All Research

Fazal Akhbar · Rao Aamir Khan · Fazli Wadood · Abdul Talib Bin Bon ·Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review ·2020 ·JEL: L20

The main objective of this study is to verify the impact of entrepreneurial orientation dimension on firm performance of furniture industry in Malaysia. In this study, we used a quantitative research method and collected data through a questionnaire from 391 furniture manufacturing company owners and managers, while following purposive sampling approach. The collected data was analysed using structural equation (Partial Least Square). To measure five entrepreneurial orientation dimensions, we adopted specific measuring instruments. The study shows that the three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation – i.e. innovation, risk-taking, and competitive aggressiveness – make unique statistical contributions to the considered model. Findings indicate low levels of autonomy and proactiveness. However, the entrepreneurial orientation and FP models significantly influence the unique contribution of individual entrepreneurial activities in the Malaysian furniture industry.

Imtiaz Sifat · Azhar Mohamad ·Journal of Economic Studies ·2020 ·JEL: D43, D47, D53

Despite regulatory claims of straitening volatility and preventing crashes, evidences on circuit breakers’ ability to achieve so are nonconclusive. While previous scholars studies general performances of circuit breakers, the authors examine whether Malaysian price limits aggravate volatility, impede price discovery, and interfere with trading activities in both tranquil and stressful periods. The study uses a combination of parametric and nonparametric techniques consistent with Kim and Rhee (1997) to examine the major ex-post hypotheses in circuit breaker research. For calm markets, the authors find significant success of upper limits in tempering volatility with low trading interference. Lower limits show mixed results. Conversely, in crisis markets limits fare poorly in nearly all aspects, particularly for lower limits.

Christopher Gan · Rafiatul Adlin Hj Mohd Ruslan · Baiding Hu · Nguyen Thi Thieu Quang ·International Journal of Business and Economics ·2020 ·JEL: L26; O53

This study investigates the relationship between access to microcredit and SMEs’ performance. Using survey data on SME’s owners/managers in Terengganu, Malaysia in 2016, the study investigates how access to microcredit affects SME sales and employment growth. Employing the Propensity Score Matching method (PSM), the study showed that SMEs with microcredit borrowing had their sales 25.6% to 25.7% higher than nonmicrocredit borrowers. After minimizing the selection bias from both observable and unobservable characteristics using Differences in Differences method (DID), the difference was much larger (28.7%). However, both PSM and DID analyses revealed no impact of microcredit access on SME employment growth. The Endogenous Switching Regression method (ESR) confirmed these findings.

Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy · Ku Nor Izah Ku Ismail · Sitraselvi Chandren · Shehabaddin Abdullah A. Al-Dubai ·Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business ·2020 ·JEL: M40, M41, M42, M48

This paper investigates the effect of the involvement of the board chairman in the audit committee (AC) on earnings management (EM). It examines Bursa Malaysia-listed companies with the lowest positive earnings for the years 2013 to 2015. The Modified Jones Model by Kasznik (1999) was used to determine discretionary accruals. An AC that includes its board chairman as an ordinary member is associated with greater discretionary accruals. However, a board chairman who is also the chairman of the AC does not seem to influence discretionary accruals. This paper supports the agency theory and policy-makers’ efforts to prevent board chairmen from sitting on ACs. It is the first study that uses the agency theory to describe the association between the board chairman’s involvement in the both AC and EM. This study alerts policy-makers, stakeholders and researchers to the influence of a board chairman serving on the AC in curbing EM. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence that the majority of Malaysian companies whose board chairmen are involved in the AC appoint the chairman as an ordinary member of the AC. This indicates that executive directors may affect such actions. Hence, more policies are needed to improve AC independence.

