regression analysis method. The results of the analysis found that financial risk perception has a significant and negative relationship with consumer behavior towards online purchases in the Klang Valley, while product risk and delivery risk perception have a positive relationship. The results of the study provide input for e-commerce and online sellers to enhance their services. It also helps identify risks that may harm their business and to take action to mitigate the likelihood and impact should the identified risks occur. Keywords: Online purchase, risk perception, financial risk, e-commerce.

In light of prevailing technological advancements, online shopping has become increasingly prevalent. A well-designed webpage interface, particularly in terms of visual appeal, has the potential to evoke customer emotions such as pleasure and arousal, thereby stimulating impulse buying among consumers. In contrast to global brands, local web stores have faced challenges in devising strategies to cultivate an environment conducive to enhancing brand perception and encouraging impulsive buying behavior, specifically in the realm of online local brand retailing. Previous studies have primarily focused on customers’ cognitive perspectives, including privacy concerns, content sharing, and websites credibility. However, existing research has yet to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding customers’ online impulse buying behavior. Addressing these gaps, this study aims to investigate the effect of different web store stimuli on creating consumers’ brand perception of online web stores and its impact on customers’ impulsive buying behavior. Data was collected through purposive sampling, involving 423 users of different online local web stores. The results showed interesting findings with implications for both theory and practice. Specifically, environmental stimuli, such as ambience (lighting), assortment, forum fnac and helping staff, were found to significantly enhance the brand perception of local web store outlets, consequently boosting customers’ impulse buying behavior.

Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in the economy of any nation, including Indonesia. Recognizing the demographic advantage, the government has emphasized youth entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study aims to examine how entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurship education influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The study employed purposive sampling and collected data from 232 active students in Indonesia. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares (Smart PLS). The results indicate that entrepreneurial passion directly impacts entrepreneurial intention, whereas the effect of entrepreneurship education is not significant. Additionally, the study confirms the role of entrepreneurship education in fostering entrepreneurial passion. Both entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurship education influence attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. However, only attitude and perceived behavioral control positively affect entrepreneurial intention, while subjective norms show no significant effect. Perceived behavioral control fully mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial intention, as indicated by the mediation analysis. Notably, attitude influences the relationship, while subjective norms do not. Policymakers can leverage on these findings to develop entrepreneurial curricula aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial intention among students.

This study intends to explore the available green site management practices for construction stakeholders. Green site management practices have been introduced to the construction industry to mitigate the negative impacts of construction activities if construction stakeholders start to implement them. Therefore, green site management practices such as land control, construction site waste management, dust, noise, and vibration control, and a green and conducive environment shall be explored to promote green development in the construction industry. A qualitative method was employed since this study focused on the views of construction stakeholders on green site management practices. Five contractors were randomly selected from the construction sites in Malaysia based on the convenience sampling method. All respondents were qualified to give opinions as they hold management posts. The process collecting of opinions from the respondents stopped when no new issues were found in their feedback. The results reveal that land control, construction site waste management, dust, noise, and vibration control, and a green and conducive environment were considered green development in the construction industry. However, these practices were not systematically practised as there were no clear guidelines to lead the practitioners. The results also showed that the government has the power to enforce green practices on construction sites. Green site management practices will bring another new era to the construction industry, which is intended to protect the environment while ensuring that the practitioners can be financially sustainable. The results will shed light on green construction development, whereby these green practices can be promoted to construction sites.

In business landscape, companies attempt to meet stakeholders’ expectations by publishing their corporate social responsibility (CSR) information in specific reports. In fact, CSR reports encompass a set of information related to companies’ sustainable actions, approaches, and motivations. CSR reporting readability is an important issue to handle at the corporate level in order to leverage companies’ sustainable disclosure. This article investigates CSR reporting to identify specific categorizations and structures related to published CSR information of listed stocks. Mixed research methods are applied to a sample of 58 Moroccan companies that have the CSR label. First, content analysis was conducted for each organization’s CSR annual report. Second, multiple correspondence analysis was conducted to detect specific associations and structures in CSR reporting. Our findings highlight that companies communicate more concisely and completely when they perform social actions based on a value creation approach and under normative motivations. The results shed light on companies’ awareness of integrating CSR dimensions into their corporate disclosure. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the extent to which CSR reporting structures could be used as indicators of the complexity and readability quality of companies’ sustainability reporting. It could serve as a tool to assess companies’ social and environmental engagement and reputation.

