EFFECTIVENESS OF TYPOLOGY AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The introduction of entrepreneurship course as a core module in higher education institutions (HEIs) under the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2015–2025 has not increased entrepreneurship initiatives. This is partly attributed to ineffective implementation of entrepreneurship skills in the HEI curriculum. Although attempts were made to delineate the central phenomena of entrepreneurship learning to develop entrepreneurial competencies and intention, there was no consistent outcome. This comparative study used empirical data to investigate the contribution of multidisciplinary learning environment and the use of “Through” methodology as an entrepreneurial education pedagogy to develop entrepreneurial competencies and intention among students. A two-phase stratified single-stage cluster sampling approach was adopted that involved stratifying the entire population of 260 second-year degree students into learning environment strata and partitioning the strata into mutually exclusive entrepreneurial education pedagogy clusters. Data was collected from every single subject within the clusters. Descriptive analytical statistics was used in gauging the effectiveness of the research learning environment and typology pedagogy. The findings revealed that even though entrepreneurial intention remains a challenge, multidisciplinary learning environment that involves students from different disciplinary programs doing entrepreneurial ventures such as experiential learning and taking calculated business risks are most effective in inculcating entrepreneurial competencies. This study has shown that having the appropriate learning environment and typology pedagogy, including consideration of the psychological appeal of students are essential in nurturing entrepreneurial competencies among students. The outcome of this study provides a better understanding for both, HEI academicians and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in making entrepreneurship learning more relevant to produce students with entrepreneurial competencies.

INFLUENCE OF PROACTIVE PERSONALITY ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF BANK EMPLOYEES IN PAKISTAN: WORK ENGAGEMENT AS A MEDIATOR

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the proactive personality of Pakistani bank employees influenced their job performance. With the awareness of the importance of job performance in the banking sector of Pakistan, researchers also examined the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between proactive personality and job performance. A total of 315 responses were obtained from officers to test the relationship between proactive personality and job performance, and to examine the mechanism via work engagement. The researchers analyzed respondents’ demographic profiles in SPSS version 23 and developed several hypotheses through structural equation modelling technique which were tested in SmartPLS version 3. The findings of the study showed a significant positive relationship between proactive personality and the three dimensions of job performance: task performance, individual- directed citizenship behavior (OCBI), and organizational-directed citizenship behavior (OCBO). The study results also supported the main hypothesis that work engagement mediated the relationship between proactive personality and job performance. The findings of the study present a few useful insights to the HR department and policymakers in the banking sector. Proactive personality should be considered as one of the necessary dispositions to be evaluated in hiring decisions. Bank management should devote more attention on the work engagement of employees and its related factors to boost employees’ performance at work.

PREDICTION OF SHARE OF VISUAL INVENTORY USING STORE DISPLAY, CHANNEL, AND PRODUCT VARIABLES

The purpose of this study is to predict the share of visual inventory (SOVI), which is defined as the number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) of a company’s products, calculated as a percentage of the total SKUs on the display of all products. Research studies in the past have focused mainly on the impact of inventory, which includes back end and visual inventory, on sales but less attention has been given to the impact of SOVI on sales. To address this research gap, this study attempted to create an analytics model to predict SOVI at the category of soft drinks level using four predictor variables namely point of purchase display, channel/sub-channel, package group, product category, and derived variable gross national income (GNI). The results were encouraging confirming the effectiveness of such a model. The researchers utilized a data set collected over a period of 18 months (February 2016 to July 2017) by a soft drink firm headquartered in the United States. Based on the findings, it is suggested that this prediction model can be utilized by other researchers and practitioners to predict SOVI of other soft drinks, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and food and beverage companies.

EFFECT OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRACTICES ON EMPLOYEES’ INTENTION TO QUIT: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR

Turnover intention has become one of the most serious issues in organizations around the world. Hence, most organizations encourage family-friendly practices (FFPs) to retain employees and to reduce high turnover risk. A plethora of research has confirmed FFPs as a fruitful predictor of turnover intention. However, what is not yet known is whether FFPs directly influence turnover intention or indirectly through organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). To fill the gap, the present study examined the effect of FFPs on employees’ intention to quit. On top of that, the mediating role of OCB in the purported link was also examined. Data were collected from 338 health sector employees using a structured questionnaire. The results of the structural equation modeling using AMOS indicated a significant negative relationship between FFPs and employees’ intention to quit. Moreover, OCB negatively influences employees’ intention to quit and partially mediates the path between family-friendly practices and intention to quit. Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, this study advances existing knowledge and further understanding of organizational work practices. This study recommends that organizations should encourage FFPs to mitigate turnover rate among employees.