Azadeh Hadian · Cahit Adaoglu ·Journal of Asian Economics ·2020 ·JEL: F30, G32

This study examines the value effects of financial and operational hedging in a managed floating exchange rate regime with strict limitations on the trading of Malaysian Ringgit for a sample of 109 Malaysian multinationals from 2004–2018. Using Tobin’s Q as a proxy for company value, the two-step system GMM estimation results show that, on average, derivatives hedging creates a value premium range of 7.88–8.21 % in the short-run, and 18.81–19.80 % in the long-run. This value premium emerged both after controlling for non-operational foreign exchange profits (losses), and its two components: transaction and translation profits (losses). In contrast, foreign debt hedging, on average, creates a value discount range of 8.19–8.54 % in the short-run and 12.70–13.12 % in the long-run. No evidence shows value effect for operational hedging though. The positive value effect of derivatives hedging should motivate managers of Malaysian multinationals to hedge foreign currency exposure through derivatives and encourage policymakers to take steps in developing derivatives market and products. However, the negative value effect of foreign debt hedging indicates that it destroys value. This negative effect might reflect two potential causes; higher company risk due to FC debt financing, and improper hedging practices including high costs of hedging in the underdeveloped derivatives market. These potential causes need further empirical evaluations.

Shahanif Hasan · Aza Azlina Md. Kassim · Mohamad Ali Abdul Hamid ·International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues ·2020 ·JEL: G3, M42

In recent decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the practice of earnings management (EM) as a proxy for financial reporting, especially real activities, with effect on the quality of financial statements. The role of the audit committee in mitigating EM remains ambiguous because of inconclusive findings. Therefore, this study examines the moderating effect of audit quality and audit committee on financial reporting quality, also known as real earnings management in Malaysian companies. The results show that corporate governance mechanism such as financial accounting expert, meeting and indicate significant results with real EM while, audit committee independence and size, shows an insignificant result on real EM. In addition, the results show that audit quality of the audit committee leads to less aggressive EM practice in real activities. The findings also show that audit quality and audit committee has a significant role in restricting the real EM. Audit quality is found to significantly moderate the relationship between audit committee with financial reporting governance practices in ensuring credible accounting information

NurulHuda Mohd Satar · Md. Khaled Saifullah · Muhammad Mehedi Masud · Fatimah Binti Kari ·International Journal of Social Economics ·2021

In light of the rapid evolution of information and communication technology (ICT), every society is faced with many issues such as social exclusion, inequality and the digital divide. Hence, there is need to solve these complex challenges without comprising any development objective. A practical solution in this regard includes establishment of a sustainable model of community development. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the role of education in promoting the awareness on the use of ICT-based infrastructure among the general public to enhance their socioeconomic status. In addition, this study sets out to establish the nexus between socioeconomic status, ICT programme as well as the awareness of Kemaman Smart Community (KSC) development project.

Filzah Md Isa · Nik Maheran Nik Muhammad · Azizah Ahmad · Shaista Noor ·Journal of Economics and Business ·2021

Women entrepreneur has gained utmost importance in the past few decades in Malaysia due to their significant contribution to the country's economic development. However, few business challenges create a constant obstruction for many women entrepreneurs such as lack of ICT knowledge, time constraint to learn ICT, lack of technological expertise, etc. The present study aims to identify the effect of ICT adoption on business performance and examine how ICT usage helped them handle operational business matters. The present study adopted the qualitative research strategy, and researchers interviewed ten (10) women entrepreneurs for this study. A semistructured interview technique was applied, and six Malay and four Chinese entrepreneurs made the study population. The result highlights that Malay and Chinese entrepreneurs use ICT in their business operation such as warehousing system, purchasing system, HRM software and accounting system, purchase order system, production system, internal communication, and AutoCAD. The present study may support the prospective entrepreneurs in considering the ICT usage to embark on technology and innovation and provide inputs to policymakers to design a proper support system for Malaysian women entrepreneurs, particularly those new entrepreneurs who are mostly young and inexperienced.

