Search

Every year, World Bank Group (WBG) is conducting assessment for 190 countries and produces a ranking report based on Doing Business performance – an initiative to measure benchmark efficiency on business regulation and their enforcement by a sample study (e.g. for Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur City Hall - DBKL). One of the ranking categories is based on Dealing with Construction Permits (DCP) which made us proud as announce Malaysia ranks for 2019 is #3 (based on 2018 assessment). This achievement was based on continues efforts and studies from the last bottom of #137 (since, 2007), #113 (2012) and continues with positive results (straight improvement) respectively till this year. Maintaining the top three ranks is not an easy task; however, is not impossible either. Lots of study in innovations, suggestions and implementation should be carried out to maintain and improve Malaysian DCP ranks. As per DCP of this year assessment, Work Bank has suggested all countries with 5 new suggestions (new additional marking schema). One of them is to engage Geographic Information System (GIS) for land use, cadastre, water, electricity and sewage related datasets. This paper propose an initial study (concept paper) towards engaging GIS in DCP activity as a response (first action) suggested by World Bank Group; crucial in maintaining DCP rank for 2020 as well as to provide better business regulations and enforcements for DBKL or other local authority. Later, an impact study will be conducted, utilizing new integrated GIS system publishing service (GeoMap) and the output of the study will indicate whether Malaysia Productive Corporation (MPC) should engage or ignore the 5th suggestion by World Bank Group, or to enhance with other initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace bullying has a significant impact on employee and organizational performance. Organizational culture also plays a crucial role in influencing employee performance and can help mitigate workplace bullying. This study aims to propose a conceptual framework to assess the relationship between workplace bullying and organizational performance, taking into account the moderating role of organizational culture. Data for this study will be collected using stratified random sampling from academic staff at 20 public sector universities in Malaysia. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique through SmartPLS will be employed to test the hypotheses. The study will analyze the significance of the interrelation between workplace bullying, organizational performance, and organizational culture using SEM with SmartPLS. The moderating role of organizational culture in the relationship between workplace bullying and organizational performance will also be examined. It is worth noting that the framework in this paper does not include specific dimensions of organizational culture. To enhance the scope of future research, additional dimensions should be added. Furthermore, this study is limited to exploring the moderating role of organizational culture; including the mediating role could further enrich the research. The findings of this research will be valuable for university and organizational management in creating a bullying-free work environment. Eliminating workplace bullying can lead to improved organizational performance and foster a progressive culture within the organization. By investigating the moderating role of organizational culture, this paper offers a comprehensive approach to understanding the impact of workplace bullying on organizational performance. The unique focus on organizational culture as a moderating factor makes this study a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper evaluates the validity of the assumption that leadership strategies (LS) influence employee performance (EP) and extra-role behavior (ERB) among employees of biotechnology firms in Malaysia. Besides, this study also inspected the indirect impact of employee innovation orientation (EIO) on the relationship between LS, ERB, LS and EP. The survey was distributed among employees, asking them to report their perceptions of the given constructs. Using a purposive sample of 262 employees, the data examination was done through the structural model technique. The study's findings confirmed that leadership strategies play a significant and positive role in EP and extra-role behavior. The moderating impact of EIO on the association between LS and ERB is significant. The paper's findings provide theoretical implications by adding to the knowledge of the association between the variables under study in the workplace and biotech firms in particular. Furthermore, managers should acknowledge the benefits of effective leadership strategies that positively influence extra-role behavior and employee performance and focus on nurturing employee innovation orientation to impact extra-role behavior. Future research suggestions and limitations of the study are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global environmental concerns have garnered significant attention in recent times. Concerns about encouraging more ecologically friendly production to lessen the effects of pollution have been raised by industrial operations that cause environmental pollution. The adoption of an environmental management system in Malaysian firms, however, has received little attention. This paper explores the mediating effect of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework on the relationship between ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) and ESG performance of Malaysian companies. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 was employed to assess the relationship through a conceptual model developed for this purpose. A total of 86 completed responses were collected from the targeted respondents in Malaysia of different industries. With ESG framework as a mediator, ISO 14001 EMS has an insignificant relationship with ESG performance, and the R2 value of ESG performance is 0.243. When the ESG framework is removed, ISO 14001 EMS has a significant relationship with ESG performance, and the f-square value is 0.176. This effect size is considered medium. The results provide an empirical proof for Malaysian companies to adopt the ISO 14001 EMS as a business tool, with ESG framework as a mediator in order to enhance their ESG performance. The study's conclusions highlight the implications of using ISO 14001 EMS as a tool for businesses in Malaysia to improve ESG performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of stock liquidity on blockholders for Malaysian public listed companies over a 19-year period from 2000 to 2018. Using five liquidity proxies, our results show a negative relationship between liquidity and blockholders. The negative effect of liquidity on blockholders is stemming from governance theory implies that greater stock liquidity decreases the cost of exit, and hence magnifies blockholders threat of exit when they are dissatisfied with company performance. Our results are robust to a battery of sensitivity tests, including endogeneity and disaggregate types of blockholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial performance is a subjective assessment of a firm's ability to use assets from its core business operations to create income. The phrase is utilized as a comprehensive indicator of a company's financial well-being throughout a certain duration. Strategic management practices play a crucial role in determining the financial performance of organizations. This paper aims to critically analyzed the impact of strategic management practices on financial performance by examining various scholarly articles and studies in the field. Moreover, the influence of business intelligence as a moderator on the relationship between strategic management practices and the financial performance of SMEs in the northern region of Malaysia was also investigated. This study amalgamated the resource-based view (RBV) to elucidate the impact of the factors on effective strategy execution. Questionnaires were administered to 378 SMEs in the northern region of Malaysia. The above sample was utilized in the analysis employing the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) - Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The