Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business

Mengejar Makhluk Mitos–Syarikat Unicorn: Mengenalpasti Kejayaan Perniagaan Baru dalam Dunia Digital

Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor — 2024-09-30

Sebagai usahawan muda, mendapat tempat di dalam industri yang berdaya saing boleh menjadi satu tugas yang sukar. Cabaran terbesar kepada usahawan muda adalah kekurangan sumber kewangan, kredibiliti yang lemah, dan kelemahan ekosistem keusahawanan. Tujuan utama kajian ini adalah untuk memahami pengaruhi struktur kawal selia, normatif, dan kognitif terhadap prestasi perniagaan digital usahawan muda. Kajian ini adalah berdasarkan reka bentuk tinjauan keratan rentas. Teknik persampelan bertujuan digunakan bagi kajian ini dan data akhir meliputi sejumlah 213 usahawan muda yang memiliki perniagaan digital. Data dianalisis menggunakan ujian korelasi Pearson dan regresi berganda. Keputusan ujian korelasi Pearson mengesahkan hubungan yang signifikan di antara pembolehubah. Secara keseluruhan, keputusan ini kajian menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan di antara struktur kawal selia, struktur normatif, struktur kognitif, dan prestasi perniagaan digital. Hasil dapatan menunjukkan bahawa struktur normatif merupakan pembolehubah bebas yang paling kuat dalam mempengaruhi prestasi perniagaan digital. Kajian ini menawarkan pandangan tentang strategi yang berpotensi untuk mengukuhkan ekosistem keusahawanan dalam meningkatkan kecekapan perniagaan

A Study to Examine the Factors Contributing Towards Financial Management Behavior Among Non-Finance Students in AIMST University, Kedah

Jaya Kumar Shanmugam — 2024-09-30

This paper aims to examine the factors contributing to financial management behavior among non-finance students at AIMST University, Kedah. The dependent variable is financial management behavior while the independent variables are financial literacy, family’s social status, and financial self-efficacy. The data for this study was collected through the distribution of self-administered questionnaires. The population for this research is undergraduate non-finance students at AIMST University. The data collected were analysed using descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient Analysis. The findings of this research revealed that financial literacy, family social status, and financial self-efficacy have significant relationships with financial management behaviour.

SME's E-Commerce Adoption in Sabah and Sarawak: The Moderating Role of Government Support

Alan Tang — 2024-09-30

This study investigates the factors influencing e-commerce adoption among SMEs in Sabah and Sarawak, addressing gaps in the existing consensus and theoretical framework. Utilizing the Technology-Organisation-Environment theory, the research focuses on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, organizational readiness, and top management support, with government support as a moderating variable. Employing a quantitative approach and survey methodology, data analysis was conducted using SPSS and SmartPLS 4. The results reveal that perceived usefulness and ease of use positively impact e-commerce adoption, and government support moderates the relationship between ease of use and adoption. The findings highlight the crucial role of the technological context, particularly user experience. The study underscores that user-friendly and useful e-commerce platforms increase the likelihood of adoption, while government support is vital through regulations and infrastructure improvements. Future research is recommended to explore e-commerce adoption across diverse industries and examine post-adoption stages to identify evolving patterns over time.

Empowering Malaysia’s Youth: Assessing the Impact of STEM Education

Noramalina Abdullah — 2024-09-30

The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative in attaining the objectives specified in Malaysia's Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013- 2025. This study emphasises the significance of incorporating STEM education in Malaysia, with a specific focus on its contribution to the development of analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creative thinking among the youth. The focus of this study is specifically directed towards the country of Malaysia. This underscores the need to employ a comprehensive and interdisciplinary methodology while developing a strategy The present study involves the analysis of replies provided by participants enrolled in a STEM education program. The dataset comprises demographic data of students spanning from Forms 1 to 5, together with information pertaining to their levels of interest in STEM. The analysis of post-program surveys indicates a notable increase in agreement and high agreement, particularly in the subjects of Mathematics and Engineering. This trend suggests an increasing level of enthusiasm among individuals toward pursuing careers in the STEM disciplines. A large majority (78%) of participants said the program influenced their future STEM interests, especially in engineering.

An Empirical Analysis of E-Takaful Participation Readiness (ETPR) Among Individuals in Malaysia

Farah Hanan Muhamad — 2024-09-30

Increased digitalization is one of the tailwinds expected to impact the Islamic Financial Services Industry (IFSI), including the takaful industry, which is growing at up to 5.2% globally. Despite the increasing penetration of digital technologies, the participation rate in online takaful remains disproportionately low. Hence, a call for a digital platform is seen as vital in the current economic situation to further reach out. This research suggests an integrated model of e-takaful participation readiness (ETPR) and empirically tests the model. Furthermore, this study opts for primary data via a structured online survey adapted from previous studies using a purposive sampling technique. Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is the main statistical technique used in this study. Based on the perspective of user acceptance of information technology, the current research significantly expands on factors influencing e-takaful participation readiness among 395 individuals such as religiosity, attitude, and takaful literacy. Past studies have visited the topic of e-banking readiness, but limited studies focused on its relation to the e-takaful area. This study is a pioneer in examining consumer participation readiness toward e-takaful services particularly during the digital shifting process due to pandemic. The results supported the measurement model's prediction that each research measure's reliability and validity requirements were met. All the proposed hypotheses were found to be significant and accepted. The findings of this study suggest takaful operators in Malaysia to critically devise their new penetration strategies and focus on giving extra value to induce takaful literacy and make room for improvement in product penetration to the target segments by understanding the factors contributing to this phenomenon. This is crucial for policymakers, takaful operators, and other industry stakeholders to develop strategies that encourage greater adoption of online participation.