Green manufacturing practices (GMP) are promoted by the United Nations through an effort known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which has been welcomed by Malaysia to address global environmental problems, with manufacturing sectors becoming the primary focus, in line with the National Policy goals to enhance the capacity of the manufacturing sector by 2025. However, Malaysia’s green commitment is less encouraging globally, as most manufacturers are still struggling to implement GMP due to weak leadership, resulting in low acceptance within the organization. Servant leadership is proposed as a mediator to help manufacturers implement GMP effectively, where this leadership is less concerned with the context of green practices in Malaysia. In this paper, the influential factors of GMP implementation will also be identified. A total of 40 factory managers responded to the survey used in a pilot study. The initial results show that the most influential factor is law enforcement, based on mean score, followed by proactive communication and technology advancement. Meanwhile, servant leadership did not mediate the relationships between the business environment and organizational factors, except for individual factors and GMP, as employees are empowered to be creative in their own ways. This study offers new perspectives to manufacturers who intend to maintain their commitment towards GMP.

The purpose of this study is to assess whether Lean Six Sigma can improve the quality of teaching-learning processes in higher educational institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The integration of e-learning technologies with lean six sigma (LSS). DMAIC stands for five phases of sig sigma project: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control was applied to implement quality assurance in the teaching-learning process. Action research was adopted in 30 courses of a particular engineering programme. The methodology was applied as a course improvement tool, and the challenges encountered during the implementation were also studied. The LSS DMAIC methodology could successfully improve the quality of various courses simultaneously through online mode during the Covid-19 pandemic. The adopted methodology could assist in effectively responding during the present stage of uncertainty and provide stakeholders with guidelines to deal with the post-pandemic era. In terms of practical implications, this study discusses a new approach to improving the quality of the teaching-learning process in higher educational institutions. The LSS DMAIC is applied with the help of online educational and social media platforms for the simultaneous improvement of courses in a particular engineering programme.

Transformational leaders must constantly monitor their environments to identify and develop significant internal and external exposure to multiple points of view. Transformational leaders serve as role models for bridging organizational boundaries and proactive outreach to external stakeholders to communicate information, develop inter-organizational cooperation, establish coalitions, and harness resources. The major goal of this article is to examine the dynamics that drive organizational project success, specifically the impact of transformational leadership on external and internal social capital in management teams. This research analyzed transformational leadership and project success relationships in Pakistan’s construction industry setting along with the moderating role of the project manager subordinate’s social capital and the mediating role of the project manager subordinate’s self-efficacy. The data were collected from196 subordinates of project managers of different private organizations. Data were examined through correlation, regression, and the Hayes model through SPSS. According to the results, transformational leadership is positively associated with project success and substantially associated with social capital. Additionally, self-efficacy is positively associated with transformational leadership and project success, and it mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and project success. Social capital moderates the relationship between transformational leadership and project success, according to additional findings. This study sheds light on the relationship between transformational leadership and self-efficacy in the context of project success.

Continuous innovations are taking place worldwide to develop solutions for problems encountered by human beings. The prevention of a variety of accidents due to burning, drowning, terrorism, electric shocks, and road traffic is among the important concerns of researchers and solution developers. Specifically, this current study aims to analyse the contributions of different driver behaviours that resulted in road accidents, followed by proposing a viable solution and reducing the road accident frequencies to benefit society at large. This study employed two methods to analyse data. One was through SEM, and the second was through Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The study is descriptive in nature and it used the survey method to collect sample data from 345 drivers from various professional backgrounds. The questionnaire consisted of independent variables, namely slips, errors, mistakes, lapse violations and unintentional violations. To measure the contributions of these variables towards accidents, age was taken as the moderator. The statistical techniques used included reliability, correlation, and normality analyses, in addition to artificial neural networks and regression analyses. Each factor was found to be a significant contributor to road accidents. Moreover, no significant difference was found in drivers’ behaviour between males and females, but age was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between driver behaviours and accidents. Additionally, the rate of accidents decreases with the increases in age and vice versa.