study's results indicated a substantial impact of strategic management practices on financial performance. The research indicated that the moderating influence of business intelligence on strategic management practices and financial performance was significant. This study emphasized the research ramifications, recommendations for further investigations, and its limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - Small and Medium Enterprises (S.M.E.s), including Malaysia, have been recognized as a critical economic development engine globally. S.M.E.s' economic contribution includes their share of total establishments, employment, Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P.), and total export. Methodology/Technique – S.M.E.s comprise 97.4 percent of business establishments, provide 59 percent of total employment, and are the major contributor to economic growth. Although S.M.E.s play a pivotal role in economic development due to their significant proportion, their business performance remains a topic of debate. The S.M.E.s' business performance has shown slow growth while recording low productivity compared to large firms. This paper aims to develop a comprehensive Business Excellent Model (B.E.M.) that is exclusively and mutually for the business performance of S.M.E.s by investigating each criterion of the Business Excellent Model. Finding – The B.E.M. was developed by reviewing the literature on the issue from local and global contexts. Previous studies have shown that S.M.E.s require a suitable B.E.M. to catalyze their business performance. The S.M.E.s need to have seven criteria which comprise (a) leadership, (b) strategy, (c) information, (d) customer, (e) workforce, (f) process, and (g) results that are exclusively and mutually for S.M.E.s' business performance. Novelty – Finally, the literature's conclusion helps evaluate the critical issues of slow-growing and unproductive S.M.E.s in Malaysia. Furthermore, understanding every criterion of the B.E.M. would also ascertain which measures should be included in the B.E.M. for S.M.E.s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of sustainability reporting (SR) quality on the corporate financial performance (CFP) of initial public offering (IPO) in Malaysia. This research applies the OLS and WLS regressions through content analysis of annual reports. The data was collected from Datastream, where 131 IPOs listed companies on Bursa Malaysia between 2007 and 2017. The findings indicate a positive and negative association between SR and its components with CFP. It is found that there is a negative and significant association between the SR characteristics of employees and products with CFP. However, it was discovered that the societal and environmental components have a significantly positive association with CFP. This finding shows that SR practices might be seen as an attempt to enhance IPO performance. The findings can facilitate financial institutions and regulatory agencies in driving responsibility on the part of companies regarding SR issues. The firms should involve SR practices in their SR decisions. Thus, this study emphasises the significance of combining social and organisational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the effects of the social distinction of company directors on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: The social distinction of company directors adds to the firm's reputation, allowing the firm to access resources and privileges. The indicators of social distinction this study uses are the prenominal titles of directors in Malaysian companies. As Malaysian companies are known to have directors with political connections and the prenominal titles can be intertwined with these connections, to ascertain the effects of social distinction on firm performance, this study examines whether social distinctions proxy and complement political connections in improving firm performance. This study uses Tobin's Q (TQ) for longer-term performance and gross sales for current-year performance. Findings: This study finds evidence to suggest that the impact of higher-order titles on Tobin's Q and sales is greater in politically unconnected firms than in connected firms. This study also finds evidence to suggest that higher-order titles amplify the effect on Tobin's Q in politically connected firms, whereas lower-order titles amplify sales, both moderated by firm-age. The findings shed light on the mediating variables that contribute to the above, and are robust for alternative performance measures, and account for endogeneity concerns. Research limitations/implications: The results are generalisable only to countries where social distinctions are of significance. Practical implications: Future research on political connections should consider social connections that affect firms. Also, such research should prompt the awarders of titles to prohibit the use of titles for pecuniary motives to minimise market imperfections. Originality/value: Adding to the prior literature on the characteristics of directors and firm performance, this study shows that the social distinctions of directors do matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: The authors find that process innovation positively influences organizational performance. The effect of social innovation on performance depends on firm size. Marketing innovation has no impact on firm performance. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of the sustainability development (SD) on the organizational performance (OP) of Bursa Malaysia as a developing economy. This paper used secondary data obtained from the content analysis of annual reports and Datastream of 140 samples listed on Bursa Malaysia for the period of 2008-2018 and used the WLS and OLS regressions. The results show that there is a positive relationship among SD and its determinants (energy, general public, product, and employee) with OP. To the knowledge of the reviewers, this paper has a significant impact in terms of SD in organizations in Bursa Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused impact on the survivability and performance of organizations. Some organizations were forced to stop their daily business operations and suffer losses to the point of having to reduce their workforce. Organizational performance and organisational profit was also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the affected sectors in Malaysia is the tourism sector such as the hotel industry. Based on the current scenario, this paper highlights the organization's strategy in maintaining the survivability of the organization during the Movement Control Order MCO. This study uses a qualitative approach by interviewing two (2) Human Resource Managers in the hospitality industry at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The results of this study shows that the Turnaround Strategy is an effective strategy, in re-stabilize the performance of the organization for the sake of its survivability. Among the measures taken by the organization is by implementing the Turnaround Strategy which consists of three (3) dimensions such as asset reduction, cost savings and revenue generation. The organization's actions effect the organization's performance from the aspects of communication, productivity and leadership in the organization. Previous studies by Mann & Byun (2017) and Santana et al. (2017) stated that Turnaround Strategies are effective in maintaining organizational survivability during the COVID-19 pandemic. This preliminary research requires theoretical aspects in perceiving the extent of the organization's direction in adopting the Turnaround Strategy, workforce reduction and its relationship with performance in an organization when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the performance of corporate governance practices in Malaysia from the beginning of the 21st century until recently. This paper also highlights the history of corporate governance practices in Malaysia and the country's financial statement fraud situation. Design/Methodology/Approach: Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society that requires managing corporations and firms collectively. Hence, corporate governance practices