Implementation Barriers to Process Innovation among Malaysian Manufacturing SMEs: A Review

Muhamad Nikmatullah Ajwad Adnan — 2024-09-30

Process innovation is widely recognised as a crucial driver of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs that could not rapidly evolve core business strategies may become uncompetitive owing to obsolete products and processes. Hence, SMEs should consider the potential benefits of refining current processes apart from focusing on existing product offerings. Fostering process innovation could significantly improve competitiveness, efficiency, and plant visibility. Nonetheless, most SMEs struggle to implement efficient and effective process innovations in existing production operations. The current study aims to review the barriers encountered by manufacturing SMEs to facilitate process innovation.

The Impact of E-Commerce Platform Adoption Among MSME: A Literature Review

Suzlita Welas — 2024-09-30

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily life greatly. As a result of the restrictions implemented during the spread of COVID-19, most transactions were undertaken online. All economic sectors, including the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, were affected by the new norms. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, online transactions were challenging to implement. Nevertheless, they are becoming easier and help entrepreneurs maintain consistent operations until the economic situation becomes stable. The MSME sector is crucial in comparison with other primary sectors in the acquisition of national income. This review article discusses the impact of the adoption of e-commerce platforms among MSME entrepreneurs based on three aspects of technology, organisation, and environment in a recovering economy after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three primary aspects of the technology, organisation, and environment (TOE) model are widely adopted in the study of e-commerce platform adoption. In the future, this study will continue with the methodology, findings, and discussion sections.

The Implication of E-Commerce Application in SMEs

Suzlita Welas — 2024-09-30

This research aims to explore the implication of e-commerce application among Small and Medium (SM) Malay entrepreneurs involved in the Malaysian food and beverage manufacturing industry based on three perspectives: technology, competition, and suppliers. A survey questionnaire was developed following the three variables. Furthermore, a pilot study was conducted to identify the necessary improvements to be made to the instrument. The respondents involved SM Malay entrepreneurs who are e-commerce application users, with a 68.4% response rate. The empirical data were statistically analysed via stepwise multiple regression. Resultantly, the variables of competition and supplier influenced the implication of e-commerce application among SM Malay entrepreneurs.

A Narrative Review: Optimization Algorithms for The Problem of Allocating Shelf Space in Retailing

Faizatulhaida Md Isa — 2024-09-30

The Shelf Space Allocation Problem (SSAP) is of great significance in the retail industry since it directly impacts the effectiveness of product placement and organization within a shop. This issue arises from a deficiency in comprehending the strategic arrangement of products, resulting in the wasteful utilization of space. Notably, SSAP has a significant negative impact on store operations and customer satisfaction, resulting in wasted space and a reduction in the number of products that can be displayed to customers. Hence, the careful selection of an optimization method is crucial for effectively managing the allocation of shelf space in retail operations. This study aims to examine optimization algorithm techniques for addressing the issue of shelf space allocation in a particular environment, such as enhancing sales, minimizing congestion, or optimizing space utilization. Several studies have considered several optimization algorithm methods that have been used in solving the SSAP, including Genetic Algorithm (GA), Linear Programming (LP), Dynamic Programming (DP), Simulated Annealing (SA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS). These methods are selected based on problem characteristics, including nonlinearity, integer requirements for variables, and constraints such as limited rack space. This optimization method helps retailers to effectively optimize shelf space allocation and maximize sales and profits. The study thus reviewed previous papers examining optimization algorithm methods to solve the problem of shelf space allocation. Those methods are crucial in improving product organization efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall business performance.

The Mediating Role of Brand Love between Brand Personality and Brand Loyalty: A Study on SMEs Traditional Woven Fabric in Indonesia

Wan Laura Hardilawati — 2024-09-30

This paper aimed to examine the impact of brand personality dimensions (sincerity, excitement, and competence) on brand loyalty. In addition, the role of brand love is explored through mediation models. A total of 384 valid and usable responses collected from a consumer of Traditional SME Traditional Woven fabric in Indonesia were analyzed through the structural equation model (SEM). A research model examined several hypotheses underpinned by multidimensional brand loyalty and interpersonal love. The findings showed that sincerity and competence had a significant impact on brand loyalty and brand love, but excitement had no significant impact on brand loyalty and brand love. Moreover, brand love mediated the relationship between sincerity and competence, but excitement had an insignificant impact. The results of this study indicate that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the traditional woven fabric industry should foster emotions to establish a robust consumer-brand connection. Furthermore, it is critical to prioritize the development of robust attributes, as traditional woven textiles possess deeply ingrained cultural significance. This study contributes to the current knowledge of brand loyalty literature by exploring the characteristics of brand personality and brand love. The findings imply that when consumers' brand personality is mixed with brand love, it will result in increased loyalty towards the brand.