The research interest in the field of green marketing and waste management can be demonstrated through the published literature on the topic. However, there is a paucity of extensive and systematic research focusing on the evolution of this discipline in terms of its citation work. The main objective of this study is to explore the status of scholarly works on green marketing and waste management through a bibliometric citation and networking analysis of papers published from 2012 to 2021. The data was extracted from the Web of Science (WOS) utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysed (PRISMA) review process. The VOSviewer software was used to visualize the networking linkages. The findings of descriptive analysis showed that publications and citations related to green marketing and waste management are highest in 2021. Likewise, the networking analysis showed that the Science of the Total Environment journal has the highest citation counts, while Wan Yinfeng, Wang Junshi, Xu Guoping and Yi Huang are the authors with the highest citation counts, respectively. The findings also uncovered Sinosteel Wuhan Safety & Environmental Protection Research Institute (WSEPRI) as the most cited institution. Co-authorship and co-occurrence analysis were also found to provide significant discoveries. This study offers future scholars’ knowledge on the analysis of cited journals, papers, authors, institutions, and countries in the same field. Overall, the study serves as a guide for journal editorial boards on the growth among authors and networking opportunities in the field of green marketing and waste management, especially at the international level.

This study aims to investigate the impacts of green site management on corporate environmental and economic performances by improving the efficiency of energy and water consumption at construction sites. The identified green site management has been proven to improve both environmental and economic performances. This study allows practitioners to study and advocate for appropriate green site management strategies. A qualitative method was carried out since this research focused on the construction players’ opinions on green site management practices. Five contractors were selected randomly from the construction sites in Malaysia based on the convenience sampling method. All selected respondents were qualified to give opinions as they held management posts. The results have shown green site management practices can reduce the consumption of resources and improve energy efficiency management and water consumption management, which are considered to have a positive impact on the construction project’s environmental and economic performance. The findings also revealed that green site management practices implementation must not affect their economic performance, such as increasing the construction cost with high initial and maintenance costs. As the construction industry consumes a vast amount of water and energy daily, these consumption reductions can help construction sites achieve energy efficiency and utilize natural resources, eventually improving corporate environmental and economic performance. Thus, green practices must be implemented to bring sustainable development to the construction industry.

Product placement has been a crucial influence for multi-ethnic Malaysian moviegoers in terms of purchase intentions. This research was conceptualised based on the Tripartite Typology of Product Placement by Russel (1998) and the Planned Behaviour Theory (TPB) by Ajzen (1985). This investigation measured how brand recall mediated the relationship between plot integration, audio stimulus, visual stimulus and consumer purchasing intentions. The research focused primarily on multi-ethnic cinemagoers in Peninsula Malaysia. Past research has also proven that the ethnic background of an individual does have a positive impact on the purchase intentions of the individual. This research studied the purchase intentions of each ethnicity in Peninsular Malaysia to determine if there is a difference among the purchase intentions of respondents when it comes to brand recall mediating the relationship between product placement and the various modalities of product placement. Respondents were sampled from all states within Peninsula Malaysia except for the states of Kelantan and Perlis due to the unavailability of operating cinemas in these states. Respondents were invited to participate after they had watched a movie in the cinema. Preferences only for those who watched Hollywood movies. A total of 513 respondents participated in this research. A questionnaire based on the five-point Likert scale was created as the research instrument to collect data by adapting from past research. A reliability test was done to ascertain the reliability and validity of the instrument. Data obtained was analysed using the Smart Partial Least Squares (PLS) Software to determine the relationship between the hypotheses tested. The results generated have proven that brand recall is able to influence the relationship between plot integration, audio stimulation, visual stimulation and consumer purchase intentions of all the ethnicities in Peninsula Malaysia.

The last few decades have witnessed a drastic change in the nature of commerce due to the development of ubiquitous computing technologies. E-commerce has evolved to an ultimate stage that is called u-commerce. This study seeks to provide an understanding of consumer satisfaction and trust in u-commerce characteristics. Thus, the research examined how u-constructs affect satisfaction and trust from the mobile banking perspective. Ubiquity, uniqueness, universality, and unison comprise the characteristic features represented as u-constructs. In this study, a total of 1012 samples were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results showed that characteristics of ubiquity and universality have positive effects on customer satisfaction, yet they do not have any effect on trust. It was also found that uniqueness and unison have positive effects on trust and that trust has a positive effect on satisfaction. This study contains some theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners who are interested in u-commerce and improving customer satisfaction.