and good practices are compelled to fit society's uniqueness. This paper used the survey findings generated from the Corporate Governance Watch Report (CG Watch Report) by the Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia and the Asian Corporate Governance Association from the year 2002 to the year 2018 and discussed the corporate governance performance related to financial statement fraud in Malaysia. The market ranking survey oversees five categories of corporate governance scores: rules and regulations, enforcement, political/regulatory environment, adoption of International Generally Accepted Accounting Principle and corporate governance culture Findings: The findings reported that firms in Malaysia have benefited from good laws and regulations through corporate governance reforms. Practical Implications: This study's findings are relevant to regulators, board members, shareholders, potential investors, analysts and others to produce more informative timely comparisons. Future research should consider analysing and comparing the corporate governance performance in Malaysia with the corporate governance performance of other countries in Asia. Originality Value: This study summarized the findings generated from a periodical CG Watch Report from the year 2003 to 2018. This study also underlined the actions of responsible agencies and regulatory bodies determined to have a decent corporate governance practice in Malaysia, especially in minimizing financial statement fraud occurrence in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the key determinants of green human resource management (GHRM) and investigate its impact on environmental performance (EP) and business performance (BP). Design/methodology/approach: The research employed SmartPLS 3 and follows a cross-sectional research design. Data from 179 employees were collected using a convenience sampling technique from the firms that adopted GHRM practices. Findings: The research found a significant relationship of GHRM with EP and also reported the significant relationship between EP and BP. Moreover, EP significantly mediates the relationship of GHRM with BP. Research limitations/implications: A relatively small sample size of employees was used that may suggest the need for a diverse and more representative sample. The paper is based on data collected from the Malaysian manufacturing industry – other economic sectors and Asian countries may offer different results. Practical implications: The paper identifies the need for incorporating GHRM practices and culture at the workplace to encourage positive green behavior in employees which will increase the EP and BP of the firm. Originality/value: This paper reported the initial empirical findings after the March 7th incident on EP of businesses in Malaysia, where businesses have initiated the adoption of GHRM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper examines the nexus between agricultural exports and the performance of agricultural firms in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: The dynamic linkage is tested by using system GMM models and the period ranges from 2002 to 2016. Findings: The results indicate that agricultural exports affect performance positively. However, agricultural raw materials have no significant impact on performance. Research limitations/implications: The agricultural exports in relation to sectoral performance needs to be considered in the future. Practical implications: The findings are important for policymakers to formulate policies that promote the agricultural sector. To put it differently, the policies may encourage investments in this sector. Also, the findings have substantial academic implications, bridging the gap between theory and empirical literature in the agricultural sector. Originality/value: This work highlights the agricultural exports and their impacts on a firm's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how knowledge creation process mediates the relationship between customer orientation and firm performance for small hotels in Malaysia. A survey was conducted to gather data for this study from 308 small hotel owners located in five tourism regions in Malaysia. The results show that 1) customer orientation has a direct relationship with firm performance 2) a firm's customer orientation initiatives have an impact on firm's knowledge creation process that are dependent on the dynamic capabilities of their tourism entrepreneurs and 3) customer orientation displayed by small hotels is found to be partially mediated by the knowledge creation process and its impact on firm performance. This paper maintains that small hotels that display customer orientation are mostly dependent on their own resources instituted internally by their owners. However, firm performance improves if the firm dutifully builds its knowledge database from internal and external knowledge sources through socialization, externalization, combination and internalization processes. This study establishes the importance of customer orientation and knowledge creation, especially to those of as resource-based and dynamic capabilities respectively into renewed firm outcomes, to both academics and industry practitioners. This research findings are useful for tourism entrepreneurs, who are seeking to compete and achieve superior firm performance for effective business practices and enhancing return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the impact of business process reengineering on organizational performance in the Malaysian electronics manufacturing industry during the coronavirus pandemic. It also studied the moderating effect of strategic thinking on the relationship between these two concepts. Design/methodology/approach: Data of 103 samples are obtained from a survey of the electronics manufacturing companies listed in the Federation of Malaysia Manufacturers' directory. Data is analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings: The results show that business process reengineering dimensions, i.e. top management commitment, organizational readiness for change, information technology capabilities and people management have significant positive impacts on organizational performance; whereas organizational structure and other abovementioned dimensions were found to have a much stronger impact on organizational performance whilst strategic thinking exists in the organization. Practical implications: As the studied firms have been affected by the pandemic, the results will be useful for managers of the firms in the Malaysian electronics manufacturing industry by highlighting the dimensions of business process reengineering that can have a positive and significant impact on the organizational performance and by advising them to incorporate strategic thinking. Originality/value: The results extend the literature on business process reengineering dimensions, which impact organizational performance by empirically testing the relationship of those dimensions on the performance, with strategic thinking as a moderating variable in Malaysian electronics manufacturing companies. From the knowledge, studying strategic thinking as a moderator in the relationship between business process reengineering and organizational performance in electronics manufacturing companies in Malaysia is unique, especially during a global crisis, i.e. the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews and assesses the performance of the manufacturing sector in general, as well as the catalytic industries identified in the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (1 IMP), to ascertain whether the initiatives and targets proposed in the Plan are adequate to energize and move the sector forward. In doing so, the paper uses industrial policy arguments -- market and government failures -- to explain the slow progress of the sector. The findings suggest that market failures -- in terms of lagging industrial capabilities and economies of scale, market frictions, lack of support for self-discovery by firms and diversification -- require government intervention. Nevertheless, defying comparative advantage and identifying frontier products that show lacklustre performance to spearhead the sector under the Plan certainly require substantial