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Knowledge sharing can enhance learning and help to build the knowledge workforce. This paper reports on a study of knowledge sharing behaviour among undergraduate students in Malaysia. Knowledge sharing was found to be influenced by the mechanisms used, various barriers to communication and the motivations behind knowledge sharing. The mechanisms include online communication, social interaction, off-campus activities and learning activities. It was found that problems with information and communications technology (ICT), lack of self confidence, external constraints, self-centredness and social attributes can create barriers to knowledge exchange. It is concluded that the motivation to share knowledge appears to be affected by relationships, rewards and the level of satisfaction with knowledge sharing activities. (Contains 1 note and 4 tables.)

This study investigates the various motivations to equity crowdfunding in Malaysia. A total of 169 responses from survey questionnaires are used to test the relationships using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares. Investigation into the influence of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators on the willingness to support equity crowdfunding shows that the financial motive is insignificant in influencing the decision. Among the intrinsic motivators, aesthetic value, emotional value, novelty and trust are highly significant and the desire to be part of a community is the only intrinsic motivator that is insignificant. The willingness to support has a positive influence on the likelihood to invest in equity crowdfunding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investors' perception of past portfolio returns predicts their investment behavior, but does this relationship mediate by overconfidence? Taking into account different aspects of overconfidence, this paper examines whether overconfidence manifested as illusion of control, miscalibration and better-than-average mediates the association between perception of past portfolio returns and investment behavior. In a survey study with individual and institutional investors from Malaysia, the results indicate that perception of higher past portfolio returns increases investors' trading, percentage of risky share investment and the number of financial asset holding, through the mediating channel of better-than-average effect. While individual investors are influenced by this overconfidence mechanism, institutional investors are not sensitive. This finding has theoretical implication for overconfidence model, house money effect and naïve reinforcement learning. Practically, the results imply that individual investors should be careful about underlying overconfidence biases as it can lead to inefficient decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study proposes and tests the underlying psychological mechanisms on how investors’ past perceived portfolio returns affect their trading and risk taking, and if these psychological mechanisms are significant mediators. Using a covariance based structural equation modeling and multiple mediation tests with a dataset of Malaysian retail investors, the results show that: (a) In line with the naïve reinforcement learning, hot-hand fallacy and representativeness heuristics, investors’ excessive extrapolation of past perceived portfolio returns causes them to display optimism, overconfidence and risky attitude; (b) these psychological biases, in turn, lead to portfolio turnover, trading intention, risky share holding and willingness of risk taking; and (c) overconfidence, optimism and risk attitude emerged as multiple mediators. The results lead to the conclusion that the presence of underlying biases deteriorates financial behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to study gender differences in preferences for firm characteristics across various groups of investors in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Self-declared preferences are elicited through a survey of 520 investors comprising retail, financial professionals and institutional investors in the Malaysian stock market. Non-parametric (Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis) tests are computed to achieve the stated objective. Findings – Results reveal that female investors display higher preferences for the liquidity of a firm, dividend payments, trading volume of a firm, stock price and firm’s age than male investors across investor’s groups. Research limitations/implications – Findings imply that the gender gap in investing behaviour can be partly attributed to gender differences in preferences for firm characteristics. Practical/implications – The findings suggest that the gender gap can be mitigated by giving more priority to the choices of female investors with respect to firm characteristics. In turn, this may reduce a part of the gender gap in investing. Moreover, the findings would assist companies to understand and know how their shareholder’s preferences vary with respect to gender and investor’s groups. Originality/value – This paper provides evidence concerning the gender gap in investor’s self-declared preferences for firm characteristics across retail, financial professionals and institutional investors in Malaysia, which complements previous studies that used equity holdings data and only two groups of investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights on how a firm's size is related to risk taking of Malaysia's insurance companies, from 2000-2010. Design/methodology/approach – The sample used for empirical testing in this study comprised direct insurance firms licensed under Malaysia's Insurance Act 1996, for the time frame between 2000 and 2010. Pearson's correlation, fixed and random effects models, and the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) method were used in this study. Findings – Both the fixed effects and the system GMM panel data regression models suggested a positive link between the insurance firm size and underwriting risk. For the robustness test, the results of the analysis using changes in data broadly resemble the outputs of the levels estimation. Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study is limited to Malaysia's insurance sector only. Originality/value – Advocates of the too-big-to-fail (TBTF) theory believe that government support and the guarantee of a financial bailout are warranted for large financial institutions facing crises, for the main purpose of avoiding disruptions within a country's economy. The drawback, however, may be that the TBTF doctrine is the culprit behind excessive risk taking by insurance firms of large proportions. A number of regulatory concerns have been raised and addressed from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the behavior of institutional and retail investors in Malaysia during the bulls and bears. The results revealed significant differences in behavioral patterns between these two groups of investors. For the institutional investors, obvious differences were found in the areas of overconfidence, liquidity preference, and price anchoring between these two distinct market trends. As for the retail investors, there were no obvious difference in investing behavior except in terms of liquidity preference and self-control. The overall results indicated that both investors exhibited overconfidence during both periods; nonetheless, they were somewhat rational by exercising self-control and being concerned with liquidity when making investment decisions. Both investors ranked dividend yield as the most important fundamental variable particularly during bearish market outlook. On the other hand, trend analysis was rated as the most important variable closely watched technical indicator during bullish market outlook. Consistent with the findings of both surveys, we provide evidence that dividend yield appeared to be significant risk factor as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between risk management committee characteristics and risk taking of the Malaysia's insurance companies, from 2003-2011. The paper aims to examine three identified characteristics of a risk management committee, namely, size, independence, and number of meetings. Design/methodology/approach – The sample comprises 329 observations throughout the nine years' time frame until 2011. Pearson's correlation, pooled ordinary least squares regression, and panel regression model are used in this study. Sensitivity testing with an alternative measure of underwriting risk is also performed. Findings – Out of the three characteristics, size and committee independence appear to be negatively associated with underwriting risk. Meanwhile, the frequency of risk management committee meetings is insignificant in this study. Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study is limited to the Malaysia's insurance sector only. Originality/value – A risk management committee is an influencing force for risk oversight and the internal control system. The empirical evidence enriches the understanding of corporate governance in the context of the role of a risk management committee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]