Numerous Malaysia policies underscore the need to build exceptional R&D capabilities as the key economic driver. This study acknowledges the influence of high-performance work practices (HPWP) on R&D innovativeness. Underpinned by social exchange theory, this study investigates the implementation of innovation-enhancing HPWP in Malaysian R&D organisations and their relationship with project performance. Survey data on R&D project performance and six dimensions of innovation-enhancing HPWP were collected from 210 project leaders and members. Results suggested that innovation-enhancing HPWP implementation is still low as HPWP might be a relatively unknown practice in the R&D sector. Nevertheless, four HPWP dimensions were significant predictors of R&D project performance: employee recruitment, performance appraisal, reward and compensation, and employee participation. These findings will guide managers in developing relevant HPWPs to foster innovativeness. This includes a comprehensive audit of existing R&D people, processes, and products, and how these three `Ps’ can be streamlined into an innovation-enhancing HPWP.

Consumers are becoming more interdependent and open as a result of globalization. Because of the idea of globalization, branding is essential to take into account from both the marketing and consumer viewpoints. The current study intends to determine Bangladeshi customers’ preferences for cell phone brands based on global versus local perspectives and to comprehend the influencing factors and cell phone features that could affect users’ purchasing decisions. A structured questionnaire was used to survey 850 consumers selected through a simple random sampling technique for the study, and 593 of their responses were deemed sufficient to continue the research. According to the study’s findings, customers favored the Android operating system and the Samsung brand the most. The majority of consumers believed that having a cell phone’s ‘convenient’ usage was its best feature. The study also identified a range of preferred budgets for a new cell phone. Eventually, a new measurement model for cell phone brand preference factors among Bangladeshi consumers was excavated by the study. Only four of the nine items selected for measurement in the study were sufficient for validating the model. The study’s inability to pinpoint any local ethnocentrism for brand preference was one of its flaws. The study will contribute and originate the value with novel and significant implications for cell phone consumers to choose their preferred brands with quality of service, cell phone brand marketers, telecom service providers, payment gateway service providers, and their support systems, including producers, supply chain and industry experts, before and after-sale service providers, brand promoters, stakeholders, policymakers, and governments of various developing and developed countries to build up and implement brand strategies and policies in the global cell phone device and internet-connected digitalized era. As a result, consumers can achieve their greater perceived brand value, ensuring their desired level of satisfaction with highly cognitive brand preferences, brand trust, and brand loyalty to their expected cell phone brands.

In the study, 2,220 articles related to the concept of Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) published in the period of 1980- 2020 and included in the SCI, SSCI and ESCI citation indexes were examined bibliometrically on the Web of Science database using the VOSviewer software. The purpose of the study is to essentially evaluate the studies conducted with the concept of SHRM and provide foresight for future studies. In this context, in order to evaluate the publications in the study, the changes in the number of publications in the publication volume in the field were discussed, the developments in the field, the trends in the subject headings, the countries and institutions that make the strongest contribution to the literature, the field and the most cited ones in the field were examined. The results indicated that the number of studies on the concept of strategic human resources increased in the 2000s. The acceleration in the number of studies is noteworthy, especially in 2015 and after. It is seen that frequently used keywords in the field of strategic human resources are strategy, strategic management, human resource, and performance. Other keywords with high connection strength are listed as human capital, knowledge management, strategic management, dynamic capabilities, high-performance work system and HR development. It is recommended that future researchers should carry out empirical and conceptual studies on the reasons for the differences in the number of studies published by countries in the field of SHRM and their level of interest in the field.

In a number of nations, the economic uncertainty that began several years ago has manifested its negative effects, and the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the situation. Many nations struggle to finance their social and economic public healthcare due to limited resources and fiscal space. In order to save their economies, this has pushed them towards high levels of debt. This study’s objective is to examine the effect of government debt on productivity, GDP growth, tax revenue, and corruption. Panel data analysis was used to identify the significant factors that affect government debt in 16 Western European countries based on their severe subprime crisis in 2008 and sovereign debt in 2009, which fall between the timeframes of this study. The findings revealed that government debt impacts productivity, GDP growth, and corruption. As a result, effective productivity control is critical when dealing with government debt. Efforts to develop world-class human capital, equipped with sophisticated skills or talent management, in order to increase a sector’s income and competitiveness should be aligned with efficient and effective public spending. Public projects must be thoroughly evaluated and monitored in terms of feasibility, economic and social returns. As a consequence, this study suggests that a profound and comprehensive reformation across various sectors in the country is required, particularly through productivity, growth, and corruption, in order to control a country’s debt.