improvements in institutioncd capabilities, coordination and institutional learning, while maintaining respect for markets and incentives. The paper concludes that lack of recognition to address government failures limited the success of policies implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG, 2007 and 2012) on the performance of the listed companies in Malaysia. The agency theory and resource dependency theories indicate that the firms with strong corporate governance outperform firms with weaker governance. This paper explores this relationship in a developing country like Malaysia having different institutional environment compared to western countries.Design/methodology/approach The study used a sample of 113 listed companies in Malaysia. The study incorporates the endogenous relationship between corporate governance, firm performance and leverage.Findings The study analyzes how the corporate governance framework affected firm performance in Malaysia with the help of self-developed corporate governance index (MCGI). The authors’ findings show that the performance of the firm is positively and significantly related with corporate governance measured by MCGI. Secondly, corporate governance of sample firms shows marked improvements after implementation of MCCG 2012 as compared to MCCG 2007.Originality/value The findings of this paper support the agency and the resource dependency theories. The study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the corporate governance and firm performance in emerging economy and builds a case for enforcement of strong corporate governance code by government agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of shareholder activism led by the Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group (MSWG) on the performance of family-controlled firms in Malaysia from 2005 to 2009. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses event study methodology to calculate abnormal returns for the sample and control firms. Findings – The paper finds significant positive cumulative abnormal returns of at least 0.5 percent for the targeted family firms, during the event window of [-1, 0] and [0, +1], as a result of MSWG engagement. There is a significant positive cumulative abnormal return of 1 percent for the firms where family control is less than the threshold level of 33 percent. It is interesting to note that MSWG engagements do not have consistent positive impact on the abnormal returns over the years. There are significant differences between the performance of MSWG targeted family-controlled firms and non-targeted family-controlled firms after one year of MSWG intervention. Research limitations/implications – The results show that MSWG-led shareholder activism does have an effect on the share returns of the family-controlled firms. These results imply that family-controlled firms agree with the MSWG on those matters that improve the bottom-line results. Originality/value – The authors argue that this is the first study to examine MSWG engagements with family-controlled firms in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of technology on organizational performance of private higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Malaysia and to determine the area of focus for private HLIs in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was carried out over two months through an online self-administered questionnaire and yielded 155 samples. Subsequently, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the reflective measurement model and the structural model for validity, reliability and hypotheses, respectively. Findings: This paper discovered that between the two constructs of technology tested (technology management and technology usage), only technology management influenced organizational performance. Originality/value: As Industry 4.0 is disrupting the existing business environment, inquiring into the influence of technology is of critical importance for the organizational performance of private HLIs in Malaysia. This paper provides a different perspective of how technology affects the overall organizational performance of private HLIs which differs from past studies which focused more on the effects of technology on individuals such as teachers/instructors and learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Management Studies is the property of Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate governance and company performance and how a board's ethical commitment can influence this relationship. Prior studies documented mixed evidence on the corporate governance and corporate performance relationship, which can be due to the influence of a board's ethical commitment and will shape the corporate governance mechanism in the company and, in turn, influence performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected data for two years, i.e. 2013 and 2014, from the biggest 500 Malaysian companies listed in the stock exchange. Corporate governance is measured based on the requirements of the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance (MCCG), while a board's ethical commitment is measured based on the MCCG and various international best practices. Corporate performance is measured based on return on equity, return on assets, net profit margin, market-to-book value and TobinQ. Findings: A board's ethical commitment was found to be significant in increasing the strength of the relationship between corporate governance and corporate performance. The findings are robust to the alternative performance measurements and lagged one-year corporate performance. Research limitations/implications: This paper provides further evidence on the importance of ethical practices to improve corporate environment and, hence, sustain a company's performance. This study, however, was conducted on only large companies with a limited data collection period. Practical implications: This study provides an indicator that the policymaker and regulatory authorities need to double their efforts in promoting and encouraging a board of directors to take a bold step in improving its ethical culture. Shareholders and investors need to use their power and rights to demand the company to improve their governance and ethical practices. Originality/value: This study is original, as it measures a board's ethical commitment from various sources of local and international best practices such as Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the USA. It also contributes to the literature and theoretical understanding of the interaction between a board's ethical commitment and corporate governance on corporate performance, particularly in developing countries like Malaysia, which is scarce in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a tool to involve employees in the continuous improvement. SMEs are a well-known as the vital sector to Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, SMEs still face issues of their performances. Most of SMEs have issue in TQM implementation due to the lack of awareness and accepting of TQM. The objective of this paper is to examine the TQM implementation amongst SMEs, in order to enhance their performance by using Balanced Scorecard (BSC). 