LOGISTICS FLEXIBILITY, RELATIONSHIP FLEXIBILITY, AND LOGISTICS SERVICE QUALITY: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL UNCERTAINTY

This study examined the moderating role of environmental uncertainty on the connection between logistics flexibility, relationship flexibility, and logistics service quality. This study covered large and medium- sized companies operating in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone. Company lists were created based on records in the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry. A questionnaire was sent to a total of 1627 companies by e-mail and company managers were asked to fill in the online questionnaire. The managers of 356 companies fully completed the questionnaire. SPSS Process Macro V3.4 was used to calculate the moderator effects of environmental uncertainty. The macro also reported the effect level of independent variables on dependent variables. According to the results of the analysis, logistics flexibility and relationship flexibility affected logistics service quality, positively and significantly. Besides, environmental uncertainty had a moderator role in the relationship between logistics flexibility and logistics service quality. There were some limitations. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool in the study. Thus, personal perceptions of the participants could be apparent in the information given about the company since questionnaire data was formed in accordance with statements given by the respondents. In future researches, it is recommended that measurement tools that can determine environmental uncertainty more objectively could be used on a sectoral basis to secure clearer results. It is recommended that companies take into account environmental uncertainty when determining a strategy(s) to enhance the quality of logistics services.

BEHAVIORAL FACTORS OF INTERNAL AUDITORS AND ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT OF MALAYSIAN STATUTORY BODIES

This study used the theory of planned behavior to examine the relationship between internal auditors’ behavioral factors and intention to evaluate enterprise risk management (ERM) effectiveness of Malaysian statutory bodies. Unlike prior literature, this study also included a test on individual attitude towards risk in addition to attitude towards behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Analysis on 108 received responses showed that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control had positive relationships with the intention to assess ERM effectiveness. Nevertheless, the influence of attitude was not substantiated. The results imply that attitude is not an important factor when individuals do not have total process ownership. Managers of statutory bodies and heads of internal audit departments need to shape internal auditor behavior by instituting social and administrative norms and instilling a positive perception about the ability to perform tasks within the organization. This study also shows that individuals have no total ownership in a process, thus focusing efforts on shaping individual attitude is not practical. This issue is critical because successful ERM implementation depends on internal auditors’ intention to evaluate its effectiveness. An effective ERM can reduce the risks of waste, inefficiencies, corruption, malpractices, and public–private partnerships associated with the public sector.

HOW DOES GREEN INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL INFLUENCE EMPLOYEE PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR? THE MEDIATING ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The issue of environmental protection in the twenty-first century has played a relatively critical role in business management. Companies developing green intellectual capital can increase their competitive advantage and may influence employees’ attitudes and behavior regarding environmental protection. This research explored the mediating effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the relationship between green intellectual capital and employees’ proenvironmental behavior. Data was obtained from surveys collected from 461 employees in the high-tech industries in Taiwan. The results revealed that green human capital and green relational capital were positively related to the perception of CSR. Moreover, the perception of CSR mediated the associations between green human capital, green relational capital and employees’ pro-environmental behavior. Implications of the findings, including limitations and future research directions are discussed.

IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ORGANISATIONAL INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A STUDY OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

The manufacturing industry is an indispensable part of the economy, especially for Malaysia. The manufacturing sector in Malaysia is not only transforming raw material into products, but also contributing significantly to the country’s economy. Malaysia has attained a significant position in the world by exporting its manufactured goods. However, the production services always require innovation to meet the ever-changing customer demands. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry faces constant challenges such as the innovation capability of organizations, and swift and frequent shifts in the use of technology. These issues may hamper the efforts of manufacturing firms to fully participate in Industry 4.0 Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the influence of knowledge-oriented leadership, electronic human resource management (E-HRM), and decentralised organisational structure on organizational innovation. The current research has adopted a quantitative method to establish the relationship between these three variables and innovation in organizations. A total of 218 samples were collected from manufacturing firms located in Malaysia. Data collected through a self-administered questionnaire was examined by using SmartPLS software. The results of this research has added to the body of knowledge in the respective field by highlighting the significance of knowledge-oriented leadership and E-HRM in predicting organizational innovation. It can further help stakeholders to plan a way forward in facing Industry 4.0 through the development of innovation competencies.

A META-ANALYSIS OF SMARTPHONE ADDICTION AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES

Though smartphones have become the icon of the 21st century, they are possibly the biggest source of non-drug addiction. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to identify behavioral outcomes associated with smartphone addiction, and to evaluate their overall and individual relationships with smartphone addiction. This metaanalysis conducted a preliminary review of 6115 studies which investigated the relationships between smartphone addiction and behavioral outcomes. Fifty-three studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria developed for this study and their review identified thirteen behavioral outcomes of smartphone addiction. Meta-analytical tests confirmed a positive and significant relationship between smartphone addition and overall behavioral outcome. However, the combined effects were significantly heterogeneous and this could be attributed to the diverse nature of behavioral outcomes, dispersion of studies across the globe, and varying demographics of samples. The results showed the prevalence of the following eight behavioral outcomes: anxiety, depression, loneliness, mental health, self-control, self-regulation, stress; and withdrawal that had a significant and positive relationship with smartphone addiction, while only self-esteem had a significant and negative relationship with smartphone addiction. Finally, depression was identified as the behavioral outcome that has a significant and positive relationship with smartphone addiction irrespective of global geographic and demographic variations. This article has elaborated on smartphone addiction criteria similar to that established for researches in substance abuse and addiction. Furthermore, the article has been able to show that smartphone addiction and its problematic use has become an emerging problem with grave consequences.