The aim of this study is to unpack the bright side of overqualification. Based on social learning and human capital theories, this study is an attempt to explore the relationship between overqualification and innovative work behavior. Further, we investigate the role of entrepreneurial leaders as a moderator in the relationship between overqualification and innovative work behavior. The study is based on a dyadic source field study from employees and their supervisors. The empirical results reveal that overqualification has a positive and significant association with innovative work behavior when the overqualified employees feel that their leader/supervisor has adopted an entrepreneurial leadership style. This is the first study that explores the relationship between overqualification and innovative behavior in the presence of entrepreneurial leadership. Additionally, the limitations, restrictions, and future directions are thoroughly covered.

Training management literature highlighted that the leadership development training design consists of two important features: training content and training method. The ability of the management to appropriately implement such program features may lead to enhanced training transfer in the organizations. Reviews of the literature on leadership development found that the literature is mostly dominated by Western scholar perspectives. Although this relationship has been studied in the Islamic management views, the leadership development training design only contributed little explanation of workplace training programs. Most Islamic scholars in this field of study only discussed conceptually without suggesting a framework that can serve as a guide for the subsequent measurement. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the relationship between leadership development training design and training transfer using questionnaires with 412 leaders in the Malaysian Army Infantry Corps. The path model of SmartPLS version 3.2.5 results stated that there is a significant relationship between the training content and training transfer, and there is a significant relationship between the training method and training transfer. These outcomes showed two important findings. Firstly, the relationship between training content significantly correlated with training transfer. Secondly, the relationship between training methods significantly correlated with training transfer. Statistically, this result demonstrates that the leadership development training design acts as an important antecedent of training transfer in organizations. Further, the discussions, implications and conclusion are elaborated.

Technology entrepreneur new venture creation (TENVC) plays an important role in developing and commercializing technologies worldwide. Yet, one of the critical and on-going debates is about the paradigm shift from the trait approach to the behavioral approach which emerges from what successful entrepreneurs do and how they perform, rather than what their personality traits are. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to study both the entrepreneurial spirit and self-efficacy as key factors for TENVC. The mixed methods research was employed by combining the quantitative and qualitative approaches. The samples were chosen based on convenience sampling for the quantitative study and judgment sampling for the qualitative study. The finding shows that both entrepreneurial spirit and self-efficacy are correspondingly important for TENVC among technical students and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). There is only a small difference in value in their positive significant relationship led by self-efficacy compared to entrepreneurial spirit with r=.005 for TENVC of technical students in IHLs. This finding is convergent with the outcome of the case study analysis that both factors are among the key indicators for TENVC of technical students in IHLs. The technology entrepreneur development organizations (TEDO) may utilize this result in developing TENVC in their institutions.

This study empirically investigated the effect of business process reengineering factors on organisational performance in the Saudi context. A quantitative approach was employed whereby this study focused on Riyadh factory for re-refining oils employees. A total of 110 useable questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. Business process reengineering factors that were investigated include the major improvements after business process reengineering, the major changes after implementation of business process reengineering and the personal gain after business reengineering process. The results showed that the only two factors out of the three do affect organisational performance in Riyadh factory for re-refining oils employees namely the major improvements after business process reengineering and the major changes after implementation of business process reengineering.

This study examined the profit-share pension model as a potential vehicle for generating capital accumulation and effecting a progressive redistribution of wealth. Taking the functions of the pension mechanism as the guiding principle, we attempted to incorporate a profit-share fund into a three-pillar pension system, eliminating the need for full funding from public resources. The general equilibrium model, with each agent solving a specific optimization problem, in which, on top of the full set of first order conditions for each problem, constraint conditions are imposed. Consideration of the equilibrium conditions gave us a complete system which conceivably, allowed us to solve the equilibrium paths for endogenous variables. The use of simulation techniques allowed us to accommodate a flexible and behaviorally realistic setting to examine the model’s behavior over time and compare its level of consistency to that of the real existing systems. The use of sensitivity analysis additionally investigated the model’s behavior in the presence of macroeconomic shocks by making changes to the model variables and observing their effects. The findings show profit-sharing has a positive impact on business and economic activity and also has a positive impact on pension activity.