Suhal Kusairi · Suriyani Muhamad · Norizan Abdul Razak · Aji Purba Trapsila ·Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business ·2021 ·JEL: D21, D23, M13, M14

This study examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the role of Malaysian local wisdom called “Ugahari” in managing Work–Life Balance (WLB) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Data was obtained through online and offline surveys which were distributed to the agencies in the public and private sectors spread across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Pura Jaya. Overall 466 respondents were found to have given valid and complete responses. This research utilized the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. It was found that the use of the ICT during Work from Home (WFH) helped workers to have relatively high flexibility where they could easily expand or contract one domain to meet the demands of another domain. At the same time it also offered high permeability where aspects of one domain entered another domain. This encourages workers to integrate their roles and achieve broad work autonomy. Furthermore, this situation then gives rise to a high level of interference at the boundary between work and family domains. On the other hand Ugahari reduces the level of interference caused by ICT use and encourages workers to compartmentalize their respective roles. Thus, ICT and Ugahari’s behavior can play a role and complement each other in the context of realizing worker well-being

Lee Hwok Aun ·Asian Economic Policy Review ·2021 ·JEL: D30, D63, I30, J15

The New Economic Policy (NEP) which focused on poverty reduction and social restructuring has transformed Malaysia since 1971. Pro-Bumiputera affirmative action was intensively pursued and has continuously faced pushback, with heightened debate at key junctures. The NEP was marred by gaps and omissions, notably its ambiguity on policy mechanisms and longterm implications, and inordinate emphasis on Bumiputera equity ownership. Broader discourses have imbibed these elements and tend to be more selective than systematic in policy critique. During the late 1980s, rousing deliberations on the successor to the NEP settled on a growth-oriented strategy that basically retained the NEP framework and extended ethnicitydriven compromises. Since 2010, notions of reform and alternatives to the NEP’s affirmative action programme have been propagated, which despite bold proclamations, again amount to partial and selective – not comprehensive – change. Affirmative action presently drifts along, with minor modifications and incoherent reform rhetoric stemming from conflation of the NEP’s two prongs.

Muhammed Abdul Khalid · Li Yang ·Journal of Asian Economics ·2021

In this paper, by combining information obtained from national accounts, household surveys, and fiscal data, we document the evolution of income inequality in Malaysia, not only at the national level (for the period of 1984–2014) but also by ethnic group (for the period of 2002–2014). To our knowledge this is the first attempt to produce inequality measurements of Malaysia, which are fully consistent with the national accounts. Our research shows that despite Malaysia’s exceptional economic growth rate, its growth has been inclusive. For the period of 2002–2014, the real income growth for the bottom 50 % is the highest (5.2 %), followed by the middle 40 % (4.1 %), the top 10 % (2.7 %) and then the top 1 % (1.6 %). However, while average growth rates are positive across all ethnic groups (Bumiputera 4.9 %, Indians 4.8 %, and Chinese 2.7 %), the highest growth of real income per adult accrued to the Bumiputera in the top 1 % (at 8.3 %), which sharply contrasts the much lower growth rate of the Indians (at 3.4 %) and negative income growth rates of the Chinese (at −0.6 %). Despite the negative growth rate, the Chinese still account for the lion’s share in the top 1 %. In 2014, 60 % of the adults in the top 1 % income group are Chinese, while 33 % Bumiputera, and 6 % Indians. We conclude that in this period, Malaysia’s growth features an inclusive redistribution between income classes, but with a twist between racial groups.

Abdo Yousef Qaid Saad · Amer M Alhusini Alshehri ·Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business ·2021 ·JEL: M00, M31, G1, G2, G21

The study aims to measures the service quality of Islamic banking in Malaysia from non-Malaysian customers’ perspective based on the six different dimensions of the SERVQUAL model, namely, Shariah, assurance, reliability, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness. This study surveyed 100 non-Malaysian respondents from 25 different countries who have first-hand experience with Islamic banking services in Malaysia. The collected data were analysed by using the SPSS v23 for reliability analysis and descriptive statistics. The results indicates that customers’ impressions of Islamic banks’ service quality in Malaysia did not meet their standards. The independent variables, namely, compliance, assurance, reliability and empathy have positively affected customer satisfaction, while two dimensions, namely, tangibility and responsiveness does not significantly influence non-Malaysian customer satisfaction in the Islamic banking system in Malaysia. The findings of the study suggested that the Islamic banks should develop and obey the customer perception’s policy by following customers’ expectations and the results are also expected to include recommendations for improving the level of satisfaction of the Islamic banking system’s foreign clients in Malaysia. Since this study was limited to Islamic banks in Malaysia, the findings may not be applicable to other traditional banks.