130 respondents from Malaysia SMEs in manufacturing sector have been sent in this survey. Finally, 64 respondents have responded, representing 49.2 of response rate. The result shows that TQM practices have positive and significant relationship towards the BSC with r=0.64 at P<0.05. Hence, TQM practices also have significant relationship with all of the four BSC perspective with p<0.05. This study demonstrated that TQM is important tool for improving BSC performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Malaysian banks step into Basel-III era, a close look at their performance on risk adjusted basis using RAROC and EVA would throw significant light on their relative strengths and weaknesses. Post restructuring during 1999-2000, the regulatory framework of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) throughout 2001-2010 was mainly centered on capitalisation, risk management and governance practices in banks. Financial Sector Blue Print is viewed as the reference framework for growth of banks in the current decade. Though numerous studies have evaluated the performances of Malaysian banks in terms of efficiency and productivity gains before and after the merger and also at various phases during the last decade, no study has so far been reported to evaluate their performances using the above framework. This paper intends to fill up this gap. The period covered is 2001 to 2013. Findings of this paper would be of keen interest to the policy planners, investors and researchers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to attain a set of goals that is the most significant of which are: identifying the factors causing the success of accounting information systems (AIS) and their repercussions on the performance of organizations in Malaysian small and medium sized enterprises. This paper utilised 101 small and medium enterprises from 2015 to 2020. The results show there are a positive effect of AIS on organizations performance. The AIS supporting the performance and raise the quality of the organization's performance. The study recommended the need to give special priority to attention to the quality of the AIS and the importance of developing AIS continuously in line with the needs and desires of the beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the practices of soft quality management and hard quality management, and to investigate the direct and indirect effects of soft and hard quality management on firm performance. The paper proposes several hypotheses relating to the relationship between soft quality management factors, hard quality management and performance. To test these hypotheses, the paper uses a sample of 255 electrical and electronics firms from Malaysia as the data source, and structural equation modeling (SEM) as the statistical tool. The findings show that soft quality management factors have a positive influence on hard quality management; hard quality management has a direct effect on performance and soft quality management factors have direct and indirect effects on performance. Consequently, hard quality management acts as a mediating variable between soft quality management factors and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate whether or not there exists a relationship between network governance structures in GLCs and NGLCs and performance in Malaysia. In pursuing this objective, the study will explore whether the structures are significantly different and, if so, will seek to establish whether the relationship between their structures and performance of the two groups differs. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a matched-pair analysis between GLCs and NGLCs in terms of board listing, types of industry and paid-up capital. All data related to variables were collected mainly from the annual reports of companies and the Bursa Malaysia websites. Besides paired sample t-tests, univariate tests were also conducted to establish whether there is a statistically-significant relationship between each independent variable and firm performance measured by either ROA or ROE. Findings – The results showed that there were statistically-significant differences for both network governance structures of senior government officers (SGO) and politicians (POL) as directors between GLCs and NGLCs for the period under study. Therefore, the first hypothesis of significant differences between the network governance structures of GLCs and NGLCs is fully supported. However, the presence and contribution of both SGO and POL to firm performance are much more noticeable in NGLCs compared to GLCs. BSZ is generally positively correlated with performance and this relationship is stronger for GLCs than NGLCs. As for RDU, no statistically-significant relationship was found in all years. This indicates that there is no clear indication of any relationship between RDU and performance measured by ROA and ROE in all groupings of companies. Research limitations/implications – It is impossible to get an exact pair of GLCs and NGLCs companies. However, both groups of companies have been paired as close as possible based on their paid-up capital. The research was conducted in a period of three years only and before the transformation process of GLCs. As such, the findings might not reflect the general long-term performance of GLCs. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature as it examines the relationship between network governance variables to firm performance in the context of GLCs and NGLCs in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of high-commitment work systems on firm performance, employee burnout and wellbeing, and the mediating role of organisation support and employee effort in Malaysia. Through a survey of 215 employees working in manufacturing firms, the results show that high-commitment work systems have a significant positive direct impact on firm performance and a significant negative effect on employee burnout, yet no significant positive effect on employee wellbeing. Organisation support partially mediates the effect of high-commitment work systems on burnout. Both employee effort and organisation support fully mediate the effect of high-commitment work systems on wellbeing. The paper contributes to an understanding of how high-commitment work systems increase performance and highlights the centrality of organisation support in the context of low-skill, highly intense production work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the association between the effectiveness of risk committee (RC) and firms' performance in Malaysian context. It also explores whether political connection has an impact on the relationship. Design/methodology/approach: This study, using a principle components analysis, derives a factor score for RC attributes to proxy the effectiveness of RC. It also uses both accounting and market performance to measure the company performance. Findings: Using a sample of financial firms from 2004 to 2018, this study finds that both accounting and market performance are higher for firms with an effective RC. It also finds that the effectiveness of RC in monitoring and management of risks is more pronounced for politically connected firms (PCFs). In further tests, the paper finds that RC attributes (i.e. RC independence, qualification and gender) are positively and significantly associated with accounting performance, while those of RC existence and overlap are positively and significantly related to market performance. The study also finds that RC size (RC diligence) has a positive (negative) impact on financial firms accounting and market performance. The further analysis also shows that PCFs with a separate as well as larger RCs experience both higher accounting and market performance. This study's results are robust for concerns of endogeneity. Practical implications: The findings of this study resolve the ongoing debates surrounding political connection by suggesting financial firms not to have politically connected board members as doing so may deteriorate their performance. This study's results are also useful for investors, regulators and policymakers. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study, for the first time, introduces on the interaction term between the effectiveness of RCs and political connection to empirically explore how an effective RC may reduce the potential risk of political ties. As such, this study adds to the literature and sheds light on an aspect of risk (i.e. risk stems from establishing close link with the government) that is growing in importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction literature in past decades has reflected a steadily increasing interest in the assessment of organizational integration practices. This interest has led to the development of a multi-organizational team integration performance index based on five weighted key determinants (KDs) for Malaysian construction projects as follows: commitment from top management; team leadership; focus on goals and objectives; communication; and trust and respect. In order to advance the index into a full working model, this paper aims to identify the appropriate leading and lagging quantitative measures (QMs) based on their importance, measurability, and obtainability to evaluate the five KDs. A two-fold research approach was adopted; first, structured face-to-face interviews with eight practitioners were conducted to identify the candidate QMs; followed by two rounds of a rating-type Delphi survey with 18 experts to rate the candidate QMs. The findings indicate that the recommended leading QMs were influenced by the output-oriented measures, while lagging QMs were framed within the scale-oriented measures, depending on the characteristic of the KDs. The establishment of these measures advance the existing index for a quantitative-based assessment of multi-organization performance. The present study adds to the construction literature by enhancing the learning of measuring organizational performance in the Malaysian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sample of listed firms in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, this paper examines the association between busy board of directors and firm performance. We offer three results. First, we find that firm performance (measured by operating profitability and market-to-book equity) is negatively associated with busy boards. Second, we find that firms with busy boards have higher operating risk (measured by volatility of return on assets, volatility of stock returns and volatility of operating cash flow). Third, we find that the association between firm performance and busy boards is conditional on the firm's life cycle stage. For firms in the growth stage, busy boards are beneficial to firm performance suggesting that the experience knowledge and reputation accumulated with multiple directorships help busy directors to more effectively advise these firms. In contrast, for firms in the maturity stage of their life cycle, busy boards are detrimental to firm performance suggesting the monitoring role of board is weakened by multiple directorships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of the quality of responsible business (RB) on the corporate performance (CP) of private placements firms (PPF) in Malaysia as a developing market. This study uses secondary data derived from the content analysis of the Datastream and annual reports of 145 sampled PPF listed on Bursa Malaysia for the period of 2008-2018 and employs the OLS and WLS regressions. The findings illustration that there is a positive and negative link between RB and its dimensions with CP. In particular, there is a negative and important link among the RB dimensions of employee and product with CP. Meanwhile, the general public and energy dimensions were found to have a positive and significant relationship with CP. This study tests the effect of the responsible business on the CP. Most studies on RB in Malaysia are conducted on public listed companies. To the researchers' best knowledge, this study makes a significant contribution in terms of RB in PPF companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between board ethical commitment and the performance of the company. When directors embed ethics in discharging their duty, it will prohibit frauds, unnecessary actions and decisions that are detrimental to the company. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected data for two years i.e. 2013 and 2014 from the annual report of the biggest 500 companies by market capitalisation as of 31 December 2013 listed under Bursa Malaysia stock exchange. Board ethical commitment is measured based on the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance (MCCG) and various international best practices while corporate performance is measured based on return on equity, return on assets, net profit margin, market to book value and TobinQ. Findings: This study found that ethical commitment by the board has a significant positive relationship with corporate performance. The findings are robust to the alternative performance measurements and lagged one-year corporate performance. Research limitations/implications: This paper enhances the theoretical understanding of the contribution of the board of ethical commitment to the sustainable performance of the company. However, this study suffered from a limited data collection period of two years only from the annual report of the company. Practical implications: This study provides an indicator that the directors need to provide a good ethical leadership example to the employees and committed to built a good ethical work culture in the organisation via establishment of code of ethics. In addition, this code needs to be promoted, enforced and embedded in the operations of the organisation. Originality/value: This study is original as it not only examines board ethical commitment from MCCG 2012 but also international best practices from various countries such as UK, USA and Europe. It also contributed to the literature and theoretical understanding of the importance of board ethical commitment specifically in developing countries like Malaysia that scarce in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between dimensions of internationalisation on balanced scorecard (BSC), among Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Internationalisation covers the dimensions of knowledge, trust and commitment. Internationalisation can benefit the firm performance of SMEs in Malaysia which is measured using balanced scorecard, by increasing the involvement of SMEs in international business. A sample of 404 data was considered as the final sample size for this study. By using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the dimensions of internationalisation were observed to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that internationalisation as a whole does not have a role in the results of BSC among Malaysian SMEs. However, this also indicates that internationalisation is useful to reach the firm performance mostly in larger organisations because they require more strategic internationalisation to be more triumphant over their rivals which the larger organisations have. Furthermore, most SMEs in Malaysia are relatively new and being mostly family enterprises, these SMEs in Malaysia are more knowledgeable to perform domestic business. Therefore, this research conveys an understanding to the owners and managers to quickly achieve BSC results. Finally, this study brings some conclusions to the policy makers and regulators as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the association between corporate governance mechanism and firm performance measured by return on assets (ROA). The question is whether an effective corporate governance mechanism is able to increase the firm performance of Bursa and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Klang Valley, Malaysia. The main purpose of this study is the in-depth analysis of the corporate governance mechanism and construction industry Malaysia via Bursa and CIDB. Design/methodology/approach: Following the primary and secondary data comparative approach, data are collected from 46 listed construction companies and 250 CIDB-registered SMEs for the financial year 2015. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test are reported, and model estimation is performed using logistic regression. Findings: The empirical outcome shows that the corporate governance mechanism is significant in case of the CIDB Malaysia-registered SMEs. While, it has insignificant impact on firm's performance for Bursa Malaysia. Practical implications: This paper offers evidence specifically for Bursa and CIDB Malaysia construction industry. It can also provide guidance to the board of directors for the subscription of shares under the corporate governance measures at Bursa Malaysia. The findings also suggest that CIDB should increase awareness regarding institutional investment to assist the securities market to develop further. Originality/value: This study gives an indication about corporate governance, specifically for the CIDB-registered SMEs and Bursa Malaysia. It also discusses the matter of firm performance under the light of corporate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish a link between marketing resources, procurement process coordination (PPC) and firm performance. To allow for greater understanding in the field of supply chain management, the present study looked into the coordination between the construction firms and their main building materials suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed the quantitative method where stratified random sampling and self-administrated questionnaires were sent to respondents in the construction industry. The research framework was tested using structural equation modelling technique. Findings – The empirical result revealed that marketing resources have positive and significant effects on PPC dimensions. It was also found that PPC (mainly joint operation planning and supplier relationship development dimensions) has significant positive relationship towards firm performance. Research limitations/implications – This study focused solely on the firms in the construction industry and data collection was on a single respondent basis. Practical implications – The findings of this study underlines some implication and suggests that construction industry players adopt and emphasise such orientations in order to enhance their performance – operational and customer performance in particular. Originality/value – This study employed a newly developed framework based on the existing theoretical arguments to empirically examine the link between marketing resources, PPC and firm performance and offers fresh insights on the effects of PPC in linking marketing resources and firm performance. Besides that, since there are very limited studies that have taken the initiative to specifically list down the activities involved in the PPC, mainly in the context of the construction industry, this study offers a significant contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to assess the relationship between Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach -- The simple random technique on 300 Islamic organizations in Malaysia was used. In all, 120 completed questionnaires were returned, but only 114 were usable. Findings -- There are some positive and significant relationships between Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance. Basically, there is only one Islamic human resource practice, namely, training and development practice, that is positively and significantly related to organizational performance. Research limitations/implications -- This study is only limited to the Islamic organizations that are implementing Islamic human resource practices in total. Thus, the findings could only be generalized to this type of institution. Practical implications -- Thus, the Islamic organizations should emphasize on this practice to obtain higher organizational performance. Social implications -- Islamic human resource practices emphasize on the instillation of Islamic values in the practices that are universal in this world. Thus, through its implementation, the betterment of the society will be obtained in terms of psychology, moral and spiritual aspects. Cooperation, teamwork and harmony could also be steadfast not only in the organizations but also in the society. Originality/value -- There are few studies done on finding the relationship of Islamic human resource practices and organizational performance. Thus, this paper provides some empirical findings on this matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically investigated the ERM Implementation model and proposed framework to identify and manage risks in Oil and Gas Sector in Malaysia. The study examined the role of ERM framework implementation in improving business performance by utilizing Economic Value Added as a measurement tool. The study also provides insights to the Oil and Gas Sector to gain higher profit returns, reduce cost of capital, and improve shareholders value. Moreover, it contributes significantly in the field of Enterprise risk management in Malaysia. The identification and management of risk is significant to organizations in managing risks efficiently. Expectations of stakeholders of the organization are high from executives and board of directors in managing the risk effectively. Linear regression analysis is utilized in analyzing the data obtained from the data collection performed for this paper. Purposive sampling has been employed in order to select the firms that are operating in Malaysian oil and gas sector. Primary data has been utilized to collect data with the help of structured questions and interview techniques that involve semi structured questions. The results of the regression analysis conducted for in this study suggested that a significant and positive relationship between Enterprise Risk Management with operational risk; market risk; political risk; health, safety and environmental risk; and, also business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between internal audit and the working capital management (WCM) of Malaysian public-listed firms. Good WCM is vital as it drives profitability. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the inventory conversion period is the most challenging part of WCM for Malaysian firms. In 2017, around RM71 billion in cash was locked up in working capital and thus suggesting that Malaysian public-listed firms are struggling with WCM. Based on this issue, we are therefore motivated to examine the association between the role of internal audit and WCM in publicly listed firms in Malaysia. Specifically, we would like to examine whether internal audit cost relates to better firms' WCM. We proxy WCM by the cash conversion cycle (CCC) ratio. With a sample of 309 firm-year observations, we observed a negative and significant relationship between internal audit cost and CCC. The findings suggest that an increase in internal audit cost improves firms' operational efficiency and effectiveness, hence improving firms' CCC ratios. Furthermore, we find consistent results on the influence of the internal auditor on two of three components of CCC, namely the inventory conversion and the receivables collection periods. Finally, our additional analysis demonstrates that CCC and internal auditing are critical components of firms' performance. By adding the role of internal audit in WCM, this study contributes to a further understanding of the role of internal auditor in agency theory. This study contributes to senior management of publicly listed firms that the cost incurred internal auditing function is an investment that helps improve WCM efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For government and non-government organisations to prosper, the practice and culture of innovation must be adopted. Therefore, innovation has been encouraged for each organisation by the Malaysian government since the year 2009. This paper discusses on the innovation processes in two organisations; the Science & Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE), a government agency, and Celcom Axiata Berhad, a public listed company. This study is conducted based on information on innovation activities gathered from representatives from both organisations' top managements. STRIDE, being the government's R&D centre for defence & security, and Celcom, a telecommunications service provider, have unique ways of implementing innovations in their respective departments. This paper focuses on both organisations' achievements with their latest innovations, their plans for the next five to ten years, and the challenges faced in maintaining and improving their performances. Organisation strategies, job motivation and incentives, and intellectual property (IP) patents in both organisations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of leverage on the financial performance of general insurance companies in Malaysia, and investigate whether the leverage-performance relationship is a function of or contingent on the extent of product diversification. Design/methodology/approach – The sample consisted of the entire population of authorized general insurance companies operating during the period from 2006 to 2009 in Malaysia. A total of 94 observations were analysed. All the data used were sourced from the Malaysian Central Bank's (BNM) database. Findings – It is found that leverage is negatively associated with firm performance. However, there is a significant interaction effect between leverage and product diversity on firm performance. The finding indicates that leverage could be beneficial or detrimental to the financial performance of general insurance firms, contingent on the extent