This study aims to develop an advanced business model canvas (BMC) by incorporating the results of a SWOT analysis in the context of VCI Indonesia Company. The research focuses on understanding the competitive strategy of VCI Indonesia Company, particularly those that emphasize natural ingredients and target specific consumer segments. To achieve this, interviews were conducted to gather insights related to the nine pillars of BMC and SWOT analysis from VCI Indonesia Company. The collected data was then analyzed, resulting in the compilation of BMC and SWOT analysis tables. The findings of the study highlight the competitive advantages of VCI Indonesia Company in utilizing natural ingredients and their potential for expanding and implementing new marketing strategies. By incorporating the SWOT analysis results into an enhanced BMC model, this research introduces a novel competitive strategy that can ensure the company’s sustainability and adaptability to changes in the market. Notably, this study is unique in its focus on the business strategy of natural body care product companies, offering valuable insights from the consumer’s perspective that have not been extensively explored in previous research. The practical implication of this research lies in providing business recommendations based on consumer preferences and market competition for companies that sell natural products.

The problem of housing affordability has emerged as a significant concern in urban centers, particularly in emerging countries. While each country defines affordability differently, housing affordability refers to the capacity to possess a residential property or dwelling that satisfies fundamental living requirements in relation to its price, standard, and whereabouts. However, the majority of generally comprised of individuals and families with lower to moderate incomes, residing in various urban areas across Malaysia find it difficult to purchase a home. The aim of this research is to evaluate the housing affordability index in Malaysia’s Northern Region (Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, and Perlis) by proposing a maximum affordable housing cost determined by income level. The findings revealed that the housing affordability index has deteriorated as a result of growing income-price inequalities. It is suggested that government or housing policy makers to be responsible to establish a fair housing price that is determined through convincing and widely accepted judgments. Establishing prices could be based on genuine supply and demand dynamics, rather than being influenced by unfair trading practices, manipulation, or exploitation.

This research investigates insight into how leaders could lead the rising waters of the Covid-19 pandemic with agility and compassion. Based on pertinent literature, leaders must redefine their leadership mindset to harness team behavioural change toward team dynamics in organizational resilience. Through phenomenological research of eight companies’ leaders, a proposed model was presented to define the behavioural shift that facilitates leaders in orientating team mindset while embracing compassion. The next normal needs of the organization on the change of leaders’ behaviour, implying that building unique and pleasing agile and compassionate practices would lead to an improved organizational team workplace. This focuses on leaders’ efforts to empower teams through a cohesive concept to enable long-term team success. The research contributes to the body of knowledge through its constructivist approach and identification of underlying team dynamics pivotal for organizational resilience.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of CEO competency on the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and earnings management (EM) of Nigerian financial firms. The sample covered 37 financial firms listed in the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2010 to 2019. This study adopted a panel regression estimator to analyse the testable hypotheses. It was found that CEO competency only moderated the relationship between audit committee and EM but not on the other CG variables. This finding implied that CEO competency was important when accounting oversight was in balance with EM. While the agency hypothesis on CG was supported, the study upheld the idea that CEO competency undermined EM. As a result, the study advocates for broader CEO oversight and resource measures, including CEO remuneration and CEO social capital, to lessen the impact of CG in the EM of financial institutions. The effect of the Covid-19 crisis on the link between CG and EM should be the subject of future studies. Future research should examine how the Covid-19 issue affects the CG mechanism’s ability to reduce EM and determine whether the effect is positive or negative.

The palm oil industry in Malaysia is the main driver of Malaysia’s agricultural sector due to its significant contribution. High demand and attractive earnings of palm oil have attracted high participation from plantation companies in this industry. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of profit efficiency of plantation companies involved in different value chain activities, as well as the factors that influence the profit efficiency of these plantation companies. A total of 40 Malaysian plantation companies listed in Bursa Malaysia from 2000 to 2018 with different value chain activities were examined using panel data. The evaluation of profit efficiency was based on data analysis, which included working capital costs, labour costs, and property, plant, and equipment (PP&E) costs that affect the plantation companies’ profit function. The parametric approach, also known as Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA), was used to assess the profit efficiency of these plantation companies empirically. The results revealed that the average profit efficiency of 40 plantation companies was 60.3 percent, implying that an estimated 39.7 percent of profit was lost due to a combination of technical inefficiencies and allocative inefficiencies in plantation companies. Other findings were based on value chain activity categories (pure upstream plantation companies and downstream integrated plantation companies), whereby downstream integrated plantation companies had the highest profit efficiency (76.6%) when compared to the pure upstream plantation companies (54.2%). As a result, the study showed that plantation companies engaged in extended value chain activities were more profit efficient than plantation companies that did not extend their value chain activities (referring to pure upstream plantation companies).