Jaratin Lily · Imbarine Bujang · Abdul Aziz Karia · Jaratin Lily · Mori Kogid ·Eurasian Business Review ·2017 ·JEL: F23; F31; G15

This paper investigates a tale of two measures, which are market portfolio returns and exchange rate movements. The two measures are important risk factors which affect firm share returns. This study also demonstrates that the orthogonalized exchange rate exposure model is better at capturing the effects of exchange rate movements towards large Malaysian firm share returns. In addition to this, it was found that there were not significant differences in terms of number of exposed firms to exchange rate movements, when the Trade Weighted Index (TWI) and multi bilateral exchange rates were used, both in nominal and real terms. The study results also have shown that large Malaysian firms, including financial firms, were exposed to exchange rate movements regardless their level of foreign involvement. Interestingly, most of the exposed large firms are negatively affected when there is depreciation on home currency especially to the US Dollar (USD) and Japanese Yen (JPY). Even though the exchange rate volatility has failed to solve the exchange rate exposure puzzle among large firms in Malaysia, but the high level of sensitivity for most of the firm share returns to exchange rate volatility should not be ignored. Policymakers and financial managers should closely monitor the foreign exchange markets to mitigate the negative impact of exchange rate movements. Future research should also look into the possibility that the relationship between exchange rate movements and share returns is asymmetric.

Paul Hughes · Vitor Leone · Ian R. Hodgkinson · Mathew Hughes · Darwina Arshad ·Asia Pacific Journal of Management ·2017

Planning and improvisation are depicted as alternate decision-making orientations in the strategy process literature, executed by two parallel cognitive contexts: rational or intuitive, but can rationality and intuition be harmonized in the strategy process? Strategic managers may not have to choose to either plan or improvise, rather there is a need to shift the focus of research from such trade-offs to paradoxical thinking. Drawing on survey data from Malaysian research-intensive firms, we investigate how strategy develops through managers’ strategic reasoning under key external (market turbulence) and internal (centralization, manager level) contingencies. In contrast to common assumptions in the management literature, we find that both rational and intuitive reasoning can drive planning and improvisation for firms in emerging economies, with additional positive moderation effects under centralization and manager level. Firms that achieve high levels of both planning and improvisation concurrently are characterized by significantly greater rationality relative to the high planning group and the high improvisation group. The findings extend strategy process research, highlighting how firms in emerging economies differ from theory derived from developed economies.

Muhamed Zulkhibri ·Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science ·2018

Purpose This paper aims to examine the distributional differences of Islamic bank financing responses to financing rate across bank-specific characteristics in dual banking system. The study also aims to provide understanding of how efficiently Islamic banks perform their roles as suppliers of capital for businesses and entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach The study uses panel regression methodology covering all Islamic banks in Malaysia. The study estimates the benchmark model for Islamic bank financing with respect to bank characteristics and monetary policy. Findings The evidence suggests that bank-specific characteristics are important in determining Islamic financing behaviour. The Islamic financing behaviour is consistent with conventional lending behaviour that the Islamic bank financing operates depending on the level of bank size, liquidity and capital. There is no significant difference between Islamic bank financing and conventional bank lending behaviour with respect to changes in monetary policy. Originality/value Many problems and challenges relating to Islamic financing instruments, financial markets and regulations must be addressed and resolved. In practice, it would be a good idea if Islamic banks move away from developing debt-based instruments and concentrate more efforts to develop profit and loss sharing instruments.