of product diversity of the firm. Research limitations/implications – As the scope of study is limited to the general insurance industry and the sample size is small, the findings of the study must be interpreted with caution and the results may not be generalizable to the life insurance sector or other industry. Originality/value – Findings of prior empirical studies on leverage-performance relationship and effect of insurance product diversification are rather mixed and inconclusive. Based on analysis of a single insurance (general) sector that is highly regulated, the paper provides empirical evidence that the benefits of product diversification strategy are contingent on level of the firm's leverage. The paper hence, enhances understanding and contributes to the existing literature on impact of leverage, product diversification on performance of the highly regulated general insurance firms in a developing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically test a framework which identifies the relationships between supply chain management (SCM) practices, operational performance and innovation performance of Malaysian manufacturing and service firms. Design/methodology/approach – Data for the study were collected from a sample of 163 Malaysian manufacturing and service firms. The research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results show that SCM practices in both the upstream and downstream supply chain have a direct and significant impact on organizational and innovation performance of Malaysian firms. Innovation improvement caused by SCM also results in better organizational performance. The findings also reveal that manufacturing and service firms in Malaysia do not have a significant difference in their SCM practices. Research limitations/implications – The time sequence of the association between the variables could not be concluded given that cross-sectional data were used. This study also focuse only on Malaysian firms. Practical implications – This paper shows the importance of SCM practices and how they directly influence organizational and innovation performance. This result will be encouraging to firms in other developing countries. This paper has developed and validated a multi-dimensional construct of SCM practices, and this tool can assist decision makers of Malaysian firms to evaluate the efficiency of their current SCM practices. Originality/value – The paper presents one of the few studies which empirically validates the relationships between SCM practices and organizational and innovation performances. The study also focuses on a developing country which is in transition from being manufacturing focused to service focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Skill shortages worldwide have intensified the need for talent management. Few papers examine the pattern of human resource (HR) and talent management practices that help retain competent employees among service multinational companies (MNCs) in Asia. The purpose of this paper is to map out a number of HR practices used by service companies and to examine the effect of talent retention as perceived by MNC managers on service delivery capacity and business growth. Design/methodology/approach- A survey data of 281 service MNCs in six Asian countries (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand) are used to compare country and sectoral differences. Standard multiple regression analysis is conducted to test the link between HR practices, employee retention, and service firm performance. Findings - The results confirm that there are statistically significant linkages between HR practices, talent retention and firm performance. In particular, various skill training and development programs are seen to be significantly associated with capacity to deliver quality service and on firm growth as perceived by managers surveyed. Informal recruitment methods that are used more by Asian-bred firms have contributed to better retention rates. Not all formalised HR practices lead to talent retention; and the degree to which HR is perceived to have impacted on firm performance varies. Research limitations/implications - The paper focuses on examining the perceptual impacts of human resource management (HRM) practices on firm performance; rather than actual HRM impacts. The interpretation of results should be taken with caution. Originality/value- Talent management is influenced by country specific variables. This paper shows how important it is for service firms to focus on strategic selection of both formal and informal HR practices in order to deliver high quality service and to drive service firm growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is primarily to explore the extent of intangible assets and liabilities of large Malaysian companies. The authors also examine whether intangible assets and liabilities of a firm have similar or contrasting roles in firm performance.Design/methodology/approach Using a direct and straightforward measure of intangible assets and liabilities, the authors examine a large pool of data from large Malaysian companies over a six-year period spanning from 2008 to 2013.Findings The longitudinal analyses show a significant number of the sample companies, between 34 and 59.33 percent, have a consistent pattern of intangible liabilities. The authors also find firms with intangible liabilities have significantly underperformed financially than a control group of firms. In addition, the authors find that intangible liabilities have significant negative impact on firm performance whereas intangible assets have a contrasting positive impact on firm performance.Research limitations/implications One limitation of this study is that the authors have only used a single measure of intangible assets and liabilities. Albeit the measures used are straightforward and more objective, there could be other measures to capture intangibles.Practical implications The research findings have several theoretical as well as policy implications. Theoretically, the authors extend the resource-based view to the intangible asset-liability mix, affirming the crucial role of intangible resources in financial performance whilst introducing the unfavorable role of intangible liabilities in corporate financial performance. In terms of policy implications, the research findings provide initial empirical input to emerging calls for broader perspectives of intangibles, beyond intangible assets to include intangible liabilities, and therefore belong to an emerging paradigm toward the nature of intangibles.Originality/value This study documents a rare empirical account of the contrasting roles of intangible assets and liabilities in corporate financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between board characteristics and real performance among state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Malaysia in a longitudinal period following the introduction of transformation policy.Design/methodology/approach The study deviates from prior research in utilising a real performance measure rather than traditional measures of performance. The authors adopt the quantile regression approach to examine the impact of board characteristics on real performance in a comparison using ordinary least squares.Findings The results of quantile regression reveal that the impact of board mechanisms on real performance was not as expected. Specifically, board size and duality had a bearing on real performance. Board independence also is considered as influential factor through the time. However, such effects were not homogenous across different quantiles. The dummy year variable to compare the period pre- and post-transformation policy reveals that the dummy year is not significant, indicating that performance post-transformation is indifferent compared to the pre-transformation policy period.Practical implications It is important for government to reconsider the policies embedded in the transformation policy. This study provides insights on the enhancement of board effectiveness and new developments regarding GLCs.Originality/value This is an early to attempt to measure real performance and its link to board characteristics in SOEs post-transformation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]