Consumption of vitamins can lower the risks of various noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Nevertheless, only a small proportion of adults in Malaysia consume vitamin supplements, and this may contribute to the increase in the prevalence of NCDs across the country. Despite the high prevalence of NCDs and low consumption of vitamin supplements, there is insufficient research that assess individuals’ use and expenditure on vitamin supplements. The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of sociodemographic factors on vitamin supplement spending among youth in Malaysia. The primary survey data were collected using convenient sampling (n = 482). In addition to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), a lognormal hurdle model was used to explore factors affecting consumption and amount decisions of vitamin supplements. Results of the present study showed that higher-income and less-educated individuals spent more on vitamin supplements compared to lower-income and welleducated individuals. Expenditure on vitamin supplements was higher among Chinese than Malays. Being male and married increased the likelihood of consuming vitamin supplements. In conclusion, sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining consumption and expenditure on vitamin supplements. With the present study’s findings, policymakers could better understand which cohorts of the Malaysian population to be focused on. Therefore, a more effective policy directed towards promoting the use of vitamin supplements can be formulated.

The effect of business environment on the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been widely studied. Nevertheless, research on the effect of a serene business environment on the performance of SMEs is insufficient, notably in the context of Malaysia. Therefore, this study examined the effect of a serene business environment on SMEs’ performance in Malaysia. Related literature was critically reviewed, and five hypotheses on the effect of serene business environmental factors on performance were formulated. By adopting the cross-sectional survey design, the data of 148 respondents were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools – Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). From the empirical findings, Malaysia’s serene business environment is critical in stimulating the performance of SMEs. Financial market environment, technological environment, and regulatory environment exerted a positive significant effect on SMEs’ performance. Nonetheless, economic environment and competitive environment indicated a strong, but negative significant effect on SMEs’ performance. These findings proposed new insights in this field of research by providing relevant research implications and suitable recommendations to business managers and policymakers in Malaysia.

The upstream oil and gas businesses in Nigeria suffer from insufficient absorptive capacity, poor knowledge management in their operations, and a lack of capability to address difficulties in the country effectively. These factors impeded their capacity to be strategically agile in reacting to the sector’s issues, eventually stifling their performance. This study investigated the moderating influence of knowledge management on the relationship between absorptive capacity and strategic agility in the upstream oil and gas industry of Nigeria. A survey research design was used. Instruments were sent to the upper and intermediate management of upstream oil and gas businesses in Lagos State. The validity and reliability of the instrument were examined, and the findings indicated that the questionnaire was valid and reliable. Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0 was used for data analysis, coupled with Structural Equation Modelling. The research indicated that absorptive capacity had a substantial impact on strategic agility and that knowledge management strengthened the association between absorptive capacity and strategic agility among the chosen upstream oil and gas enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommended that upstream oil and gas businesses employ good knowledge management methods and construct excellent absorptive capabilities to financially engage strategic agility measures that will guarantee greater success than their sector competitors. The study’s theoretical and managerial ramifications, as well as its limits and future research opportunities, were discussed.

This paper examined the relationships between recruitment and selection practices with business performance in the manufacturing sector using the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Lagos metropolis as the unit of analysis. It identified employee referral, job vacancy advertisement, employment agency and employee promotion as the most commonly used recruitment and selection practices in the manufacturing SMEs’ environment. The study made use of a questionnaire administered to 288 respondents and the results obtained showed that the vacancy advertisement and employment agency have a moderate relationship with business performance while employee promotion has a weak relationship with business performance while employee referral has a negative relationship with business performance. Regression results also indicated a positive relationship between combined recruitment and selection practices and business performance. It was concluded that the management of SMEs should prioritise employment agency among the recruitment and selection practices since it was found to have a more decisive influence on business performance. Thus, having the patronage of the employment agency with sound personnel policies that will be costeffective and outline human resource requirements is recommended.

This study examines the relationship between career planning and job satisfaction of Armed Forces personnel in Malaysia. It determines the mediating effect of career development on the relationship between career planning and job satisfaction. This study was conducted because there is negligible attention given to the effects of career planning and career development on job satisfaction, mainly in the Malaysian Armed Forces context. The IBM Social Science Statistical Package (IBM SPSS) application was used in the data analysis using descriptive and inferential analysis. The outcomes displayed three important findings: First, the significant relationship between career planning and job satisfaction. Second, the relationship between career development and job satisfaction was significant. Third, the result statistically confirms that the effect of career planning on job satisfaction is indirectly affected by career development in the organisational sample. Further, the study discusses the contributions and recommendations based on the significant findings. In conclusion, the career planning among Malaysian Armed Forces personnel should be explained and aligned with their career development since it will affect their job satisfaction and increase their work performance in national defence and security.

Gamification has become increasingly popular among businesses, institutions and consumers, especially since the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic. It has been widely used to promote positive changes in user behaviour, improve companies’ digital presence and provide immersive and engaging brand experiences. Though bibliometric studies on gamification have been conducted previously, information on citations and networking analysis emphasises marketing and consumer behaviour remains scarce. Thus, the purpose of this bibliometric study is to describe how gamification is structured and how it has evolved over time. To achieve this, we utilise citation analysis and co-word analysis to visually uncover the intellectual, conceptual and social network structures in gamification research. A total of 558 articles published between 2011 and 2021 were extracted from the Dimension.ai database through the PRISMA review process. The results reveal positive growth in gamification research between 2011 and 2021. The United States was the most productive and most cited country and the most productive and influential institution was Tampere University in Finland, which houses Juho Hamari, the most influential and most cited author. Additionally, the results reveal recent trends in gamification research including those related to value, brand and attitude as well as emerging trends including artificial intelligence. The results also reveal collaborations through co-authorship among authors, institutions and countries. Together, they depict the intellectual landscape of gamification as related to marketing and consumer behaviour. This is beneficial for both inexperienced and experienced scholars, practitioners, funding agencies and policymakers.

The study comparatively analysed university students’ preference for smartphone brands based on demographic profiles such as gender, age, and usage experience. The study also established whether a significant difference exists in students’ preference for three selected brands of smartphones. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. The study population comprised undergraduate students in a Federal government-owned university in Edo State, Nigeria. The administration and retrieval of the questionnaire used for the study were done electronically via Google Form which was voluntarily filled and submitted by the students. A total of three hundred and ninety (390) responses were received after two weeks of the exercise. Data collected were descriptively analysed using frequency counts and percentages while inferential statistics such as t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to establish the influence of the different demographic profiles on the students’ preference for smartphone brands. The study found that students’ gender, age and usage experience did not significantly influence their preference for a smartphone. It was also found that Apple and Samsung brands were preferred to Tecno by most of the students. The study concluded that demographic profiles such as gender, age and user experience should not serve as the basis for smartphone manufacturers to differentiate their products but they should sustain and possibly improve their products’ durability, camera quality, long-lasting battery and impressive aesthetic appearance among others.

Performance appraisal practices and work-related outcomes have become a serious matter of concern to many organisations. These issues would jeopardise the employees’ well-being if there is no fairness in treatment in the organisation. As a result, this research aims to evaluate the effect of performance assessment practices on work-related outcomes, with organisational justice serving as a mediator. This research examined a randomly selected sample of 127 administrative employees from a Malaysian government institution located in the northern region. It examined the relationships between performance assessment practices and organisational justice, work performance, work deviant behaviour and the mediating consequences of organisational justice on these linkages. The research model was tested based on the Social Cognitive Theory. Results from the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) indicated that performance assessment practices positively impacted organisational fairness and work performance. The results suggest that organisational fairness mediates the correlation between the work-related deviant behaviour and the impact of performance assessment practices on work performance. Looking at the study’s findings, enforcing HR practices would gain positive favour among its employees, who are vital assets in executing the organisation’s agenda. As a result, the transformation programme will be more aligned, allowing it to continue providing talent to the economy by improving its performance through its employees.